Welcome all to the most electrifying column in Sports Entertainment. I’m The Professor, cross the threshold and enter into my lab.
I read spoilers, I might as well admit. Not to assume that everyone does, but a large majority of Internet fans must, or spoilers wouldn’t exist. They exist for almost anything a fan can imagine: Can I find out what the feelings are backstage? Yes. Can I see which wrestlers will be making a special appearance? Yes. Can I know who is going to win the title? Yes. And most of all, can I read the entire show of Smackdown before it airs? Yes.
While it may be a stretch to say that spoilers are devastating, I strongly feel that they can, not always, but they can have negative effects on the business. Let us look at the positives and negatives of spoilers. First a negative: On occasion I have not watched a show due to the spoilers. If wrestlers that I want to see aren’t on, and none of the matches look entertaining, homework will win out over Smackdown. I prejudge a show as bad based on the spoilers rather than watching it, and that is a shame. On the other hand spoilers can have a positive effect: Engraved in my mind is the Lesnar vs. Big Show match from last year in which the ring broke. In was, in one word, insane. I saw the spoiler on Tuesday night and psyched myself up for an incredible event. I told everyone I knew that liked wrestling, and some that didn’t, to watch this major event. I was definitely not upset with what I saw.
But in retrospect, would it have been that much more entertaining if I had not read the spoiler ahead of time? I can only wonder. Some may argue that I may not have been watching the show had I not read the spoiler. It is difficult to refute that because it may very well be true. Yet, there is an overriding sense of disappointment when I am watching a match of which I already know the outcome. In the Lesnar match I was watching for the bump and was not at all surprised when I saw it. The greatest wrestling matches tell stories, if you know the ending chapter the climax will lack the buildup that it should have received.
That is the positives and negatives about spoilers, but what about kayfabe? For those unaware, kayfabe is a very treasured attribute to the professional wrestling world. I can best describe it as when wrestlers do not admit that wrestling is “fake” or that the characters and gimmicks aren’t real. Breaking kayfabe was at one time extremely looked down upon up to the mid 90’s. When a wrestler breaks kayfabe he is admitting that things were planned.
Paul Bearer is one of the strongest believers in kayfabe that you can find. Thanks to spoilers there are rarely any surprises when it comes to the return or debut of a wrestler. Enter in the Undertaker angle at Wrestlemania XX. It was well known that the Deadman was going to return, but it wasn’t known that Paul Bearer would be returning to his side. Rumors did circulate around the Internet, but nothing was concrete. When Paul actually came out on his website and said he wasn’t going to be returning, all of the rumors were shattered. I was torn between the two sides with really no idea of what was going to happen. I was watching the PPV with great anticipation as to what was going on, and then he walked out. It is a moment in wrestling history that I will never forget. Had I known for a fact that he would be there the moment would not have been have as exciting. But I didn’t know and was able to watch an incredible event unfold before me. I need to give thanks to spoilers for not ruining that moment.
So we tread a dangerous line between kayfabe and spoilers. Over the past couple of years I have seen that line be crushed and destroyed. Kayfabe rarely if ever exists anymore. If a chance is given for a reporter to get out a spoiler, he will. It has now gotten out of control. If RAW is coming on in two hours, I do not want to go on my computer and see that the Rock will be making an appearance. I want to be surprised, not in expectation.
Another example of spoilers have left me in a state of disappointment was during the Kane unmasking angle. A spoiler circulating around at that time was that Kane would lose the match only to unmask and reveal that it was Kevin Nash disguised as Kane. It sounded like a brilliant idea to me so I didn’t question it. Needless to say I was extremely disappointed when it actually turned out to be Kane that was unmasked. Spoilers led me astray to extreme displeasure.
Spoilers are very aptly named. Spoilers spoil my enjoyment. And no, I cannot just avoid them because they are everywhere. You cannot go to a big wrestling website without seeing a spoiler. Sometimes they do not even disguise them and sites just post them as news. But the biggest problem is that nothing can be done about it. Sure, there are sites that refuse to show spoilers, but they are few and far between. Apparently people want to be spoiled. And unfortunately, I am no better. I frequently read spoilers, but I am doing it much less. If there is a show that I know I will not be seeing, it is no big deal if I read the spoilers, but if I am going to watch a show I try my best to avoid the spoilers. To me reading spoilers is the same as reading the script of a sitcom before it airs. It just shouldn’t be done. Wrestling wasn’t made to be pre-read.
I am not on a crusade to stop spoilers. I only want to help you. I want you to like and watch shows without spoiler expectations. I am not telling you to stop. All I want is for you to take a second to pause and ponder the effect it will have on your viewing enjoyment the next time you think about clicking on a spoiler.
Please, send me feedback about what you think about spoilers good or bad to me at davidstephens88@hotmail.com
Starting with my next column I am going to be following the Professional Wrestling couple on the latest season of the Amazing Race.
-till later
The Professor
davidstephens88@hotmail.com
AIM davidstephens88
