Basic wrestling terms

a A list of terms used in professional wrestling, given here to help newcomers understand the industry lingo.

A

Angle

A storyline in wrestling. Usually begins with one wrestler or stable insulting or assaulting another, and results in a feud. Angles are usually resolved after a few months, but some (like WCW's nWo angle ) last for years. VGCW is divided into seasons, each focused on one or more angles.

A-Match

Matches featuring top talent. Saved for a show's main event.

Authority figure

The on-screen authority character. It's his or her job to move storylines along by booking matches and making decisions in-story. They can be a by-the-book boss who believes in fair play, or an unjust boss who picks favorites and screws over wrestlers who oppose him. The current VGCW General Manager is Gary Oak. In real life, the most (in)famous wrestling authority figure is Vince McMahon, whose "evil boss" persona made him one of the most iconic wrestling characters in the world.

B

Blow off

The "final battle" of an angle. Usually booked for a major event. A VGCW example is Mario's battle with Mr. L at the end of Season 2.

Botch

A wrestler messes up a scripted move in the ring. Wrestlers will attempt to ignore the botch or play it off as a whiff or regular part of the match, even when it is obvious to the audience. In VGCW, THQuality/2Kuality often causes this.

Book

The schedule of events for the night. It differs from a fight card in that the book contains non-kayfabe information, such as who wins, storyline and the like. The booker is the person responsible for making and arranging the matches, and making sure it all fits into the current angles. Baz McMahon was the VGCW's sole booker, but TOH has taken over that role.

Broadway

When a match is resolved by time limit.THQuality has forced Baz McMahon to end matches this way several times, when a match took too long or was legitimately impossible for the AI to finish. The most famous VGCW example was the GameCenter FU vs. The Returners Burning Tables match. The AI wasn't designed to work this kind of match, and was unable to finish it.

B-Show

A side show that complements the main show. In current WWE, Friday Night Smackdown is the B-show to Monday Night RAW. WVGCW can be considered a b-show to VGCW.

Burial

The intentional lowering of a once high-profile wrestler's status by destroying him in a match, or entering him in a storyline written to make him look bad. Famous example in VGCW is what happened to Ganondorf during the infamous 32-5 match.

C

Card

A show's match schedule shown to the audience. Unlike a book, it does not contain kayfabe information and is presented as a match card is in a real combat sports show. VGCW's card is not presented before the show starts, but its main event is usually announced early in the episode.

Champion's Advantage

A rule that states that the only way for a title to change hands is if the champion is to be cleanly defeated by his opponent. If the defending champion is disqualified or counted out (or the match ends in a tie) the belt remains his/her's. Abuse of the Champion's Advantage is common for heel champions, and has happened in other streamed promotions but has not yet happened in the VGCW.

Cheap heat

An easy way for heels to incite a negative reaction. Commonly done by insulting the crowd, the city where the show is held or the local sports team. Dan Hibiki did this to cement his heel turn in VGCW. In real life, The Rock was one of the masters of the art during his time as a heel. It's also common for foreign heels to do this with American fans.

Cheap pop

Getting a positive reaction by commending the city or the local sports team. Mick Foley is the master of this, and also coined the term.

D

Dark match

An untelevised match before the cameras start rolling, put on as a warm-up for the fans who came to watch the show live. VGCW's closest resemblance are the Pre-Archive matches.

Draw

A wrestler or an angle that attracts a lot of fan interest. The wrestlers who draw most are usually made into the show's top guys. Bowser is a big draw in VGCW. Synonymous with being over.

F

Face

Shorthand for "babyface". Traditionally seen as a fan favorite, the face is now simply considered to be a more heroic "good guy" wrestler. Faces are not always the most popular anymore, simply the ones with the most noble intentions. Examples in real wrestling would be Hulk Hogan and John Cena, and Chief Arino in VGCW.

Fall

The end of the match. Can come from pinfall, submission, count out, or disqualification.

Feud

A rivalry between two wrestlers/teams/stables, and the usual main conflict of an angle. This results in a series of matches between the feuding wrestlers and particular ends with one side coming out on top of another in a dramatic fashion. The original feud in VGCW was between Little Mac and Zangief.

Finisher

A wrestler's signature move, and their most powerful. A finisher almost always has a name unique to the wrestler using it, and there are sometimes certain theatrics or catchphrases involved to make the move stand out. A list of the VGCW roster's finishing moves can be found in the Finishing Moves article.

Future Endeavored

A euphemism for a pro wrestler being fired from a company. Taken from the boilerplate, 'We wish [Wrestler] luck in their future endeavors," press releases when announcing a departure.

G

Gimmick

The character portrayed by a wrestler. A gimmick can be closely associated with the person (á la Daniel Bryan), or a more outlandish character that is separate from the wrestler portraying them (á la The Undertaker).

H

Heel

Traditionally the less popular wrestlers, the heel is now the "bad guy" stereotype. During the 1990s, heels started to become far more popular among the fanbase, leading to something of a blurring of the old lines between face and heel. Regardless, heels are still generally portrayed as arrogant cheaters, narcissists, or violent powerhouses, usually in someone's pocket. Examples in real wrestling would be Ric Flair or Brock Lesnar, and Guile or Cate Archer in VGCW.

Hot tag

When a badly beaten wrestler tags in his fresh partner, who goes on a powerful offensive. This takes the form of an actual game mechanic in VGCW.

Hot-shot

Rushing a storyline or a title reign. This is done either because the booker has to free up the wrestlers involved for other angles, or to get a quick boost in business.

Heat

Negative crowd reaction. A heel is judged by how well they can generate heat, in other words, by how good they are at making people hate them. In VGCW, Guile and Sindel draw a lot of heel heat from fans.

J

Jobber

A wrestler who loses frequently. A jobber is "brought in to do a job" (lose) and is generally an easy way to get other wrestlers over. VGCW examples include Egoraptor, Vegeta (early on), and Zubaz. In real pro wrestling jobbers are usually the wrestlers who are less over among fans, or that are not involved in any current angles. In VGCW however, Vegeta, despite almost never winning, is one of the VGCW's most beloved performers.

Jobber to the Stars

A wrestler who is strong enough to beat jobbers, but not enough to break into the upper card or the main event.

K

Kayfabe

The "fourth wall" in wrestling. Kayfabe is the shared pretending between audience and performers that everything seen in professional wrestling is unscripted, and that the fights are for real. For most of the 20th century, promoters swore that everything that happened in the ring was the real deal, and wrestlers would keep the act up even outside of shows (pretending to hate each other, etcetera).

As wrestling grew in popularity and its angles became more and more over-the-top, the facade has dropped, although fans still enjoy the show all the same.

Although VGCW's matches are actually unscripted and only the angles are made up beforehand, Phoenix Wright broke a type of kayfabe as he used the mechanics of the game itself to explain why the Glitch Bomb had to be banned.

Kick out

One way to escape a pin, this uses the force of a leg kick to raise the shoulders off the mat, thereby escaping the pin. In WWE '13, due to poor AI programming, wrestlers will almost always kick out at 1, ruining the suspense - luckily, this was fixed in 2K14, improving VGCW match quality.

L

Lucha libre

A wrestling style native to, and extremely popular in, Mexico. Synonymous with masked performers and fast-paced, acrobatic action. Some luchadores have been very successful outside of Mexico, the most famous being Rey Mysterio Jr. In VGCW, both Ezio and Wily use luchadore movesets.

In Mexico, masked lucha wrestlers often go to great lengths to keep their faces and identities a secret, always wearing their masks when out in public and always using their stage names even outside of the ring.

Ladder Match

A match in which the object is not to pin their opponent/s, but rather to retrieve an item hanging by a rope above. To do this, participants use the ladders that are placed around the ring. Money in the Bank matches are always fought in this manner.

M

Main Eventer

A wrestler who draws a lot of fans, is in the biggest storylines, and competes for the major belt(s). Daniel Bryan and John Cena are real-life examples. In VGCW, Scorpion and Lucina are often in the main event.

Mark

Among wrestling fans, this is a term for a fan who treats wrestling like it's real, but within the business it is a term for all wrestling fans.

Marking out

Acting as if wrestling is legit, even when you know it's not.

Midcard

Matches featuring middle-of-the-road talent, taking place before the main event matches. Most main event wrestlers were at some point midcarders before they got their big break.

Money in the Bank

A variation of the Ladder Match, with a briefcase hanging above the ring containing a 'contract'. The wrestler who successfuly gets the suitcase wins the match, is given the moniker "Mr. Money in the Bank" and gets an automatic title shot which can be redeemed at any time, for any title, by cashing in the briefcase to a ring official.

The typical Mr. Money in the Bank strategy is to cash in on the champion right after they've already had a difficult match, taking advantage of the tired champion to win the title.

Monster

A physically imposing wrestler who makes a name for himself by destroying opponent after opponent. Monsters are usually heels, but monster faces exist (Ryback was one initially and Goldberg would be perhaps the most famous example). Illidan Stormrage and Ganondorf are some VGCW examples.

N

No sell

To show no, or very little, reaction to an opponent's moves, especially their finisher. A wrestler who can't sell well is detrimental to the show, because he will make his opponent's moves look bad.

Sometimes, no-selling can be used for dramatic effect. Hulk Hogan, for example, was famous for this when he started "hulking up". The Undertaker also often does this, when he "rises from the grave" after taking an inhuman amount of punishment.

THQuality/2Kuality makes this very common in VGCW. A man can get put through a table and be on his feet again in two seconds flat.

Number one contender

The person who is next in line for a title shot.

O

Over

To be well-accepted by fans as a wrestler. Can be over as a face or a heel, but either way, a popular (or popularly hated) wrestler. Face examples in VGCW include Nappa and Barret Wallace, while a notable heel example is Ganondorf, who became so over that he was eventually turned face. Synonymous with being a draw.

P

Paper champion

A weak, easily beaten champion, usually one who has won the belt through outside meddling. A paper champion is usually a heel and usually loses the title in short order, unless he holds on to it with cheating and outside interference. The Gerudo Curse made a lot of VGCW wrestlers into paper champions.

Pop

Positive reaction from the crowd. A face is judged by how well he can get this.

Promotion

A company that sets up wrestling events. Today, the world's biggest promotion is World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). The VGCW as a whole is considered a promotion.

Push

Booking a wrestler to look strong and rise up through the ranks. The opposite of a burial. Vegeta was pushed in a big way after he became Majin Vegeta, going from jobber to VGCW Champion.

R

Repackage

Changing a wrestler's gimmick or name, giving them a new character. Vegeta has been repackaged twice, once as BADMAN Vegeta and again as Majin Vegeta. Ash Ketchum also got repackaged as Red after he won the Casual Championship.

A famous real-life example is when The Undertaker shelved his undead gimmick to become a biker.

Rocket push

When a low-level wrestler is pushed to main event level straight away in order to make a new star quickly. Many wrestlers have been subject to this type of push, especially in WWE, but there is a high risk that the pushed wrestler will be rejected by the fans. Kanji Tatsumi's rapid rise to the championship, while not strictly intentional, could count an example of this.

Royal Rumble

A type of match which begins with 2 wrestlers in the ring, with another wrestler set to run in at a set interval until a total of 30 have entered the ring. Wrestlers are eliminated by being thrown over the top rope with both feet touching the floor, and the last man standing is the winner. The Rumble winner usually becomes the number 1 contender to a title.

Due to the work involved in putting such a match together, the real-life WWE Royal Rumble is only held once a year at its titular event in January. Many other promotions do variations of it as well.

Run in

When a wrestler runs in from the back to interrupt a match or promo, this usually results in a beat down.

Russo swerve

Named after former WWE and WCW writer Vince Russo, a Russo swerve is a plot twist that generally makes no sense and seems to exist purely for surprise and shock value, ignoring characters' personalities and histories, previously established plot, or just plain common sense. VGCW examples include Charles Barkley losing to Vegeta and then going on to win the Royal Rumble the same night.

In real life, Russo's most famous swerve was done on Raw, June 7th, 1999.

Rope Break

If someone is being pinned or put in a submission hold, but is able to either touch the rope or extend their legs beyond the ropes, that's a rope break and it means the hold must be broken up.

S

Screwjob

A controversial and unfair finish, generally the result of cheating or outside interference. The most famous in VGCW would be the Soviet Screwjob, wherein Bazza restarted a match that Zangief had won quickly, resulting in Zangief losing the rematch.

Squash

A short, one sided match. Usually is a part of a burial, or getting a powerful "monster" wrestler over. A VGCW example would be Majin Vegeta's first appearance and his subsequent dismantling of Waluigi.

Sell

To react to an opponent's attacks in a somewhat realistic manner. A wrestler who can sell well is very valuable, because his opponent will look strong no matter who wins the match.

Shoot

Doing something that wasn't a planned part of the show, usually to get noticed or to air backstage grievances. In pro wrestling this is seen as a bad thing, but some wrestlers have gotten more popular by shooting. The opposite of a shoot is a work (see below).

The term "shooter" can also refer to a wrestler who has a lot of martial arts experience, and uses it in the ring. Shooters usually work stiff (see below) and use a lot of "legitimate" fighting moves like chokes and takedowns.

Spot

A specific moment or sequence during a match, usually a particular move, technique, or stunt. "Spots" tend to be meant as the most memorable moments of the match and ideally help elevate the match. Terra superplexing Rydia from all four corners of the ring in succession is a famous WVGCW spot.

Stable

A team of multiple wrestlers who share the same goals, and allies and work together to advance a storyline. An example in real wrestling would be The Four Horsemen, and P.R.A.T.S. and RPGenie in VGCW.

Stiff

When wrestlers hit each other for real and don't pull their punches, that's called working stiff. While stiff wrestling can improve a match by making the offense look better, it's more physically demanding and the risk of injury is higher. Brock Lesnar is a notoriously stiff wrestler. This doesn't really apply to VGCW since it's all simulated.

Strap

A championship belt.

Streak

A long-running series of wins (or losses). The goal of breaking this streak sometimes becomes a storyline. VGCW examples include Red's Casual Championship run, and Vegeta's long losing streak. The most famous streaks from pro wrestling are Goldberg's long WCW undefeated streak (which ended in 1998 at 173 wins), and The Undertaker's WrestleMania winning streak (which ended in 2014 at 21 wins).

Supercard

The most high-profile wrestling card. VGCW's supercard called End Game, and is the finale of every season. WWE has several supercard events, but the biggest one is WrestleMania.

Swerve

An unexpected plot twist. The identity of the Driver in VGCW was this.

T

Tap out

To give up when in a submission hold. This is indicated by tapping the mat, and results in a loss for the tapping wrestler.

Transitional Champion

A wrestler who only holds the title for a little while and then drops it to another wrestler. IRL, this happens when a booker wants to transfer the belt from one wrestler to another without them wrestling each other directly. In VGCW, the Gerudo Curse was a long line of transitional championship reigns, as each champion would lose his belt to another man on his first defense.

Turn

When a wrestler switches between heel and face. In other words, when a good guy becomes a bad guy, and vice versa. A turn can happen either slowly over time, or as a shocking swerve. 

Tweener

Short for "in-betweener", a tweener is an unpredictable wrestler who toes the line between face and heel, or who often changes alignments. Donkey Kong and Scorpion are this in VGCW. The Big Show and Randy Orton are this in WWE.

U

Undercard

Matches featuring lesser talent. VGCW typically starts off with a few of these to warm up.

Undisputed championship

An angle that occurs when, for one reason or another, two wrestlers have a claim to the same belt. This sets up a big match between the two to determine who is the true champion.

A VGCW example is Vegeta vs. Haggar, which occurred after VGCW Champion Vegeta was brought back from the dead. Because nobody ever defeated Vegeta for the belt, he challenged Haggar who had become champion in his absence.

V

Vacancy

When no wrestler holds a championship belt, by way of the current champion being stripped of his title. This happened twice in VGCW: one when Donkey Kong was suspended as the Glitch Bomb was outlawed; the other when Vegeta, the VGCW Champion, gave his own life in an attempt to take out Dracula.

W

Work

Anything that is a planned part of the show, even though it may not seem like it. Wrestling matches as a whole are worked, but not VGCW matches - the outcomes are determined by the whims of the AI. Only VGCW's story events are worked.

Worked shoot

An in-story occurrence that was planned but made to look like it was unplanned.

X

X-Pac heat

Named after former WWE wrestler X-Pac, this heat is the wrong kind of heat. It's when the fans genuinely hate the performer, instead of simply their in-ring character. A good heel is hated, but still draws fans because they want to see them get their comeuppance.

A wrestler receiving X-Pac heat is so hated that they are actually repellent to fans. In this case, the fans hate the wrestler so much that they do not want to see them on the show at all, comeuppance or no. This is usually considered the kiss of death for a wrestler, prompting the booker to either revamp their character or fire them outright. The most notable example in VGCW was Kratos and the Game Grumps before their departures. Some fans gave Charles Barkley this kind of heat as well.

X-Pac heat has, however, opened up storyline points in VGCW. Dan's X-Pac heat, drawn when he ousted Ash in the Royal Rumble event on 2013-01-16, led to severe fan backlash resulting in the character's heel turn and eventual siding with Dracula.