I started this blog for a few reasons. The main one was to consolidate bothering all my friends about wrestling sporadically throughout the day and instead focus that energy into annoying them quite a lot all at once. A close second item on the list was to maybe get some people into wrestling who might not have thought it was for them. On the days I'm not embarrassing myself as a grown man dressing in wrestling merch in public, I think a lot of people look at me and are surprised to find out I'm really into wrestling. Somehow there remains a perception that wrestling has a "type."
Pardon my churlishness, but malarkey.
Wrestling has a "type" like pizza has a type. In this case, the metaphor for food is a story, which you might not have gotten because the metaphor was very good. I personally think you can mash together any combination of story and food and make a good pizza and/or match.
Without hyperbole, I sincerely believe not only can you tell any story with wrestling, but that it can be good! Deep down in my bucket list, I want to stage a production of Romeo and Juliet as a wrestling show. Just do the whole play in the style of matches, promos, and backstage segments on a stage and ring in front of an audience. Then I want to do a film noir screenplay set in a wrestling universe. I love this sport. I think it has so much to tell.
That brings me to the third reason I started writing all this stuff down here: I want to shine a spotlight--however small--on somebody up and coming in the industry who doesn't get enough attention put on them. After all, people aren't always going to be in the prime of their careers. The people who are at the top? Those years are finite. If you don't build new stars now, then there won't be enough top talent to go around when everyone starts retiring or can't go in the ring anymore. That's the rational, utilitarian argument. And while I concede that is technically correct, I think it's more correct to say that's a big ol' load of boloney.
Here's the facts: Just push people when they're hot. Which is to say: when somebody is popular, put them on TV and have them win.
Case in point: Julia Hart.
Maybe that exact entrance wasn't for you for whatever reason. Maybe you suck. Maybe you don't like good things. Maybe you've got a grudge against fun. That's fine. I get not everyone has taste. But even if you choose to be wrong and not like it, I think we can all agree that Julia Hart pulls that act off at a level almost nobody could do. If she can do that, let her do it! She's getting bigger and bigger crowd reactions. AEW should turn Hart loose and start booking her in big matches. She doesn't have to be there yet. She gets there by getting there.
Julia Hart's put in the work to get to this level. As of today, she's on a 25-match winning streak. That's not her total number of wins--that's matches in a row since she's lost. She has put a lot of time between those ropes getting better. Julia Hart could be the big focus of the AEW women's division going forward. At least try. The crowd response has grown louder for her each week. I say give Julia Hart that big spotlight. I think she'll surprise everyone stupid, but everyone smart (me) will get to say, "See, dummies? I told you."
Julia Hart has recently struck me as someone whose character work has really come into its own in the ring recently. Hart's double act with Brody King as her bodyguard and herald has been an awesome and very pleasant surprise. I think Julia Hart has all the makings of a star! Her style in the ring is perfect for the camera. Hart has vastly improved as a wrestler since her last stretch of TV matches 4 or so months ago. Now her moves are crisp. Her hits feel sharp and sudden and terrifying. There's a way to how she conveys herself in her movements. It's cool seeing the character develop, particularly since she's spent the last two years in the House of Black learning her craft under the mentorship of one of wrestling's most meticulous storytellers and characters: Malakai Black.
I think she can handle the pressure, is all I'm saying.
AEW has shown a knack for molding raw talent into screen-grabbing celebrity. Somehow, they have brought out decent performances from guys who a couple years before could barely hold a microphone. They're not winning any Oscars, but they're also not actors. It's not trying to be prestige TV--it's just entertainment. By that standard, the acting is honestly... pretty great.
In two weeks, Julia Hart's character already has a more defined motivation and is working towards a clear set of goals. Hart is willing to do whatever is necessary to get a shot at Kris Statlander's TBS Championship; that means fighting dirty, injuring fan favorites, attacking after the bell, and overall making life so miserable for the good guys that it would be irresponsible for Kris not to intervene. That's a great reason for a championship fight! Book that, please! Heck, give Julia Hart the belt! You make someone a star by making them look like a star!
AEW is ripe for the next breakout talent. Julia Hart has that star power in her. Of course she has weaknesses. This is how she gets better! That's what wrestling's about: accentuating the positives and hiding the negatives. Give Julia Hart a chance. Let her stumble, let her grow, let her find her style, and she is going to spend the next decade chilling you with promos. Put her in front of the camera and let her go! I don't know the secret to AEW's sauce, but I can tell you it is Julia Hart's turn to cook.
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