Then, Now, Forever: Exploring Mental Health, Burnout, and Creative Engagement in the Modern World of Professional Wrestling Content Creation

Digital content creation is an increasingly prominent form of creative labour, yet limited research has examined how creators in niche fan cultures, such as professional wrestling, experience the intersection of passion, work, and community. This study employed Reflexive Thematic Analysis to explore how wrestling content creators make sense of their roles within the contemporary digital wrestling landscape. Using semi-structured interviews with ten wrestling content creators, two superordinate themes were developed: [1] Social Connection and Relational Labour, and [2] Professionalisation of Fandom. Participants described both the rewards and demands of content creation, including social connection, audience community, and shared enthusiasm, alongside toxicity, emotional strain, and pressure to remain visible and authentic. The findings highlight the blurred boundaries between fandom and labour, showing how creators negotiate the relational and psychological demands of sustained online presence. To our knowledge, this study offers one of the first empirical insights into wrestling content creators as digital cultural workers, and findings indicate a greater need for scholarly and practical considerations in supporting creator well-being in fan-centred online environments.