Mid 20th Century
104-598: Gladiators is a sports entertainment television show that was an international success during the 1990s and early 2000s with versions of the show being filmed for local broadcasters in the United States , the United Kingdom , Finland , Japan , Australia , South Africa , Sweden , Nigeria , and Denmark . Russia , Germany , The Netherlands , South Korea and the Bahamas would also compete in international shows during
208-547: A Lorraine interview, he has been begging TV producers to bring back the UK version of the show for a third time. Davina McCall expressed an interest to host the show later that month. In September 2021, it was reported that MGM Television has teaming up with WWE for a reboot of American Gladiators that will featuring WWE wrestlers. The project is currently being pitched to broadcasters and streaming platforms. In July 2022, Metro reported that BBC One were in talks to bring back
312-520: A UK revival which would follow the basis set by the American revival. The Australian revival premiered on 30 March 2008 with the UK series starting on Sunday 11 May. Both revivals proved instant ratings hits for their respective channels. On 12 May 2008, the second season of the American show began, with the series being moved to a bigger arena. Due to low ratings, the Seven Network placed filming for
416-435: 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
520-415: 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
624-415: 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
728-413: 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
832-493: A bodybuilding or athletic background. Nine Olympic athletes have competed as Gladiators: Amazon ( Sharron Davies ) (UK), Nightshade ( Judy Simpson ) (UK), Rebel ( Jennifer Stoute ) (UK), Olympia ( Tatiana Grigorieva ) (first Australian revival), Hurricane ( Breaux Greer ) (US revival), Predator ( Du'aine Ladejo ) (first UK revival), Battleaxe ( Shirley Webb ) (first UK revival), Phantom ( Toby Olubi ) (second UK revival) and Fire ( Montell Douglas ) (second UK revival). There have been
936-520: 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
1040-402: A cartoon series based on the show but has never aired. In 2009, Johnny Ferraro wanted to bring a live-action movie of American Gladiators . Former Legendary Pictures chief marketing officer Scott Mednick was producing the film where the goal was to create an action story that takes place inside the world Ferraro created. On April 12, 2021; it was announced by Vice Studios & ESPN Films that
1144-513: 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
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#17330847741651248-574: 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
1352-433: 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 . International Gladiators 2 International Gladiators 2 was the second international competition of
1456-404: 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
1560-622: A documentary about American Gladiators has been set for an upcoming episode of the ESPN series 30 for 30 helmed by Ben Berman. The two part episodes aired on May 30 & May 31, 2023. On June 28, 2023; a limited five-part documentary series called Muscles & Mayhem: An Unauthorized Story of American Gladiators was released on the streaming service Netflix . Sports entertainment 1970s and 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s and 2020s Professional wrestling (often referred to as pro wrestling , or simply, wrestling )
1664-410: 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
1768-627: A few instances where contenders have become Gladiators. Minna Ryynänen, a quarter-finalist from the first series of Finnish Gladiators returned as Gladiator Safiiri for the next series. UK season 3 and International Gladiators 1 champion Eunice Huthart became Gladiator Blaze. However, Eunice only competed as Blaze in non televised live shows, opting to perform as herself in future televised episodes. Australian series 2 champion and International Gladiators 2 runner-up Lourene Bevaart became Glacier, American Gladiators 2008 series 1 champions Monica Carlson and Evan Dollard becoming Jet and Rocket respectively (this
1872-404: A home, this version would have incorporated elements that were inspired by films such as The Hunger Games along with mixed martial arts. In August 2018, actor Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg announced plans to bring American Gladiators back again for the fourth time and are shopping the idea to distributors who are interested in the revival. In August 2019, former UK gladiator Wolf said in
1976-622: A lack of audience. In May 2024, Amazon Prime announced that they had ordered a reboot of American Gladiators and a casting call was sent out in June 2024. Later that month, it was confirmed that the format had been sold to French broadcaster TF1 and would be produced by ITV Studios France . In a standard Gladiators show, two female and two male contenders face each other and the Gladiators in anywhere from four to seven events. The line up of events differs across each show with different Gladiators playing
2080-405: 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
2184-609: A live dinner show ran in Florida between 1996 and 1998. The UK and Australia continued to produce their own editions of the show, with the UK continuing to add new events to its roster (retiring some due to safety reasons) with Australia adding events from the UK series in its second and third series. In 1996, the UK and Australia faced each other again in 'the Ashes 2' this time held in the UK Gladiator arena and an Australia vs. Russia mini series
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#17330847741652288-754: 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
2392-424: 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
2496-440: 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
2600-399: A revival of American Gladiators would be produced by Reveille Productions and MGM Television to air mid season during early 2008. In addition to events from the original show, the series drew elements from the 1990s UK series as well as being updated for the new millennium in which several events would be played over water. The UK also produced a revival of Gladiators . In September 2007,
2704-519: A second series on hold and released the Gladiators from their holding contracts. NBC similarly have yet to commission a third series due to ratings for the second series being lower than expected. The UK revival first aired in August 2008, a second series aired in January 2009. On 20 May 2009, the UK series was axed by the new controller for Sky 1, Stuart Murphy. The Arab World launched its own version in 2009 featuring contenders and Gladiators from all over
2808-538: A team of UK Gladiators and contenders went over to film the Springbok Challenge 2, a series filmed exclusively for South African TV only. With the South African production in full swing, other territories began producing their own versions. Sweden began producing their own version in 2000 under the name Gladiatorerna , with the old UK apparatus being shipped over. Before TV4 started producing its own seasons,
2912-497: 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
3016-575: 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
3120-436: 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
3224-410: 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
Gladiators (franchise) - Misplaced Pages Continue
3328-427: 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
3432-470: 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
3536-414: Is often present behind the referee but these are not always referred to or provide a speaking role. An unseen commentator will provide play by play accounts (again with the exception of the original American Gladiators series, where the on-screen hosts also provided the play by play) The show is filmed in front of a live studio audience made up of fans and supporters of the contenders. It is not uncommon for
3640-598: The Gladiators franchise, consisting of seven episodes. The series was filmed at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham during spring 1996. Six countries were represented, including United Kingdom , United States , Russia , Germany , Australia , and South Africa . This was the first series to feature the latter three countries, while Finland , who competed in the first International series , did not return for
3744-609: 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
3848-604: The Seven Network in Australia announced that it too was reviving Gladiators , although unlike the American revival, the Australian revival was to follow the lines of its predecessor rather than be overhauled. The first episode of the new American Gladiators premiered on Sunday 6 January 2008 proving to be a ratings hit. A second season was instantly commissioned. At the same time, it was announced that Sky One were commissioning
3952-432: 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
4056-431: 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
4160-403: The 'season of injury', with five out of the six contender stables suffering from injuries prior to or during competition. The only country not to be affected by contender injuries was the United States . A number of records were broken in the series, including the highest total score for an individual contestant (Peggy in the semi-final) and highest score for games (Swingshot and Powerball). This
4264-577: 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
Gladiators (franchise) - Misplaced Pages Continue
4368-400: 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
4472-506: 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
4576-465: The American version was broadcast in the 1990s with Swedish commentators. Short lived series in Nigeria (2002) and Denmark (2003) followed. In 2001, the South African series was overhauled, but it proved unpopular with viewers and the show was axed. Sweden continued to produce Gladiators , creating an event unique to the series, Spidercage, before being axed in 2004. In August 2007, NBC confirmed that
4680-503: The Arab region. It only lasted one season. Between 2012 and 2017, the Swedish version, known as Gladiatorerna , made a return to television and the revived show proved to be successful and is the longest lasting revival of the franchise. In July 2014, Arthur A. Smith company announced plans to bring American Gladiators back again for the third time and were shopping the idea to networks to give it
4784-641: 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
4888-564: The Australian and American revival series whereas the UK concept of the American event "Tug-o-War" known as "Tilt" eventually superseded Tug-o-War for the 2008 American revival. Over the course of the original UK and American series, several events were dropped, often due to safety reasons. The Eliminator was the only event which was played in every episode across every territory. There have been more than 300 Gladiators across all participating territories. Inevitably, there has been some repeat usage of names, and there have been seven instances where
4992-615: The Italian Gladiatore in 2008, and the Turkish version Gladyiators in 2009. Zodiac TV, who worked alongside TV4 and MTV Produktion to produce Gladiatorerna and Gladiatorerne , also started to create series in Russia, Germany, and Benelux (Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg), but they never materialised. On January 28, 2008, a broadband website will pay homage to the original series called americangladiators.com where it features clip of
5096-408: 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
5200-477: 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
5304-559: The South African Gladiators who appeared in International Gladiators 2 appeared. In 1998, there were plans for the show to have a massive overhaul, but this was cancelled after it was announced that the UK series was to be axed due to falling ratings. A final mini series in which past champions competed was filmed instead. It was at this time that South Africa finally began production of their own series and in 2000,
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#17330847741655408-562: The UK and Finnish series would then go over to America, to film a special show of American Gladiators in which they competed against the current American champions along with selected athletes from other territories such as Japan and the Bahamas and South Korea . In early 1995, the first full scale international competition was launched in which selected Gladiators from the American, Finnish and British series competed against contender champions from those three countries. A fourth country, Russia
5512-659: The UK version. Filming was rumoured to take place in Sheffield Arena early next year. The revival was confirmed by the BBC on 25 August 2022. In July 2023, following the BBC ’s revival of the British version , the Australian version of the show was confirmed to return for the second time and is set to be revived by Warner Bros. Television Studios . The revival was cancelled later that year due to
5616-405: The United States. This season also marked the end of the original run of American Gladiators . The tables show the number of points each contender scored for that event and against which Gladiator. Notes Heat Four consisted of a second chance for the three countries that did not have a contender win through in the previous three heats. The contender with the lowest score after three games
5720-401: 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
5824-418: 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
5928-550: 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
6032-408: The biggest number of events during its initial run with twenty three events. All events were created by either the American or UK series with the exception of "Soccer Shootout" (South Africa) and "Spidercage" (Sweden). The UK notably adapted some of the American events, with the adaptations becoming the standard design for the concept. For example, the UK version of "Skytrack" would later be adopted by
6136-559: The cameras to focus on particular crowd members or banners. Some incarnations of the show such as the Australian and original UK series have cheerleaders to provide background entertainment. There have been 35 events involving Gladiators (as well as the Eliminator) across the incarnations. Four of the events have an alternate name in certain territories. A different selection of the events will be played in each episode. No single territory has had all thirty five events on its roster. The UK had
6240-424: 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
6344-418: 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
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#17330847741656448-423: 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
6552-461: 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
6656-540: 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
6760-464: The different events dependent on their skill type. Towards the end of the initial UK and American series, the male and female contenders did not necessarily play the same events. Contenders score points for winning against the Gladiators, with the winner having a time advantage in the last event the contenders compete in, the Eliminator. The winner of the Eliminator goes through to the next round (or wins
6864-405: 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
6968-597: 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
7072-470: 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
7176-610: 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
7280-455: 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
7384-513: 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
7488-471: 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
7592-487: 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
7696-498: 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
7800-463: The next round. A children's derivative of the concept was also made in the US, called Gladiators 2000 (a.k.a. G2 ) (1994–1996). A UK variant of this was aired starting in 1995, called Gladiators: Train 2 Win . A one-off, celebrity derivative primetime special in the US, called Superstar American Gladiators aired on ABC on May 4, 1995. The initial concept for the show by Dan Carr and John C. Ferraro
7904-552: The opposing countries. Australia then went on to compete in International Gladiators 2 along with the UK and the US. Russia also returned, even though they still did not have a domestic series. Germany and South Africa also competed even though they too did not have their own domestic series. After International Gladiators 2 , the American Gladiators series ceased production due to falling ratings, although
8008-492: The original American Gladiators, Dynamite and Spartak from Russia, Zeke and Indra from Sweden, Sahara and Samson from South Africa, Ninja from Japan, Viking and Timantti from Finland, Sapphire from Nigeria, and Falcon from the United Kingdom. A number of versions were cancelled in the pre-production stage: these are France's Gladiateur (Gladiator) in 1993, Spain's Gladiadors in 1994, Poland's Gladiatorzy (Gladius) in 1999,
8112-407: The original which all have been re-digitalized as clips would reintroduce original Gladiators and give fans an update on where they are today. Future segments would also include "Best Hits" and stunts that were performed on the show. In 2008, MGM, Reveille and Flor-Jon Films Inc. revealed a special American Gladiators U.S. cross-country tour. MGM along with Johnny Ferraro have put into development
8216-437: 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
8320-714: 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
8424-842: The same name has been used twice in a territory for a televised series. The original American Gladiators had two different Gladiators named Lace, and the names Siren and Titan have been used in both the original and revival formats of the American show. The names Amazon, Panther, Siren and Warrior have been used for both the original and revived UK shows. The name Valkyria was used both in the original and revived series in Sweden. The names Panther, Ice, Scorpio, Tornado, Lightning, Blade, Cyclone, Fierce/Hurja, Flash, Force, Shadow, Thunder, Viper, Nitro, Tiger (Tiikeri), Terminator, Cobra, Rebel, Hurricane, Laser, Phoenix, Destroyer, Rocket, Dynamite, Sabre, Bullit as (Bullet), Delta and Steel have been used for both male and female Gladiators. Most Gladiators come from either
8528-408: The second competition. While United Kingdom , United States and Australia all had their own domestic series, and sent champion contenders as well as carefully selected Gladiators, the other three countries did not have their own domestic series at the time of filming, although this was not indicated on screen. A total of thirty-six Gladiators competed across the series. This series became known as
8632-495: The series) unless a qualifying time is needed for the next round. Shows are usually presented by a male and female host (with the exception of all but two seasons of the original American Gladiators, which were presented by two male hosts), as well as a main referee (often wearing a striped black and white shirt, in the style of an American football referee) presiding over events, handing out disqualifications or red and yellow cards to contenders or Gladiators if needed. A timekeeper
8736-611: The series, despite the fact that they did not have their own domestic series. After a lengthy break, Gladiators was revived in 2008 in the UK, the US and Australia ; in 2009 Lebanon created their own series featuring competitors from all over the Arab region and in 2012 Sweden brought back their version which proved most successful of all revivals, with another revival airing in Finland during 2017 and 2019. A further British revival and an Australian revival began airing in 2024. The concept of
8840-402: The show is that athletic members of the public battle against the show's own Gladiators (often semi-professional or ex-athletes) to claim points in several events that require speed, strength and skill. In the final event of the show, "The Eliminator" the contenders race against each other (with starting times based on previous events), with the first to finish winning the episode and moving onto
8944-474: The show with the UK and Finland starting production in 1992. American Gladiators had already picked up a cult following in the UK after being shown on late night TV. The UK , most noticeably adapted the concept into a large arena (the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham ), glamorising the show, often adapting events from the American series as well as introducing many of their own, often more high-tech. Winners from
9048-440: 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
9152-426: 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,
9256-505: 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
9360-471: 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
9464-535: 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
9568-420: 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
9672-425: 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
9776-421: Was actually mentioned as part of the "prize package" for this season) and after a seven-year gap, Gladiatorerna season 5 winner Patrick Lessa joined the Swedish team for the 2012 revival as Gladiator Baron Samedi, series 4 Gladiaattorit champion Janica Timonen joined the 5th series as Siren (Seireeni). Only two Gladiators have played for two different domestic series in differing countries; Vulcan ( John Seru ) who
9880-456: Was added but as they did not have their own domestic series, the Gladiators and contenders were hand-picked by Russian TV producers. The Finnish series ceased production after International Gladiators 1 . In 1995, Australia began production of their own show, basing it on the UK series. After the first series, a three part 'Ashes' mini series was filmed in Australia, in which a selection of British and Australian Gladiators faced champions from
9984-488: 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
10088-490: Was filmed in Australia with two of the Russian Gladiators who had appeared in International Gladiators 2 appearing alongside new faces. After both of the mini series were filmed and aired, the Australian show was cancelled due to falling ratings, even though plans for a fourth domestic series had commenced, which would include a brand new event that would be exclusive to Australia. A third series of International Gladiators
10192-527: Was held in Erie , Pennsylvania , in the USA before being sold to Samuel Goldwyn Productions/MGM where the format was adapted and televised as American Gladiators with the first series airing over 1989–90. As the show progressed, new events were introduced along with new Gladiators, sometimes retiring previous Gladiators. Following the success of American Gladiators , other countries began to produce their own versions of
10296-553: Was originally an Australian Gladiator who transferred to the UK team for Season 7 upon the end of the Australian series and Fox (Tammy Baker) who transferred from the UK to the South African team when the UK series finished. Laser (Tina Andrew), a UK Gladiator went on to compete as Sheena, a member of a South African team for the Springbok Challenge 1. However, she did not compete in the domestic South African series. Some Gladiators have died since their Gladiator careers ended, including Siren, Havoc, Hawk, Rage, Atlas, Thunder, and Gold from
10400-430: Was planned to be filmed in Australia, but this was cancelled after ITV and LWT refused to finance another series. A third Ashes series was also planned for 1997, but this was also cancelled by the time the UK's sixth domestic series aired. In 1997, South Africa competed against the UK in the Springbok Challenge held in the UK Gladiator arena, despite the fact that they did not have their own domestic series. Only one of
10504-636: 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
10608-415: 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
10712-417: 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
10816-466: Was the final series in the Gladiators franchise to feature British Gladiators Jet ( Diane Youdale ) and Raider (Carlton Headley). Youdale retired following an injury sustained on Pyramid ; the injury was so severe that it led to the event being axed the following year. Headley was dropped for reasons undisclosed. Peggy Odita and Pat Csizmazia emerged as the eventual winners of the series; they represented
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