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| DP Celebs / Interviews |
Pro
Wrestling Journalist Dave Meltzer |
 Dave
Meltzer has been considered the premier reporter on the
world of pro wrestling for nearly two decades. Since 1982,
Dave has published the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the
leading sports entertainment industry insider weekly publication
and listed in numerous publications as one of the best newsletters
of any kind in the United States. He is considered the most
knowledgeable and recognized authority on pro wrestling
in the United States, and has covered pro wrestling matches
all over the world. As the only pro wrestling reporter ever
to receive mainstream sports journalism awards for his coverage
of a  business
the mainstream usually shuns, he has had stories written
on him in numerous publications including Sports Illustrated
and Brill's Content.
His
knowledge of the sport is no more evident than in WrestlingGold.Com's
DVD series where he teamed with Jim Cornette to provide
commentary for Blood, Brawls & Grudges and Before They
Were Famous.
Meltzer
also hosts Wrestling Observer Live every Sunday 10-Midnight,
the leading talk show on pro-wrestling. He has appeared
in numerous movies, including "Beyond the Mat,"
"Wrestling with Shadows", "The Life and Times
of Owen Hart," news stories on pro wrestling for NBC,
ABC, CBS, CNN, Hard Copy, Entertainment Tonight and The
Phil Donahue Show, and has been quoted in virtually every
major daily newspaper in the United States including the
New York Times, Los Angeles Times and USA Today. An author
of several books on wrestling including Tributes:
Remembering Some of the World's Greatest Wrestlers.
Meltzer is often referred to as the individual who pioneered
pro wrestling journalism. |
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| Dean
S. Planet: What is your earliest pro wrestling
memory? |
| Dave
Meltzer: I was very young living in New York and
saw a really bad promo in the 60s. I don't know who did it
or who it was about, but it was probably 2-3 years before
I ever watched wrestling again. |
| Dean
S. Planet: How did you get started as a pro wrestling
journalist? |
| Dave
Meltzer: Started doing California Wrestling Report
at the age of 10. A newsletter. I loved writing about sports
in those days. |
| Dean
S. Planet: When did you start publishing your wrestling
newsletter "The Wrestling Observer"? Is an online
version available? |
| Dave
Meltzer: Observer started in 1982. No online available. |
| Dean
S. Planet: Do you have a favorite interview, guest
or encounter with a wrestler? |
| Dave
Meltzer: Not really |
| Dean
S. Planet: Do you think the Internet has had a
positive or negative effect on Pro Wrestling? |
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| Dave
Meltzer: Both of course. I think more positive
than negative. The positive is that it forces the promotions
to be a little more honest than they would otherwise. It also
is a great way to keep wrestlers from being lazy because they
know everyone will rank on them if they are. Negative because
people in wrestling listen to it too much when it comes to
storylines. Writers should dictate storylines by writing long-term
stories instead of what they do now, which is write week to
week to get good internet feedback and nothing develops long-term. |
| Dean
S. Planet: Have you ever done any writing or been
approached to write storylines for a wrestling federation?
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| Dave
Meltzer: Half ass many times, but what I would
call a serious approach, no. |
| Dean
S. Planet: Do you think that NWA:TNA will some
day be able to compete with the WWE? |
| Dave
Meltzer: Never say never, but I sure don't see
it. |
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| Dean
S. Planet: What do you make of the Stone Cold situation
and do you think that Stone Cold will ever make it back to
a major federation? |
| Dave
Meltzer: Austin can draw so he'll be back if he
wants to be back at some point. He burned out. Happens to
a lot of people, just they don't have millions in the bank
where they can really afford to sit home. The rest just suffer
through the bad times. |
| Dean
S. Planet: Do you think we will ever get the chance
to see a Goldberg vs. Austin match? |
| Dave
Meltzer: Possibly, probably at some point it'll
happen although not at any time soon. |
| Dean
S. Planet: Who would you consider to be the most
overrated and underrated wrestlers? |
| Dave
Meltzer: That's hard to say. Most guys who are
good get credit for it somewhere. Like I could say Nash, but
really, everyone knows it so he's more over pushed than overrated. |
| Dean
S. Planet: Who do you think will be the breakout
performer in 2003? |
Dave
Meltzer: Whomever is chosen to be. Promotions have
botched so many guys with potential over the last few years
that you can't figure it out. If they give him a chance and
he can draw when given the chance right, it could
be Angle. |
| Dean
S. Planet: Who do you think is the greatest wrestler
and tag team of all time? |
| Dave
Meltzer: Greatest wrestler because of longevity
I'd say Flair. Kobashi at his best was better, but he was
done at 33 as far as being a top guy. Flair was just getting
started at that age. Greatest tag team was Misawa & Kobashi. |
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| Dean
S. Planet: Have you ever met the man himself, Vince
McMahon? If so, what are your impressions of him? |
| Dave
Meltzer: A few times. He's just Vince. He's charming.
Can't take him seriously because he always seems in some form
of character. I've always thought he was very smart, but he's
not the smartest guy ever. He's been lucky a few times, but
he's an excellent promoter. Not sure what has happened to
him in the last two years because he's made mistakes the old
Vince never would have made. |
| Dean
S. Planet: Do you
think that the Stephanie McMahon & Triple H relationship
has had a negative impact on the federation? |
| Dave
Meltzer: Yes. Very negative on many levels. I don't
think many would argue that point. |
| Dean
S. Planet: Have you visited the Pro Wrestling Hall
of Fame in upstate New York? Is so, is it worth a visit? |
| Dave
Meltzer: Haven't been there. |
| Dean
S. Planet: In your book "Tributes", you
pay homage to wrestlers who have passed away. What is the
most bizarre set of circumstances revolving around a wrestler's
death? Are there any unsolved murders? |
| Dave
Meltzer: Many bizarre deaths. As far as unsolved
murders, none I'm aware of. |
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