Why are so many wrestler’s Wikipedia pages locked?

[mrbananagrabber]

If you try to look up most wrestlers Wikipedia pages, they’re all locked from editing unless you’re a fully verified user. Why? What things are people writing about, for example, the Big Show to make Wikipedia go “OK, lock the account.”

Here’s a game; find ten at least fairly high profile active wrestlers with unlocked Wikipedia pages.

[chazraps]

I remember in 2006 someone edited Sgt Slaughter's Wikipedia page to say: "Hes fat he used to not be fat but now hes fat."

Truly the world's greatest and most reliable encyclopedia!

[Hulkshi Tanahashi]

I can see why Chris Benoit’s page would be locked. Other than that…

[Aceorton]

I mean ... the average wrestling fan isn't exactly known for maturity and intellect. I'm sure all kinds of crazy stuff ends up on those pages, from factually inaccurate to mean-spirited or creepy comments about the perfomers' personal lives. Requiring someone to be a registered user in order to add/edit seems like a way to stop 90% of the dipshits from tinkering in there just because they can.

[Eunös ✈]

Not sure if it actually happened but I saw a screencap that someone edited Batistas Wiki to the "This is my Wiki an on Sunday, I'm gonna be needing it back".

The popular Batista meme on here before the Basketball stuff came along.

[Johnny B. Decent]

I'm still salty they removed the finishers. :/

[Jindrak Mark]

Apr 25, 2022 12:03:33 GMT -5 Hulkshi Tanahashi said:

I can see why Chris Benoit’s page would be locked. Other than that…

Anyone remember a weird story about Benoit's Wikipedia page when he died?

The weekend he didn't show up to that PPV someone edited I think his and Nancy's pages to say they died like a full 24 hours before the news broke. It turned out to be some dumb kid messing around but I think the police took him in for questioning.

[Hulkshi Tanahashi]

Apr 25, 2022 13:04:21 GMT -5 Johnny B. Decent said:

I'm still salty they removed the finishers. :/

Why did they do that?

[James Fabiano]

Years ago, some promoter (same guy who was bringing Drake Wueritz to the northeast) and others apparently went on a spree of vandalizing Bobby Fulton's page.

[Push R Truth]

If you didn't lock Brimstone's page it would be the longest Wikipedia page of all time

[cassonova]

Because I edited one of Ric Flair's signature maneuvers to "blading".

[Zombie Mod]

same reason why rule #12 exists here

12. OTHER SITES: Do not post negative comments about other message boards. Do not use this forum as a vehicle to discuss your vandalism or abuse of any site (e.g. Wikipedia). Do not vandalize or attempt to start an argument "in our name" anywhere.

wrestling fans do some really weird stuff when they're bored, and wikipedia editing was a thing to pass boredom for many people (some were funny, many were terrible attempts at being funny.)

[Celexa Bliss 54]

Apr 25, 2022 13:04:21 GMT -5 Johnny B. Decent said:

I'm still salty they removed the finishers. :/

It also had names for their entrance music, which was also removed. As a fantasy booker, I was very annoyed by that. Instead of going to one general site for research, I now have to go to three or four different sites to get everything I need.

[Sicho100]

I was going to guess that it would be because people are constantly updating the pages to include the latest storyline updates, which may trigger some Wikipedia limit of edits before making the pages more restrictive, but now that I've gone through some more pages...are wrestlers' pages locked to an unusual degree?

Sure, the most prominent names (Roman Reigns, CM Punk, Bryan Danielson, Chris Jericho being some that I checked) have locked pages, but here are a few that are not locked:

Cody Rhodes
The Young Bucks
Adam Page
AJ Styles
Bobby Lashley
Kevin Owens
Bianca Belair
Drew McIntyre
Bayley
Asuka
Rhea Ripley
Ricochet
Sammy Guevara
Sami Zayn
Shinsuke Nakamura
Bron Breakker
Jake Hager

[MiLB Fan]

Lex Luger’s page is locked too!

Okay not really, but the joke was right there.

[Baldobomb-22-OH-MAN!!!]

I choose to believe it's because of the "Sweatsock" Jose Lothario incident

[mcmahonfan85]

as to why, clearly someone's never worked with the Wikipedia Pro Wrestling group

[Natural Born Farmer]

Probably tired of people going on to add "wasn't pushed properly because he refused Vince McMahon's advances" and other bullshit.

[Mighty Attack Tribble]

Apr 25, 2022 13:44:54 GMT -5 Hulkshi Tanahashi said:

Apr 25, 2022 13:04:21 GMT -5 Johnny B. Decent said:

I'm still salty they removed the finishers. :/

Why did they do that?

Because there's not really anywhere that lists wrestlers' movesets and finishers that qualifies as a valid source for citation. Same goes for themes.

[Burst]

I don't see it on AEW pages at least, but I know there was a point in time where somebody over there became comedically anal retentive about shoehorning what was essentially a very formal-sounding "wrestling is fake" disclaimer at the start of any page (particularly PPVs) that had any mention about specific angles at all. Something along the lines of "portraying simulated combat in response to fictional storylines depicted onscreen" or something equally pretentious-yet-disdainful sounding.