Re: [DL] Former Wrestler PC?

["Nick Zachariasen" <zacharin@pluto.dsu.edu>]

> Now, my Q: Here do I drop his skill in wrestling? In
> Performn':Wrestlin', or Professional:Wrestlin', Trade:Wrestlin' or
> Fightin':Wrestlin'?  What other skills might a wrestler need? Tale
> Tellin'? Dodge? An Exceptionaly high Guts? Medicine (to deal with
> injuries)? Overawe? Ridicule?

Well, back then, wrestling was just that: wrestling. It was actually
scientific, like amateur wrestling. There were no Undertakers, Doink the
Clowns, "Hacksaw" Jim Duggans, Brutus "the Barber" Beefcakes, etc. It was
actual wrestling. It changed (IIRC) early in the 20th century when people
started getting bored with matches that lasted 5 hours. This actually
happened a lot due to the fact that it was still a technical sport instead
of a show like it is today. Wrestling back during DL time was pretty much
just shoots (a "shoot" being a match for real instead of staged like they
came to be). I'd say you'd have to give him Fightin': Wrestling and perhaps
a point or two in Bluff for faking the opponent out.

As for the way it was conducted, a promoter would have a small territory in
which he'd travel around with his stable of wrestlers and have matches.
There'd be a champion, but there wasn't much credibility to having dozens of
"world champions" running around, so some promoters started forming
alliances and having matches between their champions to actually make the
title mean something, but this didn't really happen until wrestling started
having predetermined outcomes. If you can get your hands on A&E's excellent
The Unreal Story of Professional Wrestling, do so. It's really very
interesting. There MAY be a copy here in Yankton at the video store where I
work. Let me know if you're interested and I can check. It'd really help you
get an "accurate" background for this character.

Nick Zachariasen
Editor Emeritus
Trojan Times