Dave Meltzer stuff

[artDDP]

...who gives a shit? The Undertaker's Druids didn't actually build Stonehenge , who fucking cares?

This had me laughing pretty hard.

[Johnny P]

Johnson was not there, no. He had, by his words, three sources saying this though, at different stages (A tech guy who isn't in wrestling in the hotel, I believe a wrestler, and WWE front office). For the record I think its bizarre anyone cares if Hogan was there or not, given that the reporting was correct that Hogan was resigning and would be at Mania. That's the story, if this is a story you actually care about. Not the guy at a hotel ballroom coming out to introduce a video segment at a tech launch. Maybe I'm jaded, but I've always found it odd that people smash Meltz or Mike, or anyone who does a hell of a job getting 90% right in a landscape of liars, drug addicts, and insecure Peter Pan types.Much of the time this is done without nuance, based on what "team" people think they play for (AKA give money to a site, buy into that sites culture/message board community, or the larger opinion of said entity). Damn, wrestling journalism following has become even more political. lol.

 

Meltz and Johnson are the top news guys right now, and I still think the Torch as an analysis site makes interesting observations and introduces good conversations a good percentage of the time. I think Jason Powell provides a lot of good verbal presentation and thought without trying to be overly negative at DotNet, which is refreshing when it comes to internet wrestling coverage and commenting. So I'm old guard, and all these guys "get in the door" for me. No one is floating completely fake stories that they know of that are major, and that's the point for me. It doesn't affect my life if Jericho does or doesn't show up at a PPV, or Sheldon Benjamin isn't actually in a Rumble (Meltz & Johnson knocks respectively). That's Forrest from the trees shit. What are the really important issues, stories, and stances?

 

The real story to me isn't some "gotcha" when a reporter misses something irrelevant or semi-relevant that's really in the details (no one is cheering Johnson for his stance and reporting on CM Punk NOT being there, just trashing Meltz because he can't speak properly in public to this day, and therefore flubbed the wording/clarity of Punk in Chicago). The real story is where is the next wave of TALENTED, well thought of wrestling journalists coming from? Where are the commentators who will come at news with interesting angles and fair talking points, and a true intellectual curiosity? Are they here yet, are they being nurtured and growing, and can they avoid the pitfalls of the generation before them in a world that already is 90% new media (with all the interactive, opinion-based trappings). I'd argue, for the record, that many of the best thinkers and "opinion makers" in wrestling reside here. I'd like to see them get paid some day, and maintain some integrity while they do it.

[rovert]

His hair was seemingly always a thing:

 

[Blazer]

Everyone had fucked up hair in the 70s. That's not really playing fair to try to hold that against him.

[cabinboy454]

Imagine trying to wash a banana out of that hair.

[Death From Above]

By fucked up I hope you mean awesome.

[jdw]

Yeah, both of those are great 70s hair. Of course I'm only 5-6 years younger than Dave, so I'm biased to 70s hair.

[Death From Above]

Really curious to get a look at the Billy Robinson piece. I imagine it could potentially cover a ton of ground considering what a world traveler he was.

[Ditch]

Meltzer on the MMA Hour casually mentioned that he puts in 120 hours a week and never takes a week off, ever. Between writing, reporting/interviewing, podcasts, and viewing content, that does not surprise me at all. Also, Wednesdays are his Saturday.

 

A perfect example of 'do what you love', because anyone else would be fried ages ago.

[Blazer]

120 hrs a week would be, essentially, 7am until midnight, every single day.

 

Perhaps a *bit* of an exaggeration? I hope so, at least. Isn't the dude married with kids now?

[Ditch]

He doesn't commute to an office and sets his own hours. Granted, there is occasional travel to events, but not *that* much. That 120 hours includes a lot of what would be recreation to most people. Also, it wouldn't shock me if he's a high-functioning type who only needs 4 hours of sleep.

 

edit: Also it might be closer to 100 hours on average with occasional bursts of 120.

[hammerva]

Remember this is a guy who does 2 or 3 hours Q&A shows around 3 or 5 in the morning so 120 hours doesn't seem to unrealistic. Crazy but not unrealistic

[cm funk]

I just listened to the "Sin Limite" show w/ Tom Lawlor. It was awesome, had no idea he was such a big wrestling fan. He actually follows NJPW and watches the IPPVs, and subscribes to the WWE Network! He was a pretty funny cat too. Would be great if he became a regular guest on their audio shows

[Lee Casebolt]

I just listened to the "Sin Limite" show w/ Tom Lawlor. It was awesome, had no idea he was such a big wrestling fan. He actually follows NJPW and watches the IPPVs, and subscribes to the WWE Network! He was a pretty funny cat too. Would be great if he became a regular guest on their audio shows

 

Lawlor is/was a regular on DVDVR for many years.

[jdw]

We talked about the 120 hours a week several years back in one of the threads (possibly this one) and tended to point out that Dave is stretching the definition of "work" to get to 17 hours on average every single day. Especially considering his (at least in the past) love for the Gym and the Beach.

[cm funk]

Dave is a self-employed/self-made guy so in his mind he's always working. The amount of time he spends watching wrestling/MMA, taking/making phone calls, writing, THINKING about that stuff.....120 hours a week isn't a stretch. Even when he's going to the gym or riding his bike or whatever you know he's thinking bout wrestling and/or MMA. It's his entire life.

 

Even when he talks about his son on the radio shows, it's always in the context of wrestling. He took his son trick or treating and noticed kids with wrestling costumes. He goes to his kid's school for something and notices a kid in a wrestling shirt. He takes his son to baseball practice and asks the other kids questions about wrestling. His son isn't a big wrestling fan (and if my dad was such a huge wrestling fan I doubt I would be either).

 

He's just 24/7 obsessed with it. Which is why he's the best wrestling journalist on the planet and I doubt anyone will ever be as good. I also agree that he seems like the kind of guy who can function on minimal sleep. An old high school teacher of mine, one of the smartest guys I've ever met, slept 2-3 hours a night, and was up and active before the sun came up. I could never do that, but some people can. Vince McMahon is another guy, who's legendary for taking brief powernaps, and driving his direct employees crazy with the hours he keeps

[jdw]

Dave is a self-employed/self-made guy so in his mind he's always working. The amount of time he spends watching wrestling/MMA, taking/making phone calls, writing, THINKING about that stuff.....120 hours a week isn't a stretch. Even when he's going to the gym or riding his bike or whatever you know he's thinking bout wrestling and/or MMA. It's his entire life.

 

That is pretty much what we covered when talking about it last time: Dave is stretching the definition of "work". Thinking about pro wrestling while on the bike or at the beach... that really isn't "work". Calling up a friend and talking on the phone for 2-3 hours, even if a lot of the conversation is about pro wrestling, isn't really "work".

 

John

[rovert]

Loved Meltzer's Billy Robinson write up but one thing annoyed me. Can anyone elaborate:

 

Although his heyday in the AWA was 1971 to 1975, he still had AWA title challenges to Bockwinkel as late as December 25, 1981, in St. Paul, before 17,000 fans, and April 1, 1984, in Chicago, before 14,250. His last real hurrah was in 1985, in Chicago, when he lost to Ric Flair in an NWA championship match, when for about 12 minutes, Flair’s work in doing a match completely different from his usual style, made it appear for one night that Robinson had just drank from the fountain of youth.

 

How did Flair approach the match?

[jdw]

That was 08/18/85. Was it taped?

[khawk20]

Not taped , although some Flair promos leading up to it survived and are available.

 

Talking to people that were there, they said a lot of the wrestlers hung around and could be seen watching the match as it happened.

 

Robinson also challenged Martel on the November 1984 Thanksgiving show in St. Paul, so April 1st was not his last AWA title challenge.

[Matt D]

The Billy Robinson bio was sort of a litany of matches I was happier not knowing the existence of since we don't have them.

[(BP)]

I saw an old thread on Wrestling classics where a guy nonchalantly said he had Flair/Robinson on tape, but didn't know if he'd get around to watching it. Everybody lost their minds making trade offers, but I don't think he responded.

[khawk20]

More than likely just someone trolling the faithful.

[jdw]

Did Dave roll out the old meme about Billy being semi-boring and technical? Or was there the sense that he'd now seen enough of the Japan stuff to get that was bullshit?

[sek69]

So with the recent changes, is Bix basically writing the Figure 4 newsletter now (minus the TV reviews Vinny does)? When Bryan made the announcement a few issues ago, it seemed somewhat vague who does what. If so, it's a welcome change since Bryan seems to have shifted nearly all his focus to his growing radio empire these days.