Why I chose Substack
The story behind the story
If you believe you are capable of achieving more, then go out and prove it.
After nearly a decade with Sports Illustrated, that is the challenge I am setting for myself.
When I made the decision to leave SI, I debated whether to write for another site or start my own. Every offer came with a caveat. Some places wanted only MMA, others only wrestling. Some preferred only WWE or UFC coverage. Very few shared the joy in covering the indies on a consistent level. Even when we came close to agreeing, there was never a point where it felt like a mutual fit.
Throughout the process, one thought kept repeating: pro wrestling and MMA coverage is not always treated the way they should be. So why not do it my way?
Though this makes me sound ancient, I still enjoy reading the newspaper. Rarely do you ever find any stories on wrestling or MMA, even if they belong on those pages. Pro wrestling and MMA are two incredible fields, full of athletes with personality and stories to share. So that’s the wonderful part about Undisputed here on Substack: I can cover it exactly the way I want, with features and news and coverage you will not find anywhere else.
Welcome to Undisputed
There will be opinion pieces, there will be interviews, there will be a look at all the news that breaks throughout the industry–maybe we’ll even break some of our own, too. Above all, there will be consistency. I will have stories every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday, along with a weekly podcast that drops each Tuesday.
As for why I left SI, it is best explained in old wrestling parlance–after starting there in 2014, it was time for me to change territories. I want to focus on the stories that I believe are the most substantive. After working in a space where the emphasis shifted toward quantity, I want to be in a position where my sole responsibility is quality. I’m not here to hit a quota–I am here to write with passion and cover the industry with soul. That’s why I am on Substack, which led to the creation of Undisputed. And I’m not just betting on myself–I’m betting on all of us.
There are a plethora of quality wrestling and MMA sites already in existence, and my goal is to provide something different. Of course, something different that also happens to be compelling, entertaining, and worthy of your time. As I prepared to launch Undisputed, I was extremely happy with the layout. On so many sites, you are bombarded with ads to the point where it becomes difficult to finish a story. That is not an issue on Substack, where the focus is on text and photos, which is incredibly refreshing. And that won’t change: Undisputed will always be reader-friendly.
If you’re coming Undisputed, I’ll make sure there is always worthwhile content. Some of it will be free, along with exclusive content for subscribers.
The Week in Wrestling column on Wednesday and MMA Notebook on Friday will remain free, and there will be additional premium content published around that. The stories that post on Sunday and Monday–there will be Sunday Notes every Sunday at 8am ET, the Extra Mustard opinion piece on Mondays, and a podcast that drops each Tuesday–will only be available for subscribers. For the first week, all of the content will be free.
It’s time to explore a whole new canvas. And I’m hoping you will be part of the journey.
Welcome!