Looking at an Australian paper’s coverage of Hogan-Flair brawl
A reader from Australia sent me a link to a story that appeared in the The Daily Telegraph, an Australian newspaper, about the recent brawl between Ric Flair and Hulk Hogan that took place at a press conference to promote The Hulkamania Tour.
The paper covered the incident with Hogan being bloodied up by Flair as if it was a legitimate scuffle. As a journalist, I don't know whether to laugh or cry.
To read the story, click here.
In other Hulkamania Tour news, another reader from Australia sent the following Thursday in regard to ticket sales for Saturday’s show in Melbourne:
As of [Thursday morning], one could still purchase ringside seats in the third row at the show in my home town of Melbourne. I don't know what such tickets would cost in America, but here they're charging $360 Australian (about $335 U.S.) for ringside, down to $50 ($46 U.S.) for the nosebleeds. Tickets have been on sale for a good couple of months so obviously ticket sales have been slow, which is not surprising given you can buy ringside seats for the TNA show for $75 less.
Comments
Ummmm I've seen some american reports that seem to think that our press have fallen for the angle as anything other than a work. Trust me all the newspapers and TV channels are treating it with a nod and a wink attitude. On TV it was in the traditional funny animal/silly news slot that most channels use in their news coverage to lighten things up late in the broadcast.
As to the question laugh or cry - well what is your attitude to the media playing along and not spoiling it for the kids. Are santa or the easter Bunny real? If you watch the news I'd say yes becuse every year they are mentioned very seriously by newscasts on X-Mas eve or at Easter. If as a journalist you understand some times playing along is okay then I say laugh.
RESPONSE FROM KE: I wouldn't agree that not telling kids about Santa Claus is the same as treating a staged fight as real. As for thre wink and nod deal, perhaps that's true, but I'm not so sure.
Posted by: Alan | November 20, 2009 1:11 AM
Wow, just wow. The nasty boys, val venis, ....gangrel? Someone,please go to this event and report. Could be so terrible. Thank heavens I was able to go to ROH, Glory by Honor 8. 40$ for the front row!
Posted by: Anonymous | November 20, 2009 2:23 AM
I'm seeing this Flair-Hogan thing everywhere like it's legit. Sad.
I think even Sports Illustrated's website had the video posted up.
Posted by: King Tony | November 20, 2009 4:04 AM
The press conference started in a professional and friendly fashion. As the conference progressed Mr Hogan and Mr Flair started exchanging words and temperatures rose to an extent that Flair finally physically attacked Hogan, with Hogan and his table falling off the stage. A media frenzy followed with many fans shocked and starting chanting Hogan's name, and he was assisted to the back for medical attention. Both media and fans speculated with each other as to how much of the press conference may have been scripted, and how much really got out of hand. In any event, it was an entertaining and wild affair, and only adds to the Hulk Hogan VS Ric Flair series of matches in Australia being a "don't miss" attraction. Wooooo!
Posted by: Greg Tingle | November 20, 2009 4:32 AM
"you can buy ringside seats for the TNA show for $75 less."
Dd he mean $75 or less for TNA? A house show probably shouldn't be in the triple digits.
Posted by: Another Wrestling Mark | November 20, 2009 6:58 AM
Gillette , or Schick ?
The best part of the news item was reading the readers comments from the Aussies .
Posted by: the artist formerly known as jack in hebron | November 20, 2009 8:21 AM
Just reading some of the comments left by people on that particular article. One says, "Flair should be charged", in regards to Flair attacking Hogan. What a joke. I know Australia is on the other side of the world but you'd have thought they would have grasped the concept of professional wrestling by now.
Posted by: Paul | November 20, 2009 9:04 AM
Wow that is to good Kev. Read the comments there are people who think the whole thing was real. LOL
Posted by: Duffman | November 20, 2009 9:47 AM
Whats funny is that half the people are leaving posts saying that Flair sould be arrested, and they hope Hulk can still go, and they hope Hulk feels better. Man I woudl love to have those fans here in maryland...oh wait, we do. It is called Dundalk.
Posted by: Chris Adonis | November 20, 2009 10:45 AM
It's still real to them, dammit!!
A $335 ticket ? unbelieveable.
Posted by: Jules B. | November 20, 2009 12:37 PM
$335?! Was U2 making an appearance during intermission or something?
Posted by: Phoenix | November 20, 2009 1:15 PM
$50 for nosebleed seats? I'm a huge fan of both Hogan and Flair, but I don't know if I would cough up that much money for the event. $25 sounds more reasonable.
Posted by: Jack Windham | November 20, 2009 3:58 PM
Chris Adonis has my vote for the "comment of the week".
Posted by: the artist formerly known as jack in hebron | November 20, 2009 8:56 PM
"RESPONSE FROM KE: I wouldn't agree that not telling kids about Santa Claus is the same as treating a staged fight as real. As for thre wink and nod deal, perhaps that's true, but I'm not so sure."
Perhaps that's because you aren't here in Aus and have no idea what the attitude was like? We're not retarded, mate, and our news coverage is a fair bit better (i.e. less of a joke) than the crap they call news networks in the US.
Most news articles were pretty similar to that one you linked to, except they included a statement regarding the legitimacy of it all. All over the news, they covered it but buried it by saying things like 'Hogan ended up with what appeared to be tomato sauce all over him'.
BTW (to those mentioning the comments), there are marks there in the comments just like there are in the US... infact, there are a crapload more. Don't for a second try to ignore the fact that the US has bigger and many more wrasslin' marks than anywhere in the world.
RESPONSE FROM KE: Take it easy. I'm not trying to disrespect Australians or question their intelligence. It's just gets me that "legitimate" media outlets often have no idea what is real and what isn't in wrestling when it should be obvious. It makes you wonder what else they can be fooled by. It happens in the U.S., too. On a side note, the "tomato sauce" remark does show ignorance. Someone should smarten up the person who said that and tell them that the brawl was staged but the blood was real.
Posted by: David Worsley | November 21, 2009 3:44 AM
Eck, insulting an Australian's intelligence is a bootable offense.
Posted by: JTK | November 21, 2009 10:09 AM
LOL, Trust me it is being done with a nod and a wink, when the first report came out it was obviously covered by someone who was not a pro-wrestling fan and wrote the report as it was a real event. Thankfully someone in the office must have smartened her up (or maybe it was the 100 comments posted explaining why it was a work) because 20 minutes later the re-posted the article making it clear it was a work.
As a point it may be a major newspaper but it is also a member of the same company that owns fox news so why are you surprised.
and as for ticket prices this is the ticket price schedule for WWE in Australia it is 350 for ringside (which sold out last year in weeks at all venues)
150 for premium seating 10 rows back
75 for gold which I think was the first of the fixed seating
65 for silver middle of fixed seating
50 for nosebleed.
Why do we pay this for house seats because it is still cheaper then flying to the USA to watch.
Posted by: Angelique | November 21, 2009 6:50 PM