Sunday, March 20, 2011

World W******** Entertainment

It has been a well-known fact amongst pro wrestling fans and journalists that the people at WWE have been trying their hardest to distance the company away from being regarded as a wrestling company.

No kidding.

TV Week in America found this out the other day after they ran a story about WWE's latest Hall of Fame announcement.

On Monday, or maybe Tuesday, the TV Week website ran an article noting how World Wrestling Entertainment were going to induct comedian and TV game show host - Drew Carey - into its Hall of Fame on the evening before WrestleMania.

The story was later pulled due to one reason.

WWE complained.

In a follow-up article, Chuck Ross explained that he received word from one of WWE's publicists asking for the headline - Drew Carey inducted into Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame. Huh? Drew Carey??!! - to be amended because, according to the publicist, WWE 'are no longer a wrestling company but rather a global entertainment company with a movie studio, international licensing deals, publisher of three magazines, consumer good distributor and more.'

Seriously.

And it gets even better.

Ross called her back to inform her that he was not changing the headline and backed it up by referring to the WWE press release which noted that Drew Carey had appeared as an entrant in the 2001 Royal Rumble. Kellie Baldyga, the publicist in question, responded with 'No, we don't do wrestling events. They're entertainments. And we don't call them wrestlers. They're superstars and divas',

Ross told her he wasn't going to change the headline and gave her two choices - stick with it or he'll remove it.

She chose the latter after seemingly being surprised that he wouldn't meet her demand.

Good for him, I say.

I've followed professional wrestling since I was a child and feel this is quite insulting.

It's even more of a kick in the teeth to the people who placed their bodies, and lives, on the line for the WWF or WWE over the years. They were the backbone and took that company to a position where it could become the brand that it is today.

It was achieved by one thing and for WWE to want to rid themselves of it is a shame.

It's WRESTLEMania in two weeks, by the way.

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