| Botchamania | |
|---|---|
 The original Botchamania logo/wordmark/title card, as used in the early 2010s | |
| Genre | |
| Created by | TheOriginalMikey |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| No. of episodes | 501 |
| Production | |
| Editor | Matthew "Maffew" Gregg |
| Running time | Typically 20 minutes |
| Original release | |
| Network |
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| Release | 2006 (KiKrusher99 edit) 2007 (Maffew edit) |
| Infobox instructions (only shown in preview) | |
Botchamania is a web series, primarily hosted on YouTube, that focuses on compiling and showcasing mistakes, blunders, and embarrassing moments from the world of professional wrestling, known as "botches".[1][2][3] The term "botch" in wrestling jargon refers to any unintentional or poorly executed manoeuvre or action during a match. These can include missed moves, awkward falls, audible communications, and other instances where the scripted nature of wrestling is momentarily broken, revealing the staged nature of the performance.[1][2]
Although he did not create the series, it is most commonly associated with British video editor Matthew "Maffew" Gregg, who took control in 2007 and has continued it into the present day, despite several lengthy disputes with many wrestling promotions over copyright and fair use. The show typically features montages of various wrestling botches, set to a soundtrack of video game music and filled with humorous captions and commentary. While the primary focus is on showcasing these mistakes, Botchamania often incorporates other humorous content from behind-the-scenes of professional wrestling as well as offering its own commentary on various incidents within wrestling.
- ^ a b Greene, Dan (6 May 2015). "'Botchamania' blooper reels pull back the curtain on pro wrestling". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 31 October 2023.
- ^ a b Jeffries, Dru (2019). #WWE: Professional Wrestling in the Digital Age. Indiana University Press. ISBN 9780253044945.
In simple terms, Maffew's Botchamania compilations are blooper reels, collections of mistakes drawn from various professional wrestling events, edited into twelve- to fifteen-minute-long videos. The bloopers include botched moves, clips of wrestlers stumbling over their dialogue or breaking character onscreen, illogical or particularly ridiculous narrative events (which are all too common in professional wrestling), and excerpts of wrestlers audibly calling spots.
- ^ Roddy, F. (2014). "Wrestling with the Controller: Why professional wrestling's relationship with realism and narrative has hindered its remediation into computer game form". The Computer Games Journal. 3 (2): 83–99. doi:10.1007/bf03392360. Retrieved 31 October 2023.
While being the most dedicated of fans, they can also be the harshest critics, looking for mistakes and "botches" (or glimpses into reality) at every opportunity. The appeal of this is evidenced by the widespread popularity of Botchamania, a Youtube series.