How
NRL cult heroes inspired Australias breakout
WWE villain and why hes no fake bad guy
- Feb 23, 2024
(FOX Sports)
By
Nick Walshaw
Grayson
Waller exists, in part, he says, because of all those
Willy Wigs once selling for $25 a pop.
Remember
them?
Of
course, you do.
Just
as Waller will never forget how, early in the 2000s,
so many NRL crowds were awash with those curly, black
tributes to Canterbury bad boy Big Willie Mason.
But
wear one?
Nah,
not this Roosters diehard.
A
fella who, while loving all things Big Willie, sure,
much prefer to talk about all those times Jared Waerea-Hargreaves,
has favoured enforcer, has been booed, binned, fined,
strung up, sent off or simply cocked another elbow
like John Wayne once did rifles.
Because
being the bad guy, Waller grins, its
powerful.
Which
is a truth this now 33-year-old has embraced since
long before becoming a WWE Superstar.
Long
before he was even Grayson Waller.
Call
it a love of the bad guy that traces all the way back
to his days as an anonymous Sydney teen real
name Matt Farrelly who studied teaching, cheered
the Tricolours and spent weekday arvos having his
face punched by a CityRail electrician.
But
more on UFC star Rob Whittaker soon enough.
First,
those Willie Wigs.
Because
Willie Mason, love him, Waller cackles when
asked by Fox Sports Australia to explain his own incredible
rise up through the WWE Universe.
One
that, in the space of three short years, has seen
this fella who now boasts his own TV program
the Grayson Waller Effect also jawing with
John Cena, sledging The Rock, sharing squared circles
with Edge, then Rey Mysterio and Logan Paul, before
being tossed into WrestleMania, a Royal Rumble, and
now this Saturday night the biggest show in Australian
wrasslin history a WWE Elimination Chamber
blockbuster at Perths Optus Stadium.
Better,
the Aussie looks set to go head-to-head against WWE
superstar Cody Rhodes that son of wrestling
Immortality who right now may just be the most popular
grappler anywhere on planet earth.
But
Waller?
Well,
hes the guy so many fans want to punch in the
face.
Or
so they tell him online.
For
the uninitiated, think a buffed up Nick Kyrgios.
Or
wrasslin Big Willie.
That
NRL cult favourite whose own rise in the early 2000s
was a chaotic swirl all grit, biff, thwacks, Tests,
titles, Origin wins, Churchill medals and, of course,
those wigs mimicking his own signature fro.
Yet
most importantly?
Big
Willie had no drama being the heel.
Just
like those Penrith Panthers now, Waller continues
of those defending NRL premiers who havent only
been branded, at times, rugby leagues new bad
boys, but whose own incredible rise has run in lock-step
with Wallers rapid ascent through the WWE.
Indeed,
in the same time the mountain men have gone from Neville
Nobodies to threepeat premiers, so Waller has exploded
up and out from the local indie circuit to become
a new age WWE heel.
An
outspoken Aussie upstart who realised years ago, long
before anyone knew even what a Conor McGregor was,
that there is good coin to be made if youre
willing to take the boos.
For
how else do you explain Paul Gallen grossing $25 million
in his final three years of heavyweight boxing? Or
Big Willie once telling us how those cartoonish fro
wigs, they made him $25,000?
Couldve
made s
loads more too if the NRL didnt
own my image, he cackled.
Imagine
that? Selling 50,000 yourself
Certainly
Waller can.
With
roughly as many seats having been sold for Saturday
nights Elimination Chamber blockbuster.
Which
is no small thing for a Sydney history teacher whose
celebrity, until three years ago, extended no further
than the 26 days preceding his eviction from an Australian
Survivor.
A
fella now exploding in the WWE with a character all
brash, big talking Aussie who drinks Shoeys, trolls
Swifties Im not the sort of guy
that would settle for a six and when
in, say, Scotland remarks how the women look
and talk like Shrek.
Crucially,
too, the bloke can wrestle.
Really
wrestle.
Which
is, he says, a key ingredient so often overlooked
among bad guys.
Take
Nick Kyrgios, Waller starts, referencing the
polarising Aussie tennis ace.
I
love that guy because hes passionate, super
competitive.
And
where he needs to get himself to mentally to perform
like that, most people have no idea.
Thats
why its so frustrating to see athletes like
him demonised for talking themselves up.
Same
as Ive heard people the last few years getting
into Panthers players, saying theyre horrible
guys.
Theyre
not.
Theyre
confident.
Thats
why I always loved Willie Mason with the fro,
that bit of grub to him. Jared Waerea-Hargreaves,
the same.
Theyre
guys who are good and they know it.
Yet
to really succeed as a heel, Waller says, you cannot
have the second part of that sentence without the
first.
Which
is why he has to tell you about Whittaker.
Australias
inaugural UFC king who, some 15 years ago, spent his
weekday afternoons as a sparring partner for Waller
sorry, Farrelly at his local MMA gym
in Padstow.
Although
mostly, it was Rob punching my face, the superstar
laughs
The
guy was already so talented.
I
actually remember this one day, we were sparring and
it felt like I was starting to get some jabs in against
Rob. But pretty quickly I realised it was only because
he was letting me.
(Laughs)
Was almost headbutting my punches.
Which
doesnt feel great for the ego.
But
it definitely let me know not only the level he was
at, but the level of effort and work you have to put
in to be great.
So
while Ive always been one to do a bit of talking,
I could never do it at MMA training because I just
wasnt good enough.
I
had to stay quiet, learn.
Because
the talk can only come from confidence
its
about knowing how good you are and being comfortable
with that.
Which
now, he does.
With
Waller in the early stages of what could eventually
be following that long line of wrasslin heels
which in no particular order includes
the likes of Stone Cold, Macho Man, Iron Sheik, Ric
Flair, Kurt Angle, Rowdy Roddy Piper, Million Dollar
Man, even 1960s bad boy Freddie Blassie who
was so hated by fans they stabbed him 21 separate
times.
Yet
while Waller has also modelled himself on UFC favourites
like Irishman McGregor and the American Gangster
Chael Sonnen fighters who believe in
themselves, he says, and have no problem
telling the world so he is also keen
to avoid the darker paths taken by fighters the likes
of Colby Covington and Sean Strickland.
Being
the bad guy, it isnt easy, Waller explains.
Especially
these days with social media being everywhere
when you can open your feed and find it filled with
people saying all sorts of horrible things
it breeds lots of fake bad guys
Fake
bad guys?
Athletes
who play the bad guy on television, he says.
But
then when they go online, theyre polite, showing
love
theyre too scared about people being
mean back.
Its
why there are so few bad guys in professional sports.
And
those who are, they go the wrong way.
Just
look at how some UFC fighters are trying to be so
controversial, saying such horrible things that youre
actually having people say no, I dont
want that.
And
its because it is all such low hanging fruit.
Its
embarrassing.
Wheres
the creativity in any of that? Where is the fun?
Youre
not a bad guy.
Youre
just lazy.
Because
the truly great bad guys, they bring an element of
fun to it all.
Which,
undoubtedly, Waller is.
And
why somewhere tucked away at home, and in his training
locker, this breakout Australian star has notebooks
filled with potential lines, sledges and hacks for
future opponents.
Im
always watching guys and thinking about what I would
say to them, potential lines I can play with,
he reveals. Ive got books full of stuff
Ive written down.
But
still for me, the best stuff comes naturally.
Like
when, say, you had a crack at The Rock on socials?
That
one was definitely a risk, he says of a video
which, before his Madison Square Garden debut, showed
him mocking the outfit Dwayne Johnson wore into the
same venue 27 years earlier.
Im
not friends with The Rock.
Wed
never even met him before I put that out there.
So
it was risky because if the guy does take it the wrong
way, mate, he likely wants nothing to do with me moving
forward.
So
as for how The Most Electrifying Man In All Of Sports
Entertainment did take it?
Well,
he commented back, Waller grins. Gave
a couple of classic Rock lines too, which at least
shows hes paying attention.
Isnt
the only one, either.
In
fact, more than simply building his own brand, Waller
insists Australias wrestling talent is about
to experience an explosion similar to that already
underway in MMA and headed by the likes of
Whittaker, Alexander Volkanovski, Tai Tuivasa and
Jack Della Maddalena.
I
think our situation is very similar to MMA,
he says, referencing the explosion of local talent
including himself or megastar Rhea Ripley, but Bronson
Reed, Indi Hartwell and a handful of others already
in training to be that next one out from behind the
curtain.
Initially
with the UFC guys, it took a couple of people to knock
on the door, open the door
and then we started
running through.
And
now its happening for wrestling too.
Rhea
Ripley is very much number one.
Shes
done so much for Australian wrestling in WWE, she
opened that door and now the rest of us are here
were kicking it down.
Better,
Waller is getting it done with the same swagger that
once sold those Willie Wigs, puts JWH among the greatest
enforcers of modern times, and at the time of writing
again has those Penrith Panthers the $3.75 TAB favourites
in premiership betting.
And
I see a lot of similarities between us, Waller
says of that western Sydney crew all boom box, elaborate
handshakes and undeniable chip on the shoulder.
While
we didnt grow up the same area of Sydney, neither
of us is supposed to be here.
Australians
arent supposed to be in the WWE. Or on Smackdown
against John Cena.
But
its a case of you dont think Ill
make it?
watch me.
And
when you have that energy, that passion have
a little bit of anger, too thats when
you can go out there and be yourself.
I
actually reckon when Penrith are sat there in the
dressing sheds, celebrating another premiership, they
must be laughing so hard at every single news article
where somebody called them a bad bloke.
Same
deal for him.
Because,
no, Im not the good guy, he grins, and
I dont care.
(FOX
Sports)
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Box Office
December
2023
Movie
News
North
American Box Office
1.
The Boy and His Heron - $10.4 million
2.
The Hunger Games: The Ballads of Songbirds & Snakes
- $9.4 million
3.
Godzilla Minus One - $8.3 million
4.
Trolls Band Together - $6.2 million
5.
Wish - $5.3 million
6.
Renaissance: A Film By Beyonce - $5 million
7.
Napolean - $4.2 million
8.
Waitress: The Musical - $2.6 million
9.
Animal - $2.3 million
10.
The Shift - $2.2 million
Media
Man
Movie
Gaming
Can movie theatres and online streaming live side
by side?
Its been a tough time for movie theatres around
the world with a number of factors contributing to
the decline in the number of people heading to the
cinema to watch movies. In a world that is embracing
digital technologies, the movie industry is in danger
of getting left behind unless they quickly embrace
the technologies available that will get people excited
to return to movie theatres and get the enjoyment
of the cinema experience once again.
The
rise of the video game industry
Whilst
there are plenty of factors that are influencing peoples
decision to visit the cinema, there is no doubt that
the rapid rise of the online video game industry is
a large contributing factor. People are starting to
look elsewhere for their entertainment and online
video gaming provides a lower-cost alternative to
a trip to the cinema.
A
report by MarketWatch in 2020 found that the video
game industry is now bigger than the sports and movie
industry combined. Just take a minute to digest that.
Bigger than movies and sports - thats big.
The
news outlet reported that global video game revenue
is expected to increase 20% in 2020, making $179.7
billion, according to data from IDC.
The
biggest gain is expected to come from mobile gaming,
according to the news outlet, which is expected to
surge 24% to $87.7 billion. Part of this is due to
China recently lifting a ban on gaming consoles.
Game
console revenue is expected to soar to $52.5 billion
this year, while PC and Mac games are expected to
make $39.5 billion.
In
their most recent report, MarketWatch
reported that whilst overall revenue was expected
to grow by 11% in 2021 to $251.39 billion, the forecast
for 2022 is just a 2% growth and a flattening out
of that rapid growth over the past two years.
Is
this a potential opportunity for cinemas to reclaim
some of that lost audience share?
Early
signs look good for cinemas in 2022
If
the latest movie releases in 2022 are anything to
go by, it looks as though the movie theatre industry
is not ready to give up just yet. Spider-Man: No Way
Home became the biggest
grossing movie of the past two years, grossing
over $US1 billion ($1.38b) in the first two weekends.
It is the second-fastest film ever to reach the $1
billion mark and suggests that this could be a big
year for cinema-goers.
Following
in its footsteps is another 2022 release, The
Matrix Resurrections, a movie that grossed $US12
million in its opening weekend.
Whilst
this is a great start to the New Year for movie theatres
around the world, it remains to be seen whether this
is a trend that continues throughout the year. With
a number of high profile movies due for release in
2022, this could be a time for cinemas to really cash
in.
The
impact of streaming and long-form content
It
is unlikely that cinemas will have it all their own
way in 2022. Whilst it is great to see people returning
to movie theatres to watch the latest releases on
the big screen, there is no question that home viewing
is here to stay.
As
more studios and media distributors are developing
their own direct-to-consumer streaming services, this
starts to eat into the revenue of major studios.
Studios
derive almost half of their revenues from theatrical
releases. Although the average number of movie tickets
purchased by Americans each year has declined from
4.2 in 2009 to 3.4 in 2019 (Source: Deloitte),
studio revenues are driven more by box office tickets
now than they were 20 years ago.
Streaming
is having the biggest impact on people going to the
movies. As televisions have improved, where you can
now watch movies at home in 4K high-definition on
screens with sizes up to 100, with surround
sound, people have become more willing to wait for
the latest release movies to become available on streaming
services including Netflix,
Amazon Prime, Disney+, and Stan.
Another
major impact on the cinema industry is the consumer
switch to long-form content in the form of series.
Many people feel there is more depth to a series that
contains anywhere from six episodes upwards. Game
of Thrones was one of the groundbreaking series to
really capture the audiences attention, however,
there are so many amazing series now that it is becoming
more difficult for movies to compete with the depth
and the character development that a series can bring.
Huge
series like Breaking Bad, The Sopranos and more recently,
Succession,
have really captured the attention of audiences around
the world and this is something movie producers need
to consider.
The
entertainment factor
Its
not just video games and streaming that are competing
for peoples attention. Another industry embracing
technology is the online casino and betting sector.
Here, we have seen huge advancements in the way people
are able to game online. One company leading the way
in the sector is Betway, Developed by our exceptionally
talented people, Betway
creates market-leading, cutting-edge interactive gaming
experiences. We bring people closer to the action
putting them at the centre, making them feel
a part of it.
From
the introduction of in-game betting to the development
of new and exciting interactive games, these online
gaming sites are leading the way when it comes to
embracing new technologies that can lead to better
experiences for customers.
The
movie industry is at a real crossroads. With competition
coming from every direction within the entertainment
industry, studios and distributors need to find a
way to either a) get more people back into movie theatres
or b) look at alternative ways to ensure that movies
can compete with online gaming, live sports streaming
and online casinos for a share of customer eyeballs.
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