The internet is ruining wrestling!

[Perfection]

The internet is ruining wrestling

![/glow]

TSN.ca Staff
1/31/2004

Last Sunday, Chris Benoit shocked the wrestling world when he withstood the attack of 29 other WWE Superstars to become the 2004 Royal Rumble champion. Even more shocking to us was the fact that he showed up on WWE RAW the very next night to challenge Triple H for the World Title at WrestleMania XX.

Who the hell are we kidding? Most of us knew this was all going to happen three weeks ago.

I've been waiting for a few years to write this column, but have never been sure how to put all my feelings into words. Well, let me start things off by sending an apology out to you - the devoted wrestling fan.

I am sorry. I am sorry that we the so-called internet wrestling media have ruined the enjoyment of wrestling for you.

Last week, WWE Owner and Chairman Vince McMahon reportedly held town hall meetings with the cast and crews of both SmackDown! and RAW. He was apparently angry at the fact that too much backstage news was leaking out to the "wrestling press" and anyone caught giving information to so-called reporters will be punished. He also referred to the "wrestling press" as "parasites", feeling that the business is in a decline because of the internet. The news drew out acid-tongued lashings from internet wrestling pundits everywhere, who basically fired back at McMahon for putting out a bad product, treating internet fans and writers badly in the first place and not using the media as an asset like he is supposed to.

As much heat as I'm going to get for saying this, I must admit that Vinnie Mac has a point this time. News Flash, folks: The internet is ruining wrestling.

It's rather ironic, isn't it? An internet wrestling columnist slamming the very medium he works in. But before you all whip out the knives and start cutting, let me say that I'm not referring to any and all aspects of internet wrestling sites.

There's basically two categories of wrestling media that are out there - the 'A' group and 'B' group. As cocky as it may sound, I would like to refer to our own website as an 'A' group site. We put the weekly RAW and SmackDown! recaps after the shows go to air, and flood our site with our own analysis, as well as those of the fans. The occasional video interview is also available, as fans get to see us ask their favourite WWE stars just about anything and everything to do with the business. Other great wrestling media I enjoy in this category are SLAM! Wrestling, an excellent site for opinions and analysis and the premier stop for Canadian pro wrestling news, Live Audio Wrestling, a Sunday night radio program available on mojoradio.com, Sunday nights from 11pm-1am that breaks down the week that was in pro wrestling and mixed martial arts, with commentary from the always top-notch Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer fame.

Then there are the 'B' sites out there, and there certainly are a lot of them. You fellow internet marks know exactly what I'm talking about because we all -including myself - have visited them at one time or another.

I'm talking about the sites that have 15-20 pop-up windows when you visit. The sites that will go to any length to tell you what they know behind the scenes in wrestling by their own authority. The sites out there that were "the first to tell you" that Chris Benoit was going to win the Rumble (mind you many of these sites were also the "first to tell you" that plans had changed and Goldberg would win, no wait...it was going to be Angle for the troops...nope, just a moment, Triple H was politicking behind the scenes and apparently didn't want anyone from SmackDown to win it...no wait...you get the idea).

World Wrestling Entertainment can handle all the criticism they want constructive or not for as long as they exist. If anything, it's the wrestling press that 'spoils' their plans that they really want to nail.

Call them the National Enquirers of the wrestling media circuit, if you will. How many times have we been to these sites to discover headlines that read, 'WM Spoiler: Chris Benoit to fight Triple H at WrestleMania XX.' The temptation to click on this site is so unbearable, we actually cave in and take a peek to find something like this:

"As I first reported to you last month, Chris Benoit will win the Royal Rumble. WWE's current plan will be to book him in a title match with Triple H at WrestleMania XX. The feeling among those in the back is that Benoit is ready to main event now and putting Hunter with him would make the match go by smoothly."

"As I first reported to you last month?" "The feeling among those in the back?" Reading the way these so-called insiders come across make me think two things: they actually do have someone telling them legit information from the inside, or are making themselves sound like they're WAY too important. The sad thing is that most of these spoilers actually turn out to be true, and when they do, these so-called internet writers will be the first people to remind you that they told you first...as if their livelihood and professional reputation depended on it.  Of course, if you take 1,000 stabs in a dark room, you're eventually liable to hit something.

Granted, we are all guilty of succumbing to the temptations of reading spoilers, but how bad do you have to be to go out of your way to provide them?

Like it or not, the internet has become an integral part of modern day professional wrestling, but how about a little bit of responsibility, people? The great thing about professional wrestling, especially before the advent of the internet, is the element of surprise that comes with every live program.

By going out of the way to post spoilers and rumours, these so-called wrestling reporters are taking away all the suspense and anticipation that comes with watching what is supposed to be great performances enhanced by great storytelling. Remember that episode of 'The Simpsons' when Homer and Marge walked out of the 7:30 showing of The Empire Strikes Back and gave away the ending in front of the 9:30 line-up? That's what happens when Joe Wrestling Fan goes online nowadays.

That being said, should the wrestling media as a whole be considered 'parasites' as Vince McMahon described? Not really. I could name at least a dozen great wrestling writers and columnists off the top of my head, all of whom write about what they think of the product, or write about legitimate news stories such as deaths, injuries, and controversies, rather spill the beans on how the product is going look next week. But as long as there are self-proclaimed insiders out there who claim to have stethoscopes stuck to the wall of WWE's production room, the company will never let any of us off.

Worst of all, the biggest loser in this scenario will not be WWE or the writers that crave to put a foot in its door, but the fans who are always looking to be shocked and most of all - entertained.

credit www.tsn.ca/wrestling for this story

[Trauma-san]

yup, I saw this happening years ago.  Totally changed it.

[M Dogg™]

I agree with that article. I agreed with that article years ago. At first it was cool when the two big feds had their rivalry, and it was like, Chris Jericho signs to WWF, and I knew to tune into WWF because Jericho would be there, or Jeff Jarrett jumps to WCW, then I knew to watch WCW that week. But even then it took out the excitement. I remember when Hall first appeared on Nitro, I was shocked as hell. I was besides myself, 'cause 2 weeks ago he was on Raw. That was truly shocking. Then i got to college, got the internet, and it was cool. Then Vince Russo went to Nitro, I missed all of WWF 'cause I had to see Nitro that week. That's when both feds could use the internet to get ratings on their show. Now, with one show, it completly ruins wrestling completely. I person am not trying to read anything with Hulk Hogan at Wrestlemania XX, or Eddie winning the title at No Way Out, or Goldberg jumping. I like to read the reviews of the shows, especially 'cause my campus doesn't have Spike TV so I get no Raw, and that's about it.

[ARYC]

could everyone please stop blaming the internet?
it's not like they're forcing u to visit their site and it's not like they're forcing u to read the rumours.


"The temptation to click on this site is so unbearable, we actually cave in and take a peek"

lol what a dumbass. The way he was talking you'd think that the only reason that the WWE is not "entertaining" anymore is because of the internet like the "katie Vick" angle would've been entertaining if u hadn't read somewhere else that it was distasteful or that the "triple H/Scott Steiner " match would've been a match of the year candidate if u hadn't read that it sucked
please

[Perfection]

could everyone please stop blaming the internet?
it's not like they're forcing u to visit their site and it's not like they're forcing u to read the rumours.


"The temptation to click on this site is so unbearable, we actually cave in and take a peek"

lol what a dumbass. The way he was talking you'd think that the only reason that the WWE is not "entertaining" anymore is because of the internet like the "katie Vick" angle would've been entertaining if u hadn't read somewhere else that it was distasteful or that the "triple H/Scott Steiner " match would've been a match of the year candidate if u hadn't read that it sucked
please

The internet is being blamed because it's starting to take away any surprises in wrestling, that's what Vince is complaining about. Fans know who's going to win the Royal Rumble weeks ahead of time, and nothing is really surprising anymore and since there's no WCW and TNA really isn't anywhere close to WWE, they have nothing to compete with so the fans see as they already know what's going to happen.

[ARYC]

the internet fans makes for a small percentage of WWE's fans . it's not like everyone cares enough to go online and search for a site that's gonna tell em that "benoit's gonna win the belt" or anything
+ I bet the "sources" that give information are just whoever runs the site making predictions because WWE is really predictable : u could tell who was gonna win the rumble since Heyman told Benoit he wasn't gonna win it .
Last year everyone knew Lesnar was gonna win
before that everyone knew HHH was gonna win
before that Austin
and before that the rock
and they didn't know that because of the net it ws because WWE is so predictable ...so if Vince wants to create surprises he should maybe put a bit more effort into it .

[Sikotic™]

I don't think so. It has nothing to do with the product they are currently producing which reminds me of some shitty B-quality movie.

[pappy]

i disagree in away.  a lot of potential story lines get axed b/c if its leaked on to the internet.  but how many wrestling fans are actually reading these web sites that give away rumors n shit.  10-15% maybe