Shayne Hawke Believes Wrestlers Didn’t Have to Put In As Much Work 20 Years Ago

Shayne Hawke believes that today’s wrestlers have to put in much more work than those from two decades ago. Hawke spoke with Fightful’s Jeremy Lambert & Joel Pearl on In The Weeds and explained why he thinks wrestlers from 20 years ago didn’t have to put in the kind of work current wrestlers do.

On the previous generation not having to put in as much work: “Pro wrestlers, 20 years ago, could not hold a candle to how much work is necessary these days in the business. Wrestlers from 20 years ago didn’t have to put in nearly as much work as wrestlers of this generation. There’s our headline, Jim Cornette is going to get very upset. Also, f**k you Eric Bischoff, let’s do that too. We’re just going to go for it [laughs]. Here’s what I mean; 20 years ago, Indie wrestling, one, performance enhancing business. There were a lot fewer spots in pro wrestling, and therefore, the people at the cream were always centered around it and didn’t have as much competition. With the advent of social media and the global expansion of pro wrestling, there are so many people and so many talented pro wrestlers that being a good wrestler is not enough to get bookings anymore. It doesn’t matter if you’re just a good wrestler. If you’re just a good wrestler, you just started the practice. The level of talent has increased so significantly.”

On wrestling’s overexposed nature now: “Here’s another thing, audiences are so exposed to wrestling, you can watch wrestling every day of the week, all day, every day, and still not get through the weekly current. Back then, you just had local TV, and even then, you didn’t have to promote yourself. These days, wrestlers need a sales degree and a marketing degree to even know how to do shipping and know all these social media platforms. We need a degree in programming, we have to learn AI or else we’re going to be obsolete in ten years. There is too much. Too many choices and you never pick one because there are so many.

“That wasn’t the case 20 years ago when I started. 20 years ago, I could jump into a car, ride to a show, help set up, and then make a headlock a finish because audiences weren’t used to seeing seven Destroyers. Whether or not that’s a good or bad thing is debatable, and I’m happy to have that conversation, but I can say, it was easier as an in-ring performer to get spots in wrestling 20 years ago. Look at the jobbers they had on Saturday night. Are we seeing some of these people that used to get regular jobs spots? They’re getting paid, on average, these ham and eggers, they have no gimmick, they don’t have to promote themselves because the promoter does it for them. You can’t do that now. You have to be a proven commodity to get paid now. These guys are coming out there in black trunks, they’re five-foot nothing, they’re not in shape, and they’re on national TV. Now, we have Orange Cassidy who has 30 matches [AEW International Title defenses] and that’s not enough.”

Hawke is currently out of action due to injury, and is a producer for IWS Hardcore.