10 Wrestlers Who Achieved The Impossible
5. The Young Bucks: Making It Outside Of The WWE Machine
A living could be made from Independent wrestling before the Young Bucks revolutionised everything - but nothing comparable to WWE. WWE remained the only place to make serious money for years. That's why they call it a monopoly.
Matt and Nick Jackson Bucked the trend.
Their perception as brats and renegades forged by an apparent refusal to shake Booker T's hand, Matt and Nick spotted a branding opportunity. Generation Me became the Young Bucks once more: a new iteration that revelled in their spot monkey status and its potency in p*ssing off the old guard. Apocryphally, the term "Superkick Party" was used derisively by one such veteran; the Bucks, inspired, lent hard into their lucrative shtick by using the move over and over again, thus mining a postmodern source of heat within a new meta narrative. They also hit upon a new means of making money; "Superkick Party" t-shirts made tonnes, in addition to several designs that begat a veritable merchandise revolution. Now, at the merest threat of a new catchphrase, the Bucks and the performers they inspire rush release a design on ProWrestlingTees.
Approaching meet and greets with genuine enthusiasm, wrestling awesome story-driven wrestling matches across several promotions, and mobilising an entire generation of wrestling fans into proudly wearing their colours: the Young Bucks didn't need WWE to put money in their bank.