Mid 20th Century
116-438: WWE Studios Inc. (formerly known as WWE Films ) is an American film studio owned by the professional wrestling promotion WWE , a division of TKO Group Holdings , a majority-owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings . WWE Studios movies frequently mix well-known actors and actresses in lead roles with WWE wrestlers, and teams with existing production and distribution companies resulting in lower cost for both parties. Before
232-452: A Flintstones animated movie to be released in early 2015. WWE Studios most successful film to date is the 2013 release The Call , starring Halle Berry and Abigail Breslin , which made close to $ 70 million at the box office, despite a comparatively small budget of just $ 13m. The film opened at the US box office at No. 2 with 17 million in its first weekend. It was further reported that WWE
348-435: 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 the individual wrestlers are paid or have been paid for their performance in
464-415: A performing art evolved from the common practice of match-fixing among American wrestlers in 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
580-415: 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
696-442: A 12-man Hardcore Gauntlet Battle Royal which was won by James Storm . On May 15, 2015, episode of Impact Wrestling , Tyrus lost to Mr. Anderson . At Slammiversary , Carter and Tyrus defeated Lashley and Mr. Anderson in the co-main event. At World Cup 2015 , Tyrus (representing Team EC3) defeated Team Hardy's Gunner and later in the main event Team Hardy defeated Team EC3 in a Six-on-Six Elimination Tag Team match failing to win
812-414: A Brusin' , an action comedy to be written and directed by Adam Bhala Lough . WWE Studios and Warner Bros. co-produced a Scooby-Doo animated feature that found Scooby and the gang solving a mystery at WrestleMania , which also starred an ensemble of WWE Superstars. The movie released on March 25, 2014. On May 29, 2013, it was announced that WWE studios and Warner Bros would again team up to co-produce
928-506: A WWE wrestler as the lead, with That's What I Am starring Ed Harris as a schoolteacher accused of fondling kids. In December 2009, it was announced that Patricia Clarkson and Danny Glover would star in the WWE Studios and Samuel Goldwyn Films co-production of Legendary along with WWE wrestler John Cena . Around the same time, the film announced production had been completed on another co-production with Samuel Goldwyn Films,
1044-413: 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
1160-532: 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
1276-519: 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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#17327973390471392-585: 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
1508-595: A deal with Lionsgate in order to work on upcoming projects, most notably a Leprechaun project via a two-picture deal between the two studios. In April 2012, WWE Studios partnered with Warner Bros. Entertainment France and producer Thomas Langmann to distribute French film Les Reines Du Ring in the United States and Canada, as well as the rights to remake the film, which was announced in 2014. WWE Studios also produced No One Lives with Pathe Pictures, starring Luke Evans and WWE wrestler Brodus Clay , and acquired
1624-557: A deal with WWE Studios to develop shows hosted by WWE talent. In March 2022, A&E Network and WWE expanded their agreement for more episodes of Biography: WWE Legends and WWE's Most Wanted Treasures . It was also announced a new series called WWE Rivals . The deal between the company calls for additional content to be announced at a later date. Professional wrestling 1970s and 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s and 2020s Professional wrestling (often referred to as pro wrestling , or simply, wrestling )
1740-507: 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 . Brodus Clay George Murdoch (born February 21, 1973) is an American cable news personality, actor, and former professional wrestler known by his ring/stage name Tyrus . As
1856-404: 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 the broader public. In the United States, wrestling
1972-410: 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
2088-732: A feud with Damien Sandow on the July 30 episode of Raw ; Sandow attacked Clay when he laughed at a video of Sandow's beatdown at the hands of DX . Clay and Sandow finally faced off on the August 20 episode of Raw , where Sandow won, but he was attacked by Clay after the match. At the Survivor Series pay-per-view, Clay took part in 10 man elimination tag team match alongside Tyson Kidd , Justin Gabriel , Rey Mysterio and Sin Cara , but he
2204-690: A feud with Dolph Ziggler and Jack Swagger when he saved Santino Marella from them. Clay and Marella beat Ziggler and Swagger on the April 9 episode of Raw . On the April 20 episode of SmackDown , Clay began a brief association with Hornswoggle . At Extreme Rules , Clay defeated Ziggler. By May, Clay was on a 21-match winning streak since adopting the Funkasaurus gimmick. On the May 28 episode of Raw , Big Show justified his recent heel turn by blaming Clay. Hearing this, Clay then challenged Big Show to
2320-560: A foster family for many years; during this time, Murdoch was "obsessed" with changing his skin color, thinking that this would allow him to be reunited with his family. Murdoch and his brother eventually lived with their mother again, but Murdoch left home at age 15. In 1990, Murdoch attended Quartz Hill High School in Los Angeles County , California , and then in 1992, Antelope Valley College in Lancaster . By 1995, he
2436-801: A funk dancer accompanied by his backup dancers the Funkadactyls . He wrestled in WWE until his departure in 2014. From 2014 to 2017, Murdoch wrestled in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) under the ring name of Tyrus. In 2021, he joined the NWA, where he won the NWA World Television Championship , and later the promotion's primary title — the Worlds Heavyweight Championship. His 2022 autobiography Just Tyrus: A Memoir
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#17327973390472552-855: A further six films together, with the first two announced as Vendetta , starring The Big Show and 12 Rounds 3: Lockdown starring Dean Ambrose . These group of six films have been referred as the Action Six-Pack Series . In November 2014, WWE announced a new partnership deal with Warner Bros. Home Entertainment . In March 2015, they announced a partnership with newly founded Gene Simmons production company Erebus Pictures and in April 2015, WWE Studios teamed with British company Richwater Films to co-produce and co-finance action-thrillers Eliminators and Rampage . In November 2017, WWE announced that WWE Studios will expand its mandate to include scripted, non-scripted, family, and animated television and digital content. In February 2019, it
2668-405: 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
2784-418: A losing effort to The Bella Twins. The two teams were originally booked to face each other in an eight-person mixed tag team match on April 7 at WrestleMania 29 , but their match was cut due to time constraints. The match instead took place the following night on Raw , where Tons of Funk and The Funkadactyls emerged victorious. In November 2013, Clay started a storyline where he became angry and jealous of
2900-799: 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
3016-469: A match that night. Before the match could start, Big Show attacked Clay at ringside and brutally assaulted him. On the June 8 episode of SmackDown , Clay was banned by General Manager John Laurinaitis from appearing on Raw "to protect him from Big Show" so he was transferred to SmackDown. Big Show's attack also led Clay to vow to be more aggressive in the ring. At No Way Out , Clay defeated David Otunga in
3132-424: 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 the purpose of providing entertainment to spectators and which does not comprise
3248-440: 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
3364-525: A new three-film deal with 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment to produce, finance and market three straight-to-DVD titles, including The Marine 3: Homefront starring The Miz , having previously worked with 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment on the previous films in the franchise, The Marine and The Marine 2 . The deal also included the release of 12 Rounds 2: Reloaded starring Randy Orton , having together previously released 12 Rounds starring John Cena. Also that year, WWE Studios had signed
3480-568: A second collaboration between WWE Studios and Hyde Park was announced, with Ken Jeong , David Hasselhoff and WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan signed to star in a comedy Killing Hasselhoff . In February 2014, WWE announced the sequel to the 1996 film Jingle All the Way , to star Larry the Cable Guy and WWE wrestler Santino Marella . In May 2014, it was announced that WWE had extended their partnership with Lionsgate Entertainment to release
3596-433: A supporter of former President Donald Trump , he did not vote in 2016 and it is unclear whether he did in the subsequent elections. From 2018 to 2019, he was a co-host of the show Un-PC on Fox News's streaming channel, Fox Nation . In June 2019, he premiered a new Fox Nation show, Nuff Said . In June 2023, Tyrus hosted the premiere episode of Fox News Saturday Night , where he served as an interim host throughout
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3712-590: A tag team and went on to defeat established teams such as Primo & Epico , Heath Slater and Jinder Mahal of 3MB and Team Rhodes Scholars ( Cody Rhodes and Damien Sandow). On the March 22 episode of SmackDown , Tensai and Clay were defeated by Team Rhodes Scholars after an interference from The Bella Twins . Tensai and Clay announced their official tag-team name "Tons of Funk" on the March 27 episode of Main Event , where they accompanied The Funkadactyls to ring in
3828-503: 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
3944-586: 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
4060-625: A weekly basis. At One Night Only: September 2016 , Tyrus defeated Crazzy Steve . This was his first singles victory since Bound for Glory. At Against All Odds (aired November 4, 2016), Tyrus defeated Trevor Lee . At Bound for Glory , Tyrus competed in a 10-Man Bound for Gold Gauntlet match which was won by Eli Drake . Tyrus returned to Impact Wrestling and began aligning himself with Eli Drake . At Joker's Wild 2017 , Tyrus and Crazzy Steve lost to Mike Bennett and Braxton Sutter . On January 6, 2017, Tyrus and Eli Drake unsuccessfully challenged The Broken Hardys ( Jeff Hardy and Matt Hardy ) for
4176-428: A wrestler, he was formerly signed to the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), where he is a former NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion . As a cable news personality, he appears on Fox News , and its sister streaming service Fox Nation , primarily as a co-host/panelist on the late-night talk show Gutfeld! , as well as a contributor/fill-in host on other programs. In 2024, Tyrus was named host of Maintaining with Tyrus on
4292-436: Is a form of athletic theater that combines mock combat with drama , with the premise that 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
4408-410: 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
4524-596: Is an entrepreneur and fitness trainer. Together they have a daughter named Georgia born on May 7, 2014. After signing a contract with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), Murdoch was assigned to Deep South Wrestling (DSW), a WWE developmental territory , where he worked as G-Rilla , adopting the gimmick of a street thug. He worked in DSW until June 2007, when he was assigned to Florida Championship Wrestling , other WWE developmental territory. Murdoch worked in FCW, wrestling for
4640-427: 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 a genuine sport, and the phrase "professional wrestling" therefore has
4756-470: Is likened to the suspension of disbelief employed when engaging with fiction . Professional wrestlers perform as characters and usually maintain 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
WWE Studios - Misplaced Pages Continue
4872-604: The Crockett Cup , Tyrus teamed with Adonis under the name "The Midnight Riders" to compete in the namesake tournament, defeating The Warriors from the Wasteland ( Judais and Max the Impaler ) in the second round, and The Immortals ( Kratos and Odinson) in the quarterfinal but lost to Knox and Murdoch ( Mike Knox and Trevor Murdoch ) in the semifinal. On the July 11 episode of Powerrr , after EC3 successfully defended
4988-655: The FCW Southern Heavyweight Championship against Harry Smith on September 25, but lost via disqualification , but he was released from his contract on February 4, 2008. After a two year hiatus, in January 2010, Murdoch re-signed with WWE and returned to FCW. While he started with the G-Rilla ringname, he began to use the name of Brodus Clay , a play on Snoop Dogg's real name (Calvin Cordozar Broadus), in May 2010. During
5104-630: The NWA National Heavyweight Championship , he dropped the title in the ring, officially relinquishing it to challenge Tyrus for the NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship at NWA 75th Anniversary Show (NWA 75). Over two weeks later, Tyrus requested that the match be made a bullrope match given the history between him and EC3 stemming across Impact Wrestling and WWE . He also proposed the stipulation that he would retire should he lose
5220-624: 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
5336-643: The TNA World Tag Team Championship number one contenders tournament, defeating Eric Young and Rockstar Spud in the quarterfinals, only to lose to The Hardy Boyz on the October 29 episode of Impact Wrestling in the semifinals, when Tyrus was pinned by Matt Hardy . At Lockdown , Tyrus defeated Spud and Mark Andrews in a 2-on-1 Six Sides of Steel match. At Joker's Wild 2015 , Tyrus and Knux lost to Ethan Carter III and Crazzy Steve . At Hardcore Justice 2015 . Tyrus competed in
5452-570: The TNA World Tag Team Championships at TNA One Night Only: Live! . On August 18, 2017, the promotion announced that Tyrus was granted his release from his contract. Murdoch explained that he didn't feel comfortable with Jeff Jarrett returning to Impact, since Murdoch decided in the past to stay with TNA and didn't sign a contract with GFW. At Impact's January 2018 tapings, he returned to defeat his former boss Ethan Carter III after turning on him. However, his return
5568-557: The independent circuit , to internationally broadcast events at major arenas. The largest and most influential promotions are in 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
5684-431: The spectacle . By at least the early 20th century, professional wrestling had diverged from 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
5800-584: 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
5916-400: 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
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#17327973390476032-509: 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
6148-557: The 2011 Toronto International Film Festival cult hit The Day , starring Shawn Ashmore and Dominic Monaghan. WWE Studios has also acquired Interrogation , a suspense thriller by Adam Rodin. WWE Studios then secured the rights to Bermuda , a found footage horror spec script by Bobby Lee Darby and Nathan Brookes, set in the Bermuda Triangle . WWE Studios further announced a partnership with producer Edward R. Pressman and Jason Blum's Blum-Hanson-Allen films to develop Cruisin' for
6264-507: The April 20 episode of NWA Powerrr , Tyrus defeated Marshe Rockett and Matt Cross to become number one contender for the NWA World Television Championship . The next week, Tyrus and The Pope fought to a 6-minute time limit draw for the NWA Television Championship. On June 6 at When Our Shadows Fall , Tyrus defeated The Pope in a non-title match. On the August 6 episode of Powerrr , Tyrus defeated The Pope to win
6380-413: The April 25 episode of Raw , Del Rio was drafted to Raw, while Clay remained on SmackDown. Clay's final appearance with Del Rio occurred on May 1 at Extreme Rules , when he interfered on Del Rio's behalf as Del Rio faced Christian in a ladder match for the vacant World Heavyweight Championship . Despite this, Del Rio was unsuccessful in winning the match. After a three-month absence due to the filming of
6496-653: 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
6612-477: The Gauntlet Battle Royal match later that night where Drew Galloway won the 14-person intergender Joker's Wild gauntlet battle royal. On a June 28, 2016, taping of Impact Wrestling , Tyrus returned as a "fixer" for hire, siding with Grado and Mahabali Shera in a match against The Tribunal and Al Snow . Since then, TNA began airing vignettes for the "fixer" gimmick on Impact Wrestling on
6728-651: The NWA World Television Championship. Tyrus successfully defended his title in his first title defense against BLK Jeez . During his reign, Tyrus successfully defended the NWA World Television Championship against various contenders, such as Jordan Clearwater , Cyon , Jaden Roller, Rodney Mack , Mims and Odinson. Tyrus unsuccessfully challenged Trevor Murdoch for the NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship at NWA 74th Anniversary Show on August 28, 2022. On
6844-408: 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
6960-488: 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
7076-516: The NXT Champion in no disqualification match. On June 12, 2014, Clay was released by WWE. On September 16, 2014, Murdoch debuted for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) under the ring name Tyrus at TNA's television tapings, aligning himself with Ethan Carter III (EC3). Moments after EC3 introduced him, he had his first wrestling match on the October 15 episode of Impact Wrestling against Shark Boy , which he won. Together they entered
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#17327973390477192-483: The September 24, 2022, episode of NWA USA , Tyrus vacated the NWA World Television Championship using the "Lucky 7" rule to challenge Murdoch and Matt Cardona for the NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship at NWA Hard Times 3 . At the event on November 12, Tyrus pinned Murdoch to win the title, marking his first world championship in his career. On February 11, 2023, at Nuff Said , Tyrus successfully defended his title in his first title defense against Matt Cardona, with
7308-401: 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
7424-418: 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
7540-561: 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
7656-424: 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
7772-418: 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
7888-423: 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
8004-508: The comedy Knucklehead , which starred WWE wrestler Big Show . Further projects were announced in 2010 with WWE wrestlers in lead roles, with The Chaperone starring Triple H , which was released in February 2011, and Bending the Rules starring Edge , which was released in March 2012. These initial releases were largely unsuccessful financially. In February 2012, WWE Studios agreed to
8120-461: 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
8236-540: 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
8352-427: The debuting Xavier Woods , who "borrowed" Clay's music and The Funkadactyls for his entrance. Clay thus began to exhibit more villainous tendencies, such as repeatedly attacking Woods, after he had defeated Woods in a match. At TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs , Clay faced Woods' partner, R-Truth and continually assaulted Truth instead of going for a win, so Tensai and the Funkadactyls left in protest and Clay lost
8468-405: 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
8584-603: 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
8700-495: The finale of season three of NXT , Clay was named part of the fourth season , with Ted DiBiase and Maryse as his Pros. He made his in-ring debut on NXT on the December 14, 2010, episode, teaming with DiBiase to defeat Byron Saxton and his mentor Chris Masters . During the season, he won a four-way elimination match on the January 25 episode of NXT , earning the right to choose a new Pro, picking Alberto Del Rio . In
8816-470: 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
8932-524: The formation of WWE Studios, the WWF had produced the 1989 film No Holds Barred featuring Hulk Hogan under the Shane Distribution Company banner, a precursor to today's company. WWE Studios released the film on DVD in 2012. WWE Studios was formed in 2002 as WWE Films, and was seen as "a natural extension of the entertainment business" that they already featured in the weekly Raw and SmackDown television programs. Joel Simon
9048-610: 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
9164-460: 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
9280-405: The help from Bully Ray , whom he promised to give a title shot anytime he wanted afterwards. Tyrus, holding the NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship belt, was featured in a commercial for Fox News Channel's talk show 'Gutfeld!' during Super Bowl LVII . On April 7 at NWA 312 , Tyrus successfully defended the NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship against Chris Adonis . On June 3, during night one of
9396-526: 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
9512-480: 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
9628-496: 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
9744-416: The match. On the next day on Raw , Clay completed his heel turn by abandoning Tensai to lose their tag match and attacking Tensai after the match. Clay found no immediate success, as he went on to lose to Tensai, Woods and Truth in singles matches. On the April 17 episode NXT , Clay would lose by countout against Adrian Neville in a non-title match. His final match was he lost to Adrian Neville for
9860-520: The match. On August 27, at NWA 75, Tyrus lost the NWA World title Bullrope match to EC3, thus he was forced to retire. After the match, he said his good byes and thanked his family, the NWA and Billy Corgan ; and the NWA locker room came out to embrace Tyrus. In November 2016, Fox News host Greg Gutfeld invited Murdoch to appear as a guest commentator on The Greg Gutfeld Show ; after Murdoch's first appearance, Gutfeld offered to have him back on
9976-498: 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
10092-518: The movie No One Lives , Clay reappeared on the August 4, 2011, episode of Superstars , where he defeated Pat Silva . Over the next few weeks, Clay continued to squash various jobbers on Superstars . WWE ran vignettes promoting his return to television on the November 7, 2011, episode of Raw . However, Clay's television return was continuously delayed by authority figure John Laurinaitis to be "next week", with this trend continuing all
10208-404: The name was changed to WWE Studios. On February 25, 2008, WWE had signed a deal with 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment that Fox received to WWE that they would get one theatrical film and four straight-to-DVD movies. The move was designed to expand into production of scripted television series and films for networks. In February 2009, WWE Studios announced the first film which would not feature
10324-641: The nickname "The Funkasaurus" and began using Ernest "The Cat" Miller 's theme song "Somebody Call My Momma". Now accompanied by The Funkadactyls ( Naomi and Cameron ) and announced as hailing from "Planet Funk", Clay incorporated gyrations and dance moves into his various squash wins on both Raw and SmackDown . Clay made his pay-per-view singles debut at the Royal Rumble on January 29, quickly defeating Drew McIntyre . At WrestleMania XXVIII , Clay made an on-stage appearance, calling and dancing with Momma Clay. The following night on Raw , Clay started
10440-437: The platform used in boxing , serves as the main stage ; additional scenes may be recorded for television in backstage areas of 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
10556-512: The pre-show match. Later during the pay-per-view, Clay interfered in the main event steel cage match, costing Big Show the match to John Cena and as per the match stipulation, causing the firing of John Laurinaitis. Big Show then made an appearance on the June 22 episode of SmackDown , leading to Clay physically confronting him. With Laurinaitis fired, Clay was allowed to return to Raw from June 25, where he faced Big Show; Big Show defeated Clay to end Clay's 24-match winning streak. Clay then began
10672-717: 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
10788-484: The season finale, Clay ended the competition in second place, losing to Curtis. Following his stint in NXT, on the March 7 episode of Raw , Clay debuted as Del Rio's new bodyguard. As Del Rio was feuding with Edge and Christian, Clay faced off with single matches against them and also teamed with Del Rio to face Edge and Christian . Clay accompanied Del Rio to the ring at WrestleMania XXVII for his match with Edge. On
10904-471: The show – using his stage name "Tyrus" – twice a month. He then began making guest appearances on various programs on Fox News Channel, including The Five . Gutfeld has jokingly referred to Tyrus as his "massive sidekick." Subsequently, he became a regular contributor on Fox News host Dana Perino 's former daytime news show, The Daily Briefing . Since April 2021, Tyrus has been a regular panelist on Gutfeld's relaunched 10 p.m. show, Gutfeld! . Though
11020-440: 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
11136-492: The streaming platform OutKick , which is owned by Fox. After training in WWE's developmental territories , such as Deep South Wrestling (DSW) and Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW), Murdoch under the ring name Brodus Clay debuted during the fourth season of NXT , a WWE television show where rookies were paired with established WWE wrestlers as mentors. He debuted on the main roster as Alberto Del Rio 's bodyguard. During 2012, WWE changed his gimmick to The Funkusaurus,
11252-426: 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,
11368-519: 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
11484-471: 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
11600-430: The way into January 2012. Around this time, Clay was informed by management that he would be portraying a dancing face character upon his return. He was hesitant to follow through with their request, but gained the confidence to try it with encouragement from Dusty Rhodes . Clay made his television return on the January 9, 2012, episode of Raw as a face (heroic character) with a fun-loving, funk dancing gimmick , with
11716-535: 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
11832-568: The world cup. At Turning Point , Tyrus lost to Matt Hardy. On October 4, 2015, at Bound For Glory , Tyrus won a gauntlet for the gold match to become the number one contender for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship . On April 26, 2016, at Sacrifice (2016) Tyrus would get his championship match but lost to Drew Galloway . At One Night Only: Live! , Tyrus lost to Lashley . At Joker's Wild 2016 , Tyrus and Jade defeated Lashley and Gail Kim to qualify for
11948-420: 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
12064-498: The year. In 2024, Tyrus helmed a new series for the streaming platform OutKick entitled Maintaining with Tyrus , debuting on February 1. In 2019, Un-PC co-host Britt McHenry accused Murdoch of sexual harassment after he allegedly sent her a series of lewd text messages. According to Fox News, the matter was investigated and resolved. However, on December 10, 2019, McHenry filed a sexual harassment suit against Fox News and Murdoch. Subsequently, McHenry claimed that she lost
12180-425: 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
12296-605: Was a New York Times bestseller . His second book Nuff Said was released in 2023. Murdoch is biracial; his father is black and his mother is white. He has stated that when he was born, his father was 19 years old and his mother was 15. In 2018, Murdoch disclosed a childhood incident in which his abusive father damaged his eye by hitting him; this incident led his mother to leave his father. While Murdoch's mother moved back to her parents' home, Murdoch has stated that he and his brother were not welcome there because they were part black. According to Murdoch, he and his brother lived with
12412-569: Was attending the University of Nebraska at Kearney , where he studied to become a teacher, and played college football for the Lopers . However, Murdoch has stated that his football career ended when surgery to remove a ruptured appendix severed nerve endings in his leg, leaving him with a permanent limp. Murdoch has worked as a bodyguard for Snoop Dogg . Murdoch married his longtime girlfriend Ingrid Rinck Herbert on January 7, 2024. She
12528-488: 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
12644-445: Was looking at a potential sequel following the success of The Call . In 2013, WWE Studios and Hyde Park Entertainment announced a deal to work together on the film adaptation of the 1980s television series The Fall Guy . The film will star Dwayne Johnson , who made his name as The Rock in WWE from 1996 to 2004 before becoming an actor, in his second WWE Studios production, with the first being The Scorpion King . In August 2014,
12760-460: Was named as President of the WWE Films and Jed Blaugrund as vice president. WWE announced the first three film projects in January 2005; The Condemned , starring Steve Austin , The Marine , starring John Cena , and Goodnight , later retitled as See No Evil , starring Kane . Both of these independent film projects were genre films that cost $ 20 million to star his wrestlers. In 2008,
12876-650: 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
12992-504: Was reported that WWE Studios and Netflix came to an agreement that would see WWE Studios produce new family-friendly movies for Netflix's platform. In July 2019, it was announced that WWE Studios will be producing its first television show, Fight Like A Girl , for Quibi . It would later be moved to The Roku Channel following the closure of Quibi. In March 2021, the Game Show Network revealed at their upfront; they signed
13108-614: Was short-lived when, on April 18, 2018, Tyrus left Impact once again, confirming his release and departure from the company. Murdoch claimed that poor booking decisions involving his character would hurt his reputation, so he left the promotion again. Tyrus made his debut for Tommy Dreamer 's House of Hardcore at House of Hardcore 52 on December 8, teaming with Robert Strauss to unsuccessfully face David Arquette and RJ City . On March 11, 2021, National Wrestling Alliance announced on their social media that Tyrus would make his NWA debut at Back For The Attack defeating Kratos . On
13224-415: 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
13340-417: 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
13456-574: Was the first man out after being eliminated by Tensai . In January 2013, Clay competed in the 2013 Royal Rumble match and was eliminated by five men. Tensai was embarrassed after a dance contest, but Clay encouraged him to dance and have fun because "what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas". Tensai, with Clay's encouragement, began using several "silly dance moves". Two days later on WWE Main Event , Clay came out to support Tensai during his match with Titus O'Neil . Following this, Clay and Tensai formed
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