The history of professional wrestling is a story of thrilling fictional characters and twisted plots. Wrestlers are stuntmen with impressive skills including holds and throws, and acrobatic maneuvers. Winners are planned in advance but the story line promotes the illusion of reality. It's a male soap opera pitting good guys against bad guys. The battle rages on with no clear winner. In recent years female wrestlers have added to the excitement.
Wrestling is loved by fans, and hated by its detractors for violence and phony battles. Story lines are built around big, mean looking guys. Rules are broken. Cheating is commonplace. Audiences are encouraged to jeer and cheer. Fans find the story immensely entertaining. And no audience fights break out in the stadium, or the parking lot.
Fights as entertainment were popular in 19th century Europe, and as sideshow exhibitions in North American carnivals and vaudeville halls. A traveling carnival strongman would encourage locals to fight him in the ring. Challengers rarely won against experienced fighters with a knowledge of hook holds. It didn't take long to realize that betting on the outcome was where the real money was.
In the late 1800's events were moved to arenas similar to boxing matches. There were many individual promoters and championship belts. The first association was the NWA, a loose organization of regional promoters, formed in 1901.
In the 1920's we first see catch matches, time limits, signature moves, and tag team events. Distracting the referee to win a fight by cheating was popularized around this time. Promoters began signing wrestlers to contracts. With exciting well-known characters, promoters could spin a story line that kept fans waiting for the return engagement.
The 1930's saw cutthroat competition as regional organizations competed for territory and talent. After World War II, the NWA grew in stature. Promoters agreed to regional territories with defined boundaries. There was an informal agreement to not lure talent away from competitors.
In the 40's and 50's the rise of TV precipitated a return to cutthroat competition. The 1960's saw the rise of the WWF, later renamed WWE. In the early 1960's Vince McMahon Jr took control of the company. An aggressive businessman he competed successfully for the best talent and scored lucrative cable TV contracts. Over the next couple decades, WWF bought out its primary regional and national competitors to become the largest promoter in the U. S.
Wrestlers as stuntmen were the creation of ECW. Wrestlers leaping from the top rope would crash into tables. They attacked their opponent with chairs. ECW staged the first ladder match. They were bought out by the WWF who saw the entertainment value in extreme stunts.
Prominent companies in business today are TNA, Combat Zone Wrestling, and Ring of Honor. In Mexico the top associations are Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre, and Asistencia Asesoria y Administracion. In Japan the top competitors are New Japan Pro Wrestling, All Japan Pro Wrestling, and Pro Wrestling Noah.
Today this billion dollar industry collects revenue from ticket sales, television broadcasts (network and pay-per-view), internet and web shows, branded merchandise, and home video. WWE attracts 13 million viewers and broadcasts event in 150 countries. This entertaining "sport" is especially popular in Japan, Central and North America, and Brazil. Popular wrestlers become cultural icons. The history of professional wrestling is a story still being written.
Wrestling is loved by fans, and hated by its detractors for violence and phony battles. Story lines are built around big, mean looking guys. Rules are broken. Cheating is commonplace. Audiences are encouraged to jeer and cheer. Fans find the story immensely entertaining. And no audience fights break out in the stadium, or the parking lot.
Fights as entertainment were popular in 19th century Europe, and as sideshow exhibitions in North American carnivals and vaudeville halls. A traveling carnival strongman would encourage locals to fight him in the ring. Challengers rarely won against experienced fighters with a knowledge of hook holds. It didn't take long to realize that betting on the outcome was where the real money was.
In the late 1800's events were moved to arenas similar to boxing matches. There were many individual promoters and championship belts. The first association was the NWA, a loose organization of regional promoters, formed in 1901.
In the 1920's we first see catch matches, time limits, signature moves, and tag team events. Distracting the referee to win a fight by cheating was popularized around this time. Promoters began signing wrestlers to contracts. With exciting well-known characters, promoters could spin a story line that kept fans waiting for the return engagement.
The 1930's saw cutthroat competition as regional organizations competed for territory and talent. After World War II, the NWA grew in stature. Promoters agreed to regional territories with defined boundaries. There was an informal agreement to not lure talent away from competitors.
In the 40's and 50's the rise of TV precipitated a return to cutthroat competition. The 1960's saw the rise of the WWF, later renamed WWE. In the early 1960's Vince McMahon Jr took control of the company. An aggressive businessman he competed successfully for the best talent and scored lucrative cable TV contracts. Over the next couple decades, WWF bought out its primary regional and national competitors to become the largest promoter in the U. S.
Wrestlers as stuntmen were the creation of ECW. Wrestlers leaping from the top rope would crash into tables. They attacked their opponent with chairs. ECW staged the first ladder match. They were bought out by the WWF who saw the entertainment value in extreme stunts.
Prominent companies in business today are TNA, Combat Zone Wrestling, and Ring of Honor. In Mexico the top associations are Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre, and Asistencia Asesoria y Administracion. In Japan the top competitors are New Japan Pro Wrestling, All Japan Pro Wrestling, and Pro Wrestling Noah.
Today this billion dollar industry collects revenue from ticket sales, television broadcasts (network and pay-per-view), internet and web shows, branded merchandise, and home video. WWE attracts 13 million viewers and broadcasts event in 150 countries. This entertaining "sport" is especially popular in Japan, Central and North America, and Brazil. Popular wrestlers become cultural icons. The history of professional wrestling is a story still being written.
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