I’m thirty six years old and I’ve been a wrestling fan for about twenty four of them. In that time, pro-wrestling has played a pivotal role in my life, serving as more than mere entertainment. Pro-wrestling has inspired me to be a better writer, a better podcaster, and a better person.

It has enlightened me on the role art plays in our lives, and it’s made me appreciate the craft that goes into constructing a wrestling match. I’ve gained friends and colleagues through pro-wrestling, people I trust and admire. Put simply, I can’t separate my growth as a person from my fandom of pro-wrestling. Realizing that, I decided to create this list, Ten Ways Pro-Wrestling Changed My Life.

Let’s begin…

The Importance Of Poses And Gestures In Professional Wrestling

Much, if not all, of pro-wrestling’s artistry is meant to contribute to a wrestler’s identity. Their entrance music, body language, move-set, catchphrases, and look all coalesce into a character. Neglect one aspect of characterization and the rest may suffer. For a wrestler to really resonate in the minds of the audience, they must have a completely drawn identity that is consistent across every tool in the wrestler’s tool box. Their music, for example, should sound like it comes directly from that wrestling character’s soul. Their attire should reflect the character’s tone. Their phraseology should be consistent with the character’s aesthetic. Their moves should represent a fighting style that character would actually use.

There are other less obvious ways a wrestler tells their story, though.

EDITORIALSTim KailJanuary 7, 2023pose, gesture, wwe, aew, the acclaimed, daddy ass, ass boys, max caster, the rock

The Rock Got Me Through My Teens

The Rock is my favorite wrestler. I’ve come to this conclusion after much deliberation. He’s on a short list alongside CM Punk, Bret Hart, Sami Zayn, Stone Cold Steve Austin, and Mick Foley. It’s not hard to figure out why The Rock is my favorite. His ascent to WWF super stardom (and beyond) perfectly coincided with my adolescence. In those precious and impressionable years, he provided a respite from turmoil and angst. I would look forward to Raw and SmackDown every week in intense anticipation of what he might say and on whom he might layeth the smacketh down. Every new catchphrase was a significant event. Every gesture or subtle motion of his body was worthy of imitation.

Work Of Wrestling Podcast - EP95 - Role Models

The Art Of My Way

This song, and the "My Way" vignette that helped build Rock & Austin's fateful main event encounter at WrestleMania 17, was so effective that it is permanently embedded in the minds of the wrestling fans who witnessed it.

I cannot separate my own adolescence from The Rock & Steve Austin's feud, and particularly the song that helped define it. It plays on a permanent loop in the hallowed halls of teenaged angst in my mind, recollections of doing things "My way!" because The Rock & Steve Austin did things their way, giving and taking Rock Bottoms and Stunners to my brothers (on mattresses, of course), walking through my high school purposefully locked away in my own little world of catchphrases and iconic gestures, a Rock-like twitch to my neck and a bad-mother-fucker bravado to my stride.

THE RAW REVIEW

Every week I look forward to hearing the following words: "Ohhhhhh…don’t you dare be sour, clap for your world famous two time champs and feel the powerrrrrrrrrr!"

It’s often said and written lately that “The New Day is the best part of RAW”. That sentiment is unshakably accurate. Last night, while watching all of RAW's three hours, I desperately sought a muse. I needed a reason to write this Raw Review. It wasn't until New Day showed up in the final segment that I found it.

THE STORY OF THE ROCK & MAXIMUS

EDITORIALSTim KailMay 31, 2015dwayne johnson, the rock, WWE 2K14, wwe blogs, WWE 2K15, pro wrestling blogs, wrestlemania x-7, wrestling blog, wwe network, wrestlemania, video games, nintendo 64, no mercy, xbox, xbox one, xbox 360

WORK OF WRESTLING: EP 6: I WANT TO LIKE TRIPLE H

THE PODCASTTim KailFebruary 2, 2015podcast, triple h, wwe, wwe network, professional wrestling, monday night raw, raw announcement, boston, smackdown, the rock

THE RISE OF ROMAN REIGNS

Roman Reigns has won the 2015 Royal Rumble. As a result, the relationship between the WWE and the WWE's fans is as strained and contentious as ever.

I'm a fan of Roman's. I've always liked him and always thought he could be exactly what the WWE wanted him to be so long as they booked him properly and emphasized his strengths. This is a common perspective among many long-time pro-wrestling fans. It's truly a shame to watch his career, and the future of the company, be negatively affected as a result of bad booking and not consistently creating a character that could convincingly face Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania.

ROYAL RUMBLE REVIEW PODCAST

THE PODCASTTim KailJanuary 26, 2015roman reigns, the royal rumble, triple h, the rock, wwe, wwe network, professional wrestling, wrestlemania, dean ambrose, seth rollins

STONE COLD CALLS WRESTLEMANIA X-7

EDITORIALSThe Good WorkerOctober 18, 2014austin 316 says I just whipped your ass, dwayne johnson, podcast one, stone cold steve austin, stone cold, the rock, unleashed, vince mcmahon, wrestlemania x-7, wrestlemania, wwe network

MICK FOLEY: A WRESTLER FOR ALL MANKIND

EDITORIALSTim KailOctober 16, 2014cactus jack, chris jericho, cm punk, daniel bryan, dude love, dwayne johnson, ecw, i am santa claus movie, mankind, mick foley, professional wrestling, the rock, triple h, wcw, wwe

The Writings