Yes Wrestling Is ‘Fake’ But Now Is The Perfect Time To Give It A Chance by Tom Beasley

I've banged on about my love for professional wrestling before in these pages and, in the 10 years or so since one of my university friends dragged me back into the world of “fake” fighting, there have been some ebbs and flows – both in popularity and, bluntly, the quality of the wrestling product. But now, wrestling feels as if it's on the verge of a truly mainstream breakthrough in Britain for the first time since the “Attitude Era” of the late 1990s.

The reason for that is very simple. In January of this year, the wrestling industry's ultimate powerhouse WWE – you might remember it as WWF – debuted on Netflix. For UK viewers in particular, this is significant as it makes WWE far more accessible than it has ever been. The company spent a decade buried on Sky Sports, where it never got a primetime slot, and has been even more hidden since 2020, when TNT Sports – previously known as BT Sport – acquired the rights. If you weren't a sports fan with an existing subscription to one of these paid channels, you had no chance of watching WWE in the UK.

This is why the Netflix deal is such a huge moment. Almost everybody has a Netflix account and it's often your first port of call when looking for something to watch. Crucially, this is also true of people who wouldn't dream of paying extra money for a sport subscription. And given that wrestling isn't a sport in the truest sense of that word, it's fascinating and worthwhile to open it up to people who will enjoy it more for its drama and storytelling than its physicality.

But that's not the only reason it's a great time to be a wrestling fan. WWE's biggest competitor, All Elite Wrestling, is also riding high. Run by businessman Tony Khan – who also owns Fulham FC – it has managed two successive summer shows in front of tens of thousands of fans at Wembley Stadium. Available to British fans via ITV, it has carved out a real following on this side of the Atlantic.

Our homegrown wrestling scene over here is also on the up again after a tough few years. When WWE launched the NXT UK brand in 2017, many of our country's top wrestlers found themselves contracted to the big leagues. The industry was also forced to reshape and improve itself after a number of brave women came forward with allegations of sexual misconduct as part of what became known as the “Speaking Out” movement. Numerous wrestlers were suspended and several major companies changed management, putting new safeguards in place.

Now, the UK scene is in great health again. One of the country's biggest promotions, Revolution Pro Wrestling, regularly runs shows here in Coventry and I went along to their excellent two-day Trios Grand Prix event in November. On the basis of that show, there's a lot to love about independent wrestling in the country today.

So, there has never been a better time, as a British person, to give wrestling a chance. Whether you're a complete newbie, a former World of Sport devotee, or someone who used to like WWE as a kid, it's worth diving into WWE's Netflix offering or AEW's shows on ITV and giving it a go. And if you like it, there's plenty happening in the UK so that you can experience wrestling live. I firmly believe that, done well, it's one of the most unique and powerful art forms out there.

© 2025 Tom Beasley

Tom Beasley is a freelance film journalist, Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic and podcaster
now living in Coventry. He can be reached at tomjbeasley@gmail.com.