Professional wrestling is unlike anything else on the planet, but one thing it does have in common with every other sport, profession, and field, is a lot of insider terms which may seem completely foreign to someone who isn’t a fan of the business.
If you’re someone who is either new to wrestling or doesn’t frequent the WWE and AEW dirt sheets very much, then there may be several terms that pop up quite regularly which you may not know. However, as wrestling fans, there are definitely particular insider terms and words that people really should know their meaning. Of course, there are many more that aren’t looked at and mentioned here, but these are ten of the most commonly used words behind the curtain and among fans.
10 Kayfabe
“Kayfabe” is a word which encapsulates everything that takes place in and around professional wrestling content, as it describes everything that is manufactured and staged. For example, back in the day, good guys and bad guys would never be seen being friends when it came to real life in order to “protect kayfabe” and to ensure the ability for a suspension of disbelief from the audience.
When someone such as MJF goes on Twitter or in interviews and retains his on-screen personality, that is an example of him keeping up kayfabe by playing his character 24/7. Perhaps the most notable example of this would be The Undertaker, who for several decades rarely made public appearances to ensure his character remained alive and larger than life.
9 Shoot
As mentioned, the word kayfabe is the world in which storylines take place. However, when a wrestler goes off-script and goes into business for themselves, whether that be changing up what they say on the microphone, changing what happens in a match, or breaking character, then that is called a “shoot”.
When someone “shoots”, it is sometimes difficult to tell if this is intentional or not, as shoots in wrestling blur lines between kayfabe and reality. Recently, the real-life feud between CM Punk and Adam Page seeped onto AEW television and into the media as they would each shoot on each other in promos, which had led to a lot of issues backstage.
8 Work
In contrast to a shoot, a “work” is when wrestlers or a wrestling promotion makes a deliberate attempt to make something appear as though it is a shoot, but has in fact been planned all along.
There can also be a “worked shoot”, in which someone is given freedom to go off-script, with the most notable example being CM Punk’s “pipebomb” promo back in 2011, where he was allowed to say anything he wanted, but given permission to do so.
7 Receipt
Professional wrestling is a very dangerous sport, because despite things being made to look real, moves still really do hurt at times. However, certain wrestlers can become a little over-zealous or “stiff” (which means hitting moves harder than usual), and it can cause some damage.
A “receipt” is when the recipient of one of these moves is hit too hard, and then gives an equally hard blow back to their opponent. For example, at the 2017 Royal Rumble, Braun Strowman delivered a knee to Brock Lesnar which clearly hurt him, so Lesnar responded with some real punches of his own to send a message to Strowman to be more careful.
6 Blading
Often to make wrestling feel more authentic and brutal, blood is used in matches. The most common way wrestlers do this is by cutting themselves open on purpose, and this is called “blading”.
This is due to wrestlers literally using a small blade to cut open their foreheads, where the skin is thin, to produce a lot of blood. Sometimes, this can go a bit too far, resulting in a “crimson mask”, in which a wrestler’s face is drenched in blood. One of the most recent notable users of blading is AEW’s Jon Moxley, who quite commonly bleeds in matches.
5 Bump
A “bump” is quite a self-explanatory term, as it describes the moments in which wrestlers fall, crash, or get thrown onto the ring mat, onto the floor, or even on tables, ladders, and a whole other bunch of landing spots.
A simple wrestling bump, in which one lands on their back, is one of the very first things taught in wrestling training, as landing on your back properly and bumping correctly is pivotal to a successful wrestling match. Not every bump is simple, as wrestling has seen its fair share of extra crazy or brutal bumps.
4 Babyface
The term “babyface” is a very commonly used term in wrestling, as it refers to the insider name for a good or heroic character. Wrestling, at its core, sees heroes take on villains in stories and matches, and a “face” or “babyface” is someone who is on the good side of things.
The genesis of the word seems to come from the fact that good guys usually appear more appealing and lovable, which was certainly the case several years ago, with villains usually appearing more evil and not as inviting.
3 Heel
A “heel” refers to the other side of the spectrum when it comes to professional wrestling characters, with heels being the bad guys and villains.
Being a heel is often a role which many wrestlers find more comfortable, as it is much easier getting fans to hate you and getting “heat”, which means receiving an impassioned hate from the crowd or others.
2 Botch
The word “botch” is one which has many terrible connotations in professional wrestling. When a wrestler botches, it means they have made a mistake, whether that be performing a move incorrectly, messing up their lines in a promo, or any other form of mishap.
There have been many notable botches over the years, even in the biggest promotions such as WWE, and often these botched matches or moments are remembered just as much as the well-executed moments. One of the most memorable botches of all time came in WCW when The Shockmaster made what was supposed to be a triumphant debut, but would fall over and lose his mask, becoming a huge joke.
1 Rib
Playing a “rib” is simply when a wrestler plays a joke or a prank on another wrestler. Whilst it isn’t as bad nowadays, ribs used to be on the more extreme side at times, with wrestlers taking things too far, with Davey Boy Smith being a notable offender.
However, at times, ribs can result in funny or wholesome moments, much like when many members of the roster tried to get The Undertaker to perform a Spinaroonie in the middle of the ring.