Chris Jericho has stated that professional wrestling can be compared to a team-based Olympic event such as figure skating. Jericho made this claim in a recent proposal that he submitted to the official Olympics committee.
During an episode of The Jim Cornette Experience, Cornette presented several arguments supporting his position that professional wrestling cannot in any way be included.
“The International Olympic Committee and anybody affiliated with it would god damn yes, would f*cking guffaw at the idea. Because when you think about it, the Olympics are for sports. And in any sport, even gymnastics, people are trying to win, right? So if there’s a team gymnastics or a team event, all the people are on the same team. It’s not people putting on a performance, but part of the performance is that they are in conflict with each other.
I mean, it’s a headline grabbing statement made by a headline grabbing individual, but if you break down any of the ways that it doesn’t make any sense. Yes, pro wrestling is a work. They already have wrestling, so why would they add more wrestling? Oh, you said, well, this isn’t Olympic style wrestling, this is professional wrestling? Well, again, then, okay, if it’s a legitimate contest, then you could put it in the Olympics.
Or if professional wrestling was, again, two people on the same team representing the United States or whatever country against some team from another country. But then you can’t grade it like gymnastics? Because that’s not what it is, and just what some people think it is. Do you, you know, get Les Thatcher come in from Cincinnati, and two or three other wrestling training experts from around the world to come and judge a wrestling performance that is given totally completely off the wall and out of context of the rest of the Olympic Games.
Then what is the judging criteria? Mine would be how good can you make this match without ever showing obvious cooperation. There’s never been a 10, there’s never been a match you couldn’t see through if you were looking close enough. But it’s just ridiculous.”
You can listen to a clip from the podcast below:
(h/t to TJR Wrestling for the transcription)
