wrestling / Columns

Watry Q&A: Casual Fans, NXT Callups, Charlotte Flair, More

January 2, 2019 | Posted by Justin Watry

“I have been reading your stuff on 411mania and nodq.com for the longest time now and I have never felt inclined to email in. The general consensus of you not being most popular is harsh at times but also can be well-founded too. But I still read your stuff because I do enjoy your articles and find your perspective interesting most of the time.

That said, your article about your friend Megan and trip to Wrestlemnaia was the greatest thing you have ever wrote. Forget about the predictions you brag about getting right. This is your crowning piece. Maybe it is because I can relate as going to Wrestlemania is my ultimate dream and it will be happening next year. But I genuinely loved your article.

Thank you for the great stuff.”

– Jay’s Ways reader

Backstory

Once a month, I reply to the 411mania comment section. No cuss words allowed. This is from December 2018…

Previous Q&A

AG Awesome: Man I hope Kurt doesn’t waste what may be his last mania match against Corbin. I’d rather see him against drew again, they still have good chemistry. Or surprise us on smackdown and wrestle Bryan. Anything but Corbin.

I agree but was just speaking logically. Going off current story lines, Kurt Angle vs. Baron Corbin makes the most sense. Of course, I am writing this before TLC, so it may be bumped up. I’m guessing Braun Strowman shows up in Sunday and crushes the General Manager Elect in 10 seconds…

pen15316: New reader to 411 and your work in particular. Been on a few other sites as a writer, so I guess I come at this from a different perspective.

IWC needs more “casual viewer” perspectives. It’s tough telling IWC hardcore readers where they are too singularly focused on particular details, yet you seem to be working that angle. I also like how whether I agree with you or not, you never ever make an opposing opinion feel stupid, or make that person feel stupid (or at least I didn’t feel you did with the opinions I disagreed with).

I also enjoyed this reply format. I used to use the same thing elsewhere, because often the (hopefully civil) discussion is more rewarding than just shouting my opinions onto a page.

Thanks. I hope you stick around. Don’t let others deter you or get you down. The whole ‘casual fan’ thing has slowly become mine, and I didn’t set out to do that originally. Just kinda fell into my lap. I know die-hard wrestling fans, just as I know MANY casual wrestling fans here in Wisconsin.

A buddy at work who knew I was going to Raw in November asked me who the big star was that night. I paused for a second and replied with Ronda Rousey. He was shocked she was a wrestler now, telling me he knew about Wrestlemania 34 but nothing else. I said she was Women’s Champ and doing awesome. He nodded and thought it was cool.

That is a 100% true story and something you won’t read elsewhere on the internet because we already know this stuff. It’s common knowledge without a second thought. Of course Rousey debuted at Mania. Of course she is a wrestler now. Of course she has a title. Of course she is doing awesome. However to the casual fan, it was a revelation. It was actually NEWS to him that Ronda Rousey was going to be in Milwaukee for WWE.

For me, diving into that side of wrestling fandom is far more interesting than a pointless debate over five-star matches, how much the priduct supposedly sucks or anything else online.

2018 BOLD Predictions

John: I clicked on this a said “oh no” out loud…im a massochist lol

Ten years plus now buddy. Imagine if the people who claim to not click or read were actually telling the truth…rather than being liars.

CS 22: Must be hard being right so often.

That’s what she said.

Bubbles: If you’re this good at predictions, can you help me out? I want to place a wager on the next five Super Bowls?

The BOLD PREDICTIONS column from January 2018 takes ten seconds to find via Google. Just like all my columns, including my infamous Sheamus/Daniel Bryan WM28 story. For the millionth time, I do not lie. The proof is all out there to read for yourself.

As for the Super Bowl, I can only tell you this year. My pre season prediction in August was Saints over Patriots. What about you?

Geminiman555: Here’s my super duper controversial, no one will see it coming prediction for the coming year!

Get this, Drew Mcintyre will win…a singles title. I know right, in 2019?! But despite all the naysayers towards Drew Mcintyre being pushed at all, I will boldly predict he will and prove everyone wrong! That is how I…commenter named after a Megaman boss…roll! I’M A REBEL, MOM!

Now please give me a regular column.

It’d be funny if this ended up being wrong. Joking aside, Drew McIntyre is a stud. Future main eventer, just as Vince McMahon predicted nearly one decade ago.

As for a column, send a sample to the boss man. For real, do it! Everyone likes to play fantasy booker in the comment section without actually stepping up and doing it themselves. Prove me wrong and show us all what you have.

TLC 2018 Review

AG Awesome: Blaming the fans for the abomination that was Seth and Dean…

If you followed me on Twitter, you’d know I didn’t even remember Seth Rollins vs. Dean Ambrose was left on the show as the night went on. Totally forgot about it. As for the actual match, it was the third ‘worse’ thing on the PPV. Did it deserve the ridicule and followup comments from Rollins the next night on Raw? Eh, probably not.

lomis: Two Rumble matches is way too much.

It worked at the 2018 WWE Royal Rumble pay-per-view just fine. If anything, doing yet another three months later with 50 guys was too much.

unhappy_meal: Does clicking on Watry’s articles just to read the comments make me a bad person?

I must be a bad person too! That’s the only reason I click on them too. Rarely do I ever proofread or re-read my columns. Once they’re done, they’re done.

NXT Callups & WWE Changes

Tristeele: I, I… I didn’t hate this article. I honestly can’t believe it. I even agreed with some of it and did not once absolutely hate the writer. Bravo. More like this.

Thanks. I have really enjoyed my past month of writing. They seemed to ‘click’ well. Sometimes my columns fall flat or my premise doesn’t come across like I hoped. Not December 2018. Very happy with the results.

Michael Adonis: I have a feeling Vince is DYING to have a Lars/Braun program.

Vince McMahon appeared on Smackdown Live for the first time in forever recently – with tbree women. Seth Rollins is THE top face on Raw, next to Finn Balor currently. Dean Ambrose is IC Champion and just wrestled Tyler Breeze on television. Mustafa Ali just won the Smackdown Live last week. Daniel Bryan is WWE Champion, who is feuding with AJ Styles. Vince McMahon’s don Shane is embarking on a story line with The Miz. Rusev and Shinsuke Nakamura headlined this week, immediately followed by Vince McMahon himself getting punked out and punched in the face by AJ Styles…

…but yes, it is 2018 and folks are still sticking to the “Vince loves big guys, haha!!!” nonsense. Good for you.

Saffin: I was the same with Heavy Machinery but Otis being ridiculous has won me over. I hope they make it but could easily see them sliding into the comedy side of things.

Heavy Machinery is comedy to me, and that isn’t a bad thing. There is wrestling for every kind of fan. Serious and funny.

Ace: Watry you old scamp. Maybe it’s the festive spirit. But this was…..good. I feel dirty. Best shower

I’m not old! What’s a scamp by the way? Hope you had a nice shower.

ReadySaltedCrisps: If you like EC3’s WWE theme you should check out his TNA theme, even catchier

Not trying to start any trouble, but I like the WWE NXT song better. Maybe I’m in the 1% minority on that debate though…

Charlotte In 2018

Borealis: I read ‘unsung’ as ‘dismissed by the IWC’. Certainly not ‘unsung’ as in, ‘nobody knows who she is or what she does in the ring.’

Exactly. Deserving of credit but doesn’t get it for whatever reason. Something I can relate to. All you have to do is read the comment section as proof.

Kal: The fact that you point out her being “thrust to your face the whole year” as the reason you can’t give her credit for delivering classic matches time after time, is precisely why she’s unsung.

Bingo! Roman Reigns is also an unsung hero for WWE. Not just for 2018 but for the past six years. However, that is another column for another day.

“The Truth” Babe LinkedIn: I like how the first part of the article is all “Can you guess who it is? Nope not Finn Balor” while the top image of Charlotte kind of gives it away.

Yeah, I don’t select the header image or the column title. I’ve said this a million times. I just write the column.

disgruntled fan: nice article but disagree. becky and seth and aj all more valuable than charlotte in 2018…charlotte is not an mvp..so cant be an unsung mvp.

Becky Lynch, AJ Styles, and Seth Rollins are all internet darlings and get tons of praise. Charlotte does not, hence being an UNSUNG hero. Not that difficult to understand but thank you for unintentionally proving my point.