professional wrestler
Staged combat athlete
A professional wrestler is a performer in staged athletic entertainment, executing choreographed moves and maintaining a character persona.
Unlike amateur or Olympic wrestling, professional wrestling emphasizes spectacle—dramatic storylines, theatrical rivalries, and scripted outcomes.
Wrestlers train extensively to perform dangerous-looking maneuvers safely: She became a professional wrestler after years on the independent circuit.
The term acknowledges that participants are paid entertainers rather than competitive athletes, though the physical demands are genuine.
Attention-getting device or trick
- heelFoot's rear underside
- babyfaceYouthful, innocent appearance
- kayfabeStaged authenticity in wrestling
- promoBrief publicity piece
feud · storyline · character · catchphrase · finisher · manager · valet · stable
Close-quarters combat technique
- takedownForced grounding maneuver
- submissionYielding to another's will
- pinfallPins toppled in bowling
- suplexOverhead backward wrestling slam
headlock · armbar · chokehold · powerbomb · piledriver · clothesline · body-slam · DDT
Venue for contests
- crowdLarge public gathering
- ringClosed curve shape
- pay-per-viewCharged-admission television content
- smackdownDecisive, humiliating defeat
raw · table · pyrotechnics · announcer · commentary · WrestleMania · battle-royal
Developing abilities through practice
- conditioningLearned behavioral adaptation
- cardioPulse-elevating exercise regimen
- enduranceSustained effort capacity
- agilityQuickness and ease
discipline · coach · nutrition · determination · resilience · stamina · flexibility · warm-up
Contractile body tissue
- heavyweightHighest combat weight class
- bulkMain mass or size
- brawnMuscular power, bodily might
- powerliftingMaximal barbell competition sport
bodybuilder · strongman · toughness · imposing · chiseled · ripped · jacked · mass
gimmick
Attention-getting device or trick
- heelFoot's rear underside
- babyfaceYouthful, innocent appearance
- kayfabeStaged authenticity in wrestling
promo · feud · storyline · character · catchphrase · finisher · manager · valet · stable · tag-team
grappling
Close-quarters combat technique
- takedownForced grounding maneuver
- submissionYielding to another's will
- pinfallPins toppled in bowling
suplex · headlock · armbar · chokehold · powerbomb · piledriver · clothesline · body-slam · DDT · spear
arena
Venue for contests
- crowdLarge public gathering
- ringClosed curve shape
- pay-per-viewCharged-admission television content
smackdown · raw · table · pyrotechnics · announcer · commentary · WrestleMania · battle-royal
training
Developing abilities through practice
- conditioningLearned behavioral adaptation
- cardioPulse-elevating exercise regimen
- enduranceSustained effort capacity
agility · discipline · coach · nutrition · determination · resilience · stamina · flexibility · warm-up · recovery
muscle
Contractile body tissue
- heavyweightHighest combat weight class
- bulkMain mass or size
- brawnMuscular power, bodily might
powerlifting · bodybuilder · strongman · toughness · imposing · chiseled · ripped · jacked · mass · size
- fightersboxer, boxers, Muhammad Ali, fighter, Mike Tyson
- Strength Athletesweightlifter, powerlifter, strongman, strongwoman, Olympic lifter
professional wrestlerOlympic wrestler
Elite international grappling competitor
professional wrestlerboxer
Combat sport competitor
kickboxer · striker · judoka · amateur boxer · karateka
professional, wrestler, profession, profess, professed, professing, professes, professionally, professionalism