Glossary of professional wrestling terms
Professional wrestling has accrued a considerable nomenclature through its long existence.[1] Much of it stems from the industry's origins in the days of carnivals and circuses,[2] and the slang itself is often referred to as "carny talk." In the past, wrestlers used this lingo in the presence of fans so as not to reveal the worked nature of the business.[1][2] In recent years, widespread wrestling discussion on the Internet popularized the terms.[1] Many of the terms refer to the financial aspects of pro wrestling in addition to performance-related terms.[2]
A
- To discontinue a feud, angle, or "gimmick" suddenly, usually without explanation or due to a lack of fan interest.[1]
- A management employee, often a former veteran wrestler, who helps wrestlers set up matches, plans storylines, and relays instructions from the bookers. Often acts as a liaison between wrestlers and higher-level management. Referred to as "producers" by WWE. Sometimes they help train and teach younger active wrestlers and give criticism.
- A fictional storyline. An angle usually begins when one wrestler attacks another (physically or verbally), which results in revenge.[2] An angle may be as small as a single match or a vendetta that lasts for years. It is not uncommon to see an angle become retconned due to it not getting "over" with the fans, or if one of the wrestlers currently involved in the angle is released from his contract.
- An old-style professional wrestling magazine that sticks to kayfabe and usually consists of made-up articles and interviews.[1] The term refers to the magazines at one time connected to journalist Bill Apter, such as Pro Wrestling Illustrated.[1]
B
- A wrestling event featuring the middle and lower-level talent of a wrestling promotion. Can sometimes include well-known wrestlers making a comeback or finishing up their career.[1]
- The group of wrestlers on a B-Show.[1] Frequently, the B-Team will compete at a different venue the same night wrestlers on the A-Team are competing in a different event, although a promotion will sometimes schedule an event with B-Team wrestlers to test a new market.
- A situation in which a wrestler or other performer is the recipient of a beating, usually by a group of wrestlers.[1]
- Not to be confused with heat this is when the fans are booing not necessarily because the heel is doing a good job at being the "bad guy" but because the fans don't like what they're seeing and it's just not good wrestling or just really bad. Bad heat can so easily confused with Heat when using a heel wrestler that it will often confuse the booker will often keep the storyline or wrestler relevant thinking its doing a good job drawing heat, when really it's not.
- A tag made in a tag team match where the wrestler on the apron tags his partner unbeknownst to him or without his consent. It can also refer to such a tag where the tagger's opponent is unaware a tag has occurred, leaving him open to a blindside attack. Most often occurs when the partner in the ring is thrown against the ropes or backed into his own corner.
- The final match in a feud.[1] While the involved wrestlers often move onto new feuds, sometimes it is the final match in the promotion for one or more of the wrestlers.[1]
- To become exhausted during a match.[1]
- To determine and schedule the events of a wrestling card. The person in charge of setting up matches and writing angles is "the booker."[1] It is the wrestling equivalent of a screenwriter. A booker can also be described as someone who recruits and/or hires talent to work in a particular promotion. The United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa defined a booker in 1956 as "...any person who, for a fee or commission, arranges with a promoter or promoters for the performance of wrestlers in professional wrestling exhibitions."[3] Booking is also the term a wrestler uses to describe a scheduled match or appearance on a wrestling show.[1]
- A time limit draw.
- The worked lowering (relegation) of a popular wrestler's status in the eyes of the fans. It is the act of a promoter or booker causing a wrestler to lose popularity by forcing him to lose in squash matches, continuously, and/or participate in unentertaining or degrading storylines. It can be a form of punishment for real-life backstage disagreements or feuds between the wrestler and the booker, the wrestler falling out of favor with the company, or the wrestler receiving an unpopular gimmick that causes him to lose credibility regardless of win-loss record.
- To fall on the mat or ground.[1][4] A flat back bump is a bump in which a wrestler lands solidly on his back with high impact, spread over as much surface as possible.[1] A phantom bump occurs when a wrestler or referee takes a bump even though the move they are selling was visibly botched or otherwise not present.[1] Phantom bumps are most commonly performed when the offensive wrestler is new.
- Professional wrestling; instead of "profession" or "sport".[2]
- To start to bleed, typically from the head after being hit with something like a chair, and typically after blading. The commentators will usually refer to the bleeding wrestler as being "busted (wide) open".
C
- An event featuring the lowest level of talent in a promotion. Often used as a derogatory adjective.
- To instruct the other wrestler of what is going to happen in the match.[1]
- The lineup of the matches that will be staged at a given venue for a given performance.[1] The card is generally performed in a roughly inverse order to the way in which it might be printed for posters or other promotional materials. The major matches between well-known opponents may be for "titles" and are said to be "top of the card" or "headliners" while the preliminary matches between lesser-known opponents are said to be the "undercard." In Lucha libre, cards are generally five matches although big events might have more and smaller promotions might not run the full five match card. The first match is called the Primera Lucha, the second is called the Segunda Lucha, the third is usually the Combate Especial or the Lucha Especial, the fourth or second to last match is called the Lucha Semifinal, and the main event is called the Lucha Estelar or Lucha Estrella.
- The incitement of a negative crowd reaction by insulting the crowd (by insulting the city or a local sports team, like wearing a Yankees jersey in Boston) or by using a news event as part of his promo.[1][2]
- The incitement of a positive crowd reaction by "kissing up" to the crowd (for example, mentioning the name of the city or complimenting a local sports team). Heels often follow the same principle but in reverse to get booed (see "Cheap heat" above).
- An underhanded tactic, such as a low blow or a foreign object to get an advantage over an opponent.
- To draw blood. Especially in British professional wrestling.
- A match ending without cheating or outside interference, usually in the center of the ring. (Compare "screwjob")
- A titleholder (usually a heel) who ducks top-flight competition, cheats to win (often by managerial interference), and—when forced to wrestle good opponents—deliberately causes himself to be disqualified (since titles often do not change hands by disqualification) to retain his title.[1]
- A face covered in blood, comparable to a mask.
- An event which occurs when two or more rival promotions put together one card or wrestling event. Some promoters have used cross-promotion style angles to further interest. Cross promotion dates back to the early days of wrestling as challenges between rival promoters in the same area often occurred.
D
- A non-televised match at a televised show used to warm up the crowd (compare "house show").[1] A dark match before the show is often used to test out new talent or to warm up the crowd.[1] A promised dark match after the show is typically set featuring main-event level wrestlers in order to sell more tickets and send the crowd home happy.
- An insider newsletter (or website) in the professional wrestling business.[7]
- A tactic used in a tag team match when both members of a tag team gang up on one of the opponents.
- A wrestler who attracts the attention of the audience; someone fans are willing to pay to see.[1]
- To lose a match or championship (the loser agreed to drop the match to the winner).
- A finish in which the face appears to win a big match, but the decision is later reversed due to interference by other heels to save the heel champion, as, in most federations, the title could not change hands on such a disqualification. It can also refer to an ambiguous finish to a match where neither wrestler can be claimed the winner.[1] The "Dusty" in the term refers to Dusty Rhodes, who booked many such finishes in NWA and later in WCW.[1]
E
- A wrestler who accompanies another to matches, and acts as a bodyguard.[1] This term was coined by Arn Anderson, whose nickname was "The Enforcer". Or, an individual who acts in a "special guest referee" capacity from outside the ring, ostensibly to maintain order.
F
- The ending of the match. A fall is obtained by gaining a decision in any manner, normally consisting of a pinfall, submission, count-out, or disqualification. In a two out of three falls match, a wrestler must gain two decisions to win instead of only one. (See near-fall)
- A brief offensive flurry by a face, before losing momentum back to a heel after being dominated for several minutes.[1] Usually, it occurs before the actual comeback. Hulk Hogan tended to use this to "sell" an improbable comeback.
- A pinfall attempt which is kicked out of, usually after a finishing move or series of high impact moves. This builds crowd anticipation towards the actual finish.
- The planned end of a match.[1] (See "Dusty Finish" and "Clean finish")
- A wrestler's signature move that usually leads to a finish.
- A particular combination of moves that a wrestler uses in every match, often in the same sequence, usually ending with their finisher.
G
- Steroids,[1] or stamina (as in "out of gas").
- The blade a wrestler uses to cut themself.[1]
- The character portrayed by a wrestler.
- To finish a match. One wrestler will tell the other to "go home" when it is time for them to execute the planned ending for their match. Referees may also tell the wrestlers to go home (usually after receiving word to do so from a producer backstage).
- The championship belt.
- To beat someone.[1]
- Inexperienced. Refers to a wrestler who is in the early stages of their career and, as a result, may be prone to make mistakes because of their inexperience.[1]
- A deep cut that bleeds a lot,[6] usually caused by a mistake while blading but can be intentional.[1]
H
- Bleeding by means other than blading.
- A move which, as a result of a botch, causes the receiver to be dropped on their head, often resulting in a legit concussion or other injury such as a broken neck. Also, especially in puroresu, the term can refer to a bump which is intended to make a move appear as if the receiver landed on his/her head. In reality, the full force of the move is intended to be taken on the upper back and shoulders, though such moves still carry a high degree of legitimate risk with them.
- Boos or negative reaction coming from the fans directly to the heel wrestler. From a bookers standpoint, this is a good thing because if the heel wrestler "draws heat" then he's done a really good job.
- A top-rope move, or a series of maneuvers perceived as dangerous.[1]
- A wrestler with strong legitimate mat-wrestling abilities and an array of match-ending (or in extreme cases, career ending) holds known as "hooks", hence the name.[1]
- A rushed feud, climax of a feud, or big match on television instead of at a pay-per-view in order to get a short-term boost for business.[1] Also applies to angles or turns that are done for shock value rather than acting as a part of an ongoing storyline.[1]
- In a tag team match, the face's tag to a fresh partner after several minutes of being dominated by both heels, usually immediately followed by the freshly tagged partner getting in a quick burst of offense.[1] Often the hot tag happens after several teases (where the other face is enticed into the ring, only to be stopped by the referee and the heels getting away with illegal tactics).
I
- The act of someone who is not part of the match getting involved; this may involve distracting or assaulting one or more of the participants in the match.
- A storyline in which a group of wrestlers from one promotion appear in another promotion. In some cases, this happens suddenly without advance warning or notice, and usually involves the invaders attempting to take the promotion over.
- Internet wrestling community; the community of users on web-based message boards and forums that discusses pro wrestling.
J
- To switch to a different promotion or to move over to a different brand.
K
- To use the legs to literally kick or power out of a pin by using the force made to lift the shoulders off the mat.
- To push up to a standing position from a supine one, using the hands along with a kicking motion.
L
- A match or event which has not been booked, or a performer who relies on wrestling skill and ability, as opposed to his gimmick, to gain notoriety and popularity with fans. The term is also often extended to mean a wrestler with a legitimate background as an actual street fighter or brawler (In a number of cases, the individual may be a former professional boxer, a stuntman, martial artist, or have crossed over from some other professional or amateur sport), who brings legitimate fighting skills to the apparent, but often tightly controlled, "chaos" of the pro wrestling arena. The term can also be attributed to an incident where a legitimate injury occurs during a professional wrestling match. Often used as a synonym for shoot.
- A wrestler who typically wrestles at the beginning of a show.
- A (most often) wrestler who stands close to the ring, usually in a lumberjack match, in which he or she (and others similarly called upon) are to forcibly return to the ring any competitor who attempts to leave or is expelled therefrom. Usually, in the case of a heel, he or she is actually helping one or more (rarely all of them) wrestlers.
- A female lumberjack.
M
- A wrestler who regularly competes in main events.
- a person who enjoys professional wrestling as if it were unstaged. Derived from the carnival term.
- The act of reacting to an event in wrestling as if it was legit even though the person reacting to it knows it to be staged.
- A wrestler who wrestles in the middle of programs, is seen as being high in seniority but less than a money draw, usually competing for the secondary title of a federation.[1]
- A move or series of moves which are mistimed. Sometimes called mis-selling.[1]
- A highly-promoted non-title match at or near the end of a card, which is a main selling point for an event.[1]
- A manager who does the promos, or all the talking, for a wrestler possessing little or no mic skills.[1]
- An informal measure among some fans, mostly smarks, of the amount of blood lost by a wrestler during a match. Ranges begin at 0.0 Muta, with 1.0 Muta being equivalent to the blood loss of The Great Muta during an infamous 1992 New Japan Pro Wrestling match with Hiroshi Hase.[8]
N
- An occurrence in which a wrestler's shoulders are pinned to the mat for a count of two, but the wrestler manages to escape before the referee's hand hits the mat a third time, which would signify a pinfall. "Two-and-a-half count" or other fractions used to denote even closer "counts", such as "two-and-three-quarters", are often used many times in matches to build excitement. Occasionally related to "False Finish".
- To show no reaction to an opponent's offensive moves; a way to demonstrate endurance, appear invulnerable to pain, legitimately defy an opponent or to illustrate masochistic tendencies.
- A wrestler not showing up for a match.[1] No-shows can be staged for storyline purposes. Legit no-shows are less frequent, and the offender typically faces disciplinary action.
- The wrestler who is next in line for a championship match.
O
- Accepted by fans. A face wrestler is considered over when he is being cheered and supported by fans, whereas a heel is considered over when he is booed and hated. The term suggests that the fans are buying into what the wrestler is selling, meaning his character and perceived abilities. Since outcomes of matches are predetermined and participants are not actively competing to win a match, winning a match is referred to as "going over" in the wrestling industry. To lose to another wrestler in a match is referred to as "putting him over." Other ways to put over another wrestler is to convincingly sell his offense, or to give an interview that talks up the main qualities and abilities of another wrestler's character.
- To show too much of a reaction to an opponent's offense. For example, tumbling head over heels all the way across the ring from a simple punch would be an over-sell.
P
- To give out tickets to an event to make it look better attended than it otherwise would have been.
- A weak or easily beatable champion.
- A vague, fictional location. Billing a wrestler as being from "Parts Unknown" (rather than from his real hometown or another actual place) is intended to add to a wrestler's mystique. In some territories, the phrase commonly was applied to masked wrestlers. In the post-kayfabe era, it is used less and less, and usually with a certain air of levity. Sometimes, wrestlers can hail from other similarly abstract places.
- A wrestler or actor who poses as a fan, usually seated in the front row of an event.[1] Plants are a good tool for a heel wrestler to gain heat from the crowd.[1] The plant is often a lesser-known wrestler from the independent circuit.[1]
- A strike to the head which makes real contact. A wrestler who endures one or more potatoes is likely to potato the perpetrator back, which is known as a 'receipt'.[9]
- The act of getting out of the ring forcefully.
- A series of matches in which the same wrestlers face each other.
- A promotional interview (as in "cutting a promo").[1] Often includes either an "in-ring interview" or (on television) a skit by wrestlers and other performers to advance a storyline or feud.[1]
- A cheer or positive reaction from the crowd.
- To allow oneself to be pinned or otherwise defeated by someone. The person who the wrestler is putting over is said to be getting over.[1]
R
- A term which, along with "grunt-and-groan", was used by the mainstream media when presenting a derisive story on professional wrestling, which often stereotyped the participants and audience. These terms came to be applied to a style of wrestling popular in the southeastern United States, which emphasizes kayfabe and stiffness, generally with fewer squash matches and longer feuds. Also known as "Southern style".
- When a champion loses his/her title to another, this may be invoked to procure a title rematch in the near future. This fictional clause is often ignored in storylines.
- A loose hold applied during a match, during which wrestlers catch their breath and/or plan the next series of spots together.[1]
- A practical joke played by or on a wrestler.[1]
- An experienced wrestler who knows how to work a match to its full potential.
- The science of wrestling a match properly, so the crowd becomes emotionally involved in the show.[10]
- Similar to a groupie, one who frequents wrestling events to pursue sex with wrestlers.[1][11] Also known as arena rats.[2]
- A detriment to wrestling ability resulting from lack of practice during a hiatus.
- The act of a wrestler(s) not officialy involved in a match running into the ring.[1] Run-ins are usually made by heels, typically to further a feud with a face.[1] This is usually done with a "beat down". Sometimes a babyface will do a run-in to stop a heel from overly punishing a weaker opponent, usually setting up a feud.
- A match finish which occurs sooner (and often differently) than planned. It is used when a wrestler is legitimately injured and cannot continue as planned, when the match is approaching its time limit (or a television segment is running long), or after a botch signifcantly changes the plot of the match.
S
- To sabotage a throw by letting one's body go limp instead of cooperating. This makes the throw much harder, if not impossible, to execute and may cause injury to either wrestler. This is typically done to make the attacker appear weak or unskilled.[1]
- An unfair and controversial finish, often involving cheating or outside interference.[1] A worked screwjob is part of the story, and is used to generate heat or sympathy. A shoot screwjob occurs when the finish is changed without informing the losing wrestler.
- Any part of a wrestling show that is not a wrestling match, such as a promo, a skit or an interview.
- To react to an opponent's attacks in a manner that suggests to the audience that the attacks actually hurt.[1]
- A move regularly performed by a wrestler, for which the wrestler is well-known.[12]
- A storyline that develops over a long period of time.
- A fan who is aware of and interested in the backstage and non-scripted aspects of wrestling.[1] A portmanteau of "smart" and "mark."
- Having inside knowledge of the wrestling business.[1]
- Any planned action or series of actions in a match.[1] A "high spot" is a particularly exciting move.[2] (See "missed spot")
- An extremely one-sided, usually short match.[1] They generally feature star wrestlers against relatively unknown jobbers, usually to help get a gimmick or moveset over.
- A team of three or more wrestlers, usually heels, who generally share common motives, allies and adversaries within a storyline (or through multiple storylines).
- Championship belt.
- A Japanese-inspired professional wrestling style that is worked, yet aims to deliver realistic performances, through stiff attacks and worked shoots.[1]
- A sudden change in the direction of a storyline, to surprise the fans. Often, it involves one wrestler turning on an ally in order to join a supposed mutual enemy. Swerves frequently start feuds between the former allies. Also, when a booker leads fans to believe that something is going to happen (or someone will appear) at a show, before doing something entirely different.[1]
T
- To submit to a hold by tapping on the mat (or the attacker's body), as in mixed martial arts, rather than verbally submitting, as was standard in professional wrestling until Ken Shamrock popularized tapping out in 1997. The tapout was introduced to pro wrestling shortly earlier by Tazz.[14]
- A video screen above the entrance stage area, used for showing entrance videos, backstage segments and promos. A play on the name of Sony's JumboTron and Titan Sports, the then-parent company of the World Wrestling Federation, the TitanTron was introduced as part of WWF's Raw set in the mid-1990s. The concept has since been adapted by other major promotions.
- A short-reigning champion who serves to move the title indirectly from one wrestler to a third. They are usually used when the title is to be moved between two faces, to avoid requiring them to wrestle each other.
- A switch from face to heel or vice versa.[1] A hard turn occurs in a sudden surprise plot twist. A soft turn occurs gradually, over time.
- A morally ambiguous wrestler, neither a face nor heel (an inbetweener).[1] Also sometimes describes a heel who is usually cheered or a face who is usually booed.
V
- The state of a championship not held by any wrestler(s).
- A person, usually an attractive female, who accompanies a male performer to the ring.[15] Usually serves to tittilate or agitate the crowd, or to interfere in the match.[15]
- Any piece of video footage featuring characters or events which is shown to the audience for the purposes of entertainment or edification. Usually meant to introduce a debuting character or to get a wrestler over before their TV wrestling debut.
- A pinfall that the referee doesn't see, but the crowd does. It is usually followed by a late kickout when the referee eventually sees the pinfall and starts counting. It's used to heighten the drama of a match by showing that the pinning wrestler "would have had him".
W
- Anything planned to happen,[2] from the carnival tradition of "working the crowd."[1] The opposite of shoot.
- To methodically attack a single body part, setting up an appropriate finisher. Also, to deceive or manipulate an audience.
Notes
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay az ba bb bc bd be bf bg bh bi bj bk bl bm bn bo bp bq br bs bt bu "Torch Glossary of Insider Terms". PWTorch.com. 2000. Archived from the original on 2011-06-06. Retrieved 2007-07-10.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Kerrick, George E. (Summer 1980). "The Jargon of Professional Wrestling". American Speech. 55 (2): 142–145.
{{cite journal}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help)CS1 maint: year (link) - ^ Riley, Judge William F. (October 15, 1956). "United States v. National Wrestling Alliance (consent decree)". United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa. As hosted at Wrestling Perspective. Retrieved September 17, 2011.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ Foley, Mick. Have A Nice Day: A Tale of Blood and Sweatsocks (p.65)
- ^ a b Harley Race, Ricky Steamboat, Les Thatcher. The Professional Wrestlers' Workout & Instructional Guide (p.106)
- ^ a b Stone Cold Steve Austin. The Stone Cold Truth (p.90)
- ^ Stone Cold Steve Austin. The Stone Cold Truth (p.83)
- ^ Mancuso, Ryan (2006-09-11). "Complete Playbook: The Great Muta Vol. 2 Revenge of Muta Commercial Tape". 411mania.com. Retrieved 2007-10-24.
- ^ "The manliest movie ever made". NYPost.com. 2010. Retrieved 2010-11-26.
- ^ John Powell (June 18, 2000). "Booker T: Wrestling's consummate performer". SLAM! Wrestling. Retrieved 2008-06-17.
- ^ Laurer, Joanie. If They Only Knew. pp. 192–93.
- ^ Kaelberer, Angie Peterson (2003). The Hardy Boyz: Pro Wrestlers Matt and Jeff Hardy. Capstone Press. p. 44. ISBN 0-7368-2142-2.
- ^ Paul Turenne (May 28, 2005). "Torrie toughs it out on WWE circuit". Winnipeg Sun. Retrieved 2007-11-22.
- ^ Laurer, Joanie. If They Only Knew, 152.
- ^ a b Jeff Clark (September 7, 2007). "The Luchagors Drop a Powerbomb". Stomp and Stammer. Retrieved 2007-10-02.
References
- Laurer, Joanie (2001). If They Only Knew. ReaganBooks. ISBN 0-06-109895-7.
- Foley, Mick (2000). Have a Nice Day: A Tale of Blood and Sweatsocks. HarperCollins. ISBN 0-06-103101-1.
- Harley Race, Ricky Steamboat, Les Thatcher (2005). The Professional Wrestlers' Workout & Instructional Guide. Sports Publishing LLC. ISBN 1-58261-947-6.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - Stone Cold Steve Austin and Jim Ross (2003). The Stone Cold Truth. Pocket Books. ISBN 0-7434-7720-0.