wrestling questions

Question
Hi Vinny, my name is Riaz and i ma a massive wwe fan from S.Africa and have many things bout wrestling taht im unsure off..can u help??
I have a longish email enquiry on pro wrestling esp the wwe. we all know that wrestling is fake nowadays but is well rehearsed and planned etc. but i would like ur clarity on the following:
1. wrestling including officials often made speeches in the ring or backstage/ in confrontations with other stars etc...is this rehearsed cos they never make a mistake..they only have one take as its often a live audience...can u pls expalin this...

2. The same goes for teh commentators who know the result before hand..do they make up the commentayr as the action unfolds?
3. Props...there are many props used as weapons by wrestlers, whihc we have been told are fake otherwise it would really hurt the wrestlers eg. chairs, ring posts, ring steps, hhh's sledgehammers, ladders and tables etc..are all of tehse custom made (fake) or are they all real but not being used to really injure the wrestler.
4. a question on teh chairs...cos tehye look jsut like the ones that audience sit on..are they specially marked to shoe the wrestler which is the "fake" chair etc..
5. are ladders and tables matches rehearsed....cos tehre is so much taht can go wrong...like ladders collaping etc..
6. what happens if a wrestler doesnt stick to the prearranged plan..and lets say wins when he was to lose..(if taht ever happens)
7. what is an average amount a wretsler gets paid in a year..like fairly big stars
8. where do wwe get minor wrestlers to come from to like fight the stars for like one match in a year or so...are they from other minor federations etc..eg will be marty gardner (from the past)
9. if msitakes happen in the ring, and teh opposite happens what was supposed to...do the wrestlers cover up and this is tehn worked into the storyline?
10. how did the young wrestlers get chosen for wwe nxt 2010...is that also fake..or are they doing real fighting to win the competetion in wwe?
thank you
Riaz

Answer
How are you doing Riaz?

My name is Michael Boge and your question made its way to the community pool.  I think I will be able to give you the answers that you are looking for.

1.  The promos (wrestling term for any talking done on a microphone in the ring) are usually done off the top of their head.  There is usually a set plan as to what to cover, who will come out with you, any confrontation and approximate time.  The vignettes that are seen behind the curtain are usually filmed prior to the show and are rehearsed and edited into the show.  

2.  Some commentators know the results before hand, but most prefer not to know.  They want their reactions to be genuine.  The commentators are actually not there to call the match move for move, they are there to help the people watching on television to understand and remember the storylines (why people are feuding).

3.  As far as weapons, they are all real.  Chairs, ringposts, steps, the sledgehammer and all other weapons are 100% real.  There are certain ways to hit people with the chairs, falling through tables is done a certain way, HHH sledgehammer shot, he covered the head of the hammer with his hand.  With that being said, there are a few things that are faked for protection reasons, like fire extinguishers are filled with flour.

4.  Yes the chairs are real.  When I wrestle and I want to use a chair, I prefer to take one from a fan, so that everybody can see it was real.

5.  In WWE, some tables and ladder matches are rehearsed...but not as you would think.  They are discussed with somebody called the Road Agent to make sure that the match lasts the correct amount of time.  Matches in WWE on TV and Pay Per View have a limited time to get everything in.  The Road Agent makes sure everybody gets their time.  On the independent circuit (the minor leagues of professional wrestling) most of the time, it's made up as we go.

6.  That would depend on the situation.  If the ending is changed due to an injury, nothing will happen.  If the ending is changed due to somebody being a jerk, then they usually are fired.  This is a very gray area though.  Alot of times, the ending is changed due to using a different move then the originally planned move.  That's not a big deal, but some promoters will be upset that the wrestlers didn't follow the plan.  However, somebody winning when they were supposed to lose rarely ever happens.

7.  I don't know how much they make, because everybody makes a different amount.  This is based upon contract negotiations, endorsement deals, royalties from DVD and merchandise sales, and many other aspects that I would not even dare to guess.

8.  In today's market, when you see anybody in front of the camera that is not in the stands, is punched in the stands,or is a security guard-police officer-medic, they are local independent wrestlers from the town they are wrestling in.  These guys are usually brought in by the promoter that is contacted by WWE.  

9.  This very rarely happens, but yes it would be written into the storyline.  Most of the time, mistakes happen.  You could probably watch 10 WWE shows and every show at least one match would have mistakes in it.  Big mistakes though rare, do happen.  These are usually when a wrestler gets injured and the wrestlers stop the match immediately with a pin.  Those are usually written into a storyline down the road when the injured wrestler recovers.

10. All the wrestlers in NXT are independent wrestlers.  I don't know alot about how much of that is storyline vs. reality tv, but if it's WWE, my guess is 100% planned.

Thanks for all your questions, I hope I was able to answer them clear enough.