Wrestling is a type of wrestling, but most often rivals in the ring fight not for the title of winner, but for popularity. Indeed, in theatrical staged wrestling show programs, the winner is appointed even before the start of the battle. Professional wrestling (exactly the same variety in which the winner is determined during the match) is especially popular in North America, Japan and Mexico, and each country has its own combat characteristics.
The type of wrestling, typical for today’s viewer, acquired in the 70s of the XX century, although it already existed 100 years before that in France (hence the original name – French wrestling). To date, the American company World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is engaged in the popularization of this spectacular show around the world (it is also the world’s largest wrestling federation).
The fights held under the auspices of the WWE include 4 stages: preparation, the exit of the participants / teams (which is arranged very solemnly, with a demonstration of their “chips” by each wrestler / group), the fight itself and the final event (the winners are awarded at it) . To increase the ratings of such fights, participants are not only not prohibited, but also encouraged to have a verbal skirmish with mutual insults to each other before the start of power moves. The number of simultaneous participation of wrestlers is not particularly regulated by the rules – there are fights 1 on 1, team to team, and it also happens that several people are released into the ring and 1 winner is determined.
When holding professional meetings between athletes, the judges count the victory when the opponent is held on the shoulder blades (up to 3 counts of the judge), forced to surrender, or in case of disqualification (in case of gross violation of the rules of combat).
In 2008, the most popular film about this sport, The Wrestler, was shot. Mickey Rourke starred in this American-French feature film.
The domestic viewer was able to enjoy watching the wrestling show for the first time in 1998 (then hosted by Nikolai Fomenko). In April 2012, WWE held its spectacular matches on Russian territory.
Wrestling in Russia
In Russia, wrestling gained its widest popularity thanks to the broadcast of weekly shows on TNT and STS channels: WCW Nitro, WWF Smackdown and WWE Raw. In Russia, out of sequence, with a four-month delay, 45-minute versions were broadcast, while the duration of the original TV programs reached 1.5 hours, and pay-per-view programs (PPV) – 3 hours.
Also in Russia, since 2002, there has been a Russian wrestling promotion – NFR. It was created by Vadim Koryagin. NFR holds a regular wrestling show “Danger Zone” in Moscow and the Moscow region, which is periodically broadcast on the 7TV channel. Also, once a year, the NFR holds a special show “Resliada”, in which specially invited foreign wrestlers take part, and once a year – a special show “President’s Cup”, in which a knockout match is held among all active wrestlers.
Wrestling in Ukraine
As in Russia, the popularity of wrestling in Ukraine is entirely connected with the rebroadcasting of the TNT channel. In 2001, the opening of the Women’s Wrestling Federation took place in Sevastopol, one of the branches of which was the organization “KGB – Crimean Mud Fights”, practicing mud wrestling (mud wrestling) – wrestling in the mud. Every year from June 20 to August 25, the championship along the Black Sea coast “KGB Summer Cup” is held, consisting of 80 full-fledged wrestling shows between women’s teams of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. In just 8 years of the existence of the organization, a record number of wrestling shows for the CIS was organized and held in the amount of 750 programs.