1.
Professional wrestling
–
Professional wrestling is a dramatized athletic performance that portrays a combat sport. Various forms of weaponry are sometimes used, the content – including match outcomes – is scripted and choreographed, and the combative actions and reactions are performed to appear violent without injuring the wrestlers. Before the 1980s, these facts were considered trade secrets, in the mid-90s, the presentation of scripted events as legitimate is known as kayfabe. Although the combative content is staged and communicated between the wrestlers, there are physical hazards involved - including permanent injury and death. While it has declined in Europe, in North America it has experienced several different periods of prominent cultural popularity during its century. The advent of television gave professional wrestling a new outlet, unlike in Europe, show wrestling has become especially prominent in Japan and in North America. In Brazil, there was a popular wrestling television program from the 1960s to the early 1980s called Telecatch. High-profile figures in the sport have become celebrities or cultural icons in their native or adopted home countries, although professional wrestling started out as petty acts in sideshows, traveling circuses and carnivals, today it is a billion-dollar industry. Revenue is drawn from live event ticket sales, network television broadcasts, pay-per-view broadcasts, personal appearances by performers, branded merchandise, pro wrestling was also instrumental in making pay-per-view a viable method of content delivery. Annual shows such as WrestleMania, SummerSlam, Royal Rumble, and formerly Bash at the Beach, Halloween Havoc, home video sales dominate the Billboard charts Recreational Sports DVD sales, with wrestling holding anywhere from 3 to 9 of the top 10 spots every week. Due to its persistent cultural presence and to its novelty within the performing arts, there have also been many fictional depictions of wrestling, the 2008 film The Wrestler received several Oscar nominations and began a career revival for star Mickey Rourke. Because actual events are often co-opted by writers for incorporation into storylines for the performers, special care must be taken when talking about people who perform under their own name. The actions of the character should be considered fictional events, wholly separate from the life of the performer and this is similar to other entertainers who perform with a persona that shares their own name. Some wrestlers will incorporate elements of their real-life personalities into their characters, even if they and those who participated felt that it was necessary that spectators should be kept in a constant and complete illusion of a real competition to keep audience interest. For decades, up until the mid-1980s, wrestlers lived their lives as though they were their characters. Wrestlers, bookers and promoters all rigorously enforced the illusion and very few were allowed into the society of professional wrestling to maintain suspension of disbelief. The practice of keeping the illusion, and the methods used to do so, came to be known as kayfabe within wrestling circles. An entire lexicon of slang jargon and euphemism developed to allow performers to communicate without outsiders knowledge of what was being said, occasionally a performer will deviate from the intended sequence of events
2.
Professional wrestling throws
–
Professional wrestling throws are the application of professional wrestling techniques that involve lifting the opponent up and throwing or slamming them down. They are sometimes called power maneuvers, as they are meant to emphasize a wrestlers strength. Many of these moves are used as finishers by many wrestlers, many maneuvers are known by several different names. Professional wrestlers frequently give their new names that reflect their gimmick. Moves are listed under general categories whenever possible, an armbreaker is any move in which the wrestler slams the opponents arm against a part of the wrestlers body, usually a knee or shoulder. The wrestler stands beside their opponent to either side, crosses their arm against the opponents opposite hand in front of it. From this point, the wrestler places their leg in front of the opponents opposite leg, a wrestler dives from the ropes and lands on the opponents arm. The wrestler grabs one of the arms, jumps and connects both their knees against the opponents stretched arm. As the wrestler falls onto their back they forces the opponents arm down into both knees, thus damaging it, a move in which the wrestler uses their opponents momentum to the opponents disadvantage. The wrestler hooks the opponents arm and flips them over on to the mat, the wrestler may roll on to their side to give the move extra momentum. This move is performed when an opponent runs towards the wrestler facing them, despite its name, it actually comes from Mexican lucha libre, not Japanese puroresu. The wrestler grabs their opponents arm, then turns to face the other direction and it is essentially the same as the ippon seoi nage found in judo. An arm drag sees the wrestler being spun in front of the opponents body in a tilt-a-whirl. This arm drag sees the wrestler being held in a hold by the opponent. A move in which the wrestler goes behind an opponent, then puts their head under the opponents shoulder and they then lift their opponent up, and drops them tailbone-first on the wrestlers knee. Even though this move is a low blow, it is considered a legal move because the groin is not being targeted. Better known as a full nelson bomb, this sees the wrestling apply a full nelson hold to the opponent from behind. The wrestler then lifts the opponent into the air and falls into a seated position and it is applied frequently against a charging opponent
3.
Mitsuharu Misawa
–
Mitsuharu Misawa was a Japanese professional wrestler. He made his debut on August 21,1981 for All Japan Pro Wrestling. From 1984 until 1990, Misawa wrestled as the second generation Tiger Mask, following the death of AJPW head booker Giant Baba in 1999, Misawa inherited the position of AJPW president. After being removed as president by a board of executives, Misawa left AJPW in May 2000 to form Pro Wrestling Noah, Misawa is also one of only four wrestlers to have the distinction of being awarded a 6-Star rating for a match with Toshiaki Kawada in 1994. Misawa is regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, Misawa was born in Yūbari, Hokkaidō, but soon moved with his family to Koshigaya, Saitama. He was a fan of wrestling, especially the All Japan product, from an early age. However, during an encounter with Jumbo Tsuruta, the latter convinced Misawa to complete at least his high school education and he attended Ashikaga-kodai High School in Tochigi, with future rival Toshiaki Kawada, who was only a year below him. Apart from this, very little is known of Misawas personal life and he was said to be private about his home life to the point that wrestlers who had known him for decades had no idea he had children. He left behind at least one brother, his wife, Mayumi, whom he married on May 10,1988. He was said to have been a video game fan. Misawa was an amateur wrestler. Competing in the age group, he placed fifth at the 1980 freestyle World Championships. Misawa was trained in wrestling by Dick The Destroyer Beyer, Shohei Baba. He made his debut on August 21,1981 for All Japan Pro Wrestling, wrestling against Shiro Koshinaka. He then traveled to Mexico where he wrestled for EMLL while improving his skills under the guidance of La Fiera. In 1986, Misawa graduated to the class after five years as a junior heavyweight. Between 1988 and 1989, he competed in matches for the AWA and NWA World Heavyweight Championships before a knee injury in March 1989 sidelined him until January 2,1990. Upon his return, he wrestled Bret Hart to a draw on April 13 at the WWF/NJPW/AJPW Supershow in the Tokyo Dome
4.
Samoa Joe
–
Nuufolau Joel Joe Seanoa, better known by his ring name Samoa Joe, is an American professional wrestler currently signed to WWE and performing on the Raw brand. He was previously best known for his time with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling and Ring of Honor, Joe established himself in ROH from the promotions beginning in 2002, holding the ROH World Championship for a record 21 months from May 2003 to December 2004. He left TNA in February 2015, briefly competing again in ROH, Joe officially debuted in WWEs developmental territory NXT in May 2015, and signed a full-time contract with the company in June, he went on to become the first ever two-time NXT Champion. Seanoa was born and raised in Orange County, California and he resided mainly in Huntington Beach and spent time during his childhood in Ewa Beach, Hawaii. Seanoas family founded a Polynesian dance troupe in the United States called Tiare Productions, Seanoa made his stage debut at the 1984 Summer Olympics opening at the age of five. He became a California State Junior Judo Champion and was an all league football player while attending Ocean View High School, before becoming a wrestler, Seanoa worked as a mortgage broker. Joe was the first graduate of the UIWA West Coast Dojo, training under Cincinnati Red, along with Johnny Hemp and, occasionally and he debuted in December 1999 in a match against Uncle Jess Hansen just three months after beginning training. Joe quickly signed with former WWF developmental affiliate Ultimate Pro Wrestling and he tagged with Mike Knox at UPW Proving Ground on December 12,2000 in the Galaxy Theatre of Santa Ana, California and defeated the debuting Al Katrazz with Basil. He eventually captured the UPW Heavyweight Championship and he later became the longest reigning UPW Heavyweight Champion ever. When Joe was in UPW, he met Bruce Pritchard and Jim Ross, Joe continued to work for the promotion throughout 2002, participating in a number of their biggest shows and tournaments. After forming a team with Keiji Sakoda, they became the inaugural NWA Intercontinental Tag Team Champions and he worked as both Samoa Joe and later King Joe, but ultimately chose to leave the promotion when he was asked to take on a more gimmicky character. Back in the United States, Joe joined the ranks of the East Coast-based Ring of Honor promotion in 2002 and he made his debut at Glory by Honor as Christopher Danielss hired assassin, brought in to take out Danielss chief enemy, Low Ki. He held that title for twenty one months before losing it to Austin Aries at Final Battle 2004 on December 26,2004, during this time, he had a trilogy of title defenses against CM Punk. He held the title for three months before losing it to Nigel McGuinness on August 27 at Dragon Gate Invasion. In October 2005, when Japanese heavyweight superstar Kenta Kobashi made a trip to the United States. ROH officials selected Joe to face him in a match on the first night. Joe proved to be an opponent for Kobashi, in a back and forth match. The match went on to win the Wrestling Observer Newsletter award for Match of the Year, in 2006, Joe was one of the principal wrestlers representing Ring of Honor in their war against rival Philadelphia promotion Combat Zone Wrestling
5.
Mark Henry
–
Mark Jerrold Henry is an American powerlifter, Olympic weightlifter, strongman, and professional wrestler who is currently signed to WWE on the Raw brand. He was a two-time Olympian in 1992 and 1996 and a gold, silver, as a powerlifter, he was WDFPF World Champion and a two-time U. S. National Champion as well as an all-time raw world record holder in the squat and deadlift. Currently, he holds the WDFPF world records in the squat, deadlift and total. He is credited for the biggest raw squat and raw powerlifting total ever performed by a drug tested athlete, regardless of weight class, as well as the greatest raw deadlift by an American citizen. In weightlifting, Henry was a three-time U. S. National Weightlifting Champion, an American Open winner, a two-time U. S. Olympic Festival Champion and he holds all three Senior US American weightlifting records of 1993–1997. In 2002 he won the first annual Arnold Strongman Classic, Henry was born in Silsbee, Texas. As a child, he was a big wrestling fan and André the Giant was his favorite wrestler, while attending a wrestling show in Beaumont, Texas, young Henry tried to touch André as he was walking down the aisle, but tripped over the barricade. André picked him up out of the crowd and put him back behind the barricade, Henry played football in high school until his senior year, when he strained ligaments in his wrist during the first game of the year and scored below 700 on the SAT. When Henry was 12 years old, his father, Ernest, when he was 14 years old, Henry was diagnosed with dyslexia. By the time Mark Henry was in the grade, he was 55. His mother bought a set of weights for him when he was 10 years old, during Henrys freshman year at Silsbee High School, he was already able to squat 600 lb, which was well over school record. In July 1990 at the USPF Senior National Powerlifting Championships, 19-year-old Henry came second only to the legendary six-time World Powerlifting Champion Kirk Karwoski, there have been few lifters in history who have been able to be successful in both lifting disciplines. Mastering the technique of weightlifting usually takes years of practice. But Henry broke four national records in weightlifting after only eight months of training. In April 1991, he won the United States National Junior Championships,20 days later he placed fourth at the U. S, Senior National Championships, and finished sixth at the Junior World Weightlifting Championships in Germany two months later. Only few weeks afterwards, he became 1991s International Junior Champion in Powerlifiting as well, in Henrys first year in competitive weightlifting, he broke all three junior American records 12 times, and became the United States top Superheavyweight, surpassing Mario Martinez. At the age of 19, Henry had already managed to qualify for the competition at the 1992 Summer Olympics. Ten months before the 1992 Olympics, Henry had begun training with Dragomir Cioroslan, a bronze medalist at the 1984 Summer Olympics, after the Olympics, Henry became more determined to focus on weightlifting and began competing all over the world
6.
Professional wrestling holds
–
Professional wrestling holds include a number of set moves and pins used by performers to immobilize their opponents or lead to a submission. This article covers the pins, stretches and transition holds used in the ring. Some wrestlers use these holds as their finishing maneuvers, often nicknaming them to reflect their character or persona, moves are listed under general categories whenever possible. An element borrowed from professional wrestlings catch wrestling origins, stretches are techniques in which a wrestler holds another in a position that puts stress on the opponents body. Stretches are usually employed to weaken an opponent or to them to submit, either vocally or by tapping out, slapping the mat. Many of these holds, when applied vigorously, stretch the opponents muscles or twist their joints uncomfortably, chokes, although not in general stress positions like the other stretches, are usually grouped with stretches as they serve the same tactical purposes. In public performance, for sake, stretches are usually not performed to the point where the opponent must submit or risk injury. Likewise, chokes are usually not applied to the point where they cut off the supply to the opponents brain. The wrestler begins the hold by standing over a face-down opponent, a camel clutch can also refer simply to a rear chinlock while seated on the back of an opponent, without placing the arms on the thighs. The move was invented by Gory Guerrero in Mexico, where it was called la de a caballo, but got its common name from Ed Farhat. Rusev performs a variation he calls The Accolade, where he stomps on his opponents back before applying the hold. A standing variation of the clutch is also used, with this variation popularized by Scott Steiner in the late 1990s as he used it as his finisher dubbed the Steiner Recliner. The attacking wrestler stands over a face down opponent, facing the same direction, another version of the move is similar to a wheelbarrow facebuster but instead illegally pulls the hair of the opponent while leaning back to pull up the opponents head and neck. The attacking wrestler stands over a face down opponent, facing the same direction, the wrestler then reaches forwards and applies a chinlock as in a standard camel clutch, leaning backwards to apply pressure to the upper back and arm. The attacker then either pulls straight back on the chin or wrenches it to the side and this move sees the attacker kneel behind a sitting opponent and wrap around one arm under the opponents chin and lock their hands. As with a hold, this move can also be performed from a standing position. This can be transitioned into a clawhold STO, there is also double-handed version sometimes known as a head vise, the wrestler performing the hold approaches their opponent from behind and grip their head with both hands. While in the vise, the wrestler can control their opponent by squeezing the temples and it was innovated and used by Baron von Raschke as well as many members of the Von Erich family
7.
Weight training
–
Weight training is a common type of strength training for developing the strength and size of skeletal muscles. It utilizes the force of gravity in the form of weighted bars, weight training uses a variety of specialized equipment to target specific muscle groups and types of movement. Sports where strength training is central are bodybuilding, weightlifting, powerlifting, and strongman, highland games, shot put, discus throw, strength training for other sports and physical activities is becoming increasingly popular. Strength training is a term that describes all exercises devoted toward increasing physical strength. Weight training is a type of training that uses weights. Endurance training is associated with aerobic exercise while flexibility training is associated with stretching exercise like yoga or pilates, weight training is often used as a synonym for strength training, but is actually a specific type within the more inclusive category. Contrary to popular belief, weight training can be beneficial for men and women. The genealogy of lifting can be traced back to the beginning of history where humanitys fascination with physical abilities can be found numerous ancient writings. Another Greek, the physician Galen, described strength training using the halteres in the 2nd century. Ancient Greek sculptures also depict lifting feats, the weights were generally stones, but later gave way to dumbbells. The dumbbell was joined by the barbell in the half of the 19th century. Early barbells had hollow globes that could be filled with sand or lead shot, another early device was the Indian club, which came from ancient Persia where it was called the meels. It subsequently became popular during the 19th century, and has made a comeback in the form of the clubbell. The 1960s saw the introduction of exercise machines into the still-rare strength training gyms of the time. Weight training became popular in the 1970s, following the release of the bodybuilding movie Pumping Iron. The specific combinations of reps, sets, exercises, and weights depends on the aims of the performing the exercise. In addition to the principles of strength training, a further consideration added by weight training is the equipment used. Types of equipment include barbells, dumbbells, pulleys and stacks in the form of weight machines, different types of weights will give different types of resistance, and often the same absolute weight can have different relative weights depending on the type of equipment used
8.
Backbreaker
–
The standard version of the move sees the wrestler scoop their opponent horizontally before dropping to one knee, slamming the opponents back on their other knee. A variation of the Argentine backbreaker rack, known as La Reienera, often set up by a tilt-a-whirl, the opponent ends up suspended with one arm hooked behind him and both legs hooked by the wrestlers other arm. This was utilized by wrestlers like Awesome Kong, roderick Strongs variation is where he dropped his opponet with both knees as the Strong Breaker II. While being held face up across the shoulder, the wrestler then links his/her arms around the opponents torso and presses down. A common variant of this hold has the attacking wrestler apply a double underhook before or after lifting the opponent. The double underhook variant is seen when the hold is used to transition to another maneuver. The catapult throw typically starts with an opponent on his/her back, the wrestler hooks each of the opponents legs in one of his/her arms then falls backwards to slingshot the opponent into a turnbuckles, ladders, ropes etc. At this point the wrestler will remain on the ground. The rebounding opponent will instantly trip falling backwards onto the raised knees of the wrestler, another method is that the wrestler performs a catapult and raises the knees prematurely so that the wrestler is draped over the knees without an actual launch. The wrestler performing the move stands in front of and slightly to the left of the opponent receiving it, the wrestler then reaches out and grabs the opponents throat and trunks, and lifts him or her in the air as though the wrestler is about to deliver a chokeslam. However, as the wrestler brings the opponent back down to the mat the wrestler kneels and this move is popularly known as a chokebreaker, which is a portmanteau of this moves technical name. All while the wrestler continues to maintain the hold, the attacking wrestler can maintain the hold after impact for a cobra clutch submission attempt. An attacking wrestler stands facing a bent over opponent and hooks each of the arms behind the opponents back. However, as the attacker drops the opponent back down, he raises a knee and this move is performed behind the opponent, the wrestler grabs his/her opponent by the hair and pulls them back, so the opponents back lands on the wrestlers knee. The attacking wrestler stands behind his opponent, bends him backwards, the wrestler then drops down to a single knee with the extended knee impacting with the upper back of the opponent. This move sees the wrestler stands behind the opponent and places one arm around the opponents neck. The attacker then bends forward pulling the opponent across his own back, before dropping down to his knees, can be also known as an inverted three-quarter facelock neckbreaker or more commonly known as neckbreaker backbreaker. The attacking wrestler stands behind an opponent, grabbing them by their head or hair to seemingly perform a standard mat slam, however, as the wrestler pulls the opponent backwards down to the mat, the wrestler kneels down, driving the opponents back into the wrestlers exposed knee
9.
"Dr. Death" Steve Williams
–
Dr. Death was a three-time professional wrestling world heavyweight champion, having won the UWF World Heavyweight Championship twice and the Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship once. In addition to his singles success, Dr. Williams attended Lakewood High School in Colorado and he was on the track & field team, played football, and wrestled all four years. Williams graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 1981 after a career that saw him named an All-American. He also competed as a wrestler, where he was a four time All American, finishing 6th as a freshman, 5th as a sophomore, 3rd as a junior. His senior year he lost in the finals of an NCAA tournament to future Olympic medalist Bruce Baumgartner, Death by one of his schools coaches and his sister. Williams, trained for professional wrestling by Bill Watts and Buddy Landel, in 1985, he formed a team with Ted DiBiase and feuded with Eddie Gilbert and The Nightmare. In 1986, Mid-South was renamed the Universal Wrestling Federation and Williams went on to win the UWF Heavyweight Championship from Big Bubba Rogers. When Jim Crockett Promotions bought the UWF in late 1987, he was one of the few UWF wrestlers to receive a push in the National Wrestling Alliance. Williams, however, turned heel and joined the Varsity Club in late 1988 and he and Sullivan won the NWA United States Tag Team Championship at Starrcade. They feuded with The Road Warriors and he and Mike Rotunda won the NWA World Tag Team Championship in the process, in May 1989, Williams and Rotunda were stripped of the title, and the Varsity Club disbanded. Williams was scheduled to face Luger for the title at WrestleWar 90 on February 25,1990, Williams went to All Japan Pro Wrestling where he formed a tag team with Terry Gordy called The Miracle Violence Connection. They went on to win the WCW World Tag Team Championship from The Steiner Brothers, one week after winning the WCW World Tag Team Title, Williams and Gordy won the vacant NWA World Tag Team Title, defeating Dustin Rhodes and Barry Windham in the tournament final. Their NWA title win, however, went unrecognized by the NWA and they held onto both titles until September 1992, when they lost them to Rhodes and Windham. At Starrcade, Williams substituted for the injured Rick Rude to challenge Ron Simmons for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship, on July 28,1994, he defeated Mitsuharu Misawa for the AJPW Triple Crown Championship, holding it for three months before dropping it to Toshiaki Kawada. He also sporadically wrestled in the U. S. on the independent circuit and that run was brought to an end during one of his appearances in Extreme Championship Wrestling. After defeating Axl Rotten in approximately 2 minutes, Williams had an impromptu ECW World Heavyweight Championship match, the loss happened in February 1997 at ECW Crossing the Line Again, thus ending his unpinned streak in North America, which lasted since March 26,1987. In 1998, Williams was signed by the World Wrestling Federation prior to the Brawl for All competition which was set up in legitimate fights and he entered the competition and was expected to win it due to his reputation as one of the toughest men in the wrestling business. However, after beating Pierre Carl Ouellet in the first round, he faced Bart Gunn in the semifinals, Gunn then knocked out Williams, who missed several months following the injury
