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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
ECW wrestlers would attack each other with folding chairs and leap from the top rope to crash into tables. They were also the first to hold a ladder match. The company was eventually bought out by the WWF, and hardcore stunts went mainstream.
TNA, Ring of Honor, and Combat Zone Wrestling remain top name promoters in the U. S. In Mexico, top honors go to Asistencia Asesoria Y Administracion and Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre. Large associations in Japan are All Japan Pro Wrestling, Pro Wrestling Noah, and New Japan Pro Wrestling.
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.
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.
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.
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.
ECW wrestlers would attack each other with folding chairs and leap from the top rope to crash into tables. They were also the first to hold a ladder match. The company was eventually bought out by the WWF, and hardcore stunts went mainstream.
TNA, Ring of Honor, and Combat Zone Wrestling remain top name promoters in the U. S. In Mexico, top honors go to Asistencia Asesoria Y Administracion and Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre. Large associations in Japan are All Japan Pro Wrestling, Pro Wrestling Noah, and New Japan Pro Wrestling.
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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