MVP isn’t one to stay silent—especially when it comes to dirt sheet drama and how it affects the business. And now, he’s drawing the line on when wrestlers should actually respond to rumors.
Speaking on the Marking Out podcast, MVP laid it all out: most rumors are best ignored unless they attack someone’s integrity. He explained that in today’s social media era, dirt sheet writers have too much influence, and their reviews can actually affect a wrestler’s career.
“And I understand the way that the business has changed, especially as social media has come into play. When you have one of these influential dirt sheet writers give you a positive review… so much gravitas is put on these idiots’ opinions. It can get you more bookings. It can get you more money. It can raise your popularity.”
But to MVP, the problem runs deeper. He believes some wrestlers are no longer performing for the fans in the arena—but for a single critic watching behind a keyboard.
“We have a generation of wrestlers that are wrestling for an audience of one instead of the audience that’s in the house because they want somebody to give them a favorable star rating.”
That, he says, is where everything goes wrong. MVP made it clear that fans and wrestlers alike put way too much stock into online reviewers. Unless the report is attacking someone’s character or professionalism, he thinks it’s not even worth the energy.
“I think if it’s something small, some little silly rumor or whatever, just—ah, man—just let that s** rock, you know? I think if it’s something assassinating your character or impugning your professionalism, then yeah, you kind of get put in a position sometimes where you have to speak up and address the issues.”*
But his strongest words were reserved for the fans—and the real meaning of a star rating.
“These people who give their opinions on matches are no more important than you. Your opinion is every bit as important as their opinion, if not more so, because you buy the tickets… Your star rating is as important, if not more important, than anybody else’s star rating.”
And for wrestlers still learning the ropes, MVP dropped one last reminder about where the focus should be:
“For you wrestlers—especially you young men and women coming up—your payoff, your star rating, is that audience giving you that applause at the end of your match. When you get a pop on the one, two, three, that is your payoff. That’s your star rating. The fans will let you know how good your match was. Don’t leave it up to some idiot behind a computer saying how good your match was or wasn’t.”
MVP’s take cuts through the noise and reminds everyone what really matters: the fans in the seats. Internet opinions might come and go, but a live crowd response is something you earn—and can’t fake.
Do you agree with MVP’s take that wrestlers should focus on live audience reactions instead of online star ratings? Share your thoughts and feedback below — we’d love to hear what you think matters most in modern wrestling!
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