By The Armchair Booker

Fantasy wrestling is built on the shoulders of storytellers. For decades, handlers, fedheads, and staff writers have poured their creative energy into the matches that drive our fictional promotions forward — crafting blow-by-blow epics, comedic squashes, emotional grudge bouts, and five-star main events.

But now, there’s a new player in the ring.

Artificial Intelligence has entered the arena — and whether you welcome it or fear it, the question remains:
Does AI belong in match writing? And if so, what role should it play in the future of eWrestling?

🤖 AI Enters the Ring

AI tools like ChatGPT and others can now generate fully written wrestling matches in seconds. Want a hardcore brawl in Tokyo Dome between two OC wrestlers? Done. Need a 1,500-word blowoff cage match with spots, callbacks, and commentary? AI can deliver that too — instantly.

Some eFeds are already experimenting:

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  Using AI to fill in undercard matches.

  
  


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  Having AI co-write segments or commentary.

  
  


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  Letting handlers use AI to spark creativity for promos or finishes.

  
  

What used to take hours of effort can now be automated, edited, and posted within minutes.

It’s efficient. It’s powerful.

It’s controversial.

🧠 The Pros of AI Match Writing

1. Reduces Burnout for Fed Staff

Let’s be honest — matchwriting fatigue is one of the top reasons feds close. AI can help fill gaps when writers ghost or cards run long. It ensures shows get posted on time, without overloading a handful of volunteers.

2. Faster Turnaround Times

AI can create a readable, cohesive match draft instantly. Fedheads can review, polish, or tweak rather than write from scratch. This accelerates show production.

3. Support for Undercard/Unbooked Characters

Want to showcase lesser-used characters without spending all night writing? AI-generated matches can give your full roster a spotlight without sacrificing the main event workload.

4. Creative Jumpstarts

Handlers struggling with writer’s block can use AI to generate outline templates, match concepts, or help format spots. It doesn’t replace the handler — it supports them.

⚠️ The Cons (and Concerns)

1. Loss of Voice and Emotion

The best fantasy matches come from people who know the characters. They inject nuance, psychology, callbacks, and emotion that AI can’t fully replicate — especially for characters it’s never seen before.

AI might get the format right, but it rarely captures the soul.

2. Over-Reliance and Laziness

Once a fed starts leaning too heavily on AI, there's a risk of sameness. Every match starts to feel templated. The human touch disappears. You lose those little quirks — the awkward ref spots, the unexpected crowd reactions, the callbacks to a handler’s last promo.

3. Undermines the Writer’s Craft

Many handlers and matchwriters love the art of writing. It’s a creative outlet. If AI becomes the default, it could devalue the role of those who take pride in scripting matches the old-school way.

4. Ethical Concerns

Should someone win a match written entirely by a machine? Should a title change hands in a match auto-generated from a prompt? Some see that as hollow. Others call it efficient storytelling.

The answer depends on what kind of fed you want to run — and what your community values.

⚖️ Human vs AI — or Human + AI?

This doesn’t have to be a battle. It can be a tag team.

Here’s how AI can enhance — not replace — the matchwriting process:

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  Co-Writing: Generate a basic outline or skeleton from AI, then human writers expand and polish.

  
  


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  Segment Starters: Use AI to format interviews, hype promos, or commentary pieces for shows.

  
  


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  NPC Matches: Let AI write matches between non-handler characters or enhancement talent.

  
  


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  Writing Assistant: Have AI suggest alternate phrasing, pacing fixes, or add creative spot ideas to a draft.

  
  

The goal isn’t to kill the writer. The goal is to support the writer — and to keep feds moving forward without sacrificing creative quality.

🏁 Final Bell: The Choice Is Yours

Fantasy wrestling has always evolved. We moved from email chains to forums, from static HTML sites to Discord servers. AI is just the next phase.

What matters is how we use it.

Do you want fast, AI-written results with light polish? Or deeply human-crafted stories written with love? Do you want AI to fill in the gaps — or lead the charge?

Whatever you choose, make sure your fed’s identity stays intact.

Because no matter who writes the match…

The story is still yours to tell.