10 Things WWE Doesn't Want You To Know About Independent Wrestling

9. It Gets Nostalgia Right

Kenny Omega All In
Wrestling Arcade / Joey Janela

Did nostalgia in WWE run its course at RAW25? Of course it did.

The show was unadulterated sh*t. Ted DiBiase, a super worker and one of the Federation's most despicable, iconic and entertaining heels, simply strolled in front of the camera to laugh. He was depicted as a literal punchline; a mere frame of reference that, like the most unimaginative Family Guy gags, was meant to be amusing purely because the character usually exists in a different context. Optimus Prime in another cartoon? Ted DiBiase in the Network Era?

Nostalgia, at its best, transports us to more idyllic times. It should not make us question the times we are currently suffering through. That moment, in micro, summarised WWE's macro problem with a theme thinning in value. Road Dogg was an entertaining midcard fixture in the Attitude Era. He shouldn't dig the graves of far superior tag teams than the New Age Outlaws a full 20 years after their one-year peak.

Joey Janela grasps the essence of nostalgia, and uses its elixir in a new context that doesn't offer nothing but diminishing, face-value returns. The mad scientist somehow unearths legends preserved in amber, like PCO, who both remind us of the best of the worst of our childhoods (WWF 1995) and have something to offer the modern landscape (a ferocious chop battle with WALTER over WrestleMania Weekend).

Nostalgia on the indies is both affectionate and forward-thinking. PCO's cameo begat an improbable later-career renaissance.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!