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Impact courted controversy when longtime Knockout Allie "died" in the Undead Realm, but they are not the first promotion to use this type of angle. Should they, or shouldn't they?
Pro Wrestling, when you get right down to it, is one of the most insanely ridiculous entertainment forms known to man.
Where else can you see a Zombie (Undertaker) take on a literal giant (Gonzales?) The same show can host post-apocalyptic warriors, black separatists, and self-appointed guardians of fashion - and that's okay.
You might also see gang bangers fighting blue blood aristocrats, garbage trucks used as weapons, and grown men dressed in turkey suits. Truly, pro wrestling boasts all of these elements and many more.
But one type of angle tends to be, for the most part, taboo in pro wrestling. While depictions of violence including the use of large objects such as vehicles to bludgeon opponents senseless are allowed, the actual mortal injury is thought to be in poor taste.
This is not to say that wrestling promotions have not used death in storylines before. The question we are pondering with this article is whether it's acceptable to do so or not. With Avengers: Infinity War killing off dozens of characters, you might wonder why pro wrestling is still met with controversy about this subject, but as we will examine it's not always as cut and dried as other entertainment forms.
Here are five reasons pro wrestling promotions should not use death as part of a storyline, and five that it's acceptable to do so.
Not Acceptable #1: Wrestlers are both characters and real people simultaneously
Perhaps the biggest difference between pro wrestling and any other entertainment form, such as film or movies, is the fact that there is a real human being in the ring.
While there are steps taken for the performer's safety - padded turnbuckles, a spring under the wrestling mat, and special training to avoid serious injury - it doesn't change the fact that the wrestler is literally putting their body on the line for the sake of entertainment. When you see Roman Reigns get put through a table, it's really him and not a stuntman or computer-generated imagery.
Yes, pro wrestlers play characters, but they are also real people at the same time. Because they occupy this gray area in a unique niche, they should not be seen 'dying' even for a story line.
Acceptable #1: Death is used as a dramatic element in all other forms of entertainment - why not in wrestling?
The thing about pro wrestling is that it is very much its own fictional universe with its own laws of physics and rules.
Don't believe that is true? Think about this; would it be better to land on a bony, uneven object like another person or a nice smooth padded mat? Most people would say the mat, but in the world of pro wrestling missing with, say, a moonsault and hitting the mat means suffering greater injury than landing on your opponent.
Likewise, moves like the Abdominal stretch, which look painful but in reality would be quite ineffective in real combat, are devastating moves that can make people submit or pass out from pain.
Given that pro wrestling is just as fictional as the Avengers movies, there's no reason why sports entertainment writers shouldn't have the freedom to 'kill' off characters from time to time. Game of Thrones has made an entire franchise out of killing off its characters!
Not acceptable #2: There's been too much real death in wrestling
Perhaps the biggest reason why pro wrestling companies should not use death as part of their storylines is the sad, tragic history of pro wrestlers dying young.
Most people will recall Owen Hart's fatal fall from the top of the Kansas City arena in 1999, and the way it deeply affected the pro wrestling industry. Owen Hart was far from the first man to die at a wrestling event. Bruiser Brody was stabbed to death in his locker room in Puerto Rico, and no one was ever convicted for the crime.
More recent, and more tragic, examples certainly exist, but it's not necessary to dwell upon them. What's important is to realize that with real-life death haunting the world of sports entertainment like a specter, having 'fake' death makes a mockery of the real world tragedy, and thus it should not be included as part of a storyline or angle.
Acceptable #2: It's hardly a new idea
While Allie's 'death' may have shocked a lot of viewers - it certainly was more bloody than many deemed necessary - it's hardly the first example of death used in a pro wrestling storyline.
Take the Undertaker as perhaps the most obvious example. As part of multiple storylines and his own gimmick, the Dead Man has 'died' a number of different times, which made his eventual resurrection all the more dramatic. Many of Undertaker's gimmick matches directly involve death or dying in some capacity; Buried Alive matches, Coffin matches, and the like.
Too, when the Powers of Pain left the NWA for the WWE - some say because they were legit afraid of the Road Warriors - the NWA announcers came on screen and declared that the Warlord and the Barbarian had been 'destroyed' by the Road Warriors, and there was 'nothing left but grease spots on the arena floor.'
The idea has been around for decades, so there's no point in getting uppity about it now.
Not acceptable #3: It's likely to come off as cheesy or unconvincing
Given that pro wrestlers occupy that twilight area between being a fictional character and a real person, it's almost unavoidable that killing them off as part of a storyline will come off as cheesy or unconvincing.
Perhaps the best example occurred in 2007 when Vince McMahon 'died' after his limousine exploded at the end of a broadcast. The reactions from most fans was first silence, then laughter.
Indeed, when the WWE attempted to have a program dedicated to memorializing McMahon and having a funeral service, the fans sang Steam's classic hit "Na na na Goodbye" in response, which frustrated the announcers whose job it was to sell the storyline as a legit event.
Because wrestlers are also real people, killing them off isn't going to achieve the desired tragic element; it's only going to make people incredulous.
Acceptable #3: Fans can tell the difference between a story line and real tragedy.
Pro wrestling fans are sometimes mocked by those outside of the fandom, particularly if their critics watch sports like American football or major league baseball.
"It's fake," the critics cry and demand to know how the wrestling fans can become emotionally invested in a product that is a scripted performance rather than a legitimate athletic competition.
Despite popular conception, most if not all of the wrestling fans are aware of the fact that it is scripted entertainment, including the children watching. The realism of pro wrestling is not an issue, because they have bought in to the zany world of sports entertainment and are willing to play by its rules.
This means that the fans are well aware when something is a storyline angle and when it's for real. The fans can discern between real-life tragedy and a storyline death, so let them.
Not Acceptable #4: It's in bad taste
Remember when Torrie Wilson - future WWE Hall of Famer - had a red hot feud with ECW queen Dawn Marie? Yeah, us neither.
But if you go and check the archival footage you will find that death was very much a part of their storyline. At one point, Dawn Marie had decided to seduce Al Wilson, Torrie's father, as part of the mind games she was playing with her opponent.
The two were married, and for some reason, the WWE camera crew accompanied them on their honeymoon. Al Wilson was seen to have suffered a fatal heart attack and 'died' while consummating the marriage.
It was poorly received and led to many accusations of the WWE of being in bad taste. Pro wrestling is a bit silly, and is watched by a lot of youngsters; exposing the fandom to 'death' is just going to be offensive to many people, and that's not likely to change.
Acceptable #4: Character death helped Lucha Underground differentiate itself from other promotions
When Lucha Underground began running their show, they set out to make some bold decisions to differentiate themselves from other promotions.
For one thing, instead of running year-round Lucha Underground has set seasons, like a traditional scripted series. For another, they often use surrealistic imagery and portray their athletes as being something akin to the supernatural.
During one controversial segment, a member of the Crew - something of a toady security force for Lucha Underground's evil masterminds - was sacrificed to Mantaza Cueto, who had been built up as a mix of Jason Voorhees and Hannibal Lechter. Baez was seen being grappled by Cueto through a cage, and then a splatter of blood announced his 'death.'
Whether the segment was considered to be good or not is a matter of opinion, but what is not is the fact that Lucha Underground distinguished itself from its competition as part of the bold storyline.
Not acceptable #5: Animals are a good stand-in for wrestlers
A good compromise for pro wrestling organizations looking to add in the drama that the element of death brings is to use animals for the actual deaths.
Back in the WWE's classic era, there was once an angle where Jake "the Snake" Robert's beloved python Damien was 'crushed' to death by Earthquake. Tied up in the ropes, Jake had to watch while his bagged snake was squished beneath the hairy derriere of the former Sumo wrestler.
This led to Jake the Snake seeking revenge and introducing an even bigger snake named Lucifer. A similar angle involved Al Snow, who had begun taking a pet dog named Pepper to the ring with him. Big Boss Man kidnapped Pepper as part of the angle and later invited Al Snow to come to his hotel room so the dog could be returned. Boss Man fed Al Snow a roast, which turned out to be the missing dog.
Using animals somewhat removes the truly tragic element from the angle, and is in much better taste than killing off a wrestler's character.
Acceptable #5: It's been done without controversy before
Way back in 2004, WWE 'killed' a popular character on live television; Paul Bearer.
The storyline build up was intriguing, to say the least. The villainous Dudley Boys kidnapped Undertaker's manager Paul Bearer and held him hostage. Paul Heyman declared that if Undertaker wanted his mentor back unharmed, he must lay down and let the Dudleys pin him in a handicap match.
In order to make sure the Deadman didn't back out of the deal, Paul Bearer was placed in a glass-walled box which was set to fill with concrete if Undertaker didn't lay down like he was told to. Undertaker would actually win the match and save his mentor - only to pull the lever himself and fill up the tank, 'killing' Paul Bearer so the manager could not be used against him again.
The segment was largely met with indifference, though WWE did make sure that the live arena crowd got to see Paul Bearer dug out of the concrete and carried off alive on a stretcher.
There you have it: five reasons wrestling shows should not kill off their characters, and five that it is acceptable. Questions or comments? Please comment and let us know below the article, and as always thanks for reading!
