Welcome to another edition of The Wrestling Post. This week we take a look at the success of Total Divas and the surprising announcement made by Darren Young.
Total Divas a hit
Variety reports that WWE “Total Divas” has been granted another six episodes as a result of the ratings success. This week’s ratings grew to 1.67 million viewers which is up from the previous two weeks.
The show about WWE women wrestlers has been the bane of every pro wrestling fan due to its scripted storylines (yes, this is ironic). Yet, the viewership reflects the fact that non-pro wrestling fans are actually entertained by the show. With a strong social media push and E!’s anchor show, “Keeping Up With The Kardashians,” as its lead-in, the WWE’s Total Divas was positioned for success. However, it was unlikely that anyone believed it would do as well in its first three episodes as it has with ratings.
In the meantime, Spike TV has reset Fight Master to a new time (11:00 p.m.) and new night (Thursday) due to poor ratings. With its new time slot on Thursday, TNA Impact Wrestling will serve as its lead-in.
Payout Take: Dave Meltzer recently brought up Wrestler Observer Radio (subscription required and recommended) the fact that 34% of the viewers for the show are males. Thus, while the show has the backdrop of being about professional wrestling, the substance (yes, I use that term loosely) attracts women viewers. As for Fight Master, at this point, it does not seem men or women are warming up to the show and hopefully using TNA as its lead-in will help bolster the ratings.
Darren Young announces he’s gay
TMZ Sports reports that WWE wrestler Darren Young is gay. The announcement came in a “matter-of-fact” sort of way in what appeared to be an ad hoc interview by TMZ at a baggage terminal at LAX. Young was asked about whether a homosexual athlete could survive in the WWE. Young said yes and indicated that he was doing fine in the WWE. The WWE’s second biggest PPV event of the year is this Sunday, Summerslam. A host of events are occurring in Los Angeles (the site of Summerslam) this week leading up to the event. Young is participating in the WWE’s anti-bullying rally today which, with his announcement, should add more to the context of the message at the rally.
Payout Take: The WWE and its talent have expressed support for Young and coming out. This could have been staged to gain some extra publicity to get some extra eyes onto Summerslam but still a bold move by Young. While the WWE has become more corporate, professional wrestling has not always been the place for tolerance. Just think of all the stereotypical characters that are created in pro wrestling. Also, for those of you that follow pro wrestling, think of Chris Kanyon. Still, Young’s announcement is another sign of the walls of fear coming down. NBA player Jason Collins was the biggest announcement made by a sports figure. There was publicity surrounding Liz Carmouche as she readied herself to fight Ronda Rousey. Without much press, Carmouche’s second fight this past July was against Jessica Andrade, who is also gay. This could be a sign of tolerance by most within the MMA community.
Young may serve as a spokesperson and role model for the gay community for coming out. But the question will be, how will this factor into his character and career. While we may scoff at this notion, can people look past the fact that he is gay when he’s in character. Will the WWE now tailor something around this for a storyline? What will be the fan reaction when he makes his first appearance since this announcement? We will see.
Lol at “the wall of fear”. Yeah, nothing left but to break down the wall of fear against pedophiles and everyone can live happily ever after. Think about that. This has nothing to do with fear. But a sense of what is right and wrong. Just because you keep moving the line in the dirt doesn’t make it right and doesn’t make you Amy more enlightened. Good thing we have a flimsy age of consent law to slow the process down. But it is a matter of time before they are accepted too. All in the name of political correctness. O wonder how many of you open minded people would be as accepted of an admitted pedophile as you are homosexuals even if they have never broken the law. Would you support his “love” for children? After all like gays he can’t help who he is attracted to. All of a sudden you are not so open minded. That’s called being a hyppocrite.
Sorry for the rant. But it bothers me when there is a difference of opinion and one side is labeled as having something wrong with them if they don’t agree with you. It is a form of bullying to force people to accept you views or they are belittled. I don’t have no issues with people who make a choice to be gay or live that lifestyle. But I take issue when their community tries to force me to accept it. We are seeing that a lot these days. Only one sided views on the issue are allowed to be voiced while the other side is attacked.
Bs: you just might be a bigot.
Orlando jordan is also openly gay. all this pro wrestling banter got me into looking at wwe/f wikipedia stuff and i noticed orlando jordan was gay and it was properly cited (you can’t trust everything on wp). I havent watched pro wrestling since i was 15 but therd sere some good story arcs in the 90’s. Its like A soap opera for teenagers and hicks.
Dave Meltzer said this is an obvious publicity stunt. Also said there have always been gay guys in wrestling. WWE just took a opening act with no fans and give him the entire gay community as a fanbase.
TaintBreath: you might just be a sheep who has been told what to believe by the media. It’s a lot easy to write everyone 15+ years ago as bigots and think of yourself as Open minded. Truth is you are easily convinced to follow anything. Being pro gay is a trend and sheep like you can’t help but jump on board.
Every single pro gay excuse/argument can be used by Pedophiles. Every single one. Both are abnormal behaviors. But because one has a voice we are supposed to think it is normal. I see they have pulled you in. However I actually think for myself and can think logically and see how ridiculous the reasoning for gays and supporters are.
Pro gay? yeah, you are a bigot. what about live and let live? I’m not concerned with other peoples sexuality.
You see pedophiles in the closet and under your bed don’t you? You must think about them enough to bring them up out of thin air.
So you are saying you support pedophiles and want them to have equal rights?
No.
anyway, its sad how most mma fans,like bs, are ignorant wwe washouts. Way to carry the flag into battle. its people like bs that come out of the sticks to watch live mma that keep me from attending. They are so annoying to be around. i feel like their stupidity could be contagious .
Its rather telling that bs can’t stop thinking about pedophiles.
Unlike you I don’t like them. Unlike you I don’t accept something that is wrong based on whether it effects me directly or not. Regardless of what you think. It wasn’t long ago that people felt the same way about gays as you claim you feel about Pedo’s. No one then ever thought homosexuality would be accepted like it is today. Just as you think Pedo’s wont be accepted. But it is your same “logic” that is always used that will open the door for that. “Love is love”, “They cant help who they are attracted to”, “Born that way”, “Live and let Live”, “Have to hide behind a wall of fear”…
I don’t mind anyones opinion on any of the subjects. My point is to show that each stance on each subject is just that. A personal opinion and choice. Where you personally choose to draw the line as to what is acceptable and what isn’t is your opinion. It doesn’t make you right and it doesn’t make everyone else wrong. So to criticize someone for where they draw the line is ignorant. When people like you try to use some kind of reasoning why they are right and everyone else is wrong. You open yourself up to letting sick fucks use it against you. When the correct answer is you just choose to draw the line there. While I choose to slightly draw the line in a different place. Not right or wrong. Preference!
What two gay adults do is their business. what a grown person does to a child who is unable to grasp what is occuring, well that would be the police dept’s business.
Bs, your sophistry has not convinced me any of the times before. why continue? just to get a reaction?
You are the one who responded to my comment that originally was never directed at you. Like always you chimed in with no logical basis to your argument. Again what I said has nothing to do with your copout answer. Its only a police matter due to a age of consent law that has taken many forms throughout history. At one point it was as low as 9 years old. So you are saying if that law was changed you would have no issues with Pedo’s? I would hope you would be against it more than just because it is illegal. So the way I see it. You either support Pedo’s and their lifestyle or you don’t and are a close minded, ignorant bigot. Again making that call on the standards you set on the acceptance of Gays.
Its pretty simple. Do you discriminate against Pedo’s who are the way they are for the same reason gays are gay. Or do you opening accept both? There is a 3rd option. That is it is a personal opinion with no right or wrong answer of what you choose to accept. If that is th4e case. Then no one should be put down for their stance as it is equally as justified as your stance.
Half this country doesn’t accept homosexuality. All those 150 million people shouldn’t be called names and discredited because their preference if what is acceptable is different than yours.
Someone had to point out that bs is a bigot.