What I'm Thankful For In Wrestling

   I'm about a week late but I thought with the recent string of complaining among wrestling fans, I would write about what I'm thankful for when it comes to professional wrestling.  While there are things that happen in wrestling I may not agree with, overall I'm thankful for a lot of things.  I'm going to list 10 things I'm thankful for in wrestling, in no particular order

1. Wrestling Itself

   First and foremost, I'm thankful for professional wrestling itself!  I've been watching since 1983 at the age of 4 and it's been the one constant in my life.  It's something I can count on!  It takes me away from real life every once in a while and I let myself get lost in it.  I grew up enamored by the larger than life personalities like Hulk Hogan, Rowdy Roddy Piper, and Andre the Giant.  During the New Generation, I was entertained by ring generals like Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels.  During the Attitude Era, I had the privilege of being a teenager as I watched anti-hero's like Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock, & Degeneration X.  Also during that time was the Monday Night Wars, where I saw Mankind's rise to the top on one station, while watching Goldberg and the nWo on another.  Wrestling is still very special to me and it always will be.  It's funny, I've gone to more conventions and met more wrestling personalities in my 30's than at any other age and I'm loving every minute of it.  While being an adult has its responsibilities, it also means you don't care as much what others think.  I'm damn proud to be a wrestling fan!

2. The Superstars

   People can say what they want and compare eras but you must admit, there are some talents in the wrestling world today.  I know I come off as WWE-centric and that's partially true as it's what I mostly grew up watching and it's the most accessible.  However, wrestling around the world currently is gaining steam once again.  New Japan has become the number two promotion in the wrestling world.  New Japan has given us incredible talents like Okada and Ibushi.  Ring of Honor is still producing great wrestling and superstars as well.  The Bullet Club is all over the place!  While Impact may have its management problems, it doesn't take away from the wrestlers themselves.  In WWE, there is plenty to be thankful for.  There is the meteoric rise of the Monster Among Men, Braun Strowman, The Shield is back together, and AJ Styles is the WWE Champion.

3. NXT

   I am not going to compare NXT to Raw and Smackdown because that's not realistic.  I am, however, going to talk about how thankful I am for the existence of NXT.  When NXT first started, it was a game show of sorts.  While the concept was somewhat silly, it also led to the signing of Daniel Bryan and gave birth to the Nexus storyline.  Once it took over FCW as WWE's main training facility, things started to change.  Guys like Seth Rollins, Bo Dallas, Big E, and Neville were given the opportunity to do what they do on a larger scale.  A buzz started to happen!

   With the inclusion of the WWE Network, more people were able to see NXT for the game changer it was becoming.  NXT was the place to be!  Through its evolution, we got to witness long awaited signings like Sami Zayn, Kevin Owens, Finn Balor, Samoa Joe, Shinsuke Nakamura, and Bobby Roode, to name a few.  The women's revolution restarted in NXT with the inclusion of Charlotte Flair, Bayley, Sasha Banks, and Becky Lynch.  We also saw the amazing undefeated streak of Asuka, and many sought after female talents get signed.  The Takeover events have really become something special and rarely disappoint.  I could probably talk all day about NXT so maybe I'll save that for its own blog.

4. Chris Jericho

   No one in the wrestling world has been able to reinvent himself quite like Chris Jericho.  He never loses a step.  His last run was one of the most entertaining stints he's had.  We all received the greatest gift of all...The Gift of Jericho!  And we drank it in, maaaaaaaan!  We also got to see his partnership with Kevin Owens and the Festival of Friendship.  Of course, how can I forget about The List?  You know what happens when I forget about The List?  You know what happens?  Self...I just made The List!  Currently, Y2J, the genius that he is, is working the wrestling audience and creating a fantastic feud between himself and Kenny Omega.  Not only that, the "Ayatollah of Rock n' Rolla" has taken it upon himself to put together a cruise for wrestling fans next year.  I am truly thankful for Chris Jericho!

5. War Games

   After waiting almost 20 years, wrestling fans finally got what they asked for in a War Games match.  True, there was no top of the cage and the rules of entering changed slightly, but nonetheless, we got to see it.  It may be tweaked and possibly brought back to its original form some day.  I'm happy it came back in NXT and here's why!  I feel like it was a way to test the waters before they choose to do one at a major WWE PPV.  It was to generate a buzz and get people excited about the match again.  With several factions on Raw and Smackdown, it seems more likely we'll get to see one on a larger platform.  I have read that War Games will return to Takeover next year but that doesn't necessarily mean it will stay in NXT.  The War Games match we got to see was entertaining and brutal and I think it did the match type justice.

6. Adam Cole Bay-Bay!

7. Wrestling Conventions

   In the last few years, I've been fortunate enough to attend several wrestling conventions, large and small.  Years ago, other than WWE Axxess, I did not know these things existed.  With the advent of the company I work for, TagMeADate.com, we've been vendors at some conventions and got to meet a lot of the guys we grew up watching or still watch today.  I'll even go as a fan to still promote my product but also meet my heroes.  They say don't meet your heroes!  I say that's nonsense!  I've gotten to know some of these people on a personal level.  Some even remember my name and that's huge!  The fact that these exist is something to be thankful for.  I truly treasure the photos I've taken with these larger than life personalities and I've built up a nice autograph collection.

   17 years ago, I met Bruno Sammartino at a signing.  I still have his 8x10 autograph and I'm sure at some point it will be worth a lot of money.  Even so, it means too much to me as a fan to ever part with it.  Money isn't everything, after all!  Although, everybody's got a price for the Million Dollar Man!  All kidding aside, I got to meet Ted DiBiase himself two years ago and he even did his infamous laugh for those of us in attendance.  I got to participate in and record episodes of Apter's Alley with Bill Apter, someone I can call a friend, which is pretty incredible!  Whether it's WrestleCade, WrestleCon, The Big Event, or any small meet and greets, do yourself a favor and attend.

8. Women's Wrestling

   Never has there been a better time to be a fan of women's wrestling.  In the last few years, we've witnessed what has come to be known in the wrestling world as the Women's Revolution.  It's taken a long time and there's still a long way to go, but women in wrestling are really starting to get the platform to succeed.  We saw the rise of women in NXT, which caught the attention of Raw and Smackdown to follow suit.  Women have now had Iron Man Matches, climbed the ladder for Money In the Bank, and found themselves inside Hell In a Cell.  Now there's even a rumor of a possible women's Royal Rumble match.

 
   With the recent Mae Young Classic, we were treated to many female wrestlers on the Indy scene who some may not be as familiar with.  Besides several of the women we've seen pop up in NXT from time to time, we were treated to women such as Mia Yim and Marty Belle, both of whom used to be in Impact's Dollhouse faction.  We got to see women like Santana Garrett, who has been really making a name for herself.  You've got legacies such as Tessa Blanchard and Rachel Ellering making their families proud.  You've also got comeback kids like Serena Deeb.  Another thing we've been able to see lately is the incredible rise of Asuka and the future looks bright for women's wrestling in general.  I'm thankful for women's wrestling!

9. The WWE Network

  In my opinion, a subscription to the WWE Network is worth it for PPV's alone!  I was sold on the idea as soon as I heard I wouldn't have to pay upwards of $50 for every PPV event.  There's also entertaining original programming and a vast amount of wrestling shows from around the world and over time.  Since WWE owns a majority of tape libraries from various promotions, you can watch the NWA, WCW, ECW, Mid-South, World Class, AWA, and most of the other wrestling territories that once were.  Of course, you can watch every single WWE PPV ever, along with old episodes of Raw and Nitro so you can relive the Monday Night Wars.  I'm not trying to be a shill for the Network, I just happen to enjoy it.  It's wrestling's version of Netflix in a way.  

10. Triple H

   I'm sure I'm going to get heat for this but Triple H is one of the reasons why things have improved in WWE.  He's got his finger on the pulse of wrestling.  I know ultimately Vince McMahon has the final say on everything but you can't tell me Triple H's influence isn't there!  I know some are angry with him putting himself into the Survivor Series and "overshadowing" everything.  Of course, there are still those who say he only got to where he is because he married into the McMahon family.  He's also intelligent, driven, and passionate about the wrestling business.  He became a main eventer and world champion before he even pondered the idea of dating Stephanie McMahon.   Also, could it be possible that the two are actually in love?  My, what an insane idea!

   Triple H has a great deal of old school thinking, yet knows when things need to evolve.  Look what he's done with NXT!  For all intents and purposes, that is his baby!  Unlike people such as Kevin Dunne, Triple H is not a "yes man."  Yes, being married into the McMahon family helps but now I see it's for the better.  He's not doing this for himself; he genuinely believes in the wrestling business and wants it to grow and flourish for many years to come.  Triple H is very similar to the way his father-in-law was many years ago.  Verne Gagne was so stuck in his ways, he didn't realize what he had in Hulk Hogan.  McMahon, on the other hand, capitalized!  Hulkamania led to WrestleMania and the rest is history!  Dunne tells McMahon what he wants to hear, while Triple H tells him what he needs to hear.  I'm thankful for Triple H!

   What I'm trying to get at here is that there is a lot to be thankful for in wrestling.  Wrestling is subjective and not everyone is going to agree with everything that goes on.  As fans, please try to appreciate what you do have and not focus on what you don't.  I don't always like everything I see but I accept reality and deal with it.  Like The New Day, I have the power of positivity!  I try to focus on what I enjoy.  What do you enjoy about wrestling?  What are you thankful for?



If you have any further thoughts on this topic, let me know in comments.  Heck, let us all know on The WAR Report podcast, every Tuesday at 7PM EST, brought to you by TagMeADate.com, the first and only dating site for wrestling fans.  Go to askthewarreport@gmail.com or #askthewarreport.  For TagMeADate members, our Android and Apple apps are vastly approaching so stay tuned!