If imitation is the most sincere form of flattery, than the pro wrestling community has a serious identity crisis. For the life of me, I simply cannot fathom the logic in WWE pointing a strong finger at the Young Bucks for a hand gesture, likewise (formerly) Impact Wrestling with respect to a Hardy character more […]
Category: Wrestling 101
WRESTLING 101: Ten Steel Cage Match Improvements Sorely Needed
Look, I get it: steel cage matches are staple of all things extreme wrestling. The dramatic leaps, unrelenting grasp of chain link, a sense of hopelessness that comes with seemingly no escape. Some of the greatest moments in wrestling history took place inside the steel cage, to include title changes, stunning heel turns, and – […]
WRESTLING 101: Reinventions and the Grey Area
Every pro wrestling fans appreciates the classic heel or face turn. Ones seemingly inevitable when unexpected injuries throw storylines into the mix, likewise an opportunity for a promotion to reward an athlete needing a new character lease on life. Some, of course, do this better than others, with it arguably directly attributed to his/her ability […]
WRESTLING 101: The Disbelief of Suspending It
Sure, there was the Easter Bunny, Santa Claus, and a good parking spot at the mall to bust my suspension of disbelief bubble long before I discovered pro wrestling was scripted. I was a Hulkamanaic, darn it, and when he channeled our cheers, those pythons did what they were put on this great Earth to […]
WRESTLING 101: An Homage to the Lucha Mask
Thanks to the creative genius of Lucha Underground and terrific Lucha Loot crates, I’m bombarded monthly – in the best of ways – with an array of wonderful luchadors and luchadores. Of course, a key cog in the greatness of the lucha libre tradition are the unique masks its athletes adorn. The very image of a […]
WRESTLING 101: Bring Back the Ring Gear!
Many eons ago – and as a child – I fell in love with 1980’s wrestling. The pageantry, the characters, the story behind the story pro wrestling was willing to tell in the ring. When Sgt. Slaughter donned Iraqi garb against the ‘Real American’ Hulkster, my emotions ran wild. The cognitive dissonance was simply […]
WRESTLING 101: The ‘Rant’ Column
The great thing about today’s wrestling environment is the incredible ease of access in finding terrific stuff to watch. New Japan is on Ring of Honor…and vice versa. Fite TV is stacked with WWN offerings. The WWE Network features oodles of classic content. TNA Impact and Lucha Underground are must-see’s each week. But some things […]
WRESTLING 101: The (Anti-) Social Media World of Pro Wrestling
Arguably no professional sport allows for the extensive interaction between athletes and its fans than pro wrestling. Even more so in independent wrestling, where fan loyalty can be the singular determination between promotion survival and disappearance. This becomes evident in the aforementioned merchandise table, where fans are encouraged to interact – via dollars, handshakes, and […]
WRESTLING 101: The Less Obvious Experience Discrepancy of In-Person versus TV Events
Huracanrana and I are fortunate peeps, both because we live in a hub of independent wrestling (Tampa, FL), likewise within walking distance to a terrific venue well suited for bigger stage offerings. Thus, we had little excuse not to attend WWE’s Monday Night Raw earlier in the week. Disclaimer: if you’re looking for a piece […]
WRESTLING 101: Re-falling in Love with Stables
An incredible thing happened in the past 12 months of pro wrestling. Where there was once only a handful of true ‘stables’ (3+ members of a named faction, with a clear babyface/heel designation), there stands a lifeblood of both WWE and independent wrestling promotions. When speaking of stables, of course the New Day and Bullet […]
WRESTLING IN FLORIDA: An Insider Look at Professional Wrestling 