WWE RAW Results (05/12/08) Jim Ross welcomes us to the Joe Louis Arena as we go into the show with the lights out in the arena. The lights come back on and William Regal is in the ring...
THE STRAIGHTSHOT- A Return (By "The Straightshooter" Greg Andrews)
"The standards are being lowered, not just on the Internet, but in all of news and media." -Vince McMahon
I'd imagine in the mind of some, my return after a six year 'retirement' will only help lower those standards even further. Those that know my history need no reintroduction. But for those that have found their way to me with no prior knowledge of my existence, here's my story...
A decade ago, during wrestling's last boom, when wrestling 'journalism' was beginning to shape how fans saw the business, I was heavily involved in writing opinion columns, doing news hotlines and writing for WOW Magazine.
If there are achives to search, you'll find The Straightshooter has been at prowrestling.com before, as well as many other sites you may have heard of. At the zenith of my time as a wrestling writer, I had two of my own websites in addition to the many I syndicated my "Straightshot" and "Shootaround" columns to.
Those that recall the Monday Night War era pitting WWF against WCW remember the mania surrounding not only the business, but the intense rivalry between WWF diehards and WCW loyalists. Each week was another opportunity for one company and their supporters to strike a blow against their opponents in an attempt to claim superiority.
Unfortunately, somewhere in the midst of that harsh, protracted battle, it became less about the success of any wrestling organization and more about who was right in the Internet wrestling world. Things declined rapidly, going from fans talking about the game to fans waging personal attacks on each other under the guise of representing their respective federation. Soon, it was the writers names that began appearing on signs all over the country on the various telecasts. The pursuit by WWF/E and WCW to become number one had now morphed into wrestling website warfare. And then, with some warning, WCW imploded, quickly crashing and burning with the wreckage purchased by the man WCW nearly caused to implode years before, Vince McMahon.
By this time, the wrestling Internet too had imploded. Too many cavalier attitudes by those looking to make a name for themselves off a reality they were indirectly part of had warped fans minds so badly, that at the end of the Monday Night Wars, few felt anything but mental exhaustion, as if they lived day to day wondering if they would have jobs when the next day began. The strain of feeling obligated to constantly defend themselves in something that had once been a simple pastime finally resulted in rebellion.
When the shell shock wore off, WCW fans had no interest in continuing on, forced to watch the wrestlers they supported being treated like jokes in the conquerors ring. Sure, the idea of a WCW vs WWE/F storyline had been a lifelong fantasy for fans everywhere, but it didn't take too long to see the fantasy turn to nightmare. The irrevocable disappointment stemming from a realization of the shape of things to come in a one horse wrestling industry officially ended the interest of millions of once rabid wrestling fans everywhere.
To make matters worse, not only had Vince McMahon absorbed WCW and ECW into his system, he came to the conclusion that the same fans that supported him during the darkest times were no longer relevant his new long term goal of global domination.
In short, Vince McMahon thought since there was nowhere to go, we'd have to accept whatever was offered and thus World Wrestling Entertainment was born.
As time went by, fans countered with their own message, one that indicated it was time to seek other hobbies, other activities and get on with life.
I know many of you grew up during these times and now wonder what happened? For those of us that have followed the business even longer, we pine for the 90's, 80's and even 70's, when pro wrestling captured our undivided attention, where our anticipation grew for each new week and most importantly, when we were truly entertained by what we saw.
It's ironic that since it has become World Wrestling Entertainment, there hasn't been much.
Adding to the torment is while the cyclicle business of wrestling hasn't rolled towards the times of frenzy, the Internet wrestling scene has returned to the days of self-importance.
A long time ago, I made a promise to those that took the time to read what I wrote. I promised to shoot straight with them on all things, to give my honest opinions right or wrong about what I see. There were those that felt I spoke as if I had all the answers and knew more than those actually working inside the business itself, but they always failed to see that my words were found in the "editorial" section, a separate section of any website provided for those merely expressing their thoughts on a particular issue.
I will admit, my getting carried away during those manic times and the eventual disillusionment of what wrestling had become in the aftermath led to my departure. But I can see today that the atmosphere surrounding all things wrestling has become some so banal, so self-serving and so agenda oriented that the concept of what it means to be a fan, a follower, an enthusiast of the business has been strangled into submission.
Without sounding ready for a Rascal, I remember the days when wrestling had fans, not faux 'journalists' pretending the revelation of coming and goings and show spoilers are on the same level as those risking their lives on real battlefields or those uncovering deceit and injustice around the world.
Because of this, I can't stay away any longer. It's bad enough that we are abused by organizations that believe they know what's best for us, but I can't tolerate hacks whipping people into a froth for the sake of making money off their 'exclusive', 'insider' knowledge we'd eventually discover on our own.
I'm not looking for a job, I'm not looking to to take away from the business. I'm back to help restore what I feel I helped erode a long time ago, the freedom to be a fan of pro wrestling.
So again, I make this promise. I will shoot straight on those I feel are corrupting the ability to enjoy an entity that has been around in some form throughout history. One that has given pleasure and despair to those that open their minds to it and one that despite its detractors, always finds a way to continue on for new generations to discover.
[And since nowadays everyone is referred to as a "straight shooter", I figure the only way to differentiate myself from the pack is to include my name. But I'll always know I was first.]
(Questions, comments or thoughts can be sent to straightshooter72@hotmail.com)
