Smackdowns and Soulwork
Discovering Healing in the Ring
Pro Wrestling as an American Cultural Mechanism for Healing
From Outsider to Unexpected Fan: My Baby Wrestling Journey
Until May of this year, I had never watched a wrestling match in my life. In fact, I always assumed wrestling was violent, brash, and unappealing — not my thing. But life has a funny way of surprising us.
One of my most important freelance clients is a passionate wrestling fan. I wanted to create something fun we could both enjoy — something lighthearted and creatively engaging. That’s when I came up with the idea for a baby wrestling TikTok account: tough wrestling promos lip-synched by animated babies. The contrast was too good to ignore.
What started as a playful side project quickly turned into something more. The channel gained 12,000 followers in just 12 days, and within a month, it had over 2.8 million views. It became monetized almost overnight.
But beyond the metrics and momentum, what struck me most was the energy of the community. The comments weren’t filled with trolling or toxicity — they were overflowing with encouragement, love, and laughter. I was moved by how deeply people felt these baby-voiced promos. It made me realize: these speeches, often dismissed as campy or over-the-top, were full of resilience, courage, and heart. They were healing people.
And somehow, they started healing me, too.
Why Pro Wrestling Heals: A Cultural Overview
Professional wrestling in the United States is more than choreographed fighting and flashy theatrics. It’s a uniquely American form of mythmaking — one that combines morality plays, athleticism, and soap opera drama into a ritualistic release of emotional tension. It taps into our core human need for storytelling and gives space for themes like redemption, grit, betrayal, and triumph.
This isn't new. Wrestling has always been a mirror for American identity — reflecting everything from blue-collar struggles to cultural change and even politics. It gives fans a voice, a place to root for the underdog, to feel victorious through someone else’s storyline, and to belong.
Who It Helps the Most
Men and boys who may feel societal pressure to hide emotion but find release and emotional connection in this space.
LGBTQ+ fans, who have found surprising sanctuary and representation in certain wrestlers and storylines.
People dealing with loneliness or hardship, who find community, routine, and ritual in wrestling fandom.
Neurodivergent individuals, who often connect deeply with the structure, repetition, and heightened emotion of the promos and storylines.
People from marginalized communities, who identify with the outsider characters and root for their rise.
5 Emotional and Psychological Benefits of Being a Pro Wrestling Fan
1. 🧠 Emotional Catharsis
Wrestling lets you release emotions in a controlled, safe environment. Watching good triumph over evil (or the anti-hero finally get his due) can be a deeply satisfying emotional experience.
2. 💬 Powerful Messaging
Many promos are raw, inspirational monologues about never giving up, standing strong, and believing in yourself. The messaging, especially in the context of wrestling's emotional theater, hits hard.
3. 🧍 Representation and Identity Exploration
Fans see themselves in the characters — not always literally, but symbolically. Wrestling gives people permission to be dramatic, emotional, even outrageous, and still be beloved.
4. 🤝 Community and Belonging
Wrestling brings people together, both in person and online. It creates rituals: Monday Night Raw, WrestleMania, watch parties, meme pages. It gives people something to gather around — and that gathering is often full of love.
5. 🛠️ Resilience Building
Watching your favorite character get knocked down (again and again) and still get back up can subtly teach you how to do the same in your own life. Wrestling celebrates the comeback story — and that sticks.
Closing Thoughts: Wrestling Changed Me
Even now, I haven’t watched a full match from start to finish. The physicality still makes me wince. But I’ve grown to admire the craft, the courage, and most of all, the heart of this world. It’s made me laugh, tear up, and feel more connected — not just to my client, but to something bigger.
Wrestling may be scripted, but the impact it has is real.
And for anyone who feels like an outsider, like I did — there might just be a promo, a character, or a baby lip-sync waiting to let you know you're not alone.
If you're curious about how this unexpected journey into wrestling baby promos looks in action, you're welcome to check out the channel that started it all:
👉 Baby Wrestling on TikTok
👉 Baby Wrestling on YouTube (still being populated — stay tuned!)
Whether you're a lifelong fan or a total novice like I was, you just might find yourself cheering, laughing, and feeling more connected than you expected.
