One of my favorite aspects of the wrestling business has always been the psychology of it. The best wrestlers, in my mind, are those who can tell a story within the context of a match. They use the in-ring action to enhance their angle, and they're able to use the physical aspect of wrestling to build a "fight story" within the match itself.
Unfortunately, good psychology seems to be a lost art. Chris Benoit and Kurt Angle are probably the best active wrestlers in this department, but overall, the wrestling industry has really moved away from using the matches to drive the story. Instead, it's all about hitting your high spots and ending with your finisher in the time allotted by the script, storytelling and psychology be damned. After all, we don't need to tell a story in the ring when we can use a cookie-cutter 30-second vignette to shove the basic idea down the throats of even the dumbest fans.
Last night, I was actually encouraged by the psychology of the unlikeliest of matches - John Cena against Umaga, believe it or not. The Samoan Bulldozer has been pushed as an unstoppable and undefeated monster who is just so physically dominating that nobody can beat him. Cena has been pushed as the stud champion with a heart of gold and a never-say-die attitude. So Umaga spent the whole match (15+ minutes) throwing Cena around the ring, repeatedly working over the champ's back. It made sense, because 4 different times, Cena attempted to lift the monster up and hit the FU - and 4 different times, his back gave out and he was unable to hit the move.
In the end, Cena stole the victory with a roll-up pin. Initially, I didn't like the fact that they didn't go the "Cena overcomes the odds and hits the FU to win" route that would fit his relentless character, but the more I thought about it, the more I liked the fact that they didn't. Too often in wrestling these days, the babyface is beaten down all match, with the heel attacking whatever bodypart the face needs most in order to hit his finisher - only to have the face "shockingly" hit his finisher in the end. I'm glad that, for once, they didn't take that route, which seems to cheapen everything the heel did during the match. By going with the roll-up finish, they sold Umaga's power even in a loss, and they sold Cena's ability to break from the "script" and do whatever it takes to get the win. It was really the perfect psychology for the two guys involved, which is a very pleasant surprise. I just wish it happened more often.
So anyway...let's talk psychology. Who do you think are the best in the business (past and present) at telling a story this way? Can you recall any particular matches that just reeked of great psychology?
Unfortunately, good psychology seems to be a lost art. Chris Benoit and Kurt Angle are probably the best active wrestlers in this department, but overall, the wrestling industry has really moved away from using the matches to drive the story. Instead, it's all about hitting your high spots and ending with your finisher in the time allotted by the script, storytelling and psychology be damned. After all, we don't need to tell a story in the ring when we can use a cookie-cutter 30-second vignette to shove the basic idea down the throats of even the dumbest fans.
Last night, I was actually encouraged by the psychology of the unlikeliest of matches - John Cena against Umaga, believe it or not. The Samoan Bulldozer has been pushed as an unstoppable and undefeated monster who is just so physically dominating that nobody can beat him. Cena has been pushed as the stud champion with a heart of gold and a never-say-die attitude. So Umaga spent the whole match (15+ minutes) throwing Cena around the ring, repeatedly working over the champ's back. It made sense, because 4 different times, Cena attempted to lift the monster up and hit the FU - and 4 different times, his back gave out and he was unable to hit the move.
In the end, Cena stole the victory with a roll-up pin. Initially, I didn't like the fact that they didn't go the "Cena overcomes the odds and hits the FU to win" route that would fit his relentless character, but the more I thought about it, the more I liked the fact that they didn't. Too often in wrestling these days, the babyface is beaten down all match, with the heel attacking whatever bodypart the face needs most in order to hit his finisher - only to have the face "shockingly" hit his finisher in the end. I'm glad that, for once, they didn't take that route, which seems to cheapen everything the heel did during the match. By going with the roll-up finish, they sold Umaga's power even in a loss, and they sold Cena's ability to break from the "script" and do whatever it takes to get the win. It was really the perfect psychology for the two guys involved, which is a very pleasant surprise. I just wish it happened more often.
So anyway...let's talk psychology. Who do you think are the best in the business (past and present) at telling a story this way? Can you recall any particular matches that just reeked of great psychology?
