By Garth McLennan, Sports Editor [Te are many aspects working for and against the claim that professional wrestling is a sport. At first glance, it is very easy to say that pro wrestling, meaning promotions like WWE and TNA, is not a sport. After all, it is scripted entertainment. The winners and losers are pre-determined at all their shows and events and are chosen by a person known as a booker. Right from the get- going to hurt after a while. Say what you will about wrestling, but no one can question the overall toughness of those athletes. It is also important to consider that while the finishes are pre-determined, most aren’t planned out all the way through. WWE wrestlers are responsible for coming up with what will happen throughout a match and making it fun and visually appealing enough that the crowd will stay interested for the whole thing. Plus, performing the moves that they do takes copious amounts of skill to do Rick Rypien not such an underdog anymore By Garth McLennan, Sports Editor Vancouver Canucks, sparkplug center Rick Rypien has only just found a true place on the Canucks roster, and he’s going a long way to shedding the underdog label that has been stuck to him for his entire career. Rypien, 25, has had to fight for everything he has in the NHL, and at long last it all seems to by paying off. For years now, Rypien has earned himself a place in the hearts of Vancouver’s fans with his intense, hard-nosed play and his never say die [ bits of five seasons with the * he +t fa : * Seco hesitation or unwillingness to stand up for his teammates and fight, no matter who the other guy may be. He plays the game with about as much crash-and- bang as possible and he has a penchant for throwing huge hits. Plain and simple, he’s a strong character guy. However, the way that Rypien plays often has an unfavourable impact on his health. Since he turned pro, and especially since he starting playing in the NHL, Rypien has had to battle a seemingly endless string of injury issues. But unlike other guys who are regularly in the sick bay such as Sami Salo, Rypien has point blank refused to alter go, it’s easy for most people to make up their minds. cleanly and more importantly, to do safely. But this discussion warrants more talk And no one can say that professional than that. Yes, pro wrestling is scripted, but wrestling isn’t competitive. Like numerous only an ignorant person would call it fake. sports, it is highly politicized, and it takes a lot While wrestlers don’t deliberately try and hurt —more than pure in-ring ability to reach the top. each other, injuries, both minor and serious, Despite all of that, and while there is little are far more prevalent in wrestling then they doubt that pro wrestlers are indeed athletes, it are in major contact sports like hockey and is still hard to call it a sport. The scripted thing “Plain and simple, he’s a strong character guy.” attitude. Despite standing just 5 foot 11 and weighing around 185 lbs, Rypien has regularly and enthusiastically taken on the way he plays even a little bit, and you have to admire him for that. He’s never played more than even football. holds it back from that. guys all around the NHL that are up to 34 games in an NHL season and last Take hockey for example, where the six inches taller and 50 pounds heavier year suited up just 12 times with a average injury length is one or two games. THE VERDICT: than him. combination of problems but this year Daniel Sedin being shelved for a month is considered to be a major, long-term injury. In wrestling, being out for a month really isn’t that long. Just look at Adam Copeland, a.k.a. Edge, who ruptured his Achilles tendon and has been forced to miss nine months of action. So while wrestling may not be a sport, it is probably closer to something like a live action movie, only it’s run 300 times per year all over the world. Wrestlers are both athletes and actors. They are involved in an incredibly physical business, are hounded Take a recent Canucks-Oilers game for example. On October 19, Rypien dropped the gloves with Edmonton’s 6-foot-4 behemoth Zack Stortini, who is widely regarded as one of the league’s things are looking up for Rypien. He had a strong postseason with the Canucks last year and played every game and he’s managed to stay healthy so far this season, having only missed one game. Or what about Rey Mysterio, who has had five major knee surgeries over the course of his career? Gregory Helms missed 14 months with a broken neck. The physical toll that wrestling takes on the bodies of its performers is immense to say the least. Yes, it’s planned out, but landing straight on your back 250-300 times per year, which is an average schedule for most WWE wrestlers, from six to eight feet in the air is 16 for autographs and travel across the globe to perform at significant risk of injury. There are few guaranteed contracts or sure things in wrestling. Without a doubt, it’s a profession that deserved much more than it gets. _ Are wrestlers highly talented? Yes. Are they athletes in almost every sense of the word? Yes, but professional wrestling is not a sport. toughest customers; he racked up 25 fights and 181 penalty minutes last year, and outweighs Rypien by almost 40 pounds. In a thrilling bout, Rypien showed absolutely no fear and dominated the much bigger Stortini. That’s just the way Rypien is: full throttle with no backwards gear. Over the course of his career, whether it was back in junior, in the minors or in the NHL, Rypien has never displayed any With his style of play, it’s almost outlandish to expect Rypien to play a full campaign. Injuries will come in his line of work. However, what he brings to the table, and for just a $550,000 cap hit this year and next, he’s a bargain. Is he going to suddenly morph into a 30-goal scorer? Probably not, but his incredible record in fights and the way he fights (he boxes more than brawls) makes him a valuable part of this hockey team.