Did people ever bet on Pro Wrestling?

[leemir]

Back in the day when not everybody knew it was a work did people bet on Pro Wrestling? I bet some promoters could have made a fortune.

[JoshWoodrumGreaterThanHBK]

I bet on wrestling with friends all the time.

[Deleted]

i bet my friend that Triple H would win the 2002 royal rumble, its a shame he isnt Bill Gates.

[nerdinitupagain]

leemir said:

Back in the day when not everybody knew it was a work did people bet on Pro Wrestling? I bet some promoters could have made a fortune.

Actually, the entire reason pro wrestling became a work was because of gambling.

It was the carnie's that realized if they staged the matches they could take people's money by making sure they knew who would win. They would travel the country w/ their wrestler, then when they got to a city, they'd have another wrestler posing as someone who could take him down in the crowd. Usually someone bigger and stronger looking.

It just grew bigger and bigger.

But in the post-carnie world.. wrestling's kayfabe was still a highly guarded secret going into the 60's and most of the general public didn't know. So I'm sure there was still bets being taken on it.

This is partly why Vince hates being a "wrestling promoter" because he hates being seen as a glorified carnie in a lot of people's eyes.

[bigHEADinc]

Me and my friends still bet on Wrestlemania all the time, dollar-a-match... usually we omit certain matches where the outcome's hyper-predictable...

[paulonorcatto]

i remember a while ago, a betting place in the uk had odds of the person to hold the wwf title over the millenium.

[WWHHHD]

My friends and I write down on a sheet of paper who we think is going to win all the matches on the card then put em on the table so nobody can change them and the most wins takes the cash. If there is a tie usually just split the few dollars in the pot as we just do it for fun.

For the Rumble we have are own luck of the draw and get about 6 ppl and everyone selects 5 numbers. You get those 5 numbered wrestlers and the winner takes the cash.

[Galluchadore]

i wish i would of bet on wrestling back during the attitude years when alot of kids in my high school were into wrestling that were total marks. My group of friends were all big smarts and would often try to talk to wrestling with some of these marks (not 100 percent smart but just alittle) and hearing some of their ideas made us laugh. I bet i could of won lots of money with those kids.

[Shy Guy]

when it was worked? on the bus to unforgiven there was a bets being made.

[Square]

me n me mates hae a PPV bet, ten quid in a pot most correct predictions get the pot.

[BHB]

nerdinitupagain said:

leemir said:

Back in the day when not everybody knew it was a work did people bet on Pro Wrestling? I bet some promoters could have made a fortune.

Actually, the entire reason pro wrestling became a work was because of gambling.

It was the carnie's that realized if they staged the matches they could take people's money by making sure they knew who would win. They would travel the country w/ their wrestler, then when they got to a city, they'd have another wrestler posing as someone who could take him down in the crowd. Usually someone bigger and stronger looking.

It just grew bigger and bigger.

But in the post-carnie world.. wrestling's kayfabe was still a highly guarded secret going into the 60's and most of the general public didn't know. So I'm sure there was still bets being taken on it.

This is partly why Vince hates being a "wrestling promoter" because he hates being seen as a glorified carnie in a lot of people's eyes.

What he said.

[steamboat1]

Actually the last two years I have came up with odds on the Rumble participants. And I have made around 75 bucks total in 5 dollar bets in that time span. All I can say though is thank god HHH didnt win the rumble last year or I would be broke.