6 Reasons Why Pro Wrestling Is About To Be A Big Deal Again
I’ve got a feeling. Call it a hunch, call it blind optimism, or whatever you like but I think that Pro-Wrestling is about to find itself back in the good graces of the general public and will be a significant part of mainstream pop culture. Mark my words, this time next year, pro-wrestling (specifically WWE) could be a very big deal again. It will be as big a part (if not a BIGGER part) of the cultural landscape as it was back in the 70's, 80's and the Attitude Era. Pro-wrestling fanatics will no longer be relegated to keeping their excitement and enjoyment of sports entertainment to themselves but will rather find more and more “normal” people that are engaged with wrasslin’ as well! Here’s why:
1. The WWE Network
Without a doubt this is the one of the biggest moves that Vince McMahon has ever made. Like WrestleMania big. This is something that wrestling fans have been waiting on for years and when it was announced, it was BETTER than we anticipated. It will mean more revenue for the company and at such a great price many fans from days gone by will sign up and get sucked back in. The WWE is ahead of the curve when it comes to “over the top” content distribution and I think that this will be a huge success in many ways.
2. Jim Ross
I believe that this one man will do more for the sports entertainment industry in the years to come than any other person in the last 10-15 years. The fact that he is no longer an employee of the WWE is a great thing! He is an amazing sportscaster & writer regardless of what sport he is calling or writing about. His one man shows, columns on FoxSports, involvement with the football/MMA world, new podcast and the inevitable release of a book (which will surely be a NY Times bestseller) are all things that bring much needed credibility to the industry we all love so much. He is respected all over the world and in several different arenas. SAUCE IT!
3. Kids that loved wrestling during Hulkamania & the Attitude Era are leaders now.
Most professional athletes, current celebrities and really most everybody ages 20-40 have great memories of watching (and probably loving) pro-wrestling as a kid and aren’t afraid to let their spandex flag of wrasslin’ love fly. Several athletes proudly sport championship belts and use wrestling references (ie. Legion of Boom) and plenty of Hollywood stars attend wrestling events (both indy and WWE). Couple this with the fact that John Cena, Daniel Bryan and those dang Total Divas always do great interviews and TV appearances and I think that we will be seeing WWE SuperStars more often than just on RAW & SmackDown. It goes without saying that a new class of pro-wrestling superstars are beginning to take their place (Bryan, Cesaro, Ziggler, Wyatt, Reigns, etc) and they all grew up in the hayday of wrestling’s popularity. They know what they liked then and will take the industry to the next level if given the chance. (Also, all those “kids” that are 20-40 have money now and gladly fork it over to feel scratch that wrasslin’ itch.)
4. Social Media Exposure
We complain about it but the WWE has purposefully positioned themselves as a Social Media powerhouse. They tweet, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, snapchat, repeatedly tell us how to download their app and they USED TO Tout. Again, I think that the WWE was ahead of the curve here. They embraced social media and forcefully integrated it into every part of their product and it is paying off. Social media footprint can mean big revenue, truly allows fans to be engaged with the product 24/7 and of course, they are constantly “trending worldwide.”
5. The Indys
Promotions like Ring of Honor, Pro Wrestling Guerilla and Chikara are all developing and presenting an incredible product. The more top-notch local promotions that exist, the better it is for the pro-wrestling world as a whole. Independent shows are a great way for new fans to get involved and fall in love with the art of pro-wrestling. The level of talent on the independent circuit continues to grow and grow. (I suppose you could also include the WWE Performance Center and NXT in this too as they train and present the WWE SuperStars of future in a fresh and exciting way)
6. International Markets
Pro-wrestling is a lot more popular in Europe and Asia than we think. There is an incredibly passionate fan base in several different countries around the world and the WWE continues to branch out to reach as many people as possible. China in particular has yet to be tapped and could be a HUGE market for pro-wrestling. WWE SuperStar John Cena even said that he is personally learning Mandarin for the express purpose of being able to be a better ambassador to the fans in China and to help the growth of the pro-wrestling in that country.
I’m sure that there are many other factors that will be involved in the resurgence of pro-wrestling and there are plenty of obstacles that it must overcome (several of them are WITHIN the industry). However, now is a better time than ever to be a fan of pro-wrestling. There is more content and connection available than ever before. USA Today just released an article about Daniel Bryan’s influence on mainstream sports. (You can read it HERE). It’s a great piece that seems to be a foreshadowing of things to come. Pro-wrestling will be a part of the landscape of mainstream pop culture once again. Sooner rather than later.
