Paul London Claims Social Media Has Watered Down Pro Wrestling

Paul London isn’t trying to play to the algorithm, and he’s not interested in fitting into the version of pro wrestling he believes social media has helped create.

During his appearance on Insight with Chris Van Vliet, the former WWE Cruiserweight Champion delivered a blunt critique of where the industry has gone, making it clear that his frustration isn’t about nostalgia — it’s about what he sees as a loss of discipline, craft, and respect for the art form.

London explained that he intentionally keeps distance between his life and online validation, and he believes that mindset is increasingly rare in wrestling today. In his view, the business didn’t just evolve with social media, it bent itself out of shape to accommodate people who are more interested in attention than storytelling.

“Social media doesn’t run my life. If anything, that’s one of the main things that has really put the wrestling business in the state that it’s in now.”

He argued that the barrier to entry has essentially disappeared, and that the industry now accepts people who haven’t put in the work, which forces the product to water itself down to accommodate them.

“Now anybody can be a wrestler. Who isn’t a wrestler now? I mean, you just stumble upon whoever. It’s like, ‘Pro wrestler! I do the grabs!’ Shut the f** up.”*

London went further, saying that in order to make space for everyone who wants to play wrestler, the business has sacrificed believability and presentation.

“To allow these people to play, the business has to compromise itself and look sh**ier and phonier and more cooperative and more planned, more rehearsed — and it’s just unwatchable.”*

He also took direct aim at performers and fans who openly claim that kayfabe is dead, suggesting that statement says more about their lack of commitment than it does about the state of wrestling.

“The people who say that kayfabe is dead, they’re basically just admitting to me: ‘I lack all skills that have to do with commitment in order to make this work. I don’t have the patience. I don’t have the drive. I don’t have the heart. I don’t even care to make this magical.’”

According to London, the modern incentive structure is backward. Instead of obsessing over timing, psychology, and connection, too many performers are chasing metrics.

“I’d rather have people like my page, buy my subscription, subscribe to me, OnlyFans — okay? — pay a month. That’s more important. Likes and subscriptions, that’s the currency.”

For London, the issue isn’t change itself. It’s the idea that the core values of wrestling — discipline, illusion, emotional investment, and respect for the audience — are being treated as optional rather than essential.

Paul London’s comments don’t sound like someone trying to stir controversy for attention. They sound like someone who still takes wrestling seriously, even if he feels the industry often doesn’t. Whether people agree with him or not, his perspective comes from someone who lived inside that system, succeeded within it, and walked away still caring about what the craft is supposed to represent.

Please credit Ringside News if you use the above transcript in your publication.