Last month, I penned an article asking if former WWE and current All Elite Wrestling performer, Ricochet was right or delusional? The matter in question was his claim that WWE tarnished his “legacy” and if his philosophy about pro wrestling compared to sports entertainment was valid.
Given his latest blunder on social media, it appears that the question has been answer, the real-life Trevor Mann is delusional.
First, it should be noted that social media is an absolute cesspool and will, in some form or another, lead to the downfall of society. Considering the role that Twitter played with getting the current administration elected and the ongoing war with Iran as a domino effect, the proof is in the orange pudding. Among my many rants about modern society and the role that social media plays in it, I’ve said many times that while everyone has a right to their opinion (for now, depending on what the orange blob tries to do next)), that doesn’t automatically mean that everyone should have a platform to express it or that their perspective on anything has value. Every yo-yo with an internet connection was suddenly a political science major or an expert on the law.
The biggest takeaway is that sharing a meme with little effort or knowledge isn’t about the freedom of expression, but rather nothing more than self-important behavior. Is anyone looking for Billy Bob’s perspective on the latest economic report? The key is, you have to take almost everything with a grain of salt on social media because sadly, especially in American society, there’s very little substance with an overwhelming amount of nonsense. People are too busy spending $7 on Starbucks and paying a $12 delivery fee on Door Dash to put the effort into a dialogue or a vaguely coherent thought.
“When you’re born, you get a ticket to the sideshow. When you’re born in America, you get a front row seat,” -George Carlin.
Secondly, it’s important to keep in mind that the public is only aware of what someone willingly puts on social media. The public only knows what you allow them to know, and more often than not, people will overshare meaningless aspects of their lives. Nobody asked about Sue’s cousin’s mailman’s hemorrhoid surgery, but if someone willingly puts it on social media then it’s in the public sphere so its fair game to comment on. Don’t get me wrong, I hope the mailman recovers with a Snoopy band aid and has one of the cushion donuts for his recliner to allow for an easier healing process, but did anyone need to know the information in the first place?
Too often, too many people put too much of their personal lives online without the thought that someone might criticize or comment negatively. Relationship problems, family issues, or gripes about your job are rarely going to be solved by acquaintances or random strangers on the internet. This goes back to the previously mentioned self-important behavior. Again, one of the many reasons that social media is a dumpster fire is that many people simply want the attention or the validation so that they can get a superficial sense of being important without having to accomplish anything. If someone knocks their boss online and then gets canned for it the following Monday then they put themselves in that situation. Furthermore, there’s also the infamous virtue signaling where someone will claim to be offended just to try to score social media points. There’s no nobility in standing up for a cause if the intentions behind it are insincere or self-serving.
With that out of the way, Ricochet has once again found himself the topic of discussion because of something he said on social media. To be fair, this story isn’t all that surprising because the guy was so insufferable online that it led to him being turned heel on television because his real-life obtuseness showed through even with the pyro and ballyhoo of the television screen. Ricochet had a clip of a backstage segment posted online, and a fan responded by saying that his acting hadn’t gotten any better. Considering that he was such a doofus on the mic when he first arrived in AEW that the fans began to boo him mercilessly, she might have a point. Ricochet replied saying that he’s glad that the fan has MS.
Ricochet, an athlete in his theoretical prime making great money in his chosen career path, often takes the time to spar with nameless trolls on social media. Sure, there’s no harm in observing the circus, but that doesn’t mean that he should’ve become a clown. The most basic problem is that the people that Ricochet responses to are usually the mutants with an anime character as their profile picture and 11 followers. There’s zero consequence for them to post nonsense online, but when Ricochet engages with it to the degree that he doesn’t, he theoretically has at least something to lose from it because of the previously mentioned national contract that puts him on television.
I’m all for dicing someone on social media that deserves it, but if some neck beard doesn’t like Ricochet’s moonsault, is it worth the effort to type a response? It’s not as though Ricochet puts someone in check for negligence or post a warning so others are aware of a potential safety issue. He’s a 37-year-old guy that often throws a virtual temper tantrum if someone online doesn’t like his promo this week.
It should be noted that the lady with multiple sclerosis put that information in her biography so technically it’s fair game for someone to comment on, but does her criticism of Ricochet’s acting skills truly justify his reply that he’s glad that she has a debilitating condition? It’s not as though she insulted his family or even the real-life Trevor Mann, she took a rather tame jab at his wrestling persona’s acting skills.
The bottom line is, for an athlete that was given the physical gifts to gracefully soar through the air to claim that he’s glad that this lady endures a serious disorder, especially for a rather tame comment, will never be a good look. It paints Ricochet in a negative light and there’s not really any other way to look at it. He said something direct, there’s no room for interpretation of what he meant. After the social media interaction was picked up by several news outlets from outside the realm of pro wrestling, Ricochet deleted the tweet and later posted an apology. I think it goes without saying that the apology was merely a result of the online backlash.
Speaking of the result, the sum total of all of this will probably be nothing. Sandi, the lady that Ricochet responded to, will probably continue with the rest of her usual schedule. It’s doubtful that she’s going to be shattered by what a mid-card wrestler thinks of her condition, as dealing with the disorder itself is much more important. That said, I wish her the best and I hope she can stay as healthy as possible. For Ricochet, the impact of his ignorance will be minimal, if anything at all. He’s not going to get fired, and I’m not saying he should be, even if his involvement in the promotion doesn’t move the needle either way. There can be a debate about if he deserves to get fired, but that’s a decision for Tony Khan to make, and it’s a Pandora’s box that is too lengthy to discuss now. So, it will be business as usual in terms of his position in the company. That being said, this entire incident makes it tough for anyone to be a fan of this guy. Again, Sandi didn’t insult Ricochet personally, and given the seriousness of her illness, his reply went way further than her critique. He could’ve easily replied that he makes big money with those acting skills, and this is never a story, but of course, that would require him to have an ounce of self-awareness of his place in the industry. Side note, the absolute morons that are sending death threats to Samantha Irvin should be reported to the authorities and face penalties. Only true scum threat violence toward a woman and there’s no excuse for that online either. Ricochet has proved himself to be as aloof as he is acrobatic. The bottom line is, this will probably put a ceiling on how far Ricochet can go in the company. Would it really be wise to invest main event stock into a performer that puts this type of nonsense on social media? The world champion is often deemed a representative of the organization, which is why the WWE is so particular with who they put in that spot. This situation more or less proves that WWE brass made the right decision not to invest more TV time into Ricochet when he was there. As far as Ricochet being an asset to AEW, would he possibly be a good representative for the company after the negativity of this incident?
What do you think? Share your thoughts, opinions, feedback, and anything else that was raised on Twitter @PWMania and Facebook.com/PWMania.
Until next week
-Jim LaMotta
Email [email protected] | You can follow me on Instagram, Facebook, & Threads @jimlamotta89
