KayfabeIn professional wrestling, kayfabe (ˈkeɪfeɪb) is the portrayal of staged events within the industry as "real" or "true", specifically the portrayal of competition, rivalries, and relationships between participants as being genuine and not staged. The term kayfabe has evolved to also become a code word of sorts for maintaining this "reality" within the direct or indirect presence of the general public.
Bryan DanielsonBryan Lloyd Danielson (born May 22, 1981) is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is a member of the Blackpool Combat Club. He is also known for his time in WWE, where he worked from 2009 to 2021 under the ring name Daniel Bryan. Renowned for his technical style and popularity with fans, he is widely considered one of the best wrestlers in the world.
The Young BucksThe Young Bucks are an American professional wrestling tag team consisting of brothers Matthew and Nicholas Massie, who are known by their ring names Matt and Nick Jackson, respectively. They are signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where they also act as executive vice presidents. As performers in AEW, they were the inaugural and two-time AEW World Trios Champions with Kenny Omega; the trio team together as The Elite. They are also former two-time AEW World Tag Team Champions.
Gimmick (professional wrestling)In professional wrestling, a gimmick generally refers to a wrestler's in-ring persona, character, behaviour, attire and/or other distinguishing traits while performing which are usually artificially created in order to draw fan interest. These in-ring personalities often involve costumes, makeup and catchphrases that they shout at their opponents or the fans. Gimmicks can be designed to work as good guys/heroes (babyfaces) or bad guys/villains (heels) depending on the wrestler's desire to be popular or hated by the crowd.
Independent circuitIn professional wrestling, the independent circuit (oftened shortened to indie circuit) is the collective name of independently owned promotions which are deemed to be smaller and more regionalized than major national promotions. Independent promotions are essentially viewed as a minor league or farm system for the larger national promotions, as wrestlers in "indie" companies (especially young wrestlers just starting their careers) are usually honing their craft with the goal of being noticed and signed by a major national promotion such as WWE, All Elite Wrestling (AEW), or Impact Wrestling.
Ring nameA ring name is a type of stage name used by an athlete such as a professional wrestler, mixed martial artist, or boxer whose real name is considered unattractive, dull, difficult to pronounce or spell, amusing for the wrong reasons, or projecting the wrong image. Since the advent of the Internet, it is relatively easy to discover a fighter's real name.
CM PunkPhillip Jack Brooks (born October 26, 1978), better known by the ring name CM Punk, is an American professional wrestler, sports commentator, actor, and retired mixed martial artist currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW). Best known for his time in WWE, Brooks' 434-day reign as WWE Champion stands as the seventh longest in the championship's history. Brooks began his professional wrestling career in 1999 on the independent circuit, mainly with Ring of Honor (ROH), winning the ROH World Championship once.
Dwayne JohnsonDwayne Douglas Johnson (born May 2, 1972), also known by his ring name the Rock, is an American actor, film producer, and retired professional wrestler. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, he was integral to the development and success of the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) during the Attitude Era, an industry boom period in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Johnson wrestled for the WWF for eight years prior to pursuing an acting career.
Sting (wrestler)Steve Borden (born March 20, 1959), better known by the ring name Sting, is an American professional wrestler and former bodybuilder, currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW). Sting is widely known for his time spent as the public face of two major American professional wrestling promotions: the now-defunct World Championship Wrestling (WCW), which was bought by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) in 2001, and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA, now Impact Wrestling).
Kane (wrestler)Glenn Thomas Jacobs (born April 26, 1967), better known by the ring name Kane, is an American politician and professional wrestler. Jacobs has been signed to WWE since 1995 and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2021. He has also been the Republican Mayor of Knox County, Tennessee since 2018. He began his professional wrestling career on the independent circuit in 1992, wrestling in promotions such as Smoky Mountain Wrestling (SMW) and the United States Wrestling Association (USWA), before joining the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) in 1995.