Wrestling Union

In recent years the idea for pro-wrestlers to unionize has really been somewhat of a big discussion among both fans and even some former wrestlers. But in the wrestling business the wrestlers are very individualistic. For example, when a wrestler moves higher up the card (for instance from the mid-card to the main event), he replaces the wrestler who once had that spot. Thus there is very fierce competition between the wrestlers. That hasn’t stop certain wrestlers from trying to unionize, but most of the time a wrestler who hopes to move up the card or maintain his/her position in the card.

The following was taken from an interview with Bryan Alvarez back in 2006 “You could never get the wrestlers together to form a union. There would always be someone willing to stooge whoever is arranging it off to management in order to win himself a better spot in the card.” For example, when Jesse Ventura was with the WWE during the late 1980’s he attempted to unionize the wrestlers, but was actually ratted out by Hulk Hogan to Vince McMahon to protect his spot with the company.” (Email from Dave Meltzer 2006). But that was the last we heard of this especially as far as the WWE goes and not until recently have we heard talk about it again, but that talk has seemingly went away.

Though most people are either on one side or the other and very few are in the middle ground for this subject manner. I for one don’t support the idea of unionization, because though I feel it would help the wrestlers, but I think it would do more harm than good to the industry overall. Also if “Solidarity is key among the wrestlers for unionization to work or exploitation will continue.” I will say that in a way my opinion on this subject really only matters just a little bit as the above quote carries most of the weight.

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Schiavone, M. (n.d.). A Wrestler's Life: Full-Time Worker as Indpendent Contractor (Vol. 10, pp. 485-496). Immaunel Ness & Blackwell Publishing.