Before I get started, this column is a response to last week’s [The Wright Idea!] If you haven’t read it already, I suggest you do. Last Weeks Column:
http://thewrestlingvoice.com/columns/jordonwright/headlines/116660855.shtml
Last week, I asked you to think. I gave you a honest question to open my column, and I asked you to do what Bill Clinton told the whole world to do in 1992 when he ran for President. To think. Does anyone feel that World Wrestling Entertainment takes us fans for granted? That’s the question that rocked the fan base here on this column all week long. Let me be honest. Because I know you fans like me best when I’m honest. Not to mention any names, but some columnists in the wrestling world work harder to please and suck up to webmasters and other pre-dominant columnists, then they do on their column it self. I don’t. Sure I have a lot of columnist buddies. And sure I know some webmasters and owners of wrestling websites. But do I suck up to webmasters? No. Do I suck up to other columnists? No. And I think columns that are meant to ’inform’ such as certain columnists week after week reviews of Raw and SmackDown, mean zilch to the wrestling world. I think a column about your opinion of a product, or a brand is a lot better then informing the audience of what the show was about and what’s happening on a brand. I got a interesting e-mail from a fellow who asked me to inform fans, and not opinionate. What kind of crack is he smoking!? This is a column. Do you need the proper spelling? C-O-L-U-M-N. It’s purely opinion. You name me one GOOD columnist on the internet today in the wrestling world that has a good column that informs, instead of gives opinion that is truly GOOD let me know. That’s chord number one I struck with my fan base. Secondly, some traditional wrestling fans got upset, because of my comments insulting WWE. I enjoy listening to them, because much like me, they are hardcore wrestling fans. But when your a wrestling fan, and you can’t appreciate when a columnist is trying to ask you to think in order to open your mind up and ask “is WWE taking us for granted” then theirs a problem. I didn’t ask WWE to meet certain criteria every week, and double check with me before every Raw and SmackDown to see if the show is ok. No, that’s not what I said at all. On the contrary. I’m just trying to open peoples minds, and ask a simple question. Is or isn’t WWE taking us for granted? I filled in the blank with my opinion. You all have your own opinion. That’s fine. But as I see my self on the rebound, from a bunch of e-mails regarding last weeks column, I’m going to ask you to think again.
Last week, a columnist who writes for one website (a fine website I may add) wrote a column about me, and last weeks duration basically rebutting the entire column. This columnists name was something along the lines of grid or pid. Or something that sounded remotely like a STD in my opinion. Now I have no problem with that. Why not? It’s his column. If he wants to make a name for himself by calling out established columnists, and crapping on their hard work. Fine, whatever. You know I can understand when fans e-mail me talking about how they disagree with my column. But for a columnist to produce a column (well, it was more like a shortly written rebuttal) about my view, and my opinion then their clearly is something that needs to be said. Well, I must of hit a soft spot in some of your eyes. Did I want to do this? Do you want the honest answer? Yes I did. Of course I did. I asked you to think, and you thought. Congratulations ladies and gentleman. But, this week I want to talk about being on the rebound, and analyzing why or why not WWE is taking us fans for granted continuing the conversation we had last week.
Any fan of mine knows I praise John Bradshaw Layfield. Well, I got a interesting notion thrown at me last week after a fan read my column. They asked me, since I mentioned talent being shoved down our throats, did JBL get shoved down our throats? I said yes, to a certain extent. He was given continuous main event air time on SmackDown even when he was resisted. He was given the WWE title, even though he was resisted. Then he e-mails me back. He asks, but didn’t JBL become a effective champion? I said yes again. I haven’t heard from him since. Why? Because the kid proved his point to me. Yes, WWE shoved JBL down our throats. And yes, most of us (minus me) resisted him for the longest time. But by the end of his WWE championship reign, he was still considered by most wrestling fans as a great champion. By most, I mean just that most. Kudos to this fan. He showed me up. His defense for WWE not taking us for granted, was WWE knows best. John Bradshaw Layfield a year ago was being crapped on by the wrestling world for the even possibility he could be WWE champion, now a lot of people want him back as champion. So does that mean WWE was right to continue pushing JBL? In the long run, yes. WWE took us for granted, but in the end they were right.
Now, I’m not saying what I said last week is right. It was merely opinion. One thing, I think I haven’t gotten a defense for is Matt Morgan. I said last week Matt Morgan was a horrible wrestler, and had a even more horrible gimmick. Right now, I enjoy Heidenreich and Gene Snitsky, to a degree. Now, three months ago I couldn’t watch a Heidenreich or Snitsky match without laughing or going to take a pee break. Things change. My opinion changed. Will my opinion about Matt Morgan change in three months? Maybe, maybe not. Does this justify WWE shoving talent down our throats? I guess you have to do, what you have to do to get talent over. When MNM took the Tag titles from Eddie Guerrero and Rey Mysterio the week after they debuted, I hated it. I still hate it. But they got my attention. Did WWE think we would like MNM automatically becoming Tag team champion!? It’s doubtful. Did they think it would draw our attention? I think so.
Another person brought something to my attention. In a number of e-mails people have told me if I didn’t like WWE, don’t watch it. I thought that was kind of rude at first, but this person said to look at it like this. Back in May or June I wrote a column that said something along the lines of “if you don’t like SmackDown, don’t just smack your TV, turn it off”. That’s pretty smash mouth when it comes to opinion. So I can understand your frustration when a columnist comes out and complains about the industry that you. I love it too. And I won’t stop watching it. I really don’t complain because I hate WWE. No way. World Wrestling Entertainment is my obsession. Why would I hate them? I love them, I just want them to shine like they used to shine. Maybe my remarks were wrong.
Maybe, I was wrong. Maybe WWE doesn’t take us for granted. Maybe they know how to manipulate us. Hey, it may sound crazy but hear me out. Like I said, three months ago I was begging WWE to give Snitsky his pink slip. Check the old editions of this column, back in like October I wrote a column asking WWE to fire Snitsky. Now he’s passable, and I actually somewhat enjoy watching him. WWE knew what chords to hit with us fans, they hit them. I got a lot of criticism last week for speaking up against World Wrestling Entertainment. But I got a lot of support as well. A lot of you feel taken for granted. A lot of you don’t. I’m asking you again to do what you did last week. Think about it. Is or isn’t WWE taking us for granted? A lot of factors play into this. But seriously, think about. But on the rebound, I think you’ll find in the end were all right. WWE is taking us for granted. Yes they are. But they are also manipulating us to continue to watch their television shows, and forcing their product down our throats. But like a bird getting food regurgitated from it’s mother, were always there with our mouths open wide for them to shove it down our throats again.
On a side note, I want to reflect on something that I know hit us wrestling fans really hard. The death of Chris Candido was not only shocking, but absolutely devastating and depressing for the whole wrestling world. I can’t think of anyone in the professional wrestling world that I least expected to pass away, then young 33 year old Candido. Candido was young, and still in his prime. He meant so much to this industry, and he will truly be missed. From his days in ECW, WCW, WWE, and TNA to his days in the indies Chris has meant a lot to us as wrestling fans. It’s only fitting that I think we take a moment of silence for Chris…………………
Rest in piece Chris Candido, rest in piece. Gone, but certainly not forgotten.
Till Next Time…..
Have A Nice Day, The Wright Way!
“No one, and I mean no one has the outspoken attitude I bring to my column. I take pride in saying what I believe, and not caring what people think. If you care what people think, I think that effects your ability as a columnist. Am I controversial? Yes. Do I give you my true honest opinion? Yes.” – Jordon Wright
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E-Mail: jjw14@sbcglobal.net
AIM: PhenomenalJordon
