Pulling Ribs

This is an essential part of the wrestling business. Just like an office meeting. Or maybe a conference call. You can even compare it the cup of coffee you prepare every morning before you go to work. Pulling ribs (pranks) is a normal everyday activity in the world of pro wrestling. I shudder to think of what the business would be like without them.

You see, no matter how rich or famous a wrestler is... no matter how young or old a wrestler is... there's always a rib to be pulled. We thrive off getting the better of one another. Whether it's spicing their drink up with a little hot sauce while they're off to the restroom, or simple tripping them as they walk by... a rib is a rib. Guys lay-in-wait for the opportunity to pull a good joke on a fellow wrestler. Some guys are legendary for their prankster status. A good rib never dies.

Some ribs are much worse than others. Some are in good nature and some bad. You want examples? Of course you do!

Bad nature? Okay, let's see how this one fits. Replacing a guy's bottle of Mountain Dew with a bottle of... well... urine. And yes, this is a true story... and yes, the guy DRANK it. A little rough for your taste? Yeah, mine too. And no, I didn't have any part of that rib.

Good nature? Something as simple as hiding a wrestlers boot. Just one of them. If you took them both, it would be too obvious. So, you snatch one boot and hide it. Now, if you've ever seen a pair of wrestling boots, you know they'd take a while to lace up. Sometimes they go as high up as your knee. So, the entire point of this rib is to hide the boot until the wrestler's match. When his music is playing for him to come to the ring... he still only has one boot on. Then, you can either make him wrestle with only one boot on. Or you could just give him the other and he'll have to rush to put it on. This is especially effective if you're doing live television. Promoters don't take too kindly to that sort of thing though.

How about another bad nature? This one is a little gruesome. Jerry Lawler tells a story in his book about his first few weeks with the World Wrestling Federation. Lawler apparently didn't have very many friends when he started for the company. Once, he came back to the dressing room to retreive his crown (he's the KING!)... only to find that someone had defecated in it. True story. This is a very bad nature rib. Now that I think about it, why are bowel movements usually involved with bad nature ribs? Hmm...

Wrestlers are the best at pranks. Whether they're hateful or they're playful. The ribs keep coming. It's part of the business.