Mid 20th Century
127-699: Wrestle Dynasty is an upcoming 2025 professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event co-produced by the Japanese promotions New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) and World Wonder Ring Stardom , the American promotions All Elite Wrestling (AEW) and Ring of Honor (ROH), and the Mexican promotion Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL). It will take place on January 5, 2025, at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo , Japan ,
254-565: A Blue Thunder Driver to Omega for a two-count. Omega then delivered a reverse Frankensteiner to Takeshita for a two-count. Hangman then performed a Buckshot Lariat to Takeshita, allowing Omega to hit V-Triggers to Robinson and White each. Takeshita then pinned Omega with the schoolboy to score the victory for his team. Next, FTR (Cash Wheeler and Dax Harwood) defended the AEW World Tag Team Championship against The Young Bucks (Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson). In
381-555: A Stadium Stampede match , and CM Punk defeated Samoa Joe to retain the "Real World Championship" . This would be Punk's final match in AEW as he was fired following a legitimate backstage altercation that happened at the event. The inaugural All In was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event that was independently produced by members of The Elite in association with Ring of Honor (ROH) and held in September 2018 at
508-435: 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
635-516: A bye and automatically be entered into the four-way. Saraya then qualified by defeating Skye Blue during the August 11 episode of Rampage . Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D. secured the final spot by defeating The Bunny on August 16 at Dynamite : Fight for the Fallen . Darby Allin and Swerve Strickland have had a years long on-and-off rivalry predating AEW, going back to their days wrestling on
762-415: 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
889-416: A piledriver to Penta onto a pile of chairs. Yuta then hit a vertical suplex to Kingston onto the guard rail. Moxley then delivered an X-Plex to Beretta onto a barbed wire board, allowing Ortiz to hit a diving splash for a two-count. Penta then delivered a sunset flip powerbomb to Santana through a table. Beretta then performed a superplex to Ortiz through a table on the outside. As Castagnoli attempted
1016-415: 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
1143-474: A roundhouse kick and a leg drop for a one-count. Joe then performed a snap powerslam for a two-count. Joe then executed a powerbomb / crossface submission combination, but Punk escaped. As Joe attempted a superplex , Punk bit Joe's face and performed the Pepsi Plunge , then pinned Joe to retain. This was Punk's final match in AEW, as on September 2 2023, his contract was terminated for cause. In
1270-412: A roundhouse kick to MJF for a two-count. MJF then performed a powerbomb unto his knee to Cole. Cole then hit a superkick and a Heat Seeker for a two-count. Cole then delivered a brainbuster on the steps to MJF, followed by a tombstone piledriver through the announce table. MJF and Cole then delivered a double clothesline to each other and then pinned each other simultaneously, thus the match ended in
1397-494: A Stundog Millionaire and a cannonball dive to Strickland. After Luchasaurus interfered on behalf of Cage and Strickland, Nick Wayne attacked him with a skateboard, but was beaten down and carried from ringside by Luchasaurus. Sting then locked in the Scorpion Deathlock on Christian, but Strickland hit Sting with a chair, allowing Christian to hit a low blow on Sting with a baseball bat. Strickland then delivered
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#17327801388301524-413: 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
1651-532: 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
1778-519: 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
1905-585: 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
2032-547: A chokehold until Samoa Joe broke the fight up; Punk then told Khan that he was resigning on the spot, but was quickly convinced to work the match by Joe and producer Jerry Lynn . In response to the Helwani interview, AEW aired the surveillance footage of the altercation during the April 10 episode of Dynamite , which showed Punk in conversation with Perry before initiating physical contact by shoving Perry and then choking him until
2159-443: 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 . All In (2023) The 2023 All In , also promoted as All In London at Wembley Stadium or simply All In London ,
2286-404: 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
2413-488: A draw. Cole and MJF then agreed to restart the match. MJF then used a schoolboy pin on Cole for a two-count. Cole then delivered an apron brainbuster and a Panama Sunrise to MJF for a near fall. As Cole attempted the deliver another Panama Sunrise, Cole unintentionally delivered the move to the referee. Roderick Strong then came out and delivered a low blow to MJF, allowing Cole to perform another Panama Sunrise and The Boom for another near fall. As Cole attempted to hit MJF with
2540-410: 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
2667-405: 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
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#17327801388302794-742: 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
2921-424: 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
3048-689: A near fall. Jericho then performed a Frankensteiner and the Judas Effect for a two-count. Ospreay then delivered the OsCutter for a near fall. As Ospreay attempted the Storm Breaker, Jericho countered it into the Walls of Jericho , but Ospreay escaped. Ospreay then delivered a Spanish fly , but as he attempted another Storm Breaker, Jericho hit a low blow (unbeknownst to the referee) and the Judas Effect for another near fall. Ospreay then performed
3175-440: 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
3302-464: A partnership with NJPW. Since then, both AEW and NJPW have had their wrestlers appear at each other's events. The working relationship resulted in the creation of AEW x NJPW: Forbidden Door , an annual co-promoted pay-per-view (PPV) event held in North America . AEW and NJPW also have working partnerships with the Mexican promotion Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL): CMLL and NJPW have had
3429-640: A professional baseball stadium. Wrestle Dynasty will feature professional wrestling matches that are the result of pre-existing feuds and storylines , with results being predetermined by the bookers of the co-producing promotions. Storylines are produced on the weekly television programs, Dynamite , Collision , Rampage , Honor Club TV , and Super Viernes ; as well as at other AEW, CMLL, NJPW, ROH, and Stardom events. Professional wrestling 1970s and 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s and 2020s Professional wrestling (often referred to as pro wrestling , or simply, wrestling )
3556-581: A rivalry with Adam Cole , who he faced on the June 14 episode of Dynamite in a World Championship Eliminator match, which ended in a 30-minute time-limit draw, thus ruling Cole out of a future championship match. The two were then paired together in the Blind Eliminator Tournament to receive an AEW World Tag Team Championship match on the July 29, 2023, episode of Collision . They won
3683-414: A river", a reference to Punk's disapproval and subsequent condemnation by a section of fans when the original glass story was leaked. When Perry went backstage after his match, and just before Punk was about to go out for his, a confrontation occurred which led to Punk shoving Perry, leading into Punk attempting and failing to put him in a guillotine choke . He also stepped toward AEW president Tony Khan, but
3810-583: A second Wrestle Kingdom show at the Tokyo Dome on January 5. In 2025, the January 5 Tokyo Dome show will be branded as "Wrestle Dynasty". NJPW also holds the New Year Dash!! event in Tokyo on the day after Wrestle Kingdom; in 2025, New Year Dash!! will be held on January 6, the day after Wrestle Dynasty. In February 2021, the American professional wrestling promotion All Elite Wrestling (AEW) started
3937-665: A two-count. Bowens and Caster then performed The Arrival/Mic Drop combination to King for a one-count. Gunn then delivered the Fameasser to King, allowing Caster and Bowens to again hit The Arrival/Mic Drop combination to score the pin and win the AEW World Trios Championship. In the main event, MJF defended the AEW World Championship against Adam Cole. In the opening stages, Cole shook MJF's hand, but MJF poked his eye . Cole then delivered
Wrestle Dynasty - Misplaced Pages Continue
4064-503: 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
4191-586: 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
4318-611: A working relationship since 2009 and have co-produced the Fantastica Mania series of events since 2011; and CMLL and AEW entered into a working relationship in October 2023. In 2019, NJPW's parent company Bushiroad acquired the joshi promotion World Wonder Ring Stardom (Stardom); Stardom would later become a fully-fledged subsidiary of NJPW in 2024. In 2022, AEW owner Tony Khan acquired Ring of Honor (ROH) from their previous owner, Sinclair Broadcast Group ; prior to
4445-436: 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
4572-410: 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
4699-427: 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
4826-470: 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
4953-502: Is not including the two-day Collision in Korea event in April 1995, which holds the record for largest attended professional wrestling event , as although tickets were sold, most of the spectators attended for free. Despite the disputed attendance numbers, the event's live gate of over US$ 9 million marks the largest professional wrestling live gate for a show not promoted by WWE, New Japan Pro-Wrestling , or WCW; WWE's WrestleMania 32 holds
5080-673: The 2022 All Out . Also upon the conclusion of the investigation, it was decided that Perry would remain suspended indefinitely. In a statement made by Khan during the opening of the September 2 episode of Collision , he said "The incident was regrettable and it endangered people backstage. That includes the production staff who put the show on every week, innocent people who had nothing to do with it". Regarding Punk allegedly lunging at Khan, he further stated "I've been going to wrestling shows for over 30 years. I've been producing them on [TNT] for four years. Never in all that time have I ever felt until last Sunday that my security, my safety, my life
5207-457: The 2022 Forbidden Door event, then NJPW President Takami Ohbari expressed interest in the next event being held in Japan; Tony Khan said that he was open to the idea of AEW wrestlers performing in Japan, but said that such an event would not be titled "Forbidden Door". Prior to the 2024 Forbidden Door event, Khan expressed interest in a co-promoted show in Japan, but was non-committal over whether
Wrestle Dynasty - Misplaced Pages Continue
5334-624: 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
5461-557: 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
5588-431: 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
5715-584: 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
5842-400: 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
5969-509: 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
6096-536: The AEW World Championship belt, Cole dropped it, allowing MJF to use a schoolboy pin on Cole to retain the title. After the match, MJF consoled Cole, but Cole threw the ROH World Tag Team Championship belt away. MJF then gave Cole the AEW World Championship belt and asked Cole to hit him, but Cole refused to do it and instead hugged MJF. The event ended with fireworks being shot from the roofs of Wembley Stadium and confetti showering down onto
6223-574: The AEW World Tag Team Championship on the August 5 episode of Collision , they stated they had unfinished business with The Young Bucks ( Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson ). They subsequently made a challenge for All In with the AEW World Tag Team Championship on the line. The Young Bucks accepted the challenge on Dynamite on August 9, marking the rubber match between the two teams, being tied at 1–1, where The Young Bucks won their first matchup at Full Gear in November 2020, while FTR defeated them on
6350-597: The April 6, 2022, episode of Dynamite . At Dynamite : 200 on August 2, Hikaru Shida defeated Toni Storm to win the AEW Women's World Championship . The following week, it was announced that at All In, there would be a four-way match for the championship with the participants determined by a single-elimination tournament . Shida was already scheduled to defend the title against Anna Jay that night and defeated her to retain her spot as defending champion at All In, while Storm exercised her rematch clause to receive
6477-653: 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
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#17327801388306604-472: The August 5 episode, Joe recapped their rivalry, going back to their time in ROH, and he challenged Punk to a rematch at All In so that he could prove that he was better than Punk and gave him one week to answer. Punk did not answer Joe, who escalated the matter by attacking Punk during Punk's match the following week. During Collision : Fight for the Fallen on August 19, a disguised Punk attacked Joe and accepted
6731-406: The August 9 episode, Allin confronted Strickland and Fox (along with the rest of Mogul Embassy), and Allin's longtime friend/mentor Sting helped Allin fend off the group, setting up a tag team Coffin match at All In, pitting Allin and Sting against Strickland and Fox. On August 23 at Dynamite : Fyter Fest , after Fox and Swerve lost a tornado tag team match to Allin and Wayne with Fox taking
6858-532: The Aussie Arrow to MJF for a two-count. MJF then performed a double Kangaroo Kick . MJF and Cole then delivered a double clothesline to Fletcher and pinned him to become the new ROH World Tag Team Champions. With this win, Cole became an ROH Triple Crown winner. In the second and final match on Zero Hour , Jack Perry defended the FTW Championship against Hook in an FTW Rules match . In
6985-558: The FTW Championship for a record-tying second time. The actual pay-per-view opened with CM Punk defending the "Real World Championship" against Samoa Joe. In the opening stages, as Punk attempted a hurricarana on the outside, Joe countered and swung Punk across the announce table. Joe then delivered a running corner elbow and a Pele kick for a two-count. As Joe attempted the Muscle Buster , Punk escaped and delivered
7112-577: The Hidden Blade and the Storm Breaker for another near fall. Ospreay then executed another Hidden Blade and the Storm Breaker to win. In the penultimate match, The House of Black ( Malakai Black , Brody King , and Buddy Matthews ) (accompanied by Julia Hart ) defended the AEW World Trios Championship in a House Rules No Holds Barred match against Billy Gunn and The Acclaimed ( Anthony Bowens and Max Caster ). In
7239-408: 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
7366-488: 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
7493-547: The Nightcap and pinned Storm to win the AEW Women's World Championship. After the match, Saraya celebrated with her family. After that, Darby Allin and Sting (who revived his " Joker Sting " facepaint for the event) battled Christian Cage and Swerve Strickland (accompanied by Prince Nana) in a coffin match. In the opening moments, Strickland and Christian delivered simultaneous spears to Allin and Sting. Allin then performed
7620-530: The Ricola Bomb on Cassidy, he escaped and hit Castagnoli with the Orange Punch for a two-count. Cassidy then delivered a DDT to Moxley on broken glass, but Castagnoli performed a Very European Uppercut to Cassidy. Kingston then hit spinning backfists to Moxley and Castagnoli, allowing Cassidy to hit Castagnoli with the Orange Punch with broken glass duct-taped to his hand for the three-count to win. In
7747-692: The Swerve Stomp and put Sting into the coffin, but Sting used the baseball bat to prevent the lid of the coffin from closing. As Strickland attempted a 450° splash to Sting on top of the coffin, Sting moved out of the way and delivered the Scorpion Deathdrop on top of the coffin. Allin then performed the Coffin Drop to Strickland on top of the coffin and shut the lid to win the match. Next, Chris Jericho (accompanied by Sammy Guevara ) faced Will Ospreay (accompanied by Don Callis). In
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#17327801388307874-470: The UK, their first PPV event held outside of North America, and their first event held in an association football stadium. All In was the first professional wrestling event held at the current Wembley Stadium and first held at the venue in over 30 years, after WWE 's SummerSlam in 1992 , which was held at the original stadium. First day ticket sales alone broke AEW's live attendance record and ticket revenue and
8001-628: The United Kingdom's August Bank Holiday weekend on August 27, titled "All In London at Wembley Stadium". The event marked AEW's debut in the United Kingdom and was the promotion's first PPV event to be held outside of North America. AEW had originally planned to host the 2020 Fyter Fest as a PPV in London at nearby Wembley Arena , which would have been the promotion's UK debut, but the COVID-19 pandemic canceled those plans. This also marked
8128-644: The acquisition, ROH also had a long working relationship with NJPW, including co-producing the War of the Worlds and Global Wars events in North America and Honor Rising events in Japan. On August 22, 2020, NJPW planned to hold an event under the name of Wrestle Dynasty at Madison Square Garden in New York City ; due to the COVID-19 pandemic , the event was postponed to 2021, and later cancelled. After
8255-401: 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
8382-418: 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
8509-561: 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
8636-424: 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
8763-418: 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
8890-627: The challenge, which was made official with Punk's "Real World Championship" on the line. During the All In Zero Hour pre-show, Jeff Jarrett , Karen Jarrett , Sonjay Dutt , and Satnam Singh came out to insult the crowd. Paul Wight , Anthony Ogogo , and Grado then came out to attack Jarrett, Satnam, and Sonjay, with Grado hitting Jarrett with a guitar. Wight then delivered the WMD to Satnam and chokeslammed Jay Lethal . There were also two matches that took place during Zero Hour . In
9017-556: The championship match as the main event of All In. The following week, in addition to their AEW World Championship match, Cole—who still felt he and MJF could be a championship caliber tag team—challenged Aussie Open (Kyle Fletcher and Mark Davis) for the ROH World Tag Team Championship to take place on All In's Zero Hour pre-show. Aussie Open accepted the challenge on that week's Rampage . Following FTR 's ( Cash Wheeler and Dax Harwood ) defense of
9144-423: 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
9271-479: The closing stages, Bowens performed The Arrival, but King delivered a lariat to Gunn. Malakai then delivered a diving Meteora to Caster. As King attempted a forearm punch to Bowens, he dodged, causing King to unintentionally hit Malakai. Gunn then delivered a Fameasser to Matthews, but as he attempted a pin, Hart pulled referee Aubrey Edwards out of the ring. Malakai then delivered the Black Mass to Gunn for
9398-494: The closing stages, Perry delivered a suplex , a Rolling Thunder , and a draping DDT to Hook on top of a car. Hook then delivered a T-bone suplex to Perry on the top of the car. Hook then performed a German suplex for a two-count. Perry then executed three German suplexes and a Tiger Driver for a two-count. As Perry attempted a moonsault , Hook moved out of the way and locked in the Red Rum , forcing Perry to tap out and win
9525-461: 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
9652-536: The company. On the first anniversary of All In, AEW established a spiritual successor titled All Out . In March 2022, AEW president Tony Khan announced his purchase of ROH, in turn obtaining the rights to All In, which were owned by ROH. On the April 5, 2023, episode of AEW Dynamite , AEW announced that they would revive the All In name for a major event to be held at Wembley Stadium in London, England during
9779-540: 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
9906-405: 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
10033-516: The event would be an iteration of Forbidden Door or a new event entirely. On June 30, 2024, during Forbidden Door, Wrestle Dynasty was announced for January 5, 2025, in the Tokyo Dome, to be co-produced by AEW, NJPW, CMLL, ROH, and Stardom. Wrestle Dynasty will mark the first AEW PPV event to be held in Japan, the third AEW PPV event held outside North America (following the 2023 and 2024 All In events, which were both held at Wembley Stadium in London, England ), and AEW's first event to be held in
10160-603: 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
10287-681: The face backstage. It's 2023, you can't be doing stuff like that. It's insane." In kayfabe , the promo itself was about Kevin Owens punching Austin Theory and Grayson Waller in the face during a scripted backstage segment. Jack Perry would then make his first appearance since the incident at New Japan Pro-Wrestling 's (NJPW) Battle in the Valley event on January 13, 2024, where he attacked Shota Umino . He subsequently tore up his AEW contract and put on an arm band that said "scapegoat". He then took on
10414-458: The first bout of the PPV for the "Real" World Championship. On September 2, following the conclusion of the investigation, AEW terminated Punk's contract with just cause under the unanimous recommendation of the AEW disciplinary committee, as well as outside legal counsel. This came one year after Punk's involvement in a backstage altercation following his participation in the post-event media scrum for
10541-486: The first match, Aussie Open (Kyle Fletcher and Mark Davis) defended the ROH World Tag Team Championship against Adam Cole and MJF. Before the match started, Aussie Open attacked Cole and MJF. Cole then delivered a superkick to Fletcher, but Davis then performed a lung blower to Cole for a two-count. As Cole attempted the Panama Sunrise, Davis escaped, but Cole then delivered a superkick. Aussie Open then delivered
10668-470: 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
10795-540: The first professional wrestling event to be held at present day Wembley Stadium, with AEW promoting the event as the first in over 30 years at the venue, after WWE's SummerSlam in 1992 , which was held at the original Wembley Stadium . The stadium itself promoted it as part of the 100th anniversary of Wembley. This was also AEW's first event to be held in an association football stadium. The event aired live at 1 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) through traditional PPV outlets, as well as Bleacher Report , FITE , and YouTube , and it
10922-535: The former Sears Centre Arena (renamed to Now Arena in September 2020) in Hoffman Estates, Illinois . The event was notable for being the first professional wrestling event in the United States not promoted by WWE or World Championship Wrestling (WCW) to sell 10,000 tickets since 1993. The success of the show would lead to the formation of the American promotion All Elite Wrestling (AEW) in January 2019, with The Elite becoming executive vice presidents of
11049-610: 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
11176-460: 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
11303-562: The independent circuit in Seattle, Washington , of which Allin is a native, while Strickland hails from nearby Tacoma . The feud intensified on the August 2 episode of Dynamite when Strickland and Mogul Embassy teammate AR Fox (who himself had a history with Allin that also predated AEW) attacked rookie wrestler Nick Wayne —who Allin had taken under his wing as Nick's late father Buddy Wayne trained Allin—at Nick's home gym in Seattle. On
11430-526: 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
11557-480: 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
11684-496: 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
11811-498: 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
11938-472: The moniker of Scapegoat and continued to appear in NJPW until mid-April 2024. Punk directly addressed the altercation on the April 1, 2024, episode of Ariel Helwani 's The MMA Hour , saying that there was no non-disclosure agreement regarding the brawl. Punk claimed that he had walked up to Perry and asked "why [he] insist[ed] on doing this dumb internet shit on TV" and, after a heated argument, put Perry in
12065-766: The next day. After sales opened on May 5, ticket sales hit 60,000 with $ 7.7 million in revenue. By July 28, prior to any matches being announced, the event had sold 70,400 tickets with a gate of $ 9 million. AEW initially stated that the event set a new record for the highest number of paying fans at a professional wrestling event, with 80,846 people in attendance. However, this statement was later revised to clarify that 80,846 tickets had been distributed as of August 18. All In London at Wembley Stadium featured 11 matches that involved different wrestlers from pre-existing feuds and storylines. Storylines were produced on AEW's weekly television programs, Dynamite , Rampage , and Collision . In June, AEW World Champion MJF started
12192-409: The next match, Hikaru Shida defended the AEW Women's World Championship against Saraya, Toni Storm, and Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D. in a four-way match. In the closing stages, Baker delivered a powerbomb/ neckbreaker combination to Storm for a two-count. Baker then performed a slingblade to Storm, but Saraya hit a running hip attack on Shida. Baker delivered a superkick to Storm, who landed on Saraya and
12319-423: The night after NJPW's Wrestle Kingdom 19 . Since 1992, the Japanese professional wrestling promotion New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) has held an annual show on January 4 at the Tokyo Dome , a professional baseball stadium in Tokyo, Japan ; since 2007, the event has been known as Wrestle Kingdom , and has since become the largest professional wrestling event in Japan. Between 2019 and 2022, NJPW also held
12446-472: The opening stages, Nick delivered a corkscrew moonsault on the outside to FTR. Nick then performed a senton to Wheeler for a two-count. Harwood then executed three German suplexes to Matt, but Nick then performed Northern Lights suplexes to Harwood for a two-count. FTR then delivered an assisted piledriver to Nick for a near fall. As The Young Bucks attempted the BTE Trigger, Wheeler pushed Nick to
12573-458: The opening stages, Ospreay delivered a Sky Twister Press and a diving elbow drop for a two-count. Jericho then performed a vertical suplex and a German suplex on the apron for a two-count. Ospreay then hit a handspring enzuigiri and a standing shooting star press for a near fall. As Jericho attempted the Lionsault , Ospreay got his knees up and delivered another Shooting Star Press for
12700-758: The outside, allowing FTR to hit the Shatter Machine to Matt for a two-count. The Young Bucks then delivered two BTE Triggers to Wheeler for a two-count. As the Bucks attempted the Meltzer Driver, FTR countered into the Shatter Machine to Nick, with Wheeler pinning him to retain. After that was the Stadium Stampede match , which pitted the team of Eddie Kingston , Penta El Zero Miedo , Best Friends ( Chuck Taylor and Trent Beretta ), and Orange Cassidy (accompanied by Alex Abrahantes ) against
12827-475: The pin, he was kicked out of the Mogul Embassy. After that, Strickland introduced Christian Cage , who Allin had been feuding since late July after he won a shot at Cage's ally Luchasaurus ' TNT Championship at All Out , as his new partner for the match. During the 2023 Owen Hart Cup tournament on the July 8 episode of Collision , CM Punk defeated Samoa Joe for the first time in his career. On
12954-437: 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
13081-864: The promotion claimed a total attendance of 81,035: this would make All In the most attended wrestling event in the UK and the third-most attended wrestling event ever held . However, local government data logged a turnstile attendance of 72,265. Eleven matches were contested at the event, including two on the Zero Hour pre-show. In the main event, MJF defeated Adam Cole to retain the AEW World Championship . In other prominent matches, Will Ospreay defeated Chris Jericho , Eddie Kingston , Penta El Zero Miedo , Best Friends ( Chuck Taylor and Trent Beretta ), and Orange Cassidy defeated Blackpool Combat Club ( Jon Moxley , Claudio Castagnoli , and Wheeler Yuta ), Mike Santana , and Ortiz in
13208-717: 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
13335-452: The record of the largest live gate in professional wrestling history overall at US$ 17.3 million equivalent to $ 21,963,000 in 2023), while Collision in Korea day two grossed US$ 8.5 million (equivalent to $ 14,997,000 in 2023). Sometime during AEW's tour of Canada in late June and early July, Jack Perry had an upcoming vacation planned and wanted to use real glass in a segment on Collision to write himself off television. CM Punk, who
13462-520: The referee began counting the pin but Saraya kicked out. Saraya then locked in a Scorpion Deathlock on Storm, and Baker performed a curb stomp on Storm and Saraya for a nearfall. Shida then hit a Falcon Arrow to Baker and the Katana to Saraya for a near fall. Baker then locked in the Lockjaw on Shida, but as Storm attempted to break up the submission, Saraya sprayed Storm with a spray can and delivered
13589-406: The ring over the two wrestlers, as they posed with their title belts. During All In, AEW claimed the event set the paid attendance record of 81,035; however, this was disputed, with it reported that it had a turnstile attendance of 72,265. It was then clarified that the number of tickets sold was 81,035 and that the total of both paid and complimentary tickets were in the 84,000–85,000 range. This
13716-465: The scuffle was broken up seconds later. In kayfabe, it was presented by The Young Bucks to further their feud with FTR—who are real-life friends with Punk—prior to their match at Dynasty on April 21, stating the altercation was the reason they lost their match to FTR at All In and conspired that FTR were the masterminds behind the incident while also siding with Perry. At Dynasty, Perry made his return to AEW and helped The Young Bucks to defeat FTR and win
13843-498: The second match, Bullet Club Gold ( Jay White , Juice Robinson , and Konosuke Takeshita ) (accompanied by Austin Gunn , Colten Gunn , and Don Callis ) faced The Golden Elite ( Kenny Omega , Kota Ibushi , and "Hangman" Adam Page ). In the closing stages, Ibushi delivered a lariat and a standing moonsault to White, but Takeshita broke up the pin. Omega then performed dragon suplexes to White and Robinson each, but Takeshita hit
13970-440: 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
14097-456: The team of Blackpool Combat Club ( Jon Moxley , Claudio Castagnoli , and Wheeler Yuta ), Mike Santana , and Ortiz . In the opening stages, Penta delivered double slingblades to both Santana and Ortiz. Penta then hit a diving DDT to Ortiz. Penta then performed a chair backstabber to Santana. Penta then delivered the Made in Japan to Moxley for a one-count. Santana then performed a powerbomb and
14224-426: 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,
14351-416: The tournament, but failed to win the tag team titles. During this time, MJF and Cole would become friends, much to the dismay of Cole's old friend Roderick Strong , and MJF promised Cole that regardless of the outcome of the tournament, he would give Cole a match for the AEW World Championship. On the August 2 episode of Dynamite , MJF followed through with his promise, giving Cole a contract which scheduled
14478-519: 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
14605-471: 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
14732-535: 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
14859-420: 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
14986-425: 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
15113-518: Was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by the American promotion All Elite Wrestling (AEW). It was the first edition of All In produced by AEW and second overall after the independently -held inaugural All In event in September 2018. The event took place on August 27, 2023, at Wembley Stadium in London, England , coinciding with the UK August Bank Holiday weekend. The event marked AEW's debut in
15240-420: Was also working for AEW as a consultant and had booking power on Collision , disagreed with this, citing the legitimate risk of using real glass, with the production team, doctors, and Tony Schiavone also against Perry using real glass. During All In's Zero Hour pre-show, right before Perry was suplexed through the windshield of a vehicle, he looked into the camera and said that it was "real glass, go cry me
15367-488: 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
15494-411: Was held back by Chris Hero and a producer, who helped break up the fight along with Samoa Joe and a referee, who were holding Perry back. The backstage footage shows Tony Khan trying to fix the monitors before Punk steps towards him in what is speculated to be the lunge that made Khan feel endangered, before being pulled away and approached by Malakai Black. Punk then proceeded to have a match with Joe in
15621-622: Was in danger at a wrestling show. I don't feel anyone should feel that way at work. I don't think the people I work with should feel that way and I had to make a very difficult choice today". Three months later on November 25, after nearly 10 years, Punk returned to WWE at Survivor Series: WarGames in his hometown of Chicago, Illinois . The All In incident would be referred to on the December 8 episode of Friday Night SmackDown where Punk sarcastically commented "I don't know who would feel comfortable working with someone who just punches people in
15748-435: Was preceded by a Zero Hour pre-show at 11 a.m. ET. AEW wrestler Chris Jericho 's band Fozzy performed their song " Judas " live at the event for Jericho's ring entrance. Tickets went on sale on May 5, 2023. During the pre-sale on May 2, the show sold over 36,000 tickets, garnering $ 4.7 million in revenue, setting AEW's records for attendance and live gate. Those numbers reached over 43,000 and $ 5.7 million, respectively,
15875-650: 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
16002-415: 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
16129-417: 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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