(TY Dragon) Was an Amateur Wrestling background required for Pro Wrestling in the past for business purposes?

No, it wasn't required, but it didn't hurt to have it. In some cases, it was a hindrance (an amateur wrestler who thought he was "better" than the pros coming in over-confident and getting stretched for real).

In the biography of Mildred Burke (the first "real" women's world champ in the 1940's) it was explained how Billy Wolfe (her manager and agent) would "hire" new wrestlers for his organization (he hired the women then got them booked throughout the country). Anytime a woman approached him he would brush them off. If they persisted, he would give them a "try out", a behind-closed-doors "match" with either Burke of one of his other girls in which they would be punished to tears. If they came back after THAT, he would train them once they paid his fee (Wolfe was a pro wrestler himself).

Reading dozens of wrestler biographies and autobiographies proves this to be the norm. The background of a prospect didn't matter. All that mattered was that they had the entrance fee, and the desire to get beat up. The trainers had no prejudice; if you gave them the money they would train you.

When a promotion did get a "legitimate" wrestler, they did hype it a bit. But the same way it's hyped now. Just to add a little "legitimacy" to a promotion, but not so much that it overshadowed the "fake" wrestlers. Kinda like hyping that so-and-so was a former pro football player before getting into pro wrestling.

In the beginning, pro wrestling was legitimate wrestlers taking on all-comers at carnies and county fairs. After a few decades, showmanship found it's way into the business (mostly because of Gorgeous George) and the wrestling business took a sharp turn into campy vaudeville territory. Lou Thesz brought serious wrestling skills back to the forefront and influenced the direction for a few decades. Verne Gagne, as well.

Outside of the WWE, serious wrestling skills are appreciated and pretty much required by the fans; doesn't have to be "amateur" wrestling skills, just believable.

BQ: Kind of a toss-up here between Verne Gagne and Kurt Angle. Angle debuted practically as a main eventer and World Title contender and has impressed fans all over the world in his years in the business, holding title after title, still a main eventer today. Gagne, too, held numerous World Titles, and even founded his own promotion because he felt he wasn't getting a fair shake in the NWA (he felt the NWA was "afraid" of giving him a shot because he was "just a wrestler", not a showman with a wacky gimmick; this was a big reason he emphasized wrestling skills over "steroid monsters with painted faces who couldn't wrestle" in his AWA).

I'll give the slight nod to Angle because he has been able to adapt to the changes in the wrestling business in his (relatively short) career. Gagne never did. He was an OLD-school amateur wrestling champion who turned pro but refused to change with the times, and got left behind.

If you go back and watch the first King of the Ring, and Hart's match with Mr. Perfect, I don't think there is a better 12 minutes of wrestling before or since then. A close second would maybe be (just for the sheer fun of it) the no holds barred match vs. Diesel. Either way, you can't go wrong. The Ironman match with Michaels at WM XII was tainted by the stupid overtime decision at the end. The match was over, there was no pinfall, so Hart should retain the title. Stupid Gorilla Monsoon.

No it is not,but I could honestly see that changing sometime in the near future,and I am so glad I quit amateur wrestling when I found out that you didn't need it.

No you do not need it though,it just helps your experience part in the application.

BQ:Kurt Angle.

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