Tim Kail is the creator of The Work of Wrestling website & podcast. He has a MFA in creative writing from Hofstra University where he was mentored by award-winning author Julia Markus.

He earned his BA in English Literature at Long Island University, C.W. Post.

The Work of Wrestling represents his combined love of arts analysis and professional wrestling.

He's been writing about wrestling since 2012, he appeared as a guest on EP365 of The Steve Austin Show podcast, and his work has been shared by Mick Foley, Charlotte, Sami Zayn, Bayley, Sasha Banks, Paul Heyman, and others.

His arts analysis style has been heralded as the future of pro-wrestling journalism.

Professional wrestling is an art. The Work of Wrestling podcast and website is dedicated to exploring that simple truth.

Understanding the phrase "work", in professional wrestling, is essential to accurately understanding the medium.

"Work" means manipulation. "Work" means convince. "Work" means move (emotionally). "Work" means lie. "Work" means conceit.

"Work", in its simplest form, is pro-wrestling's version of the word "art".    

The core theatrical concept of a pro-wrestling match is that the fight being portrayed is a legitimate athletic competition; the win is real, the loss is real, the pain is real, and the emotions are real.

The art (or "work") of pro-wrestling is in convincing the audience to believe that story. The wrestler "works" the crowd to the point where they suspend their disbelief and arrive at a place of catharsis, or (as I call it) "The Moment of Pop". This is achieved through the convincing portrayal of pain (or "selling"), the precise execution of often complex wrestling moves, a blend of athletic & artistic improvisation, the development of an assortment of characters (or "gimmicks") with varying degrees of depth, and the development of narratives rooted in the inner-conflicts & motivations of those characters.

This is no different than the physiological and emotional process that audiences experience when they watch film & television, read novels, play video games, or engage in any other form of art.

Each of these mediums relies upon a well-established school of thought and a variety of methods to move audiences toward these ecstatic emotional experiences.

And yet professional wrestling does not receive the credit it deserves for doing so. Professional wrestling does not receive the form of analysis those other, more respected mediums receive by default.

It's time for a change.

Pro-wrestling must to be understood and respected. Pro-wrestling deserves arts criticism, a style of analysis that dissects and celebrates the medium for the performance art that it is.

On The Work of Wrestling you will find in-depth essays dedicated to the pro-wrestling craft & culture, as well as a podcast that examines wrestling from this narrative, cultural, and personal perspective. 

Together we will arrive at a deeper understanding of what makes wrestling work!