Professional Wrestling - Genre Conventions

Genre Conventions

When talking about professional wrestling, there are two levels: the "in-show" happenings that are presented through the shows, and happenings which are outside the scope of performance (in other words, are real life) but have implications on the performance, such as performer contracts, legitimate injuries, etc. Because actual events are often co-opted by writers for incorporation into storylines for the performers, the lines are often blurred and become confused.

Special care must be taken when talking about people who perform under their own name. The actions of the character should be considered fictional events, wholly separate from the life of the performer. This is similar to other entertainers who perform with a persona that shares their own name (such as Stephen Colbert and Stephen Colbert (character)).

Some wrestlers will incorporate elements of their real-life personalities into their characters, even if they and their in-ring persona have different names. One notable example is CM Punk, who is straight edge both inside and outside the ring, and uses different aspects of the lifestyle to draw the desired crowd reaction depending on his character's alignment.