How is Wrestling Set out?

[dalegendkilla]

Can anyone fill me in on how wrestling works, before I used to think that they practiced their matches all week, it being choreographed and everything. Them getting every move done. Then someone said they don't practice at all and they just know when to finish and who'll win. Then someone said, they are told what particular moves to do in the match, and what the finisher is. Can anyone tell me which one of these it is? Thanks.

[Pepsi Man]

It's all subject to the promotion and the workers in question for any given match.

[McLegend]

Actully now a days wrestlers do rehearse their matches much more then they did say 10 years ago.

Usually it use to be you work out the end and you go from there.

Also most of the time management decides who wins. Also I don't know for sure, but it wouldn't surprise if management did tell the wrestlers what moves to do.

[PureHatred]

From what I've read and heard, matches used to be much more ad-libbed with wrestlers basically just calling their own match. The only thing they knew was how much time and how to finish.

BUt now, from what I understand, a lot of the matches in in the indy scene are becoming more and more rehearesed. While in the major promotions, bookers are definitely saying whihc moves they want to see and how they want thte match to play out. In the WWE's case, this could be for many reasons depending on wh you listen to: safety, they think workers get over if the fans become accustomed to their move sets, they want the HOLYSHIT moves toned down so they don't overshadow the main eventers, etc.

PM Dave Youell. As a real live worker in the business I'm sure he knows plenty on this subject.

[Just John]

In the rocks auto biography he says that as he was training with austin before his match at wm they were calling out the moves together

[KayfabeMan]

It's a very difficult situation to describe, as there are MANY MANY different ways that it could play out - depending on the promotion, people involved, etc. (as someone had said above).

So I won't get into it.

[KayfabeMan]

That was anticlimactic.

[adamwwe]

Both happens. Some guys call their matches on the spot. The result is always known going in (save for when accidents occur, but even then they try to follow the plan). Key spots are usually drawn up as well. Say a guy has an injury as part of a storyline, and that body part is worked on during the match. You know they knew they were going there before hand. Same for foriegn object use no doubt, at least almost always.

Non-televised finishes might be off the cuff every once in a while too.

Non-TV events are used to, among other things, try out what works and for workers to feel each other out. This might determine a spot or two that will make TV, or it might result in the entire match being strung together. Ricky Steamboat says that this happened for his classic WrestleMania 3 match with Randy Savage. They ran the whole match on the road several times beforehand.

[BloodRiotZero]

According to Flair's bio, that was due to Randy's maniacal overplanning his matches, which I personally see nothing wrong with.

[adamwwe]

Me either. Some say truly scripted matches would look unrealistic. I don't buy that. If anything, it probably helps it look realistic since the guys have practice at the bout.

[Londoner]

Bumpin this thread, want to hear what Dave Youell has to say on this cos im confused myself.

[Dave Youell]

Personally I hate scripted matches, work out a few spots the start and the end and ad lib the rest, if i do a scripted match i'll forget it and it will look the shits.

No Promoter has ever told me what moves or spots to do, only who's going over and how they would like that person to go over (pin, sub, DQ). There are proabably bookers out there that want certian things in there matches i.e injury angles so work on a specific body part, but apart from that in my expeirence the workers can work how they want. If a booker books a worker they do so because they like there work in the first place.

I'm in the WWE management do have words with workers about there style, an example would be RVD, but having no experience there I couldn't comment any more on that

[Londoner]

That's what i thought at first. Though the WWE matches look scripted alot of the time.

[mitch_h]

I use to really script a lot of my stuff, but I was also a huge spot wrestler. Personally I like to plan the opening, the finish and a couple spots in between.