We as wrestling fans often become cynical and negative. It’s the truth and we’re all guilty of it. Wrestling fans always want to be impressed and they always want the next big thing. It’s good to want these things but sometimes those desires prevent us from seeing the great things that are right in front of us.
There are a lot of great things happening in the wrestling industry right now and these are just 5 that we think everyone should stop and appreciate.
#5 – The WWE Network
The WWE Network has been a huge game changer for the WWE and wrestling in general. Many doubted the idea when the WWE Network was launched, but WWE stayed the course and it’s paid off big time. Here we are almost a year and a half after the launch of the WWE Network and the app has over a million subscribers and counting.
If you were watching every WWE pay-per-view legally before the network, you were likely paying between $500 and $600 dollars a year through your cable company. Now you only have to pay about $120 dolllars a year, give or take a few pennies, to get every WWE pay-per-view and a whole lot more.
The WWE Network is so much more than just a way to watch monthly pay-per-views. It’s a giant library filled with hours and hours of wrestling history right at your fingertips. You can sit back and watch Royal Rumble 1992, ECW Living Dangerously 1998 and WCW Bash at the Beach 1996 all in an afternoon. Before the WWE Network you could only do this by purchasing the DVDs or trying to find low quality clips on YouTube.
Add in the fact that WWE holds live NXT specials every few months and produces quite a few original shows and it’s clear to see that the WWE Network is well worth the $9.99 a month.
#4 – Women’s Wrestling Is Making Waves
Fans have been sort of down on women’s wrestling over the past decade or so but it’s certainly on an upswing. The days of women being glorified models when they step into the ring are coming to an end. The women in NXT are proving that there’s a whole lot more to them than just beauty, they’ve got brawn and brains as well.
After every live NXT special people rant and rave about the women’s matches for months on end and it’s well deserved. The women don’t want to be strictly eye candy anymore and it definitely shows. It’s not hard to believe that we’re on the brink of what could possibly be one of the greatest eras for women’s wrestling. Things aren’t going to change overnight, but change is happening right before our very eyes.
#3 – The Athleticism Is On A Whole New Level
Some people will criticize the faster pace of today’s generation and whether you’re a fan of it or not, you have to admit the current crop of wrestlers are very impressive. The style of today’s wrestling is vastly different when compared to the style that was being used 20 years ago or even 10 years ago.
Wrestlers such as Kevin Owens, Neville, Samoa Joe, Daniel Bryan, Johnny Mundo and others don’t just stick to one style, they incorporate many different styles. Matches have become less predictable, more athletic and dare we say it, more fun. You just never know what you’re going to see next and that forces you as a fan to pay a little more attention.
The fast paced style of today’s wrestling may get criticized from time to time, but preference is subjective. There’s never been an age where the fans have felt compelled to chant “This is awesome!!!” so frequently and that says a lot about the level of athleticism on display.
#2 – Wrestling Fans Have Many Options Right Now
The fans wanted alternatives to WWE and now they’ve got them, many of them. If WWE isn’t your thing you can now tune into ROH, TNA, Lucha Underground and NJPW which all have television deals. There are so many different and great wrestling shows out there for the fans to enjoy and it’s important for the fans to take advantage of that. The more that people tune in, the better the shows will become.
It’s one thing to have options but the best thing about all the options available at the moment is that they all offer something different. If the style of Lucha Underground doesn’t really suit your tastes, you can always tune into TNA or one of the other promotions out there. The point is there’s something for everyone.
It’s crazy to think that so many great wrestling companies are all co-existing on television right now. It’s also important that fans stop looking at it as a competition. No one will ever dethrone WWE from the top spot, so if you’re looking for someone to compete the way WCW did, you’re going to be disappointed. But that doesn’t mean that all of these companies can’t happily co-exist at the same time. They exist to be enjoyed by wrestling fans, so take the time to give them a chance and enjoy them.
#1 – The Next Generation Is Stepping Up
For many years it felt like things had become a little stagnant when it came to the wrestlers at the top of the industry but that’s all changing. The old guard is slowly stepping down and the next generation is seizing every opportunity that presents itself. Guys like Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose, Roman Reigns, Neville, Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn and others aren’t just the future of this business anymore. They are the here and they are the now. In Lucha Undeground you’re seeing stars being made such as Angelico, Prince Puma and Johnny Mundo is finally getting his due. EC3 is proving in TNA that he has what it takes to be a huge star and the list goes on and on.
For the past 10 years the same people have been carrying wrestling promotions, but now we’re seeing the evolution of the stars that will carry these companies for the next 10 years. You’re currently witnessing a changing of the guard and the best thing you can do is just sit back and enjoy it. For years fans have been asking for something new and now the entire industry is going through a makeover. The future looks bright, but the present looks just as good.
