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SUPERSTITIOUS STARS: COMMON PREGAME RITUALS OF THE PROS

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What makes your favorite wrestlers so lucky? It could be pure skill, but some superstitious stars follow the same pregame rituals every time just to be sure. 

If you love professional wrestling, chances are you’ve wondered about the pregame rituals of your favorite stars. How superstitious are they? What sort of stuff goes on behind the scenes, and does it really work to give them the boost they need to make the win? Well, we’re here to let you in on all the secrets. Take a swig from your lucky water bottle and keep reading to learn what’s really going on backstage. 

What Are Superstitions?

Technically speaking, belief in superstition is a belief that certain completely unrelated events will have an impact on each other. You’ve no doubt heard that a black cat crossing your path will bring you bad luck, or that you have to toss some salt over your shoulder if you happen to spill it—these are examples of superstition. The forces at work in regards to superstitions are supernatural in nature, though not every superstitious person will have a belief in the supernatural. 

In fact, many people practice superstitions without a second thought. These beliefs are quite common, and can be found in nearly every culture across the world. Often, they’re so ingrained that we don’t recognize them as superstitions, we just consider them to be a part of our identity or culture.

Image Credit: Pixabay/ Public Domain

Would you turn tail and run at the sight of this black beauty? If so, you might be a bit superstitious. 

Superstitions aren’t really something most people will admit too, but it turns out they’re quite common—especially among us Brits. One superstition survey by Winkslots revealed that a whopping 26% of Brits rely on a lucky wardrobe charm to bring them good fortune before important events. But superstition isn’t reserved for us regular Joes. 

As it turns out, professional sportsmen and women are also a superstitious bunch. It makes sense, as they have a lot on the line. Superstitions in wrestling and other sports occur most often before a match during a pregame ritual. So, what are the PW superstitions to look out for?

Listening to Certain Music

Can specific genres of music bring good luck? Some pros think so, but they disagree as to which melodies bring on a win. Mick “The Hardcore Legend” Foley is into piano tunes, big time. Especially one track in particular by Tori Amos, entitled Winter. It’s a haunting and beautiful track, though not exactly pump-up music. However, Foley is convinced it focuses him for the fight. 

Ethan Carter III (or EC3, for those who know him now), also likes to pump up the jams. He goes for classical music, which he says helps to relax him before a big match. R-Truth has also copped to being a sucker for the tunes, though he prefers to listen to them in his car. Some of his favorite genres include hip-hop and rap, as well as country, pop, and heavy metal. 

Source: MuscleManMalcolm

Captivated by the pregame rituals of your favorite stars? Here are some of the craziest superstitions out there. 

Meditating for the Win

It’s long been thought that meditation helps athletes in a number of ways, and wrestlers are no exception. Meditation has long been a way to warm up before a fight, especially for the legendary Booker T. He’s one star who absolutely reeks of success, leaving behind a trail of victories which would make even the most successful stars jealous. 

Could part of that be from his strict regimen of pre-match meditation? He certainly thinks so. We can’t really disagree, though we’d like to add that his other pre-game ritual of drinking a few red bulls can’t really have hurt his career either. 

Big E performs visualization meditation, while Rey Mysterio is quite spiritual, incorporating both prayer and meditation into his pre-game practice. Jimmy and JeyUso also pray their way to success, and prefer to paint their faces before each match. Which practice wins them the fights? It’s impossible to tell, but they aren’t really risking anything by stopping either one. 

Image Credit: Pixabay/ Public Domain

Aiding in focus and concentration, meditation has long been a part of many societies. It’s no wonder that these successful stars utilize this tactic to help guide them on the road to victory.

A Plethora of Push-Ups

Many wrestlers like to work out before a match, but some prefer to take it to the next level of extremism. The “Swiss Cyborg” Cesaro has been known to crank it up with Hindu push-ups, reverse push-ups, and dive bomber push-ups. The real kicker? He’s even been known to jump off stairs. 

Cesaro isn’t the only professional wrestler who believes that push-ups will bring good luck. Tyson Kidd does 100 Hindu pushups before a match, while Rob Van Dam does a warmup which incorporates a bit of everything, including some incredible stretches and even a set of full splits. This is one superstition which has definitely helped him out, considering he’s had a decades-long career. 

The “Jackhammer” William Scott Goldberg also gets physical before the fight. He’s been known to head-butt anything and everything before a match, including lockers, locker room walls, and doors. This could be more for the showmanship than for good luck, but it’s one superstition which has made him stand out over the years. 

Weirdest Wrestler Superstitions

John Cena has to take the cake for some of the weirdest pregame rituals out there. This pro takes knocking on wood to the next level, having admitted to doing it before nearly every match of his professional career. Not only that, but he likes to sip on other peoples’ water, talk to himself, and even eats tic tacs to get the luck flowing. Hey, whatever works. 

Infographic by WWE 

John Cena has been known to get pretty crazy before a fight—but maybe that’s why he’s had one of the most successful wrestling careers in history. 

Dean Ambrose also has a quirky yet endearing ritual: he likes to get laughing before a game. Joking around with colleagues relaxes him before a match, and we can’t blame him for wanting to de-stress—after all, pro wrestling can’t be easy. And jokes always make everything better. 

Even though superstitions are sometimes frowned upon, they’re part of what makes the world of pro wrestling go around. You can take comfort in that the next time you decide to throw some salt over your shoulder, or knock on wood yourself. You’re basically just doing what your favorite stars do, so you can rest easy knowing you’re in good company.

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