5 Wrestling myths invented by the WWE that make no sense but the fans still believe

WWE is the promotion that sets the bar, so when it comes to wrestling rules that don't make any sense in the current era, it's because WWE once invented them to help tell a story in the ring at one point.

There was once a rule that WWE stars couldn't eliminate themselves from Royal Rumble matches, something that has obviously changed in recent years because there have been many self eliminations. There were rules about using the ropes in entrances and even about tag team partners only being able to invade the ring once to help their friends.

There are questions about the fact that punches are illegal in the wrestling ring but Lacey Evans and The Big Show still use them as their finishers, whilst there is a five-count rule in tag team matches that WWE never took any notice of when The Shield wanted to perform a triple powerbomb.

There are many different myths that WWE has created over the years and still tries to push forward on TV but here are just five that make absolutely no sense.

#5. The Figure Four Leglock can be reversed?

The figure four leg lock can't really be reversed by rolling over

Ric Flair made the Figure Four Leg Lock one of the best-known submission moves in wrestling at one point and over the years the likes of The Miz and his daughter Charlotte have adopted the move as their own, even though The Queen has her own bridged variation.

One of the things that WWE pushes is the fact that if you're locked in the submission then all you have to do is roll over and reverse the pressure. This isn't the case, as anyone who has been put in the move knows that it hurts just as much on your front or back.

It's likely that WWE didn't have a reversal for this move when it became popular and so they made up their own and the WWE Universe have continued to believe it because no other star has ever claimed any different.

The Nature Boy, often known for his over-the-top theatrics, would let out a loud moan accompanied by a panic striken face each time the figure four was reversed, thus amplyfying the effect of the reversal.

Nobody sells em like Ric Flair anymore.

#4. Taped ribs mean that a WWE star is actually injured

Why do injured wrestlers wrestle with bandaged ribs?

One of the company's best-known practices is to present injured WWE stars with bandages. The likes of Seth Rollins, Braun Strowman and even Triple H over the years have wrestled matches whilst bandaged when they didn't need to.

Wrestling is visual and having a part of the body taped reminds the WWE Universe that the Superstar in question is injured so that when the opponent targets this part of the body the audience is aware that this is their weakness.

Bandaging ribs does absolutely nothing for a Superstar since broken ribs would hurt more from being restricted in a bandage and there is no reason why internal bleeding would need a bandage. Despite this, the WWE Universe still eat up the fact that a star is injured even though it's not medically accurate.

Bandaged body parts also add to the shock value in the world of wrestling. When a taped wrestler is targeted with a weapon on his injured body part, it helps generate heat on the opponent. Superstars also use this method to take time off from the business as it helps in legitimizing kayfabe injuries.

#3. The referee is there to uphold the rules

WWE's referees have the hardest jobs of anyone in the ring

The referee is an integral part of any matchup, which is why the company often uses special guest referees for bigger matches. The referees are thought to be there to uphold the rules in matches and often to advance storylines, but this isn't their only job when they are used as part of a match.

The WWE Universe is too busy watching the action in the ring that they don't spot the fact that the referee is timing the match, talking the Superstars through what he's been told backstage and also being used as a go-between for when the two stars are down and can't call spots to one another.

The referee is without a doubt the most important person in the ring, but this job is simplified by the fact that many fans believe that they are only there to uphold the rules.

Referees have also been involved in various storylines. The Montral Screwjob, The Breaking Point main event match between The Undertaker and CM Punk etc are just some examples.

#2. All no-DQ match types are different?

Weapons matches in WWE are now seemingly all the same kind of thing

The WWE Universe has been tricked by WWE for many years, which is perhaps why they believe that there is a difference between many of the company's match types. There is actually no real difference between Hardcore, Extreme Rules, No-Disqualification, No Holds Barred, Street Fight or even TLC matches, as they are all the same thing.

All these matches mean that there are no rules and weapons are allowed, but WWE seems to act as though they are all different and pitches them as different things. There was once a time when a TLC match meant that only Tables, Ladders and Chairs could be used, but WWE has since allowed other weapons to be part of the match which means it's really no different from all of the matches that are listed above.

One of the major reasons for this could be superstars specializing in certain match types that are used to publicize the event. Some examples of this are Team 3D specializing in table matches, Team Extreme in ladder matches, Multi faceted Mic Foley in Hardcore encounters etc.

#1. The Royal Rumble winner will headline WrestleMania

Randy Orton won the Royal Rumble back in 2017 but didn't headline WrestleMania

Perhaps one of the biggest lies that WWE has ever told since the Royal Rumble winner hasn't been given the opportunity to main event WrestleMania for a number of years. The reward for winning the annual match in the current era is for the winner to go on to face a champion of their choice at WrestleMania instead.

Drew McIntyre was the last WWE star to win the Royal Rumble match and went on to headline WrestleMania. This means that the likes of Randy Orton, Shinsuke Nakamura, Asuka and even 2019's winner Seth Rollins were not given the opportunity to main event the show, even though Rollins' Universal Championship match against Brock Lesnar was expected to main event but instead WWE allowed the female Royal Rumble winner Becky Lynch to headline the show for the first time.

The WWE looks at the ideal combination of star power and storyline heading into Wrestlemania. If some feuds do not generate the necessary momentum, they drop it from the main event in order cater to the WWE universe. They also have agenda-driven decisions that focus on pushing certain superstars and storylines ahead.