10 Wrestling Secrets Hiding In Plain Sight

2. Squeezing

Not The Back
WWE

Shockingly, given his years of exposure and the rancid cannibalisation of the trope, John Cena has only rarely adopted the black and white stripes as Special Guest Referee - which is just as well, because if a performer took a particularly nasty tumble, he would scream "ARE YOU OKAY?!" at the top of his voice instead of the traditional technique used by professionals.

Unless Alex Riley took a back body drop on the back of his head, in which case he'd piss himself laughing.

Thankfully, actual referees are more discrete; whenever a WWE performer absorbs a bump gone awry, the official will place his hand in their grasp, and receive reassurance when that performer squeezes it to signal their safety.

Unlike the near-fall thing, which can remove the viewer too much from the immersive action, this is one wrestling secret many were relieved to discover. The dangerous, modern in-ring style can all too often create a none-too-real strain of anxiety, one that literally breaks the spell of suspension of disbelief because it isn't a spell at all, but rather a near-betrayal of the working spirit of the business.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!