When many hear the words "professional wrestling" WWF, WCW, The Rock, etc. enter one's mind, but there are forms of professional wrestling all around the world, and many of them have nothing to do with the United States "sports entertainment." One such form of this is puroresu, which means "professional wrestling" (purofesshonaru resuringu) in Japan.

Unlike what WWF is, puroresu is first and foremost a sport. Although usually scripted, puroresu is a competition of athletics between wrestlers in an attempt to win over the fans. Puroresu organizations in Japan have thrived for years, most notably with All Japan and New Japan Pro Wrestling.

These places, however, have begun to develop into the more Americanized style of wrestling, and lesser organizations like Pro-Wrestling NOAH and PRIDE have begun to fall to the "sports entertainment" craze as well.

One thing that must be made clear is that Japanese hardcore (or garbage) feds, like Big Japan, are not related.

Puroresu is often compared to lucha libre, but it has several differences. Lucha libre is a wrestling style built upon the art of wrestling, whereas puro is more about the "man versus man" aspect, a testing of courage, spirit, might, and skill. Often the match is emotionally charged, a battle between good and evil, and there is always a clear evil and a clear good...much different than the back and forth, middle of the road wrestlers that seem to pollute the American way.

Each match is more about telling a story, than picking a winner and a loser. The contest is designed to prove who is the worthier competitor, through the use of heart, fighting spirit, and undaunted courage. The match resembles a morality play, much like that of an Ancient Greek play, but with a very Asian spin. Often times, the story of one match can be a culmination of an entire career. To illustrate this, I have chosen the finals of the 1994 Super J Cup.

The match was between Chris Benoit and The Great Sasuke, to crown the best Junior Heavyweight in the world. There were three stories working for the match, which created a hugely emotional and epic storied contest. Chris Benoit advanced to the finals by easily crushing top contender after top contender on his way, while the underdog Great Sasuke went through as the "Cinderella" upsetting opponent after opponent, including one of the greatest upsets in the tournament's history by defeating Jushin Liger (Liger
vs. Benoit was also the match that many saw as the finals due to their history, having Liger lose through a huge swerve).

Story 1: This is the most easily recognized, as the simple favorite Benoit against the huge underdog Sasuke. Benoit had been battling in the Super J series for many years prior and worked for all of the larger promotions, while Sasuke was very young, and working for an independent at the time.

Story 2: Also easily recognized, the Japan wrestler versus the foreigner. The Super J is a huge event in Japan and is comparable to the Olympic Hockey Gold Medal in the hearts of Canadians.

Story 3: This is what put the match hugely over with the Japanese fans. One of the greatest feuds in Super J history was the 1982 tournament, which ended with the Super J finals match between Kid Dynamite and the original Tiger Mask. Tiger was the anonymous masked man, skilled in gymnastics and martial arts, while Dynamite was the muscular foreigner, a powerful brawler and skilled mat technician. The finals of the '94 Super J was a retelling of that finals. The masked Sasuke was Tiger Mask's understudy, and utilized many of his favorite moves. Chris Benoit was a protege of Kid Dynamite and physically his duplicate.

And, that is the art of storytelling in the puroresu style, there is always multiple stories being told, emphasizing what alone would be a wonderful display of wrestling ability. The fans often leave the arenas in tears, so inspired by the matches of the evening. This kind of emotion being displayed through the medium of wrestling is lost on American wrestling fans.

The Do's and Don'ts of Puroresu

Do: Try to get the crowd into a match, through the use of high-impact moves, building on past matches, facial expressions, and psychology.

Don't: Wander around the ring after a cool move while pointing at yourself.

Do: Have a set of moves which is flexible to different opponents, and can allow for 'building' within a match.

Don't: Have a set of punches, and a few moves which can only be 'built' through the use of tables or chairs.

Do: Be prepared to wrestle 20 minute matches on nearly all shows.

Don't: Be prepared to cut 20 minute promos about how your opponent is less of a man than you are, and about how the people in the arena are stupid.

Do: Give everything you have in a match, lose, then dust yourself off and fight again.

Don't: Give everything you have in a match, then grab the ropes for leverage or have a friend run in when your opponent starts to win.

Do: Expect to take tremendous beatings, including drops on the head and stiff kicks to the head.

Don't: Fear getting pinned by a move as devastating as the Worm.

Do: Toil in the undercard for years regardless of the possibility of advancement, out of a love for puroresu.

Don't: Toil in the undercard for years, then go to an independent promotion and tell the audience that you were held back by the main event wrestlers and/or the owner.

Do: Train the audience to expect match pacing, and that finishes in under five minutes are a fluke event.

Don't: Train the audience to chant "boring" if you use a hold longer than ten seconds.

Do: Save some big moves for special occasions, to help demonstrate the importance of certain matches.

Don't: Save two-thirds of your moveset for pay-per-view, and use the same five knee strikes and a facebuster the rest of the time.

Do: Develop yourself over time, gradually, to show that you have matured. Different moves, improved conditioning, and new ring attire can help enhance your natural ability.

Don't: Put on thirty pounds of muscle over a three month span using 'performance enhancing substances' and expect that now you deserve to headline.

Do: Appreciate female wrestlers for their athletic skill and unique style.

Don't: Appreciate female wrestlers for their cleavage, and because they have matches which are 'not that bad.'

Special thanks to Dave of KWF and Dave of LCW for putting together this guide.