Why does professional wrestling affect us differently than almost any other form of entertainment?
In the wake of the devastating loss of Benjamin “PAC” Satterley, Blade Daily and Books and Bodyslams step back from the usual wrestling discourse to talk about something bigger: why we become so deeply attached to professional wrestlers.
We know they’re performers. We understand kayfabe. We can separate the character from the person behind it—and yet we spend 52 weeks a year cheering them, booing them, watching them grow older and sometimes growing older right alongside them.
So why can losing someone we never actually knew hurt so much?
Blade and Books explore the strange relationship between wrestler, character and fan before discussing AEW’s remarkable Dynamite: A Tribute to PAC—from the empty chair and the Death Riders to Will Ospreay and Ricochet honoring PAC in the ring, Hangman Page reuniting with The Elite, Bryan Danielson’s emotional return and the many moments when the line between wrestling storyline and genuine grief simply disappeared.
This isn’t really a Dynamite review.
It’s a conversation about grief, kayfabe, fandom, memory and why wrestling hits differently.
And along the way, Joshi G makes a surprise appearance with a special tribute to PAC of her own.
If professional wrestling has ever meant more to you than you can reasonably explain to another human being, this episode is for you.
Sit Down Shut Up Mark Out — We love, we laugh, we babble.
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