Frank McKearin, age 14, of Baton Rouge, La., for his question:
IS TELEVISION WRESTLING FAKE?
Wrestling on television is called exhibition wrestling. Because the chief purpose of such wrestling is entertainment, both the action and the outcome of exhibition matches are carefully rehearsed in advance to be dramatic or humorous. It isn't fake wrestling it's a show.
We are not talking about Olympic freestyle contests, college wrestling or matches of Greco Roman wrestling. Often such matches are shown on TV. The carefully rehearsed professional matches we are talking about are strictly in the show business class.
Most states require that professional wrestling events be advertised as exhibitions rather than as contests.
Exhibition wrestling action takes place in a roped off ring about 18 feet square. One of the contestants, usually assuming a villainous attitude, pretends to inflict damage on the opponent with simulated eye gouges, finger twists and other illegal tactics.
Meanwhile the opponent wins the sympathy of the spectators by using orthodox wrestling holds. In the end, the good guy usually triumphs. But sometimes the bad guy wins. Tune in again next week, folks, and see what happens at the rematch.
Legitimate or genuine professional wrestling was very popular in the United States from 1880 until about 1920. At that time, victory went to the wrestler scoring two falls out of three. Bouts often were contested in a mixed style, that is, one fail was in Greco Roman style and the other in a catch as catch can style. The style used for the third fall, if any, was determined by the toss of a coin. No time limit was imposed on matches.
Exhibition wrestling is the only form of professional wrestling currently popular in the U.S. Legitimate professional wrestling doesn't have too much appeal now.
But very popular are a number of amateur wrestling formats. Regular matches are held in colleges, secondary schools and athletic clubs.
On the amateur wrestling front, national championship matches, hundreds of regional and thousands of local tournaments are held each year.
Freestyle wrestling, often called Olympic freestyle, allows a variety of holds. Constestants may apply holds below the waist and may use their legs for all holds except the body scissors and head scissors. If the shoulders of a contestant are forced to the mat simultaneously however briefly, a fall is scored and the match ends.
If no fall takes place in freestyle wrestling, a winner is chosen on a point basis.
In Olympic and other freesytle tournaments, a victory on points is deprecated, and the victor is penalized with a so called bad mark. A contestant who amasses six of these bad marks is eliminated from the tournament.
Collegiate style wrestling, once known as catch as catch can, is a form of free style wrestling.