Blowing Off Some Steam

BLOWING OFF SOME STEAM
by Christian McHausenstern

Stamford, Conn - In a recent conversation with Bobby Heenan, Mr. Heenan was asked did her prefer "The Brain" or "The Weasel". Surprisingly Mr. Heenan replied, "The Weasel". When asked why, he replied "because it was a chance for everyone to have some fun, and it has to come at someone's expense".
Mr. Heenan's interesting insight into his view of the wrestling world, or "the biz" as it once was known in more provincial times, provides clues into the recent gag machine the EWF has become. From the return of beloved Hardcore Hoover, to the surging love/hate relationship with James Powers the EWF, since the very successful Rumble in Trumble, has been downright silly.
When entering the EWF training facilities there is no sense of humor apparent. These men train for five hours a day five to seven days of the week. They are focused, dedicated, and diligent athletes. It is equally hard not to notice the palpable tension inside each different training are. Sitting with Han Zo Mon, who has his own gym known as the Ultimate Dojo, he explained why.
"The key to success in wrestling is focus," Han Zo Mon long time contender for nearly every title, and only holder of the Ultimate Title to date speaks from experience. "The idea is if you aren't prepared mentally and physically something will pass you by. Either you will make mistakes in the ring, which can be unforgiving and dangerous, or you make mistakes in the politics which can be costly to your future opportunities. Essentially you have to be on all the time." This idea of "on" or "on stage" was one I heard over and over again from our competitors.
"The mental strain here is just incredible. You have to understand that we as individuals have families and lives that we have abandoned. Or we cut ourselves off completely from that aspect of life, sacrificing these ideals of contentment for personal glory. None of it coincides with any psychological stability." Dr. Cooman spoke to us from the road, where he is in hot pursuit of William Berkowitz. "The particular situation i find myself in right now is the perfect example of how tough this can be mentally. Philip Berkowitz," a former patient of Dr. Cooman's "has been unable to choose one or the other, this psychic tension creates a dissassociative break from who he truly is". Philip Berkowitz's descent into a more dangerous and psychotic individual has been the discussion of many reporters and scholars over the years. Most recently the New Psychologist Journal of Medicine has published an article called "THE BERKOWITZ SYNDROME" which looks at the connection between perceived breaks from reality and the personalization of outgroup characteristics, is a highly controversial look at the link between personal psychosis and the evocativeness of an environment. Dr. Cooman explains the relevance. "Phil is a great example of how psychic breakdowns are not entirely internal, but instead can be reflections of external triggers. Interestingly it brings us back to Freud, which ultimately posits that very intense traumatic events in formative years of life can cause a person to regress when faced with similar triggers later in life."
According to Dr. Cooman wrestling plays into it because it creates a lifestyle of greater tension and inconsistency. "Lets say you put a bunch of rats into a cage, but only one rat got cheese. All the biggest fastest smartest, perhaps even cruelest rats would be jostling for the cheese. Now lets say you put that cheese on a pedestal. All the rats would run towards that pedestal, but those rats that weren't strong enough would be stepped on to reach the correct height, and eventually the hungry rats that didn't get cheese would eat the weaker ones. Some rats, and we've seen this in research, some would allow themselves to be eaten. They become so overwhelmed that they disconnect from their need to survive."
A rude welcome to the world of wrestling. The truth is tempered by different voices. Dr. Cooman's analytical tone belies his research background, but it was Jonny James who was most layman in regards to understanding these particular pressures. "Look, I know this pressure really well. There is no pressure release valve. It drives men to drink, to do awful things. But here's the thing. It's a hell of a lot of fun. When you're in the ring and you're fighting for that title...well there is nothing like it in the world."
The twinkle in Mr. James' eye and the grin on his face belie the silliness that is beneath the entire industry. Men in tights walk into what is known as a "squared circle" and do everything in there power to lay on top and pin the man across from them. It is ridiculous child like rough housing. The Herbert Hoover's and James Power's of the federation serve to strip away the sanctimony of the business and replace it with old vaudevillian acts of years before. Perhaps wrestling is what some have always called it. A three ring circus; with only one ring. And no elephants.
*