Indie Wrestler Sparks Debate Over Pro Wrestling as “Performance Art”, Josh Barnett & Davey Richard Sound Off

September 9, 2021 0 By JohnValbyNation

Indie wrestler Jordynne Grace, who you may know from Beyond Wrestling, Women’s Wrestling Revolution or SHINE, started a lively debate on Twitter this weekend arguing in favor of professional wrestling being referred to as a “performance art” rather than a legitimate “sport”.

Grace went back and forth with numerous fans on Saturday. Part of her argument is that “the insistence upon calling it a sport has really brainwashed some wrestlers into believing they are really in competition with one another while in the ring,”  later stating that not all wrestlers can be considered athletes because, “some people I’ve wrestled are the laziest, clumsiest people in the world.”

One of the more interesting ideas that was brought up in the discussion was implementing other forms of entertainment alongside the actual in-ring product at live wrestling shows. Obviously we’ve seen a small version of this with musical performances at major WWE events, and at the Lucha Underground live tapings. You could also make the case that the entire wrestling industry was built around a sideshow act that travelled with carnivals and circuses.

The debate over “art” vs. “sport” picked up so much steam that former UFC Heavyweight Champion and long-time wrestler Josh Barnett joined the discussion. Josh argued that “without sport you have zero framework for wrestling”, and claimed that people want to consider it an art form because “there are barely any legitimate wrestlers” left in the business, “and barely any legitimate wrestles training people.”

So what do you think? Should pro wrestling be considered a legitimate sport, or is it healthier for the industry overall to rebrand itself as true performance art? Sound off in the comments section below or hit us up on Twitter @PW_DotCom.

I am 100% for calling wrestling a “performance art” rather than a “sport”. The insistence upon calling it a sport is really holding wrestling back in my opinion. Discuss with me.

— Jordynne Grace (@JordynneGrace) March 17, 2018

I can’t think of anything else “sports entertainment” applies to besides wrestling. Therefore, sports entertainment IS wrestling…but of those two categories I mentioned, wrestling would fall into a performing art. It’s theater competition. https://t.co/sxpb0XkPeH

— Jordynne Grace (@JordynneGrace) March 17, 2018

Yeah, the insistence upon calling it a sport has really brainwashed some wrestlers into believing they are really in competition with one another while in the ring. It’s out of hand in some areas. https://t.co/ZTICyscWnw

— Jordynne Grace (@JordynneGrace) March 17, 2018

Why does wrestling need to be taken so seriously? Wrestling should be entertaining, whether it’s supposed to be funny or competitive. We all have different stories to tell and different acts to perform. https://t.co/mBxG6p7dbJ

— Jordynne Grace (@JordynneGrace) March 17, 2018

That’s backwards to me. Less people want to watch wrestling than want to see an action film. Wrestling isn’t a sport. We need to cater to people who aren’t wrestling fans and stop masquerading wrestling as something it’s clearly not. It’s a show, not a sporting event. https://t.co/R1q6t6iHvp

— Jordynne Grace (@JordynneGrace) March 17, 2018

I also don’t want to disrespect anyone, but i’ll go on record to say some wrestlers are NOT athletes. Some people I’ve wrestled are the laziest, clumsiest people in the world. https://t.co/a9PKKuU0I6

— Jordynne Grace (@JordynneGrace) March 17, 2018

Getting people to believe it’s real while performing. That is LITERALLY what theatre does though. https://t.co/l4SrTzWvRB

— Jordynne Grace (@JordynneGrace) March 17, 2018

But it also doesn’t address the fact that without sport you have zero framework for wrestling – which even still, is a display if combat between opponents of which one overcomes a struggle against.

If yiu erode the sport of wrestling away enough it becomes cheap improve.

— Josh Barnett (@JoshLBarnett) March 17, 2018

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