Adam, with Cody Rhodes
I fell in love with professional wrestling in 1978, when my dad (R.I.P.) showed me Georgia Championship Wrestling on Superstation WTBS. I was enthralled with the competition, the look, presentation, gimmicks, angles, etc. Bruiser Brody and Ric Flair were instantly my two favorites. When Jim Crockett Promotions took over that TV slot, I fell more in love with guys like The Midnight Express and Jim Cornette, The Four Horsemen, and Magnum TA. I later found the WWF, but I wasn’t nearly as into it. It was too “cartoony” for me, and didn’t feel as “real,” or “legit,” even to a 12 year old boy (At that time). My beloved NWA was the best wrestling out there, including its territories like Mid South, and World Class. I’d watch a WWF show from time to time, and enjoy guys like Tito Santana, Randy Savage, and a few others, but again, for the most part, the NWA was where it was at for me. In that way, I’ve been a “Wrestling snob” since I was very young.
Throughout the 80’s wrestling found its greatest success in my eyes. The NWA had the Four Horsemen, Dusty Rhodes, Magnum TA, The Crocket Cup, Starrcade, and we saw companies like Mid-South become the UWF, and World Class branched out on their own, away from the NWA! Even the WWF found worldwide super success with the birth of “Hulkamania,” and soon after, Wrestlemania. The 90’s saw some quality stuff too, but to me, wrestling took a step down some in quality at this time. While the 90’s weren’t terrible, and I was still a big fan, the bookings, angles, and gimmicks (for the most part) just weren’t as good over all, but still….I was a wrestling fan, a big one. The late 90’s saw a major resurgence with the nWo and WWE’s “Attitude era.” I wasn’t a fan of the Attitude Era, at all, but I accept the stars that were created during it, and enjoyed some of them, from time to time. I was a big nWo fan, until it got way too big, and had embarrassing members.
When the 2000’s got here, I was crushed when Vince McMahon bought WCW, but the ideas of what was possible excited me. Of course the WWF blew that, and never gave us a real WWF vs WCW story line. How anyone could screw that up is beyond me. Yes, I know all of the excuses (reasons) but WWE vs WCW could still have been so much better than it was. Thankfully, a little company called “Ring of Honor” started shortly after the WWF/WCW mess, and I took my devotion there. For many years after its beginning in 2002, I would do anything I could to watch, and or follow Ring of Honor Wrestling. That company kept me from walking away from the sport I grew up loving. Around a decade later, I got into the “independent” companies around the Country. Eventually I even began working for numerous “indies” as a commentator, and or back stage interviewer. I worked for companies such as The Ultimate Wrestling Experience, Lancaster Championship Wrestling, Legacy Wrestling, and MCW Pro Wrestling. I created the pre-show idea for independent wrestling shows that has been copied by many, ever since. My “Indie Wrestling Saturday” Facebook Live show was a big hit, and I took it on the road to many different companies. I am proud that I spent around five years in the wrestling business, on the independent scene. I worked with, and made friends with, numerous wrestlers that now work for WWE, AEW, Impact, and the NWA. However, watching an amazing mat performer like my friend Drew Gulak, be used the way he is on WWE television just pushes me further away from the American version of “pro wrestling.”
I've turned to Japanese promotions, Pro Wrestling NOAH, and World Wonder Ring Stardom, to find my wrestling fix. While I still love both of these promotions, I struggle to find much of an audience to interact with about them. Sure, there are a handful of sub-redit pages discussing them that I follow, but that's pretty much it here in America. That said, I've made the decision to give "All Elite Wrestling" a shot. While I am not a fan of over the top "super indie" style of wrestling, it's all we have left in America, and I don't see "old school" ever making a come back. With men I respect like Arn Anderson, Tully Blanchard, and Jake Roberts putting AEW over, and also working with them, I want to have some hope that it can tow the line, and not be overly ridiculous like the original "All In" pay per view was. I am hopeful that the television deal with TNT will keep them honest, and away from anything overly silly/stupid. So I'll be exclusive to AEW on this page going forward. If you look at the top of the page, you will find links to my AEW articles, and AEW Facebook Live posts. I will be hold them accountable in my article's and reviews, while also trying to put over some of their stories and angles in a way that they can make more sense to we intelligent wrestling fans. who crave such. When I can't find a way to do that though, I'll be honest, and call a spade, a spade.
Thank you for joining me!
-Adam Leavelle
The Wrestling Snob
Throughout the 80’s wrestling found its greatest success in my eyes. The NWA had the Four Horsemen, Dusty Rhodes, Magnum TA, The Crocket Cup, Starrcade, and we saw companies like Mid-South become the UWF, and World Class branched out on their own, away from the NWA! Even the WWF found worldwide super success with the birth of “Hulkamania,” and soon after, Wrestlemania. The 90’s saw some quality stuff too, but to me, wrestling took a step down some in quality at this time. While the 90’s weren’t terrible, and I was still a big fan, the bookings, angles, and gimmicks (for the most part) just weren’t as good over all, but still….I was a wrestling fan, a big one. The late 90’s saw a major resurgence with the nWo and WWE’s “Attitude era.” I wasn’t a fan of the Attitude Era, at all, but I accept the stars that were created during it, and enjoyed some of them, from time to time. I was a big nWo fan, until it got way too big, and had embarrassing members.
When the 2000’s got here, I was crushed when Vince McMahon bought WCW, but the ideas of what was possible excited me. Of course the WWF blew that, and never gave us a real WWF vs WCW story line. How anyone could screw that up is beyond me. Yes, I know all of the excuses (reasons) but WWE vs WCW could still have been so much better than it was. Thankfully, a little company called “Ring of Honor” started shortly after the WWF/WCW mess, and I took my devotion there. For many years after its beginning in 2002, I would do anything I could to watch, and or follow Ring of Honor Wrestling. That company kept me from walking away from the sport I grew up loving. Around a decade later, I got into the “independent” companies around the Country. Eventually I even began working for numerous “indies” as a commentator, and or back stage interviewer. I worked for companies such as The Ultimate Wrestling Experience, Lancaster Championship Wrestling, Legacy Wrestling, and MCW Pro Wrestling. I created the pre-show idea for independent wrestling shows that has been copied by many, ever since. My “Indie Wrestling Saturday” Facebook Live show was a big hit, and I took it on the road to many different companies. I am proud that I spent around five years in the wrestling business, on the independent scene. I worked with, and made friends with, numerous wrestlers that now work for WWE, AEW, Impact, and the NWA. However, watching an amazing mat performer like my friend Drew Gulak, be used the way he is on WWE television just pushes me further away from the American version of “pro wrestling.”
I've turned to Japanese promotions, Pro Wrestling NOAH, and World Wonder Ring Stardom, to find my wrestling fix. While I still love both of these promotions, I struggle to find much of an audience to interact with about them. Sure, there are a handful of sub-redit pages discussing them that I follow, but that's pretty much it here in America. That said, I've made the decision to give "All Elite Wrestling" a shot. While I am not a fan of over the top "super indie" style of wrestling, it's all we have left in America, and I don't see "old school" ever making a come back. With men I respect like Arn Anderson, Tully Blanchard, and Jake Roberts putting AEW over, and also working with them, I want to have some hope that it can tow the line, and not be overly ridiculous like the original "All In" pay per view was. I am hopeful that the television deal with TNT will keep them honest, and away from anything overly silly/stupid. So I'll be exclusive to AEW on this page going forward. If you look at the top of the page, you will find links to my AEW articles, and AEW Facebook Live posts. I will be hold them accountable in my article's and reviews, while also trying to put over some of their stories and angles in a way that they can make more sense to we intelligent wrestling fans. who crave such. When I can't find a way to do that though, I'll be honest, and call a spade, a spade.
Thank you for joining me!
-Adam Leavelle
The Wrestling Snob
