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This is Defector, a new sports blog and media company. We made this place together, we own it together, we run it together. Without access, without favor, without discretion, and without interference.

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Defector

NYC: Come To Our WNBA Comedy Show On May 16

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Live Event

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Luis Paez-Pumar

John Cena (L) celebrates with rapper Travis Scott after defeating Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Championship during WrestleMania 41 at Allegiant Stadium on April 20, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

WrestleMania 41

Pro Wrestling

WrestleMania 41’s Two Main Events And The Risks Of Getting Epic

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Lauren Theisen

Women’s Pro-Wrestling “Saree-ISM”

Some Wrestling Matches I Liked In 2024

View of a wrestling ring during a tag team match at White Eagle Hall

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Deadlock Pro-Wrestling Is As Fun As It Is Fragile

Chairman Vince McMahon is introduced during the WWE Monday Night Raw show at the Thomas &amp; Mack Center August 24, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

WWE Monday Night Raw In Las Vegas

‘Mr. McMahon’ Is An Incomplete Portrait Of Wrestling’s Reprehensible Kingpin

Visual Editor. Runs <a href="http://defectorstore.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">defectorstore.com</a>. Philadelphia-based, if you couldn’t tell.

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Dan McQuade

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WWE Informs Viewership Of Tyrese Haliburton

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Flaws Can Make A Wrestler Feel Real

Brad Balukjian, PhD has chosen two careers—journalist and scientist—which converge on pursuit of the truth. He has been published in Rolling Stone, Smithsonian, National Geographic, and many others. His first book, The Wax Pack: On the Open Road in Search of Baseball’s Afterlife, hit #7 on the LA Times bestseller list and was named one of NPR’s Best Books of 2020. He is a Research Associate at the California Academy of Sciences, and he discovered 17 species of insects (green flash bugs) in Tahiti, one of which he named after Harrison Ford. He lives on the road, where he’s in an open relationship with his VCR.

Brad Balukjian author photo courtesy of author

Brad Balukjian

An image of Tito Santana in the ring during his time in WWF, with the cover of Brad Balukjian's book "The Six Pack" visible at lower left.

Tito-Santana-book

Book Excerpts That Don't Suck

Before He Became A Wrestling Legend, Tito Santana Needed A Name

Heather Chen is a former Defector intern and the managing editor at the Columbia Daily Spectator. She loves hockey, photography, and the good ol’ state of Michigan.

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Heather Wei-Xi Chen

SUNRISE, FLORIDA - JUNE 24: Matthew Tkachuk #19 of the Florida Panthers smokes a cigar while wearing the NHL/WWE Stanley Cup Championship belt in the locker room after Game Seven of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final between the Edmonton Oilers and the Florida Panthers at Amerant Bank Arena on June 24, 2024 in Sunrise, Florida.

2024 Stanley Cup Final – Game Seven

My Beloved American Girl Doll Will Not Stop Wearing His Big Belt

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AEW Still Isn’t Over CM Punk

Cody Rhodes celebrates during Night Two of WrestleMania 40 at Lincoln Financial Field on April 7, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

WrestleMania 40

WrestleMania Distilled WWE’s Worst Excesses Into Five Glorious Minutes

WrestleMania 29 Press Conference

John Cena Can’t Escape Vince McMahon’s Fantasy World

Dwayne Johnson and Vince McMahon at a press conference

WWE Presses The Panic Button, Summons The Rock

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JANUARY 23: TKO Executive Chairman of the Board Vince McMahon is seen during a ceremony announcing Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson has joined the Board of Directors for TKO at New York Stock Exchange on January 23, 2024 in New York City.

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Vince McMahon Is Gone From WWE, Allegedly For Real This Time

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Patrick Redford

January 23rd, 2024. New York Stock Exchange Ceremony Announcing Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson has joined the Board of Directors for TKO. New York, New York. Vince McMahon at the podium.

TKO Announcement

Former WWE Employee Sues Vince McMahon For Sexual Abuse And Trafficking

New Japan Pro-Wrestling – Wrestle Kingdom 18 in Tokyo Dome

Kazuchika Okada’s Exit Is A Warning Siren For The Rest Of Japan

Tetsuya Naito flying in with a knee on Keiji Muto

Pro-Wrestling NOAH – KEIJI MUTO GRAND FINAL

Year In Review

Some Wrestling Matches I Liked In 2023

BrayWyatt

Bray Wyatt Was Wrestling’s Most Irrepressible Star

Sean T. Collins has written for The New York Times, Rolling Stone, Vulture, Decider, Pitchfork, and many others. He lives with his family on Long Island.

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Sean T. Collins

Jon Moxley delivers a move to Anthony Bowens during the AEW Dynamite - Beach Break taping on January 26, 2022, at the Wolstein Center in Cleveland, OH.

WRESTLING: JAN 26 AEW Dynamite

How Queer Pro Wrestlers Are Handling America’s Anti-LGBTQ+ Heel Turn

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David Roth

Jeremy Swayman #1 of the Boston Bruins and teammate Linus Ullmark #35 share a hug after Game One of the First Round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Florida Panthers v Boston Bruins – Game One

Podcasts

Please Like Her Sports, With Lauren Theisen

INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 01: Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn wrestle The Usos for the Undisputed WWE tag team championship during WrestleMania 39 at SoFi Stadium on April 01, 2023 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Unique Nicole/Getty Images)

WrestleMania 39

The WWE/UFC Merger Will Be Bad For Almost Everyone

LAS VEGAS - AUGUST 24: An Elvis Presley impersonator sings to World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. Chairman Vince McMahon during his 64th birthday celebration in the ring during the WWE Monday Night Raw show at the Thomas & Mack Center August 24, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

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How Would Betting On Pro Wrestling Even Work?

Repo Man is interviewed outside the arena, as an inset shows Macho Man Randy Savage looking angry

WWE