Mid 20th Century
105-509: The Fantastics were a professional wrestling tag team composed of Bobby Fulton and Tommy Rogers who worked together extensively between 1984 and 2007. At times, Bobby Fulton would team up with his brother Jackie Fulton under the same name. While in the Mid-Southern area (Memphis), Terry Taylor was teamed with a budding young wrestler named Bobby Fulton, who at the time was a jobber on TV but showed promise. To capitalize further on
210-594: A WCW Worldwide taping in Orlando, FL, defeating Sonny Trout & Rick Thames. On the December 3 edition of the show they challenged WCW World Tag Team Champions Pretty Wonderful for their titles. On the December 10, 1994 episode of WCW Saturday Night the Fantastics suffered their first defeat in their comeback when they fell to Harlem Heat . The same day on WCW Worldwide their challenge to Pretty Wonderful for
315-729: A feud with The Midnight Express ( Bobby Eaton and Dennis Condrey ) that would extend into the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA). In October 1984 the Fantastics joined the Von Erich's popular Texas based promotion, carrying over their feud with the Midnight Express. The Fantastics defeated the Midnights in their debut match with the promotion at a house show in San Antonio, TX on October 20, and
420-529: A scaffold match at the Parade of Champions 4 on May 3, 1987. On June 26, 1987, they lost the titles to Eric Embry & Frankie Lancaster , and would later feud with Jack Victory & John Tatum . On March 12, 1988, the Fantastics made their debut on NWA Pro television for the NWA's Jim Crockett Promotions , defeating the latest version of The Midnight Express (Bobby Eaton & Stan Lane ). The latter were
525-446: A " gimmick " consisting of a specific persona , stage name , entrance theme , and other distinguishing traits. Matches are the primary vehicle for advancing storylines, which typically center on interpersonal conflicts, or feuds , between heroic " faces " and villainous " heels ". A wrestling ring , akin to the platform used in boxing , serves as the main stage ; additional scenes may be recorded for television in backstage areas of
630-654: A "bullwhip on a pole" match. In November 1985 the Fantastics joined the Continental Wrestling Association , making their debut at a house show in Lexington, KY on the 15th of that month in a successful effort versus Pat Rose & Tom Prichard . As the winter progressed they would face off against Rip Morgan & Taras Bulba , as well as The Freedom Fighters (the rookie Jim Hellwig and Steve Borden ). On January 13, 1986, in Memphis, TN
735-628: A TV taping in Greenville, SC. They would continue to wrestler for South Atlantic Pro Wrestling until at least March 1991. When Jim Cornette began his own promotion, Smokey Mountain Wrestling (SMW) Bobby Fulton and his brother Jackie wrestled as "The Fantastics" for Cornette's company and occasionally as "The Fantastic Ones" in other promotions . The brothers made their debut at the inaugural SMW taping on October 30, 1991, Greenville, SC, teaming up to defeat Ivan Koloff & Vladimir Koloff in
840-413: A background in authentic wrestling no longer mattered. After this time, matches became more outlandish and gimmicky and any semblance professional wrestling had to catch wrestling faded. The personas of the wrestlers likewise grew more outlandish. Gorgeous George , who performed throughout the 1940s and 1950s, was the first wrestler whose entrance into the arena was accompanied by a theme song played over
945-532: A carny term for a shooting gallery gun whose sights were not deliberately misaligned. Wrestling in the United States blossomed in popularity after the Civil War , with catch wrestling eventually becoming the most popular style. At first, professional wrestlers were genuine competitive fighters, but they struggled to draw audiences because Americans did not find real wrestling to be very entertaining, so
1050-411: A cease and desist order for using the song. Hill was actually a huge fan of them, and loved that they used the song. Professional wrestling 1970s and 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s and 2020s Professional wrestling (often referred to as pro wrestling , or simply, wrestling ) is a form of athletic theater that combines mock combat with drama , with the premise that
1155-470: A central authority. Nor could any of them stomach the idea of leaving the NWA themselves to compete directly with McMahon, for that would mean their territories would become fair game for the other NWA members. McMahon also had a creative flair for TV that his rivals lacked. For instance, the AWA's TV productions during the 1980s were amateurish, low-budget, and out-of-touch with contemporary culture, which lead to
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#17328015034461260-505: A champion that Curley put forth: Dick Shikat . The National Wrestling Association shut down in 1980. In 1948, a number of promoters from across the country came together to form the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA). The NWA recognized one "world champion", voted on by its members, but allowed member promoters to crown their own local champions in their territories. If a member poached wrestlers from another member, or held matches in another member's territory, they risked being ejected from
1365-777: A day later in Fort Worth they beat The Long Riders ( Bill Irwin & Scott Irwin ) to capture the NWA American Tag Team Championship . They would continue the Midnight Express feud over the World Class Wrestling Association 's WCWA Tag Team Championship . The Fantastics hired a bodyguard, Silo Sam who stood at 7 feet 7 inches. As champions they would successfully defend against numerous duos, including Pretty Young Things ( Koko B Ware & Norvell Austin ) and Jake Roberts & Kelly Kiniski . On January 11, 1985,
1470-506: A degree. Vince Russo, the boss of WCW in 2000, completely disregarded kayfabe by routinely discussing business matters and office politics in public, which alienated fans. I watch championship wrestling from Florida with wrestling commentator Gordon Solie . Is this all "fake"? If so, they deserve an Oscar . The MOD Squad The MOD Squad was a professional wrestling tag team that worked together from 1984 to 1991, normally working as heels (wrestling term for those who portray
1575-482: A double disqualification. After successfully retaining against The Sheepherders in numerous rematches throughout the spring of 1986, the Fantastics lost the UWF Tag-Team Championship to Hot Stuff & Hyatt International ( Eddie Gilbert & Sting ) at a television taping on July 20. The two teams would trade the titles back and forth during the summer of 1986. This feud would continue through
1680-410: A fee, a visitor could challenge the wrestler to a quick match. If the challenger defeated the champion in a short time frame, usually 15 minutes, he won a prize. To encourage challenges, the carnival operators staged rigged matches in which an accomplice posing as a visitor challenged the champion and won, giving the audience the impression that the champion was easy to beat. This practice taught wrestlers
1785-414: A genuine sport, and the phrase "professional wrestling" therefore has a more literal meaning in those places. A notable example is India's Pro Wrestling League . In numerous American states, professional wrestling is legally defined as a non-sport. For instance, New York defines professional wrestling as: Professional wrestling means an activity in which participants struggle hand-in-hand primarily for
1890-794: A house show series with the newly arrived Original Midnight Express (Dennis Condrey & Randy Rose ). They would also face The Varsity Club in rematches for the United States Tag-Team Championship, as well as face The Commandos. On February 15, 1989, in Cleveland, OH at Clash of the Champions V the Fantastics received a televised rematch with the Varsity Club, but were unsuccessful. They then left NWA, due to problems with booker Kevin Sullivan . Following
1995-405: A legitimate sport. Firstly, wrestling was more entertaining when it was faked, whereas fakery did not make boxing any more entertaining. Secondly, in a rigged boxing match, the designated loser must take a real beating for his "defeat" to be convincing, but wrestling holds can be faked convincingly without inflicting injury. This meant that boxers were less willing to "take dives"; they wanted to have
2100-799: A match against Gus Sonnenberg in January 1929. Bowser then broke away from the trust to form his own cartel, the American Wrestling Association (AWA), in September 1930, and he declared Sonnenberg to be the AWA champion. This AWA should not be confused with Wally Kadbo's AWA founded in 1960. Curley reacted to this move by convincing the National Boxing Association to form the National Wrestling Association , which in turn crowned
2205-401: A match that would air on February 8, 1992. The duo would immediately get into a feud with Jim Cornette and The Heavenly Bodies . On March 12, 1992, the brothers introduced original Fantastics member Tommy Rogers as a surprise partner on an episode of Smoky Mountain television; the three Fantastics then defeated Billy Black, Joel Deaton , and Jimmy Golden . In March 1992 the Fantastics entered
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#17328015034462310-440: A new city, attendance was high because there was a waiting fanbase cultivated in advance by the cable TV shows. The NWA's traditional anti-competitive tricks were no match for this. The NWA attempted to centralize and create their own national cable television shows to counter McMahon's rogue promotion, but it failed in part because the members of the NWA, ever protective of their territories, could not stomach submitting themselves to
2415-517: A regular team from more or less the beginning, billed as "the Jeffers". In 1986 the team decided to change their image, adopting the monikers Spike and Basher, the Mod Squad, a pair of motorcycle police officers, completed with uniforms and motorcycle helmets that the team used to help them win matches, pushing the perception that they were bad guys. The MOD Squad had their first taste of success in
2520-781: A television taping in Savannah, GA where they lost to NWA World Tag-Team Champions The Fabulous Freebirds . On the October 21, 1989 edition of World Championship Wrestling the new tandem earned their first televised victory, pinning Lee Scott & Agent Steel . They would then lose to old nemesis The Midnight Express on December 23's edition of World Championship Wrestling to close out the year. The brother tandem competed infrequently for World Championship Wrestling, as their next match would not come until March 30, 1990, when they faced Jack Victory & Rip Morgan in Lynchburg, VA. On July 30
2625-548: A tournament for the vacant United States championship and would win them back at Clash of the Champions IV "Seasons Beatings" on December 7, 1988, in Chattanooga, TN when they defeated Ron Simmons & Eddie Gilbert. Their second title reign was short, as they were beaten for the belts by The Varsity Club ( Kevin Sullivan & Steve Williams ) at Starrcade 88 . As 1989 began the Fantastics were programmed into
2730-543: A tournament to crown the SMW Tag-Team Champions. On March 12 they defeated The Wild Bunch (Billy Black & Joel Deaton) to advance past the first round of the tournament. On April 9 the Fantastics were victorious over The Maulers (Jack Victory & Rip Morgan) to progress to the finals. However, on April 23, 1992, the Heavenly Bodies defeated them to win the titles. The Fantastics would challenge
2835-503: A typical American household only received four national channels by antenna, and ten to twelve local channels via UHF broadcasting . But cable television could carry a much larger selection of channels and therefore had room for niche interests. The WWF started with a show called All-American Wrestling airing on the USA Network in September 1983. McMahon's TV shows made his wrestlers national celebrities, so when he held matches in
2940-797: A very brief stint in the CWF, the Fantastics resurfaced in All Japan Pro Wrestling in the summer of 1989, entering the AJPW Summer Action Series 1989 . They made their first appearance on July 1, 1989, and defeated Isamu Teranishi & Mighty Inoue at a television taping in Omiya, Saitama, Japan. The Fantastics were undefeated in their first nine matches and were finally defeated by Dean Malenko & Joe Malenko on July 15, 1989, at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan. They finished
3045-586: A victory for all the pain to which they subjected themselves. In the 1910s, promotional cartels for professional wrestling emerged in the East Coast (outside its traditional heartland in the Midwest ). These promoters sought to make long-term plans with their wrestlers, and to ensure their more charismatic and crowd-pleasing wrestlers received championships, further entrenching the desire for worked matches. The primary rationale for shoot matches at this point
3150-605: Is War as part of the tournament to crown the inaugural WWF Light Heavyweight Championship . Rogers defeated a heelish Fulton in the match, but would lose to Brian Christopher in the next round of the tournament. In August 1997 Bobby and Jackie Fulton reformed their version of the Fantastics, traveling to New Dimension Wrestling. They made their return as a team October 25, 1997 at an event in Thomasville, NC, losing to The Mavericks (Chris Mantell & Buck Mantell). The Fantastics would continue to make appearances for NDW through
3255-410: Is a true sport. Wrestlers would at all times flatly deny allegations that they fixed their matches, and they often remained in-character in public even when not performing. When in public, wrestlers would sometimes say the word kayfabe to each other as a coded signal that there were fans present and they needed to be in character. Professional wrestlers in the past strongly believed that if they admitted
Fantastics - Misplaced Pages Continue
3360-691: The All Asia Tag Team Championship , but were defeated. As with their tour the previous year, the Fantastics were highly successful in the Giant Series 1990, registering a record of 18–2 with their only other loss coming to Isamu Teranishi & Tiger Mask ( Mitsuharu Misawa ) at a tour event on January 26. Rogers and Fulton would return again that summer for the AJPW Summer Action Series II 1990 series and were again quite successful. They competed for
3465-637: The Central States Wrestling promotion. On January 1 Spike and Basher became the NWA Central States Tag Team Champions by defeating Dave Peterson and Todd Champion . Their run on top of the tag team division was ended 56 days later as the team of Bart Batten and Ric McCord defeated them. The following month the MOD Squad defeated The Southern Boys ( Steve Armstrong and Tracy Smothers ) to win
3570-561: The Continental Wrestling Association (CWA) where they were managed by J.D. Costello. On March 24, 1986, the team defeated The Fantastics ( Bobby Fulton and Tommy Rogers ) to win the AWA Southern Tag Team Championship . The CWA bookers decided to move the tag team championship onto the team of Giant Hillbilly and Jerry Lawler 91 days later on June 23. By the end of the year the MOD Squad had moved on to another territory, working around Kansas City for
3675-910: The IWA Japan Exciting Series 2004 . They won their debut in Osaka, defeating Ryo Miyake & Yukihide Ueno. Three days later in Chiba they challenged IWA World Tag-Team Champions Steve Williams & Ryo Miyake, but were defeated. Returning to the United States, the Fantastics then faced The Midnight Express for the first time in many years. Held at the WFP 3rd Annual Night Of The Superstars event Waynesboro, VA, this encounter saw them defeat Bobby Eaton and Dennis Condrey. On January 29, 2005, Rogers & Fulton joined forces with The Rock 'n Roll Express to defeat all three active members of The Midnight Express (Bobby Eaton, Stan Lane, and Dennis Condrey) at
3780-490: The NWA Florida Tag Team Championship . In April, 1987 the MOD Squad were invited to participate in the second annual Jim Crockett, Sr. Memorial Cup Tag Team Tournament , defeating the veteran team of Wahoo McDaniel and Baron von Raschke in the first round, but were defeated by Four Horsemen representatives Lex Luger and Tully Blanchard in the second round. The following week they lost
3885-595: The NWA United States Tag Team Title at the time, and the Fantastics won in their non-title debut. On March 27, 1988, the duo again faced the Midnights at the inaugural Clash of Champions , this time falling in defeat. The next month they participated in the NWA Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Cup 1988 , earning a first round bye and defeating Al Perez & NWA Western States Heritage Champion Larry Zbyszko . On April 23, 1988, in
3990-624: The New Jersey State Athletic Control Board that professional wrestling is not a real sport because its matches have predetermined outcomes. Shortly thereafter, New Jersey deregulated professional wrestling. The WWF then rebranded itself as a " sports entertainment " company. In the early years of the 20th century, the style of wrestling used in professional wrestling matches was catch wrestling . Promoters wanted their matches to look realistic and so preferred to recruit wrestlers with real grappling skills. In
4095-542: The Super Dome in New Orleans, Louisiana. Later that evening a second card was held, and the second round of the tournament began. Fulton and Rogers defeated the tandem of NWA National Heavyweight Champion Tully Blanchard & NWA Television Champion Arn Anderson . In the quarterfinals the Fantastics faced off against their UWF opponents The Sheepherders; both were placed out of the tournament after battling to
4200-776: The United States , Mexico , Japan , and northwest Europe (the United Kingdom , Germany/Austria and France ), which have each developed distinct styles, traditions, and subgenres within professional wrestling. Professional wrestling has developed its own culture and community , including a distinct vernacular . It has achieved mainstream success and influence within popular culture , with many terms, tropes , and concepts being referenced in everyday language as well as in film , music , television , and video games . Likewise, numerous professional wrestlers have become national or international icons with recognition by
4305-569: The Universal Wrestling Federation (UWF), making their debut on March 30, 1986, at a UWF TV Taping where they defeated The Sheepherders to win the UWF Tag Team Championship . While continuing to defend their championship the duo participated in the NWA Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Cup 1986 . On April 19 the team defeated The Fabulous Ones in the first round of the tournament in a matinee event held at
Fantastics - Misplaced Pages Continue
4410-766: The WrestleReunion event in Tampa, FL. This would mark the final appearance of the original version of The Fantastics, as Rogers retired from the ring in 2007. Eight months later, on August 25, 2005, the Fantastics returned for WrestleReunion 2 to compete in a four corners match. This time it was the Fulton Brothers competing as the Fantastics, and they were victorious against The Samoan Island Tribe ( Samu & Alofa), The Backseat Boyz ( Johnny Kashmere & Trent Acid ) and The Thunderfoots ( Dave Deaton & Joel Deaton ). On June 1, 2015, Tommy Rogers died at
4515-495: The performers are competitive wrestlers. Professional wrestling is distinguished by its scripted outcomes and emphasis on entertainment and showmanship . The staged nature of matches is an open secret , with both wrestlers and spectators nonetheless maintaining the pretense that performances are bona fide competitions, which is likened to the suspension of disbelief employed when engaging with fiction . Professional wrestlers perform as characters and usually maintain
4620-407: The "bad guys"). The team was made up of brothers James (July 14, 1960 – February 8, 2013) and Mack Jefferson, known under the ring names Mack Jeffers and Jim Jeffers and later on as Spike and Basher respectively. The duo's ring characters was that of two motorcycle police officers . Mack and James Jefferson began wrestling in 1984 under the ring names Mack Jeffers and Jim Jeffers working as
4725-584: The 1920s, a group of wrestlers and promoters known as the Gold Dust Trio introduced moves which have since become staples of the mock combat of professional wrestling, such as body slams, suplexes , punches, finishing moves, and out-of-ring count-outs. By the early 1930s, most wrestlers had adopted personas to generate public interest. These personas could broadly be characterized as either faces (likeable) or heels (villainous). Native Americans, cowboys, and English aristocrats were staple characters in
4830-400: The 1930s and 1940s. Before the age of television, some wrestlers played different personas depending on the region they were performing in. This eventually came to an end in the age of national television wrestling shows, which forced wrestlers to stick to one persona. Wrestlers also often used some sort of gimmick, such as a finishing move, eccentric mannerisms, or out-of-control behavior (in
4935-509: The 1990s, WCW became a credible rival to the WWF, but by end it suffered from a series of creative missteps that led to its failure and purchase by the WWF. One of its mistakes was that it diminished the glamor of its World Heavyweight Championship . Between January 2000 and March 2001, the title changed hands eighteen times, which sapped fan enthusiasm, particularly for the climactic pay-per-view matches. In professional wrestling, two factors decide
5040-411: The 19th century, who later sought to make matches shorter, more entertaining, and less physically taxing. As the public gradually realized and accepted that matches were predetermined, wrestlers responded by increasingly adding melodrama, gimmickry, and outlandish stunt work to their performances to further enhance the spectacle . By at least the early 20th century, professional wrestling had diverged from
5145-653: The Atlantic Athletic Corporation (AAC). The AAC shut down in 1960. In 1958, Omaha promoter and NWA member Joe Dusek recognized Verne Gagne as the world champion without the approval of the NWA. Gagne asked for a match against the recognized NWA champion Pat O'Connor. The NWA refused to honor the request, so Gagne and Minneapolis promoter Wally Karbo established the American Wrestling Association in 1960. This AWA should not be confused with Paul Bowser's AWA, which ceased operations just two months prior. Gagne's AWA operated out of Minnesota . Unlike
5250-858: The Bodies that spring and summer, but were unsuccessful in their efforts to gain the Smoky Mountain titles. Their final match came on November 8, 1992, at a house show against Robert Fuller & Jimmy Golden. Meanwhile, overseas the original version of the Fantastics remained ongoing. On January 2, 1990, Tommy Rogers and Bobby Fulton would reunite in All Japan Pro Wrestling. Competing in the AJPW New Year Giant Series 1990 , they defeated Isamu Teranishi & Mighty Inoue in Tokyo. The following night they challenged Footloose ( Samson Fuyuki & Toshiaki Kawada ) for
5355-528: The Fantastics defeated The Sheepherders to win the vacant AWA Southern Tag Team Championship . Less than two weeks later Rogers and Fulton beat The Sheepherders in a loser-leaves-town match, sending their new nemesis departing from the CWA. However the Fantastics stint in the CWA would be relatively short, as they lost the titles to The MOD Squad on March 24, 1986 and departed for the UWF. The Fantastics thus jumped to
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#17328015034465460-592: The Fantastics made a surprise appearance on Monday Nitro , losing to The Faces of Fear in a match airing from Mankato, MN. The following day they faced High Voltage in a dark match at a WCW Saturday Night taping. While not wrestling together, both Tommy Rogers and Bobby Fulton made appearances as the World Wrestling Federation began to showcase its new Light Heavyweight division. The partners would face off against each other on June 16, 1997, when Rogers wrestled Bobby Fulton on an episode of Raw
5565-754: The Fultons defeated Barry Horowitz & Scotty Williams at an NWA Power Hour taping for a match that would air on August 12. On the same show they were interviewed by Missy Hyatt and were referred to as the Fantastics, and given the length of time since their last televised appearance it was referred to as their arrival. On the August 24, 1990 edition of the Power Hour they received a title opportunity against NWA World Tag-Team Champions Doom , but were unsuccessful. A day later they had another shot at Doom on NWA Pro but were also defeated. After this Bobby Fulton left
5670-707: The July 18 Great American Bash show they were unsuccessful in their challenge for the NWA World Tag Team Championship as they lost to the Rock and Roll Express ( Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson . Their last high-profile match took place on February 6, 1990, as part of World Championship Wrestling 's Clash of the Champions X: Texas Shootout show where they lost to the team of "Flyin' Brian" Pillman and "Z-Man" Tom Zenk in
5775-600: The Midnight Express defeated the Fantastics to gain the NWA American Tag-Team Championship, re-igniting their feud. At WCCW house shows that winter the two teams would face off in numerous matches, with the Fantastics usually winning that spring after Eaton & Condrey vacated the titles. Rogers and Fulton would face off against the Express for the vacant championship at the 2nd Von Erich Memorial Parade Of Champions on May 5, 1985, and regained
5880-1095: The NWA Florida Tag Team Championship to The Fabulous Ones ( Stan Lane and Steve Keirn ) on a show in Florida. The MOD Squad challenged the Fabulous Ones for the Florida Tag Team Championship as part of the Eddie Graham Memorial Show on May 9, 1987, but lost. The brothers competed on two of the National Wrestling Alliance The Great American Bash shows in the summer of 1987, first on July 4, 1987, in Atlanta, Georgia Spike and Basher competed in singles matches losing to LazorTron and Jimmy Valiant on undercard matches. 2 weeks later at
5985-408: The NWA, at which point his territory became fair game for everyone. The NWA would blacklist wrestlers who worked for independent promoters or who publicly criticized an NWA promoter or who did not throw a match on command. If an independent promoter tried to establish himself in a certain area, the NWA would send their star performers to perform for the local NWA promoter to draw the customers away from
6090-408: The NWA, which only allowed faces to be champions, Gagne occasionally allowed heels to win the AWA championship so that they could serve as foils for him. In August 1983, the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), a promotion in the north-east , withdrew from the NWA. Vince K. McMahon then took over as its boss. No longer bound by the territorial pact of the NWA, McMahon began expanding his promotion into
6195-405: The Summer Action Series with a 17–3 record before Bobby Fulton returned to the United States. While Rogers wrestled in Japan Fulton resurfaced in the American Wrestling Association (AWA) teaming with his brother, Jackie Fulton , as the Fantastics. They briefly feuded with AWA Tag Team Champions Mike Enos and Wayne Bloom . On September 21, 1989, the "new" Fantastics made their debut for WCW at
6300-445: The age of 54. Since then, Fulton has done multiple reunions with Terry Taylor as the Original Fantastics aka The Fantastic Ones. In their early years, they used the ZZ Top song " Sharp Dressed Man " as an entrance theme. One night they were approached and told that Dusty Hill was inviting them to meet him at a local bar in Texas, which Rogers and Fulton thought was a prank. When Hill actually showed up, they expected to be served with
6405-401: The arena's loudspeakers, his being Pomp and Circumstance . He also wore a costume: a robe and hairnet, which he removed after getting in the ring. He also had a pre-match ritual where his "butler" would spray the ring with perfume. In the 1980s, Vince McMahon made entrance songs, costumes, and rituals standard for his star wrestlers. For instance, McMahon's top star Hulk Hogan would delight
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#17328015034466510-418: The art of staging rigged matches and fostered a mentality that spectators were marks to be duped. The term kayfabe comes from carny slang. By the turn of the 20th century, most professional wrestling matches were "worked" and some journalists exposed the practice: American wrestlers are notorious for the amount of faking they do. It is because of this fact that suspicion attaches to so many bouts that
6615-447: The audience by tearing his shirt off before each match. The first major promoter cartel emerged on the East Coast, although up to that point, wrestling's heartland had been in the Midwest. Notable members of this cartel included Jack Curley , Lou Daro, Paul Bowser and Tom and Tony Packs. The promoters colluded to solve a number of problems that hurt their profits. Firstly, they could force their wrestlers to perform for less money. As
6720-412: The broader public. In the United States, wrestling is generally practiced in an amateur context. No professional league for competitive wrestling exists due to a lack of popularity. For example, Real Pro Wrestling , an American professional freestyle wrestling league, dissolved in 2007 after just two seasons. In other countries, such as Iran and India , wrestling enjoys widespread popularity as
6825-424: The cartel grew, there were fewer independent promoters where independent wrestlers could find work, and many were forced to sign a contract with the cartel to receive steady work. The contracts forbade them from performing at independent venues. A wrestler who refused to play by the cartel's rules was barred from performing at its venues. A second goal of the wrestling cartels was to establish an authority to decide who
6930-418: The case of heels). The matches could also be gimmicky sometimes, with wrestlers fighting in mud and piles of tomatoes and so forth. The most successful and enduring gimmick to emerge from the 1930s were tag-team matches. Promoters noticed that matches slowed down as the wrestlers in the ring tired, so they gave them partners to relieve them. It also gave heels another way to misbehave by double-teaming. Towards
7035-423: The character in shows must be considered fictional, wholly separate from the life of the performer. This is similar to other entertainers who perform with a persona that shares their own name. Some wrestlers also incorporate elements of their real-life personalities into their characters, even if they and their in-ring persona have different names. Kayfabe is the practice of pretending that professional wrestling
7140-461: The commission. The Commission did on very rare occasions hand out such authorizations, such as for a championship match between Jim Londos and Jim Browning in June 1934. This decree did not apply to amateur wrestling, which the commission had no authority over. Wrestling fans widely suspected that professional wrestling was fake, but they did not care as long as it entertained. In 1933, a wrestling promoter named Jack Pfefer started talking about
7245-468: The competitive sport to become an artform and genre of sports entertainment . Professional wrestling is performed around the world through various " promotions ", which are roughly analogous to production companies or sports leagues . Promotions vary considerably in size, scope, and creative approach, ranging from local shows on the independent circuit , to internationally broadcast events at major arenas. The largest and most influential promotions are in
7350-540: The current fashion of wrestling is the universal discussion as to the honesty of the matches. And certainly the most interesting phrase of this discussion is the unanimous agreement: "Who cares if they're fixed or not—the show is good." Newspapers tended to shun professional wrestling, as journalists saw its theatrical pretense to being a legitimate sport as untruthful. Eventually promoters resorted to publishing their own magazines in order to get press coverage and communicate with fans. The first professional wrestling magazine
7455-405: The end of the 1930s, faced with declining revenues, promoters chose to focus on grooming charismatic wrestlers with no regard for their skill because it was charisma that drew the crowds, and wrestlers who were both skilled at grappling and charismatic were hard to come by. Since most of the public by this time knew and accepted that professional wrestling was fake, realism was no longer paramount and
7560-603: The facade of kayfabe as best as they could. In 1989, Vince McMahon testified before the New Jersey government that professional wrestling was not a true sport and therefore should be exempted from sports-related taxes. Many wrestlers and fans resented McMahon for this, but Lou Thesz accepted it as the smart move as it gave the industry more freedom to do as it pleased, and because by that point professional wrestling no longer attempted to appear real. The demise of WCW in 2001 provided some evidence that kayfabe still mattered to
7665-470: The first place. "Double-crosses", where a wrestler agreed to lose a match but nevertheless fought to win, remained a problem in the early cartel days. At times a promoter would even award a victorious double-crosser the title of champion to preserve the facade of sport. But promoters punished such wrestlers by blacklisting them, making it quite challenging to find work. Double-crossers could also be sued for breach of contract, such as Dick Shikat in 1936. In
7770-610: The game is not popular here. Nine out of ten bouts, it has been said, are pre-arranged affairs, and it would be no surprise if the ratio of fixed matches to honest ones was really so high. The wrestler Lou Thesz recalled that between 1915 and 1920, a series of exposés in the newspapers about the integrity of professional wrestling alienated a lot of fans, sending the industry "into a tailspin". But rather than perform more shoot matches, professional wrestlers instead committed themselves wholesale to fakery. Several reasons explain why professional wrestling became fake whereas boxing endured as
7875-460: The government. They pledged to stop allocating exclusive territories to its promoters, to stop blacklisting wrestlers who worked for outsider promoters, and to admit any promoter into the Alliance. The NWA would flout many of these promises, but its power was nonetheless weakened by the lawsuit. Paul Bowser's AWA joined the NWA in 1949. The AWA withdrew from the Alliance in 1957 and renamed itself
7980-526: The independent. By 1956, the NWA controlled 38 promotions within the United States, with more in Canada, Mexico, Australia and New Zealand. The NWA's monopolistic practices became so stifling that the independents appealed to the government for help. In October 1956 the US Attorney General's office filed an antitrust lawsuit against the NWA in an Iowa federal district court. The NWA settled with
8085-492: The individual wrestlers are paid or have been paid for their performance in a professional wrestling exhibition. All engagements of professional wrestling shall be referred to as exhibitions, and not as matches. In the industry's slang, a fixed match is referred to as a worked match, derived from the slang word for manipulation, as in "working the crowd". A shoot match is a genuine contest where both wrestlers fight to win and are therefore "straight shooters", which comes from
8190-480: The industry was anything but a competitive sport. The first wrestling promoter to publicly admit to routinely fixing matches was Jack Pfefer . In 1933, he started talking about the industry's inner workings to the New York Daily Mirror , resulting in a huge exposé. The exposé neither surprised nor alienated most wrestling fans, although some promoters like Jack Curley were furious and tried to restore
8295-496: The industry's inner workings to the New York Daily Mirror , maintaining no pretense that wrestling was real and passing on planned results just before the matches took place. While fans were neither surprised nor alienated, traditionalists like Jack Curley were furious, and most promoters tried to maintain the facade of kayfabe as best they could. Not the least interesting of all the minor phenomena produced by
8400-498: The members of wrestling cartels as the champion drew big crowds wherever he performed, and this would occasionally lead to schisms. By 1925, this cartel had divided the country up into territories which were the exclusive domains of specific promoters. This system of territories endured until Vince McMahon drove the fragmented cartels out of the market in the 1980s. This cartel fractured in 1929 after one of its members, Paul Bowser , bribed Ed "Strangler" Lewis to lose his championship in
8505-532: The overall event, and on January 29, 1995, unsuccessfully challenged Jun Akiyama & Takao Omori for the vacated All Asia tag-team championship. Following their departure from World Championship Wrestling they returned for their normal summer tour of All-Japan, taking part in the AJPW Summer Action Series II 1995 tour to great success. In 1996 the Fantastics would embark on two additional tours of All Japan. Their final match saw Fulton & Rogers defeat Kentaro Shiga . & Satoru Asako On October 21, 1996,
8610-477: The promotion came on June 18, 1995, in a dark match against Harlem Heat at the Great American Bash 95 PPV. Tommy Rogers and Bobby Fulton returned for another tour of All Japan on January 2, 1995, taking part in the AJPW New Year Giant Series 1995 . This time they lost their opening bout, falling to Ryukaku Izumida & Tamon Honda in Tokyo, Japan. As with previous years they were successful in
8715-717: The promotion's closing in 1991. In the spring of 1984, the WWF purchased Georgia Championship Wrestling (GCW), which had been ailing for some time due to financial mismanagement and internal squabbles. In the deal, the WWF acquired the GCW's timeslot on TBS . McMahon agreed to keep showing Georgia wrestling matches in that timeslot, but he was unable to get his staff to Atlanta every Saturday to fulfill this obligation, so he sold GCW and its TBS timeslot to Jim Crockett Promotions (JCP). JCP started informally calling itself World Championship Wrestling (WCW). In 1988, Ted Turner bought JCP and formally renamed it World Championship Wrestling. During
8820-588: The promotion, leaving Jackie to compete in singles action for a time. On October 19, 1990, the duo of Bobby and Jackie Fulton resurfaced in South Atlantic Pro Wrestling . Wrestling at a television taping for a match that would air the following month, the Fantastics defeated Tommy Landell & Trent Knight. On December 29, 1990, the Fantastics won the SAPW Tag-Team Championship from The Pitbulldogs ( The Pitbulls ) at
8925-439: The purpose of providing entertainment to spectators and which does not comprise a bona fide athletic contest or competition. Professional wrestling is not a combative sport. Wrestling constituting bona fide athletic contests and competitions, which may be professional or amateur combative sport, shall not be deemed professional wrestling under this Part. Professional wrestling as used in this Part shall not depend on whether
9030-492: The quarterfinals in Greensboro, NC they defeated Rick Steiner & NWA Television Champion Mike Rotunda , but were eliminated in the semifinals by NWA World Tag Team Champions Arn Anderson & Tully Blanchard. On April 26, 1988, the Fantastics won the United States Tag-Team Championship from the Midnight Express in a 40-minute match held at an NWA television taping in Chattanooga, TN. Their feud would continue throughout
9135-468: The remainder of the year and 1998, facing The Terminators , as well as fellow babyface teams The Rock 'n' Roll Express and The Bushwhackers (their old Sheepherder opponents). In subsequent years the Fantastics occasionally worked as a team on the independent circuit . On March 12, 2004, the original Fantastics reformed for the first time in eight years when Tommy Rogers and Bobby Fulton traveled to International Wrestling Association Japan to compete in
9240-609: The remainder of the year and into 1987. In February 1987, the duo returned to World Class Championship Wrestling . Early in their tenure they captured the World Class Tag Team Championship by defeating Al Madril & Brian Adias at a house show in Lubbock, TX on March 4. During the WCCW run they feuded with Mike Davis and Tommy Lane , The Rock 'n' Roll RPMs . The Fantastics won the feud by winning
9345-543: The spring, with the Express regaining the titles on July 10 in Baltimore, MD at The Great American Bash 1988 - "The Price For Freedom" PPV. The Midnights later vacated the titles after winning the NWA World Tag-Team Championship from Anderson & Blanchard, and as their feud with the Fantastics continued it would now be for the NWA's ultimate prize. Meanwhile, Rogers & Fulton competed in
9450-440: The stamina for an hours-long fight. Audiences also preferred short matches. Worked matches also carried less risk of injury, which meant shorter recovery. Altogether, worked matches proved more profitable than shoots. By the end of the 19th century, nearly all professional wrestling matches were worked. A major influence on professional wrestling was carnival culture. Wrestlers in the late 19th century worked in carnival shows. For
9555-783: The success of The Fabulous Ones, they were named "The Fantastic Ones" and teamed only for a brief time before splitting up. In 1984, Bobby Fulton moved to the Mid-South area and teamed with Tommy Rogers shortening the name of the team to "The Fantastics". Their first match came on June 20, 1984, at a Mid-South TV taping in Shreveport, LA, where the duo defeated Barry Orton and Pat Rose. After defeating preliminary competition on television, The Fantastics earned their first significant victory when they defeated Hercules Hernandez and Krusher Khruschev on July 15, 1984, in Tulsa, OK. They then began
9660-604: The tag-team championship was unsuccessful. On the January 21, 1995 edition of WCW Worldwide the Fantastics received another shot at the WCW Tag-Team belts, this time against new champions Harlem Heat. Once more Rogers and Fulton failed to secure the titles. After this the tandem slid down the card. On the March 26th edition of World Wide they were again beaten by Pretty Wonderful, and on April 30 lost to The Blue Bloods ( Lord Steven Regal & Bobby Eaton). Their final date with
9765-426: The territories of his former NWA peers, now his rivals. By the end of the 1980s, the WWF would become the sole national wrestling promotion in the U.S. This was in part made possible by the rapid spread of cable television in the 1980s. The national broadcast networks generally regarded professional wrestling as too niche an interest, and had not broadcast any national wrestling shows since the 1950s. Before cable TV,
9870-553: The titles. The Fantastics second reign lasted until June 24, when they were defeated by the Dynamic Duo ( Chris Adams and Gino Hernandez ). Almost immediately after their loss to Adams and Hernandez the Fantastics returned to Mid-South Wrestling. They made their return on June 30, 1985, in Tulsa, OK, defeating The Midnight Express once more. That fall they moved on to a feud with Dutch Mantell & Bill Dundee . On September 25 they defeated Mantell & Dundee on television in
9975-519: The trial, witnesses testified that most of the "big matches" and all of the championship bouts were fixed. By the 1930s, with the exception of the occasional double-cross or business dispute, shoot matches were essentially nonexistent. In April 1930, the New York State Athletic Commission decreed that all professional wrestling matches held in the state had to be advertised as exhibitions unless certified as contests by
10080-471: The truth, their audiences would desert them. Today's performers don't "protect" the industry like we did, but that's primarily because they've already exposed it by relying on silly or downright ludicrous characters and gimmicks to gain popularity with the fans. It was different in my day, when our product was presented as an authentic, competitive sport. We protected it because we believed it would collapse if we ever so much as implied publicly that it
10185-457: The vacant All Asia Tag-Team Championship on September 7, 1990, in Fukui against Johnny Ace & Kenta Kobashi but were defeated. They would return for regular tours over the next three years and achieve considerable success, occasionally teaming with Jackie Fulton in six man matches. On October 30, 1994, the original version of The Fantastics made their return to World Championship Wrestling at
10290-405: The venue, in a format similar to reality television . Performers generally integrate authentic wrestling techniques and fighting styles with choreography , stunts , improvisation , and dramatic conventions designed to maximize entertainment value and audience engagement. Professional wrestling as a performing art evolved from the common practice of match-fixing among American wrestlers in
10395-535: The way of proceedings: the "in-show" happenings, presented through the shows; and real-life happenings outside the work that have implications, such as performer contracts, legitimate injuries, etc. Because actual life events are often co-opted by writers for incorporation into storylines of performers, the lines between real life and fictional life are often blurred and become confused. Special discern must be taken with people who perform under their own name (such as Kurt Angle and his fictional persona ). The actions of
10500-420: The wrestlers quietly began faking their matches so that they could give their audiences a satisfying spectacle. Fixing matches was also convenient for scheduling. A real ("shoot") match could sometimes last hours, whereas a fixed ("worked") match can be made short, which was convenient for wrestlers on tour who needed to keep appointments or share venues. It also suited wrestlers who were aging and therefore lacked
10605-425: Was Wrestling As You Like It , which printed its first issue in 1946. These magazines were faithful to kayfabe . Before the advent of television, professional wrestling's fanbase largely consisted of children, the elderly, blue-collar workers and minorities. When television arose in the 1940s, professional wrestling got national exposure on prime-time television and gained widespread popularity. Professional wrestling
10710-488: Was challenges from independent wrestlers. But a cartelized wrestler, if challenged, could credibly use his contractual obligations to his promoter as an excuse to refuse the challenge. Promotions would sometimes respond to challenges with "policemen": powerful wrestlers who lacked the charisma to become stars, but could defeat and often seriously injure any challenger in a shoot match. As the industry trend continued, there were fewer independent wrestlers to make such challenges in
10815-571: Was previously considered a niche interest, but the TV networks at the time were short on content and thus were willing to try some wrestling shows. In the 1960s, however, the networks moved on to more mainstream interests such as baseball, and professional wrestling was dropped. The core audience then shrunk back to a profile similar to that of the 1930s. In 1989, Vince McMahon was looking to exempt his promotion (the World Wrestling Federation ) from sports licensing fees. To achieve this, he testified before
10920-415: Was something other than what it appeared to be. I'm not sure now the fear was ever justified given the fact that the industry is still in existence today, but the point is no one questioned the need then. "Protecting the business" in the face of criticism and skepticism was the first and most important rule a pro wrestler learned. No matter how aggressive or informed the questioner, you never admitted
11025-417: Was the "world champion". Before the cartels, there were multiple wrestlers in the U.S. simultaneously calling themselves the "world champion", and this sapped public enthusiasm for professional wrestling. Likewise, the cartel could agree on a common set of match rules that the fans could keep track of. The issue over who got to be the champion and who controlled said champion was a major point of contention among
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