Polygon.com / 17h00

I'm back into pro wrestling, thanks to parking lot brawls and wild acts of arson

My interest in wrestling comes in waves; I grew up watching WWE during the infamous Attitude Era of the late 90s, and have since followed the sport from afar. Every now and then, something will reignite my curiosity the rise of All Elite Wrestling (AEW), a particularly stacked card at a big event, or more recently, the rise of fascinating and unhinged rivalries played out through wild stunts and obscene acts. In order to understand the charm behind the abhorrent acts Im about to describe, its important to remember that wrestling adheres to a certain canon. Wrestlers play heroes or villains, known as faces and heels, and maintain that persona outside of the ring. Everyone is aware that its not a real fight, but wrestlers will maintain kayfabe when a show is done a polite fiction that every match, monologue, betrayal, and heartbreak is real. It makes for excellent theater, especially when it comes to a heated showdown between foes. Take, for instance, the case of Adam Hangman Page and Sw...
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