Skip to main content

writers and reviewers



Hiya Scott. There are a lot of good wrestling writers out there that I enjoyed reading, including current ones like Matt and Tom Hall reviewing current RAWs and past NITROs respectively. There were two particular writers however that I hoped someone could give an update on, because they have been inactive for a long while and they were two of my favorite writers to read: JD Dunn and Eric S. (sorry, I don't know how to spell his last name, but it's like Szulewescki or something, the guy who always called Rock Flex Kavana) over at 411.

Also if you and everyone else could give a recommend on a writer past or present to read, that would be very helpful.

PS. What is the deal with the internet hate on Justin Watry?

Wait, there's other sites besides this one?  

Comments

  1. Bow Ties Are CoolMay 8, 2015 at 12:27 PM

    Adam Nedeff on 411 mania is pretty good.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I like Csnoka for my current day shit. Doesn't Dunn pop up here in the comments from time to time?

    ReplyDelete
  3. What about Matthew Perri here? I mean, he watches RAW every week, could he BE any more of a trooper?

    ReplyDelete
  4. He hasnt to my knowledge, cause I don't recall verbally fellating him. My second fav wrassling reviewer behind our fearless leader.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Fucking Google... how does it work?

    ReplyDelete
  6. I'm almost positive I saw him pop up here like a month or two ago.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Yeah he liked one of my comments and I felt important.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Shut the fuck up Donny.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Someone ain't a Big Lebowski fan.

    ReplyDelete
  10. But seriously guys, what happened to Caliber? He's been inactive for a long while and he was one of my favorite Cracked lists to read.

    ReplyDelete
  11. And while we're at it, where's Sean Shannon?

    ReplyDelete
  12. I'm certain a couple of the 411 guys post on here under their real names.

    ReplyDelete
  13. I'm pretty sure Charlie Reneke may have killed a man. If anybody cares.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Poor Mr. Tito. No one ever asks about Mr. Tito.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Biff Kensington Has a PosseMay 8, 2015 at 12:38 PM

    I interviewed Eric Szulczewski with Patrick Nguyen for Inside Pulse Sports Radio back in the day.

    Feels like a lifetime ago, though.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Avoid that one prick that writes the interminable lists at Camel a Clutch Blog

    ReplyDelete
  17. Oooh ok. Now I get it. Im one of THOSE people that think that that Godfather,Shawshank, and Goodfellas are just 'ok'.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Adam's a maven of silly game show history. Love chatting with him

    ReplyDelete
  19. FUCK YOU, PAL! NOW GO OUT THERE AND DANC--wait, you're not Shelton

    ReplyDelete
  20. It would've had to have been. I think Eric S. went legit crazy and tried to start a very one-sided fight with Scientology before dropping off the face of the Internet circa '07.

    ReplyDelete
  21. I guess Hyatte never recovered from that whole "fake Tammy" deal, huh? Guy up and vanished like a fart in the wind.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Oops. Still alive:

    https://www.linkedin.com/pub/eric-szulczewski/21/35b/761

    ReplyDelete
  23. Sergeant Dr. Facts YatesMay 8, 2015 at 12:43 PM

    Charlie Reneke was good for the lulz. I still want to know how in the hell he came up with his ratings.

    ReplyDelete
  24. kbwrestlingreviewsMay 8, 2015 at 12:44 PM

    I'm pretty sure he's over at 411.

    ReplyDelete
  25. kbwrestlingreviewsMay 8, 2015 at 12:45 PM

    He doesn't do much else that I've seen but Ryan Byers' Total Divas recaps at 411 are very entertaining.

    ReplyDelete
  26. As a 411mania member, I can say a lot of the hate for Watry is on how he does these "Top 5" lists and at number one, openly says "no explanation needed." Plus, he's not a long-time fan, only really started in 2000 so a lot of his stuff blasted for not getting "the good old days."

    ReplyDelete
  27. No, I was being facetious. I don't want to know what has happened or will ever happen to Caliber. Ever.

    ReplyDelete
  28. Used to have a 411mania column myself (Shining a Spotlight), eventually gave it up due to various factors. It can be harder than you think coming up with new stuff every week and of course, the reactions can be varied. I don't mind folks not liking my stuff, just wish I wouldn't get people who act like one little typo automatically invalidates a 5000 word bit or such.

    ReplyDelete
  29. JD dunn was so fucking good. Sucks he stopped doing it but I definitely don't blame with how much everything has sucked for awhile.

    ReplyDelete
  30. He came back a bunch of times after that. The problem was his material was the exact same. It was kinda sad after a while. He'd go to smaller and smaller sites and still yell about how many page hits he brought. For me, it was all over with "The Taking of HHH." That one was just weird. I mean, if you want to try luring other writers into feuds, go for it, but geez....that one was strange.

    ReplyDelete
  31. Plus it comes across like he's writing while doing a gimmick instead of just acting like a person.

    ReplyDelete
  32. That wouldn't surprise me at all. All I remember of him was his crazy obsession with Kirby pinball or whatever.

    ReplyDelete
  33. Who were the other two guys supposed to be in his taking of hhh story?

    ReplyDelete
  34. You guys fucking suck at the Internet, you know that? I make four separate comments, all sarcastic in tone, and you I'm serious on every single one of them.

    ReplyDelete
  35. TheRealCitizenSnipsMay 8, 2015 at 12:49 PM

    I don't remember Eric S. ever really writing about wrestling. He mostly just seemed to ramble about politics and constantly drop references to having been in the Army and how many medications he was on, I guess to remind anyone who disagreed with him just how dangerous he was.

    ReplyDelete
  36. I still wouldn't be surprised if Reneke or MRoberts21 killed someone. Both of those guys seemed unstable.

    ReplyDelete
  37. I actually heard Charlie had killed John Sorrow when he went missing. Turns out it was just another one of Dougie's troll accounts.

    ReplyDelete
  38. I think its weird how people who don't make a dime off of writing about pro wrestling get involved in these insane "feuds". Its equally embarrassing when readers seem to comment on a guy just to harass him. I've seen it here with Meekin and others. Sure they're stupid but who cares just ignore the guy. Isn't it wrestling 101 that the worst reaction is no reaction. The more people comment the more someone is going to think they're "drawing heat" or whatever stupid shit their brain can come up with. Its not exclusive to wrestling though. Reddit, Gawker, all sites are sadly guilty.

    ReplyDelete
  39. Scott kidnaps and tries to rape HHH to help Chris Benoit. That's the story.

    ReplyDelete
  40. JD Dunn posts here. He's a good guy.

    ReplyDelete
  41. Have they optioned that story into a movie yet? Seems like it lends itself well to the big screen with rape and what not.

    ReplyDelete
  42. Yeah but he had two dudes helping him out. I could never figure out who they were supposed to be.

    ReplyDelete
  43. Oh man, that 12 part saga or whatever.

    ReplyDelete
  44. The only writer I've ever really enjoyed was CRZ he could do so much by doing so little. Just the titles he would give wrestlers. I remember reading back in 2000 and Triple H was "The New Man". Little stuff like that man I miss him.

    ReplyDelete
  45. I don't think they were supposed to be anybody. That was during the weird period where Hyatte was just going after Scott non-stop.

    ReplyDelete
  46. I miss Flea and Grutman. I really liked those 2.

    ReplyDelete
  47. 50 Shades of BOD.

    ReplyDelete
  48. Don't forget the Damn Vaninator!

    ReplyDelete
  49. Gotta love it that half the time, Scott no sells the question

    ReplyDelete
  50. Was MRoberts one of Elvy's many alter egos?

    ReplyDelete
  51. Hi-r8! ended up writing for the Declaration of Independents for a while, then just to his blog, then he made the blog private.

    Also, this may or may not be him on twitter...

    https://twitter.com/hyattelives

    ReplyDelete
  52. He ended up getting heavily involved with Anonymous and trying to take down Scientology

    ReplyDelete
  53. He really liked calling the Bush administration the Junta. That's all I remember.

    ReplyDelete
  54. http://pioneerlocal.mycapture.com/mycapture/enlarge.asp?image=19953848&event=571094&CategoryID=34867

    ReplyDelete
  55. Why wrestling writers like to do that so often is beyond me.

    ReplyDelete
  56. "The Lethal Weapon" Steve Blackman (w/ Riggs and Murtaugh)

    ReplyDelete
  57. The big man from Saskatoon has definitely buried all his competition over the last 16 years. Its funny to think I've been reading Scotts stuff for basically half my life.

    ReplyDelete
  58. I thought it was the perfect response. Man's plenty busy without keeping tabs on writers from competing sites who haven't posted in years. Of course I say this not knowing what kind of 'community' wrestling writers may have created over the decades.

    ReplyDelete
  59. Prior to ascending to a higher level of being or WTFE it was?

    ReplyDelete
  60. I always hated that guy. Good riddance.

    ReplyDelete
  61. I kinda enjoyed Reneke....?

    ReplyDelete
  62. Justin Watry legitimately drew more heat on 411 than most of the heel wrestlers he would write about.

    ReplyDelete
  63. Wow, I am shocked to see that Rrick Scaia is still writing at OnlineOnslaught
    Anyone know what Canadian Bulldog is up to? I used to love that go and his Letters from a Madman

    ReplyDelete
  64. Jesus, he looks a lot different than I ever imagined. Older too. I thought he was my age, but he graduated college in 86 - probably puts him in his early 50s?

    ReplyDelete
  65. I get being a wrestling fan and how that can seem fun but holy shit its so annoying and I can't think of anytime its really worked out. I haven't read watry in a long time so maybe he's better but his content was never any good because it felt like everything was just gimmicked opinions.

    ReplyDelete
  66. He seems to have left off "Absolutely bugfuck crazy" and I was really hoping for a picture of the Dam Vaninator

    ReplyDelete
  67. I only know its him because of the USDA work which I remember him mentioning frequently in his column.

    ReplyDelete
  68. Szulczewski was a shame because he was a fine writer and obviously had wrestling knowledge and did his research. If only he'd learn from Netcop and never post about other stuff.

    ReplyDelete
  69. And the physics degree from U Chicago.

    ReplyDelete
  70. Jordan HamburgerMay 8, 2015 at 1:02 PM

    http://s15.zetaboards.com/BigEvil/forum/3024959/

    This guy named Simon has reviewed just about everything. Notably he waits a year with WWE before going back and reviewing it. He is currently going through 2014. WCW can also be found elsewhere on the site. Really great reviewer.

    ReplyDelete
  71. I enjoyed his meltdown. I don't think anyone else has been even half as entertaining as whatever the fuck it was he went off about.

    ReplyDelete
  72. I loved monday morning mop up when I was a kid. I used to totally look forward to that on scoops.

    ReplyDelete
  73. It only barely relates but my favorite IWC thing was Scotsman nearly driving Jay Bower to suicide.

    ReplyDelete
  74. The Mop-Ups were legendary but all these writers seemed to fall into this thing where they turned each article into a diary entry and lost focus.

    ReplyDelete
  75. Currently burning eggs.

    ReplyDelete
  76. How do you know how busy he is or who he keeps tabs on? Seriously you just projected your own imagination of this guys life (which is weird) into fact (even more weird). He's no more busy than you or I maybe less so.

    ReplyDelete
  77. I don't even know who that is haha but if he drew legit heat I'd love to read the comments. Internet folk crying is a fun read.

    ReplyDelete
  78. Didn't his articles start with an anti-spyware thing... like... HALF of his rasslin' articles were dedicated to keeping your PC clean.

    ReplyDelete
  79. I always liked his stuff, it was different from everything else at the time. Consistency was never his strong point though.

    ReplyDelete
  80. You are talking about the author of this blog, correct? The one with a full-time job, wife, small child, and contracts with at least two wrestling websites in addition to his blog, which he updates daily with mailbag items and reviews of shows for dweebs like you and I to read to pass the time? That's the guy you're asking about, right?

    ReplyDelete
  81. I never saw that one but thats awesome. One of them was like AHHHHHBigShow or something like that. Damn I may have to kidnap him and force him to write RAW reviews maybe then I'd give a shit about the product.

    ReplyDelete
  82. There was a guy named Scott Bowden who used to work in Memphis in the 90's as a manager. He had a column called Kentucky Fried Rasslin that I loved and he slowly got more and more sporadic with his updates until he was never posting. I miss that column.

    ReplyDelete
  83. I actually like Mike Campbell, but his style isn't for everyone. His reviews are minimal, usually analyzing how successful matches are at telling coherent and logically sound stories. He tends to draw fire in the comments because he rarely gives a match more than 3 stars.

    ReplyDelete
  84. Yup and it just kept growing and growing. Like the first 1K words or something were about spyware.

    ReplyDelete
  85. Oh man... Scotsman staged an invasion on our Promotion Wars message board one weekend... not sure what spawned that.

    ReplyDelete
  86. Bored man children?

    ReplyDelete
  87. He was brutal when he went after someone. It made for some hilarious reading. Also... REVIEW WCW

    ReplyDelete
  88. He has a little kid so he's busier than I am. Maybe, I don't know his schedule either but that could be a handful.

    ReplyDelete
  89. Our own Devin Harris is actually getting pretty damn good at doing 'quick and dirty' type reviews on the current product over on danimals blog.

    ReplyDelete
  90. For a long time I thought he was someone else from years ago and disliked him for that. Turns out I was just an idiot with a bad memory. I like his shoot reviews

    ReplyDelete
  91. The only IWC personality who's well being I'm concerned with is Dave Sherer's dog

    ReplyDelete
  92. The general writing quality at 411 is awful, I get the impression they all draw a random 'top 5' list subject at the start of every week.

    ReplyDelete
  93. The two I remember liking in addition to Scott (Netcop) back in the day were CRZ and Rick Scaia (online onslaught).


    Never liked Chris Hyatte. His feud with Scott came across like Shane Douglas desperately trying to get Ric Flair to pay attention to him.


    The newer guys on 411 all sort of blend together for me. People hate Watry because he picks "controversial" against-the-grain crap for his Top 5 lists without actually justifying or explaining them. Not the best way to make a name for yourself.

    ReplyDelete
  94. I winced when you compared Scott to Ric Flair even in a poor analogy such as that. I have no idea who the other guy is but to be fair its dumb when any two writers or a reader and a writer engage in a feud its quite possibly the dumbest thing on the internet regardless of the genre of entertainment in my opinion.

    ReplyDelete
  95. Another guy I forgot was Cubsfan I think his name was. He had his own site or blog a while back and he posted a lot on Slashwrestling I really enjoyed him as well. I remember reading his Velocity reports back in the day.

    ReplyDelete
  96. One thing I've noticed. Net writers don't feud with each other anymore, they feud with their audience. It's like WWE. Any attention is good attention. So instead of Hyatte being a megalomaniacal douche and trying to start a fight with anyone who has a column, we get Watry trying to piss off anyone who has the ability to type.

    ReplyDelete
  97. Tony Acero's creepy AJ Lee obsession on 411 is disturbing, IMO

    ReplyDelete
  98. This is the site that utilizes the "talents" of AJ Grey, right? Acero is one of the least creepy things about that site.

    ReplyDelete
  99. Yeah, but he's black. So who knows if you can trust him or not...

    ReplyDelete
  100. His stuff his all top notch

    ReplyDelete
  101. He kinda looks like Danny McBride.

    ReplyDelete
  102. Well I got a wife two kids, a full time job (maybe a tad more I work 50ish hours a week), I read this website, I read Wreddit, and a few other non wrestling websites and I still have time to do stupid shit I shouldnt' do. My point is we are all busy in some form or another and that I promise you that just like me, you and even Scott we all have time in our lives to do stupid mundane shit and maybe his stupid mundane shit is following other writers and maybe its doing something else but its not like poor Scott has no time to breath or sleep.


    Lets be fair Scotts version of keeping up this website is to let Bayless do most of the heavy lifting while he posts random emails he gets and gives a sentence reply while throwing in the occasional rant every couple of days. Its not like he's on this site day and night. He does even less with Sportingnews I'm not saying he's not busy I'm just saying we're all busy and yet we all find time to waste time. I'm positive Scott is no busier than most and he wastes just as much time as most.

    ReplyDelete
  103. It wasn't exactly a two-sided feud (hence the Douglas/Flair analogy).


    My memory is fuzzy but I'm pretty sure Hyatte just decided to barnacle himself to Keith to generate controversy and draw attention. I don't think Scott ever actually responded to him.

    ReplyDelete
  104. To be fair a lot of readers "feud" with the writers as well to get themselves noticed or whyever the fuck they would do it. Even on here with Caliber, and Meekin, and Andy, and some of the other guys that have had meltdowns. The readers would talk about hating their writing and opinions and would continue to do so every week instead of just....not clicking on them. It does go both ways though since Meekin was always trying to be a worker with his stupid catchphrases and what not and Caliber well he jumped ship to 411 where they don't leave money on tables. Its like that all across the internet people get engaged in stupid "feuds". Its reallly weird most of the time.

    ReplyDelete
  105. Isn't that a Jesse Baker story?

    ReplyDelete
  106. Biff Kensington Has a PosseMay 8, 2015 at 1:24 PM

    He was sick for a while, if memory serves.

    ReplyDelete
  107. Okay, fair enough. I don't know any more about the man's schedule than anyone else aside from what he shares here. I just thought his reply was appropriate and more fun than saying, "I don't know". Your and others' mileage may vary.

    ReplyDelete
  108. What the heck happened to Jay Bower?

    ReplyDelete
  109. Does anyone remember PowerWrestling.com, with Kevin Gregg and Bill (Watson?). Always enjoyed that site and they had a pretty good Q&A column.

    ReplyDelete
  110. Mr. Tito needs more respect.

    ReplyDelete
  111. Biff Kensington Has a PosseMay 8, 2015 at 1:27 PM

    I miss the halcyon days of Wrestleline, Rantsylvania and Scotsmanality. Rick Scaia, Scotsman, Jay Bower, Denny 'Circa' Burkholder, Jeremy Botter, Eric Szulczewski, my boy Patrick Nguyen from IP... now all that's left that I follow regularly is Keith, the lazy bastard.

    ReplyDelete
  112. Look, I'll maintain there was a clear difference between Meekin and Caliber. Meekin's a guy who has some marginable talent but was handicapped by some of eccentricities which he just refuses to acknowledge. He was annoying, but he was mostly well-intentioned. Caliber... man, that guy read Maddox's awful Best Page in the Universe and never advanced beyond that juvenile bullshit. His writing still reads like it's 2003, steeped in awful jokes about hyper-masculinity. He has one gimmick. "I'm a dude who writes about dude stuff." And he can't even do that well. That wouldn't bother me if he didn't freak out multiple times at people who tried to coach him along, then turn into a flagrant asshole just before he left/got banned/whatever.

    ReplyDelete
  113. HOLY SHIT!

    CHRIS HYATTE = JESSE BAKER

    M
    I
    N
    D
    B
    L
    O
    W
    N

    ReplyDelete
  114. Are Tprincess and miss Danielle the only female wrestling writers ever?

    ReplyDelete
  115. Sean Shannon, depending on if you count the time before the switch.

    ReplyDelete
  116. That would be the best reveal in history.

    ReplyDelete
  117. Plus, Scott brought Hyatte in for the Smarks after Sean Shannon had his meltdown.

    ReplyDelete
  118. That would be some hilarious dedication to trolling.

    ReplyDelete
  119. With Meekin, you couldn't avoid him on the main page, especially during his DDP yoga phase when there would always be pics of his disgusting fat ass. That goes on Scooter for allowing that. Jerk.

    ReplyDelete
  120. Great writer, but at some point during his later writing, he decided that he was an authority on politics. That's fine if you're writing a political article, but I don't need to see it in my wrestling reviews. Enjoyed his stuff other than that, though.

    ReplyDelete
  121. I used to do a newsletter with a girl named Greysox... who had some semblance of notoriety... probably for being female.

    ReplyDelete
  122. I'm not saying it wasn't a good response. I think that a lot of times here for whatever strange reason people think Scott is like the coolest guy on the planet. He's ok and when he's not talking about Bret, Hogan or Benoit I mostly agree with him. So yeah his response wasn't offensive or anything I just took at as "Scott does so much more than us commoners so clearly he doesn't have time for the simple things like us common folk". I'm sure I read it wrong so I apologize.

    ReplyDelete
  123. Wasn't there a female on the Torch several years ago

    ReplyDelete
  124. That may be the worst thing about the internet is that ANYONE can find a website willing to let them "write" about something when atleast before the internet most of retards weren't allowed near a pen and paper.

    ReplyDelete
  125. Well... writing about wrestling was more popular back when wrestling was more popular.

    ReplyDelete
  126. There was a girl at 411 at one point.

    ReplyDelete
  127. I think the perks ARE the fancy gym, free trainers, probably supplements etc.

    ReplyDelete
  128. All the ICOPRO you can handle.

    ReplyDelete
  129. I hate when they try so hard to sound important

    ReplyDelete
  130. I know that I will be Touting throughout.

    ReplyDelete
  131. go eat a bag of dick

    ReplyDelete
  132. http://www.brazzers.com/scenes/view/id/6674/stretch-pants-and-pulling-groins/

    ReplyDelete
  133. http://kickass.to/avengers-age-of-ultron-2015-cam-x264-ac3-titan-t10558475.html

    ReplyDelete
  134. The E pays for their housing? That's a huge advantage. As others have mentioned they don't really travel so think of back to your days in your early to mid 20s. No rent? You don't need much more than $25 K a year. At least the guys who don't have kids. Unlike someone such as Adam Rose. Expecially someone like that. Who has a disabled child. His wife must have a job that offers decent insurance since the E doesn't offer them any. Having a child that has to eat through a tube and has had numerous surgeries is not cheap.

    Probably why this traveling thing hasn't gotten off the ground yet. If they had to pay their own travel expanses that would cut into their small salaries real quick. You can survive on $25 K a year. But not if you're taking lavish vacations. Which in a way is what they would be doing. Gotta share a car rental; have 6 guys split the cost of a motel 6 to make that work.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment