5 Most Insane Things Happening In Wrestling Right Now (Jan 11)
2. Vince Petty & The Heartbreakers
F*cking lol.
Right. So, by pure coincidence, All Elite Wrestling held their formation rally in Jacksonville, Florida, the site of Tuesday's edition of SmackDown. They weren't not going to hold it at their offices - would WWE move a press conference to New York City, if Impact was running Connecticut on the same day? - and so, there was something of an overlap. Certain fans who wished to attend the rally had also purchased tickets for the WWE show. The thing is, per John Pollock, is that those purchased tickets did not guarantee entry to the event. At least one punter wearing All Elite Wrestling merch was forbidden from entering the building.
Security was subsequently instructed to allow customers into the arena, but the very principle behind the initial decision is mind-boggling. The WWF had no problem allowing nWo t-shirts on camera when faced with actual competition, as opposed to the merest threat of it. It is precisely this sort of fan-depriving malice that has come to define WWE in recent years, which, in turn, has contributed to the company's dwindling popularity and the rise of an alternative. This was a critical self-own on WWE's part. All they had to do was not be vindictive pr*cks for one night.
And that's not all!