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General perception will tell you that WWE superstars enjoy a near ‘demi god’ status. Almost on par with celebrities, but with slightly more bruises. People come with a lot of a expectations when they enter the big bad world of the WWE. Some of them make it big and enter the broadway whereas others just fade into the oblivion having made little impact. Irrespective of all that, they all deserve some amount of credit for shaping up the industry to what it is today.
It certainly is not easy being a WWE superstar. There is glamour and fame no doubt, but there are painful aspects on the other side of the coin as well. So, Let us look into their lives and wonder if it really is easy being a WWE superstar.
Being away from their loved ones
If you have ever observed, the WWE superstars always talk about being ‘on the road’. They will tell you a hundred exciting stories about their journeys but will never confer to you about how much they miss their families. Week in week out, travel is the only word as they honour their contract and their fans by visiting them according to the hectic schedules they are presented with. Whether it is in the UK or the US or any other European and Asian countries for that matter, the superstars pack up, dress up and show up to enthrall the WWE universe.
WIth hardly any time to spend with their families, their personal equations tend to get bitter as they look to put food on the table. This pretty much explains why you hear so many divorce stories when you talk about the WWE roster.
Health takes a toll
WWE superstars should be called ‘artists’ rather than wrestlers. The precision with which they plan and execute routines and maneuvers would put artists to shame. You never notice the amount of hard work and practise that goes into executing a match and they deserve ample credit for doing that. However, there are times when artistry displays go flawed and ends up injuring them for good.
The injuries they experience range from minor cuts to fatal blows. They must be prepared for the worst at all times and this is what makes it a very dangerous profession. Superstars like Edge, Stone Cold and Triple H were forced to retire due to career threatening injuries whereas the late great Owen Hart died performing a dangerous move. Even a decade in professional wrestling does a world of bad to your body and despite all this, they love the profession and continue giving us a high dose of adrenaline.
Breaking Kayfabe
The WWE is strict about one rule and one rule only, ‘breaking kayfabe’. All the creative writers and the big guys up the corporate rung decide how storylines should be booked and how superstars need to embrace it. They assign gimmicks based on your persona and you are supposed to carry on with what is expected whether it is in-ring or out in the real world.
Heel superstars literally carried their in ring persona to the outside world because that was how they were perceived by the fans. Breaking character was a strict no-no and the Undertaker is a fine example of it. He kept a low profile until his gimmick was changed to that of a biker. Triple H was suspended for breaking character in the early 90’s. Post a MSG show, he went on and embraced fan favourites Michaels and Kevin Nash. Hunter was a heel character then and hence the move backfired forcing the WWE to suspend him.
Work according to storylines
Unless you have proved your mettle in the ring and are truly worthy to be a champion, the WWE is not the best place to work. If you are deemed unfit, you will always go down the ranks becoming cannon fodder to top superstars. Eventually even being released from the company. Besides all this, certain storylines will demand you to do things that do not fit your character. Kevin Nash was horribly repackaged as ‘The OZ’, Sgt Slaughter was made to don a ‘pro Iran’ gimmick, Goldust was made to act like well... Goldust and even Hulk Hogan was forced with a heel turn.
These are moves that the creative team enforces on you and you are forced into it because you want to give this business all you got. Some of them click whereas most of them backfire. However, it is just another day in the office for a WWE superstar.
No privacy
Just like any other celebrity, the WWE superstars too lose on their privacy. With fans interested in taking a peek into their personal life, maintaining a public profile becomes awfully difficult. From restaurants to public places, the superstars are always flooded around by fans. Every move they do is news feed for the media and every error done is blown out of proportion.
There are instances where they have manhandled overly inquisitive fans resulting in lawsuits as well.
All in all, every superstar who comes down to the ring to perform always looks to give his hundred percent to the WWE universe despite facing a lot of hardships in life. We as fans must learn to respect their sacrifices before being harsh critics. Love them, respect them and cheer for them for that is all they expect.
