The Rise of Pro Wrestling in China

While professional wrestling is a billion-dollar spectacle overseas, with WWE leading the charge, the sport remained a niche curiosity in China—until last December, when a dramatic match inside a Guangdong dim sum restaurant went unexpectedly viral. Since then, crowds have poured into the restaurants in Guangdong to feast on dumplings and riveting fights, thrusting this once-obscure sport into the national spotlight.

Middle Kingdom Wrestling (MKW), a company promoting pro wrestling as entertainment in China, celebrated its 10th anniversary this May by bringing the match to Beijing for the first time. Follow TWOC as we step into the ring with wrestlers from China and beyond, and get a front-row seat to their show-stopping moves.