What would today's WWE Product be without the Wrestling Internet Reporters?

[123NewChamp]

Hello All.

I have a interesting question. I'm not trying to throw shade on anybody. But this is an interesting question that might get some interesting responses. I want you to know what today's WWE Product would be without the Internet Wrestling Reporters, Rumors, and Spoilers.

The reason I'm asking this question is because I be hearing a lot of complaints and reading about the disappointments of WWE fans about today's current product, and the storylines.

Now honestly I've seen some great ideas when they first came out like Big Show vs. Triple H at TLC which never happened. Shaemus vs. Daniel Bryan Match which was supposed to be a lock for mania, but seems like the WWE going in the direction of Bryan vs. Triple H. But yet things change. I understand Injuries, and CM Punk leaving the WWE. But are the internet sites is what is hindering WWE these days?

I understand there something's WWE don't want the fans to know and to be a surprise. Like last years royal rumble, WWE Gets a private flight for Y2J, and have him all wrapped up in a hoodie with a bunch of executives to keep him hidden from fans to make a surprise appearance at the Royal Rumble. Really that should not be. I just believe that the internet sites are busy spoiling us with spoilers and leaking out information to the point at times it leaves the writers with no alternatives but to give and write out crappy storylines. But what would WWE's current product be without the leaking of spoilers and internet reporters?

And again. This is not a post to offend anyone that works for Wrestlezone or PWInsider. It's just an interesting question as asking if this could be a reason for WWE switching up and putting on certain storylines. No shade intended. But honestly I think it would help WWE a bit if there were less internet reports and leaks because I like Surprises and unpredictability. For once on a return I would love to hear no one chant the surprise return star name before they come out, but yet wait till their entrance hit, and let the crowd go crazy.

That's just my opinion. I wanna hear yours.

 

[Eyebrows]

I think leaks and spoilers can definitely change some plans, like Batista returning before the Rumble and Matt Hardy ending up being the one that attacked Jeff rather than Christian. More often than not though it makes no difference.

The internet was around during the Attitude Era but it still managed to be fresh and exciting in spite of people knowing what was going to happen. Everybody knew that Foley was going to win the title, everybody knew Tazz was going to debut, same with Jericho, the Radicalz etc. Didn't change the crowd's enthusiasm and didn't stop those moments from being exciting and memorable. The internet didn't stop them making quality programming before so I don't buy it as an excuse for a lacklustre product.

I'm not saying spoilers don't ruin it sometimes but it rarely changes plans unless it's something that can't be ignored (Daniel Bryan support, Matt Hardy drumming up support that ended in the Hardy/Edge storyline etc.) As for the general direction of the product, that's obviously changed due to the internet with the whole social media thing but that's at a macro level.

Another thing...the internet wasn't the start of spoilers and rumours. It makes it more immediate and accessible, sure, but there were always 'dirt sheets' in print form. Only the medium has changed.

 

[Slbrey]

People don't want to admit it but one of the things that made the attitude era so great was that you didn't know what was gonna happen...Internet wasn't as big then and things wernt getting spoiled.

Let's use batista as a example...If it wasn't spoiled he was returning how cool would it have been for him to be a surprise rumble entrant and win the whole thing? Would have been awsome....sadly that moment was spoiled for us.

 

[nightmare]

I said not too long ago that it was nice when you could just be a fan & not worry about the internet effect. Watching the program & enjoying it without nitpicking or knowing what bullshit is going on backstage. It was especially nice in regard to surprise returns still being a surprise.


Once in a while it is nice to just lay off the main page for a while or skip a RAW or two just to kind of refresh the batteries. The negative thing about the internet is some people take storylines too seriously & are constantly complaining or over-critical. Some people that call themselves 'fans' act like more like jaded critics. If you hate the show, quit watching. Yes its nice to talk about 'What If", etc, but at some point it just turns into people bitching about everything just to bitch. You cant please them all, but the different promotions try to program something for everyone.


I say its not the internet that is a problem, its being too jaded to enjoy the show anymore & maybe a 'recharge' would help a few folks to get back to being a fan instead of a critic.

 

[GuessI'mAMark]

This question gets brought up a lot even though the answer is really simple. The internet is ruining wrestling, or at the very least WWE, which is a bigger platform. There are many ways to explain this but I feel like using a relevant example is more beneficial right now.

Ex: Daniel Bryan's booking through the Summer of 2013.

If the internet didn't exist. If spoilers were never a thing. If dirt sheets weren't posting allegations that Triple H uses his golden shovel as much as he blinks. If there were no rumors that John Cena will use his position in the company to end other people's career. I could go on and on but the point is, if all these speculations didn't exist most of us would think Bryan is the ultimate underdog. We would be glued to the tv, waiting for the day he gets his chance at the top of the mountain. However because of the dirt sheets and such, we become impatient and complain about a superstar being held back without watching the final payoff.

 

[THTRobtaylor]

First off you have to seperate what you mean by reporter.

Someone like Dave Meltzer has been around for 30 years nearly... Bill Apter even longer, these are what I call wrestling reporters. They make money primarily due to writing wrestling in a print and Internet and have a following.

You then have Internet Reporters, these are guys like LaBar who are making some coin about of writing mainly for websites and the odd newspaper column. They get paid from sites like WZ for things like Chairshot.

You then have your guest columnists - guys like Madden, Kevin Kelly... these guys are getting paid.

Then it's everyone else. News posters, the "blog columnists" of the like that I used to be for WZ. People who don't get paid, but who do it for a CV, or cos they enjoy it/like the kudos and forum posters/fans/smarks/whatever you want to call them.

Some have an effect on the WWE like Meltzer, his opinion can make a difference and he can usually get information others can't. Wade Keller and other guys to similar if slightly lesser extent. Can they actually affect the product directly, only by "leaking" things that weren't meant to be.

As you move down the totem pole there is less impact as these people cannot directly have input and have less and less access. The Reddit thing is interesting as it's clearly someone VERY close to the inside or actually a staff member but other than that guys like Madden, Isenberg, LaBar can rant as much as they like but they're not making a difference to the product.

One of the things I have always done in columns and on the forums is fantasy booking. I have written for E-feds in the past and at times it's seemed eerily like WWE have read my stuff... they probably haven't as the reality is wrestling isn't rocket science there are only a finite number of possible hooks to base angles on.

As you go down to the bottom of that pile, then you see a slight gain in the impact, as you're back into people who (in theory) contribute financially. If all the smarks refuse to sign up to the network, it dies as they are the core of what they are aiming for.

Now spoilers have been there forever, the net makes it worse slightly but not enough to damage WWE. If you want to watch live you will, if you want to watch as live you avoid spoilers if you want to know and then decide to watch then you read spoilers.

Without the internet WWE would have become irrelevant a long time ago as a medium. That they have embraced it so aggressively shows it is a big plus to them.

One thing that would make the IWC better is less opinion, more discussion... no "CM Punk is a jerk for walking" but here's why it annoys me... No other entertainment product has so many people who THINK they can affect the outcome and what goes on in the business, the show itself and beyond...

 

[Sabutage]

Its difficult to say. Of course there will always be people wanting to know the outcomes before they happen, just like those reading spoilers for tv shows or scripts for movies and having the interent can satisfy those people and keep them interested. However I do think it can affect it negatively too. Case in point, Batistas return. If it hadnt leaked it online, then WWE would probably have kept it a secret and someone like me who tries to avoid spoilers would have been way more surprised and excited when he did return. I do think WWE shouldn't change storylines regardless of who finds out, otherwise you can end up with a messy story arc just to prove the leaks wrong.

 

[JoeFromTomsRiver]

People don't want to admit it but one of the things that made the attitude era so great was that you didn't know what was gonna happen...Internet wasn't as big then and things wernt getting spoiled.

Listen, it wasn't as widespread, but there were hotlines, dirtsheets, even the New York Daily News had a weekly column by a guy called "the Slammer" who gave backstage info.

Scott Hall showing up on Nitro was not a surprise to me. That was in '96.

By the time the Attitude Era was in full force, a lot of people were following the backstage stuff, especially regarding talent jumping from one company to another. I'm only speaking for myself, and my friends who were into wrestling at the time, but the info was out there. I'm 34 years old, so I actually lived through that time and was old enough to care about that stuff.

Again, it wasn't on the scale it is now, but lets not pretend that everyone was blissfully unaware of backstage news.

 

[TheVolFan52]

Yes the internet hurt the business but I don't know why WWE or TNA has tried to use it and manipulate it to their advantage. We saw in 2011 with Punk leaving that storylines can develop online. You can't tell me you didn't mark out when he crashed the WWE Panel at comic con. I'd just like to see them manipulate us more and if something does leak then change it up every now and then. It just feels like they don't even try to cover it up and just stick to plan regardless if it leaks. Almost every wrestling fan has the internet (dude it's 2014) and all they have to do is google search wrestle mania 30 and you'll probably see a rumored match card. It leaked in December that Batista was coming back to face Orton at mania and they've had so much time even at this point to work out something else and not stay true to what they had intended and throw fans a surprise in. Only reason they are even contemplating changing it now is because EVERYONE SAW IT COMING FROM A MILE AWAY. Why couldn't they leak out that they had plans for punk or reigns winning the rumble to give fans even a little inch of doubt?

 

[kadroan]

People don't want to admit it but one of the things that made the attitude era so great was that you didn't know what was gonna happen...Internet wasn't as big then and things wernt getting spoiled.

Let's use batista as a example...If it wasn't spoiled he was returning how cool would it have been for him to be a surprise rumble entrant and win the whole thing? Would have been awsome....sadly that moment was spoiled for us.

I agree. The way media now, especially TMZ and Twitter, makes it harder to keep things low key.

WWE just have to creative in blurring the lines of storylines and reality, making it harder for reporters to distinguish the two.