Every Wrestling Secret WWE Tries (And Fails) To Hide
7. The Hand Grip
It's awesome that wrestling has in-built mechanisms beyond the obvious to ensure the physical safety of men and women engaging in a pursuit more dangerous than most of us will ever endure. But it's okay to want wrestlers, referees and directors to try and obscure this collaborative dark art.
The escalation of bumps and spots over the decades has made it an even greater requirement, and the gesture is sweetly simple enough to spot if you know what to look for and/or you even want to see it. Somebody - be it opponent or referee, depending on proximity - will move their hand towards the downed wrestler and await a squeeze, if indeed one hasn't already been forthcoming.
The acknowledgement is the secret confirmation that they're not injured (that they can tell) from whatever has just happened, and as long as cameras don't pick it up and live crowds don't care, it passes seamlessly. In truth, it feels like something that's been exposed more in recent years, but perhaps that's down to the aforementioned frequency of spots that require a check.