- 2 months ago
Life in the squared circle comes with a hefty rulebook! Join us as we reveal the strangest regulations that WWE performers must abide by behind the scenes. From strict social media policies to appearance requirements, these surprising rules show that being a sports entertainment superstar isn't all glamour and glory. Which rule shocked you the most?
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00:00Welcome to Miz Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most bizarre mandates
00:05WWE wrestlers either had to follow or still follow today.
00:10Number 20. Can't use certain finishes unless you have permission.
00:15Wrestlers are defined by their finishes.
00:18Cena with the AA, Alton with the RKO, the list goes on.
00:22As you can imagine, common courtesy is a big deal here.
00:26For example, Damien Priest ditched The Reckoning, since it looked similar to Cody Rhodes' finisher, The Crossroads.
00:34To keep finishers iconic, not every wrestler can try whatever one they want.
00:38It's a good way to respect the wrestlers who those finishers are most associated with, but there's still a grey area.
00:46Some believe that wrestlers basically owning a finisher can be a sign of gatekeeping.
00:51Honestly, there's some valid points from both sides.
00:54Either way, though, you're not going to see a rookie whip out the tombstone piledriver on NXT unless they've got the okay.
01:02Number 19. You need to be taller than your interviewer.
01:06This rule is more of a two-way street, since some of the responsibility also falls upon the interviewer.
01:12Regardless, it's still a pretty odd order.
01:15The reasoning behind wrestlers needing to be taller than their interviewers is so the superstars appear as larger than life as possible.
01:24Former WWE personality Kevin Patrick was once caught having to squat down to interview a wrestler.
01:30It's funny, but also a little alarming.
01:32It's not necessarily bad to want superstars to look like a big deal, but physicality isn't the only component to being a success in this industry anymore.
01:43So this obsession with height feels a little unnecessary today.
01:48Since Triple H is in charge now, it's possible this mandate will be buried if it hasn't already.
01:54Number 18. You might not have full control of your name or necessarily get to keep it.
01:59WWE have often been responsible for coining a superstar's name.
02:04Remember Shorty G?
02:06Ugh, yikes.
02:08But it's still possible for a name used to be the one the wrestler came up with themselves.
02:13There's still some more caveats, though.
02:15While WWE won't own your legal birth name, the one that you've carefully crafted to fit your gimmick and brand will be property of the Fed.
02:24That's why when wrestlers leave WWE and go somewhere else like AEW, they have a different name.
02:31Since these are intricate legal matters that can vary from wrestler to wrestler, there are exceptions here and there.
02:39But the vast majority basically sign a part of themselves away to the promotion.
02:43Point is, don't get too attached to your name.
02:46Number 17. Social Media Policy
02:49Whether WWE likes to admit it or not, the internet has had a huge impact on the wrestling business.
02:56The web is littered with dirt sheet websites detailing the goings-on backstage within the company.
03:02But perhaps the biggest impact it's had is the rise of social media.
03:07Whether it's Twitter or Instagram, the WWE superstars are even more connected with the fans than ever.
03:13And because of this, WWE has had to implement a plethora of rules throughout the years.
03:19Not only are their posts closely monitored, but there are certain subjects they're not allowed to talk about, such as anything relating to third-party brands.
03:28A bigger, more recent rule is that they're not allowed to take any pictures of the injuries they've received while in the ring, and then post them for the world to see.
03:38Number 16. Use the Tag Rope
03:40At least in Dallas, we know that the mat is sacred, but the Tag Rope is also highly coveted, at least in Dallas, Texas.
03:48In the past, one half of a tag team was expected to hold onto a special rope tied to the turnbuckle to be able to legally tag into a match.
03:58Using the rope isn't as big of a deal today, except when you're down in this city.
04:02Then, it's incredibly important for tag teams to utilize the rope.
04:07In fact, it's so important that a special inspector has to go to the arena and manually inspect the rope to make sure it's exactly 18 inches.
04:17So yeah, never underestimate the importance of the rope.
04:20Number 15. Weapons Need Approval
04:22On the one hand, it makes sense to have certain weapons be pre-approved for planned spots.
04:28But on the other, it's interesting to see how extensive the list of weapons that need approval goes.
04:35Stuff like chairs, kendo sticks, tables, basically any kind of object needs the green light from upper management to be used.
04:43Kendo sticks and tables, sure, that's fair.
04:45But it's interesting that chairs need approval, too.
04:49Given how commonly they're used, you'd think they'd at least give the more seasoned veteran wrestlers a little more leeway and trust there.
04:57Number 14. No Wearing High Heels in a Certain Part of California
05:01Heels are super important in professional wrestling.
05:05They're the perfect bad guys to rile up the crowd and get the world to eat out the palm of their hands.
05:12But wrestling has more than one type of heel.
05:14More specifically, high heels are important in wrestling, too.
05:18But did you know that they're banned in Caramel by the Sea, California?
05:23The reason they're banned is to stop people from getting into accidents due to the town's uneven sidewalks.
05:29This won't necessarily prevent women from working in the ring.
05:33However, it's definitely a potential obstacle for other areas of the job, like cutting promos or participating in backstage segments.
05:42Technically, you could get a permit to wear them, but we doubt that's a fun process.
05:48Choose footwear responsibly.
05:50Number 13. Wrestlers Need to Stay the Whole Show Even If They're Not Being Used
05:55Whether this is an official order or an unspoken norm, wrestlers are expected to stay for the entirety of the show.
06:02There's actually some good reasons for this, such as being available in case of any last-minute changes.
06:09But if the show's going off without a hitch and you're not a wrestler on the card,
06:13you're likely just banished to the shadow realm that is catering for the next three hours.
06:18It's understandable to have to stick around when there's a need to,
06:21but if WWE doesn't have anything for some wrestlers, forcing them to travel and stay in the arena might be unnecessary.
06:29Number 12. Can't Wear Blue Trunks In North Carolina On Wednesdays
06:34Talk about oddly specific.
06:36We didn't even know a color could have go-away heat, but apparently it does.
06:41For some incredibly weird reason, WWE doesn't allow wrestlers to wear blue trunks when they're in North Carolina.
06:48More specifically, when they're in North Carolina on a Wednesday.
06:53Nobody really knows why this rule exists.
06:56Some speculate it may have something to do with North Carolina native Ric Flair,
07:01who is known for wearing eccentric shades of blue.
07:04Others think maybe it's got something to do with the University of North Carolina,
07:09whose basketball team is also associated with this specific color.
07:13Your guesses are as good as ours, though.
07:15The only logical conclusion is that WWE obviously hates Baby Blue and Wednesdays and maybe North Carolina.
07:24Number 11. Wrestlers Also Have To Be Sports Entertainers
07:27Obviously, WWE is a professional wrestling company,
07:31but for the longest time, they kind of shied away from the wrestling aspect of it.
07:36They marketed themselves as sports entertainment,
07:39and that business philosophy dripped down into everything they've done.
07:43So much so that wrestlers basically had to adapt to this new landscape.
07:48They had to be called superstars and avoid saying certain wrestling-related terms.
07:54WWE wanted to make movies, and wrestling just happened to be the vehicle for that.
07:59While WWE has embraced its wrestling roots more post-Vince McMahon,
08:04wrestlers still have to work within the WWE style.
08:06Stuff like promos, character gimmicks, and match structure all still emphasize sports entertainment.
08:13Basically, you'll still get wrestling, but you'll also get some theatrical flair too.
08:19Number 10. Briefcase At The Hip
08:21Okay, so winning a WWE title can be a big deal,
08:26bringing with it an increased visibility on the roster,
08:29and potentially a bigger pay increase.
08:31But do superstars have to wear those big, gaudy belts everywhere they go?
08:36Well, not exactly,
08:38but winners of the Money in the Bank briefcase are expected to travel with their prize,
08:44which enables them to cash in for a WWE title opportunity,
08:48and that can prove to be one giant pain in the arse.
08:52Getting from town to town is a challenge in itself,
08:54never mind having to remember to pack an extra prop along the way,
08:58and losing the briefcase simply is not an option.
09:02Number 9. Fringe Benefits
09:04We just mentioned the potential pay increases that come with being a WWE champion.
09:10However, there are other aspects to being a money player in the company
09:15that don't exactly, well, bring in extra money.
09:19Although contracts do vary from wrestler to wrestler,
09:22promotional appearances such as those on late-night talk shows
09:25are sometimes written into the performer's contracts
09:28as part of their job in promoting the brand.
09:31As such, these appearances aren't paid extras for them,
09:35other than having their hotel and accommodations comped,
09:39and is instead just another part of the job
09:42for Vince McMahon's sweaty, travelling circus.
09:45Number 8. Get Your Own Wheels
09:47Today, most professional wrestlers aren't considered employees under the law,
09:52but rather independent contractors,
09:55and as such aren't covered for basic employee rights such as healthcare.
10:00Transportation is also not usually provided for the wrestlers to get from town to town,
10:05with all but the biggest main eventers like John Cena
10:08being required to rent their own cars
10:10and paying for these services out of the pockets.
10:14It's tough getting from town to town on an overnight drive,
10:17and the fact that all of the expenses are still coming out of the performers' pockets
10:21is just crazy to us.
10:24Number 7. Heels and babyfaces don't mix
10:28Okay, so the impact of this unwritten rule
10:31has certainly been lessened over the years
10:33since the death of Kayfabe,
10:35the code of silence that protected the hidden truths
10:38and inner workings of professional wrestling.
10:41Still, one need only take a glance at the WWE Network series' ride-along
10:46to see that heels and babyfaces still don't tend to travel together all that often.
10:52In the older days, this rule was meant to protect
10:55the good-guy-versus-bad-guy aesthetic of the business,
10:58but even today, we see many of the same heel-and-face factions
11:02travelling together on the road,
11:04keeping at least a little bit of that old-school Kayfabe memory intact.
11:08Number 6. No ad-libbing in promo.
11:12The art of the pro-wrestling promo
11:14is no longer the wide-open Wild West country it used to be back in the day.
11:19Performers were largely trusted with coming up with their own spiel to say on the mic before a match,
11:25with little, if any, editing done in the process.
11:28Superstars such as The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin
11:31made careers out of ad-libbed promos,
11:34but this is a huge no-no in the modern era.
11:38Instead, most wrestlers have their promos written ahead of time by WWE's creative team
11:44and are expected to deliver them line-by-line in front of the camera.
11:50Some superstars are allowed to offer their own input,
11:53but this sadly isn't used nearly as much as it was with their predecessors.
11:58Number 5. Stick to the product.
12:00This next rule just sort of goes without saying.
12:04Today's wrestling climate is beginning to get more competitive than it has in years,
12:09with promotions such as AEW and New Japan Pro Wrestling offering intriguing alternatives
12:14to the monopoly McMahon had previously enjoyed.
12:18As a result, WWE employees are expected not to visit events held by direct competition,
12:24although co-branding with collaborative companies such as Evolve Pro Wrestling seems to be okay.
12:31Essentially, it just wouldn't look good for a high-profile superstar
12:35to give their stamp of approval to another promotion.
12:38In the world of WWE, it's best to pretend these other companies don't exist,
12:44rather than to validate them via any attendance, even if it's just for surveillance purposes.
12:50Number 4. Stay in your lane when you change.
12:54There has always been a sort of hierarchy when it comes to the WWE rosters,
12:58with many jobbers never rising above the lowest ranks of the totem pole,
13:03while other superstars just seemed destined to rocket up the card to main event status.
13:09The backstage locker room is a reflection of this hierarchy,
13:13with many of the lower-level superstars sharing changing space in separate quarters,
13:18away from the private areas for big-money superstars such as John Cena or The Undertaker.
13:25Furthermore, there have been stories of superstars such as that of The Miz,
13:29who was forced to find somewhere else to change early in his career,
13:33after reportedly annoying Chris Benoit by eating chicken near Chris's gym bag.
13:39You can't make this stuff up.
13:41Number 3. Words are important.
13:44This next rule is another that has been slightly softened in recent years,
13:48as the public's appreciation of professional wrestling versus sports entertainment
13:53seems to shift further towards the former.
13:56Still, just a cursory glance at WWE's major network programming
14:01offers a clean glimpse into the world Vince McMahon is determined to promote,
14:06with very specific word choices.
14:09For starters, pronouns are a no-go,
14:12with WWE commentators going out of their way to use performers' proper names at all times.
14:18Talents are referred to as superstars far more often than wrestlers,
14:22championships are substituted for title,
14:26while generally any sort of insider terminology gets nixed right from the get-go.
14:32Less said about that whole performance fighter thing, the better.
14:36Number 2. Dress for success.
14:39The age of Ric Flair's styling and profiling fancy dress
14:43may seem like a gimmick unique to the Nature Boy,
14:46but WWE superstars are actually expected to follow a business casual dress code,
14:52even on the road.
14:54Male performers are expected to wear suits during public appearances,
14:58but are allowed to wear athletic gear when traveling to the next town,
15:02or at the airport.
15:04The company's sponsorship deal with Tap Out makes this latter detail a bit easier for talent
15:10who may want to feel at least a little comfortable while on the road.
15:14But the WWE dress code is definitely designed to retain
15:17the company's prestigious brand reputation at all costs.
15:22Before we continue, be sure to subscribe to our channel
15:24and ring the bell to get notified about our latest videos.
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15:37Number 1. No sneezing.
15:40We could have filled our list with all of the reported quirks and idiosyncrasies
15:44of one Vincent Kennedy McMahon,
15:46but we've narrowed it down to just one head-scratching peculiarity.
15:51Sneezing.
15:52Yes, sneezing.
15:54That involuntary act that we all do,
15:57sometimes uncontrollably, at any given moment.
16:01Therein lies the key word, however,
16:04control.
16:05McMahon is a notoriously hands-on creator
16:08who demands total control at all times.
16:12Therefore, rumours have surfaced that the industry icon simply hates sneezing
16:17to the point where employees have decided to hold them in,
16:20if at all possible.
16:22Vince reportedly sees it as a sign of weakness,
16:25especially if it's himself who happens to be caught in a sneezing fit.
16:30Is there a crazy rule we missed?
16:32Spread the lunacy in those comments below.
16:36Do you agree with our picks?
16:37Check out this other recent clip from Ms. Mojo.
16:39And be sure to subscribe and ring the bell to be notified about our latest videos.
16:43We'll see you next time.
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