RE-POST: The Importance of the Internet to Professional Wrestling (2008)

Ever since The Two Sheds Review made it’s debut way back in the year 2000 (yes, it’s been that long) I’ve often wondered just how important the internet is to the professional wrestling industry. I’ve wondered how important it is for some wrestlers that they’re portrayed in a positive light amongst the faithful on the fan forums. At the moment a bank manager from Wales is compiling a list of the fifty worst British wrestlers. It’s a list which some have taken in good humour, while others have gone on a verbal rampage against those who voted for them.

This list got me thinking about an event way back in May 2002. It was at Sheringham High School that Mike and Dave Waters, otherwise known as the U.K. Pitbulls, held their first show under the DAM Promotions banner, gathering together a vast array of wrestlers from the various promotions they had worked for.

The second match of the evening featured Mr. Total Xtreme against Chris Fury. Jem Brown, the man behind the MTX persona, is a hell of a guy, one of the nicest guys I met during my time in the British wrestling business. One slight problem though - he’s actually not a very good wrestler. I’ve only ever seen him in one good match, against “Rowdy” Ricky Knight.

The match on this particular evening was quite bad. It was poor in every aspect, and was the worst match on the show. Which left me with a little problem - should I be honest about the match while writing my review, or should I give an honest and open account.

Given the fact that a British wrestling website had just named me as the biggest ass kisser in British wrestling because I said a Ricky Knight v Zebra Kid hardcore match was very good, I decided to be open and honest in my review.

Two days later I was scheduled to travel to a WAW show with Mike and Dave, meeting up with them at their house in Sheringham. I arrived about half an hour before we were due to leave, so I had a bit of time to chat with the lads about their show.

As I sat on their sofa, Big Dave went to great pains to explain to me just why the MTX/Chris Fury match was so bad. As he sat in front of me giving me all of these excuses I began to feel like an old fashioned school headmaster, sitting in his office behind his massive desk while the young boy in front of him explained just why he’d blown up the chemistry laboratory.

To be fair, Dave made a few good points, but these points were quickly disregarded as a few minutes later Mike came into the room, and using exactly the same words, explained to me just why the MTX/Chris Fury match was so bad.

Was my opinion about their first show, and this match in particular so important to them? Had they spent the past day coming up with this story, going over it word for word, in preparation for when they saw me? Or were they just worried about the negative way I had portrayed their new wrestling promotion, and this match in particular?

I can tell you for certain that it’s definitely the last statement. The way that they are perceived on the internet is very important to the Waters brothers, so much so that I received a great deal of heat, both direct and indirect, from them for choosing to attend a Midge Ure (the guy who co-founded Band Aid and Live Aid) concert instead of one of their shows in 2005. I did have other reasons for not going to that show, but that’s another story for another time.

I have no idea if Chris Fury is still wrestling. Jem Brown this, these days under the name of Mikey the Pikey. (For those who don’t know, a “Pikey” is slang term for a gypsy, or traveller. It’s regarded as being somewhat racist in some circles.) He also made the list compiled by the Welsh bank manager. He also recently appeared in a reality television show, as part of a British contingent of “tough guys” who had to endure time in a rough American prison. He is a genuinely nice bloke, someone who I enjoyed spending time with, and someone who is very passionate about the professional wrestling business. It’s just a shame that he’s not that good at what he does.

As for DAM Promotions, the future of that particular promotion is currently unclear, given the fact that Mike and Dave recently announced their retirement following an injury that Dave sustained while competing in a strongman contest.

But whenever I think about how some professional wrestlers view the way they are perceived on the internet, I’ll always think back to that day in May 2002, when two giant men tried to make excuses for the poor match on their show. The U.K. Pitbulls will always be concerned about the way that they and their promotion are perceived on the internet, and it’s kind of sad that the majority of workers coming through these days see this as the most important aspect of their careers.