What do these athletes see in Trump? He is a wrestler’s opposite in nearly every way. Though he has a weird habit of trying to dominate handshakes, he’s never been a serious athlete, despite his boasts. His privilege has shielded him from accountability throughout his life. Among high-level wrestlers, personal accountability is a deep, almost spiritual core value.
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In 2016, The New Yorker published The Faces of College Wrestlers, which featured portraits taken after wrestlers had stepped off the mat. I was delighted until I read the article’s comment section on Facebook. With articulate prose, people had reduced these young men to knuckle-dragging stereotypes. The phrase “toxic masculinity” appeared multiple times.
I have seen this said about combat sports in general. It's a mistake – it's actually not masculine at all. Plenty of women do them and are good at them. Like the article says, girls' wrestling is growing rapidly. Do not cede martial arts and/or combat sports to the chuds.