And with that, lets start the list!
World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE)
'Then. Now. Forever'
'Then. Now. Forever'
Based in the United States, WWE is the largest wrestling company in the world, originating from the 1950s. Annually, it puts on around 300 shows, broadcasting to roughly 36,000,000 worldwide viewers in over 150 countries.
WWE is synonymous with pro wrestling, and in doing so, it has sort of given itself a bad rap. The Hogan-Era of the 1970s and 80s, though massively successful, stereotyped wrestling into a quite cartoony and kind of campy-60s-Batman-esque story telling platform. That's not to say that everything during this time was like that, you had guys like Bret Hart, Curt Hennig, Randy Savage, Ricky Steamboat to name but a few really putting on some highly competitive and athletic action, not to mention the likes of Ric Flair and Dusty Rhodes outside of the company too.
It's integral to note that whilst this is the association made with WWE, and wrestling in general, it has evolved. The 'New Generation' of the early 90s showed that wrestling matches could be done in a more exciting way, the Attitude Era of the late 90s positioned wrestling as a more serious though still outrageous medium, the early 2000s saw the blooming of some legendary performers and although WWE's run in the late 2000s can be seen as a dark time for WWE, there have always been glimpses of greatness. The recent years of WWE have seen dramatic change, with the increasing implementation of 'indy' stars, an evolved style and a new shift in fan recognition.
Currently, WWE produces 5 weekly wrestling orientated shows coming to around 8 hours of content (RAW ~ 3hrs, SmackDown! ~ 2hrs, NXT, Main Event & Superstars ~1hr). As of this summer just gone, the main roster has been split into two, with wrestlers being allocated to either RAW or SmackDown!.
RAW is the flagship show even the longest running weekly episodic show in ALL of television history. Clocking in at around 3 hours, it can be a bit of a drag to watch, especially for the noticeably shit episodes. However, I always find that every episode has some redeeming quality, whether it be a match in particular, an interview or some random segment. With weekly shows like RAW and SmackDown!, this is where the majority of storyline progression occurs, though sometimes we might get some Dragonball Z like filler (but with less screaming). This progression can be anywhere from an attack, a match announcement, face/heel turns (turning from a goof guy to a bad guy or vice versa) or sometimes even a championship changing hands.
I feel like over the past year or so, average match quality in WWE in regards to their weekly shows are up across the board. With guys like Sami Zayn, The New Day, Kevin Owens, Cesaro and AJ Styles now performing on a prominent level, though matches might not be 30 minute classics, they are still pretty good given the time allowance and any storyline shenanigans they have to fit in. The Women's Division has seen a noticeable push in match quality and length stemming from the 'Divas Revolution' of 2015, but it really has been since WrestleMania 32 that we've gotten some proper development. Plus, we've just had the addition of the Cruiserweight Division to Monday Night RAW. If you're a 'Noah's Best Wrestling of the Week' regular, you'll know how I feel about them putting on great matches week-in, week-out on the red brand.
With the roster now split into two, we also have increased number of big events, or 'Pay-Per-Views' (PPVs), a title that's losing its relevance but is better than 'Pay-A-Monthly-Subscription-To-View'. I feel that its here that WWE prove that they know how to put on some great wrestling. Whether it be the megalodon shows of 'WrestleMania' or the 'Royal Rumble', or some of the less important ones like 'Backlash' or 'Payback' which I thought were really good, it's here that you might get to see some instant classics and your high star ranking matches.
'WrestleMania' is the biggest show in WWE's calendar, taking place somewhere in late-March/early-April time. It has given pro wrestling some of the most iconic moments in its history, some of the greatest matches and is a testament to the reach that wrestling has in the world. WrestleMania is such a large event that it has spawned 'WrestleMania Weekend', which hosts events for fans the days prior to the event. Add to this, the weekend also draws in independent wrestling companies to the site of WrestleMania, making the event that much larger.
'WrestleMania' is the biggest show in WWE's calendar, taking place somewhere in late-March/early-April time. It has given pro wrestling some of the most iconic moments in its history, some of the greatest matches and is a testament to the reach that wrestling has in the world. WrestleMania is such a large event that it has spawned 'WrestleMania Weekend', which hosts events for fans the days prior to the event. Add to this, the weekend also draws in independent wrestling companies to the site of WrestleMania, making the event that much larger.
Alongside the main roster, we have NXT. This is referred to as WWE's 'developmental' promotion, featuring guys and gals that are waiting to be moved up to the main roster. However, despite the implication that the wrestlers here might be of a lesser quality to those on RAW or SmackDown!, its quite the opposite. You have world renowned stars like Shinsuke Nakamura, Samoa Joe, Austin Aries and Hideo Itami (KENTA) all under the label of NXT. NXT is taped in large chunks and then put on TV in the form of hour long episodes. This means that the entire roster isn't on display every episode, which in some ways is refreshing and makes their appearance more special and it also allows for more time for others who otherwise wouldn't get to appear. NXT have their own big shows similar to that of the main roster, known as 'TakeOvers'. More often than not, these are fucking awesome and a lot better than main roster PPVs. As a taste of this, here is Shinsuke Nakamura versus Sami Zayn at TakeOver: Dallas, one of, if not the best match in NXT history.
Another facet of WWE is the WWE Network, which you can find here and get a free month. This is an online service that grants access to shows like NXT and the PPVs, as well as a back catalogue of thousands of hours of content from WWE plus World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW). 'Originals' are also part of the Network's content, with behind the scenes documentaries, podcasts and other exclusive content.
Whilst WWE is hands down the most accessible and mainstream brand of pro wrestling, it's important to know that they are not alone in the wrestling world. WWE can kinda tire you out sometimes, so it's always nice to make a change and switch what you watch, such as the following.
Whilst WWE is hands down the most accessible and mainstream brand of pro wrestling, it's important to know that they are not alone in the wrestling world. WWE can kinda tire you out sometimes, so it's always nice to make a change and switch what you watch, such as the following.
Ring of Honour (ROH)
'Honour. Tradition. Respect'
With the state of TNA the way it is, Ring of Honour could be said to be the No.2 company in North America. Dating back to 2002 and in the wake of the closure of WCW and ECW, ROH looked to provide an alternative wrestling brand dedicated to the wrestling itself. At this time in wrestling, there was a whole lot of matches on TV ending in distractions, interference and other illegitimate means, so to many a fan, this shift in focus was a breath of fresh air. This sense of legitimacy was embodied in the 'Pure Championship' the company had, that was contested under 'Pure Wrestling' rules (limited strikes and rope breaks).
ROH is the place where a lot of top guys in the wrestling business found their footing and were displayed on a grand stage. These include, and are not limited to; Daniel Bryan, CM Punk, AJ Styles, Kevin Owens, Samoa Joe, Seth Rollins, Cesaro and Austin Aries. In more recent years they have also proved key in showcasing top talents like Jay Lethal, Adam Cole, The Young Bucks and Kyle O'Reilly.
Currently, ROH TV is broadcast on various television networks across the US, but their weekly shows can also be viewed for FREE on their website at www.rohwrestling.com/tv/current or on the Fite TV app (also free). ROH broadcast their big events on iPPV, which can be found on various platforms. They offer a membership service which grants access to all past episodes of TV as well as old PPVs and DVDs.
Wrestlers in ROH have varying contract ties, with their bigger stars having more exclusive deals, not allowing them to appear on other iPPVs for different companies. However, all of their talent are allowed to appear on non-live shows (i.e recorded events are okay) across wherever they like as long as bookings don't clash.
Generally, the shows are more in-ring action that non-wrestling segments. The standard of wrestling on average is pretty damn good, better than WWE in my opinion on a weekly basis. This does mean that sometimes there isn't a lot of story in the build up to matches, however ROH has had some of the greatest rivalries in the sport (Steen/Generico and Danielson/McGuinness). Though not very current, here is a sample of the type of thing you can expect from ROH on the wrestling side (production values have gone way up since this), featuring Bryan Danielson (Daniel Bryan) taking on Claudio Castagnoli (Cesaro).
ROH is the place where a lot of top guys in the wrestling business found their footing and were displayed on a grand stage. These include, and are not limited to; Daniel Bryan, CM Punk, AJ Styles, Kevin Owens, Samoa Joe, Seth Rollins, Cesaro and Austin Aries. In more recent years they have also proved key in showcasing top talents like Jay Lethal, Adam Cole, The Young Bucks and Kyle O'Reilly.
Currently, ROH TV is broadcast on various television networks across the US, but their weekly shows can also be viewed for FREE on their website at www.rohwrestling.com/tv/current or on the Fite TV app (also free). ROH broadcast their big events on iPPV, which can be found on various platforms. They offer a membership service which grants access to all past episodes of TV as well as old PPVs and DVDs.
Wrestlers in ROH have varying contract ties, with their bigger stars having more exclusive deals, not allowing them to appear on other iPPVs for different companies. However, all of their talent are allowed to appear on non-live shows (i.e recorded events are okay) across wherever they like as long as bookings don't clash.
Generally, the shows are more in-ring action that non-wrestling segments. The standard of wrestling on average is pretty damn good, better than WWE in my opinion on a weekly basis. This does mean that sometimes there isn't a lot of story in the build up to matches, however ROH has had some of the greatest rivalries in the sport (Steen/Generico and Danielson/McGuinness). Though not very current, here is a sample of the type of thing you can expect from ROH on the wrestling side (production values have gone way up since this), featuring Bryan Danielson (Daniel Bryan) taking on Claudio Castagnoli (Cesaro).
ROH are also linked with other companies, allowing them to loan out talent and bring some in too, in a bid to add more variety to the shows. These partnerships are with CMLL from Mexico and NJPW in Japan...
New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW)
'King of Sports'
In terms of revenue and attendance numbers, New Japan Pro Wrestling is second only to the juggernaut that is WWE.
NJPW has an in-ring focus on likening the sport to that of MMA, with a lot of hard strikes and painful submissions. This created the idea of 'Strong Style', which takes these ideals on board and is applied in various parts of the world by many different wrestlers.
New Japan is split into two main divisions, heavyweight and junior heavyweight. Personally, I enjoy the junior heavyweights much more due to the speed and excitement of the matches. There is some overlaps when multi-man matches occur, usually with stables being the catalyst.
There are a whole host of stables in NJPW, and honestly, I have a hard time knowing who is in which for some. Off the top of my head, there's The Bullet Club, CHAOS, Los Ingobernables de Japon and a bunch of three man teams. Usually, I find myself skipping some of these faction matches, mainly because I haven't much of a clue who is where and why the matches are put together.
NJPW has its own streaming service akin to that of the WWE Network, known as NJPW World. This has fucking everything, every big show, every little show and a whole variety of original content. Unlike WWE that travels non-stop, New Japan tours across Japan in bursts of 1 or 2 weeks typically in the build to a PPV or similar large events. These take place on 'Road to...' shows, which is pretty much the comparison to RAW or SmackDown!. There is 'NJPW on AXS' on the US television circuit, but this looks at matches from many a month ago.
As well as having some of the best wrestlers in the world in their own company, such as Kazuchika Okada and Kenny Omega, NJPW have housed the big players in WWE of AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura. Though these two have yet to encounter each other in WWE, they had an amazing match at Wrestle Kingdom 10, an event that equates to WrestleMania in terms of importance, which can be seen in its entirety below.
Lucha Underground (LU)
Premiering in 2014, I've only been watching Lucha Underground for like 2 months at this point in time and I can already tell you it is completely different to any wrestling show I've ever seen.
In-ring, Lucha Underground has a primary focus on the Mexican lucha libre styles, that consists of a lot of high flying, high velocity action as well as a solid ground base. The roster is built up from a mix of Mexican and North American talents, including the legendary Rey Mysterio.
Rather than having separate divisions for men and women, Lucha Underground instead implements inter-gender wrestling. I'm a big supporter of inter-gender wrestling, and I feel LU does it really well, with competent and cool luchadoras Ivelisse and Taya in particular.
In-ring, Lucha Underground has a primary focus on the Mexican lucha libre styles, that consists of a lot of high flying, high velocity action as well as a solid ground base. The roster is built up from a mix of Mexican and North American talents, including the legendary Rey Mysterio.
Rather than having separate divisions for men and women, Lucha Underground instead implements inter-gender wrestling. I'm a big supporter of inter-gender wrestling, and I feel LU does it really well, with competent and cool luchadoras Ivelisse and Taya in particular.
In lieu of backstage segments consisting of interviews and cameras observing happenings, a common sight in typical WWE programming, LU instead opts for segments done as if in a drama series. Imagine Breaking Bad mixed with 1960s Batman, that's probably the best way I can put it.
Also, LU has a theme of their characters and stories incorporating a sort of ancient Aztec magic and evil. To give you an idea, one guy literally consumed a man's soul on one of the episodes I watched, and also I think one woman has some form of eternal youth. So, throw some Scooby-Doo into that Breaking Bad/Batman mix.
Lucha Underground is also unique in that it is televised in a season-by-season basis, as of writing, we are in Season 3. Each season ends in 'Ultima Lucha', a multi episode event that acts as a finale, tying up stories, or at least bringing them to a logical point for a break.
To give you an idea of the type of wrestling and the type of wrestlers you can expect from Lucha Underground, here is a highlight video of 'Aztec Warfare', an elimination match where a new competitor enters at regular intervals (i.e a Royal Rumble but with pins and submissions - this is why Joey Ryan handcuffs himself outside the ring, so he can't be pinned).
Lucha Underground is also unique in that it is televised in a season-by-season basis, as of writing, we are in Season 3. Each season ends in 'Ultima Lucha', a multi episode event that acts as a finale, tying up stories, or at least bringing them to a logical point for a break.
To give you an idea of the type of wrestling and the type of wrestlers you can expect from Lucha Underground, here is a highlight video of 'Aztec Warfare', an elimination match where a new competitor enters at regular intervals (i.e a Royal Rumble but with pins and submissions - this is why Joey Ryan handcuffs himself outside the ring, so he can't be pinned).
Lucha Underground plays on the El Rey Network in the US and in September 2016 it was announced episodes would be available on iTunes. However, as with pretty much everything on TV, you can find it online somewhere.
Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG)
Probably my favourite promotion going today, Pro Wrestling Guerrilla was founded in 2003 by a group of wrestlers with the sole purpose to be putting on great matches. Believe me when I tell you that this has been accomplished many, many times over.
Like ROH, you had a lot of current top guys as regulars in the promotion like Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn, with the first of the two crediting PWG as being one of the main reasons he was signed to WWE. PWG assembles the best on the wrestling scene from North America, Mexico, Britain and Japan.
PWG's biggest event is the annual Battle of Los Angeles tournament; a three night event that sees the wrestlers compete for a shot at the PWG World Championship. However, no matter the show, the matches are always top dollar. Shows are usually about two or three months apart, which is perfect. Not too often to become inundating, but long enough to have us clambering for more.
Matches are consistently high octane and a show will contain many 'HOLY SHIT' moments and absolutely incredible spots. As an example, here is the Guerrilla Warfare Match between The World's Cutest Tag Team, Joey Ryan and Candic LeRae, and Matt and Nick Jackson, The Young Bucks. Like LU, PWG also embraces inter-gender wrestling, with Candice being one of the spearheads of the movement, with this match showing how fucking badass she is.
PROGRESS Wrestling
'Punk Rock Pro Wrestling'
Now for a company that I am very appreciative of.
PROGRESS was, and still is, vital in the rebirth and reinvention of the British wrestling scene. After dying right down following World of Sport's dissolution, wrestling in Britain was very stagnant. Its only in the past few years that the British scene has exploded and grown exponentially. Shows were now focusing on British talent, making them into stars. And to all you old-timers saying 'this modern wrestling is terrible, World of Sport was the best', get fucked mate.
Based in London, PROGRESS started it's life in 2012 and has since become one of the top companies in the world. Featuring home grown talents like Zack Sabre Jr, Will Ospreay and Marty Scurll, PROGRESS has put on countless amazing matches. Although there is a definite focus on British/European stars, that doesn't mean PROGRESS hasn't had some special guests. Samoa Joe, Adam Cole, Tomasso Ciampa and Roderick Strong are all names that have competed here.
PROGRESS has its main shows under the banner of 'chapters', as well as their smaller shows 'ENDVR'. Sadly for me, PROGRESS is only available through it's online service 'Demand Progress', meaning its pretty hard to get my mitts on it what with all my lack of pennies to my name. However, I always count my lucky stars (all 1 of them) when they are so generous as to upload something for free.
The following is a qualifying match for the WWE Cruiserweight Classic between 'The Bruiserweight' Pete Dunne and 'The Extraordinary Gentleman' Jack Gallagher. I must mention, it being a British crowd, they are usually a lot more sweary, but with the concern that WWE might want to use the footage, they toned it down a bit. So, whenever the crowd says 'bad' imagine they said 'shit', and 'wanker' whenever you hear 'loser'.
And with that, there is the list of companies I think you should know about. Now this list could have contained so much more; EVOLVE, TNA, RevPro, ICW, Chikara etc. The nice thing about that though is that there is something special about watching a wrestling show completely blind to who and what you can expect.That's how I got started with ROH, PWG and the like since I expanded my wrestling watching horizons.
Do you have any ideas for what you want to see on the next 'Wrestlintroductions'? Anything confusing you? Want any recommendations? Let me know!
Hope you enjoyed your stay, and I wish you all the best in your future endeavours.
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