WWE has millions of fans all over the planet. They do 12-13 PPV events a year, have over 7 hours of free content on television every week, and just launched a messive paid Network that let's you literally spend the rest of your life watching pro wrestling, should you desire. The average cost of being a "hardcore" WWE fan can now actually be measured – it's $9.95 per month.
So why should you spend $15 or $20 here and there to watch independent wrestling events – all of which have lower production values and less polish than a WWE event – when every PPV that WWE, WCW and ECW has ever recorded is accessible at your fingertips for such a low cost?
WWE is like Pabst Blue Ribbon. If you're not 21-years-old, pretend we're talking about pop music (ie. Justice Beaver). Lots of people like PBR; they are one of the biggest beer makers in America. Is their product any good? No. It's watered-down and void of any actual sophisticated flavors. It is the lowest common denominator of beer. But most people without an intentionally refined taste pallet don't realize beers like PBR, Miller Light, etc. are awful. It's what they're used to.
The difference between cheap beer and micro-brewed deliciousness is a lot like the battle between WWE and indie wrestling. You can buy a 24-pack of PBR for $16, the same price I pay for 3 or 4. Sure you can drink a dozen cans of PBR, hope for the best, and possibly end up having a lot of fun, the same way you can watch every WWE-produced PPV of the modern era and hope it doesn't suck. Don't get me wrong; WWE does some cool stuff. But they write and perform for the lowest common denominator; they are the PBR of the pro wrestling world. It's cheap, it's easy to find, and it's the first thing uneducated minds learn how to digest.
HUB Rise Up Red is a great west coast beer. Dogfish Head's Palo Santo Marron is a great east coast beer. I'll pay the same price for 4 of them that most people would pay for 24 cans of PBR. It's worth it to me because I value the things I spend my money on. The same way, I will spend $15 here and there to watch a good Ring of Honor card. I'll spend $20 to have all the PWG DVDs shipped to my house. I also spend $9.95 a month so that my friends and I can watch WrestleMania, and so I can watch Starrcade over and over again, the same way I'll buy crappy beer for parties so friends have something to drink.
Indie wrestling isn't for everyone, because honestly not everyone's tastes are that refined. But for those that are looking for a little extra something, the following pages make up a TOP TEN list of things you should know about indie wrestling. A beginner's guide to better living, if you will…
