Thursday, March 28, 2024
EditorialDid Josh Go Too Far?

Did Josh Go Too Far?

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This last week was the Royal Rumble and should have been a week focused purely on the Rumble match and the potential debut of AJ Styles. Instead, other news hit this week that the winner of the $250,000 Tough Enough, Josh Bredl aka Bronson Matthews, had referred to his ring superiors #Social Outcasts as the #Social Jobbers. The statement caused heat with guys like Kevin Owens, Cody Rhodes, the Outcasts themselves and even Bull Dempsey. They all chimed in, in disapproval of the green newcomers lack of respect. There was even talk of a Puder-like hazing in the Rumble bout–which obviously did not happen. Let’s take a detailed look into the reason why Josh made one egregious and possibly career-ending statement.

What Bredl said was not exactly an incorrect statement, as obviously we all know what one would classify the #Social Outcasts as on the card and scale of importance. The issue is simple, Bredl won his way in through Tough Enough and attained a contract much larger than seventy-five percent of the roster get. Actually, most of which have many more years experience and worked for pennies on the indies. We’ve seen the backlash tweets from the locker room already, so no need to repeat, but let’s get into the mind of the locker room if we can.

Take Kevin Owens, a guy who slaved away on the indy circuit for many years, had to go through try-outs to get into WWE and had overcome the WWE stereotype of what a “Superstar” should look like. Cody Rhodes has accomplished a great deal in his young career but has never got the push he deserves. Add that to him being the brother of Dustin Rhodes (Goldust) and the son of late-great “American Dream” Dusty Rhodes–a true pioneer of the industry, it’s not surprising he took it with resentment for the newcomer. Look at Josh, he didn’t come from wrestling and he never had to work in front of twenty people to make twenty dollars. He came in through Tough Enough and no dues were paid, nor was he ever taught proper locker room etiquette. Though that’s not Bredl’s fault in retrospect, guys like Owens and Rhodes were just sticking up for the “boys”.

The real people who deserve to be pissed off by Bredl’s actions are the #Social Outcasts. All of these men have been handed the crap-end of the Creative stick and are extremely underrated workers. Two of the members, Dallas and Axel, were born into and around the business. To them, it was not only a slap to their faces but to that of Mr. Perfect and IRS’ as well. What makes matters worse IRS and Mr. Perfect had never gotten the pushes they deserve either. So to Bo and Curtis, it’s almost like a repetitive slap to the face when you look at it that way. You take Slater a huge social media star for the roster and a guy who has worked his a** off to no avail for years. Adam Rose was treated like a joke ever since Leo in his developmental days. So it’s no wonder they took this guys comment in the direction of the “who the F is this guy?” mentality.

Some may argue the rosters actions towards Bredl is backstage bullying. I disagree, it’s been how the industry has worked right from it’s inception. In fact, I don’t even think Bredl is in the same class as Daniel Puder. It’s well known the legit-shoot that happened with Puder and Kurt Angle many moons ago. But what Puder did was stick up for a guy Angle was hazing, and Puder ended up doing the submission hold on Angle with Puder standing tall in that moment. Some people say Angle was ready and Puder embarrassed him while some say Puder didn’t give Angle any time to defend himself and it was a cheap trick on Puder’s part. Whatever the case may be, Puder then went into the Rumble and took his punishment from Hardcore Holly, Eddie Guerrero and Chris Beniot like a soldier. A virtual chop-fest left the disrespectful newcomer Puder red like a tomato. It’s ironic in a way all Tough Enough controversies happen around Rumble season.

Puder paid for his mistakes and was let go from the company shortly thereafter. Whereas Bredl, on the other hand, hasn’t been reprimanded in any “known” way. He was not hazed in the Rumble like many speculated he would be, and it’s not even known if he was backstage at the Rumble in Orlando last night. Basically, in a PG-era Rhodes and Axel, for example, used choice words on social media to describe Bredl. But they were only sticking up for their fellow ring veterans and the industry their families have fought in for years. Bredl, though not incorrect with his comment about the #Social Outcasts, was way out of line for the comments he made. Now he must lay in the bed he made for himself.

Though I don’t think Josh shouldn’t be given the chance to stay with WWE, I think something internally should happen to him for his disrespectful actions. He received the $250,000 contract we might as well let him stick around and see if he can develop into a good talent. In fact, if he can stick around through the backlash, the hazing and all the other wonderful things he created for himself after his comment then maybe the other talent and the fans may grow to forgive him and let him into the circle of “boys”. Only if he earns it and pays his dues from here on out and simply keeps his mouth shut and doesn’t give up. Then we will maybe be able to stomach this egotistical young man and his distasteful comments about people who have done way more in their careers–even if they are Creatives bottom rung priority.

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