FOR ANOTHER PAGE.
MY GUIDE TO WATCHING PRO WRESTLING IN 2015Besides Raw.
Pick and choose what appeals to you.
NXTWhere to watch it: WWE Network/Hulu
Who should watch it: People who prefer an old school WWF vibe with a new, modern paint. No stupid evil, heel authority figure, women wrestling in actual storylines, character progression on a weekly basis, subtlety in the story lines that allows for personal interpretation without the people cramming the storyline down your throat (the current Owens and Zayn storyline is a perfect example), newbies trying to hack it and actually try to learn the ropes and show what they're made of. That said, by virtue of its nature - a developmental - it features some rough and green wrestlers who are still learning the ropes, so the quality isn't ALWAYS up there. But this is also a blessing disguise, because you literally get to see new wrestlers like Charlotte grow exponentially in the spa of a year, going from green nub to someone who can pull off 4 star matches through sheer will power. You literally view the future of WWE by watching NXT, and going by NXT, that future is bright.
The crowd also sucks shit.
Examples of NXT awesome:
Lucha UndergroundHow to watch it: El Ray Network, or alternatively, their youtube channel for free
Who should watch it: People who want something more novel in wrestling. LU is unique in that it molds cinematic film cuts with pre-scripted dialogue. It feels like a film. You can view a sample of what I'm talking about here:
Currently one of the top contenders fighting for the Number 2 spot in America wrestling. It takes the telenovela aspect of wrestling to an extreme, as shown in the above video. WWE advertises that their thing is sports entertainment, but LU really IS that, and does it BETTER. Watch Lucha if you're a fan of dark, gritty atmosphere, Mexican spirituality and lore inserted into storylines, and Lucha Libre style wrestling in general. Episodes are one hour long, and are consistently the best wrestling show on air due to its experimentation, quality storylines, emphasis on kayfabe, and progressive viewpoints (women regularly wrestling men in LU). You watch LU if you're all about storylines in pro wrestling, because they carry over week to week to week. Actually, the stuff that happened on episode 1 matter.
Examples of LU AWESOME:
Yes, that's Cage ripping the old LU belt in HALF. Expect WWE to rip this off in the future!
Ring of HonorWhere to watch: your local station that airs it or on their website for free
Who should watch it: If you are about grit, that old Attitude Era feeling, and dark wrestling settings, this is for you. It's not an entirely dark show, and it doesn't always take itself seriously, but it's great stuff. Solid booking, they're rebuilding as they've lost a lot of their biggest stars but they've done a lot of good things too. For instance, Jay Lethal's TV title run, and Briscoe with the ROH championship are giving it a damn good run. Include Alberto Patron and some other shit and you've got a great kick ass one hour wrestling show that's worth watching. One thing to consider: Cesaro, Daniel Bryan, CM Punk, Sami Zayn, Seth Rollins, Kevin Owens, all those guys? They came from ROH. ROH is WWE's current largest place where they pick up talent from. ROH instills an oldschool environment which leads to very, very well rounded wrestlers. So if you wanna see the guys and gals that interest WWE as far talent goes for the most part, check out ROH. Watch a free episode on the website. It's an hour long. See if it's your thing.
Examples of ROH AWESOME:
I can't find gifs from recent ppvs for whatever reason.
But that match is so iconic in ROH, and encapsulates what they're going for, I might as well only post that.
ROH AND NEW JAPAN JUST HAD THEIR SECOND TOUR TOGETHER CALLED WAR OF THE WORLDS. This was night 1, and it was amazing.
WATCH WAR OF THE WORLDS. GO TO WWW.ROHWRESTLING.COM AND GIVE THEM 20 BUCKS TO WATCH THREE HOURS OF WRESTLING GOODNESS. THIS IS ALSO YOUR BEST INTRODUCTION TO NJPW STARS IF YOU ARE AN ENGLISH SPEAKER.
New Japan Pro WrestlingHow to watch: NJPW World, AXS TV
Who should watch it: Weeaboos, people who like that classic 80's wrestling sportsman-like feel. Shows are usually like once a month so there's little time investment. Feuds are started based on simple things like,"I'm the best, fuck off" or "I WANT YOUR BELT, FUCK OFF" and yet it satisfactorily delivers the emotional highs wrestling can give. Character development is excellent, and despite the language barrier, you'll learn that charisma knows no language. Further, there are MANY foreigner stars in NJPW and many breakout stars are heading to NJPW to build themselves up to make themselves a reputation. Watch NJPW if you're a fan of wrestling matches that are about intense psychology and in-ring storytelling. NJPW is famous for that. Okada's finisher for example, is a lariat clothesline that hits the opponent in the neck. Every SINGLE move in Okada's moveset is there to set up that move to bring one devastating blow: piledriver, drop kick to the upper body, moves that target the back and neck specifically. His moves aren't random, no move is wasted. Every move is there to help tell a story or build a legitimate strategy. Japanese wrestling treats wrestling like an artform, and this is shown within every move. NJPW is the absolute best fed at this currently. Watch NJPW if you like wrestling that feels REAL. Japanese wrestling is very focused on martial arts, and many Japanese wrestlers are legit shooters, like Suzuki. So if you're a fan of Daniel Bryan or Finn Balor's movesets, Japanese wrestling is a big suggestion because their movesets are Japanese as fuck. If you are interested in watching NJPW but find the language barrier a struggle, start with this year's Wrestle Kingdom 9, commentated by the Jim Ross and Matt Striker. Not only is it currently the best wrestling show I've seen all year, it's a great entry point due to its English commentating. After that, a good place to start is ROH and NJPW's Global Wars/War of the Worlds. After that, check out their English matches on AXS.
Examples of NJPW AWESOME:
Beauty in motion
Bonus Feds: TNA, PWG, Chikara, AAA.
Currently all of the above except for NXT and really, NJPW, are gunning for the number 2 spot in American wrestling. ROH, LU, TNA are all shooting for it with GFW launching this summer and gunning for it as well. So competition is currently TOUGH, almost everyone has a tv deal (even NJPW) so it's all widely accessible. Everyone of these feds I listed, including NXT, is trying to make their mark to grab the same group of fans. This is leading to a mini global pro wrestling revolution because fans don't have to suffer by watching horrible low quality traded tapes just to see wrestling around the world anymore.
At the current time, there is so much quality wrestling available - legally - that there's really no excuse as a wrestling fan to not find something you like. We may not be in a golden age again, but as pure quality and sheer options go, it hasn't been this good to be a wrestling fan since at least 1998/1999.
Pick yer poison. I personally go with Raw, NXT, LU, and NJPW. I watch ROH when the mood strikes, which isn't often.
