Terms of Wrestling

I’m pitching this wrestling blog toward some people who may not have any knowledge of wrestling. 

Therefore, I wanted to give a quick list of some of the terms I’ll be using, and what they mean.

Federations

WWF / WWE: World Wrestling Federation, now called World Wrestling Entertainment, is the current primary promotion in the United States. Based out of Greenwich, Connecticut.

WCW: World Championship Wrestling. This was the primary promotion of Ted Turner. Dominated the southeastern United States for many years. Came about from the many regional promotions folding, merging, or selling out.

ECW: Extreme Championship Wrestling. This federation was the brainchild of Paul Heyman. It featured more violent matches and more adult content. It basically generated its own cult following.

NWA: National Wrestling Alliance. This defunct federation was the precursor to the WCW.

Stables

Four Horsemen: The first incarnation of the Horsemen was comprised of Ric Flair, Arn Anderson, Ole Anderson, and Tully Blanchard. James J. Dillon served as their manager for a time. Forming in 1986, the Horsemen rapidly became the most dominant stable in wrestling. The Horsemen were portrayed as being snobbish in their wealth, confident in their ability, and cocky beyond measure. They lived the gimmick in and out of the ring. Several different incarnations of the Horsemen existed, including wrestlers like Lex Luger, Sting, Barry Windham, and Sid Vicious. None seemed to have the gravitas of the first incarnation.

nWo (new World order): In 1996, Scott Hall and Kevin Nash left WWF and joined WCW. They were portrayed as still being a part of the WWF, though no mentioned was ever made of the rival federation. They interrupted matches and interviews, constantly alluding to a third member of their group.  At Bash at the Beach, Sting, Lex Luger, and Randy Savage took on Hall and Nash. Toward the end of the match, Hulk Hogan made his way to the ring. He shocked the world by turning on Randy Savage and revealing himself as the third man. Hogan called them the “new world order of wrestling” and the name stuck. The nWo also went through several incarnations, and frankly grew to be too big. The idea for the stable, though, remains one of the most innovative in wrestling history.

Dudes with Attitudes: Formed to stand against the Four Horsemen in the early 1990s, the Dudes with Attitudes was comprised of Sting, Lex Luger, the Steiner Brothers, Paul Orndorff, the Junkyard Dog, and El Gigante. This group was short lived.

Degeneration X (DX): Formed at the outset of the Attitude Era in the WWF, DX lead the charge against WCW, decency, and respect for authority. Their interplay with Vince McMahon and his lackeys made for great TV. The original group (Shawn Michaels, Triple H, Chyna, and Rick Rude) eventually gave way to the DX that got more air time (Triple H, X-pac, Chyna, the New Age Outlaws). Even years after their dissolution, Triple H and Shawn Michaels would occasionally regroup as DX.

The Nexus: A group of rookies from season one of NXT (back when NXT was a competition and not a brand), these guys showed up under the leadership of Wade Barrett and proceeded to wreak all kinds of havoc. The group was not properly booked, and that, more than anything, lead to their downfall. But Nexus was the debut for guys like Wade Barrett, Heath Slater, Darren Young, Ryback (then as Skip Sheffield), Daniel Bryan, and Bray Wyatt (then as Husky Harris).

The Shield: Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins, and Roman Reigns make up the Shield. They debuted at Survivor Series 2012, taking out CM Punk’s opponent, Ryback. Originally pitched as a type of mercenary group out to provide their own twisted brand of “justice,” the Shield has slowly turned from the heelish ways over the last few weeks.

The Wyatt Family: Originally formed in NXT, this stable features Bray Wyatt as the leader, with followers Luke Harper and Erick Rowan. They are portrayed as a type of backwoods cult. Their wrestling style is stiff and high-impact. Wyatt carries the load of the work on the mic, and Harper chimes in from time to time. Rowan, the weakest on the mic, acts as a kind of terrifying muscle, standing behind Bray Wyatt and wearing a creepy sheep mask.

Basic Terms

Booking/Booked: Booking determines what matches are on a card, how the matches will play out, and who will win.

Gimmick: The persona of a wrestler. For example, John Cena’s gimmick is that he never backs down, never gives up, and is just an all around good guy. Gimmicks in modern WWE range from the straight-forward (Daniel Bryan as the scrappy underdog chasing a title) to the morbid (Bray Wyatt as a backwoods cult leader) to the silly (Los Matadores, a pair of Spanish bull fighters). A gimmick can truly make or break someone.

Babyface: The good guy. Always follows the rules (ex. John Cena). Also called a Face.

Heel: The bad guy. A rule breaker and cheater. Often booked cowardly. (ex. Randy Orton)

Antihero: an antihero is a wrestler who display tweener or even heel characteristics, yet is over with the crowd for their stance against the authority figures of the federation. (ex. Steve Austin)

Tweener: a wrestler who displays babyface and heel characteristics.

Kayfabe: Wrestling jargon for the insistence on one’s gimmick and feuds. Maintaining kayfabe means not reacting certain ways to certain events, or not talking to fans, or traveling from one event to another in a certain way. In WCW, maintaining kayfabe meant the heels were never seen outside with the babyfaces.

Feud / Angle: When two or more wrestlers engage in a long program of matches and promos that constitutes a feud, or an angle.

Promo: A speech or video in which one wrestler talks about their feud or angle. Like a gimmick, having good promo skills can make or break a guy (ex. Bray Wyatt has great promo skills).

Shoot: A promo in which a wrestler goes off-script or brings up real-life events to either promote a feud or to undermine another wrestler.

Worked Shoot: A promo that comes off like a shoot interview, but is in reality all part of the plan for the feud or angle (ex. CM Punk’s infamous 2011 ‘pipebomb’ promo).

Match Types

Standard: Basic match involving either one-on-one or tag team wrestling. Can be given stipulations like “no holds barred” or “no DQ.”

Falls Count Anywhere: Similar to a standard match, though the option for wrestlers to be counted out is taken away.

Cage Match: A match taking place inside a cage. The usual objective is to escape the cage to win.

Hell in a Cell: A cage match variation in which the ring and the immediate ringside area is within the cage. There is no escape in this match. Instead, the objective is to score a pinfall or submission from your opponent.

Elimination Chamber: Another cage match variation. Like HiaC, the Elimination Chamber does not allow escape. Two wrestlers start the match while four others wait in ‘pods’ around the ring. At timed intervals the pods open and another wrestler joins the fray. Pinfall or submissions leads to a wrestler being eliminated until only one is left.

Royal Rumble: An over-the-top-rope battle royal. The objective is to toss your opponents over the top rope and have both of their feet hit the floor. This match is held every January with the winner getting a title shot at WrestleMania.

Money in the Bank: A ladder match in which six wrestlers compete for a briefcase suspended above the ring. Climb the ladder and take hold of the briefcase and a guaranteed title shot is yours. This guaranteed contract lasts for one year.