WRESTLING 101: The Top 10 Pro Wrestling Wish List for 2016

Ho, ho, ho-t tag, good friends! It’s that time of year…one of friendship, family, and beautifully executed head scissors. Tweener or heel, we believe every great pro wrestling athlete or talent deserves a holiday treat.

Thus – and without further ado – Wrestling in Florida’s 2016 Pro Wrestling Wish List.

1. Give veteran wrestlers proper due. There’s a slew of outstanding, seasoned talent ready for global prime time, yet we all stand in waiting for old storylines to die. Enough of the ‘catching a break’ philosophy. Andréa, Gary Jay, and Monster Tarver deserve their opportunity. As do their fans.
2. Unionize pro wrestlers and talent. Yes, this is a very controversial point. And promotions will insist it will send expenses to the roof. But without medical protections and a means to share talent sans repercussions (i.e. a headliner gets injured wrestling for another promotion the prior night), no one wins. This isn’t about base salaries, benefits, rather levels of protection.
3. Acknowledge social media…or not at all. Pro wrestling is a delicate balancing act of athletes and talent wanting to hook fans with engaging personas, but also maintain healthy boundaries. Promotions must go all in…or out…with social media. Universally neuter or go carte’ blanche. Also, help when fans become foes.
4. Don’t rewrite history. Enough is enough with the likes of Hulk Hogan, Chris Benoit and/or other controversial talent gone astray. The fact is, their professional lives are intertwined with hundreds’ of others’ accomplishments. By punishing the sinners, you’re doing the same to the saints.
5. Re-split the WWE rosters. We’ve heard it enough times; wrestlers are overworked…which leads to injury. Let alone house shows stacked with supposedly lesser but very fan favorite talent. R-Truth immediately comes to mind, perhaps the most popular individual on the roster.
6. Respect the stripes. Referees are woefully underutilized in storytelling, especially in key matches. They can also break the crowd third wall as needed, a luxury athletes/talent don’t have. Frank Gastineau is a star at this aspect.
7. Be a good fan. A recent piece highlighted the importance of crowds at indy wrestling shows, specifically an expectation to be part of versus be the event. In tandem, recognize there are kids there…and act responsibly. Sadly, these tenets are forgotten more than they should.
8. Officially acknowledge collaboration. WWN and Ring of Honor took the leap in formally acknowledging relationships with NXT and PWG, respectively. Full Impact Pro Fallout brilliantly unites its rosters under a single umbrella. With the seemingly endless amount of regional promotions, formalizing partnerships ensures they survive. Ditto for the countless podcasts and write-up sites covering them. Create networks backed by useful advertising.
9. Remember our friends across the Pond. The UK…and especially Scotland… feature incredible but also regularly ignored talent. A simple Twitter search uncovers All Star cards in Glasgow seemingly weekly. We need to do a better as a community in featuring this talent…or risk losing it.
10. Please keep reading! Yes, a self-serving closeout…but a vital one. We’re a labor of love, and only with continued readership and support do the creative juices continue to flow. Read, tweet, re-share, and contribute!

Have a safe and wonderful holiday. May your ropes be lively, turnbuckles sound, and mic work sing to the angels.