Glenn Gilbertti, exclusive WrestleZone.com contributor and former WCW and TNA star, has started yet another heated debate with his first column of a multiple part series entitled, “Is the Internet hurting the wrestling business?” The following is a response to the column from one of the official WZ forum members and Glenn’s reply.
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nickflair says:
“So the fans don’t know what a four star match is…according to who’s rating system? Shouldn’t the fans be the ones who do the rating anyway? I mean honestly, and with all do respect to the business, but does anyone care that Mick Foley thought he had a four star match in 1987 somewhere in the south, or if Angle thinks his best work has been in TNA? Hell no. Fans want to be entertained, and the biz lives or dies dependent on what the fans, IWF (goofy moniker btw) or otherwise like or dislike.
I think that you are mainly upset that wrestling doesnât have as much of the magic that it use to have. Before the Monday Night Warâs, wrestlerâs did not use their actual names as their stage name. When Nash and Hall showed up on Nitro and the nWo started, it was something totally new, because it blurred the line between real life and the ring. Since then, about half the wrestlers out there use their real names, instead of some made up â~catchyâ name, because in my opinion, I doubt that fans care as much; itâs just another facet of the business that has been taken down because it is outmoded. 2007 Wrestling is not the wrestling that we all grew up on. People donât want to see two guys sit in a headlock for 10 minutes, and thus, wrestlers donât do it anymore. A cross-body from the top is not much of a pop anymore, so guys do Swantonâs and 450 splashâs and moonsaults, because itâs what the fans want, and the wrestlers know it. What I am trying to say is that the times have changed, and they will keep changing; either the magicians are running out of their magic or they need to learn some new tricks.”
Glenn’s Response:
“Boy, you don’t get it all. First of all, a big wig from production the other day at TNA told me, and I’m going to investigate this further to see if it’s true, that if you looked at the number of hits the wrestling websites get compared to the number of people that watch the show, the internet wrestling fan represents ONE PERCENT OF THE WRESTLING AUDIENCE! Let me repeat that. The internet wrestling fan represents ONE PERCENT OF THE WRESTLING AUDIENCE! And you’re trying to tell me they keep the wrestling business alive?
The problem is is that 99% of the boys go on the internet, and they’re reading stuff about how good certain guys are, and these guys have no charismatic actions that can connect them with the fans. They can’t cut promos and guys like you come on and talk about how booking is holding them back. The truth is, because the guys can wrestle, and thats all they can do, they should feel happy they’re making money in this business, because most of their fans on the internet have selective memory.
They forget about when guys were given a chance to cut an in ring 5 minute promo and they bombed, or when they were put in an angle with a top guy and were just concerned about getting their shit in a match and it didn’t get over. The internet fans forget things like that. They see the guy can wrestle the style they like and keep putting them over and the guy reads about how one percent of the fan base thinks he’s great and you can’t tell him otherwise.
It creates a situation where a guy has talent, but needs to start doing something different because he’s stuck in a rut and needs to be elevated. The veterans are trying to work with the guy to help him get over, but you can’t tell the guy anything because he doesn’t want to listen and why should he? He’s reading how great he is and how great his matches are. THAT IS HURTING THE BUSINESS! THE NUMBERS DO NOT LIE!”
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