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

8. It's Funny

Kenny Omega All In
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WWE seeks to attract non-wrestling fans under the amorphous umbrella of "entertainment". You don't have to enjoy wrestling to enjoy WWE, so the mission statement goes. WWE isn't wrestling; it is an action adventure series incorporating comedy elements, or whatever corporate euphemism Stephanie dreams up next.

Unfortunately for WWE, it isn't entertaining.

It's all very counterproductive; non-wrestling fans don't like wrestling, and wrestling fans don't like terrible comedy. That's not snark, either; you could almost hear the Albany traffic when WWE presented the Bobby's Sisters segment.

Being The Elite is genuinely funny in its meta treatment of pro wrestling. The jokes are derived from pro wrestling, where WWE clumsily welds abysmal and draconian three-camera sitcom tropes, like men in drag, onto naff RAW segments. On episode 110, 'Family Dinner', Kenny Omega let the Young Bucks in on the key to breaking Uncle Dave's five star-rating barrier - by cackling behind a book on Psychology. He also affectionately lampooned the rating system itself by referring to a ****1/2 match as "average at best".

Pete Dunne and Millie Mackenzie's sibling rivalry bit, Joey Ryan's entire body of work, CHIKARA's niche silliness - mileage may vary, but there is something to laugh at for everybody, somewhere, as opposed to RAW, on which Finn Bálor mocks Baron Corbin's waistcoat.

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!