Keep Wrestling Weird

Two nights of Austin pro wrestling showcase the eternal battle between corporateand indie

Earlier this week, I found myself in the very unique and exciting position of getting to see two live pro wrestling shows here in Austin. The first, on a Sunday night, was my regular monthly dose of Anarchy Championship Wrestling, a homegrown promotion of mostly under-the-radar wrestlers who perform at The Mohawk.

The next night I got my first chance to witness something a bit bigger for the first time. WWE, now the largest wrestling promotion in the world for a decade, brought its flagship show Monday Night Raw to the Frank Erwin Center. I may watch the show religiously now, but I was pretty pumped to see what it was like to be there in person with a large crowd.

With both shows being on consecutive nights, I knew that I had a chance to really compare and contrast what it is that separates the global corporation from the promotion that is based out of one of downtown Austin’s most popular music venues. After the last three-count was made on Monday night in front of a crowd of several thousand, I felt like I had witnessed a struggle that is being played out in all fields of entertainment today.

You see, here in Austin where the music and movie industries play such an important cultural role, we are all pretty familiar with the power struggle between the corporate haves and the independent have-nots. Of course that is in reference to who it is that has the money and influence, but we always immediately accept that it is the independents to keep the spirit of progress and revolutionary ideas alive while the corporate heads only care about bottom-lines. We see this dichotomy within the film and music industries.

I just didn’t expect it within a business where guys regularly take chair-shots to the head.

On Sunday night, I felt like I got the whole package. There was plenty of drama and tension both within the ring and outside. Storylines naturally progressed and hinted at the next show while a few curveballs were thrown. Within the “squared-circle” there was phenomenally exciting and well-executed action carried out, while the wrestlers used their natural charms to keep the crowd involved. It was basically the wrestling equivalent of Drive. I got everything I could have wanted and then some.

The next night I sat through what was basically underwhelming entertainment. Sure, there were plenty of pyrotechnics and superstars who oozed charisma, but it all just kind of went no where. The WWE now seems to be more focused on promos and other filmed segments, because it was a full half-hour before there was actually any wrestling in front of the crowd. I didn’t think the whole show was bad. I was certainly entertained, but I just wished I could have gotten more out of it. With all of the money put into this production, how could it have been less awesome than the show the night before that didn’t have pyrotechnics?

It was the wrestling equivalent of going to see a Transformers movie.

But I shouldn’t be surprised that this is the case, that one company that controls everything is snuffing out an entire industry’s creativity, and now that it controls so much, it feels no need to push the creative envelope. The best years of the WWE were when they were locked in a battle-to-the-death with their rival, WCW, during the 90s. Back then, they were forced to come up with new ideas at an amazing pace or risk sinking. Now that that major competition is well out of the way, there is now desire to even push the status quo because the status quo still makes lots of money.

In so many fields of entertainment and entrepreneurship today, there is a distinct lack of people willing to revolutionize something without the worry about what that will do to the budget.

I guess what I’m trying to say is, maybe Austin can really show the world how to keep things weird, and that damn well includes pro wrestling. All you have to do is throw a little support behind something you believe in, and for me, that is the little indie wrestling promotion that could.

If you want to be a part of an entertaining revolution, then clear your schedule for ACW’s next show, The Lone Star Classic, on November 12^th at The Mohawk, or visit them at Wizard World Austin Comic Con that same weekend. We could all use a little anarchy in out lives.

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High Score

Austin named the nation's pickleball capital in industry report

Photo by Henry Selis Photo

Other Racquet Social Club is back after city woes.

It's no secret that Austinites love pickleball. A new study proves just how much by ranking Austin the No. 1 city for pickleball in the whole country. Dallas and Houston also made the top 10 at Nos. 3 and 8, respectively.

The report was published by TeachMe.To, an online marketplace for learning sports (and sometimes music) from private instructors. It used data from its own platform, USA Pickleball, Places2Play, local pickleball associations, and more. It also referred to the Sports and Fitness Industry Association (SFIA), which named pickleball the fastest-growing sport in America, with a growth rate of 223.5 percent over three years.

Similarly, TeachMe.To ranked Austin as the fastest-growing city for pickleball, and citing this as the main reason for the overall title of "the nation's pickleball capital."

It name-checked the Austin Metro Pickleball Association (AMPA) — with approximately 3,000-3,500 members — and the Austin Pickleball League (APL), estimating that overall, "15,000-20,000 people play pickleball at least occasionally in the greater Austin area." About half of those players — about 8,000-10,000 people — play at least twice a month.

The report did not include gender data on Austin, specifically, but it did note that not only are two-thirds of pickleball players female; women's involvement in the sport is also growing 50 percent faster than men's.

New courts everywhere
This probably isn't a surprise to people who have noticed the number of courts opened around Austin in recent years. By 2024, TeachMe.To's data shows 32 dedicated courts in Austin, and thanks to with a utility rate of 92 percent it doesn't look like that'll be slowing down.

In the summer of 2023, the online booking platform Swimply noticed how many pickleball courts there were in Austin compared to such great demand, and added courts to its service. In fall 2023 and summer 2024, at least two important developments expanded that availability: Other Racquet Social Club opened as a friendly, country club-like neighborhood option, and national chain The Picklr announced it's bringing five locations to Austin and Round Rock.

Perhaps because Austin is such a food-obsessed city, there seems to be some growing opportunity for food and beverage hospitality around pickleball, too. Other Racquet recently started hosting the Bill's Dips food truck, a spinoff of the popular downtown restaurant Bill's Oyster; and a pair of bars with pickleball courts, Drifters Social Coffee & Cocktails and The Pickle Pub, also opened in South Austin this year, with strong online ratings already.

The trend has even reached into real estate (see this cute house with its own pickleball court) and inspired athletes to introduce similar sports to the local market, as in the case of the padel club Paddle39. TeachMe.To's report also mentioned tech companies adding pickleball to their campuses.

Aside from growth, the study also considered lesson activity (including information about teacher availability and diversity of clinic offerings), infrastructure, community vitality, the tournament scene.

Austin had the highest concentration of all the cities of players under 40 (65 percent), as well as the highest share of national lesson bookings. At 16.90 percent, that means about one in six of the pickleball lessons contracted through this platform were in Austin. Lesson demand, the report says, is growing 125 percent year-over-year.

Elsewhere in Texas
Dallas was No. 3 thanks in part to its "central location" according to the report.

"The city's 45 dedicated courts and 85 [percent] public accessibility rate have fostered one of the most active competitive scenes in the country, with 8,500 registered league players," it says. "The combination of strong tournament presence, extensive infrastructure, and a 112% growth in lesson bookings solidifies Dallas as a powerhouse in the national pickleball landscape."

Houston made No. 8 with an emphasis on integrating pickleball with other sports.

"The city's 22 dedicated courts have seen a 92% increase in lesson bookings, driven by innovative programming that includes the nation's first corporate league system," it says. "Houston's success in integrating pickleball into existing sports infrastructure while maintaining 72% year-round utilization demonstrates a sustainable model for rapid growth."

Overall predictions
After laying out data about the top cities in pickleball, the report made some predictions. As the Austin newcomer mentioned above believes, the report also thinks padel is the next big thing. It also guesses more cities will act like Houston by focusing on hybrid facilities.

It also expects to see an expanded professional circuit and mainstream coverage, more technology used on the court, a rise in the prevalence of young players, and more opportunities in corporate wellness and real estate. "Dedicated pickleball facilities will become as common as swimming pools in luxury developments," it says. Texans will be the judge of that one.

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