Has the internet ruined wrestling?

[Tha Wolfpac]

Hey Yo!
Now this is a huge accusation and i may get jabbed in the face for this but has the internet lowered peoples interest in wrestling. I wouldn't say it has completely ruined wrestling but it has hurt it to a certan extent.
Now this a bit of a confession with me living in Australia we get RAW two days later than the Americans so im forced to read the spoilers and things like that i don't want to read them but i always end up doing it.
Now onto my point numerous websites report signings and happenings in the wrestling industry which sometimes ruins surprises and things like that now people will say it's your choice to choose whether to look at the spoilers or whatnot but i just think it has ruined a certain element of the wrestling biz.

So what do you think has the wrestling business ruined wrestling to a certain extent and please give reasons and if you diasagre also give reasons.
Thanks,
.Tha Wolfpac.

 

[Blade]

This thread has been done before and the answer remains the same. Yes, definitely. The internet told us everything about the industry, how it works, what goes on backstage, so we learned all this stuff and became, cynical know-it-all smarks. Rather than enjoying the show, we bitch and moan about who is and isn't getting pushed. We whine about Cena getting shoved down our throats, when 20 years ago the same was being done with Hogan.

Why did we all enjoy the attitude era more than the current era? Not because it was so much better, but even whether or not it was better is arguable. But it's because 90% of the people on the website were pretty ignorant when it came to wrestling, so we just enjoyed it more. And we'll never enjoy wrestling as much as when we were ignorant about it.

 

[Richard]

Yes, the internet has ruined professional wrestling (to some degree, for me atleast).

At the end of the day though, if people don't want to have wrestling ruined then they should not go on websites such as this. I only go on this website after wrestling is on TV so it doesn't get ruined for me.

But also it may have an impact on the actual product itself because wasn't there a rumor that at Royal Rumble 09 instead of Matt screwing Jeff, it was going to be a returning Christian but instead Vince changed it because he didn't want to be predictable?

 

[Schizophrenic]

Evident by my sig how I feel. To a degree yes. It has taken away that "surprise" factor. When a new guy is signed we know immedietly who it is and we can talk about their debut and their past accomplishments and when they debu most of the time we feel underwealmed with it (Bryan Danielson). We tend to know too much "insider info" and are allowed to see behind the curtain and like a magic show, one you know how the tricks are done, it loses it's luster. Spoilers have also become a big issue and have really hurt the ratings of every company. We know what's going to happen on SmackDown, Superstars and Impact before it even shows on television and it's evident by the low numbers (WWE's side more than TNA). Although one could argue that if the show is good enough people will watch anyway (TNA this week did better ratings than they have in some time and it was in fact a taped show, same goes for ROH, people tune in because it's the best in ring product in north america that's on tv) but the fact remains that the internet has done some damage to the buisness as a whole.

 

[Spidey Revivey]

Spoilers and kayfabe/reality damaged the world of wrestling. That I can agree with.

But I wouldn't say it ruined wrestling, not unless you found out who won what before it aired. That's why I say spoilers are a big bruiser in the business. Honestly I hate them, but I'm going to see the Smackdown spoiler or whatever if it is right in front of me...with a click away. Guilty pleasure

Internet made wrestling look like every other show. It lost its surrealism- that's why most gimmicks and things like that you see nowadays is regular, down-to-earth. (Seriously, when is the last time you saw a Max Moon or hell even another Undertaker?)

 

[Kurt Angle]

Nice to see another Aussie!

I think the Internet has totally ruined Proffessional Wrestling.Now that Kayfabe has been revealed by the internet,the mystique of wrestling is gone and I never follow it as much since I have joined a Wrestling Forum.It just ruins it.You know all the stuff inside and the best way to enjoy wrestling is to come along and cheer the favs and boo's the bad's.That's What wreslting should be.Not looking for Botches,Wondering if that was a stuff up,why did that look so fake,why won't the ref turn around etc.It's about booing and cheering.I think the internet has ruined that part of Wrestling for everyone who avidly uses the internet.

 

[Lady Sheamus]

In ways, I think so. Or rather, I think that it can ruin the experience. I read about wrestling all the time, but at the same time I don't like knowing what's going on backstage or about botches or pushes or politics, or smarks arguing over who's a good wrestler or not. Sometimes I've felt that the IWC ruins the experience of wrestling (that's why I don't go to WWEUniverse), but given the fact that out of all of my family and friends I'm the only wrestling fan it's difficult/impossible to have somebody to talk about wrestling with. That's not to say that there aren't people who are nice to talk with about wrestling, but sometimes it can go in that direction, especially with fan wars. Something I absolutely hate is when people argue over wrestlers, or if someone doesn't agree with them they insult the wrestler that person likes. Wth? It's not like you know them.

But I agree that spoilers and analysis of the quality of all aspects of wrestling can take away from the experience. Oneday I might go back to being blissfully unaware of what's going on.