The professional wrestling industry has undergone a lot of changes over the decades. From the days of being a carnival attraction involving strong men, to Joseph Toots Mondts introduction of Slam Bang Western Wrestling in the 1920s, to the phenomenon of sports entertainment seen in WWE today, it is an industry that is constantly evolving. Across the Pacific Ocean, pro wrestling in Japan has also changed over time. What started off as a slight offshoot of sumo wrestling turned into a very strong sport with elements of mixed martial arts and legitimately tough wrestlers. This article will look at the 15 biggest differences between WWE and Japanese pro wrestling, a.k.a. puroresu. It will feature physical differences, such as format of arenas and number of wrestlers in the matches, as well as the differences in psychology and presentation of wrestling as a whole. Of course, pro wrestling is at its core, a very difficult career. It requires considerable toughness on the part of the actual athletes, strong business skills for the promoters, a creative mind to present the wrestlers in the right way, and an ear to what fans want and enjoy. Though some differences are small and subtle and others major, the point is that these differences can quite literally present Japanese wrestling and WWE as two entirely different worlds.
Alexander Podgorski is a writer for WhatCulture that has been a fan of professional wrestling since he was 8 years old. He loves all kinds of wrestling, from WWE and sports entertainment, to puroresu in Japan.
He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Queen's University in Political Studies and French, and a Master's Degree in Public Administration. He speaks English, French, Polish, a bit of German, and knows some odd words and phrases in half a dozen other languages.
