This is an IHeart podcast. And we continue with our American stories.

Oftentimes when the topic of professional wrestling,

think Hulk Hogan comes up,

it's almost guaranteed that someone will scoff,

that it's just, well, all fake.

Yet those who enjoy watching professional wrestling won't disagree, what they will say or likely

say is that they enjoy the characters, the athleticism, and the stagecraft. They know it's

scripted, and they love the storylines. Same way we all enjoy watching any scripted story on TV or in the movies.

Here's Riley Evans to tell the real story about professional wrestling, a story he's titled,

Pro Wrestlers deserve to be called athletes.

Over 200 days a year.

No off-season.

Just running, jumping, bumping and crashing into concrete, steel, and wooden rings with only the thinnest layer of padding.

Bones break, ligament snap, and even the absence of serious injury leaves the constant ache of smaller ones.

Short of something debilitating, there's no time off to recover, because if you stop, there's always somebody waiting to take your place.

Whether it's a high school gymnasium or a 100,000 seat stadium, the show must go on for the entertainment

of some of the world's most rabid fans. It's ironic that pro wrestling, the most grueling athletic

endeavor on earth, is laughed at by most sports fans. Fans of most traditional sports often

bulk at professional wrestling being mentioned in the same breath as their favorites.

Just read the comment section on any Fox Sports article on the WWE.

You'll see the word fake so many times that after the 50th comment, you'll start mixing it up with the word the.

What these trolling keyboard warriors are missing, however,

...