Happy Birthday, The Wrestling Estate!
This is also John Corrigan’s acceptance speech for the Team LeftJab Hall of Fame.
It’s a bittersweet morning in the Corrigan household.
Wing Bowl, the greatest event in the history of Philadelphia, has been cancelled. But The Wrestling Estate, the greatest website in the history of professional wrestling, has reached one year in existence.
I’ve been writing about professional wrestling for an audience of more than one since my senior year at Temple University, where A&E editor Patricia Madej finally greenlit my pitch of a weekly column on suplexes and chairshots. In the five years since then, I’ve been blessed to have made a bunch of industry contacts, attended many matches and written about a lot of fascinating characters and events in this crazy sport. While writing may seem like a chore for most people, it’s always fun for me. Actually, it’s therapeutic. If I couldn’t profess my lust for The Spoiled Brats, defend Lesnar’s part-time schedule or chronicle my WrestleMania adventures, I’d never get off Twitter.
For the past year, The Wrestling Estate has been my outlet for not only expressing opinions, but also spotlighting the people, places and things that are underreported or simply ignored by the rest of the wrestling media. While everybody clamors to fire Road Dogg, they’re missing out on the rich history of Bud Carson’s Pro Wrestling World. Instead of bitching about Ronda Rousey taking opportunities, why not help Salina de la Renta fund her knee surgery so she can get back to making her own opportunities? Forget the spoilers and newz – we’re here for the stories, the analysis and the debate.
I’m proud of the work we’ve done, and downright giddy over the work to come.
Our roster has grown from a five-man squad to nearly a dirty dozen, each member bringing a new perspective to our journalism. David Gibb is the best wrestling writer in the world, simultaneously inspiring you to type while reminding you you’ll never match his prose. Despite Jack Goodwillie’s youth, he possesses enough old-school knowledge to pick Hiro Matsuda out of a line up. Anthony Mahalis calls it like he sees it, taking the initiative to start an Instagram and then last updating it during the Bush administration.
On the other hand, Calvin Gibbon’s work is worth the DMV-length wait. Chad Gelfand has revitalized our Facebook page, driving up engagement in spite of the revised algorithm not favoring businesses. Steven Jackson is the United Kingdom’s greatest export, attracting attention from legends like Konnan and Matt Hardy for his thoughtful words and unbridled love of wrestling. Jenna Leigh has broken up the sausage fest, enthusiastically getting involved in all aspects of the site, still receiving praise from her take down of WWE’s “Women’s Revolution.”
Juan Bautista is the human content machine, churning out hot take after hot take, always thinking of a new story. Neal Wagner and Sam Gladen are our newest members, instantly making an impact with their coverage of yesteryear and the current international scene.
And then there’s Troy Taroff, a founding father of The Wrestling Estate. Even though he left us for a woman’s touch, his contributions will never be forgotten. Unless Goodwillie makes it big like Ryan Seacrest, and then Troy will become the other guy from the first season of American Idol.
Who else will join in the weeks and months to come? There is always room on our bandwagon.
Of course, we’ll never forget the folks who have been with us from the beginning, industry players who believed in us and gave us a chance. Conrad Thompson, Tommy Dreamer, Matt Tremont, Court Bauer, Bill Apter, Colin West, just some of the names who value our work, our dedication to accuracy and our passion for showcasing wrestling in the best light possible.
And then there’s Sam Namo of Team LeftJab Boxing Radio. I’ve had a few people ask to work with us, and while they surely had the best of intentions, they couldn’t match the professionalism, commitment and creativity of Sam. He is a huge part of our growth, always promoting our work and giving us a platform to build our audience. He’s willing to experiment and unafraid of controversy. Plus, he inducted me into the Team LeftJab Hall of Fame! He’s our ideal partner and I appreciate everything over the past year, with high hopes for the next decade and beyond.
So what if Alicia Atout is a bigger wrestling fan? Nobody’s perfect.
Regardless of whether it’s gushing praise or emails urging me to kill myself, I write for a reaction. Thanks to everyone who has ever clicked on one of our links, read our stories, retweeted or liked or commented. As mental illness and depression become more part of the daily dialogue, it’s important for people to create avenues of escape, whether it’s music, literature, comedy or @TheMarkGolden’s tweets.
Pro wrestling is ours, and we’re glad to share it with you.
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