Week One - The WWE - Masculinity In America Today.

For almost thirty years now, bordering on the eve of next months twenty-sixth Wrestlemania at the University of Pheonix Stadium, Pheonix, Arizona, the WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) has been the focal point for physical and competitive excelence in U.S. sports entertainment and even worldwide. Many of history's greatest superstars have passed through it's curtains and cemented their names in eternities marbled hall of fame by paying homege to the hallowed squared circle. This iconic, three-hundred and sixty-five day a year circus has given birth and immortality to stars such as Rowdy Roddy Piper, Hulk Hogan, The Nature Boy -Ric Flair, Brett 'The Hitman' Hart, 'The Macho Man' - Randy Savage, 'The Heartbreak kid' - Shawn Michaels and of course the long since passed Texas Tornado - Kerry Von Erich and Andre The Giant. These are the names this organisation was first built on, they were and still are today quiet simply, it's foundation. They were those who gave life and limb for our entertainment as kids running home from school just to get homework and chores out of the way so we could settle in for the nights competitive proceedings to begin. These hallowed servants of the WWE's christmas past now give way to a new breed of wrestling superstar, perhaps the most famous and iconic still lacing up his boots today, is without any question, the legendary pheonom - The Undertaker. This november coming will mark his twentieth aniversary in the World Wrestling Enternainment organisation. The nearly seven foot tall deadman from Death Death Valley and seven time World Heavy Weight Champion, currently stands on his own brink of immortality, surpassing almost every other wrestling superstar, past and present as longest residing legendary icon in the organisations history. Founded by Vince MacMahon Snr., the WWE, even right now to this day, week after week, still surpasses merchandise, Pay-Per-View and cable revenues including website hits on a monitored weekly statcount basis toppling more than the NFL, NBA, NHL and Nascar combined. This billion doller baby of entertainment also bosts America's longest running episonic T.V. show in history - WWE Monday Night Raw. Simply incredible, however on an irresisstable side note of mention, I confess a modest sense of personal pride as I pen this. Right now, at this juncture in historie's record books, a fellow countryman of my own has scaled this American entertainment institutions everest and made it to it's breath-stealing peak where few outsiders have ever gone before as WWE Champion. He is The Celtic Warrior Sheamus, an Irish lad who grew up on North Great Georges Street in inner city Dublin, just around the corner from the square I lived on myself where I made my own way to college every morning, rucksack on shoulder and exhaling the cold morning air, wondering of the possibilities to come.