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The Basics
The best way to approach pro wrestling is to
look at it like a soap opera where people settle
their differences by beating each other up. The
basic premise is that two people don't like each
other or they both want the same thing (usually
a championship belt). In most instances, one of
the wrestlers is a good guy and their opponent
is a bad guy who cheats. There are 4 ways to win
a regular match. They are by pin fall,
submission, count out, or disqualification. It
is important to note that a title CAN NOT change
hands on a count out or disqualification.
Watching Wrestling on
TV
It is best to look at televised wrestling as
being an infomercial for the monthly pay per
views. While you will enjoy the programming on
TV, everything you see is supposed to lead up to
the big battle at the pay per view event.
What am I Watching?
If the show you are watching has a ring that
looks like a boxing ring (4 sided) you are
watching WWE programming.
This is the company that used to be known as the
WWF, but they lost the use of the name to the
World Wildlife Fund. WWE programming is split
between three brands (RAW, SmackDown!, & ECW).
Despite what they say on TV, they are both the
same company and are owned by Vince McMahon. If
the TV show you are watching has a ring with six
sides, you are watching TNA. They are
competitors of the WWE although they are much
smaller. They claim to be an alternative to the
WWE and emphasize wrestling over entertainment.
How Much of This is
Real?
The outcomes of the matches are pre-determined
and most of the moves are planned out ahead of
time. The referee is in the ring as a prop for
the match. The referee also serves as a
communicator between the wrestlers in the ring
and the people running the show behind the
scenes. He communicates to the wrestlers if the
people in charge want them to deviate from the
planned finish and informs the wrestlers when
they need to end the match. The moves performed
in the ring are very dangerous and should not be
attempted at home. The wrestlers train very hard
to not injure themselves or their opponents but
accidents occur frequently. Most wrestlers have
suffered very severe injuries during their
careers.
I Like What I'm Seeing but Don't Understand
What's Going On
Don't be dismayed. Wrestling has its own
language and things change very quickly in the
wrestling world. This site will help you
navigate through the complex world of wrestling.
If there is something you still don't understand
after going through this site, feel free to
e-mail me and I'll help you out. |
