Booker (professional wrestling)
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A booker as the term is used in professional wrestling is one who puts the matches together, but also determines basics about their content, such as relative overall length, who the eventual victor will be, and many of the moves which will be made during the match — in other words, the match's "plotline." The entire show is booked in this manner, including segments and other backstage skits or promos in between matches.
It should be noted that professional wrestling is not strictly "scripted" in the way that a play would be — considerable room is left for improvisation, especially in the case of talented veteran performers; at times the wrestlers may not strictly follow the intentions of the booker, especially where actual injury has occurred. Injuries like this can force a quick ending to a match, and also may not have the same results as the original booking.
Talented bookers are key to any successful promotion. It is this element, even above athletic performance, that generally determines the success or failure of a promotion. That said, obviously the booker must have wrestlers of sufficient skill to work with to make the matches appear to be at least somewhat plausible.
Bookers often perform in the event somehow. The most notable example is World Wrestling Entertainment's Howard Finkel, who helped book shows, announced matches, and even wrote magazine reviews of shows. Vince Russo, on the other hand, is viewed by many to have inserted himself too heavily.
Wrestlers who are or were known bookers
- Dusty Rhodes
- Ric Flair
- Kevin Sullivan
- Riki Choshu (New Japan Pro Wrestling)
- Mitsuharu Misawa (All Japan Pro Wrestling and Pro Wrestling NOAH)
See also: professional wrestling slang