BestSportsEntertainer
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The difference between the two is Foley was accepting the punishment unto himself. Lesnar is putting other people at risk by trying to make pro wrestling seem "legitimate" as you put it. The one rule in pro wrestling is to always keep your opponent safe. You can't just throw that rule out the window because you get carried away with what people who don't watch the product think.
Which implies that he's doing it on purpose which is even worse. If you can't protect your opponent you shouldn't be wrestling, period.
It's one thing to go into a match expecting to be hurt from a botched move or fluke incident. It's a completely different thing to go into a match and get dropped on your head 12 times in the name of "reality" in a scripted sport.
Are you implying WWE should release Brock Lesnar? They have a little more sense than that. He is their biggest draw, and when he's in the ring, the energy and atmosphere is different and electric. Perhaps, he's a bit reckless in the ring, but he should be. It's best for business, so to speak.