Bruce Pritchard Reveals How He Can Tell When A Wrestler Is Truly Over

Bruce Pritchard has seen a lot of stars come and go during his time in WWE, with many super over names gracing the stage over the years. 

Pritchard discussed on the Something to Wrestle podcast how he knows when a wrestler is over, but revealed that a factor like merchandise sales doesn’t necessarily reflect if someone is truly over. This is due to the fact that a particular piece of merch could be swept up due to a flashy design or its coolness, but this doesn’t always equate to being “over”. 

Instead, Pritchard noted that “consistency” would be the best measure, with consistency of strengths, numbers, and success across the board is the best way to determine if a wrestler is really over. Even when it comes to crowd reactions, Pritchard revealed that they could sometimes be misleading. 

"Are the reactions genuine? Or is it due to something the talent is trying to overcompensate for? It's just a lot of factors, and so much of it just feel. Yes, there are indicators, where if you advertise something ... you have somebody on top that hasn't been there before and you see a distinct uptick, then, okay, you're going to take notice. Do it again — alright, there's a trend that you can look at. Take them off, there's a drop — okay."

Pritchard is well aware of the WWE fans sometimes “stirring the pot” or cheering for someone they aren’t supposed to be cheering for, especially in “smarter” markets. 

H/T Wrestling Inc.