NPW's Mission Statement & FAQ
I do not believe the story of professional wrestling is being told properly. Every time someone finds out I’m a fan, they ask how I could still watch WWE.
Launch date: May 26
I do not believe the story of professional wrestling is being told properly.
Every time someone finds out I’m a fan, they ask how I could still watch WWE.
This is not about their ignorance about AEW. This is about the general public’s broad ignorance when it comes to pro wrestling, pro wrestlers, and pro wrestling fans.
The News of Pro Wrestling (NPW) will be a site featuring only original reporting. I am not here to aggregate. I am not here to share links. I am not here to start a podcast. I am here to showcase the reality of today’s pro wrestling industry to a wider audience.
I started my career as a newspaper reporter, working for a local newspaper founded in 1877 named the Willimantic Chronicle. At the time, it was a family-owned publication that told the story of its coverage area in eastern Connecticut. It’s the most fulfilling job I’ve ever held, with easily the smallest paycheck.
To tell that story, we needed an entire newsroom to cover different aspects of life. It would’ve been impossible for me to cover my daily beat at the University of Connecticut and also the basketball teams.
Right now, the newspaper of pro wrestling is essentially one extremely good business section. Thanks to the work of Dave Meltzer and POST Wrestling, along with dedicated sites like WrestleTix and Wrestlenomics, no wrestling fan will go hungry seeking business news. From ratings to ticket sales to contracts to lawsuits, those are well covered. I’m not needed there.
The newspaper of pro wrestling is also overflowing with critics, though not necessarily done as well as the business section. I’m not needed there either.
What we need is coverage of everything else that makes a billion-dollar industry tick. There are more promotions than just two. There are more wrestlers than the ones signed to those two. There are hundreds of untold stories, good and bad, waiting be uncovered.
This is what you can expect here:
On-site coverage: A huge gap in pro wrestling media is how they very rarely attend shows in-person, outside of events like WrestleMania or All In. I’ve long believed pro wrestling could use a beat reporter. Based in Rhode Island, my goal is to cover shows and any wrestling-related event (i.e. Janel Grant speaking publicly) across New England to New York City.
Insightful interviews: Podcasts have made wrestlers more accessible than ever, but these open-ended interviews don’t provide much insight. Here, you will find interviews on specific topics to go deeper into what makes pro wrestling tick.
Independent wrestling coverage: I want to showcase more of the people behind the scenes who are the lifeblood of pro wrestling at a local level. From promoters to unsigned talent to those chasing dreams, I want to share those stories.
Investigative journalism: I’ve done it before. I’d like to do it again. I have some ideas.
The fan perspective: The public has a low opinion of wrestling fans because the loudest come through on social media. There’s a better way to showcase who wrestling fans are, I promise.
Why you?
Journalism has been in my blood for as long as I can remember. It was my dream job growing up and I got to live it at the Chronicle and the Hartford Business Journal, until I was laid off with just about every other reporter in the late 2000s (thanks Republicans).
During my journalism career, I won several awards, chased a bear, covered the final execution ever in Connecticut, made enemies of Robert Kraft, and received the most insane press statement of my life from the Ultimate Warrior when I covered his infamous homophobic speech at UConn (thanks college Republicans).
What I learned then helped me break news long after. In 2024, I reached out to the state of Oklahoma and received the meeting minutes from a debate over Nyla Rose wrestling women. That caused quite a stir.
I wrote then how pro wrestling deserved a proper media because I should not have been the one to break that news. It’s time for me to be that change.
Why should I pay?
I understand times are tough (thanks Republicans) so my pitch to you is original journalism about pro wrestling that does not exist today. You will read stories here you will not read anywhere else.
What if I can’t pay?
Right, thanks Republicans. All I can ask is that you share articles you find interesting and let wrestling fans know in your orbits, even the quiet ones, about what I’m trying to do.
What if I don’t want to pay?
That seems a little rude, but I get it. I want to publish enough news-worthy articles that you change your mind.
Don’t you hate WWE?
A bit.
So, are you biased?
Yes. I am. I have long held the belief that an unbiased journalist is a fraud. Every human has opinions. As long as the reader is aware of those biases, they should have the ability to put that reporting in context.
My personal rejection of WWE is due to two specific reasons. First, their participation in Saudi sportswashing, which is the same reason I’ve never watched a minute of LIV Golf. Second, they have not rid themselves of the Vince McMahon enablers among their leadership. There’s a reason The Weinstein Company no longer exists.
Are you looking for story ideas?
No.
Are you looking for info and feedback?
Yes. The email is NPWsoleary@gmail.com and please reach out with anything on your mind about pro wrestling. As a PR guy, I really don’t want to hear from my colleagues, but I’d love to hear from just about everyone else.
Is there anyone in particular you’d love to speak with?
Yes! I want to interview every independent wrestling promoter. If you promote pro wrestling anywhere in the world, please send me a note at NPWsoleary@gmail.com.
Will this be your full-time job?
I hope so. That depends on you. Regardless, let’s try something.
Things will be up and running here by Tuesday, May 26. Please subscribe and join the fun.