The Importance Of Internet Presence

A Company Now On My Radar Because Of The Internet

What makes a great wrestling promotion? That is an extremely vague and difficult question to answer, because there are so many factors, both inside the physical shows and outside of them, that could help to classify a pro wrestling company as "great". However, I think that for a company to even be considered apart of the contenders for the greatest promotion, the one thing it must have is a strong, well-run presence on the internet. I strongly stand by the statement that without utilizing the internet as a way in which to market your brand, upcoming events and so on, one can not honestly and un-doubtingly call themselves "the best". And, as a consumer of various wrestling products, a company's embracing of what the internet has to offer can take them from a group that I wouldn't give a second look, into one that I will make an effort to follow.

For example, Women Superstars Uncensored, out of the New Jersey area, has made amazing strides and changes since getting bought by the people behind Beyond Wrestling, a group that has been producing consistent internet content for their own company since it's inception. I had seen bits and pieces of WSU's work from around 2-3 years ago, and while the company looked promising, they gave myself, the viewer, no way of keeping up with their ongoings and events from my searches on the internet. Their website was subpar, the little videos they did have available were all over the place and were close to unwatchable, and it made trying to follow this group and become a fan of theirs into a chore. Now, with only about 8 months under Beyond Wrestling's leadership, WSU is releasing a steady stream of interviews, previews, teasers and more in order to get the casual internet viewers interested in keeping up with all of their storylines and shows.

But, WSU isn't the only company that has drawn my interest because of the stuff they are doing on the internet. Absolute Intense Wrestling from Cleveland is a group that I have been following much more closely ever since they regularly began releasing teasers, DVD trailers as well as their special "Behind The Curtain" mini shoot interview series, which is a unique, yet intriguing, form of content for them to produce. In fact, just a simple DVD trailer, like their one for their Hell On Earth 8 event, encouraged me enough to order their DVD for that event.

One of the lesser known groups that have taken a crack at creating internet based content is the Pittsburgh based International Wrestling Cartel. Being good friends with Sorg from the Wrestling Mayhem Show, who does the DVD production for this company, I have watched the growth of IWC through their focus on utilizing Youtube in order to promote upcoming shows. Every month they have been releasing their online show entitled "IWC Aftershock" which recaps the events from the month before and provides hype for the event coming up. It is something super simple, and it doesn't necessarily have a lot of fancy editing or graphics, but it is a vessel in which to sell their product and storylines to a wider audience that wants and desires accessibility. 

Now, a lot of people may read this and say, "Oh, this is obvious stuff. Why would a company not utilize it?". But from the stuff I have observed from frequenting the Texas scene, it is not such an obvious idea as one may think. When you ask people what the top group in Texas currently is, many point in the direction of Anarchy Championship Wrestling. Now, are they the top in Texas simply because they do the best shows? While I definitely think the Anarchy product is top notch, the reason they are so successful is because they have an understanding of how to market themselves on the internet through various social media sites, they sell produced DVD's of their events to numerous amounts of wrestling fans, and they create great content on their Youtube channel, especially the things they do with "Anarchy Televised", and in turn their Anarchy Televised Title. The only other group that I see in Texas that is creating video content would be River City Wrestling out of San Antonio, who keeps their Youtube account properly updated with promos and hype videos. Other than those two, no Texas independent seems to be taking that route, which is a bit of a shame. Many of these groups tend to be marketing to their specific region, whether it be through flyers, radio spots or just straight word of mouth. Quite frankly, that is just not enough. In this age, wrestling companies need to develop their own virtual footprint in order to truly mean anything. I tend to joke a great deal about the WWE's overuse of their social media activities on their programming, but it is something that is necessary. A Facebook page with a flyer is not enough if one truly wants to be successful. You have to be marketable and viewable by wrestling fans that aren't just in your specific niche or area.

So, I seriously hope more people take the time to develop their internet presence, because a company can have the best shows in the world, but it is nothing if a sliver of the massive wrestling community sees them.

But that's just my thoughts. I would like to know what you guy's think. Is producing internet content necessary for a promotion to be successful? Let me know with a comment and I'll be sure to give it a read.

Until then,

The Wrestlefan

Finally, El Generico Gets His Due

A Long Overdue Grab

So if you do not follow any independent pro wrestling fan on the internet, this will be the first time you’ve probably heard the big report that WWE has signed the one and only El Generico to a developmental contract. And just like any time that the big group up north makes a grab from the independents, it is met with a whole lot of positive and negative reactions from the fans.

Let me just start by giving you an idea of how I felt when I found this story out. Like I’ve mentioned before, the internet was my main way of following independent talent since I lived in Corpus Christi, a city with little to no indie wrestling. From watching his various works in companies like ROH, Chikara and many other top companies, El Generico became one of my favorites. And as I began to watch more, my view of him progressed from him being an ungodly hilarious comedy character into seeing him as an absolutely amazing professional wrestler. Living in Texas, I knew that there was a good chance I was never going to get to see him perform, and then while venturing the internet in December of 2011, I saw he was wrestling in Austin for a little promotion called Anarchy Championship Wrestling. Now, I am a devout “Fanarchist”, and because of following this company I’ve seen many other great talents I never thought it was possible that I could see. But going back to the show, when I walked into Mohawks, Generico was standing by the merch stand selling his 8x10s and t-shirts and I decided to stop by to buy his signature blue El Generico t-shirt (which I wear all the time now). Then Generico offered his hand for a handshake and I remember being so petrified that I awkwardly forgot to even reach my hand out. I’m usually never nervous when it comes to meeting wrestlers, but I remember the only thing going through my mind was, “Holy crap I am about to shake hands with El Generico”. This was the guy that constantly gave me a laugh and entertained me across my computer screen that I was finally getting to meet in person, and I pretty much went into shock.

That is the effect Generico has had on me, which is why I was so happy when I heard the news about his recent signing. Not too long ago, I watched the first round match from PWG’s Battle Of Los Angeles 2011 with Generico vs. Claudio Castagnoli, and that excites me in so many ways as far as the opportunities that come with bringing in a star like Generico. However, many people are talking about how they fear that WWE will repackage the character, making “El Generico” gone for good. I won’t go too long into this, because you can read the post I did about a week ago titled “A Great Wrestler Does Not The Indies Make”, but Generico will still be the great wrestler no matter what WWE gives him. I’ll ask this question. Are stars like Claudio Castagnoli, Chris Hero or Jon Moxley that much different from the way they are now in the WWE? Besides the definite name changes, these men have all gotten to keep the qualities and the styles which have made then so successful on the independents. There is no doubt they will be changing the name of El Generico for the whole “rights to ones name” issue, but I highly doubt that they will remove his mask or change his style in any major way. Sure, we won’t see a lot of him dropping people on their heads with a BRAINBUSTAH, but Generico is so much more than one move.

Also, I see Generico as an amazing money making opportunity for the WWE. Since bringing him in, WWE has tried to capitalize on their younger market by pushing someone like Sin Cara, expecting to see him get a large following, followed by a great deal of merchandise being bought, to the level that people did when Rey Mysterio was first brought in. So far, it hasn’t been as successful as they wish it could be, and I think the character of El Generico could be the perfect way for WWE to get to this goal. Generico is one of the few people that WWE could grab from the independents that target the “indie wrestling fan base” as well as young children, and they would be idiots if they didn’t run with it.

Overall, as an independent wrestling fan, I must be proud and hopeful that someone that I have known as good for so long is getting recognized and getting the opportunity for some major success. Yes, I will miss the fact that I could see him wrestle in a bar in downtown Austin for only $15. But, I am excited to know that I could pay $60 dollars to see him wrestle in an 18,000 person packed arena for the entire world to see. So Mr. Generico, I salute you and I cannot wait to see you tear it up inside a slightly larger squared circle, that way so many others can see what a lot of us thought about you for so long.

Until then,

The Wrestlefan

A Great Wrestler Does Not The Indies Make

He's Not The Greatest Because He Did It For Less Money

In case you didn’t know, this is Antonio Cesaro, the current United States champion of the WWE. And if you follow me on the internet, you will know that he is one of my favorite wrestlers currently on WWE television. I’ve said before that I will wait throughout whatever WWE wants to place in front of me for three hours on a Monday Night (including John Cena quite literally pooping on peoples parade), just to get to the Antonio Cesaro match and watch him go straight beast mode on someone. He has brought great matches out of some not so great wrestlers, to the point where I am actually excited for the match he is having on Main Event with The Great Khali of all people. But as many of you know, Antonio Cesaro use to go under a different alias. He was once Claudio Castagnoli, former multi-time champion in companies such as Ring Of Honor, Chikara, Pro Wrestling Guerilla, Combat Zone Wrestling and many, many more. And in those companies, Claudio exhibited all the traits that made me such a fan of him currently.

This brings me to the point of this post. I follow independent wrestling a great deal, to the point that I am the spear-header for the indie wrestling news segment on the Wrestling Mayhem Show. When my fellow Mayhem Show co-hosts bring up a name of someone they have heard of for the first time, I am usually able to give them a brief synopsis of the stuff that they have done and some of their attributes. It’s very pro wrestling hipster-esque of me, but I like to share my knowledge with other people. But let me say that just because I spend a great deal of my time following independent wrestling and wrestlers, does not mean I automatically think that all indie wrestling is great.

Normally, I tend to get behind certain wrestlers as opposed to certain companies. While certain companies on an independent level can be defined as better than others, there is great talent intermixed throughout, and that also goes for televised wrestling products. However, I do feel very strongly that in order to develop your own opinions about what is good and what is bad, you need to see a little bit of everything. I watch everything from WWE, to TNA, to local promotions, to promotions states away, to international promotions, because your best pro wrestling experiences and your worst teach you about what you love and appreciate. That being said, not every indie wrestler is the greatest pro wrestler in the world. I’ve been to small independent shows where the best on the show is still not as great as WWE’s worse and vice versa. At the same token, just because a wrestler is on television does not automatically make them better than someone wrestling in front of only a fraction of the crowd.

And just because you have wrestled for those smaller crowds does not mean you are automatically my favorite. Take for example Dean Ambrose, the newest arrival from the independents to WWE television. As much as I appreciate Ambrose, while I followed his stuff on the independent scene, I was never that compelled by his work in the way most other fans were. A large portion of it occurred in Combat Zone Wrestling, and looking back on his matches, they were no different than a lot of the infamous wrestling that occurred in CZW at the time. Then there are his widely talked about promos, where he pulls his hair, rubs his face, talks in a mumbling voice and then starts to scream, and at times I found them more comical then truly serious. One of my favorite examples of this is a promo he cut for a IPW storyline he was doing with Drake Younger, where Moxley continually harasses and gropes this female interviewer and says weird stuff to make you think that he is crazy. When I watched it for the first time, I couldn’t help but laugh the entire time because of how ridiculous it was, which was not the goal of the promo. Rather than me thinking he was a deranged psychopath who is dangerous, I thought he was ridiculously hilarious and over the top. And just because something makes you laugh in wrestling, doesn’t always mean its good.

Don’t get me wrong though. I am very happy for Dean Ambrose’s recent success and opportunities in a company that pretty much every pro wrestler desires to be in. But I tend to hear a great deal about how bringing in Ambrose to the main roster is a way for the WWE to make the internet wrestling community “wet in the pants”, and for me, that’s just not the case. The same goes for Cesaro, who I would be enthralled with whether he was wrestling in front of 18,000 or 180. Claudio Castagnoli and Antonio Cesaro are the same phenomenal wrestler and no sole company that he has worked for has defined him. However, I am still devout in keeping up with the independents and talking them a great deal. But that is because they are the ones that need people talking about them. WWE doesn’t need us on the internet discussing their on-goings to be successful. In fact, they may be more successful without. I am lucky enough to see amazing independent athletes like ACH, Davey Vega or Rachel Summerlyn every month, and I make a strong effort to tell as many people as I can about them. But they are as much my favorite wrestlers as the likes of Cesaro, Damien Sandow, Daniel Bryan, Cody Rhodes and so many others on TV.

Overall, the moral somewhere within this is to love the wrestlers you wish to love, no matter how the environment around those wrestlers defines them. Great wrestlers are great wrestlers and bad wrestlers are bad wrestlers. I encourage you to explore all of the wide variety that professional wrestling has to offer and decide for yourself which are which.

Those are just my thoughts. I would love to hear what yours are so leave a comment telling me what you think. What equates a good wrestler? Do you tend to follow wrestlers or follow companies?

Until then,

The Wrestlefan