Three things to be thankful for as wrestling fans

It’s Thanksgiving and if this is a holiday celebrated by you and yours, there’s a lot to be thankful for. The same is true in professional wrestling. While legions of “fans” spend hours upon hours arguing for their promotion over the other, those who know better are more thankful for things that are happening in this generation of wrestling that weren’t available in others. In 2022, here are three things that wrestling fans and viewers should be thankful for enjoying.

Viewing on Demand

Watching all the professional wrestling available would be a full-time job. Even if someone successfully watched wrestling every day of the week, there are still great matches to miss. Thankfully, viewing on demand is in full swing, giving fans the opportunity to catch content when they have the time to do so. There’s a great match on Dark or Dark Elevation? Good, those shows are on YouTube and you can catch that when you can. WWE is on Peacock to review when the time is there. New Japan has streaming. FiteTV and Independent Wrestling TV are a massive streaming platforms with more content than one could consume. The internet has helped foster some of the worst parts of humanity, but at least it has helped make professional wrestling easier to see.

Promotional Competition

Imagine there was only one video game system to play. Or one brand of sneakers. Or one brand of car. This is the world that professional wrestling was nearly in when WWE dominated professional wrestling. Even though they are still the biggest revenue-generating promotion in the business, All Elite Wrestling has helped infuse much-needed competition in the space. At the same time, the promotion has helped shine a light on other companies that can help increase exposure for those companies over time as well.

Competition in professional wrestling also helps the performers that fans love to see. Individuals like MJF are openly talking about the “bidding war” that may or may not come is a clear tell that talented performers of his level can demand more money which helps their bottom line. Professional wrestling is no longer a “take it or leave it” land, and this is a situation that fans should be thankful for because it helps elevate the business.

Young Talent

The era of John Cena, Randy Orton, Chris Jericho, and others is coming to a close. While some of those names are still competing on a consistent basis, there is a wealth of young talent rising up, ready to take their place as the future of the industry. Look at the names of wrestlers that are under 30 years of age, and it’s clear that the future of wrestling is in a beautiful place. MJF, Carmelo Hayes, Jack Perry, Roxanne Perez, Toni Storm, Pete Dunne, Rhea Ripley, and Tyler Bate are some of the names that adorned this exceptional list. When including those individuals early in their thirties, expectations for the future should balloon even further, because the cupboards are full of young talent for the days to come.