12 Things We Saw Behind-The-Scenes At Pro Wrestling Tees

Chicago wrestling shirt giants let WhatCulture.com have a look around their magnificent location.

by Michael Hamflett
Pro Wrestling Tees
Pro Wrestling Tees

"A t-shirt company"

It was a dig aimed at All Elite Wrestling upon launch from early critics of the concept and creation of AEW, rooted mostly in those ignorant to the talents of the main players. To those that hadn't ever seen the likes of Kenny Omega, Cody and The Young Bucks in New Japan Pro Wrestling, Ring Of Honor or countless independent shows across the world, that's all they were - billboards for their merch. Being The Elite - the YouTube mini-phenomenon that drove so many of their angles and matches across the aforementioned locations was, to the outsiders and detractors, little more than a short weekly advert for the shirts.

This was, in reality, a huge compliment wrapped in biliousness. That the shirts had become iconic in their own right (the Bullet Club brand became the wrestling merchandise staple of the last decade) was testament to how visible they became despite featuring those operating outside of WWE. Each one was devised and birthed at Pro Wrestling Tees.

Ahead of the launch of the sensational must-watch Pro Wrestling Tees: Behind The Merch documentary, OneHourTees/Pro Wrestling Tees founder and owner Ryan Barkan was kind enough to give us a look around during a recent visit to Chicago.

Here are a just a few of the incredible sights we were able to get a glimpse of on this essential Windy City wrestling fan pilgrimage.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett