KB’s Review: Resolving To Be A Better Wrestling Fan

It’s almost hard to believe that we have reached the end of another year (and decade on top of that). It feels like just yesterday that it was New Year’s Eve and we were a full day away from a near year. This time of the year makes people both look back at what has come before them and also look forward to what is coming down the road. Since everyone and their mother (Why is the father never included in that statement?) is going to be looking back, we’re going to look forward this time around.

One of the New Year’s traditions that I gave up on a long time ago is New Year’s Resolutions. It’s a really simple idea: with a new year upon us, people start looking into doing some things differently than they did in previous years. A lot of common ones are to lose weight, read more, be healthier and various other things that they aren’t likely to maintain over the first week of the year but that has never stopped anyone from trying in the first place.

While I have given up on New Year’s Resolutions in day to day life, wrestling is a different situation, as it tends to always be for me. Therefore, this week we’re going to be looking at some wrestling New Year’s Resolutions that we really should be implementing in our lives as wrestling fans. Some of them are going to be a lot less serious than others, but some of them are things that you should just get to do as fans, because they make things more fun.

In no particular order.

1. Try A New Promotion

I’m sure you all know about WWE, NXT and AEW, plus smaller places like Impact Wrestling and Ring of Honor, but what about something smaller than that? There are all kinds of wrestling promotions out there, many of which you’ve probably never heard of before. I watch a lot of wrestling throughout the year and there was a show that I got far more into than I ever would have expected. That would be Championship Wrestling From Arizona, which is the kind of a show that you would never assume to be anything special. I just saw it online and took a look, which wound up impressing me.

Maybe this one for example:

NWA Powerrr | Ep 12 | "Something Left To Prove"

That’s what makes wrestling so much fun these days. With the internet and the rise of wrestling streaming services, you have all kinds of wrestling at your fingertips. You never know what you might find out there, as there is so much talent in the world these days. It might be something big or small, but with so much wrestling out there, you owe it to yourself to see what else you can find.

2. Go To More Live Wrestling

I remember waking up on the morning on WrestleMania 29 and thinking that I needed to go to WrestleMania one day. Then I asked myself why I didn’t do that next year for WrestleMania 30, and that’s exactly what I did. While I was there, I threw in Ring of Honor Supercard of Honor and the Monday Night Raw followup show. It’s a weekend I’ll never forget and one of the big reasons why I take in WrestleMania almost every time I can.

Something like this:

Now of course I’m not saying that you should just go to WrestleMania or even just a WWE event. What matters is that you get to go to an arena and see a show in person. There’s something so magical about getting to be there in person and feeling the energy from the crowd. It could be anything from WrestleMania to a small independent promotion. Just getting to get to be there in person is such a special feeling. Smaller shows are much more intimate and odds are you’ll have the chance to meet a wrestler or two. It’s just a cool thing to do and something every fan should get a chance to do at least several times.

3. Learn More About Wrestling

I’ve been reviewing wrestling shows for about ten years now with the oldest full show I’ve done dating back to 1963. That’s almost sixty years ago and you can imagine how much more there is both before and after that show took place. There is always more to learn about wrestling (or anything for that matter) and it is worth learning a lot more. Thankfully, there are all kinds of ways to do so.

This guy’s books can teach you something:

Wrestling history is available in all kinds of forms. These can range from books to documentaries to podcasts to articles and various other avenues. With so many different kinds of wrestling in the world, there are all sorts of ways to learn about it. From Memphis wrestling to New Japan to Ring of Honor to World of Sport and all points in between, there is something out there for everyone to learn and it’s all worth looking into in one way or another.

4. Don’t Make Yourself Pick A Side In WWE vs. AEW

Ok so I’ve done this several times myself, but that doesn’t mean it’s a good thing. AEW vs. NXT has become one of the most entertaining things in all of wrestling, with both companies having one great show after another. Yes they air at the same time every week, but that doesn’t mean we have to pick one side over the other. It’s not 1997 anymore and there is no need to manufacture a war.

In case you need to catch up:

AEW DARK - 2019 YEAR IN REVIEW

What matters is that we have two awesome wrestling shows airing at the same time and if you have the WWE Network, you can watch NXT the next day completely legally. Just because you like one does not mean that you can’t like them both, which is something that seems to be holding on well enough. It’s ok to watch both wrestling shows and the fact that both of them have been awesome is a great bonus. Have fun watching wrestling, as you’re supposed to do.

5. Pick A Streaming Service Other Than The WWE Network

I’ve been a WWE Network subscriber since the day it launched and I can’t imagine that changing anytime soon. It’s the best thing to ever happen to wrestling fans and for the life of me I’m not sure how I got so far without it in the first place. Seriously, WrestleMania for $10 and every other pay per view ever included? It’s amazing, but there are other similar things out there.

Where else can you get this:

You can pick all kinds of wrestling streaming services, allowing you to see all kinds of wrestling from around the world. This could be anything from New Japan World to Ohio Valley Wrestling to Highspots to Demand Lucha, all of which offer a ton of content for a reasonable price. With so much out there, you can find something you like that isn’t WWE (though there is nothing wrong with WWE itself). Check out what else you can and see if you like something more.

6. Remember Why You Loved Wrestling In The First Place

There’s a great book about Star Wars called How Star Wars Conquered The Universe. The book includes a great line saying “Star Wars fans love Star Wars but hate everything about it.” The same statement could be used about wrestling. How many wrestling fans seem to complain about wrestling far more than they seem to enjoy it? I know there are flaws in wrestling and none of it is perfect, but why do so many fans seem to hate wrestling in general?

If this doesn’t get you, nothing will:

WWF: Desire (Lonely Road Of Faith) (feat. Kid Rock)

We’re wrestling fans for a reason: it’s the greatest form of entertainment in all of the world. It’s true that a lot of wrestling doesn’t quite do things as they probably should, but it is still the kind of thing that works even at its worst. I’m not sure why wrestling fans tend to get so angry at it, as it still can be incredible to watch if you let yourself enjoy it. You started watching it for a reason, and it’s great to remember what that reason is.

Being a wrestling fan is not always easy. There are a lot of difficult things that we have to put up with and it doesn’t mean that every day is the easiest in the world. However, we still watch wrestling because it’s pretty awesome at the end of the day. In the new year, try to have some more fun with it and stop overthinking things. Look for the good in there, because it certainly does exist.

Thomas Hall has been a wrestling fan for over thirty years and has seen over 50,000 wrestling matches. He has also been a wrestling reviewer since 2009 with over 5,000 full shows covered. You can find his work at kbwrestlingreviews.com, or check out his- Amazon author page with 30 wrestling books. His latest book is KB’s Complete 2004 Monday Night Raw Reviews.

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