Sad but true – Donald Trump really did wrestle his way into the White House | David Moon

The president-elect's victory was straight out of the pro wrestling playbook. Voters knew it was fake, but they loved it

Do you remember World Wrestling Entertainment? For many people, the show, in which muscle-bound wrestlers in tight tights throw one another around in staged fights, is a nostalgic throwback to the early 2000s, when it played briefly on Channel 4. Today, its mix of soap opera, theatre and athletic spectacle still draws millions of viewers each week. To some, it's a guilty pleasure; to others, timeless entertainment. Still, few would associate it with the serious world of politics.

For Donald Trump, though, professional wrestling is a lifelong passion. His announcement in November that the former CEO of WWE, Linda McMahon, would take up the role of education secretary in his cabinet of curiosities elicited shock and disbelief. It is impossible to fully understand US politics today without understanding the significance of pro wrestling.