8 Things WWE Can Learn From Other Promotions

7. PROGRESS - Respect Your Fans

Jim Smallman PROGRESS Wrestling Jimmy Havoc
PROGRESS Wrestling

WWE fans often display clear signs of Stockholm Syndrome. The largest wrestling promotion on the planet consistently puts on shows that insult the intelligence of the fans, yet the slavish nature of the WWE Universe simultaneously justifies this disrespect. WWE could make Curt Hawkins Universal Champion at SummerSlam, but fans would still continue watching.

If there is a mutual respect between promotion and fanbase, everything becomes more enjoyable. The transparency between PROGRESS Wrestling and the fans has led to the London based outfit becoming one of the largest on our delightful little island.

PROGRESS owner Jim Smallman frequently takes to the web to explain business decisions to the fans, creating a trusting relationship between supplier and consumer. This subsequently creates a certain degree of faith when it comes to booking decisions, meaning fans are more willing to give stories time to breathe before complaining.

Compare that with WWE - how much faith do you have in WWE when it comes to creative decisions? The trust between the two has been eroded over the past decades. Respecting the fanbase would be a big step towards creative rehabilitation for WWE.

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Born in the middle of Wales in the middle of the 1980's, John can't quite remember when he started watching wrestling but he has a terrible feeling that Dino Bravo was involved. Now living in Prague, John spends most of his time trying to work out how Tomohiro Ishii still stands upright. His favourite wrestler of all time is Dean Malenko, but really it is Repo Man. He is the author of 'An Illustrated History of Slavic Misery', the best book about the Slavic people that you haven't yet read. You can get that and others from www.poshlostbooks.com.