WWE

Jack Fenton Sep 8, 2022. 8 minute read

My Wrestling Fandom Lived and Died with Shinsuke Nakamura

On a cold January night, Shinsuke Nakamura relit a fire. I’d been a wrestling fan from childhood, growing up on the leftovers of the Attitude Era, which blossomed into Ruthless Aggression. I was captivated by the colorful characters, pure physicality and engaging storylines. Some of my fondest memories are of…

mer Sep 2, 2022. 7 minute read

From the Ground Up: The Women’s Tag Division Gets A Much Needed Overhaul

It’s been three months since Sasha Banks and Naomi walked out of Raw one fateful Monday night, and as of this writing, we are no closer to a resolution between WWE and the former tag team champs. Both are still members of the SmackDown roster, despite numerous reports to the…

Jay Deitcher Aug 31, 2022. 5 minute read

We Need Eco-Friendly Wrestlers if We’re Going to Save the Planet

I imagine that when Ludvig Borga first stepped on American soil — probably off a boat because it reduced his carbon emissions — he lifted his nose aloft and took in a whiff, grimacing. “Look at this filth. This pollution,” the Finnish quasi-superstar said in one of his inaugural WWF…

Brett Davis Aug 29, 2022. 3 minute read

The Best Butts in Professional Wrestling

“I don’t think you’re ready for this jelly.” – Beyonce Knowles “Booty, booty, booty, booty, rockin’ everywhere!” – Bubba Sparxx “Whatcha gon’ do with all that junk? All that junk inside your trunk?” – Will.I.Am, or maybe the other guy ASS. Everyone can appreciate dat azz. It’s universal. Big ones,…

Brett Davis Aug 26, 2022. 5 minute read

Few Talk Show Hosts Understood Wrestling Like Arsenio Hall

Some people just get wrestling. Regis was one of them, and pioneered the wrestler talk show guest model with the likes of Fred Blassie and The Destroyer. The formula was a tricky one, and many interviewers just didn’t grasp it. Regis’ formula worked: lightly sanitizing a wrestler’s persona for the…

Joseph Anthony Montecillo Aug 15, 2022. 12 minute read

On Wrestling Criticism Part 2: Wrestling Mechanics

Note: The intro to this series can be read here. It’s important to begin with the mechanics of pro wrestling, the actual physical movement involved with the performance. I wanted to start with this particular element of wrestling simply because it’s the first thing any viewer is immediately confronted by.…

mer Aug 6, 2022. 1 minute read

Logan Paul on Law and Order Special Victims Unit: A Review

At SummerSlam, Logan Paul proved there’s only room for one successful YouTube star in this house, and despite the views on USA Network, it sure isn’t the Miz. Given his rousing performances at dual WrestleManias and his SummerSlam victory, it was unsurprising when Paul signed a contract with WWE, promising…

mer Aug 4, 2022. 5 minute read

Worth the Wait: Bayley, Dakota, and Iyo Usher in a New Women’s Division

SummerSlam marked the first premium live event under the watchful eye of Triple H, with Vince McMahon kicked to the curb faster than you can say “multiple pending lawsuits.” With a whirlwind of company developments churning behind the scenes, the prospect of a HHH-lead WWE was already enticing. His tenure…

David Bixenspan Aug 3, 2022. 6 minute read

Vince McMahon Navigated Controversy for Decades. What Changed in 2022?

What took so long? Seriously, what took so long? There have been so many WWE scandals — whether specific to Vince McMahon or more broadly — that counting them all becomes a ghoulish exercise with a quickness. That’s doubly so because it’s way too easy just to rattle off scandals where…

mer Aug 1, 2022. 5 minute read

Dropping the Bar: An Ode to Sheamus and Cesaro

Claudio Castagnoli made his much anticipated AEW debut at Forbidden Door in June. The vaguely Doctor Who themed show suffered various setbacks, as multiple wrestlers were unable to compete. Bryan Danielson was injured and couldn’t participate in his scheduled bout with Zack Sabre Jr, meant to determine the best technical…

Trevor Dame Jul 27, 2022. 11 minute read

In Order to Make Its Future, Professional Wrestling Needs to Forget Its Past

Everything good comes to an end. Actually, everything comes to an end, good and bad. The only constant is change. Yet in pro wrestling, there is a growing cottage industry devoted to fighting against that fact of life. More and more podcasts and Patreons are springing up, lead by disgruntled…

Colette Arrand Jul 26, 2022. 14 minute read

The Greatest Wrestler of All Time (The Fifth and Sixth Ten)

The Rock. Steve Austin. Ric Flair. Randy Savage. When I took up the task of naming The Greatest Wrestler of All Time, it was partially out of frustration with similar pieces (though, those being ranked lists, they weren’t similar at all) where the same names kept cropping up. If pieces…

Colette Arrand Jul 22, 2022. Less than a minute

“Thank You Vince” Chants: A Review

Colette Arrand Jul 22, 2022. 4 minute read

Vince McMahon Has Retired

I don’t know how to begin covering what is possibly the biggest story in the history of professional wrestling. Vince McMahon is retiring from WWE. In his tweet and in WWE’s press release containing his statement on the matter, McMahon led with the fact that he is 77, intimating that…

Colette Arrand Jul 22, 2022. 6 minute read

I Hope Triple H Starts Pointing at People Again

WWE announced today that Paul “Triple H” Levesque has been installed as the Executive Vice President of Talent Relations. Given that John Laurinaitis is ensnared in an ongoing investigation into his (and Vince McMahon’s) alleged use of company funds to buy the silence of employees with whom he’s alleged to…

Colette Arrand Jul 20, 2022. 4 minute read

A Field Guide to the Gimmicks of NXT 2.0

I watched NXT 2.0 last night. No, no, hold your applause and save your medals; I, like all of you, am human, and humans tend to fuck up from time to time. It is no secret that NXT 2.0, once a jewel in the crown of WWE’s unquestioned dominance over…

mer Jul 19, 2022. 4 minute read

Cora Jade Busts Skateboards and Friendships

I must confess, I haven’t been entirely captivated by NXT recently. I don’t think I’m alone in this sentiment, as interest in WWE’s aloof third brand has varied wildly over the past year. Since rebranding fall 2021, pastel NXT has gone out of its way to distinguish itself as distinctly…

Colette Arrand Jul 13, 2022. 2 minute read

The French Fries Bret Hart and Sean Waltman Aren’t Eating: A Review

Today is Sean Waltman’s 50th birthday! We’re also two days out from the anniversary of Bret Hart vs. 1-2-3 Kid, which is one of, if not the, greatest matches in the history of Monday Night Raw. Both of these things are worth celebrating. In fact, many writers have. So instead of…

Brett Davis Jul 9, 2022. 2 minute read

Tony Sirico’s Stacker2 Ads Married WWE to the Mob

Tony Sirico passed away on Friday. Even if you didn’t know him as Paulie Walnuts on The Sopranos, you likely knew his face from commercials and cameos. In real life, Tony Sirico had a history in organized crime, and after 28 arrests, he turned it around to create quite the…

mer Jul 9, 2022. 2 minute read

Maximum Male Models: A Review

    Last Friday night, I went out to support a neighborhood small business by allowing myself a few alcoholic beverages and singing Celine Dion louder than anyone asked. I then came home (10 pm, because I’m in my late 20s) and fell asleep for about three hours, before I…