Episodes
Wednesday Jul 26, 2023
Theory of Pro Wrestling #6 - Purpose of Matches
Wednesday Jul 26, 2023
Wednesday Jul 26, 2023
Jordan Cooper & Jon Alba discuss character motivations to compete in matches, how it provides the audience a hierarchy of emotional investment, whether or not individual wins and losses even matter, the fallacies of "protecting" talent, and how antiquated match booking philosophies often get in the way of more compelling or serendipitous stories.
Jon Alba's Patreon & Discord: https://www.patreon.com/WrestlingAccordingToAlba
Jon Alba on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jonalba
Jordan Cooper on Twitter: https://twitter.com/blenderhd
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheoryofProWrestling
iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/theory-of-pro-wrestling/id1692460190
Wednesday Jul 19, 2023
Theory of Pro Wrestling #5 - The Cash-In
Wednesday Jul 19, 2023
Wednesday Jul 19, 2023
Jordan Cooper & Jon Alba discuss the title shot "cash-in" stipulation popularized with the WWE Money In The Bank ladder match, how the winner is framed in the narrative, the ways tension can be built by the contract holder, the storytelling dynamic differences between cash-ins by babyfaces versus heels, and how it can be utilized as a vehicle for character turns.
Jon Alba's Patreon & Discord: https://www.patreon.com/WrestlingAccordingToAlba
Jon Alba on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jonalba
Jordan Cooper on Twitter: https://twitter.com/blenderhd
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheoryofProWrestling
iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/theory-of-pro-wrestling/id1692460190
Wednesday Jul 12, 2023
Theory of Pro Wrestling #4 - Tweeners & Turns
Wednesday Jul 12, 2023
Wednesday Jul 12, 2023
Jordan Cooper & Jon Alba discuss the "tweener" character dynamic, how their role is framed heavily based on opponent, whether modern audiences accept pure babyfaces or heels anymore, the foreshadowing of character turns compared to illogical "swerves", and how successful turns are dictated more so by audience reaction rather than storylines.
Jon Alba's Patreon & Discord: https://www.patreon.com/WrestlingAccordingToAlba
Jon Alba on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jonalba
Jordan Cooper on Twitter: https://twitter.com/blenderhd
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheoryofProWrestling
iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/theory-of-pro-wrestling/id1692460190
Tuesday Jul 04, 2023
Theory of Pro Wrestling #3 - Babyfaces & Heels
Tuesday Jul 04, 2023
Tuesday Jul 04, 2023
Jordan Cooper & Jon Alba discuss the importance of protagonists & antagonists in pro wrestling storytelling, why virtue may be an antiquated descriptor when identifying "good guys" and "bad guys", how the audience dictates the alignment of characters more than anything else, and the difference between presenting a single main character versus an ensemble cast.
Jon Alba's Patreon & Discord: https://www.patreon.com/WrestlingAccordingToAlba
Jon Alba on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jonalba
Jordan Cooper on Twitter: https://twitter.com/blenderhd
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheoryofProWrestling
iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/theory-of-pro-wrestling/id1692460190
Friday Jun 23, 2023
Theory of Pro Wrestling #2 - Purpose of Rules
Friday Jun 23, 2023
Friday Jun 23, 2023
Jordan Cooper & Jon Alba discuss how rules within the fictional universe of pro wrestling are used (and often abused) for storytelling purposes including time limits, count outs, disqualifications, title stipulations, legal tags, multiway matches, usage of foreign objects, ringside managers, referee bumps, steel cages, and more. Are some outdated and not as effective as narrative devices anymore?
Join Jon's Patreon & Discord community: https://www.patreon.com/WrestlingAccordingToAlba
Follow Jordan Cooper on Twitter: https://twitter.com/blenderhd
Follow Jon Alba on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jonalba
Subscribe to the YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@TheoryofProWrestling
Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/theory-of-pro-wrestling/id1692460190
Follow on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theoryofprowrestling
Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theoryofprowrestling
Tuesday Jun 13, 2023
Theory of Pro Wrestling #1 - Chekhov’s Gun
Tuesday Jun 13, 2023
Tuesday Jun 13, 2023
Jordan Cooper & Jon Alba discuss how Chekhov's gun can be a useful tool to judge storytelling narratives presented in pro wrestling, both from a storyline perspective as well as the in-ring matches themselves. Also, we debate the thesis of what is "modern" pro wrestling and how the expectations of the current audience may differ from previous eras.
Join Jon's Patreon & Discord community: https://www.patreon.com/WrestlingAccordingToAlba
Follow Jordan Cooper on Twitter: https://twitter.com/blenderhd
Follow Jon Alba on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jonalba
Subscribe to the YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@TheoryofProWrestling
Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/theory-of-pro-wrestling/id1692460190
Follow on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theoryofprowrestling
Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theoryofprowrestling