Why Wrestling Has A MAJOR Problem Right Now

by Michael Sidgwick
Tony Khan 2022
AEW

It felt, across 2018 and 2019, that wrestling was entering a new golden age. The in-ring standard had been redefined. Renewed competition reminded the fanbase of what wrestling should have always been. The thrill of Vince McMahon's weird self-imposed rules being broken was palpable.

Now, through sheer, undisciplined excess, it no longer feels that way. AEW being uneven shouldn't impact other promotions, but it does. AEW is a victim of its own success, and so is wrestling on the whole; because it is so phenomenal at its wide-ranging best, it effectively made other promotions redundant. There was no need for an ROH. Impact did nothing that AEW didn't do, and better. AEW took everything great about modern pro wrestling, tethered it to the best of what was once an unrecoverable past, and presented it in a brisk, appointment TV package. AEW became the new home of pro wrestling, its custodian almost, and now that it's in a lull, it feels like all wrestling is.

There's still good wrestling everywhere - STARDOM, DDT and Dragon Gate are doing much to energise their fanbases - but this was the case in 2004, which was the sh*ttest year in recorded history. We're nowhere near that point, but picture the eve of All Out 2022 and the dreamlike state fans were locked in.

Didn't you think it would be better by now?

Has wrestling eaten itself in a fit of greed having been starved for too long?

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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!