WWE and TNA respond to 'The Wrestler'

As Darren Aronofsky’s “The Wrestler” continues to make waves through the motion picture industry, it was only a matter of time before the higher-ups in the pro wrestling industry presented their comments on the most talked about wrestling-themed motion picture in motion history.

And all three of the country’s biggest pro wrestling companies are offering various opinions on the film.

Ring of Honor, the largest of America’s independent wrestling promotions, essentially partnered with the film by allowing scenes from the movie to be filmed at live Ring of Honor events last March. In return, Ring of Honor likenesses and logos are featured prominently within the film. The company is whole-heartedly promoting and backing the film in hopes to gain notoriety for their company and the industry as a whole.

As for TNA Wrestling, they released an official statement late last week with their thoughts on the film.

"We're happy to see professional wrestling in the mainstream spotlight through the movie 'The Wrestler.' Mickey Rourke's performance is nothing short of sensational; Mickey Rourke is the movie. His portrayal of an over-the-hill wrestler struggling to find his own meaning in life has already been talked about as Oscar-worthy, and rightfully so."

TNA, a clear number two to World Wrestling Entertainment, was smart in their stance to promote the film in a positive light. They are right in feeling that if “The Wrestler” is successful in the movie industry, perhaps some of that notoriety will transcend into the wrestling industry itself. The logic is that “The Wrestler” could bring new wrestling fans into the fold or reignite the excitement for older fans that may have walked away at some point.

Not surprisingly, World Wrestling Entertainment’s official statement regarding the movie was less than glowing in its remarks.

"While 'The Wrestler' is a very engaging movie, it portrays how wrestling was conducted in some independent wrestling circuits, unlike WWE, which is a global brand with millions of fans."

It was also noted that WWE Chairman himself Vince McMahon wasn’t a big fan of the movie himself, which is what most expected. I haven’t seen the movie yet, as it doesn’t open here in Minneapolis until this coming Friday, but I can imagine that WWE wouldn’t want to be associated with it due to the hardcore and gritty nature of the film and the seemingly unflattering portrayal it paints of how the industry treats its performers.

McMahon has spent the better part of twenty-five years trying to sanitize pro wrestling into his own family-friendly image. He has tried to take wrestling from the smoky bingo halls and National Guard armories in front of a hundred people into a worldwide phenomenon broadcast in front of millions on pay per view and cable television and live to thousands of people in the world’s most famous arenas. I really do believe that McMahon thinks pro wrestling is “his” industry and anything not associated with his company isn’t (a) good for the business, or (b) isn’t up to the level of what he thinks wrestling should be.

Plus McMahon isn’t making money of this project and so as a businessman he doesn’t want his company associated with something he doesn’t have any control over.

In reality, neither WWE nor TNA’s official statements surprised me in either their tone, language or brevity. WWE knows they are the worldwide leader in pro wrestling and really feels they don’t need to lend support to a project they don’t have any tangible stake in, while TNA, a company that is still essentially gaining its foothold in the industry, realizes that supporting a much-hyped project like “The Wrestler” could be beneficial for them in the long run.