Tony Nese Knocks WWE Fan For Using Phone At Ringside
If you're ignoring the show, prepare to be called-out...
The way wrestling fans conduct themselves at live shows has been the source of much debate this year. Audiences are regularly (and perhaps justifiably) criticised when they don't give their complete, undivided attention to the action unfolding before them, whether through endless CM Punk chants or bouncing beach balls around the building.
205 Live's Tony Nese jumped into the argument yesterday, singling out a fan who was looking at his phone during this week's Street Fight between Akira Tozawa and Brian Kendrick:-
As pictured above, Nese captured the moment just as Tozawa was about to crash Kendrick through a table with a dangerous top rope Senton. It was the match's biggest spot and ultimately led to Akira's victory, but still wasn't enough to capture every fan's attention, hence Nese's chastisement.
The tweet could just be part of Nese's heel act, but the picture characterises 205 Live's crowd struggles perfectly. Filmed after SmackDown, the Cruiserweight show has struggled to maintain the blue brand's audience since its inception, and the wrestlers have had a tough time convincing fans to buy into their performances. Things have improved lately, and reactions are getting better, but this example shows the problem is far from solved.