What Are Disqualification Rules In Pro Wrestling & WWE?

What are the rules of disqualification in pro wrestling and WWE?

The world of professional wrestling is never stagnant. In reality, it contains a world filled with non-stop drama and scripted gameplay, optimized to provide wholesome entertainment to the fans.

At times, it can be disheartening, especially when the followers never get to see the ending they hope to see.

Constant drama and instant rule modifications can leave anyone dumbfounded and hurt.

Today, to demystify the process of disqualification, we have compiled a list to help you understand the process better and provide answers to recurring fan queries.

1. Players are forbidden from performing illegal acts

Wrestling matches are physically taxing, putting wrestlers in harm’s way. Therefore, there are certain acts like chokes, eye-poking, biting, hair-pulling that a wrestler must not perform.

Any act causing an injury to the opponent is unethical and can lead to disqualification.

Although in the past, the chokehold technique was used to bring down an opponent by a champion or a heel. Now, it is strictly forbidden. Why?

Because, the chokehold technique puts considerable pressure on the windpipe, and restricts airflow to the opponent’s lungs. Proving to be fatal, this can in the end cost the opponent his life.

2. Breaking up a pin or submission in tag matches more than once

Tag matches are team matches played jointly between two teams, with each team having at least two wrestlers each.

The unspoken rule in WWE is that a tag team partner can help his teammate break up a pin or a submission only once during the entire match.

In an event, if the partner accidentally touches or breaks up the pin or a submission more than once during the entire match, the team is instantly disqualified. And, the opponent team becomes the winner.

3. Countouts leading to disqualification

Countouts happen when the wrestler stays out of the ring in the middle of a match.

The referee starts the countdown to ten seconds, allowing the wrestler to enter the ring within the countdown.

In case, the wrestler fails to do so, he gets disqualified from the match.

However, few challengers use the Countouts as a finishing technique to win matches.

What happens here is –

The challenger tires down the opponent and pulls him out of the ring. And, the referee starts the count down to ten seconds. The challenger, then let the referee count to 8 seconds, and on the 8th second, he performs the final blow to knock out his opponent, and enter the ring immediately.

And, the challenger becomes the winner.

4. Throwing closed fist punches

There is nothing illegal about throwing closed fist punches.

The problem arises – when the wrestler gets overexcited and throws repeated closed fist punches that can gravely injure the opponent.

In professional wrestling, few challengers, however, use this trick with closed-fist punches.

First, they tire down their opponents. Second, they apply the final blow – a closed fist punch – to bring their opponent down in a second and become winners.

5. Hitting a referee

WWE follows the strict rules of never harming or physically injuring the match officials or the referee.

In WWE Clash of Champions, 2019, the champion Becky Lynch was disqualified for hitting the referee by mistake with a chair.

Later, she was asked to pay a hefty fine to compensate for her mistake.

6. Bring a foreign object into the ring

One basic rule followed in WWE is that a wrestler must not use foreign objects to defeat the opponent.

Bringing illegal objects like iron chairs, tables, and etc. inside the ring is strictly forbidden.

In case, a wrestler acts against these rules and brings in a foreign object inside the ring, he will be disqualified in an instant.

Does a pro wrestling champion get to keep the belt if they lose by disqualification?

To understand this, we have to go back to the good old days, away from modern-day professional wrestling.

Back then, wrestling matches were played based on strict rules. There was no drama, no scripted matches.

In modern times, wrestling has changed considerably.

There are scripts, moves, and outcomes that the wrestlers must follow to the T.

If the storyline includes the champion performing illegal moves, leading to disqualification. If the storyline includes the champion keeping his belt even after disqualification. Then, so be it.

The rules are blurred

The rules in the pro-wrestling world are blurred because of powerfully scripted storylines and outcomes.

Hopefully, with this article, we have been able to demystify these rules and provide our readers with some clarity on disqualifications in the world of professional wrestling.

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