190 Fun Facts About Wrestling

How is a wrestler eliminated from a Royal Rumble match?

Over the top rope, feet on floor is the only way out: leaving under or between the ropes does not count, a loophole some entrants have used to hide outside.

In 1997, booed rookie Rocky Maivia turned villain by joining which stable?

The Nation of Domination took in Rocky Maivia in August 1997, after crowds had turned on the smiling rookie with chants of 'Rocky sucks'; within months he was leading the group himself.

Who was the first ever Undisputed WWF Champion, unifying the WWF and WCW World Championships?

Chris Jericho became the first Undisputed WWF Champion at Vengeance in December 2001 by beating the holders of both titles on the same night, first for the World Championship and then for the WWF Championship.

Which Mexican promotion did WWE take over in 2025?

Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide began in 1992 when Antonio Peña, a booker at CMLL, broke away for more creative freedom and took many of its wrestlers with him; WWE announced its takeover in April 2025.

Who was the first winner of the women's Royal Rumble match, which debuted in 2018?

Asuka last eliminated Nikki Bella to win, then challenged Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania 34, where her undefeated streak in WWE finally ended after 914 days.

Under which name did Steve Austin debut in the WWF in early 1996?

The Ringmaster lasted about two months: Austin shaved his head, escaped suggestions such as Fang McFrost, and became Stone Cold after his wife told him to drink his tea before it got stone cold.

In which arena was the first-ever WrestleMania event held?

Madison Square Garden saw pop star Cyndi Lauper walk Wendi Richter to the ring that night, and Richter left it as the new women's champion.

Which catchphrase does "The Nature Boy" Ric Flair famously shout?

Ric Flair borrowed his "Woo!" from Jerry Lee Lewis's "Great Balls of Fire" and made it a trademark alongside his strut and his exaggerated flop.

Who broke The Honky Tonk Man's record for longest WWE Intercontinental reign in 2023?

Gunther passed the 454-day mark of The Honky Tonk Man, whose own reign had ended in a 31-second loss to the Ultimate Warrior; Gunther's ran 666 days, until WrestleMania XL in 2024.

New Japan's Wrestle Kingdom, its answer to WrestleMania, is held every January in which venue?

Wrestle Kingdom is held at the Tokyo Dome, where NJPW has run its January 4 show every year since 1992, the biggest annual wrestling event outside the United States.

Which Attitude Era tag team was known for 'five-second poses for the benefit of those with flash photography'?

Edge & Christian used the pose to mock their opponents or the host city, often in outlandish costumes, on the way to winning the WWF Tag Team Championship seven times.

WCW billed Goldberg's 1997–98 undefeated streak at how many consecutive wins?

173 was the billed figure, but the count was padded: fans tracking the wins on homemade signs spotted the inconsistencies, and fellow wrestlers have said it was exaggerated for promotion.

At which WWE pay-per-view event did the faction known as The Shield make their debut?

Survivor Series 2012 ended with Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns storming the main event to powerbomb Ryback through an announce table, which let the champion keep his title.

The first-ever Hell in a Cell match, in 1997, pitted The Undertaker against which opponent?

Shawn Michaels won the first Hell in a Cell only because Kane made his debut mid-match, ripping the cell door off and laying out The Undertaker, his storyline brother.

The finishing move known as Sweet Chin Music is which kind of kick?

A superkick was popularised by the English judoka 'Gentleman' Chris Adams; its most famous user beat Ric Flair in his WWE retirement match in 2008 after saying 'I'm sorry, I love you'.

What wrestling term refers to a short, one-sided bout in which a star easily beats a lesser opponent?

A squash match lets a star or a newly pushed wrestler win quickly and easily to get a persona over; the designated loser is known as a jobber.

Which summer round-robin tournament traditionally earned its winner a New Japan title shot at Wrestle Kingdom?

G1 Climax winners from 2012 carried a title-shot contract in a briefcase and had to defend it all autumn; since 2024 the winners have taken their championship match in October instead.

The WWE Network's US service, launched in 2014, was folded into which streaming platform in 2021?

Peacock's owner, NBCUniversal, bought the exclusive US rights to the WWE Network in a five-year deal, and the stand-alone service launched in February 2014 was folded in on March 18, 2021.

Which professional wrestling star is known by the nickname 'The Game'?

Triple H gave himself the name around the start of 2000, declaring that he was not merely the best in the game but the game itself.

Which wrestler holds the record for the most WWE Championship reigns?

John Cena won the title 14 times between 2005 and 2025; the last came at WrestleMania 41, months before he retired, with the career-long hero wrestling as a villain.

WWE officially recognizes Ric Flair as a world champion how many times?

16 is WWE's official count, but tallies that include disputed title changes run as high as 25, and Flair himself has said the real figure is 21.

When the nWo split in 1998, the Wolfpac splinter group wore which colors?

Red and black set the Wolfpac apart from the black and white kept by Hollywood Hogan's side; it was also the first nWo faction to wrestle as fan favorites.

Which legendary wrestler has the most cumulative eliminations in Royal Rumble history?

Kane threw out 46 men across a record 20 Rumble appearances, 11 of them in 2001 alone, which was then a single-match record, yet he finished that night as runner-up.

Who was the first-ever winner of the annual Royal Rumble match?

Hacksaw Jim Duggan won when One Man Gang charged at him and missed, knocking out his own ally instead; Duggan then threw the big man over the top to become the first winner.

Which wrestler is known for winning the Royal Rumble match a record three times?

Stone Cold Steve Austin won in 1997, 1998 and 2001; the first came after he was thrown out while the referees were distracted by a brawl, sneaked back in and outlasted the rest.

What does the Spanish phrase 'lucha libre' literally mean?

Free fighting is the literal sense, and the masks are not in the name: they caught on in the 1930s, after an American wrestler appeared in Mexico as La Maravilla Enmascarada, the Masked Marvel.

In Lucha Libre, what is the term for a villainous wrestler?

Rudo is Spanish for rough or rude: rudos break the rules that their rivals, the técnicos, keep, and cards sometimes pair one of each as a 'pareja increíble', an incredible pair forced to get along.

Which masked high-flyer finishes opponents with the 619, swinging through the ropes to kick a draped foe?

Rey Mysterio named the 619 after the telephone area code of San Diego, where he is billed from; he was born nearby in Chula Vista and joined WWE in 2002.

Which luchador, star of more than 50 films, was buried wearing his silver mask?

El Santo lifted his silver mask in public only once, on a television talk show in January 1984; he died about a week later and was buried wearing it.

Who was the first woman to enter the men's Royal Rumble match, coming in at number 30 in 1999?

Chyna won the number 30 spot in a mini-Rumble on Raw, then threw out Mark Henry on the night, only to be eliminated herself seconds later.

What nickname did Becky Lynch adopt during her rise to prominence, declaring herself the top star?

Becky Lynch took the name 'The Man' in 2018; that November a punch broke her nose during an invasion of Raw, and she stood her ground, bloodied and seemingly unfazed.

Which referee called for the bell in the 1997 Montreal Screwjob without a submission?

Earl Hebner had sworn on his children's lives that he would never double-cross the champion, a close friend who trusted him; he called for the bell anyway, on the owner's orders.

Whose first WWWF/WWE Championship run, at 2,803 days, is the longest in the title's history?

Bruno Sammartino's run ended in January 1971 when Ivan Koloff pinned him; the crowd was so shocked into silence that Sammartino thought his ears had been damaged.

Which wrestler is nicknamed 'The Phenomenal One'?

AJ Styles turned down a WWE developmental contract in 2002 because the move would have upset his wife's college plans; he finally debuted there at the 2016 Royal Rumble, aged 38.

Which type of amateur wrestling prohibits the use of holds below the waist?

Greco-Roman wrestling took shape in 19th-century France, where a Napoleonic soldier is credited with developing it as flat-hand wrestling; an Italian wrestler coined the classical name later.

The WWWF broke away from which organization in 1963?

National Wrestling Alliance officials saw their world title pass to Lou Thesz in a one-fall match in January 1963; the northeastern promoters refused to accept the result and set up the WWWF, now WWE.

Which professional wrestling promotion, founded in 1933, is the oldest still running?

Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) began in 1933 as EMLL after Salvador Lutteroth, a Mexican tax inspector, saw wrestling shows across the border in El Paso and decided to promote his own.

André the Giant played the gentle giant Fezzik in which 1987 film?

The Princess Bride found André the Giant just out of major back surgery: for all his size, he could not take the weight of Cary Elwes in their fight scene or of Robin Wright at the end.

What term refers to a wrestler who is generally considered a good guy or hero in professional wrestling?

A 'face', short for babyface, is booked to be cheered: Hulk Hogan, one of the most famous of the 1980s, urged fans to train, say their prayers and eat their vitamins.

Which professional wrestler is nicknamed 'The Beast Incarnate'?

Brock Lesnar, 'The Beast Incarnate', walked out of WWE in 2004 to try out for the NFL's Minnesota Vikings, then won the UFC heavyweight title before returning to WWE in 2012.

Which celebrity teamed with Hulk Hogan in the main event of the first WrestleMania?

Mr. T, then the star of The A-Team, got the win alongside Hogan; Muhammad Ali, Liberace and Billy Martin were on hand too, as guest referee, timekeeper and ring announcer.

Which former WWF wrestler and color commentator was elected governor of Minnesota in 1998?

Jesse Ventura ran for the Reform Party, was written off as a novelty candidate, and beat both the Republican mayor of St. Paul and the Democratic attorney general, son of a former vice president.

Which former WWF star walked out of the Nitro crowd on May 27, 1996, launching the nWo angle?

Scott Hall came out of the crowd in street clothes calling himself an outsider; Kevin Nash joined him two weeks later, and their mystery partner at Bash at the Beach proved to be Hulk Hogan.

The Undertaker debuted in 1990 as the mystery partner of which 'Million Dollar Man'?

Ted DiBiase unveiled him as the last member of his team at a November 1990 pay-per-view; about a minute into the match the newcomer had already eliminated his first opponent.

Which submission hold was Kurt Angle's signature finisher?

The Ankle Lock and the Angle Slam were Kurt Angle's two finishers; crowds greeted his entrance by chanting 'You suck!' in time with his music, a habit that began during a 2001 feud.

Who is called 'The Icon' in pro wrestling, known mainly for a long career in WCW?

Sting stayed with WCW until its final Nitro in 2001 and then kept away from WWE for more than a decade; he finally wrestled there at WrestleMania 31 in 2015, aged 56.

Which flamboyant 1950s wrestler, with platinum curls and a valet, inspired Muhammad Ali's showmanship?

Gorgeous George advised the young boxer that a lot of people would pay to see someone shut his mouth, so he should keep on bragging and always be outrageous.

Before wrestling, "Macho Man" Randy Savage played which professional sport?

Baseball came first for Randy Savage: the St. Louis Cardinals signed him as a catcher out of high school, and he spent years in the minor leagues, where a collision at home plate damaged his throwing arm.

What is the wrestling term for a pre-determined character a performer portrays?

A gimmick can remake a career: John Layfield spent years as a brawling Texan before becoming the loudmouthed tycoon JBL in 2004, then held the WWE Championship for 280 days.

Which tag team's first WWF World Tag Team Championship reign lasted a then-record 478 days?

Demolition won the belts at WrestleMania IV after Ax struck Rick Martel with manager Mr. Fuji's cane, then held them for 478 days, a record that stood until The New Day passed it in 2016.

What term in professional wrestling refers to the portrayal of staged events as real?

Kayfabe was publicly dropped in 1989, when the WWF's owner told New Jersey's state senate that wrestling was not a competitive sport, a move made to escape athletic-commission oversight.

Which event was the inaugural pay-per-view for All Elite Wrestling (AEW) in May 2019?

Double or Nothing followed All In, a 2018 independent show that grew out of a bet with a wrestling journalist; its 10,000-plus tickets had sold out in under 30 minutes.

Which wrestler is credited with innovating the DDT?

Jake Roberts says he discovered the DDT by accident and gave the move its name; after flooring an opponent with it he would drape his python, Damien, over the body.

Which wrestler won the inaugural Money in the Bank ladder match at WrestleMania 21 in 2005?

Edge held the contract for nine months, then cashed it in on a champion who had just survived a gruelling six-man match, and took the WWE title with two spears in under two minutes.

Kurt Angle won Olympic wrestling gold in 1996 despite which injury?

A broken neck, two cracked vertebrae suffered at the US trials, did not stop Kurt Angle winning the 220-pound title in Atlanta about five months later.

What was the main event of WrestleMania III, held in 1987?

Hulk Hogan vs. André the Giant is remembered for Hogan body-slamming the challenger, billed at 520 pounds and as unbeaten for 15 years, before a claimed crowd of 93,173.

Which wrestler holds the longest single IWGP Heavyweight Championship reign, at 720 days?

Kazuchika Okada's fourth reign ran from June 2016 to June 2018, and it took Kenny Omega a two-out-of-three-falls match lasting about 65 minutes to end it.

Roman Reigns' record run as WWE Universal Champion lasted how many days?

1,316 days ran from August 2020, when he won the title in an arena with no paying crowd, to WrestleMania XL in April 2024, the longest reign WWE had recognised since 1988.

Which wrestler's finisher was the Jackhammer, a delayed vertical suplex dropped into a slam?

Goldberg came to wrestling after an abdominal injury ended his NFL career with the Atlanta Falcons; in WCW he usually set up the Jackhammer with a Spear.

Vince McMahon bought the WWF in 1982 from which relative?

His father, Vincent J. McMahon, sold up in 1982; the son then ignored the old understanding that promoters stayed out of each other's territories and took the WWF national.

Which 1980s manager, 'The Mouth of the South', carried a megaphone to ringside?

Jimmy Hart was a pop singer first: his band The Gentrys reached number four in the US in 1965 with 'Keep on Dancing', and he went on to compose entrance themes for WWE wrestlers.

Which promotion did Mitsuharu Misawa found in 2000 after leaving All Japan?

Mitsuharu Misawa founded Pro Wrestling NOAH in 2000 after a boardroom split with All Japan's Motoko Baba, taking most of the AJPW roster with him.

What is the wrestling term for the hostile crowd reaction a heel tries to draw?

Heat is what a villain works for, with one exception: 'go-away heat' means the crowd is booing because it does not want to watch the performer at all.

Which WWE Hall of Famer is famously associated with the "Sharpshooter" submission hold?

Bret Hart was asked before his first big singles push to use a hold seen in Japan; the only man in the locker room who knew how to apply it, Konnan, taught him the Sharpshooter.

After 'Hulking up', Hulk Hogan usually finished matches with a big boot followed by which move?

A leg drop off the ropes capped the routine of finger-pointing, punches and a big boot; in Japan he finished with a lariat, the Axe Bomber, instead.

Who became the youngest world champion in WWE history at age 24 in 2004?

Randy Orton was hoisted onto a stablemate's shoulders as if in celebration after his first title defence; then Evolution's leader gave a thumbs down and the group beat him up and threw him out.

Which WWE title, created in 1979, has long been called a "stepping stone" to a world title?

The Intercontinental Championship went first to Pat Patterson, billed as the winner of a tournament in Rio de Janeiro; no such tournament ever took place.

Which WWE event debuted in 1988 with the Mega Powers in its main event?

SummerSlam's first main event turned when manager Miss Elizabeth pulled off her skirt to distract the villains, letting the Mega Powers win.

Which original 'Nature Boy' was recognized as the first WWWF World Heavyweight Champion?

Buddy Rogers was named champion by promoters who claimed he had won a tournament, then lost the belt weeks later in a 48-second match; Ric Flair went on to borrow his nickname and his figure-four leglock.

Which NJPW stable, formed in 2013 when Prince Devitt turned on Ryusuke Taguchi, borrowed the nWo's 'Too Sweet'?

Bullet Club was named by Prince Devitt, leader of the all-foreigner stable, for his own finger-gun gesture and 'Real Shooter' nickname and for partner Karl Anderson's nickname, 'The Machine Gun'.

Extreme Championship Wrestling, the hardcore promotion run by Paul Heyman, was based in which city?

Philadelphia housed the ECW Arena, a warehouse turned bingo hall; in 1994 the promotion's champion Shane Douglas threw down the NWA title belt he had just won, and ECW left the NWA to go 'Extreme'.

What wrestling move lifts an opponent into a fireman's carry before driving them down onto their back?

The Samoan Drop is most often performed by wrestlers of Samoan heritage; Roman Reigns uses a one-handed version, hoisting opponents onto his shoulders with a single arm.

Which city hosted WrestleMania VI in 1990, the first WrestleMania held outside the United States?

Toronto's SkyDome staged 'The Ultimate Challenge', in which the Ultimate Warrior pinned Hulk Hogan with both the WWF Championship and his own Intercontinental title on the line.

Roman Reigns, Rikishi and Yokozuna all belong to which wrestling family?

The Anoa'i family includes The Usos, Umaga and Solo Sikoa, and reaches Dwayne Johnson through his mother, the adopted daughter of Peter Maivia, a 'blood brother' of patriarch Amituana'i Anoa'i.

What is the signature finishing maneuver most famously associated with The Undertaker?

The Tombstone Piledriver drops a foe head-first from an upside-down hold; in 1997 Kane made his debut by using the move on The Undertaker himself, costing him the first Hell in a Cell match.

The WWF renamed itself WWE in 2002 after losing a trademark dispute with which organization?

The World Wildlife Fund, with its panda logo, won the trademark case in a UK court, and the company rebranded as WWE in May 2002, blurring old WWF logos in its video library for years.

What is the lucha libre term for a match wagering a wrestler's mask or hair?

A lucha de apuestas ('betting match') stakes a mask or hair; a masked loser is unmasked in the ring and by custom announces his real name and hometown, the deepest humiliation in lucha libre.

Which Japanese wrestling legend is credited with creating the 'Strong Style' philosophy?

Antonio Inoki, founder of New Japan Pro-Wrestling, built 'Strong Style' on martial-arts strikes and submissions, and in 1976 tested himself against boxer Muhammad Ali in a Tokyo bout that ended in a 15-round draw.

Whose 'Yes!' chant swept WWE crowds on his way to the WrestleMania XXX main event?

Daniel Bryan borrowed the shout from UFC fighter Diego Sanchez and first used it as a smug villain celebrating wins; crowds took it over, and he left WrestleMania XXX as WWE World Heavyweight Champion.

Which kilted villain smashed a coconut over Jimmy Snuka's head on his own interview segment?

Roddy Piper, a Canadian billed from Glasgow, mocked Snuka's Polynesian heritage on Piper's Pit before swinging the coconut; he went on to play the lead villain in the main event of the first WrestleMania.

Which match locks wrestlers in pods inside a chained steel structure and releases them at intervals?

The Elimination Chamber's first match, in 2002, saw Rob Van Dam leap off the top of a pod and land on Triple H's throat; the swelling narrowed the champion's airway, yet he wrestled on to the finish.

Who retired in 2006 after winning a then-record seventh WWE Women's Championship?

Trish Stratus made Lita submit at Unforgiven in September 2006 before a hometown crowd, then retired that night as champion, leaving the Women's Championship vacant.

Which wrestler pulled a sock off his foot to create the puppet Mr. Socko?

Mankind first produced Mr. Socko as a one-off joke at Vince McMahon's hospital bedside in 1998; the sock became an overnight sensation and a mandible-claw accessory.

From which 2011 event did CM Punk "walk out" with the WWE Championship?

CM Punk's contract expired on July 17, 2011, the night of Money in the Bank in Chicago, so he beat John Cena for the title and left the building with it.

Who was the primary leader of the nWo Wolfpac?

Kevin Nash led the Wolfpac against Hulk Hogan's nWo Hollywood after the 1998 split; the feud ended in January 1999 when Nash lay down for a poke of Hogan's finger and the two factions reunited.

Which championship from the NWA's Mid-Atlantic territory was adopted by WCW and later WWE?

The United States Championship went first to Harley Race; WWE merged it into the Intercontinental title after buying WCW in 2001, then revived it in 2003.

What term describes a wrestling promotion's top star, especially in Japanese wrestling?

Ace is the puroresu word for the wrestler a promotion is built around, who need not hold its top title: Hiroshi Tanahashi filled the role at New Japan, Mitsuharu Misawa at All Japan.

Which former UFC champion made a WWE in-ring debut at WrestleMania 34 in 2018?

Ronda Rousey teamed with Kurt Angle against Triple H and Stephanie McMahon, and won her first match by forcing Stephanie, the boss's daughter, to submit to an armbar.

What is a "turnbuckle" in wrestling?

A turnbuckle is one of the corner fittings that tension the ropes, fixing each to a ring post; they are padded, and villains like to strip a pad off before throwing an opponent into the corner.

Which hardcore, table-loving tag team popularized the 3D finisher?

The Dudley Boyz, Bubba Ray and D-Von, called their finisher 3D for 'Dudley Death Drop'; Bubba's shout of 'D-Von, get the tables!' told crowds someone was about to go through one.

What is the wrestling term for a character who is neither clearly a hero nor a villain?

Tweener fits Steve Austin in late 1996: still officially a villain, he was being cheered anyway, and he left WrestleMania 13 the next spring a hero, despite losing his match.

Who founded World Championship Wrestling in 1988?

Ted Turner, the cable mogul behind CNN, bought Jim Crockett Promotions as programming for his TBS network and relaunched it as WCW; in 2001 what was left was sold to the WWF, the rival it had tried to beat.

Which wrestler, known for his Frog Splash finisher, lived by 'Lie, Cheat and Steal'?

Eddie Guerrero took the Frog Splash from his tag partner Art Barr, adopting it as a tribute after Barr's death in 1994; 'Lie, Cheat and Steal' later became the title of his entrance theme.

Which WWE brand began in 2010 as a reality-style contest between rookies and their mentors?

NXT ran five seasons as a rookie contest, the first won by Wade Barrett; relaunched in 2012 as a weekly show from Full Sail University in Florida, it became the home of WWE's developmental roster.

Who ended Hulk Hogan's first WWF Championship reign in February 1988?

André the Giant won on The Main Event when a bribed stand-in referee counted three although Hogan's shoulder was plainly off the mat; André then handed the title straight to Ted DiBiase, who had paid for it.

What is John Cena's signature catchphrase?

"You Can't See Me!" began as a dare: in 2003 Cena's younger brother challenged him to do rapper Tony Yayo's dance, a hand waved before the eyes, on television, and the taunt stuck.

Which billionaire helped shave Vince McMahon's head after WrestleMania 23's 'Battle of the Billionaires'?

Donald Trump staked his own hair on Bobby Lashley, who beat McMahon's man Umaga before an announced 80,103 at Detroit's Ford Field; Stone Cold Steve Austin was the referee.

What is the real name of the wrestler who became famous as The Undertaker?

Mark Calaway went to college in Texas on a basketball scholarship and weighed up playing professionally in Europe before choosing wrestling, then spent 30 years as WWE's Deadman.

Hawk and Animal, with spiked shoulder pads, wrestled in the WWF as which tag team?

The Legion of Doom were known elsewhere as the Road Warriors, their war paint and spikes inspired by the film Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior; their Doomsday Device had Hawk clothesline a foe off Animal's shoulders.

How does a wrestler win a Last Man Standing match?

A Last Man Standing match has no pins or submissions: you win when your opponent fails to answer a ten-count, as when John Cena choked Umaga out with a loosened ring rope at the 2007 Royal Rumble.

How many consecutive WrestleMania wins did The Undertaker's 'Streak' reach before it ended in 2014?

The Streak reached 21-0, beginning with a win over Jimmy Snuka at WrestleMania VII in 1991 and ending against Brock Lesnar in New Orleans in 2014.

Which wrestler shouts 'It's clobberin' time!' on his way to the ring?

CM Punk's shout is a double nod: to the battle cry of Marvel's rocky hero The Thing, and to a song of the same name by the New York hardcore band Sick of It All.

Which wrestler, nicknamed 'The Animal', won the 2005 Royal Rumble?

Batista, 'The Animal', won the 2005 Royal Rumble and went on to beat his Evolution leader Triple H for the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 21.

Which weekly AEW show premiered on TNT in October 2019?

AEW Dynamite premiered on TNT on October 2, 2019 from Washington, D.C., running head-to-head with WWE NXT in the 'Wednesday Night Wars'.

Which ECW star, 'Mr. Monday Night', held the ECW Television Championship for nearly two years?

Rob Van Dam, 'Mr. Monday Night', held the ECW World Television Championship for 700 days from April 1998, losing it only when a broken ankle forced him to give it up in March 2000.

"Macho Man" Randy Savage was famous for which exclamation?

Oh Yeah! was the raspy growl Randy Savage carried from his WWF interviews into years of Slim Jim ads; in 2003 he released a rap album, Be a Man, whose title track called out Hulk Hogan.

Which vehicle did Stone Cold Steve Austin drive to the ring days before WrestleMania XV to ambush Vince McMahon and The Rock?

A beer truck: on Raw in March 1999, Austin rolled a Coors Light truck to ringside and turned its hose on Vince McMahon, his son Shane and The Rock, the champion he would meet that weekend.

Which trademark weapon did Edge & Christian bring to the first TLC match at SummerSlam 2000?

Chairs: the match was built on three teams' specialties, and Edge & Christian's was the 'con-chair-to', a pun on concerto in which they hit an opponent's head from both sides at once; they won the match.

Which double underhook facebuster is Triple H's signature finisher?

The Pedigree dates from the snobbish aristocrats Triple H played early on, a French nobleman in WCW and then the 'Connecticut Blueblood' Hunter Hearst Helmsley; he first used the move in WCW.

Which commentator was known for crying "Good God Almighty!" and "Bah Gawd!"?

Jim Ross, 'J.R.', had his first bout of Bell's palsy in January 1994 and was released by the WWF two weeks later, yet came back, and titled his 2017 memoir Slobberknocker after another of his ringside words.

Which wrestler completed his "story" by winning the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at WrestleMania 40?

Cody Rhodes beat Roman Reigns on Night 2 to 'finish the story' he had told since his 2022 return: winning the WWE title that his father, Dusty Rhodes, challenged for but never got to hold.

What was the name of the tag team formed by The Undertaker and Kane?

The Brothers of Destruction began as enemies: Kane arrived in 1997 by attacking The Undertaker in mid-match, yet as a team the storyline half-brothers went on to hold both the WWF and WCW tag titles.

Which tag team, known for their high-flying style, performed the "Swanton Bomb" and "Twist of Fate"?

The Hardy Boyz, brothers Matt and Jeff from Cameron, North Carolina, first teamed in the Trampoline Wrestling Federation, which grew into OMEGA, the promotion they founded before the WWF signed them.

Which faction, formed in 1997 with Chyna and Rick Rude, began as a foil to the Hart Foundation?

D-Generation X took its feud with WCW off-script in April 1998, driving an army jeep to the Virginia arena where Nitro was airing and shouting insults at the rival company through a bullhorn.

Who won WrestleMania's first women's main event in 2019, taking both women's titles?

Becky Lynch pinned Ronda Rousey, the first time Rousey had been pinned in WWE, to take both the Raw and SmackDown titles; she had earned the match by winning the Royal Rumble as a late stand-in.

Which faction, led by Roman Reigns as 'Tribal Chief', included The Usos and Paul Heyman?

The Bloodline answered to Reigns until he lost his title at WrestleMania XL in 2024; Solo Sikoa then claimed the 'Tribal Chief' role for himself and threw Paul Heyman out.

What object did Paul Bearer carry to the ring as the supposed source of The Undertaker's power?

An urn: William Moody, who played Paul Bearer, was a qualified mortician in real life; in August 1996 the character turned on The Undertaker, his long-time charge, and took his loyalty to a rival.

Which of Mick Foley's three WWF personas was a tie-dyed, jive-talking hippie?

Dude Love began as a character Foley invented for a home-made 1985 film, The Loved One; at the 1998 Royal Rumble he entered the same match three times, once as each of his personas.

Which rock anthem is CM Punk's entrance theme?

Cult of Personality, Living Colour's 1988 single, has been CM Punk's WWE theme since 2011; at WrestleMania 29 the band played it live as he walked out to wrestle The Undertaker.

Which combat sport is fought on a raised clay ring called a dohyō?

Sumo wrestlers toss salt onto the clay dohyō before a bout to purify it, a ritual taken from Shinto; a bout ends when one man is forced out or touches down with anything but the soles of his feet.

At which pay-per-view was Mankind thrown off the top of the Hell in a Cell cage?

King of the Ring 1998 saw The Undertaker throw Mankind off the 16-foot cell through an announce table, then chokeslam him through its roof, briefly knocking him out for real; Mick Foley still finished the match.

Which legendary manager was known as "The Brain" and managed wrestlers like André the Giant?

Bobby Heenan, 'The Brain' to himself and 'Weasel' to his enemies, called his stable the Heenan Family and lost a series of matches that ended with him stuffed into a weasel costume.

Which British wrestler beat Bret Hart for the Intercontinental title before 80,000 at Wembley in 1992?

Davey Boy Smith, 'The British Bulldog', pinned Bret Hart by countering a sunset flip in the SummerSlam main event; his wife Diana is Hart's sister, and Hart at first refused to shake his hand.

Which Memphis wrestling star slapped comedian Andy Kaufman on David Letterman's show in 1982?

Jerry Lawler had already sent Kaufman to hospital with two piledrivers in a Memphis match that April; the Late Night slap followed in July, and the whole feud was later revealed to have been staged.

Who won the first women's Money in the Bank ladder match in 2017?

Carmella won the first women's Money in the Bank ladder match in June 2017 after James Ellsworth pulled the briefcase down for her, then won the ordered rematch days later.

Which WCW announcer infamously revealed Mick Foley's WWF title win on Nitro, sending viewers to Raw?

Tony Schiavone, acting on his boss's orders, sneered that the result would 'put some butts in the seats'; ratings showed some 600,000 viewers switching from Nitro to Raw at once.

Which WCW executive created the 1996 'hostile takeover' storyline and put Nitro up against Raw?

Eric Bischoff wanted WCW to look as if it were being sabotaged by an outside group, and let viewers believe the invaders had been sent by the rival WWF, where they had just been wrestling.

Which Kenny Omega finishing move is named after a video-game villain's theme music?

The One-Winged Angel is named for Sephiroth of Final Fantasy VII; Omega hoists a foe onto his shoulders and drives them down to the mat, and his V-Trigger knee strike borrows a Street Fighter V term.

Who ended Bob Backlund's near-six-year WWF Championship reign in December 1983?

The Iron Sheik beat Bob Backlund for the WWF Championship on December 26, 1983 when Backlund's manager threw in the towel, then dropped the belt to Hulk Hogan four weeks later.

At which 1997 WCW pay-per-view did Sting finally face Hollywood Hogan for the title?

Starrcade 1997 became WCW's highest-grossing pay-per-view after Sting spent most of the year watching silently from arena rafters; the title match ended in a row over the referee's count, a restart and a Sting win.

What does Kazuchika Okada call his short-arm lariat finisher in NJPW?

The Rainmaker took its name from the brash persona Okada adopted on returning to New Japan in January 2012; a month later he beat Hiroshi Tanahashi for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship.

Which wrestler, once WCW's 'The Giant', is the only one to hold the WCW, WWE, World Heavyweight and ECW world titles?

Big Show won the WCW world title in his very first match there in 1995, when he was billed as the son of André the Giant; the other three followed after he switched to the WWF in 1999.

Who beat Chris Jericho for the AEW World Championship at Revolution in February 2020?

Jon Moxley, WWE's former Dean Ambrose, wore an eyepatch after Jericho jabbed him with a spike; mid-match he tore it off, showing he could see perfectly well, and hit his finisher to take the title.

Which women's champion was billed as holding her title for 28 years until Wendi Richter beat her in 1984?

The Fabulous Moolah, champion on and off since 1956, lost to Richter at The Brawl to End It All, a show aired live on MTV with pop star Cyndi Lauper in the challenger's corner.

In the ancient Olympics, which multi-event contest ended with a wrestling match?

The pentathlon closed with wrestling, which had also stood alone at the Games since 708 BC; its all-rounders were rated below the specialists at any one event, yet admired as the best-developed athletes.

When women's wrestling joined the Olympics at Athens 2004, which discipline did they contest?

Freestyle brought Japan's Kaori Icho gold at Athens and the next three Games: her first loss in 13 years came in January 2016, yet that August she won her fourth straight title.

Which American wrestler beat Russia's three-time Olympic champion Aleksandr Karelin for gold at Sydney 2000?

Rulon Gardner, from Afton, Wyoming, beat a man with 887 senior wins and one earlier loss; nobody had scored a single point on Karelin in the previous six years.

Which folk wrestling style, Turkey's national sport, is known there as yağlı güreş?

Oil wrestling, Turkey's national sport, has wrestlers douse themselves in olive oil and grapple for holds on the leather trousers, the kisbet; the Kırkpınar tournament in Edirne dates to the 14th century.

Which US president, honored by the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, is credited with one defeat in some 300 matches?

Abraham Lincoln won his reputation for strength as a young store clerk in New Salem, Illinois, by taking on Jack Armstrong, leader of the rough Clary's Grove Boys; the Hall honored him in 1992.

In which ancient work does a king wrestle the wild man Enkidu and then befriend him?

The Epic of Gilgamesh has the gods create Enkidu to check a king who tyrannises Uruk; instead, after their fight in the city, the two become inseparable friends and set off to slay monsters together.

Which move, which Abe Coleman said he copied from kangaroos, strikes an opponent with the soles of both feet?

Dropkick is the name that stuck after Notre Dame football star Joe Savoldi used the move in 1933. Coleman had called his earlier version the Kangaroo Kick.

Which leg submission, applied after a spinning toe hold, became the trademark finishing hold of Ric Flair?

Figure-four leglock users cross the victim's legs into the shape of a 4, which gives the hold its name. A pin can even be counted if the victim's shoulders touch the mat.

Which charging move, a Roman Reigns finisher, drives one shoulder into a standing opponent's midsection?

Spear is the name of the tackle, and Rhyno calls his own version of it the Gore. A leaping variation has the attacker jump just before the shoulder connects.

Which slam, a favorite of giants like The Undertaker, begins with a one-handed grip on the opponent's neck?

Chokeslam fame in America began with Sid Vicious, who popularized it in the early 1990s. The move suits television because it is simple and relatively safe yet looks powerful on camera.

Which hold, illegal in amateur wrestling, threads both arms under the armpits and locks the hands behind the neck?

Full nelson pressure pushes the head forward against the chest. Its half and three-quarter cousins are usually no more than transition holds.

Which throw, credited to Lou Thesz, sits an opponent on the attacker's shoulders before slamming them back-first?

Powerbomb finishes are mostly associated with super-heavyweight wrestlers. In sit-out versions the attacker falls to a seated position as the opponent lands, ready for a pin attempt.

Which leg-hooking hold, a Lance Storm staple, bends a face-down opponent's back as the attacker sits back?

Boston crab pressure bends the back and legs toward the victim's own face. Storm used both the standard hold and a single-leg version.

Which top-rope move, popularized by Japan's Great Muta, is a backflip that lands chest-first on a downed opponent?

Moonsault landings took such a toll that Keiji Muto, the man behind the Muta persona, had both knees replaced in 2018. He hit one more in 2021, then sealed the move for good.

Which chin-pulling hold, applied from a seat on the opponent's back, did Scott Steiner adapt as the Steiner Recliner?

Camel clutch victims have their arms draped across the attacker's thighs, so they cannot fight the pull on the chin. Steiner's version is applied standing instead of seated.

Which move, a headscissors flip into a double-leg pin, is also known as a reverse victory roll?

Hurricanrana comes from Huracán Ramírez, the masked Mexican luchador who innovated the move. The second half of the word, rana, is the term for any pin that hooks both legs.

Which Iowa State great's only college loss came in his final match, the 1970 NCAA final against Larry Owings?

Dan Gable finished his college career 117–1. He answered the upset by winning gold at the 1972 Olympics without giving up a single point.

Which wrestler went 159–0 at Iowa State, the only perfect career record of over 100 wins in NCAA Division I history?

Cael Sanderson won four NCAA titles without a defeat and then took Olympic gold at Athens in 2004. He came out of retirement in 2011 and placed fifth at the World Championships.

Which university's wrestling program, winner of more than 30 NCAA team titles, calls Gallagher-Iba Arena home?

Oklahoma State wrestling is the most successful NCAA Division I program in any sport. Coach Ed Gallagher, who gave the arena half its name, led the team to its first 11 national titles.

Which term describes a college wrestling win that ends the match early once one wrestler leads by 15 points?

Technical fall stoppages work as wrestling's mercy rule: the match ends the instant the margin is reached, with no need for a pin.

Which Arizona State wrestler, born with only one leg, won the 2011 NCAA title at 125 pounds?

Anthony Robles refused to wear a prosthetic leg from the age of three. His memoir became the 2024 film Unstoppable, with Jharrel Jerome in the lead role.

By which name is the American school and college style of wrestling, distinct from the Olympic styles, commonly known?

Folkstyle is why American college stars must adapt before they chase Olympic medals: the styles contested at the Games have different rules and scoring.

Which Big Ten university won its first NCAA wrestling team title since 1953 in 2011, launching a modern dynasty?

Penn State hired an unbeaten former champion as head coach in 2009 and won the national title two seasons later. Another title followed the very next season.

In college wrestling, which term covers the bonus point earned for controlling an opponent on the mat a minute longer?

Riding time has been recorded by college officials since 1915. Its weight has shrunk over the years, and today it is worth no more than a single point.

Which award, named for a 1950s three-time NCAA champion, is college wrestling's answer to football's Heisman?

Hodge Trophy namesake Danny Hodge went 46–0 in college and was famous for crushing apples with one hand. He is the only amateur wrestler to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated.

Which Cornell wrestler is the only four-time NCAA champion to win each title in a different weight class?

Kyle Dake changed weight every season and still never took a redshirt year, another first among four-time champions.

Which English king challenged Francis I of France to wrestle at the Field of the Cloth of Gold and quickly lost?

Henry VIII broke the summit's own rules, which said the two kings would not compete against each other. Breton and Cornish wrestlers were part of the official entertainment.

Which Greek philosopher, by one ancient account, was renamed by his wrestling coach on account of his robust build?

Plato was said to have been born Aristocles until his trainer, Ariston of Argos, gave him the new name. Another ancient writer claimed he wrestled at the Isthmian Games.

The ancient tombs at Beni Hasan, whose walls show hundreds of pairs of wrestlers mid-hold, stand in which country?

Egypt's Beni Hasan artists painted one wrestler of each pair red and the other dark brown so that every hold could be read clearly. One wall alone carries 220 pairs.

Which country's Naadam festival crowns champions in wrestling, horse racing and archery, the 'three games of men'?

Mongolia holds the festival in midsummer. The same trio of sports is already recorded in a 13th-century chronicle, The Secret History of the Mongols.

Which biblical patriarch wrestled a mysterious stranger through the night on a riverbank and was renamed Israel?

Jacob had his thigh dislocated in the struggle, yet he refused to let go until his opponent blessed him. The stranger never did give his own name.

Which ancient Olympic combat event mixed boxing and wrestling and banned only biting and eye gouging?

Pankration fighters could also kick, choke and lock joints on the ground, which is why it is likened to modern mixed martial arts. Sparta alone allowed the biting and gouging as well.

Which six-time ancient Olympic wrestling champion is said to have trained by carrying a growing calf on his back?

Milo of Croton, the story goes, lifted the animal daily until it was a four-year-old cow, then carried it the length of the stadium. Legend has him dying with his hands trapped in a tree stump.

Who beat unbeaten George Hackenschmidt in Chicago in 1908 to become the first American world heavyweight champion?

Frank Gotch kept the match on its feet for two full hours before he could get behind the champion. He is credited with popularizing professional wrestling in the United States.

Which Japanese wrestler was the first woman in any sport to win individual gold at four consecutive Olympics?

Kaori Icho took gold at every Games from 2004 to 2016, the first four to include women's wrestling. She also collected ten world titles.

Catch-as-catch-can wrestling, a root of modern pro wrestling, was based mainly on the style of which English county?

Lancashire wrestlers could grab the legs and keep struggling on the ground, tactics other English styles frowned on. Billy Riley's Snake Pit gym in Wigan later kept the tradition alive.

Which comedy star led a 2006 film inspired by Fray Tormenta, a Mexican priest who wrestled to fund his orphanage?

Jack Black's character borrows the life of Sergio Gutiérrez Benítez, a priest who supported his orphanage for 23 years as a masked wrestler.

In the 1960s, divers in Washington's Puget Sound held annual world championships in wrestling which sea creature?

Octopus wrestling meant grappling with the animal in shallow water and dragging it to the surface. In 1963, 111 divers took part, and trophies went to those who caught the largest.

Which Scream actor won the WCW World Heavyweight Championship in 2000 while promoting the film Ready to Rumble?

David Arquette's title run is remembered as a panned publicity stunt, yet it put him in the headline match of the Slamboree pay-per-view.

Which sitcom star entered the 2001 Royal Rumble as Vince McMahon's guest to promote an improv comedy pay-per-view?

Drew Carey was the first television actor to enter the 30-man match. The cameo was enough to earn him a place in the WWE Hall of Fame in 2011.

Which Cincinnati Reds legend took a beating at three straight WrestleManias, once dressed as the San Diego Chicken?

Pete Rose began the running gag as a guest ring announcer in 1998. The punishment paid off in 2004, when he entered the celebrity wing of the WWE Hall of Fame.

Which costumed character hatched from a giant egg at a 1990 WWF pay-per-view to jeers from the crowd?

Gobbledy Gooker was meant to be a WWF mascot in the style of a famous ballpark chicken. Fans had guessed the egg hid a superstar, and the character was quickly dropped.

Which movie cyborg walked out at a 1990 WCW pay-per-view and tore the door off a cage to free a wrestler?

RoboCop turned up as a tie-in with the imminent release of RoboCop 2. The rescue is often cited as one of the worst moments in WCW history.

Which veteran wrestler, then in her seventies, 'gave birth' to a rubber hand in a notorious 2000 WWF storyline?

Mae Young kept the joke running for years: at Raw's 1,000th episode in 2012 she was escorted by a man in a giant hand costume who claimed to be her son.

Which WCW newcomer tripped through a wall on live television in 1993, losing his glitter-covered helmet as he fell?

The Shockmaster wore a Star Wars Stormtrooper helmet painted purple and covered in silver glitter. Fred Ottman caught his foot on a piece of lumber framing the set as he burst through.

The longest wrestling match on record, a 1912 Olympic semifinal won by Estonian Martin Klein, lasted roughly how long?

12 hours is barely an exaggeration: the pair grappled outdoors for 11 hours and 40 minutes. Klein was too exhausted to wrestle for gold the next day and went home with silver.

Which ear condition, common in combat sports and rugby, is high school wrestling's mandatory headgear meant to prevent?

Cauliflower ear begins when a blow makes blood collect against the cartilage of the outer ear. Draining the blood promptly can prevent the permanent swelling.

Which one-piece uniform, usually made of spandex or nylon, do high school wrestlers wear in school colors?

Singlet rules differ abroad: in international wrestling each athlete brings a red one and a blue one and is told before the match which to wear.

In high school wrestling, which move scores by gaining control of an opponent on the mat from the neutral position?

Takedown chances come first in every match, because both wrestlers open the first period on their feet in the neutral position.

Which Saved by the Bell actor wrestled for Chula Vista High School himself while playing the show's wrestling star?

Mario Lopez competed in the 160-pound weight class as a schoolboy. On screen, his character hoped to reach college on a wrestling scholarship.

Which win goes to a high school wrestler who appears on the mat in uniform when no opponent shows up?

Forfeit wins score as heavily for the team as a pin. That pushes schools to field a varsity wrestler at every weight class.

Which fungal skin infection, able to keep a high school wrestler off the mat, counts contact sports as a risk factor?

Ringworm is a fungus, not a worm, and it often shows as a red ring that slowly grows. A wrestler suspected of a communicable skin disease needs a physician's note to compete.

Which infraction, met first with a warning, punishes a high school wrestler for deliberately running down the clock?

Stalling calls are one reason wrestlers are urged to stay inside the mat's inner circle. A second offense hands the opponent a penalty point.

Which 1985 drama has Matthew Modine as a Spokane high school wrestler and Madonna's first major film appearance?

Vision Quest was retitled Crazy for You in some countries, to cash in on the hit song Madonna performs in her bar scene.

Which high school wrestling start has one wrestler kneel beside the other with an arm wrapped around his waist?

Referee's position is the alternative to starting on the feet when a later period begins. The top wrestler rests one palm on the opponent's navel and the other hand on the near elbow.

Which bestselling novelist wrestled at Phillips Exeter and was later inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame?

John Irving kept coaching his sons' high school teams until he was 47. He also appears in the film of Garp, officiating one of the hero's school matches.