Oh, it's fake. Most of Kung Fu is also unusable as a deadly weapon unless you're some sort of orange-robed superhuman. Gladiatorial Combat whenever slaves and prisoners of war weren't competing (I.E. Most of it) was also fake. That doesn't mean it's not violent and painful. Those injuries are real, and a lot of the sound effects are too. It takes a lot of athleticism and skill, and they're definitely hitting each other all the same, they're just careful not to hit really hard.
You can actually see them pulling back at the last few seconds sometimes when they're using weapons, because it's dangerous shit. Wrestlers are very careful, artful people. Unless they're Chris Jericho. That guy's fucked a lot of people up for the sake of "realism".
Seriously, Jericho!? Come on, dude! That guy has a career! And kids, and boxer's depression, probably! Nobody believes any of the other guys when they hit people, you're not going to deceive us! Save the real violence for the writing team! I mean, goddamn, where did you get those morons from? Capcom? Team Sonic?
