Yes, if your main intersection with pro wrestling was the late-'90s boom on U.S. cable TV, then you definitely saw a product rife with misogyny and homophobia. But it's a much more inclusive hobby than it used to be, and I tell people who I want to convince to go to an independent show with me that they should expect something like a comic-con atmosphere, not a frat house.
I do love the ol' "you gotta read the fine print" in pro wrestling contracts. On Friday's "SmackDown," Paul Heyman stressed to general manager Nick Aldis, with War Games contract in hand, that the agreement states he could choose any member of the WWE roster across all brands to fill out Team Vision (the brand part was really a red herring for the big reveal at the end of the show).
Whether you're a longtime fan or you couldn't care less, it's hard to deny how much skill - and blood - goes into professional wrestling. Though plot lines are scripted ahead of time and the impacts are staged, the physicality is very real. At its highest level, pro wrestling is basically a decades-long soap opera acted out by highly-trained stuntmen, with improvisational elements in which the audience's reaction and real-life injuries can upend the plot in a moment's notice.
If last week's "SmackDown" left fans a little confused and empty from Drew McIntyre's disqualification win over Cody Rhodes in the impromptu title match, this week turned attention in the short term to Jimmy Uso and the Scottish Warrior, with Uso upset over what McIntyre allegedly did to Jacob Fatu last week. This led to a match with an expected outcome, as McIntyre beat Uso in his march toward Saturday Night's Main Event and a meeting with Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Championship.
WWE Crown Jewel will take place Saturday from the RAC Arena in Perth, Western Australia (8 a.m. ET on ESPN Unlimited). The premium live event (PLE) will be headlined by a pair of matches for the men's and women's Crown Jewel championships. Undisputed WWE champion Cody Rhodes will challenge world heavyweight champion Seth Rollins in one match, and WWE women's champion Tiffany Stratton will face new women's world champion Stephanie Vaquer in another.
Becoming a sports star is no easy feat, and neither is making it as a Hollywood actor. But these men and women have proven they can do both! Here are the football players, wrestlers, and more athletes who proved they had skills on *and* off the big screen: 1. To start, John Cena is a 17-time WWE world champion and had his first major acting role in 2006's The Marine. He's since gone on to appear in Trainwreck, Blockers, and HBO Max's Peacemaker.
Some professional wrestling moves are as iconic as the wrestlers themselves. Whether it's Shawn Michaels' Superkick that strikes up the band for some sweet chin music, Steve Austin's Stone Cold Stunner that is usually a precursor to a few chugs of beer, or The Undertaker's Tombstone Piledriver that sends its victims straight to hell, a wrestler's signature move usually delivers the perfect ending to a thrilling match. Check out a selection of notable WWE wrestlers and their signature moves below.
