Dave Meltzer Says There's No Way To Know For Sure Something In Wrestling Will Happen

Dave Meltzer's Wrestling Observer Newsletter celebrated its 40th anniversary this year. Over those four decades, it would be an understatement to say that he's seen a lot. Enough that he eventually learned the lesson that reporting on creative plans needs to be accompanied by several caveats. In a new interview with Meltzer released by Chris Van Vliet on Tuesday, Meltzer explained how the unpredictability and volatility of the wrestling business have influenced his reporting.

"People are spitballing back and forth," he said. "There's a million ideas that get pitched that never happen. I always try to use [a] qualifier, and then people go, 'You're trying to qualify it.' Yeah! In wrestling, nothing happens 'til it actually happened! That's the nature [of the business]. It could be the plan for six months, but until it happened, it hasn't happened."

Meltzer tends to report less on creative plans than he did in the first two decades or so that he was writing the Observer, and, as he noted, when he does, it's usually accompanied by a number of different qualifiers. Most years, though, he feels he can be trusted to have a good handle on the planned direction for WrestleMania several months out.

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "Insight with Chris Van Vliet" with an h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.