Professional wrestling isn’t something you grow out of. It’s a multi-generational phenomenon, a larger-than-life spectacle anchored by iconic characters and one of the most passionate fan bases in all of sports. One live event wields the power to convert even the biggest skeptic into a lifelong fan.
Take it from Allenownz, a pro-wrestling content creator from Bethpage on Long Island. The self-proclaimed “King of Cringe” has amassed over 3 million followers on TikTok from his daily, in-depth wrestling coverage featuring live streams, reaction clips, and commentary videos.
His wrestling-focused YouTube channel, “@AllenownzWrasslin”, is approaching its one-year anniversary, yet his footprint on the world of content creation traces back much further. He originally found success from streaming popular video game titles such as Fortnite and Fall Guys.
Even when gaming comprised the bulk of his content, he let other sides of his personality shine through. As an avid movie buff, he began posting film reviews to the popular social platform, Letterboxd. And as a lifelong wrestling fan, he started talking about WWE during his livestreams.
To his surprise, viewers quickly responded to his wrestling coverage and began tuning in for it every single week. As gaming began to take a backseat for him, he brought wrestling to the forefront of his content.
“I wanted to just show more of myself,” he told amNewYork. “It just happened that my audience was really in love with WWE as much as I was. It just kind of took off from there.”
Allenownz grew up in a family that was extremely passionate about professional wrestling, and the multi-generational love got passed down to him. He recalled core memories of attending events at the Nassau Coliseum and Madison Square Garden with his dad, uncle, and older cousins.
His first wrestling memory centered around the 2002 Survivor Series at the Garden. A day prior, an 8-year-old Allenownz had a chance to meet Brock Lesnar and his legendary manager, Paul Heyman, at FunTime USA in Brooklyn. The following night at MSG, Ownz bawled his eyes out as Heyman betrayed Lesnar and helped Big Show win the WWE Championship.
“Even though you didn’t understand the storyline, them being larger-than-life characters, you were so ingrained in it that it felt real to you,” he said. “And even when you found out it was fake, you were already so invested in everything that’s happening on the TV show that you’re still tuning in every single day.”
He never lost his love for pro wrestling; now, his creative drive has gotten him to get closer to the action than ever before. He regularly tours the globe to attend WWE’s premium live events (PLEs) such as the Royal Rumble in Indianapolis and Elimination Chamber in Toronto. He went backstage to film content with celebrities during Monday Night Raw at Madison Square Garden. One of his videos even garnered a response from the most famous man in the industry, The Rock, who he joked was “just another guy in the comments.”
His favorite part of the job, however, is getting a chance to meet and connect with all the viewers who support his channel. Allenownz arrives at events an hour early and stays an hour after so he can meet the people who “changed his life.” He recently started bringing white t-shirts to each event he attends to get autographs from his supporters.
“I don’t get to do this type of stuff without the people that support my content,” he said. “The fact that I get to meet these people in person and interact with them, even if it’s just a ‘hello,’ is so sick.”
He has undoubtedly felt the love from the WWE universe, a tight-knit community that’s especially strong in his home state. He mentioned that wrestling in New York – as well as the Northeast at large – just hits differently, adding that “we will show up for any type of show.”
One such event is Subway Mania, the brainchild of fellow wrestling content creator, Tim Rivera. A true New York experience, Subway Mania features a group of performers who cosplay as pro wrestlers, pack out a moving subway car, and put on a full-scale wrestling show.
“Seeing somebody take a pop-up powerbomb onto the floor of a subway train was just unreal,” he said, having attended his first Subway Mania a few weeks prior.
Ownz credited New York with having one of the most vibrant independent wrestling scenes in the world while also being home to some of the biggest stars in the industry, such as MJF, Damien Priest, and even Chris Jericho – he was born in Manhasset and his father, Ted Irvine, played for the New York Rangers.
“New York breeds professional wrestling and it has the greatest professional wrestling fans,” he said. “You can argue with a wall, New York has the lifeblood of professional wrestling.”
As he packs his bags for Las Vegas to attend WrestleMania for the first time in his life, Allenownz is also looking forward to WWE’s long-awaited return to East Rutherford, New Jersey. MetLife Stadium will make history when it hosts the first-ever two-night SummerSlam on August 2 and 3, and Ownz couldn’t think of a better place for it to be.
“We are the hub for any type of event,” he said. “MetLife is the perfect location in my opinion. August is the perfect time; It’s probably going to be a little too hot but it doesn’t matter. I’m down to burn to watch two nights of SummerSlam, plus we’ll probably have John Cena as the world champion. It’s going to be so sick.”
