Editing Professional wrestling (section)

== Industry conventions ==
{{unreferenced section|date=September 2018}}
Professional wrestling performances are governed primarily by a [[Script (theater)|script]] and overarching storyline devised by producers, who often are professional wrestlers themselves.<ref name=":10">{{Cite web |last=updated |first=Marc Ambinder last |date=2014-04-30 |title=Here's what a pro-wrestling script looks like |url=https://theweek.com/articles/447375/heres-what-prowrestling-script-looks-like |access-date=2025-01-06 |website=theweek |language=en}}</ref> Real-life events, such as a performer's contract status and legitimate injuries, may be incorporated into storylines, and some wrestlers integrate elements of their genuine personalities or background into their performances or personas; for example, [[Kurt Angle]], who performed his [[Kurt Angle#Professional wrestling style and persona|fictional persona eponymously]], often utilized his genuine Olympic gold medal in wrestling as a defining aspect of his character. The actions of the character in shows are considered fictional and wholly separate from the life of the performer, although some performers will remain in character outside the ring, such as in promotional videos, interviews, and even social media;<ref name=":11">{{Cite web |last=Blattberg |first=Eric |date=2022-08-09 |title=10 Forgotten Times Wrestlers Kept Kayfabe Outside Of The Ring |url=https://www.thesportster.com/wrestlers-keeping-kayfabe-outside-the-ring/ |access-date=2025-01-06 |website=TheSportster |language=en}}</ref> consequently, the line between real-life and scripted events and personas are often blurred.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Morgan |first=Gareth |date=2020-03-19 |title=10 Best Times Wrestlers Kept Kayfabe Outside Of Wrestling |url=https://whatculture.com/wwe/10-best-times-wrestlers-kept-kayfabe-outside-of-wrestling |access-date=2025-01-06 |website=WhatCulture.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2024-07-31 |title=WWE star breaks kayfabe to address real life "power" 'struggle |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/wwe/top-stories/wwe-star-breaks-kayfabe-to-address-real-life-power-struggle/articleshow/112157191.cms |access-date=2025-01-06 |work=The Times of India |issn=0971-8257}}</ref> For example, [[Maxwell Jacob Friedman]] is well known for staying in character at all times while in public, going so far as to insult his fans, often to their delight as they are aware of his persona.

=== Kayfabe ===
{{more citations needed section|date=September 2018}}
{{main|Kayfabe|Shoot (professional wrestling)}}
''Kayfabe'' is the practice of pretending that professional wrestling is a true sport.<ref name=":12">{{Cite web |last=Antony |first=Kebin |date=2022-05-01 |title=10 Times Wrestlers Were Punished For Breaking Kayfabe |url=https://www.thesportster.com/times-wrestlers-punished-breaking-kayfabe-wwe/ |access-date=2025-01-06 |website=TheSportster |language=en}}</ref>  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.<ref name=":11" /> When in public, wrestlers would sometimes say "kayfabe" to each other as a coded signal that there were fans present for whom they needed to be in character. Professional wrestlers in the past strongly believed that if they admitted the truth, their audiences would desert them; accordingly, promotions have often disciplined or punished performers for breaking kayfabe.<ref name=":12" />

{{blockquote|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, 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.|[[Lou Thesz]], ''Hooker''}}

The first wrestling promoter to publicly admit to routinely fixing matches was [[Jack Pfefer]]. In 1933, he started talking about the industry's inner workings to the ''New York Daily Mirror'', 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 [[Lou Thesz]] 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.<ref>Thesz (2011). ''Hooker'': "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."</ref>

The demise of WCW in 2001 provided some evidence that ''kayfabe'' still mattered to a degree. Vince Russo, the boss of WCW in 2000, completely disregarded ''kayfabe'' by routinely discussing business matters and office politics in public, which alienated fans.<ref name="Beekman 2006 p. 138"/>

=== Sports entertainment ===
[[File:Vince McMahon, 1986.png|thumb|[[Vince McMahon]] as a commentator, c. 1986]]

The wrestling industry convention of ''kayfabe'' has increasingly been challenged by the modern concept of [[sports entertainment]], which openly acknowledges professional wrestling's predetermined nature and celebrates its roots in both [[Sports competition|competitive sport]] and dramatic theater. The term "sports entertainment" was coined by [[WWE|World Wrestling Federation]] (WWF, now WWE) chairman [[Vince McMahon]] during the 1980s as a [[List of marketing terms|marketing term]] to describe the professional wrestling industry, primarily to potential advertisers;<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.fightful.com/wrestling/stephanie-mcmahon-explains-sports-entertainment-was-created-advertisers|title=Stephanie McMahon Explains "Sports Entertainment" Was Created For Advertisers &#124; Fightful News|website=www.fightful.com}}</ref> however, precursors date back to at least February 1935, when ''[[Toronto Star]]'' sports editor [[Lou Marsh]] described professional wrestling as "sportive entertainment". In 1989, the WWF used the phrase in a case before the [[New Jersey Senate]] to classify professional wrestling as "sports entertainment" and thus not subject to regulation like a directly competitive sport.

In subsequent years, WWE insisted that its talent use "sports entertainment" rather than "pro wrestling" to describe its business, to the point that the term was sometimes used in other promotions to generate "[[heat (professional wrestling)|heat]]" (fan reaction and engagement).<ref name="wrestlinginc-sportsent-disassoc">{{cite web|url=https://www.wrestlinginc.com/1557881/report-wwe-moving-away-sports-entertainment-disassociating-vince-mcmahon/|title=Report: WWE Moving Away From 'Sports Entertainment,' Disassociating From Vince McMahon|publisher=Wrestling Inc|date=April 8, 2024|access-date=August 29, 2024|quote=}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Parsons |first=Jim |date=2022-03-17 |title=Chris Jericho Trolls WWE By Labeling His New Faction "Sports Entertainers" |url=https://www.thesportster.com/chris-jericho-aew-calls-himself-sports-entertainers/ |access-date=2022-07-01 |website=TheSportster |language=en-US}}</ref> The line between sports entertainment and competitive sports was further blurred in 2023, when WWE [[TKO Group Holdings|merged with the parent company]] of [[Ultimate Fighting Championship]] (UFC), a genuinely competitive mixed martial arts promotion, in what was officially announced as an effort to "bring together two leading pureplay sports and entertainment companies" and provide "significant operating synergies" between them.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Vlessing |first=Georg Szalai,Etan |date=2023-04-03 |title=Endeavor's UFC, WWE to Merge; Ari Emanuel to Serve as CEO, Vince McMahon as Executive Chair |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/wwe-ufc-merger-endeavor-vince-mcmahon-1235365885-1235365885/ |access-date=2025-01-31 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |language=en-US}}</ref> The following year, WWE moved away from its insistence on being a sports entertainment company after Vince McMahon's departure from the company,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Notopoulos |first=Katie |title=So, can we stop calling pro wrestling 'sports entertainment' now? |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/wwe-term-sports-entertainment-pro-wrestling-2024-4 |access-date=2025-01-31 |website=Business Insider |language=en-US}}</ref> but still uses "sports entertainment" in some contexts.<ref name="wrestlinginc-sportsent-disassoc" /><ref>{{cite web|url=https://corporate.wwe.com/who-we-are/company-overview|title=Company Overview|work=corporate.wwe.com|publisher=WWE|access-date=August 29, 2024|quote=WWE is an integrated media organization and the recognized global leader in sports entertainment.}}</ref>

Whether professional wrestling is a genuine sport often reflects a broader debate as to the nature and qualities of a sport categorically. Some commentators and analysts identify baseline commonalities between professional wrestling and other sports, such as performance entailing "physical activity governed by a set of rules of customs" and there still being competition among pro wrestlers with respect to their performances.<ref name=":15">{{Cite web |last=Gullo |first=William |title=WWE Debate: Is Professional Wrestling a Sport, Theater, or Both? |url=https://bleacherreport.com/articles/837282-wwe-debate-is-professional-wrestling-a-sport-theater-or-both |access-date=2025-01-31 |website=Bleacher Report |language=en}}</ref> {{blockquote|Just because there's a script involved it doesn't take away from the competitive environment of professional wrestling. Ask any former wrestler, read an autobiography on a wrestler or use common sense. There is tremendous competition within the WWE. Not performing to the high standards in the ring? "You're Fired". Not getting over with the fans? "You're Fired." Being a nuisance and refusing to be a team player? "You're fired." Don't want to continually train, live the grueling road schedule and establish connections...see where I'm going with all this? While NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB and overseas soccer players (football, I know, I apologize) are getting paid ridiculous contracts (with a lump sum up front, and a lot of the contract guaranteed), professional wrestlers do much more work for a lot less. We can safely take the competition argument out of the discussion. So ultimately, if you can look past the script, then professional wrestling is a sport.

— William Gullo, ''Bleacher Report'' (Sep. 6, 2011)<ref name=":15" />}}Others retort that while professional wrestling is comparable in its physical and athletic requirements—including "shared values of resilience and excellence" and similar risks of bodily injury—its scripted nature preempts one of the purported defining characteristics of a sport: genuine competition over the outcome.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Giannakopoulos |first=Alec |date=2013-12-02 |title=Is Professional Wrestling A Sport? |url=https://krui.fm/2013/12/02/professional-wrestling-sport/ |access-date=2025-01-31 |website=KRUI Radio |language=en-US}}</ref>

The ambiguity of professional wrestling as a form of sports entertainment is further heightened by news media, which often cover professional wrestling matches and events as if they were genuine sports; for example, in 2024, ''Forbes'' ranked professional wrestling promotions WWE and All Elite Wrestling (AEW) among the world's "most valuable combat sports promotions" alongside bona fide competitive sport organizations UFC, [[ONE Championship]], and [[Matchroom Sport|Matchroom Boxing]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Teitelbaum |first=Justin |title=The Most Valuable Combat Sports Promotions 2024 |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/justinteitelbaum/2024/04/18/the-most-valuable-combat-sports-promotions-2024/ |access-date=2025-01-31 |website=Forbes |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Most valuable combat sports promotions 2024 {{!}} Statista |url=https://www.statista.com/statistics/1466698/most-valuable-combat-sports-promoters/ |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20241219223818/https://www.statista.com/statistics/1466698/most-valuable-combat-sports-promoters/ |archive-date=2024-12-19 |access-date=2025-01-31 |website=Statista |language=en}}</ref>

=== Performance aspects ===
{{Blockquote|text=I watch [[Championship Wrestling from Florida|championship wrestling from Florida]] with wrestling commentator [[Gordon Solie]]. Is this all "fake"? If so, they deserve an [[Academy Awards|Oscar]].|author=S. R. Welborn of [[High Point, North Carolina]]|source=question posed to sports Q&A column written by [[Murray Olderman]], 1975<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Olderman|first1=Murray|author-link1=Murray Olderman|title=Southpaws Shake Bias|work=[[Anchorage Daily Times]]|date=September 27, 1975|page=15}}</ref>}}
Professional wrestling shows can be considered a form of [[theater in the round]], with the ring, ringside area, and entryway comprising a [[stage (theater)|stage]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lindsey |first=Philip |title=Lessons Can Be Learned from the Theatrical Version of Lucha Libre Style Wrestling |url=https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10095950-lessons-can-be-learned-from-the-theatrical-version-of-lucha-libre-style-wrestling |access-date=2025-01-06 |website=Bleacher Report |language=en}}</ref> There is less of a [[fourth wall]] than in most theatric performances; like [[pantomime]], audience involvement is expected and encouraged. Attendees are recognized and acknowledged by performers as [[spectator sport|spectators]] to the sporting event being portrayed and are encouraged to interact as such; their reactions can dictate how the performance unfolds, leading to a high level of audience participation.<ref name="Barthes" /> Often, individual matches will be part of a longer storyline conflict between "[[Face (professional wrestling)|babyfaces]]" (often shortened to just "faces") and "[[Heel (professional wrestling)|heels]]". "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.<ref name="HSW">{{cite web |url=http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/pro-wrestling.htm |title=How Pro Wrestling Works |last=Grabianowski |first=Ed |work=HowStuffWorks, Inc. |publisher=[[Discovery Communications]] |access-date=2014-01-05 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131108081648/http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/pro-wrestling.htm |archive-date=2013-11-08 }}</ref>

In pro wrestling matches, performers often execute a series of pre-planned moves and attacks, ranging from grappling and throws found in some traditional [[Wrestling#Modern international disciplines|forms of wrestling]], to more spectacular stunts, sometimes involving [[prop]]s and [[special effect]]s.<ref name=":10" /> Although match outcomes and narratives are predetermined, wrestlers are expected to improvise and weave elements of their character.<ref name=":10" /> Attacks are designed to appear dramatic while reducing the risk of serious injury as much as possible; the overall aim is to minimize the actual injurious impact of their moves while maximizing their entertainment value. Shows produced by the largest [[professional wrestling promotion]]s like [[WWE]] are traditionally performed in indoor venues, while flagship events like [[WrestleMania]] are sometimes taking place at outdoor venues; these shows are generally video recorded for live or delayed broadcasting. Additionally filmed footage known as "segments" or "promos" are usually used to accompany the drama in these shows.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-watch-pro-wrestling-responsibly-2015-9|title= Everything you think you know about professional wrestling is wrong|last= Weller|first= Chris|date= September 13, 2015|website= Business Insider|access-date= May 4, 2018|archive-date= September 17, 2015|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150917050007/http://uk.businessinsider.com/how-to-watch-pro-wrestling-responsibly-2015-9|url-status= live}}</ref>

Prior experience in legitimate wrestling is not a requirement for aspiring professional wrestlers but is seen as an advantageous background. Despite its scripted format, several notable performers have had prior experience in legitimate wrestling before transitioning to its theatrical form. A popular performer, [[Kurt Angle]], is the first [[Olympic gold medal]]ist in professional wrestling history, having won his gold medal at the [[1996 Summer Olympic Games]] in [[freestyle wrestling]]. Another prominent performer is [[Brock Lesnar]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=Brock Lesnar |url=https://www.wwe.com/superstars/brock-lesnar |access-date=2022-12-07 |website=WWE |language=en |archive-date=2021-07-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210702120724/https://www.wwe.com/superstars/brock-lesnar |url-status=live }}</ref> a former NCAA Wrestler who won the [[NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships|NCAA Division I National Championship]] in 2000.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Williams |first=Trent |title=Brock Lesnar and the Top 10 NCAA Champion Wrestlers in MMA |url=https://bleacherreport.com/articles/497587-ufc-121-brock-lesnar-and-the-top-10-ncaa-champion-wrestlers-in-mma |access-date=2022-12-07 |website=Bleacher Report |language=en |archive-date=2022-12-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221207070754/https://bleacherreport.com/articles/497587-ufc-121-brock-lesnar-and-the-top-10-ncaa-champion-wrestlers-in-mma |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Brock Lesnar WWE / WWF Star and former NCAA Champion Cooldudesandhotbabes.com |url=https://www.australiansportsentertainment.com/lesnar.html |access-date=2022-12-07 |website=www.australiansportsentertainment.com |archive-date=2011-08-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110812142150/http://australiansportsentertainment.com/lesnar.html |url-status=live }}</ref>