By James Caldwell, PWTorch.com assistant editor

Organizers for a fake pro wrestling league called Seattle Semi-Pro Wrestling (SSP) are claiming they will be forced to shut down if Washington-state regulators require them to pay regulation fees.

Government officials want to classify the league as "sports entertainment." Organizers would have to comply with safety regulations and post a $10,000 bond to run shows, similar to what legitimate wrestling organizations, such as WWE, would pay.

The Wall Street Journal reported on the story and asked the question of whether "fake" pro wrestling should still be considered pro wrestling. The league runs "theatrical shows" in bars across Seattle using gymnastic mats instead of a wrestling ring.

"Theater with pro wrestling moves and method acting," SSP head Nathanial Pinzon described the shows to WSJ. "It's not pro wrestling. Any pro wrestler would probably be embarrassed if they saw us associated with pro wrestling."

A person who "performed" in a banana suit recently quit the promotion and tipped off state regulators that SSP should be classified as pro wrestling.

"Just because people call it bad wrestling doesn't mean you can avoid state regulations," said banana-suit guy Paul Richards.

Pinzon said the cost of complying with state regulators could end the league. An attorney for SSP says the action isn't really action and shouldn't be regulated.

"It's a bunch of grown men and women in costumes pretending to be professional wrestlers," said attorney David Osgood. "It is to wrestling as 'West Side Story' is to actual gang relations."

Caldwell's Analysis: The action might not take place inside a ring and might not feature legitimately trained pro wrestlers, but looking at the video, it looks like "bad independent show meets backyard wrestling." Based on the video below, it looks like pro wrestling. One of the never-to-be-answered questions in life will be "What is a sport?" How do you define a sport? Are baseball and cheerleading in the same category of "sport?" Now, go ahead and over-complicate the issue by mixing in "sports entertainment." How do you differentiate between "fake pro wrestling" and "pro wrestling?" Is it the ring? Is it well-trained athletes? Is it the internal logic of presenting everything as a shoot in WWE, TNA, ROH, etc. versus SSP presenting everything as a work?

Video selection below: WSJ story on SSP.

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