A Modest Response: The Best of the IWC

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The best wrestling sites on the internet? Pulse Wrestling belongs with very best of them hands down, but if you’re here, reading this, odds are you know that (or at the very least know that’s my opinion on the matter). Let’s take a look at where else on the Internet Wrestling Community you can find the best content, category by category.

Best Pay SiteWrestling Observer/Figure Four Weekly.

Dave Meltzer, through whatever means, has had the biggest effect of any outsider, perhaps ever, on the wrestling business. The Wrestling Observer Newsletter, featuring match ratings and the most reliable news on the internet, is the most read and respected newsletter both by fans and those within the business by far. Well, as of last week, for the first time the Observer is available online.

Bryan Alvarez, a goofy, trained wrestler, has a keen mind for the business and puts on several of the most interesting podcasts around, notably the Observer Live with Meltzer and the Bryan and Vinny show with Vinny Verhei. The reviews within are top notch and the banter is worthy of an actual quality radio show. He runs Figure Four Weekly, the pay site with the best Podcasts around.

The Observer, owned by Meltzer, and Figure Four Weekly, owned by Alvarez, have combined. For $10 ten a month you get the Observer online and all the great podcasts by both men and their crews, which include Dr. Keith and Five Star Radio. As an added bonus, you get the wackiest message board around.

There is no sight with better news, analysis and podcasts. There are other sites that do each, but none that can touch them either individually or combined. If you’re willing to pay the $10 a month, The Observer/Figure Four Weekly is where your money should go.

Best Free Mainstream Site411Mania.com

When it comes to free sites, it’s hard to fail to acknowledge one of the most successful sites for much of the last decade. 411mania has a solid staff that covers every happening in mainstream wrestling, whether it is TNA or WWE with an astonishing speed and amount of different outlooks. The news all finds its way to 411, as does every show review, and a good number of features. If you love your televised wrestling, then for information, look no further than 411.

Best Free Indy SiteThe Cool Kids Table

Jake Ziegler and Brad Garoon are two of the longest standing ROH reviewers on the internet. They spent years at 411 and have a good relationship with about half of the indies. When they decided to branch off on their own, they opened the Cool Kids Table, which quickly became the internets preeminent independent wrestling sight (with apologies to DOI). They cover all the major indies and are constantly looking for ways in which to expand that coverage. With that every ROH show is reviewed and there’s also an awesome Podcast that this week featured Tyler Black. This is a site worth finding and supporting if you’re a fan of independent wrestling on any level.

Of course if you want to combine top notch independent coverage with great mainstream columns, reviews, and news, you already know Pulse Wrestling is the place to be. Sorry, couldn’t resist.

Best Message BoardWrestlingForum

Wrestlingforum is the single best messageboard I’ve ever found. There are numerous fans with different points of view on the board, all are respectful, and there are logical lines drawn as to what discussion goes where (which also helps in not getting tons of complaints because you like something others dislike). The moderators are effective and the discussion is always good, but the best part, for me at least, is that the Other Wrestling board is populated by a large group of Pulse Writers. No pay is needed at all, but there is a $10 lifetime membership that buys you permanent access to a great Multimedia section, as well.

The only way the site is lacking is in Puro discussion, so check the purofan boards for that.

Best Wrestler’s WebsiteStormWrestling

Lance storm is the best wrestler to have hit the internet by far. His commentaries are brutally honest and revealing. This is the highest compliment I can pay his writing: it is of the same impeccable quality as his wrestling.

That’s it for this week, see you all Thursday with 10 Thoughts in Impact and Friday with more ROH Weekly.

Glazer is a former senior editor at Pulse Wrestling and editor and reviewer at The Comics Nexus.