Made In China

Something very interesting is taking place in China. This year, a promotion called Oriental Wrestling Entertainment (OWE) was started there and unlike other wrestling companies that start small and get bigger over time, this one was big from the get-go. Whoever owns this company sure has deep pockets. Slick, well-packaged, and with a clear direction of what it wants to do and where it wants to go, this is pro wrestling that seems to have been created in a boardroom. These are just my musings based on the little I've seen online. For a better understanding of what OWE is about, read this excellent article by James Snelgrove. One of the unusual things about OWE is that, according to Snelgrove, "their goal simply isn't to present pro wrestling, but to make the wrestlers "famous idols" which is why Chinese articles about the company call them a young men's action idol troupe. Their events have a variety show feel to them with the wrestling ring as the central focal point." (That explains why all their wrestlers are so young.) I'm going to be keeping an eye on OWE because if they become huge, their business model could be copied around the world and we might be seeing a very different kind of pro wrestling in the years to come.
Here are some videos from OWE:
The Fighter's Dance (They don't just wrestle, they dance!)
OWE "Who We Are"
OWE Debut Show Highlights

The star of OWE is A Ben who is also called Achilles Ben, Big Ben and The Captain (so
many names!). He's the one who's always featured front and center. All the solo pics
you'll see here are of him.

Foreign wrestlers are brought in to play the heels.

Photo shoots like this are designed to market the wrestlers as idols.