Jump to content

The British wrestling business


Terje Rindal

Recommended Posts

Guest NothingElseMatters

I don't know Terje. You raised some difficult questions there, maybe its down to something as simple as the ego of the wrestler. Its a little more difficult to push the blame if a wrestler is critisied, he has to foot it himself. A footballer can blame his team mates, an actor can blame his director etc. A promotor probably feels the same, that with the criticism it may drive people away from his product. A film doesn't have that problem because it has more exposure, more advertising than an Independent wrestling promotion and people will go see that film regardless of what reviews it may have garnered.Perhaps the British wrestlers don't want the criticism because it could stop further work opportunities, perhaps they see it as a possible block to potential overseas work.EDIT: Bloody hell Mo, you said almost the same things as me. DAMN YOU for being a faster typer :sly:

Edited by NothingElseMatters
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 86
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

  • Paid Members

Wouldn't you say that those criticisms are also true of many American indy promotions (many of them I've never heard of). They too must have their own message boards with fans criticising workers/shows, and the promotions and wrestlers reacting to those criticisms.I don't think it's a problem particularly confined to British wrestling.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wouldn't you say that those criticisms are also true of many American indy promotions (many of them I've never heard of). They too must have their own message boards with fans criticising workers/shows, and the promotions and wrestlers reacting to those criticisms.

Definitely. Not only that, we all remember Jericho's classic rant.

I don't think it's a problem particularly confined to British wrestling.

I never said it was.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest NothingElseMatters

Wouldn't you say that those criticisms are also true of many American indy promotions (many of them I've never heard of). They too must have their own message boards with fans criticising workers/shows, and the promotions and wrestlers reacting to those criticisms.I don't think it's a problem particularly confined to British wrestling.

Oh yes, im sure that those points are also true of the wrestlers of the US. Hell, even the mainstream US workers have had a pop at the Internet (Jericho and HHH spring to mind, however I feel that HHH's comments in particular may have been slightly worked, he probably likes some of the press, negative or not).
Link to comment
Share on other sites

This could then sway promoters from booking those names, so in that regard, criticism can have a real impact on pro wrestlers' (many of whom are really, when it comes down to it, fans who wrestle at weekends) careers.

Mo, you are dead right here.Imagine you are a Sales person and one of your clients or customers came on a public forum like this dedicated to sales people, where he knew clients and prospectiv employers read the posts, and made comments like "He cant sell, he doesnt know how to", all due to one bad incident. Do you think that the person in question would be re-hired by anyone who knew of this feedback, or would be able to sell to new clients who knew the feedback, the answer here is no. The main reason people defend themselves in a public manner is so that they can still be seemed to give a sh** about what they do and care about what they do. At the end of the day this is a business and most of these guys see this as a living (even the US guys relating to US Smarts), and most of them are grown men. Now these grown men are having 12-15 year old smartasses ruining their reputations in a public manner, when in all honesty they are trying to earn a living whilst trying to entertain said smartasses.Some of the things i have read over the last two years on the board are criminal regarding people's abilities as wrestlers. At the end of the day in a business that is revolving more and more around the internet, these guys have the right to defend themselves just as you all have a right to an opinion.Please just bear in mind that for some of these guys this is their livelyhood and some (not all) smarts take great pleasure in inadvertantly ruining careers.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't think it's a problem particularly confined to British wrestling.

I never said it was.
Erm, calling this thread 'The British wrestling business' kind of implies that you did.
Again, it's because it's a board read by people of the BRITISH wrestling business. If anyone besides Mo didn't understand that, I apologise.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Paid Members

I don't think it's a problem particularly confined to British wrestling.

I never said it was.
Erm, calling this thread 'The British wrestling business' kind of implies that you did.
Again, it's because it's a board read by people of the BRITISH wrestling business. If anyone besides Mo didn't understand that, I apologise.
The title says 'The British wrestling business'. That would suggest you're discussing British wrestling. However, your point relates to pro wrestling in GENERAL. Simple, really. :rolleyes:
Link to comment
Share on other sites

^^^^^^^That's a great post there by Mike Bishop. It seems I hit a nerve with people with this thread, which wasn't my intention at all. What I wanted to do was get a debate going, which this board is seriously lacking at the moment. Well done Mr Bishop for putting your views forward in a respectable manner, without having to sound like a smartass.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The title says 'The British wrestling business'. That would suggest you're discussing British wrestling. However, your point relates to pro wrestling in GENERAL. Simple, really. :rolleyes:

Yes Mo. Simple. Way to go O/T in a thread that was meant to raise a serious discussion :/ Now get over it :rolleyes:
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The followings are of mine and mine only and do reflect any website I write forIf you feel as a fan a wrestler deserves critism and can justify it then go ahead, however the wrestler has every right to respond back. Myself and Kurtos on numerous occasions attack those smartasses who don't go to shows yet read reviews and bloody bitch about them. If you ever read my attacks on them in my reports you will know what I meanThis thread is now Mo v Terje, Mo to win :cool:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

At the end of the day this is a business and most of these guys see this as a living (even the US guys relating to US Smarts), and most of them are grown men. Now these grown men are having 12-15 year old smartasses ruining their reputations in a public manner, when in all honesty they are trying to earn a living whilst trying to entertain said smartasses.

A cracking post sir. I think you are dead right there, and some of the "backlash" seems to come from frustration.I'll put forward my own experiences here, although I am extremely lucky (or talented ;) ) to have not been unjustly criticised to my knowledge (Bar "he who shall not be mentioned on the UKFF").I wrestle because I love doing it, absolutely nothing to do with money - I want to be out there and doing what I do for the love of it. Why do I love it? Because of the fans. I'm not sucking up in any way, but whether there are 1000 at Bedworth, 150 in Coventry or one man and his dog in Birmingham, if I can entertain the crowd then I am a very happy man. The frustration comes when you spend money, time, energy and your own health to entertain fans that refuse to see anything good in what you do and seem intent on dragging everyone into their opinion. Again, it is a stereotype to say " 12-15 year old smartasses ruining their reputations in a public manner" but it is inherent of a business where that is part of the demographic and as such is to be expected. Like any business, there are ups and downs and sometimes it seems that you get very little out for the enormous amounts you put in, but other times it is the best feeling in the world - thats the way it goes and if I'm brutally honest, if you can't handle that, then take up tiddlywinks or something. but there will still be a Tiddlywink board somewhere saying how much you suck - I'm personally glad the exposure that British wrestling gets. If it was all positive we would never get better at the end fo the day.Terje, I don't think you've so much hit a nerve as hit on a subject that is hard to explain well - I can't count the amount of times I've sat with other workers over a pint or five discussing just this, and by the end of it all, we still hadn't got any further forward really. Most negativity is postive (Good grief, I sound like a Business Studies student...) and discussions such as this can bring to light problems that need to be tackled, and I thnk it is a credit to workers and promoters that they read and digest these opinions - because it's all about the fans at the end of the day and pleasing them is what the game is all about.See - I still haven't explained that very well....but I did manage to somehow get Tiddlywinks involved...Majik
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I thnk it is a credit to workers and promoters that they read and digest these opinions - because it's all about the fans at the end of the day and pleasing them is what the game is all about.

I agree. While some fans do take the 'this and this sucks because I said so' routine, they are in the minority. Most fans are very passionate about the business, and wants to see it succeed (sp?). It doesn't exactly help when wrestlers or promoters jump in and shoot down all your opinions after giving your constructive thoughts on a match/company/show. As Majik says, wrestling exists for it's fans, and thus many of them could/should be listened to. Having one of the most famous wrestlers in the UK blast the fans in his signature on the companys official forum -- whether meant as a joke or serious -- to me isn't the best idea. Even worse is it that if someone points this out, they'll get flamed for it.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

×
×
  • Create New...