MVP has spent more than two decades in the wrestling business, so he’s no stranger to criticism. That said, he believes today’s online wrestling community has become far more toxic than it needs to be.
Speaking on Marking Out with MVP and Dwayne Sees, MVP first thanked the fans who tune in every week before reflecting on what it’s like living in the public eye. While he appreciates the support from viewers, he admitted dealing with the Internet Wrestling Community can be one of the worst parts of being a wrestler.
“You know, I just wanted to come back and say, like, for those of you that join us every week, man, I appreciate you guys.”
“Really, I mean, necessarily. I know being a public figure, especially in the extremely toxic world of wrestling, the IWC, the Internet Wrestling Community, can be absolutely disgusting.”
Despite that, MVP said he genuinely enjoys making the show. He explained that he, Dwayne Sees and Ryan continue to hear from new viewers every week, and that’s what keeps them motivated to keep producing episodes.
“As you all know very well. But man, I really enjoy doing this show. Me, Sees, and Ryan, we get in here, we put out the content, and those of you that watch it, enjoy it.”
“And it seems like every week we get some comments that, ‘Hey, man, I just found you guys. Great show. Another great episode.’”
MVP also said he intentionally wanted the show to stand apart from many wrestling podcasts that revolve around criticizing booking decisions, wrestlers and every weekly show. He said there’s already plenty of content built around tearing wrestling apart, and he has no interest in adding to it.
“And I want to reiterate, we’re doing something different here. This is a program. It’s not a podcast.”
“It’s not me and Dwayne connecting from his office and my office with a computer and an iPhone or whatever, yelling about booking, by the way.”
“Yeah, you know, like, ‘This wrestler sucks, and this angle sucks, and this pay-per-view sucks.’ You know, like, there’s plenty of content out there like that.”
“Some of it’s decent, I’m sure. I don’t watch it because that’s not my thing. I’m in the business, so I don’t really care about other people’s opinions.”
Instead, MVP said his goal has always been to give fans a place where they can unwind, hear stories from someone who’s lived the business and simply have a good time. While he admitted he can be negative from time to time, he believes his perspective carries weight because it comes from decades of firsthand experience.
“I wanted to create something different in this space where you can come on up, have a drink, kick back, relax, hear some fun stories, and hang out with us and laugh and relax.”
“Like, there’s enough negativity in the wrestling space. Now, I’m not saying that on an occasion I don’t get into a little negativity here.”
“You know, I’m always going to give you my opinion, but my opinion comes to you with 25 years of gravitas behind it. Experience.”
Later in the discussion, MVP also had a message for the people who constantly criticize him online. He said the negativity simply doesn’t affect him, though he jokingly welcomed them to keep watching anyway.
“And those of you who don’t like me and have negative things to say about me, I don’t care about you at all. Not even a little bit.”
“You don’t affect my life in any way, shape, or form.”
“But I appreciate you stopping by. You know, hey, come by, hang out for a minute.”
MVP has never been shy about speaking his mind, whether it’s about the wrestling business or the fans who follow it. His latest comments make it clear he’s not interested in changing how he approaches things, and he has no plans to let criticism from the IWC dictate what he says or how he presents his show.
Do you agree with MVP’s assessment of the Internet Wrestling Community, or do you think the criticism comes with the territory? Let us know in the comments below.
This transcript was produced exclusively for Ringside News from the original recording. Republishing the transcription in full is prohibited. When using excerpts, provide prominent credit and a link to this article.
