As one of the most grueling sports in existence, demanding an exhausting training regime and uncanny strength, how did the "professional" variant of wrestling become "staged" (which is a better description than "fake")? Long story short: because pro wrestling was originally too real to exist.
In the halcyon days, pro wrestling was as seriously bet on as prizefighting, yet in the early part of the 20th century, spectators realized legit matches were rather boring. Combatants might grapple for hours and accrue nasty injuries that kept them from earning a living for several months.
Ed 'Strangler' Lewis applying his signature headlock move on Ivan Linow in 1920
To limit injuries & heighten the drama wrestlers started secretly "cooperating" with each other, and once promoters became aware of the practice, they ran with it and did everything they could to make matches more exciting & put butts in the seats.
As it morphed into its current form, betting on pro wrestling died out, but there was always money in tickets & later on TV with exaggerated characters engaging in athletic antics & enough scripted melodrama to compete with soap operas.
Here's a vid with more on pro rasslin's history & how it evolved into entertainment
Pro Rasslin: From Sport To Staged Entertainment
Moderator: Super Moderators
38 Years Ago In Pro Rasslin History
A case of anything but "fake" news