Written by: Kevin Berge

I am not one to hyperbolize generally, but the 2021 weekend of August 20 - August 22 may be one of the biggest in professional wrestling history. Something changed on Friday when AEW aired The First Dance, the second-ever episode of AEW Rampage.

Set in Chicago, a major reveal was promised that might be one of the worst kept secrets in wrestling. However, everyone tuned in all the same. In his hometown, CM Punk returned and sat down to espouse why he had finally returned to wrestling.

It was not as much his words but the air in the room that made this moment special. It was like a weight had been lifted off the professional wrestling that no one realized was there. A man that had truly loved wrestling and had that love ripped away from him was finally back.

Written by: Kevin Berge

Wrestling is not the same without fans. It's true of any sport, but wrestling especially is morphed by crowd reactions. While a bad crowd can bring down a show and an ignored crowd can completely stop a show cold, a great crowd makes wrestling what it is.

This sport is built on entertainment, adjusting and molding to the fans. While the silence has allowed more experimentation from performers, there has never been that same energy. The roar of the crowd is what evolves a show from good to great.

It's been too long since wrestling fans have been regularly in attendance for an important reason. We need to stay safe. Even now, it may be too soon with a new COVID variant hitting the United States that can affect those who are vaccinated, but the business decision has been made.

Written by: Kevin Berge (Image Courtesy of: WWE.com)

Another WWE year has passed. WrestleMania season is over, and the wrestling will begin to rebuild for the future. This year's 'Mania especially felt like it was the end of an era, the beginning of something new.

For the past year, we have watch professional wrestling in a bubble, missing the energy of the crowd. While WWE very likely rushed a crowd out for WWE WrestleMania, the feeling of that crowd was something special.

Hopefully, we all can get vaccinated soon, and that energy can reignite wrestling. The WrestleMania week certainly felt energized. It's going to hard to go back to the Thunderdome set for a while longer.

Written by: Kevin Berge

AEW Revolution 2021 had much to live up to. It was the first major pay-per-view on the All Elite Wrestling calendar. The 2020 edition of AEW Revolution was one of the best modern wrestling shows. Plus it was a show in the midst of the Road to WrestleMania.

In every aspect, this needed to be a win, and ultimately it was. However, a few hiccups hurt the work of the talent as well as giving fuel to those that gladly criticize AEW.

When you make promises, you have to deliver. AEW unfortunately missed the mark on that, leaving fans with a show that was good but ended with a disappointment that could haunt the brand for months and years to come.

Written by: Kevin Berge

2020 is a year that will long live in infamy. After decades of projection, we were hit with a global pandemic that affected every waking moment. COVID-19 affected 83.6 million people with 1.82 million dying from the effects of the virus.

In the United States alone, 20 million were affected with 346 thousand cases. This is a highly contagious virus that can cripple people if not outright kill them. In order to avoid it, the world had waves of complete lockdown. Despite this going on almost a year, much of the world is still in isolation.

This has affected so many in different ways. From the many important people lost in this year to the financial burden so many already-struggling people have endured from the closure of businesses, we were caught at the brink of true tragedy.