In wrestling, figuring out what’s a shoot, a work, or a worked-shoot can be exhausting.
Me? I’ve decided to simplify: everything is a work. Even a shoot eventually becomes a work, so I default to that. If one day communication fails in the ring and performers start throwing real blows, I might rethink this — but for now, it’s all a work.
Which brings me to whatever is going on between WrestleMania opponents Rhea Ripley and Women’s Champion Jade Cargill. They had a social media war of words, which you
can read about here, here, and here.
During the exchange, Chelsea Green and Piper Niven, who’s recovering from injury, got involved. After Cargill told Niven she couldn’t wait to give her “some ring time,” Niven shot back, “Yea maybe by the time you’re back from your many vacations I’ll finally be recovered.”
Oh, no — not another jab at a performer’s reduced-work schedule. Work, shoot, or otherwise, I don’t get this complaint, even if it’s for the sake of a storyline. Work-shaming says more about the complainer than an absentee coworker.
Show of hands: how many of you would agree to work less for your current salary?
Consider this: the average person works about 260 days a year. Now imagine your boss doubles your salary and cuts your workload to 40 days. You’d be an idiot to turn that down. Thus, clowning someone for a better work-life balance isn’t tough talk.
It’s bad math.
A reduced schedule also doesn’t make an athlete less valuable. Take baseball: Randy Johnson, a starter, pitched over 4,130 innings. Mariano Rivera, a closer, threw just 1,280. Johnson earned about $176 million in his career; Rivera earned just over $169 million.
Almost identical pay, far less work for Rivera, same Hall of Fame achievement.
Point being: if you’re really good at your job, you don’t have to show up as often, just when it matters. That’s nothing to be ashamed of. The only thing to be embarrassed about is being the one left holding the heavy bag, crying, while someone else gets paid more to carry a lighter one.
