10 Examples of Pro Wrestling Jargon

#10 The Rub

Sting freely admits that Ric Flair made his career.

What it means: The rub refers to an established star lending a bit of credibility to an up and coming talent, often by either losing to them in a match or allowing a great deal of offense, but it could be as simple as just associating with them.

Also known as: Giving the rub, 'making' a wrestler.

Likely origin of the term: Probably comes from a little bit of star power 'rubbing' off on the other wrestler.

Giving the rub is one of the most controversial things a pro wrestler can possibly do in backstage terms.

This is because if a megastar gives the rub to the wrong person, it could hurt their own career. Likewise, it's considered to be a big honor to receive the rub, and if a wrestler doesn't show the proper gratitude they may find themselves being booked less generously in the future.

Famous rubs involve Andre the Giant allowing Hogan to cleanly pin him at Wrestlemania III, Sting going the distance with Ric Flair at Clash of the Champions I, and Arn Anderson letting the Renegade pin him for the WCW TV title--an example of a rub gone wrong since it didn't get Renegade over with the crowd.

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There you have it: Ten examples of pro wrestling jargon. Questions or comments? Please leave them below the article and as always thanks for reading!