10 Bizarre Backstage Rules WWE Forced On Wrestlers

WWE has been around for over seven decades, and while it has seen many people come and go, some traditions have remained intact despite the changes. One such tradition is shaking hands with everyone in the locker room every time and all the time. No matter how many times a wrestler might walk past his colleagues, they have to shake their hands every single time.

WWE.com published an article in 2013 discussing the tradition with personal takes from wrestlers like JBL and current WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. JBL stated that the tradition didn't originate there, but existed much earlier as a secret handshake among wrestlers during the early carnival days of the sport. While it looked like the grip was tight, the wrestlers started giving loose handshakes to let their colleagues know they were one of the boys. The loose shake became obsolete over the years, and a firm handshake emerged as the new norm.

Cody Rhodes added that his father, the late Hall of Famer Dusty Rhodes, taught him the perfect way to shake hands in all situations, which was a firm, look-them-in-the-eye kind of handshake, as it brings the element of respect to the table.

Brock Lesnar had some choice words for the tradition in his autobiography "Death Clutch: My Story of Determination, Domination and Survival." He recalled shaking hands with everybody in the arena but claimed that despite it looking like people were happy to see each other, the handshakes were insincere and phoney.