WRESTLING TERMS
Bump - when a wrestler hits the mat or ground. A flat back bump is a bump in which a wrestler lands solidly on his back with high impact, spread over as much surface as possible.
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Burial or Bury - refers to the worked lowering (relegation) of a popular wrestler's status with the fans. It is the act of a promoter or booker causing a wrestler to continuously lose in squash matches, and/or participate in unentertaining or degrading storylines.
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Clean finish - when a match ends without cheating or outside interference, usually in the center of the ring.
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Color - a term used by wrestlers and promoters to discuss the amount of bloodshed in a match.
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Face or Babyface - the good guy, or the wrestler who the crowds are intended to cheer for.
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Fall - usually the ending of the match. A fall is obtained by gaining a decision in any manner, normally consisting of a pinfall, submission, count-out, or disqualification. In a two out of three falls match, a wrestler must gain two decisions to win instead of only one.
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Feud - a battle between two or more wrestlers or stables, often involving matches, promos, and angles. A feud usually lasts for several months.
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Finisher - a wrestler's signature move that leads to a finish (end of the match).
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Foreign object - an object that is illegal to the match, such as a chair, brass knuckles, or garbage can.
Gimmick - a wrestler's personality and/or other distinguishing traits while performing.
Go over - to beat someone.
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Heat - a wrestler getting a negative crowd reaction.
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Heel - a bad guy or the wrestler who the crowds are intended to boo for.
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Highspot - a top-rope, or often as a “high risk” move, or a series of maneuvers perceived as dangerous.
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Jobber - a wrestler whose primary function is losing to better-known wrestlers.
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Kayfabe - term used to describe the illusion (and up-keep of the illusion) that professional wrestling is not staged. Also used by wrestlers as a signal to close ranks and stop discussing business due to an uninformed person arriving in earshot.
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Lucha libre - translates to "Free Fighting". It is used to describe the Mexican style of wrestling that consists of high-flying acrobatic moves. A Mexican wrestler or any wrestler of this style is a luchador.
Mark - a fan who believes or wants to believe that the characters and events of some or all of professional wrestling are real. "Marking out" is the act of reacting to an event in wresting as if it was legit even though the person reacting to it knows it to be staged.
Over - the extent to which a performer has been accepted by fans. A face wrestler is considered over when he is being cheered, whereas a heel is considered over when he is booed. Winning a match is referred to as "going over" in the wrestling industry. Losing to a wrestler in a match is referred to as "putting them over."
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Pop - a sudden crowd reaction, either positive or negative. It is measured by the amount of cheers or derision a wrestler gets during his entrance, interviews, and in-ring performance (especially when a trademark spot is performed by the wrestler).
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Promo - a promotional interview (as in "cutting a promo"). Often includes either an "in-ring interview" or a skit by wrestlers and other performers to advance a storyline or feud.
Promotion - a group that organizes professional wrestling events.
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Push - when a wrestler gains popularity with wins and positive exposure. A push can be a sudden win over a major superstar, or becoming involved in a high-profile angle.
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Screwjob - a match with a controversial finish, often involving cheating or outside interference. A worked screwjob is part of the storyline. A shoot screwjob is extremely rare and occurs when a change is made without one of the participants knowing.
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Sell - reacting to an opponent's attacks in a manner that suggests that the techniques are being applied at full-force. In general, selling is the act of convincing the audience that what is happening is genuine.
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Smart - someone who has inside information on the wrestling business.
Squash - an extremely one-sided match which is usually over quickly. Squash matches usually consist of wrestlers fighting unknown jobbers, usually to help get a gimmick or move-set over.
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Stable - also known as a Faction; is a group of wrestlers within a promotion who have a common element— friendships, either real or storyline, a common manager, or a common storyline—which puts them together as a unit.
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Three-count - when the referee slaps the mat with his hand to count a pinfall. In theory, a 3 count lasts for three seconds; however, individual referees have their own cadence.
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Turn - when a wrestler switches from face to heel or vice versa. A hard turn occurs when a wrestler becomes a heel or face in a sudden surprise plot twist. In contrast, a soft turn is a gradual switch to heel or face over an extended period of time.
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Valet - a type of female Manager. A female accompanying a Wrestler to the ring. Many times she functions as "eye candy", a distraction and/or plays the role of an agitator or a source of interference (cheating).
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Work (noun) - an event booked to happen, from the carnival tradition of "working the crowd." A work can also refer to the match itself. The opposite of a work is a shoot.