Betting on Professional Wrestling – What You Need to Know

In short, pro wrestling is athletic theater. Without argument, it is a unique form of entertainment that is experiencing a boom period in the US, as the WWE is selling out venues at an unprecedented rate.

The roots of this, what some call art form, date back to the 19th century. According to historians, pro wrestling stems from carnival wrestling matches, which initially were real catch wrestling contests. Yet over time, promoters realized that they could incur less risk and were able to run more shows if they fixed these competitions, with these fixes getting nicknamed works. This new practice allowed promotors to run more events and wrestlers to maintain a lengthy tour schedule. The worked matches carried little danger of injury. And as a rule of thumb, they were shorter. This system of working fights/matches became so popular that by the end of the 19th century, almost all carnival shows had only worked contests. However, their audiences were primarily oblivious to the fact they were watching fixed competitions.

In the early 20th century, pro wrestling took on a life of its own, despite newspapers running exposes that hurt its integrity by revealing “the sport” for what it really is – fakery. Today, everyone knows what pro wrestling is. That it is nothing more than a male soap opera, a form of entertainment, and over the past few years, online sportsbooks have begun accepting wagers on fake wrestling matches. That should not come as a shock, given that Internet bookies have allowed betting on TV shows for years. Below, we go more in-depth about this gambling type, giving you insights into how this activity came to be and what markets exist.

How Is It Legal to Bet on Pro Wrestling

There is a globally recognized legal principle – unless it is forbidden, it is legal. For example, on US-based sportsbooks, ones licensed by US regional regulators, gaming on events run by wrestling promotions is not legal. That is due to the scripted nature of WWE matches, which creates concerns regarding the integrity of betting outcomes. Hence, an inherent risk of insider knowledge or manipulation affecting outcomes exists. That said, offshore, internationally-licensed platforms have no problem with allowing this practice, as they know that results of pro wrestling matches, especially high-profile ones, get closely guarded. And the outcome can change minutes before the fictional contest starts.

Thus, since pro wrestling, the WWE, in particular, has a massive fan base, offshore bookies know there is consumer demand on this front, so they seek to satisfy a market need. Their regulators also have no problem with them offering such a service, as evident by the fact that they allow political wagering.  

Who Decides the Outcomes of Pro Wrestling Matches

Usually, it is the booker. Who is the booker? That is the person who determines who goes over (wins) and who is responsible for planning out the storylines and how they will develop. The wrestlers themselves are those who decide how to choreograph the fake fights, but their finish gets determined by the booker, the mastermind behind their story. However, there is another person labeled -the agent, who defines the end of the match for the wrestlers involved and is privy to their plans. So he can rely on this info onto the broadcasting team. He does this to ensure they are able to capture everything adequately.

In the WWE, an entire creative team writes how the plot between two wrestlers will unfold. Yet, who will win and who they will wrestle next customarily still gets decided by one individual, referred to as – the head of creative. At the time of writing, in the WWE, ex-wrestler Triple H assumed this role. Consequently, he usually has the final say in who goes up against who and triumphs. But his decisions get guided by things like crowd reactions, viewership numbers, attendance figures, merchandise sales, and more. That means that if a wrestler is not getting the desired attention, the creative team can easily choose to go in a different direction with him (his character) and decide that he should lose instead of win, as originally planned. So, a lot of thought goes into these things, depending on the severity of the match and the impact it should have on the ongoing or future storylines.  

It is vital to understand that an organization like the WWE is all about profit, meaning, at the end of the day, they will look to push the wrestler they think will make them the most money.

How to Approach Pro Wrestling Betting

To be successful in wagering on pro wrestling matches, you first must know how this sphere functions. We gave you a brief glimpse of this above. Yet, that is not enough. You must grasp the ins and outs of what a heel (bad guy) and babyface (good guy) are and what rules these character archetypes follow. Then, you must understand that wrestling is about storytelling. That means that most will follow some formula. The heel will often win the first match by cheating to get the fans behind the babyface, and the hero traditionally winds up on top at the end of the feud. Nevertheless, these rules do not always get followed, and promoters sometimes go against them to give an aura of unpredictability to their shows. Still, knowing how the basics of this form of entertainment work should go a long way in being able to predict outcomes.

Another substantially essential thing is to read the so-called dirt sheets. These are news sites that explain the industry’s behind-the-scenes happenings and give insights into directions organizations like the WWE might go into. For instance, a wrestler is hurt, so the probability of an injury angle is high that would excuse him off TV for a while. That alludes to the fact that he will likely lose his upcoming match. If he is a babyface, that likely happens in a nefarious way by the heel. The dirt sheets, most famously Dave Meltzer’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Pro Wrestling Insider, and the Pro Wrestling Torch, also talk about who is popular backstage, who bookers and agents are high on, and so on. The nuggets of info these sources provide are invaluable.

What Betting Markets Are Available?

Aside from the standard match winner, you also get props like what wrestler will perform the first move, whether there will be interference, someone to run down, how long will the contest go for, etc. You also may be able to bet on entire events, instead of just matches, on things like will someone make their return or will there be a surprise debut. For events like the Royal Rumble, War Games, or the Elimination Chamber in WWE, which have distinct rules, get specific props created for them.

In the Royal Rumble, bookmakers that accept WWE bets allow wagering on which wrestler will get eliminated first or who will throw the most combatants out of the ring. Naturally, futures are also on the table, such as wagering that someone will be champ by the end of the year or that a certain wrestler will headline WrestleMania. We have seen some bookies offer some weird proposition wagers as well, like betting on what color outfit female wrestlers will don for an event.

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