Opinion

The Burden of Proof: Wrestling Fans vs Wrestling Professionals

Published

7 years ago

June 20, 2018

Wrestling has a long history of epic, game-changing rivalries. In fact, it’s what this business was built on. From the early days of Frank Gotch VS George Hackenschmidt and Bruno Sammartino VS Larry Zbysyko, all the way to the modern-day classics of Okada and Omega or Gargano and Ciampa; rivalries are the foundation of which professional wrestling was created and has exploded. It’s a funny thing, however, that the biggest rivalry in wrestling history is one that doesn’t even touch the ring. Despite a near symbiotic relationship for almost 100 years, pro wrestling’s biggest clash has become between the wrestling fans and wrestling professionals, a.k.a bookers and creative departments. WM30 Undertaker Wrestling Fan

The state of wresting is drastically different now than it was in it’s inception. Wrestling was derived from old timey carnival and circus shows, deriving from strong men giving legit competitions of strength. Eventually, the idea was born to portray the competitions under the guise of reality, yet have the outcomes scripted in the promoter’s favor. This new wrinkle, coupled with the newly added drama of storylines and the pomp and circumstance of the wrestling spectacle, led to pro wrestling becoming one of the biggest draws in the world from the 30s to the 70s. Bruno Sammartino became one of the biggest stars in the world due to his dominance as the WWWF Champion. At this point, fans weren’t in on the fact that what they were seeing was in fact scripted.

With the rise of Vincent K. McMahon and his acquisition of the territories, the newly christened WWF became the major game in the country. Led by transcendent stars like Hulk Hogan, Roddy Piper, “Macho Man” Randy Savage, “The Million Dollar Man” Ted Dibiase, and the incomparable Andre the Giant, Vince grew wrestling to heights nobody thought was ever attainable. But this new-found popularity eventually led to two things – the admission that wrestling was scripted and the sharp analysis of the business by fans. With the advent of the internet and the rise of a new generation of “attitude”, led by “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, The Rock, Bret Hart, and D-Generation-X, WWE was able to reach a mainstream level in society, and was able to overtake their biggest competitors in WCW and ECW, leading to what would be come a near monopoly in sports entertainment.

Since 2001, WWE has essentially become the only game in town. There have been other companies to not only exist in that time, but to thrive – Ring of Honor and TNA Impact come to mind. Unfortunately, all of these other companies have been clear number twos to WWE, barely even becoming viable enough to cause WWE to notice them as possible competition. With this lack of conflict between wrestling companies, and WWE’s insistence on an entertainment-based product, wrestling fans have become the conflict to WWE. Dirt sheets and shoot interviews have taught us about the inner workings of the business, journalists like Dave Meltzer and Wade Keller have essentially given us an “in” into the creative decisions made, and WWE themselves have pulled back the “veil” to let us in on the secret. Now, more than ever, there is a strength in being a fan that has made WWE and all wrestling companies take notice.

Which leads us to New Japan Pro Wrestling. Founded in 1972 by Antonio Inoki, the Japanese federation was always a critical and cultural darling. Wrestling in Japan is almost sacred. It is treated akin to sport, and there is a ceremonial nature to it, with anybody bred from that system being taught a very strong sense of honor and respect. New Japan has flirted with the wrestling mainstream, having a popular talent exchange with WCW in the past, but it has never been as close to being viable competition to the juggernaut that is the WWE until recent years. With fans being spurned with WWE’s product, and the very noticeable rise of critically acclaimed matches in New Japan, there has been a revolution of sorts. Thanks to entities such as Bullet Club, Los Ingobernables de Japon, and the significant contributions of wrestlers such as Shinsuke Nakamura, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Kazuchika Okada, and Kenny Omega, NJPW has started to creep into America as it is starting to challenge WWE’s domination of the market share.

So, what does this have to do with wrestling fans, and in particular, the conflict between wrestling fans and booking? Well, there has been a saying in wrestling that the most powerful entity in all of wrestling is the pen, surmising that due to the scripted nature of the business, a booker can change anything on a whim. Because of this, the continuation of learned backstage dealings by fans, the overwhelming sense of entitlement of fans, and WWE’s notion to double down on their style, there is a very real disconnect that has been bred. And for a large group of fans, New Japan fills that void.

But, lets get back to that disconnect for a minute. As fans, we pay our hard-earned money and spend our precious time supporting a habit that often feels like it doesn’t care about you. Wrestling has become a billion-dollar industry, that makes companies like the WWE cater to the masses, most notably casual fans. WWE follows the money; fans only care about the wrestling. So, what do you do when the company that we all grew up loving and supporting isn’t doing the things that fans seem to want on a regular basis? And what does the WWE do when it’s gotten to the point that it has by staying it’s course for 20 years? The conversation is an interesting one, especially when you consider the issue that the fans have in particular.

One of the main points of contention that WWE fans have, that New Japan fans don’t seem to, is how their favorite wresters are pushed. WWE often gives opportunities to wrestlers that many diehards don’t want to have, with Roman Reigns coming to mind. NXT, the critically-acclaimed developmental system turned 3^rd brand, has also had this issue. Wrestlers are essentially given the time, resources, and opportunities to do the things that diehard fans seem to want, clearly due to the nature of the brand and what it’s purpose is. Once the NXT wrestlers inevitably get called up, fans feel that WWE misuses them, not pushing them to the level that they were in NXT nor using them in the same manner. Fans will mention Bayley, Tyler Breeze, and Apollo Crews (to name a few) when they talk about this. Interestingly enough, and extremely relevant to this conversation, Triple H recently talked about this in an NXT Takeover: Chicago media call. He stated:

“I think that comes down to anything right? You try to prep them, you try to give them the tools, you try to give them everything you can so they can succeed on the main roster. But the truth is if you believe that everyone who gets called up will become ‘the guy’ or ‘the girl’ or the next big thing it’s kind of an unrealistic expectation.

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Launched in 2017, the Chairshot Radio Network presents you with the best in sports, entertainment, and sports entertainment. Wrestling and wrestling crossover podcasts + the most interesting content + the most engaging hosts = the most entertaining podcasts you’ll find!

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THURSDAY - Keeping the news ridiculous... The Oddity / Chairshot NFL (NFL)

FRIDAY - DWI Podcast (Drunk Wrestling Intellect)

SATURDAY - The Mindless Wrestling Podcast

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CHAIRSHOT RADIO NETWORK PODCAST SPECIALS

Attitude Of Aggression Podcast & The Big Five Project (chronologically exploring WWE's PPV/PLE history)

TheChairshot.com PRESENTS...IMMEDIATE POST WWE PLE REACTIONS w/ DJ(Mindless), Tunney(DWI) & Friends

Patrick O'Dowd's 5X5

Classic POD is WAR

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Opinion

Chairshot Staff Picks: Money In The Bank

Extra, extra read all about it… Chairshot Staff picks are in!!!

Published

3 weeks ago

June 6, 2025

PC Tunney

Sing it with me… money money money money moneeeeeeeeeyeeeeee… everybody’s got a price! MONEY IN THE BANK is here!!! How money will our staff picks be?!?

AJ – Roxanne Perez
Andrew – Stephanie Vaquer – *Bubba Sparxxx Impression* I don’t tell stories, I let them tell theyself.
Dave – Guilia – A stacked field but I just like her here.
DJ – Naomi
DPP – Roxanne Perez
Jason – Alexa Bliss
Patrick – Roxanne Perez
Rey – Naomi – If Naomi loses, we riot!
Rob – Naomi
Greg – Alexa Bliss – Bliss has had huge reactions since returning and is moving a ton of merch. While I can see them wanting to build Roxanne Perez, Giulia, or Stephanie Vaquer, I think Alexa Bliss.

Tunney’s Take: Rhea Ripley – I’ll make my case short and sweet… Mami in the Bank! You can’t leave that money on the table.

Chairshot Pick – Tie – Naomi 3 & Roxanne Perez 3 (Alexa Bliss 2, Giulia 1, Rhea Ripley 1, Stephanie Vaquer 1)

AJ – LA Knight
Andrew – El Grande Americano – Feels correct given his push and the fact he’s over.
Dave – Seth Rollins – Got to push that new faction.
DJ – LA Knight
DPP – El Grande Americano
Jason – LA Knight
Patrick – Solo Sikoa
Rey – LA Knight – Looks like another push, and he does have history with Cena.
Rob – Solo Sikoa
Greg – Seth Rollins – This company is extremely high in the El Grande Americano gimmick, but this match comes down to Seth Rollins or LA Knight. Given the Rollins storyline, it’s his briefcase to win.

Tunney’s Take: El Grande Americano – Picture this: Chad Gable wins the AAA Mega Championship and El Grande Americano wins MITB! WHAT A SATURDAY in LA!!!

Chairshot Pick – LA Knight 4 (El Grande Americano 3, Seth Rollins 2, Solo Sikoa 2)

AJ – Becky Lynch – Sadly
Andrew – Becky Lynch – I still don’t care about Lyra.
Dave – Lyra Valkyria – Starting to warm up to her and Becky has a lot to do with that.
DJ – Lyra Valkyria
DPP – Becky Lynch
Jason – Becky Lynch
Patrick – Lyra Valkyria
Rey – Becky Lynch – Put some fire on the Irish Beef.
Rob – Becky Lynch
Greg – Becky Lynch – I don’t think you do a rematch here just to have Becky lose again. Unless Bayley shows up to help Lyra.

Tunney’s Take: Becky Lynch – A big part of me feels that winning this title checks off a major box for Becks in her HOF career.

Chairshot Pick – Becky Lynch 8-3

AJ – Cena & Paul
Andrew – Rhodes & Uso – Easy way for Cena to lose without eating the pinfall.
Dave – Rhodes & Uso – Get the QB back on the winning track.
DJ – Rhodes & Uso
DPP – Rhodes & Uso
Jason – Cena & Paul
Patrick – Cena & Paul
Rey – Rhodes & Uso – Heels usually lose these kinds of matches. Logan takes the pin.
Rob – Cena & Paul
Greg – Rhodes & Uso – I hope Jey isn’t an afterthought here like Cody was last fall when he was paired up with Roman. I think Cody pins Cena to set up Cody-Cena 2 at SummerSlam.

Tunney’s Take: Cena & Paul – I don’t think Cena is involved in another loss until he loses the WWE Championship. I also think Logan Paul is NOT done trying to capture Jey Uso’s World Heavyweight Championship. …Travis Scott in the house?

Chairshot Pick – 6-5 Rhodes & Uso

In closing I want to thank everyone on the panel for participating with their picks! You can follow each prognosticator/podcaster on X @ the handles below. We all enjoy Pro Wrestling so remember three things… be respectful of others, comparison is the thief of joy and HAVE FUN!

AJ – @PhenomenalAJB
Andrew – @IWCWarChief
Dave – @AttitudeAgg
DJ – @TheMindlessPod
DPP – @itsmeDPP
Jason – @JediFett
Patrick – @WrestlngRealist
Rey – @itsreycash
Rob – @rbonne1
Greg – @gregdemarco44
PC – @PCTunney
TheChairshot.com – @ChairshotMedia

prowrestlingtees.com/TheChairshot – a PLETHORA of GREAT designs…MAKES A GREAT GIFT!

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SUNDAY – Keeping the news ridiculous… The Oddity / The Front and Center Sports Podcast

CHAIRSHOT RADIO NETWORK PODCAST SPECIALS

Attitude Of Aggression Podcast & The Big Five Project (chronologically exploring WWE’s PPV/PLE history)

TheChairshot.com PRESENTS…IMMEDIATE POST WWE PLE REACTIONS w/ DJ(Mindless), Tunney(DWI) & Friends

Patrick O’Dowd’s 5X5

Classic POD is WAR

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About Chairshot Radio Network

MONDAY - Bandwagon Nerds (entertainment & popular culture)

TUESDAY - Musical Chairs (music) / Hockey Talk (NHL)

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THURSDAY - Keeping the news ridiculous... The Oddity / Chairshot NFL (NFL)

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SATURDAY - The Mindless Wrestling Podcast

SUNDAY - The Front and Center Sports Podcast

CHAIRSHOT RADIO NETWORK PODCAST SPECIALS

Attitude Of Aggression Podcast & The Big Five Project (chronologically exploring WWE's PPV/PLE history)

TheChairshot.com PRESENTS...IMMEDIATE POST WWE PLE REACTIONS w/ DJ(Mindless), Tunney(DWI) & Friends

Patrick O'Dowd's 5X5

Classic POD is WAR

Chairshot Radio Network Your home for the hardest hitting podcasts... Sports, Entertainment and Sports Entertainment!

All Shows On Demand

Let us know what you think on social media @ChairshotMedia and always remember to use the hashtag #UseYourHead!

Opinion

Chairshot Staff Picks: Backlash St. Louis

Chairshot Staff picks!!!

Published

2 months ago

May 9, 2025

PC Tunney

May is upon us and with that, so is Backlash from St. Louis! What does the first PLE after WrestleMania have in store for the WWE Universe? Let’s see if the Chairshot Staff can properly interpret the crystal ball of rasslin’ future.

AJ – Pat MacAfee – Gunther has to start losing control and who better than an announcer.
Andrew – Pat MacAfee – Goldberg getting involved does seem correct here.
Dave – Gunther – He’s not losing to a broadcaster.
DJ – Gunther – Pat is sent to the shadow realm until football season is over.
DPP – Gunther – Post match beat down leads to Pat time off.
Jason – Gunther – One massive spot and or bump from Pat.
Patrick – Gunther
Rey – Gunther – RIP MacAfee, t’was a good life.
Rob – Gunther
Greg – Pat MacAfee – Why? Goooooldbeeerrrrrgggggg!

Tunney’s Take: Gunther – Seems like the right pick here. Pat may be getting some time off and Gunther needs more heat.

Chairshot Pick – GUNTHER 8-3

AJ – Lyra Valkyria – Becky’s hopefully putting her over, still mad about Dakota.
Andrew – Becky Lynch – I have no real interest in Lyra currently.
Dave – Becky Lynch – Lyra is boring AF!
DJ – Lyra Valkyria – Bayley interferes.
DPP – Becky Lynch – Becky cheats and steals the title.
Jason – Lyra Valkyria – Bayley costs Becks.
Patrick – Becky Lynch
Rey – Becky Lynch – Story needs to jump up a bit, Becky Charlotte’s Lyra.
Rob – Lyra Valkyria
Greg – Becky Lynch – It’s been fun, Lyra. (It kinda hasn’t)

Tunney’s Take: Lyra Valkyria – Bayley’s interference should set up some type of program with Becky as we head towards Summer(Slam).

Chairshot Pick – BECKY LYNCH 6-5

AJ – Jacob Fatu – Great way to put him over w/ two former WHCs and LA Knight.
Andrew – Jacob Fatu – He’s Jacob Fatu!
Dave – Jacob Fatu – Too soon to pull the belt off him.
DJ – Jacob Fatu – Priest and LA can’t decide who’s is bigger.
DPP – Jacob Fatu – Your hardcore match, tables and chairs involved.
Jason – Jacob Fatu – The Champ retains due to or in spite of Solo.
Patrick – Jacob Fatu
Rey – Jacob Fatu – All gas. No brakes. Ain’t losing.
Rob – Jacob Fatu
Greg – Jacob Fatu – Someone from The Samoan Dynasty ain’t winning a title just to drop it.

Tunney’s Take: Jacob Fatu – Uncle Mo is on Fatu’s side and other than Knight, I don’t see Drew or Priest holding the US title in the current circumstances of this title’s landscape.

Chairshot Pick – JACOB FATU 11-0

AJ – Dominic Mysterio – Judgement Day shenanigans just leading up to Finn turning on Dom later.
Andrew – Penta – Dom’s fine having a short reign, could also work for pushing AAA.
Dave – Dominic Mysterio – He’s probably more over than Penta.
DJ – Dominic Mysterio – Dirty Dom takes home the gold and the girl.
DPP – Dominic Mysterio – Big Head helps Dom pull out the win.
Jason – Dominic Mysterio – By hook and crook.
Patrick – Dominic Mysterio
Rey – Dominic Mysterio – Latino Heat keeps burning. Finn gets closer to the edge.
Rob – Dominic Mysterio
Greg – Dominic Mysterio – Someone from The Guerrero Dynasty ain’t winning a title just to drop it.

Tunney’s Take: Dominic Mysterio – That belt looks good with the king of chicken tendys. I can see Penta and Rey reforming as a tag team sooner than later.

Chairshot Pick – DOMINIC MYSTERIO 10-1

AJ – John Cena – Why? Cena wins, lol.
Andrew – John Cena – Shenanigans ensue so it’s not a clean win.
Dave – John Cena – The last time is now.
DJ – John Cena – Randy hears voices telling him he needs an Attitude Adjustment.
DPP – John Cena – Cena tries to cheat but the ref doesn’t call for a DQ.
Jason – John Cena – Nefarious means, Randy not ready for Evil John Cena.
Patrick – John Cena
Rey – John Cena – Cena just counting down the dates. Should be fun though.
Rob – John Cena
Greg – John Cena – You know they want Cody to be the hero in the end.

Tunney’s Take: Randy Orton – Once upon a time Randy got himself intentionally disqualified and it cost John. Saturday, history repeats itself with a 180-degree twist. Cena retains via Orton DQ victory. This time, Travis Scott’s appearance takes care of that task.

Chairshot Pick – JOHN CENA 10-1