Arn Anderson believes professional wrestling is at its best when it leaves fans questioning whether what they have just witnessed was real.
Speaking on ARN, the WWE Hall of Famer discussed worked-shoot promos and how deliberately blurring the line between reality and entertainment can make wrestling more compelling. The approach became more common in the late 1990s, but Anderson believes adding elements of reality can make wrestling more compelling.
“I like anything that’s believable. Anything that makes you go, well, hey, wait a minute, I thought this was just entertainment,” Arn Anderson said. “He really hit him. He crossed the line on that. You shouldn’t have said that. Anything that gets reality plugged into it, and you almost believe in it, and then not, and then okay, well, shoot, I don’t know.”
Arn Anderson Says Believability Matters More Than Who Wins
Arn Anderson experienced an era when the wrestling business was far more protective of its inner workings, particularly during his time as a member of the Four Horsemen. The group built much of its presentation around making its relationship appear genuine both inside and outside the ring. For Anderson, creating enough uncertainty to make viewers question what they are seeing remains an effective approach.
“You’re asking questions. That did something good,” Anderson said.
When it was suggested that wrestling has become so exposed that making viewers question whether something is real should be considered a success, Anderson agreed.
“Of course it is. It’s more important than who won and who should have won, or was he supposed to win,” Anderson said. “That’s the least important thing.”
Anderson also encouraged fans to pay close attention to performers and make them earn their investment through convincing work.
“Watch it close, and make sure that you make the wrestlers earn your respect, because they can’t see through your work,” he said. “That’s the ones that notoriously get over and stay over.”
