There Is No Santa Claus...

For many, many years people around the world have been celebrating Christmas. As children, we were all told there was a Santa Claus. We adored the idea and lived each and every year waiting for that mystical, magical night to arrive. We always longed to catch a glimpse of the overweight, old, white haired gent that rode his reindeer driven sleigh through the skies every Christmas Eve. Although we never did capture that glimpse at Santa, we always did awake Christmas Day to see all the wonderfully wrapped presents that he had left behind. The looks on all our faces as we opened these presents said it all, we loved this special time of year!

Then as we got older, someone broke the shocking news to us all. There is no Santa Claus! This broke some of our hearts. Others kind of started figuring the truth out on their own. Some chose to still believe Santa does exist. Either way it happened, bottom line was Christmas kept coming around and we all still loved it. The only thing that changed is the way we appreciate the holiday. As children it represented a time of toys and joys given to us. As grown ups we realized the importance of the true meaning of this all.

Where does this all fit into to pro wrestling? The answer is simple. Network TV recently did an expose' on the "secrets of pro wrestling." Coming across as the person responsible for ending the Santa myth, the TV network planned on revealing the truth behind what goes on in pro wrestling. What did they reveal? Absolutely nothing that a lot haven't figured out on their own. Many didn't even believe some of the stories they told. Many didn't care. As long as there is a squared circle, fans of all ages and walks of life are going to sit down and cheer and boo for whoever they like. It doesn't matter Santa isn't coming by because Christmas is always going to be here. Same goes for pro wrestling. It doesn't matter what secrets are revealed, pro wrestling will always come around. The only thing that is going to change is the way the "game" is appreciated. Now, that's entertainment!

I am not condoning what these "pros" did when they went on national television to tell the big "secrets." But in reality what did they achieve? I merely see them as the "bully" or "spoiled" kids that were always the one to reveal "there is no Santa!". Their words and actions did not end the myth. Generations to come are going to go through these same cycles just as each and every one of us has in the past. There are always going to be young fans that believe what we do, there will always be older fans that realize and figure out what we do, and there will always be mature fans that appreciate all the things we do. Professional wrestling, just like Christmas, is always going to come our way. The only difference is the way we enjoy it and why we do!

Who cares if the big man in the red suit and the bushy white hair isn't for real? Who cares if reindeer can't fly? Who cares if little elves do not make our gifts? But you show me one person who doesn't still enjoy it all the same! Pro wrestling is here to stay, like it or leave it. If you do not like Christmas you can always change your religion. If you do not like what we do in the ring, you can always change your channel. And the way things look today, Santa Claus will be delivering a lot of toy superstar wrestling figurines this Christmas Eve...go figure!

November 11, 1998