The history of Kayfabe

In the recent episode of the Let's Talk Wrestling podcast hosted by Jason, the history and evolution of Kayfabe in wrestling was extensively discussed. Starting from the late 1800s when wrestling was a real sport, the concept of 'Kayfabe' was introduced, and wrestling evolved into a staged entertainment act. The mid-20th century was termed as the "Golden Age of Kayfabe," where kayfabe was strictly maintained to promote wrestling as a legitimate sport. The WWE era introduced by Vince McMahon Jr. in the 1980s and 90s gave wrestling a new direction as "sports entertainment," with an emphasis on staged storylines and larger-than-life characters. It also saw an important event like the "Curtain Call," which can be seen as a Kayfabe faux pas. The onset of the Internet in the 2000s brought transparency about the scripted nature of wrestling among fans. Jason concludes by highlighting that even today, Kayfabe continues to be a compelling part of wrestling's storytelling, often referred to as "Meta-Kayfabe."