Turning The Tide

Wrestling is the most interesting professional sport, if you ask me.

The roster constantly changes and new champions get crowned seemingly every month as these underrated athletes stamp their names into history. 2020 is a wonderful time to be a wrestling fan. With so many options out there, there is no way you could possibly get bored. Whether it’s WWE, AEW, ROH, Impact, MLW, NWA or one of the endless independent promotions, you’ll never get bored. And those are all just in the United States! If you want to watch an old-school grappling bout or if you’d rather partake in the modern high flying style, you can find it all at your fingertips. Now the only thing left to do is to decide what suits you.

I vividly recall a time where there were only X amount of hours of wrestling on television per week. If you are anything like me, that just wasn’t enough. I’m not gonna lie – back in the day it used to be a struggle finding out a match took place that you were hyped for, but you weren’t able to find it on YouTube. That pain is one that I can’t put into words. But with the introduction of streaming services, the game has changed. We now have access to thousands of wrestling matches. That was unheard of 15 years ago, even a decade ago. I’m truly excited to see what happens within the next 10 to 15 years.

What’s even more intriguing is that it seems as though some companies are not afraid to tip toe the line, while others will just step right over it. Look at Impact – it just crowned the first woman world champion in a major pro wrestling organization. Risks that some companies are taking have influenced others to make radical changes, too. Even if it’s something small like pyro. We saw AEW bring it back and maybe it’s a coincidence, but WWE just so happened to reintroduce it soon after. Pyro isn’t something that would make or break a show, but it adds to the spectacle. Makes you feel like something special is truly about to go down.

I find myself thinking of how different the business has changed over the past 30 years. Advancements in technology have allowed more accessibility than ever before. Social media has brought wrestling fans and performers closer together (and in some cases, maybe further apart). We’re seeing more styles, more characters, insane moves and endless merchandise. These men and women are taking care of themselves, leading to longer careers and fewer obituaries. Women’s wrestling is finally being taken seriously in the U.S. Comedy wrestling has also gained a cult-like following. We’re also seeing smaller guys get opportunities that typically wouldn’t have been granted to them in the past.

It’s great to see all these changes. I’m not sure if there has been a better time to be a wrestling fan. With all that said, I still feel as though the best is yet to come.