20 Pro Wrestling Firsts You Need To Know

On June 15th, the very first What Culture Pro Wrestling show will take place in Newcastle, UK.

It quite obviously represents a huge night for everyone involved, and is the start of hopefully many entertaining nights from our sister promotion. The roster has been compiled and impresses with every new addition, and the two shows that will take place this week are sure to excite and intrigue in equal amounts. I for one can't wait.

WCPW may be born on June 15th 2016, but professional wrestling itself has a history that dates way, way, way back. No one can truly pinpoint when it began, but it is generally agreed that today's wacky professional wrestling began to evolve in 19th century Europe.

As such, pro wrestling history is littered with firsts, landmark moments in the evolution of the sport that set off major changes in perception and presentation of what we love and hate today. Some firsts in wrestling are fairly well-known, but others will come as something of a surprise to the reader, wrestling trivia buffs included.

So here are 20 fascinating and vital firsts in professional wrestling. If you think any of these are incorrect, please feel free to mention that in the comments below. But please, be gentle; history is a cruel mistress.

It started as entertainment in 19th century and became a sideshow in the carnivals of North America, but by the 1920s certain influential individuals were already starting to monopolise professional wrestling. One trio in particular managed this better than most, and in doing so formed what is considered the first true professional wrestling promotion.

Ed 'Strangler' Lewis, Billy Sandow and Joseph 'Toots' Mondt were the trio, and it was these three who brought about a significant change in the way pro wrestling was organised and presented. Known as the 'Gold Dust Trio', they originated what was known as Slam-Bang Western-Style Wrestling, which incorporated greco-roman, grappling, boxing, and no small amount of theatre.

It was the first real example of wrestlers being signed to exclusive contracts, wiping out potential competition in the process. They paid their wrestlers well and on-time, and were bringing in the biggest crowds because of the monopoly. They were the first to book wrestling as an ongoing process too, with storylines coming into play instead of one-off showcase bouts.

It was also one of the first examples of booking individuals to 'go over' so to speak, in order to increase interest from crowds that might otherwise grow tired of the same champion all the time. The trio fell apart in 1928 thanks to business issues, but the groundwork was set. Professional wrestling had entered a different era.