Pro Wrestling in itself is one of the most unique forms of entertainment out there. Some call it a sport, some call it a soap opera and others call it a traveling stage show. For something so hard to pigeon hole it is equally as hard for reporters to cover the wrestling news.
In the dinosaur age before wrestling was exposed journalists would cover wrestling news as if it were a real sport like boxing. They would show up at the events, make notes and when a wrestler won then that was that. As it developed and storylines (similar to soap operas) were worked in to the industry, (mainly during the WWE attitude era and Monday Night Wars) “Mark Magazines” would cover pro wrestling as if those storylines were real. If The Rock threw Steve Austin in to a river (yes that happened once), the writer would write it as if it was the most insane thing that could ever happen in a sport. This was a unique system that helped promote the sport. Today https://youtube.com/channel/UC5zgCLpojUaU8ZryX9s6CFQ a lot of negativity is also reported.
As the internet developed and “Dirt Sheet” newsletters and websites sprung up, pretty much all fans knew the truth that wrestling was fake so wrestling news was no longer about what happened in the ring, but what happened behind the curtain. Nobody wanted to buy magazines that rehashed what was seen on TV. Insider news was born.
Why were certain wrestlers in the top spots if it was fake? Who decided somebody would win and why? Now instead of an upset victory, the headline would be about the political reasons behind a lesser star getting the win. This has caused many changes ans swerves to storylines when promoters saw results and details online or in print.