Professional wrestling is all about suspension of disbelief but how it achieves that has recently changed.

The world of pro wrestling has always used kayfabe or the idea of making you believe what you are watching is legitimate. The Internet has made it difficult to maintain that sense as we all know what we’re watching: scripted fights with predetermined results.

Furthermore, we know the characters we see on screen are not who the wrestlers actually are in real life. Many wrestlers talk about their characters as separate people because they don’t represent their true personalities.

Once upon a time, wrestling tried to embrace the idea it was legitimate competition until then-WWE CEO Vince McMahon acknowledged its predetermined nature in the mid ’80s to avoid sports taxes. 

Since that time, wrestling has opened the door more and more, allowing fans to see the inner workings of the industry. WWE produces some phenomenal documentaries that highlight its wrestlers out of character. This is a stark change from wrestling’s skittish history with revealing its secrets.

Gone are the days of wrestlers living their characters away from the ring. Sure, some tried to maintain it as The Iron Sheik did with his tweets about hating Hulk Hogan, a reference dating back to their rivalry of the ‘80s.

While we’ll never see that type of kayfabe ever again, wrestling has evolved enough that the idea is not dead. 

Rather, wrestling employs a sort of meta-kayfabe where it has viewers questioning behind-the-scene actions rather than in-ring personas. 

Let me provide a recent example.

The CM Punk-Seth Rollins Feud

CM Punk left WWE in 2014 and lambasted the company following his departure. All of this was considered a shoot, or a real-life incident, as Punk continued his public disdain for the company.

Fast forward to last month when CM Punk, real name Phil Brooks, shockingly returned to WWE at the annual Survivor Series event. Given Punk’s history with WWE, this was unreal and the company quickly utilized a “hell froze over” messaging surrounding his return.

Where new kayfabe comes in is with some of the reactions to Punk’s return.

Seth Rollins has been with WWE for most of his career and he is currently the World Heavyweight Champion as a face (good guy). 

Away from the show, Rollins, real name Colby Lopez, has been critical of Punk and his comments about WWE. After Punk had a messy breakup with WWE rival AEW, Rollins made it abundantly clear he wanted Punk nowhere near the promotion.

Rollins was involved in the last match of the night at Survivor Series so he was on the floor when CM Punk made his return. Shortly after the show went off the air, videos surfaced of Rolins being held back while cussing out and flipping off Punk.

The videos spread like wildfire largely because Rollins, as a face, shouldn’t act like that. That’s when the discussions began.

Everyone had an opinion on whether this incident was a work or a shoot. The arguments centered on Rollins’ past reaction to Punk. To many, it only seemed natural that he would lose it like that.

Eventually, it became clear that the incident was likely a work because WWE has seemingly set up a Punk-Rollins rivalry. Still, the uncertainty is what made this a perfect example of the new kayfabe.

Rollins was working despite the cameras being off because he likely knew someone would capture this and run with it. Pretty soon every dirt sheet and wrestling news site had an “explanation” for his behavior.

The new kayfabe works to blur the line between real-life and wrestling storyline, but does so while acknowledging the scripted nature of the product.

The Influence of the Internet and Social Media

Both WWE and AEW have used similar instances to better establish kayfabe. Wrestling fans know what they are watching and with social media and many dirt sheets out there, the industry has never been as accessible as it is now.

That’s where the genius comes in. These companies know that and, for a time, WWE just went with it, but that’s all changed. 

Fans are inundated with supposed leaks that Wrestler A is upset in the locker room or Wrestler B is mad at Wrestler C because they were too stiff in their moves.

What’s fascinating is some of this ends up being true while some of it is complete malarky. That’s why it works so well.

Wrestling fans think they’re wise to the business, and for a time they were, but the sport has just evolved. This evolution leads to a point where whatever the Internet is chattering about can sometimes make it into a wrestling storyline.

Let’s return to Rollins and Punk. 

CM Punk recently announced he would be performing on Monday Night Raw, which also hosts Rollins. Shortly after this announcement, Rollins came out to confront Punk.

This is all typical wrestling storylines so it was no surprise this happened. Rollins then cut a promo where he said this is Punk’s last chance because he’s caused problems wherever he goes. This was most recently the case in AEW. 

This is exactly what many on social media have been saying and several dirt sheets have reported on an alleged “behavior clause” in Punk’s contract. Again, we don’t know what’s true but the idea of this further adds credibility to Rollins’ words.

Fans know these two are performers, but for a few short minutes, it felt like Rollins may have just been airing his grievances. We can assume it’s part of the show, but there is just enough uncertainty given the history of the two.

That is the essence of the new kayfabe as it takes the suspension of disbelief into a meta level.

The New Kayfabe is Wrestling At Its Best

Wrestling can never go back to the way kayfabe was because fans are too smart. That is why adopting a new interpretation of kayfabe has been wonderful for the industry.

Wrestling is experiencing a boom, probably its best in over 20 years. Part of the interest is the investment into the new form of kayfabe. 

Rather than wrestling just being two athletic performers with big personalities putting on a show, it has become entertainment where fans are unsure of what’s real in the context of backstage drama. When fans are questioning this, wrestling is at its best.

Embracing a reality approach that blurs the lines regarding wrestling news and the performers’ personal feelings makes this product so much more interesting. 

Sure, there are still instances when fans are wise about what’s going on. Many will say, “Yeah, I’m not supposed to like that wrestler, but I’m sure they’re a good person away from the ring.” Wrestling can’t completely erase that.

Still, it’ll be fascinating to see how the industry continues to evolve with this new form of kayfabe that will leave fans questioning what they are watching.

And as that continues to be the reigning sentiment, wrestling will continue to thrive.

Featured Image: WWE (via The Ringer)

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