It was no surprise when longtime pro wrestling fanatic, and former Pittsburgh Steelers running back, DeAngelo Williams, announced he would make his grappling debut. The fit from football to wrestling is a path which many former professional football players take. From the “Big Cat” Ernie Ladd to Bill Goldberg and Roman Reigns, a transition from pro football to professional wrestling has been a common occurrence for many athletes throughout the years.

Williams declared he would make his first appearance with Impact Wrestling on their yearly Slammiversary pay-per-view. The event is the equivalent of Impact’s Super Bowl. Williams would be a celebrity addition to help highlight the show in a tag match with another former football player, Quinn Ojinnaka; better known as Moose to pro wrestling fans.

The match went off without a hitch, but that didn’t prevent some media outlets from poking fun at Williams. Various headlines claimed that the first-time wrestler “faceplanted” on a signature manuever which led to the winning pinfall. Another went as far as calling DeAngelo’s debut “hilarious”.

But make no mistake about it: DeAngelo Williams’ pro wrestling debut is no laughing matter.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BWG3MTjglzP/

For those who feel professional wrestling isn’t a “real sport”, I can understand why they might say things in jest. How dare Williams overshoot a high-risk move from the top rope! Wrestling is a spectacle that most observers pass off as fake.

However, there’s very little which is “fake” about it.

Yes, the outcomes are predetermined, but most of what you see inside the ring is closer to a collaborative improv act than what you might see in a Broadway play. The latter is heavily rehearsed while wrestling matches are typically staged on the fly in real-time.

If you don’t believe me, consider how long Williams trained for his match:

https://twitter.com/MooseNation69/status/881992715965276162

Thanks moose for the match and friendship and yes it was only 3 days and it was damn rough https://t.co/sOrJyMPMqv

— DeAngelo Williams (@DeAngeloRB) July 3, 2017

The preparation and dedication shown by Williams should be applauded. The 34-year-old free agent running back took to the ring like a duck to water, which is no easy feat; even for those who traditionally break into the wrestling business in their late teens and early 20’s.

Yet, there are some who will roll their eyes at Williams’ accomplishment. But if you watch closely, you can see that DeAngelo just doesn’t have enough to go through the “fake” table.

This is why you start at the bottom, train, and learn from a pro @DeAngeloRB pic.twitter.com/ViP219sJMg

— Nick Maraldo (@nickmaraldo) July 3, 2017

Obviously, the table isn’t fake, and the result is real. Williams crashes face-forward but protects his body, including his face, throughout the motion. Clearly, he’s had rougher landings and harder hits in the National Football League; another entertainment-based venture where its participants hit hard, but in a similar fashion to professional wrestling, they aren’t trying to kill each other. In both walks of life, the athletes prefer to walk away to earn a paycheck another day.

And thus the misunderstanding between wrestling’s supporters and naysayers. Both products pride themselves on athleticism. For those of us who “get” wrestling, we realize the hard work which goes into entertaining the fans. Others are quick to dismiss something which was classified as a “mistake” without understanding the mechanics are no different than dropping a pass or missing a tackle.

To see DeAngelo succeed at a high level, at both football and wrestling, is quite the achievement. Instead of poking fun or downplaying Williams’ in-ring debut, we should be celebrating seeing more of the “curtain call” in another arena; one which could see DeAngelo entertaining us for years to come.