Wrestling terminology.
Dirtsheets originated as
fanzine-type '
insider'
newsletters revealing the secrets and behind-the-scenes news of the
pro wrestling game. In a time before the
Internet, 90% of
wrestling fans were complete
marks, most of whom actually believed that the entire package put out by the likes of the
WWF and the
NWA was real.
The only way to get the non-
kayfabed information was through these newsletters, which became known by the
promoters and
wrestlers themselves as 'dirtsheets'.
With the rise of the internet and insider websites with reliable sources such as
RajahWWF.com and
1Wrestling.com, the importance of the dirtsheets has diminished somewhat, but sheets that have made the transition to the web and
1-900 phonelines have prospered -
Wade Keller's
Pro Wrestling Torch, and
Dave Meltzer's
Wrestling Observer being two of the most respected.