10 Crazy Wrestling Social Media Meltdowns
Self-destruction in 140 characters or less.
Social media has completely reshaped professional wrestling.
Engaging with fans through Twitter, Facebook, and other platforms has become a major priority for WWE, and the social explosion has not only helped wrestlers reach a wider global audience, but engage with their fans on a level that just wasn't possible before. There's a good and bad side to this (who could forget Braun Strowman's Tinder profile?), but the shift is undeniable.
The fans' methods of consumption have changed forever. Some, like Matt Hardy, have taken full advantage of this by using their online reach to expand their followings, develop their characters, and form stronger connections with the audience. Others? Not so much.
While wrestlers are still expected to play larger than life superheroes on television, there's a flawed, fallible human behind every gimmick, and nothing exposes this more than an unfiltered public platform. Pulling back the curtain often unveils things many fans would rather not see, and while most wrestlers understand the importance of projecting a positive image, many have suffered as a result of dumb social media decisions.
Let's take a look at some of wrestling's most notable rants, arguments, and full on meltdowns.
10. Baron Corbin Goes After Dave Meltzer
It's been a rough week for Baron Corbin. Not only did 'The Lone Wolf' lose his Money In The Bank briefcase in humiliating fashion on SmackDown, but he also managed to make a fool of himself on Twitter, with the Wrestling Observer's Dave Meltzer his biggest target.
Responding to Dave's criticism of him as a potential WWE Champion, Corbin lashed out at wrestling's most respected journalist:-
What matches and promos has Dave meltzer done. Ohh none! He is a old man who could never do what anyone on the roster can or could.
— Baron Corbin (@BaronCorbinWWE) August 10, 2017
He and Meltzer then engaged in a brief dialogue, before Corbin decided he'd had enough and reached for Twitter's block button. 'The Lone Wolf' has since deleted his tweets.
Though Meltzer previously stated that Baron had only been pushed due to WWE's "fetish with tall guys," Corbin picked the worst possible response. To suggest that a paying customer (particularly one who's contributed as much to the business as Meltzer) can't pass judgement on his work is ridiculous. By his logic, almost every movie, album, and game review ever written is irrelevant, you have no grounds to complain if you're served a bad meal at a restaurant, and you'd better not talk about an election result unless you've held office before. Absurd.