Wrestling Dictionary

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X


    A
  • A-Show: a wrestling event where a company's biggest draws perform.
  • Agent or Road Agent: management employee, often a former veteran wrestler, who helps wrestlers set up matches and relays instructions from the bookers. Often acts as a liaison between wrestlers and higher-level management.
  • Alignment: the personality type used by wrestlers. For example, if they are a face, they are said to be "face aligned".
  • Angle: a fictional storyline.
  • Apter Mag: an old-style professional wrestling magazine that sticks to kayfabe. It usually consists of made-up articles and interviews. The term refers to the magazines at one time connected to journalist Bill Apter, such as Pro Wrestling Illustrated.
  • Attitude Era: refers to a time period from 1997 to 2001 when the World Wrestling Federation product shifted from being "family-oriented" entertainment to being "edgier" and more crude, and dealing with more adult situations (frequently sexual in nature).

    B
  • B-Show: a wrestling event featuring the middle and lower-level talent of a wrestling promotion (WWE Velocity and Heat, TNA Xplosion, WCW Saturday Night).
  • Babyface: a good guy, hero, fan favorite, protagonist.
  • Backyard Wrestling: the act of staging pro-style wrestling (not to be confused with sport wrestling or amateur wrestling) as a hobby rather than a job, usually (but not always) by untrained performers, predominantly teenagers. The term can also be used for an independent promotion that has very little, if any, notability.
  • Bait and Switch: when a promoter teases the fans into believing one thing is going to happen and switches to something else resulting in shock and surprise (best-case scenario) or confusion and disappointment (worst-case scenario).
  • Beat Down: when a wrestler or other performer is given a massive beating, usually by a group of wrestlers.
  • Blade: a sharpened object used for "blading". The blade is usually concealed in tape on the hands, or otherwise somewhere it can be utilized without being obvious.
  • Blading: the act of cutting ones self or another person open in order to bleed, usually done on the forehead.
  • Blind Tag: a tag made in a tag team match where the wrestler on the apron tags his partner unbeknownst to him or without his consent. Most often occurs when the partner in the ring is thrown against the ropes or backed into their own corner.
  • Blow Off: the final match in a feud, usually at a pay-per-view event or on cable TV. While the involved wrestlers often move onto new feuds, sometimes it is the final match in the promotion for one or more of the wrestlers.
  • Blow Up: when a wrestler completely exhausts all of his energy, either because he has low stamina, or by performing too many exhilarating moves early in the match making him extremely fatigued.
  • Blown Spot: a spot that does not go as planned, also known as a "botched spot".
  • Booker: the person in charge of setting up matches and writing angles; referred to as the "Creative Team" by WWE.
  • Booking: what a "booker" does. Booking is also the term a wrestler uses to describe a scheduled match or appearance on a wrestling show.
  • Botch: a scripted move that failed.
  • Boys: what wrestlers call themselves (as in "the boys in the back")
  • Broadway: when two wrestlers wrestle to a draw in a 20 to 60 minute time limit match.
  • Bump: when a wrestler, referee, valet/diva or others hit the mat or ground.
  • Bury: the act of a promoter or booker causing a wrestler to lose popularity by forcing him to lose matches badly (squash) and/or making him participate in unentertaining or degrading storylines.

    C
  • Call: When one wrestler instructs the other of what is going to happen in the match.
  • Canned Heat: when cheers or boos are pumped into an arena via the sound system or added to a television show in post-production. It is also known as "sweetening the crowd".
  • Card: the lineup of the matches that will be staged at a given venue for a given performance.
  • Carny: A language used by wrestlers to talk to each other around people not associated with the business so they wouldn't understand what they were saying, often used to keep the secrets of the business.
  • Carry: the act of one wrestler doing most of the work (selling moves, calling spots) to make a match watchable.
  • Cheap Heat: when a wrestler (often a heel) incites a negative crowd reaction by insulting the crowd (for example, by insulting the city, or a local sports team) or by using a news event as part of his promo.
  • Cheap Pop: when a wrestler (often a face) incites a positive crowd reaction by "kissing up" to the crowd (for example, mentioning the name of the city, or complimenting a local sports team).
  • Cheap Shot: when a wrestler uses a low blow or a foreign object to get an advantage over his opponent.
  • Clean Finish: when a match ends without cheating or outside interference, usually in the center of the ring.
  • Clean House: when a wrestler eliminates everyone in the ring, either in a battle royal or during a save.
  • Cluster or Clusterfuck: a large fight in the middle of the ring with a huge number of wrestlers which is used to end a match or show.
  • Color Commentator: the commentator who adds interest and excitement to matches. Often biased towards the heel. Typically a former pro-wrestler.
  • Crash TV: a style of booking characterized by short matches and promos. So named because of the sheer amount of TV slammed into a show. Popularized by Vince Russo.
  • Crimson Mask: a face covered in blood.
  • Curtain Jerker: the first match on the card, or a wrestler who wrestles in the first match of the card, especially on a regular basis.

    D
  • Dark Match: a non-televised match at a televised show used to warm up the crowd. A dark match before the show begins is usually used to test out new talent (often local to the event). A dark match after the show typically features main-event level wrestlers either to sell more tickets, or send the crowd home happy.
  • Dead Weight: when a wrestler goes limp in the middle of a move. This could be done intentionally, either to make his opponent look weak or just rib him, or unintentionally because the "dead weight" wrestler is unfamiliar with the cooperation needed to pull off a particular wrestling hold (or just not paying attention). See also Sandbag.
  • Dirtsheet: a newsletter, magazine, or website that portrays wrestling as scripted entertainment, rather than portraying it as a sport. Dirtsheets often offer backstage information and gossip about wrestlers and others involved in wrestling.
  • Double Turn: the rare occurrence when both the heel and the face switch roles during an angle or a match. The best example of this is the Bret Hart/Steve Austin match at WrestleMania 13.
  • Down South: a term used to refer to World Championship Wrestling, due to its offices in Georgia and original stronghold in the Southern region. Now sometimes used to refer to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, due to its roots in Tennessee and Florida.
  • Draw: to be able to attract the attention of the audience and thus increase ticket sales.
  • Drawing Power: Having recognition with the fans as a star, someone fans pay to see.
  • Dusty Finish: an ambiguous finish to a match where either wrestler can be claimed the winner. The "Dusty" in the term refers to Dusty Rhodes, who booked many such finishes in the NWA and later in WCW.

    E
  • Enforcer: a wrestler who accompanies another to matches, and acts as a bodyguard. This term was coined by Arn Anderson, whose nickname was "The Enforcer". Also refers to a special ringside referee who will physically enforce the rules when required.

    F
  • Face: short for "babyface."
  • Faction: See Stable.
  • False Finish: a spot which the audience expects to finish the match but the wrestler kicks out or makes it to the ropes, used to build excitement during the home stretch.
  • Fan Cam: a video of a wrestling event taped by a member in the audience.
  • Fan Favorite: alternative, kayfabe-friendly name for "babyface," often used in magazines like Pro Wrestling Illustrated.
  • Finish: the planned end of a match.
  • Finisher: a wrestler's trademark move.
  • Foreign Object: an object that is illegal in the match, such as a steel chair, brass knuckles, etc.

    G
  • Gaijin: an American, or other foreign worker in Japanese promotions. (Not strictly a wrestling term, as it is a Japanese word for a foreigner.)
  • Garbage Wrestling: "hardcore" matches or extremely spot heavy matches wherein wrestlers use nothing but weaponry or highly planned out spots to attack each other, also outrageous gimmick matches that have no obvious elements of traditional in-ring competition. The term was coined by Giant Baba of All Japan Pro-Wrestling when he referred to Atsushi Onita's FMW promotion (which used barbed wire and other such dangerous implements) as "garbage." The term later evolved to encompass spotfests as well.
  • Gate: amount of money generated from ticket sales. Merchandise sales are often a part of "the gate".
  • Gimmick: a unique trait that defines a wrestler's identity, or an implement used to cheat i.e., Jeff Jarrett's gimmick of knocking out opponents with his guitar (the guitar itself is also a "gimmick"). Can also mean a wrestler's attire or outfit.
  • Gimmicked: an object that has been altered to break easily.
  • Gimmick Table: place where a (usually independent) wrestler sells his merchandise, usually by the concession stand.
  • Go Home: a saying that a wrestler is told by a ringside commentator or the referee. It indicates that the wrestlers should end the match shortly thereafter.
  • Go Over: to beat someone.
  • Going Into Business For Himself: when a wrestler goes against what has been discussed for a match or segment and improvises, usually for the benefit of his own character or persona.
  • Gorilla Position: the staging area just backstage of the entrance curtain. Named in honor of WWF mainstay Gorilla Monsoon who would stand there often. The term has since been applied to this area in most U.S. promotions.
  • Green: refers to a wrestler who is in the early stages of their career and, as a result, may be prone to make mistakes because of their inexperience.

    H
  • Hardcore Wrestling: matches that focus on the use of weapons such as chairs, chains, fireballs, ladders, and tire irons, often combined with brawling all over the arena, rather than traditional wrestling holds and techniques, also referred to by some as "garbage" wrestling.
  • Hard Way (as in, "cut open hard way"): method by which a physical effect - usually bleeding - is achieved purely as the result of a move, rather than blading, etc.
  • Heat: a positive or negative crowd reaction to a wrestler, match, or angle. Also refers to genuine bad blood between two wrestlers.
  • Heel: a bad guy, villain, rulebreaker, antagonist.
  • High Spot: a top-rope move, or a series of maneuvers perceived as dangerous.
  • Hotshot: when a promoter or booker rushes to a feud, a climax of a feud, or books a big match on TV instead of at a PPV in order to get a short-term boost for business. Also applies to angles or turns that are done for shock value rather than acting as a part of an ongoing storyline.
  • Hot Tag: in a tag team match, when a face wrestler tags in a fresh partner after several minutes of being dominated by his opponents. Often the hot tag happens after several teases (where the other face is enticed into the ring, only to be stopped by the referee and the heels getting away with illegal tactics).
  • House Show: a non-televised show (compare "dark match")
  • Hulking Up: when a wrestler begins a comeback in a match by no-selling his opponent's moves and fighting back. Named for Hulk Hogan, who did this in many of his matches in America. (see Superhuman Comeback)

    I
  • Indy: short for "independent promotion", refers to a wrestling group that is too small to compete on a national level.
  • Internet Wrestling Community (or IWC): fans (often smarks) who discuss professional wrestling via the Internet.

    J
  • Job: a scheduled loss (also "jobbing", "jobber", "jabroni", and "job cleanly"; compare "screwjob").
  • Jobber: a wrestler whose primary function is losing to better-known wrestlers. Some synonyms include preliminary wrestler, enhancement talent, loser, jabroni, babaganoosh and ham-and-egger.
  • Joshi: Japanese women's wrestling.
  • Juicing: bleeding (frequently, but not always, self-inflicted).

    K
  • Kayfabe: term used to describe the illusion (and up-keep of the illusion) that professional wrestling is not staged (i.e. that the on-screen situations between performers represent reality). Also used by wrestlers as a signal to close ranks and stop discussing business due to an uninformed person arriving in earshot. The term is said to have been loosely derived from the Pig Latin pronunciation of the word "fake" ("akefay").
  • Kill [the/a] Town: to put on such a horrible performance as to make it impossible for any promotion to put on a financially successful show in that location for an extended period of time.

    L
  • Legit: anything that is "real"; for example, a "legit" wrestler has a background in actual fighting, a "legit" event is one that actually took place (outside of kayfabe), a "legit" fight is when two wrestlers actually come to blows. Often used as a synonym for shoot.
  • Light: short for "daylight", a symbolic term referring to missteps in scripted (but perhaps poorly- or lightly-rehearsed) ring choreography being evident; i.e.; gaps that 'daylight' could get through.
  • Locker Room Sell-out: when the wrestlers in the locker room are so interested in the match they watch the monitors.
  • Lucha Libre or Lucha: Mexican professional wrestling. Translates to "Free Fighting". Used to describe the Mexican style of wrestling that consists of high-flying acrobatic moves.
  • Luchador: a Mexican wrestler; Luchadores is the proper plural form.

    M
  • Main Eventer: a wrestler who is viewed by management to be one of the top draws on the roster and thus is promoted in main rvents.
  • Manager: a performer assigned to accompany a wrestler to the ring and, usually, put them over in interviews. Often used to help a heel cheat and incite the crowd.
  • Mark: a fan who believes that some or all of professional wrestling is real (compare "smark"). The term can also be applied to a fan who idolizes a particular wrestler, promotion, or style of wrestling to a point some might consider excessive.
  • Marking Out: a moment of enjoying professional wrestling "for what it is" rather than analyzing its staged nature.
  • Midcarder: a wrestler who wrestles in the middle of shows, is seen as being high in seniority but less than a money draw.
  • Money Mark: someone who invests money into a promotion or starts a promotion to rub shoulders with pro wrestlers. A money mark is usually ridiculed by wrestlers when he or she is not within their presence.
  • Money Match: a non-title match which was the most heavily promoted of the card that is placed near or at the end of a live event. The main reason fans attended the event or watched the event.
  • Money Promo: a promo that is so good and meaningful that it's enough to draw buyrates for the PPV all by itself.
  • Monster Heel: a villain who is portrayed as unstoppable, usually to set up a feud with a promotion's lead face.
  • MOTY: Match of the Year
  • MOTYC: Match of the Year Candidate
  • Mouthpiece: a manager who does the promos for a wrestler with little or no mic skills.

    N
  • No-sell: giving no reaction to another wrestler's offense or moves.
  • No-show: when a wrestler doesn't show up for a match. No-shows are usually staged, often for the purposes of a storyline. Genuine no-shows are less frequent, since the wrestler (or other employee) is usually fired or suspended afterwards (e.g Stone Cold Steve Austin in 2002).

    O
  • Over: refers to a wrestler being popular and accepted by the fans.
  • Over-book: to book a finish to a match that involves either interference from a large number of wrestlers who are not involved in the actual match or some other unneeded extra curriculars (i.e. destroying the ring). (Compare "clusterfuck")
  • Outlaw Promotion: a promotion set up in an established promoter's area with the intent to oust the established promoter. The idea of Outlaw Promotions has mostly died out along with territorial wrestling promotions.

    P
  • Paper: to give away a great number of free (comped) tickets to increase the size of the crowd for publicity.
  • Paying Dues: the concept that newer or younger wrestlers must be hazed or punished in the early parts of their careers, both in and out of the ring (see "job" and "rib").
  • Pearl Harbor: a sneak attack, usually before the bell rings to officially start a match; can also denote a sneak attack by one or more non-participants, or blindside attacks by managers or valets. Coined by commentator Gorilla Monsoon.
  • Plant: anyone who poses (is planted) as a fan in the audience that a wrestler, usually a heel, can physically attack to score some "heat". Usually the "plant" is an unknown trained wrestler. (Note: not all attacks on fans are on "plants". Occasionally, a wrestler will start a legit attack on a real fan who has engaged in behavior such as spitting, cursing, or insulting the wrestler's family members.)
  • Playing Possum: to fake an injury to get an opponent into a more favorable situation.
  • Pop: a sudden crowd reaction (as in "name pop", "cheap pop")
  • Potato: an intentional legit punch. Sometimes done when the wrestlers are close to the crowd. Other times done as a shoot or a cheap shot at a lesser opponent (a jobber) who isn't allowed to fight back.
  • Promo: a promotional interview (as in "cutting a promo"). Often includes either an "in-ring interview" or (on television) a skit by wrestlers and other performers to advance a storyline or feud.
  • Promotion: a group that organizes professional wrestling events.
  • Puroresu or Puro: Japanese professional wrestling
  • Put Over: to allow oneself to be pinned or otherwise defeated by someone or to compliment them in an interview to get that person over.
  • Psychology: the story of a match. (Just the match, not the angle.) It can be as simple as a wrestler going after someone's bad leg or trying to hit a move the wrestler knows they have a weakness to.
  • Push: when a wrestler gains popularity with wins and positive exposure. A push can be a sudden win over a major superstar, or becoming involved in a high profile angle.

    R
  • Receipt: seeking revenge against another wrestler when after that person put too much force into his attacks or maneuvers on his opponent, deliberately or accidentally - ie, "give a receipt."
  • Repackage: to completely change a wrestler's gimmick, going beyond a simple face or heel turn. Usually, wrestlers are taken off of TV for a period of time before being repackaged. Other times wrestlers are repackaged quickly, on TV, by simply acting differently.
  • Rest Hold: a hold applied more lightly at a designated point in a match in order to save energy (eg, chinlock).
  • Rib: practical jokes played by or on wrestlers.
  • Ring Rat or Rat: someone with amorous feelings for wrestlers; someone who frequents wrestling events to flirt or pursue sexual liaisons with wrestlers. Often underage girls (especially in the territory days). Essentially a groupie in wrestling.
  • Road Agent: see Agent.
  • Rub: When a wrestler makes another wrestler look good to build them up in the eyes of the fans. Usually a wrestler with higher status will "give the rub" to an up and comer, especially when the higher status wrestler is on his way out of the company.
  • Rulebreaker: alternative, kayfabe-friendly name for "heel," often used in such magazines as Pro Wrestling Illustrated.
  • Run-in: when wrestlers not participating in a match interfere with it.

    S
  • Sandbag: to not co-operate with a throw; to act as dead weight. This makes the moves the wrestler is attempting much harder, if not impossible to pull off. It's usually done in protest to something the wrestler giving the move has done in the match, such as not protecting his/her opponent or working stiff.
  • Save: when one or more wrestlers enter the ring to aid an ally.
  • Schmozz: a non-ending, designed to keep all participants from losing any heat.
  • Screwjob: a match with a controversial or unsatisfying finish, often involving cheating or outside interference.
  • Sell: reacting to an opponents attacks in a manner that suggests that the techniques are being applied at full force.
  • Shock TV: using risque angles and promoting controversy in order to draw ratings.
  • Shoot: any "real" event in the world of wrestling (as in "shoot interview").
  • Shooter: a wrestler who has a background in legitimate fighting (originally catch wrestling, now more often mixed martial arts), or otherwise has a reputation as a tough guy.
  • Shootfighting: competitive full-contact mixed martial arts tournaments, used in comparison to the staged performances of professional wrestling.
  • Showing Light: when a wrestler visually shows making no contact to his opponent when performing an attack.
  • Skin The Cat: a term used to describe when a wrestler goes either over or through the ropes to the outside but is able to pull themselves back into the ring without touching the floor.
  • Smark (contraction of Smart Mark): a phrase coined by internet smart marks to describe a fan who enjoys pro wrestling despite or because they know that it is staged.
  • Smart: someone who has inside information on the wrestling business.
  • Spot: a planned move, as in "high spot" or "blown spot".
  • Spotfest: several high-impact moves or finishers in a row, often seen in matches with several participants.
  • Squash: an extremely one-sided match which is usually over quickly.
  • Stable: a group of allied wrestlers.
  • Stiff: when a wrestler puts force into his attacks or maneuvers on his opponent, deliberately or accidentally.
  • Strap: another name for a championship/title belt.
  • Stretching: applying submission locks and holds with full force as a way of disciplining an inattentive or disrespectful wrestler.
  • Strong Style: a Japanese professional wrestling style that is worked, yet aims to deliver realistic performances. The style emphasizes highspots, stiff attacks, and worked shoots.
  • Stroke: backstage influence.

    T
  • Take Home or Take It Home: the last spot of a match, or an instruction to a wrestler to finish the match.
  • Transition: the way two wrestlers get from A to B in a match. A move used to get from spot to spot.
  • Transitional Champion: a holder of a traditionally-short title reign which bridges two long-running title reigns by usually-popular champions.
  • Turn: when a wrestler switches from babyface to heel or vice-versa.
  • Tweener: a morally ambiguous wrestler, neither a bad guy or good guy (an inbetweener). This term is also used to describe wrestlers who use tactics typically associated with heels (ie, cheating), yet are still cheered by fans in spite of (or because of) these antics.

    U
  • Undercard: matches prior to the main event.
  • Unification: the act of combining two championships into one, the result of which is either an entirely new title or the consolidation of one title into another.
  • Up North: a term used to refer to World Wrestling Entertainment, due to its offices in Connecticut and original stronghold in the Northeast.

    V
  • Valet: a female performer assigned to accompany a wrestler to the ring and put him over in interviews.
  • Vignette: A taped video segment meant either introduce a debuting character or to get a wrestler over before their TV wrestling debut.

    W
  • Weekend Warrior: Someone who usually only wrestles independent shows on a weekend due to semi-retirement or, more frequently, because they need to have another job as they do not make enough money out of pro wrestling alone.
  • Work: a staged event, from the carnival tradition of "working the crowd".
  • Worker: a wrestler.
  • Worked Shoot: a scripted segment that takes place in a show with elements of reality being exposed. Also a segment that fans are meant to believe is a shoot, but isn't.
  • Workrate: a wrestler's talent level; or, when used by critics, an analysis of the action in a match (eg, actual wrestling vs anything else (such as rest holds, managerial interference, etc.)).

    X
  • X-Pac Heat: when a wrestler receives negative heat (boos) not because his character is a heel but because fans legitimately don't like him, or think that he is boring and should stop wrestling. Named for the crowd reactions to X-Pac circa 2001.
  • X Sign: a gesture made by the referee (crossing both arms) which indicates that an injury is legitimate and medical assistance is required. However the X sign has been used in a kayfabe context when the injury is not real.


Wrestling LIVE:

Click HERE to go back to the Homepage! (>>)

Which is the better brand at the moment?
WWE RAW
WWE Smackdown!
ECW