Top 10 Countries for Wrestling?

[KAMALARAMBO: BOOMSHAKALAKA!!!]

Okay everyone knows that places like Japan and Mexico are hot spots, but what if we had to expand the list to 10 countries? What would you say would be the 10 and in what order would be?

[FinalGwen]

Not sure where they'd place, but I'm guessing Canada and the UK would make it onto the list.

[Red Impact]

Canada and UK would probably round out the top 5 (US, Mexico, Japan, UK, Canada probably). Then we'd probably get Australia, and it'd get a bit murkier after that.

[Johnny B. Decent]

I'd also add Germany on there, too.

[Deleted]

Add Parts Unknown to the list.

[mcmahonfan85]

1. USA
2. Japan
3. Mexico
4. Canada
5. UK
6. Puerto Rico
7. Australia
8. Germany
9. South Africa
10. New Zealand

[Deleted]

Wherever the Great Power Uti is wrestling.

[Deleted]

Dec 1, 2013 13:25:24 GMT -5 @akeem said:

Wherever the Great Power Uti is wrestling.

Top ten Countries, not Principalities

[Deleted]

I think India and maybe China as well should be on the list simply because of their populations.

[Professor Chaos]

Gotta include the Netherlands.

[KAMALARAMBO: BOOMSHAKALAKA!!!]

Dec 1, 2013 13:22:38 GMT -5 mcmahonfan85 said:

1. USA
2. Japan
3. Mexico
4. Canada
5. UK
6. Puerto Rico
7. Australia
8. Germany
9. South Africa
10. New Zealand

Seems like a pretty accurate list, but Puerto Rico isn't technically a country. Also, I'd probably list New Zealand over South Africa. Arguably Germany should be higher too because they have WXW, which is probably one of the top 10 promotions in the world (or close to it) whereas Australia doesn't really have any promotion that quite compares. However, Australia is a pretty massive country with promotions all over it so I could get why you put it above Germany.

[KAMALARAMBO: BOOMSHAKALAKA!!!]

Dec 1, 2013 13:36:49 GMT -5 @noggy said:

I think India and maybe China as well should be on the list simply because of their populations.

It seems logical enough, but I think wrestling promotions based in those countries are more or less non-existent. There is certainly a fan base in at least India, but the closest they had to their own promotion that I'm aware of is Ring Ka King, which was essentially an American promotion that just happened to have all their shows in India.

As for China, I can't think of any wrestling promotion that has been based there. The closest I can think of is New Beijing Wrestling, which is actually just a parody promotion put together by DDT, which I believe has all their shows in Japan. Also, I could see Hong Kong potentially having some things there, but I haven't heard of any promotions in there. This in part is a result of A LOT of China being incredibly cut off from Western culture. As such things like pro wrestling hasn't really gotten a chance to develop a fan base in a lot of the country. At least not to the point where people would start running their own promotions.

Dec 1, 2013 13:52:58 GMT -5 Professor Chaos said:

Gotta include the Netherlands.

The Netherlands actually has a fun little scene going on from what I've seen of it. However, I'm not sure if it would be in the top 10 just because the list of countries mcmahonfan85 mentioned might push it out for one reason or another.

As far as countries that haven't been mentioned yet, there are little scenes in all the Nordic countries except I've never been able to find any from Iceland (or Greenland if you want to count that). A big part of that is because the population size of Iceland and Greenland are quite tiny when compared to the population of other countries. I think between the two of them the population is only about 350,000, which is smaller than the population of some American cities.

Getting back to the Nordic wrestling scene, it is a shame we can't count it as one country. There is actually some collaboration between the companies based in these countries. For instance the Nordic Women's wrestling Champion Aurora Flame is based in Finland, but her title is recognized across the Nordic countries. In fact, she has a defense in Denmark coming up.

[DiBiase is Good]

I've always thought Mexico would be #1 on the list. Don't really have any facts or arguments to back it up, just the impression I get. I know football is more popular there but I always think of wrestling being Mexico's #2 sport.

[BJ Sturgeon]

Better ask Scott Steiner about it. He's probably wrestled most of them.

[mcmahonfan85]

Dec 1, 2013 14:46:52 GMT -5 KAMALARAMBO: BOOMSHAKALAKA!!! said:

Dec 1, 2013 13:22:38 GMT -5 mcmahonfan85 said:

1. USA
2. Japan
3. Mexico
4. Canada
5. UK
6. Puerto Rico
7. Australia
8. Germany
9. South Africa
10. New Zealand

Seems like a pretty accurate list, but Puerto Rico isn't technically a country. Also, I'd probably list New Zealand over South Africa. Arguably Germany should be higher too because they have WXW, which is probably one of the top 10 promotions in the world (or close to it) whereas Australia doesn't really have any promotion that quite compares. However, Australia is a pretty massive country with promotions all over it so I could get why you put it above Germany.

Puerto Rico may be a US territory but in terms of pro wrestling it is and always has been treated as a separate county

[nisidhe]

I'm not sure I'd put Puerto Rico so high up. India as an emerging market is huge: Khali's continued employment with WWE is a result of WWE wanting a piece of that action. Puerto Rico, on the other hand, has really isolated itself as a market and, with WWE so dominant, local promotions are floundering in comparison. Additionally, it has a major image problem in that outside talents don't feel safe working that territory. As a result, breakout stars are far fewer and farther between then previously. I'd put India sixth,then Germany, then Puerto Rico with Oz and New Zealand rounding out the ten.

[KAMALARAMBO: BOOMSHAKALAKA!!!]

Dec 3, 2013 21:20:19 GMT -5 nisidhe said:

I'm not sure I'd put Puerto Rico so high up. India as an emerging market is huge: Khali's continued employment with WWE is a result of WWE wanting a piece of that action. Puerto Rico, on the other hand, has really isolated itself as a market and, with WWE so dominant, local promotions are floundering in comparison. Additionally, it has a major image problem in that outside talents don't feel safe working that territory. As a result, breakout stars are far fewer and farther between then previously. I'd put India sixth,then Germany, then Puerto Rico with Oz and New Zealand rounding out the ten.

On the India thing though if we are talking about top 10 countries as far as actually producing wrestling I don't see how India can be included. Unless I'm just not aware of some popular India based promotions the closest thing India has produced to a prominent promotion is Ring Ka King. As mentioned though that was really an American project that just happened to be based in India.

[SEAN CARLESS]

Dec 1, 2013 13:36:49 GMT -5 @noggy said:

I think India and maybe China as well should be on the list simply because of their populations.

India is a bust. WWE and UFC have wanted to run there (WWE did one tour), but there is just no consistent money to be made there due to the severe poverty. Huge population without income = useless.

China on the other hand COULD be huge. But they're a hard market to crack. The regime there doesn't seem too open to enterprises they can't control. UFC held a show there, but not on the mainland.

[Phil Parent]

Germany is sixth, higher than Puerto Rico. Very healthy scene.

I know France and Israel have scenes, France has a regular fed. Russia used to have one years ago, but I'm not sure anymore.

Dolgorsuren Serjudbee (Blue Wolf) left NJPW to start a fed in Mongolia with his brother Dolgorsuren Sumiyabazar (A sumo wrestler whose name I forget)

[Crappler El 0 M]

Dec 3, 2013 21:32:14 GMT -5 SEAN CARLESS said:

Dec 1, 2013 13:36:49 GMT -5 @noggy said:

I think India and maybe China as well should be on the list simply because of their populations.

India is a bust. WWE and UFC have wanted to run there (WWE did one tour), but there is just no consistent money to be made there due to the severe poverty. Huge population without income = useless.

China on the other hand COULD be huge. But they're a hard market to crack. The regime there doesn't seem too open to enterprises they can't control. UFC held a show there, but not on the mainland.

Yeah, China has quickly become the number two market in the movie box office market. Often films will have to be edited before they can be shown in China, but it is worth the time to meet the edit demands. Hell, Disney and Marvel made a special version of Iron Man 3 just for China.

But enough about the movie industry. I am sure WWE, UFC, and New Japan would love to be able to get big TV access in China and would love to be able to tour there. But, as you mentioned, it's a tough market to crack due to the regime there.