Does the internet influence what you think about wrestling?

[Guest MillionLiraMan]

It might not at all, or you might have had your views changed as a result of reading opinions and various pieces of information from websites about wrestling on the internet. I looked for this topic in previous posts up to about January time, because I had it in my head that we'd done this in some form or other, but I couldn't find it so excuse me if this has already been done recently.

 

It's funny what the internet can do to you, I used to look at WWF.com/ WWE.com but I never really paid much attention to the internet community until I registered at TWO. I always had my own favourites before I started to look at things on the internet, and since the brand split was in effect by the time I came here I'll mention about favourites and the like at the time when I started to look at the internet about wrestling.

 

I started out as a fan of Benoit and Angle on SmackDown! since the brand split, and Triple H and Jericho on Raw. I'm still fans of all of them, but for all that I've read on the internet I've actually swung more towards liking Triple H again (who was my favourite before Benoit and Angle resumed their feud last year), having grown more resentful of the idea that the internet should be telling us who we should and shouldn't like. I can read any number of things about backstage politics, technical excellence and so on but that isn't going to make me start marking out for Spanky all of a sudden, or consider Triple H to be worse than Hitler. That's not to say that I just look at the internet and then decide to do the opposite of what I read there, otherwise I wouldn't still like the likes of Angle and Benoit, but it really can dominate your thoughts if you allow it to happen. I think that after you read the same kind of thing so many times on the internet you become almost immune to paying too much attention to it, unless you've already been swayed to go along with it at an early stage. I don't know, but at least for me once I had seen the general opinion of it and how it usually goes, I found it was usually quite easy to predict how it would take sides between certain wrestlers or how it would praise some and criticise others, and it didn't really influence my opinion very much at all. Having said that, it has influenced me more nowadays in making me more commited to those for whom I marked out before, as I have said I came here more a fan of Benoit and now find myself back to being more of a Triple H fan once again. Possibly that's a bit of stubborness on my part, but I don't like being told what to think so I suppose it has kind of affected me in that way. I don't know if that made a lot of sense, and I'm sure I've contradicted myself somewhere, but there's a logic to that somewhere!

 

Does the internet influence what you think about wrestling, or has it done so in the past? If so, how?

[Guest Russ]

I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't influenced slightly by the internet. I mean, if I didn't have access to wrestling news, I wouldn't have a clue about certain things that are unknown to the casual fan.

 

But I wouldn't say I was totally influenced. The best way I can put it is that the internet gave me my wings of criticism, and I've learned to fly on my own. I mean, when Nash stepped in the ring with Jericho on Raw, I wasn't expecting a classic. Due to the internet, I was able to buy old tapes from Silvervision, which meant that I could see Nash matches of old, when he was awful. But if I was offline for 6 months, and Nash worked under a mask (And he cut his hair, so I couldn't see his lucious locks), then I would still tell you that the masked guy was terrible, and Jericho is a capable worker.

 

People get too worked up over the role of the internet. It's just a bunch of people expressing opinions, some more fair than others. You're still allowed to think for yourself, but maybe this is just me, I like to hear what other people think. Not so I can copy them to be liking/hating the wrestlers I should, but so I can say "I agree with you there, it's good to know I'm not the only person who likes <Wrestler A>".

 

To be honest, if you get worked up every time someone says something you disagree with, you have to wonder whether the internet is really for you. Maybe you'd just be better off sitting offline away from the biased people who copy each other's opinions, then you can't be influenced by the evil people who run the big wrestling sites that have a personal vendetta against certain wrestlers.

[Guest The Crippler]

Na I don't think it influences me too much at all. I do think it influences others though - one or two people around here it obviously influences.

 

One thing the internet does is probably spoil my enjoyment of wrestling. I always want to find out the latest news and whatnot but you read some columns which are incredibly, incredibly negative. You just get these guys who sit and really analyse each segment and I always find myself thinking "why can't you just sit back and try and enjoy it?".

 

But anyway, no it doesn't influence me on who I like.

[Guest Jayden]

It used to influence me loads, until I woke up.

 

If I said it now didn't at all, I'd be lieing. That said I don't think it influences me in any good way whatsoever. For a long time it took away the ability for me to find the fun in wrestling anymore. Like I said, thankfully I woke up. I do still go online, and read and talk about wrestling though so if it bothered me that much I guess I'd stay off altogether.

[Guest Cactus Jack]

Well Done MLM, no joking, I was just about to post a thread on this!

 

I agree with Cripps, the internet can take some of the enjoyment away. I've tried to watch Beniot vs. Angle and "smark" off on it, but I just don't. It does by no means mean that I don't enjoy their matches, but do you reall want to see Beniot vs. Angle all the time? I mean, they have submission matches every 6 months.

 

Anyway, will post more later when I have time :xyx

[Guest Craig Van Dam]

I try not to let the internet influence the way I think about wrestling I mean I still like the wrestlers I used to like before I got the net such as RVD Booker T Rock Austin but I'm not one of those people who love Angle Benoit and Eddie I mean I know they a great wrestlers.

 

As Crippler said the internet doe's sometimes spoil the enjoyment of wrestling because of spoilers etc

[Guest Nicole]

I think the internet can turn people into mindless sheep when it comes to wrestling. One person thinks a wrestler is great so they jump on the bandwagon, or they'll just listen to the opinions of Dave Meltzer and the like, so they have no real opinions of there owns, just fabricated preconceptions that they have to listen to that person cos they are "backstage" in wrestling.

[Guest Cactus Jack]

Originally posted by Nicole

I think the internet can turn people into mindless sheep when it comes to wrestling. One person thinks a wrestler is great so they jump on the bandwagon, or they'll just listen to the opinions of Dave Meltzer and the like, so they have no real opinions of there owns, just fabricated preconceptions that they have to listen to that person cos they are "backstage" in wrestling.

 

100% Agreed :xyx

[Guest Jung]

It doesn't really influence me. I know what I like, and the Internet doesn't change that, just maybe broadens your horizons. And sometimes it is nice to see what people think about whoever, would rather talk about wrestling, with real fans, than talk about Hogan with casual fans who know nothing at school. I think half of the net's influence, is really up to you, whether you truly want to know news and such, I mean if you don't do read it.

[Guest Dintrox]

The one thing I like about the internet is finding out results from shows that I can't watch. Unfortunately i don't have access to smackdown or NWA/TNA shows and I don't always have the time or patience to watch Raw.

 

I think people like the wrestlers they like. The internet gives me a voice to view my approval or lack there of the product the promoter is selling.

 

There is a lot of HHH hate out there lately and I agree with it to a point. I think it is high time he dropped the title. It seems column after column post after post is about HHH. But I like to read fantasy bookings speculations about appearances etc..

 

Interesting column: http://www.tsn.ca/wrestling about top 10 IC champs of all time interesting read and lots of varied opinions in response.

 

Guys I've been watching for years are still the ones I watch benoit, Guerrero, Jericho, etc..

[Guest Walshy]

The internet influences everyone, without the internet you would have to watch every show to see what happens and you would be surprised at not knowing the lastest developments. The problem with the internet is that people can post anything and someone will believe it. I can't help but think that the anti HHH thoughts would not be as strong if it wasn't for the internet.

 

So the internet does influence me, it tells you things which (fact or not) you take in, such as the RVD is being kept down story. It could just be as possible that the WWE doesn't want to push a guy who can cut any promo's, but someone says that HHH or the Undertaker is keeping him down and next show you watch you get angry at seeing RVD fighting lower midcard matchs and so believe what you were told. so the internet influences everybody, either it does it big or little, but it does influence everybody.

[Dead Crow 370]

I pretty much echo Russ's sentiments on this. Yeah, it influences me a bit, as does a magazine like Power Slam. But then it was the WWE (and ECW before it) that pushed the envelope as far as not "insulting the fan's intelligence" by keeping up the wrestling is real thing. They left themselves open for a lot more microscopic viewing from the internet and guys like Meltzer and Scherer.

 

But then, the internet doesn't influence me immensly, or as much as people would like to think. Remember that 30-minute submission match between Angle and Benoit? I fast forwarded about 25 minutes of that match in total... they don't interest me that much. And look at how Billy Gunn is always knocked by fans... yet I thoroughly enjoyed his match with Val Venis on Heat ages ago (I'm talking before Channel 4 cut the license). I know the kind of things I like. I do not like HHH. I do not like Nash. While I'd be lying if I said his backstage antics didn't interest or annoy me a little (although I cant blame him for banging Steph and doing his best to stay at the top.. just a shame it seems to affect the company negatively), but I'm not just going on that.. and in fact, it's actually a minority reason. The majority of my reason for disliking HHH is simply because he bores me. His voice bores me, his matches bore me, and I see too much of him. Pretty much like Vince and Steph on SmackDown. I don't want to see them take about an hour of a show to promote their goings on when they have more entertaining people on the roster who can use the time more usefully. I don't wanna see a "mix" of old-guys and young guys. I want to see the youth get pushed, because these are the kids who are gonna be overtaking the likes of Angle, HHH, Rocky and crew when they call it a day. I don't particularly wanna see Rocky retire and have Sting take his place, when Christian could obviously make more of the role. Why have HHH's place taken by Randy Savage when you have Brock Lesnar or RVD ready and able to take it to the next level.

 

I can make my own mind up on things. Yeah, it's good to have people to talk wrestling about in a way that I know it and understand it. It's also good to challenge other opinions constructively, and conversely, be challenged myself. Some people take it too seriously, and some people do take it too far. For me, THAT'S what ruins it. Not Meltzer, not Scherer, but those who would rather argue that Meltzer is a bullshitter than that HHH is boring or conversely, entertaining.

 

But then theres not much we can do about that. If it was that much of a peoblem, we wouldn't be here now, would we.

[Guest Peter K]

Nonsense!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I like to make my own decisions and I won't let the Internet influence me at all!

 

A classic example:

 

Steve Austin - Last year - he assaulted Debra - perhaps people will look him down after that.

 

As for me - I still mark out for Austin everytime!

 

And - the internet reguarly bashes Hogan and Triple H - I used to bash Triple H - I don't now - I do quite enjoy Triple H - he is trying to bring meaning to the Raw Heavyweight title.

As for Hogan - I have been watching wrestling for 16 years myself and has always marked out for Hogan throughout my life - he was the first person I marked out and I will always mark out for him.

 

In a way - the Internet has tooken away the secrecy and the mystery of this industry - as a result - there is reguarly cases of breaking kayfaybe and WWE Confidential tv show.

 

So - I don't let the internet inflence me - I use the internet for wrestling news and to talk to my friends and post on the forums.

[Guest Walshy]

True, I must admit, I am a huge Hulkamanica, and all of the internet rumours and bashing in the world coundn't change that, I have always though HHH to be slow and dull and the internet bashing has just given me more reasons to hate him.

 

Pretty much i think you mark out for who you mark out for, the internet doesn't change that, you mark for the character, not for the persons private life. (ie. Austin)

[Guest Cactus Jack]

Originally posted by PK (WCW + ECW Fan)

As for Hogan - I have been watching wrestling for 16 years myself and has always marked out for Hogan throughout my life - he was the first person I marked out and I will always mark out for him.

 

Same here; just because Hogan can't do 1001 variations of the arm bar, he's still THE legend of wrestling to me.