It is a truth universally acknowledged that a pro wrestler in possession of a good head of hair must wrestle with it wet.
Indeed, minus a handful of notable exceptions – Edge, Chris Jericho, AJ Styles – the majority of wrestlers with long hair wrestle with it dripping wet. That’s just the way it is, the way it was, and the way it always will be.
But why?
If you’ve ever wondered this, perplexed in the comfort of your home as you watched Raw or SmackDown, never fear: after some rudimentary research, I’ve come up with three reasons why wet hair is a must inside the squared circle.
It Just Looks Better
This is the most fundamental reason wrestlers wet their hair: it just looks better. For example, let’s take a look at fluffy-hair-Triple-H versus wet-hair-Triple-H.
It’s not even a contest which picture looks more badass (or more appealing). Trips is sporting a more corporate ‘do these days, but in his prime, he was known for wetting his hair – and now you see why.
Of course, one risk of wrestling with wet hair is that it will dry halfway through the match and ultimately defeat the purpose of looking good. See Dolph Ziggler.
However, Ziggler seems to be the only wrestler who experiences this issue, which is why he’s stopped wetting his hair altogether.
To Sell Moves/Call Spots Better
Wrestling is all about theatrics: the more significant a move appears, the more impactful it seems. And while some wrestlers are better at selling moves than others, long, wet hair is an easy way to enhance visual impact. We hair is denser and therefore moves more dramatically than dry hair, helping strikes to appear more forceful.
Additionally, because wet hair is heavier, it’s easier to move in front of the face with a simple tilt of the head, which helps to conceal communication when a wrestler is calling a spot in the ring.
To Help Keep Them Cool
Here’s a reason you probably haven’t considered when pondering this topic: wet hair helps keep wrestlers cool – literally.
Wrestling matches are (usually) extremely physical affairs. Add in blazing hot stage lights, and wrestlers are bound to overheat. Wet hair helps to keep them cool during a match, particularly if they dampen it so much that water drips from it.
Again – Triple H would know.
Why do you think wrestlers wet their hair?