Changes

==History==

==History==

Professional wrestling got its start on the county fair circuits, where collegiate wrestlers used to put on fights for paying audiences.  Eventually, the trade began to develop into a profitable business. With stars now worth millions of dollars, the violence and danger was slowly replaced with theatrical combat, allowing wrestlers to appear multiple times a day and perform several times a week without suffering serious injury.

Professional wrestling got its start on the county fair circuits, where collegiate wrestlers used to put on fights for paying audiences.  Eventually, the trade began to develop into a profitable business. With stars now worth millions of dollars, the violence and danger was slowly replaced with theatrical combat, allowing wrestlers to appear multiple times a day and perform several times a week without suffering serious injury.

For most of the twentieth century, professional wrestling was portrayed to the viewing public as 'real', often despite featuring laughably outlandish characters and obvious fakery; in this form it could at one point be seen as [[deceit]]ful and thus inconsistent with [[Christian]] [[values]]. However, after state sports commissions sought to regulate the events (as they do with boxing and mixed martial arts), promoters came clean about the "scripted" nature of the events, which took them outside of regulation.  Even so, the overwhelming majority of fans always understood that it wasn't real, but still watched in appreciation of the entertainment value, athletic prowess and sometimes [[humor]] on display, though in some cases involving adult humor not suitable for families (thus it is featured almost exclusively on cable channels).

For most of the twentieth century, professional wrestling was portrayed to the viewing public as 'real', often despite featuring laughably outlandish characters and obvious fakery; in this form it could at one point be seen as [[deceit]]ful and thus inconsistent with [[Christian]] [[values]]. However, after state sports commissions sought to regulate the events (as they do with boxing and mixed martial arts), promoters came clean about the "scripted" nature of the events, which took them outside of regulation.  Even so, the overwhelming majority of fans always understood that it wasn't real, but still watched in appreciation of the entertainment value, athletic prowess and sometimes [[humor]] on display, though in some cases involving adult humor not suitable for families (thus it is featured almost exclusively on cable channels).

The largest professional wrestling promotion has been the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). WWE has sought respectability since 2003 by sponsoring an annual "Tribute to the Troop" performance at a military base which is also broadcast on television.  Mainstream media figures, such as [[Katie Couric]], the Muppets,<ref>http://www.wwe.com/shows/tributetothetroops/2012/the-muppets-hang-out-with-superstars-and-divas-photos</ref> and President Obama<ref>http://www.wwe.com/videos/president-obama-addresses-the-wwe-universe-26078867</ref> made cameo appearances on the 2012 show to lend credibility to what would otherwise appear to be fake performances. Conservative Governor [[Robert McDonnell]] also appeared on the program but distanced himself by telling the troops "to laugh with the WWE."<ref>http://www.wwe.com/videos/virginia-governor-bob-mcdonnell-talks-about-the-troops-26077001</ref>  Other major promotions include All Elite Wresting (AEW), Impact Wrestling, and Ring of Honor, and many regional promotions exist throughout the United States.

The largest professional wrestling promotion has been [[World Wrestling Entertainment]] (WWE). WWE has sought respectability since 2003 by sponsoring an annual "Tribute to the Troop" performance at a military base which is also broadcast on television.  Mainstream media figures, such as [[Katie Couric]], the Muppets,<ref>http://www.wwe.com/shows/tributetothetroops/2012/the-muppets-hang-out-with-superstars-and-divas-photos</ref> and [[Barack Obama]]<ref>http://www.wwe.com/videos/president-obama-addresses-the-wwe-universe-26078867</ref> made cameo appearances on the 2012 show to lend credibility to what would otherwise appear to be fake performances. Conservative Governor [[Robert McDonnell]] also appeared on the program but distanced himself by telling the troops "to laugh with the WWE."<ref>http://www.wwe.com/videos/virginia-governor-bob-mcdonnell-talks-about-the-troops-26077001</ref>  Other major promotions include All Elite Wresting (AEW), the [[National Wrestling Alliance]], [[Impact Wrestling]] and Ring of Honor, and many regional promotions exist throughout the United States.