The history of professional wrestling is a history of sport as entertainment. Matches are preplanned with an agreed upon outcome. It combines theater and athletic skills including striking attacks, strength based holds and throws, acrobatic maneuvers, and improvised weaponry. A masculine soap opera, it's often a battle between good and evil. Like in the real world, evil sometimes win, but good returns for another battle. Add hot chicks and you have blockbuster entertainment.
Those who hate professional wrestling abhor the violence, the phony scripts, the use of cheating to win. Fans know it's phony. They love the soap opera stories. They love cheering and jeering at their heroes and anti-heroes. It's all good sport with no after event fights between fans of warring wrestlers.
Throughout history, fighting has been a popular form of entertainment. Traveling brawlers were especially popular in Europe in the 19th century. In North America carnival fighters challenged local brawlers to prove themselves in the ring. The carnival strongman was trained in holds and throws, and was not above a little cheating. Betting was fast and furious with townspeople usually betting on their homegrown hero who almost always lost the match.
Arenas became the stage for combatants in the late 1800's. Regional promoters hired wrestlers and devised championship matches. In 1901, the NWA was established to promote the sport to a national audience. They organized regional promoters into a cooperative association.
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.
During the 1930's there was lots of competition and stealing of talent. In 1948 the NWA established regional leagues and established a unified and agreed upon heavyweight championship. There was a gentlemen's agreement not to steal talent.
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.
The U. S. A still has several promoters on the national scene including Ring of Honor, Combat Zone Wrestling, TNA. Promoters in Mexico include Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre and the Asistencia Asesoria y Administracion. Promoters in Japan are Pro Wrestling Noah, New Japan Pro Wrestling, and All Japan Pro Wrestling.
Well known wrestlers have become internationally recognized superstars. It's a billion dollar business with a revenue stream including event ticket sales, television and web shows, home video sales, and branded merchandise. The WWE alone has over 13 million viewers and shows are aired in 150 countries. The history of professional wrestling is an ongoing story.
Those who hate professional wrestling abhor the violence, the phony scripts, the use of cheating to win. Fans know it's phony. They love the soap opera stories. They love cheering and jeering at their heroes and anti-heroes. It's all good sport with no after event fights between fans of warring wrestlers.
Throughout history, fighting has been a popular form of entertainment. Traveling brawlers were especially popular in Europe in the 19th century. In North America carnival fighters challenged local brawlers to prove themselves in the ring. The carnival strongman was trained in holds and throws, and was not above a little cheating. Betting was fast and furious with townspeople usually betting on their homegrown hero who almost always lost the match.
Arenas became the stage for combatants in the late 1800's. Regional promoters hired wrestlers and devised championship matches. In 1901, the NWA was established to promote the sport to a national audience. They organized regional promoters into a cooperative association.
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.
During the 1930's there was lots of competition and stealing of talent. In 1948 the NWA established regional leagues and established a unified and agreed upon heavyweight championship. There was a gentlemen's agreement not to steal talent.
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.
The U. S. A still has several promoters on the national scene including Ring of Honor, Combat Zone Wrestling, TNA. Promoters in Mexico include Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre and the Asistencia Asesoria y Administracion. Promoters in Japan are Pro Wrestling Noah, New Japan Pro Wrestling, and All Japan Pro Wrestling.
Well known wrestlers have become internationally recognized superstars. It's a billion dollar business with a revenue stream including event ticket sales, television and web shows, home video sales, and branded merchandise. The WWE alone has over 13 million viewers and shows are aired in 150 countries. The history of professional wrestling is an ongoing story.
About the Author:
The history of professional wrestling is explained in detail right here at www.squaredcircleofwrestling.com. Read the full story on http://www.squaredcircleofwrestling.com.
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