wrestling / Columns
The 411 Wrestling Top 5.19.10: Week 75 – Wrestling Misconceptions
Hello everyone and welcome to 411 Wrestling’s Top 5 List. What we are going to is take a topic each week and all the writers here on 411 wrestling will have the ability to give us their Top 5 on said topic, plus up to three honorable mentions. Most of our topics will be based on recent events in the Wrestling World, looking at those events that make us think of times past.
So, on to this week’s topic…
So what did our group of writers select? Let’s find out…
Aaron Hubbard
5. Star Ratings Are Important – The Star Rating System is a completely subjective, arbitrary, unimportant method of assigning value to entertainment. Everyone has a different opinion. My opinion of what a **** match is probably different than yours, and I can’t even really explain it. If Csonka rates a match ****1/2, Lansdell rates it *****, Dunn rates it ***3/4 and Meltzer rates it ****1/4, none of them are wrong. It’s just a reflection of how they enjoyed the match and what value they saw in it. It’s not really important. Quit taking them as gospel, form your own opinion, and don’t bash other people’s ratings. Because they really don’t matter.
4. Smart Fans Understand The Business – Professional Wrestling is a work. Remember that every time you watch a match, hear a shoot interview, go to an autograph session, or read a biography. The entire business is based on lies, everyone involved is a professional liar, and it gets worse and worse the higher up you go. You can never be 100% sure of anything more concrete than “Shawn Michaels lost to Undertaker at Wrestlemania via a Tombstone”. We don’t know what’s going on, we don’t know the real truth, and we need to stop acting like it.
3. Only One Take On Benoit Is Valid – This is a double-edged misconception. First, to the people who still appreciate Chris Benoit, stop asking like you are more intellectual and a better person because of it. If some people want to pretend Chris Benoit doesn’t exist and that’s their way of moving on, respect that, don’t make an issue about it, and go on with your life. Second, to those who despise Benoit with all of your being, stop assuming that you are taking the moral highground and are a better person because you can’t tolerate a murderer. I’m not saying you have to like or even respect Benoit, but you need to respect those who can. Constantly getting on your soapbox and condemning people for talking about Benoit in a positive light, or just talking about him in general, doesn’t make Benoit go away. It just perpetuates the argument. It’s not a crime to appreciate art, regardless of the artist. It’s not a sin to forgive, regardless of the actions.
And to both sides, let me remind you of something. Chris Benoit is dead. He doesn’t need to be damned, and he doesn’t need to be defended. Nothing is going to change the fact that Benoit was very good at his work and entertained people. Nothing is going to change the fact that he murdered his wife and child. He’s a great wrestler, but you don’t have to remind people of that every time. He’s a murderer, but you don’t remind people of that every time. We all know. We all get it. And we all deal with it in our own way, and we don’t need anyone else’s take on it.
2. “Sports Entertainment” and “Pro Wrestling” are Different Things – Sports entertainment has become a dirty word to the IWC. Well, I think that’s ridiculous. All professional wrestling is worked competition for the sake of entertaining an audience. Granted, the tastes of each audience may differ. One man’s scientific classic is another man’s technical nonsense. One man’s garbage brawl is another man’s intense fight. Just because they are different doesn’t make them better or worse. Just because one match is seen by 5 million people on PPV and another is seen by 500 in a gym doesn’t necessarily make either one better or worse. It’s all one in the same, it’s all entertainment, it’s all pro wrestling, quit arguing.
1. Professional Wrestling Matters – And along the same line of the last one, let me get this across to you as nicely as possible. Professional wrestling is JUST entertainment. It does not mean anything. It’s not important. So stop getting so freaking angry about it. Who cares if some other guy doesn’t like the wrestling you like? Who cares if some other guy finds something you don’t like entertaining? How is that at all relevent to your life. We are on this site because we love wrestling, it entertains us, it’s a fun way to waste time. It’s not worth calling people names over, it’s not worth getting upset over, and honestly, I’m embarrassed to be associated with all of the childish BS that goes on around this site. We all, collectively need to grow up, put things in perspective, remember that wrestling isn’t that important, and act like adults. Of course, this will fall on deaf ears, but whatever, it needs to be said.
Jeremy Thomas
Note: Since it’s our criteria, I’m choosing to focus on the misconceptions that many wrestling fans have about the industry, as opposed to misconceptions that people who know little about wrestling or people within the industry might have. It might make my list a little different, but there you have it.
5. Spotfests Have No Value – “Flippy moves” is one of my favorite wrestling terms. Sue me, I find it funny for whatever reason. That brief non sequitur aside, a common criticism of high-flyers is that they’re only capable of matches where it is one high-spot after another, and that those matches are generally overrated and not all that good. I present to you the first TLC matches as my counter argument. There is no one perfect formula for a match, and with everyone having different tastes for what they like in wrestling matches there is certainly a place for spotfests. They aren’t my personal favorite matches; I prefer to see a match with some solid psychology to it and a story to tell. But if done right, a spot-filled match can add a lot to a card if it’s placed right and isn’t just dropped amidst similar matches of its kind. Frankly, this misconception could be applied to hardcore matches, technical wrestling matches, brawls and gimmick matches. For me a good card has a mix of all of this, because variety is the spice of life.
4. Women’s Wrestling is Meaningless – The state of the WWE’s Divas division (or lack thereof) tends to give people the impression that there is no market for women’s wrestling in the United States. I have a Knockouts Division that will prove you wrong. Now, I’m not talking about the Knockouts Division in its current state. Let’s face it…no offense to Madison Rayne who I like, but with most of the original Knockout talent gone, TNA’s women’s division is in a shambles. But it’s important to note that all the way up to the point when Hogan took over the running of the company, the Knockouts consistently drew some of the biggest ratings for the company. This is because they were taken seriously as competitors and not just as eye candy. When you have women who can compete on the same level as the men, they will draw a lot of interest. Why? Because the matches are as exciting as the men’s matches, and they’re also nice to look at. If there was no point to women’s wrestling, SHIMMER would have folded a long time ago and the WWE would have fired all their more talented wrestlers so they could hire more fitness models. There is certainly value in that aspect of the business; Vince McMahon has simply tried very hard to convince us otherwise.
3. Promo Skill is More Important that Wrestling Skill – Listen, I get that wrestling isn’t all about workrate. It’s impossible to get to the top without having charisma and an ability to connect with the crowd; wrestlers like Shelton Benjamin and Charlie Haas are perfect examples of this, and there’s a reason that non-English speaking wrestlers generally have a difficult time getting over with American audiences. But the truth of the matter is that you need to have an ability to work inside the ring as well. People will point out Hulk Hogan, but he knew how to work a match in his heyday and while he wasn’t the best wrestler in the ring, he could put together matches that worked fine. You need that balance of both for it to truly work. Most of the talent that has ended up as close to household names have had an ability to wrestle as well as the charisma and mic skills, such as Kurt Angle, the Rock, Steve Austin, Chris Jericho, John Cena and Ric Flair. If promo skill were all that was important, managers would be World Champions. Clearly, that’s not the case.
2. It’s All About the WWE – We’ll call this the “Wrestler of the Week” misconception if you like. There’s no doubt that World Wrestling Entertainment is the top dog when it comes to professional wrestling. No one in their right mind would deny that. But the common opinion seems to be that nothing else matters and no one has “made it” until they work WrestleMania. It may be true that your average person on the street may not know who AJ Styles is, but anyone who has any real level of familiarity with wrestling knows names like Styles, Samoa Joe, Beer Money, Awesome Kong and so on. Hell, there’s always Sting who’s never worked for Vince McMahon but is still an icon in the industry. And let’s not pretend that there isn’t a rich wrestling tradition outside the United States as well. Wrestling events in Japan routinely draw crowds comparable or better than what the ‘E does, and that’s not even getting into Mexico’s proud wrestling history. WrestleMania may be the Super Bowl of professional wrestling, but it’s not the only game in town.
1. The Attitude Era Could Do No Wrong – Oh, this is one of my biggest pet peeves. Listen, I’m not the biggest fan of the WWE-PG. I think it is silly that they changed the “FU” to the “Attitude Adjustment,” won’t turn Cena heel ’cause the kiddies love him and neutered characters with any real sense of controversy about them, unless their stable begins with a D and ends with an X. Cartoony characters like Hornswoggle drive me up the wall…just look at my top five last week. But people often talk about the Attitude Era like it was the saving grace of professional wrestling, and forget that there was a lot of terrible stuff that happened during that time. Yes it was a great time to be a professional wrestling fan and ratings were the highest that they’ve ever been. But does anyone remember all the bad stuff in there? Remember Val Venis getting his junk chopped off? Pat Patterson and Gerry Brisco in a Hardcore Evening Gown match? The Mean Street Posse? Naked Mideon? And these are ones I just thought of off the top of my head. There was as much that was wrong with the Attitude Era as there was with the new PG Era. They were different periods in wrestling, brought about by different turns of events. I’m not trying to defend some of the PG stuff, but the bottom line is that when people talk about the Attitude Era like it was a perfect time in wrestling, I want to pull my hair out.
Larry Csonka
5. Everything Vince Russo Does Is Wrong – This may surprise everyone, because I am not a fan of Vince Russo, but the one thing I will admit is not EVERYTHING he does is wrong. Russo is good at designing promos, he is determined to make sure everyone on the card has SOMETHING to do, and when working with someone with solid control that can filter him, he is very effective.
4. Old School = Better – Now don’t get me wrong, I LOVE me some old school wrestling, and while there are MANY aspects of it that are far superior to today’s product, that doesn’t mean that old school is always better. Go watch the insanity of the UWF or AWA Classics to see some of the true shit of professional wrestling. I love the booking aspects of old school wrestling, I love the importance on the titles and feuds, but that doesn’t always make it better than what we have today. If only we could take those long lost aspects of the business and add it into the good of today.
3. Independent Workers Are Vanilla Midgets And Spot Monkeys – I know saying that will not change anything, but the one thing that constantly pisses me off is that independent workers are considered vanilla midgets and or spot monkeys. Maybe if people invested some time to watch the proper stuff, they would find out that pigeon holing everyone into those generalizations are wrong.
2. Paul Heyman Is A Genius – Don’t get me wrong, Paul E. is the mad scientist of wrestling, and from the standpoint of a booker, the man is great, when he has complete control. But when people claim that Paul is a genius, I have to laugh. Yes the man is a great booker, but if he was a genius, he would have seen ECW growing, the landscape of wrestling changing, and he would have changed with it. He would have realized that WWE and WCW were always going to pick his talent, and he should have realized that HIS abilities should have been 100% focused on the booking and talent signing aspects of the company. He should have also been smart enough to get someone with some financial sense into the company to handle that. Unfortunately, Paul and ECW went bouncing all the way to bankruptcy.
1. Everything WWE Does Is Right – Yes we can all agree that the WWE is the biggest and most successful wrestling company in the world. They are a world wide entity that makes million of dollars, movies, an insane amount of merchandize and are just a promotional machine. They can announce a PPV called “WWE PRESENTS DOG SHIT” and pull 90,000 buys, look at December to Dismember. They are the biggest, arguably the best, but that does NOT mean everything they do is right. The bottom line is this, WWE is insanely successful, but their shit stinks just like everyone else’s.
Chad Nevett
HONORABLE MENTIONS
The Montreal Screwjob – It’s in the past and, obviously, everyone involved made mistakes. Arguing about it now is pointless. No one was in the right and it doesn’t matter anymore.
Wins and Loses Don’t Matter/Always Matter – Wins and loses matter to a degree, but are storytelling tools at this point. It’s easy to wipe out a losing streak or bury a guy with lots of wins. Don’t get too hung up on the results and focus on the match itself.
WrestleMania is a Place for Feuds to End – That was the reality before the weekly TV grind became as extensive. Now, WrestleMania is where feuds begin, often having the first actual match between two guys, before concluding at one of the next two PPVs.
5. Wrestling Was Better “Back in the Day” – Wrestling was better in the ’70s people said in the ’80s. Wrestling was better in the ’80s people said in the ’90s. Wrestling was better in the ’90s people said in the ’00s. And, in the coming decade, people will be saying wrestling was better in the ’00s. That’s what people do, because, as time progresses, the crap falls away, leaving only the greatness. Some of the really awful stuff will stand out, but, for the most part, the past becomes a somewhat hazy picture of nothing but good times and great matches. Obviously some eras are better than others, but nostaliga will always make the past seem better. Maybe it was, but I doubt it. And, usually, the best time to judge is years after the fact when you can see the whole picture.
4. Triple H’s Success is Because of Stephanie – I’ve heard this argument and never quite understood it. Before the storyline involving Stephanie happened, Triple H was clearly on the path to stardom. He was part of the Kliq, headed up DX after Shawn Michaels retired, and already had the ear of Vince. He was clearly going to be a main eventer and world champion. Now, would he have been as successful if he hadn’t married Stephanie? I don’t know, but I do know he probably would have been just as loyal to the company and been just as over with the fans, both of which point to a dominant main eventer. Marrying into the McMahons helped, but it wasn’t the key to his success.
3. John Cena Can’t Wrestle – I wasn’t watching the WWE extensively during the Rise of Cena, but, when I did come back, I wasn’t impressed with him either. He seemed bland and a little boring in the ring. So, I get the complaints. But, over the years, I’ve grown to appreciate what Cena does. Yes, he’s limited in the ring and will never be the best guy in the promotion, but he works his ass off and is willing to do whatever is asked of him. He’s pushed because kids love him and rightfully so. He’s exciting and has a strong, easy to root for character. Not only that, but he’s been in some great matches with Shawn Michaels, Umaga, Randy Orton, and others. If you can’t see the guy’s talent, that’s your fault, not his.
2. PG Means Low Quality/Extreme Violence Means Great Matches – The WWE’s shift to a PG audience over the past couple of years has caused some to dismiss the company’s output simply because they’re not using blood, foul language, graphic sexual content, and, now, exposed shots to the head. I wasn’t aware that any of those things were requirements of great wrestling. Sure, all of those are elements that can be used effectively in matches or stories, but they’re far from essential. I honestly don’t miss the blood and limiting the odds of concussions is a responsible choice. There are plenty of promotions that still use these storytelling tools, but I’ve seen enough godawful blood baths to know that it matters how blood and weapons are used, because they can be cheap, cheap props to cover up lacklustre matches. PG also doesn’t automatically mean cartoonish stories aimed exclusively at kids. Look at the Straight Edge Society angle. That’s intelligent, mature storytelling that simply keeps the content at a level that’s also appropriate for kids. Meanwhile, TNA, a promotion that targets an older audience has been focused on a magic ring. The target audience matters, but it doesn’t dictate the quality of stories or of matches.
1. The Idea of WWE vs. TNA vs. Everything Else – I’m not a WWE fan or a TNA fan or an ROH fan or a DGUSA fan or anything other than a wrestling fan. I don’t care which company puts on a quality show so long as what I’m watching is good. This ideas that only the WWE matters because it’s the biggest or that, because it’s the biggest and it courts a more mainstream audience, the WWE sucks are both stupid. Same with automatically dismissing TNA or any other promotion because they’re not the WWE — or automatically saying they’re better for the same reason. All of them have good and bad points, and, as fans of wrestling, we shouldn’t care which promotion it is that we’re watching unless they’re producing crap. The only standard that should be used is one of quality and thinking any differently is moronic. If you call yourself a wrestling fan, the company putting on the show should be the last thing you care about.
