WrestlingBooker.com's
Glossary of Pro-wrestling words and terms
A A-show: AKA
flagship show, this means the show (eg.Raw, Smackdown, Nitro, Impact )
that is the main draw for the company. A-team: Not
very commonly used, refers to the main wrestlers in the company Abort:
Usually used to refer to a storyline being cut-short. Such as happened
with the McMahon death story when Chris Benoit died. Angle:
Common term. Refers to a non wrestling segment of a show such as a
promo, interview or beat-down Attitude era:
A period of time in the history of WWE from the mid 90's to 2000/2001
when the shows became less 'Hoganish'/family safe and a more risque
product was developed. Associated with such performers as D-generation
X, Steve Austin, The Rock and Mick Foley. This sparked a peak in their
popularity. B B-show: See
A-show. This is the second show or tier of shows of the promotion.
Examples are WWE
Heat/velocity and WCW Saturday night. Babyface:
Also known as a face. The good guy on the show who all the fans are
supposed to love. Compare with 'Tweeners' and 'Heels'. Backyard wrestling:
Refers to wrestling by untrained competitors who are trying to
reproduce what they see at pro-wrestling shows. Such organisations are
usually comprised of teenagers. Beatdown:
An angle in which a wrestler or other on-screen personality is attacked
on-screen or on-stage by another worker or more commonly by a group of
wrestlers. Blading:
Using a
(usually concealed) blade during a match to cut another wrestler and
cause bleeding. This is a legitimate method when employed by trained
wrestlers and is how blood appears in a pro-wrestling match. Usually
the cuts are made to the forehead. Blind Tag:
1- A tag which is made without the knowledge or consent of the tagged
worker.
2- A tag
made without the opponent being aware that it has occured. Blow off:
Not commonly used. Refers to the climax (usually the last match) of a
feud. May be the end of a workers career in the promotion. Blow up:
Refers to a wrestler tiring himself out during the early phase of a
match.(1) Blown Spot:
See botched spot. Botched Spot:
A spot that has been very poorly executed. Bomb Scare:
A very poorly attended match. (attendance was what you might have
expected had there been a bomb scare in the arena. Booked:
Means that something has been planned or scheduled to occur. Could
refer simply to a singles match between wrestler A and wrestler B has
been scheduled to occur or could refer to the precise scripting of a
match move by move. May also refer to an entire show having had the
running order scheduled. Refers to the predetermined nature of
pro-wrestling. Booker:
Surely everyone on this
site knows what this term means! The person who determines what happens
on a show or match. Also writes storylines spanning several shows so
may also be the writer. WWE refers to bookers as the 'creative team'.
Nothing to do with Booker-T or Booker-Red Booking: 1-
The act of being a booker.
2- A scheduled appearance by
a wrestler (a booking) Botch:
Fail to perform (or perform badly) a scripted move or event. Boys in the back:
The roster Bozark: An
old term for female wrestlers. (1) Bull: An old
term for a wrestling promoter. Originated in the carnival roots of
wrestling history. (1) Bump: When
a wrestler hits the wall/mat/floor. Bump ring: A
wrestling ring which has been padded to increase comfort for wrestlers
when taking bumps. (1) Bury:
To push a wrestler way down the card by either removing overness or
credibility. Often done deliberately if a wrestler is going to leave
the promotion or sometimes after a falling-out with the owner or
head-booker of a promotion. Normally this is done by forcing the
wrestler to lose soundly and humiliatingly to someone that they really
should have beaten. Opposite of 'push'. Busted open:
A wrestler that is bleeding. Commentators are often heard to say things
like "Oh my God, he's busted open!". C Call:
1- Where a wrestler tells another wrestler what to do or what he is
going
to do. Calling during the match refers to 2 wrestlers (or more) going
into a match without scripting much more than possibly who will win and
just 'making it up' often in response to the crowd's response this is s
technique often used by Ric Flair.
2- Commentators (especially play by play
commentators)
describing the action "calling the action". Canned Heat:
Similar to canned laughter but it is cheers and boos that are played
over loudspeakers to alter how the audience reaction appears. Card:
The schedule of matches (not angles) due to happen at an event. Top of
the card would be the main event featuring the top stars of the
promotion and at the bottom of the card are the 'openers'. In between
are the lower card, lower-mid card, midcard and upper-midcard.
Typically there might be about 7 matches in a 3 hour North American PPV.
Classic order of wrestlers: Main eventer > Upper midcard
> Midcard > Lower midcard > Opener >
Enhancement talent. Carny:
Dates back to when wrestling was principally a carnival attraction.
Refers to a carnival atmosphere and also to a vocabulary that wrestlers
use around non-wrestlers to keep in kayfabe. Carry:
A wrestler having to make a good match out of an inferior opponent. An
experienced worker might have to 'carry' a film star at a PPV who is
there to increase ratings. The carrying worker typically has to perform
spots himself and sell poorly executed moves to make the opponent look
much better than he really is. Chair-shot:
Hitting someone with a chair.
Championship:
A belt or title that a wrestler can win 'if he is good enough' or more
accurately if the promoter believes they will sell more tickets/attract
more viewers or sell more merchandise. Cheap heat:
Usually referring to a heel getting a negative reaction/boos out of the
crowd by employing old-school-heel techniques such as insulting the
town they are in or mocking a local sports team. Cheap pop: Basically
a face going out saying how wonderful the town is or pretending to
support a local sports team. The aim is to elicit a cheer from the
crowd. Cheap shot:
Performing a move such as a low-blow or chair-shot to gain the upper
hand. Often a heel move but Ric Flair managed to use it whilst face
much to the crowd's delight. Chemistry:
How well wrestlers work off each other and how this is picked up by the
crowd. Described as having 'good chemistry' or 'bad chemistry' Clean finish:
A perfectly legitimate and unmitigated end to a match such as pinfall
without interference or cheating. Opposite = Dusty finish which is
subtly different from screwjob. Clean/clear the house:
To eliminate everyone in a battle royal Closet champion:
A wrestler (usually heel) who defends his title only against much
weaker opponents (to satisfy the usual 30 day rule) or if faced with
defeat, deliberately loses by count-out or disqualification in
promotions where titles don't change hands by DQ or count out. Often
very effective in getting heat onto a big-name heel.(1) Color/Colour:
Blood Color/colour commentator:
The
member of the announcing team whose job it is to promote upcoming
pay-per-views and provide humour and chat during the show. Compare to
play by play commentator. Comp: A free
ticket to a wrestling event. Crimson mask:
Blood covered face. Cue: A
signal or event to prompt a worker to do something such as perform a
move. D Dagger:
A blade considerably bigger than is necessary.
Dark match:
A
match, usually before, the televised portion of a wrestling
event
starts. Normally features enhancement talents or sometimes local
wrestlers and its purpose is to gauge the fans response to the
wrestlers. If the match is after the televised portion it
will
usually feature some big-name 'main-eventers'. This type of dark match
is put on to send the crowd home happy without putting big
matches
on tv too often and thus hurting pay-per-view sales. Dead weight: a
wrestler going limp during, or not doing his part to pull off, a move
being performed by his opponent. Either 1, intentional so that the
opponent looks weak since he is unable to lift him properly or
2,
just because he is incompetent and doesn't know what to do. Deal: Apart
from its literal sense, it can refer to the title belt. Death match:
A match which is essentially a hardcore match but which is more
extreme. Blading and bleeding are commonplace. Weapons such as baseball
bats, blades and barb wire are frequently used. Decision: 1-
The result of a match.
2- The term used to
describe a fall or point in an iron man match. Decisions are either
through pinfall,
submission, knock
out, disqualification or count-out. Dirt sheet:
An insider letter in the wrestling business. (1) Diva:
A female on screen worker. Most commonly used by the WWE. Normally
employed for their looks rather than wrestling ability (there are
exceptions though). Do business:
When a worker co-operates with another worker in an angle or match in a
way which is beneficial either to the promotion or the other worker
rather than himself. Double Juice:
When both competitors bleed during a match. (Triple/quadruple juice =
three or four workers bleeding respectively) (1) Double team:
When 2 workers attack one worker. 'To double team someone' Double turn:
1- When in one angle or match, 2 wrestlers turn ie. the face becomes
heel and the heel becomes face. Such as happened with Bret Hart and
Steve Austin at Wrestlemania XIII.
2- When a wrestler turns then turns again in quick succession such as
both turns on the one show. (heel turns face then heel again or vice
versa). An example is the Chyna double turn at Wrestlemania XV. Draw: 1- A
match ending in a draw.
2- More commonly, refers to
the level of
attraction the crowd has towards a match/wrestler/promotion or
its popularity (examples: the WWE has a bigger draw than Ring
of
Honor, Steve Austin was a huge draw for the promotion). Drawing
power: The ability of eg. a wrestler to attract fans to
buy tickets for or watch a show. Drop: Refers
to dropping the title. Means to lose the championship to a contender. Dud: Means a
very poor or unexciting match. Dusty finish: Basically
and ending to a match in which either competitor can claim
victory. Named after Dusty Rhodes. E ECW:
A promotion run in the nineties by Paul Heyman which focused on
hard-core and extreme wrestling. Now the third brand of the WWE. See
main. Enforcer:
1- a wrestler usually a large worker lower down the card than the
person he is protecting who accompanies his kayfabe boss to
ringside and around backstage to 'protect' him (example Tyson
Tomko who was Christian [Cage]'s 'problem solver'.
2- A personality, usually
a celebrity, whose job it is to assist the referee in ensuring that the
match is conducted fairly with no cheating (Example Mike Tyson at
Wrestlemania XIV) Enhancement
talent: A worker at the bottom
of the ladder in a promotion. Below opener. Extreme:
Varying levels of interpretation depending on how risky the promotion's
product is but essentially means hard-core style featuring weapons and
more high-spots than a normal match would. Extremist: A
term sometimes used by WWE announcers to refer to the wrestlers on ECW
after it had been purchased. F Face:
AKA babyface. The typical good guy who is loved by the fans. Contrast
to heel. Faction:
AKA stable. A group of wrestlers who share a common link such as
kayfabe attitude/beliefs or a common manager. They look out for one
another and accompany one another to the ring. Usually refers to groups
such as evolution or D-generation X with a handful of wrestlers (~3-6)
or larger factions such as NWO which comprised almost half of WCW's
roster at one point. Faction can mean a larger group and stable mean a
smaller group but this is far from a consistent rule and the words are
used interchangeably. Fall: The
ending of a match or a decision in an iron-man match. See two out of three falls match.
Falls can be pinfalls or submissions. False
comeback:
A stage in the classic sequence of a match. The stage where the face
mounts a brief and unsuccesful fight-back before being beaten and
dominated for 5 minutes or so by the heel. The real comeback s when the
face finally overcomes the heel and wins. False finish:
An aspect of in ring psychology in which the fans are made to believe
that the match is over or is about to be over when, for example, one
competitor puts his foot on the rope to break the pin count. Federation years/era:
Time in the history of WWE between roughly mid 80's and early 90's when
the promotion grew rapidly into a global name. Largely due to the
ambition of Vince McMahon Jr. and the popularity of Hulk Hogan. Often
referred to as the Hogan-era or mania-era the latter referring to the
Hulkamania gimmick. Feeding:
Where one worker keeps coming back at the other unsuccessfully. If a
face feeds the heel the anticipated crowd reaction is one
of sympathy and re-inforced support for the face. If the heel
feeds the face, the crowd is supposed to get excited by the face's
success in keeping the heel down and start to believe he might win. Feud:
A storyline usually running for several months (or rarely years) in
which to wrestlers kayfabe hate each other or are obsessed
with beating each other. The feud will typically
involve
angles, promos, interviews and a few matches. Notable examples include
Bret Hart/Shawn Michaels in the nineties or more recently Kurt
Angle/Samoa Joe in TNA. Finish:
The end of a match. See dusty finish, clean finish and tainted win. Finisher:
A wrestler's trademark move which he often uses to end a match.
(Examples: Steve Austin's Stone-cold stunner and Kenta
Kobashi's
Burning Hammer). Flair Flip: One of Ric
Flair's techniques in which he runs into a turn buckle, and flips over
it landing on the apron. Flat back bump: A
bump in which the wrestler lands flat on his back spreading the impact
over as large an area of his back on the canvas as possible. Foreign Object:
Any object which shouldn't be in the ring - such as a steel chair or
ring-bell. Freebird Rule:
A rule allowing any 2 wrestlers to defend a tag-team belt held by a
team of 3 or more wrestlers. Named after the Fabulous Freebirds. G Gaijin:
A Japanese word for foreigner. Used to refer non-japanese wrestlers in
a Japanese promotion. Garbage
wrestling:
Also known as a spot fest (not exactly the same though - see later). A
match featuring gratuitous amounts of high risk spots and the action is
almost all centred around weapon-use. May also mean a very gimmicky
match with little or no elements of a traditional wrestling match. Gas: Either
refers to stamina or steroid use. Gate: Ticket
revenue for an event. Geek: To cut
yourself (1) Get over:
The act of becoming over. See over
later Gig: Term
used to refer to the blade that a wrestler uses to cut himself. Gig mark: A
scar caused by blading or gigging. Gimmick:
The term used to describe a worker's kayfabe persona as defined by his
attire, acting, and behaviour. Workers may have several gimmicks over
the course of their career - notably Mark Calloway's Undertaker who
changes between American Bad-ass on a motorcycle and the phenom/dead
man gimmick. Gimmicks are used to gain overness and distinguish a
wrestler in the eyes of the audience. Gimmick can also refer to gimick
matches which are matches conducted outside of the normal rules or
spirit of pro-wrestling such as Raven's Clockwork orange match or TNA's
fishmarket street fight. They often have non-traditional endings (ie
not pinfall etc). Gimmicked:
An object that has been altered so that its use appears more real.
Classically a ladder or table that has been strategically weakened at a
certain point in order for it to break convincingly when a wrestler
lands on it or his hit with it. Gizmo: =
Gimmick an outdated term not used much anymore.(1) Go home:
Wrestling code word meaning 'end the match soon'. Go through: Drawn
match due to the time limit running out. Going bush:
When a wrestler leaves a big promotion to join a smaller or more
regional promotion. Good hand: A
term used by wrestlers to describe a wrestler who other wrestlers trust
and they know will put on a good match. Gorilla position:
Area just behind the curtain where wrestlers can wait to go out into
view. Named after Gorilla Monsoon. Green:
Inexperienced or young. Refers to a wrestler. Gusher: A
cut as the result of blading which bleeds more than would be expected.
Usually accidental. H Hangman:
When a wrestler twists the second rope over the top rope with his neck
between them resulting in him hanging by his neck over the side of the
ring. Usually this is after a wrestler has been thrown at the ropes. Hardcore:
A style of pro-wrestling associated with relaxed rules and usually
associated with the use of weapons and action occurring outside as well
as inside the ring. Results in a more violent and reckless spectacle.
This style was popularised in the nineties in promotions such as ECW
and FMW. Hard flop:
Referee stoppage. Due to kayfabe inability of a wrestler to continue. Hard turn: A
sudden change from heel to face or vice versa. Often a swerve. *Heat: 1-
Often referred to as 'heel heat'. The dislike that has been
instilled in the audience towards one or more workers.
2- The dislike or
animosity between two
or more entities such as there has been heat between Bret Hart and
Vince McMahon since the Montreal Screw Job. Or the heat that existed
between WCW and the then WWF during the monday night wars. Head drop:
A wrestler receiving a bump on the head either as a result of a botched
move or in puroresu wrestling when a wrestler is made to look as if he
has received an impact to the head (usually actually to the back of the
neck and shoulders). This often carries a large amount of legitimate
risk. Heel: The
bad-guy. Contrast to face. High Spot: A
move or phase of a match that is purely to elicit a reaction from the
crowd. Often either due a high-risk flashy manoeuvre. Hooker:
A wrestler who posesses legitimate amateur wrestling or fighting
abilities and may use them legitimately in a match against their
opponent breaking kayfabe. This is no longer common due to the demise
of carnival wrestling (where they were common place) but the number
of wrestlers with such capabilities may have increased in
recent
years due to the recent increase in popularity of Mixed Martial Arts
(MMA) although kayfabe is very rarely broken. Hopespot: A
short lived false-comeback by a babyface which gives the fans a brief
glimmer of vain hope that the face might win. Hotshot:
A crash style of booking. Where a PPV standard match is booked for a
television show to gain a temporary boost in ratings. This can also
apply to angles. Hot - tag:
When a wrestler (usually face) tags in his rested and raring to go
partner. This will be after the wrestler has been dominated and often
kayfabe brutally beaten down by one or more opponents for a protracted
period of time during which he may make numerous unsuccessful attempts
at a tag. House show:
A wrestling show that is seen only by the fans in attendance. It is not
televised. Hulking up: Essentially
it is when a wrestler (who has normally been on the defensive for a
while) starts refusing to sell his opponent's move and fights back as
though he is oblivious his opponents attacks. Named
after Hulk Hogan who employed this technique frequently. I Indy circuit:
A collection of small promotions operating in a region or nation who
share performers. A recent development which some look upon as a
partial resurrection of the territory system. Indy promotion:
A small promotion which operates on the indy circuit. Indy worker:
A worker who operates on the indy circuit. A lot of wrestlers spend
their entire careers on the indy circuit. Some wrestlers, such as Bryan
Danielson (American Dragon) have become legends by working the indy
circuit. Irish whip:
a very
common move in which a wrestler is 'thrown' and sent running in a
direction usually towards the ring ropes or turnbuckle. J Jabroni:
Slang for jobber.
Jeritron: See titantron. What Chris Jericho calls the
Titantron Job:
A loss ie. to job to someone means to lose to them. Jobber: A
wrestler whose role is to job to (lose to) other higher card wrestlers. Jobber to the stars:
A wrestler (usually around midcard) whose main role is to lose to the
main-eventers (the stars) on a regular basis. This type of wrestler
will also be allowed victories from time to time against lower card
wrestlers in order to keep him looking credible. Juiced: 1- A
wrestler who is bleeding.
2- User of anabolic steroids Juicing:
Causing bleeding either to one's self or another. K *Kayfabe:
1- Term used to describe the illusion and subterfuge of reality thereby
creating and maintaining the professional pretence that pro wrestling
is not staged and is legitimate. To stay in kayfabe is, to a wrestler,
what staying in character is to an actor.
2- The word used by
wrestling industry insiders to inform a colleague that an outsider is
listening so that they can stop discussing insider information and
retain kayfabe as described above. Kill:
Drastically remove overness. Knockout:
1- A finish to a match similar to the term's usage in boxing. Being
unable to answer a 10 count.
2 - Used in TNA to
describe female on screen personalities, very similar to the use of
'diva' in the WWE but tends to place slightly more emphasis on the
worker's wrestling attributes than their eye-candy attributes. L Lead ass:
An experienced worker who has to lead a green rookie around through a
match. (comes from leading a donkey around) Legit:
Legit/legitimate refers to anything that is real. For instance, a legit
wrestler is a worker who actually is a good wrestler and probably has a
successful amateur background behind them (eg. Kurt Angle). A legit
fighter is a worker who is actually an accomplished fighter (eg. Ken
Shamrock). A legit match or shoot fight is a match in which the
competitors are (non kayfabe) wrestling each other and possibly
intentionally causing submissions. A legit event is something happening
outside of (not breaking) kayfabe. Legit Heat:
Real-life dislike or animosity between two wrestlers or workers. Lemming: A
usually young fan who blindly follows his chosen promotion. Light: Being
too easy on an opponent or the appearance thereof. Lock-up:
Often at the start of a match between two mat-based wrestlers. The
initial mutual grapple. Loose:
Refers to holds ie. loose holds and means that they are weaker or less
forceful than normal. Low blow:
The striking, or kayfabe striking, of a worker in the genitals. Lucha Libre:
A style of wrestling most popular in Mexico and latin america and
refers to acrobatic, high flying wrestling usually by wrestlers who
would be classed as cruiser-weight or light-heavyweight in the USA,
Canada, Japan and Britain. From the spanish: lucha = fight(s), libre =
free. Luchador: A
wrestler whose style is lucha-libre or sometimes any mexican wrestler. M Main event:
The match at the top of the card. Main Eventer:
A wrestler at the top of the card. One of the biggest draws in the
company. Manager:
A worker who accompanies his (kayfabe) client wrestler to the
ring
and backstage. His purpose is to do all the talking for his client and
will be assigned to wrestlers who are often inept at this side of their
performance but might nonetheless be a big draw or very talented in the
ring. Some managers such as Jimmy Hart had many clients simultaneously.
Some managers are retired or injured wrestlers and some managers may
move on to a different role such as promoter (for example, Paul Heyman
or Jim Cornette) Mark: 1- A
fan who believes (buys kayfabe) that some or all of the kayfabe aspects
of professional wrestling are true.
2- A fan (or sometimes a wrestler) who
'marks out
to' a particular wrestler, wrestling promotion or wrestling style -
they are a mark for the person or style etc. 'Mark out' means to show
respect and admiration for something or someone (eg. C.M. Punk marked
out to Ric Flair after they teamed together). Marking out:
Can also refer to enjoying and appreciating pro-wrestling for the
spectacle that it is. Midcarder: A
worker who below the main eventers but above an opener. Often divided
into upper-midcard, midcard proper and lower-midcard. Missed Spot:
When a spot (usually a move) is either botched or badly mistimed. Mist:
Spray from a capsule of dye contained in the mouth which is released
into another wrestler's face. Made famous by The Great Muta. Money match:
The match on the card which has the largest drawing power (was why most
fans bought a ticket). Monster heel:
A wrestler who is portrayed as unbeatable or someone to fear. Usually a
large heavyweight or super-heavy weight with an intimidating and
menacing physical presence and are often masked. Typical examples
include Abyss and Vader. Montreal Screwjob:
An infamous incident that occurred at WWF Survivor Series 1997 in which
Vince McMahon allegedly screwed Bret Hart out of his WWF championship
by
instructing referee Earl Hebner to ring the bell and claim that Bret
had submitted to his opponent Shawn Michaels when he clearly hadn't.
Popular opinion is that Michaels was in on the deal before the match
began and that this resulted in a backstage confrontation
between
Hart and McMahon and possibly others on either side in which Bret Hart
is believed by many to have punched McMahon in the face. The incident
is still very emotive to many wrestling fans and is a source of
continued debate and speculation to this day. Mouthpiece:
A manager who does all of a wrestlers interviews and promos for him.
Usually because the worker is unskilled in this area. Muta Scale:
A measure of how gory a match was and how much a wrestler bled during
the match where 0.0 is no blood and 1.0 is the amount of blood shed by
the Great Muta in his match against Hiroshi Hase which is widely held
to be the most severe blading ever in a pro-wrestling match. N Near fall:
This is when a pin is almost achieved. Refers to occasions when the
wrestler being pinned manages to get his shoulder off the mat just as
the referee's arm is about to hit the mat for the third time. No holds barred:
Means that any moves are permitted. Originally was used to describe
matches in the deep-south where the tombstone-piledriver and certain
other moves were permitted (they were normally considered illegal).
Today the term means something very similar to a hardcore match with
the difference being that falls must still be made in-ring. No-sell:
Means that a wrestler is not making his opponent's moves appear
effective. This is sometimes scripted (see hulking-up) and sometimes
because a wrestler is defying his orders. This term would not normally
be used for wrestlers who are just very poor sellers since they would
then be attempting to sell. No-show:
A wrestler or other worker who does not turn up for a show they are
scheduled to be at. If genuine, this is considered to be very bad form
and usually results in the suspension or firing of the worker. However,
most 'on-screen' no-shows are kayfabe and form part of a story-line. O Office:
This
is when one wrestler indicates to another that he should reverse a
submission hold. Often signalled by squeezing the wrestler's hand. (2) One-fall:
Means that the winner of the match will be decided on one decision.
("the following contest is scheduled for one-fall" tells the audience
that when one wrestler (under standard rules) is pinned, submits, is
disqualified, counted out or knocked out their opponent will be
declared the victor. Over:
The quality of being popular and/or well-known as a wrestler primarily
among wrestling fans (among fans of TNA and RoH, Samoa Joe is very over
but amongst the general population he is not). Similar to fame. Can
also be extended to include fame amongst the general population (for
example, The Rock has become very over amongst the general population). Over-selling:
Making an opponent's move look painful or effective beyond what is
believable. P Paper:
Used as a verb to describe the act of giving away large numbers of
tickets for free in order to make the event better attended and
therefore make the promotion appear more popular. Parts unknown:
Where wrestlers are sometimes billed as being from in order to make
them appear more of an enigma and thus hopefully more mysterious. Not
used very much today. Paying dues:
The concept that younger wrestlers who are just starting to make their
way in the wrestling industry must lose to and put other, more
established wrestlers over. Also believed to include out-of ring / off
screen hazing of younger wrestlers to 'initiate' them into the
wrestling fraternity. Phantom bump:
When a wrestler sells a move that obviously was botched or didn't
properly happen. Plant:
Either a trained but unheard of wrestler or actor who has been put in
the crowd (usually at ringside) for a wrestler (usually heel) to either
confront and abuse or get in the ring and beat-up. They are often used
to gain
heel heat.
Policeman: A wrestler who is loyal to the promotion and is
used to shoot fight wrestlers who are straying out of line as a
punishment. Also to silence disgruntled workers. Politician:
A wrestler who builds up connections and relationships with the owner
or bookers back stage (or uses existing relationships) in order to
influence the creative decisions of the promotion such as who will get
the belts and who will be pushed to the top of the card. Pop: A
sudden reaction from the crowd towards a worker. Usually taken to mean
a positive reaction. Popcorn match:
Refers to an uninteresting match during a show when fans would be
better off just going to the concession stand or snack bar to buy
popcorn. Post: To
post means to force an opponent into a turnbuckle. Potato: A
strike (usually a punch) to an opponent which is legit. This is
sometimes accidental, sometimes deliberate towards a jobber, or
sometimes it is deliberate but done in order to make the action appear
more real (such as when 2 wrestlers are fighting right in front of the
crowd. Less often potato is taken to mean a punch that renders the
opponent unconscious. *Product:
The concept and style of a promotion's shows and events. Promo: An
interview or solo piece to camera by a worker to put themselves over or
advance a storyline (usually feud plots). Commonly described as
"cutting a promo" Promotion:
An organisation, usually a company, that promotes and arranges
wrestling shows Examples: WWE, TNA, CMLL etc. Pull apart brawl:
A kayfabe fight between 2 wrestlers that usually starts as a match that
has degenerated into a brawl (fight). Other wrestlers run out to the
ring and pull them apart, sometimes ending up fighting themselves. Puroresu:
A style of wrestling that originated in Japan in which wrestlers work
realistically and generally building up from less powerful moves to
more powerful as the match progresses. The wrestlers usually work with
a very stiff style during the match. There is usually very little in
terms of out-of-ring storylines and the emphasis put on treating the
match as a true sport (NJPW's 'King of sports' slogan).Sometimes used
to describe all forms of Japanese wrestling. A 20 count rather than a
10 count is used. Put over: To
allow an opponent to gain heat or popularity (overness) usually at the
expense of the person putting them over's own heat. Psychology:
The skill of being able to tell a story through wrestling. This can be
kept very simple or in some cases can be a highly complex art. A
crucial component of any good pro wrestling match. Push:
A push is when the promotion puts effort into promoting and giving
momentum to a wrestler in an effort to increase his overness or use him
higher up the card. Push can also refer to a wrestler's relative
position on the card ie. "he has a midcard push" means that he is being
used at midcard. Q R Rasslin':
A southern word for wrestling. Primarily used to describe the style of
pro wrestling developed on the southern states of the USA.
Characterised
by stiff brawling and grappling and is heavily dependent on kayfabe.
Sometimes used as a derogatory term to mock the traditional style of
wrestling. Comes from the way 'wrestling' sounds in a Southern accent. Red means green:
A phrase used by wrestlers to explain that if you bleed in matches you
earn more money Ref bump:
The referee being kayfabe knocked unconscious. Usually in order to
allow outside interference or cheating in a match. Repackage:
To radically change a wrestler's gimmick. Often requires a considerable
period of time off-screen. Rest hold:
A move applied by one wrestler to his opponent to allow both wrestlers
to rest and conserve energy whilst still continuing the match.
Occasionally used to slow the tempo of a match irrespective of resting
the wrestlers (used for psychology). Rib: To
joke/josh or wind-up another worker. Ribber: A
worker well known to rib. Ring rat: A
fan who is obsessed with and thinks they are in love with wrestlers or
a specific wrestler and goes to any wrestling event they can just to
see the wrestlers in the hope of flirting with them. Ring rust(y):
Being out of wrestling practice. Some one who has not wrestled for a
long time and might be losing the knack of it. Road agent:
A worker (often a retired wrestler) who runs the backstage and works
with the wrestlers to script the sequence of matches. Roid rage:
Describes the feelings of anger and depression that occurs in some
workers during or following the use of anabolic steroids. Roids:
Anabolic steroids Run in:
When other wrestlers or authority figures who are not meant to be
competing in a match rush down to the ring and perform a beat-down of
one or more of the competitors. Rushed finish:
When a match is brought to an end more quickly than was planned. Due to
injury, very poor performance or time-constraints. S Sandbag:
A wrestler who is being uncooperative in his opponents lifting or
throwing moves. Deadweight to lift therefore very hard or impossible to
complete the move. Save: A
wrestler or group of wrestlers coming to the kayfabe aid of a colleague. Schmoz: A
group of wrestlers in a disorganised looking brawl the purpose of which
is to end a match or angle (1). Screwjob:
Where a wrestler is unfairly cheated out of a win. Usually due to
outside interference or, if legit., it may be a pre-planned conspiracy.
The most famous legit example is the Montreal Screwjob. Selling:
Making an opponents move appear effective and real. Sheets:
Wrestling magazines. Shill:
A one-promotion fan who unquestioningly believes and pontificates that
the promotion he follows is right all the time and that other
promotions are always inferior Shoot: A
legit event in pr-wrestling. Shoot fight: A
match or brawl in which at least one of the competitors is legitimately
wrestling or fighting the other. Shoot promo:
A promo out of kayfabe Shooter: A
wrestler with a real background in amateur wrestling or
mixed-martial-arts. Showing light:
When a wrestler doesn't physically connect with his opponent during a
move. Typically used to refer to punches or other strikes that don't
connect. Slobber knocker: An
all-out (kayfabe) brawl. Smark: A
wrestling fan who watches and follows pro wrestling despite of or due
to knowing of its staged nature. Soft turn: A
gradual change of heel to face or vice versa over a protracted period
of time. Sports-entertainment:
WWE's description of their own product. Referring to its heavy use of
soap-opera style storylines and broader appeal. Spot: A
scripted and scheduled move or event during a match. Compare high spot. Spotfest:
Term used to describe a promotion or more commonly a match that
features a gratuitous amount of spots and high spots to the detriment
of the match's psychology. Most common in Lucha libre and cruiser
weight contests. Spot monkey: A
wrestler who is well known for focusing very heavily on cramming as
many high spots into a single match without regard to in ring
psychology. Spud:
A match with a lot of potatoes (1). Squash match:
A very short and one sided match an extreme example would be Kane's win
at Wrestlemania XXIV. Stable:
A group of wrestlers in a promotion with a kayfabe common bond
(beliefs/attitude, manager, ambition etc). Examples: D-generationX, The
Radicals, NWO and the Hart Foundation. See faction. Stiffness:
The risk of injury and the degree of real force behind moves. ie a
stiff wrestle is more likely to injure his opponent. Stooge: A
heel's sidekick whom the heel sends out to do his dirty work or to
receive a beating by a face in place of his kayfabe boss. Stretch:
When a wrestler physically dominates his opponent in a shoot. Usually
without actually hurting them too much. Stretched:
Injured in the ring, either legit or worked. Strong style:
A style of Japanese pro-wrestling in which the emphasis is put on
frequent worked shoots and high levels of stiffness (despite being
staged) in order to deliver a high realism product. Superhuman comeback:
No selling of an opponent's offense following a period of being
dominated in order to win a match that seemed beyond him. See hulking
up. Superstar: A
term used originally by the WWF (now WWE) in place of 'wrestler' now
used in a number of smaller promotions as well. Swerve:
A sudden and dramatic change in the course of a storyline designed to
contradict what the fans were expecting. Normally involves a quick
heel/face turn by one of the main protagonists of a feud storyline. T Tag rope:
The piece of rope attached to the turnbuckle that the inactive member
of a tag team is supposed to hold onto at all times. Rarely enforced.
Tag team: A team of two or occasionally more wrestlers who
compete on the same side either in many matches or as a one-off. Tag team match:
A match between two teams (usually 2 on either side) in which there
would normally be one member of each team in the ring at any time.
Competitors change in and out of the ring by the active competitor
touching (tagging) their team mate in. Tap-out:
A method of indicating submission by which the submitter taps his hand
repeatedly against the mat or less commonly his opponent's arm. Territory:
The area in which a promotion puts on shows. Outdated concept but still
reminisced over by many. Three count:
A pinfall Titantron:
The large video screen in the arena. Originally referred to the screen
on WWE RAW but has since become wide spread on other shows. Tornado tag: A tag
team match in which all competitors can be active at the same time. Tope: To jump from
the ring to the outside of the ring over the top rope. Transitional champion:
A wrestler who holds the title for a short while between two champions
or two eras. Turn: A
wrestler changing from a heel to face or vice versa. Tweener: A
wrestler who is neither heel nor face. Also a wrestler who is cheered
by the fans despite of acting as a heel (Undertaker) Two count: When a
wrestler is in a pinning position but gets a shoulder up after the
referee counts 2 but before he counts 3. Two and a half count:
See near fall. Refers to kicking out as the referee's hand is coming
down for a 3 count. U Undercard:
1- The dark matches at an event
2- The matches preceding the main event Unification: The
combining of two championships to create a new usually more prestigious
championship. Example: In 2001, the WCW World Heavyweight Championship
was unified with the WWF Championship to form the WWF Undisputed
Championship at Vengeance. V Valet:
Female worker who accompanies a male wrestler to the ring. Their
primary function is as eye-candy. Vignette: A
short video. Usually refers to hype videos for debuting wrestlers Vocal Selling (1): The use of cries
or screams to sell a move. W Work:
1- To plan an event or action. Opposite of shoot.
2- To target an opponent's
weakness or body
part. ("to work on an elbow") Part of in-ring psychology.
3- To involve the crowd in the show or match. Worker:
Any onscreen character or character seen by the crowd. Sometimes used
synonymously with 'wrestler' but the definition is broader than that. Worked shoot:
1- A booked angle or match that fans are supposed to believe is a shoot.
2- An angle or match that is
both shoot and
planned/condoned. Workrate:
Ability of a wrestler to intelligently and effectively perform a match
or angle. Not to be confused with stamina. Wrestlecrap:
Wrestling that has become or in the user's opinion will become popular
purely because of how bad it is. X X-division:
TNA's section of the roster that compete in a more high flying or fast
paced manner. Very roughly analogous to WWE's cruiserweight division. Y Z
1- Wikipedia,
2- Michaels, S.- Heartbreak and Triumph: The Shawn Michaels Story
