TODAY MARKS THE ONE day of the year when it is not only acceptable, but legitimately encouraged, to play practical jokes or create hoaxes. Though we at PWI were tempted to use this platform to spread some good-natured fallacies, we instead opted to retain our journalistic integrity and, instead, shine a light on some of wrestling’s best jokesters and tricksters.
If that’s not your proverbial cup of tea, you might enjoy next week’s edition of the PWI Weekly, which will see us change gears and begin our astronomy-themed series on the dwarf planet, Pluto. As PWI begins its switch to rebranding as “Pluto Watchers International,” we trust that you will continue to subscribe to us for all the latest happenings in our solar system.
April Fool’s!
HOAX OF THE WEEK
… Or should we say century?
When trying to think of some of the best hoaxes in wrestling history, we came to the perhaps obvious conclusion that the best hoax of all was professional wrestling itself. What began as legitimate sporting contests soon gave way to “worked” bouts with pre-determined winners as a means of upping the entertainment and financial values of the matches. By the late-19th century, nearly all professional wrestling contests were “fixed.” (But don’t you dare call them “fake.”)
For about 100 years, wrestling promoters continued to do a good job of maintaining the pretense that what the paying public was watching still amounted, more or less, to a legitimate fight with the best man winning. We at PWI even played a big part in helping maintain the “kayfabe” of the business throughout our first few decades as a publication.
Times change. These days, nearly all wrestling fans know that the outcome of what they’re watching has already been decided before the opening bell rings. But therein lies of the beauty of professional wrestling.
When a child sees a magic trick, there is a delight to be had there. For many of us, the magic and delight of wrestling is to be found in our suspension of disbelief. Perhaps that is why the medium has endured for as long as it has. With countless trends come and gone over the course of the last century, professional wrestling endures.
SPOTLIGHT ON
The phrase “comedy wrestler” is often used derisively. However, there is simply no joking about R-Truth’s abilities. An accomplished in-ring performer, who had a memorable heel run as NWA World heavyweight champion in the formative years of TNA, the real-life Ron Killings is almost certainly better known for his comedic exploits in WWE. For more than 15 years now, Truth has brought levity to WWE television, and, in the process, made millions of people smile. Whether it’s alongside his imaginary friend “Little Jimmy,” his obsession with the 24/7 title belt, or his “membership” in The Judgment Day, Truth gives his all in everything he does. And, in being so deeply committed to his path, he has forged a lengthy career that more “serious” grapplers can only dream of.
HISTORICAL HILARITY
Wrestling and comedy have feature many famous duos. But, in the sport of kings, perhaps none have blended the two together as well as Bobby “The Brain” Heenan and Gorilla Monsoon. With Monsoon playing the “straight man” foil to Heenan’s physical and verbal whirlwind, the real-life friends often seemed intent on cracking each other up as much as making the audience laugh. In many cases, they did both … like in this classic clip.
FROM THE VAULT
Mister Saint Laurent’s neck brace is about as medically necessary as Andy Kaufman’s was beyond the immediate aftermath of a certain Jerry Lawler piledriver. That is to say “not very.” Indeed, the World Titan Federation figurehead only seems to feign frailty when it’s most convenient—routinely bending, bobbing, and weaving, as it suits him, at Major League Wrestling events. Yet, there is one thing that is decidedly not bogus: The WTF’s expanding influence over MLW.
With a growing roster that includes Davey Boy Smith Jr. and Tom Lawlor—who, together, captured the World tag team championship in late-February—Saint Laurent’s gang of well-positioned (and, presumably, well-compensated) miscreants seems content with nothing less than a complete takeover of Court Bauer’s Major League Wrestling. Can anyone stop them?