Can YouTube Help a Wrestler's Career?

Youtube.com lists more than 60 million videos and has over 500,000 user accounts. (Source) The ability for anyone with a computer and video camera to reach a multitude of personalities with one message by using youtube.com is just about unparalleled on the internet. Is this the route to take to get noticed by the big wrestling promotions? Could a former wrestler with an old tired gimmick be using youtube.com as an attempt to revive his career? You be the judge.
I rarely log onto the WWE website, because I am too busy with my own websites that I contribute to, but apparently around the time of Raw's 15th Anniversary, the WWE featured Damien Demento in a fan vote that decided the wrestler who would take the title "15 Minutes of Fame." Essentially it was a poll to see which wrestler had the weakest impact in the history of Raw. Damien Demento took the title, garnering over 40% of the votes.

Damien Demento is a name from the past, so if you are a relatively new fan, here is Demento's wiki. Once you see his image, below, it might jog your memory. If not, then it's pretty easy to understand why he has been voted as being easily forgettable.



Demento, whose real name is Phil Theis, is on a spree now, putting up many videos on his views of the business. The series started with this video right here:

Now he's got over 500 subscribers listed on his profile page, many of whom are posting replies to his videos, and really giving him a hard time.

Demento has accomplished several things with his posted videos.

1. He has stated the truth. He never asked for any of this attention. Michael Cole or whoever suggested the "15 Minutes of Fame" poll on the WWE website initiated this.

2. He has stated his views. It is apparent that the things he is saying are what he truly feels. He is giving his opinion on what he thinks about the state of the business and what he thinks can be done to improve it.

3. He has generated a following. Evidenced by his lofty number of subscribers, people want to hear what this wrestling veteran has to say, regardless of the achievements he realized during his career or the impact he had on the shows on which he appeared.

4. He has generated true heat with many youtubers. Evidenced by the tone in some of the replies to his videos, the feelings that many of the readers have for Demento reflect disrespect and hatred.

While he has been able to do these things, he has also possibly opened up an avenue for others to follow who want to break into the business and those who want to get back in.

If I were still interested in a career in Professional Wrestling, you'd better believe that I would be utilizing YouTube.com to my fullest capacity. My most powerful weight training routines would be posted on YouTube. My best power moves, bumps, and promo's in the ring would be going up as well. And for sure I would see to it that my girlfriend would be taping my matches at my house shows, attempting to get the full measure of my pops and heat recorded for playback for all the youtubers to experience. Who knows, a road agent or talent scout for WWE, TNA, or Ring of Honor might just log onto YouTube and see my video. Make the right impression and it could spur them to find out more about the athlete he or she sees.

To conclude, I urge you to take a look at Demento's video library on his profile page. He's got a lot to say about the business, and most of it makes sense.

Why the hell he doesn't look at the camera while he's taking footage is beyond me. It seems like many of his responses are written down on his monitor so that he makes his statements clear. he also may just be trying to stay in character. Even though his wiki and his videos say he is not interested in returning to wrestling, you just have to wonder.

Is Demento trying to send a message to WWE that he is the Wild Card they need to bolster their TV ratings? Can the heat he has generated over the web be transferred onto the TV screen? Maybe his youtube videos and the poll he won really mean Demento should come back for another "15 Minutes of Fame."

-NAPALM-
Napalm's Corner