Most professional wrestlers are large and strong and usually have some speed but I’m curious if any of their pro wrestling “skills” will translate in any real-world sense to them being able to defend themselves in a grappling or real world “to the floor” type situation?
Is it all just nonsense or could some of their ring skills beyond just being large and strong be helpful in a fight?
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I would expect that they have ability in ‘taking’ punches and absorbing damage (i.e. rolling with the punches), and they’ll at least have decent form for punches and kicks.
Most importantly, they probably won’t freeze or shut down in a fight.
Being familiar with handling the live weight of another human would help a lot in a real fight. Also the training they go through even though not actually fighting would be of at least some benefit.
I think the steroid-fueled monster bodies would give them advantage in self defense more so than anything learned in fake wrestling.
Put me down as another “some benefit” for many of the same reasons already given. In addition, there are times when being able to act scary can help you out in an actual fight. Not so much against someone who gets into street altercations on a somewhat regular basis so much as against the typical street/bar match between equal amateurs. There can be a psychological aspect to a “civilian fight” and an actor knows how to play it.
I would think their reflexes would be good. Even if the punches aren’t real they need to be able to react quickly and properly.
I’ve never been a wrestler. But I have been in a number of real world fights.
Based on my limited knowledge of wrestling, I feel some of the skills are useful in a real world fight. Knowing how to grab your opponent and restrain his movements is a real world fighting skill. And knowing how to use leverage to move your opponent around is another.
My basic fighting style was pretty unsophisticated. I’m not fast but I’m big. A fight that consists of dodging and punching would be to my disadvantage. So I would move in right on top of my opponent and bear hug him. This would prevent my opponent from being able to swing his arms and generally restrict his movements. Then I’d use my size to throw us both around, making my opponent hit the walls and floors with our combined mass.
Most wrestlers are skilled in submission holds. They aren’t using them professionally but wrestling in all forms was one of the conduits for these once arcane skills. Wrestlers will benefit greatly from their training with a concentration on cardio fitness and flexibility.
The great detriment of their sport/entertainment is the injuries they accumulate daily. Many wrestlers are working with injuries that weaken limbs and joints making them susceptible in real fighting situations.
Yes. A lot of pro wrestlers, at least a few decades ago, had catch wrestling knowledge.
I haven’t watched them but there are documentaries about wrestlers and I’ve heard they show that it’s extremely punishing and they get hurt all the time, but they continue the show no matter what gets bloodied, bruised or broken. So, yeah, while they may not be highly trained fighters, they’re big, strong, can take punishment and probably aren’t the least bit afraid to get into a fight. I’d put them in the class of people not to mess with.
If somehow the pro-wrestler and the attacker had time to talk then the typical wrestler’s ability to demoralize an opponent with just words could be very effective. 
I’ve been around since the FDR administration, and there has never been a single moment in my life when I have been called upon to defend myself with any strategy other than walking away.
Here’s wrestler Daivari subduing a belligerent train passenger with a rear naked choke.
My thought is that they’re big and they’re strong and they’re used to taking abuse (under certain conditions), and as a very average superhero I wouldn’t want to tangle with them in an alley. They’d be the scary guy in the bar nobody not stone drunk would screw with.
But up against someone trained in real combat skills - hand to hand and the effective martial arts? I think a Ranger or SEAL would wipe the floor with them. Even a well-trained Marinewith some practical experience (or experienced OG) would probably come out on top.
For all the reality of their strength and skill, it’s exercised in a limited fashion and with the idea that refs and managers are watching. No refs, no seconds, no rules in an alley.
I think that the ability to smack someone in the head with a folding metal chair could at times prove valuable in an actual fight.
Lucky for you. Not everyone is faced with an attacker who is deterred by the sight of someone’s back.
Related, but somewhat tangent question:
How useful is practice in “falling properly” in a real fight? Some NFL teams hire martial artists to demonstrate falling techniques to football players. Of course, real fights and football games are chaotic events, and just-so techniques will typically be discarded once the action starts in earnest. Still, perhaps “falling” practice helps develop the kinesthetic sense enough to make a difference?
My understanding is that “falling” practice is de rigeur for pro wrestlers. While much wrestling action is not what it seems on the surface, falls from height are a genuine part of the show.
Back when I was in high school I was walking home one evening when three people decided to attack me. I didn’t know these people, they didn’t demand any money, they said something to me I didn’t understand and then started kicking and punching me. That was back when I was young and in excellent shape because I was on the wrestling team and I exercised heavily on a daily basis. After a few minutes of tussling I ended up walking away because they were too tuckered out to continue the fight.
Between learning the proper technique & practicing it, it becomes what you do instead of natural instinct. Rolling thru a fall, where each part of your body absorbs some of it is much better than sticking out an arm to break your fall; that’s where injuries occur.
I’ve been in more real world fights than I care to admit to; short answer is it helps a LOT. Especially when you are outnumbered or facing a larger more determined opponent, you are going to hit the ground at some point, if not from a hit then from a fall/trip. Coming up fighting before you even clear the floor matters and to do that you need to know how to hit that floor. Hitting the floor right also lets you come up running – which sometimes is the best plan ever conceived.