Pro wrestling's dubious comeback

Group, May/Jun 1999

Three-quarters of the guys and almost half the girls responding to a React magazine survey on pro wrestling say they watch it. But this is not your father's all-star wrestling. Researchers at Indiana University, in partnership with Inside Edition, watched 50 episodes of the Monday night cable show WWF Raw. They saw...

1,658 incidences of grabbing or pointing to a wrestler's crotch.

157 incidences of "giving the finger."

128 incidences of simulated sexual activity.

47 incidences of satanic activity.

42 incidences of simulated drug use.

21 incidences of talking about or appearing to urinate.

Wrestling's popularity has fueled a growing fad among teenagers-backyard wrestling. The matches mimic what's on cable. Some kids even videotape their bouts and broadcast them over the Internet to a growing audience. Writing in Yo! magazine, wrestling convert Gabrielle Turner describes her passion: "During the era of Hulkmania, wrestling was like a live-action cartoon with positive messages that told young viewers to brush their teeth and mind their parents, Now, the message is about the almighty dollar and sex-lots of sex. Not to mention a few life-threatening stunts and attempted embalmings on live people."

Wrestling is so popular that some youth leaders are using it as a draw for evangelistic ministry. John Sanny of Woodland Hills Church in Minnesota planned a Wrestlemania for Christ event at the Target Center featuring Christian wrestlers such as Nakita "The Russian" Koloff and "The Million Dollar Man" Ted Dibiasi.