Cup of coffee in the big time: Wrestling fan resolutions for the new year

It’s the final day of 2018. That makes today a great day for reflection on the year that was and the promises of the year ahead.

Resolutions for life changes abound, but today I just want to think about resolutions fans can make to be better in 2019.

Don’t be creeps - Social media allows for a tremendous level of interaction with wrestlers. It’s mutually beneficial as fans get access, wrestlers get the chance to interact and boost their own profile.

It also opens the world up to creeps:

Try one new thing each month - This isn’t a hard one. But try a different flavor of wrestling at least once a month. Subscribe to Powerbomb.tv and dig into a few shows from one of the many promotions available there. Check out Stardom if you’ve not yet. Dig into the past and check out Mid-South or another territory. There’s too much wrestling out there to ever have seen it all, but we can all expand our base of knowledge.

Try to understand when something is bad writing and when it’s simply storytelling - This is complicated, but there are times where we as fans get upset over small story beats. Sometimes the guy you want to see win has to lose for the purposes of the larger story. Sometimes a belt changes hands to set up the next step in the bigger picture. Having the patience to ride out a story without getting upset will make your life better.

But, there are also plenty of times where something is just bad writing and calling it out is only fair.

For example: AOP losing a match so early in their main roster run seemed off, but is potentially acceptable as part of a larger story. But AOP being bogged down in an angle about piss was just bad writing.

Understand there’s more to life than wrestling - I love to escape from what is a scary, stressful, frustrating world through various forms of entertainment — including wrestling. But when something involving wrestling is important in the larger picture of the world, don’t put wrestling first.

I know I harp on the Saudi Arabia/WWE deal a lot, but it’s because the real world issues are far more important than my desire to see a big wrestling show. The same goes for Hulk Hogan. He was my childhood hero (or at least sharing the spot with Jean-Claude Van Damme), but knowing the impact his words had on real people meant having to reevaluate the acceptability of him hanging around WWE.

It’s fine to remember wrestling is a silly thing we all love, but it’s not more important than our fellow humans.

• Get ready for tonight’s edition of Monday Night Raw with our preview.
• Was this the best photo of the year in pro wrestling?
• Do you agree with the matches and order for WWE’s best matches of 2018?
• John Cena’s hair is still a thing.
• Hey, remember how disappointing this was?
• Daniel Bryan is still the best in the world ... and the best for the world.

Happy and safe New Year to all of you.

And a reminder: If you’ve been drinking, don’t get behind the wheel.