Professional Wrestling - Television Tropes & Idioms

Professional Wrestling is usually full of concepts from different types of shows. The sport is choreographed like a dance. World Wrestling Entertainment's programs remind one of nothing so much as a Soap Opera for guys, complete with all the emotion, melodrama, and occasional comic relief that that phrase implies. Other organizations, such as Ring of Honor, strive for a more gritty, realistic presentation, but still incorporate many soap opera elements.

The history of pro wrestling is a bit convoluted; until the late '80s/early '90s, promoters claimed that wrestling was a legitimate sport, and attempted to hide the fact that it was scripted at all costs. The truth is the performances are as standardized and stylized as Japanese Kabuki theatre, or commedia dell'arte — each match is a miniature set piece, using stock characters, "plots" and "twists". This has become more obvious in recent years with the increased sense of theatre provided by the major promoters and programs. As more and more wrestling fans grew wise to the fact that wrestling was scripted and choreographed, promoters had no choice but to reveal the secret that everybody already knew by that point anyway. Vince McMahon went so far as to televise a speech on an episode of Monday Night Raw, in which he promised to "stop insulting (fans') intelligence" and referred to Raw as an "action-adventure" series.

However, as many Sit Com plots have implied, Professional Wrestling is very real in the sense that mistimed inexperience can leave someone seriously injured. Professional wrestlers are like stuntmen; they're acting out a scene, but physically, and with the chance of injury. A professional wrestler literally puts his life in his opponent's hands several times in a single match; the slightest misstep could result in a broken bone, a broken neck, paralysis, possibly even death. I guess what we're trying to say here is, Dont Try This At Home.

Tropes Named

Provides examples of:

Ascended Fanboy: Pick a wrestler who named a famous pro wrestling event as the reason they got into the business, e.g. Mick Foley, Edge, etc.
B Show: Xplosion to Impact, Thunder to Nitro. People often cite Smackdown as a B-Show compared to RAW, but it's more like a second A-Show in terms of this trope.
Badass Grandpa: Would YOU mess with Harley Race? Or Ric Flair? Or Terry Funk? Or Hulk Hogan? Or, for that matter, the 61-year-old billionaire who lets himself get hit in the head with steel chairs on national television?
Boring Invincible Hero: A complaint most infamously leveled against Hulk Hogan, currently at John Cena. Tends to get invoked against any Face champion, though.
Breakup Breakout
Catch Phrase
Character Derailment: Normally the result of a poorly-executed gimmick change.
Cool Old Guy (Any wrestler who's in their late 40s above who cam still kick ass and take a beating.)
Defeating The Undefeatable: All the time.
Diabolus Ex Machina: The Montreal Screwjob is the most infamous example.
Divergent Character Evolution: Can happen alongside Breakup Breakout
Do Not Call Me Paul: Triple H and The Big Show have both said this to fans that have called them by their birth names. If you meet a wrestler, it is a good idea to address them by their ring name.
Easily Distracted Referee: You have to wonder if these referees have ever seen a woman before, given their reactions to a valet shaking what God/their friendly plastic surgeon gave her.
Ensemble Darkhorse: A side effect of prolongued exposure to the Boring Invincible Hero.
Evil Foreigner
Fan Hater: Yes, we know it's staged! You can stop "informing" us.
Fascinating Eyebrow: Thanks to The Rock
Fun With Acronyms: Rosey, Super-Hero In Training, The S.H.I.T?
- Also, in WCW for a short time, Lance Storm held the Saskatchewan Hardcore International Title.
- Terri Runnels also ran the Terri Invitational Tournament in 1999.
The Gambler: Kinda. Wrestling had a The Gambler, but he wasn't very lucky.
Game Breaking Injury: Submission artist employ this tactic all the time. They will use a variety of locks and holds that target a specific part of the human body until it will become too painful to use. Not actually referring to Triple H's quad tears.
George Jetson Job Security
The Giant
Good Is Dumb: Generally played straight, sometimes Wall-Bangingly so, although occasionally subverted. Batista, who turned face when he heard his stablemates plotting against him and who displayed above average keeness as a face, is the biggest of those.
Hello Nurse
Hope Spot
Isnt It Sad: The Pro-Wrestling term for this trope is called bury. And yes, it is sad.
Its Personal
Leotard Of Power: An older wrestling costume design that still shows up nowadays every once in a while.
Lets Fight Like Gentlemen: (Have you seen the build-up to some of these high-profile matches?
Lovable Rogue
Mask Power: Especially in Lucha Libre.
Masked Luchador: See above.
My Kung Fu Is Stronger Than Yours
My Name Is Inigo Montoya
No Holds Barred Beatdown: Employed against faces to build heat, and against heels when they get their comeuppance.
Not Cheating Unless You Get Caught
Painted On Pants
Popularity Power: Wrestling runs on this.
Power Stable
Punch Punch Punch Uh Oh
The Quisling: Usually American heels who sides with an Evil Foreigner
Real Life Writes The Plot: Wrestlers' real-life issues often provide fodder for their self-based characters' wrestling storylines.
Reviews Are The Gospel: There are people (at least the smart marks) who swear by Dave Meltzer's (of the Wrestling Observer) reviews of matches.
Ring Oldies
Rule Of Cool
Rule Of Funny
Seven Year Rule
Spotlight Stealing Squad
Spot Monkey
Tag Team Twins
Take That: Especially during the Monday Night Wars.
Talk Show With Fists
Three Month Rule
Throwing Down The Gauntlet
Ten Minute Retirement
Tonight In This Very Ring
Underwear Of Power: You want a list? Too many to count.
Ultimate Job Security
Unnecessary Roughness
Unrelated Brothers
The Wesley
Wrestling Doesn't Pay

Professional Wrestling promotions of note:

USA:

Kaiju Big Battel (sort of)
AWA (American Wrestling Association)
CHIKARA Pro Wrestling
ECW (Extreme Championship Wrestling)
NWA (National Wrestling Alliance)
Ring Of Honor (ROH)
SHIMMER (An all women's wrestling fed based out of Chicago, with close ties to ROH)
TNA (Total Nonstop Action)
WCW (World Championship Wrestling)
WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment)