Professional Wrestling Studies Association
Studying the Past, Present, and Future of Professional Wrestling
We’re taking off the Nylons today, friends. I have much to say about the journey we’ve mapped for women’s wrestling in the past three years that Nylons and Midriffs has existed, but I want to take one last review at this unforgettable year first. So much happened in America in the midst of great trauma, … Read more Nylons and Midriffs: Being Seen (Year in Review, 2020)
We’re in the heart of spooky season pals, and there are some very scary things happening in the WWE world right now. We’ll talk about them at the end of this entry, but before that we’ll keep our discussion centered on in-ring action. I apologize in advance that this week’s Nylons will once again tilt … Read more Nylons and Midriffs: Wicked Ways (October 14, 2020)
Wow wow wow. The past two weeks have produced some of the best women’s wrestling I can remember seeing in the last 12 months. For both WWE and AEW, my critiques are mostly nitpicky details from a critic invested in keeping this momentum going. It can’t be denied that the women have been an integral … Read more Nylons and Midriffs: In Sasha We Trust (July 8, 2020)
Much of the same mix of hope and anxiety have continued for me since the last edition of Nylons. And what’s worse is that I (spoiler) have many negative feelings toward wrestling at the moment, for the various news that have come out in the last couple of weeks. From WWE allegedly forbidding Performance Center … Read more Nylons and Midriffs: Deliver Us From Charlotte (June 24, 2020)
Disheartened, exhausted, hopeful. These are just a handful of the emotions that I’ve felt in the last three weeks of American life. I, like Black folks everywhere in this nation, had to search deep in my well of stamina to both process the violence hurled at Us and protesters, as well as find resilience to … Read more Nylons and Midriffs: Meritocracy Is A Lie (June 10, 2020)
I find myself despondent writing Nylons this week. As most of us likely know by now, WWE administered mass layoffs, furloughs, and releases of their staff last week — inclusive of producers, writers, trainers, on- and off-air talent. I followed the news as it broke on YouTube with my preferred wrestling content creators. I texted … Read more Nylons and Midriffs: A Reckoning (April 22, 2020)
The oddest WrestleMania in history has come and gone, folks. And well, with all due respect to AEW, I think the historic nature of WrestleMania this year requires me to focus on it exclusively this week. Still, I will give some general thoughts on AEW at the end of this post. All in all, I … Read more Nylons and Midriffs: The Business of Wrestling (WrestleMania Review, 2020)
In the words of the great feminist writer Roxane Gay, every day is a month in this new world of social distancing. As a fan of wrestling, I am glad to still have this form of entertainment during this tumultuous time. However, it comes with a twinge of concern for the people I see on … Read more Nylons and Midriffs: Near? Far? Wherever You Are… (March 25, 2020)
Good day, wrestling fans! I’m back here on your tiny screens to describe how the scenery is looking on the Road to WrestleMania so far. NXT Takeover: Portland has passed, and AEW Revolution is around the corner as well. And in the midst of these events, we’ve been bearing witness to some awesome women’s wrestling, … Read more Nylons and Midriffs: Back in My Day (February 26, 2020)
Happy 2020 wrestling fans! It’s good to be back here with you all, hashing out what we love (and hate) about women’s wrestling in WWE and AEW. We have a lot of ground to cover so far this year, starting with the Royal Rumble and its aftermath. Because I see the new year as a … Read more Nylons and Midriffs: Go Fix Your Braid (February 12, 2020)