"Now is a great time to be a wrestling fan." Ever heard that before? I swear, it's just something that people like to say. Whether it's true or not, it seems that I hear it just about every year. It couldn't possibly always be a great time to be a wrestling fan. It was a popular aphorism when AEW pitched their tent in 2019. Fair enough, but what about 2020? The pandemic put a swift end to live shows, and it would be years before crowds in Japan were even allowed to cheer at the Tokyo Dome. What about 2023? Well, I suspect that it might actually be a great time to be a wrestling fan. You thought this was going to be a negative piece, didn't you? I don't blame you.
Last night, CM Punk and Samoa Joe went to war nearly twenty years after battling it out in ROH. It was a fun match, but it probably wasn't the highlight of Collision. That would have to be the tag team bout between FTR and Bullet Club Gold (Jay White and Juice Robinson). They're going two-out-of-three falls next week, so you know I'll be watching. And then there is the other company. Man, I never thought that WWE would cultivate buzz on the strength of its product alone. Likewise, I didn't see any legitimate stars being shaped in the modern day, but here we are. Roman Reigns has reached "dude" status. His Bloodline co-stars aren't too far behind either.
For the first time in a long time, I make it a point to switch the tube over to Smackdown every Friday night. If ratings are any indication, I'm not the only one. This past Friday, the opening segment lasted 36 minutes. When the hell has that ever happened? Stunningly, the show retained its audience during that span, and I bet if you asked the average viewer, they would tell you that it felt like ten minutes. They are doing something right. But who is "they"? Ah, that's the question. Vince McMahon was reported to be backstage, but I have to think his influence is limited. Maybe I'm in denial. Could it be that this brilliant angle has been filtered through his tapered lens? I don't know. I don't know and, for right now, it doesn't matter. It remains a great time to be a wrestling fan. Until the next show anyway.
If both companies deteriorate, at least I have evil Doink to keep me company. It's still 1993, right?
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