Professional Wrestling Glossary

A list of many common and uncommon terms used in professional wrestling, both in the US and Japan.  These terms can vary from 'inside lingo' used by companies, to terms invented by the fans themselves.

Angle - An 'angle' is a fictional storyline in professional wrestling.  Most angles are feuds of some kind, though not always.  Angles may last for years, or for very short periods of time, often based on its popularity with fans.  If an angle is extremely unpopular, it may be aborted with varying degrees of explanation, ranging from a quick wrap-up to 'stop talking about it and forget it ever happened'.

Botch - When a planned move fails, it is called a 'botch'.  For example, if a wrestler intends to pick up another wrestler in order to bodyslams them and accidentally drops them, or is unable to lift them, it's considered a botch.

Bump - A 'bump' occurs when a wrestler falls on the mat or ground, in reaction to a move.  This is a very important part of wrestling, because a wrestler can be badly injured if they don't know how to fall properly.  When a wrestler reacts to a move that was obviously botched, it's called a 'phantom bump'. 

Card - A list of matches that will occur at a live, televised, or pay-per-view performance.  Matches that draw the most interest are considered 'high' on the card.

Champion - While the term may seem straightforward, there are several different kinds of champions.  A 'closet champion' is typically a heel (bad guy) who avoids strong competitors, uses underhanded methods to win, or deliberately gets themselves disqualified, since a championship cannot change hands due to disqualification.  A 'fighting champion' is just the opposite, a wrestler who accepts all challenges and fights fairly.  A 'transitional champion' is someone who holds a title for a short period of time, between two long-running reigns.

Cross-Promotion - An event that consists or wrestlers from two or more different wrestling promotions.  While cross-promotion is rare in the US, it is much more common in Japan.  For example, the puroresu promotions JWP and AJW cross-promoted with each other, with their wrestlers participating in matches against each other, even though the companies were rivals.

Dark Match - A non-televised match preceding a wrestling taping.  While on the surface, a dark match is used to 'warm up' the crowd, it is often used to test young talent and gauge audience reaction.

Extreme Wrestling - A fast-paced wrestling style involving high-flying moves, as well as allowing tables and chairs.

Face - A 'good guy' wrestler, short for 'babyface'.  Plots are tailored to portray the face in a favorable light, and urge the crowd to cheer for them.

Finisher - A wrestler's signature move that is intended to 'finish' a match.  Current popular examples include John Cena's "STF", Shawn Michaels' "Sweet Chin Music", or Randy Orton's "RKO".  For more about signature moves, see below.

Hardcore Wrestling - 'Brawling' type wrestling matches, including the use of tables, chairs, chains, fireballs, trash cans, and so on.  There are various levels of 'hardcore', and varying degrees of violence, but blood and weaponry are common staples.  In Japan, hardcore wrestling tends to be even more violent than it is in the US.  Giant Baba coined the term "garbage wrestling" for hardcore, saying that it required little athletic ability and involved almost no real wrestling.  Hardcore is considered the first major wrestling style in Japan.

Heat - A negative reaction from the audience, directed toward a wrestler.  There are many different kinds of heat.  'Cheap heat' is a negative reaction garnered by the wrestler directly insulting the audience.  'Legit heat' occurs when an audience genuinely dislikes a wrestler, which can also result in 'dead heat' (when the audience chants or boos for a match to end), or 'go-away heat' (when the audience boos because they do not want to watch a particular match or performer).  'Canned heat' or 'artificial heat' is a technique of playing pre-recorded boos in an arena, or over-dubbing a televised show.  'Regional heat' refers to a strong like or dislike of a wrestler based purely on audience's location, rather than the wrestler's status as a face or heel.  For example, Philadelphia is famous for their dislike of John Cena, in spite of his status as one of WWE's most popular wrestlers.

Head Drop - A botched move that results in a wrestler being dropped on their head, often causing legitimate head and neck injuries.  In puroresu, a head drop may often be a pre-planned 'bump' intended to make it appear as though a wrestler was dropped on their head, when in fact the brunt of the fall is taken on their shoulders and upper back.  Even when carefully choreographed, a head drop can be extremely dangerous.

House Show - A wrestling show that is not televised, and therefore, only performing for the 'house' audience.  Pyrotechnics and other special effects may be scaled back for house shows.

Irish Whip - A common move in which one wrestler grabs another wrestler's arm and slings them into the ring ropes, turnbuckle, or another obstacle (table, guard rail, stairs, etc).  An Irish whip can be reversed, with the initiator being slung instead.  A wrestler is often thrown into the guard rail in set-up for another move.  When whipped into the ropes, a wrestler can bounce and use the momentum to launch a counter-attack, or run into their opponent's attack.  This is also the name of an independent wrestling promotion in Ireland, named so as a tribute to Danno O'Mahony, the creator of the move.

Job, Jobber - When a match is set with more emphasis on one wrestler losing to another wrestler, than the actual content of the match, it is called a 'job'.  The losing wrestler is called a 'jobber'.  For example, unheard-of wrestlers booked to fight more popular wrestlers are jobbers, whose purpose is to lose spectacularly and make their more popular opponent look good.

Joshi - Women's puroresu.  As opposed to somewhat small women's divisions within larger promotions (such as WWE's Divas or TNA's Knockouts) in the US, women's wrestling is much more popular in Japan and has a large number of all-female promotions in its history.  Unlike the US, joshi are not often sexualized, and a female wrestler's popularity can be built on her skill rather than looks.  For this reason, joshi has created a large female fandom in Japan.

Kayfabe - The thin veil of illusion that suggests wrestling is not fake.  In this age of internet research, very few still believe that everything that happens in wrestling is unscripted.  When an unscripted event occurs that breaks suspension of disbelief, it's known as 'breaking kayfabe'.  Sometimes, a wrestling promotion may intentionally create the appearance of breaking kayfabe.  For example, when Vince McMahon Jr was supposedly injured by being pinned under a falling light rig.  To make the accident appear legit, several wrestlers came out of the locker room to help him, calling each other by their real names as friends and enemies alike worked to free McMahon from under the wreckage.  Some wrestlers have been famous for preserving their kayfabe identities, such as the Japanese luchadore 'The Great Sasuke' never removing his mask in public, even outside of wrestling.

Lucha Libre - A Mexican style of wrestling characterised by high-flying acrobatic moves.  Wrestlers of the lucha libre style are called luchadores.  While not all luchadores wear masks, it is a very common element of the style.

Mark - A wrestling fan who reacts in the intended fashion to scripted events.  When a face pulls off their signature move, a mark cheers.  When a heel pulls a dirty trick, a mark boos.  It is suggested that a mark believes that characters and events in professional wrestling are real and unplanned.  Excessive idolization and fandom are also considered signs of a mark.  While a mark can be a negative term for someone, some take it as a badge of honor, not unlike the word 'otaku's use in the US.

Mouthpeace - A manager, assistant, or valet of a wrestler who speaks for them.  They often speak for wrestlers who do not speak the language of the audience (such as a Japanese wrestler in America), or they speak for a wrestler who has no microphone skills.

Muta Scale - An informal measure among Japanese puroresu fans to gauge the amount of blood lost in a match.  The range begins at 0.0 Muta, while a score of 1.0 Muta is equivalent to the amount of blood The Great Muta lost in a famous match against Hiroshi Hase in 1992 while working for New Japan Pro Wrestling.  This match would later be called the 'bloodiest match of all time'.

No-Contest - A match that ends without a winner, often because of interference or because of a legitimate injury stopping a match.

Push - Strategic angles designed to raise a wrestler's popularity.  Push techniques include victories over popular wrestlers, winning numerous squash matches (see below), becoming involved in high-profile angles, and so on.

Screwjob - A match with an unsatisfying or controversial ending, which seems designed to infuriate the fans.  The most famous is likely the "Montreal Screwjob", a match in which Bret Hart, the local favorite, was slated to win.  Unbeknownst to him, WWF's CEO Vince McMahon Jr decided to change the outcome so that Bret Hart's opponent, Shawn Michaels, would win.  While Shawn Michaels was holding Bret Hart in a submission hold as planned, the referee signaled the bell to ring, as if Bret Hart had submitted even though he had not.  Most of the live audience in attendance realized what happened right away and were outraged.  The Montreal Screwjob led to Bret Hart's departure from the company, in favor of the rival WCW brand.

Sell - The art of reacting to an opponent's attack in an appropriate manner; for example, reeling back when punched.  Selling is the cornerstone of professional wrestling, because if a wrestler doesn't react to an attack, it becomes obvious that the move was pre-planned.  "Over Selling" occurs when a wrestler reacts in an exagerated fashion, such as stumbling and falling over from an attack that was obviously botched, or flying out of the ring when gently poked in the chest.  On the opposite end of the spectrum is "No Sell", when wrestlers may sometimes intentionally neglect their selling, or may not be capable of it due to a lack of training.  No Selling can be done in protest when a wrestler is legitimately angry, or it can be considered part of a character.  The term "Hulking Up" refers to Hulk Hogan's tendency to ignore any damage he should've sustained and continuing his counterattack.  Hulk Hogan, John Cena, and some other popular Face wrestlers are also known for a variant of this known as the "Superhuman Comeback", when a wrestler suddenly comes back from the edge of defeat, seemingly unfazed even if they appeared defeated only moments earlier.

Shoot (Event) - Any real event that occurs in professional wrestling.  Examples of Shoots include fan interference (such as a fan attacking a wrestler), interviews that go off script, and so on.  A famous Puroresu example of a shoot occurred when a 1985 match between Akira Maeda and Tiger Mask was stopped by the referee because the two wrestlers were genuinely beating each other up.

Shoot (Style) - A rare occurrence in modern professional wrestling, shoot wrestling is a form of "full contact" wrestling, or realistic fighting.  Shoot wrestling is far less common in the US than in Japan, though many Japanese 'shoot wrestling' styles are now considered forms of Mixed Martial Arts, including Shooto, Shootfighting, Pancrase, and RINGS submission fighting.

Signature Move - A move that is considered unique to a wrestler, or more often, is a classic move that has been stylistically modified or has become an important part of their repertoire.  Examples: John Cena performs a 'running delayed drop fist' with additional theatrics that is known as the Five Knuckle Shuffle.  The Undertaker's infamous Hell's Gate submission hold is a modification of the gogoplata chokehold found in Judo and Brazillian Jiu-Jitsu.  Chris Jericho's trademark 'Walls of Jericho' and 'Codebreaker' are in fact the 'elevated Boston crab' and 'double knee facebreaker' respectively.

Smark - A 'smart mark'.  A smark is a person who reacts to wrestling in a fashion similar to a mark (cheering, booing, and excessive fandom) while openly acknowledging that wrestling is a scripted and pre-planned form of entertainment.  Smarks are sometimes looked down upon by wrestlers and other members of wrestling fandom, for their inability or refusal to suspend disbelief.  Smarks often research wrestling and know the ins-and-outs of the industry.  The difference between a mark and a smark, at its core, is purely a difference in how they choose to enjoy wrestling.  For smarks who carry an inflated ego, otaking66 often says, "Just remember, a smart mark is still a mark."

Squash - A one-sided match that often ends extremely quickly.  These matches most often involve a wrestler that the company seeks to push, facing a wrestler of considerably lower status.  For example, for several weeks after Vance Archer's first televised appearance on ECW, he only faced previously unheard-of wrestlers that he defeated in a quick and violent fashion, solidifying his image as a brutal and no-nonsense wrestler.

Stable - A group of wrestlers aligned in a small organization within their wrestling company.  Examples of stables include The Four Horsemen (WCW), nWo (WCW), Legacy (WWE), and The Main Event Mafia (TNA).  Stables may be made up of as few as three wrestlers (Legacy), or may include as much as half of their company's roster (nWo in its earliest incarnations).

Stiff - Excessively forceful wrestling, which may be intentional or accidental.  In Japanese Strong Style (see below), stiff wrestling is used to create a more realistic appearance.  Some wrestlers may employ stiff tactics out of anger, or because they believe their opponent isn't properly selling their pulled punches.

Strong Style - A Japanese form of wrestling that appears realistic, involving worked shoots (see below), stiff wrestling, and other tactics to make the style appear legitimate when in fact it remains a planned performance.  Antonio Inoki pioneered Strong Style through a series of Mixed Martial Arts matches, in which he pitted his 'strong professional wrestling' style against other martial artists.  Today, many forms of Strong Style exist, including the styles taught at famous dojos such as Shamrock Martial Arts Academy, Takada Dojo, and the Lion's Den.

Swerve - A sudden, unexpected plot twist.  Many of the most shocking swerves in wrestling have involved wrestlers turning on their allies, shoe-in fan favorites losing to unexpected opponents, or alliances formed between wrestlers who appeared to be enemies.  Sometimes, a swerve may be planned so carefully that false press releases are issued to mislead fans into anticipating one event, when something entirely different is set to occur.  What a twist!

Tag Team - A pair of wrestlers who wrestle as a team, most often against other pairs.

Turn - A wrestler's transition from a Heel to a Face (Faceturn), or a Face to a Heel (Heelturn).  A turn can be Soft (gradually building up over time), or Hard (a sudden betrayal or redemption that changes their standing).

Valet - A wrestler who accompanies another to the ring, but does not wrestle.  Historically, valets were attractive women who accompanied male wrestlers to the ring, carried their coat, acted as 'eye candy', or unofficially assisted them by distracting their opponent or the referee, or even becoming physically involved in a match when the referee isn't looking.  Today, male valets may accompany female professional wrestlers to the ring as well.

Work - Opposing a 'shoot', a 'work' is a scripted event that occurs in wrestling.  For example, planning the outcome of a match, the transfer of titles, or various storyline feuds are considered to be 'work', from the carnival slang of 'working the crowd'.

Worked Shoot - A scripted event that is designed to appear unscripted.  A famous example involves play-by-play commentator Joey Styles scrapping with his co-commentator Jerry Lawler before storming off of the set.  Styles returned later, not to apologize, but to announce that he was quitting WWE.  Styles went further, citing the differences between 'professional wrestling' and 'sports entertainment' that he found disrespectful, describing how he was asked to join the company instead of seeking the role himself, complained about having been pulled from several pay-per-view events due to company politics, and even made obvious his personal disgust with the actions of the company chairman.  In truth, the entire event was pre-planned, and Joey Styles did not leave the company.  Styles instead went on to become the Director of Digital Media for WWE.com and continues to host online programming.