10 Unwritten Rules Of Professional Wrestling
Never EVER headbutt a Samoan!
It's been said many times before, but it bares repeating: professional wrestling is truly unique.
On the one hand, it is pure entertainment, a soap opera where good guys and bad guys take on one another in a fictional universe where good must triumph over evil. On the other hand, it is a sport, where competitors want to compete against the very best on a frequent basis.
All sports have rules, and wrestling is probably the most vocal when it comes to referring to these rules. The bad guys notoriously throw the rulebook out of the window, and more often than not this is entirely accepted. The good guys are expected to play by the rules at all times, something the officials are extremely keen to make sure happens.
Outside of the actual rules, however, there are a number of things that go unsaid in wrestling. Much like in football, where if a player is pretending to be injured the opposition will generally kick the ball out of play so that the beleaguered fellow can gingerly get up and pretend to look anguished.
Wrestling has these too, where something is assumed despite not being an actual rule. The thing is, in wrestling they are more often than not completely dastardly.
Here are 10 of the best.
10. Stopping To Pose Before Hitting A Move Makes It More Painful
Wrestling is entertainment, albeit entertainment through the medium of assumed combat and sport. The show revolves around individuals trying to hit each other with increasing velocity and intensity, until the opponent is no longer able to keep their shoulders off the floor for three seconds.
Wrestling is also pomp and circumstance, and showboating is an integral part. Most wrestlers will have a signature taunt, such as Randy Orton's arms outstretched, Daniel Bryan's infamous Yes! arms to the sky or even Hulk Hogan and his constant flexing and posing.
If you combine these two, well, extra pain is guaranteed to be administered to your opponent. If you stop to taunt before a punch, a kick, or even a chop, your move will be extra painful. Think of it as summoning some kind of intangible force.