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Source: PxHere
Different forms of art come and go, but professional wrestling remains one of the most popular, time-tested types of storytelling that we seem to have an insatiable appetite for. The business is bigger than ever, with WWE going from a publicly treated company to an even bigger titan of the industry by merging with the UFC.
Pair that with the fact that there's another large alternative in the form of AEW, and New Japan Wrestling produces some of the most compelling matches year in and year out, and it's a recipe for fans everywhere to get more of what they love. Though the industry is healthy, there are still some core pro wrestling fundamentals that many in the business could stand to rededicate themselves to to make the product even better.
It's human nature to enjoy things more when we don't know what's coming next. You never want to get spoilers on a movie or TV show, surprise parties are some of people's most memorable experiences, and though you always want to win when you gamble – not knowing is half the fun.
In fact, online slots operate based on random number generator (RNG) algorithms that are built to keep you in suspense. Even though you can get free spins when you play Big Bass Bonanza and other online slots, it probably would lose all of its appeal if those free spins came with a list of outcomes for each spin. With these sorts of games paying out at as much as 2,100x, the surprise is worth the wait if it happens to go your way.
The same applies in wrestling when performers are allowed to be themselves and draw the viewer in with anticipation. In WWE particularly, improv on the mic is a lost art. The product has been so scripted for so long, which takes some of the magic out of it. You get some of the best raw emotion and surprises when wrestlers are allowed and encouraged to go off the cuff. This level of trust allows the performers to do their best work, and the fans are the biggest winners in the end.
The same applies to wrestling. Hearing people say "it's fake" is beyond tired at this point. Everyone knows that wrestling has pre-determined outcomes, but no one wants it to be that obvious when they're watching.
Without question, ring psychology is the most important aspect of any match. Learning to tell a story in the ring requires workers to have a certain IQ for the business, which extends well beyond just executing their best moves. With so many wrestlers today focusing on high-flying moves and athleticism, you almost forget that it's a fight in some matches.
Having a wrestler sell an injury puts it back into the realm of being a simulated sporting event. This helps you suspend your disbelief and buy into what they're selling. It also makes it so that wrestlers who really shouldn't beat another character are able to score a big upset.
Source: PxHere
Wrestlemania is supposed to be the show where the big payoffs happen. More often than not, though, wrestling promotions don't focus on more than one long-term storyline at a time. Roman Reigns and The Bloodline is the longest story that WWE has allowed to play out in recent memory, and many people are saying that it's the best in the history of the business.
In this day and age, there's no reason that wrestling companies can't and shouldn't hire the best writers in the world to create these types of storylines more frequently, and for more wrestlers on the card. Most importantly, they should build for the long term so that the payoffs are bigger.
When these three factors are allowed to play out, there's no reason that pro wrestling can't enter another golden period. We have more wrestling programming than ever to watch each month, and these are elements that every company can take advantage of.
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