Professional wrestling is truly a beautiful sport. It contains characters and stories that appeal to the audience in various ways.
In this industry, there is something for everyone. Some matches contain blood, tables, thumbtacks, classic matches, etc.
There are monsters, luchadors, princesses, and more with different characters. Indeed, something for everyone.
As professional wrestling continues to soar, so do the number of large and small wrestling promotions. This proliferation offers fans a unique freedom.
They’re not enjoying one company’s offerings; they can switch to another. The landscape is rich with options, from the giants like WWE and AEW to the smaller, independent promotions brimming with incredible talent.
Some of the large promotions show an immense difference in wrestling styles. This is great for wrestling fans; they can watch another if they don’t like what one company is doing.
But it is also great for the wrestlers; if they aren’t happy in one company, they can move to another, which we have seen happen in numerous promotions. Let’s look at how some top wrestling companies differ in their style.
WWE
The largest wrestling promotion in the world for the last 20 years has been the WWE. There has been no question about it. While there are now “rivals,” they are still considered the largest promotion.
While WWE is infamous for its Attitude Era and scandalous storylines, when they turned PG, it only expanded the audience. Now, they can appeal to people of all ages and go global. This PG wrestling style, though, brings less blood and weapons in matches with less risque storylines.
In doing this and having a more child-based audience, some matches have become predictable when discussing who the winner will be. Of course, WWE still supplies phenomenal matches and surprises the audience, but the match outcomes are expected to please the audience most of the time, at least by the end of the storyline.
For example, there was no question that Cody Rhodes wouldn’t beat Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 40. Along with how many expected Dominik Mysterio to turn on Rhea Ripley and help Liv Morgan. Looking into the future, it can be predicted that Tiffany Stratton will cash in on Nia Jax; we can already see the cracks between those two.
These were some of the most entertaining stories and matches, but they were/are predictable. While many of us may be able to guess the outcome, the exciting part is how they get there.
There is also a heavy focus on selling moves and using facial expressions to help engage the audience. Bully Ray specifically pointed this out on the Busted Open Podcast. When discussing Giulia’s NXT debut, Ray said,
“In the ring, I thought it was a good match for her against Chelsea. She is going to have to learn to work the American/WWE style. If you watch her transition, it is very Stardom-esque.”
This shows how the professionals acknowledge the change in style. It will be interesting to see if this style changes once WWE moves to Netflix in January 2025.
All Elite Wrestling
It was interesting to watch the come-up of AEW, as it became an alternative company for fans and wrestlers who may not like what the largest wrestling promotion is doing, or simply for fans who want to watch more wrestling. To start and state the obvious, AEW won’t shy away from blood in their matches.
They are even having an event called Blood and Guts. This company has a more hardcore style, making them get creative from weapons to matches. Besides the Blood and Guts matches, there have been barbed wire death matches, people have been set on fire, and Jon Moxley just recently choked Bryan Danielson out with a plastic bag. These are only a few of the many violent instances that AEW has had.
This violence is exciting and intriguing for many, including myself, but it doesn’t appeal to everyone. Not everyone wants to see someone busted open nearly every week.
While many kids do watch AEW, this type of violence may be more hesitant for parents to allow their children to watch something like this. This also brings me back to my original point of view, which was that there are alternative companies for that.
However, in the classic matches with no stipulation, the matches are very sequence-heavy. This means that there is almost a constant back-and-forth between the wrestlers. This style is imposing on the audience as we see the athletic ability shine out of the wrestlers.
There is nothing like a seamless sequence in the match. For example, in AEW, Will Ospreay and Ricochet put on some of the best ones.
AEW appeals to an audience that likes more fast-paced matches, but they can also turn very violent. It is essential to be aware of this when looking for what wrestling promotion one wants to watch.
New Japan Pro Wrestling
As many already know, New Japan Pro Wrestling is home to strong-style wrestling for those who may not, where it emphasizes the realism of the feud and the fighting. Realistic and robust strikes are thrown at one another, and intense submission holds are done.
These stars must be able to not only deliver this wrestling style but also take it and withstand these powerful strikes. It is a very physical type of style that not everyone can do. The matches also range from 10 minutes long to an hour, showing the athleticism and endurance of these wrestlers are nothing less than pristine.
Here, there is more focus on wrestling than on the storyline. They focus on telling the storylines through their wrestling matches. They don’t need theatrical or exaggerated stories or characters.
While they have some promo segments and talk to the wrestlers after their match, there are few other segments or interviews. Their primary focus is wrestling.
If you want to watch a simple, classic, yet powerful match that will keep you on the edge of your seat, New Japan is the place to go.
More From LWOS Pro Wrestling
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