Fan vs Machine: Wrestling With No Heart
To be a wrestling fan is one of the greatest experiences in the world. For me, and maybe for most, my love of the sport began with the WWE(back then, the WWF). I was just a kid who sat down with her uncle one day and fell in love with '90s wrestling and all things Shawn Michaels. Now in my early 30's, I find myself pulling away from the company and what is now classified as the TKO era.
Trust me, we have sat through many trying times with the WWE. From the tone-deaf storylines and personas to awful angles, characters stripped of their personalities, and stale matches, we've seen and heard it all. But this feels different. At first, I thought that it might have been just the creative team as a whole. And maybe it still is. But as time goes on, I realize that somewhere between the ads placed on ladders, celebrities taking television time from actual talent, 60 minutes of commercials, and overwhelming ticket prices for shows, the need to love something that no longer loves us back disappeared. What used to feel like excitement and anticipation has slowly grown into frustration and the desire to spend my time on other things that matter. Which is hard as a wrestling podcaster and content creator.
The focus on profit and the need to be seen has surpassed the need for connection. And while that looks great on paper, like they want, it is not hard to notice the lack of enthusiasm and positive reaction from wrestling fans. So, when the product becomes more about the money than the audience, where does that leave us?
As fans, the obstacles that seem to pop up week after week in the WWE have put blemishes on something that is loved by many. It feels stressful to a point, and I know for me personally, it has made me feel burnt out as a WWE fan. The disconnect seems to be only getting bigger as TKO recently has decided to take measures to silence wrestling content creators, large and small, who use clips of their shows in reaction videos and more. And while we are not asking for perfection, the feeling of silenced voices has made it clear that, as fans, we may no longer matter.
Luckily for us, and unfortunately for them, wrestling does not just stop at the most well-known promotion globally. It is a sport and community in every nook and cranny of the world. From continent to continent, wrestling continues to thrive. And that is where the indies and smaller companies come in. Don't be afraid to branch out from what you're used to. You never know what you'll fall in love with elsewhere. Tune in to other televised promotions like AEW, TNA, or ROH. Support your local indie shows, where community is key. Find spaces that feel like a breath of fresh air rather than a suffocating entity, because there is far too much wrestling in the world to feel stuck in a one-sided relationship.
#supportindiewrestling
Damian Priest, Smackdown September 2024- Seattle, Washington