According to TheSportster.com, kayfabe is officially a term in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary. As most wrestling fans know, many scenes, matches, and love affairs are created for the enjoyment of the fans. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, wrestling adopted kayfabe storylines, which were fabricated to bring more attention to wrestlers. These “fake” stories were portrayed as real and many fans believed these kayfabe stories. Many onscreen rivalries, competitions, and relationships were made up and untrue, and many of these storylines started as kayfabe and ended up being real. We will explore the role kayfabe played in the wrestling industry and situations when they took an unexpected turn.
Predetermined Outcomes:
Hopefully, we’re not spoiling the fun for readers, but early pro wrestling matches were scripted and had predetermined outcomes. Still, promoters never let on to the fallacies and promoted each match as legitimate, to secure a good audience. Many people attended these events to see if the bad guy was going to win over the good guy, to see new love matches between valets and wrestlers, and to see new partnerships and tag team matchups. These scenarios didn’t happen by chance, in most cases the storylines were created around the outcome of the match or relationship.
It was known by wrestlers that kayfabe would be a big part of their character and wrestling storylines; everyone was supposed to maintain the kayfabe secret or risk retribution from other wrestlers and those in leadership positions. Admitting that kayfabe was part of their storylines was equal to telling a young child that Santa didn’t exist. No one was to talk about kayfabe. All the wrestlers had to do was show up, and keep up the façade.
Kayfabe Gone Wrong:
People are only human and there are many times that kayfabe didn’t work out. Here are some instances of Kayfabe gone wrong, according to ProWrestlingStories.com.
- Wrestlers were expected to maintain their kayfabe storylines outside the ring. If wrestlers were seen dining or riding with their kayfabe rivals, it could be cause for termination. One wrestler was supposed to be a rival with wrestler Steve Austin, who was a friend but played a rival in the ring. They were cautious not to be seen together having dinner or a beer after a match.
- Mick Foley stated that he was always questioned whether or not wrestling was fake. Many people insulted the wrestler for making his living in the ring by faking it for the audience. As time went on, more wrestling fans realized that not everything was fake, and people do get hurt in the ring, so not everything was scripted.
- Sometimes wrestlers would find themselves in compromising situations, which is what happened in 1987 when police arrested “rivals” The Iron Sheik and Hacksaw Jim Duggan. The two were found in a car together drinking and using cocaine, which is very suspect from two people who are supposed to despise each other.
According to WhatCulture.com, at one point, Vince McMahon admitted that pro wrestling wasn’t real. This was a financial decision so he could avoid a hefty sports tax. By this admission, he acknowledged that wrestling was entertainment, thereby, avoiding the tax.
Wrestling has a long and interesting history; the more you know, the more you will want to know.
