For the Olympic sport, see Wrestling. For other uses, see Professional wrestling (disambiguation).
| Professional wrestling | |
|---|---|
 A professional wrestling match. Two wrestlers grapple in a wrestling ring while a referee (in white, right) looks on. | |
| Ancestor arts | |
| Descendant arts | Shoot style wrestling Roller derby |
| Originating culture |  United States England France |
| Originating era | 19th-century |
Professional wrestling (often shortened pro wrestling, or simply wrestling) is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics andtheatrical performance.[1] It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport. The unique form of sport portrayed is fundamentally based on classical and "catch" wrestling, with modern additions of striking attacks,strength-based holds and throws, and acrobatic maneuvers; much of these derive from the influence of various international martial arts. An additional aspect of combat with improvised weaponry is sometimes included to varying degrees.
The matches have predetermined outcomes in order to heighten entertainment value, and all combative maneuvers are executed with the full cooperation of those involved and carefully performed in specific manners intended to lessen the chance of actual injury.[2] These facts were once kept highly secretive but are now a widely accepted open secret. By and large, the true nature of the performance is not discussed by the performing company in order to sustain and promote the willing suspension of disbelief for the audience by maintaining an aura of verisimilitude.
Originating as a sideshow exhibition in North American traveling carnivals and vaudeville halls, professional wrestling grew into a standalone genre of entertainment with many diverse variations in cultures around the globe, and is now considered a multi-million dollar entertainment industry. In North America, it has experienced several different periods of prominent cultural popularity during its century and a half of existence. The advent of television gave professional wrestling a new outlet, and wrestling (along with boxing) was instrumental in making pay-per-view a viable method of content delivery.
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Scope and influence[edit]
Show wrestling has become especially prominent in Japan and in Central and North America.[3] In Brazil, there was a very popular wrestling television program from the 1960s to the early 1980s called Telecatch. High-profile figures in the sport have become celebrities or cultural icons in their native or adopted home countries.
Although professional wrestling started out as petty acts in sideshows, traveling circuses and carnivals, today it is a billion-dollar industry. Revenue is drawn from ticket sales, network television broadcasts, pay-per-view broadcasts, branded merchandise and home video. Pro wrestling was instrumental in making pay-per-view a viable method of content delivery. Annual shows such asWrestleMania, Bound for Glory and formerly Starrcade are among the highest-selling pay-per-view programming each year. In modern day, internet programming has been utilized by a number of companies to air web shows, internet pay per views (IPPVs) or on-demand content, helping to generate internet-related revenue earnings from the evolving World Wide Web.
Home video sales dominate the Billboard charts Recreational Sports DVD sales, with wrestling holding anywhere from 3 to 9 of the top 10 spots every week.[4]
Due to its persistent cultural presence and to its novelty within the performing arts, wrestling constitutes a recurring topic in both academia and the media. Several documentaries have been produced looking at professional wrestling, most notably, Beyond the Mat directed by Barry W. Blaustein, andWrestling with Shadows featuring wrestler Bret Hart and directed by Paul Jay. There have also been many fictional depictions of wrestling; the 2008 film The Wrestler received several Oscar nominations and began a career revival for star Mickey Rourke.
Currently, the largest professional wrestling company worldwide is the United States-based WWE, which bought out many smaller regional companies in the late 20th century, as well as its primary US competitors World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) in early 2001. Other prominent professional wrestling companies worldwide include the US-based Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), Combat Zone Wrestling, and Ring of Honor organizations, Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre andAsistencia Asesoría y Administración in Mexico, and the Japanese New Japan Pro Wrestling, All Japan Pro Wrestling, and Pro Wrestling Noah leagues.
Genre conventions[edit]
Main articles: kayfabe and shoot (professional wrestling)
When talking about professional wrestling, there are two levels: the "in-show" happenings that are presented through the shows, and happenings which are outside the scope of performance (in other words, are real life) but have implications on the performance, such as performer contracts, legitimate injuries, etc. Because actual events are often co-opted by writers for incorporation into storylines for the performers, the lines are often blurred and become confused.
Special care must be taken when talking about people who perform under their own name. The actions of the character should be considered fictional events, wholly separate from the life of the performer. This is similar to other entertainers who perform with a persona that shares their own name (such as Stephen Colbert and Stephen Colbert (character)).
Some wrestlers will incorporate elements of their real-life personalities into their characters, even if they and their in-ring persona have different names. One notable example is CM Punk, who is straight edge both inside and outside the ring, and uses different aspects of the lifestyle to draw the desired crowd reaction depending on his character's alignment.
Kayfabe[edit]
Historians are unsure at what point wrestling changed from competitive catch wrestling into worked entertainment. Those who participated felt that maintenance of a constant and complete illusion for all who were not involved was necessary to keep audience interest. For decades, wrestlers lived their public lives as though they were their characters.
The practice of keeping the illusion, and the various methods used to do so, came to be known as "kayfabe" within wrestling circles, or "working the marks". An entire lexicon of slang jargon and euphemism developed to allow performers to communicate without outsiders' knowledge of what was being said.
Occasionally a performer will deviate from the intended sequence of events. This is known as a shoot. Sometimes shoot-like elements are included in wrestling stories to blur the line between performance and reality. These are known as "worked shoots". However, the vast majority of events in professional wrestling are entirely preplanned or improvised within accepted boundaries.
Gradually, the predetermined nature of professional wrestling became an open secret, as prominent figures in the wrestling business (including World Wrestling Entertainment owner Vince McMahon) began to publicly admit that wrestling was entertainment, not competition. This public reveal has garnered mixed reactions from the wrestling community, as some feel that exposure ruins the experience to the spectators as does exposure in illusionism. Despite the public admission of the theatrical nature of professional wrestling, many U.S. states still regulate professional wrestling as they do other professional competitive sports. For example, New York State still regulates "professional wrestling" through the New York State Athletic Commission (SAC). [5]
Aspects of performing art[edit]
Professional wrestling shows can be considered a form of theatre in the round, with the ring, ringside area, and entryway comprising a thrust stage. However, there is a much more limited concept of a fourth wall than in most theatric performances. The audience is recognized and acknowledged by the performers as spectators to the sporting event being portrayed, and are encouraged to interact as such. This leads to a high level of audience participation; in fact, their reactions can dictate how the performance unfolds.[6] Often, individual matches will be part of a longer storyline conflict between "babyfaces" (often shortened to just "faces") and "heels". "Faces" are those whose actions are intended to encourage the audience to cheer (the "good guys"), while "heels" act to draw the ire of the spectators (the "bad guys").
Rules[edit]
 | This section needs additional citations for verification. (November 2010) |
There is no governing authority for professional wrestling rules, although there is a general standard which has developed. Each promotion has their own variation, but all are similar enough to avoid confusion most of the time. Any rule described here is simply a standard, and may or may not correspond exactly with any given promotion's ruleset.
It should be noted that, due to the staged nature of wrestling, these are not actual "rules" in the sense that they would be considered in similar articles about actual sports likefreestyle wrestling. Instead, the "rules" in this article are implemented and supposedly enforced for the sake of suspension of disbelief (known as kayfabe in the jargon of the business).
General structure[edit]
Matches are held between two or more sides ("corners"). Each corner may consist of one wrestler, or a team of two or more. Most team matches are governed by tag team rules (see below). Other matches are free-for-alls, with multiple combatants but no teams. In all variants, there can be only one winning team or wrestler.
The standard method of scoring is the "fall", which is accomplished by:
- Pinning the opponent's shoulders to the mat, typically for three seconds (though other times have been used)
- Forcing the opponent to submit
- A forfeit via a disqualified opponent
- The opponent remaining outside the ring for too long (countout)
- Knocking out or otherwise incapacitating the opponent
These are each explained in greater detail below. Typically, pinfalls and submissions must occur within the ring area, however there are times where it may be stipulated otherwise.
Most wrestling matches last for a set number of falls, with the first side to achieve the majority number of pinfalls, submissions, or countouts being the winner. Historically, matches were wrestled to 3 falls ("best 2 out of 3") or 5 falls ("best 3 out of 5"). The standard for modern matches is one fall. However, even though it is now standard, many announcers will explicitly state this (e.g. "The following contest is set for one fall with a 20-minute time limit.") These matches are given a time limit; if not enough falls are scored by the end of the time limit, the match is declared a draw. Modern matches are generally given a 10- to 30-minute time limit for standard matches; title matches can go for up to one hour. British wrestling matches held under Admiral-Lord Mountevans rules are 2 out of 3 falls.
An alternative is a match set for a prescribed length of time, with a running tally of falls. The entrant with the most falls at the end of the time limit is declared the winner. This is usually for 20, 30 or 60 minutes, and is commonly called an Iron Man match. This type of match can be modified so that fewer types of falls are allowed.
In matches with multiple competitors, an elimination system may be used. Any wrestler who has a fall scored against them is forced out of the match, and the match continues until only one remains. However, it is much more common when more than two wrestlers are involved to simply go one fall, with the one scoring the fall, regardless of who they scored it against, being the winner. In championship matches, this means that, unlike one-on-one matches (where the champion can simply disqualify himself or get himself counted out to retain the title via the Champion's Advantage), the champion does not have to be pinned or involved in the decision to lose the championship. However, heelchampions often find advantages, not in Champion's Advantage, but in the use of weapons and outside interference, as these poly-sided matches tend to involve no holds barredrules.
Many modern specialty matches have been devised, with unique winning conditions. The most common of these is the ladder match. In the basic ladder match, the wrestlers or teams of wrestlers must climb a ladder to obtain a prize that is hoisted above the ring. The key to winning this match is that the wrestler or team of wrestlers must try to incapacitate each other long enough for one wrestler to climb the ladder and secure that prize for their team. As a result, the ladder can be used as a weapon. The prizes include but are not limited to any given championship belt (the traditional prize), a document granting the winner the right to a future title shot, or any document that matters to the wrestlers involved in the match (such as one granting the winner a cash prize). Another common specialty match is known as the battle royal. In a battle royal, all the wrestlers enter the ring to the point that there are 20-30 wrestlers in the ring at one time. When the match begins, the simple objective is to throw the opponent over the top rope and out of the ring with both feet on the floor in order to eliminate that opponent. The last wrestler standing is declared the winner. A variant on this type of match is the WWE's Royal Rumble where two wrestlers enter the ring to start the match and other wrestlers follow in 90 second intervals (previously 2 minutes) until 30-40 wrestlers have entered the ring. All other rules stay the same. For more match types, see Professional wrestling match types.
Every match must be assigned a rule keeper known as a referee, who is the final arbitrator. In multi-man lucha libre matches, two referees are used, one inside the ring and one outside.
Due to the legitimate role that referees play in wrestling of serving as liaison between the bookers backstage and the wrestlers in the ring (the role of being a final arbitrator is merelykayfabe), the referee is present, even in matches that do not at first glance appear to require a referee (such as a ladder match, as it is no holds barred, and the criteria for victory could theoretically be assessed from afar). Although their actions are also frequently scripted for dramatic effect, referees are subject to certain general rules and requirements in order to maintain the theatrical appearance of unbiased authority. The most basic rule is that an action must be seen by a referee to be declared for a fall or disqualification. This allows for heel characters to gain a scripted advantage by distracting or disabling the referee in order to perform some ostensibly illegal maneuver on their opponent. Most referees are unnamed and essentially anonymous, though the WWE has let their officials reveal their names.
Special guest referees may be used from time to time; by virtue of their celebrity status, they are often scripted to dispense with the appearance of neutrality and use their influence to unfairly influence the outcome of the match for added dramatic impact. Face special referees will often fight back against hostile heel wrestlers, particularly if the special referee is either a wrestler himself or a famous martial artist (such as Tito Ortiz at the main event at TNA Hard Justice 2005).
For heel special referees, common ways of assisting the heel wrestler to obtain victory include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Counting fast whenever the face wrestler is being pinned, while counting slow, or even refusing to count at all, when the heel wrestler is being pinned.
- Allowing heel wrestlers to use blatantly illegal tactics that most normal referees would instantly disqualify for, while not extending these relaxed rules to face wrestlers.
- Feigning unconsciousness far longer than they would normally otherwise be out, allowing for greater opportunities for run-ins, while instantly waking up the moment the heel wrestler seems to have an advantage.
- Actually assisting in attacking the face wrestler.
Matches are held within a wrestling ring, an elevated square canvas mat with posts on each corner. A cloth apron hangs over the edges of the ring. Three horizontal ropes or cables surround the ring, suspended with turnbuckles which are connected to the posts. For safety, the ropes are padded at the turnbuckles and cushioned mats surround the floor outside the ring. Guardrails or a similar barrier enclose this area from the audience. Wrestlers are generally expected to stay within the confines of the ring, though matches sometimes end up outside the ring, and even in the audience, to add excitement.
Tag rules[edit]
Main article: Tag team
In some team matches, only one entrant from each team may be designated as the "legal" or "active" wrestler at any given moment. Two wrestlers must make physical contact (typically palm-to-palm) in order to transfer this legal status. This is known as a tag, with the participants tagging out and tagging in. Typically the wrestler who is tagging out has a 5-second count to leave the ring, whereas the one tagging in can enter the ring at any time, resulting in heels legally double-teaming a face.
The non-legal wrestlers must remain outside the ring or other legal area at all times (and avoid purposeful contact with the opposing wrestlers) or face reprimand from the referee. In most promotions, the wrestler to be tagged in must be touching the turnbuckle on his corner, or a cloth strap attached to the turnbuckle.
Some multi-wrestler matches allow for a set number of legal wrestlers, and a legal wrestler may tag out to any other wrestler, regardless of team. In these matches, the tag need not be a mutual effort, and this results in active wrestlers being tagged out against their will, or non-legal wrestlers forced to enter the battle.
Sometimes, poly-sided matches that pit every man for himself will incorporate tagging rules. Outside of kayfabe, this is done to give wrestlers a break from the action (as these matches tend to go on for long periods of time), and to make the action in the ring easier to choreograph. One of the most mainstream examples of this is the Four-Corner match, the most common type of match in the WWE before it was replaced with its equivalent Fatal Four-Way; four wrestlers, each for himself, fight in a match, but only two wrestlers can be in the match at any given time. The other two are positioned in the corner, and tags can be made between any two wrestlers.
In a Texas Tornado Tag Team match, all the competitors are legal in the match, and tagging in and out is not necessary. All matches fought under hardcore rules (such as no disqualification, no holds barred, ladder match, etc.) are all contested under de facto Texas Tornado rules, since the lack of ability of a referee to issue a disqualification renders any tagging requirements moot.
Regardless of rules of tagging, a wrestler cannot pin his or her own tag team partner, even if it is technically possible from the rules of the match (e.g. Texas Tornado rules, or a three-way tag team match). This is called the "Outlaw Rule" because the first team to attempt to use that (in an attempt to unfairly retain their tag team titles) was the New Age Outlaws.
Techniques[edit]
A wrestler may not punch an opponent with a closed fist nor kick an opponent with the toe of their boot. Biting is not allowed, nor is spitting in the eyes. When wrestlers do this, however, they usually get away with it with just an admonishment from the referee.
Wrestlers may lift an opponent and throw them, drop them, or otherwise force them to the mat. Such techniques which land an opponent on the head or neck, such as thepiledriver, may be disallowed by some promotions.
A wrestler may jump onto an opponent, whether standing or lying down, in any manner, including with a clenched fist (à la Jerry Lawler's diving fist), the toe of a boot (à la Randy Orton's punt attack), or a direct attack to the groin (such as the diving headbutt/legdrop low blow). Only "jumping"-type maneuvers are allowed to prone opponents (e.g. it is still illegal to bite, strangle, or gouge the eyes of, a prone opponent).
Any legal wrestler is open to attack from any direction at any time, including when they are downed, as long as they are within the ring area enclosed by the ring ropes. They may also be subject to attack if they are completely outside the ring, as long as no part of their body is touching, or directly underneath, a ring rope. If any part of either wrestler is in contact with the ropes or has otherwise broken the plane of ropes all grappling contact between the wrestlers must be broken within a five count or else the attacking wrestler may be subject to disqualification. This rule is often used strategically in order to escape from a submission hold, and a wrestler can break the plane of the ropes by placing his foot or other body part on (or under) the ropes to avoid losing by pinfall. This is commonly referred to as a rope break. An exception to this rule exists for when wrestlers are standing on top of the ropes or turnbuckle; an opponent is allowed to attack him or shove him down. One of the biggest examples of this technicality is The Undertaker using his "old school" move, which is legal, even though Taker is technically touching the ropes, because he is standing on them.
Decisions[edit]
Pinfall[edit]
Main article: Pin (professional wrestling)
In order to score by pinfall, a wrestler must pin both his opponent's shoulders against the mat while the referee slaps the mat three times (referred to as a "three count"). This is the most common form of defeat. Typically, a wrestler must also be on his back; if he is laying on his belly, this usually does not count. If a wrestler's shoulders are down (both shoulders touching the mat), back-first, and any part of the opponent's body is lying over the wrestler, it is completely legal to start a three count. This often results in pins that can easily be kicked out of, if the defensive wrestler is even slightly conscious. For example, an attacking wrestler who is half-conscious may simply drape an arm over a prone opponent, or a cocky wrestler may simply place his foot gently on a prone opponent's body, prompting a three-count from the referee.
Illegal pinning methods include using the ropes for leverage and hooking the opponent's clothing, which are therefore popular cheating methods for heels, unless certain stipulations make such an advantage legal. Such pins as these are rarely seen by the referee and are subsequently often used by heels and on occasion by cheating faces to win matches. Even if it is noticed, it is rare for such an attempt to result in a disqualification (see below), and instead simply results in nullification of the pin attempt, so the heel wrestler rarely has anything to lose for trying it, anyway.
Occasionally, there are instances where a pinfall is made where both wrestlers' shoulders were on the mat for the three count. This situation will most likely lead to a draw, and in some cases a continuation of the match or a future match to determine the winner.
While serving as a color commentator for WWE Friday Night SmackDown, John Layfield pointed out that a wrestler sometimes will make pin attempts early in the match, despite knowing that he has not damaged his opponent enough to win, because sometimes the point is not to get a pin, but rather to force the opponent to expend energy for later in the match. He most often pointed this out in Finlay's matches, where Finlay could often be seen placing his knee over his opponent's face, forcing his opponent to also scrape his face in order to stay in the match.
Because a pinfall only requires a three-count from the referee, as opposed to a ten-count from a boxing referee to score a technical knockout, this rule gave birth to the saying "It only takes three seconds to beat your opponent." Indeed, many seemingly invincible juggernauts have been instantly defeated with a single school boy pin.
Submission, knock out and incapacitating the opponent[edit]
To score by submission, the wrestler must make his opponent give up, usually, but not necessarily, by putting him in a submission hold (e.g. figure four leg-lock, arm-lock, sleeper-hold).
Passing out in a submission hold constitutes a loss by knockout. To determine if a wrestler has passed out in WWE, the referee usually picks up and drops his hand. If it drops three consecutive times without the wrestler having the strength to stop it from falling, the wrestler is considered to have passed out. At one point this was largely ignored. However, the rule is now much more commonly observed for safety reasons. If the wrestler has passed out, the opponent then scores by submission.
Also, a wrestler can win by knockout if he does not resort to submission holds, but stills pummels his opponent to the point that he is completely out cold. To check for a knockout in this manner, a referee will wave his hand in front of the wrestlers' face; if the wrestler does not react in any way, the referee will award the victory to the other wrestler. This method of winning is usually awarded to wrestlers with "psycho" gimmicks, such as Umaga and Lord Tensai, who cares nothing for pinfalls and victories, and desire only to inflict pain onto others.
Despite the "champion's advantage", which states that a championship can only change hands by pinfall or submission, a knockout victory will also award them the championship, as it is still considered a decisive victory.
A wrestler may voluntarily submit by verbally informing the referee (usually used in moves such as the Mexican Surfboard, where all four limbs are incapacitated, making tapping impossible). Also, a wrestler can indicate a voluntary submission by "tapping out",[7]that is, tapping a free hand against the mat or against an opponent. Occasionally, a wrestler will reach for a rope (see rope breaks below), only to put his hand back on the mat so he can crawl towards the rope some more; this is NOT a submission, and the referee decides what his intent is. Submission was initially a large factor in professional wrestling, but following the decline of the submission-oriented catch-as-catch-can style from mainstream professional wrestling, the submission largely faded. Despite this, some wrestlers, such as Chris Jericho, Ric Flair, Bret Hart, Kurt Angle, Ken Shamrock, Dean Malenko, Chris Benoit, and Tazz, became famous for winning matches via submission. A wrestler with a signature submission technique is portrayed as better at applying the hold, making it more painful or more difficult to get out of than others who use it. More recently John Cena, Daniel Bryan and Alberto Del Rio are among the modern stars who are bringing back the use of submission in the WWE, with their STF, No Lock and Cross Armbreaker respectively, while Ric Flair then passed on his Figure-Four-Leglock to The Miz, which he utilized to win by submissions since 2013.
Since all contact between the wrestlers must cease if any part of the body is touching, or underneath, the ropes, many wrestlers will attempt to break submission holds by deliberately grabbing the bottom ropes. This is called a rope break, and it is one of the most common ways to break a submission hold. Most holds leave an arm or leg free, so that the person can tap out if he wants. Instead, he uses these free limbs to either grab one of the ring ropes (the bottom one is the most common, as it is nearest the wrestlers, though other ropes sometimes are used for standing holds such as Chris Masters' Master Lock) or drape his foot across, or underneath one. Once this has been accomplished, and the accomplishment is witnessed by the referee, the referee will demand that the offending wrestler break the hold, and start counting to five if the wrestler does not. If the referee reaches the count of five, and the wrestler still does not break the hold, he is disqualified.
If a manager decides that his client wrestler should tap out, but cannot convince the wrestler himself to do so, he may throw in the towel (literally taking a gym towel and hurling it into the referee's line of sight); this is the same as a submission, as the manager is, in kayfabe, considered the wrestlers agent, and therefore, authorized to make formal decisions (such as forfeiting a match) on the client's behalf
Countout[edit]
A countout (alternatively "count-out" or "count out") happens when a wrestler is out of the ring long enough for the referee to count to ten and thus disqualified. The count is broken and restarted when a wrestler in the ring exits the ring. Playing into this, some wrestlers will "milk" the count by sliding in the ring, and immediately sliding back out. As he was technically inside the ring for a split second before exiting again, it is sufficient to restart the count. This is often referred to by commentators as "breaking the count." Heels often use this tactic in order to buy themselves more time to catch their breath, or to attempt to frustrate their babyface opponents.
If all the active wrestlers in a match are down inside the ring at the same time, the referee will begin a count (usually ten seconds, twenty in Japan). If nobody rises to their feet by the end of the count, the match is ruled a draw. Any participant who stands up in time will end the count for everyone else.
If a wrestler has secured a rope break from a submission hold, and the offending wrestler does not break the hold on the count of five, causing the offending wrestler to lose automatically, it is still considered a disqualification (which is kept distinct from countouts in most major promotions), even though the automatic loss was procured through counting.
In some promotions (and most major modern ones), Championships cannot change hands via a countout, unless the on-screen authority declares it for at least one match, although in others, championships may change hands via countout.
Disqualification[edit]
Disqualification (sometimes abbreviated as "DQ") occurs when a wrestler violates the match's rules, thus losing automatically. Although a countout can technically be considered a disqualification (as it is, for all intents and purposes, an automatic loss suffered as a result of violating a match rule), the two concepts are often distinct in wrestling. A no disqualification match can still end by countout (although this is rare); typically, a match must be declared a "no holds barred" match, a "street fight" or some other term, in order for both DQs and countouts to be waived.
Disqualification from a match is called for a number of reasons:
- Performing any illegal holds or maneuvers, such as refusing to break a hold when an opponent is in the ropes, hair-pulling, choking or biting an opponent, or repeatedly punching with a closed fist. These violations are usually subject to a referee-administered five count and will result in disqualification if the wrestler does not cease the offending behavior in time.
- Attacking an opponent's eye, such as raking it, poking it, gouging it, punching it or other severe attacks to the eye.
- Any outside interference involving a person not involved in the match striking or holding a wrestler. Sometimes (depending on the promotion and uniqueness of the situation), if a heel attempts to interfere but is ejected from the ring by a wrestler or referee before this occurs, there may not be a disqualification. In this disqualification method, the wrestler being attacked by the foreign member is awarded the win. Sometimes, however, this can work in heels' favor. In February 2009, Shawn Michaels, who was under the kayfabeemployment of John "Bradshaw" Layfield, interfered in a match and super kicked JBL in front of the referee in order to get his employer the win via "outside interference".
- Striking an opponent with a foreign object (an object not permitted by the rules of the match; see hardcore wrestling).
- Using any kind of "banned" move (see below for details).
- A direct low blow to the groin (unless the rules of the match specifically allow this). An important keyword in that definition is "direct". For example, the inverted atomic drop is legal because the primary target is the opponent's tailbone, not his groin. Also, shoving the leg of a wrestler on the top of the turnbuckle is also legal, even though the opponentlands on his groin (even if that may have been the offending wrestler's intention), because the target was the opponent's shin. Remember that this rule only applies to standing opponents (see the "Techniques" section above). Another way to illegally attack the groin is to hang an opponent with the legs straddled between the top rope, then continuously causing waves on the rope so it rubs the opponent's groin. It can be done once to cause such an effect if the opponent is standing on the top rope corner to prepare for a dive and dropped in such a way that it hurt the groin, so it will disrupt the move. However, a blatant straddle of the opponent's legs to hit the ring post can also result in disqualification[8]
- Intentionally laying hands on the referee or to an extreme case, often in special referee matches, touching the referee with any body parts.
- Pulling an opponent's wrestling trunks for a pinfall during a match (although this usually only results in nullification of the pinfall).
- Pulling an opponent's mask off during a match (this is illegal in Mexico, and sometimes in Japan).
- Throwing an opponent over the top rope during a match (this move is still illegal in the National Wrestling Alliance)
- Entering a Royal Rumble before your scheduled entrance time.
- In a mixed tag team match, a man hits a woman, or vice versa. This rule was later reinforced after the match between Vince McMahon vs. his daughter, Stephanie McMahon atWWE No Mercy.
In practice, not all rule violations will result in a disqualification as the referee may use his own judgement and is not obligated to stop the match. Usually, the only offenses that the referee will see and immediately disqualify the match on (as opposed to having multiple offenses) are low blows, weapon usage, interference, or assaulting the referee. In WWE, a referee must see the violation with his own eyes to rule that the match end in a disqualification (simply watching the video tape is not usually enough) and the referee's ruling is almost always final, although dusty finishes (named after, and made famous by, Dusty Rhodes) will often result in the referee's decision being overturned. It is not uncommon for the referees themselves to get knocked out during a match, which is commonly referred to by the term "ref bump". While the referee remains "unconscious", wrestlers are free to violate rules until he is revived or replaced. In some cases, a referee might disqualify a person under the presumption that it was that wrestler who knocked him out; most referee knockouts are arranged to allow a wrestler, usually a heel, to gain an advantage. For example, a wrestler may get whipped into a referee at a slower speed, knocking the ref down for short amount of time; during that interim period, one wrestler may pin his opponent for a three-count and would have won the match but for the referee being down (sometimes, another referee will sprint to the ring from backstage to attempt to make the count, but by then, the other wrestler has had enough time to kick out on his own accord).
If all participants in a match continue to breach the referee's instructions, the match may end in a double disqualification, where both wrestlers or teams (in a tag team match) have been disqualified. The match is essentially nullified, and called a draw or in some cases a restart or the same match being held at a pay-per-view or next night's show.
Another rare type of disqualification is that a wrestler will use a submission hold on his opponent and the opponent will tap out, giving them the win. However, despite earning the win, they will continue using the hold and refuse to let go. After some amount of time of the referee's verbal warnings and trying to pull each other apart, the referee can reverse his decision and award the victory to the opponent instead, by disqualifying the wrestler.
Occasionally, a move will be banned, either in kayfabe or legitimately, and subsequently, its use will result in a disqualification. Moves that are kayfabe banned usually have some legitimate danger to them, or at least have a background in actual martial arts, though very occasionally, a particular person will be kayfabe banned. The first major time this was done was when the National Wrestling Alliance kayfabe banned Jerry "The King" Lawler from using the Piledriver in his matches. As this was a kayfabe ban, Lawyer often used the move, anyway. In WCW, Kevin Nash was banned from using his finishing move, the Jackknife powerbomb, not because the move itself was dangerous, but because he waskayfabe billed as being so good at the move that it would end careers (this was designed to help push him towards the main event). One of the most recent kayfabe banning of moves came when Booker T banned the use of Sheamus' Brogue Kick (Bicycle Kick), as it was often hyped as a cause of serious neck injuries. Examples of legitimately banned moves include the piledriver, shooting star in WWE. These legitimate bans remain in place to this day, though they can be lifted or relaxed at Vince McMahon's discretion, due to the difficulty in pulling them off safely and/or the devastating consequences of botching them. Also, due to concussion awareness and lawsuits for reparations due to paralysis, Alzheimers and dementia, Randy Orton's Punt Kick, Chair shots to the head, John Cena's Throwback (as well as many Bulldog variations), are banned. Mark Henry's Corner slingshot splash where he also strapped a chair on an opponent's ankles, are also banned. Another move banned was a modified gogoplata that The Undertaker began using in 2007. In May 2008, heel SmackDown General Manager, Vickie Guerrero banned the move in kayfabe after it caused Big Daddy V, Mark Henry among other wrestlers to bleed. It was also put into place so her storyline boyfriend, Edge could gain an advantage in their feud for the World Heavyweight Championship. However, at Cyber Sunday 2008, Undertaker used the move on Big Show in order to win a Last Man Standing match. However, at Breaking Point, Teddy Long who was SmackDown General Manager restarted Undertaker andCM Punk's Submission match for the World Heavyweight Championship because Undertaker won with the move, also allowing Punk to win the match. However after being kidnapped by Undertaker, Teddy re-legalized the movie.
In most wrestling promotions, a championship cannot change hands as a result of a disqualification, unless the on-screen authority figure declares that the championship via disqualification which is good for only at least one match, often referred to as the "champion's advantage". Playing into this, some heel wrestlers will attempt to "get themselves disqualified" to "protect" their championships, although whenever a "rematch clause" is put in play, the said advantage is often ruled out by the general manager to give the challenger a fair shot.
Sometimes, a title bout will promote that "the disqualification rule has been waived", meaning that the champion may lose the title to his opponent if he gets disqualified. A few promotions have invoked this waiver on a regular basis.
A relatively recent trend in wrestling has been the development of the no-disqualification (or Hardcore) match. This type of match became increasingly prominent during the 1990s, and was a particular feature of the Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) promotion. When WWE (then WWF) unveiled its new "Attitude" era in 1997, the no-disqualification match was used as a centerpiece for this new design of wrestling, and a Hardcore Title was offered between 1998 and 2002. Completely new matches developed from the Hardcore/no-DQ match, including:
- Tables, Ladders, and Chairs (a ladder match where these three items may be used as weapons against an opponent).
- Hardcore match (a no-disqualification match where falls count anywhere, even out of the venue).
- 24/7 On the Line title, where the hardcore title is always available wherever and whenever a referee is available to judge a fall.
Draw[edit]
A professional wrestling match can end in a draw. A draw occurs if both opponents are simultaneously disqualified (as via countout or if the referee loses complete control of the match and both opponents attack each other with no regard to being in a match, like Brock Lesnar vs. Undertaker at 2002 Unforgiven), neither opponent is able to answer a ten-count, or both opponents simultaneously win the match. The latter can occur if, for example, one opponent's shoulders touch the mat while maintaining a submission hold against another opponent. If the opponent in the hold begins to tap out at the same time a referee counts to three for pinning the opponent delivering the hold, both opponents have legally achieved scoring conditions simultaneously. Traditionally, a championship may not change hands in the event of a draw (though it may become vacant), though some promotions such as Total Nonstop Action Wrestling have endorsed rules where the champion may lose a title by disqualification. A variant of the draw is the time-limit draw, where the match does not have a winner by a specified time period (a one-hour draw, which was once common, is known in wrestling circles as a "Broadway").
Also if two wrestlers have been given DQ by either the referee or the chairman this is a no contest. if there is a belt on the line the champion keeps the title.
Recent examples include John Cena and Ryback's Last Man Standing match for the WWE Championship at Extreme Rules 2013 went to a draw when Ryback put Cena through the set injuring both men. Cena and CM Punk's match for the WWE Championship at Night of Champions 2012 also went to a draw after a double pinning combination. A very notable incident took place in 2004 where in a fatal four way match for the World Heavyweight Championship, Chris Benoit forced Chris Jericho to tap to the Crippler Crossface while Jericho pinned him resulting in the championship, then held by Triple H to be vacated.
No contest[edit]
A wrestling match may be declared a no contest if the winning conditions are unable to occur. This can be due to excessive interference, loss of referee's control over the match, one or more participants sustaining debilitating injury not caused by the opponent, or the inability of a scheduled match to even begin. A no contest is a state separate and distinct from a draw — a draw indicates winning conditions were met. Although the terms are sometimes used interchangeably in practice, this usage is technically incor
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