Professional wrestling, or pro wrestling, is the performance, management, and marketing of an athletic performing art which contains elements of catch wrestling, mock combat and theatre. It has origins in carnival sideshows in the late 19th century as part of displays of athletics and strength, and its staged aspects grew out of a need to heighten excitement and lessen the strain on performers. Modern professional wrestling usually features simulated striking and grappling techniques, which are modeled after diverse sets of global wrestling and pugilistic styles. Realistic performance is very physical and requires intense specialized training.
Professional wrestling has gradually become a pervasive form of entertainment globally, especially in Japan and North American countries. High-profile figures in the sport often become pop culture icons, such as Hulk Hogan, El Santo, and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. Leading universities have developed courses of study on the cultural significance of professional wrestling.
It is a billion-dollar industry, drawing revenue from ticket sales, television broadcasts, branded merchandise and home video. Pro wrestling was instrumental in making pay-per-view a viable method of content delivery. Annual shows such as WrestleMania are among the highest-selling pay-per-view programming.
Currently, the dominant professional wrestling company worldwide is the United States-based World Wrestling Entertainment, which absorbed many smaller regional companies in the late twentieth century, as well as its primary competitor, World Championship Wrestling.
