In less than a month, Celebrity Wrestling has single handily driven British Wrestling back more than a decade. Now, not only will British mat fans have to sit through the embarrassment of know it all, “armchair critics”, berating the days of Big Daddy’s belly splash, but they will also have to suffer the humiliation of being related to a show that proved about as strong as a Kate Thornton bench press.
Whilst Celebrity Wrestling is far from wrestling, and far from British, it is the British Wrestling fans that will suffer the most from what has been one of the most ill thought out concepts of all time.
Now lets get thing out of the way: I respect Piper, I respect D-Lo, and I respect Legend. They will not be hurt by this show, quite the opposite. I don’t blame them for taking the gig, and I wish them the best. But, for the life of me I cannot understand what the big idea from ITV was all about. Not only did they alienate the real wrestling fans by failing to deliver any wrestling, they alienated the casual viewer by giving them a confusing set of games and making them choose between “wars on a soft podium” or the phenomenon that is once again “Dr Who”. In the end, it wasn’t research but low ratings, and by low I’m talking people tuning out in their droves, that has forced the ‘execs’ to realise the show is wanted on a Saturday night about as much as Homer Simpson in an all you can eat seafood bar.
The news, as of writing, is that it is soon to be pulled from Saturday nights and will no doubt end up on RTL, 3AM on a Wednesday morning. So where does this put Scott Future and his Challenge?
You will recall that unlike the “arm chair critics”, I got out there, and headed down to London where I challenged ITV and it’s pampered Caleb’s to a real legitimate submission match. I even hijacked a BRAWL show where I tested the challenge out on an approving live audience. Whilst some criticised me believing it ok to knock people behind their back but not to their face, I put myself out there and spoke the words that many were feeling. In turn, I got, and am still getting a great response on the whole. Websites, wrestlers, even TV execs are behind me.
The challenge still stands. It’s interesting; I have learned that the idea of me taking on one of the celebs could have been a real ratings winner for ITV. It couldn’t have drawn less than their own offering, but they are ignoring me, just as they have ignored wrestling throughout the whole concept.
But, it doesn’t matter to me if ITV moves Celebrity Wrestling, because it can run but it cannot hide! I still want the celebs to prove themselves and if they don’t want to take up my challenge I want to know the reasons behind the decline. A simple “I’m a chicken and I only took this show so that I could get in Heat Magazine” would do fine.
Next week I will be announcing what could be my last effort to get the celeb’s to respond. Who knows if they will even be around long enough for me to tell you about it! Either way, Celebrity Wrestling has done British mat fans no favours… and that we can all agree on.
Scott Future