Baron Corbin thinks internet wrestling fans are stupid morons who don’t understand heat

King Corbin was this week’s guest on Corey Graves’ After the Bell podcast, and he didn’t hold back when discussing his thoughts on the wrestling fans he deals with on social media:

“And we say social media, that’s like 5% of our audience. The little kids and the parents out there, they don’t understand the terms that these morons are using.”

“You have these idiot neckbeards that want to critique everything that you do, and they’re like, god you’ve got four moves. Actually I can do about 600, but when I do four, it irritates you morons...I actually can use social media as a cheat code because they’re literally going, John4576213 on his 12th profile is like, ‘Hey man, your vest looks dumb.’ And I go that irritates you, now I’m gonna wear two, thank you. It’s so simple.”

“And I say morons because you guys are morons. They want to say ‘Oh he’s got go-away heat.’ When I walk out that curtain, everybody is booing me. They just don’t understand heat nowadays. ‘Ah, this bad guy is getting booed so he must not be good, because I would like him if he was good.’ That’s not the point! You know what I’m saying? And they just don’t understand it. And it blows my mind. You people can’t be this stupid.”

He later goes on to say that the people who actually matter, like his co-workers and Hall of Famers, have told him that he’s doing a great job, and that’s the only validation he needs.

On the one hand, I can’t imagine the sheer number of trolls that pro wrestlers come across on Twitter, and how awful that experience must be at times. But on the other hand, that doesn’t mean Corbin is absolved of all criticism as a performer. WWE’s roster is loaded with talent, and it’s totally fair for any pro wrestling fan to evaluate Corbin as a performer and scratch their heads wondering why Vince McMahon continues to give this guy so many opportunities in top level storylines.

Also, the median age of WWE’s audience is over 50 years old, so I think Corbin’s math might need a little adjustment.

The idea that you need to be a wrestling insider for your opinion to have merit is an antiquated notion held by those who probably don’t have any respect for the fanbase. And I’ll say this much from my own experience in dealing with (and being part of) pro wrestling fans on the internet: WWE has lost a ton of goodwill with its aging fanbase after years and years of showing them very little respect, and it’s a huge problem they should be looking to address. Comments like the ones above from Corbin only reinforce that lack of respect, and that mindset will not help WWE attract new fans to the product.

Unless of course Corbin is just playing a heel in this interview, while I’m simply a stupid moron pro wrestling fan who has internet access but doesn’t understand heat. It wouldn’t be the first time I worked a work into a shoot. But this also wouldn’t be the first time a pro wrestler couldn’t handle some criticism without insulting a portion of the fanbase.

What do you think about Corbin’s perspective on wrestling fans on social media?

To listen to the full interview with Corbin, check out Corey Graves’ After the Bell podcast here.