Mid 20th Century
158-618: The Basham Brothers were a professional wrestling tag team , composed of Doug Basham and Danny Basham . The team is best known for their tenures in World Wrestling Entertainment ( WWE ) and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA). The Basham Brothers initially began working as a team in Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW), where they were known as Doug Basham and Damaja respectively. On February 6, 2002, they defeated Nick Dinsmore and Rob Conway in an Iron Man match to win
316-549: A Falls Count Anywhere match at No Mercy . Subsequently, Guerrero challenged Mysterio to an "I quit" match for the October 20 episode of SmackDown! , which Mysterio lost. During the match, Guerrero injured Mysterio's knee, which was used to write Mysterio out of the storyline for a while to get knee surgery. Mysterio made his in-ring return at SummerSlam on August 26, 2007, defeating Guerrero, after he obsessed over Mysterio's return as well as wanting to injure Mysterio again. On
474-434: A Lucha de Apuestas . In early February 2016, AAA announced that Mysterio had left AAA due to financial issues between Mysterio and AAA. Despite not working directly for AAA, Mysterio Jr. participated in the 2016 Lucha Libre World Cup alongside Dr. Wagner Jr. and Dragon Azteca Jr. , known as "Team Mexico International"; the trio finished in third place. Rey Mysterio has appeared on a number of independent shows, facing
632-557: A Mexican Death match at November to Remember 1995 . Mysterio went on to have a series of matches with ECW newcomer Juventud Guerrera during early 1996. He wrestled his final bout for ECW at Big Ass Extreme Bash in March 1996, defeating Guerrera. Mysterio made his World Championship Wrestling (WCW) debut on June 16, 1996, at The Great American Bash , challenging Dean Malenko for the WCW Cruiserweight Championship in
790-499: A Penalty Box match at Sin on January 14, 2001. At SuperBrawl Revenge on February 18, Mysterio unsuccessfully challenged Chavo Guerrero Jr. for the Cruiserweight Championship. Kidman and Mysterio participated in a cruiserweight tag team tournament for the newly created WCW Cruiserweight Tag Team Championship and advanced to the final round, where they lost to Elix Skipper and Kid Romeo at Greed on March 18. On
948-577: A Triple Threat Elimination match at Survivor Series on November 17. On March 30, 2003, at WrestleMania XIX , he faced the Cruiserweight Champion Matt Hardy for the title, but lost after interference from Shannon Moore . After earning a title shot in May, he defeated Hardy on the June 5 episode of SmackDown! to win the Cruiserweight Championship. After losing the championship to Tajiri on
1106-435: A bona fide athletic contest or competition. Professional wrestling is not a combative sport. Wrestling constituting bona fide athletic contests and competitions, which may be professional or amateur combative sport, shall not be deemed professional wrestling under this Part. Professional wrestling as used in this Part shall not depend on whether the individual wrestlers are paid or have been paid for their performance in
1264-518: A domme while the Bashams took up a BDSM inspired bondage gimmick. In October, they began feuding with The APA (Bradshaw and Ron Simmons ), defeating them in three consecutive matches, including at No Mercy . On the October 23 episode of SmackDown! , The Basham Brothers defeated Los Guerreros (Eddie and Chavo Guerrero ) to win the WWE Tag Team Championship. They retained the title in
1422-505: A ladder match for the custody of Dominik. On the September 9 episode of SmackDown! , Mysterio lost to Guerrero in a steel cage match, ending their feud. On November 13, 2005, Eddie Guerrero was found dead in his hotel room in Minneapolis, Minnesota . That same day, at a WWE "Super Show" where SmackDown! and Raw were both taped, Mysterio gave an emotional speech about Guerrero, and in
1580-415: A performing art evolved from the common practice of match-fixing among American wrestlers in the 19th century, who later sought to make matches shorter, more entertaining, and less physically taxing. As the public gradually realized and accepted that matches were predetermined, wrestlers responded by increasingly adding melodrama, gimmickry, and outlandish stunt work to their performances to further enhance
1738-415: A professional wrestling exhibition. All engagements of professional wrestling shall be referred to as exhibitions, and not as matches. In the industry's slang, a fixed match is referred to as a worked match, derived from the slang word for manipulation, as in "working the crowd". A shoot match is a genuine contest where both wrestlers fight to win and are therefore "straight shooters", which comes from
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#17328699995251896-617: A tournament for the newly created and SmackDown!-exclusive WWE Tag Team Championship . They lost to Kurt Angle and Chris Benoit in the finals of the tournament at No Mercy on October 20; the match was voted Match of the Year by the Wrestling Observer Newsletter . They won the titles when they defeated Angle and Benoit in a two out of three falls match on the November 7 episode of SmackDown! , but lost them to Los Guerreros in
2054-490: A "no contest". On May 21, Mysterio retained his title against JBL at Judgment Day. The feud intensified when JBL lost the United States Championship to Bobby Lashley five days later on SmackDown! after being tricked by Mysterio to take on all comers like Mysterio himself had. JBL vowed that if he did not win his rematch against Mysterio, he would quit SmackDown!. In their main event match, Mysterio retained
2212-488: A 10-man elimination tag team match at Survivor Series on November 24, in which Mysterio's team lost after he was eliminated by sole survivor Roman Reigns . At TLC: Tables, Ladders and Chairs on December 15, Mysterio and Big Show unsuccessfully challenged Cody Rhodes and Goldust for the WWE Tag Team Championship in a fatal four-way match also involving RybAxel ( Ryback and Curtis Axel ) and The Real Americans. At WrestleMania XXX on April 6, 2014, Mysterio competed in
2370-575: A Cell on October 28, as well as O'Neil and Young's team at Survivor Series on November 18. At TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs on December 16, they lost to Rhodes and Damien Sandow in a tables match. On the following episode of SmackDown , Mysterio and Cara were written off television after being attacked by The Shield and Mysterio suffered an injury, dissolving the team. This was done for Mysterio to take time off and Sin Cara underwent knee surgery. In March, Mysterio took another leave of absence due to
2528-413: A background in authentic wrestling no longer mattered. After this time, matches became more outlandish and gimmicky and any semblance professional wrestling had to catch wrestling faded. The personas of the wrestlers likewise grew more outlandish. Gorgeous George , who performed throughout the 1940s and 1950s, was the first wrestler whose entrance into the arena was accompanied by a theme song played over
2686-520: A carny term for a shooting gallery gun whose sights were not deliberately misaligned. Wrestling in the United States blossomed in popularity after the Civil War , with catch wrestling eventually becoming the most popular style. At first, professional wrestlers were genuine competitive fighters, but they struggled to draw audiences because Americans did not find real wrestling to be very entertaining, so
2844-513: A central authority. Nor could any of them stomach the idea of leaving the NWA themselves to compete directly with McMahon, for that would mean their territories would become fair game for the other NWA members. McMahon also had a creative flair for TV that his rivals lacked. For instance, the AWA's TV productions during the 1980s were amateurish, low-budget, and out-of-touch with contemporary culture, which lead to
3002-574: A champion that Curley put forth: Dick Shikat . The National Wrestling Association shut down in 1980. In 1948, a number of promoters from across the country came together to form the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA). The NWA recognized one "world champion", voted on by its members, but allowed member promoters to crown their own local champions in their territories. If a member poached wrestlers from another member, or held matches in another member's territory, they risked being ejected from
3160-442: A degree. Vince Russo, the boss of WCW in 2000, completely disregarded kayfabe by routinely discussing business matters and office politics in public, which alienated fans. I watch championship wrestling from Florida with wrestling commentator Gordon Solie . Is this all "fake"? If so, they deserve an Oscar . Rey Mysterio Óscar Gutiérrez Rubio (born December 11, 1974), better known by his ring name Rey Mysterio ,
3318-404: A distinct vernacular . It has achieved mainstream success and influence within popular culture , with many terms, tropes , and concepts being referenced in everyday language as well as in film , music , television , and video games . Likewise, numerous professional wrestlers have become national or international icons with recognition by the broader public. In the United States, wrestling
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#17328699995253476-547: A fatal four-way Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match for the World Heavyweight Championship, which was won by Edge. His feud with Del Rio culminated on the January 7, 2011, episode of SmackDown in a two out of three falls match, which Del Rio won by countout. On the January 21 episode of SmackDown , Mysterio accidentally broke the nose of Cody Rhodes when he hit him with a 619. WWE used this accident to start
3634-410: A fee, a visitor could challenge the wrestler to a quick match. If the challenger defeated the champion in a short time frame, usually 15 minutes, he won a prize. To encourage challenges, the carnival operators staged rigged matches in which an accomplice posing as a visitor challenged the champion and won, giving the audience the impression that the champion was easy to beat. This practice taught wrestlers
3792-514: A feud and, as part of the storyline, Rhodes began to wear a mask and they wrestled at WrestleMania XXVII on April 3, where Mysterio lost to Rhodes. Mysterio defeated Rhodes on the April 22 episode of SmackDown and at Extreme Rules on May 1 in a Falls Count Anywhere match, ending their feud. In the 2011 WWE Draft , Mysterio was drafted to the Raw brand. Mysterio then reignited his feud with CM Punk, with
3950-493: A feud with the New World Order (nWo), culminating when he lost a Mexican Death match to nWo member Konnan at Road Wild on August 9. Mysterio was then involved in a feud with his real-life friend and Cruiserweight Champion Eddie Guerrero , whom he defeated in a Title vs. Mask match at Halloween Havoc on October 26 to win the Cruiserweight Championship for the second time. On the November 10 episode of Nitro , he lost
4108-621: A five-on-five elimination match. Mysterio then competed in a number one contender's tournament for the Intercontinental Championship , losing to CM Punk in the finals at Armageddon on December 14. At No Way Out on February 15, 2009, Mysterio competed in the Elimination Chamber match for the World Heavyweight Championship, but was the last man eliminated by Edge. At WrestleMania 25 on April 5, Mysterio defeated John "Bradshaw" Layfield (JBL) in 21 seconds to capture
4266-539: A four-on-four elimination tag team match against them. After Master P's departure from WCW, Mysterio formed a stable with Eddie Guerrero and Billy Kidman known as the Filthy Animals, turning heel for the first and only time in his career. The Filthy Animals defeated Dead Pool in six-man tag team matches at Road Wild on August 14 and Fall Brawl on September 12. On the August 19 episode of Thunder , Mysterio lost
4424-579: A knee operation that kept him out of the ring for six months. At Bash at the Beach on July 12, Mysterio returned and defeated Jericho for his fourth Cruiserweight championship. The next night, however, the result was overturned and the belt returned to Jericho due to Dean Malenko interfering. Later that year, Eddie Guerrero formed a Mexican stable known as the Latino World Order (LWO) (a spin off of New World Order ) that included nearly every luchador in
4582-522: A legitimate knee injury, explained in storyline as an attack by Mark Henry. After eight months, Mysterio returned at a WWE live event on October 17, 2013, and returned to television as part of the Spanish commentary team at Hell in a Cell on October 27. On the November 18 episode of Raw , Mysterio saved CM Punk and Daniel Bryan from an attack by The Wyatt Family and The Real Americans ( Jack Swagger and Antonio Cesaro ), which led to Mysterio being part of
4740-405: A legitimate sport. Firstly, wrestling was more entertaining when it was faked, whereas fakery did not make boxing any more entertaining. Secondly, in a rigged boxing match, the designated loser must take a real beating for his "defeat" to be convincing, but wrestling holds can be faked convincingly without inflicting injury. This meant that boxers were less willing to "take dives"; they wanted to have
4898-414: A losing effort. At Millennium Final on November 16, Mysterio and Kidman lost to KroniK , but avenged their loss at Mayhem ten days later against KroniK and Alex Wright in a handicap match. At Starrcade on December 17, The Filthy Animals lost to The Harris Brothers and Jeff Jarrett in a Bunkhouse Brawl . After this, the Filthy Animals starting feuding with Team Canada , to whom they lost in
Basham Brothers - Misplaced Pages Continue
5056-562: A losing effort. At Bash at the Beach on July 7, he defeated Psicosis in a #1 contender's match to earn another opportunity at the Cruiserweight Championship, which he won for the first time by defeating Malenko the next night on WCW Monday Nitro . He successfully defended the title against Ultimate Dragon at Hog Wild on August 10, Malenko at Clash of the Champions XXXIII five days later, and Super Caló at Fall Brawl on September 15. On October 27, at Halloween Havoc , he lost
5214-652: A match against Gus Sonnenberg in January 1929. Bowser then broke away from the trust to form his own cartel, the American Wrestling Association (AWA), in September 1930, and he declared Sonnenberg to be the AWA champion. This AWA should not be confused with Wally Kadbo's AWA founded in 1960. Curley reacted to this move by convincing the National Boxing Association to form the National Wrestling Association , which in turn crowned
5372-421: A match at No Way Out . Over the following weeks, Orton made disparaging remarks about Eddie Guerrero, which many people, including Orton, felt the comments were unwarranted and distasteful in the wake of Guerrero's death. Orton won at No Way Out on February 19, earning Mysterio's title shot for the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 22 . However, General Manager Theodore Long re-added Mysterio to
5530-503: A match billed as " David vs. Goliath " in a SmackDown! special show on November 29, which ended as a "no contest" after interference from Show's tag team partner, Kane. Mysterio continued to feud with Raw's World Tag Team Champions , and found a tag team partner in World Heavyweight Champion Batista. They were booked to face Raw's Kane and Big Show in a tag team match at Armageddon on December 18. Two days before
5688-424: A more literal meaning in those places. A notable example is India's Pro Wrestling League . In numerous American states, professional wrestling is legally defined as a non-sport. For instance, New York defines professional wrestling as: Professional wrestling means an activity in which participants struggle hand-in-hand primarily for the purpose of providing entertainment to spectators and which does not comprise
5846-440: A new city, attendance was high because there was a waiting fanbase cultivated in advance by the cable TV shows. The NWA's traditional anti-competitive tricks were no match for this. The NWA attempted to centralize and create their own national cable television shows to counter McMahon's rogue promotion, but it failed in part because the members of the NWA, ever protective of their territories, could not stomach submitting themselves to
6004-554: A non-title match. In June, the Bashams debuted Shaniqua as their valet , while Shaniqua was their valet on SmackDown! she proved that she was the most dominant diva on the SmackDown! roster by defeating every in ring diva on the SmackDown! brand who went by the names of Dawn Marie , Nidia , and Torrie Wilson other than Stephanie McMahon and Sable of the SmackDown! roster during that time. To further prove this, Shaniqua portrayed
6162-497: A part of the group. Mysterio faced Kidman for the Cruiserweight Championship at Starrcade on December 27, but was unsuccessful in a triangle match also involving Juventud. On January 17, 1999, at Souled Out , Mysterio failed to win the title from Kidman in a four-way match that also included Psicosis and Juventud. After the two factions of nWo reformed, they demanded that the LWO disband. Mysterio refused to take off his LWO colors and
6320-440: A piece of plywood. He was pronounced dead by the doctors later that night. His official cause of death was ruled as cardiac arrest , due to a cervical stroke caused by three fractured vertebrae. On May 24, 2015, Mysterio came together with Myzteziz and El Patrón Alberto to form the "Dream Team" for AAA's Lucha Libre World Cup . The trio eventually won the tournament, defeating Johnny Mundo , Matt Hardy and Mr. Anderson in
6478-503: A promotional tour. Later that month, Mysterio returned and was revealed as Batista 's partner in a match against Jeri-Show (Chris Jericho and Big Show) for the Unified WWE Tag Team Championship at Hell in a Cell on October 4, which they lost. At Bragging Rights on October 25, they participated in a Fatal 4 Way match for the World Heavyweight Championship. During the match, Mysterio prevented Batista of winning
Basham Brothers - Misplaced Pages Continue
6636-551: A rematch at Survivor Series , and successfully defended the championship in a four-way match against Los Guerreros, Rikishi and Scotty 2 Hotty , and World's Greatest Tag Team ( Charlie Haas and Shelton Benjamin ) in December. On the February 5, 2004 episode of SmackDown! , The Bashams lost the title to Rikishi and Scotty 2 Hotty. At No Way Out , the Bashams and Shaniqua lost a handicap match to Rikishi and Scotty 2 Hotty, and Shaniqua
6794-664: A show of respect, removed his mask (though he put his head down, so his face could not be seen). Mysterio went on to defeat Shawn Michaels in an interbrand match later that night. After the match, Michaels and Mysterio hugged in the ring and Mysterio pointed up to the sky, crying, in memory of Guerrero. Mysterio participated in the main event of Survivor Series on November 27, as part of Team SmackDown! along with Randy Orton , Bobby Lashley , Batista , and John "Bradshaw" Layfield (JBL), defeating Team Raw ( Shawn Michaels , Kane , Big Show , Carlito , and Chris Masters ). Mysterio faced Big Show, who he eliminated at Survivor Series, in
6952-401: A tag match: Misterio Sr. and Mysterio Jr. faced Guerrera and his father Fuerza Guerrera . Mysterio signed with Paul Heyman 's Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) in 1995. He debuted on September 16, 1995, at Gangstas Paradise , defeating Psicosis , who was also making his ECW debut. A feud between the two began, which included a two out of three falls match at South Philly Jam and
7110-497: A typical American household only received four national channels by antenna, and ten to twelve local channels via UHF broadcasting . But cable television could carry a much larger selection of channels and therefore had room for niche interests. The WWF started with a show called All-American Wrestling airing on the USA Network in September 1983. McMahon's TV shows made his wrestlers national celebrities, so when he held matches in
7268-575: A victory for all the pain to which they subjected themselves. In the 1910s, promotional cartels for professional wrestling emerged in the East Coast (outside its traditional heartland in the Midwest ). These promoters sought to make long-term plans with their wrestlers, and to ensure their more charismatic and crowd-pleasing wrestlers received championships, further entrenching the desire for worked matches. The primary rationale for shoot matches at this point
7426-564: A video message at AAA's Triplemanía XXII and also visited Lucha Underground . On February 26, 2015, WWE officially announced that Mysterio's WWE contract had expired, ending his nearly 13-year tenure with the company. Five days after being released from WWE, it was announced that Mysterio had agreed to work for Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide. He made his in-ring return as part of AAA's 2015 pay-per-view Rey de Reyes ("King of Kings") on March 18, where he and Myzteziz (formerly Sin Cara in WWE) defeated
7584-436: Is a form of athletic theater that combines mock combat with drama , with the premise that the performers are competitive wrestlers. Professional wrestling is distinguished by its scripted outcomes and emphasis on entertainment and showmanship . The staged nature of matches is an open secret , with both wrestlers and spectators nonetheless maintaining the pretense that performances are bona fide competitions, which
7742-410: Is a true sport. Wrestlers would at all times flatly deny allegations that they fixed their matches, and they often remained in-character in public even when not performing. When in public, wrestlers would sometimes say the word kayfabe to each other as a coded signal that there were fans present and they needed to be in character. Professional wrestlers in the past strongly believed that if they admitted
7900-497: Is an American professional wrestler . He is signed to WWE , where he performs on the Raw brand . Widely regarded as one of the greatest cruiserweight wrestlers of all time, Mysterio is an inductee of the AAA Hall of Fame , Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame , and WWE Hall of Fame . The nephew of Rey Misterio , Mysterio began wrestling on the independent circuit in 1989 at
8058-427: Is generally practiced in an amateur context. No professional league for competitive wrestling exists due to a lack of popularity. For example, Real Pro Wrestling , an American professional freestyle wrestling league, dissolved in 2007 after just two seasons. In other countries, such as Iran and India , wrestling enjoys widespread popularity as a genuine sport, and the phrase "professional wrestling" therefore has
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#17328699995258216-470: Is likened to the suspension of disbelief employed when engaging with fiction . Professional wrestlers perform as characters and usually maintain a " gimmick " consisting of a specific persona , stage name , entrance theme , and other distinguishing traits. Matches are the primary vehicle for advancing storylines, which typically center on interpersonal conflicts, or feuds , between heroic " faces " and villainous " heels ". A wrestling ring , akin to
8374-543: The Los Perros del Mal team of El Hijo del Perro Aguayo and Pentagón Jr. , with Mysterio scoring the winning pin. On March 20, during another tag team match, a dropkick from Mysterio resulted in Perro Aguayo Jr.'s death in the ring. Mysterio delivered the dropkick to Perro's back, causing him to fall to the second rope, setting him up for Mysterio's signature "619" wrestling move, which involves Mysterio running towards
8532-558: The Lucha Libre high flying style that has been his trademark. He had ring names such as "La Lagartija Verde (The Green Lizard)" and "Colibrí (Hummingbird)" before his uncle gave him the name of Rey Misterio Jr. In 1991, while wrestling in Mexico as Colibrí, Mysterio was named "Most Improved Wrestler". In Asistencia Asesoría y Administración (AAA), Mysterio feuded with Juventud Guerrera . Mysterio's uncle Misterio Sr. also took on Guerrera in
8690-558: The 2006 Royal Rumble . Mysterio departed WWE in 2015, going on to appear in promotions including New Japan Pro-Wrestling , Lucha Underground , and Asistencia Asesoría y Administración. He returned to WWE in 2018, where he was joined by his son Dominik . Óscar Gutiérrez was born on December 11, 1974, in Chula Vista, California , a suburb of San Diego . His parents are Mexican nationals Maria del Rosario and Roberto Gutierrez (1948–2024), both from very poor, uneducated backgrounds; Maria
8848-567: The André the Giant Memorial Battle Royal , but was eliminated by Cesaro . On the April 7 episode of Raw , Mysterio made an appearance and lost to a returning Bad News Barrett . He subsequently decided to take time off to heal a wrist injury. During his hiatus, it was reported that Mysterio wanted to leave WWE, but the promotion had extended his contract without his approval. He did not return to WWE programming, and instead appeared in
9006-609: The New Jersey State Athletic Control Board that professional wrestling is not a real sport because its matches have predetermined outcomes. Shortly thereafter, New Jersey deregulated professional wrestling. The WWF then rebranded itself as a " sports entertainment " company. In the early years of the 20th century, the style of wrestling used in professional wrestling matches was catch wrestling . Promoters wanted their matches to look realistic and so preferred to recruit wrestlers with real grappling skills. In
9164-547: The OVW Southern Tag Team Championship . Following a 99-day reign, they lost the championship to Dinsmore and Conway on May 17. In August, they reached the final of the Russ Haas Memorial Cup, but lost to Nova and RC Haas . They spent the remainder of the year and early 2003 feuding with one another, until reuniting in March to take on Bradshaw and Dinsmore. In mid-2003, they were promoted to
9322-668: The WCW Cruiserweight Championship five times; the WCW World Tag Team Championship three times; and the WCW Cruiserweight Tag Team Championship once. He lost his mask in a Lucha de Apuestas against Kevin Nash , working unmasked until 2002. Following the closure of WCW in 2001, Mysterio wrestled for promotions including Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre , the World Wrestling Council , and
9480-513: The WCW World Tag Team Championship , making Mysterio a double champion. Mysterio successfully defended his Cruiserweight Championship against his tag team partner Kidman at Spring Stampede on April 11 before losing the title on the April 19 episode of Nitro to Psicosis in a fatal four-way match that also involved Juventud Guerrera and Blitzkrieg . On the following episode of Nitro , he defeated Psicosis to win his fifth Cruiserweight Championship. At Slamboree on May 9, Mysterio and Kidman lost
9638-865: The X Wrestling Federation before joining World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) in 2002, where he resumed wearing a mask. He stayed with WWE until 2015, winning the World Heavyweight Championship twice; the WWE Championship once; the WWE Cruiserweight Championship three times; the WWE Intercontinental Championship twice; the WWE United States Championship three times, and the WWE Tag Team Championship four times, as well as winning
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#17328699995259796-543: The independent circuit , to internationally broadcast events at major arenas. The largest and most influential promotions are in the United States , Mexico , Japan , and northwest Europe (the United Kingdom , Germany/Austria and France ), which have each developed distinct styles, traditions, and subgenres within professional wrestling. Professional wrestling has developed its own culture and community , including
9954-503: The namesake event on February 21, Mysterio eliminated Punk. Mysterio continued to feud with Punk and had a match at WrestleMania XXVI on March 28 with the stipulation that if Mysterio were to lose at WrestleMania, he would be forced to join the SES. After Mysterio defeated Punk at WrestleMania, they faced again at Extreme Rules on April 25, with Mysterio losing to Punk in a match where Punk should have had his head shaved if he lost. At Over
10112-431: The spectacle . By at least the early 20th century, professional wrestling had diverged from the competitive sport to become an artform and genre of sports entertainment . Professional wrestling is performed around the world through various " promotions ", which are roughly analogous to production companies or sports leagues . Promotions vary considerably in size, scope, and creative approach, ranging from local shows on
10270-577: The 1920s, a group of wrestlers and promoters known as the Gold Dust Trio introduced moves which have since become staples of the mock combat of professional wrestling, such as body slams, suplexes , punches, finishing moves, and out-of-ring count-outs. By the early 1930s, most wrestlers had adopted personas to generate public interest. These personas could broadly be characterized as either faces (likeable) or heels (villainous). Native Americans, cowboys, and English aristocrats were staple characters in
10428-400: The 1930s and 1940s. Before the age of television, some wrestlers played different personas depending on the region they were performing in. This eventually came to an end in the age of national television wrestling shows, which forced wrestlers to stick to one persona. Wrestlers also often used some sort of gimmick, such as a finishing move, eccentric mannerisms, or out-of-control behavior (in
10586-506: The 1990s, WCW became a credible rival to the WWF, but by end it suffered from a series of creative missteps that led to its failure and purchase by the WWF. One of its mistakes was that it diminished the glamor of its World Heavyweight Championship . Between January 2000 and March 2001, the title changed hands eighteen times, which sapped fan enthusiasm, particularly for the climactic pay-per-view matches. In professional wrestling, two factors decide
10744-641: The Atlantic Athletic Corporation (AAC). The AAC shut down in 1960. In 1958, Omaha promoter and NWA member Joe Dusek recognized Verne Gagne as the world champion without the approval of the NWA. Gagne asked for a match against the recognized NWA champion Pat O'Connor. The NWA refused to honor the request, so Gagne and Minneapolis promoter Wally Karbo established the American Wrestling Association in 1960. This AWA should not be confused with Paul Bowser's AWA, which ceased operations just two months prior. Gagne's AWA operated out of Minnesota . Unlike
10902-465: The August 20 episode of SmackDown , Mysterio lost to Del Rio by submission. They both participated at Bragging Rights on October 24 as part of the victorious Team SmackDown, but during the match, Del Rio attacked Mysterio. At Survivor Series on November 21, Mysterio and Del Rio led two opposing teams as part of the traditional Survivor Series match, where Team Mysterio won. They also participated at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs on December 19 in
11060-451: The August 31 episode of SmackDown! , Mysterio defeated Batista and Finlay in a "Championship Competition" to become the number one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship at Unforgiven , held by The Great Khali . On the following episode of SmackDown! , Mysterio defeated Guerrero in an "I Quit" match after hitting Guerrero's knee with a steel chair repeatedly in a similar manner to which Mysterio had been put out of action, ending
11218-527: The Basham Brothers at No Way Out . In a departure from traditional booking , Mysterio and Guerrero did not defend their titles at WrestleMania 21 on April 3, but instead had a match against each other, which Mysterio won. On the April 21 episode of SmackDown! , Mysterio and Guerrero lost the WWE Tag Team Championship to MNM ( Joey Mercury and Johnny Nitro ). The following week, Guerrero abandoned Mysterio, whom he had considered "his family" earlier in
11376-597: The Filthy Animals lost the titles back to Harlem Heat. Mysterio returned in early 2000 and remained a steady performer, eventually joining the New Blood faction, opposing the Millionaire's Club . On the August 14 episode of Nitro , Mysterio and Juventud defeated The Great Muta and Vampiro to win the World Tag Team Championship. They were stripped of the title after Ernest Miller pinned Disco Inferno with
11534-613: The Intercontinental Championship. His win made Mysterio the twenty-first Triple Crown Champion in WWE history. Mysterio was drafted back to the SmackDown brand during the 2009 WWE Draft on the April 13 episode of Raw , making the Intercontinental Championship exclusive to SmackDown for the first time since August 2002. He then entered into an extensive feud with Chris Jericho , retaining his title against him at Judgment Day on May 17. At Extreme Rules on June 7, Mysterio lost
11692-823: The JCW Tag Team Titles to Necro Butcher and Mad Man Pondo on August 11. Their last match together was on April 26, 2008, as they defeated Adam Rich and Shorty Biggs at JCW Slam TV Tour in Sauget, Illinois. Later that year Danny retired from professional wrestling. Doug continued to wrestle in England and Ireland until retiring from wrestling in 2009. Both of The Bashams appeared in video games WWE Day of Reckoning and WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 . Professional wrestling 1970s and 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s and 2020s Professional wrestling (often referred to as pro wrestling , or simply, wrestling )
11850-520: The January 15, 2010 episode of SmackDown , they faced off again in a number one contender's steel cage match, where Mysterio won. However, Mysterio lost the title match to The Undertaker at the Royal Rumble on January 31. In February, Mysterio began a feud with Punk that also involved Punk's Straight Edge Society . During the Elimination Chamber match for the World Heavyweight Championship at
12008-548: The Limit on May 23, Mysterio faced CM Punk again with both previous stipulations in place (Mysterio's allegiance to the SES and Punk's hair); Mysterio defeated Punk, resulting in Punk's head being shaved. At Fatal 4-Way on June 20, Mysterio defeated Jack Swagger , Big Show, and CM Punk to win the World Heavyweight Championship for the second time. On July 18, at Money in the Bank , he retained
12166-689: The March 22 episode of Nitro , Mysterio got his first shot at the WCW World Heavyweight Championship against champion Ric Flair when the names of (allegedly) nearly everyone in the company were put into a hat and a lottery was held. El Dandy was the lottery winner, but he was injured, and Mysterio took the shot instead. The match ended with a disqualification win for Flair, even though Arn Anderson 's interference on Flair's behalf should have theoretically disqualified Flair. The following week, Mysterio and Kidman defeated Flair's Four Horsemen stablemates Chris Benoit and Dean Malenko to win
12324-577: The May 10, 2007, episode of Impact! ; known as "Basham" (Doug) and "Damaja" (Danny) attacked the Voodoo Kin Mafia on behalf of Christy Hemme . At Sacrifice , they attacked B.G. James prior to their tag team match, turning it into a handicap match; they went on to defeat Kip James . On May 24, on Impact! , Basham and Damaja defeated Kip James and Lance Hoyt (who was replacing B.G. James). At Slammiversary , Basham and Damaja lost to B.G. and Kip James, but afterward were joined by Hoyt, who turned on
12482-408: The NWA, at which point his territory became fair game for everyone. The NWA would blacklist wrestlers who worked for independent promoters or who publicly criticized an NWA promoter or who did not throw a match on command. If an independent promoter tried to establish himself in a certain area, the NWA would send their star performers to perform for the local NWA promoter to draw the customers away from
12640-477: The NWA, which only allowed faces to be champions, Gagne occasionally allowed heels to win the AWA championship so that they could serve as foils for him. In August 1983, the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), a promotion in the north-east , withdrew from the NWA. Vince K. McMahon then took over as its boss. No longer bound by the territorial pact of the NWA, McMahon began expanding his promotion into
12798-634: The Raw brand. Doug went on a singles career going on to appear on WWE Velocity . The Basham Brothers reunited in ECW brand during July 2006 at several house shows before becoming on-screen unnamed masked "Security Enforcers" for ECW leader Paul Heyman . However, when Danny was injured with a torn biceps, he was later replaced by Derek Neikirk, who continued Danny's role as the second masked enforcer. On January 18, 2007, both were released by WWE. The two debuted in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling on
12956-608: The Secretaries of Defense. In January 2005, they won a four-way match to win the WWE Tag Team Championship, defeating Rey Mysterio and Rob Van Dam , Eddie Guerrero and Booker T , and Mark Jindrak and Luther Reigns . A month later, at the No Way Out pay-per-view, they lost the titles to Rey Mysterio and Eddie Guerrero, and failed to regain the championship in a rematch on SmackDown! on February 24. In June, they quit The Cabinet. Danny would wrestle in house shows and dark matches for
13114-407: The September 25 episode of SmackDown! , he regained it from Tajiri on the January 1 episode of SmackDown! . At the Royal Rumble on January 25, 2004, Mysterio successfully defended the title against Jamie Noble . He lost the title to Chavo Guerrero at No Way Out on February 15. At WrestleMania XX on March 14, Mysterio took part in a Cruiserweight Open for the title, where Guerrero retained
13272-896: The United States. Upon his return to the US, he worked in IWA Mid-South , the Xcitement Wrestling Federation and the Heartland Wrestling Association , with the likes of Eddie Guerrero and CM Punk . Mysterio traveled to Puerto Rico for the World Wrestling Council and defeated Eddie Colon for the WWC World Junior Heavyweight Championship on January 6, 2002, holding the belt until losing it back to Colon on April 6. In June 2002, Mysterio signed with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), and promos that hyped his debut began airing. The "Jr."
13430-737: The Voodoo Kin Mafia. At Victory Road , Basham and Damaja were defeated by Voodoo Kin Mafia, and they then left the company. They would participate in the Chris Candido Cup 2007 tournament in IWA Mid-South defeating Silas Young and Dysfunction on May 25, and Axl Rotten and Mickie Knuckles on May 26 before losing to Thomaselli Brothers in the semi-finals that same night. That same year they appeared in Juggalo Championship Wrestling losing in an eight-team elimination match for
13588-410: The WWE Tag Team Championship. The following week, Mysterio and Batista lost their rematch for the titles in a steel cage match after interference by Henry. On January 29, 2006, Mysterio was the second entrant in the Royal Rumble match, setting a record by lasting 62 minutes, winning the match, and earning a world title shot by last eliminating Orton. Orton urged him to put the title shot at stake in
13746-420: The World Heavyweight Championship scramble match, which was won by Chris Jericho . Mysterio put his mask on the line in a match at No Mercy on October 5, which he won by disqualification after Kane attacked him with a steel chair . He defeated Kane again at Cyber Sunday on October 26, this time in a No Holds Barred match, and again at Survivor Series on November 23, when the pair were on opposing sides in
13904-494: The World Heavyweight Championship, causing JBL to leave SmackDown!, until ECW One Night Stand on June 11, when he announced his return as a color commentator . Mysterio was booked to defend against ECW wrestler Sabu at ECW One Night Stand. In the weeks leading up to his title defense, Mysterio defeated Cruiserweight Champion Gregory Helms in a Champion vs. Champion match, and lost to Rob Van Dam at WWE vs. ECW Head-to-Head on June 7. At ECW One Night Stand, Mysterio retained
14062-457: The World Tag Team titles to Raven and Perry Saturn in a triangle match, also involving former champions Benoit and Malenko. In mid-1999, Mysterio and Konnan joined Master P 's No Limit Soldiers and feuded with The West Texas Rednecks . At The Great American Bash on June 13, they defeated Rednecks members Curt Hennig and Bobby Duncum Jr. , and at Bash at the Beach on July 11, won
14220-454: The WrestleMania title match, making it a triple threat match between Orton, Mysterio, and then-champion, Kurt Angle . At WrestleMania on April 2, Mysterio pinned Orton to become the new World Heavyweight Champion. On the following episode of SmackDown! , Mysterio – billed as an " underdog champion", made his first successful World Heavyweight title defense against Orton. Mysterio retained
14378-478: The age of 14 before signing with Asistencia Asesoría y Administración in 1992. After brief stints with Extreme Championship Wrestling , the World Wrestling Association , and Wrestle Association R , Mysterio signed with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) in 1996. In WCW, Mysterio helped popularize lucha libre in the United States, which led to the rise of cruiserweight wrestling divisions, winning
14536-401: The arena's loudspeakers, his being Pomp and Circumstance . He also wore a costume: a robe and hairnet, which he removed after getting in the ring. He also had a pre-match ritual where his "butler" would spray the ring with perfume. In the 1980s, Vince McMahon made entrance songs, costumes, and rituals standard for his star wrestlers. For instance, McMahon's top star Hulk Hogan would delight
14694-418: The art of staging rigged matches and fostered a mentality that spectators were marks to be duped. The term kayfabe comes from carny slang. By the turn of the 20th century, most professional wrestling matches were "worked" and some journalists exposed the practice: American wrestlers are notorious for the amount of faking they do. It is because of this fact that suspicion attaches to so many bouts that
14852-550: The audience by tearing his shirt off before each match. The first major promoter cartel emerged on the East Coast, although up to that point, wrestling's heartland had been in the Midwest. Notable members of this cartel included Jack Curley , Lou Daro, Paul Bowser and Tom and Tony Packs. The promoters colluded to solve a number of problems that hurt their profits. Firstly, they could force their wrestlers to perform for less money. As
15010-424: The cartel grew, there were fewer independent promoters where independent wrestlers could find work, and many were forced to sign a contract with the cartel to receive steady work. The contracts forbade them from performing at independent venues. A wrestler who refused to play by the cartel's rules was barred from performing at its venues. A second goal of the wrestling cartels was to establish an authority to decide who
15168-418: The case of heels). The matches could also be gimmicky sometimes, with wrestlers fighting in mud and piles of tomatoes and so forth. The most successful and enduring gimmick to emerge from the 1930s were tag-team matches. Promoters noticed that matches slowed down as the wrestlers in the ring tired, so they gave them partners to relieve them. It also gave heels another way to misbehave by double-teaming. Towards
15326-423: The character in shows must be considered fictional, wholly separate from the life of the performer. This is similar to other entertainers who perform with a persona that shares their own name. Some wrestlers also incorporate elements of their real-life personalities into their characters, even if they and their in-ring persona have different names. Kayfabe is the practice of pretending that professional wrestling
15484-461: The commission. The Commission did on very rare occasions hand out such authorizations, such as for a championship match between Jim Londos and Jim Browning in June 1934. This decree did not apply to amateur wrestling, which the commission had no authority over. Wrestling fans widely suspected that professional wrestling was fake, but they did not care as long as it entertained. In 1933, a wrestling promoter named Jack Pfefer started talking about
15642-531: The company's Talent Wellness Program policy and that his suspension would expire on June 25. After his return in July, Mysterio faced The Miz for the Intercontinental Championship at SummerSlam on August 19 and in a fatal-four way match at Night of Champions on September 16, but lost both times. In September, he was paired with Sin Cara as a tag team. They entered into a feud with The Prime Time Players ( Titus O'Neil and Darren Young ), defeating them at Hell in
15800-449: The company's Wellness Policy. Before the suspension, he lost the title on the September 1 (aired September 4) episode of SmackDown against John Morrison . In an interview with Mexican newspaper Record , Mysterio stated that he was suspended for a drug he was using for his knee and arm. Mysterio stated that he had a prescription for the drug, but was unable to produce it in time to prevent his suspension due to being on vacation and doing
15958-453: The cruiserweight title to Lenny Lane . On the October 18 episode of Nitro , Mysterio and Konnan defeated Harlem Heat to win the World Tag Team Championship, however, Mysterio was injured during the match and was sidelined. Kidman substituted for Mysterio and teamed with Konnan during their title defense against Harlem Heat and the First Family at Halloween Havoc six days later, where
16116-540: The current fashion of wrestling is the universal discussion as to the honesty of the matches. And certainly the most interesting phrase of this discussion is the unanimous agreement: "Who cares if they're fixed or not—the show is good." Newspapers tended to shun professional wrestling, as journalists saw its theatrical pretense to being a legitimate sport as untruthful. Eventually promoters resorted to publishing their own magazines in order to get press coverage and communicate with fans. The first professional wrestling magazine
16274-405: The end of the 1930s, faced with declining revenues, promoters chose to focus on grooming charismatic wrestlers with no regard for their skill because it was charisma that drew the crowds, and wrestlers who were both skilled at grappling and charismatic were hard to come by. Since most of the public by this time knew and accepted that professional wrestling was fake, realism was no longer paramount and
16432-414: The event, Batista and Mysterio defeated MNM on SmackDown! to win the WWE Tag Team Championship in a match they both dedicated to Guerrero. Mysterio and Batista's match with Big Show and Kane was then billed as "Champions vs. Champions," which they lost. On the December 30 episode of SmackDown! , MNM invoked their rematch clause, defeating Batista and Mysterio after interference from Mark Henry to regain
16590-597: The facade of kayfabe as best as they could. In 1989, Vince McMahon testified before the New Jersey government that professional wrestling was not a true sport and therefore should be exempted from sports-related taxes. Many wrestlers and fans resented McMahon for this, but Lou Thesz accepted it as the smart move as it gave the industry more freedom to do as it pleased, and because by that point professional wrestling no longer attempted to appear real. The demise of WCW in 2001 provided some evidence that kayfabe still mattered to
16748-470: The fans understand that I was in a position where I had no option. I either had to lose my mask or lose my job. Following SuperBrawl, Mysterio became a "giant killer" by defeating large opponents such as Kevin Nash, Bam Bam Bigelow , and Scott Norton . At Uncensored on March 14, he lost to Nash after interference from Lex Luger . The next night, on the March 15 episode of Nitro , he defeated Billy Kidman to win his fourth Cruiserweight Championship. On
16906-417: The feud. After the match, Batista saved Mysterio from an attack by Khali, making the match at Unforgiven a triple threat match. At the event on September 16, Mysterio failed to win the title, which was won by Batista. Mysterio then began a feud with Finlay, an opponent chosen by JBL. The rivalry was marked as "Fight vs. Flight", contrasting the fighting styles of both wrestlers – Finlay's physicality, versus
17064-632: The final episode of Nitro on March 26, they defeated Skipper and Romeo in a rematch to win the Cruiserweight Tag Team Titles before WCW was sold to the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). After WCW closed down, Mysterio started wrestling independently in Mexico. He made his first ever Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre appearance, debuting in an eight-man tag team match. Mysterio wrestled a total of 10 matches in CMLL before returning to
17222-441: The finals with Mysterio pinning Mundo for the win. For Triplemanía XXIII , AAA's biggest show of the year, a "dream match" between Mysterio and Myzteziz took place. Both wrestlers teamed during their time in WWE and AAA but had never competed against each other. Mysterio was victorious, forcing Myzteziz to submit to a Fujiwara armbar . After the match, Myzteziz turned rudo and sprayed mist at Mysterio's face, challenging him to
17380-470: The first place. "Double-crosses", where a wrestler agreed to lose a match but nevertheless fought to win, remained a problem in the early cartel days. At times a promoter would even award a victorious double-crosser the title of champion to preserve the facade of sport. But promoters punished such wrestlers by blacklisting them, making it quite challenging to find work. Double-crossers could also be sued for breach of contract, such as Dick Shikat in 1936. In
17538-610: The game is not popular here. Nine out of ten bouts, it has been said, are pre-arranged affairs, and it would be no surprise if the ratio of fixed matches to honest ones was really so high. The wrestler Lou Thesz recalled that between 1915 and 1920, a series of exposés in the newspapers about the integrity of professional wrestling alienated a lot of fans, sending the industry "into a tailspin". But rather than perform more shoot matches, professional wrestlers instead committed themselves wholesale to fakery. Several reasons explain why professional wrestling became fake whereas boxing endured as
17696-455: The government. They pledged to stop allocating exclusive territories to its promoters, to stop blacklisting wrestlers who worked for outsider promoters, and to admit any promoter into the Alliance. The NWA would flout many of these promises, but its power was nonetheless weakened by the lawsuit. Paul Bowser's AWA joined the NWA in 1949. The AWA withdrew from the Alliance in 1957 and renamed itself
17854-410: The high-flying Mysterio. After fighting to a "no contest" at No Mercy on October 7, followed by a double-disqualification in a number one contender's match for Batista's World Heavyweight Championship on the next SmackDown! , he defeated Finlay in a Stretcher match at Cyber Sunday on October 28. During this feud, he lost a match to Finlay on the November 9 episode of SmackDown! and was part of
18012-513: The independent. By 1956, the NWA controlled 38 promotions within the United States, with more in Canada, Mexico, Australia and New Zealand. The NWA's monopolistic practices became so stifling that the independents appealed to the government for help. In October 1956 the US Attorney General's office filed an antitrust lawsuit against the NWA in an Iowa federal district court. The NWA settled with
18170-471: The industry was anything but a competitive sport. The first wrestling promoter to publicly admit to routinely fixing matches was Jack Pfefer . In 1933, he started talking about the industry's inner workings to the New York Daily Mirror , resulting in a huge exposé. The exposé neither surprised nor alienated most wrestling fans, although some promoters like Jack Curley were furious and tried to restore
18328-487: The industry's inner workings to the New York Daily Mirror , maintaining no pretense that wrestling was real and passing on planned results just before the matches took place. While fans were neither surprised nor alienated, traditionalists like Jack Curley were furious, and most promoters tried to maintain the facade of kayfabe as best they could. Not the least interesting of all the minor phenomena produced by
18486-624: The likes of Alberto El Patron in Qatar Pro Wrestling, Amazing Red in House of Glory, AJ Styles at a 5 Star Wrestling show in the UK, and Ricochet in Xtreme Wrestling Alliance (XWA). Mysterio faced fellow WWE alumnus Kurt Angle on March 20, 2016, for the upstart URFight promotion, defeating Angle in a two-falls match with assistance from rapper Riff Raff . On April 30, 2017, at
18644-478: The main World Wrestling Entertainment ( WWE ) roster, when Damaja was renamed Danny Basham, and the duo were billed as brothers despite having no actual real life biological relation The Basham Brothers debuted on the May 29 episode of SmackDown! , defeating Spanky and Rikishi . The following week, they unsuccessfully challenged the WWE Tag Team Champions Eddie Guerrero and Tajiri in
18802-408: The mask meant to me, to my fans and to my family. It was a very bad move on their behalf. The fans wanted Rey Mysterio with the mask and losing it hurt me a lot. It was also frustrating that it didn't come as the climax to a feud with another masked wrestler, but in a throwaway match. The same thing happened to Juventud and Psicosis and psychologically wise it was a bad move by Eric Bischoff . I think
18960-483: The match and turned on Mysterio, hitting him with a steel chair. Guerrero would also cost Mysterio his rematch the following week. At SummerSlam on August 20, Mysterio lost to Guerrero after Vickie Guerrero tried to stop both men from fighting, but accidentally knocked Mysterio off the top turnbuckle. Vickie then turned on Mysterio by hitting him in the back with a steel chair and gave him an injury, thus, siding with Guerrero. On October 8, Mysterio defeated Guerrero in
19118-498: The members of wrestling cartels as the champion drew big crowds wherever he performed, and this would occasionally lead to schisms. By 1925, this cartel had divided the country up into territories which were the exclusive domains of specific promoters. This system of territories endured until Vince McMahon drove the fragmented cartels out of the market in the 1980s. This cartel fractured in 1929 after one of its members, Paul Bowser , bribed Ed "Strangler" Lewis to lose his championship in
19276-448: The midst of their feud, Mysterio faced and defeated long-time rival Psicosis for the first time in nearly five years at ECW One Night Stand . Guerrero then threatened to reveal a secret he and Mysterio shared involving Mysterio's real life son Dominik , unless Mysterio deferred to Guerrero's authority. At The Great American Bash on July 24, Mysterio defeated Guerrero in a match with a stipulation that if Guerrero lost, he would not tell
19434-404: The number one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship. King Booker attacked Mysterio from behind backstage with the help of King Booker's wife Queen Sharmell . The next week on SmackDown! , Mysterio gained revenge by attacking King Booker and his " court ". On July 23, at The Great American Bash , Mysterio lost the World Heavyweight Championship to King Booker after Chavo interfered in
19592-701: The pair exchanging victories on consecutive episodes of Raw . The feud culminated in a match at Capitol Punishment on June 19, where Punk emerged victorious. On July 25, Mysterio won a tournament for the vacant WWE Championship to win his first WWE Championship, but he lost the title to John Cena later that night. On the August 15 episode of Raw , Mysterio received a rematch for the WWE Championship against new champion Alberto Del Rio, but lost to him via submission. Mysterio suffered an injury in late August. On April 26, 2012, WWE reported that Mysterio had been suspended for 60 days due to his second violation of
19750-437: The platform used in boxing , serves as the main stage ; additional scenes may be recorded for television in backstage areas of the venue, in a format similar to reality television . Performers generally integrate authentic wrestling techniques and fighting styles with choreography , stunts , improvisation , and dramatic conventions designed to maximize entertainment value and audience engagement. Professional wrestling as
19908-714: The promotion's closing in 1991. In the spring of 1984, the WWF purchased Georgia Championship Wrestling (GCW), which had been ailing for some time due to financial mismanagement and internal squabbles. In the deal, the WWF acquired the GCW's timeslot on TBS . McMahon agreed to keep showing Georgia wrestling matches in that timeslot, but he was unable to get his staff to Atlanta every Saturday to fulfill this obligation, so he sold GCW and its TBS timeslot to Jim Crockett Promotions (JCP). JCP started informally calling itself World Championship Wrestling (WCW). In 1988, Ted Turner bought JCP and formally renamed it World Championship Wrestling. During
20066-424: The promotion. Mysterio continually refused to join and feuded with Guerrero and the LWO members, including winning a match against longtime rival and LWO member Psicosis in a match at Road Wild on August 8. He was forced to join the group after losing a match to Eddie Guerrero. Mysterio's on-and-off tag team partner Billy Kidman joined him during the feud with LWO, wrestling against the LWO despite Mysterio being
20224-431: The rope, grabbing it, and spinning around 180°, hitting the person on the face with his legs. Mysterio, seeing that something was wrong due to Perro becoming limp, purposely missed. The other wrestlers continued performing while each coming up and checking on Perro. They quickly finished the match after realizing that something serious had happened. The referee, wrestlers, and locker room crew came out and took Perro out using
20382-470: The secret. Despite this, Guerrero revealed the secret on the following episode of SmackDown! , that he was Dominik's biological father. Guerrero said he knew Mysterio was having trouble starting his own family, so Guerrero left Dominik as a baby with Mysterio and his wife Angie to raise. He threatened to take custody of Dominik, drawing up custody papers and having his lawyer present them to Mysterio. At SummerSlam on August 21, Mysterio defeated Guerrero in
20540-427: The show, during their rematch for the titles, costing them the match. After a street fight against Chavo on the May 5 episode of SmackDown! , Eddie came out and suplexed Mysterio on the steel steps, displaying Eddie's increasing frustration with being unable to defeat Mysterio. At Judgment Day on May 22, Mysterio defeated Guerrero by disqualification after Guerrero attacked him with a steel chair. On June 12, in
20698-732: The space of a month. Mysterio returned on the June 23 episode of Raw , as the first wrestler to be drafted in the 2008 WWE Draft from the SmackDown brand to the Raw brand. Mysterio made his Raw in-ring debut on July 7, pinning Santino Marella after a 619. General Manager Mike Adamle announced that John Cena was injured and that Mysterio would replace him in the Championship Scramble at Unforgiven . The next week, Mysterio made his return to Raw after an extended absence by attacking Kane, turning back numerous claims that Kane had "ended his career". Mysterio then made his in-ring return at Unforgiven on September 7, competing in
20856-440: The stamina for an hours-long fight. Audiences also preferred short matches. Worked matches also carried less risk of injury, which meant shorter recovery. Altogether, worked matches proved more profitable than shoots. By the end of the 19th century, nearly all professional wrestling matches were worked. A major influence on professional wrestling was carnival culture. Wrestlers in the late 19th century worked in carnival shows. For
21014-457: The stipulation that if he pinned Disco, Mysterio and Guerrera would be stripped of the title. At Fall Brawl on September 17, the Filthy Animals fought The Natural Born Thrillers to a no contest in an elimination tag team match. Mysterio reformed his tag team with Kidman and challenged for the World Tag Team Championship in a triangle match at Halloween Havoc on October 29, facing the champions Natural Born Thrillers and The Boogie Knights in
21172-426: The territories of his former NWA peers, now his rivals. By the end of the 1980s, the WWF would become the sole national wrestling promotion in the U.S. This was in part made possible by the rapid spread of cable television in the 1980s. The national broadcast networks generally regarded professional wrestling as too niche an interest, and had not broadcast any national wrestling shows since the 1950s. Before cable TV,
21330-606: The title after being unmasked and pinned by Jericho. Mysterio and Jericho were booked in a Title vs. Mask match that was scheduled for The Bash on June 28, which Mysterio won, regaining the title. Mysterio retained the title once more against Jericho on the July 10 episode of SmackDown to end their feud, before he was attacked by Dolph Ziggler after the match. He successfully defended the title against Ziggler at both Night of Champions on July 26 and SummerSlam on August 23. On August 2, WWE announced that Mysterio would be suspended for 30 days, effective September 2, for violating
21488-627: The title again during a WrestleMania rematch on SmackDown! against Angle three weeks later. Mysterio quickly moved into a feud with the United States Champion John "Bradshaw" Layfield (JBL), who stated he deserved the World Heavyweight title. This feud saw him face off against three opponents chosen by JBL in the three weeks leading up to their title match at Judgment Day . Mysterio was defeated by Mark Henry and The Great Khali in separate non-title matches before wrestling Kane to
21646-490: The title against Swagger before Kane, who had won the SmackDown Money in the Bank ladder match earlier that night, cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase, ending Mysterio's reign at 28 days. He had a rematch for the title at SummerSlam on August 15, but he was defeated. Mysterio then entered a feud with the debuting Alberto Del Rio , a Mexican wrestler who portrayed a high-class aristocrat. During Del Rio's debut on
21804-431: The title and, after the match was attacked by Batista. On November 22, Mysterio lost to Batista at Survivor Series by technical knockout . Their feud moved around the World Heavyweight Championship, when Mysterio defeated Batista on the December 18 episode of SmackDown to gain a title shot against The Undertaker on the following episode of SmackDown , but the match ended in a no contest after Batista interfered. On
21962-419: The title back to Guerrero, as well as in a rematch at World War 3 on November 23. On the January 15, 1998, episode of WCW Thunder , Mysterio defeated Juventud to win his third Cruiserweight Championship, but lost it nine days later to Chris Jericho at Souled Out . After the match, Jericho continued the beating by using a toolbox he found at ringside. This storyline was used to cover Mysterio's need for
22120-545: The title back to Malenko. Mysterio challenged Ultimate Dragon for the J-Crown Championship in a losing effort at World War 3 on November 24. On February 23, 1997, he faced Prince Iaukea for the WCW World Television Championship at SuperBrawl VII , but lost after being attacked by Lord Steven Regal . Mysterio also lost a title rematch at Uncensored on March 16. Soon after, Mysterio began
22278-407: The title, after he and Sabu were ruled unable to continue following a triple jump DDT through a table by Sabu. Mysterio then retained his title in a match against Mark Henry, winning by disqualification after Chavo Guerrero handed Henry a chair and Mysterio acted as if he was hit, a tactic for which Eddie Guerrero was known. Mysterio began a feud with King Booker , who won a battle royal to become
22436-489: The title. On the June 17 episode of SmackDown! , he defeated Chavo Classic to win the title for a third time. He lost it to Spike Dudley on the July 29 episode of SmackDown! then failed to regain the title on a September episode of SmackDown! and in a fatal four-way match at Survivor Series on November 14. During this time, Mysterio formed a tag team with Rob Van Dam and feuded with Kenzo Suzuki and René Duprée . At No Mercy on October 3, they failed to win
22594-494: The titles from Suzuki and Duprée, but won them in a rematch on the December 9 episode of SmackDown! . They successfully defended the titles against Suzuki and Duprée at Armageddon on December 12, before losing the titles to the Basham Brothers on the January 13, 2005, episode of SmackDown! after Van Dam was injured. On February 20, Mysterio teamed up with Eddie Guerrero , winning the WWE Tag Team Championship back from
22752-505: The trial, witnesses testified that most of the "big matches" and all of the championship bouts were fixed. By the 1930s, with the exception of the occasional double-cross or business dispute, shoot matches were essentially nonexistent. In April 1930, the New York State Athletic Commission decreed that all professional wrestling matches held in the state had to be advertised as exhibitions unless certified as contests by
22910-471: The truth, their audiences would desert them. Today's performers don't "protect" the industry like we did, but that's primarily because they've already exposed it by relying on silly or downright ludicrous characters and gimmicks to gain popularity with the fans. It was different in my day, when our product was presented as an authentic, competitive sport. We protected it because we believed it would collapse if we ever so much as implied publicly that it
23068-535: The way of proceedings: the "in-show" happenings, presented through the shows; and real-life happenings outside the work that have implications, such as performer contracts, legitimate injuries, etc. Because actual life events are often co-opted by writers for incorporation into storylines of performers, the lines between real life and fictional life are often blurred and become confused. Special discern must be taken with people who perform under their own name (such as Kurt Angle and his fictional persona ). The actions of
23226-539: The winning team at Survivor Series on November 18, which consisted of both wrestlers on opposing sides (although Mysterio was second to be eliminated). He re-entered the World Heavyweight Championship picture on the January 4, 2008, episode of SmackDown! when he won a Beat the Clock challenge for a chance to face the World Heavyweight Champion Edge at the Royal Rumble . At the event on January 27, he
23384-420: The wrestlers quietly began faking their matches so that they could give their audiences a satisfying spectacle. Fixing matches was also convenient for scheduling. A real ("shoot") match could sometimes last hours, whereas a fixed ("worked") match can be made short, which was convenient for wrestlers on tour who needed to keep appointments or share venues. It also suited wrestlers who were aging and therefore lacked
23542-425: Was Wrestling As You Like It , which printed its first issue in 1946. These magazines were faithful to kayfabe . Before the advent of television, professional wrestling's fanbase largely consisted of children, the elderly, blue-collar workers and minorities. When television arose in the 1940s, professional wrestling got national exposure on prime-time television and gained widespread popularity. Professional wrestling
23700-418: Was a house cleaner and Roberto was a factory worker. Gutiérrez spent his childhood crossing the border from Tijuana to San Diego each day for school. Gutiérrez dropped out of high school with his parents' approval. He has three brothers. Gutiérrez made his debut in Mexico on April 30, 1989, when he was 14 years old. He was trained by his uncle Rey Misterio and wrestled early on in Mexico, where he learned
23858-429: Was attacked by the nWo as a result. This led to a match at SuperBrawl IX on February 21, where Mysterio and tag partner Konnan lost a "Hair vs. Mask match" against Kevin Nash and Scott Hall , forcing Mysterio to remove his mask. After the match, he phoned his uncle to tell him the news. Mysterio has publicly expressed his disappointment over being unmasked: I was strongly against it! I don't think WCW understood what
24016-488: Was challenges from independent wrestlers. But a cartelized wrestler, if challenged, could credibly use his contractual obligations to his promoter as an excuse to refuse the challenge. Promotions would sometimes respond to challenges with "policemen": powerful wrestlers who lacked the charisma to become stars, but could defeat and often seriously injure any challenger in a shoot match. As the industry trend continued, there were fewer independent wrestlers to make such challenges in
24174-420: Was dropped from his name and was billed simply as Rey Mysterio. Mysterio, with his mask, made his WWE debut on the July 25, 2002, episode of SmackDown! as a face , defeating Chavo Guerrero. His first feud was with Kurt Angle , culminating in a match at SummerSlam on August 25, which Angle won after forcing Mysterio to submit to the ankle lock . He later formed a tag team with Edge , participating in
24332-568: Was previously considered a niche interest, but the TV networks at the time were short on content and thus were willing to try some wrestling shows. In the 1960s, however, the networks moved on to more mainstream interests such as baseball, and professional wrestling was dropped. The core audience then shrunk back to a profile similar to that of the 1930s. In 1989, Vince McMahon was looking to exempt his promotion (the World Wrestling Federation ) from sports licensing fees. To achieve this, he testified before
24490-415: Was something other than what it appeared to be. I'm not sure now the fear was ever justified given the fact that the industry is still in existence today, but the point is no one questioned the need then. "Protecting the business" in the face of criticism and skepticism was the first and most important rule a pro wrestler learned. No matter how aggressive or informed the questioner, you never admitted
24648-417: Was the "world champion". Before the cartels, there were multiple wrestlers in the U.S. simultaneously calling themselves the "world champion", and this sapped public enthusiasm for professional wrestling. Likewise, the cartel could agree on a common set of match rules that the fans could keep track of. The issue over who got to be the champion and who controlled said champion was a major point of contention among
24806-438: Was then released from her contract. Over the next several months, The Basham Brothers unsuccessfully challenged for the WWE Tag Team Championship against teams including Rikishi and Scotty 2 Hotty, Dudley Boyz ( Bubba Ray and D-Von Dudley ), Charlie Haas and Rico , and Billy Kidman and Paul London . In November 2004, The Basham Brothers joined John "Bradshaw" Layfield 's faction, known as The Cabinet , and became known as
24964-457: Was unsuccessful in winning the championship. WWE's official website announced on February 14 that Mysterio suffered a biceps injury during an overseas tour. Despite the injury, Mysterio faced Edge for the title in a rematch at No Way Out on February 17, which he lost. On the February 22 episode of SmackDown , Mysterio announced that his injury would keep him out of action for at least six months, and he eventually underwent three surgeries within
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