Professional wrestling is a form of sports entertainment that combines elements of the traditional sport of wrestling with acrobatics and theatre. In the world of pro-wrestling, where companies like WWE and AEW reign supreme, results are pre-determined, but fans flock to see larger-than-life characters famous for their athleticism and showmanship.
📜 Professional Wrestling History
The origins of professional wrestling can be traced back to the late 1800s when genuine wrestling contests, similar in style to the amateur bouts held at college-level and in the Olympics today, began to grow in popularity. However, these slow, submission-heavy grappling duels struggled to catch on with a wider audience and consequently, some wrestlers began fixing the results of their matches to provide fans with a shorter, more satisfying spectacle. By the 1900s, almost all professional wrestling bouts were rigged or "worked".
Despite a number of newspaper exposés revealing the "rigged" nature of professional wrestling in the early 1900s, the sport endured – largely because the majority of fans agreed that a "worked" wrestling match was significantly more entertaining than a legitimate one. Naturally, with this in mind, a heavier focus on storytelling and character grew over time as wrestlers built on the sport's history as a carnival show and added more prominent components of theatre. Soon enough, more dramatic "wrestling moves" like suplexes and body slams were added to the wrestler's repertoire, as well as "face" (hero) and "heel" (villain) personas to make matches emotional battles of good vs evil.
Led by the emergence of some of wrestling's first real superstars, such as the enigmatic Gorgeous George, wrestling promotions soon sprung up across the United States. By the end of the 1980s however, after a period of aggressive expansion boosted by the cable television boom, just one promotion remained: WWE. Formerly WWF, WWE has become a household name synonymous with professional wrestling, and home, through the years, to stars like Hulk Hogan, Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock, John Cena, The Undertaker, and Triple H.
Alongside the ever-popular WWE, other pro-wrestling organisations like All Elite Wrestling, New Japan Pro-Wrestling, Lucha Libre (AAA), and Ring of Honor continue to thrill fans across the world. Pro-wrestling, now dubbed "sports entertainment" by WWE, remains as popular as ever in the 21st century, even outside the United States, and record attendances have recently been logged for stadium shows such as AEW All In and WWE Clash at the Castle in the UK.
💯 Professional Wrestling Format & Scoring
Professional wrestling events are generally organized around a "card" of matches. Taking place one after another, these matches see 2 or more wrestlers face off in an athletic duel that combines traditional wrestling sweeps, throws, takedowns, and submission holds, with acrobatics and storytelling. Victory is usually achieved by pinning an opponent to the ground or making them submit, however, match types are vast and varied, which means sometimes the condition of winning involves throwing an opponent from the ring, obtaining an item from atop a ladder, or climbing out of a cage.
Professional wrestling matches, of the like put on by WWE and AEW, have pre-determined results and feature choreographed moments or "spots". Fans of pro-wrestling are aware and accepting of the sport's pre-determined nature, which is known as "kayfabe". Entertainment, rather than results, is widely regarded as the most important part of a wrestling show.
Away from the action inside the ring, pro-wrestling promotions keep fans entertained between matches with backstage interviews, interactive segments, and surprise appearances.
