It has never been easier to watch professional wrestling, thanks to promotions like WWE, AEW, NJPW, and multiple others having massive TV deals, their own streaming services (or hubs like the WWE Network on Peacock), and very active social media channels that are constantly posting clips, interviews, and even full matches. But, with so much wrestling out there in the wild (and so many world champions), it can sometimes be hard to make sense of it all, especially if you’re just getting into watching wrestling.
To help make sense of the madness, we have put together a quick yet comprehensive guide of pretty much everything you need to know about professional wrestling, including the major promotions, their biggest moments and champions, how to watch all the biggest shows, and, finally, a brief glossary of wrestling terms that’ll make you sound like a seasoned and well-versed smart mark.
WWE
WWE is undoubtedly the biggest professional wrestling promotion on the planet, even if its executives say it’s a “sports entertainment” business. Here is a rundown of the company’s history, champions, major events, and how to watch weekly and monthly shows. The company is in uncharted waters after merging with Endeavor in April 2023.
The 5 Most Important Things To Know About WWE's History
- WWE was founded by Vince McMahon’s father as Capitol Wrestling Corporation in 1953, later becoming WWWF, then WWF, before being renamed WWE in 2002.
- WrestleMania I (1985) forever changed professional wrestling from both a presentation standpoint and culturally.
- WWE, then-WWF, reached new heights with the Attitude Era in the late 1990s thanks to the “Austin 3:16” promo and “Montreal Screwjob.”
- The WWE Network Was Launched In 2014, creating a new era of wrestling in the process.
- WWE is in the process of being sold to Endeavor, the company that owns UFC.
Who Are The Current Champions In WWE?
- Undisputed WWE Universal Champion - Roman Reigns
- World Heavyweight Champion - Seth "Freakin" Rollins
- Raw Womens’ Champion - Asuka
- SmackDown Women’s Champion - Rhea Ripley
- Intercontinental Champion - Gunther
- United States Champion - Austin Theory
- Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions - Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn
- WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions - Ronda Rousey & Shayna Baszler
What Are WWE's Major Events?
- Royal Rumble (January)
- WrestleMania (April)
- Money in the Bank (July)
- SummerSlam (August)
- Survivor Series (November)
How To Watch WWE
All of the major WWE premium live events listed above, as well as other monthly shows, are available to anyone with a Peacock Premium subscription in the United States. If you live outside of the country, the WWE Network will be your best bet.
WWE also produces Raw and Smackdown, which air live Mondays on USA Network and Fridays on Fox, respectively. If you don’t have a cable subscription, you can watch both shows with a Hulu subscription the day after they air on TV.
AEW
All Elite Wrestling, commonly known as AEW, was founded in January 2019 by Tony Khan along with the help of Kenny Omega, The Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson), and Cody Rhodes. It has since become WWE’s biggest competitor since Vince McMahon’s 2001 purchase of WCW. The promotion has had some major ups and downs the past few years, including the seemingly never-ending CM Punk saga.
The 5 Most Important Things To Know About AEW's History
- The Young Bucks and Cody Rhodes put on the biggest indie wrestling show of all time with the All In pay-per-view in September 2018, which led to AEW’s formation.
- AEW launched the weekly wrestling show called Dynamite on TNT in October 2019, the first wrestling show on the network in nearly 20 years.
- CM Punk debuted in AEW in August 2021, seven years after walking out on WWE.
- AEW teamed with NJPW for the Forbidden Door mega show in June 2022.
- AEW is scheduled to hold a show at the 90,000-capacity Wembley Stadium in London in September 2023.
Who Are The Current Champions In AEW?
- AEW World Championship - MJF
- AEW Women’s World Championship - Toni Storm
- AEW International Championship - Orange Cassidy
- AEW TNT Championship - Wardlow
- AEW TBS Championship - Kris Statlander
- AEW World Tag Team Championship - FTR (Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler)
- AEW World Trios Championship - House of Black (Malakai Black, Brody King, Buddy Matthews)
What Are AEW's Major Events?
- Revolution (March)
- Double or Nothing (May)
- AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door (June)
- All Out (September)
- Full Gear (November)
How To Watch AEW
There are a couple of different ways to watch AEW pay-per-view events, both the traditional method through your cable or satellite provider and Bleacher Report PPV, which allows you to stream the quarterly events through an app.
The company also puts on multiple weekly TV shows, including AEW Dynamite, Wednesdays on TBS; AEW Rampage, Fridays on TNT; and AEW All Access, a reality TV show that airs Wednesdays on TBS. The AEW YouTube channel also hosts weekly shows like AEW Dark and AEW Dark Elevation, if you want to check out the company without signing up for cable.
Other Wrestling Promotions
WWE and AEW are the two biggest promotions in wrestling today, but they aren’t the only major companies. Below is a list of some of the most popular wrestling companies along with a brief description of their style or significance.
- NJPW (A more hard-hitting style of wrestling)
- Ring of Honor (Independent promotion that launched the careers of today’s stars)
- Impact Wrestling (Formerly known as TNA)
- NWA (A wrestling promotion that was once the governing body of multiple territories)
- Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (A famous Mexican wrestling promotion)
- Game Changer Wrestling (Independent promotion known for its deathmatch style)
- Pro Wrestling Noah (Japanese promotion specializing in the “King’s Road” style)
A Glossary Of Common Wrestling Terms
There are a lot of different wrestling terms and phrases that don’t make a whole lot of sense for the uninitiated, which can make things confusing for new fans. Though we can’t piece together every term, this glossary should help you out tremendously.
- Angle - A storyline involving two or more wrestlers
- Babyface (or Face) - The good guy
- Card - The order of matches on a show
- Gimmick - A wrestler’s character
- Heel - The bad guy
- Kayfabe - Keeping up the illusion that wrestling is real
- Loser Leaves Town - A match in which the loser has to leave the territory or company
- Promo - When a wrestler gives a speech
- Squared Circle - Another name for the ring
- Stable - A group of wrestlers on the same team
- Territory - A regional wrestling promotion
This should be more than enough to set you on your professional wrestling path, at least as a fan. Now that you know about the various companies and how to watch the product, there’s nothing getting in your way. But make sure to keep an eye on the 2023 TV schedule to see when other wrestling-centric shows are coming out this year.
