Carnival Entertainment:
The Carnival Origins of Professional
Wrestling and Casino Gambling
Nothing seems so far removed from the embellished elegance of a modem
casino resort as the sweat-soaked spectacle of a professional wrestling show. In
fact, they are not so dissimilar—they share common roots in the American carnival
tradition. Both evolved from cruder carnival forms and maintain identifiable carry
overs. Each mingles entertainment with emotion. Most significantly, both forms,
while ostensibly competitions of athletic prowess or luck, are actually heavily
scripted. One wagers at a casino knowing that the odds are already set in the house’s
favor just as wrestling fans know that the outcome of the match has been predeter
mined, but still cheers or “boos” the action. Still, because of the enduring lure of
these erstwhile carnival attractions, both professional wrestling and casino gam
bling remain thriving industries and entertaining diversions for many.
Professional wrestling: a carnival of power and spectacle
Though the sport of grappling itself is ancient, professional wrestling emerged
as a spectator “sport” in the carnivals and fairgrounds of America in the early 20th
century. Originally, one of the many attractions of the carnival was a strongman
who offered to wrestle all comers. These early wrestlers were known as “hookers”
and “shooters” for their abilities to apply painful submissions (“hooks”) and “shoot
fight,” or legitimately defeat opponents. Eventually, promoters began organizing
programs, or cards, featuring several matches between professionals, and profes
sional wrestling as a “sport” was bom. Invariably, these contests were staged, with
a promoter scripting the matches to maximize the box office draw. Still, profes
sional wrestling thrived. In the 1950s, it was a major presence in early television,
and by the 1970s regional promotions presented wrestling cards in most parts of
the country.
In the early 1980s, wrestling became a more national phenomenon. Vince
McMahon, Jr.’s World Wrestling Federation (WWF), with popular, marketable
champion Hulk Hogan, secured a measure of mainstream popularity and, more
importantly, national television exposure. The National Wrestling Association
(NWA), of which the WWF was no longer a member, also promoted itself as a
national promotion, although it was actually a consortium of several promotions.
In 1990, Ted Turner bought World Championship Wrestling (WCW), one of the