Mid 20th Century
159-520: Joseph Yokozuna Fatu (born March 18, 1993) is an American professional wrestler . He is signed to WWE , where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Solo Sikoa as the leader of the villainous iteration of The Bloodline . After Fatu played college football at American River College in Sacramento, he began his professional wrestling career in 2018 under the ring name Sefa Fatu in
318-541: A Last Man Standing match at Extreme Rules , which Reigns won. On May 17 at Payback , Reigns failed to win the world title from Rollins in a fatal four-way match that also involved Orton and Ambrose. On June 14 at Money in the Bank , Reigns competed in his first Money in the Bank ladder match, which he failed to win after Bray Wyatt interfered and attacked him. On July 17 at Battleground , Wyatt defeated Reigns after Luke Harper interfered and attacked Reigns. He would enlist
477-516: A no contest . In a rematch at Clash of Champions on September 25, Reigns would defeat Rusev to win the United States Championship, and retained the title against Rusev in a Hell in a Cell match at the titular event on October 30 to end their feud. At Survivor Series on November 20, Reigns made up part of Team Raw alongside Braun Strowman, Chris Jericho, Kevin Owens and Seth Rollins, in
636-510: A tables, ladders, and chairs match being arranged for the TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs pay-per-view on December 15, which Reigns lost after interference from Ziggler and The Revival ( Dash Wilder and Scott Dawson ). At the Royal Rumble on January 26, 2020, Reigns defeated Corbin in a falls count anywhere match , after receiving assistance from The Usos. Later that night, he entered
795-590: A tag team with Donny Marlow and the pair unsuccessfully challenged Calvin Raines and Big E Langston for the FCW Florida Tag Team Championship on July 8. In January 2012, Leakee pinned FCW Florida Heavyweight Champion Leo Kruger in a non-title match. On the February 5 episode of FCW , he defeated Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins in a triple threat match to become the number one contender to
954-525: A wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame . Anoaʻi was a three-year starter beginning in his sophomore year and was also one of the team captains as a senior . He earned first-team All- Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) honors in 2006 after recording 40 tackles, two recovered fumbles and 4.5 sacks. After going undrafted in
1113-446: 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 the platform used in boxing , serves as the main stage ; additional scenes may be recorded for television in backstage areas of
1272-464: A Cell on September 16 in a Hell in a Cell match, which ended in a no contest after Brock Lesnar returned and attacked both men. On October 6 at Super Show-Down , The Shield defeated Strowman, Ziggler and McIntyre in a six-man tag team match before losing to them in a rematch on Raw two nights later. A triple threat match between Reigns, Strowman and Lesnar for the Universal Championship
1431-456: A Six-Man Tag Team Match. Fatu is married and has three children with his wife Almia Williams. Professional wrestler 1970s and 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s and 2020s Professional wrestling (often referred to as pro wrestling , or simply, wrestling ) is a form of athletic theater that combines mock combat with drama , with the premise that the performers are competitive wrestlers. Professional wrestling
1590-413: 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
1749-520: 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
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#17328549902281908-513: 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
2067-574: 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
2226-465: A contract with WWE in 2010 and was later assigned to their developmental territory Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW). He made his televised debut on August 19, 2010, using the ring name Roman Leakee, in a 15-man battle royal , which was won by Alex Riley . On the January 16, 2011 episode of FCW , Leakee was a competitor in a 30-man Grand Royal , but was eliminated. Later in 2011, Leakee formed
2385-511: 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 . Roman Reigns Leati Joseph "Joe" Anoaʻi ( Samoan pronunciation: [a.noˈaʔ.i] ah-no- AH ee ; born May 25, 1985), better known by his ring name Roman Reigns ,
2544-656: A falls count anywhere match on the August 2 episode of NXT , which Sikoa won, though he suffered a knee injury in the process. At Clash at the Castle on September 3, 2022, Sikoa returned from injury and interfered in the main event match between his cousin Roman Reigns and Drew McIntyre , helping Reigns retain the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship and aligning himself with The Bloodline , turning heel in
2703-540: A fatal five-way match at Extreme Rules on June 4 against Bray Wyatt, Finn Bálor, Samoa Joe and Seth Rollins, with the winner becoming the number one contender for the Universal Championship. Joe would win the match after forcing Bálor to pass out to a submission hold. On the June 19 episode of Raw , Reigns was attacked by a returning Strowman, who challenged Reigns to an ambulance match at Great Balls of Fire on July 9, which Reigns lost. At SummerSlam on August 20, Reigns
2862-410: 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
3021-421: A feud between Reigns and Big Show, in which Reigns defeated him multiple times by countout and disqualification. Reigns then entered the 2015 Royal Rumble match on January 25, which he won after lastly eliminating Rusev , therefore granting him a WWE World Heavyweight Championship match at WrestleMania 31 . After his victory, Reigns was booed heavily by the crowd, despite portraying a heroic character. On
3180-424: A feud with King Corbin and his allies Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode . Reigns was named team captain for SmackDown at Survivor Series on November 24, where he and his four teammates defeated Team Raw and Team NXT in a five-on-five-on-five tag team elimination match. During the match, Corbin caused Mustafa Ali to be eliminated. Reigns responded by spearing Corbin and allowing him to be eliminated. This led to
3339-608: A feud with Kevin Owens, after Reigns believed Owens to be disrespecting his family. Reigns successfully defended the title against Owens in a TLC match at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs on December 20, in a Steel Cage match on the December 25 episode of SmackDown , and in a Last Man Standing match at the Royal Rumble on January 31, 2021, respectively. Reigns then retained his title against Daniel Bryan at both Elimination Chamber on February 21 and Fastlane on March 21. At this time, Reigns would also feud with Edge , who had won
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#17328549902283498-612: A full season for the Canadian Football League 's (CFL) Edmonton Eskimos in 2008 before his release and retirement from football. He then pursued a career in professional wrestling and was signed by WWE in 2010, reporting to their developmental territory Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW). Under the ring name Roman Reigns, he made his main roster debut in 2012 as a member of The Shield alongside Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins . They teamed together until disbanding in 2014, after which Reigns entered singles competition, though
3657-414: A genuine sport, and the phrase "professional wrestling" therefore has 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
3816-505: A heroic character and attempted to establish him as their next "face of the company", which was met with intense disapproval by audiences and critics . Following his return from a hiatus in August 2020, he was repackaged as a villainous character portraying a Samoan tribal chief , which was generally met with acclaim. Leati Joseph Anoaʻi was born on May 25, 1985, in Pensacola, Florida , to Sika Anoa’i and Patricia Hooker. His father
3975-551: A hiatus. At the event on February 19, Reigns defeated Goldberg via technical submission to retain the title. On the second night of WrestleMania 38 on April 3, he defeated Brock Lesnar to win the WWE Championship for a fourth time and also became the first superstar to hold both the WWE Championship and WWE Universal Championship simultaneously and be recognized as the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion . It
4134-405: 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
4293-484: A losing effort to Team SmackDown. At Roadblock: End of the Line on December 18, Reigns faced Owens for the Universal Championship, but lost via disqualification when Chris Jericho attacked Owens to prevent Reigns from winning the match and the title. On the January 9, 2017, episode of Raw , Reigns lost the United States Championship to Jericho in a handicap match also involving Owens ending his reign at 106 days. This led to
4452-704: 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
4611-440: 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
4770-524: A no disqualification rematch with Owens at the Royal Rumble on January 29 that saw Jericho being suspended above the ring in a shark cage , where Reigns lost after Braun Strowman interfered. Later in the event, Reigns entered at number 30 in the Royal Rumble match, eliminating Bray Wyatt, Chris Jericho, and The Undertaker before being last eliminated by Randy Orton. At Fastlane on March 5, Reigns defeated Strowman, giving Strowman his first pinfall loss on
4929-527: A non-title match. Reigns and Rollins lost the tag team titles to Rhodes and Goldust in a no disqualification match on the October 14 episode of Raw , following interference from Big Show. At Hell in a Cell on October 27, Reigns and Rollins failed to regain the championship in a triple threat tag team match. At Survivor Series on November 24, The Shield teamed with Antonio Cesaro and Jack Swagger to take on Rey Mysterio , The Usos, Cody Rhodes and Goldust in
Solo Sikoa - Misplaced Pages Continue
5088-500: A number one contender's match between the two the following week, which Reigns won. At SummerSlam on August 19, Reigns defeated Lesnar and won the Universal Championship for the first time in his career. Reigns went on to reignite his feud with Braun Strowman, who was the Money in the Bank holder. Strowman would also ally himself with Dolph Ziggler and Drew McIntyre in order to challenge The Shield. Reigns then faced Strowman at Hell in
5247-604: A one-time WWE Intercontinental Champion , a one-time WWE Tag Team Champion (with Rollins), the 2015 Royal Rumble winner, and the 2014 Superstar of the Year . He tied the WWE record for most eliminations in a Survivor Series match with four in the 2013 event and also previously held the record for most eliminations in a Royal Rumble match with 12 in the 2014 event . Upon winning the Intercontinental Championship, he became
5406-521: A returning Luke Harper . Reigns would later defeat Rowan in a lumberjack match on the 20th Anniversary of SmackDown and subsequently team with Bryan to defeat Rowan and Harper at Hell in a Cell on October 6 in a tornado tag team match to end the feud. At Crown Jewel on October 31, Reigns was part of Team Hogan (alongside Rusev, Ricochet , Shorty G , and Ali ), defeating Team Flair ( Randy Orton , King Corbin, Bobby Lashley, Shinsuke Nakamura , and Drew McIntyre). In November, Reigns began
5565-559: A singles match was set up between Reigns and Rollins for Night of Champions on September 21, but Reigns developed a legitimate incarcerated hernia which required surgery prior to the event. As a result of Reigns being unable to compete, Rollins was declared the winner via forfeit . Reigns returned on the December 8 episode of Raw , accepting a Slammy Award for "Superstar of the Year". At TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs on December 14, Reigns interfered during Rollins's match with John Cena, attacking Rollins and Big Show. This started
5724-563: A six-man tag team match at Survivor Series . At the event on November 19, The Shield emerged victorious over The New Day. The following night on Raw , Reigns defeated The Miz for the Intercontinental Championship , thus becoming the twenty-eighth Triple Crown and seventeenth Grand Slam champion, the second member of The Shield after Ambrose to achieve the Grand Slam. Following his title win, Reigns would successfully defend
5883-590: A six-man tag team match on the April 22 episode of Raw , which The Shield won. On the May 13 episode of Raw , The Shield's undefeated streak in televised six-man tag team matches ended in a disqualification loss in an elimination tag team match against Cena, Kane and Bryan. On May 19 at Extreme Rules , Reigns and Rollins defeated Team Hell No in a tornado tag team match to win the WWE Tag Team Championship. On
6042-409: A traditional Survivor Series match ; Reigns would win the match for his team. At TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs on December 15, The Shield were defeated by CM Punk in a 3-on-1 handicap match, after Reigns accidentally speared Ambrose. At the Royal Rumble on January 26, 2014, Reigns entered the Royal Rumble match at number 15 and went on to eliminate 12 competitors in the match, a record that
6201-497: 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
6360-575: 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
6519-542: Is a member of the Anoaʻi family of Samoan wrestlers. Fatu was born into the Anoaʻi family of Samoan wrestlers, which includes his father Rikishi , his older brothers Jonathan and Joshua . He is named after his uncle's in-ring name, Yokozuna. He played American football at American River College in Sacramento and Dickinson State University in Dickinson, North Dakota. On April 29, 2018, Fatu made his in-ring debut under
Solo Sikoa - Misplaced Pages Continue
6678-410: 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
6837-440: Is an American professional wrestler and former football player. He is signed to WWE , where he performs on the SmackDown brand. He is the leader of the babyface iteration of The Bloodline stable and a member of the Anoaʻi family . Reigns's title reign of 1,316 days as Undisputed WWE Universal Heavyweight Champion was the fourth-longest world title reign in WWE history and the longest championship reign since 1988. He
6996-428: 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 is likened to the suspension of disbelief employed when engaging with fiction . Professional wrestlers perform as characters and usually maintain
7155-460: Is of Samoan descent and his mother is of Sicilian ancestry. Both his father and his brother Rosey were professional wrestlers. As a member of the Anoaʻi wrestling family , his cousins include The Tonga Kid , Rikishi , Umaga , and Yokozuna , while his first cousins once removed include The Usos and Solo Sikoa . Anoaʻi attended Pensacola Catholic High School before transferring to Escambia High School . He majored in management at
7314-477: Is widely regarded as one of the best professional wrestlers currently active in the world, and by some as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time. After playing college football for Georgia Tech , Anoaʻi started his professional football career with brief off-season stints with the Minnesota Vikings and Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League (NFL) in 2007. He then played
7473-475: The 2007 NFL draft , Anoaʻi was signed by the Minnesota Vikings in May 2007. He was diagnosed with leukemia after his team physical and was released later that month. The Jacksonville Jaguars signed him in August 2007, only to release Anoaʻi less than a week later before the start of the 2007 NFL season . In 2008, he was signed by the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League (CFL). Wearing
7632-534: The 28th Triple Crown Champion and the 17th Grand Slam Champion . Reigns has headlined numerous pay-per-view events , including WWE's flagship event WrestleMania a record-setting nine times ( 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 , 37 , 38 , 39 , and both nights of XL ). Additionally, he was ranked at No. 1 in Pro Wrestling Illustrated ' s annual PWI 500 list of the top 500 singles wrestlers in 2016 and 2022. From 2014 onwards, WWE positioned Reigns as
7791-620: The Elimination Chamber match, which he won, earning the right to face Brock Lesnar for the Universal Championship at WrestleMania 34 . At WrestleMania on April 8, Reigns failed to win the championship from Lesnar. They had a rematch for the championship at the Greatest Royal Rumble on April 27, this time in a Steel Cage match , which Reigns narrowly lost after spearing Lesnar through the cage wall. After defeating Samoa Joe at Backlash on May 6 and Jinder Mahal at Money in
7950-649: The Elimination Chamber pay-per-view was arranged, in which The Shield lost after Ambrose abandoned the match mid-way through. In March, The Shield came out to seemingly attack Jerry Lawler, only to attack Kane instead, turning all three men face in the process. This led to a match between The Shield and Kane and The New Age Outlaws ( Billy Gunn and Road Dogg ) at WrestleMania XXX on April 6, which The Shield won. The feud with Kane also prompted The Shield to sever ties with Triple H, who reformed Evolution to counteract them. The Shield then defeated Evolution at both Extreme Rules on May 4 and Payback on June 1. On
8109-777: The Georgia Institute of Technology . He later said that he considers Bret Hart his wrestling idol. Anoaʻi played football for three years at Pensacola Catholic High School and one year at Escambia High School; in his senior year, he was named Defensive Player of the Year by the Pensacola News Journal . While at the Georgia Institute of Technology, he was a member of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team along with Calvin Johnson , who later became
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#17328549902288268-531: The Hell in a Cell pay-per-view event on October 25, where Reigns defeated Wyatt in a Hell in a Cell match . On the October 26 episode of Raw , Reigns defeated Alberto Del Rio , Dolph Ziggler , and Kevin Owens in a fatal four way to become the number one contender for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. However, champion Seth Rollins legitimately injured his knee on November 4 and vacated
8427-609: 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
8586-470: The Raw following Payback, Rollins turned on The Shield and aligned himself with Triple H and The Authority. Following Rollins's betrayal, Reigns would briefly continue teaming with Ambrose, before embarking on a singles run and being quickly placed into world title contention. After winning a battle royal Reigns was inserted into a ladder match for the vacant WWE World Heavyweight Championship at Money in
8745-762: 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 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
8904-429: The wild card rule , was interrupted by Shane McMahon , who was still bothered by Reigns' earlier attack on his father. Reigns then challenged Shane to a match at Super ShowDown , which the latter accepted. At Super ShowDown on June 7, Reigns lost to McMahon after interference from McIntyre. Reigns defeated McIntyre at Stomping Grounds on June 23, despite interference from McMahon. The following night on Raw , Reigns
9063-577: 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
9222-400: 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
9381-506: 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
9540-411: 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 the spectacle . By at least the early 20th century, professional wrestling had diverged from
9699-641: 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
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#17328549902289858-527: The Bank in a Six-man tag team match with Sikoa pinning Rhodes. Sikoa faced Rhodes for the title twice, at SummerSlam and on September 13 episode of SmackDown in a Steel Cage match, being defeated both times. After SummerSlam, The Bloodline feuded with the returning Roman Reigns . At Bad Blood on October 5, Sikoa and Fatu lost to Reigns and Rhodes after interference from a returning Jimmy Uso with Sikoa being pinned by Reigns. At Crown Jewel on November 2, Sikoa, Tonga and Fatu defeated Reigns and The Usos in
10017-409: The Bank on July 14 and The Prime Time Players ( Darren Young and Titus O'Neil ) at Night of Champions on September 15. In August, The Shield began working for chief operating officer Triple H and The Authority . Their association with The Authority led them to begin a rivalry with Cody Rhodes and Goldust . At Battleground on October 6, Reigns and Rollins lost to Rhodes and Goldust in
10176-418: The Bank on June 17, Reigns then entered a feud with Bobby Lashley , where both men believed that they were the rightful challenger to Lesnar's championship. This set up a match at Extreme Rules on July 15, where Lashley was victorious. The following night on Raw , two triple threat matches were set to determine Lesnar's challenger for SummerSlam . Reigns and Lashley won their respective matches, setting up
10335-475: The Bank on June 29; however the match was won by John Cena. His second consecutive pay-per-view main event was at Battleground on July 20, where Reigns again challenged for the title, this time in a fatal four-way match involving Cena, Kane, and Randy Orton, which Cena again won. Following the event, Reigns began a feud with Orton, culminating in a match at SummerSlam on August 17, which Reigns won in his singles debut match on pay-per-view. The next month,
10494-578: The December 28 episode of NXT , Sikoa entered into a feud with Boa after his alter-ego attacked and choked him backstage. On the January 11, 2022 episode of NXT , Boa and Sikoa fought to a double countout. This led to a No Disqualification Falls Count Anywhere match on the January 25 episode of NXT , which Sikoa won. On the March 1 episode of NXT , Sikoa suffered his first loss in NXT against Gunther ending his undefeated streak. Sikoa defeated Roderick Strong on
10653-575: The FCW Florida Heavyweight Championship. He failed to win the championship when he lost to Kruger the following week. Leakee later won the FCW Florida Tag Team Championship with Mike Dalton and would drop the titles to CJ Parker and Jason Jordan shortly after. After WWE rebranded FCW to NXT in August 2012, Anoaʻi, with the new ring name Roman Reigns and a villainous character , made his debut on
10812-431: The February 2 episode of Raw , Reigns suffered his first pinfall loss in singles competition on the main roster when Big Show defeated him after interference from Rollins. Reigns then successfully defended his WrestleMania title shot against Daniel Bryan at Fastlane on February 22. At WrestleMania 31 on March 29, Seth Rollins cashed in his Money in the Bank contract while Reigns's main event match with Brock Lesnar
10971-658: The January 28 episode of Raw , it was revealed that Punk and his manager Paul Heyman had been paying The Shield and Brad Maddox to work for them. The Shield then indistinctly ended their association with Punk while beginning a feud with John Cena , Ryback and Sheamus that directed to a six-man tag match on February 17 at Elimination Chamber , which The Shield won. The Shield then made their WrestleMania debut, where they defeated Sheamus, Randy Orton and Big Show at WrestleMania 29 in April. The following night on Raw , The Shield attempted to attack The Undertaker , but they were stopped by Team Hell No. This set up
11130-410: The June 14 episode of SmackDown , The Shield were given their first decisive loss in televised six-man tag team matches at the hands of Team Hell No and Randy Orton, when Bryan submitted Rollins. Reigns and Rollins defeated Bryan and Orton at Payback on June 16 to retain the WWE Tag Team Championship. Further successful title defenses followed against The Usos (Jimmy Uso and Jey Uso) at Money in
11289-459: The June 2 episode of SmackDown , during Reigns' 1,000 days as Universal Champion celebration, Sikoa turned on Jimmy and excommunicated him from The Bloodline on Reigns' order for his brother's actions. On the June 16 episode of SmackDown , Sikoa's other brother, Jey, turned on Reigns and Sikoa to side with Jimmy. At Money in the Bank on July 1, Reigns and Sikoa lost to The Usos in a "Bloodline Civil War" tag team match after Jey pinned Reigns. During
11448-569: The March 22 episode of NXT to qualify for a five-way ladder match for the NXT North American Championship at the Stand & Deliver pay-per-view on April 2, which was won by Cameron Grimes . On the April 12 episode of NXT , Sikoa failed to win the title from Grimes, as well as in a triple threat match involving Carmelo Hayes at Spring Breakin' on May 3. After weeks of brawling between Sikoa and Von Wagner , they faced off in
11607-408: 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
11766-477: 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
11925-441: The October 16 episode of SmackDown . At Hell in a Cell on October 25, Reigns made Jey quit after attacking the injured Jimmy, thus retaining his title. Due to the loss, Jey was ordered to follow Reigns' commands and address him as "The Tribal Chief", thus turning him into a villainous character. At Survivor Series on November 22, Reigns defeated Raw's WWE Champion Drew McIntyre in a Champion vs. Champion match, before beginning
12084-673: The October 31 episode of NXT by defeating CJ Parker. Roman Reigns made his main roster television debut as on November 18, 2012, at the Survivor Series pay-per-view event alongside Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins, assaulting Ryback during the triple threat main event for the WWE Championship , allowing CM Punk to retain the title, thus establishing themselves as villains . The trio declared themselves The Shield and vowed to rally against "injustice", while also denying working for Punk, even though they would routinely emerge from
12243-433: The Royal Rumble and eventually challenge Reigns to a match in the main event of WrestleMania 38 , marking the third time Reigns would face Lesnar in the main event of WrestleMania. On the February 4 episode of SmackDown , Goldberg would make his return to challenge Reigns to a match at Elimination Chamber for the title a match two years in the making after their match at WrestleMania 36 was called off due to Reigns taking
12402-455: The Royal Rumble match, but was the last competitor eliminated by the eventual winner Drew McIntyre. At Super ShowDown on February 27, Reigns defeated Corbin in a steel cage match to end their feud. The following night on SmackDown , Reigns challenged Goldberg for the Universal Championship, leading to a match between the two being set up for WrestleMania 36 . However, on April 3, it was announced that Braun Strowman would replace Reigns at
12561-451: The Royal Rumble match. In the main event of the second night of WrestleMania 37 on April 11, Reigns defeated Bryan and Edge in a triple threat match to retain the Universal Championship after assistance from Jey. On the April 30 episode of SmackDown , Reigns defeated Bryan in a championship vs. career match, which resulted in Bryan being forced to leave SmackDown. Reigns' next challenger for
12720-665: The Undisputed WWE Universal Championship against Rhodes. On May 6 at Backlash , Sikoa and The Usos defeated Kevin Owens , Sami Zayn and Matt Riddle in a six-man tag team match. At Night of Champions on May 27, Sikoa and Reigns unsuccessfully challenged Owens and Zayn for the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship . During the match, The Usos interfered and accidentally attacked Sikoa while aiming for Zayn, causing Jimmy Uso to attack Reigns and The Usos walking away from The Bloodline. On
12879-500: The WWE World Heavyweight Championship in the process. Reigns was forced by McMahon to defend his championship in the 2016 Royal Rumble match on January 24, 2016. In the match, Reigns was eliminated by eventual winner Triple H, thus losing the championship. At Fastlane on February 22, Reigns defeated Brock Lesnar and Dean Ambrose in a triple threat match to receive a WWE World Heavyweight Championship match against Triple H at WrestleMania 32 on April 3, where he defeated Triple H in
13038-450: The aforementioned alliance. Reigns was due to team with Rollins and Ambrose at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs on October 22, but he was removed from the match due to an illness concern. He was replaced by Kurt Angle and The Shield went on to win the match. Reigns returned on the November 13 episode of Raw and challenged The New Day ( Big E , Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods ) to
13197-401: 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
13356-418: 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
13515-457: The attacker as a man who merely resembled Rowan. Nonetheless, Reigns found additional footage that showed Rowan pushing over the equipment. Rowan then admitted that it was him and admitted that he was responsible for the hit and run as well. This caused Bryan and Rowan to split due to Rowan lying, and a no disqualification match between Reigns and Rowan was scheduled for Clash of Champions on September 15, which Rowan won after interference from
13674-550: 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
13833-412: The broader public. In the United States, wrestling 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
13992-424: 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
14151-418: 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
14310-413: The championship against Seth "Freakin" Rollins, losing the match by disqualification; however championships cannot change hands by disqualification, thus Reigns retained the title. Later that same night, he interfered in the WWE Championship match between Lesnar and Bobby Lashley, re-uniting with Heyman to cause the upset victory for Lashley to regain the championship. During the same night, Lesnar would win
14469-430: The championship was Cesaro, whom Reigns defeated at WrestleMania Backlash on May 16. Afterwards, Reigns initiated a rivalry with Rey Mysterio, after Reigns brutalized Mysterio's son Dominik . The two faced off for the championship in a Hell in a Cell match on the June 18 episode of SmackDown , with Reigns emerging as the victor. On the June 25 episode of SmackDown , while addressing his victory over Mysterio, Reigns
14628-423: 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
14787-461: 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
14946-468: 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 the independent circuit , to internationally broadcast events at major arenas. The largest and most influential promotions are in
15105-443: The crowd to attack Punk's adversaries, including Ryback and WWE Tag Team Champions Team Hell No ( Daniel Bryan and Kane ). This led to a six-man tag team Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs on December 16, in which Reigns, Ambrose and Rollins defeated Team Hell No and Ryback in their debut match. The Shield continued to aid Punk in January 2013, attacking both Ryback and The Rock . On
15264-406: The crowd, attempting to stop him from speaking, before simply stating "This is my yard now" and leaving the ring. Reigns then resumed his feud with Strowman, after Strowman kayfabe injured Reigns's shoulder. A match was set up between the two at Payback on April 30, which Reigns lost. The feud between the two was put on hold after Strowman legitimately injured his elbow. Reigns competed in
15423-540: 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
15582-405: 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
15741-486: The event on November 4, Sikoa defeated Cena after nine Samoan Spikes. At WrestleMania XL Night 2, Sikoa attempted to assist Reigns against Rhodes again, only to be thwarted by a returning John Cena, who delivered an AA to Sikoa through the announce table. During the following months in the absence of Roman Reigns, Sikoa was appointed as the de facto leader of The Bloodline, exiled Jimmy Uso , and recruited Tama Tonga , Tonga Loa (formerly Camacho) and Jacob Fatu as
15900-455: The event, after Reigns pulled out of the event amid concerns surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic and his being immunocompromised from his leukemia. Following WrestleMania, Reigns continued to remain absent from WWE programming in the midst of the pandemic, telling Hindustan Times : "For me, I just had to make a choice for my family. The company (WWE) has done everything that they can to make it
16059-597: 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
16218-470: 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
16377-432: The four, before the trio performed their signature pose, officially reuniting the group for the third time. The Shield defeated the team of McIntyre, Lashley, and Corbin at Fastlane on March 10. On the March 25 episode of Raw , Reigns accepted a challenge from McIntyre for a match at WrestleMania 35 . At the event on April 7, Reigns was successful in defeating McIntyre. During the 2019 WWE Superstar Shake-up , Reigns
16536-610: 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
16695-455: 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
16854-436: The help of Ambrose in order to take on the reformed Wyatt Family, with the duo defeating Wyatt and Harper at SummerSlam on August 23. The following night on Raw , Reigns and Ambrose were attacked by Wyatt's new ally, the debuting Braun Strowman . On September 20 at Night of Champions , Reigns and Ambrose teamed with Chris Jericho , but were defeated by Wyatt, Harper and Strowman. The feud between Reigns and Wyatt ended at
17013-478: The help of The Usos. On November 8, it was announced that Reigns would face WWE Champion Big E at Survivor Series in a Champion vs. Champion match, with Reigns emerging victorious at the event on November 21. On the December 3 episode of SmackDown , Reigns successfully defended his title against Sami Zayn after Lesnar attacked Zayn. On the December 17 episode of SmackDown , Reigns fired Heyman as his manager due to Heyman's past association with Lesnar. Reigns
17172-509: The independent circuit. He then signed with the WWE in 2021 and was assigned to the NXT brand under the name Solo Sikoa before being called up to the main roster a year later, debuting at Clash at the Castle , joining The Bloodline stable at first as a silent enforcer, then repackaged as the self-proclaimed "Tribal Chief". In the WWE, he held the NXT North American Championship once. As the son of Rikishi and brothers of Jonathan and Joshua , Fatu
17331-513: 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
17490-492: The individual wrestlers are paid or have been paid for their performance in 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
17649-471: 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
17808-487: 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
17967-404: The initial diagnosis. On February 25, 2019, Reigns made his return to Raw , revealing that his leukemia was once again in remission to a huge ovation from the crowd. Later in the night, Reigns and Rollins would appear to assist Ambrose from an attack by Drew McIntyre, Bobby Lashley, Elias, and Baron Corbin. The following week on Raw , Ambrose assisted Reigns and Rollins from another attack by
18126-529: The main event to become the WWE World Heavyweight Champion for a third time. After WrestleMania, Reigns began a feud with AJ Styles and successfully defended the championship against him at Payback on May 1 and then again at Extreme Rules in an Extreme Rules match on May 22. After the latter match, Reigns was attacked by a returning Seth Rollins. At Money in the Bank on June 19, Reigns lost to Rollins, marking his first clean loss on
18285-483: The main roster and ending his reign at 77 days. On June 21, Anoaʻi was legitimately suspended by WWE for 30 days due to violating the WWE Wellness Program , WWE's internal drug testing program. Pro Wrestling Torch and TheWrap reported that WWE knew of Anoaʻi's violation before the event, leading to Reigns being scripted to lose his world title at the event. On July 19 at the 2016 WWE draft , Reigns
18444-408: The main roster. The following night on Raw , Reigns was chokeslammed by The Undertaker after they both joined forces to attack Strowman. This led to a No Holds Barred match between Reigns and Undertaker at WrestleMania 33 on April 2, which Reigns won in his third consecutive WrestleMania main event. The next night on Raw , Reigns opened the show to ten minutes of severe boos and chants from
18603-498: 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
18762-533: The new members of the street thug stable. At Backlash, Sikoa teamed up with Tama Tonga to defeat Randy Orton and Kevin Owens with the help of the returning Tonga Loa. In the following weeks, Sikoa kicked out Paul Heyman from the stable and replaced Reigns as the leader and as Tribal Chief. After beginning a feud with Cody Rhodes at Clash at the Castle: Scotland , Sikoa along with Tama Tonga and Jacob Fatu defeated Rhodes, Randy Orton and Kevin Owens at Money in
18921-401: The newly announced WWE Universal Championship against Rollins at SummerSlam on August 21, as he lost to the debuting Finn Bálor in a qualifying match. In August, Reigns began a feud with United States Champion Rusev , provoking a title match between the two at SummerSlam . At the event on August 21, Reigns and Rusev brawled before the match began, leading to the match being declared
19080-605: The number 99, Anoaʻi played for one season with the Eskimos, featuring in five games, of which he started three. Anoaʻi's most notable game came against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in September, where he tied for the team lead with five tackles and had a forced fumble. Anoaʻi was released by the Eskimos on November 10, and proceeded to retire from professional football. Mid 20th Century 1970s and 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s and 2020s Anoaʻi signed
19239-485: The process. He made his main roster in-ring debut against McIntyre on the September 9 episode of SmackDown , losing by disqualification after Karrion Kross attacked McIntyre. On the September 13 episode of NXT 2.0 , Sikoa made a surprise appearance and defeated Carmelo Hayes to win the NXT North American Championship. He retained the title three nights later at SmackDown against Madcap Moss , but
19398-714: 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
19557-439: The purpose of providing entertainment to spectators and which does not comprise 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
19716-566: The ring name Sefa Fatu, and regularly teamed up with his cousins Jacob Fatu and Journey Fatu. On January 25, 2019, Fatu would win the FSW Nevada State Championship, holding the belt for 149 days until losing to Hammerstone in June. In August 2019, Fatu defeated Watson to win the Arizona Wrestling Federation (AWF) heavyweight title, which he held for 418 days until losing it in January 2021. On August 30, 2021, it
19875-421: The ring, but I just can't put the same trust when it has my children, my wife, and my family involved." It was later claimed by Paul Heyman that Reigns officially considered himself retired from professional wrestling during this period. Following a five-month hiatus, Reigns returned at SummerSlam on August 23, attacking the new Universal Champion "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt, and Braun Strowman after their match for
20034-431: The safest work environment possible. It is not the workplace that I was necessarily concerned about. The decision was taken mainly because each performer travels so much, and we are all such a diverse group and from all over the place. I'm not convinced, and I can't trust the fact that everybody is taking it as seriously and locking themselves down at home like I am. I trust my life with my co-workers every time I step foot in
20193-440: 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
20352-471: The summer, the Bloodline would enter a feud with a returning John Cena and LA Knight , where at Fastlane on October 7, Sikoa and Jimmy (who had rejoined the stable) lost to them in a tag team match. On the October 20 episode of SmackDown , Cena teased retirement before calling out anyone to face him, leading to Sikoa coming out and brawling with Cena and setting up a match between the two at Crown Jewel . At
20511-426: 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,
20670-424: The title against Elias , Jason Jordan , Cesaro , and Samoa Joe before losing it back to The Miz on the 25th Anniversary of Raw on January 22, 2018, ending his reign at 63 days. Reigns competed in the 2018 Royal Rumble match on January 28, but was the last participant eliminated by eventual winner Shinsuke Nakamura . After defeating Bray Wyatt on the February 5 episode of Raw , Reigns qualified for
20829-416: The title against Jey Uso by technical knockout , after Reigns viciously beat down Jey, and Jimmy Uso threw in the towel. After this, Reigns granted Jey a rematch at the Hell in a Cell event, and the match was later confirmed as a Hell in a Cell match, with the added stipulation of being an "I Quit" match . In the middle of the rivalry with Jey, Reigns successfully defended his title against Strowman on
20988-484: The title from Sheamus in a Tables, Ladders and Chairs match at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs following interference by The League of Nations (Alberto Del Rio and Rusev), attacking Triple H in anger after the match. The next night on Raw , Vince McMahon granted Reigns a title rematch against Sheamus, under the stipulation that if Reigns lost, he would be forced to retire. Reigns managed to win after overcoming interferences from McMahon, Del Rio and Rusev, regaining
21147-515: The title the following day, which led to a tournament to crown a new champion. Reigns defeated Big Show in the first round, Cesaro in the quarterfinals, Alberto Del Rio in the semifinals, and Dean Ambrose in the finals at Survivor Series on November 22 to win the WWE World Heavyweight Championship for the first time. Immediately afterward, Sheamus cashed in his Money in the Bank contract and defeated Reigns, thus ending Reigns' reign after only five minutes. On December 13, Reigns failed to regain
21306-526: The title. On the following SmackDown , Reigns aligned himself with his new manager, Paul Heyman, turning heel for the first time since 2014. At Payback on August 30, Reigns defeated defending champion The Fiend and Strowman in a No Holds Barred Triple Threat match to win the Universal Championship for the second time. Reigns then began a rivalry with his cousin Jey Uso . In his first championship defense at Clash of Champions on September 27, Reigns retained
21465-505: 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
21624-472: The trio would occasionally reunite until Ambrose left WWE in 2019. Reigns is a six-time world champion in WWE, having held the WWE Championship four times and the WWE Universal Championship twice; he won his fourth WWE Championship during his second Universal Championship reign and as such, was recognized as Undisputed WWE Universal Champion . He is also a one-time WWE United States Champion ,
21783-471: 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
21942-524: The two at the event. At the event on August 21, Reigns defeated Cena to retain the title. Immediately after the match, Reigns would be confronted by a returning Brock Lesnar. After that, Reigns begins a rivalry with Finn Bálor, successfully defending his title against him on the September 3 episode of SmackDown , and in an Extreme Rules match at Extreme Rules on September 26 with Bálor in his Demon persona. On October 21, at Crown Jewel , Reigns successfully defended his title against Brock Lesnar, again with
22101-405: 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 a performing art evolved from the common practice of match-fixing among American wrestlers in
22260-535: 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
22419-420: 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
22578-425: 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
22737-474: Was drafted to the Raw brand . Despite Reigns's suspension, WWE continued to advertise Reigns as part of the Battleground main event, and went on to acknowledge Reigns's suspension on television. At Battleground on July 24, Reigns made his televised return, facing Rollins and Dean Ambrose for the now-renamed WWE Championship, which Ambrose won. The following night on Raw , Reigns also failed to contend for
22896-404: Was announced that Fatu signed a contract with WWE . He was assigned to their development brand NXT , making his debut on October 26 at Halloween Havoc as Solo Sikoa , where he interrupted a segment between the co-hosts Grayson Waller and L.A. Knight before attacking Waller. Sikoa made his in-ring debut on the November 2 episode of NXT by defeating Jeet Rama in the latter's last match. On
23055-637: Was attacked by a returning Brock Lesnar to renew their rivalry and set up a Last Man Standing match at SummerSlam on July 30, in which Reigns won, ending their 7-year feud. At Clash at the Castle on September 3, Reigns successfully retained the titles against Drew McIntyre following interference from the debuting Solo Sikoa . At Crown Jewel on November 5, Reigns successfully retained the titles against Logan Paul . Three weeks later at Survivor Series: WarGames on November 26, Reigns, along with The Bloodline, defeated Drew McIntyre, Kevin Owens and The Brawling Brutes ( Sheamus , Ridge Holland and Butch ) in
23214-402: Was attacked by the returning Edge, leading to a title match between the two at Money in the Bank on July 18, where Reigns retained with the assistance of Seth Rollins. After the match, Reigns was confronted by a returning John Cena. Over the following weeks, Cena challenged Reigns for a title match at SummerSlam , and after initially rejecting Cena's challenge, a match was made official for
23373-488: 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
23532-449: Was drafted to the SmackDown brand on the April 16 episode of SmackDown , with WWE's announcers describing Reigns as "SmackDown's greatest ever acquisition", as well as the future of SmackDown and WWE. During the episode, Reigns attacked Elias and Vince McMahon. The following week, Elias challenged Reigns to a match at Money in the Bank on May 19 which Reigns accepted and also won. On the May 20 episode of Raw , Reigns, who appeared via
23691-463: Was forced to vacate the title on the September 20 episode of NXT . At Survivor Series: WarGames on November 26, Sikoa and The Bloodline defeated The Brawling Brutes ( Sheamus , Ridge Holland and Butch ), McIntyre and Kevin Owens in a WarGames match . Sikoa suffered his first pinfall loss on the main roster against Cody Rhodes the March 27, 2023 episode of Raw . In the main event of WrestleMania 39 on April 2, Sikoa assisted Reigns to retain
23850-764: Was in progress, turning it into a triple threat match, which Reigns lost when he was pinned by Rollins. "Reigns was a greener-than-grass wrestler who WWE identified as the Face of the Performance Center Machine – taking raw talent without the "bad habits" from the independents and trying to manufacture a WrestleMania Main-Eventer ". James Caldwell of the Pro Wrestling Torch Newsletter in February 2015 on Reigns's background compared to that of his Shield teammates In April, Reigns resumed his feud with Big Show, which culminated on April 26 in
24009-670: Was later broken by Braun Strowman in 2018. Reigns would be the runner-up in the match after being lastly eliminated by Batista . The next night on Raw , The Shield competed in a six-man tag team match against Daniel Bryan, Sheamus and John Cena, with all three members of the winning team qualifying for the Elimination Chamber match for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship , which The Shield lost via disqualification after The Wyatt Family interfered and attacked Cena, Bryan and Sheamus. A six-man tag team match pitting The Shield against The Wyatt Family on February 24 at
24168-517: Was pinned by Brock Lesnar in a Universal Championship match also involving Strowman and Joe. Following this, Reigns began a rivalry with John Cena, leading to a match at No Mercy on September 24, which Reigns won. The next night on Raw , Reigns described his victory over Cena as the biggest win in his career. In October, due to mutual issues with The Miz , The Miztourage ( Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel ) and Cesaro and Sheamus , Reigns, Ambrose and Rollins decided to reform The Shield in order to combat
24327-636: 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
24486-456: Was reported that the WrestleMania main event was cut short due to Reigns sustaining an arm injury. At WrestleMania Backlash on May 8, Reigns and The Usos defeated RK-Bro ( Randy Orton and Riddle ) and McIntyre in a six-man tag team match . On the June 17 episode of SmackDown , Reigns successfully defended the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship against Riddle, but after the match, he
24645-674: Was saved by The Undertaker from an assault from McMahon and McIntyre. Reigns and Undertaker teamed up to defeat McMahon and McIntyre in a No Holds Barred tag team match at Extreme Rules on July 14. On the July 30 episode of SmackDown , an unidentified person pushed lighting equipment on Reigns. The following week, Reigns was again targeted by the attacker as he was a victim of a hit and run . After ruling out Samoa Joe and Buddy Murphy as suspects, Reigns next investigated Daniel Bryan and Erick Rowan due to testimony from Murphy and seemingly incriminating video footage. However, Bryan revealed
24804-518: Was scheduled for the Crown Jewel event, however, on October 22, Reigns relinquished the title and announced his hiatus on Raw , revealing that his leukemia had returned after 11 years of privately battling it and being in remission. Following this announcement, Reigns would go on an indefinite hiatus to receive treatment. Reigns was first diagnosed in May 2007 when he was signed to the Minnesota Vikings , and went into remission around two years after
24963-468: Was scheduled to defend his title against Lesnar at the Day 1 event on January 1, 2022, but the match was canceled as a result of Reigns testing positive for COVID-19 . On January 16, Reigns surpassed Lesnar's 503-day reign to become the longest reigning Universal Champion, in turn having the sixth longest world championship reign in the company's history. On January 29 at the Royal Rumble event, Reigns defended
25122-415: 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
25281-417: 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
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