WWE Chicago Raw: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly Of The IWC

An open letter to the Internet Wrestling Community and its reviewers: Where has the fun in being a wrestling fan gone? When did it become such an adversarial, negative experience? Last night on Raw we saw a raucous, Chicago crowd be a primary factor to one of the best WWE shows in recent memory, complete with solid matches, hot angles, title changes, heck, even Guest Host Aaron Paul got a decent reception and lord knows that's been a poisoned chalice in years gone by. Whilst the absence of CM Punk from the Allstate Arena last night left a disappointing taste in everyone's mouth come the close of the show, overall Raw was a vivacious, fun, entertaining show to watch and the passion and vocal support (or dour opposition) of the IWC at that event was everything being a wrestling fan was supposed to be about. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00cZ6G_1ICU Come a new dawn. Come a new day. What do I read within the hallowed pages of the IWC? Earlier today, WhatCulture's own John Canton tweeted a link to an article by Mark Madden entitled "The Night Chicago Died" from Wrestlezone.com. For those who can't be bothered to go hunt it up, here's the link. In it, Madden criticises the Chicago portion of the IWC at the event for being owned by WWE; being manipulated into WWE's promotion of the Daniel Bryan/Triple H feud and even for paying their money to go the show; calling it a failure- his exact quote: "WWE 1, marks 0". Equally, Aaron Rift of NoDQ.com today on Facebook called the 'Hijack Raw' movement "a bust", said the Chicago fans didn't get what they wanted but WWE will when Payback in June (scheduled to be at the Allstate Arena) sells out, insinuating- and for the record, these are my words now- that the Chicago IWC are losing out to WWE by paying their money to watch the show. What is the overriding principle behind both these points? That the Chicago IWC last night lost. Or failed. Or were defeated by WWE. Use whichever words you feel comfortable with, either way the principle stands that last night was a battle. That the IWC and WWE were on opposing sides last night. That support for or against CM Punk must come extrinsic to support for or against WWE as a whole. I want you all to think of John Cena's promo last night. I want you all to think about how he promoted the chants of CM Punk, praised the Chicago IWC for being vocal about their opinion before doing his job as performer and promoting his character and the current feud with Bray Wyatt. If you could, for just a second, suspend skepticism and assume that, perhaps, John Cena just might have been voicing his true opinions, would we not say that such an approach is a healthy, noble one to have? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzy_swnse0o&list=UUJ5v_MCY6GNUBTO8-D3XoAg&feature=c4-overview Of course, according to Madden, Cena was merely manipulating the live crowd into doing what he wanted- "playing the game" as he puts it- and, thus, such an approach and appraisal is pointless because it exists exclusively under the abstract of such (cynical) mechanisms. John Cena can't possibly, genuinely feel that way! It's all a character. I'm sure as soon as he gets backstage he laughs, in spite, at the naivety of the IWC. Whether John Cena spoke from the heart last night or from a scripted page, I would like for one person to tell me what's wrong with the approach he elucidated? Cena has been, more-so than any other, the target of the IWC's bile over the years and yet the man realises the value that the passion and dedication of the IWC can bring to the live events; the moments we can create. He respects the right of opinion that the IWC, just alike any other fan, has, even though I'm sure he doesn't agree with it. Go ahead, call me naïve, say I've fallen in line just like I was supposed to in buying into Cena's yarn, click on the cross at the side of your browser tab now. If you're one of the ones whom remains devoutly dedicated into defining your fan experience by cynicism and cynicism alone, then this article isn't for you. Read Madden's one. I would like to say that, whilst I can't say for sure it's true, I'd like to assume that Cena spoke his true feelings last night and they are ones worth considering. Did it ever occur to Madden that, perhaps, the IWC in that building last night might just have recognised that Cena was worthy of some small, luke-warm support? That perhaps the man himself isn't worthy of all the hate that's been thrown his way for 9 years? That unlike Batista, The Rock, Lesnar and others, Cena is just like CM Punk and Daniel Bryan in that he's a man who has been there, day in and day out for the entire year and deserves their recognition for his effort? Did anyone stop to think that the IWC in Chicago last night weren't just a bunch of gullible idiots? That perhaps they wanted to enjoy the night they had paid for?

The reaction to the Chicago crowd's "failure" to 'hijack' the show last night is absurd. Where did this innate cynicism come from? Where was it written that paying your money to go watch an entertainment event and enjoying your time there HAS to exist mutually exclusive from any kind of idealism you follow about pro-wrestling? Any one of you who, honestly, suggests that the moment a fan in that building cheered Cena, the Shield, the Tag Title change, Daniel Bryan or anything else betrayed their principle as a supporter of Punk or against Batista needs to reassess why you even watch wrestling. Madden's article was, for me, saturated with a negativity and egoism that simply detracts from the point of being a fan. Imagine if a fan of a major football player went to a game to watch his hero, only to find he wasn't playing through injury or illness. Do you then say "Screw this!" and walk away, refusing to watch the whole game out of some kind of moronic, defiant principle of support for the player? No. You watch the game. That you paid to see. I'd like to think that Madden's article was done in the way it was to generate conversation and publicity about his name and that alone- if it was, congratulations because I'm talking about it. If not, you may wish to consider stepping away from wrestling for a while to remember what it means to be a fan of sports entertainment. What we saw last night of the Chicago IWC should be lauded and applauded. We saw the good of them. They contributed to a successful Raw the way only a great crowd does. They recognised their idol in CM Punk, they chanted for him the whole show but they did not allow their support of Punk or any ideals they believe in to detract from the show, to insult or make a mockery of the genuine risks the performers take for them, night in night out. Instead, they supported their effort and their work. That, people, is what it means to be a fan. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vUekXmVOSw&list=UUJ5v_MCY6GNUBTO8-D3XoAg&feature=c4-overview Stephanie McMahon had it right, in a way. The work and the effort of the team that travels all over the country, spending time away from their families, to set up the lights, the ring and the sound system deserves to be applauded too. Their effort to make the show possible deserves the respect of the fans, as much as the wrestlers do. In contributing to the show and to the story-lines, you show such support. That is what the Chicago IWC did last night and it should be applauded. Instead, today, the internet is awash with criticism and snide remarks about their gullibility and hypocrisy. A whole swarm of negativity surrounds last night's truly great show and people wonder why so many in WWE become jaded of the IWC! Ridicule us or sweep us aside. It's because of this. The bad and the ugly of the IWC- seemingly hell bent upon the idea that the default position to take on every which occurrence on WWE TV is a negative one. What on earth would Bryan and Punk think of such opinions? I ask of any members of the IWC whom read this and are of similar opinions to that of Madden regarding Raw last night to consider, in the wake of what I've said, what exactly is wrong with the way the Chicago crowd last night supported the product. I ask of you to define how such support comes part and parcel with failure, rather than success. I ask you why you feel that being a fan should be defined by such overwhelming negativity. I ask you whether you think CM Punk would support such views. If, after coming to your own conclusions about those issues you still maintain that Chicago was "a bust" or a "failure" last night, then I ask you why you're still reading this article. To those such, feel free to take your cynicism, take your critique and take your skepticism and I hope you feel vindication through it. As for me, today I'm going to stand with Chicago and John Cena. If that makes me a 'mark' to you, so be it. Clearly the 'smarks' weren't that smart to begin with anyway- I mean, they cheered "Yes!" instead of "CM Punk" for Christ's sake! If, however, at any time you feel like you wish to enjoy being a fan of pro-wrestling again, just consider this: Last night was not "The Night Chicago Died". It was the night it came alive.