History of Professional Wrestling in The United States

History Of Professional Wrestling In The United States

Professional wrestling in the United States, until the late 1920s, was viewed as a legitimate sport. Across the country there were "iron men" who would stand in the center of the ring, usually at state fairs, and literally shout out a challenge to anyone with the nerve to enter the ring. One such Michigan wrestler, Ivy Cutcher, aka "Poison Ivy", took on "all comers" at State Fairs throughout Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana during the 1920s. Archived newspaper clippings show that Poison Ivy rarely lost - even though taking on challengers of any height, weight, or profession, usually several challengers in the same afternoon. Occasionally, a ringer (another professional wrestler), would try for the prize money and step into the ring (often pretending to be a local farmer). They too would soon find themselves tossed from the ring by the Michigan legend, Poison Ivy. These dramatic bouts at state fairs were true contests of physical strength and agility - as there was no telling (or preventing) who would enter the ring. This view did not endure into the 1930s, as became identified with modern theatrics, or admitted fakeness ("kayfabe"), moving away from being a showcase for true competition. The scripted nature of the art has made critics view it as an illegitimate sport, particularly in comparison to boxing, mixed martial arts, and amateur wrestling. No major promoter or wrestler denies that modern professional wrestling has predetermined match outcomes.

Through the advent of television in the 1950s and cable in the 1980s, professional wrestling began appearing in powerful media outlets, reaching never before seen numbers of viewers. It became an international phenomenon with the expansion of the World Wrestling Federation. Throughout the 1990s, professional wrestling achieved highs in both viewers and financial success during a time of fierce competition among competing promotions, such as World Wrestling Federation, World Championship Wrestling, and Extreme Championship Wrestling.

The nature of professional wrestling changed dramatically to better fit television, enhancing character traits and storylines. Television also helped many wrestlers break into mainstream media, becoming influential celebrities and icons of popular culture. In the United States, in the First Golden Age of Professional Wrestling in the 1940s–1950s, Gorgeous George gained mainstream popularity, followed in the Second Golden Age in the 1980s–1990s by Ric Flair, Hulk Hogan, Shawn Michaels, Bret Hart, Sting, The Undertaker, Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock and Chris Jericho.