Comment by jfengel

Kayfabe, in itself, is improvised. The wrestler develops their character and performs it live. The wrestling federation will help fine-tune the performances and set long-term arcs, but a new wrestler generally develops their own character at the start.

The outcomes of the matches are scripted, and so is the story leading up to the match, but "kayfabe" is about what the wrestler does any time they're in public. It refers specifically to the fact that they always practice it in public, and never drop the character.

As it applies to this... there are accusations that this is being plotted out by various nefarious actors, but I don't think so. We have comically oversized, outlandish performances -- possibly different from who they are when the cameras aren't on them, but the cameras are always on these two. People want the kayfabe, and they seem happy to provide it.