By Mario Orozco

As a child, I was a huge fan of WWE. I had all of the action figures, posters, and attended as many live shows as my family could afford. As I grew up, I fell out of love with the WWE; it had become pretty stale. In recent years, professional wrestling has gone through a resurgence in popularity reminiscent of the 1990s. Gone are the days of Vince McMahon as WWE has entered a new era. In this new era, I have found myself fully back in love with professional wrestling. For those of you who used to love WWE and those who are just curious, you should give it a chance.

WWE’s storytelling is unlike anything I have seen in other forms of entertainment. These storylines are told both on the mic and in the ring. It is truly athletic theater at its core. WWE has told so many genuinely amazing narratives throughout its time, and in the last two or three years, this quality has been so consistent, it has become the expectation. WWE has adopted a form of long-term storytelling that has allowed for fully fleshed out multidimensional stories. While the plots are typically simple, good vs. bad, they are able to be told in a way that is incredibly unique and something only professional wrestling can do. 

Apart from the stories, the actual matches themselves are another reason to give it a chance. It is like watching an action scene unfold live in front of your very eyes. It is breathtaking, seeing these people put their bodies on the lines, week-in and week-out for our entertainment. Professional wrestlers are both the actors and the stunt people in their matches. Understanding the difficulty of pulling off these incredible moves, which are live with no redos, adds to the spectacle that is professional wrestling.

The best part to me is the talent themselves. There are so many different characters with different motivations and journeys. As you see a character rising up the ranks and struggling to become a star, you know the person behind the character is facing a struggle as they try to make a name for themselves and connect with the audience. I can almost guarantee there is a person you can relate to and root for. WWE today is so much more diverse than it was 10 years ago, the roster is filled with different body types and racial backgrounds. The women’s division is also the best that it has ever been for all of professional wrestling, with WWE having arguably the strongest and most talented roster of women, capable of putting on fantastic matches and main eventing shows.

It doesn’t matter who you are or where you come from, there is surely something in it for you. Even if you don’t like the WWE style, there are so many amazing companies out there that will have something you’ll like. We live in a time where professional wrestling is better than it ever has been. There is no better time than now to hop on the train and enjoy the ride.