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How WWE’s Partnership with ESPN is Wrestling Redemption

By AJ Balano

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Pro-wrestling once again enters mainstream consciousness thanks in part to WWE’s partnership with ESPN.

Back in the 80s, professional wrestling was part of the bigger mainstream pop culture after WWE and the newly-introduced MTV teamed up to bring about the Rock N’ Wrestling Connection. Vince McMahon partnered with some of the biggest acts in music, in particular, Cyndi Lauper, to showcase his product to an even bigger audience that was thought to be possible.

Although there were many detractors from this move, as well as goofy one-offs such as Vince and several of his top stars playing together as a rock band, ultimately, from a business standpoint, it led to the 1980’s boom period and the Golden Age of wrestling.

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many pro-wrestling fans and pro-wrestlers have had to suffer from our beloved art form being labeled the dirty “F” word: fake

But then all of a sudden, the public eye’s love affair with rock music and wrestling turned south as we entered the 90s. Vince McMahon found himself embroiled in a steroid scandal and somewhere in the process, the general audience came to realize that pro-wrestling was pre-determined, scripted entertainment. Wrestling had become exposed, which would be further circumvented by the arrival and impact of the internet. And ever since then, many pro-wrestling fans and pro-wrestlers have had to suffer from our beloved art form being labeled the dirty “F” word: fake.

No matter how hot or popular wrestling would be post-Golden Age, the word haunted the business; it didn’t matter if it was a second or third boom period in the Attitude or PG eras, “fake” seemed to be irrevocably tattooed onto pro-wrestling, and it would be this way for nearly twenty years.

pro-athletes in other sports, many of them household names on their own, were one by one revealing themselves to be longtime fans of wrestling

However something unexpectedly beautiful began to happen within the last five or so years: pro-athletes in other sports, many of them household names on their own, were one by one revealing themselves to be longtime fans of wrestling. Athletes from other sports crossing paths with wrestling is nothing new: NFL players took part in a battle royal at Wrestlemania 2 and Lawrence Taylor faced Bam Bam Bigelow at Wrestlemania XI. In WCW, Dennis Rodman and Karl Malone joined the battlefront in the war between WCW and nWo. This occurred well before this phenomenon started happening. And in those instances, you never got the sense that LT or any of those other NFL players were actual fans of the product.

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When LeBron James left his home of Cleveland to join the Miami Heat in 2010, one of the more memorable memes that emerged was a video that featured LeBron’s head superimposed on Hulk Hogan’s body when Hogan infamously turned his back on WCW and became the third man of what would soon to be the nWo. This viral, internet-born cross promotion of wrestling and basketball was organic, unlike the WWE-MTV partnership of the 80s, and as a result, such was the response and reception to the clever homage and parallels between famous pro-wrestling story lines and NBA trade or free agency news.

all of a sudden, it became cool to like wrestling again

Since then, athletes have been emerging showing their respect and adoration for pro-wrestling and its many legends and hall of famers. Some athletes even vouched for pro-wrestlers, citing the incredible amount of hard work, training, and physicality wrestlers endured rivaled, and in many cases, exceeded that of their own. And because of this, all of a sudden, it became cool to like wrestling again.

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Stars from various teams in multiple sports would be at ringside on a Monday Night Raw, many of them with their own kids. Slowly, musicians and artists got in on the fun. The WWE Network has programming that features these outsiders, all of whom come together to share their love and passion for wrestling. Wrestling has once again entered mainstream popularity, thanks in part to the public eye’s understanding and acceptance that wrestling is entertainment, no more scripted than their favorite TV shows or movies.

For so many years, wrestlers and wrestling fans struggled to find acceptance and break away from the dirty “F” word that made it seem uncomfortable to openly talk about pro-wrestling in public. This changed when WWE and ESPN partnered up in 2015, thanks to the efforts of former WWE on-air personality turned ESPN broadcaster and interviewer, Johnathan “The Coach” Coachman, effectively jumpstarting this growing resurgence in popularity for wrestling as had the athletes that ESPN covered and the musicians and movie stars from the land of entertainment did.

ESPN has treated WWE and wrestling no different than any of the other sport they cover, which is quite possibly the single best thing that could ever have happened

ESPN has done original documentaries on Scott Hall and NXT. They’ve brought in wrestlers to their studio with their Off The Top Rope segment. ESPN broke the news about Brock Lesnar resigning with WWE over UFC. ESPN covered Summerslam and Wreestlemania. ESPN has treated WWE and wrestling no different than any of the other sport they cover, which is quite possibly the single best thing that could ever have happened to this business that for so long has had questions raised about its legitimacy.

On its own, Wrestlemania 31 was arguably one of the greatest Wrestlemanias of all time, but the true triumph was watching SportsCenter cover the main event and announce that Seth Rollins had become the WWE World Heavyweight Champion. Years and years of wrestling having to be labeled as “fake” was erased as ESPN treated wrestling as it should be: a sport.

The recent NBA Finals victory of the Cleveland Cavaliers saw many of the Cavs stars wearing pro-wrestling tees, most notably, Kevin Love effectively coming out as a true fan with his Austin 3:16 shirt and Smoking Skull WWE Championship, downing beers like Stone Cold used to do. Kevin Durant’s announcement to sign with the Golden State Warriors quickly brought about yet another viral video that, this time, turned KD into Seth Rollins, Russell Westbrook and Steven Adams into the Shield, and Steph Curry and Steve Kerr as the Authority. Wrestling is hip and cool once more, and many times, fans from other sports refer to wrestling moments for the day’s current events.

Wrestling has once again entered mainstream popularity

Whether it was due to Coach’s platform in ESPN and past affiliation with WWE and the respect he had for the business, or John Cena’s appeal to outside audiences during the PG Era, or whatever, wrestling is back in the mainstream consciousness, where it should be. Not as a gimmicky business move with whoever is the biggest, hottest, most popular music act or movie star at the time, but alongside other athletes, where they can stand head and shoulders with them and be treated how they’ve longed to be treated: as real athletes, and wrestling, as a sport. Wrestling is back, and this time, it’s not going anywhere.

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The dream of many who aspire to become pro-wrestlers is to main event Wrestlemania. However, perhaps on a transcendent level, it’s to now be included on a SportsCenter Top 10 play of the day, something that would have been unthinkable during the 1990s and 2000s. Maybe now future generations won’t just want to become known as a pro-wrestler, but simply as an athlete. After the damage the dirty “F” word had on this sport and its participants, calling them and treating them like the athletes they are may just be the biggest compliment you can give. It’s not a return, it’s a redemption.

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