>>17326707Dave Meltzer, a well-known wrestling journalist, recently made a notable error regarding WWE’s Backlash 2025 event. On November 3, 2024, Meltzer tweeted that Backlash 2025 would be held at the Tokyo Dome in Japan, a claim that excited fans given WWE’s rare ventures into the Japanese market for premium live events. However, just nine minutes later, he retracted the statement, admitting that he had fallen for a fake tweet from a parody account. The original post he referenced came from a non-official source, featuring inconsistencies like misspelling the Ariake Coliseum as “Ariaki” and lacking WWE branding, which should have raised red flags. Meltzer deleted his initial tweet and clarified, “That Backlash tweet was apparently a fake,” but the blunder quickly drew attention from wrestling fans and commentators.
This incident reflects a broader pattern of criticism Meltzer has faced for occasionally rushing to report unverified information. In this case, the fake post exploited his tendency to trust insider tips or social media scoops without thorough vetting, especially on a platform like X where parody accounts are common. The Tokyo Dome rumor was particularly implausible given Japan’s strong association with New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW), a rival promotion with ties to AEW, a company Meltzer is often accused of favoring. WWE has not historically held major events like Backlash in Japan, making the claim dubious from the start.
The misreport sparked mockery across wrestling circles, with outlets like Wrestling Inc. and fans on forums like Reddit’s SquaredCircle and JimCornette subreddit pointing out the error. Some labeled it part of a “clownshow” year for Meltzer, citing other 2024 missteps like misidentifying a decade-old video clip or misinterpreting a Discord post as an official memo. While Meltzer’s defenders argue he’s a target for trolls and that such mistakes are rare given his
