Paul Levesque's head appeared to crash dome first onto the canvas. An arena packed with 80,000 spectators stood in awe, gripping their seat handles and staring wide eyed at the spectacle.
All of those in attendance, save for a few youngsters, and all of the millions watching around the world knew that Levesque (or Triple H as he is known on camera) had never made contact with the mat. They understood that he was safely braced between the knees of his "opponent" and that his hair covered the inches of neutral space between his skull and canvas.
But when The Undertaker pinned the seemingly helpless Triple H, the crowd roared in approval as if before their eyes he had been truly disarmed by the final pile driver maneuver.
This is now what professional wrestling is free to be. What was once presented as true, legitimate sport is now free of the translucent guise of "kayfabe,"or the code of silence that kept wrestling's true nature a secret to those outside of the business.
Vince McMahon, the man that took a glorified backyard hobby and molded it into one of the most formidable titans of entertainment on the entire globe, decided that it was time to drop what had developed into a laughable charade. Knowing that his vision of a product that focused more on soap opera level storylines and production value than actual wrestling execution would make it impossible to present his "contests" as legitimate, he opted to admit to the general public that yes, professional wrestling was a show.
So at the industry's annual blockbuster event, Wrestlemania, fans felt free to suspend disbelief and appreciate the match that unfolded in front of them.
High definition cameras accidentally allowed fans viewing from home to catch a glimpse of Triple H "blading" or using a razor to make a small incision on his head. After this process is complete the performer takes a "blow to the head" and sells said blow as the cause of his now substantial bleeding. If you were paying close attention, you would have noticed that Triple H was unsuccessful in his first few attempts to induce bleeding. After several tries, he was ready for his "headshot."
The cameras weren't finished and neither were the mikes. Throughout the night they picked up several conversations between the match participants. A common trick of the trade, wrestlers communicate with each other in order to safely pull off the next stage of the match.
The outcome of the majority of the matches? Predictable. Not many people truly expected the Undertaker to end an undefeated streak at the annual PPV one win short of 19. Less people expected Chris Jericho to beat out CM Punk for the WWE Title, the industry's top prize.
It was no secret that Jericho would not be steadily performing with the company much longer. WWE was well aware that the fan base understood Jericho's other plans (including touring with his rock band "Fozzy") and that these plans would make it nearly impossible for him to be the flag bearer of the organization.
While the title is not truly contested for, as the winner is determined before either wrestler enters the ring, to be the one scheduled to retain and carry it is both an honor and a substantial responsibility.
But McMahon felt that even if the ending of the match was predictable, the event itself would be compelling to watch. An expert in his field, he knew that those who fill the seats and spend money on his product would allow themselves to get lost in the action. For approximately 30 minutes, they could allow themselves to believe that the match itself was truly a battle in which one man prevailed and the other submitted against his will.
The company's growth since admitting the true nature of the "sport" nearly two decades ago might be misleading. While boxing's overall popularity and relevance in pop culture may be on the decline, the rise of MMA and organizations like UFC provide potential fans with actual fighting entertainment.
While WWE has attempted to make their product less brutal and more palatable, smaller companies like TNA Wrestling have attempted to capitalize the old style violence that many fans still crave.
But the biggest problem facing WWE currently is not its official classification as a non-sport or an upstart rival in Florida, or legitimate bouts once again regaining popularity. Currently the leader in the industry finds itself struggling to establish a roster that can consistently draw at the level it is accustomed to.
Jericho, the former top challenger for the industry's biggest prize? Thanks to his recent suspension (desecrated the national flag during a recent tour of the country and was thus removed from future cards) his latest stint with the company is over months early.
The main eventers discussed at the opening of the article, Triple H and Undertaker? Both working limited schedules. In fact, Undertaker only surfaces once a year.
Stars of the past have been tapped. "The Rock" takes occasional breaks from his movie career to give fans a small taste of the genre's nostalgic success of the early 2000's. He main evented WrestleMania 28, and then disappeared once more, giving vague and empty promises of an eventual return as his only parting gift.
Brock Lesnar, the former (and likely soon to be once more) UFC star resurfaced but he too will only be physically present for a handful of televised events.
Though WWE has found a way to delve itself deeper into main stream culture over the past 15 years, it is no longer an edgy invader held in the regard of shock value content like South Park or Family Guy. The result? It's another show. The wrestlers are characters, arguably comic booke-esque super heroes.
McMahon's solution to this change in cultural perception? Water down the wrestling and give the public an iconic entertainer, not a grappler.
Make a display of reintroducing the famed "ECW" brand to an audience craving for nostalgic brutality, and then within months turn it into a sterile and generic version of the new tame product. Add insult to injury by unofficially designating it as a show for the less popular performers and rookies.
And if the point wasn't clear enough yet, refuse to call your in-ring talent "wrestlers." Label them "superstars."
With a little adaptation and compromise on both McMahon and the fans' part, this process has worked. Though met with opposition, the smaller companies that stuck to pure wrestling are in fact still considerably smaller. Though UFC is gaining popularity, WWE still sells out entire football stadiums annually.
Last night, an entire arena chanted the name of this era of wrestling's icon: John Cena. Only a year ago, Cena was only popular with female fans and young children. He was the poster child of all that was "wrong" with the new direction of (as Vince calls it) "sports entertainment."
Though he has the ability to pull off impressive stunts during matches, Cena tends to stick to basic moves and stale combinations in order to eliminate his opponent. His lack of originality or excitement is made even more evident on weekly episodes of WWE RAW which air on free television.
Wrestling purists cheered when he lost his title to hardcore icon, Rob Van Dam in 2006. They went into a frenzy when CM Punk beat him last summer.
Punk's victory over Cena was important for several reasons. Punk won his first ever WWE Title and thus dethroned a beleaguered Cena. But Punk wasn't just another opponent feuding for the top prize. He was the only performer claiming to be a true "wrestler." With vicious and scathing promos that were a weekly occurrence a decade ago, Punk skyrocketed to popularity.
Punk's victory and current title reign have given fans the ability to tolerate Cena, who at the end of the day is still the company's flag bearer. Legendary matches between "The Rock" and Lesnar have also helped the public come around.
The future of WWE and all of "sports entertainment" is likely just what McMahon envisioned. In order to be set apart from the rise of true physical combat, it will need to be something more. It will need to be storyline heavy, and drama filled. The wrestling, it needs to entertain, but it alone could actually lead to disaster.
If fans continue to accept a healthy balance between the Cenas and the Punks, than the entire industry will benefit and perhaps WWE will be able to develop a larger stock of headline draws.
