Jump to content

Kayfabe

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Part ofa serieson
Professional wrestling
History
Notable promotions
Notable people
Early 20th Century

Mid 20th Century

1970s and 1980s

1990s

2000s

2010s and 2020s

By region
Styles
Concepts
Culture
Media outlets
Controversies
Lists
Related topics

Inprofessional wrestling,kayfabe(⫽ˈkeɪfeɪb⫽) is the portrayal of staged events within the industry as "real" or "true", specifically the portrayal of competition, rivalries, and relationships between participants as being genuine and not staged. The termkayfabehas evolved to also become a code word of sorts for maintaining this "reality" within the direct or indirect presence of the general public.[1]

Kayfabe, in the United States, is often seen as thesuspension of disbeliefthat is used to create the non-wrestling aspects ofpromotions,such asfeuds,angles,andgimmicksin a manner similar to other forms offictionalentertainment. In relative terms, a wrestlerbreaking kayfabewould be likened to anactorbreaking characteron-camera. Since wrestling is performed in front of a live audience, whose interaction with the show iscrucial to its success,kayfabe can be compared to thefourth wallin acting, since hardly any conventional fourth wall exists to begin with. Because of this lack of conventional fourth wall, wrestlers were once expected to maintain their characters even out of the ring, and in other aspects of their lives that could be made public. In general, everything in a modern professional wrestling show is to some extent scripted, or "kayfabe", even though at times it is portrayed as real-life, where it was once portrayed as real rivalries being conveniently settled by unscripted wrestling matches.

Kayfabe was fiercely maintained for decades with the intent to deceive fans, but with the advent of theInternet wrestling community,and thesports entertainmentmovement, the pro-wrestling industry has become less concerned with protecting so-called backstage secrets and typically maintains kayfabe only during the filming of shows. It is occasionally broken during shows, usually when dealing with genuine injuries that occur during a match or paying tribute to wrestlers.

Definition[edit]

Kayfabeis a shorthand term that involves acknowledging the staged, scripted nature ofprofessional wrestling,as opposed to a competitive sport, despite being presented as authentic. Initially, people "in the business" (either wrestlers or those working behind the scenes) used the termkayfabeas a code among those in the wrestling profession, discussing matters in public without revealing the scripted nature.[2]As a concept, kayfabe involves both the fact that matches are scripted and that wrestlers portray characters for their shows. Unlike actors who portray their characters only when on set or on stage, professional wrestlers often stay "in character" outside the shows, especially when interacting with fans, trying to preserve the illusion of professional wrestling. In contrast, something that is not kayfabe, be it a fight or a statement, is referred to as a "shoot".[2]

I remember the guy who would bring our jackets back to the dressing room. Every time he did, someone would yell "Kayfabe."... Then one night, the guy decided to stand up for himself and told the whole dressing room: "I don't mind the yelling, but I want to let you know that my name is not Kayfabe. It's Mark."... What he didn't know is that wrestlers called people outside of the business "marks" —that's why we were yelling kayfabe in the first place.

— Pat Patterson,describing his interaction with a ring attendant in thePacific Northwest Wrestlingterritory during the early 1960s.[3]

The termkayfabewas often used as a warning to other wrestlers that someone who was not "in the know" was in the vicinity. This could include wrestlers' family members who had not been clued into the scripted nature of professional wrestling.[3]An example of kayfabe being kept even from family members was illustrated in an article describing how in the 1970s, the wife of James Harris (known under thering nameKamala) was celebrating that her husband had just won a $5,000 prize as he won abattle royal;not realizing that the prize money was simply a storyline or kayfabe.[4]

The termkayfabeitself can be used in a variety of contexts, as an adjective, for instance, when referring to a "kayfabe interview", where the person being interviewed remains "in character", or when describing someone as a "kayfabe girlfriend", implying that she is playing a role, but is not actually romantically involved with that particular person.[2]A person can also be said to be "kayfabing" someone, by presenting storylines and rivalries as real.[2]

Etymology[edit]

According to theOxford English Dictionary,the earliest known written evidence of the word "kayfabe" is from theWrestling Observer NewsletterYearbook for 1988, although the term is believed to be much older. Though the origin is not known with certainty, varied sources offer some possibilities. One theory posits that the term was derived from a manipulation of the term "be fake" (à lapig latinand otherargots), designed to conceal the true meaning.

Another theory claims that there actually was a wrestler called "Kay Fabian" who wasmute.Neither claim has ever been substantiated.[2]Another theory suggests that the term derives from the expression "keep cavey", from theLatinverbcaveo,which means "look out for"; this phrase was used throughout Britain and by Jews living inEast LondonbetweenWorld War IandWorld War II.According to that theory, many US promoters and wrestlers at that time were of Eastern European origin and many had heavy accents, leading to the term being transformed into "kayfabe".[2]

Another theory, suggested by former mixed martial artistChael Sonnen,claims the term came from carnival employees that did not have enough money to call home to tell their family or friends they made it safe and sound to the next town, so they would have to call collect and they would use the name Kayfabe, and when the operator calls and asks if they accept the collect call from Kayfabe, they would say no to save on costs, and the message was received.[5]

History[edit]

While professional wrestling has been staged, or planned, from the time it was a sideshow attraction, the scripted nature of the performances has been hinted at over time. In 1934 a show held atWrigley Fieldin Chicago billed one of the matches as "the last great shooting match", subtly disclosing that the other matches were kayfabe (in reality, even the "shooting" match was scripted).[2]In 1957 comedianGroucho Marxdescribed watching wrestlers "practice their match", hinting at the scripted nature of professional wrestling.[6]The amendments to theCommunications Act of 1934,passed following thequiz show scandalsin 1960, prohibited the televising of scripted contests but specifically only prohibited the rigging of games of chance orintellectualskill or knowledge, and thus rigged athletic competitions were still arguably legal to televise.[7]

While the scripted nature of professional wrestling was anopen secret,it was not generally acknowledged by people in the business. Often wrestlers and promoters would make sure that on-screen rivals were not seen eating or traveling together between shows and so on. There were a few occasional mistakes at the time, such as an incident in 1987 in which police arrestedThe Iron SheikandHacksaw Jim Duggan,supposed rivals in an upcoming match atMadison Square Garden,as they sat together in a car drinking and usingcocaine.[8]The first public acknowledgment by a major insider of the staged nature of professional wrestling came in 1989 whenWorld Wrestling FederationownerVince McMahontestified before theNew Jersey State Senatethat wrestling was not a competitive sport. The admission on McMahon's part was to avoid interference from state athletic commissions and to avoid paying the taxation some states placed on income from athletic events held in that state, as well as to avoid the need to meet the requirement of having to employ medical professionals standing by, as was generally mandatory for legitimatecontact sportsinvolving substantial possibility of injury.[9]The era of professional wrestling since then has been described by analysts as "neo-kayfabe", in whichstorylines can become real lifeand vice versa, thus blurring the distinction between fact and fiction and giving the audience complicity in creating the spectacle.[10]

Faces and heels[edit]

Main articles:Face (professional wrestling)andHeel (professional wrestling)

The characters assumed by wrestlers can be distinguished into two alignments:facesandheels.

Faces, short for "babyfaces", arehero-type characters whose personalities are crafted to elicit the support of the audience through traits such ashumility,patriotism,a hard-working nature, determination, and reciprocal love of the crowd. Faces usually win their matches on the basis of their technical skills and are sometimes portrayed asunderdogsto enhance the story.

Heels are villainous orantagonisticcharacters, whose personalities are crafted to elicit a negative response from the audience. They often embrace traditionally negative traits such asnarcissism,egomania,unprompted rage,sadism,and general bitterness. Though not as prevalent today, xenophobic ethnic and racial stereotypes, in particular, those inspired by theAxis powersof World War II and Communist countries during theCold Warera, were commonly used in North American wrestling as heel-defining traits. Another angle of a heel could be approached from a position of authority; examples includeBig Boss Man,a corrections officer;Mike Rotundaas Irwin R. Schyster, a federal tax collector;Jacques RougeauwearingRCMP-inspired dress as The Mountie; andGlenn Jacobs(who would later become famous asKane) as Isaac Yankem, adentist.Heels can also be other characters held in low esteem by the public such as arepossession agent(a role played byBarry Darsowas Repo Man). Heels typically inspireboosfrom the audience and often employ underhanded tactics, such as cheating and exploiting technicalities in their fighting strategies, or using overly aggressive styles to cause (the perception of) excess pain or injury to their opponents.

A wrestler may change from face to heel (or vice versa) in an event known as aturn,or gradually transition from one to the other over the course of a long storyline. Wrestlers likeAndré the Giant,Roddy Piper,Hulk Hogan,and "Macho Man"Randy Savagecould work across the entire spectrum and often gain new fans as a result of each "turn".

Matches are usually organized between a heel and a face, but the distinction between the two types may be blurred as a given character's storyline reaches a peak or becomes more complicated. In recent years, several wrestlers became characters that were neither faces nor heels, but somewhere in between—or alternating between both—earning them the term "tweener",reflecting the rise in popular culture of the concept of theAntihero;such characters often display the underhand tactics and aggression of a traditional heel, but do so in ways sympathetic to the audience, or within the confines of some internal code e.g. only fighting obvious heel characters, criticizing authority figures. Particularly successful tweeners can find over time that they are enthusiastically adopted as 'faces' by the audience without changing their tweener or antihero characterization e.g.Stone Cold Steve AustinandShawn Michaels.

Despite the wrestlers' character settings, the crowd may not react accordingly. This may be due to booking issues or a particular crowd's tendency to react positively to heels, and negatively (or at least in an indifferent manner) to faces. A strong audience reaction against the original push of a character can occasionally lead to booking a 'turn' where the character begins to act in line with the audience's reaction; this can help reset a character with an audience, as occurred when the audience widely rejected a traditional 'face' character, Rocky Maivia, who transitioned the character with huge success to a 'heel' asThe Rock.

The divide can also be separated by fan demographics: where older male fans may tend to cheer for heels and boo faces, kids and female fans may cheer for faces and boo the heels, as it happened with wrestlers likeJohn CenaandRoman Reigns.[11][12]

Uses[edit]

Relationships[edit]

Many storylines make use of kayfabe romantic relationships between two performers. Very often, both participants have other real-life relationships, and the relationship between the two is simply a storyline. More than once, kayfabe romantic relationships have occurred alongside real-life relationships, such as betweenMatt HardyandLita;these real-life relationships may occasionally develop into a real-life marriage (e.g.,Triple HandStephanie McMahon,who married in 2003, more than a year after their kayfabe marriage ended).[citation needed]During the early 21st century, this kayfabe practice has given way to reality in theWWE,largely due to the creation of thereality televisionprogramTotal Divaswhere four "legit"(legally binding) weddings have occurred:NatalyaandTyson Kidd,Brie BellaandDaniel Bryan,NaomiandJimmy Uso,andEva Marieand her fiancé Jonathan. InTNA,afterAmerican Wolvesdisbanded, Eddie Edwards and Davey Richards and their "legit" wives,Alisha EdwardsandAngelina Love-Richardswrestled against each other.

Tag teamsof wrestlers, who may or may not look alike, are often presented as relatives, though they are not actually related. Examples include The Brothers of Destruction (The UndertakerandKane),The Holly Cousins(Hardcore Holly,Crash Holly,andMolly Holly) andThe Dudley Brothers.The "Brother" tag team concept was commonly used during the "territory years" (1950s–1980s) as a means to develop young talent, by pairing them with a veteran wrestler and giving the younger wrestler a "rub" by virtue of the association, such as the Valliant Brothers or the Fargo Brothers where none of the "brothers" were actually related.

Injuries[edit]

A wrestler or a promotion uses kayfabe in regard to injuries in one of two ways; "selling" a fake injury as part of a storyline, or they come up with a storyline reason to explain the absence of someone due to a legitimate injury. Sometimes a wrestler will be kept off shows to demonstrate the severity of what happened to them previously as part of a storyline. Prior to the spread of the internet, this was a common tactic used to explain the absence of a wrestler when said wrestler would tour Japan or was unable to appear on specific shows. If a wrestler appears on a show after a "brutal" attack they would "sell" the injury by limping or having their arm heavily bandaged and so on. In other instances, when a wrestler was legitimately injured either during a match or during training, a storyline would play out where a heel would attack the wrestler and "injure" them to give the impression that the injury was due to the attack. This normally would lead to the injured wrestler returning, later on, to "settle the score".

Promoters have used in-ring accidents that led to injuries, or in extreme cases death, as a way to make a heel even more hated and unpopular. In 1971 Alberto Torres died three days after wrestlingOx Baker.Evidence indicated that Torres died of aruptured appendix,but Baker'sheart punchfinishing move was the kayfabe reason; the death was worked into Baker's wrestling persona by the promoters making Baker the most hated heel in the territory at the time.[13]Acts exploiting personal tragedy or death became less and less prevalent by the turn of the century with fans being more aware of the worked nature of professional wrestling.

On the other hand, due to the risks involved in professional wrestling, some measures are still in place to let the crowd and commentators know if the wrestlers are legitimately injured in serious or dangerous spots. The injured wrestler can squeeze the opponent or referee within short timeframe before giving thumbs up or wave to the crowd, if possible. If they cannot do so in a timely manner, the referee will cross their arms above their head to signal for medical help, often ending the match. The signal has been used as part of kayfabe in order to create drama partway through the match, such as the main event ofTLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs (2017).[14][15]

Contracts, employment status, and suspensions[edit]

Wrestlers being publicly "fired" is a popular storytelling device, often for the fired wrestler to return under a mask or "earn their job" back through a match. In the days where theNational Wrestling Allianceterritories were at their height some wrestlers would travel from territory to territory, often using aLoser Leaves Town matchto wrap up a storyline in the specific territory. At times a wrestler will make a surprise debut for a company, with the storyline presenting that the wrestler in question does not actually work for the company.

InNXT,kayfabe is often broken post-match when a wrestler is promoted to the main roster, with the rest of the roster applauding them, regardless of storyline relationships. Before then, these breaks are apparent when they are promoted fromOVW,or when they retired. Most notably,The Undertakerbroke kayfabe as a mysterious Deadman, as he hugged and kneeled down to offer his respects toRic Flairon his retirement ceremony.[16]Since then,Daniel Bryan'srivals (notablyThe MizandBrock Lesnar)[17][18]broke kayfabe in interviews and onTwitterapplauding his decisions to retire,[19]although their rivalry resumed after Daniel Bryan returned asSmackdownGeneral Manager (the position of "General Manager" itself being a kayfabe on-screen authority figure), and escalated to a point where Daniel Bryan legitimately leftTalking Smackbecause The Miz gave ashootinterview that got personal.[20][21]

Breaks[edit]

There have been several examples of breaking kayfabe throughout wrestling history, although exactly what constitutes "breaking" is not clearly defined. It is rare for kayfabe to be dispensed with totally and the events acknowledged as scripted. Often the "break" may be implied or through an allusion (for example calling a wrestler by his/her real name) and standards tend to vary as to what actually constitutes a break. In the WWF during and afterthe Attitude Era,the line between kayfabe and reality was often blurred. With the growth of the industry and its exposure on theInternetandDVDandvideos,kayfabe may be broken more regularly. Whereas in the past it was extremely rare for a wrestler or other involved person to recognize the scripted nature of events even in outside press or media, WWE DVDs and WWE.com routinely give news and acknowledge real life. In the case of the former, vignettes may feature ostensible adversaries and allies talking about each other, and the angles and storylines they worked and their opinions on them. On WWE.com, the real-life news is often given which may contradict storylines.

Before the Attitude Era and the advent of the Internet, publications such asWWF Magazine,and television programs broke kayfabe only to acknowledge major real-life events involving current, or retired wrestlers, such as a death (for instance, the death ofErnie Roth,who was billed as "The Grand Wizard of Wrestling" ), divorce (e.g.,Randy SavageandMiss Elizabeth) or life-threatening accident (such asBrutus Beefcake's1990parasailing accident), especially if said event received mass mainstream coverage. In addition, when WWF top officials and employees were facing allegations ofanabolic steroidabuse andsexual harassmentduring the early 1990s, Vince McMahon responded via a series of videotaped comments defending his company and employees, and several full-page advertisements rebutting the allegations appeared inWWF Magazineand theNew York Times.[22]

In the Reality Era (2014 and onwards, specifically afterWrestleMania XXX) and the era of social media, kayfabe is often broken when wrestlers go on tour. Feuding stars in storylines can be seen being civil to each other when they are not wrestling. Off-ring persona can be strikingly different from the in-ring character with less disapproval.

Storylines becoming real life[edit]

In some instances, the use of kayfabe to protect a storyline or a wrestler led to real life events mirroring the storylines.

While working as abookerfor WCW,Kevin Sullivanconceived an angle where Woman (Nancy Daus Sullivan,Sullivan's wife both on-screen and off), would leave his character forChris Benoit.Sullivan insisted that Nancy and Chris should travel together to preserve kayfabe for the general public. This resulted in Sullivan's wife actually leaving him for Chris Benoit when the two developed a real-life romantic relationship during their time together. Nancy ultimately married Chris in 2000.[23]Their real life story reached a very dark ending in 2007, when Chris Benoit killed Nancy and their 7-year-old son Daniel in amurder-suicide.

Brian Pillmandeveloped a "Loose Cannon" persona for himself while in WCW in 1996, conspiring with Vice PresidentEric Bischoffand booker Kevin Sullivan. Pillman's character was based entirely on straddling the fine line of kayfabe, presenting it as if he had legitimate problems with WCW management. He would engage in on-camera actions that seemed to be unscripted, even to the other performers, and even breached kayfabe protocol when he addressed Sullivan on air as "bookerman".

WhenTriple HandStephanie McMahonentered into a kayfabe marriage in late 1999, Triple H and McMahon started dating in real life, and continued to do so after their onscreen marriage ended in 2002; the two eventually married in real life in 2003. The Catholic priest at the wedding, not aware of the workings of the wrestling business, initially refused to marry the two when he found out about the kayfabe "wedding" from a choir boy who was also a wrestling fan.Linda McMahonlater had to explain to the priest the difference between WWE programming and real life, allowing the marriage to go through. Afterward, the real-life marriage became anopen secreton television before being acknowledged by Triple H in 2009.[24]

Real-life events are written into storylines[edit]

The opposite also holds true, where the kayfabe story is based on, or as a result of, real-life events, from disclosing relationship status to starting family feuds.

CM Punk's 2011pipe bombhas claimed thatVince McMahonhas the potential to be a billionaire, when in fact, Vince was at one point, before it was revealed he lost $750 million of his $1.6 billion net worth, losing 350 million in a day due to WWE's over-valued stock price and lower-than-expectedWWE Networksubscribers (his net worth currently stands at a reported $2 billion). He also referred toJohn Cenaand Cena's beloved Boston-based sports teams as heels because they are all no longer underdogs, and they have all forged dynasties and championship teams in their respective sports (Boston Celtics,Boston Red Sox,Boston Bruins,New England Patriots).[25]

Kurt Anglehad legitimatelywon an Olympic Gold Medalfor Freestyle Wrestling, and built heat as a heel because he was still not being recognized by his peers or the crowd. He also revealed his legit injury history and his separation from hisfirst wife,and they divorced in 2008.[26]

Edge,LitaandMatt Hardyengaged in a feud in mid-2005, after Lita had cheated on Hardy with Edge (who was friends with Hardy), which resulted in Matt being legitimately fired due to social media misconduct. He was rehired after fan backlash and the love triangle became a highlight in their storyline rivalry.[27]

In June 2017,Big Cassbroke away fromEnzo Amoreand cited that Enzo's off-ring antics made him a distraction in the locker room.[28]On September 11, 2017,The MizandMaryserevealed they are expecting their first child, having previously been mocked by John Cena for not having children after being married.

On the same day, Enzo Amore had been criticized by The Miz about him being thrown off the tour bus and banned from the locker room as he was a negative influence,[29]while Amore answered back by saying The Miz's initial heel run in the WWE was because he wasn't a great in-ring performer despite having great mic skills. Under this feud, The Miz and Maryse also blurred the face/heel divide as they are built as faces in the feud when they are normally heels in other feuds and storylines.[30]

On May 10, 2020,AsukawontheMoney In The Bank briefcase,which normally would allow her to compete against WWE Raw Women's Champion up to a calendar year from the day she won the briefcase. This would have continued a feud withBecky Lynch,who held the title for 399 days, but surrendered the title to Asuka after Lynch became pregnant withSeth Rollins,her then-fiancé and later husband.

Asuka broke kayfabe by hugging and congratulating Lynch when Asuka found out that she was going "to become a mother".[31]With the title, Asuka also became only the secondWomen's Grand Slam Champion,which required her to win the NXT Women's title, the Smackdown and Raw Women's titles and the Women's Tag Team Championship. Unlike Bayley, Asuka had also won a Women's Royal Rumble match before. Lynch was written out of storylines as she went on hiatus. It was later revealed that Asuka's reactions were legit and genuine despite being a heel, as the storyline was changed on short notice. This is also true for the members of the Raw roster that were faces at the time, when they also congratulated her on the news. Rollins was not included as he was a heel at the time of the announcement.[32]

On May 12, 2020,Sami Zayn'sWWE Intercontinental Championshipwas stripped due to him refraining from competing during theCOVID-19 pandemic.

On June 11, 2024,Ricochetwas written out of WWE after his contract nears expiration. He was assaulted and left in an ambulance, withSamantha Irvin,his real-life fiancé, leaving the arena in tears. WWE later issued an apology to her.[33]

Real-life events are written out of storylines[edit]

Last-minute injuries, contracts, and marital statuses can also change the storyline or how a segment is presented. When Enzo Amore's contract was terminated due to withholding information about his sexual assault investigation,[34]his romantic storyline withNia Jaxwas scrapped, while she has moved to have the storyline withDrew Gulak. The segments for Raw 25 has also changed on hours' notice due toJimmy Fallonunable to arrive in New York in time for pre-taped segments for Raw 25 where he was supposed to interview the current and former GM's in Raw and SmackDown, but instead, they only waved in a Hall-of-Fame-like lineup.[35]

Outside professional wrestling[edit]

Kayfabe, while not referred to as such, has existed in other areas of show business, especially in feuds. For instance, the feuds between comediansJack BennyandFred Allen,and comedian/actorBob Hopeand singer/actorBing Crosbywere totally fake; in real life, Benny and Allen were best friends while Hope and Crosby were also close friends. A more recent example is the "feud" between talk show hostJimmy Kimmeland actorMatt Damonwhich has been arunning jokeonJimmy Kimmel Live!for many years and was even referenced when Kimmel hosted the89th Academy Awards.In reality, the two are friends, and in 2013 the feud was used as a springboard for Damon guest-hosting an episode of Kimmel's show (while Kimmel himself was left tied to a chair off to the side of the set). Other examples of kayfabe rivalries include that betweenDwayne JohnsonandKevin Hart,[36]and that ofHugh JackmanandRyan Reynolds.[37]

It has long been claimed that kayfabe has been used in American politics, especially in election campaigns, Congress, and the White House. In interviews asGovernor of Minnesota,former wrestlerJesse Venturaoften likened Washington to wrestling when he said that politicians "pretend to hate each other in public, then go out to dinner together".[citation needed]In 2023 News opinions and a book from Vince McMahon argue that strategies of components of the republican party closest toDonald Trumpcan be explained by kayfabe.[10][38]

An example of kayfabe being broken outside of professional wrestling was in 2004, during theI Love Beesalternative reality game used to promoteHalo 2,when one of the calltakers who voiced the AI that had hacked the website in the game's storyline broke character to tell a caller to run to safety, since he was in the middle ofHurricane Ivan.[39]

In response to a request for suggestions of the single scientific concept with the greatest potential to enhance human understanding,Eric Weinsteinproposed the system of kayfabe:[40]

"If we are to take selection more seriously within humans, we may fairly ask what rigorous system would be capable of tying together an altered reality of layered falsehoods in which absolutely nothing can be assumed to be as it appears. Such a system, in continuous development for more than a century, is known to exist and now supports an intricate multi-billion dollar business empire of pure hokum. It is known to wrestling's insiders as 'Kayfabe'."

Kayfabe concepts have also been incorporated into competition TV series in which contestants interact with paid actors who remain in character throughout. In the case of the late-2000sThe Joe Schmo Show,its basic premise was the contestants were unaware they were surrounded by actors (with the actors intentionally breaking kayfabe at the conclusion and, sometimes, unintentionally during production[41]). A mystery-themed competition series from 2001,Murder in Small Town Xsaw contestants roaming around a real-life town in Maine as part of an ongoing storyline, interacting with actors who maintained kayfabe throughout.[citation needed]

Writing forWired,Cecilia D'Anastasio describesVTubingas "digitalkayfabe".Brennan Williams,who wrestled under WWE as Mace at the time of the interview, and who also streams as the VTuber JiBo, opined that wrestling personas and VTuber avatars are "literally the same thing".[42]

Crowd as pseudo characters[edit]

In the WWE Universe era, the crowd also can be spontaneously used, mostly as a heel, either to distract promo, build more heat to heels, or used to distract referees on their count-outs to force a result, even when they have no physical power or rights to fight the wrestlers.[43]Wrestlers can only react by shooting on them, either as scripted or as an improvisation. AtWrestleMania 34,a 10-year-old boy named "Nicholas" was hand-picked byBraun Strowmanas his tag-team partner for the WWE Tag Team title match. Strowman and Nicholas won the Tag-Team title, but it was later revealed that Nicholas is the son of the match referee,John Cone.[44]

In fiction[edit]

The 2008 filmThe Wrestlerportrays an aging wrestler with failing health and waning fame planning a re-match with his historic heel. Throughout the film, the fictional nature of the bouts is depicted openly, including a scene where a wrestlerintentionally cuts his forehead with a razorto make the hit seem worse than what it was. Nevertheless, the physical damage suffered by the wrestlers is depicted as real and oftentimes serious.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^Washington, Tecoa T. (2009).Medieval Bedazzle.Mustang:Tate Publishing.ISBN9781606046951.RetrievedAugust 16,2012.
  2. ^abcdefgLister, John."The clandestine jargon of professional wrestling".Archived fromthe originalon October 15, 2008.RetrievedApril 8,2017.
  3. ^abPatterson, Pat;Hébert, Bertrand (2016).Accepted.Toronto:ECW Press. pp. 67–68.ISBN978-1-77041-293-4.
  4. ^Lister, John (2011). "Battle Lines".Fighting Spirit Magazine!.United Kingdom. pp. 16–19.
  5. ^Johnny Walker, ‘I was losing my mind’,retrieved2023-10-25
  6. ^Marx, Groucho (host) (19 December 1957)."Ralph" Red "Berry".You Bet Your Life.Season 8. Episode 11. Bravo.
  7. ^Pub. L.Tooltip Public Law (United States)86–752: Communications Act Amendments, 1960
  8. ^Associated Press(1987-05-28)."Two Professional Wrestlers Arrested On Drug Charges; Suspended".Associated Press.Archived fromthe originalon 2020-11-04.Retrieved2021-04-24.
  9. ^Milner, John."Vince McMahon".Slam! Sports.Canadian Online Explorer.Archived from the original on June 29, 2012.RetrievedJuly 16,2014.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  10. ^abRiesman, Abraham Josephine (2023-02-26)."Opinion | The Best Way to Explain the G.O.P. Is Found in the W.W.E."The New York Times.ISSN0362-4331.Retrieved2023-02-28.
  11. ^WrestletalkTV (2017-12-10),Does WWE Have A Babyface Problem? | WrestleTalk Opinion,retrieved2017-12-11
  12. ^WrestletalkTV (2017-12-13),John Cena Says Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins & Dean Ambrose Were More Successful As The Shield,archivedfrom the original on 2021-12-21,retrieved2017-12-14
  13. ^Held, Kevin S. (October 20, 2014)."Missouri native, wrestling legend Ox Baker dead".KSDK.RetrievedOctober 24,2014.
  14. ^Wrestlelamia (2017-09-07),This Hand Signal Can Save a Wrestler From Being Seriously Injured! WWE Secrets You Didn't Know,archivedfrom the original on 2021-12-21,retrieved2017-11-24
  15. ^PUNK RATED NETWORK (2017-10-22),Kurt angle & The Shield VS The Miz Bar kane and Braun Strowman,retrieved2018-01-24[dead YouTube link]
  16. ^Kartzerian K (2008-08-09),RARE VIDEO - Undertaker down in tears.(A Must Watch Video),archivedfrom the original on 2021-12-21,retrieved2017-09-07
  17. ^WWE (2010-05-13),WWE NXT: Daniel Bryan confronts The Miz over their loss,archivedfrom the original on 2021-12-21,retrieved2017-09-06
  18. ^Zeeta (2016-02-18),BROCK LESNAR ON DANIEL BRYAN's RETIREMENT!!!!!!,archivedfrom the original on 2021-12-21,retrieved2017-12-15
  19. ^WWE (2016-02-08),The Miz reacts to Daniel Bryan's retirement announcement: February 8. 2016,archivedfrom the original on 2021-12-21,retrieved2017-09-06
  20. ^WWE (2016-08-23),The Miz completely loses it in the face of GM Daniel Bryan: WWE Talking Smack, Aug. 23. 2016,archivedfrom the original on 2021-12-21,retrieved2017-09-06
  21. ^Fact5 Wrestling (2017-09-04),5 WWE Wrestlers Who Took Their Promo Too Far,archivedfrom the original on 2021-12-21,retrieved2017-09-09{{citation}}:CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  22. ^McMahon, Vince (1991-07-14)."Backtalk; World Wrestling Federation Answers Body Slams".The New York Times.ISSN0362-4331.Retrieved2022-12-27.
  23. ^Schramm, Chris (June 25, 2007)."Looking back on the career of" Woman "".Archived from the original on May 26, 2012.RetrievedDecember 27,2022.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  24. ^Triple H - Thy Kingdom ComeDVD
  25. ^WWE (2011-07-12),Raw: John Cena interrupts CM Punk's contract negotiations,archivedfrom the original on 2021-12-21,retrieved2018-01-24
  26. ^ORTON IS GOD (2014-11-20),WWE RAW Kurt Angle Snaps At "You Suck" Chants,retrieved2017-09-19[dead YouTube link]
  27. ^"Edge discloses how he and Matt Hardy overcame their real-life animosity".Sportskeeda. 9 July 2020.
  28. ^Paul Levine (2017-06-23),Big Cass and Enzo Break up FULL SEGMENT,retrieved2017-11-02[dead YouTube link]
  29. ^WrestletalkTV (2017-11-02),Ex TNA Star To WWE?! NXT Call-Up REVEALED?! | WrestleTalk News Nov. 2017,retrieved2017-11-02
  30. ^Notorious Court (2017-09-11),The Miz OWNS Enzo Amore on Miz TV (FULL Segment) - Raw Sept. 11. 2017 (HD),retrieved2017-11-02[dead YouTube link]
  31. ^"Raw highlights: May 11, 2020".WWE.Retrieved2020-05-12.
  32. ^"Backstage News From The RAW Segment With Becky Lynch And Asuka, Becky's Pregnancy Announcement".Wrestling Inc.2020-05-12.Retrieved2020-05-12.
  33. ^Samantha Irvin leaves RAW in tears after rumors of WWE star's exit possibly confirmed
  34. ^WrestletalkTV (2018-01-24),Real Reason WWE FIRED Enzo Amore? | WrestleTalk News Jan. 2018,retrieved2018-01-25
  35. ^WrestletalkTV (2018-01-25),LAST MINUTE WWE RAW 25 REWRITES REVEALED! | WrestleTalk News Jan. 2018,retrieved2018-01-25
  36. ^Matthew Jussim (July 8, 2019)."The Best Instagram Posts From Dwayne Johnson's 'Feud' With Kevin Hart".Men's journal.
  37. ^Philip Sledge (September 30, 2022)."The History Of Hugh Jackman And Ryan Reynolds' Faux Feud Explained".
  38. ^Michael Kruse (March 24, 2023)."How Pro Wrestling Explains Today's GOP".Politico.
  39. ^WIRED Staff."I Love Bees Game a Surprise Hit".Wired.ISSN1059-1028.Retrieved2023-12-06.
  40. ^Weinstein, Eric R. (2011)."2011: WHAT SCIENTIFIC CONCEPT WOULD IMPROVE EVERYBODY'S COGNITIVE TOOLKIT? - Kayfabe".Edge.org.Retrieved2020-04-05.
  41. ^During taping of the second season, accidental kayfabe breaks by cast members led one contestant to correctly deduce the show was fake; she subsequently became a cast member and maintained kayfabe for the still-unaware second contestant.
  42. ^D'Anastasio, Cecilia."He's a WWE Star and a Vtuber. Those Worlds Aren't So Different".Wired.ISSN1059-1028.Retrieved2024-06-21.
  43. ^The WWE Insider (2017-12-26),Elias responds to the crowd from Chicago screaming CM Punk Chants,retrieved2018-01-03[dead YouTube link]
  44. ^"Raw Tag Team Champion Nicholas is Referee John Cone's Son".Pro Wrestling Sheet | Insider Wrestling News and Reports.2018-04-08.Retrieved2018-04-09.

Further reading[edit]

External links[edit]

  • The dictionary definition ofkayfabeat Wiktionary
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kayfabe&oldid=1232434158"