Professional wrestling

2254:(NWA). The NWA recognized one "world champion", voted on by its members, but allowed member promoters to crown their own local champions in their territories. If a member poached wrestlers from another member, or held matches in another member's territory, they risked being ejected from the NWA, at which point his territory became fair game for everyone. The NWA would blacklist wrestlers who worked for independent promoters or who publicly criticized an NWA promoter or who did not throw a match on command. If an independent promoter tried to establish himself in a certain area, the NWA would send their star performers to perform for the local NWA promoter to draw the customers away from the independent. By 1956, the NWA controlled 38 promotions within the United States, with more in Canada, Mexico, Australia and New Zealand. The NWA's monopolistic practices became so stifling that the independents appealed to the government for help. In October 1956 the US Attorney General's office filed an antitrust lawsuit against the NWA in an Iowa federal district court. The NWA settled with the government. They pledged to stop allocating exclusive territories to its promoters, to stop blacklisting wrestlers who worked for outsider promoters, and to admit any promoter into the Alliance. The NWA would flout many of these promises, but its power was nonetheless weakened by the lawsuit. 3604:) will often result in the referee's decision being overturned. It is not uncommon for the referees themselves to get knocked out during a match, which is commonly referred to by the term "ref bump". While the referee remains "unconscious", wrestlers are free to violate rules until he is revived or replaced. In some cases, a referee might disqualify a person under the presumption that it was that wrestler who knocked him out; most referee knockouts are arranged to allow a wrestler, usually a heel, to gain an advantage. For example, a wrestler may get whipped into a referee at a slower speed, knocking the ref down for short amount of time; during that interim period, one wrestler may pin his opponent for a three-count and would have won the match but for the referee being down (sometimes, another referee will sprint to the ring from backstage to attempt to make the count, but by then, the other wrestler has had enough time to kick out on his own accord). In most promotions, a championship title cannot normally change hands via disqualification; this rule is explicitly enforced in a title match under special circumstances. 5457: 2223:

contract with the cartel to receive steady work. The contracts forbade them from performing at independent venues. A wrestler who refused to play by the cartel's rules was barred from performing at its venues. A second goal of the wrestling cartels was to establish an authority to decide who was the "world champion". Before the cartels, there were multiple wrestlers in the U.S. simultaneously calling themselves the "world champion", and this sapped public enthusiasm for professional wrestling. Likewise, the cartel could agree on a common set of match rules that the fans could keep track of. The issue over who got to be the champion and who controlled said champion was a major point of contention among the members of wrestling cartels as the champion drew big crowds wherever he performed, and this would occasionally lead to schisms.

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attempted to centralize and create their own national cable television shows to counter McMahon's rogue promotion, but it failed in part because the members of the NWA, ever protective of their territories, could not stomach submitting themselves to a central authority. Nor could any of them stomach the idea of leaving the NWA themselves to compete directly with McMahon, for that would mean their territories would become fair game for the other NWA members. McMahon also had a creative flair for TV that his rivals lacked. For instance, the AWA's TV productions during the 1980s were amateurish, low-budget, and out-of-touch with contemporary culture, which lead to the promotion's closing in 1991.

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audiences a satisfying spectacle. Fixing matches was also convenient for scheduling. A real ("shoot") match could sometimes last hours, whereas a fixed ("worked") match can be made short, which was convenient for wrestlers on tour who needed to keep appointments or share venues. It also suited wrestlers who were aging and therefore lacked the stamina for an hours-long fight. Audiences also preferred short matches. Worked matches also carried less risk of injury, which meant shorter recovery. Altogether, worked matches proved more profitable than shoots. By the end of the 19th century, nearly all professional wrestling matches were worked.

3092: 7035:, p. 71: "Many worried promoters did not have any wrestlers under contract who combined mat skills with drawing power Faced with declining revenues, the promoters made the fateful decision to focus on developing wrestlers who possessed drawing power, with increasingly little regard given to knowledge of holds. Recognizing that much of the public now viewed professional wrestling as an entertainment form rather than an honest sport, the promoters simply gave the public what they believed it wanted. Matches became more comical and outlandish as promoters introduced gimmick matches and bizarre wrestling personas." 4399: 4432: 9653: 2509:

competitive sport. We protected it because we believed it would collapse if we ever so much as implied publicly that it was something other than what it appeared to be. I'm not sure now the fear was ever justified given the fact that the industry is still in existence today, but the point is no one questioned the need then. "Protecting the business" in the face of criticism and skepticism was the first and most important rule a pro wrestler learned. No matter how aggressive or informed the questioner, you never admitted the industry was anything but a competitive sport.

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be on his back and, if they're lying on his stomach, it usually does not count. A count may be started at any time that a wrestler's shoulders are down (both shoulders touching the mat), back-first and any part of the opponent's body is lying over the wrestler. This often results in pins that can easily be kicked out of, if the defensive wrestler is even slightly conscious. For example, an attacking wrestler who is half-conscious may simply drape an arm over an opponent, or a cocky wrestler may place his foot gently on the opponent's body, prompting a three-count from the referee.

2243: 4368: 9775: 4953: 2888: 146: 3262: 2965:), the referee is present, even in matches that do not at first glance appear to require a referee (such as a ladder match, as it is no holds barred, and the criteria for victory could theoretically be assessed from afar). Although their actions are also frequently scripted for dramatic effect, referees are subject to certain general rules and requirements to maintain the theatrical appearance of unbiased authority. The most basic rule is that an action must be seen by a referee to be declared for a fall or disqualification. This allows for 3372:

most common ways to break a submission hold. Most holds leave an arm or leg free, so that the person can tap out if they want. Instead, they use these free limbs to either grab one of the ring ropes or drape their foot across or underneath one. Once this has been accomplished and witnessed by the referee, the referee will demand that the offending wrestler break the hold and start counting to five if the wrestler does not. If the referee reaches the count of five and the wrestler still does not break the hold, they are disqualified.

5987:; a mode of theatric performance for a willing, if bloodthirsty, audience. Wrestling is described as performed art which demands an immediate reading of the juxtaposed meanings. The logical conclusion is given least importance over the theatrical performers of the wrestlers and the referee. According to Barthes, the function of a wrestler is not to win: it is to go exactly through the motions which are expected of him and to give the audience a theatrical spectacle. This work is considered a foundation of all later study. 9623: 4789: 3458: 6801:: "Professional wrestling under the jurisdiction of the State Athletic Commission yesterday passed into the status of theatrical classification, except in isolated cases. The commission in a bulletin notified clubs that future wrestling bouts must not be advertised as matches but as shows or exhibitions, except in connection with events which have the specific approval of the commission as certified matches. The ruling was passed at a meeting attended by Commissioners William Muldoon and John J. Phelan." 9721: 2932: 6829:: "Traditionalists like Curley were peeved, insistent on protecting the realism of the sport above all else. And through the next fifty-five years or so—more or less until Vince McMahon began admitting to the WWF's illegitimacy to get around state athletic commission fees in the late '80s—they were able to keep up the facade to some extent because the marks were always willing to accept the violence at face value, and the people who were clued in were happy to play along to further their enjoyment." 5750: 9587: 5347:, with veterans mediating conflicts and mentoring younger wrestlers. For many decades (and still to a lesser extent today) performers were expected to keep the illusions of wrestling's legitimacy alive even while not performing, essentially acting in character any time they were in public. Some veterans speak of a "sickness" among wrestling performers, an inexplicable pull to remain active in the wrestling world despite the devastating effects the job can have on one's life and health. 3835: 9677: 9794: 3421:

when a wrestler in the ring exits the ring. Playing into this, some wrestlers are depicted as "milking" the count by sliding in the ring and immediately sliding back out. As he was technically inside the ring for a split second before exiting again, it is sufficient to restart the count. This is often referred to by commentators as "breaking the count". Heels often use this tactic in order to buy themselves more time to catch their breath, or to attempt to frustrate their

9609: 7309:. p. 121: "For the other NWA promoters, whose stars only gained national exposure by appearing on the Georgia promotion's show, any attempt to generate countrywide interest in their product as a counter proved impossible. They did not possess the resources, nor could they stomach the idea of breaking the NWA's territorial code. McMahon played on this reluctance, moved into their territories in the wake of his television shows, and picked the NWA promoters off one by one." 3446: 3128: 107: 5017: 4257: 3988: 3297: 2533:, resulting in a huge exposé. The exposé neither surprised nor alienated most wrestling fans, although some promoters like Jack Curley were furious and tried to restore the facade of kayfabe as best as they could. In 1989, Vince McMahon testified before the New Jersey government that professional wrestling was not a true sport and therefore should be exempted from sports-related taxes. Many wrestlers and fans resented McMahon for this, but 9665: 9568: 5697: 5396: 3763: 3187: 3025: 2686: 2433: 2344: 2231:, bribed Ed "Strangler" Lewis to lose his championship in a match against Gus Sonnenberg in January 1929. Bowser then broke away from the trust to form his own cartel, the American Wrestling Association (AWA), in September 1930, and he declared Sonnenberg to be the AWA champion. This AWA should not be confused with Wally Kadbo's AWA founded in 1960. Curley reacted to this move by convincing the National Boxing Association to form the 3124:

teams regardless if they are on the same team or not. As a result of this stipulation, tags between different teams are not usually mutual effort; a non-legal wrestler will usually tag themselves in against the legal wrestler's will. A legal wrestler will only voluntarily tag themselves out to another team if their own partner is incapacitated, or are being held in a submission hold and are closer to another tag team than their own.

5515: 4092: 9752: 9740: 6691:: "Between 1915 and 1920, pro wrestling went into a tailspin thanks in part to widespread newspaper publicity that for the first time was questioning pro wrestling's authenticity as a legitimate, competitive sport. What they did was simply get rid of competitive wrestling at the professional level. The fans craved excitement and dramatic action, so the promoters decided to give it to them by performing every match." 2042:"Double-crosses", where a wrestler agreed to lose a match but nevertheless fought to win, remained a problem in the early cartel days. At times a promoter would even award a victorious double-crosser the title of champion to preserve the facade of sport. But promoters punished such wrestlers by blacklisting them, making it quite challenging to find work. Double-crossers could also be sued for breach of contract, such as 50: 2911:

and secure that prize for their team. As a result, the ladder can be used as a weapon. The prizes include, but are not limited to, any given championship belt (the traditional prize), a document granting the winner the right to a future title shot, or any document that matters to the wrestlers involved in the match (such as one granting the winner a cash prize). Something that is also common in pro wrestling is the

9689: 5926: 5321: 2852:(and similar systems across Europe) consist of a series of rounds – typically six rounds each lasting three minutes or until a fall or submission is scored, with a thirty-second break between each round and can either be two-out-of-three falls, one fall to a finish (mostly for low-priority warmup matches) or the wrestler with the most falls wins at the end of the final round. 2919:. In a battle royal, all the wrestlers enter the ring to the point that there are 20–30 wrestlers in the ring at one time. When the match begins, the simple objective is to throw the opponent over the top rope and out of the ring with both feet on the floor to eliminate that opponent. The last wrestler standing is declared the winner. A variant on this type of match is the 2283:, withdrew from the NWA. Vince K. McMahon then took over as its boss. No longer bound by the territorial pact of the NWA, McMahon began expanding his promotion into the territories of his former NWA peers, now his rivals. By the end of the 1980s, the WWF would become the sole national wrestling promotion in the U.S. This was in part made possible by the rapid spread of 2116:

wrestling was previously considered a niche interest, but the TV networks at the time were short on content and thus were willing to try some wrestling shows. In the 1960s, however, the networks moved on to more mainstream interests such as baseball, and professional wrestling was dropped. The core audience then shrunk back to a profile similar to that of the 1930s.

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performers who show potential, thus allowing them greater exposure to the audience. Other circumstances may also determine the use of a championship. A combination of a championship's lineage, the caliber of performers as champion, and the frequency and manner of title changes, dictates the audience's perception of the title's quality, significance and reputation.

2174:(villainous). Native Americans, cowboys, and English aristocrats were staple characters in the 1930s and 1940s. Before the age of television, some wrestlers played different personas depending on the region they were performing in. This eventually came to an end in the age of national television wrestling shows, which forced wrestlers to stick to one persona. 2182:

public by this time knew and accepted that professional wrestling was fake, realism was no longer paramount and a background in authentic wrestling no longer mattered. After this time, matches became more outlandish and gimmicky and any semblance professional wrestling had to catch wrestling faded. The personas of the wrestlers likewise grew more outlandish.

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encourage challenges, the carnival operators staged rigged matches in which an accomplice posing as a visitor challenged the champion and won, giving the audience the impression that the champion was easy to beat. This practice taught wrestlers the art of staging rigged matches and fostered a mentality that spectators were marks to be duped. The term

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loss suffered as a result of violating a match rule), the two concepts are often distinct in wrestling. A no disqualification match can still end by countout (although this is rare). Typically, a match must be declared a "no holds barred" match, a "street fight" or some other term, in order for both disqualifications and countouts to be waived.

4171:(including love triangles and marriage), racism, classism, nepotism, favoritism, corporate corruption, family bonds, personal histories, grudges, theft, cheating, assault, betrayal, bribery, seduction, stalking, confidence tricks, extortion, blackmail, substance abuse, self-doubt, self-sacrifice; even kidnapping, sexual fetishism, necrophilia, 5119:). It is a "triumph" if the face wins, while it is a "tragedy" if the heel wins. The characters usually have strong and sharp personalities. The opposition between faces and heels is very intense in the story, and the heels may even attack the faces during TV interviews. The relationship between different characters can also be very complex. 6457:, p. 39: "The business of professional wrestling is the business of theatre. Even if on the surface professional wrestling seems anathema to theatrical sensibilities, it is hard to deny the formal similarities. After all, professional wrestling is scripted entertainment performed live in front of an audience by actors portraying characters." 3600:, interference, or assaulting the referee. In WWE, the plot convention is that a referee must see the violation with his own eyes to rule that the match end in a disqualification (simply watching the video tape is usually not enough) and the referee's ruling is almost always final, although "Dusty finishes" (named after, and made famous by, 3364:, became famous for their fictional depictions of winning matches via submission. A wrestler with a signature submission technique is portrayed as better at applying the hold, making it more painful or more difficult to get out of than others, or can be falsely credited as inventing the hold (such as when Tazz popularized the 3964:) are strongly identified with their character, even responding to the name in public or between friends. Proper decorum is for wrestlers to refer to each other by their stage names/characters rather than their birth/legal names, unless otherwise introduced. A character can become so popular that it appears in other media ( 2326:(WCW). In 1988, Ted Turner bought JCP and formally renamed it World Championship Wrestling. During the 1990s, WCW became a credible rival to the WWF, but by end it suffered from a series of creative missteps that led to its failure and purchase by the WWF. One of its mistakes was that it diminished the glamor of its 6612:, p. 39: " Muldoon instituted time limits in his touring matches, a practice that became increasingly common, as a means of keeping his troupe on schedule and to limit the potential for defeat or injury. From this relatively benign alteration, professional wrestling slowly became an exercise in pure entertainment." 3281:. Pins such as these are rarely seen by the referee and are often used by heels and on occasion by cheating faces to win matches. Even if it is noticed, storylines rarely result in a disqualification and instead it simply results in nullification of the pin attempt, so the wrestler rarely has anything to lose. 5183:) is also different. With its origins in traditional American style of wrestling and still being under the same genre, it has become an entity in itself. Despite the similarity to its American counterpart, in that the outcome of the matches remains predetermined, the phenomena are different in the form of the 5225:, and unlike the use of involved storylines in the U.S., they are not as intricate in Japan; more emphasis is placed on the concept of "fighting spirit", meaning the wrestlers' display of physical and mental stamina are valued a lot more than theatrics. Many of Japan's wrestlers including top stars such as 4880:

restrictions, many mixed tag matches do feature some physical interaction between participants of different genders. For example, a heel may take a cheap shot at the female wrestler of the opposing team to draw a negative crowd reaction. In lucha libre, cheap shots and male-female attacks are not uncommon.

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these knockouts are rarely used or mentioned as logically it makes more sense for a wrestler to actively pin an opponent for three seconds rather than leaving an opponent the chance to stand up before ten. In such European promotions, countouts as described below are treated as a variant of a knockout.

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came from a legitimate martial arts background and many Japanese wrestlers in the 1990s began to pursue careers in mixed martial arts organizations such as Pancrase and Shooto which at the time retained the original look of puroresu but were actual competitions. Other companies, such as Michinoku Pro

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The U.S./Canada, northwest Europe (the U.K, Germany/Austria and France), Japan and Mexico are four areas worldwide where there is a huge market and high popularity for professional wrestling, but the fictional styles of each region are different, given their independent development for a long period.

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All notable wrestlers now enter the ring accompanied by music, and regularly add other elements to their entrance. The music played during the ring entrance will usually mirror the wrestler's personality. Many wrestlers, particularly in the U.S., have music and lyrics specially written for their ring

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power. In general, a wrestler with multiple title reigns or an extended title reign is indicative of a wrestler's ability to maintain audience interest or a wrestler's ability to perform in the ring. As such, the most accomplished or decorated wrestlers tend to be revered as legends due to the amount

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A performance can be depicted as ending in a countout (alternatively "count-out" or "count out"), where wrestler is out of the ring long enough for the referee to count to ten (twenty in some promotions) and thus, under the event's fictional premise, is disqualified. The count is broken and restarted

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A wrestler can also request a ten-count from the referee when, under the event's fictional premise, they think an opponent is sufficiently incapacitated to not be able to stand before the count of ten. Except in traditional European promotions where following down on a fallen opponent was prohibited,

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Feigning unconsciousness far longer than they would normally otherwise be out, or using convenient distractions to look away from the wrestlers for a prolonged period of time. This allows for greater opportunities for run-ins or use of illegal weapons and tactics, or can be used as an excuse to avoid

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In performances staged with multiple competitors, an elimination system may be used. Any wrestler who has a fall scored against them is forced out of the match, and the match continues until only one remains. It is much more common when more than two wrestlers are involved to simply go one fall, with

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is 1 fall. These matches have a time limit; if not enough falls are scored by the end of the time limit, the match is presented as draw. Modern matches are generally given a 10- to 30-minute time limit for standard matches; title matches can go for up to one hour. British wrestling matches held under

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Towards the end of the 1930s, faced with declining revenues, promoters chose to focus on grooming charismatic wrestlers with no regard for their skill because it was charisma that drew the crowds, and wrestlers who were both skilled at grappling and charismatic were hard to come by. Since most of the

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By the 1930s, with the exception of the occasional double-cross or business dispute, shoot matches were essentially nonexistent. In April 1930, the New York State Athletic Commission decreed that all professional wrestling matches held in the state had to be advertised as exhibitions unless certified

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eventually becoming the most popular style. At first, professional wrestlers were genuine competitive fighters, but they struggled to draw audiences because Americans did not find real wrestling to be very entertaining, so the wrestlers quietly began faking their matches so that they could give their

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From the first established world championship, the top professional wrestlers have garnered fame within mainstream society. Each successive generation has produced a number of wrestlers who extend their careers into the realms of music, acting, writing, business, politics or public speaking, and are

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who had learned his craft in 1970s Mexico. By the beginning of the 1990s in all three countries, local styles of wrestling were largely supplanted in mainstream popular culture by the WWF and WCW. While the traditional styles survive at grassroots level they face stiff competition not only from the

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won the original World Women's title. She then formed the World Women's Wrestling Association in the early 1950s and recognized herself as the first champion, although the championship was vacated upon her retirement in 1956. The NWA ceased to acknowledge Burke as the Women's World champion in 1954,

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While the wrestling matches themselves are the primary focus of professional wrestling, a key dramatic element of the business can be entrances of the wrestlers to the arena and ring. It is typical for a wrestler to get their biggest crowd reaction (or "pop") for their ring entrance, rather than for

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is a good example of having more heel and face turns than anyone in WWE history. Sometimes a character's heel turn will become so popular that eventually the audience response will alter the character's heel-face cycle to the point where the heel persona will, in practice, become a face persona, and

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A variant of the draw is the time-limit draw, where the match does not have a winner by a specified time period; a one-hour draw, which was once common, is known in wrestling circles as a "Broadway". In European promotions where wrestling is traditionally timed in rounds, a best of three falls match

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Although extremely rare, some fictional storylines involve a match ending in a forfeit if the opponent is depicted as either does not show up for the match, or shows up but refuses to compete. Although the plot premise is that championship usually cannot change hands except by pinfall or submission,

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Disqualification (sometimes abbreviated as "DQ") occurs when a wrestler violates the rules established as part of the performance's fictional premise, thus losing automatically. Although a countout can technically be considered a disqualification (as it is, for all intents and purposes, an automatic

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A performer can also be presented as winning by technical knockout even if he does not resort to submission holds, but still beats the opponent to the point of unconsciousness or to the impossibility to defend himself. To check for a technical knockout in this manner a referee would wave his hand in

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A matches fictional premise may allow a score by pinfall, in which a wrestling performer must pin both his opponent's shoulders against the mat while the referee slaps the mat three times (referred to as a "three count"). This is the most common form presented a defeat. The pinned wrestler must also

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Sometimes, poly-sided matches that pit every man for himself will incorporate tagging rules. Outside of kayfabe, this is done to give wrestlers a break from the action (as these matches tend to go on for long periods of time), and to make the action in the ring easier to choreograph. One of the most

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Some multi-wrestler matches allow for a set number of legal wrestlers; this rule is commonplace in four-way tag team matches, where only two wrestlers are legal in the match, meaning two teams will have both members on the outside at any given time. In these matches, tags can be made between any two

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may be used from time to time; by virtue of their celebrity status, they are often scripted to dispense with the appearance of neutrality and use their influence to unfairly influence the outcome of the match for added dramatic impact. Face special referees will often fight back against hostile heel

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Matches are staged between two or more sides ("corners"). Each corner may consist of one wrestler, or a team of two or more. Most team matches are nominally governed by tag team rules. Other matches present under the premise of a free-for-alls, with multiple combatants but no teams. In all variants,

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in the 1980s. The national broadcast networks generally regarded professional wrestling as too niche an interest, and had not broadcast any national wrestling shows since the 1950s. Before cable TV, a typical American household only received four national channels by antenna, and ten to twelve local

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Wrestlers also often used some sort of gimmick, such as a finishing move, eccentric mannerisms, or out-of-control behavior (in the case of heels). The matches could also be gimmicky sometimes, with wrestlers fighting in mud and piles of tomatoes and so forth. The most successful and enduring gimmick

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Several reasons explain why professional wrestling became fake whereas boxing endured as a legitimate sport. Firstly, wrestling was more entertaining when it was faked, whereas fakery did not make boxing any more entertaining. Secondly, in a rigged boxing match, the designated loser must take a real

4865:(NYSAC) in 1977 because she was denied a boxing license because she was a woman, and the case was decided in her favor later that year, with the judge invalidating New York State rule number 205.15, which stated, "No woman may be licensed as a boxer or second or licensed to compete in any wrestling 3815:

While each wrestling match is ostensibly a competition of athletics and strategy, the goal from a business standpoint is to excite and entertain the audience. Although the competition is staged, dramatic emphasis draws out the most intense reaction. Heightened interest results in higher attendance,

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storyline, or other fictional circumstances presenting the scheduled match to even begin. A no contest is a state separate and distinct from a draw — a draw indicates winning conditions were met. Although the terms are sometimes used interchangeably in practice, this usage is technically incorrect.

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In some team matches, there is a fictional premise that only one entrant from each team may be designated as the "legal" or "active" wrestler at any given moment. Two wrestlers must make physical contact in the corner (typically palm-to-palm) to transfer this legal status. This is known as a "tag",

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mat with posts on each corner. A cloth apron hangs over the edges of the ring. Three horizontal ropes or cables surround the ring, suspended with turnbuckles which are connected to the posts. For safety, the ropes are padded at the turnbuckles and cushioned mats surround the floor outside the ring.

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Prior experience in legitimate wrestling is not a requirement for aspiring professional wrestlers, but is seen as an advantageous background. Despite its scripted format, there have been quite a number of performers throughout the history of pro wrestling who have had prior experience in legitimate

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Newspapers tended to shun professional wrestling, as journalists saw its theatrical pretense to being a legitimate sport as untruthful. Eventually promoters resorted to publishing their own magazines in order to get press coverage and communicate with fans. The first professional wrestling magazine

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among American wrestlers in the 19th century, who sought initially to carry out gambling-related scams and later to make matches shorter, more entertaining, and less physically taxing. As the public gradually realized and accepted that matches were predetermined, wrestlers responded by increasingly

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We train to take damage, we know we are going to take damage and we accept that," he says, adopting the air of a very muscular guru. "We know we are going to be slammed and we're going to be hit and we're going to be fallen on. We know we're going to dive onto concrete floors. We are tempting fate

7351:: "However, I cannot condemn the WWF for announcing to the world that pro wrestling is an entertainment, which it did in New Jersey in 1987 when it was trying to escape from the scrutiny of that state's athletic commission. It was a shrewd move for someone in that situation, and it succeeded." 3677:

is one wrestler who is famous performances in which forfeit victories were turned into his own gimmick. During the late 1990s, Wright called himself "The Godfather" and portrayed the gimmick of a pimp. He often brought multiple women, whom he referred to as "hos", to the ring with him, and offered

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In most major modern promotions, championships are not permitted to change hands via a countout, unless the on-screen authority figure declares otherwise; this rule varies in some promotions, however. In some storylines, heels are presented take advantage of this and will intentionally get counted

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In the basic ladder match, the premise is wrestlers or teams of wrestlers must climb a ladder to obtain a prize that is hoist above the ring. The key to winning this match is that the wrestler or team of wrestlers must try to incapacitate each other long enough for one wrestler to climb the ladder

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Today's performers don't "protect" the industry like we did, but that's primarily because they've already exposed it by relying on silly or downright ludicrous characters and gimmicks to gain popularity with the fans. It was different in my day, when our product was presented as an authentic,

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Before the advent of television, professional wrestling's fanbase largely consisted of children, the elderly, blue-collar workers and minorities. When television arose in the 1940s, professional wrestling got national exposure on prime-time television and gained widespread popularity. Professional

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Some fans enjoy a pastime of collecting recordings of wrestling shows from specific companies, of certain wrestlers, or of specific genres. The internet has given fans exposure to worldwide variations of wrestling they are unable to otherwise see. Since the 1990s, many companies have been founded

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Professional wrestling in the U.S. and overlapping into Canada, tends to have a heavy focus on story building and the establishment of characters (and their personalities). There is a story for each match, and even a longer story for successive matches. The stories usually contain characters like

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Midget wrestling can be traced to professional wrestling's carnival and vaudeville origins. In recent years, the popularity and prevalence of midgets in wrestling has greatly decreased due to wrestling companies depriving midget divisions of storyline or feud. WWE has made a few attempts to enter

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Under wrestling nominal rules, all contact between the wrestlers must cease if any part of the body is touching or underneath the ropes. As such, many performances will attempt to break submission holds by deliberately grabbing the bottom ropes. This is called a "rope break", and it is one of the

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and Tony Packs. The promoters colluded to solve a number of problems that hurt their profits. Firstly, they could force their wrestlers to perform for less money. As the cartel grew, there were fewer independent promoters where independent wrestlers could find work, and many were forced to sign a

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American wrestlers are notorious for the amount of faking they do. It is because of this fact that suspicion attaches to so many bouts that the game is not popular here. Nine out of ten bouts, it has been said, are pre-arranged affairs, and it would be no surprise if the ratio of fixed matches to

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with its stronger emphasis on pure technical skill (particularly chain sequences of counters/reversals/escapes from holds) and high proportion of clean sportsmanly scientific matches between two "blue-eyes" as babyfaces were called there. This spread across mainland Europe (where it was known as

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A wrestling match may be declared a no contest if, under the fictional storyline, the winning conditions are unable to occur. The storyline may attribute such an outcome to factors such as excessive interference, the loss of referee's control over the match, an injury unrelated to the fictitious

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If all the active wrestlers in a match are down inside the ring at the same time, the referee begins a count (usually ten seconds, twenty in Japan). If nobody rises to their feet by the end of the count, the match is ruled a draw. Any participant who stands up in time ends the count for everyone

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in September 1983. McMahon's TV shows made his wrestlers national celebrities, so when he held matches in a new city, attendance was high because there was a waiting fanbase cultivated in advance by the cable TV shows. The NWA's traditional anti-competitive tricks were no match for this. The NWA

1978:

A major influence on professional wrestling was carnival culture. Wrestlers in the late 19th century worked in carnival shows. For a fee, a visitor could challenge the wrestler to a quick match. If the challenger defeated the champion in a short time frame, usually 15 minutes, he won a prize. To

4319:

interest in terms of event attendance and television viewership. Historically, a world champion was typically a legit shooter/hooker who had the skills to prevent double crosses by shooters who would deviate from the planned finish for personal glory. Lower ranked titles may also be used on the

3591:

In the fictional universe of some promotions, not all rule violations result in a disqualification as the referee may be depicted as using his own judgement and is not obligated to stop the match. Usually, the only offenses that the referee will see and immediately disqualify a wrestler for (as

2758:

Professional wrestlers do not follow an industry-standard set of rules, unlike most sporting events, which generally have a governing body to regulate competitions. While each promoter can set his own standards, promoters have long understood that fans enjoy professional wrestling more when all

2088:

Not the least interesting of all the minor phenomena produced by the current fashion of wrestling is the universal discussion as to the honesty of the matches. And certainly the most interesting phrase of this discussion is the unanimous agreement: "Who cares if they're fixed or not—the show is

3634:

match) have been disqualified. The match is essentially nullified and called a draw or in some cases a restart or the same match being held at a pay-per-view or next night's show. Sometimes, in a match to determine the challenger for a heel champion's title, the champion is forced to face both

3168:

Regardless of rules of tagging, a wrestler cannot pin his or her own tag team partner, even if it is technically possible from the rules of the match (e.g. Texas Tornado rules, or a three-way tag team match). This is called the "Outlaw Rule" because the first team to attempt to use that (in an

2404:

In professional wrestling, two factors decide the way of proceedings: the "in-show" happenings, presented through the shows; and real-life happenings outside the work that have implications, such as performer contracts, legitimate injuries, etc. Because actual life events are often co-opted by

2014:

recalled that between 1915 and 1920, a series of exposés in the newspapers about the integrity of professional wrestling alienated a lot of fans, sending the industry "into a tailspin". But rather than perform more shoot matches, professional wrestlers instead committed themselves wholesale to

4685:

during his heel persona would occasionally have the announcer begrudgingly announce him as "He's better than you, and you know it...", generally after a large victory for the character, or being surrounded by henchman of his that threaten to harm the announcer if they do not read off the card

4241:

Since the crowd is often too loud or the venue too large for promos to be heard naturally, wrestlers generally use amplification when speaking in the ring. Unlike most stage acting, large and highly visible handheld microphones are typically used and wrestlers frequently speak directly to the

3119:

The non-legal wrestlers must remain outside the ring or other legal area at all times (and avoid purposeful contact with the opposing wrestlers) or face reprimand from the referee. In most promotions, the wrestler to be tagged in must be touching the turnbuckle on his corner, or a cloth strap

2038:

The primary rationale for shoot matches at this point was challenges from independent wrestlers. But a cartelized wrestler, if challenged, could credibly use his contractual obligations to his promoter as an excuse to refuse the challenge. Promotions would sometimes respond to challenges with

2226:

By 1925, this cartel had divided the country up into territories which were the exclusive domains of specific promoters. This system of territories endured until Vince McMahon drove the fragmented cartels out of the market in the 1980s. This cartel fractured in 1929 after one of its members,

4079:

While real exhibition matches are now not uncommon, most matches tell a story analogous to an episode of a serial drama: the face will from time to time win (triumph) or from time to time lose (tragedy), and longer story arcs can result from a couple of matches. Since most promotions have a

3480:

Performing any illegal holds or maneuvers, such as refusing to break a hold when an opponent is in the ropes, hair-pulling, choking or biting an opponent, or repeatedly punching with a closed fist. These violations are usually subject to a referee-administered five count and will result in

2842:

Most wrestling matches last for a set number of falls, with the first side to achieve the majority number of pinfalls, submissions, or countouts being the kayfabe winner. Historically, the matches went to 3 falls ("best 2 out of 3") or 5 falls ("best 3 out of 5"). For modern wrestling, the

4879:

In the 1980s, mixed tag team matches began to take place, with a male and female on each team and a rule stating that each wrestler could only attack the opponent of the same gender. If a tag was made, the other team had to automatically switch their legal wrestler as well. Despite these

6910:. chpt. 27: "It had a brief renaissance in the 1950s, thanks to the new medium of TV, which needed content, and all the networks started airing matches. pro wrestling's fakery was still a fundamental problem; it was a niche taste; as TV got flush and respectable, the networks moved on." 5818:

are among the highest-selling pay-per-view programming each year. In modern day, internet programming has been utilized by a number of companies to air web shows, internet pay per views (IPPVs) or on-demand content, helping to generate internet-related revenue earnings from the evolving

2498:

is the practice of pretending that professional wrestling is a true sport. Wrestlers would at all times flatly deny allegations that they fixed their matches, and they often remained in-character in public even when not performing. When in public, wrestlers would sometimes say the word

3284:

Occasionally, there are instances where a pinfall is presented as being made where both wrestlers' shoulders were on the mat for the three-count. This situation will most likely lead to a draw, and in some cases a continuation of the match or a future match to determine the winner.

2631:. The attacks in these matches are designed to appear dramatic while reducing the risk of serious injury as much as possible. Overall, the performers aim to minimize the actual injurious impact of their moves while maximizing their entertainment value. Shows produced by the largest 4421:

was a trio of wrestlers who were (in kayfabe) not at the time under contract with WWE (hence their gimmick of entering the ring through the crowd), but they still had entrance music which was played whenever they entered the arena, despite the fact that they were kayfabe invaders.

2607:

to the sporting event being portrayed, and are encouraged to interact as such. This leads to a high level of audience participation; in fact, their reactions can dictate how the performance unfolds. Often, individual matches will be part of a longer story line conflict between

3429:

else, while in a Last Man Standing match this form of a countout is the only way that the match can end, so the referee counts when one or more wrestlers are down and one wrestler standing up before the 10-count does not stop the count for another wrestler who is still down.

3379:

decides that their wrestler presented as their client should tap out, but cannot convince the wrestler to do so, they may "throw in the towel" (by literally taking a gym towel and hurling it into the ring where the referee can see it). This is the same as a submission, as in

3404:. To determine if a wrestler has passed out in WWE, the referee usually picks up and drops his hand. If it drops to the mat or floor one or three consecutive times without the wrestler having the strength to hold it up, the wrestler is considered to have passed out. 5456: 2643:

are sometimes staged at outdoor venues; these shows are generally video recorded for live or delayed broadcasting for an audience all over the world. Additionally filmed footage known as "segments" or "promos" are usually used to accompany the drama in these shows.

2039:"policemen": powerful wrestlers who lacked the charisma to become stars, but could defeat and often seriously injure any challenger in a shoot match. As the industry trend continued, there were fewer independent wrestlers to make such challenges in the first place. 3147:

before it was replaced with its equivalent Fatal Four-Way; four wrestlers, each for himself, fight in a match, but only two wrestlers can be in the match at any given time. The other two are positioned in the corner, and tags can be made between any two wrestlers.

2738:

Professional wrestlers nominally compete under rules promulgated by wrestling promotions. However, the rules are not legitimate standards for sporting activity, instead serving as a basis to advance plotlines, similar to the artificial constraints imposed in other

5138:

performing a triple team move on their opponents. This is a characteristic in Lucha Libre, wrestlers can enter into the ring without being disqualified on time if it is a tag team match, something that in American wrestling is illegal and a cause of losing by

3940:), or may change from time to time to better suit the demands of the audience or company. Sometimes a character is owned and trademarked by the company, forcing the wrestler to find a new one when he leaves (although a simple typeset change, such as changing 2868:

the one scoring the fall, regardless of who they scored it against, being the winner. In championship matches, this means that, unlike one-on-one matches (where the champion can simply disqualify himself or get himself counted out to retain the title via the

6179:. The ring is often made out of 2-by-12-inch (5 by 30 cm) timber planks. There have been many brutal accidents, hits and injuries. Many of the injuries that occur in pro wrestling are shoulders, knee, back, neck, and rib injuries. Professional wrestler 2969:

characters to gain a scripted advantage by distracting or disabling the referee to perform some ostensibly illegal maneuver on their opponent. Most referees are unnamed and essentially anonymous, though some wrestling promotions, most notably in the present

5496:

Some terminology originating in professional wrestling has found its way into the common vernacular. Phrases such as "body slam", "sleeper hold" and "tag team" are used by those who do not follow professional wrestling. The term "smackdown", popularized by

2019:

beating for his "defeat" to be convincing, but wrestling holds can be faked convincingly without inflicting injury. This meant that boxers were less willing to "take dives"; they wanted to have a victory for all the pain to which they subjected themselves.

5053:

described professional wrestling as "sportive entertainment". In 1989, the WWF used the phrase in a case it made to the New Jersey Senate for classifying professional wrestling as "sports entertainment" and thus not subject to regulation like a directly

6897:, p. 105: "When the national audience of the early 1950s ebbed, wrestling found itself buoyed by a fan-base similar to that of the pretelevision era. The very young, the very old, blue-collar workers, and minorities became wrestling's core audience." 5342:

and passed-down traditions. New performers are expected to "pay their dues" for a few years by working in lower-profile promotions and working as ring crew before working their way upward. The permanent rosters of most promotions develop a backstage

5972:

In the early 20th century, once it became apparent that the "sport" was worked, pro wrestling was looked down on as a cheap entertainment for the uneducated working class, an attitude that still exists to varying degrees today. The French theorist

4037:

after being a top face for over a decade. Others may have no noticeable effect on the character's status. If a character repeatedly switches between face and heel, this lessens the effect of such turns, and may result in apathy from the audience.

3276:

In some promotions, there is a premise that certain pinning methods are disallowed, including using the ropes for leverage and hooking the opponent's clothing. As a plot device, disallowed pinning methods can be depicted as a cheating method for

5381:

storylines with other users, leading to scheduled "shows" where match results are determined by the organizers, usually based on a combination of the characters' statistics and the players' roleplaying aptitude, sometimes with audience voting.

3116:

with the participants "tagging out" and "tagging in". Typically, the wrestler who is tagging out has a five count to leave the ring, whereas the one tagging in can enter the ring at any time, resulting in heels legally double-teaming a face.

2859:

involves is a match set for a prescribed length of time, with a running tally of falls. The entrant with the most falls at the end of the time limit is declared the winner. This is usually for 20, 30 or 60 minutes, and is commonly called an

3536:

have ejected numerous wrestlers during events, all for outside interference). In this disqualification method, the wrestler being attacked by the foreign member is awarded the win. Sometimes this can work in heels' favor. In February 2009,

4033:", altering their face/heel alignment. This may be an abrupt, surprising event, or it may slowly build over time. It is almost always accomplished with a markable change in behavior. Some turns become defining points in a career, as when 6752:: "Charges which were substantiated, were made in court to the effect that most of the big matches, and all of the championship bouts, were fixed affairs, with the challenger chosen by the promoters and the champion assured of victory." 3007:

counting a pinfall or calling a submission in the face's favor. The referee often instantly up the moment the heel wrestler seems to have an advantage, usually the moment the heel goes for the pinfall or applies a submission finisher.

2178:

to emerge from the 1930s were tag-team matches. Promoters noticed that matches slowed down as the wrestlers in the ring tired, so they gave them partners to relieve them. It also gave heels another way to misbehave by double-teaming.

2800:

Guardrails or a similar barrier enclose this area from the audience. Wrestlers are generally expected to stay within the confines of the ring, though matches sometimes end up moving outside the ring, and even into the audience.

5366:

which deal primarily in wrestling footage. When the WWE purchased both WCW and ECW in 2001, they also obtained the entire past video libraries of both productions and have released many past matches online and on home video.

2313:

In the spring of 1984, the WWF purchased Georgia Championship Wrestling (GCW), which had been ailing for some time due to financial mismanagement and internal squabbles. In the deal, the WWF acquired the GCW's timeslot on

4489:

has been known to use on-screen visual effects in his entrance to simulate the presentation of a feature film (i.e. widescreen, production company credits), as to emphasize his Hollywood-themed film aficionado character.

3586:

In a mixed tag team match, a male wrestler hitting a female wrestler (intergender), or a normal sized wrestler attacking an opposing midget wrestler (tag team matches involving teams with one normal-sized and one midget

5155:

who, more often, rely on power moves and strikes to subdue their opponents. The difference in styles is due to the independent evolution of the sport in Mexico beginning in the 1930s and the fact that wrestlers in the

2503:

to each other as a coded signal that there were fans present and they needed to be in character. Professional wrestlers in the past strongly believed that if they admitted the truth, their audiences would desert them.

3669:

is to insert a last-minute replacement rather than award a wrestler a victory by forfeit. Forfeit victories are almost always reserved for when the story the promotion is telling specifically requires such an ending.

5474:

known to those who are unfamiliar with wrestling in general. Conversely, celebrities from other sports or general pop culture also become involved with wrestling for brief periods of time. A prime example of this is

5354:. Those who are interested in the backstage occurrences, future storylines and reasonings behind company decisions read newsletters written by journalists with inside ties to the wrestling industry. These "rags" or " 4155:

Throughout the history of professional wrestling, many other elements of media have been utilized in professional wrestling storytelling: pre- and post-match interviews, "backstage" skits, positions of authority and

6937: 5061:

In subsequent years, WWE began to insist that its talent use "sports entertainment", and not "pro wrestling", to describe its business, to the point that the term was sometimes used in other promotions to generate

2035:). These promoters sought to make long-term plans with their wrestlers, and to ensure their more charismatic and crowd-pleasing wrestlers received championships, further entrenching the desire for worked matches. 9431:

Olson, Cristopher; Reinhard, Carrie Lynn D. (2021). "Wrestling with Eating Disorders: Transmedia Depictions of Body Issues in WWE's Women's Professional Wrestling". In Johnson, Malynnda; Olson, Cristopher (eds.).

4083:

Some matches are designed to further the story of only one participant. It could be intended to portray an unstoppable force, a lucky underdog, a sore loser, or any other characterization. Sometimes non-wrestling

3519:

Any outside interference involving a person not involved in the match striking or holding a wrestler. Sometimes (depending on the promotion and uniqueness of the situation), if a heel attempts to interfere but is

5290:

in 1982. Meanwhile, in both the U.K. and France, national television coverage from the 1950s to the late 1980s made household names of top stars. In the U.K. in the late 1970s and through the 1980s, the dominant

2416:). The actions of the character in shows must be considered fictional, wholly separate from the life of the performer. This is similar to other entertainers who perform with a persona that shares their own name. 7283:. chpt. 6: "The second rise of wrestling, the territorial rise, came with the advent of UHF television, because now instead of having three or four TV stations, you had maybe 10 or 12, but they were all local." 6944:: "Professional wrestling" means an activity in which participants struggle hand-in-hand primarily for the purpose of providing entertainment to spectators rather than conducting a bona fide athletic contest." 3315:

A performer may appear to voluntarily submit by verbally informing the referee (usually used in moves such as the Mexican Surfboard, where all four limbs are incapacitated, making tapping impossible). Since

3560:). Sometimes the win decision can be reversed if the referee spots the weapon before pin attempt or after the match because a wrestler tried to strike when the referee was either distracted or knocked out. 2318:. McMahon agreed to keep showing Georgia wrestling matches in that timeslot, but he was unable to get his staff to Atlanta every Saturday to fulfill this obligation, so he sold GCW and its TBS timeslot to 4750:

event. For example, WrestleMania III and VI both saw all wrestlers enter the arena on motorized miniature wrestling rings. Live bands are sometimes hired to perform live entrance music at special events.

4202:

Commentators have become important in communicating the relevance of the characters' actions to the story at hand, filling in past details and pointing out subtle actions that may otherwise go unnoticed.

1934:

match is a genuine contest where both wrestlers fight to win and are therefore "straight shooters", which comes from a carny term for a shooting gallery gun whose sights were not deliberately misaligned.

6770:: "Most of the contests I saw during my career took place in the gym during workouts, and the ones staged in front of paying customers were done to settle business disputes among rival wrestling groups." 5069:

Despite its association with WWE, the term "sports entertainment" is not inherently limited to pro wrestling, and can also encompass other forms of sports-based events. Many represent variants of actual

2927:

where two wrestlers enter the ring to start the match and other wrestlers follow in 90 second intervals (previously 2 minutes) until 30–40 wrestlers have entered the ring. All other rules stay the same.

1448: 4018:

have also become prominent in professional wrestling. There is also a less common role of a "tweener", who is neither fully face nor fully heel yet able to play either role effectively (case in point,

2268:

as the world champion without the approval of the NWA. Gagne asked for a match against the recognized NWA champion Pat O'Connor. The NWA refused to honor the request, so Gagne and Minneapolis promoter

4152:

of a wrestling show is generally the most heated. Commonly, a heel will hold the upper hand over a face until a final showdown, heightening dramatic tension as the face's fans desire to see them win.

2136:

that professional wrestling is not a real sport because its matches have predetermined outcomes. Shortly thereafter, New Jersey deregulated professional wrestling. The WWF then rebranded itself as a "

9730: 5299:. Eventually however the sheer lopsided nature of his victories over heels alienated fellow wrestlers and adult fans alike to the point where both groups defected in droves to opposition promoter 3630:

If all participants in a match continue to breach the referee's instructions, the staged performance may presented as ending in a double disqualification, where both wrestlers and/or teams (in a

9843: 6788: 4681:

would enter with his theme music, but would notably have a microphone descend from the ceiling when he reached the ring, where he would announce himself, rather than the traditional announcer.

3481:

disqualification if the wrestler does not cease the offending behavior in time. Note that the ban on closed fists does not apply if the attacker is in midair when the punch connects, like with

3324:", that is, tapping a free hand against the mat or against an opponent. Submission was initially a large factor in professional wrestling, but following the decline of the submission-oriented 8351:

Dragon Gate is a unique promotion as they still follow many of wrestling's biggest traditions, one being that veterans get theirs first because rookies need to "pay their dues" like they did.

6101: 3607:

In traditional European promotions, severe or persistent infractions of the rules result in a formal caution, called a "public warning" in the U.K., "avertissement" (warning) in France and a

4238:, short for promotional interview. Promos are performed, or "cut" in wrestling jargon, for a variety of reasons, including to heighten interest in a wrestler, or to hype an upcoming match. 2194:. He also wore a costume: a robe and hairnet, which he removed after getting in the ring. He also had a pre-match ritual where his "butler" would spray the ring with perfume. In the 1980s, 8290: 7517: 6478: 2759:

matches appear to follow a consistent set of rules. The rules described in this section represent common standards but may not precisely align with the ruleset of any specific promotion.

2272:

established the American Wrestling Association in 1960. This AWA should not be confused with Paul Bowser's AWA, which ceased operations just two months prior. Gagne's AWA operated out of

2076:, maintaining no pretense that wrestling was real and passing on planned results just before the matches took place. While fans were neither surprised nor alienated, traditionalists like 3635:

opponents simultaneously for the title. Usually, the double disqualification is caused by the heel wrestler's associates in a match between two face wrestlers to determine his opponent.

6963: 5172:'s ropes to catapult themselves towards their opponents, using intricate combinations in rapid-fire succession, and applying complex submission holds. Lucha libre is also known for its 7887: 1874:, wrestling enjoys widespread popularity as a genuine sport, and the phrase "professional wrestling" therefore has a more literal meaning in those places. A notable example is India's 7857: 4876:(1975), which "found the regulation invalid under the equal protection clauses of the State and Federal Constitutions". The NYSAC filed an appeal of the ruling, but later dropped it. 1649:, including genuine displays of athleticism and physicality before a live audience, professional wrestling is distinguished by its scripted outcomes and emphasis on entertainment and 4080:

championship title, opposition for the championship is a frequent impetus for stories. For added stakes, anything from a character's own hair to their job can be wagered in a match.

2997:

Counting fast whenever the face wrestler is being pinned, while counting slow, faking a wrist or eye injury, or even refusing to count at all, when the heel wrestler is being pinned.

2188:, who performed throughout the 1940s and 1950s, was the first wrestler whose entrance into the arena was accompanied by a theme song played over the arena's loudspeakers, his being 10668: 9838: 5579:

was a huge fan of pro wrestling and actually featured it on an episode (with two former WWE wrestlers voicing the two fictitious wrestlers featured in the episode). The 2008 film

4969:

this market with their "minis" in the 1990s and the "junior's league" as recent as 2006. It is still a popular form of entertainment in Mexican wrestling, mostly as a "sideshow".

5312:

major American wrestling corporations but also from homegrown "American style" promotions conforming to the general pattern of the contemporary U.S. independent wrestling scene.

5303:

which expanded (taking a share of the final two years of TV coverage) until it eclipsed Joint as dominant promotion, a position it still holds in 2024. During the same period,

8143: 7680: 6205:

Wrestling performers frequently experience real pain during performances. The sociologist R. Tyson Smith attributes wrestlers willingness to endure occupational injury to the

9596: 4387:

entrance. While invented long before, the practice of including music with the entrance gained rapid popularity during the 1980s, largely as a result of the huge success of

3000:

Allowing heel wrestlers to use blatantly illegal tactics that most normal referees would instantly disqualify for, while not extending these relaxed rules to face wrestlers.

2537:

accepted it as the smart move as it gave the industry more freedom to do as it pleased, and because by that point professional wrestling no longer attempted to appear real.

2210:

The first major promoter cartel emerged on the East Coast, although up to that point, wrestling's heartland had been in the Midwest. Notable members of this cartel included

6934: 2257:

Paul Bowser's AWA joined the NWA in 1949. The AWA withdrew from the Alliance in 1957 and renamed itself the Atlantic Athletic Corporation (AAC). The AAC shut down in 1960.

9601: 8680: 8091:

Forget everything you thought you knew about roller derby. This is not the sports entertainment version that was televised in the '70s and '80s with predetermined winners.

4307:

does happen. When one promotion absorbs or purchases another, the titles from the defunct promotion may continue to be defended in the new promotion or be decommissioned.

3293:

To score by submission, the performer must make their opponent give up, usually by putting them in a submission hold (e.g. figure four leg-lock, arm-lock, sleeper-hold).

9833: 9823: 9541: 4059:. The fans' response to Austin was so positive that he effectively became one of the most popular antiheroes in professional wrestling. Austin, along with the stable of 3512:

by popping her arm out of the socket. This type of disqualification can also be grounds for stripping a wrestler of a championship, as AAA overturned the result of that

1501: 9089: 9869: 9828: 7704: 2961:

role that referees play in wrestling of serving as liaison between the bookers backstage and the wrestlers in the ring (the role of being a final arbitrator is merely

1443: 8476: 3948:, can get around this), and sometimes a character is owned by the wrestler. Sometimes, a wrestler may change their legal name to obtain ownership of their ring name ( 2616:". "Faces" (the "good guys") are those whose actions are intended to encourage the audience to cheer, while "heels" (the "bad guys") act to draw the spectators' ire. 10115: 9784: 6194:

noted that, in the period from 1985 to 2006, 89 performers had died under the age of 50. In addition to premature mortality, steroid abuse may have been a factor in

17: 2276:. Unlike the NWA, which only allowed faces to be champions, Gagne occasionally allowed heels to win the AWA championship so that they could serve as foils for him. 9803: 6706:, p. 54: "As the controlling force in wrestling, promoters could maximize profits by carefully establishing new stars and through selective scheduling of matches." 6556:

vol. 1. p. 743: "...there is still no easy way to explain why millions of people enjoy watching professional wrestling and yet dislike watching amateur wrestling."

1601: 8754: 4352: 2330:. Between January 2000 and March 2001, the title changed hands eighteen times, which sapped fan enthusiasm, particularly for the climactic pay-per-view matches. 8604: 5282:

and other cities featuring visiting wrestlers from around the world - were a key part of the celebrations of various cultural festivals. Champion and promoter

5152: 1888:

means an activity in which participants struggle hand-in-hand primarily for the purpose of providing entertainment to spectators and which does not comprise a

2880:

champions often find advantages, not in Champion's Advantage, but in the use of weapons and outside interference, as these poly-sided matches tend to involve

2419:

Some wrestlers also incorporate elements of their real-life personalities into their characters, even if they and their in-ring persona have different names.

4839:

used this to gain notoriety when he created an Intergender Championship and declared it open to any female challenger. This led to a long (worked) feud with

5798:

broadcasts, branded merchandise and home video. Wrestling was instrumental in making pay-per-view a viable method of content delivery. Annual shows such as

4300:

have at least one title, and some have more. Championships are designated by divisions of weight, height, gender, wrestling style and other qualifications.

3247:

Although scripted and choreographed, wrestling matches are presented as being legitimate athletic competitions decided on one of several possible outcomes.

8813: 8555: 8260: 7060: 2066:

Wrestling fans widely suspected that professional wrestling was fake, but they did not care as long as it entertained. In 1933, a wrestling promoter named

5147:) also has stories and characters, they are less emphasized. Mexican professional wrestling tradition repeats very usually brutal tactics, specially more 2619:

In pro wrestling matches, performers often execute a series of pre-planned moves and attacks, ranging from grappling and throws found in some traditional

9710: 9577: 7457: 5168:) are often the most popular wrestlers in Mexican lucha libre. Wrestlers often execute high flying moves characteristic of lucha libre by utilizing the 5066:. WWE moved away from this insistence in 2024 after Vince McMahon's departure from the company, but still uses "sports entertainment" in some contexts. 9698: 9632: 6280: 5594: 1068: 6780: 4160:

behind-the-scenes feuds, division rankings (typically the #1-contendership spot), contracts, lotteries, news stories on websites, and in recent years

2292:. But cable television could carry a much larger selection of channels and therefore had room for niche interests. The WWF started with a show called 9815: 8037:

for decades the Harlem Globetrotters have defined family-friendly sports entertainment," said Urban, the former SVP of Sports Marketing at Gatorade.

7578: 4976:, Alebrije has Quije, etc. There are also cases in which midgets can become valets for a wrestler, and even get physically involved in matches, like 1438: 7655: 4835:

For most of its history, men and women rarely worked against each other in professional wrestling, as it was deemed to be unfair and unchivalrous.

4047:

first began using "The Rock" persona as a heel character, as opposed to his original "Rocky Maivia" babyface persona. Another legendary example is

3003:

Disqualifying the face wrestler for unfair reasons, such as an accidental attack on the referee or a maneuver that appears to be an illegal attack.

2308: 1473: 1257: 8168: 7385: 3597: 3553: 9534: 7952: 6166: 6121:

featured two episodes titled "I'm a Professional Wrestler" and "I Want to Be a Professional Wrestler". Other documentaries have been produced by

3151:

In a Texas Tornado Tag Team match, all the competitors are legal in the match, and tagging in and out is not necessary. All matches fought under

2993:

For dramatic effect, heel referees may assist a heel wrestler. Several common plot devices involve the heel referee assisting the heel wrestler.

1881:

In numerous American states, professional wrestling is legally defined as a non-sport. For instance, New York defines professional wrestling as:

1398: 8282: 7509: 6470: 2055:

as contests by the commission. The Commission did on very rare occasions hand out such authorizations, such as for a championship match between

9042: 2405:

writers for incorporation into storylines of performers, the lines between real life and fictional life are often blurred and become confused.

1378: 1162: 8028: 6955: 5355: 5245:

Much of the more serious style of Japanese wrestling derives from wrestling in Europe, particularly the influence of the traditional style of

10108: 8223: 7931: 7879: 6241: 5250:"Catch" in non English speaking countries) but in the Mediterranean south it soon died out after an initial flush of popularity, leaving the 5043:

to describe the industry of professional wrestling, primarily to potential advertisers, although precursors date back to February 1935, when

2166:

By the early 1930s, most wrestlers had adopted personas to generate public interest. These personas could broadly be characterized as either

7841: 6840: 10074: 9725: 5762: 1956: 1792: 1594: 906: 6867:, a number of his editors around the country wrote back telling him that they had no interest in printing anything about such a nonsport." 6096: 4192: 4121:

lasted from the late 1970s into the early 1990s and allegedly spanned over two thousand matches (although most of those matches were mere

3686:

A professional wrestling match can be depicted as ending in a draw. A draw occurs if both opponents are simultaneously disqualified (e.g.

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anything they do in the wrestling match itself, especially if former main event stars are returning to a promotion after a long absence.

1944: 1780: 911: 4576:(mainly for his "Embrace The Vision" character, a.k.a when using his theme named "Visionary"), a mixture of red and orange lighting for 4343: 4312: 4030: 9527: 8364: 8320: 7730: 6236: 4477:

Additional visual graphics or staging props to complement the entrance video/routine or further emphasize the character. For instance,

3820:

buyrates, and sales of branded merchandise and recorded video footage. All of these contribute to the profit of the promotion company.

3408:

front of the wrestler's face and, if this produces no reaction of any kind, the referee would award the victory to the other wrestler.

1756:. By at least the early 20th century, professional wrestling had diverged from the competitive sport to become an artform and genre of 1252: 8725: 7415: 5961:, content, and its role in modern society. It is often included as part of studies on theater, sociology, performance, and media. The 2915:

which comes in many variety and is often used as the final battle in a heated rivalry. Another common specialty match is known as the

9904: 9859: 8783: 8697: 6756:

Joe Alvarez v. Richard Shikat and Al Haft, U.S. District Court, Southern District of Ohio, Eastern Division, No. 1180, April 27, 1936

4809:

as champion after a controversial finish to a high-profile match between Burke and Byers that year. Upon Byers's retirement in 1964,

4673:, whose persona is a carefree individual, has his weight billed as "whatever", and being billed from "wherever". In similar fashion, 4235: 4122: 1468: 1463: 1458: 365: 8139: 7792: 7676: 6209:

of their socioeconomic viewpoint. From this viewpoint, Smith argues, wrestlers are willing to accept bodily pain by both practicing

4425:

With the introduction of the Titantron entrance screen in 1997, WWF wrestlers also had entrance videos play along with their music.

2978: 10101: 10056: 8636: 8431: 8103: 7160:. p. 98: "In October 1956 the U.S. Attorney General's office filed a civil suit against the NWA in an Iowa federal district court." 6253: 6073:

have studied the lives of wrestlers and the effects the profession has on them and their families. The 1999 theatrical documentary

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as the three strongholds of European wrestling by the 1980s. In Germany, wrestling shows - particularly major trophy tornaments in

4666:

will perform a freestyle rap, usually at the expense of the opponent or a real life figure that has been brought up in recent news.

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These are each explained in greater detail below. Pinfalls and submissions must occur within the ring unless stipulated otherwise.

1811: 1478: 1212: 1080: 207: 165: 8933: 7546: 6586: 5358:" have expanded into the Internet, where their information can be dispensed on an up-to-the-minute basis. Some have expanded into 4175:, rape and death have been portrayed in wrestling. Some promotions have included supernatural elements such as magic, curses, the 9864: 8050: 7191: 5977:

was among the first to propose that wrestling was worthy of deeper analysis, in his essay "The World of Wrestling" from his book

5714: 5417: 3780: 3208: 3046: 2703: 2669: 2450: 2365: 2133: 1587: 187: 8677: 8523: 3722:, before the match was restarted), or one competitor scores a submission victory while the other scores a pinfall victory (e.g. 1908:

as used in this Part shall not depend on whether the individual wrestlers are paid or have been paid for their performance in a

1842:. Likewise, numerous professional wrestlers have become national or international icons with recognition by the broader public. 9681: 8904: 6285: 6195: 5157: 4911: 3165:

Texas Tornado rules, since the lack of ability of a referee to issue a disqualification renders any tagging requirements moot.

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Wresting Fans as Players, Performers as Characters: Conceptualizing WWE Storytelling and Production in Terms of Games and Play

9058: 8075: 6670: 6105:

chronicled the development of women's wrestling throughout the 20th century. Pro wrestling has been featured several times on

5533:

Many television shows and films have been produced which portray in-character professional wrestlers as protagonists, such as

4342:

A wrestler's championship accomplishments can be central to their career, becoming a measure of their performance ability and

3396:

Some wrestling performances are presented as resulting in a knockout, mirroring legitimate martial arts and concluding with a

1992:

By the turn of the 20th century, most professional wrestling matches were "worked" and some journalists exposed the practice:

10046: 9798: 9613: 9468: 9449: 9376: 9357: 9338: 9319: 9300: 9281: 9232: 9018: 8598: 8342: 5962: 4846: 4286: 3710:), or both opponents simultaneously win the match. The latter can occur if, for example, both wrestlers pin each other (e.g. 3674: 2916: 1453: 1415: 1200: 891: 886: 212: 8503: 7701: 5000:

to Finlay to use on his opponent. Finlay also occasionally threw him at his opponents. Hornswoggle was given a run with the

3549:, interfered in a match and super kicked JBL in front of the referee to get his employer the win via "outside interference". 8483: 4677:

is billed as "claiming to stand 6 ft 7 in. tall, and over 300 lbs", despite being nowhere near either of those statistics.

4530: 4323: 3644:

a forfeit victory is enough to crown a new champion. A famous example of this happened on the December 8, 1997, episode of

8984: 8409: 5573:" played on the soap operatic elements of professional wrestling. One of the lead characters on the Disney Channel series 9988: 9779: 9127: 7487: 6389: 6135: 5939: 5860: 5485:

Professional wrestling is often portrayed within other works using parody, and its general elements have become familiar

5094:

was presented as a popular form of sports entertainment in the 1970s, though modern versions are legitimate competition.

4639:

in similar fashion rides a skateboard down to the ring, which is occasionally used as a weapon if the match type permits.

4418: 4272: 4251: 2974:, have made officials known by their names (and there are some cases where fans have called their names during matches). 2558: 1195: 1063: 841: 8751: 4413:

Because wrestling is predetermined, a wrestler's entrance music will play as they enter the arena, even if they are, in

2046:

in 1936. In the trial, witnesses testified that most of the "big matches" and all of the championship bouts were fixed.

9103:

every time and it is a very tough sport. It is only for tough people who are brave enough and who can accept that pain.

8879: 7816: 6258: 5833: 5287: 4862: 4735: 4552:'s entrances. Certain colors of lighting have been associated with specific wrestlers; for instance, blue lighting for 4451: 2327: 1764: 1693: 1132: 245: 6171:

Although professional wrestling is choreographed, there is a high chance of injury, and even death. Strikes are often

5667:

being the most subscribed wrestling channel and sixth most subscribed channel in the world. Other promotions, such as

5217:, while in the U.S. it is rather more regarded as an entertainment show. Wrestlers incorporate kicks and strikes from 9395: 9251: 8665: 8588: 7851: 6268: 6226: 5736: 5475: 5443: 4935: 4899: 4814: 4773: 4392: 3802: 3655: 3234: 3072: 2912: 2725: 2472: 2391: 2152:. Promoters wanted their matches to look realistic and so preferred to recruit wrestlers with real grappling skills. 1363: 1015: 182: 160: 93: 7975: 5425: 4498:", "Finally Showed Up To Work", and "For The Love Of God, Give Me A Lower Third This Week Even If It's For 1 Frame". 4293:

that can be worn by the champion. In the case of team wrestling, there is a title belt for each member of the team.

4056: 3216: 3054: 2373: 75: 10008: 9756: 9744: 9669: 9627: 7909: 7220: 5304: 4297: 4211: 3866: 3829: 3513: 3376: 2947: 2939: 2632: 2159:

introduced moves which have since become staples of the mock combat of professional wrestling, such as body slams,

1952: 1800: 1784: 1681: 1090: 1058: 896: 871: 861: 851: 8955: 5794:, today it is a multi-billion-dollar industry. Revenue is drawn from ticket sales, network television broadcasts, 5307:

moved to a more acrobatic style of action and colourful gimmick-led presentation, as exemplified by lead babyface

5176:

wrestling matches, in which the teams are often made up of three members, instead of two as is common in the U.S.

3740:

is stopped and declared a one-fall-each draw if an equalizing pinfall or submission is scored in the final round.

3328:

style from mainstream professional wrestling, the submission largely faded. Despite this, some wrestlers, such as

10689: 9968: 9693: 9657: 5803: 4315:

in a company will place the title on the most accomplished performer, or those the bookers believe will generate

2028: 1948: 1788: 1137: 876: 866: 856: 270: 129: 8817: 8565: 8250: 8193: 7449: 5983:, first published in 1957. Barthes argued that it should be looked at not as a scamming of the ignorant, but as 5286:

maintained strong links with American promotions, frequently importing U.S. talent and even briefly winning the

4378:

in order to enter into the ring. This is one of the signature things this wrestler does while doing her entrance

4113:. A feud can exist between any number of participants and can last from a few days to decades. The feud between 2982:

wrestlers, particularly if the special referee is either a wrestler himself or a famous martial artist (such as

2413: 10663: 10658: 10653: 10648: 10643: 10630: 10625: 10620: 10615: 10610: 10605: 10600: 10595: 10590: 10585: 10572: 10567: 10562: 10557: 10552: 10547: 10542: 10537: 10532: 10527: 10514: 10509: 10504: 10499: 10494: 10489: 10484: 10479: 10474: 10469: 10456: 10451: 10446: 10441: 10436: 10431: 10426: 10421: 10416: 10411: 10398: 10393: 10388: 10383: 10378: 10373: 10368: 10363: 10358: 10353: 10340: 10335: 10330: 10325: 10320: 10315: 10310: 10305: 10300: 10295: 10282: 10277: 10272: 10267: 10262: 10257: 10252: 10247: 10242: 10237: 10224: 10219: 10214: 10209: 10204: 10199: 10194: 10189: 10184: 10179: 10166: 10161: 10156: 10151: 10146: 10141: 10136: 9922: 6111: 5898: 5718: 5421: 5001: 4891: 3784: 3212: 3050: 2958: 2950:, who is the final arbitrator of the fictional rules, which may vary from promotion to promotion. In multi-man 2892: 2707: 2490: 2454: 2369: 2232: 1105: 335: 265: 260: 255: 60: 38: 8032: 3916:

An individual wrestler may use their real name, or a minor variation of it, for much of their career, such as

1900:

athletic contests and competitions, which may be professional or amateur combative sport, shall not be deemed

1779:, to internationally broadcast events at major arenas. The largest and most influential promotions are in the 10699: 9945: 9897: 8456: 8124: 6439:

In the ... lift her arms slightly, in order to catch her opponent and minimize the impact of the technique.

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Due to its persistent cultural presence and to its novelty within the performing arts, wrestling constitutes

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made entrance songs, costumes, and rituals standard for his star wrestlers. For instance, McMahon's top star

1705: 1701: 1697: 1344: 1120: 1110: 1100: 1095: 939: 934: 172: 9262: 5889:, which bought out many smaller regional companies in the late 20th century, as well as primary competitors 5769:, there was a very popular wrestling television program that aired from the 1960s to the early 1980s called 5551:, and the Santo film series. At least two stage plays set in the world of pro wrestling have been produced: 3869:

intended to heighten interest in a wrestler without regard to athletic ability. Some can be unrealistic and

10041: 10023: 9973: 6863:: "In 1931, Grantland Rice recounted how when he wrote a snippet about wrestling for his syndicated column 5890: 5830:

Recreational Sports DVD sales, with wrestling holding anywhere from 3 to 9 of the top 10 spots every week.

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underwent a major boom by rebranding as family entertainment centred around superheavyweight lead blue-eye

5148: 4800:

The women's division of professional wrestling has maintained a recognized world champion since 1937, when

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context. No professional league for competitive wrestling exists due to a lack of popularity. For example,

1720:; additional scenes may be recorded for television in backstage areas of the venue, in a format similar to 1142: 1115: 350: 275: 7571: 4010:(historically a villain with arrogance, a tendency to break rules, or other unlikable qualities, called a 2148:

In the early years of the 20th century, the style of wrestling used in professional wrestling matches was

2063:

in June 1934. This decree did not apply to amateur wrestling, which the commission had no authority over.

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When a pay-per-view match is booked and one wrestler is unable to make it for one reason or another, the

3580: 2289: 2251: 1796: 300: 3861:

In Latin America and English-speaking countries, most wrestlers (and other on-stage performers) portray

3472:. Within wrestling's fictional storylines, such attacks will get a wrestler disqualified in most matches 1696:

are the primary vehicle for advancing storylines, which typically center on interpersonal conflicts, or

9415:

WWE: Wrestling, Wellness & Entertainment – An Analysis of Work and Health in Professional Wrestling

8840: 8164: 7393: 5965:

developed a course of study on the cultural significance of professional wrestling, and anthropologist

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and therefore authorized to make formal decisions (such as forfeiting a match) on the client's behalf.

3321: 2575: 2294: 2280: 2129: 1205: 192: 8702:. Popular Culture Association/American Culture Association National Conference Program. Archived from 2620: 1803:) which have each developed distinct styles, traditions, and subgenres within professional wrestling. 1775:. Promotions vary considerably in size, scope, and creative approach, ranging from local shows on the 6781:"Wrestling Placed Under New Status; Commission Rules Clubs Must List Matches as Shows or Exhibitions" 5902: 5868:

and directed by Paul Jay. There have also been many fictional depictions of wrestling; the 2008 film

4927: 3496:

Deliberate injury of an opponent, such as attacking an opponent's eye, such as raking it, poking it,

3401: 2657: 2315: 1330: 355: 330: 290: 8852:

There is a sense in which wrestling resembles nothing if not a kind of postmodern commedia dell'arte

8750:

Massachusetts Institute of Technology: Comparative Media Studies course on Professional Wrestling –

8727:

Grappling with Masculinity: Representation and Reception of Televised Professional Wrestling Imagery

7932:"Stephanie McMahon Explains "Sports Entertainment" Was Created For Advertisers | Fightful News" 7609: 6029:. The characters and storylines portrayed by a successful promotion are seen to reflect the current 5949:

With its growing popularity, professional wrestling has attracted attention as a subject of serious

4494:

is usually accompanied by humerous sub-headings such as "Anxious Millenial Cowboy", "New Boot Goofin

3091: 2810:

the opponent's shoulders to the mat, typically for three seconds (though other times have been used)

10694: 9890: 8770: 7423: 6402: 6376: 6339: 5870: 5581: 5406: 5242:, wrestle in a style similar to Mexican companies like AAA and CMLL. This is known as "Lucharesu". 4918:

for a record 478 days. Other notable Impact Knockouts that competed in intergender matches include

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involving audience participation. The audience is recognized and acknowledged by the performers as

2354: 2032: 1752:

adding melodrama, gimmickry, and outlandish stuntwork to their performances to further enhance the

1650: 1409: 1302: 8733:. Spring Colloquium: Thinking About Masculinity: SIUE College of Arts and Sciences. Archived from 8219: 5585:, about a washed-up professional wrestler, garnered several Oscar nominations. The 2017 TV series 3576:

Pulling an opponent's mask off during a match (this is illegal in Mexico, and sometimes in Japan).

8055: 8016:

WWE is an integrated media organization and the recognized global leader in sports entertainment.

7760: 6183:

said in 2015, "We train to take damage, we know we are going to take damage and we accept that."

5910: 5906: 5707: 5410: 5308: 5239: 5192: 5188: 5040: 4678: 4612: 4335: 4134: 4095: 4048: 3890: 3773: 3651: 3201: 3039: 2748: 2696: 2443: 2358: 2319: 2060: 1733: 1666: 1220: 705: 305: 280: 240: 71: 8703: 6504:, p. 27: "... the people who were clued in were happy to play along to further their enjoyment." 5200: 4759:

are particularly notable in recent years for their highly theatrical entrances at WrestleMania.

3524:

from the ring by a wrestler or referee before this occurs, there may not be a disqualification (

67: 5672: 5563:

is an award-nominated Canadian drama about the rise and fall of a fictional wrestler. The 2009

5377:(electronic federations), where a user can create their own fictional wrestling character, and 4988:, who is portrayed as Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre's mascot and is also a valet for Mistico. 4713: 4682: 4502: 3865:

roles, sometimes with personalities wildly different from their own. These personalities are a

2772: 1185: 8791: 8699:

Monday Night Identity Wars: The Evolution of Performance Conventions in Professional Wrestling

4308: 4167:

Anything that can be used as an element of drama can exist in professional wrestling stories:

4109:

Other stories result from a natural rivalry. Outside of performance, these are referred to as

2548:

by routinely discussing business matters and office politics in public, which alienated fans.

1393: 121:; the move requires coordination between both wrestlers in order to ensure the safety of each. 8814:"The Athlete as Buffoon: Cultural and Philosophical Considerations on Professional Wrestling" 7596: 7366: 6582: 6176: 6034: 6014: 5122: 5087: 4915: 4883: 4830: 4821:) in a tournament back in 1958, was recognized by most NWA promoters as champion by default. 4506: 4485:'s entrance features dark lighting, fire, fog and dry ice, and lightning-themed effects, and 4085: 3816:

increased ticket sales, higher ratings on television broadcasts (greater ad revenue), higher

2190: 2072: 1403: 1295: 968: 320: 8372: 8312: 7726: 7702:

The Well-Wrought Broken Championship Belt: Thing Theory in Professional Wrestling Criticism.

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Eero Laine (2017). "Stadium-sized theatre: WWE and the world of professional wrestling". In

4961: 4398: 30:

This article is about wrestling as a physical branch of theater. For the contact sport, see

8734: 8220:"History of British Wrestling, John Lister, House of Deception Retrieved September 27 2023" 7427: 6362: 6141: 5885:

Currently, the largest professional wrestling company worldwide is the United States-based

5852:. Several documentaries have been produced looking at professional wrestling, most notably 5761:

Professional wrestling has become especially prominent in North America, Japan and Europe (

5222: 5079: 4674: 4431: 4188: 3953: 3143:

mainstream examples of this is the Four-Corner match, the most common type of match in the

2803:

The standard method of scoring is the "fall", which, is premised as being accomplished by:

2588: 2137: 1875: 1757: 1551: 1546: 1309: 1235: 1230: 1152: 1007: 388: 295: 217: 4788: 4141:, one of the most lucrative feuds in the World Wrestling Federation during 1998 and 1999. 4051:, who was originally booked as a heel, with such mannerisms as drinking on the job, using 8: 9413: 9064: 8556:"Encuesta De Mitofsky Revela Que La Lucha No Es El Segundo Deporte Mas Popular En Mexico" 8402:"Professional Wrestling and Its Fans: A Sociological Study of the Sport of Pro-Wrestling" 7788: 6231: 6130: 5894: 5668: 5570: 5373:

have developed around professional wrestling. Some take this concept further by creating

4957: 4810: 4717: 4624: 4406: 4367: 4303:

Typically, each promotion only recognizes the "legitimacy" of their own titles, although

3707: 3612: 3525: 3505: 3265: 2987: 2971: 2661: 2544:

still mattered to a degree. Vince Russo, the boss of WCW in 2000, completely disregarded

2242: 1863: 1776: 1737: 1724:. Performers generally integrate authentic wrestling techniques and fighting styles with 1420: 467: 413: 235: 110: 8626: 7999: 7953:"Report: WWE Moving Away From 'Sports Entertainment,' Disassociating From Vince McMahon" 4898:

became the first female to hold a belt that was not exclusive to women when she won the

2899:

Some wrestling performances are staged with unique winning conditions, often to allow a

10704: 9455: 9181: 9036: 8925: 7643: 7623: 6578: 6312: 6302: 6026: 5979: 5914: 5791: 5653: 5632: 5486: 5300: 5196: 5135: 5055: 4952: 4628: 4395:. When a match is won, the victor's theme music is usually also played in celebration. 4375: 4356: 3846:. Both parents of these performers were two of the early luchadores to have a gimmick. 3620: 3557: 3397: 3152: 2881: 2744: 2740: 2653: 1967: 1859: 1819: 1768: 1721: 1225: 1053: 963: 428: 345: 325: 310: 250: 8060: 7183: 6514: 5604:

Many professional wrestlers have also become mainstream in their own right, including

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are traditionally performed in indoor venues, flagship events in this profession like

541: 9459: 9445: 9391: 9372: 9353: 9334: 9315: 9296: 9277: 9247: 9228: 9185: 9173: 9153: 9081: 9073: 9024: 9014: 8875: 8661: 8594: 8530: 8450: 8118: 7847: 7647: 6307: 6041:

and can in turn influence those same things. For example, wrestling's high levels of

6030: 5958: 5374: 5246: 4997: 4973: 4919: 4793: 4290: 3843: 3695: 3521: 1531: 1383: 1242: 1041: 929: 846: 769: 340: 9519: 8896: 5957:

criticism. Many courses, theses, essays and dissertations have analyzed wrestling's

4043:

what was previously the face persona, will turn into the heel persona, such as when

3834: 2751:

moral order, serving to advance plot lines involving charismatic heroes applying an

2408:

Special discern must be taken with people who perform under their own name (such as

145: 9882: 9474: 9437: 9165: 8988: 7639: 6395: 6344: 6122: 6067: 5827: 5676: 5586: 5334:

Those involved in producing professional wrestling have developed a kind of global

5296: 5292: 5230: 5226: 5184: 5161: 4947: 4903: 4871: 4866: 4783: 4608: 4549: 4260: 4227: 4068: 4023: 3666: 3616: 3300: 3131: 3100: 2844: 2284: 1388: 980: 640: 620: 566: 561: 497: 285: 197: 118: 10093: 9482: 8482:. Department of Communications Studies, Louisiana State University. Archived from 8346: 5541: 4886:

singles bouts were first fought on a national level in the 1990s. This began with

4289:

and must defend it after winning it. These titles are represented physically by a

1930:

match, derived from the slang word for manipulation, as in "working the crowd". A

8758: 8684: 8507: 8500: 7820: 7708: 7361: 6941: 6187: 5841: 5837: 5811: 5652:

trying to make it big, and featured a match involving real professional wrestler

5641: 5535: 5508: 5211: 4923: 4655: 4620: 4603:

arrived in a lowrider, The Undertaker (in his "American Bad Ass" biker gimmick),

4577: 4522: 4478: 4459: 4455: 4435: 4327: 4304: 4196: 4118: 4064: 3991: 3949: 3937: 3902: 3874: 3357: 3325: 3170: 2604: 2592: 2579: 2250:

In 1948, a number of promoters from across the country came together to form the

2185: 2149: 1971: 1815: 1641:) that the performers are competitive wrestlers. Although it entails elements of 1541: 1536: 1526: 1247: 1190: 1001: 946: 803: 793: 650: 447: 8769:

The World of Lucha Libre: Secrets, Revelations, and Mexican National Identity –

8560: 3457: 1337: 660: 546: 536: 9720: 8401: 8029:"The Whistle and Harlem Globetrotters Sign Comprehensive Partnership Agreement" 7539:"Brock Lesnar WWE / WWF Star and former NCAA Champion Cooldudesandhotbabes.com" 6180: 6075: 5974: 5934: 5854: 5820: 5613: 5498: 5335: 5169: 5005: 4931: 4907: 4698: 4670: 4600: 4561: 4553: 4537: 4510: 4482: 4471: 4215: 4184: 4168: 4099: 4060: 4044: 3961: 3957: 3929: 3882: 3839: 3727: 3699: 3691: 3659: 3538: 3533: 3490: 3476:

Disqualification from a match is called when the fictional storyline involves:

3308: 2931: 2864:. This type of match can be modified so that fewer types of falls are allowed. 2861: 2792: 2780: 2628: 2566: 2525:

The first wrestling promoter to publicly admit to routinely fixing matches was

2156: 1744: 1709: 1167: 1046: 1036: 744: 710: 685: 630: 596: 393: 177: 9169: 9119: 7752: 7479: 6003: 5749: 5082:. Others modify sport for entertainment purposes, such as many of the various 4746:

Special ring entrances are also developed for big occasions, most notably the

4658:

entering to no music, but announcing her arrival with the words "Excuse me!".

3736:). Traditionally, a championship may not change hands in the event of a draw. 1866:

league, dissolved in 2007 after just two seasons. In other countries, such as

10683: 9586: 9441: 9177: 9077: 9028: 7651: 6206: 6191: 6146: 6070: 6022: 5879: 5875: 5776: 5617: 5609: 5556: 5503: 5490: 5460: 5370: 5344: 5127: 5036: 5020: 4801: 4706: 4659: 4616: 4604: 4593: 4585: 4565: 4518: 4268: 4219: 4149: 4138: 4130: 3981: 3977: 3878: 3719: 3546: 3469: 3385: 3329: 2935: 2776: 2648:

wrestling, before transitioning to its theatrical form. A popular performer,

2195: 2125: 1823: 1772: 1521: 986: 729: 665: 655: 645: 581: 571: 526: 462: 315: 9085: 7976:"Chris Jericho Trolls WWE By Labeling His New Faction "Sports Entertainers"" 7813: 4467: 2027:

In the 1910s, promotional cartels for professional wrestling emerged in the

9676: 8867: 6214: 6199: 6092: 6018: 5966: 5799: 5795: 5645: 5637: 5621: 5575: 5378: 5259: 5218: 5207: 5203: 5091: 5045: 4851: 4840: 4836: 4779: 4747: 4739: 4651: 4573: 4569: 4541: 4514: 4463: 4447: 4439: 4371: 4282: 4223: 4161: 4126: 4103: 3910: 3817: 3687: 3601: 3593: 3567: 3486: 3482: 3461: 3450: 3365: 3353: 3349: 3345: 3320:

popularized it in 1997, a wrestler can indicate a voluntary submission by "

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and presentation of the sport. In most of the largest promotions, such as

4144:

In theory, the longer a feud is built up, the more audience interest (aka

3994:'s flamboyant gimmick made him one of the most famous wrestlers of his era 2108:, which printed its first issue in 1946. These magazines were faithful to 487: 10036: 10031: 10003: 9983: 9958: 9953: 9793: 9608: 9572: 9504: 6349: 6317: 6154: 6150: 6046: 5547: 5324: 5234: 5144: 5083: 4993: 4989: 4887: 4858: 4854:

became notorious in professional wrestling for his matches against women.

4702: 4636: 4589: 4557: 3999: 3925: 3898: 3529: 3497: 3465: 3445: 3108: 2951: 2596: 2529:. In 1933, he started talking about the industry's inner workings to the 2526: 2300: 2279:

In August 1983, the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), a promotion in the

2269: 2265: 2236: 2228: 2215: 2211: 2077: 2067: 2043: 1839: 1713: 1654: 1630: 1511: 1288: 1281: 974: 881: 823: 808: 759: 700: 670: 601: 516: 477: 418: 408: 398: 114: 8658:

Steel Chair to the Head: The Pleasure and Pain of Professional Wrestling

8477:"The Operational Aesthetic in the Performance of Professional Wrestling" 7917: 7212: 6063:

elements, targeting the desires of ostensibly heterosexual male viewers.

5994:

for males", it has also been cited as filling the role of past forms of

5350:

Fans of professional wrestling have their own subculture, comparable to

4623:

arriving into the arena in various luxury cars, Steve Austin driving an

4454:

when they ascend to the stage, multi-colour fireworks (most notably for

3500:, punching it or other severe attacks to the eye. This was imposed when 3127: 2876:

have to be pinned or involved in the decision to lose the championship.

106: 9978: 9478: 9069: 7910:"Garrett v. New York State Athletic Commission, 82 Misc. 2d 524 (1975)" 6175:, especially in Japan, and in independent wrestling promotions such as 6088: 6084: 6080: 6060: 6050: 5995: 5991: 5969:

has written an ethnography about the culture of lucha libre in Mexico.

5954: 5929: 5721: in this section. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. 5565: 5527: 5075: 4806: 4731: 4663: 4388: 4256: 4088:

are shown to enhance a character's image without the need for matches.

4007: 3987: 3965: 3851: 3787: in this section. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. 3723: 3341: 3096: 2983: 2710: in this section. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. 2649: 2457: in this section. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. 2409: 2202:

would delight the audience by tearing his shirt off before each match.

2199: 2132:) from sports licensing fees. To achieve this, he testified before the 2056: 1835: 1717: 1689: 1662: 1556: 1516: 1323: 1316: 1127: 1075: 956: 734: 695: 690: 625: 615: 586: 531: 511: 482: 472: 423: 9509: 6102:

Lipstick and Dynamite, Piss and Vinegar: The First Ladies of Wrestling

5016: 3579:

Throwing an opponent over the top rope during a match (illegal in the

3296: 1763:

Professional wrestling is performed around the world through various "

774: 10064: 9998: 9993: 9963: 9774: 8189: 7450:"Everything you think you know about professional wrestling is wrong" 6369: 6210: 6117: 6054: 5984: 5893:(WCW) and ECW in early 2001. Other major companies worldwide include 5865: 5815: 5775:. High-profile figures in the sport have become celebrities and even 5771: 5628: 5605: 5523: 5283: 5050: 4981: 4752: 4724: 4694: 4647: 4526: 4491: 4402: 4348: 4264: 4114: 4052: 4019: 3921: 3917: 3906: 3886: 3732: 3715: 3501: 3337: 3333: 2954:

matches, two referees are used, one inside the ring and one outside.

2600: 2534: 2514: 2273: 2261: 2219: 2011: 1851: 1753: 1642: 1147: 818: 813: 764: 680: 556: 433: 31: 9434:

Normalizing Mental Illness and Neurodiversity in Entertainment Media

9418:(MA). Department of Sociology and Anthropology, University of Guelph 9154:"Pain in the Act: The Meanings of Pain Among Professional Wrestlers" 7677:"A-Kid Believes British Rounds Rules Are Perfect for the Modern Fan" 5696: 5395: 4720:'s exit through the crowd, or Jon Moxley entering through the crowd. 3762: 3186: 3024: 2685: 2656:

in professional wrestling history, having won his gold medal at the

2432: 2343: 78:. Statements consisting only of original research should be removed. 9935: 9930: 9514: 8963: 8283:"It's all fake, right? A professional wrestler explains everything" 8255: 6471:"It's all fake, right? A professional wrestler explains everything" 6327: 6042: 6007: 5950: 5783: 5519: 5180: 5173: 5116: 4985: 4977: 4756: 4545: 4279: 4180: 4172: 4039: 4015: 3973: 3969: 3847: 3703: 3631: 3433:

out when facing difficult opponents while defending championships.

3161: 3135: 3104: 3086: 2856: 2832: 1561: 1157: 995: 715: 635: 492: 452: 8590:

Global Television Formats: Understanding Television Across Borders

7947: 7945: 5555:

is a comedy that retells the life of an actual performer known as

5514: 4091: 1740:

designed to maximize entertainment value and audience engagement.

9011:

The squared circle : life, death, and professional wrestling

7572:"Fake Rules, Real Fiction: Professional Wrestling and Videogames" 6038: 5999: 5660: 5271: 5263: 4486: 4414: 3933: 3894: 3870: 3862: 3855: 3646: 3624: 3542: 3381: 2962: 2486: 2080:

were furious, and most promoters tried to maintain the facade of

1981: 1966:

Wrestling in the United States blossomed in popularity after the

1855: 1685: 1670: 1658: 1638: 1626: 1573: 1085: 788: 4501:

A distinct sound or opening note in the music (used to elicit a

10013: 9751: 9739: 9664: 9622: 9567: 7942: 7255:

The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows

6190:

and suffer from associated health issues. American Congressman

5925: 5787: 5766: 5683:

have distributed their own weekly programming on the platform.

5649: 5593:

promotion, gained critical acclaim, including a nomination for

5526:

in that country and a statue of him stands in his home city of

5351: 5279: 5275: 5255: 4869:

with men." In his opinion the judge cited the precedent set by

4709:, etc.) admired themselves in mirrors on their way to the ring. 4646:. For instance, chanting or rapping along with the music (i.e. 4643: 4632: 4505:

response from the crowd). For example, the glass shattering in

4417:, not supposed to be there. For example, in 2012 through 2014, 4316: 4176: 3850:

was known as "El Enmascarado de Plata" (The Silver Masked) and

3627:– also used the German card system from the late 1970s onward. 3615:

in Germany. Three of these will result in disqualification (a

3608: 2796: 2160: 1807: 1677: 5320: 4481:'s entrance graphics employ heavy use of fire-themed visuals, 2155:

In the 1920s, a group of wrestlers and promoters known as the

9688: 9652: 6956:"Now It Can Be Told: Those Pro Wrestlers Are Just Having Fun" 5359: 5331:

Professional wrestling has developed its own unique culture.

5071: 4895: 4133:

is another example of a long-running feud, as is the case of

3941: 1986: 1871: 1831: 1729: 1634: 1262: 9473:(Master). Faculty of Humanities Theses, Utrecht University. 9312:

Capitol Revolution: The Rise of the McMahon Wrestling Empire

8832: 7510:"Brock Lesnar and the Top 10 NCAA Champion Wrestlers in MMA" 5990:

While pro wrestling is often described simplistically as a "

4910:, had participated in intergender matches and once held the 3673:

Despite being, statistically, an extremely rare occurrence,

9388:

Martial Arts of the World: An Encyclopedia: Volume One: A–Q

8499:

One large list of such shows, analog and online, exists at

8438:. SLAM! Sports. Archived from the original on July 15, 2012 6010: 5267: 5251: 4992:

was often aided in his matches by a midget known mainly as

4972:

Some wrestlers may have their own specific "mini me", like

4359:

once held and defended a record ten titles simultaneously.

3361: 2624: 2070:

started talking about the industry's inner workings to the

1926:

In the industry's slang, a fixed match is referred to as a

1867: 1827: 1502:

Comparison of professional wrestling and mixed martial arts

9274:

The Squared Circle: Life, Death and Professional Wrestling

8076:"Tough Cookies: The Rollicking Resurgence Of Roller Derby" 3169:

attempt to unfairly retain their tag team titles) was the

2591:, with the ring, ringside area, and entryway comprising a 2235:, which in turn crowned a champion that Curley put forth: 1814:. It has achieved mainstream success and influence within 9331:

Fantasyland: How America Went Haywire: A 500-Year History

8106:. Slam.canoe.ca. Archived from the original on 2012-07-14 6145:

explored the careers of several pro wrestlers, including

6106: 5886: 5844:. WWE claims a record attendance of 101,763 for the event 5664: 5479: 5032: 3972:) or even gives the performer enough visibility to enter 3928:. Others can keep one ring name for their entire career ( 3711: 3144: 2920: 2636: 2587:

Professional wrestling shows can be considered a form of

360: 9244:

Ringside: A History of Professional Wrestling in America

9223:

Broderick Chow; Eero Laine; Claire Warden, eds. (2017).

4428:

Other dramatic elements of a ring entrance can include:

3698:), neither opponent is able to answer a ten-count (e.g. 3570:(unless the rules of the match specifically allow this). 3563:

Using any kind of "banned" move (see below for details).

3556:(an object not permitted by the rules of the match; see 2239:. The National Wrestling Association shut down in 1980. 2163:, punches, finishing moves, and out-of-ring count-outs. 1916:

shall be referred to as exhibitions, and not as matches.

8524:"Professional Wrestling Migration: Puroresu in America" 5782:

Although professional wrestling started out as a small

4470:

and (for a short period of time) falling fireworks for

1673:, known in the industry as the aforementioned kayfabe. 7753:"World Champion Bully Ray vs. Samoa Joe – Oct 3, 2013" 7330: 7328: 4355:

reigns spanning over three decades. Japanese wrestler

2825:

The opponent remaining outside the ring for too long (

2540:

The demise of WCW in 2001 provided some evidence that

9549: 6677:. New York: Richard K. Fox. 22 July 1905. p. 10. 5352:

those of science fiction, video games, or comic books

3678:

them to his opponents in exchange for their forfeit.

2578:, question posed to sports Q&A column written by 9912: 8104:"CANOE – SLAM! Sports – Wrestling – Lucha Libre 101" 6217:

desire for authenticity, solidarity, and dominance.

6099:

trying to break into the business. The 2005 release

5878:

nominations and began a career revival for its star

2675: 37:"Pro wrestling" redirects here. For other uses, see 10123: 8816:. Montana State University-Billings. Archived from 8140:"8.6. Lucha Libre confuses me, what are the rules?" 7325: 6671:"Hart Says He's Champion, Public Ignores His Claim" 4730:Entering the arena by a lift in the stage, such as 4338:) five times and holds the record for longest reign 4199:in Satanic-like worship of a hidden power figure). 3877:), while others carry more verisimilitude (such as 3619:in Germany). One major North American promotion – 3368:judo choke in pro wrestling as the "Tazzmission"). 2946:Almost every professional wrestling match features 9057: 8051:"Out at the plate: Pirates dump outspoken pierogi" 6291: 6281:List of family relations in professional wrestling 4125:). The career-spanning history between characters 3010:Actually assisting in attacking the face wrestler. 2623:, to more spectacular stunts, sometimes involving 8253:[French wrestling tries to resuscitate]. 6620: 6618: 5945:author for his books about professional wrestling 4405:'s entrance video plays on the screen during his 2779:'s Pro Wrestling Friendship Games. A traditional 1896:is not a combative sport. Wrestling constituting 1657:, with both wrestlers and spectators nonetheless 10681: 9426:– via The Atrium at University of Guelpgh. 7750: 7569: 6579:"Unreal Stories Review In Wrestling Perspective" 5850:a recurring topic in both academia and the media 5221:disciplines, and a strong emphasis is placed on 4996:while in WWE, who hid under the ring and gave a 4669:Alternative forms of announcing one's entrance. 2788:there can be only one winning team or wrestler. 2309:List of professional wrestling television series 1961: 9385: 9147: 9145: 7846:. Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 168, 169. 7061:"Sonnenberg, New Mat Champion, To Tour Country" 6437:(PhD thesis). New York University. p. 57. 6167:List of premature professional wrestling deaths 5659:Wrestling has also gained a major following on 5616:, mainly for acting in major films, as well as 4599:Driving a vehicle into the arena. For example, 4278:Professional wrestling mimics the structure of 4002:(historically an audience favorite, known as a 3155:(such as no disqualification, no holds barred, 2599:than in most theatric performances, similar to 1938: 8676:Billboard Recreational Sports Weekly Top 10 – 8501:https://tunein.com/radio/Wrestling-c100002783/ 7364:(September 27, 1975). "Southpaws Shake Bias". 7184:"American Wrestling Association (New England)" 6978: 6615: 6435:Masked struggle: An ethnography of Lucha Libre 6059:The displays of masculinity often incorporate 5179:The style of Japanese professional wrestling ( 4813:, who won a junior heavyweight version of the 4234:A main part of storytelling in wrestling is a 10109: 9898: 9535: 9430: 8432:"Retro review: Piper's tale scrappy as he is" 6242:Professional wrestling moves (disambiguation) 4619:on riding lawn mowers, JBL in his limousine, 4536:Darkening of the arena, often accompanied by 4347:of title reigns they hold. American wrestler 3726:being pinned while successfully applying the 2565:. Is this all "fake"? If so, they deserve an 2322:(JCP). JCP started informally calling itself 1806:Professional wrestling has developed its own 1595: 1449:Matches rated 5 or more stars by Dave Meltzer 9726:Professional wrestling in the United Kingdom 9142: 8874:. Jackson: University Press of Mississippi. 8695: 8310: 7724: 7565: 7563: 6533: 5478:of the 1980s, which combined wrestling with 4716:beer drinking and can smashing entrance, or 3504:was disqualified for a legitimate injury on 2762: 2747:has argued the rules serve as a basis for a 2246:The National Wrestling Alliance territories. 1957:Professional wrestling in the United Kingdom 9592:Professional wrestling in the United States 9113: 9111: 8872:Professional Wrestling: Sport and Spectacle 8470: 8468: 8466: 7570:Costantino, Oliva; Gordon, Calleja (2009). 6264:Professional wrestling tag team match types 5424:. Unsourced material may be challenged and 5143:Although professional wrestling in Mexico ( 4568:, a mixture of red and yellow lighting for 3528:is known to use ejections, as AEW referees 3215:. Unsourced material may be challenged and 3053:. Unsourced material may be challenged and 2372:. Unsourced material may be challenged and 2049: 1945:Professional wrestling in the United States 1637:, under the premise (known colloquially as 10116: 10102: 9905: 9891: 9542: 9528: 9493:– via Utrecht University Repository. 9436:(1st E-book ed.). London: Routledge. 9041:: CS1 maint: location missing publisher ( 8977: 8660:(Durham NC: Duke University Press, 2005). 8586: 8048: 7379: 7377: 6953: 6237:List of professional wrestling video games 6127:The Secret World of Professional Wrestling 4195:that regularly performed evil rituals and 3752: 3573:Intentionally laying hands on the referee. 2031:(outside its traditional heartland in the 1602: 1588: 9411: 9055: 8862: 8860: 8517: 8515: 8214: 8212: 8210: 7560: 5737:Learn how and when to remove this message 5686: 5444:Learn how and when to remove this message 4642:Talking to the crowd using a distinctive 3901:, many characters wear masks, adopting a 3803:Learn how and when to remove this message 3592:opposed to having multiple offenses) are 3384:the manager is considered the wrestler's 3235:Learn how and when to remove this message 3073:Learn how and when to remove this message 2726:Learn how and when to remove this message 2612:" (often shortened to just "faces") and " 2473:Learn how and when to remove this message 2392:Learn how and when to remove this message 2128:was looking to exempt his promotion (the 94:Learn how and when to remove this message 18:Disqualification (professional wrestling) 9120:"Congressman urges hearings on Steroids" 9108: 9059:"What it takes to become a pro wrestler" 8474: 8463: 8395: 8393: 8391: 8389: 8251:"Le catch français tente de ressusciter" 8248: 7835: 7833: 7622: 7413: 7360: 6254:Glossary of professional wrestling terms 5924: 5832: 5748: 5513: 5455: 5385: 5319: 5315: 5121: 5015: 4951: 4926:, who became the first woman to win the 4902:. Intergender wrestling was uncommon in 4845: 4787: 4430: 4397: 4366: 4322: 4255: 4210: 4090: 3998:Typically, matches are staged between a 3986: 3833: 3456: 3444: 3295: 3260: 3126: 3090: 2930: 2886: 2835:or otherwise incapacitating the opponent 2766: 2241: 208:2000 All Japan Pro Wrestling mass exodus 105: 8781: 8429: 8345:. The Wrestling Oratory. Archived from 8244: 8242: 8240: 7973: 7628:"Professional Wrestling as Moral Order" 7460:from the original on September 17, 2015 7383: 7374: 6160: 6095:, a former star fallen from grace; and 5849: 5011: 3730:to The Undertaker on a 2002 episode of 3453:typically results in a disqualification 3111:, encourage them and reach for the tags 2333: 2260:In 1958, Omaha promoter and NWA member 2205: 2134:New Jersey State Athletic Control Board 14: 10682: 9682:Professional wrestling in Saudi Arabia 9225:Performance and Professional Wrestling 9117: 8894: 8857: 8521: 8512: 8356: 8207: 8073: 8031:. Reuters. Aug 9, 2012. Archived from 7786: 7782: 7780: 7778: 7447: 7213:"American Wrestling Association (AWA)" 6454:Performance and Professional Wrestling 6286:List of professional wrestling rosters 5097: 4912:Impact Knockouts Tag Team Championship 4727:or personal security, as Goldberg did. 4102:were frequent rivals throughout WWF's 4067:, is generally credited with ushering 4055:, breaking company property, and even 4014:, or "the bad guy"). In recent years, 2791:Matches generally take place within a 2551: 1369:Chris Benoit double-murder and suicide 10097: 9886: 9799:Professional wrestling in New Zealand 9614:Professional wrestling in Puerto Rico 9523: 9466: 9309: 9271: 9260: 9151: 9130:from the original on January 25, 2024 9008: 8866: 8830: 8635:] (Documentary) (in Portuguese). 8399: 8386: 8249:Gaillard, Barthélémy (13 June 2017). 8165:"Open Directory category description" 7839: 7830: 7543:www.australiansportsentertainment.com 6857: 6822: 6745: 6498: 6274: 5963:Massachusetts Institute of Technology 5932:, who was one of the subjects of the 5920: 4874:v. New York State Athletic Commission 4712:Coming through the audience, such as 3823: 2938:applies a hold to Nick Kozak while a 2903:plot construction. An example is the 2819: 2670:NCAA Division I National Championship 2668:, a former NCAA Wrestler who won the 1665:competitions; this is likened to the 1653:. The staged nature of matches is an 1416:Vince McMahon sex trafficking scandal 9366: 9328: 9222: 8587:Shahaf, Sharon; Oren, Tasha (2013). 8553: 8362: 8340: 8311:Grabianowski, Ed (13 January 2006). 8263:from the original on 1 December 2022 8237: 7902: 7751:IMPACT Wrestling (October 3, 2013). 7507: 7448:Weller, Chris (September 13, 2015). 7253:Tim Brooks & Earl Marsh (2003). 6465: 6463: 6451: 6432: 5858:directed by Barry W. Blaustein, and 5719:adding citations to reliable sources 5690: 5422:adding citations to reliable sources 5389: 5327:, 20th century professional wrestler 4767: 4057:breaking into people's private homes 3785:adding citations to reliable sources 3756: 3662:after refusing to defend the title. 3213:adding citations to reliable sources 3180: 3051:adding citations to reliable sources 3018: 2783:can be seen in the lower left corner 2708:adding citations to reliable sources 2679: 2455:adding citations to reliable sources 2426: 2370:adding citations to reliable sources 2337: 1747:evolved from the common practice of 43: 9780:Professional wrestling in Australia 9241: 9192:from the original on March 16, 2024 8790:. The Village Voice. Archived from 8723: 7775: 7729:. Entertainment.howstuffworks.com. 7713:THE POPULAR CULTURE STUDIES JOURNAL 7700:ROBERTS, JH, and DOMINIC SEVIERI. " 7407: 7077: 7044: 7029: 7014: 6999: 6984: 6919: 6891: 6876: 6730: 6715: 6700: 6639: 6624: 6606: 6390:List of wrestling-based comic books 6136:Hitman Hart: Wrestling with Shadows 6037:, and concerns of that promotion's 5507:in the 1990s, has been included in 4941: 4252:Professional wrestling championship 3436: 3103:, while their respective partners, 2559:championship wrestling from Florida 1822:, and concepts being referenced in 1692:, and other distinguishing traits. 1258:Wrestling personalities in politics 24: 9405: 9290: 8956:"CZW: Blood, Philadelphia and Fun" 8953: 8343:"Discovery: Accidental Perfection" 8137: 7860:from the original on April 6, 2023 7644:10.1111/j.1475-682X.1974.tb00738.x 7023: 6681: 6657:Historical Dictionary of Wrestling 6654: 6259:Professional wrestling match types 5648:, told the story of a promoter in 5288:AWA World Heavyweight Championship 5153:professional wrestlers in the U.S. 4863:New York State Athletic Commission 4334:(the former world championship of 4271:, which represented six different 4026:from June 2005 to November 2006). 3516:match, stripping her of the title. 1767:", which are roughly analogous to 25: 10716: 9498: 9347: 8811: 8782:Lagorio, Christine (2005-01-04). 8678:Billboard Sports Weekly DVD Sales 8522:Bollom, Brandon W. (2004-05-07). 8371:. WrestleZone.com. Archived from 7727:"Rules of professional wrestling" 6966:from the original on 4 April 2021 6791:from the original on May 10, 2023 6460: 6355: 6333: 6269:Professional wrestling tournament 6227:History of professional wrestling 5476:The Rock 'n' Wrestling Connection 5115:, and – less often – "tweeners" ( 4936:Impact Digital Media Championship 4900:WWF Intercontinental Championship 4298:professional wrestling promotions 3656:WWE Intercontinental Championship 2676:Rules and other dramatic elements 2664:. Another prominent performer is 2633:professional wrestling promotions 1892:athletic contest or competition. 1364:Animals in professional wrestling 161:History of professional wrestling 9792: 9773: 9757:Professional wrestling in Russia 9750: 9745:Professional wrestling in France 9738: 9719: 9687: 9675: 9670:Professional wrestling in Israel 9663: 9651: 9628:Professional wrestling in Canada 9621: 9607: 9585: 9573:Professional wrestling in Mexico 9566: 9152:Smith, R. Tyson (June 1, 2008). 9056:Griffiths, Andrew (2015-02-12). 9049: 9002: 8947: 8918: 8888: 8824: 8805: 8775: 8763: 8744: 8717: 8689: 8670: 8650: 8317:How Professional Wrestling Works 7890:from the original on May 7, 2022 5695: 5394: 5305:professional wrestling in France 4635:entering on a lowrider bicycle. 4362: 4245: 3830:Gimmick (professional wrestling) 3761: 3185: 3159:, etc.) are all contested under 3023: 2684: 2431: 2342: 2022: 1953:Professional wrestling in Mexico 144: 48: 9694:Professional wrestling in Japan 9658:Professional wrestling in China 9092:from the original on 2022-01-10 8936:from the original on 2021-06-28 8907:from the original on 2008-04-19 8843:from the original on 2023-04-06 8639:from the original on 2023-04-06 8618: 8607:from the original on 2023-04-06 8580: 8547: 8493: 8430:Kamchen, Richard (2008-02-05). 8423: 8412:from the original on 2008-03-26 8334: 8323:from the original on 2008-02-24 8304: 8293:from the original on 2022-11-16 8275: 8226:from the original on 2023-07-08 8196:from the original on 2009-06-16 8182: 8171:from the original on 2009-06-20 8157: 8146:from the original on 2013-08-20 8131: 8096: 8067: 8042: 8021: 7992: 7967: 7924: 7872: 7812:Storm, Lance (August 9, 2010). 7806: 7795:from the original on 2013-06-26 7763:from the original on 2021-12-11 7744: 7733:from the original on 2012-06-17 7725:Grabianowski, Ed (2006-01-13). 7718: 7694: 7683:from the original on 2022-09-18 7669: 7658:from the original on 2024-01-24 7616: 7584:from the original on 2024-01-24 7549:from the original on 2011-08-12 7531: 7520:from the original on 2022-12-07 7501: 7490:from the original on 2021-07-02 7472: 7441: 7354: 7341: 7312: 7299: 7286: 7273: 7260: 7247: 7234: 7223:from the original on 2022-10-21 7205: 7194:from the original on 2023-07-01 7176: 7163: 7150: 7137: 7124: 7111: 7099: 7086: 7071: 7053: 7038: 7008: 6993: 6954:Peter Kerr (10 February 1989). 6947: 6928: 6913: 6900: 6885: 6870: 6851: 6832: 6816: 6804: 6773: 6760: 6739: 6724: 6709: 6694: 6663: 6648: 6633: 6600: 6589:from the original on 2017-04-26 6481:from the original on 2022-11-16 6292:Types of professional wrestling 6091:, a wrestler within his prime; 6049:make it a vicarious outlet for 5706:needs additional citations for 4560:, green lighting for Triple H, 4544:, such as in The Undertaker's, 4533:and a cow's moo in JBL's theme. 3772:needs additional citations for 2814: 2695:needs additional citations for 2442:needs additional citations for 2119: 1997:honest ones was really so high. 1949:Professional wrestling in Japan 1912:exhibition. All engagements of 1712:, akin to the platform used in 271:Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling 246:All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling 193:1994 NWA World Title Tournament 9348:Lou Thesz; Kit Bauman (2011). 9118:Barker, Jeff (July 10, 2007). 8831:Adams, Jonathan (2006-11-09). 8696:Ernesto Cruz, Caceres (2005). 8475:Lipscomb, William (May 2005). 7955:. Wrestling Inc. April 8, 2024 6571: 6559: 6546: 6507: 6492: 6444: 6426: 6247: 6112:Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel 6097:a school of wrestling students 5899:Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre 5826:Home video sales dominate the 5002:WWE Cruiserweight Championship 4892:Extreme Championship Wrestling 4824: 4815:NWA World Women's Championship 4774:Women's professional wrestling 4353:world heavyweight championship 3095:A tag team match in progress: 2893:Money in the Bank ladder match 2755:approach to social conflicts. 2491:Shoot (professional wrestling) 2328:World Heavyweight Championship 2233:National Wrestling Association 336:Total Nonstop Action Wrestling 266:Extreme Championship Wrestling 261:Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre 256:American Wrestling Association 39:Pro wrestling (disambiguation) 13: 1: 9515:Pro-Wrestling Title Histories 9386:Thomas A. Green, ed. (2001). 8985:"Under the Edge 1999 results" 8363:Gadd, Mitchell (2006-07-13). 6409: 6383: 6298:All-in professional wrestling 5763:especially the United Kingdom 4529:electric guitar stinger, the 4507:Steve Austin's entrance theme 4393:Rock 'n' Wrestling Connection 4332:IWGP Heavyweight Championship 4285:. Participants compete for a 3743: 3288: 2850:Admiral-Lord Mountevans rules 2826: 1962:From sport to performance art 1854:is generally practiced in an 1421:WWE–Saudi Arabia relationship 1345:Wrestling Observer Newsletter 173:Early wrestling championships 9295:. John Wiley and Sons, Inc. 8784:"Wrestling With The Margins" 8564:(in Spanish). Archived from 8190:"Puroresu Dojo Introduction" 8074:Watson, Adam (May 1, 2011). 8049:Dan Majors (June 19, 2010). 7787:Lundin, Leigh (2013-04-14). 6552:Archer & Svinth (2001). 6419: 5897:(AEW) in the United States, 5891:World Championship Wrestling 5624:for their musical ventures. 5591:Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling 4762: 4693:with narcissistic gimmicks ( 4580:, multicolored lighting for 4006:, or "the good guy") and an 3552:Striking an opponent with a 3257:Pin (professional wrestling) 3120:attached to the turnbuckle. 3014: 2324:World Championship Wrestling 2143: 1939:History in the United States 1791:, and northwest Europe (the 1743:Professional wrestling as a 1669:employed when engaging with 351:World Championship Wrestling 276:Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling 7: 9367:Rudraneil Sengupta (2016). 9333:. Random House Publishing. 8932:. Season 2001. 2001-02-27. 7974:Parsons, Jim (2022-03-17). 7843:A History of Women's Boxing 6847:. 27 April 1931. p. 6. 6675:The National Police Gazette 6565:Rudraneil Sengupta (2016). 6220: 6115:. MTV's documentary series 5864:featuring retired wrestler 5753:A crowd gathers to watch a 5681:National Wrestling Alliance 5309:Flesh Gordon (Gerard Hervé) 4934:, who became the inaugural 4450:such as a ring of fire for 4029:At times, a character may " 3956:). Many wrestlers (such as 3913:, a near-sacred tradition. 3581:National Wrestling Alliance 3415: 3391: 2561:with wrestling commentator 2252:National Wrestling Alliance 2003:The National Police Gazette 1862:, an American professional 1684:" consisting of a specific 301:National Wrestling Alliance 74:the claims made and adding 10: 10721: 9412:Fargiorgo, Joseph (2014). 9208: 8833:"Foreign Objects Included" 8341:Ryan, Derek (2007-08-11). 6935:New Jersey Statutes 5:2A-1 6323:Modern Freestyle wrestling 6186:Some wrestling performers 6164: 5599:70th Primetime Emmy Awards 5090:games in-between innings. 5033:World Wrestling Federation 4945: 4828: 4777: 4771: 4517:, sirens, such as used by 4249: 3827: 3638: 3254: 3250: 3176: 3134:(right) tags her partner, 3084: 2753:instrumentally rationalist 2576:High Point, North Carolina 2484: 2422: 2306: 2130:World Wrestling Federation 1942: 1845: 582:Satoru "Tiger Mask" Sayama 36: 29: 10639: 10581: 10523: 10465: 10407: 10349: 10291: 10233: 10175: 10132: 10073: 10055: 10022: 9944: 9921: 9852: 9814: 9765: 9709: 9643: 9558: 9505:Online World of Wrestling 9242:Scott M. Beekman (2006). 9216:Catch: The Hold Not Taken 9170:10.1007/s11133-008-9098-9 9009:David, Shoemaker (2013). 8788:Education Supplement 2005 8554:Yoav (October 22, 2007). 8455:: CS1 maint: unfit URL ( 8408:. Jump City Productions. 8406:Solie's Vintage Wrestling 8369:Reading Between the Ropes 8123:: CS1 maint: unfit URL ( 7868:– via Google Books. 7791:. Orlando: SleuthSayers. 7416:"How Pro Wrestling Works" 7067:. 1929-01-06. p. 1S. 6554:Martial Arts of the World 6433:Levi, Heather J. (2001). 5903:Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide 5779:in their home countries. 5614:Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson 5595:Outstanding Comedy Series 5511:dictionaries since 2007. 5206:as it mixes hard hitting 5023:as a commentator, c. 1986 4956:Mexican midget wrestlers 4928:Impact World Championship 4805:and instead acknowledged 4267:holding a replica of the 4206: 2763:Structure of performances 2658:1996 Summer Olympic Games 1331:Pro Wrestling Illustrated 356:World Wonder Ring Stardom 331:Tokyo Joshi Pro-Wrestling 291:Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide 9442:10.4324/9781003011668-15 9272:David Shoemaker (2013). 8987:. Hoffco. Archived from 8771:The World of Lucha Libre 8167:. Open Directory. 1995. 7424:Discovery Communications 7386:"The World of Wrestling" 7384:Barthes, Roland (1957). 6845:The Atlanta Constitution 6414: 6340:1950s quiz show scandals 6196:the 2007 double homicide 5622:"Macho Man" Randy Savage 5369:Like some other sports, 5035:(WWF, now WWE) chairman 4980:, who often accompanies 4819:WWE Women's Championship 4817:(the predecessor to the 4438:is known for using fire 4074: 4022:during his first run in 3547:John "Bradshaw" Layfield 3514:AAA Women's Championship 3268:pins an opponent in 1929 2813:Forcing the opponent to 2106:Wrestling As You Like It 2050:The end of shoot matches 1680:and usually maintain a " 1659:maintaining the pretense 1625:) is a form of athletic 1410:United States v. McMahon 1303:Fighting Spirit Magazine 716:Paul "Triple H" Levesque 27:Form of athletic theater 8960:Rat Blood Soup magazine 8656:Nicholas Sammond, ed., 8593:(in Dutch). Routledge. 8056:Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 7840:Smith, Malissa (2014). 7065:St. Louis Post-Dispatch 6377:Wrestling Observer Live 5911:All Japan Pro Wrestling 5907:New Japan Pro-Wrestling 5338:, with familial bonds, 5193:All Japan Pro Wrestling 5189:New Japan Pro-Wrestling 4613:Disciples of Apocalypse 4466:, a stage of smoke for 4391:and the WWF, and their 4336:New Japan Pro-Wrestling 4096:Stone Cold Steve Austin 4049:Stone Cold Steve Austin 3753:Other dramatic elements 3681: 3652:Stone Cold Steve Austin 3485:'s diving fist drop or 2320:Jim Crockett Promotions 1810:, including a distinct 1676:Professional wrestlers 1667:suspension of disbelief 1389:Murder of Bruiser Brody 706:Stone Cold Steve Austin 306:New Japan Pro-Wrestling 281:Jim Crockett Promotions 241:All Japan Pro Wrestling 10690:Professional wrestling 10126:professional wrestling 9914:Professional wrestling 9633:independent promotions 9597:independent promotions 9551:Professional wrestling 9329:Kurt Andersen (2017). 9310:Tim Hornbaker (2015). 9261:Nat Fleischer (1936). 8903:. Harvard University. 8897:"Et tu, Steve Austin?" 8895:Garvin, Diana (2005). 8752:Official Course weblog 8192:. Puroresu.com. 1995. 7604:Cite journal requires 6198:committed by wrestler 5946: 5938:documentary, became a 5861:Wrestling with Shadows 5845: 5758: 5687:Measures of popularity 5673:Major League Wrestling 5530: 5470: 5328: 5165: 5140: 5039:during the 1980s as a 5024: 4965: 4894:(ECW) and WWF. Later, 4855: 4797: 4683:Maxwell Jacob Friedman 4654:). Another example is 4443: 4410: 4379: 4339: 4275: 4231: 4183:imagery (most notably 4169:romantic relationships 4106: 4035:Hulk Hogan turned heel 3995: 3858: 3473: 3454: 3312: 3269: 3139: 3112: 2943: 2896: 2784: 2773:Pyongyang, North Korea 2585: 2523: 2295:All-American Wrestling 2247: 2101: 2008: 1924: 1914:professional wrestling 1910:professional wrestling 1906:Professional wrestling 1902:professional wrestling 1894:Professional wrestling 1886:Professional wrestling 1850:In the United States, 1661:that performances are 1617:(often referred to as 1615:Professional wrestling 1186:Cauliflower Alley Club 138:Professional wrestling 122: 9510:Pro Wrestling History 9467:Verma, D. S. (2020). 9293:Wrestling for Dummies 9291:Henry Cejudo (2012). 9158:Qualitative Sociology 8625:Marc Dourdin (2015). 8319:. HowStuffWorks.com. 7367:Anchorage Daily Times 6841:"Is Wrestling Fixed?" 6583:Wrestling Perspective 6541:Wrestling for Dummies 6515:"Promotions Database" 6177:Combat Zone Wrestling 6083:, a wrestler nearing 5928: 5905:(AAA) in Mexico; and 5836: 5752: 5561:From Parts Unknown... 5517: 5493:in American culture. 5459: 5386:Mainstream popularity 5323: 5316:Culture and sociology 5199:, it is treated as a 5125: 5088:Major League Baseball 5074:, such as exhibition 5019: 4955: 4946:Further information: 4849: 4831:Intergender wrestling 4791: 4434: 4401: 4370: 4326: 4259: 4214: 4094: 3990: 3837: 3568:low blow to the groin 3460: 3448: 3299: 3264: 3130: 3094: 2986:at the main event at 2934: 2890: 2872:), the champion does 2795:, an elevated square 2771:Spectators gather in 2770: 2654:Olympic gold medalist 2595:. There is less of a 2555: 2531:New York Daily Mirror 2506: 2414:his fictional persona 2245: 2191:Pomp and Circumstance 2086: 2073:New York Daily Mirror 1994: 1883: 1808:culture and community 1678:perform as characters 1379:Mass Transit incident 1296:Dark Side of the Ring 321:Soft Ground Wrestling 109: 10700:Sports entertainment 9485:on September 7, 2021 8400:Kreit, Alex (1998). 7886:. January 22, 1975. 7814:"Q&A Commentary" 7632:Sociological Inquiry 7217:wrestling-titles.com 7188:wrestling-titles.com 6452:Chow et al. (2017). 6363:Live Audio Wrestling 6161:Occupational hazards 6142:Bloodstained Memoirs 6123:The Learning Channel 5715:improve this article 5418:improve this section 5223:submission wrestling 5080:Harlem Globetrotters 5029:sports entertainment 5012:Sports entertainment 4675:Danhausen (wrestler) 4588:, pink lighting for 4584:, gold lighting for 4442:in his ring entrance 4189:Ministry of Darkness 4071:of WWF programming. 4063:, Bret Hart and his 3781:improve this article 3708:Royal Rumble in 2004 3541:, who was under the 3402:technical submission 3266:Ed "Strangler" Lewis 3209:improve this section 3047:improve this section 2870:Champion's Advantage 2704:improve this article 2589:theater in the round 2451:improve this article 2366:improve this section 2334:Industry conventions 2206:The promoter cartels 2138:sports entertainment 2084:as best they could. 1876:Pro Wrestling League 1769:production companies 1758:sports entertainment 1738:dramatic conventions 1310:Live Audio Wrestling 1153:Sports entertainment 389:George Hackenschmidt 296:Maple Leaf Wrestling 218:Wednesday Night Wars 9264:From Milo to Londos 9065:The Daily Telegraph 8926:"Merchants of Cool" 8901:The Harvard Crimson 8568:on January 11, 2020 8035:on March 11, 2016. 7789:"Lords of the Ring" 6865:fifteen years prior 6748:From Milo to Londos 6232:Independent circuit 6215:sociologic embedded 5895:All Elite Wrestling 5669:All Elite Wrestling 5463:during his tour of 5126:Mexican wrestlers: 5098:Regional variations 4890:, who faced men in 4811:The Fabulous Moolah 4723:Accompaniment by a 4718:Diamond Dallas Page 4625:all-terrain vehicle 4572:, a lot of red for 3526:All Elite Wrestling 3307:submission hold on 2972:All Elite Wrestling 2741:fictional universes 2662:freestyle wrestling 2552:Performance aspects 1864:freestyle wrestling 1818:, with many terms, 1777:independent circuit 1394:Murder of Rikidōzan 468:The Fabulous Moolah 236:All Elite Wrestling 111:Christopher Daniels 9816:Attendance records 9602:women's promotions 8837:The Scope magazine 8757:2011-07-08 at the 8683:2015-11-07 at the 8628:Monstros do Ringue 8506:2020-03-04 at the 8313:"Wrestling School" 8000:"Company Overview" 7884:The New York Times 7880:"People in Sports" 7819:2021-07-21 at the 7707:2024-01-25 at the 7420:HowStuffWorks, Inc 7414:Grabianowski, Ed. 7107:The Squared Circle 7105:Shoemaker (2013). 6960:The New York Times 6940:2022-08-06 at the 6860:The Squared Circle 6858:Shoemaker (2013). 6825:The Squared Circle 6823:Shoemaker (2013). 6812:Capitol Revolution 6810:Hornbaker (2015). 6785:The New York Times 6746:Fleischer (1936). 6499:Shoemaker (2013). 6313:Hardcore wrestling 6303:Backyard wrestling 6275:Lists of wrestlers 6015:commedia dell'arte 5947: 5921:Study and analysis 5915:Pro Wrestling Noah 5846: 5759: 5654:Stanislaus Zbyszko 5633:Night and the City 5531: 5471: 5329: 5301:All Star Wrestling 5197:Pro Wrestling Noah 5141: 5031:was coined by the 5025: 4966: 4962:Zacarías el Perico 4856: 4798: 4444: 4411: 4380: 4340: 4276: 4232: 4218:cuts a promo with 4107: 3996: 3859: 3854:was his long time 3838:Mexican wrestlers 3824:Character gimmicks 3696:Unforgiven in 2002 3621:Stampede Wrestling 3558:hardcore wrestling 3474: 3455: 3398:technical knockout 3326:catch-as-catch-can 3313: 3270: 3140: 3113: 2944: 2897: 2785: 2745:Thomas S. Henricks 2621:forms of wrestling 2248: 1860:Real Pro Wrestling 1722:reality television 1704:" and villainous " 1700:, between heroic " 1479:Wrestling families 1439:Attendance records 1374:Death of Owen Hart 947:Catch-as-catch-can 429:Salvador Lutteroth 383:Early 20th Century 346:Women of Wrestling 326:Stampede Wrestling 311:Pro Wrestling Noah 251:All Star Wrestling 230:Notable promotions 123: 59:possibly contains 10677: 10676: 10091: 10090: 9880: 9879: 9451:978-1-00-301166-8 9378:978-93-5029-770-4 9359:978-0-9844090-4-4 9352:. Crowbar Press. 9340:978-1-588-36687-0 9321:978-1-77090-689-1 9302:978-1-118-22450-2 9283:978-1-592-40767-5 9276:. Penguin Group. 9234:978-1-138-93723-9 9020:978-1-101-60974-3 8600:978-1-135-88950-0 8063:on June 21, 2010. 8004:corporate.wwe.com 7679:. December 2020. 7508:Williams, Trent. 7281:Pro Wrestling FAQ 7266:Andersen (2017). 6906:Andersen (2017). 6787:. April 9, 1930. 6308:Fantasy wrestling 6019:revenge tragedies 5874:received several 5747: 5746: 5739: 5557:Baron von Raschke 5518:Mexican wrestler 5454: 5453: 5446: 5247:British wrestling 5166:peso semicompleto 5086:held at numerous 5056:competitive sport 4974:Mascarita Sagrada 4920:Scarlett Bordeaux 4794:Fighting Cholitas 4768:Women's wrestling 4531:NYSE trading bell 4351:has had multiple 4309:Behind the scenes 3844:El Hijo del Santo 3813: 3812: 3805: 3245: 3244: 3237: 3083: 3082: 3075: 2988:Hard Justice 2005 2736: 2735: 2728: 2574:S. R. Welborn of 2483: 2482: 2475: 2402: 2401: 2394: 1904:under this Part. 1824:everyday language 1643:amateur wrestling 1612: 1611: 1384:Montreal Screwjob 1243:Ribera Steakhouse 1081:Glossary of terms 1069:World Heavyweight 1042:Wrestling singlet 930:British wrestling 784: 770:Hiroshi Tanahashi 725: 611: 507: 443: 385: 341:UWF International 198:Monday Night Wars 104: 103: 96: 61:original research 16:(Redirected from 10712: 10118: 10111: 10104: 10095: 10094: 9907: 9900: 9893: 9884: 9883: 9797: 9796: 9778: 9777: 9755: 9754: 9743: 9742: 9724: 9723: 9692: 9691: 9680: 9679: 9668: 9667: 9656: 9655: 9626: 9625: 9612: 9611: 9590: 9589: 9571: 9570: 9544: 9537: 9530: 9521: 9520: 9494: 9492: 9490: 9481:. Archived from 9463: 9427: 9425: 9423: 9401: 9382: 9371:. Harper Sport. 9369:Enter the Dangal 9363: 9344: 9325: 9306: 9287: 9268: 9257: 9238: 9219: 9202: 9201: 9199: 9197: 9149: 9140: 9139: 9137: 9135: 9115: 9106: 9105: 9099: 9097: 9061: 9053: 9047: 9046: 9040: 9032: 9006: 9000: 8999: 8997: 8996: 8981: 8975: 8974: 8972: 8971: 8962:. Archived from 8951: 8945: 8944: 8942: 8941: 8922: 8916: 8915: 8913: 8912: 8892: 8886: 8885: 8864: 8855: 8854: 8849: 8848: 8828: 8822: 8821: 8812:Plank, William. 8809: 8803: 8802: 8800: 8799: 8779: 8773: 8767: 8761: 8748: 8742: 8741: 8739: 8732: 8724:Ledford, Brian. 8721: 8715: 8714: 8712: 8711: 8693: 8687: 8674: 8668: 8654: 8648: 8647: 8645: 8644: 8622: 8616: 8615: 8613: 8612: 8584: 8578: 8577: 8575: 8573: 8551: 8545: 8544: 8542: 8541: 8535: 8529:. 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Archived from 7381: 7372: 7371: 7362:Olderman, Murray 7358: 7352: 7345: 7339: 7334:Beekman (2006). 7332: 7323: 7318:Beekman (2006). 7316: 7310: 7305:Beekman (2006). 7303: 7297: 7292:Beekman (2006). 7290: 7284: 7279:Solomon (2015). 7277: 7271: 7264: 7258: 7251: 7245: 7240:Beekman (2006). 7238: 7232: 7231: 7229: 7228: 7209: 7203: 7202: 7200: 7199: 7180: 7174: 7169:Beekman (2006). 7167: 7161: 7156:Beekman (2006). 7154: 7148: 7143:Beekman (2006). 7141: 7135: 7130:Beekman (2006). 7128: 7122: 7117:Beekman (2006). 7115: 7109: 7103: 7097: 7092:Beekman (2006). 7090: 7084: 7078:Beekman (2006). 7075: 7069: 7068: 7057: 7051: 7045:Beekman (2006). 7042: 7036: 7030:Beekman (2006). 7027: 7021: 7015:Beekman (2006). 7012: 7006: 7000:Beekman (2006). 6997: 6991: 6985:Beekman (2006). 6982: 6976: 6975: 6973: 6971: 6951: 6945: 6932: 6926: 6920:Beekman (2006). 6917: 6911: 6904: 6898: 6892:Beekman (2006). 6889: 6883: 6877:Beekman (2006). 6874: 6868: 6855: 6849: 6848: 6836: 6830: 6820: 6814: 6808: 6802: 6800: 6798: 6796: 6777: 6771: 6764: 6758: 6743: 6737: 6731:Beekman (2006). 6728: 6722: 6716:Beekman (2006). 6713: 6707: 6701:Beekman (2006). 6698: 6692: 6685: 6679: 6678: 6667: 6661: 6652: 6646: 6640:Beekman (2006). 6637: 6631: 6625:Beekman (2006). 6622: 6613: 6607:Beekman (2006). 6604: 6598: 6597: 6595: 6594: 6575: 6569: 6567:Enter the Dangal 6563: 6557: 6550: 6544: 6537: 6531: 6530: 6528: 6526: 6511: 6505: 6496: 6490: 6489: 6487: 6486: 6467: 6458: 6448: 6442: 6441: 6430: 6345:Scripted reality 6064: 5838:AT&T Stadium 5828:Billboard charts 5742: 5735: 5731: 5728: 5722: 5699: 5691: 5677:Impact Wrestling 5449: 5442: 5438: 5435: 5429: 5398: 5390: 5293:Joint Promotions 5227:Shinya Hashimoto 5215:submission holds 5139:disqualification 5004:and feuded with 4948:Midget wrestling 4942:Midget wrestling 4904:Impact Wrestling 4784:Impact Knockouts 4615:on motorcycles, 4497: 4069:the Attitude Era 4024:Impact Wrestling 3808: 3801: 3797: 3794: 3788: 3765: 3757: 3667:genre convention 3437:Disqualification 3240: 3233: 3229: 3226: 3220: 3189: 3181: 3078: 3071: 3067: 3064: 3058: 3027: 3019: 2901:thing theoristic 2845:genre convention 2820:Disqualification 2731: 2724: 2720: 2717: 2711: 2688: 2680: 2583: 2521: 2478: 2471: 2467: 2464: 2458: 2435: 2427: 2397: 2390: 2386: 2383: 2377: 2346: 2338: 2290:UHF broadcasting 2285:cable television 2099: 2098:. April 18, 1931 2006: 1922: 1716:, serves as the 1604: 1597: 1590: 1399:Premature deaths 940:Mountevans rules 780: 721: 641:Mitsuharu Misawa 607: 562:Jim Crockett Jr. 503: 498:Bruno Sammartino 441:Mid 20th Century 439: 381: 286:Joint Promotions 148: 125: 124: 119:flying crossbody 99: 92: 88: 85: 79: 76:inline citations 52: 51: 44: 21: 10720: 10719: 10715: 10714: 10713: 10711: 10710: 10709: 10695:Performing arts 10680: 10679: 10678: 10673: 10635: 10577: 10519: 10461: 10403: 10345: 10287: 10229: 10171: 10128: 10122: 10092: 10087: 10083:Doomsday device 10069: 10051: 10018: 9940: 9917: 9911: 9881: 9876: 9848: 9810: 9791: 9772: 9761: 9749: 9737: 9718: 9705: 9686: 9674: 9662: 9650: 9639: 9620: 9606: 9584: 9565: 9554: 9548: 9501: 9488: 9486: 9452: 9421: 9419: 9408: 9406:Further reading 9398: 9379: 9360: 9341: 9322: 9303: 9284: 9254: 9235: 9214: 9211: 9206: 9205: 9195: 9193: 9150: 9143: 9133: 9131: 9116: 9109: 9095: 9093: 9054: 9050: 9034: 9033: 9021: 9007: 9003: 8994: 8992: 8983: 8982: 8978: 8969: 8967: 8954:Farley, Frank. 8952: 8948: 8939: 8937: 8924: 8923: 8919: 8910: 8908: 8893: 8889: 8882: 8865: 8858: 8846: 8844: 8829: 8825: 8810: 8806: 8797: 8795: 8780: 8776: 8768: 8764: 8759:Wayback Machine 8749: 8745: 8737: 8730: 8722: 8718: 8709: 8707: 8694: 8690: 8685:Wayback Machine 8675: 8671: 8655: 8651: 8642: 8640: 8624: 8623: 8619: 8610: 8608: 8601: 8585: 8581: 8571: 8569: 8552: 8548: 8539: 8537: 8533: 8526: 8520: 8513: 8508:Wayback Machine 8498: 8494: 8486: 8479: 8473: 8464: 8448: 8447: 8441: 8439: 8436:SLAM! Wrestling 8428: 8424: 8415: 8413: 8398: 8387: 8378: 8376: 8361: 8357: 8349:on 2008-04-11. 8339: 8335: 8326: 8324: 8309: 8305: 8296: 8294: 8281: 8280: 8276: 8266: 8264: 8247: 8238: 8229: 8227: 8218: 8217: 8208: 8199: 8197: 8188: 8187: 8183: 8174: 8172: 8163: 8162: 8158: 8149: 8147: 8136: 8132: 8116: 8115: 8109: 8107: 8102: 8101: 8097: 8084: 8082: 8080:ThePostGame.com 8072: 8068: 8047: 8043: 8027: 8026: 8022: 8009: 8007: 7998: 7997: 7993: 7984: 7982: 7972: 7968: 7958: 7956: 7951: 7950: 7943: 7930: 7929: 7925: 7908: 7907: 7903: 7893: 7891: 7878: 7877: 7873: 7863: 7861: 7854: 7838: 7831: 7825:Storm Wrestling 7821:Wayback Machine 7811: 7807: 7798: 7796: 7785: 7776: 7766: 7764: 7749: 7745: 7736: 7734: 7723: 7719: 7709:Wayback Machine 7699: 7695: 7686: 7684: 7675: 7674: 7670: 7661: 7659: 7621: 7617: 7605: 7603: 7594: 7593: 7587: 7585: 7581: 7574: 7568: 7561: 7552: 7550: 7537: 7536: 7532: 7523: 7521: 7514:Bleacher Report 7506: 7502: 7493: 7491: 7478: 7477: 7473: 7463: 7461: 7446: 7442: 7433: 7431: 7412: 7408: 7399: 7397: 7382: 7375: 7359: 7355: 7346: 7342: 7333: 7326: 7317: 7313: 7304: 7300: 7291: 7287: 7278: 7274: 7265: 7261: 7252: 7248: 7239: 7235: 7226: 7224: 7211: 7210: 7206: 7197: 7195: 7182: 7181: 7177: 7168: 7164: 7155: 7151: 7142: 7138: 7129: 7125: 7116: 7112: 7104: 7100: 7091: 7087: 7076: 7072: 7059: 7058: 7054: 7043: 7039: 7028: 7024: 7013: 7009: 6998: 6994: 6983: 6979: 6969: 6967: 6952: 6948: 6942:Wayback Machine 6933: 6929: 6918: 6914: 6905: 6901: 6890: 6886: 6875: 6871: 6856: 6852: 6839: 6837: 6833: 6821: 6817: 6809: 6805: 6794: 6792: 6779: 6778: 6774: 6765: 6761: 6753: 6744: 6740: 6729: 6725: 6714: 6710: 6699: 6695: 6686: 6682: 6669: 6668: 6664: 6655:Grasso (2014). 6653: 6649: 6638: 6634: 6623: 6616: 6605: 6601: 6592: 6590: 6577: 6576: 6572: 6564: 6560: 6551: 6547: 6539:Cejudo (2012). 6538: 6534: 6524: 6522: 6513: 6512: 6508: 6497: 6493: 6484: 6482: 6469: 6468: 6461: 6449: 6445: 6431: 6427: 6422: 6417: 6412: 6386: 6358: 6336: 6294: 6277: 6250: 6223: 6169: 6163: 6058: 5923: 5842:WrestleMania 32 5812:Wrestle Kingdom 5808:Bound for Glory 5743: 5732: 5726: 5723: 5712: 5700: 5689: 5642:Richard Widmark 5589:, based on the 5536:Ready to Rumble 5509:Merriam-Webster 5450: 5439: 5433: 5430: 5415: 5399: 5388: 5371:fantasy leagues 5340:shared language 5318: 5132:Último Guerrero 5100: 5014: 4950: 4944: 4924:Tessa Blanchard 4833: 4827: 4786: 4776: 4770: 4765: 4656:Vickie Guerrero 4621:Alberto Del Rio 4596:, and so forth. 4542:strobe lighting 4523:Right to Censor 4495: 4365: 4328:Kazuchika Okada 4305:cross-promotion 4254: 4248: 4209: 4197:human sacrifice 4119:Ricky Steamboat 4077: 4065:Hart Foundation 3992:Gorgeous George 3938:Ricky Steamboat 3903:secret identity 3875:Doink the Clown 3832: 3826: 3809: 3798: 3792: 3789: 3778: 3766: 3755: 3746: 3684: 3641: 3510:Triplemanía XXV 3439: 3418: 3394: 3358:Bryan Danielson 3291: 3259: 3253: 3241: 3230: 3224: 3221: 3206: 3190: 3179: 3171:New Age Outlaws 3089: 3079: 3068: 3062: 3059: 3044: 3028: 3017: 2882:no holds barred 2855:An alternative 2822:of the opponent 2765: 2732: 2721: 2715: 2712: 2701: 2689: 2678: 2652:, is the first 2629:special effects 2584: 2580:Murray Olderman 2573: 2554: 2522: 2513: 2493: 2485:Main articles: 2479: 2468: 2462: 2459: 2448: 2436: 2425: 2398: 2387: 2381: 2378: 2363: 2347: 2336: 2311: 2208: 2186:Gorgeous George 2150:catch wrestling 2146: 2122: 2100: 2094:Morris Markey. 2093: 2052: 2025: 2007: 2005:. July 22, 1905 2001: 1972:catch wrestling 1964: 1959: 1941: 1923: 1921:19 CRR-NY 213.2 1920: 1848: 1816:popular culture 1797:Germany/Austria 1608: 1579: 1578: 1527:Sport wrestling 1492: 1484: 1483: 1434: 1426: 1425: 1359: 1351: 1350: 1276: 1268: 1267: 1248:Ten-bell salute 1221:Gustave Courbet 1191:Cauliflower ear 1181: 1173: 1172: 1029: 1021: 1020: 925: 917: 916: 837: 829: 828: 804:Kazuchika Okada 794:Bryan Danielson 782:2010s and 2020s 651:Toshiaki Kawada 542:André the Giant 505:1970s and 1980s 448:Gorgeous George 379: 371: 370: 231: 223: 222: 156: 100: 89: 83: 80: 65: 53: 49: 42: 35: 28: 23: 22: 15: 12: 11: 5: 10718: 10708: 10707: 10702: 10697: 10692: 10675: 10674: 10672: 10671: 10666: 10661: 10656: 10651: 10646: 10640: 10637: 10636: 10634: 10633: 10628: 10623: 10618: 10613: 10608: 10603: 10598: 10593: 10588: 10582: 10579: 10578: 10576: 10575: 10570: 10565: 10560: 10555: 10550: 10545: 10540: 10535: 10530: 10524: 10521: 10520: 10518: 10517: 10512: 10507: 10502: 10497: 10492: 10487: 10482: 10477: 10472: 10466: 10463: 10462: 10460: 10459: 10454: 10449: 10444: 10439: 10434: 10429: 10424: 10419: 10414: 10408: 10405: 10404: 10402: 10401: 10396: 10391: 10386: 10381: 10376: 10371: 10366: 10361: 10356: 10350: 10347: 10346: 10344: 10343: 10338: 10333: 10328: 10323: 10318: 10313: 10308: 10303: 10298: 10292: 10289: 10288: 10286: 10285: 10280: 10275: 10270: 10265: 10260: 10255: 10250: 10245: 10240: 10234: 10231: 10230: 10228: 10227: 10222: 10217: 10212: 10207: 10202: 10197: 10192: 10187: 10182: 10176: 10173: 10172: 10170: 10169: 10164: 10159: 10154: 10149: 10144: 10139: 10133: 10130: 10129: 10121: 10120: 10113: 10106: 10098: 10089: 10088: 10086: 10085: 10079: 10077: 10071: 10070: 10068: 10067: 10061: 10059: 10053: 10052: 10050: 10049: 10044: 10039: 10034: 10028: 10026: 10020: 10019: 10017: 10016: 10011: 10006: 10001: 9996: 9991: 9986: 9981: 9976: 9971: 9966: 9961: 9956: 9950: 9948: 9942: 9941: 9939: 9938: 9933: 9927: 9925: 9919: 9918: 9910: 9909: 9902: 9895: 9887: 9878: 9877: 9875: 9874: 9873: 9872: 9867: 9856: 9854: 9850: 9849: 9847: 9846: 9844:United Kingdom 9841: 9836: 9831: 9826: 9820: 9818: 9812: 9811: 9809: 9808: 9807: 9806: 9789: 9788: 9787: 9769: 9767: 9763: 9762: 9760: 9759: 9747: 9735: 9734: 9733: 9715: 9713: 9707: 9706: 9704: 9703: 9702: 9701: 9684: 9672: 9660: 9647: 9645: 9641: 9640: 9638: 9637: 9636: 9635: 9618: 9617: 9616: 9604: 9599: 9582: 9581: 9580: 9562: 9560: 9556: 9555: 9547: 9546: 9539: 9532: 9524: 9518: 9517: 9512: 9507: 9500: 9499:External links 9497: 9496: 9495: 9464: 9450: 9428: 9407: 9404: 9403: 9402: 9396: 9383: 9377: 9364: 9358: 9345: 9339: 9326: 9320: 9307: 9301: 9288: 9282: 9269: 9258: 9252: 9239: 9233: 9220: 9210: 9207: 9204: 9203: 9164:(2): 129–148. 9141: 9126:. p. 6C. 9107: 9048: 9019: 9001: 8976: 8946: 8917: 8887: 8881:978-1578060207 8880: 8856: 8823: 8820:on 2008-04-11. 8804: 8774: 8762: 8743: 8740:on 2008-04-09. 8716: 8688: 8669: 8649: 8617: 8599: 8579: 8546: 8511: 8492: 8489:on 2009-03-24. 8462: 8422: 8385: 8355: 8333: 8303: 8289:. 4 Oct 2017. 8274: 8236: 8206: 8181: 8156: 8142:. Stason.org. 8138:Bekman, Stas. 8130: 8095: 8066: 8041: 8020: 7991: 7966: 7941: 7923: 7920:on 2023-02-27. 7901: 7871: 7852: 7829: 7805: 7774: 7743: 7717: 7693: 7668: 7638:(3): 177–188. 7615: 7606:|journal= 7559: 7530: 7500: 7480:"Brock Lesnar" 7471: 7440: 7406: 7373: 7353: 7347:Thesz (2011). 7340: 7324: 7311: 7298: 7285: 7272: 7259: 7246: 7233: 7204: 7175: 7162: 7149: 7136: 7123: 7110: 7098: 7085: 7070: 7052: 7037: 7022: 7007: 6992: 6977: 6946: 6927: 6912: 6899: 6884: 6869: 6850: 6831: 6815: 6803: 6772: 6766:Thesz (2011). 6759: 6738: 6723: 6708: 6693: 6687:Thesz (2011). 6680: 6662: 6647: 6632: 6614: 6599: 6570: 6558: 6545: 6532: 6521:. 12 July 2024 6506: 6491: 6477:. 2017-10-04. 6459: 6443: 6424: 6423: 6421: 6418: 6416: 6413: 6411: 6408: 6407: 6406: 6399: 6392: 6385: 6382: 6381: 6380: 6373: 6366: 6357: 6356:Radio programs 6354: 6353: 6352: 6347: 6342: 6335: 6334:Related genres 6332: 6331: 6330: 6325: 6320: 6315: 6310: 6305: 6300: 6293: 6290: 6289: 6288: 6283: 6276: 6273: 6272: 6271: 6266: 6261: 6256: 6249: 6246: 6245: 6244: 6239: 6234: 6229: 6222: 6219: 6181:Davey Richards 6162: 6159: 6076:Beyond the Mat 6023:morality plays 5975:Roland Barthes 5941:New York Times 5935:Beyond the Mat 5922: 5919: 5855:Beyond the Mat 5821:World Wide Web 5777:cultural icons 5745: 5744: 5727:September 2018 5703: 5701: 5694: 5688: 5685: 5636:, directed by 5452: 5451: 5434:September 2018 5402: 5400: 5393: 5387: 5384: 5317: 5314: 5238:Wrestling and 5170:wrestling ring 5099: 5096: 5049:sports editor 5041:marketing term 5013: 5010: 4964:during a match 4960:(in blue) and 4943: 4940: 4932:Jordynne Grace 4829:Main article: 4826: 4823: 4772:Main article: 4769: 4766: 4764: 4761: 4744: 4743: 4728: 4721: 4710: 4699:Shawn Michaels 4687: 4671:Orange Cassidy 4667: 4640: 4601:Eddie Guerrero 4597: 4562:D-Generation X 4554:The Undertaker 4534: 4511:The Undertaker 4499: 4483:The Undertaker 4475: 4472:Christian Cage 4364: 4361: 4250:Main article: 4247: 4244: 4216:The Undertaker 4208: 4205: 4185:the Undertaker 4076: 4073: 4061:D-Generation X 4045:Dwayne Johnson 3962:The Undertaker 3930:Shawn Michaels 3842:(in blue) and 3840:Blue Demon Jr. 3828:Main article: 3825: 3822: 3811: 3810: 3769: 3767: 3760: 3754: 3751: 3745: 3742: 3728:triangle choke 3720:All In in 2023 3700:Shawn Michaels 3692:The Undertaker 3683: 3680: 3675:Charles Wright 3640: 3637: 3589: 3588: 3584: 3577: 3574: 3571: 3564: 3561: 3554:foreign object 3550: 3545:employment of 3539:Shawn Michaels 3534:Aubrey Edwards 3517: 3494: 3491:Superman Punch 3438: 3435: 3417: 3414: 3393: 3390: 3309:Rene Bonaparte 3290: 3287: 3255:Main article: 3252: 3249: 3243: 3242: 3225:September 2018 3193: 3191: 3184: 3178: 3175: 3153:hardcore rules 3138:, into a match 3085:Main article: 3081: 3080: 3063:September 2018 3031: 3029: 3022: 3016: 3013: 3012: 3011: 3008: 3004: 3001: 2998: 2979:guest referees 2862:Iron Man match 2837: 2836: 2830: 2823: 2817: 2811: 2793:wrestling ring 2781:wrestling ring 2764: 2761: 2743:. Sociologist 2734: 2733: 2692: 2690: 2683: 2677: 2674: 2571: 2553: 2550: 2511: 2481: 2480: 2463:September 2018 2439: 2437: 2430: 2424: 2421: 2400: 2399: 2382:September 2018 2350: 2348: 2341: 2335: 2332: 2207: 2204: 2170:(likeable) or 2157:Gold Dust Trio 2145: 2142: 2121: 2118: 2096:The New Yorker 2091: 2051: 2048: 2024: 2021: 1999: 1963: 1960: 1940: 1937: 1918: 1847: 1844: 1826:as well as in 1793:United Kingdom 1773:sports leagues 1745:performing art 1710:wrestling ring 1629:that combines 1610: 1609: 1607: 1606: 1599: 1592: 1584: 1581: 1580: 1577: 1576: 1571: 1566: 1565: 1564: 1559: 1554: 1549: 1544: 1539: 1534: 1524: 1519: 1514: 1509: 1504: 1499: 1493: 1491:Related topics 1490: 1489: 1486: 1485: 1482: 1481: 1476: 1471: 1466: 1461: 1456: 1451: 1446: 1441: 1435: 1432: 1431: 1428: 1427: 1424: 1423: 1418: 1413: 1406: 1401: 1396: 1391: 1386: 1381: 1376: 1371: 1366: 1360: 1357: 1356: 1353: 1352: 1349: 1348: 1341: 1334: 1327: 1320: 1313: 1306: 1299: 1292: 1285: 1277: 1274: 1273: 1270: 1269: 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Routledge. 9226: 9221: 9217: 9213: 9212: 9191: 9187: 9183: 9179: 9175: 9171: 9167: 9163: 9159: 9155: 9148: 9146: 9129: 9125: 9124:Baltimore Sun 9121: 9114: 9112: 9104: 9091: 9087: 9083: 9079: 9075: 9071: 9067: 9066: 9060: 9052: 9044: 9038: 9030: 9026: 9022: 9016: 9012: 9005: 8991:on 2018-12-16 8990: 8986: 8980: 8966:on 2007-12-08 8965: 8961: 8957: 8950: 8935: 8931: 8927: 8921: 8906: 8902: 8898: 8891: 8883: 8877: 8873: 8869: 8868:Mazer, Sharon 8863: 8861: 8853: 8842: 8838: 8834: 8827: 8819: 8815: 8808: 8794:on 2008-07-05 8793: 8789: 8785: 8778: 8772: 8766: 8760: 8756: 8753: 8747: 8736: 8729: 8728: 8720: 8706:on 2005-06-13 8705: 8701: 8700: 8692: 8686: 8682: 8679: 8673: 8667: 8666:9780822334385 8663: 8659: 8653: 8638: 8634: 8630: 8629: 8621: 8606: 8602: 8596: 8592: 8591: 8583: 8567: 8563: 8562: 8557: 8550: 8536:on 2008-04-09 8532: 8525: 8518: 8516: 8509: 8505: 8502: 8496: 8485: 8478: 8471: 8469: 8467: 8458: 8452: 8437: 8433: 8426: 8411: 8407: 8403: 8396: 8394: 8392: 8390: 8375:on 2008-04-12 8374: 8370: 8366: 8359: 8352: 8348: 8344: 8337: 8322: 8318: 8314: 8307: 8292: 8288: 8284: 8278: 8262: 8259:(in French). 8258: 8257: 8252: 8245: 8243: 8241: 8225: 8221: 8215: 8213: 8211: 8195: 8191: 8185: 8170: 8166: 8160: 8145: 8141: 8134: 8126: 8120: 8105: 8099: 8092: 8081: 8077: 8070: 8062: 8058: 8057: 8052: 8045: 8038: 8034: 8030: 8024: 8017: 8005: 8001: 7995: 7981: 7977: 7970: 7954: 7948: 7946: 7937: 7933: 7927: 7919: 7915: 7914:cite.case.law 7911: 7905: 7889: 7885: 7881: 7875: 7859: 7855: 7853:9781442229952 7849: 7845: 7844: 7836: 7834: 7826: 7822: 7818: 7815: 7809: 7794: 7790: 7783: 7781: 7779: 7762: 7758: 7754: 7747: 7732: 7728: 7721: 7714: 7710: 7706: 7703: 7697: 7682: 7678: 7672: 7657: 7653: 7649: 7645: 7641: 7637: 7633: 7629: 7626:(July 1974). 7625: 7619: 7611: 7598: 7580: 7573: 7566: 7564: 7548: 7544: 7540: 7534: 7519: 7515: 7511: 7504: 7489: 7485: 7481: 7475: 7459: 7455: 7451: 7444: 7430:on 2013-11-08 7429: 7425: 7421: 7417: 7410: 7396:on 2010-03-06 7395: 7391: 7387: 7380: 7378: 7370:. p. 15. 7369: 7368: 7363: 7357: 7350: 7344: 7337: 7331: 7329: 7321: 7315: 7308: 7302: 7295: 7289: 7282: 7276: 7269: 7263: 7256: 7250: 7244:. pp. 102–103 7243: 7237: 7222: 7218: 7214: 7208: 7193: 7189: 7185: 7179: 7172: 7166: 7159: 7153: 7146: 7140: 7133: 7127: 7120: 7114: 7108: 7102: 7095: 7089: 7083: 7081: 7074: 7066: 7062: 7056: 7050:, pp. 124–125 7049: 7048: 7041: 7034: 7033: 7026: 7019: 7018: 7011: 7004: 7003: 6996: 6990: 6988: 6981: 6965: 6961: 6957: 6950: 6943: 6939: 6936: 6931: 6924: 6923: 6916: 6909: 6903: 6896: 6895: 6888: 6881: 6880: 6873: 6866: 6862: 6861: 6854: 6846: 6842: 6835: 6828: 6826: 6819: 6813: 6807: 6790: 6786: 6782: 6776: 6769: 6763: 6757: 6751: 6749: 6742: 6735: 6734: 6727: 6720: 6719: 6712: 6705: 6704: 6697: 6690: 6684: 6676: 6672: 6666: 6659: 6658: 6651: 6644: 6643: 6636: 6629: 6628: 6621: 6619: 6611: 6610: 6603: 6588: 6584: 6580: 6574: 6568: 6562: 6555: 6549: 6542: 6536: 6520: 6519:Cagematch.net 6516: 6510: 6503: 6502: 6495: 6480: 6476: 6472: 6466: 6464: 6456: 6455: 6447: 6440: 6436: 6429: 6425: 6405: 6404: 6400: 6398: 6397: 6393: 6391: 6388: 6387: 6379: 6378: 6374: 6372: 6371: 6367: 6365: 6364: 6360: 6359: 6351: 6348: 6346: 6343: 6341: 6338: 6337: 6329: 6326: 6324: 6321: 6319: 6316: 6314: 6311: 6309: 6306: 6304: 6301: 6299: 6296: 6295: 6287: 6284: 6282: 6279: 6278: 6270: 6267: 6265: 6262: 6260: 6257: 6255: 6252: 6251: 6243: 6240: 6238: 6235: 6233: 6230: 6228: 6225: 6224: 6218: 6216: 6212: 6208: 6207:substantivism 6203: 6201: 6197: 6193: 6192:Cliff Stearns 6189: 6184: 6182: 6178: 6174: 6168: 6158: 6156: 6152: 6148: 6147:Chris Jericho 6144: 6143: 6138: 6137: 6132: 6128: 6124: 6120: 6119: 6114: 6113: 6108: 6104: 6103: 6098: 6094: 6090: 6086: 6082: 6078: 6077: 6072: 6069: 6065: 6062: 6056: 6052: 6048: 6044: 6040: 6036: 6032: 6028: 6024: 6020: 6016: 6012: 6009: 6005: 6001: 5997: 5993: 5988: 5986: 5982: 5981: 5976: 5970: 5968: 5964: 5960: 5956: 5952: 5944: 5942: 5937: 5936: 5931: 5927: 5918: 5916: 5912: 5908: 5904: 5900: 5896: 5892: 5888: 5883: 5881: 5880:Mickey Rourke 5877: 5873: 5872: 5867: 5863: 5862: 5857: 5856: 5851: 5843: 5839: 5835: 5831: 5829: 5824: 5822: 5817: 5814:and formerly 5813: 5809: 5805: 5801: 5797: 5793: 5789: 5786:in traveling 5785: 5780: 5778: 5774: 5773: 5768: 5764: 5757:match in 1955 5756: 5751: 5741: 5738: 5730: 5720: 5716: 5710: 5709: 5704:This section 5702: 5698: 5693: 5692: 5684: 5682: 5678: 5674: 5670: 5666: 5662: 5657: 5655: 5651: 5647: 5643: 5640:and starring 5639: 5635: 5634: 5630: 5625: 5623: 5619: 5618:Chris Jericho 5615: 5611: 5610:Dave Bautista 5607: 5602: 5600: 5596: 5592: 5588: 5584: 5583: 5578: 5577: 5572: 5568: 5567: 5562: 5558: 5554: 5550: 5549: 5544: 5543: 5542:¡Mucha Lucha! 5538: 5537: 5529: 5525: 5521: 5516: 5512: 5510: 5506: 5505: 5500: 5494: 5492: 5488: 5483: 5481: 5477: 5469: 5468: 5467:Ronald Reagan 5462: 5461:Bill Goldberg 5458: 5448: 5445: 5437: 5427: 5423: 5419: 5413: 5412: 5408: 5403:This section 5401: 5397: 5392: 5391: 5383: 5380: 5376: 5372: 5367: 5363: 5361: 5357: 5353: 5348: 5346: 5345:pecking order 5341: 5337: 5332: 5326: 5322: 5313: 5310: 5306: 5302: 5298: 5294: 5289: 5285: 5281: 5277: 5273: 5269: 5265: 5261: 5257: 5253: 5248: 5243: 5241: 5236: 5232: 5228: 5224: 5220: 5216: 5213: 5210:strikes with 5209: 5205: 5202: 5198: 5194: 5190: 5186: 5182: 5177: 5175: 5171: 5167: 5163: 5159: 5158:cruiserweight 5154: 5150: 5146: 5137: 5133: 5129: 5128:Gran Guerrero 5124: 5120: 5118: 5114: 5110: 5104: 5095: 5093: 5089: 5085: 5081: 5077: 5073: 5067: 5065: 5059: 5057: 5052: 5048: 5047: 5042: 5038: 5037:Vince McMahon 5034: 5030: 5022: 5021:Vince McMahon 5018: 5009: 5007: 5003: 4999: 4995: 4991: 4987: 4983: 4979: 4975: 4970: 4963: 4959: 4954: 4949: 4939: 4937: 4933: 4929: 4925: 4921: 4917: 4913: 4909: 4905: 4901: 4897: 4893: 4889: 4885: 4881: 4877: 4875: 4873: 4868: 4864: 4860: 4853: 4848: 4844: 4842: 4838: 4832: 4822: 4820: 4816: 4812: 4808: 4803: 4802:Mildred Burke 4795: 4790: 4785: 4781: 4775: 4760: 4758: 4754: 4749: 4741: 4737: 4733: 4729: 4726: 4725:ringside crew 4722: 4719: 4715: 4714:The Sandman's 4711: 4708: 4707:Paul Orndorff 4704: 4700: 4696: 4692: 4688: 4684: 4680: 4676: 4672: 4668: 4665: 4661: 4660:The Acclaimed 4657: 4653: 4649: 4645: 4641: 4638: 4634: 4630: 4626: 4622: 4618: 4617:The Mexicools 4614: 4610: 4606: 4605:Chuck Palumbo 4602: 4598: 4595: 4594:Trish Stratus 4591: 4587: 4583: 4582:John Morrison 4579: 4575: 4571: 4567: 4566:Shane McMahon 4563: 4559: 4555: 4551: 4547: 4543: 4539: 4538:mood lighting 4535: 4532: 4528: 4524: 4520: 4519:Scott Steiner 4516: 4513:'s signature 4512: 4508: 4504: 4500: 4493: 4488: 4484: 4480: 4476: 4473: 4469: 4465: 4461: 4457: 4453: 4449: 4446: 4445: 4441: 4437: 4433: 4429: 4426: 4423: 4420: 4416: 4408: 4404: 4400: 4396: 4394: 4390: 4384: 4377: 4373: 4369: 4363:Ring entrance 4360: 4358: 4357:Último Dragón 4354: 4350: 4345: 4337: 4333: 4329: 4325: 4321: 4318: 4314: 4310: 4306: 4301: 4299: 4294: 4292: 4288: 4284: 4283:combat sports 4281: 4274: 4273:championships 4270: 4269:Big Gold Belt 4266: 4262: 4258: 4253: 4246:Championships 4243: 4239: 4237: 4229: 4225: 4221: 4220:Vince McMahon 4217: 4213: 4204: 4200: 4198: 4194: 4190: 4186: 4182: 4178: 4174: 4170: 4165: 4163: 4159: 4153: 4151: 4148:) lasts. The 4147: 4142: 4140: 4139:Vince McMahon 4136: 4132: 4131:Masato Tanaka 4128: 4124: 4120: 4116: 4112: 4105: 4101: 4097: 4093: 4089: 4087: 4081: 4072: 4070: 4066: 4062: 4058: 4054: 4050: 4046: 4041: 4036: 4032: 4027: 4025: 4021: 4017: 4013: 4009: 4005: 4001: 3993: 3989: 3985: 3983: 3982:Jesse Ventura 3979: 3978:Antonio Inoki 3975: 3971: 3967: 3963: 3959: 3955: 3951: 3950:Andrew Martin 3947: 3943: 3939: 3935: 3931: 3927: 3923: 3919: 3914: 3912: 3908: 3904: 3900: 3896: 3892: 3888: 3884: 3880: 3879:Chris Jericho 3876: 3872: 3868: 3864: 3857: 3853: 3849: 3845: 3841: 3836: 3831: 3821: 3819: 3807: 3804: 3796: 3793:November 2010 3786: 3782: 3776: 3775: 3770:This section 3768: 3764: 3759: 3758: 3750: 3741: 3737: 3735: 3734: 3729: 3725: 3721: 3717: 3713: 3709: 3705: 3701: 3697: 3693: 3689: 3679: 3676: 3671: 3668: 3663: 3661: 3657: 3653: 3649: 3648: 3636: 3633: 3628: 3626: 3622: 3618: 3614: 3610: 3605: 3603: 3599: 3595: 3585: 3582: 3578: 3575: 3572: 3569: 3565: 3562: 3559: 3555: 3551: 3548: 3544: 3540: 3535: 3531: 3527: 3523: 3518: 3515: 3511: 3507: 3503: 3499: 3495: 3492: 3488: 3484: 3479: 3478: 3477: 3471: 3470:folding chair 3467: 3463: 3459: 3452: 3447: 3443: 3434: 3430: 3426: 3424: 3413: 3409: 3405: 3403: 3399: 3389: 3387: 3383: 3378: 3373: 3369: 3367: 3363: 3359: 3355: 3351: 3347: 3343: 3339: 3335: 3331: 3330:Chris Jericho 3327: 3323: 3319: 3310: 3306: 3302: 3298: 3294: 3286: 3282: 3280: 3274: 3267: 3263: 3258: 3248: 3239: 3236: 3228: 3218: 3214: 3210: 3204: 3203: 3199: 3194:This section 3192: 3188: 3183: 3182: 3174: 3172: 3166: 3164: 3163: 3158: 3154: 3149: 3146: 3137: 3133: 3129: 3125: 3121: 3117: 3110: 3106: 3102: 3098: 3093: 3088: 3077: 3074: 3066: 3056: 3052: 3048: 3042: 3041: 3037: 3032:This section 3030: 3026: 3021: 3020: 3009: 3005: 3002: 2999: 2996: 2995: 2994: 2991: 2989: 2985: 2980: 2975: 2973: 2968: 2964: 2960: 2955: 2953: 2949: 2941: 2937: 2936:Tommy Seigler 2933: 2929: 2926: 2922: 2918: 2914: 2908: 2906: 2902: 2894: 2889: 2885: 2883: 2879: 2875: 2871: 2865: 2863: 2858: 2853: 2851: 2846: 2840: 2834: 2831: 2828: 2824: 2821: 2818: 2816: 2812: 2809: 2806: 2805: 2804: 2801: 2798: 2794: 2789: 2782: 2778: 2777:Antonio Inoki 2774: 2769: 2760: 2756: 2754: 2750: 2749:structuralist 2746: 2742: 2730: 2727: 2719: 2716:November 2010 2709: 2705: 2699: 2698: 2693:This section 2691: 2687: 2682: 2681: 2673: 2671: 2667: 2663: 2659: 2655: 2651: 2645: 2642: 2638: 2634: 2630: 2626: 2622: 2617: 2615: 2611: 2606: 2602: 2598: 2594: 2590: 2581: 2577: 2570: 2568: 2564: 2560: 2549: 2547: 2543: 2538: 2536: 2532: 2528: 2520: 2516: 2510: 2505: 2502: 2497: 2492: 2488: 2477: 2474: 2466: 2456: 2452: 2446: 2445: 2440:This section 2438: 2434: 2429: 2428: 2420: 2417: 2415: 2411: 2406: 2396: 2393: 2385: 2375: 2371: 2367: 2361: 2360: 2356: 2351:This section 2349: 2345: 2340: 2339: 2331: 2329: 2325: 2321: 2317: 2310: 2305: 2302: 2298: 2296: 2291: 2288:channels via 2286: 2282: 2277: 2275: 2271: 2267: 2263: 2258: 2255: 2253: 2244: 2240: 2238: 2234: 2230: 2224: 2221: 2217: 2213: 2203: 2201: 2197: 2196:Vince McMahon 2193: 2192: 2187: 2183: 2179: 2175: 2173: 2169: 2164: 2162: 2158: 2153: 2151: 2141: 2139: 2135: 2131: 2127: 2126:Vince McMahon 2117: 2113: 2111: 2107: 2097: 2090: 2085: 2083: 2079: 2075: 2074: 2069: 2064: 2062: 2058: 2047: 2045: 2040: 2036: 2034: 2030: 2023:Cartelization 2020: 2016: 2013: 2010:The wrestler 2004: 1998: 1993: 1990: 1988: 1984: 1983: 1976: 1973: 1969: 1958: 1954: 1950: 1946: 1936: 1933: 1929: 1917: 1915: 1911: 1907: 1903: 1899: 1895: 1891: 1887: 1882: 1879: 1877: 1873: 1869: 1865: 1861: 1857: 1853: 1843: 1841: 1837: 1833: 1829: 1825: 1821: 1817: 1813: 1809: 1804: 1802: 1798: 1794: 1790: 1786: 1782: 1781:United States 1778: 1774: 1770: 1766: 1761: 1759: 1755: 1750: 1746: 1741: 1739: 1735: 1734:improvisation 1731: 1727: 1723: 1719: 1715: 1711: 1707: 1703: 1699: 1695: 1691: 1687: 1683: 1679: 1674: 1672: 1668: 1664: 1660: 1656: 1652: 1648: 1644: 1640: 1636: 1632: 1628: 1624: 1621:, or simply, 1620: 1619:pro wrestling 1616: 1605: 1600: 1598: 1593: 1591: 1586: 1585: 1583: 1582: 1575: 1572: 1570: 1567: 1563: 1560: 1558: 1555: 1553: 1550: 1548: 1545: 1543: 1540: 1538: 1535: 1533: 1530: 1529: 1528: 1525: 1523: 1522:Shootfighting 1520: 1518: 1515: 1513: 1510: 1508: 1505: 1503: 1500: 1498: 1495: 1494: 1488: 1487: 1480: 1477: 1475: 1472: 1470: 1467: 1465: 1462: 1460: 1457: 1455: 1452: 1450: 1447: 1445: 1444:Championships 1442: 1440: 1437: 1436: 1430: 1429: 1422: 1419: 1417: 1414: 1412: 1411: 1407: 1405: 1402: 1400: 1397: 1395: 1392: 1390: 1387: 1385: 1382: 1380: 1377: 1375: 1372: 1370: 1367: 1365: 1362: 1361: 1358:Controversies 1355: 1354: 1347: 1346: 1342: 1340: 1339: 1335: 1333: 1332: 1328: 1326: 1325: 1321: 1319: 1318: 1314: 1312: 1311: 1307: 1305: 1304: 1300: 1298: 1297: 1293: 1291: 1290: 1286: 1284: 1283: 1279: 1278: 1275:Media outlets 1272: 1271: 1264: 1261: 1259: 1256: 1254: 1251: 1249: 1246: 1244: 1241: 1237: 1234: 1232: 1229: 1227: 1226:Thomas Eakins 1224: 1222: 1219: 1218: 1216: 1214: 1211: 1207: 1204: 1203: 1202: 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746: 743: 741: 738: 736: 733: 731: 730:Chris Jericho 728: 727: 726: 724: 717: 714: 712: 709: 707: 704: 702: 699: 697: 694: 692: 689: 687: 684: 682: 679: 677: 674: 672: 669: 667: 666:Eric Bischoff 664: 662: 659: 657: 656:Atsushi Onita 654: 652: 649: 647: 646:Kenta Kobashi 644: 642: 639: 637: 634: 632: 629: 627: 624: 622: 619: 617: 614: 613: 612: 610: 603: 600: 598: 595: 593: 590: 588: 585: 583: 580: 578: 575: 573: 572:Vince McMahon 570: 568: 565: 563: 560: 558: 555: 553: 550: 548: 545: 543: 540: 538: 535: 533: 530: 528: 527:Antonio Inoki 525: 523: 520: 518: 515: 513: 510: 509: 508: 506: 499: 496: 494: 491: 489: 486: 484: 481: 479: 476: 474: 471: 469: 466: 464: 463:Mildred Burke 461: 459: 456: 454: 451: 449: 446: 445: 444: 442: 435: 432: 430: 427: 425: 422: 420: 417: 415: 412: 410: 407: 405: 402: 400: 397: 395: 392: 390: 387: 386: 384: 375: 374: 367: 364: 362: 359: 357: 354: 352: 349: 347: 344: 342: 339: 337: 334: 332: 329: 327: 324: 322: 319: 317: 316:Ring of Honor 314: 312: 309: 307: 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