Perhaps the most famous of all wrestling terms, it feels like the term kayfabe has been around for as long as wrestling itself. Kayfabe is itself a carnival term meaning "keep quiet" or "keep secret." Back in the days when it was uncertain to fans whether or not wrestling was real, the word kayfabe would be uttered by wrestlers when it was time to stay in character and not break any fourth walls. In order to preserve kayfabe, heels and babyfaces would go on separate rides to the events and even have their own locker rooms. A heel and a babyface could never be seen acting friendly to one another because that would be "breaking kayfabe," which was a cardinal sin in the professional wrestling world. If a wrestler was injured during a storyline but perfectly fine in real life, it wasn't uncommon for that wrestler to pretend that he or she was still injured outside the ring in order to keep the fans thinking it was all real. But as the years went on, and the internet and other various social media devices made their way into the mainstream, it got harder and harder to maintain kayfabe. Eventually, it got to a point where breaking kayfabe would occur even while the wrestlers were performing in the ring or were part of a backstage segment. Sometimes their real names would be said, real life events would mix into the written storylines, and tragic moments would force the announcers to admit that while everything else was part of an angle, the tragic moment itself was not planned. Kayfabe has been broken so many times that it's no longer taken as seriously as it used to be taken. It's now considered an unwritten rule that the fans should suspend their disbelief when it comes to the storylines and the actions of the wrestlers. There are plenty of other wrestling terms out there. What other can you help explain to new wrestling fans? Give a reply in the comment section below.
My name is Tom, i'm 27 years old, and I was born and raised in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Ever since High School I have had a passion for writing, and my long term goal is to have a successful career as a writer. I also love having discussions, so feel free to comment or get in contact with me if you agree or disagree with any of my articles.
