July 18, 2025 • 19 mins
The Art and Psychology of Professional Wrestling
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
This episode is sponsored by KWK KFA brand. Go to
shop KWK dot com and use the code n s
c w n G for ten percent off your total order. Again,
go to shop KWK dot com and use the code
(00:21):
n s c w NG for ten percent off your
final order. Thank you for the KWK brand.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
S PA were the reason why, where the reason why?
Nsc us we own this sound until the final bend
(00:50):
will hold.
Speaker 1 (01:02):
Hello, Welcome to the NFC Wrestling and Gaming Podcast. I
am your host, the director of Chaos, Nicholas Canfulm. And
before we get started, why don't we go check out
the nerd closetonline dot com. Matt Maniacs. The pre order
ends in fourteen days, six hours, twenty one minutes and
(01:28):
nine seconds Wave two. The preorder is the order All right, guys,
Matt Maniacs, Incredible figures, Legend of Doom, led the Steiners,
Major Players, the hard these Powers of Pain. They also
(01:49):
have a Combo three deal. Go check those guys out
now for the episode today, I want to get started
and talk about the art of professional wrestling. Now for me,
I feel like I can speak about it because not
(02:09):
only do I run a wrestling podcast, I'm a lifelong
wrestling fan. I've seen so many matches in my life.
You know. I dabbled in the ring as far as
training at Institute of Professional Wrestling in Syracuse iop W
under Jeffrey spring Gate. I wasn't there for long, but
(02:33):
the friendships that I made with it, I mean Mike
scyros Don Freese, they're still wrestling. And then made friends
like Sean Carr, the hybrid of Xcite, Grizzly Olsen. All right,
Angel Duval. We all talk about wrestling, we all talk
(02:56):
about what is the art of it because a lot
of people think you just go in, you tie up,
you run the ropes and everything else. Now, the psychology
of professional wrestling wins you over. We're talking guys like Raven,
(03:17):
Roddy Piper, mister Perfect. Then you have managers Bobby the Brain, Heenan,
Paul Hayman, fantastic minds as far as managers in the business.
When I speak about Roddy Piper, Raven, mister Perfect, Well, Ravishing,
(03:41):
Rick rud the psychology of it is how do you
win over people before you even step in the ring.
And another great example Jake the Snake Roberts. You see
Jake the Snake Roberts his promos is where was that?
The same with Raven, the same with perfect Rick. Rude
(04:05):
played more of a mental psychology, not with his words,
but wearing his opponent's wife on the on you know,
on his pants, where the face is on his crotch.
That that already wins you over before the match even starts.
And a lot of people, when you break it down
(04:30):
for them, they get amazed because you have your n ring,
your your promos, you have everything you do. Now how
do you draw a crowd? It's never certain. All right,
Let's look at Hulk versus Rock WrestleMania. People were supposed
(04:56):
to hate and boo Hogan, but that didn't happen. They
were cheering for him, booing the Rock. So now you
have to quickly flip the script and you have to
call an audible. It's never certain what fans are going
to do, and that's what keeps it interesting. Yes, people
(05:17):
can call it a soap opera, but that's already planned.
Wrestling is never planned. You can you know pre plan
You can say, well this is you know, I want
to do this bump, or I want to I want
to have this high spot or whatever but you never
know what's going to happen, So you have to call
(05:37):
an audible now one of one of the best, in
my opinion as far as perfect angering psychology, Rick Flair
because he could make you believe anything he wanted anything
he wanted you to believe. Right, So from facial expressions,
(06:03):
Sean Michaels is another one. Facial expressions, you know the
build ups, the comebacks. When are you gonna take that
bump and you're gonna stay down for seconds upon minutes
and it feels like a lifetime. That draws in emotions
(06:25):
from the crowd, from the fans. Excuse me, it's when
that when, whether it's a heel or a face, when
somebody's down and hurt, you automatically get that sense of
emotion as you know, I feel bad for this person.
(06:46):
I hope this person you know can make you can
get up, whether they're a heel or a face. It's
human nature to get that instinct in, right, you want
to feel bad for that person. Rick Flair, Shawn Michael's
perfect examples of that. And you also have different emotions.
(07:08):
So you have that, but then you have the aggression
emotion that little man pouring his Heart out Ray Mysterio
against the big Show, Chris ben Wah Eddie Guerrero. They
were never the tallest. Believe Eddie was five nine, ben
(07:29):
Wah was five ten going against guys six three, six,
four sixty five. So now they already have a disadvantage.
But the aggression that they got in the ring, same
with Kurt Angle, it made you feel for them. It
made you feel whether it was dirty tactics or not,
(07:53):
it was almost a last resort, that's what you wanted.
And Eddie Guerrero was a combination of his promos, of
his in ring work, of his expressions, and you felt
it every single time he stepped through those ropes and
(08:15):
placed his boots on the map on the apron. You
felt every emotion in his matches. Great in ring psychology,
but then you also have to talk about how wrestling
(08:36):
itself has progressed, right, So it has progressed from catch
style wrestling or submission catch style wrestling. In the twenties
and thirties, it was a circus style, that's what it was.
It was a circus style type of performance. And then
(08:58):
in the forties and fifties you brought on the holds,
but the way progress the way professional restent has progressed tremendously.
All Right, your sleeper hold, your diving cross body used
to be a finish. Now people use that two out
(09:19):
of three times every match. Right then it was a
drop kick. That was a diving drop kick, a finished move.
Hogan's leg drop right, a moon set, you see those
almost every match. So now you have to get more creative.
(09:42):
How am I gonna get the crowd over more to
believe this move that I'm doing is gonna put is
gonna put my guy away, He's gonna put my opponent
one two three. I'm gonna get the win. This is
when we come up with the build ups, right, you
need that build up because without it, it's just another
(10:04):
Goldberg match. Ref rings the bell. Spear's done now Goldberg,
you know he he's a very solid guy. So his
spear believable, brock Lesnar's f five believable. Roman spear and
Superman punch believable. But not every guy that does it
(10:25):
is believable. Right, would you rather believe Goldberg or Roman
their spears they're gonna wipe somebody out one two three
rather than a Christian spear? And I'm only using Christian
because he's six' four two twenty five right. Now maybe all,
(10:47):
right you're Talking, Goldberg romans sixty, three sixty, four eighty,
two Ninety monsters Of. Men so the more that wrestling,
progresses the more you gotta, have you gotta believe that
this finish is gonna take them out, right perfect, example power.
(11:13):
Bombs we see power bombs a lot in pro wrestling right,
NOW i mean a, lot but they're never down for
more than two. Seconds it's never a, finish and some it,
is but in some cases it's. Not Kevin, nash whether
(11:35):
you're gonna call Him Kevin nash Or diesel jack, knife
power bomb seven. Footer you're in the, air he's strolling
you right to The matt. Believable that was his finish
that when that, happened you knew it was, done Said Vicious,
psycho Said Dave. Bautista with The batista, bomb sit out
(11:57):
power bomb like, that then you have the last ride From.
Taker you believe that is. Real but you also want
to go with protecting the. Finishes you see a lot
of power bombs now throughout, matches and it's never a.
(12:18):
Finish so when you when you see somebody like A
Kevin nash delivering a power, bomb and today's day and,
age are you really gonna think that's a finish or
you're gonna think that's that's another, move that's another heavy.
Grapple you. Know jake The Snake ROBERTS ddt perfect. Example
(12:43):
we see ddts now in almost every, match whether it's
on the apron or in the, ring on the ring,
apron announced table on the. Outside that's supposed to put
your guy. Away but that emotion you feel when you
See jake do, it he perfects. It that was his
(13:07):
that's his. Move well he's got the win, now he's
got in the. Bag and this is where the perfect
combination of, emotion n ring and expression comes in. Play
(13:28):
you grind your, teeth you're, streaming this is, it and
then your opponent helps you lay in, flat looks like
he's you, know knocked, out he's. Unconscious you're gonna believe
that more you do a QUICK DDT a from a,
headlock it's not you're not gonna get that build. Up
(13:51):
and in today's day and, age that's not. Believable that's
nowhere near where we want it to. Be another good
ex ample is the. Comeback the comeback is not an everyday.
Thing that's, desperation, right that's, desperation that's build, up that's,
(14:13):
adrenaline that's every single emotion you're. Feeling seeing a five
moves of doom is anonymous for. That but every time
he does, it you're, Believing, man this is. Good. Now shoulder,
block shoulder, block shoulder, block spinning backshoue. Plex, right then what?
(14:35):
Happens five knuckle. Shuffling but every time you see him duck,
close shoulder, block shoulder, block you're feeling, That you're feeling
The Sean michaels a couple of punches to the head
than a growing drop or a reverse atomic, drop scoop, slam, turnbuckle.
(15:03):
Elbow hogan's. Right you believe, that whether you've seen it
one time or a thousand, times you're feeling that. Emotion
you're feeling that connection with that wrestler in the ring
because they're making it. Believable you. See the perfect example is.
(15:31):
INDIES i would definitely say the, indies, Right So i'm
not talking your your, PWG's i'm not talking your. GCW's
i mean your local indie shows wherever you're at that
gets me more believable than WHAT i see in W.
W why because they're smaller. Shows you can hear them,
(15:54):
Perfect they're they're they're, screaming they're they're grinding their, teeth they're.
Grunting this is. It they need this, comeback they need
this momentum. Going and every TIME i go to an
indie show AND i see, THAT i FEEL i feel
(16:14):
LIKE i believe, it and you want that as a,
wrestler you want to believe. That so this isn't. Tutorial
this episode is strictly educational and a different perspective from
(16:41):
my point of, view from WHAT i think as a
diehard wrestling, fan as somebody who's watched thousands and thousands
and thousands of matches From All Japan Pro wrestling To
New Japan Pro wrestling TO Fmw Pro, Wrestling noah GC
w c Z W e c W w C W
(17:03):
w e W W e T N A a E.
W i've watched it, all. Right HOW i feel is
Is i've taken a lot of opinions from a lot
of a lot of my, buddies a lot of group,
chats a lot of PEOPLE i talk to at, conventions
(17:25):
at you, know, shows it doesn't. Matter AND i always
ask them what's the number one thing fans need to
learn with wrestling? Psychology, this, that and the. Other AND
i really thought about, it and that's Why i'm here
right because you win everybody over with psychology because you're
(17:54):
more in tuned with. It then you're you're more in
two with the. Promos ravens promos And jake The Snake
roberts promos fantastic pinpoint on what you want in a.
Promo you feel like you're, there you feel like they're
speaking to. You Dusty Rhodes, flair you feel like they're
(18:21):
speaking to. You you feel like you're right next to,
them shoulder to. Shoulder and then you have your in ring,
psychology and you mix those two, together you get. Greatness
you get very very very good, matches the heartwarming matches
(18:42):
where whether you hated them or, not they're your guys
now or they're your girls. Now that's ALL i got for.
Today Smackdowns Tonight smackdowns in about two. Hours don't forget
to like, Share i've followed download anywhere you listen to.
Podcasts don't forget to check out our YouTube channel AT
(19:06):
Nsc wrestling and gaming. Podcasts don't forget to check out
our shirts At Pro Wrestling teas dot, com SLASH Nsc,
wrestling and. Gaming other than, that hope you Enjoy, SmackDown
have a beautiful. Night thank, you
This episode is sponsored by KWK KFA brand. Go to
shop KWK dot com and use the code n s
c w n G for ten percent off your total order. Again,
go to shop KWK dot com and use the code
(00:21):
n s c w NG for ten percent off your
final order. Thank you for the KWK brand.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
S PA were the reason why, where the reason why?
Nsc us we own this sound until the final bend
(00:50):
will hold.
Speaker 1 (01:02):
Hello, Welcome to the NFC Wrestling and Gaming Podcast. I
am your host, the director of Chaos, Nicholas Canfulm. And
before we get started, why don't we go check out
the nerd closetonline dot com. Matt Maniacs. The pre order
ends in fourteen days, six hours, twenty one minutes and
(01:28):
nine seconds Wave two. The preorder is the order All right, guys,
Matt Maniacs, Incredible figures, Legend of Doom, led the Steiners,
Major Players, the hard these Powers of Pain. They also
(01:49):
have a Combo three deal. Go check those guys out
now for the episode today, I want to get started
and talk about the art of professional wrestling. Now for me,
I feel like I can speak about it because not
(02:09):
only do I run a wrestling podcast, I'm a lifelong
wrestling fan. I've seen so many matches in my life.
You know. I dabbled in the ring as far as
training at Institute of Professional Wrestling in Syracuse iop W
under Jeffrey spring Gate. I wasn't there for long, but
(02:33):
the friendships that I made with it, I mean Mike
scyros Don Freese, they're still wrestling. And then made friends
like Sean Carr, the hybrid of Xcite, Grizzly Olsen. All right,
Angel Duval. We all talk about wrestling, we all talk
(02:56):
about what is the art of it because a lot
of people think you just go in, you tie up,
you run the ropes and everything else. Now, the psychology
of professional wrestling wins you over. We're talking guys like Raven,
(03:17):
Roddy Piper, mister Perfect. Then you have managers Bobby the Brain, Heenan,
Paul Hayman, fantastic minds as far as managers in the business.
When I speak about Roddy Piper, Raven, mister Perfect, Well, Ravishing,
(03:41):
Rick rud the psychology of it is how do you
win over people before you even step in the ring.
And another great example Jake the Snake Roberts. You see
Jake the Snake Roberts his promos is where was that?
The same with Raven, the same with perfect Rick. Rude
(04:05):
played more of a mental psychology, not with his words,
but wearing his opponent's wife on the on you know,
on his pants, where the face is on his crotch.
That that already wins you over before the match even starts.
And a lot of people, when you break it down
(04:30):
for them, they get amazed because you have your n ring,
your your promos, you have everything you do. Now how
do you draw a crowd? It's never certain. All right,
Let's look at Hulk versus Rock WrestleMania. People were supposed
(04:56):
to hate and boo Hogan, but that didn't happen. They
were cheering for him, booing the Rock. So now you
have to quickly flip the script and you have to
call an audible. It's never certain what fans are going
to do, and that's what keeps it interesting. Yes, people
(05:17):
can call it a soap opera, but that's already planned.
Wrestling is never planned. You can you know pre plan
You can say, well this is you know, I want
to do this bump, or I want to I want
to have this high spot or whatever but you never
know what's going to happen, So you have to call
(05:37):
an audible now one of one of the best, in
my opinion as far as perfect angering psychology, Rick Flair
because he could make you believe anything he wanted anything
he wanted you to believe. Right, So from facial expressions,
(06:03):
Sean Michaels is another one. Facial expressions, you know the
build ups, the comebacks. When are you gonna take that
bump and you're gonna stay down for seconds upon minutes
and it feels like a lifetime. That draws in emotions
(06:25):
from the crowd, from the fans. Excuse me, it's when
that when, whether it's a heel or a face, when
somebody's down and hurt, you automatically get that sense of
emotion as you know, I feel bad for this person.
(06:46):
I hope this person you know can make you can
get up, whether they're a heel or a face. It's
human nature to get that instinct in, right, you want
to feel bad for that person. Rick Flair, Shawn Michael's
perfect examples of that. And you also have different emotions.
(07:08):
So you have that, but then you have the aggression
emotion that little man pouring his Heart out Ray Mysterio
against the big Show, Chris ben Wah Eddie Guerrero. They
were never the tallest. Believe Eddie was five nine, ben
(07:29):
Wah was five ten going against guys six three, six,
four sixty five. So now they already have a disadvantage.
But the aggression that they got in the ring, same
with Kurt Angle, it made you feel for them. It
made you feel whether it was dirty tactics or not,
(07:53):
it was almost a last resort, that's what you wanted.
And Eddie Guerrero was a combination of his promos, of
his in ring work, of his expressions, and you felt
it every single time he stepped through those ropes and
(08:15):
placed his boots on the map on the apron. You
felt every emotion in his matches. Great in ring psychology,
but then you also have to talk about how wrestling
(08:36):
itself has progressed, right, So it has progressed from catch
style wrestling or submission catch style wrestling. In the twenties
and thirties, it was a circus style, that's what it was.
It was a circus style type of performance. And then
(08:58):
in the forties and fifties you brought on the holds,
but the way progress the way professional restent has progressed tremendously.
All Right, your sleeper hold, your diving cross body used
to be a finish. Now people use that two out
(09:19):
of three times every match. Right then it was a
drop kick. That was a diving drop kick, a finished move.
Hogan's leg drop right, a moon set, you see those
almost every match. So now you have to get more creative.
(09:42):
How am I gonna get the crowd over more to
believe this move that I'm doing is gonna put is
gonna put my guy away, He's gonna put my opponent
one two three. I'm gonna get the win. This is
when we come up with the build ups, right, you
need that build up because without it, it's just another
(10:04):
Goldberg match. Ref rings the bell. Spear's done now Goldberg,
you know he he's a very solid guy. So his
spear believable, brock Lesnar's f five believable. Roman spear and
Superman punch believable. But not every guy that does it
(10:25):
is believable. Right, would you rather believe Goldberg or Roman
their spears they're gonna wipe somebody out one two three
rather than a Christian spear? And I'm only using Christian
because he's six' four two twenty five right. Now maybe all,
(10:47):
right you're Talking, Goldberg romans sixty, three sixty, four eighty,
two Ninety monsters Of. Men so the more that wrestling,
progresses the more you gotta, have you gotta believe that
this finish is gonna take them out, right perfect, example power.
(11:13):
Bombs we see power bombs a lot in pro wrestling right,
NOW i mean a, lot but they're never down for
more than two. Seconds it's never a, finish and some it,
is but in some cases it's. Not Kevin, nash whether
(11:35):
you're gonna call Him Kevin nash Or diesel jack, knife
power bomb seven. Footer you're in the, air he's strolling
you right to The matt. Believable that was his finish
that when that, happened you knew it was, done Said Vicious,
psycho Said Dave. Bautista with The batista, bomb sit out
(11:57):
power bomb like, that then you have the last ride From.
Taker you believe that is. Real but you also want
to go with protecting the. Finishes you see a lot
of power bombs now throughout, matches and it's never a.
(12:18):
Finish so when you when you see somebody like A
Kevin nash delivering a power, bomb and today's day and,
age are you really gonna think that's a finish or
you're gonna think that's that's another, move that's another heavy.
Grapple you. Know jake The Snake ROBERTS ddt perfect. Example
(12:43):
we see ddts now in almost every, match whether it's
on the apron or in the, ring on the ring,
apron announced table on the. Outside that's supposed to put
your guy. Away but that emotion you feel when you
See jake do, it he perfects. It that was his
(13:07):
that's his. Move well he's got the win, now he's
got in the. Bag and this is where the perfect
combination of, emotion n ring and expression comes in. Play
(13:28):
you grind your, teeth you're, streaming this is, it and
then your opponent helps you lay in, flat looks like
he's you, know knocked, out he's. Unconscious you're gonna believe
that more you do a QUICK DDT a from a,
headlock it's not you're not gonna get that build. Up
(13:51):
and in today's day and, age that's not. Believable that's
nowhere near where we want it to. Be another good
ex ample is the. Comeback the comeback is not an everyday.
Thing that's, desperation, right that's, desperation that's build, up that's,
(14:13):
adrenaline that's every single emotion you're. Feeling seeing a five
moves of doom is anonymous for. That but every time
he does, it you're, Believing, man this is. Good. Now shoulder,
block shoulder, block shoulder, block spinning backshoue. Plex, right then what?
(14:35):
Happens five knuckle. Shuffling but every time you see him duck,
close shoulder, block shoulder, block you're feeling, That you're feeling
The Sean michaels a couple of punches to the head
than a growing drop or a reverse atomic, drop scoop, slam, turnbuckle.
(15:03):
Elbow hogan's. Right you believe, that whether you've seen it
one time or a thousand, times you're feeling that. Emotion
you're feeling that connection with that wrestler in the ring
because they're making it. Believable you. See the perfect example is.
(15:31):
INDIES i would definitely say the, indies, Right So i'm
not talking your your, PWG's i'm not talking your. GCW's
i mean your local indie shows wherever you're at that
gets me more believable than WHAT i see in W.
W why because they're smaller. Shows you can hear them,
(15:54):
Perfect they're they're they're, screaming they're they're grinding their, teeth they're.
Grunting this is. It they need this, comeback they need
this momentum. Going and every TIME i go to an
indie show AND i see, THAT i FEEL i feel
(16:14):
LIKE i believe, it and you want that as a,
wrestler you want to believe. That so this isn't. Tutorial
this episode is strictly educational and a different perspective from
(16:41):
my point of, view from WHAT i think as a
diehard wrestling, fan as somebody who's watched thousands and thousands
and thousands of matches From All Japan Pro wrestling To
New Japan Pro wrestling TO Fmw Pro, Wrestling noah GC
w c Z W e c W w C W
(17:03):
w e W W e T N A a E.
W i've watched it, all. Right HOW i feel is
Is i've taken a lot of opinions from a lot
of a lot of my, buddies a lot of group,
chats a lot of PEOPLE i talk to at, conventions
(17:25):
at you, know, shows it doesn't. Matter AND i always
ask them what's the number one thing fans need to
learn with wrestling? Psychology, this, that and the. Other AND
i really thought about, it and that's Why i'm here
right because you win everybody over with psychology because you're
(17:54):
more in tuned with. It then you're you're more in
two with the. Promos ravens promos And jake The Snake
roberts promos fantastic pinpoint on what you want in a.
Promo you feel like you're, there you feel like they're
speaking to. You Dusty Rhodes, flair you feel like they're
(18:21):
speaking to. You you feel like you're right next to,
them shoulder to. Shoulder and then you have your in ring,
psychology and you mix those two, together you get. Greatness
you get very very very good, matches the heartwarming matches
(18:42):
where whether you hated them or, not they're your guys
now or they're your girls. Now that's ALL i got for.
Today Smackdowns Tonight smackdowns in about two. Hours don't forget
to like, Share i've followed download anywhere you listen to.
Podcasts don't forget to check out our YouTube channel AT
(19:06):
Nsc wrestling and gaming. Podcasts don't forget to check out
our shirts At Pro Wrestling teas dot, com SLASH Nsc,
wrestling and. Gaming other than, that hope you Enjoy, SmackDown
have a beautiful. Night thank, you
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