Molly Mogren Katt is a writer, entrepreneur and mom who launched HeyEleanor! on Substack to document facing her fears. She is a regular contributor and lives in the Wedge.
I attended my first professional wrestling match at age 10. I loved the trash-talking, booing my favorite heel (that’s wrestling lingo for “bad guy”) Ric Flair, and high-fiving El Matador Tito Santana as he sauntered to the ring. I returned home with my very own pair of Bret “Hitman” Hart pink mirrored sunglasses. Thirty-three years later, I’m unsure there’s anything I enjoy more than professional wrestling.
I know what you’re thinking: Ew, Molly, isn’t wrestling fake? And isn’t everyone all spray-tanned and ‘roided out? And isn’t Vince McMahon highly problematic? These preconceptions are too simplistic — akin to saying you’ve been to Paris when you really only had a two-hour layover at Charles de Gaulle.
Professional wrestling melds storytelling with feats of strength, acrobatics with the drama of a telenovela. It’s a burlesque show mixed with slapstick comedy — and, to be honest, if you leave a match unfulfilled, maybe try unplugging yourself and rebooting to the factory settings.
Wrestling is the pinnacle of entertainment — action, drama, emotion, physicality — and it’s about as progressive as it gets. This is especially true in Minneapolis.
In 2007, local wrestler Arik Cannon launched F1rst Wrestling, an independent professional wrestling organization. They’ve performed outside the Bryant-Lake Bowl during Pride, in the Mall of America rotunda, and at sold-out shows at First Avenue and the Uptown VFW. Their tagline? Wrestling is for Everyone. And when they say everyone, they even mean you — the deeply skeptical person still reading this article. Here’s why you should attend an upcoming F1rst Wrestling show.
It’s All About Consent
We all know professional wrestling is “fake,” but only in the sense that outcomes are agreed upon. The physicality is real — and people do get hurt — but matches are built on trust and consent. That’s why wrestling is fun as hell while ultimate fighting or boxing can feel icky.
“Before a show, there’s a lot of conversation and consent,” says Cannon. “There have been a number of times before a match where I’ve said, ‘I don’t feel comfortable with that,’ and the response from my opponent is, ‘Okay, no problem.’ At the end of the day, our job is to protect the person we’re in the ring with.”
All Body Types Are Celebrated
As someone who turned 18 in the year 2000, I’m still processing what it meant to come of age in the hyper-body-focused Britney Spears “Oops!... I Did It Again” era. And this is another reason I love wrestling: whether you’re a gym rat, rock a beer belly, are covered in hair or waxed to a shine; whether you have cellulite, breast implants, tattoos, scars, meaty thighs or wispy arms — professional wrestling celebrates all bodies.
“It’s important that the F1rst Wrestling lineups are diverse and representative,” says Cannon. “We want everyone in the audience to connect with someone in the ring.”
Cannon can’t overstate how much female wrestlers are killing it. “I don’t think a lot of fans realize how hard the women have it,” he says. “I genuinely believe they work harder than the men, and I often hear people leaving our events saying the women stole the show.”
You Cry It Out
Wrestling fandom is largely made up of men. Maybe that’s because of its physicality, but I think it’s actually because the ring serves as a place where men are encouraged to showcase big emotions.
“Oftentimes, society dictates that men shouldn’t have feelings or cry,” says Cannon. “In wrestling, doing all those things helps us tell our stories and build connections with our fans. If you aren’t emoting with your facial expressions, it’s harder to understand what point you’re trying to make.”
So You Want to See Your First Wrestling Match
I’m personally treading lightly around the news cycle — it’s too depressing. That doesn’t mean I’m disengaged. I’m talking to my neighbors, supporting small businesses and participating in joyful local events.
If you’re tired of eating or drinking your feelings, may I suggest attending one of F1rst Wrestling’s upcoming events?
Cannon offers some simple advice for first-timers. “Leave your preconceived notions at the door,” he says. “We’re going to party, and you’re invited. After a show, I’ve had so many people tell me, ‘I’m not a wrestling fan, but my face was hurting from all the smiling and laughing.’ That’s really what it’s all about. I love sending people home so happy that they tell their friends they have to come next time.”
