The good ole IWC 😬 (pre flight 🐙thoughts🤔)

​There is a section of the professional wrestling community that seems determined to tear down anything that doesn’t fit neatly into its own idea of what wrestling should be.

But to me, wrestling is no different than music, film, or any other form of art. It exists in many genres, styles, and interpretations. I may not personally enjoy every type of music I hear, but I can still appreciate the artistry behind it, the audience it connects with, and the influence it has had on the industry as a whole.

What I don’t understand is the desire to go out of your way to diminish someone else’s work.

What’s the goal?

To make someone feel bad about their art? To ridicule the way they’ve chosen to express themselves? To convince others that only one version of wrestling deserves to exist?

Before criticizing someone else’s path, it might be worth taking a moment to look in the mirror.

Are you perfect?

Have you never learned through trial and error?

Have you never made a decision that the people closest to you disagreed with?

Your spouse, your parents, your friends?

None of us have all the answers. We’re all figuring things out as we go.

I hear the word “community” thrown around a lot when people talk about the IWC. But a community isn’t built on constant ridicule, gatekeeping, and tearing others down. A community is built on mutual respect, even when opinions differ.

You don’t have to like every style of wrestling.

You don’t have to watch it.

You don’t have to support it.

But if wrestling is truly an art form, then perhaps there’s room for more than one canvas.

And if we’re going to call ourselves a community, we should probably start acting like one.