It's not real.

By Denver Shrum

We’ve all been there. The pop of the crowd as we all shout for a face as he uses a finisher to KO a jobber. Heat for the heels when they pull out an upset. We’ve all been the mark, but is it actually real?

People have always sought fighting as entertainment, and there’s always been someone to provide. Greco-Roman wrestling, Boxing, Kick Boxing, all produced great fighters. The memorable ones, though, were the ones who entertained. Mohamed Ali was a great fighter, but who doesn’t remember “Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee?” Other organizations capitalized on this and Sports Entertainment was born. Organizations like the WWF, WCW, and ECW sought to play directly to the crowds. While these organizations shouldn’t just be dismissed as fake, as they did take a great degree of athleticism, the plotlines were pre-written and the outcomes decided in advance.

Now, the XWF...not as staged as a pro wrestling event, but more entertaining than a shoot fighting league. Sure, most of the drama is staged (There are always exceptions,) and even a few matches are, but that’s part of why we love it. They want us to have fun, and we do.

So yeah, call me a mark, but I’m gonna watch when Pulverizer gets a car dropped on him by Curbstomp. I’m gonna cheer when Curbstomp gets his come uppance, and I’ll have the satisfaction of knowing that when Core faces down Superbeast for the Black Circle Championship, they’re fighting for real, and we’re about to get a hell of a show.