# When did professional wrestling become fake? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 21, 2012, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-professional-wrestling-become-fake/638444 "2012-10-21T19:15:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-professional-wrestling-become-fake/638444/61 "2012-10-23T03:05:21Z")
> [@FrigidLizard](#): > > IIRC, there was a female wrestler who spoke out against McMahon in the 90’s after she was punished for refusing to participate in an evening gown match in which it was scripted that her breasts be “accidentally” exposed. That was the first time I recall hearing a public statement from an insider verifying that wresting was fake. I’m not sure if this predates McMahon’s admission at his trial. > > Sorry for no cite, but the safesearch filter on this computer is making it hard for me to research the topic. It won’t even allow me to display the entry for “Chyna” on Wikipedia.:smack: That may have been Medusa Micelli. ---
**Author:** ![DeafAngelboy23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e5b9ba/32.png) [@DeafAngelboy23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeafAngelboy23)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-professional-wrestling-become-fake/638444/62 "2012-10-23T03:11:27Z")
> [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](#): > > But then he figured that he’d be out of a job, so he never did it. Here, the never-at-a-loss-for-words Jim Cornett relates what happened in one instance, when a hapless jobber decided he was going off script. I’ve broken the link because it does contain foul language: > > [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SODEdfYAQQg](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SODEdfYAQQg) I am curious what Jim Cornette said because I can’t hear so can someone explain what he said? Thanks ---
**Author:** ![StusBlues](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@StusBlues](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StusBlues)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-professional-wrestling-become-fake/638444/63 "2012-10-23T03:28:43Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > The Sheik has a strong amateur background. He even coached. He was a smaller guy then at 180 lbs. > > [The Iron Sheik - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_Sheik) Very true. The Sheik was an excellent technical wrestler. He’s also…well…special. https://www.youtube.com/embed/T5NS66XiMhU?feature=oembed&wmode=opaque [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/ciVOVU1xrHc/hqdefault.jpg "The Iron Sheik Talks About The Ultimate Warrior on Opie & Anthony") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ciVOVU1xrHc) [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/6J2-KqnSXso/hqdefault.jpg "Steve Corino Tells Funny Iron Sheik Story") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6J2-KqnSXso) ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-professional-wrestling-become-fake/638444/64 "2012-10-23T03:32:02Z")
> [@D\_Odds](#): > > That may have been Medusa Micelli. Nitpick: _Madusa_. ---
**Author:** ![StusBlues](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@StusBlues](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StusBlues)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-professional-wrestling-become-fake/638444/65 "2012-10-23T03:34:52Z")
> [@DeafAngelboy23](#): > > I am curious what Jim Cornette said because I can’t hear so can someone explain what he said? Thanks Back in the 80s, Cornette made his name managing a tag team called the Midnight Express. In one of their matches, this jobber (i.e., designated loser) started getting cute with one of Cornette’s wrestlers, kicking him hard in the posterior from a prone position. Cornette’s team responded by stomping the crap out of the jobber. Backstage, Dusty Rhodes (who was effectively scripting the promotion at this point) let the jobbers have it. Let’s just say that Jim Cornette does a rather remarkable impression of Dusty Rhodes. ---
**Author:** ![Pixiesnix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/898d66/32.png) [@Pixiesnix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pixiesnix)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-professional-wrestling-become-fake/638444/66 "2012-10-23T03:59:35Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > Judge for yourself. > [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDCLKAyBDPE&feature=related](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDCLKAyBDPE&feature=related) Yikes. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-professional-wrestling-become-fake/638444/67 "2012-10-23T04:05:03Z")
> [@StusBlues](#): > > Very true. The Sheik was an excellent technical wrestler. He’s also…well…special. And he wore elf shoes too. ---
**Author:** ![Pixiesnix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/898d66/32.png) [@Pixiesnix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pixiesnix)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-professional-wrestling-become-fake/638444/68 "2012-10-23T04:10:09Z")
> [@kirk1168](#): > > In the early '80s I went to a match at the Civic Arena in Pittsburgh (Sgt. Slaughter vs. Iron Sheik top of the card). I guess I was about 14 or so. Bob Backlund was on the undercard vs. some jobber. > As Backlund walked past me to the ring, I yelled, “He’s still the champ!” > Backlund turned around, yelled, “Who said that?”, found me, and put me in a bear hug. > He proceeded to tell me how grateful he was that he had fans like me, he does it all for us kids, yadda yadda; but I believed the guy. He seemed genuinely surprised and pleased that some nobody kid was still a big fan. > I’ll never forget that. Aww, that’s sweet. 🙂 Mick Foley related a story wherein he met Backlund in 1985 and had his picture taken with him. Foley then asked for his autograph. Backlund thought Mick asked if he would sign the picture, at which point he wrote down his address and told Mick to send the photo there. Mick did, and Backlund signed it and sent it back. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-professional-wrestling-become-fake/638444/69 "2012-10-23T13:07:19Z")
Backlund is known as one of the many really nice guys in wrestling. Until his late comeback he had a difficult time playing a heel because he looked so friendly, even too friendly for his babyface character at times. However according to people who know him, if you crossed him, he’d snap you in half. Steve Austin was another really nice guy. He was pretty much Smiling Steve Austin until he found his choices limited by injuries. He had to develop his Stone Cold look to have a chance in modern wrestling, and after demonstrating it in the original ECW Vince grabbed him up. I’m not sure about these days though, a few divorces may have left him in a genuine bad mood. ---
**Author:** ![FordTaurusSHO94](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f07891/32.png) [@FordTaurusSHO94](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FordTaurusSHO94)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-professional-wrestling-become-fake/638444/70 "2012-10-23T13:51:56Z")
Chris Jericho’s book seems to describe Backlund as full of himself, bringing up obscure subjects and using big words and looking down on others who don’t know what he’s talking about. He even mentions Bob having a rule about not signing an autograph unless a kid could name all US presidents in order. Steve Austin developed that character after being fired by Eric Bischoff and Hogan not wanting to have anything to do with him. You can find his ECW stuff on you tube, but the seeds for that were planted when he became jaded and pissed off. ---
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2012, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-professional-wrestling-become-fake/638444/71 "2012-10-23T14:01:51Z")
> [@FordTaurusSHO94](#): > > Chris Jericho’s book seems to describe Backlund as full of himself, bringing up obscure subjects and using big words and looking down on others who don’t know what he’s talking about. He even mentions Bob having a rule about not signing an autograph unless a kid could name all US presidents in order. I hung out at rec.sport.pro-wrestling in the 90s and I read several live event reviews from fans that mentioned this. Backlund was a heel then and part of his schtick was making autograph requestors name all the presidents. Sounds a bit like his character bled over into real life or vice versa. > **[Bob Backlund](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Backlund#Return_to_the_WWF_.281992.E2.80.931997.29)** > > Robert Louis Backlund (born August 14, 1949) is an American retired amateur and professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances in the World Wide Wrestling Federation/World Wrestling Federation from 1976 to 1984 and in the 1990s, where he held the WWWF/WWF Championship on two occasions. His 2,135-day reign is recognized as the second longest in the championship's history.\[a\] Backlund was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2013. > Backlund began his career in amateur wrestling, co... ---
**Author:** ![puddleglum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puddleglum/32/137_2.png) [@puddleglum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puddleglum)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2012, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-professional-wrestling-become-fake/638444/72 "2012-10-24T15:25:40Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > For bonus points, consider what Rocky is saying right before that: the match starts, they’re circling each other in the ring, and our hero breezily says, _“Listen, why don’t we just move around a little bit, y’know, and, like, give 'em a good show: first I’ll chase you, then you’ll chase me, okay? How’s that? All right?”_ > > So (a) they apparently haven’t rehearsed this – or even discussed it – beforehand, and (b) while Rocky _ **thinks** _ they can now amiably choreograph a little pre-arranged play-acting, Thunderlips is about as receptive as Ivan Drago would be. This scene was based on a real life match between Andre the Giant and Chuck Wepner than was on the undercard of the Muhamed Ali Antonio Inoki fight. Chuck Wepner’s fight against Ali was the basis for the first Rocky Movie. In the real match Andre scuffled around for one round and then in the second picked Wepner up and threw him out of the ring, just like in the movie. However, instead of getting back in like Rocky did, Andre’s cornerman, Gorilla Monsoon, ran over to Wepner and kneed him in the side of the head and wouldn’t allow him back in the ring so he was counted out. You could see the whole time that was the plan because the WWF had to protect Andre. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2012, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-professional-wrestling-become-fake/638444/73 "2012-10-24T15:37:09Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Steve Austin was another really nice guy. He was pretty much Smiling Steve Austin until he found his choices limited by injuries. He had to develop his Stone Cold look to have a chance in modern wrestling, and after demonstrating it in the original ECW Vince grabbed him up. I’m not sure about these days though, a few divorces may have left him in a genuine bad mood. Since his divorces were preceded with domestic assaults, I don’t think he was a nice guy at all. Maybe earlier in his career, but certainly not later. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2012, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-professional-wrestling-become-fake/638444/74 "2012-10-24T15:56:07Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > Since his divorces were preceded with domestic assaults, I don’t think he was a nice guy at all. Maybe earlier in his career, but certainly not later. By that point in his career he was reported to been using steroids heavily, drinking heavily, and using the variety of other drugs common to wrestlers at that time. I wouldn’t call his actions then a true reflection of his personality. That isn’t any sort of excuse for the one clear incident of domestic violence though. There are many stories of success and drugs changing wrestlers for the worse. This was just one of many. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2012, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-professional-wrestling-become-fake/638444/75 "2012-10-24T16:23:32Z")
> [@FordTaurusSHO94](#): > > Chris Jericho’s book seems to describe Backlund as full of himself, bringing up obscure subjects and using big words and looking down on others who don’t know what he’s talking about. He even mentions Bob having a rule about not signing an autograph unless a kid could name all US presidents in order. Foley’s second book says Backlund used big words because he was illiterate until late adulthood and used big words from books as sort of “English practice”. ---
**Author:** ![StusBlues](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@StusBlues](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StusBlues)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2012, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-professional-wrestling-become-fake/638444/76 "2012-10-24T18:28:01Z")
> [@puddleglum](#): > > This scene was based on a real life match between Andre the Giant and Chuck Wepner than was on the undercard of the Muhamed Ali Antonio Inoki fight. Chuck Wepner’s fight against Ali was the basis for the first Rocky Movie. In the real match Andre scuffled around for one round and then in the second picked Wepner up and threw him out of the ring, just like in the movie. However, instead of getting back in like Rocky did, Andre’s cornerman, Gorilla Monsoon, ran over to Wepner and kneed him in the side of the head and wouldn’t allow him back in the ring so he was counted out. You could see the whole time that was the plan because the WWF had to protect Andre. Judging from [the match](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3EksOFtILs&feature=related), Andre didn’t need a lot of protection. > [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Foley’s second book says Backlund used big words because he was illiterate until late adulthood and used big words from books as sort of “English practice”. Thanks for mentioning this, RNATB. Bob Backlund got a degree in physical education from North Dakota State before he started wrestling professionally, but has admitted that he was essentially illiterate all the way through. This was in 1972, so most of the responsible folks at that college are probably beyond accountability, but it’s disgusting none the less. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2012, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-professional-wrestling-become-fake/638444/77 "2012-10-24T18:38:09Z")
Well, if you want to yell at people who are still around, there’s always (this isn’t wrestling related) [Creighton](http://openjurist.org/957/f2d/410/ross-v-creighton-university). More info [here](http://sports.espn.go.com/page2/tvlistings/show103transcript.html). ---
**Author:** ![StusBlues](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@StusBlues](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StusBlues)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2012, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-professional-wrestling-become-fake/638444/78 "2012-10-24T18:56:00Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Well, if you want to yell at people who are still around, there’s always (this isn’t wrestling related) [Creighton](http://openjurist.org/957/f2d/410/ross-v-creighton-university). More info [here](http://sports.espn.go.com/page2/tvlistings/show103transcript.html). I live in Omaha. Yes, this is a head-shaker. When I was a TA at Illinois (Urbana-Champaign), one of my fellow instructors was shaking in his boots over having to flunk a starter on the basketball team. I saw the guy’s work; he was ‘F’ material, all right, and it was difficult to imagine him passing anything at a Big Ten university level. He failed the class handily, but never seemed to have any trouble maintaining eligibility. OTOH (back to wrassling), the ring was a summer job for George “The Animal” Steele back in the day. He taught PE and coached football and wrestling at Madison High School in Michigan during the school year. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2012, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-professional-wrestling-become-fake/638444/79 "2012-10-24T20:29:46Z")
> [@StusBlues](#): > > Judging from [the match](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3EksOFtILs&feature=related), Andre didn’t need a lot of protection. It’s easy to see what happened there. Andre was started out going easy on Wepner and stuck to the rules. He had no intention of hurting Wepner until Wepner started rabbit punching him. Wepner’s rabbit punching increased and that was a sign to Andre and the wrestlers at ringside that all bets were off. Even then Andre caught the head butt on his own hand, he could have knocked Wepner out if he hit him skull to skull. Whatever agreement they think they might have had before the match was broken when Wepner started with the rabbit punching. Gorilla Monsoon was doing what all wrestlers do when some decides to ‘shoot’, so he was protecting Andre but only in the sense that he had his back. The countout was a pretty good outcome for Wepner. If he made it back into the ring Andre could have laid some big hurt on him. As for Stallone, it’s just one of the aspects of Chuck Wepner’s life that he cashed in on. Wepner was the inspiration for Rocky, the match against Hogan in Rocky III, and his film Lock Up (or so Wepner claims for the last one). But there’s no doubt the Wepner-Ali fight was the inspiration for the main theme of Rocky. ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2012, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-professional-wrestling-become-fake/638444/80 "2012-10-24T21:01:23Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > They actually tried to make Backlund a heel. It didn’t work. I dunno, it worked for me. Crazy Bob Backlund and his cross-face chicken wing was pretty effective on a young, only a few vigintillions of years old Yog Sothoth. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-professional-wrestling-become-fake/638444.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-professional-wrestling-become-fake/638444.md?page=5)