I mean i understand some matches may be fixed but when two popular players fight would any of them want to be the loser ? And the damage looks very real or is the only fixed thing the outcome ? Maybe someone from the industrty can answer . Or am i missing something if so put it into the comments and i'll edit the post.
Everyone knows pro wrestling is all staged performances but I've never heard that said of boxing. As far as I know those are real.
Best example of that is the match between Antonio Inoki x Muhammad Ali.
Pro wrestling is fake (or, is all just fiction, like a TV show or a theater performance). Wrestling and boxing are not fake.
Professional wrestling is scripted, but moves are still done for real and it will damage to the wrestlers' bodies. Officially, boxing is still unscripted and fights can cause damage. However, the format is strange compared to other sports.
First, the boxing federations are much weaker and depend a lot more on individual boxers setting up matches than wrestling or MMA. So, other than boxing federations forcing fights every so often, you don't get the same calendar. You'll also have champions being more choosey regarding opponents, both in terms of being an audience draw and an actual risk to the champion.
Before, when boxing was more active, it was deeply infiltrated by organized crime trying to manipulate the match to favor their bookies. So, some matches were pre decided, but it wasn't done for entertainment purposes.
It's like live action stunts the stories and theatre is scripted the broad strokes of the match are choreographed with the finer details worked out between the wrestlers and the ref. But you can't fake some of the bumps esp if you were someone like Mick Foeley
Check out the Unreality of Pro Wrestling, its a video by some guy online who'se really fascinated by the fine line between the fiction of wrestling and the reality of it. Like, yeah, they're selling, but there's also real stakes for the wrestlers too. When the storylines and the wrestler's motives align just right, it's basically real for just a little while, even if its fake.
https://youtu.be/UaDAzXVycR4?si=l8DdKpacug48zB17
