This editorial is unlike our previous installments bitching, complaining, praising or berating the grand circus that is professional wrestling. This little ditty is in response to e-mail sent to us by fans regarding the “WWF should clean-up its act” editorial written by Toronto Sun Sports writer Perry Lefko.
Many of you expressed doubts about our “objectivity” in publishing the editorial claiming that ever since Bret Hart left the WWF, SLAM! Wrestling has switched our allegiances exclusively to World Championship Wrestling. Based on the content in SLAM! Wrestling this is clearly not the case but as part of our responsibility to be accountable to our readers, some explanation about where we stand and how SLAM! Wrestling operates is justifiably in order.
The main reason why we decided to run Lefko’s editorial was because he was kind enough to allow us to publish it and we understood that the subject matter that he wrote passionately about closely mirrored the debate raging amongst wrestling fans right now. With that in mind, we knew it would generate a frenzied response on both sides of the issue. That it did.
On the other hand, it bothered me personally that some e-mail sent claimed that we’ve forsaken the WWF. Nothing could be further from the truth.
As you’ve guessed by now, SLAM! Wrestling though part of CANOE and SLAM! Sports, is updated primarily by myself and my tag team partner, the baddest man to ever click a mouse button: Greg Oliver. Because CANOE is owned by the Sun Media Corp. (and BCE Media Investments) which in turn owns The Edmonton Sun, The Calgary Sun, The Ottawa Sun and The Toronto Sun; we here at SLAM! Wrestling are extremely fortunate in being able to publish news from the AP and CP news wires as well as picking up stories and articles published in these papers for exclusive use on SLAM! Wrestling.
Bret Hart’s Calgary Sun column, Glen (“Coach”) Cole’s enlightening bi-weekly Toronto Sun wrestling column and the informative pieces written by the mysterious Mr. X out of Ottawa are prime examples. In these stories, you will find both fact and the opinions of the writers themselves.
The question then becomes do Greg and I support or agree with everything the writers we feature put to paper? The answer obviously is “No”. Just as they would argue for or against the thoughts Greg and I bang out. Everybody has their own opinions and that’s what makes this an interesting forum not only for news and information but constructive debate.
Now rewinding back to the WWF status that some readers wrote to us about. SLAM! Wrestling has a wonderful working relationship with both of the major federations. Their exhaustive efforts on our behalf has provided us with great opportunities to better inform our readers. Greg and I started this section of SLAM! Sports because first and foremost…we are die-hard wrestling fans.
Unlike most, we honestly respect the hard work of everyone from the people setting up the ring and the wrestlers that entertain us in it to the head honcho presiding over the entire ball of wax. Why people insist on swearing allegiance to one fed over the other, thereby limiting their entertainment experiences really boggles our minds. The WCW makes mistakes. The WWF makes mistakes. The WWF pulls a good turn. The WCW pulls a good turn. To deny these merit or faults and allow yourself to be blinded by personal preference to the point that your fav can possibly “do no wrong” is plainly unfair.
This isn’t a Pepsi-Coke, McDonald’s-Burger King, Chevy-Ford, Miller-Bud deal on SLAM! Wrestling.
Whether it’s WWF, WCW, ECW or Billy Bob’s local wrestling extravaganza held in make-shift ring at an unused downtown parking lot…we’re there because we live and breathe the squared circle. This art form has entertained us both for 20-plus years each and all that we wish to do is to use the resources we have at our disposal to spread genuine information (as opposed to rumors) and to give something back to the biz. And as a certain Texas wrestler who has grappled in BOTH feds is fond of saying…that’s the bottom line.
