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As WWE attempts to push all sorts of different natives in the lead-up to WrestleMania 40, from the ever-escalating feud between Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Cody Rhodes, to the ridiculous levels of hate both Seth Rollins and Drew McIntyre share for CM Punk despite the “Best in the World” being unable to wrestle at the “Showcase of the Immortals,” and even the tensions at the top of the RAW card between Becky Lynch and Rhea Ripley, there's one under-the-radar story that has continued to get pushed over the past few days by the IWC to a surprising degree: Maxxine Dupri being booed at a house show in California.
Now, for fans out of the know, the video in question shows a viably upset Dupri walking to the entrance ramp at a house show as fans boo her pretty harshly after a match with Nia Jax, with the former Maximum Males Models valet turning to do a half-hearted “Thank You” before walking to the back. While harsh, the reactions from across the professional wrestling world were all over the place, with some lambasting the fans for booing a green 26-year-old while others defended fans for being allowed to boo wrestlers they don't like or believe did a bad job in the ring.
Discussing the booing in question on Wrestling Observer Live, Dave Meltzer weighed in on the situation, with the long-time Wrestling Observer scribe taking a side in the debate that may surprise a few fans.
“If you're a wrestler, get mad at the company for putting her in that position. Don't get mad at the fans. If the fans see a bad match they've got the right to boo. And even if they see a good match they've got the right to boo,” Dave Meltzer noted on Wrestling Observer Live via WrestleTalk. “There's a line, and now I think we're getting way too sensitive. I'm gonna get ripped on this because it involves women, but that's just my feeling. If you're a pro, Jesus Christ, that's part of being a pro-wrestler. If they say something racial, if they say something really badly sexist, in this day and age at an arena, f**king shut them up. Yell back at them. Tell security. Whatever. But just booing someone or saying ‘You suck', that doesn't cross the line of behavior that fans shouldn't be doing.”
Is Meltzer on the money? Should fans be allowed to boo a wrestler they don't like at any type of show they attend, especially if they don't use any swear words or take any sexist shots at the talent? Clearly the reaction has been mixed online to say the least but as Meltzer noted, booing wrestlers has been happening forever, and will probably happen forever so long as it doesn't cross the line.
this poor girl is getting booed at a house show for trying to get better.. wrestling fans suck pic.twitter.com/2OlXoAufcT
— dani☆ (@alluringbanks) February 28, 2024
Maxxine Dupri comments on her match against Rhea Ripley on RAW.
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Speaking of Maxxine Dupri's early in-ring exploits, of her 13 matches so far within the WWE, the highest-profile one has to have been against Rhea Ripley last December on RAW.
Discussing the match in question, Dupri reflected on how nervous she was for the oppertunity but how proud she ultimately was of the end result.
“It was insane. I was just telling someone when I got the text that I had that match, I was waiting for the just kidding text. Like, there's no way. Me? So it was terrifying that I was going to throw up,” Maxxine Dupri told Ring The Belle via Fightful. “However, it was such a pleasure to get to work with someone who is so talented, has such an incredible presence. I definitely jumped straight into the deep end, not fully prepared. However, I think that that match will always be a pivotal match in my career because that's where it shifted, where I was like, okay, I have to change my training and I have to change what I'm doing. So that way I can have a better chance against her in the future. So I think that that was like a really pivotal moment for me and a turning point in my career.”
While Dupri's match wasn't what one would call an all-time five-star classic, as it lasted just over two minutes and was largely a showcase of Ripley's dominance, in the end, getting in the ring with the Women's World Champion remains a pretty big accomplishment for any performer, especially when it doesn't feature any major botches or embarrassing spots. Even if Dupri is still developing as a performer, that match serves as a major feather in her cap.
