if you became/were a pro wrestler would you listen to the IWC

[Wrestlingfan100]

straight out question, I asked this on yahoo answers wrestling section last year and most said straight out "no." I thought that was pretty hypocritical. Would you listen to the IWC and their criticisms of YOUR mic skills and wrestling ability. Every move you take, every word you say, how you act backstage, your general personality and skills in general commented on with snide and ignorant criticisms or would you stand by the marks, by the average fan, who will like you for simple reasons & respect you and treat you like the epitome of superstardom.

 

[This Is My Name Thank You]

In a way maybe, because the IWC are the ones who view wrestling all the time as we watch it all the time and we even re watch matches on Youtube and were always talking about it. I wouldn't listen to every word typed by the IWC, I would just read the criticism to try to keep tweaking my character and see if it would work. The problem is once it worked they turn on you so that is the only thing that sucks. So like I said I wouldn't really listen to them I would just see the criticism to tweak my character if it wasn't getting over. Other than that I wouldn't listen to another word that they have to say.

 

[Constipated Badger Bottom]

I'd be curious on what the veiws of the "IWC" are on my characte but the only people I would listen to would be the my veteren co-workers so for example if the WWE signed me today then the first people I would talk to would be the likes of Goldust, Mark Henry, Jerry Lawler, Kane and if they have the time then Triple H, Cena, Orton etc and I would listen to every word they say to me

 

[Poop Master Flex]

Not for one second. I would listen to people who were actually successful in the business as they know a hell of a lot more than anyone on the IWC.

If I had guys like HHH, Hogan, or HBK that I could talk to I would pick their brains any chance I could get as they could all teach you everything you would need to know about wrestling and how to be successful. I would talk to guys like JR and Vince as they know the history of the business. I would study old tapes, I would watch every match I could, I would specifically watch the big names who made this business and figure out what they did successful that made them successful.

I would NEVER listen to the IWC, I wouldn't even read their criticism because most of it wouldn't be constructive. If I was a wrestler I wouldn't care 2 shits about what the IWC thinks, I would pay attention to my fellow wrestlers, the fans reaction when I was out there and pay attention to important stuff like perfecting my craft and getting over. If Cena or Orton listened to half of what the IWC said they probably wouldn't be successful right now (take note Matt Hardy).

Constructive criticism is always good but the most constructive criticism you can get are from guys who wrestled for years, made money and got over with the fans. It doesn't matter what the people on the IWC say it matters in ratings, PPV buys and most importantly how the fans react when your in front of them.

 

[Paralyzer Z]

I'd listen to everyone.

Maybe more attention would be given to the backstage veterans like triple h or anyone but that scrub goldust. Unlike gunner I will admit that the iwc has had good suggestions in the past. The moderators here dish out good ideas consistently.

Don't limit yourselves to one source.

 

[George Steele's Barber]

I would absolutely read and listen. I would patronize them to no end and try to become their hero. I would not take their advice most of the time but I would never ignore it as long as I had time to read and listen. Most importantly I would never insult them. They are the fans are they have pride and there is no way I can expect the win their respect if I damage their pride.

As far as the boys in the back go this may be cynical but they may have their own interest at heart. I wouldn't trust anyone that knows I want to be bigger and better than they are. The IWC may be 99% clueless but they are 100 times more genuine.

Not everything from the IWC is shit. There are some smart people, there are some creative people and there are some really observant people.

 

[mikde_]

To be honest, even if you did listen to the IWC what would tht change about your character or the direction the company wants to take you in. As a rookie you would have pretty much no creative control over your character so the only person you will or should listen to is the guy paying your wages.

 

[hatehabsforever]

I would definitely listen to the IWC, and consider their opinions, whether I agreed with them or not. That's not to say I would take everything they say to heart or would adopt every idea they suggest, but I'd would definitely listen. As professional wrestler, I would listen to pretty much everyone: the live fans, the IWC fans, the WWE brass, my fellow wrestlers, former wrestlers, and anyone else who has some insight into the business. And I would try to assimilate all of the opinions into something which would guide my career direction.

If I were a professional athlete, I would not listen to the media much because it is reality based, and comments could be taken too much to heart which could potentially adversely affect my performance. But in the kayfabe world of pro wrestling, what harm could come from listening to a subsection of the fan base? It could provide some insight into what's working, what's not, and what needs to be tweaked.

One of the first things I would do is create an account on wrestlezone, and let the opinions of the guys on here guide my entire career. Especially that hatehabsforever fellow. He's got all the answers

 

[RicoLen]

I would absolutely read and listen. I would patronize them to no end and try to become their hero. I would not take their advice most of the time but I would never ignore it as long as I had time to read and listen. Most importantly I would never insult them. They are the fans are they have pride and there is no way I can expect the win their respect if I damage their pride.

I would do very similar, except I'd be the heel. I WOULD insult them every time I got the chance. I'd be like Cena and make them look like comicon LARPing nerds. I'd watch what they were saying and then do the opposite just to piss them off.

 

[nikvoodoo]

No. Absolutely not.

Do coaches in the NFL listen to the fans (with the exception of Pete Carrol letting that fan pick the first play of their preseason)? No.

If you want to be a little more accurate by profession: Many actors and actresses who refuse to read reviews of their show until after it's closed. They could be told it's a glowing review from the New York Times and they still refuse to look. They don't want anyone or anything influencing their performance.

Arm chair workers do not equate to real life road agents who have done this for a living. I'd listen to everyone in the locker room. I'd listen to every booker, every referee, every tech guy..... anyone employed by the company. They have a better idea of how to improve your character and performance than anyone out here.

 

[QbnMissile]

Hell no, I'd use it for promo material like punk, but mine would be in more of a heel fashion. But to be fare I wouldn't listen to the writers either. Honestly look at the stars that made it big they did it goinng with their gut and their instinct. You can't be a robot if you wanna be great. We all think Vinny Mac only wants carbon copies, but look at the guys on top, no one acts like anyone else nor do any of them sound the same. So just go with the moment I guess.

 

[pessimism101]

The answer to this question really has to do with what the main demographic is in the company I'd be working for. If I was in the WWE, I may pay attention to what the IWC has to say but it would be more for entertainment purposes. Ultimately, I would listen to the fans the company makes the most off of. In TNA, I'd probably at least contemplate what the IWC has to say, but, again, it would depend on what demographic TNA makes the most money from. In indendent promotions and, to a lesser extent, ROH, who I'd guess rely primarily on the internet for a fanbase, I'd definitely listen to what the IWC has to say.

Ultimately, though, it's all about the money so the people I would listen to the most would be the people who pay the most.

 

[Bla Bla0155]

Yes, definitely! I mean after all, they are the fans and Happy fans=Money in your pocket. I wouldn't take everything they said seriously but it would give me a fair idea on what i would need to work on.

 

[Peoples_Champ]

I would only listen to fans if my career reached a plateau. If I were face R-Truth and I wasn't getting over beyond everyone singing one word of my theme song, I would look at WWE's facebook feed and figure out what people were saying. People were writing on the WWE feed for months that Truth should turn heel ASAP (I know I was).

I think its up to the writers to look to the IWC more than the wrestlers themselves. The agents should be aware of what's getting over and what's not. Then they should be constructive with the advice they give the talent.

 

[Dagger Dias]

Yes I would. If I became a wrestler then I'd want every single fan to like me. Now, I know that is an impossible thing to accomplish. There is always going to be someone who does not like me no matter how hard I try to impress all fans. I would at the very least try to listen to the IWC though because they are fans too just as much as the casual fans in attendance at the shows. The IWC have opinions just like everyone else amd I would try my hardest to eliminate negative thoughts of me as a wrestler from ANY source, not just the IWC, in order to have a larger fanbase that is for the most part kept happy.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

I'd most likely listen to at least some fans. Some members of the IWC do honestly, at least in my opinion, have some good ideas and generally good minds for pro wrestling.

That's not to say that they'd be right, but I'd be more apt to listen to a relatively small minority that look at wrestling as a business with realistic views. I'm a wrestling fan and always will be but I'm also a mature person that knows pro wrestling companies aren't necessarily going to do what I want just because I might think it's good. There are far too many internet fans that are of the mind that they could do a better job than those running WWE or TNA, that believe they themselves have this unique vision & sense of clarity that the other wrestling fans & even some wrestlers themselves don't have and will gripe & complain whenever something doesn't turn out EXACTLY the way they want it to or feel that it should. They base a lot of their love of wrestling around fantasy booking and, often, momentary whims that can usually change like the weather.

There are just far too many armchair & fantasy bookers among the internet wrestling community. They're more interested in simply doing something just because they like it without any forethought as to question whether or not it would work with most other fans or would be profitable for the company & the wrestlers who work for said company.

 

[Muffin Top Merkley]

I would be aware of what was being said about me, both positive and negative and take it into consideration. For example, maybe a lot of people are complaining about my move set, or my character is getting stale, I would like might try and make small changes to continuously evolve my character & wrestling skill.

That being said, I'd be in the wrestling business, and the IWC would still be be armchair quarterbacking what is happening in the company, so I would have a better view as to the process of what would and would not be successful in advancing my career. I'd be surrounded by so many thoughts & opinions that hold a lot more water, such as other talent, agents, creative staff etc. that the IWC wouldn't be my first and only place to go for opinions and ideas about me in a wrestling ring.

I would listen to what their opinion of me is & take it into consideration, but I wouldn't bend over backwards to make them happy, because as we all know, there is no pleasing the IWC.

 

[Pat9010]

Yes and no. I would read reviews of my matches and such, but not rumors and all of that. While it's important to not let some random guy with a random opinion get you thinking you "can't wrestle" it's still a great way to read a certain audience.

But i also feel like i just wouldn't have time with all the travel and working out and everything, it would be more like a spare time kinda thing

 

[Remy LaCroix]

Yes, I would. I'd lurk the Wrestlezone forums and put my 2 cents here and there without revealing my identity, maybe with a screen name similar to my signature move. I'd probably promote myself with posting videos of an "unknown indy wrestler" who NEEDS to be signed to one of the top American indy promotions.

 

[Dowdsy McDowds]

No. Absolutely not.

Do coaches in the NFL listen to the fans (with the exception of Pete Carrol letting that fan pick the first play of their preseason)? No.

If you want to be a little more accurate by profession: Many actors and actresses who refuse to read reviews of their show until after it's closed. They could be told it's a glowing review from the New York Times and they still refuse to look. They don't want anyone or anything influencing their performance.

While I get what you're saying, the difference between performing for a wrestling company and acting on broadway or in the theatre is that the actors are going through one performance several times over a prolonged period, whereas wrestlers need the crowd to help determine their success and direction. It is ironic that Mickey Rourke hasn't seen the Wrestler though now I think about it.

Arm chair workers do not equate to real life road agents who have done this for a living. I'd listen to everyone in the locker room. I'd listen to every booker, every referee, every tech guy..... anyone employed by the company. They have a better idea of how to improve your character and performance than anyone out here.

Listening to the people within the company is the wisest thing to do, but you would also need to listen to the people that you are performing for and keep in touch with what they think, even if you do not necessarily act upon it. While it makes sense to listen to people in the company, you'd have to figure there are some people who would be fluent bullshit artists there so you'd also have to savvily navigate your way through said bullshit before finding your way to what they are trying to get at. (I imagine.)

 

[FitFinlay4Life]

Of course, look how (arguably) the two most positively talked about people on the IWC have moved up the WWe totem. Zack Ryder was assisted to a victory over the current US and former WHC, Dolph Ziggler, by a genuine leading man and former Oscars host while CM Punk had so much support as his contract ran out that he was granted a hitherto unbelievable ascent to the number two spot in the active roster.

Don't disregard the IWC, having them on your side is a massive boon in this day and age. Ignoring what they have to say is dangerous.

On the other hand, there has to be a balance. Matt Hardy worked the internet well for a period but people tired of it. I would suggest that the WWe remembers this as they appear to be putting a lot of stock into it at the moment.

 

[Tastycles]

I don't really understand what the question is? The IWC doesn't have a singular opinion and I would listen to fans who were being constructive whether they were doing that in the arena or online. Fundamentally, as a wrestler I'd want to be as popular as possible, and if there was a general consensus that I wasn't doing something right, then I'd take the criticism on board. I certainly wouldn't use the instincts of a spotty teenager on the internet to influence the way I fed my family though.

 

[jacdnwarrior]

If you're a wrestler with a company, you do what the promoter tells you. You can't do what the fans say if the promoter doesn't want that. The fact is many wrestlers have little time to worry about the IWC, they're on the road doing events etc. If I were a wrestler and had time to go on the internet I might listen, but unless I know for certain I could use it without pissing off the promoter, I probably wouldn't act on it.

 

[H33LTurn]

Hell no. If I made it in wrestling then I'm supposed to respond to my boss now. Hes the one thats going to push me and sign my paychecks not the people online. Look at the people the online fans love so much and tell me how they're doing. Daniel Bryan is on a losing streak. Look at the people the IWC hates, i.e Orton, the biggest star in SD right now. A couple of years ago people thought Henry should retire and now they're kissing his ass. Look at the Rock who came back only for the fans, to have much of the IWC turn on him. So no, I dont think these cynical deuches that dont know more than what they hear on a RUMOR website should have any influence on my career.

 

[Stinger90]

Yes, definitely! I mean after all, they are the fans and Happy fans=Money in your pocket. I wouldn't take everything they said seriously but it would give me a fair idea on what i would need to work on.

That is the problem right there. Most of the time they aren't happy. While I can agree that I have seen some ideas that were decent, most of the time they whine about this guys mic skills or in ring ability just because they don't like the person. I think you have to be as original as possible and find what works by gauging the live crowds response. That is how you find out what works and what doesn't. I mean no offence, but Triple H , The Rock, and Stone Cold did just fine without the IWC.