Andrew Bowers

This man has a fundamental lack of understanding of Autism, and clearly no desire to rectify it.

When wrestling is built for the audience, and not just performed front of them, it becomes more than a platform.

It becomes a shared experience.

And I think that’s something worth protecting.

I just don’t know if anyone else does.

I don’t particularly like how a big US-based indie is booked.

Whenever I watch a show of theirs, I always ask the question…

What kind of independent wrestling do WE actually want?

- One that prepares people for somewhere else?

- Or one that makes HERE unforgettable?

Or, am I just an old man who doesn’t understand how modern media is devoured?

Is the audience just trained to see bookers throw 2 influencers into a ring - winner gets a WWE brand deal?

Is Independent just surface level pro wrestling?

Where the WWE once bludgeoned the indies for its best wrestlers, is this a more insidious rooting into the scene?

Are they becoming the ONLY place for story, by making it impossible for the indies to tell them?

My darkest thought: is the recent WWE ID path to Developmental via the indies homogenising the joy of independent wrestling?

Wrestlers are fighting to squeeze into a pipeline, and you have to be a certain way.

Don’t get me wrong, it can be exciting too.

But, it leaves behind some initimacy. It’s not OURS anymore.

The storytelling is gone. The shared experience is gone.

It’s built for (the nefarious) THEM.

Some indie shows now resemble developmental programming.

Matches built for clips.

Characters shaped for buzz.

Stories that feel like springboards instead of destinations.

None of this is a diss, btw.

A good Indie promoter (nay, human) wants peers to succeed! Selfishly, it reflects well on you, and the scene as a whole. We’re here as a place for people to find the next stars, it’s the game.

But it does shift the center of gravity.

I’m all too familiar with the natural disconnect between a wrestler looking to get a contract, and your (well-meaning) indie promotions trying to make something HERE.

They’re operationally at odds.

But, it used to be - show your range on the indies, and we’ll hone it back in the PC.

But, we’re seeing something new.

More moments designed to impress potential employers, rather than evoke emotion from ticket buyers.

More WWE-style wrestling , and more matches that don’t have a narrative - simply a contest.

Indie wrestling was always the place for creative freedom. The place wrestling fans would go to find stories that weren’t able to be told elsewhere.

Wrestlers and promoters taking risks together.

It’s #WrestleMania Weekend, and whilst I’m not in Vegas, #WrestleSky, I’ve got some thoughts.

What happens when independent wrestling starts serving the needs of wrestlers and major promotions… more than the audience?

A THREAD 🧵 (1 / loads)

Hello Manchester 👋 🤼