Has anyone else heard about these comments by Ric Flair on Internet Smarks?

[Reflection]

Many pages on facebook are reporting that Ric Flair had the following to say about Internet Smarks (and the general wrestling terms we use):

"Fans who use terms like 'Face' and 'Heel', I have no respect for. Because they're not wrestlers. I don't like outsiders using inside talk - I have no respect for it whatsoever. Everybody wants to think that they're a wrestler. The guy who wrote my book the first time, I'd go on record as saying is a fucking idiot - it had to be re-written. He took everything I said and wrote it like he was on the inside. He will go down in history - and I will make sure he does - as the biggest idiot ever be given an opportunity and completely fuck it up, because he talked like he was on the inside.
You know fans want to talk to us using our terminology and it's a lot of our guys fault, because they want to talk to the fans and get their opinions. They want to talk to them like they're on the inside. I do have a lot of respect for the fans but I don't like the fans who think they can talk like they're on the inside, because they're not.
We've got too many guys in our business that rely on the opinion of some fan who thinks he's smart. It's a real issue for me. We have a lot of people who think that the end result of what we do lives and breathes on what the Internet thinks is right. I mean that would be like me trying to write an article on Mercedes Benz. Do I like four doors? Yeah, but do I really know anything about it? No. I wouldn't know anything about the design of a Mercedes Benz from the inside. I could use the terminology but I wouldn't know anything about it.
It would be like a doctor going home and getting medical advice from random people who have posted something on the net. You know, our guys are the worst for it - they tell the fans what's going to happen. Some of the Wrestlers are marks, you know, they're catering for the guys on the Internet! 'Please say I'm good...say something good about me...I'll tell you anything you want to know...' They have fans they will cater to, just so they say, 'You were great!' That's was why it was so successful in the past and why we had riots in stadiums, because people didn't know. Now we have guys tell the fans what's happening the week before and they're like, 'Don't tell anybody I told you - just say that I'm really good...' (laughs)
It's a shame. It kills me. And if the fans are honest with themselves they wouldn't want to know either. It used to be riotous - people were so wound up!! They couldn't punch it in on the Internet and find out what's going on."

But since WrestleZone hasn't reported it net, I'm starting to wonder if its a false report after all... But there is a possibility of it being true, and if its true, I agree with Flair on a few things but I disagree too. While fans using wrestling terms might seem awkward to them, as it would to surgeons if general people started calling all the muscles and bones by their real names, or even claimed to know more the surgeons themselves, because they read some health magazines and online forums... But in this case, its not wrong if you look at it from the fans' point of view, because it helps understand the product better.
What are your opinions on this?

 

[Coco]

Sounds like Flair. I've heard him say before that he likes guys like Taker and Triple H who know what they know and don't need to go on the internet to read about how good they are.

I agree with the sentiment completely. Hence my self-loathing.

 

[FlexAmerican Dynamite]

Flair likes actual wrestlers who have years of experience over people who just talk about it on the internet? Totally didn't see that coming.

 

[klunderbunker]

Flair has been saying this for years.

 

[Slyfox696]

The worst part about so many Internet wrestling fans is, as said in the quote, they don't have the first fucking clue what wrestling is about. They are so caught up in their smarkdom, they have completely missed the entire point of pro wrestling.

It always cracks me up when Internet fans scorn the "little kids" who cheer for someone they hate because the someone isn't "edgy" enough (think Cena or Hogan). It cracks me up because those "little kids" seem to understand pro wrestling much better than the ones criticizing said kids.

 

[Dr. Mantis Toboggan, M.D.]

All wrestlers should have this mentality. I still think Ric Flair is an overrated piece of shit but he has a point.

 

[George Steele's Barber]

Flair got divorced, sued, and arrested in the time he spewed that whole rant. The man is an enigma.

 

[klunderbunker]

The worst part about so many Internet wrestling fans is, as said in the quote, they don't have the first fucking clue what wrestling is about. They are so caught up in their smarkdom, they have completely missed the entire point of pro wrestling.

It always cracks me up when Internet fans scorn the "little kids" who cheer for someone they hate because the someone isn't "edgy" enough (think Cena or Hogan). It cracks me up because those "little kids" seem to understand pro wrestling much better than the ones criticizing said kids.

First Raw I was ever at I sat in front of some guys who hated Cena. They spent the entire night looking ticked off and like they would rather be anywhere else.

Same show there was a girl in front of me who was maybe eight years old and had about ten signs with her. Cena's music hit and you would Santa Claus was coming down her chimney on Christmas morning. The girl was having the time of her life and didn't stop smiling all night. The last house show I was at there was a boy about 6 clad in about five different pieces of Cena merchandise on and tried to counter the CENA SUCKS chant with NO HE DOESN'T! Those smarks ticked him off and he was fighting back for his hero.

I love kids like that who see things so simply and just have a blast at shows like that.

 

[nightmare]

Flair got divorced, sued, and arrested in the time he spewed that whole rant. The man is an enigma.

You forgot to include that he was drunk.

 

[Reflection]

Flair likes actual wrestlers who have years of experience over people who just talk about it on the internet? Totally didn't see that coming.

To add to the discussion, Its a bit more than that... He starts off by saying "Fans who use terms like 'Face' and 'Heel', I have no respect for. Because they're not wrestlers. I don't like outsiders using inside talk - I have no respect for it whatsoever. Everybody wants to think that they're a wrestler." What's so wrong with using wrestling terms that is making him have no respect for those that use them? Yes, it sucks when fans think they know more than the others because they use these terms, along with referring wrestlers by their real names (I've seen some clowns correcting others "It's not Daniel Bryan, its Bryan Danielson." ). But generally speaking, it doesn't harm anyone. He comes off as someone that wants fans to be in the dark about things beyond a certain line.

 

[Dirk]

That rant was really repetitive. He repeated a lot of metaphors. That would be like a teacher who drives his whole class to school himself. That is so tedious. That would be like an F1-driver playing a video game about racing. That is so pedantic.

 

[Shocky]

The worst part about so many Internet wrestling fans is, as said in the quote, they don't have the first fucking clue what wrestling is about. They are so caught up in their smarkdom, they have completely missed the entire point of pro wrestling.

It always cracks me up when Internet fans scorn the "little kids" who cheer for someone they hate because the someone isn't "edgy" enough (think Cena or Hogan). It cracks me up because those "little kids" seem to understand pro wrestling much better than the ones criticizing said kids.

Just say what you really want to say before NorCal does.

 

[Y 2 Jake]

First Raw I was ever at I sat in front of some guys who hated Cena. They spent the entire night looking ticked off and like they would rather be anywhere else.

It's was clearly a real sport to him.

 

[Shocky]

To be fair, the WWE created this mess with the Smarks. They sold themselves out and catered to them during the Attitude Era and Ruthless Aggression Era. They monopolized the business and haven't created a platform where the angry adult male can properly vent.

 

[jmt225]

To be fair, the WWE created this mess with the Smarks. They sold themselves out and catered to them during the Attitude Era and Ruthless Aggression Era. They monopolized the business and haven't created a platform where the angry adult male can properly vent.

Definitely.

Not to mention "smarks" keep the business thriving today more than anyone would like to admit.

I like that pro wrestling has such a unique, diverse, and douchey fanbase. It makes the culture all the more fun (as an adult).

 

[Galvatron]

Believing that people think they're smarter than other fans or people that work in the wrestling business because they know insider terms is honestly one of the most idiotic things I've ever read. It's 2014. Any idiot can use Google or any search site and find out these terms within 5 or ten minutes. I could agree with this way of thinking if it was the early 90's or before but it's not. The internet exists.

 

[Mr. Artistic guy]

I do think it's also the job of the guys to keep what goes on on the inside just that. But you dangle $100 in front of Honky Tonk Man and give him a six pack and a camera and his gums will be flappin'. It's easy for Flair, he's not had the money troubles that some of these guys have from mismanagement or the hard bump of falling from grace back into reality. When you've got a broken body and nothing left to show for it and someone treats you reverently and gives you a grand just to tell them what your experiences were, it's hard to refuse that.

I'm in the middle. I'm an internet mark that thinks you should try to aspire to be as little like and internet mark as possible. But I've picked up the terms now, so it's hard to say I shouldn't use them when they exist because they aptly describe the goings on in the biz.

It's a hard one. To say you don't respect fans who use insider terms. Those people got those terms because they were so into wrestling that they wanted to know above and beyond what they saw on the surface, and like in most cases they found out the grass is greener on the other side. But the sort of people who use it poorly, the people who chant Goldberg at 'Ryback', the people who chant CM Punk when he's not there just to get a reaction, I can't deal with those sorts of people because they're TOO busy being a smark to remember to enjoy themselves.

 

[The Butcher]

The list of things/people that Flair has no respect for is actually pretty good company. Heck, even he himself is on it.

 

[Big Nick Dudley]

Flair's a drunk and a jackass. I agree with him on the terminology, though. Always feels weird using the terminology. I try to use it as little as possible.

 

[George Steele's Barber]

I do think it's also the job of the guys to keep what goes on on the inside just that. But you dangle $100 in front of Honky Tonk Man and give him a six pack and a camera and his gums will be flappin'. It's easy for Flair, he's not had the money troubles that some of these guys have from mismanagement or the hard bump of falling from grace back into reality. When you've got a broken body and nothing left to show for it and someone treats you reverently and gives you a grand just to tell them what your experiences were, it's hard to refuse that.

Mr. Flair's attorneys, business partners, ex-wives, children, and probably his cleaning lady would beg to differ with you.

 

[Fire Marshall Bill]

Mr. Flair's attorneys, business partners, ex-wives, children, and probably his cleaning lady would beg to differ with you.

They're stylin' and profilin' on his wallet.

 

[Danger Burger]

And if the fans are honest with themselves they wouldn't want to know either.

Amen, brother.

I completely understand where he's coming from. Smark culture is a peculiar beast. We 'know' just enough to ruin our own fun (and occasionally that of others). I don't know how many others have experienced the joy of watching wrestling with one less smarky, or better yet with a true believer, but it sure beats silently critiquing RAW in my head every tuesday evening. If I could go back to just enjoying the spectacle and story I would.

 

[Poop Master Flex]

Can't say I disagree with Naitch, wrestling was a lot better when it was left to imagination. In many ways watching wrestling today is like watching a magic show after you watched a behind the scenes documentary on it.

WWE has no one to blame but themselves for this mess but personally wrestling was a lot more fun before I started hitting the internet and started looking up every little thing that had to do with wrestling. For young wrestling fans the best thing they can do is never visit a wrestling site, be patient and wait to see what happens. Best thing a wrestler can do is never go to the internet for advice, regardless of how smart a fan is that just screams career suicide.

 

[Lee]

I wouldn't say heel and face are particularly insider terms. It's easier than saying baddie and goodie.

 

[Coco]

First Raw I was ever at I sat in front of some guys who hated Cena. They spent the entire night looking ticked off and like they would rather be anywhere else.

Same show there was a girl in front of me who was maybe eight years old and had about ten signs with her. Cena's music hit and you would Santa Claus was coming down her chimney on Christmas morning. The girl was having the time of her life and didn't stop smiling all night. The last house show I was at there was a boy about 6 clad in about five different pieces of Cena merchandise on and tried to counter the CENA SUCKS chant with NO HE DOESN'T! Those smarks ticked him off and he was fighting back for his hero.

I love kids like that who see things so simply and just have a blast at shows like that.

To paraphrase the great Dean Ambrose, wrestling is supposed to be fun. Everyone needs to chill out and enjoy themselves.