Roundtable: What We’re Thankful For

David Gibb

#MYWIFE because imagine saying anything else.

My lovable dog friends, Bandit and Bailey.

The fact that my heating oil tank didn’t need to be replaced this fall (seriously, not a good surprise last year).

Major League Wrestling. Yes, they employ many problematic people. However, their show has really rekindled my passion for watching current wrestling.

Tempeh. No joke – there’s no reason for you to eat white meat ever again.

Jack Goodwillie

Becky Lynch: After FINALLY being given the ball to run with, it has not been since AJ Lee have we seen a singular female wrestler’s stock shoot up so much in such a short amount of time, and Becky couldn’t be more right for her current role. She’s a lot sexier than ANYONE ever gave her credit for, and her overall performances night after night (and then extending on to social media) have been world class. Couldn’t be more proud.

NXT UK: I’ve often said that with all the talent WWE has under its roof right now, the NXT brand can almost work as a territory system to keep feuds fresh and the less experienced talent always learning in developmental. Triple H, William Regal and friends have put a LOT of stock into the WWE UK brand, spending good money to bring in some of the UK’s top independent stars, and guess what? They’re really, really good. So good, that guys like Tyler Bate and Pete Dunne, who might be the wrestling equivalent to Draco Malfoy, might even be the future of not just WWE, but wrestling altogether. It does not hurt that the NXT UK weekly television show has been almost perfectly booked thus far.

John Cena’s Global Footprint: It seems as though The Rock’s legend in Hollywood grows by the year, but John Cena is quietly building his own entertainment resume. While a lot of people will crap on things like that, it’s excellent for wrestling to have not one, but two megastars in Hollywood, and that’s the way things are trending. Cena, like The Rock, has shown some versatility early in his career, but his real niche? Comedy. Cena stole the show in Blockers thanks to great comedic timing and being comfortable with self-humiliation, two traits that he undoubtedly picked up in wrestling. Cena has always been a good ambassador for both the WWE brand and wrestling as a whole, so his fame is sort of working in favor of wrestling in the background.

The Indies: Independent wrestling took another massive leap this past year with the successful “All In” show. As someone who’s not always a fan of the independent wrestling shenanigans of this day and age, I was awed by how powerful that show was for being so grassroots. It had production values the likes of which you just don’t see outside WWE anymore, and the card really had a way of making you take your mind off the idea that there were no storyline ramifications (for the most part) to the matches, allowing you to just enjoy the matches in their purest form. It’s a situation where everybody wins. The wrestlers gain the opportunity to make more money on a safer schedule, and the fans gain a higher quality of content.

Chad Gelfand

The Eagles finally winning the Super Bowl!!!

Daniel Bryan being able to wrestle again.

The New Day.

Having access to wresting all around the world.

Velveteen Dream.

Juan Bautista

I’m thankful for being able to write articles for The Wrestling Estate. I’ve been able to make good friends and new connections with people whom I never would have got into contact with.

I’m glad that things are going good where I’m at. There are other places that unfortunately are dealing with fires, shootings and others things. Right now it’s peaceful and things are good.

It’s great that independent or non-WWE companies are doing well. I can enjoy wrestling without being frustrated. Whether it’s New Japan, Impact or a company in the UK, it’s nice to just see good wrestling from all around the world.

It’s great that I can listen to music freely. My mind can unwind to whatever I’m listening to and it’s peaceful.

I’m thankful I can be myself. Recently I’ve probably enjoyed things that I like more than before and it’s good, whether it be watching wrestling and sports, listening to podcasts, watching live streams or others things. Maybe it’s because I’m older and starting not to care what other people think or because there are less haters around me, it’s certainly more peaceful and enjoyable.

Anthony Mahalis

Jimmy Butler going to the Sixers. They needed more star power and they got it. Hopefully, it pays big dividends.

Joel Embiid. The man is a Philadelphia treasure. We should all be thankful for him every day.

People at work that got me to watch Big Mouth on Netflix. Show is hysterical, strong recommendation for those who haven’t seen it.

AJ Styles, Samoa Joe, Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns, Daniel Bryan, The Miz, The New Day, Ronda Rousey, Charlotte and Becky Lynch. Without these superstars, Raw and SmackDown would have been totally unbearable. At least they add some intrigue.

All of the great people that I have met at my new job. Happy to have them all in my life. Also my family, don’t know what I would do without them.

Steven Jackson

I was able to find a new laptop to replace my old one of eight years!

I’ve been able to volunteer at my local hospice and help them fundraise at various events.

I have finally been able to grow something impersonating a beard and it has been greatly received by my friends and family

I’ve had the opportunity to write and contribute to The Wrestling Estate and had my work recognized by industry veterans including Matt Hardy (which is, so far, one of the proudest moments of my professional career).

I met Lucy (who you can see with me in my Twitter photo), the love of my life, and the joy I feel from us finally finding each other, and starting our futures together.

John Corrigan

All of the independent wrestling promoters who have worked with The Wrestling Estate. We’ve been fortunate to have mutually-beneficial relationships with Ring of Honor, Synergy, ECWA, OTW, House of Hardcore, World-1 Wrestling and other companies in the tristate area. They’ve been gracious with their time and access and in return, we’ve done our part in spreading the word about their talented performers and exciting events. Our indie coverage isn’t better than everybody else’s, but it certainly separates us from most.

All of the wrestlers we’ve interviewed. Tommy Dreamer, Jake “The Snake” Roberts, Eddie Edwards, Salina de la Renta, MJF, Sumie Sakai, Vito, Cheeseburger, Aria Blake, Danny Davis and Chris Sabin all gave us the time to pick their brains for compelling stories. Obviously, interviews bring huge traffic to the site and contribute to our mission of original reporting.

All of our fellow artists in the wrasslin’ community. I dislike the word “content” and loathe “content creator” because it sounds like a machine instead of a thoughtful, dedicated, passionate visionary. And that’s exactly what Sam from Team LeftJab, Canadian Bulldog, Lavie Margolin, Superkicking It with Kelsi, Jon Robinson, Brian Shields, Kenny Casanova, Joe Feeney, Kevin Cerrito, Dr. Hugenstein and Colin Hunter are. They’re wrestling fans like us who carved their niche into the community, inspiring the rest of us to bring something of ourselves for the betterment of the industry.

All of our loyal readers. Whether you’re a silent clicker or you tweet that we suck, I appreciate your support. Every writer yearns for a reaction – good or bad. Ugh, this is starting to sound like a John Cena spiel…

All of our writers, and even Devonte. I’m glad that so many of you are thankful to be along for this ride with me. Writing and arguing with you guys about our different opinions has made pro wrestling a helluva lot more fun. We’re doing great work and I’m grateful that we’ve been able to connect from across the country and even across the pond. Hopefully next year, you can all say you’re thankful for whatever pizza you bought with the money we make from AdSense.