Opinion
Ca$h: Sports Entertainment VS Pro Wrestling
Rey Ca$h ponders if there’s a difference between sports entertainment and pro wrestling, and how that affects WWE and AEW.
Rey Ca$h ponders if there’s a difference between sports entertainment and pro wrestling, and how that affects WWE and AEW.
As a content creator, I’m often motivated by other people’s opinions. I often find myself reading a tweet or an article, or listening to a podcast and screaming at my phone or laptop. That’s how I know what I need to talk or write about. And there is no more scream-worthy conversation right now than WWE VS AEW.
The WWE VS AEW rhetoric is completely understandable. WWE has been a resident monopoly in the wrestling world for almost 20 years, so the second a viable major alternative pops up, it was inevitable that people were going to take sides. While the arguments have ranged from fun to downright toxic, there is one that particularly drives me crazy and is the reason you’re reading this article. I just can’t understand this assertion that WWE is sports entertainment, AEW is pro wrestling, and the two are markedly different.
Now, WWE willingly markets themselves as sports entertainment, and that’s totally a business reason. By separating themselves from the guise of legitimate sport, they can get around government regulations, and in turn, still leaving a faint association with sport allows them to have a much different (and often unfair) agreement with their talent. The independent contractor label is one that is specifically affected by this distinction because as their not sport, there’s no governing union that negotiates for them as a whole, and as their not typical entertainment, they aren’t considered actors enough to join the Screen Actors Guild. As such, WWE has been able to grow their business exponentially because of the unique label they have chosen. It’s this reason that they choose this ideology.
As stories are told, Vince McMahon has never been a fan of the way traditional wrestling was run. He dreamed of a much bigger world, ripe with unlimited possibilities. A world that traditional wrestling had never had those possibilities. With the new moniker of sports entertainment, WWE has grown to become a billion dollar powerhouse, buoyed by major sponsors like Snickers, Mattel, and TapOut to name a few. They’re regularly reported on by major publications and platforms like ESPN, Variety, and Sports Illustrated. And the one thing that’s always separated WWE from any other possible company is that they create stars that become completely mainstream, with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, John Cena, and Dave Bautista as recent examples.
So why did WWE have to change their label to garner these successes? What’s so wrong with the pro wrestling label? And is there even a difference between the two?
We’ve seen this argument come up multiple times in the past 20 years, with the advent and rise of organizations like TNA/Impact, Ring of Honor, and the American expansion of the fully sports-based New Japan Pro Wrestling. But it’s the rise of AEW that’s brought this argument to the front and center. Tony Khan is as big a traditional wrestling fan that we’ve possibly ever seen as the owner of a wrestling company. Every time you hear him talk, you can realize how motivated he is by the love of the business that grew in him watching as a kid and on. Because of this, he’s chosen to bring a few different tenets to his wrestling company. For one, he’s emphasizing that wins and losses matter, and he’s showing this by having win/loss records available and mentioned as a part of the program. Also, Tony allows a certain level of creative freedom with his talent. For the most part, the wrestlers are able to come up with their own gimmicks, promos, and match structure. And finally, AEW is showcasing the strength of their wrestling prowess by having long, major matches every show. The basis of their show is usually built on the strength of the matches scheduled for that night.
But is a WWE show really that different from an AEW show? And is there really a difference between the terms pro wrestling and sports entertainment?
WWE is known as the entertainment company. They value promos, segments, and the pomp and circumstance of presentation. But they also have really good wrestling matches. They also have kid friendly and hokey gimmicks, but they also have serious ones too. And they don’t put a premium on wins and losses to the extent that AEW does, but currently, the main way to challenge for a championship is to beat the champion in a non-title match. Isn’t that basically showing that wins and losses matter?
AEW, while known as the wrestling company, still values some of the entertainment value. There are MULTIPLE promo segments on each show, either in ring with Tony Schiavone, backstage, or even pre-taped. They’ve brought in numerous non-wrestlers to be important parts of the show, such as Shaq, Mike Tyson, and currently Dan Lambert of American Top Team. And for every serious wrestling gimmick and wrestler in AEW, there’s an Orange Cassidy, Luchasaurus, and Abadon. Finally, the win/loss records of AEW are a major part of the company, but there have been numerous times where the number 1 contender didn’t get a title shot, or a lower ranked contender received the big title match at the Pay-Per-View.
I’ve often thought that there is literally zero difference between the two labels. Sports entertainment IS pro wrestling. They’re two sides of the same coin, just differently named for convenience. It’s no different than most people calling a tissue a Kleenex or calling all soda a Coke. It’s just a label used to further and change the perception. And as such, both shows are much more alike than anybody will ever admit. If you really break down both companies match by match, show by show, you’ll see that while there’s a perception that sports entertainment and pro wrestling are drastically different, they’re actually the same thing.
FIN
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MONDAY - Bandwagon Nerds (entertainment & popular culture)
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Opinion
Chris King: The Wyatt Sicks’ Wasted Potential By WWE
Chris King takes a look at the WWE and their wasted potential of Uncle Howdy and the Wyatt Sicks faction.
Chris King takes a look at the WWE and their wasted potential of Uncle Howdy and the Wyatt Sicks faction.
It’s that time of the year again, folks; it’s unfortunate and downright awful that so many WWE superstars got released today. I’m not going to list all of them, but I am going to talk about one of my favorite factions,
The Wyatt Sicks. Nikki Cross, Joe Gacy, Erik Rowan, and Bo Dallas (Uncle Howdy) were something special. After Bo’s brother Bray Wyatt’s tragic passing, WWE felt like there was a hole that needed to be filled. Wyatt was one of the most creative and brilliant characters, and Bo would be taking over his brother’s concept and bringing it to life. In 2024, at the end of an incredible documentary highlighting Wyatt’s career and struggles, Bo appeared on the screen portrayed as Uncle Howdy. The last time Uncle Howdy was seen on-screen was at the 2023 Royal Rumble, where Wyatt defeated LA Knight in a Pitch Black Match. Howdy jumped off a structure onto Knight.
This post-credit scene sparked so much speculation and excitement that Wyatt’s brother would carry on his legacy and possibly debut the faction that was Wyatt’s concept. On the June 17th episode of Monday Night Raw, The Wyatt Sicks made their dramatic debut ,destroying the backstage area as well as “murdering” Chad Gable. It was such an iconic arrival for Howdy as he made his menacing walk from the back into the audience who were chanting “Holy Shit.” The Sicks and American Made (Chad Gable and The Creed Brothers) battled for months, with The Sicks being victorious. On the September 9th episode of Raw, The Sicks defeated them, with Howdy getting the win with Sister Abigail.
The following year, The Sicks would move over to Friday Night SmackDown, and it seemed like WWE had a plan in place. They would win the tag team championships from The Street Profits and start to look dominant. Now, what should have happened next is Howdy should have won the United States title. The Sicks could have held all the gold over on the blue brand, but it never happened. The Sicks entered into a never-ending feud with The MFT’s (Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga, Tonga Loa, JC Mateo, and Talla Tonga.) It started off exciting, and the WWE Universe was red-hot for their interactions.
After months of repetitive matches and The MFT’s stealing their lantern, the feud grew tiresome and boring. Even Tama asked Solo why they are still holding onto the lantern, as it was destroying them as a whole. Finally on the SmackDown before Mania, Tama
gave the lantern back to Howdy against Solo’s wishes. Please explain to me why both factions fought almost every single week instead of just having one final blowoff match at WrestleMania.
It should have been either a massive street fight or a falls count anywhere match on the grandest stage of them all. Instead, it turned into a meaningless week-after-week extravaganza that benefited no one. The MFTs won the rivalry, and The Sicks don’t even work for WWE anymore. This was the same criminalized creative process that Wyatt dealt with during his first run in the company.
We’ll never know how much of a dangerous force The Wyatt Sicks could have been in the WWE. For all their careers’ sake, I hope they stay far away from the company for as long as possible. Every superstar that was cut deserves better!
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MONDAY - Bandwagon Nerds (entertainment & popular culture)
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Opinion
Chris King: Bloodline Saga: Is This the Right Call For WWE?
Chris King questions the WWE’s logic in setting up Jacob Fatu as the next challenger for World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns
Chris King questions the WWE’s logic in setting up Jacob Fatu as the next challenger for World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns
Roman Reigns is once again World Heavyweight Champion after his dominant win over CM Punk at WrestleMania 42. On the following night on Monday Night Raw, The OG Bloodline came back together as a well-oiled machine as The Usos stood side by side with Roman. With the WWE Universe asking who would be the first to challenge “The Tribal Chief,” Jacob Fatu shocked the world by answering the call.
Fatu is running hot after his impressive win over Drew McIntyre and feels like he is ready to become the new world champion. This bloodline segment ended Raw, and it picked right back up on SmackDown with even Solo Sikoa and the MFTs involved. This is now two shows that have been centered around The Bloodline saga, and it’s made me question whether or not WWE should be retelling this story.
The Bloodline (Roman Reigns, The Usos, and Solo Sikoa) ran WWE for over four years as Reigns’ henchmen, doing his dirty work to retain his title. Even though Roman has declared he doesn’t want Jey and Jimmy to serve him, it sure seems like WWE are spinning their wheels. Fatu could add a whole new chapter into the story, even if he’s not able to beat Roman at Backlash. “The Samoan Werewolf” could be forced to do the same thing as Jey did all those years ago and fall in line.
In my opinion, I feel like Fatu should be challenging for the Undisputed WWE Championship because that’s a title I feel like he should win. I understand standing up to your blood and trying to prove you’re the best, but I don’t think this is the right move. It feels like 2022 all over again, as The Bloodline is the central focus on both shows. If Fatu doesn’t win, what happens to all his momentum he’s been building over the last two years?
Why did WWE make this the best choice for storyline purposes? Why couldn’t creative have come up with a different challenger for Roman? There are so many other superstars that could challenge The Tribal Chief, such as Rusev, Bron Breakker, Gunther, or even a returning Sheamus.
I just can’t help but question WWE’s logic here, and it kind of reminds me of all the times The Shield reunited. Could WWE be pushing the same storyline too many times here? Could the WWE Universe get tired of this rinse and repeat cycle of The Bloodline Saga?
Are we about to see all the weekly episodes solely focused on The Bloodline again? Will it be cinema… Yes. Is there still money in The Bloodline… Yes. Was it the right call? That’s to be determined!
Chairshot Radio Network
Launched in 2017, the Chairshot Radio Network presents you with the best in sports, entertainment, and sports entertainment. Wrestling and wrestling crossover podcasts + the most interesting content + the most engaging hosts = the most entertaining podcasts you’ll find!
MONDAY - Bandwagon Nerds (entertainment & popular culture)
TUESDAY - 4 Corners Podcast (sports)
WEDNESDAY - The Greg DeMarco Show (wrestling)
THURSDAY - Nefarious Means
FRIDAY - DWI Podcast (Drunk Wrestling Intellect)
SATURDAY - The Mindless Wrestling Podcast
SUNDAY - 30 Mindless Minutes
CHAIRSHOT RADIO NETWORK PODCAST SPECIALS
Attitude Of Aggression Podcast: The Big Five Project (chronologically exploring WWE's PPV/PLE history) Unidentified History (Ufology) & Game Gone Wrong (Game of Thrones Universe)
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