At 5/12/06 04:38 PM, redface wrote:
exactly to what extent is wrestling fake?
Professional wrestling is "simulated" in the sense that the outcomes are predetermined, and their effects upon the opponent exaggerated. Some treat the performance as a form of entertainment or drama, and would not use the term "fake" in describing it. Various pro-wrestling moves cause genuine pain and can cause serious injury if performed incorrectly. Certainly, many pro wrestlers can and often do get angry or hostile when someone belittles what they do by calling it "fake." Sometimes they offer these people a chance to step into the ring and do what they do on a nightly basis while trying to avoid injury to see for themselves just how "fake" it really is.
The vast majority of the matches have pre-determined results and are said to be "worked". The results are determined by "bookers" to maximize "heel heat" for the bad guy and "(baby)face heat" for the good guy, often in the context of a long-running "feud" or storyline. Typically, the wrestlers will work out some signature "spots" marking key moments in the match in advance. During the match, the move sequences and transitions are improvised with the participants "calling spots" to each other to inform them of their next up-coming move. The referee is also often involved in executing the match to schedule and dealing with unforeseen circumstances.
The vast majority of bleeding incidents in wrestling are real, and are typically induced by using a small blade to make a small cut, often on the forehead near the hairline. This is known as "Blading". Usually a person will blade themselves while blocking the process from view, sometime their opponent will blade for them, sometimes for a persons first time blading.
Bleeding is known as "juicing". If a wrestler bleeds unintentionally such as due to an accidental broken nose, he is said to be "juicing hardway". If a wrestler hits another wrestler harder than he should on purpose, that is called "stiff," "being stiff," a "potato" or "potato shot."
Besides the somewhat real violence however, there have constantly been times where the division between reality and fantasy has been blurred, especially when it comes to who should win the matches. See the Clique as an example of this. On occasion, although with increasing rarity in recent decades, a wrestler will shoot, or ignore the script and attempt to win legitimately. This is also known as "going into business for yourself." In the past, promotions' World Champions were often intentionally-chosen tough guys such as Lou Thesz who could defend themselves if the fight became real.
