Professional wrestling

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For the Nintendo Entertainment System video game by Nintendo, see Pro Wrestling (video game).

Professional wrestling is generally any form of wrestling in which the wrestlers receive payment for participating. Historically, American and Canadian professional wrestling has involved matches where the outcome was predetermined, and the term professional wrestling or pro-wrestling has evolved to refer almost exclusively to predetermined matches, also referred to as "works". Modern professional wrestling usually features striking and other techniques not part of traditional wrestling.

Modern professional wrestling is a performing art, where the participants create an entertainment show simulating a combat sporting match. The level of realism can vary from moderate (the American World Wrestling Entertainment promotion) to highly realistic (the Japanese strong style as exemplified by Antonio Inoki) to unrealistic (In Mexico the dominant style is the stylized, theatrical Lucha libre).

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Professional wrestling as a performing art

Originating in the days of traveling carnival shows, professional wrestling began as strongman feats, employing Greco-Roman wrestling, hook wrestling, and other acrobatic performances which made money for promoters all over the world. In the earlier parts of the 20th Century, "professional wrestling" was at times just that, a professional contest of amateur-style wrestlers competing for a purse with a league structure similar to professional boxing. However, these contests disappeared from the sports world with the advent of television due to their extreme length and lack of drama. It was found over the years to be much more profitable when contests were arranged for both length and dramatic effect. For over a century, professional wrestling promoters and performers claimed that the competition was completely real and vehemently defended secrets of the trade (a situation known as kayfabe).

Chinks began to appear in the armor of kayfabe when, in the mid-1980s, Vince McMahon began to refer to his World Wrestling Federation (WWF) as "sports entertainment" in order to avoid the jurisdictions of most states' athletic commissions, as well as to secure lower insurance charges for his events. As time went on, kayfabe was continually weakened in the WWF (and, by extension, the world of professional wrestling), leading up to a 1997 speech, televised on Monday Night RAW, in which McMahon promised to "stop insulting fans' intelligence" by keeping up the illusion of reality, and referred to RAW as an "action-adventure" series (McMahon also promised an end to wrestling's simple morality plays, to be replaced with deeper, more interesting characters and situations, a promise he has delivered on in many ways). He then added other shows such as Friday Night "Smackdown", Sunday Night "Heat" and "Velocity". Perhaps the end of kayfabe's last vestiges came in 2002, when the WWF changed its name to World Wrestling Entertainment in response to a lawsuit from the World Wildlife Fund.

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Reality and fantasy

Professional wrestling is "simulated" in the sense that the outcomes are predetermined, and their effects upon the opponent exaggerated. Some treat the performance as a form of entertainment or drama, and would not use the term "fake" in describing it. Various pro-wrestling moves cause genuine pain and can cause serious injury if performed incorrectly.

The vast majority of the matches have pre-determined results and are said to be "worked". The results are determined by "bookers" to maximize "heel heat" for the bad guy and "(baby)face heat" for the good guy, often in the context of a long-running "feud" or storyline. Typically, the wrestlers will work out some signature "spots" marking key moments in the match in advance. During the match, the move sequences and transitions are improvised with the participants "calling spots" to each other to inform them of their next up-coming move. The referee is also often involved in executing the match to schedule and dealing with unforeseen circumstances.

The vast majority of bleeding incidents in wrestling are real, and are typically induced by using iodine in the back stage area to prep the skin for lacerating and using a foreign object or stiff blow to easily cause the skin to break. Bleeding is known as "juicing". If a wrestler bleeds unintentionally such as due to an accidental broken nose, he is said to be "juicing hardway". If a wrestler hits another wrestler harder than he should on purpose, that is called "stiff," "being stiff," a "potato" or "potato shot."

Besides the somewhat real violence however, there have constantly been times where the division between reality and fantasy has been blurred, especially when it comes to who should win the matches. See the Clique as an example of this. On occasion, although increasingly rarely in recent decades, a wrestler will shoot, or ignore the script and attempt to win legitimately. This is also known as "going into business for yourself." In the past, promotions' World Champions were often intentionally-chosen "hookers" such as Lou Thesz who could defend themselves if the fight became real.

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Rules

The simulated nature of professional wrestling is only one of the many differences it has with traditional wrestling. Other differences can be found by looking at the supposed rules of pro wrestling.

The referee has ultimate control in any match, and has so much authority that a decision reversal can only be made by the referee involved in the match; even the promotion owner has no influence over this decision. Of course, even this "rule" is subject to modification, depending on current storylines within the promotion. A common means of this is a promotion owner or other high official modifying the stipulations of a match to invalidate a referee's decision, such as declaring it a no-disqualification match after a wrestler wins by disqualification. A "motto" in the pro-wrestling world used to describe the interpretation of the rules (actually more like loose guidelines) is: "You can't call what you don't see", implying that anything is justified as long as the referee doesn't see. This is often used as a plot twist to drastically change the momentum in a match. One of the better-known occurrences has a referee getting "accidentally" knocked senseless or thrown outside of the ring. While he's stunned, one wrestler, usually a face, will suddenly have the match won, only to then have it robbed from them via outside interference, a foreign object, or some other unfair means. The referee, unaware of what happened, will recover just in time to notice a pin that reflects the new situation, and make an effortful three-count.

In addition to pinfall, a match can be won by submission, count-out, disqualification, or failure to answer a ten count. Punching is permitted as long as the wrestler's fist is open (this is known as a "chop"). This is probably the most ignored rule, as referees almost never disqualify a wrestler for throwing closed-fist punches. Instead, the referee simply admonishes the wrestler to stop, which is rarely successful. In addition, wrestlers may only kick with the flat part of the foot, and "low blow" only refers to actually striking the crotch. If either wrestler is in contact with the ropes or if any part of the wrestler is underneath the ropes, all contact between the wrestlers must be broken before the count of five. This strategy is often used in order to escape from a submission hold, and also, more seldom, a wrestler can place his foot on the ropes to avoid losing by pinfall.

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Pinfall

In order to win by pinfall, a wrestler must pin both his opponent's shoulders against the mat while the referee slaps the mat three times. This is the most common form of defeat. It is illegal to use the ropes to secure oneself or gain leverage while pinning, and is therefore a popular cheating method for heels.

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Submission

Image:AnkleLock.jpg

To win by submission, the wrestler must make his opponent give up, usually, but not necessarily, by putting him in a submission hold (i.e. leg-lock, arm-lock, etc.).

Passing out in a submission hold constitutes a loss by knockout. To determine if a wrestler has passed out, the referee usually picks up and drops his hand. If it drops three consecutive times without the wrestler having the strength to stop it from falling, the wrestler is considered to have passed out. This has been largely ignored since around 1995, although it is still used when an "old-school" wrestler is working a match.

Today, a wrestler can indicate a submission by "tapping out", that is, tapping a free hand against the mat. The tapout is not a traditional part of professional wrestling; it was introduced during the mid-1990s in response to the increased popularity of mixed martial arts competitions (at a time when people like Ken Shamrock were also arriving in the business), where the tapout has always been accepted. Rarely, some promotions have used the option of a verbal submission, in case of the wrestler's arms being inactive due to the submission maneuver. One example of a submission similar to this would be to utter the words "I Quit" in a match titled similarly.

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Countout

A countout (alternatively "count-out" or "count out") happens when a wrestler is out of the ring long enough for the referee to count to 10 (in some promotions it can be a 20 count). If both wrestlers are outside the ring, the count is broken if either one re-enters and exits the ring. If not, both wresters will be counted out. This is known as a double countout, or to a lesser extent, an "impossible draw".

If both of the wrestlers are lying on the mat and not moving, the referee may issue a ten count. One wrestler reaching his knees will break the count. If neither wrestler reaches their knees or feet, it is considered a draw, also known as a double knockout, or incorrectly, an "in ring count-out."

The countout rule indicates that a wrestler cannot win a match while any part of his opponent's body is not in the ring. This allows escape from pinfalls and submission holds, by grabbing hold of one of the ring ropes, thus forcing the referee to break the hold or stop the count. This is also why the referee will start a count once a wrestler has reached the top rope; he is out of the ring area.

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Disqualification

Offenses punishable by disqualification (or "DQ") include:

  • Performing any illegal holds or maneuvers, such as refusing to break a hold when an opponent is in the ropes, choking or biting an opponent, staying on the top turnbuckle, and repeatedly punching with a closed fist, for more than a referee-administered five count.
  • Any outside interference involving a person not involved in the match striking or holding a wrestler. If someone attempts to interfere but is ejected from the ring by a wrestler or referee before this occurs, there is usually no disqualification.
  • Striking an opponent with a foreign object (unless the rules of the match specifically allow this).
  • A direct low-blow to the groin.
  • Laying hands on the referee. (To a point where the referee feels threatened)

In practice, the "rules" of the fight are often violated without disqualification due to the referee being "distracted" and not seeing the offense, or the referee seeing the offense but allowing the match to continue. Almost always, a referee must see the violation with his own eyes to rule that the match end in a disqualification and the referee's ruling is almost always final. Indeed, it is not uncommon for the referees themselves to get "knocked out" during a match. While the referee remains "unconscious," rules are often violated at will.

If both participants (or teams) in a match continue to breech the referee's instructions, the match may end in a double disqualification, where both wrestlers or teams (in a tag team match) have been disqualified. The match is essentially nullified, and called a draw.

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Title matches

Unless specifically noted, a wrestler cannot win a championship title from his opponent by defeating him by countout or disqualification. In the event of a countout or a disqualification, the champion retains his title even if he loses the match. This is known as the championship advantage (i.e.: the champion has the advantage because he/she can lose the match (by countout or disqualification) and hang onto their title, while their opponent must win by pinfall or submission to win the belt).

In most cases, a wrestler must pin his opponent or force him to submit in order to win a championship. These rules are valid in championship matches for World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), but in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, several Japanese promotions and some National Wrestling Association (NWA) affiliates, a title will change hands via a disqualification, or countout.

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Variations

The rules for a one-on-one pro wrestling match have not always been the same. For instance, the NWA had a rule that your opponent couldn't be thrown over the top rope. The now-defunct World Championship Wrestling (WCW), an offshoot of the NWA, formerly had a rule stating you could not jump off the top rope onto a prone opponent. Both instances would have caused a disqualification. The World Wrestling Federation (now World Wrestling Entertainment) once disqualified wrestlers for pulling their opponent's ringwear or tights while covering for a pin. The move is still illegal in most promotions, but only breaks the hold or pin.

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Professional wrestling as entertainment

See Commedia dell'arte for an artistic predecessor to this style of entertainment.

The commedia dell'arte influence can be seen in a number of non-match related elements of professional wrestling. Some examples of these include storylines, gimmicks, interviews, and angles. These "non-wrestling" elements – used to build excitement and interest in professional wrestling matches – have been referred to as "sports entertainment".

While professional wrestling moved increasingly to fixed matches during the late-1800s and early 1900s, for most of the 20th century professional wrestling was promoted as a legitimate sport. It is from this tension between performance and athletic reality that the concept of "kayfabe" originated.

As the 20th century progressed, promoters spent less time focusing on believable sports action, and more time presenting it as a "sports entertainment" spectacle. For a brief time, comedian Andy Kaufman began wrestling women during his act and was the self-proclaimed "Inter-gender Wrestling Champion of the World". Another major step in this direction was taken when Vince McMahon took control of the WWF. Besides taking his federation into the territory boundaries of the NWA, marking the first truly national pro wrestling promotion, and his national WrestleMania pay-per-view shows, McMahon also came up with the "Rock and Wrestling" concept. In fact, a key distinction between McMahon and competitors like Jim Crockett Promotions (the forerunner to WCW) and the American Wrestling Association was the carnival atmosphere created by the promoter's gimmicks and angles.

Indeed, if the term "sports entertainment" was not invented by McMahon, WWF/WWE has certainly popularized its use. A popular myth within professional wrestling fandom suggests McMahon adopted the term because staged entertainment insurance premiums are lower than for those for live sporting events. Another suggested reason is to give his business a sense of "legitimacy" in the business community as a form of entertainment, rather than as a "fake" sport. Similarly, McMahon "educated" his fan base, through the 1980s, that they weren't witnessing an improvised sporting contest, and instead that they should tune in for the sports-entertainment aspect; in other words, at least implying that the event was bettered, not diminished, by the very fact that it was being "worked." This was a cunning move, especially given that his competitors were still often presenting themselves as being legitimate sports (WCW commentator Tony Schiavone continued to use the phrase "Greatest moment in the history of our sport" well into the 1990s).

The WWF's "Rock and Wrestling" era has been derided by critics, and professional wrestling "purists", as presenting "cartoonish" characters, interviews, and slapstick skits as opposed to "real" wrestling. Others, however, point out that aside from cable television and video, McMahon's focus on entertainment was key to pro wrestling's 1980s revival in popularity. This debate is still ongoing within pro wrestling fandom, especially within the "smark" community. Since then, Extreme Championship Wrestling, WCW's nWo gimmick, and the WWF/WWE's "Attitude" era further progressed the development of the non-wrestling aspects of professional wrestling.

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Promotions

The organizations that schedule and produce professional wrestling performances and known as wrestling promotions. Currently, the only major wrestling organizations left in North America are the United States promotions of World Wrestling Entertainment and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, a former NWA member that is still loosely linked to that organization; and the Mexican lucha libre promotions Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre and Asistencia Asesoría y Administración. Of these, WWE is by far the largest and most influential throughout the world. While these organizations are the most prominent and popular, there are many other smaller, regional promotions known as "indies", many of which are, like TNA, official territories of the NWA. Other major independent promotions include Ring of Honor, Pro Wrestling Guerrilla and Combat Zone Wrestling.

Outside North America, there are other federations throughout Europe and also in Japan, Puerto Rico, Hawaii and the rest of the Caribbean.

The traditional Japanese style differs from the American style in that it is portrayed more as a sport than as pure entertainment. The term strong style was coined by New Japan Pro Wrestling promoter Antonio Inoki. Inoki incorporated more martial arts and legitimate techniques to his arsenal, and performed the moves and strikes with more force than in traditional American style, in effort to make his pro wrestling look more legitimate. A style known as King's Road was created by Giant Baba which is similar but slightly different. This style is the dominant style used by All Japan Pro Wrestling descendants.

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See also

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Terminology

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Professional wrestling worldwide

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Lists of wrestlers

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Types of professional wrestling

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Fantasy professional Wrestling

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External links

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