Professional wrestlers

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A wrestling match in 1938 when “amateur” and “professional” wrestling were not that far apart

Professional wrestler , also called pro wrestler or professional wrestler , refers to a person who practices modern wrestling .

Word origin

The term professional wrestler is not common in German-speaking countries. In fact, the German distinction between “ wrestler ”, ie a person who engages in the sport of wrestling and “wrestler”, ie a person who engages in “wrestling”, is sufficient. Occasionally the word “catcher” is still known, which is derived from the old name for wrestling, the “catch-as-catch-can” or “catching”.

It is primarily a distinction in the English language , since the original "wrestling" meant both classic wrestling and pro-wrestling . In fact, the term is misleading as it has false implications:

Both in English and in German there are " amateurs " and " professionals " in most sports . In English usage, this is part of the illusion of wrestling, because it has been a show fight since its inception, which was often performed by amateur wrestlers at the beginning, but which never included a sporting competition as professional sport requires. The wrestler is first and foremost an actor and not an athlete, if he should also have athletic skills. Accordingly, the wrestlers themselves are called "workers" in the business. Another distinction between professional and amateur sport is correct: in contrast to amateur wrestlers, wrestlers are paid.

But of course there are also professionals in wrestling, these are known as amateur wrestlers in English-speaking countries. The term "pro-wrestler" initially only served the illusion, the " Kayfabe ", and has therefore become established in the English-speaking world to this day.

Wrestlers used to have a wrestling background and performed at popular festivals. This has changed today due to the league system. Pro-wrestlers now undergo professional training in a "wrestling school", which is mostly run by former wrestlers. Lateral entrants such as the Olympic wrestler Kurt Angle or the weightlifter Mark Henry first learned in a wrestling school . At the beginning you usually compete in smaller leagues. So was Florida Championship Wrestling as a developmental league of the current market leader World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). This is how pro-wrestlers differ from so-called backyard wrestlers , who have taught themselves to wrestle. These are often jokingly referred to as "amateur professional wrestlers". Well-known stars who emerged from this underground culture include The Hardy Boyz , Matt, and Jeff Hardy .

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Catcher. Duden online , accessed on February 4, 2017 .
  2. ^ Wrestlers. Duden online, accessed on February 4, 2017 .
  3. ^ Brian Solomon: Kayfabe. Wrestling's Time-Honored Code of Secrecy . In: Pro Wrestling FAQ: All That's Left to Know About the World's Most Entertaining Spectacle . Hal Leonard Corporation, 2015, ISBN 978-1-61713-627-6 .
  4. ↑ Ed Grabianowski: How Pro Wrestling Works. Howstuffworks.com, accessed February 4, 2017 .
  5. ↑ Ed Grabianowski: How Pro Wrestling Works (page 6). Howstuffworks.com, accessed February 4, 2017 .
  6. ↑ Katie NOTOPOULOS: Inside The Minor Leagues Of Pro Wrestling. Buzzfeed , August 28, 2012, accessed February 4, 2017 .