WWE Legend Ron Garvin Calls Modern Wrestling ‘Embarrassing’ and ‘Horrible’ in Explosive Busted Open Rant
“Good wrestling is — I don’t know if it still exists” — that blistering verdict comes from former NWA World Heavyweight Champion Ron Garvin, who unleashed a scathing critique of today’s pro wrestling industry on “Busted Open Radio,” declaring that modern matches are so unwatchable he compares performers to “chimpanzees” and says he wouldn’t let children see the product.
Garvin, 81, who famously battled Ric Flair in the 1980s and held the NWA’s most prestigious title, did not hold back when asked about the current state of wrestling. The veteran’s comments have ignited a firestorm of debate among fans, pitting old-school purists against defenders of the modern, high-risk athletic style that dominates WWE, AEW, and the independent scene.
‘Why Did They Do That?’
Garvin began by acknowledging that wrestling has always evolved but suggested the current product has lost its way entirely.
“Wrestling has changed so much, so much! Sometimes I don’t understand it, and I watch matches and I go, ‘Why did they do that?'” Garvin said on the podcast. He clarified that he does see some good things but insisted that much of what he watches is executed poorly or placed in the wrong context.
“I watch other sports, but wrestling? Because sometimes it’s a little boring and I’ve seen matches – it’s embarrassing,” he added.
The former NWA champion’s frustration stems from what he sees as a fundamental disconnect between the storytelling psychology of his era and the acrobatic, no-selling, high-spot style that dominates today.
A Painful Autograph-Signing Story
Garvin recounted a particularly uncomfortable experience at a wrestling convention where a promoter asked him to stay after a signing to watch some matches from the post-show card. Garvin agreed but quickly regretted it.
“I hated it – I don’t lie – [the promoter] said: ‘What do you think?’ … I said: ‘It sucks!’ You know? ‘It’s horrible!'” Garvin recalled, without any apparent softening of his language.
Then came his most damning comparison. “You know, I wouldn’t even put that in front of kids! You know, they’d be laughing, thinking they’re chimpanzees or some damn thing.”
The image of children laughing at wrestlers as if watching zoo animals is about as harsh a dismissal as one can imagine from a man who helped sell out arenas during wrestling’s golden era.
The Old School vs. New School Divide
Garvin’s comments tap into a long-simmering debate within the wrestling community. Older fans and veterans often argue that modern wrestling has sacrificed psychology, selling, and storytelling for “movez” — a dismissive term for the endless sequences of dives, flips, and near-falls that populate contemporary matches.
Defenders of modern wrestling counter that athleticism has reached unprecedented heights, that fans today have different expectations, and that nostalgia often paints an inaccurate picture of past eras, which also had their share of bad matches and questionable booking.
The numbers tell an interesting story. WWE’s live event attendance and television ratings have stabilized after years of decline, while AEW has carved out a loyal niche audience. But neither promotion approaches the cultural ubiquity of the Attitude Era or the regional sell-out crowds of the territory days that Garvin remembers.
Garvin’s Place in Wrestling History
Ron Garvin, known as “Hands of Stone” for his devastating knockout punch, held the NWA World Heavyweight Championship in 1987 after defeating Ric Flair at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit. His reign lasted just 62 days before dropping the title back to Flair, but his place in wrestling history is secure.
Garvin was known as a no-nonsense, tough-as-nails competitor whose style was grounded in realism and brawling. He came up through the territories — including Jim Crockett Promotions, Georgia Championship Wrestling, and World Class Championship Wrestling — where the emphasis was on making matches look like genuine athletic contests rather than choreographed exhibitions.
From that perspective, his distaste for today’s product is entirely consistent. A wrestler who made his name throwing worked punches that looked like real haymakers would naturally struggle to appreciate the cooperative, almost dance-like sequences that define modern main events.
Fan Reactions
Social media reaction to Garvin’s comments has been sharply divided. Older fans have rallied behind the veteran. “Ron Garvin is 100% right. Today’s wrestling is gymnastics with a wrestling ring,” one user posted on X. “No psychology, no selling, no story. Just spot, spot, pose, spot.”
Younger fans have dismissed Garvin as out of touch. “Respect to Ron Garvin but the business passed him by 30 years ago,” another user wrote. “Modern wrestling is faster, more athletic, and more exciting than anything from the 80s. Sorry the old man can’t keep up.”
Some took a more measured approach. “Garvin has a point about psychology and selling, but he’s ignoring that today’s wrestlers are doing things that would have been impossible 40 years ago,” a fan posted. “Both things can be true — the athleticism is incredible AND the storytelling has suffered.”
The Bigger Question
Garvin’s final question — “Good wrestling is – I don’t know if it still exists” — is less a statement of fact than an expression of generational alienation. What Garvin means by “good wrestling” is what he grew up with and helped create: slow-building, psychology-driven matches where every move had a purpose and selling was paramount.
By that definition, he may be right. That style barely exists anymore, preserved only in certain indies and nostalgia acts.
But by other definitions — athletic exhibition, emotional melodrama, high-flying spectacle — modern wrestling is thriving. The question is not whether good wrestling exists, but whether one’s definition of “good” has kept pace with how the art form has evolved.
For Ron Garvin, the answer is clearly no. And he’s not afraid to say so — loudly, colorfully, and without a single polite qualification.
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Writer: Sam Michael
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