They are willing dupes. Many of them are anyway. Many pro-wrestling fans know it to be fake, they know the tricks, they know when the wrestler is talking to the other wrestler right before a move, they know that a wrestler is really hurt, when the other wrestler goes after someone in the crowd, (he is buying time for the hurt wrestler to catch his breath), they know that when a wrestler is hurt, the referee will get down low and pretend to be checking for a pin, but he is really asking the wrestler if he can continue, or if they should call for a stretcher.
Footers know that a Bigfoot report is made up, they know the tells, 'oooh it swayed back and forth!, ooh it's eyes glowed Red? it must have been a male then, it was too scary to shoot wasn't it!? I know right?!? ' It is the same thing, and both the wrestling fans, and the Footers will pay top dollar to continue being willing dupes. For both, it is a suspension of reality.