Too many times has the same thing been said over and over again — pro wrestling isn't real, and there's little to no value attached to watching something that's so fabricated. It's understandable why most people would have this image of pro wrestling, since the first impression that this particular category of sports entertainment gives isn't exactly flattering. You have big, buff men who are either trying to beat each other, or are constantly trash-talking each other on the mic, in front of an audience that seems to love something so animalistic. However, there's a reason why these fans are so invested in what they're watching — it's not like they don't know that pro wrestling isn't real, but for them, it's an art that requires their undivided attention.

And if the fans are so passionate about the product, then just think about the people who actually wrestle for them! For these people, it was their dream to get into the art of pro wrestling and make a name for themselves on the biggest stage, which is totally admirable. In fact, pro wrestling is so treasured that there are various rules that one must follow if they truly want to become a pro wrestler. Keeping this in mind, here are 25 hard-and-fast rules that every pro wrestler must follow, which might seem rather odd at a first glance.

25 Wrestlers Need To Follow Something Called Kayfabe

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There was a time when people who used to work on the art of professional wrestling maintained everything to be true. People were genuinely invested in a sport that was engaged them on a constant basis, and the popularity of wrestling in America was at an all-time high. However, over time, more and more people became aware of the fact that the events of pro wrestling were largely scripted — a reality that Vince McMahon himself brought to light in an announcement that is considered to be one of the most historic moments in pro wrestling.

However, kayfabe was still very much alive.

If you're wondering what kayfabe is, it's the fabric of reality that every wrestler needs to maintain properly. This basically means that anything that happens in the ring should hold true for these wrestlers outside the ring as well. Doing something contradictory to these events is breaking kayfabe, and is extremely frowned upon in the wrestling industry. It's one of the most prominent traditions in the business, and most fans who seriously get into this art will attest to the fact that this word is the first wrestling terminology they learned.

24 Kayfabe Also Extends To Social Media

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If you thought that wrestlers were able to normally express themselves on social media, then think again.

The fact of the matter is that social media is another avenue for wrestlers to talk to their fans and maintain their rivalries as well. So, maintaining kayfabe in this particular channel is also mandatory for wrestlers. This begs an answer to a pressing question.

Why did Vince McMahon even admit that wrestling was fake?

Well, the reason for this reveal was mostly for monetary purposes. As a promoter, Vince did not want to pay any fees to the Athletic Commission. So, to subvert this payment, McMahon decided to straight up reveal the fact to the public that wrestling is staged, and the main purpose of this product is to provide entertainment to the masses. This led to the rise in the usage of the term "sports entertainment," and also allowed the WWE (which was labeled as the WWF during that time) to go over-the-top with their wrestling. This reveal was done in 1989, with a more official version of it coming 8 years later. The latter announcement also signaled the rise of one of the most successful runs of the WWE — namely, the Attitude Era.

23 Wrestlers Have To Adopt A Face, Heel, Or Tweener Character

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One needs to think of wrestling as a show if they want to understand how it actually works, especially if you happen to be an outsider who is slowly learning about how wrestling actually works. And — as is the case with any good show — there are characters you root for, characters you hate, and characters who fall somewhere in the middle of this spectrum. Pro wrestling actually has names for these characters — a "face" is a good guy, a "heel" is a bad guy, and a "tweener" is someone in between.

A wrestler has to adopt one character and stick with it.

Normally speaking, wrestlers usually adopt either a face or a heel persona. Tweeners are rare, and the best example that can be given right now of such a character is Roman Reigns — a character who is universally hated by the majority of WWE fans, but still tries to be somewhat good since he's geared to become the face of the company. But being a face or a heel isn't permanent — a wrestler can also "turn" into a villain or a hero if they've become too stale as a one-dimensional character, or just want a change.

This dynamic is reflected in various ways, the most prominent one being the focal point of our next entry.

22 The Count Of 5 Works Differently For Faces And Heels

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Submissions are an integral aspect of pro wrestling, and some people actually use these moves as their finishers as well. Of course — in case it wasn't clear enough — these submissions don't actually hurt, and are meant to look flashy and painful. There are two ways for a wrestler to escape this hold if they get caught in it — either they can escape the hold entirely through brute force, or they can crawl to the sides of the ring and initiate a rope break by placing an arm or a leg on the ropes. This initiates a 5-count from the referee, which is where the character of the wrestler shines through.

Obviously, since a face is a good guy, they'll generally let go of the hold the moment the referee starts off with the 5-count. This is meant to cement the fact that the wrestler is a good guy and follows the rules to a T. The only exception is during a heated rivalry or an intense, when this rule is looked over in favor of telling a good story. However, a heel will no stop until the referee reaches a 4-count, after which they'll leave the hold to prevent a DQ, or disqualification. Of course, if the heel wants to be even more villainous, then they can hold the submission even after the 5-count. While they'll be DQ'd, the aim is to show the crowd that the person is ruthless and gets off on hurting and injuring people.

21 No Chair Shots To The Head

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There was a time when chair shots to the head used to be commonplace in the WWE. The crunching sound of a metal chair on someone's skull was always sickening to watch, although the crowd was definitely into this level of intensity. There's one particular instance that's extremely hard to watch, however, which involved a match between The Rock (Dwayne Johnson) and Mankind (Mick Foley). Their rivalry was certainly quite heated, which culminated in an "I Quit" match at the '99 Royal Rumble. The events that followed were truly sickening, and not for the faint of heart.

In case it isn't clear enough, the "I Quit" match involves two people beating themselves  until one person has had enough and says "I Quit." Sounds simple, right? Well, the execution of this concept during the match is nothing short of disgusting. Basically, in a bid to make Mankind say those two words, The Rock handcuffed him to the turnbuckle and hit him on the head with a chair 11 times! Trust us when we tell you that this video is not for the faint of heart, and will definitely make you glad that this animalistic ruling has been removed from the WWE for good.

20 No Moves That Drop Someone On Their Head

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In fact, when it comes to any movie that hurts a person's head, the WWE has specifically banned anything that might damage one's cranium. Moves like the piledriver and the brainbuster were banned outright due to the implications that it harmed one's head. The most notable example of this is Seth Rollins' Curb Stomp, which was banned since it was essentially a kick to the head, and stupid kids who tried to copy this move could lead to some lasting damage, along with a ton of bad PR for the WWE. However, there's an underlying reason as to why any damage to the head has been forbidden in the WWE.

The reason can be encapsulated in two words — Chris Benoit.

It's a name that most wrestling fans know by heart, but for all the wrong reasons. Chris Benoit was one of the most technically gifted wrestlers around, and any match that featured him was bound to be a good one. However, most of Benoit's moves involved him using his head, which added up to a lot of damage. This culminated in one of the saddest and brutal happening in WWE history — a tragic incident with the victims being Benoit, his wife, and his kid. The autopsy revealed that Benoit's brain resembled an 85-year-old Alzheimer's patient, which is just horrifying. The PR nightmare brought over by this incident compelled WWE to remove any mention of Benoit, and also ban anything that might damage a person's brain.

19 Drawing Is Forbidden In The PG Era

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Blading used to be an integral part of wrestling, and added to the match and the story that the wrestlers wanted to tell. Of course, it's not like people actually started drawing because of the other wrestler and his or her offense — rather, this was facilitated through a small blade that is either hidden by the wrestler, or provided by the referee during one focal point of the match. It is an age-old tradition, but as of right now, the WWE has forbidden any sort of excrement from making it on their TV screens.

However, there are certain exceptions to this rule. Most pay-per-views don't have the same restrictions as TV shows, since WWE doesn't need to abide by network guidelines. This means that they can choose to show it during these major events if it fits in with the story that they want to tell. Most of the matches that feature Brock Lesnar nowadays feature it in some form or another, since the higher-ups at WWE want to convey the fact that Lesnar is a beast and his blows actually carry a ton of weight to them — a fact that is obviously not true, but making his opponents look this way certainly adds to the persona of Lesnar being legit.

18 Swearing Is Also Prohibited In The PG Era

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One of the major aspects of wrestling involves the cutting of a promo. This can be in two forms — either the wrestler will address the audience directly as he either brags about himself, talks smack about someone else to continue their rivalry, or speak about something else that's relevant to the storyline that's being fed to the fans. The main aim of a promo is to be intense and relevant, so that fans can connect to it and get invested in the tale a wrestler is trying to weave. There are many techniques that a wrestler can use to achieve this goal, but one particular avenue has been closed off due to the advent of the PG era.

This particular cheap tactic always managed to attain a reaction from fans, and still does — although it is used somewhat more sporadically nowadays. It's obvious that this tactic is the act of swearing during a promo, which adds that extra edge to a wrestler's promo and allows them to generate some cheap heat as well, if need be. However, due to the restrictions imposed by the PG era, wrestlers don't have the freedom they used to have during a promo. Now, their words need to be measured properly, and only the tamest of swears can be used for dramatic effect.

17 Never Steal Another Wrestler's Moves, Unless It's For Storyline Purposes

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Each wrestler has their own unique moveset, which separates them from the rest. Any wrestler that you happen to watch for an extended period of time will definitely get you ingratiated with their moveset, at the very least. Perhaps the most glaring example of this are the finishers that every wrestler has. From John Cena's Attitude Adjustment to AJ Styles' Styles Clash (that's quite a mouthful...), every wrestler has a recognizable finisher that the crowd instantly pops for, and end up being a pretty big spectacle when it hits.

However, it's imperative for wrestlers to make sure that their moveset is unique and is also associated with their character as well. This requires the efforts of not just the wrestler himself, but also from the other people in the back, who should do the right thing and not emulate the movesets of their fellow wrestlers. Of course, there will always be some moves that are so universal that its fine for multiple wrestlers to have it as a part of their moveset (the clothesline and the signature Ric Flair chops come to mind), but wrestlers need to take care of their other moves. This is especially true for finishers, which wrestlers are outright banned from copying... unless that is, they need to place importance on a particular rivalry.

16 Every Match Should Tell A Story

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If you happen to be an outsider to wrestling who's reading this article, then there might be one pressing question that is floating around in your mind — if the fights are fake, then does that basically mean that there are no stakes attached to a particular contest? It's understandable if this question is floating around in your mind, but the fact of the matter is that this couldn't be further away from the truth. Before we answer this question, we need you to think of wrestling like ballet — that is, ballet with two sweaty men or women who want to tear each other apart. And as is the case with any ballet performance, this medium of art is used to tell a unique story that no other art form can replicate.

After all, most of the stories that you see playing out in wrestling simply cannot be replicated by any other form of entertainment. A match between two or more people can be used to tell a story that involves physicality, strife, adversity, dominance, happiness, despair, and a host of other elements and emotions that are simply too many to state right now. Ask any wrestling fan what their favorite wrestling match is, and more often than not, it'll be the matches that told an amazing story through nothing more than pure wrestling.

15 Wrestlers Call Out Their Matches Using A Common Language

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However, if one needs to tell a great story, then a certain level of coordination needs to be present at all times. After all, pretending to fight requires the cooperation of both individuals, so that they can weave a tale that's worth telling. However, the fact of the matter is that this is easier said than done, since even a single misstep will break the reality between two wrestlers and cause an error in judgment, leading to what is known in the wrestling world as a "botch." These mistakes need to be avoided at all times, since fighting without a hitch is an integral aspect of kayfabe, which — as we've mentioned before — needs to be maintained at all times.

So, to make sure that the wrestlers are on the same page, certain words and phrases are used by every wrestler to make sure that all the spots of the match go off without a hitch. However, wrestling is a worldwide sport, so one must wonder — what about the matches that occur between people who speak different languages? Well, in this case, the non-English speaking person needs to remember these phrases regardless, so that they can communicate with their wrestling partner without any problems. It sounds like a makeshift solution, but watch any match on NJPW and you'll understand just how effective this simple technique is.

14 The Referee Coordinates Certain Aspects Of A Match

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But the wrestlers are not the only people who are coordinating the match — after all, there obviously is a third person in the ring as well, in the form of the referee. To an outsider, the referee must seem like the dumbest person on earth. After all, there are numerous instances of referees being stupid, inept, or blind, as wrestlers interfere in matches, perform illegal moves, or just break the rules in general. However, trust us when we tell you that a referee is an integral part of any match, and without his presence, most matches would completely fall apart — mainly because no one would be there to count the pin or call off the match if someone submits.

There are times when the referee himself calls out certain spots in the match, and sees to it that the wrestlers are in prime condition after big, risky moves. In fact, the sheer power that these referees have is nothing to scoff at. The Montreal Screwjob is a great example that showcases just how influential referees are when it comes to deciding the outcome of the match. Basically, Bret Hart (the champion at that time) legitimately hated Shawn Michaels, and wasn't willing to drop the belt to him under any circumstances. This threw a wrench in McMahon's plans, since Hart was going over to their rivals WCW, and Vince didn't want the reigning WWE champion to move over to WCW, and asked the referee Earl Hebner to hand over the match to Shawn after he locked in the Sharpshooter. The aftermath of this event is nothing short of legendary, and shaped the villainous Vince McMahon persona that we're all familiar with now.

13 Improvisation Is Key

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However, no matter how well-thought out and planned a particular wrestling match might be, chances are that certain events will simply not fall into place like they should. While the probability of these mishaps happening is pretty low, it still doesn't mean that the percentage is zero. This mandates the need for wrestlers to be prepared for anything that might hamper their match... and we do mean anything.

Let's take a fairly recent example to illustrate exactly what we're talking about — namely, the Elimination Chamber match of 2015 for the Intercontinental Title. The bout basically features around six wrestlers who enter the ring at different times, with each person being pinned or submitted for an elimination. However, in this case, there was a spot where Wade Barret smashed Ziggler into Mark Henry's pod, causing the glass pane to fall off. This wasn't meant to happen, and a confused Henry was forced to participate in the match well before he was supposed to. The entire match could've been a train wreck — and it was, but it avoided the realm of complete nonsense due to the presence of mind of Dolph Ziggler, who instructed everyone to perform the spots of the match, including the referee! While the spots can be heard loud and clear, it must be said that the improvisation of Ziggler helped mitigate some of the damage.

12 The Commentators Generally Know What's About To Happen

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Unless a particular thing has gone immensely wrong — as is the case that has been discussed above — the commentators generally have somewhat of an idea about how the match is going to play out. This allows them to prepare their lines well in advance so that they can instantly click with the fans by providing them with the best soundbites to compliment the scene currently unfolding in front of them. While this might seem counterintuitive (since spontaneous commentary would sound more genuine), this also allows promotions to script certain things for the maximum effect.

Perhaps the best example we can take to explain this has to be the infamous match between The Undertaker and Brock Lesnar at Wrestlemania, which ended with one of the most famous streaks being shattered by the beast. Obviously, the commentators knew well beforehand that this would happen, which is why they decided to hammer in this shocking event through the most effective form of commentary possible — total silence. It's one of the most poetic and saddening moments in wrestling, and the replay of this event that features this deafening silence from the commentary booth as the crowd is sent into a state of shock is nothing short of memorable.

11 Commentators Are Also Classified Under Faces And Heels

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Since we're already on the topic of commentators, here's one more dynamic that you should be aware of when it comes to these personas. You are obviously aware of the fact that commentators are of two kinds — namely, a color commentator and a play-by-play commentator. This dynamic obviously exists in the WWE as well, with one commentator calling the action while the others are adding their own personal opinions in the mix as well. However, there's another factor that comes to play in the realm of pro wrestling that governs the commentary of these people as well — namely, their alignment.

Yep, that's right — commentators also come under the bracket of faces and heels. This means that they can choose to support or lambast certain wrestlers based on their alignment as well. This is mainly done so that the people who are watching a particular event from their screens can buy into this illusion that the product is trying to put forth, while also knowing about any shady heel tactic that the villainous wrestler might be trying to pull off. It's a simple yet effective strategy that has become a staple of wrestling since time immemorial.

10 Never Refer To Wrestlers By Their Real Names

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Now, it's time to talk about some of the more obscure backstage rules that you might be unaware of.

We've already talked about the concept of kayfabe before — the fragile illusion of reality that wrestlers need to maintain at all times, so they can get into the character that they want to portray. This also ensures that the audience is into the entire product as well, and is buying into what the promotion is selling to them. There are many things that a wrestler needs to keep in mind so that they can maintain kayfabe — such as their presence on social media that we've already talked about at length — but perhaps one of the least known elements is one of the oddest ones as well.

Wrestlers must address each other with their stage names.

It's might sound odd, but a better analysis of this subject will help you understand why this is the case. After all, one of the best ways to not mess up and break kayfabe is by subconsciously making yourself believe that what is happening in the ring is happening for real. Well, this is perhaps the best way to make sure that a wrestler is able to maintain this illusion. By calling each other by their stage names, wrestlers will take the first step into making themselves believe what they want thousands of people to believe.

So yeah, it's a pretty good start.

9 Don't Act Like A Fan, Be Professional

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The entry detailed above should make it perfectly clear that there are certain things in wrestling that are frowned upon. Calling other wrestlers with their real name is a no-brainer — unless, that is, one happens to share a close relationship with the other person. However, that is just one grain of sand in the beach of "things that pro wrestlers consider taboo." There are various other aspects that any aspiring pro wrestler needs to keep in mind if they truly wish to make it big in the business. One such thing that is frowned upon in the business is "marking out," which is basically wrestling lingo for reacting like a fan.

After all, fans of professional wrestling are pretty rabid, and can become extremely passionate at a moment's notice. These marks (a wrestling terminology to describe fans) are infamous in the realm of professional wrestling, and there are many people backstage that don't appreciate this behavior — especially since most of these fans are so entitled that they simply assume this show to be their own playground. So, wrestlers are generally advised to be professional and not act out, lest they risk the ire of the higher-ups.

8 Being Unprofessional Can Have Grave Consequences For Your Career

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A wrestler should definitely keep the above things in mind if they truly wish to make it big in the world of professional wrestling. After all, at the end of the day, it's a dog-eat-dog world in this business, and only the strongest and craftiest of them all can actually reach the top, and stay there. Failing to comply with these regulations can prove to be truly disastrous for a person's WWE career, which is obviously not an ideal situation by any means. If you wondering just how bad things can get, just ask Triple H.

The Curtain Call incident sparked the temporary downfall of The Game.

This was was the first high-profile incident of kayfabe being broken in front of a live audience, and was perpetrated by members of The Kliq — a group of four close-knit friends that consisted of Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, Shawn Michaels, and Triple H, along with X-Pac (who isn't featured in this incident). In April 1996, Nash and Hall were set to leave WWE for WCW, were wrestling for the last time in Madison Square Garden. The penultimate match saw Nash and Michaels fight in a Steel Cage match. After this, all four members came together to hug and celebrate, which was odd since Nash and Triple H were villains, while Michaels and Hall were heroes. This incident was recorded and spread like wildfire, which angered Vince and compelled him to punish both wrestlers. However, since Shawn Michaels was the WWF Champion at that time, Triple H got the brunt of the punishment.

This brings us to our next point.

7 Wrestlers Can Get "Buried"

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After this infamous "Curtain Call" incident, Triple H was pushed down the card. Instead of being a championship contender like he was supposed to be at that time, he was forced to fight on the undercard and regain his push from the ground up. However, while things certainly weren't optimal for him, he did attain the Intercontinental Championship five months after this incident. If anything, Triple H should be thanking the stars that Vince didn't go overboard and straight up bury him entirely — a fate that many wrestlers who weren't in the good books of the authorities have shared.

Basically, "buried" means to derail one's wrestling career by making the individual appear weak in the eyes of the audience time and time again. This can be done through repeated squash matches (a wrestling match that's incredibly one-sided, to the point where the loser doesn't even have a shred of offense), or making the wrestler look pathetic by other means. Take the example of Eva Marie — after her stint in Total Divas, Marie had an attitude problem. To show her where she stood in the locker room, she was forced to participate in a live match way before she was ready to wrestle. This was meant to embarrass her, and she ended up botching the simplest of moves. It was a statement by the WWE — always keep your ego in check, no matter how big you might be.

6 The Audience Doesn't Really Matter

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One of the major draws of wrestling is the high-octane crowd that comes to every live event. This used to be a staple during the Attitude Era, when red-hot crowds used to come to pretty much every WWE live event and tear the place down with their constant chanting and whatnot. This has mellowed down somewhat with the advent of the PG era, but places like New York, Chicago, Toronto, the UK, and various other places still sport incredibly active crowds that will never fail to make their voices heard. However, the problem with these crowds is that they sometimes don't buy into what the management is selling them.

The best example of this dissonance between the fans and the authorities can be described through two words — Roman Reigns. A man who is so hated that there's an entire Wikipedia page talking about the perception of Roman. Unlike Cena, who also has a love-hate relationship with the crowd, Roman Reigns is almost universally reviled by fans, to the point where he is constantly booed at every opportunity. The WWE has tried their utmost to make sure that the TV audience can believe that Roman Reigns is a beloved figure, but this couldn't be further away from the truth.