Dirty Dango, formerly known as Fandango in WWE, recently shared his strong opinions about the current generation of wrestlers. Having had an extensive tenure with WWE before being released in 2021, Dango has since become a prominent member of the IMPACT Wrestling roster.
During a promo on the May 25 episode of IMPACT Wrestling, Dango expressed his discontent with the present-day wrestlers, referring to it as the “Gratitude Era.” He claimed that the majority of the locker room seemed content with just being there, lacking the ambition to become stars or seize opportunities.
“I grew up watching the Attitude Era, and I feel like right now, most of this locker room lives in the Gratitude Era,” stated Dango. “To me, it seems like they’re just happy to be here. They’re not striving to be stars or to claim their spot. They’re satisfied with taking a picture with their opponent after the match and posting it on social media, saying how much of a pleasure it was to be in the ring with them. Personally, I don’t need this job because I have other sources of income. So, I don’t have to tiptoe around and pretend to be happy to be here like everyone else in the back.”
Dango went on to highlight how the locker room has changed, with wrestlers seemingly more concerned about their social media presence and gaining likes than eliciting a genuine reaction from the live crowd. He expressed his belief that such attitudes would lead the business into challenging times.
“The locker room I grew up in was filled with camaraderie, banter, and discussions about various topics, rather than everyone staring at their iPhones, obsessing over the number of likes they receive on Twitter and Instagram,” Dango remarked.
“The current crop of wrestlers is more focused on social media validation than on the reactions they generate from the live audience. This tells me that the wrestling industry is headed for difficult times. I may face some backlash from the boys for speaking out, but if they were real men like in my early days, they might be concerned. Of course, they won’t say anything to my face, but they might tweet about it later.”
The veteran wrestler further emphasized that fans don’t pay to witness generic performers; they pay to see stars. Dango asserted that, regardless of his personal love for the wrestling business, he is a star and a valuable asset.
“People don’t spend their money to watch some generic talent who claims to love the wrestling business. They come to witness a f***ing star, and that’s exactly what they’re seeing right now. I possess the ability to talk, look good, and perform in the ring. It doesn’t matter if I don’t have an undying passion for wrestling. I bring in the money. Honestly, in most of the shows I attend nowadays, I end up taking more pictures with the boys backstage than with the fans. Times have changed. If I were 15, I probably wouldn’t aspire to be a wrestler. Just being honest. The only cool guy I actually like is the one wearing the hog mask [Taurus].”
Dango also commented on his upcoming match against IMPACT Digital Media Champion Joe Hendry at IMPACT Under Siege and added that it would be “amusing” if he were to capture the title.
“At first, I thought Joe was one of the boys, or that he had potential to be. But getting to know him better, I realized he’s just another stooge, just like the rest of these nerds. I find it absurd that he carries around a toy belt, and it would be both ironic and amusing if I were to win it. People don’t pay
Photo Credit: IMPACT Wrestling