Bruce R. Miller

About the author: Bruce R. Miller is a managing editor and staff writer for the Sioux City Journal in Iowa. He writes entertainment stories and is the news journal's movie, music, and theater critic.

Marketing has changed the face of professional wrestling since its origins in the early 1950s. Agreements once made in smoke-filled rooms are now made with a staff of attorneys. Matches once fought for small stakes have now developed into elaborate productions in a multimillion-dollar industry, and pro wrestlers are now some of the most popular characters on cable television. Promoters no longer care if people realize that pro wrestling is choreographed because fans do not care. Most fans know pro wrestling is entertainment and appreciate modern wrestling's athletic soap opera dramas. The injuries are sometimes real, however, and pro wrestlers must...