For the longest time, pro wrestling worked outside the mainstream of sports and entertainment, not quite fitting into either box and dipping a toe here and there in both genres when it could.

Hulk Hogan was the first to truly cross over, but it was an unspectacular run over B-movies and cookie-cutter TV (though I did enjoy “Thunder in Paradise”). The Monday Night Wars brought Dennis Rodman, Mike Tyson and even David Arquette and Jay Leno to have their brief wrestling moments, but that was a hot flame that died quickly. 

We no longer live in those times. There is likely no going back. 

We have seen WWE debut on ESPN with its talent all over the Worldwide Leader’s programming in a way the company has been striving to attain for years.