Today on NXT, Johnny Curtis and Maxine find out who kidnapped Matt Striker. Also, Kaitlyn faces Natalya and Michael McGillicutty takes on Derrick Bateman. There will surely be more as well. Read on for my thoughts on the show as it happens!
Of course, the show's a lot more about drama than the Rookie competition (if such a thing still exists).
I'm glad we're not getting another round of Percy vs. Titus or Young today. It was time to give them some breathing room.
Good of Regal to set the stage with his feud with Reks and Hawkins. Given the newsworthy week WWE's had, it's good to get some refreshing.
I like that Percy paused and "listened" to let the chant build.
Percy's got good raw ability. I see similarities to Shelton Benjamin.
Interesting points by Regal about Reks. He has changed his character, and isn't doing the more high-flying stuff he did as a face. But I can certainly see the complaint that he's stuck in a rut. The last thing you want to be in WWE is a background character, especially with the returns and new arrivals coming at this time of the year.
I'd love to see what Percy will do in a couple of years. He was pretty impressive here.
Groan-inducing pun by Mathews. I'm jealous that I didn't think of it.
Now would be a good time for Alex Riley to make a save.
Suspending Reks and Hawkins might be good for them so they'd be more fresh when they got back. Obviously WWE would need to have a plan for them when they came back.
Good emotion from Reks, Hawkins, Percy, and Regal to close the angle.
Weird that they hint that Kidd and Natalya are a couple on NXT when they haven't shown them together in quite some time on the other shows.
NXT's Kaitlyn? She's technically a part of Smackdown, but who really keeps track anymore?
Kaitlyn finally got new music!
I was under the impression Tyson was dating Natalya behind-the-scenes.
Good technical wresting with these two. But they're stuck competing on NXT while we got what we got on Sunday.
Kidd's a very hard worker.
That was good while it lasted. I think Kaitlyn could surprise us down the line. If I hadn't seen her come up through the ranks, I'd think she had been doing this for a while.
Not a bad backstage segment. Just kind of weird material for Young.
Plenty of callbacks to Mania.
Cool attire from the Usos. It definitely stands out. I got X-Pac vibes from the bandanna, hair, and green.
Titus and Young are working together better than I initially suspected.
Titus being at WM29 as anything but a cameo would surprise me tremendously.
Maybe Darren was distracted by Tamina and didn't think to get back into the ring?
Not a bad match. I'm not ruling Titus and Darren out as a team. It will take some more gelling instead of it being "Wrestler A and Wrestler B teaming up", but it's doable.
This is kind of weird. Darren went so long as the very focused, intense guy and now he's distracted by Tamina. It's not like she just showed up on the show a few weeks ago.
I think it would be interesting to have a heel powerhouse Titus against a face Darren. Just not quite yet.
I liked the emotions by both men at the end of the match. Titus is understandably ticked at the loss, and Darren's... whatever you want to call it.
About the Cena vs. Rock video, people remember Austin after he lost to Hart at Mania. He passed out in the Sharpshooter and "showed a lot of heart" so he got over.
There's so much they can do with Lesnar vs. Cena given their past. I can also see parallels to Rock vs. Cena. Brock left to do football then the UFC, while Cena stayed put.
NXT's like a reality show mixed with a sitcom in places.
I like Kidd's motivation.
A boiler room! Where's Mick Foley when you need him?
That... actually makes sense for them to do.
Curtis and Maxine are entertaining.
Wait, if Regal sees that video, he knows all about their plan.
Looking forward to this match to see if Bateman can get back to where I've seen him before.
As much experience as there is in the WWE locker room, there's a lot that could be picked up from them.
I don't get why Regal's going after Bateman. Even if you think he can do better, surely he's showing SOMETHING.
Regal used to win matches using brass knuckles, and he's complaining about not getting disqualified?
Now this is the Bateman I want to see more of.
NICE. McGillicutty teasing the Sharpshooter's pretty dastardly given his feud.
I'm apparently the only one who remembers that that neckbreaker was at least at one point called the McGilicutter.
I like that the focus is on what's next to end the show.
On to evaluations of the 3 Rookies. 5's must-see, 4's significantly more hit than miss, 3's in the middle, 2's significantly more miss than hit, and 1's must-miss. It's a fair assessment that it's pretty evenly split between wrestling ability and things like personality.
Derrick Bateman- 4 (Last week: 5). For some reason, I'm not "feeling" Bateman as much as I used to. He hasn't been bad in the ring by any stretch, but the magic he's had with Curtis (for instance) wasn't there for his last two opponents. I'm still mostly entertained by what he brings to the table outside of the ring, but his his matches aren't where they'd need to be for me to say that he should be on Raw or Smackdown (especially in the post-Mania tumult). (Grade: B+).
Titus O'Neil - 4 (Last week: 4). Titus has certainly come a long way from Season 2, and that's really coloring how I see him here. It's kind of inevitable as I can't "go back in time and unwatch" what he was like then to only focus on how he's been this season. His matches have flown and his moves have been better. He also showed good energy when he talked both backstage and in the ring. He's also a good way from being ready for a Raw or Smackdown spot, but he's making progress. (Grade: low end of the B scale but not quite B-).
Darren Young - 3 (Last week: 3). My problem with Darren's never been with his ringwork, and it wasn't this week. He's toned down a lot of what I thought he overdid as a character, and he gets credit for that (as that was a BIG thing holding him back previously). But, his new character direction isn't clicking right now. Obviously it takes time to grow into a new role, but he seems kind of lost with it so far. There were some good moments, but it didn't seem like he was as in to the role as he was his previous role. I don't mean that he should be full of energy and yelling like he was then, but he was more believable as someone who hated Titus, etc.. He's going to need to show that he can pull of a role other than "aggressive wrestler", and right now he's not doing that. If WWE gives you a bad role and you can't pull it off, your chances of getting a good role go down. (Grade: C+ or so).
That's all for NXT. Superstars and Impact Wrestling will also be up tonight, as well as at least one news post. Thanks for reading!
I guess I'm a little confused with your stances on Young and Titus. I expected this week to be a sure-fire move up for Young in your book. Specifically, Young showed some charisma this week with the "McDonalds" comment and the clihe pick-up line, which many may think was his missing element. Of the three of them, he's the only one who's shown good in-ring talent, shades of charisma, and the "fire" that you need in this company. I think he may need some more time with the role, but I guess it just seems like Titus has been able to get away with way more to you compared to Young.
ReplyDeleteI guess it just seems, to me, that you're making it really hard on Young to move up your ladder here. You've mentioned what you're looking from him in the past, but he's improved on a lot of your criticisms. I mean, he's toned it down, showed some charisma and has corrected a lot of his mistakes when Titus has been even more sporadic and inconsistent.
As far as Titus goes, and I've tried to consider your stance, but I just can't grasp it. He's been very sporadic. He goes from being laid-back by joking with Young and being buddies with him to mirroring his first heel promo by being WAY over-the-top by saying "I don't want to be partners anymore" and acting like Young kidnapped his mom or something when Titus was the one who lost the match. Given, maybe Management played a role, but he doesn't need to be that sporadic.
It feels to me that Titus, not Young, is overcompensating. What I mean by that is Titus is a good and laid back guy by nature. So, when he hears about what makes up a "heel", he overdoes it to compensate for his "nice guy" personality. I just see most of your critique elements you mention about Young mirror mine about Titus. I guess it just seems like Young can't win with you and Titus can get away with more lol.
I didn't really see that as charisma. He came across like he was trying to play a written part instead of naturally being like that. Charisma is a LOT more than just having some clever lines. A (very) charismatic performer can have fans hanging on their every word and wanting to see what they'll do next. I haven't seen all that much charisma from him, since he so rarely sounds natural. I think Bateman has shown all three of those things. Titus has at least shown fire and in-ring talent at times.
ReplyDeleteNote that in-ring talent (to me and seemingly to WWE) isn't just pulling out good moves and such. It's being convincing in what you do. You can wrestle a "technically" terrible match but if you're a convincing powerhouse, I'd consider that talent. On the other hand, someone can pull out amazing technical displays or tons of high-flying moves but if the fans forget about them I don't see them as really highly talented in the "storytelling" sense that the business is built on.
He has corrected some of those things. It just takes time to move up or down. I need to know this isn't just a temporary improvement before I move him back up. And even though he's corrected some things, he's still not excelling as a character. Being less unnatural doesn't make someone natural. Until he can go from being an ok character to a well-performed character, he'll stay close to where he is.
I kind of saw it as Titus picking on Darren for having the crush, then being frustrated at the loss. That's a time when it would make sense to have different emotions at different times. That line was over-the-top but I see why he acted that way. He could also argue that he lost because he was distracted by Darren "not having his head in the game" at ringside.
I definitely see that argument about Titus. Remember that I see them as auditioning for different roles. It's a lot easier for a big powerhouse to make it up to WWE than a technical wrestler. Titus can pretty much just show up and beat people in 2 minute matches (without talking) to get over if need be. Darren doesn't have the "big guy" thing in his favor, so I'd think he needs to be able to do something really well outside of the ring for WWE to take a chance on him.
I'm not really grading them on how "good" they are as far as can they wrestle a critically-acclaimed match or cut a promo people will talk about for years, since Titus wouldn't need to do that to be successful. Thus, he has an easier time making it up the rankings. Darren I think would need to be really exemplary at things outside of technical wrestling ability to be successful in WWE, and I grade him from that standpoint.
I seriously can't think of many other metaphors, as that's the main issue. If I'm completely missing what you're arguing, let me know.
cliche* whose*
ReplyDeleteYou're mainly right on my stances. I know reading from a computer isn't the same as chatting in person, so it's hard for me to understand others' stances at times, as well. No biggie.
ReplyDeleteI mean, from the charismatic standpoint, I think it's from the stance that it's an improvement from Young's standpoint. Given, he's not a John Cena or Rock in that department, but that was a clever line that got responses. You can tell that is a charismatic quality there, and I think he'll move up in my books if he can sustain it.
When I mentioned those three attributes (in-ring talent, shades of charisma and "fire"), I mean it as who has the most of those qualities, and I see Young having the nod there. With Bateman, I don't see the "fire" that guys like Andy from Tough Enough had that was a big factor in him winning it. Regal and Austin are really big on that and I don't see him having the fire and intensity that is a required element.
I guess we differ on "in-ring" talent. To me, it's just having the total package: Good technical skills, ring intelligence and some power moves. If Titus only pulls out power moves (which is most of his toolbox), I don't see him having complete "in-ring" talent. I think some critics really harp on that and will until he can become more of a "total packaged" wrestler.
I see your point about Young not quite "excelling" as a character, but part of it is his potentially new role. I, personally, like what I see so far, but we need to give it some time for it to sync. Another part is that it another way for Young to branch out. If he indeed turns face, it's a chance to show his "full range" in terms of the creative (possibly "entertainer" side) to show to go along with what we already know he has to offer.
I sort of understand the part like you mentioned before about Titus "auditioning" for an easier role, but do you think it should be tougher for him to make it in that role now that he's a heel? Guys like Rhodes, Barrett and Bryan have done very well in that role, so to me anyway, it may be a tougher role for him, too. That does apply to Young as well, though.
And also that new character A-Train is playing (it's hard for me to consider him in his new and odd role without remembering him as A-Train lol). There seems to be more "bigger" guys emerging out of the shadows a bit.
ReplyDeleteIt's possible that someone wrote him that line. There's not much way of knowing, as it seems to vary from talent to talent and show to show who "does a lot of their own stuff". Charisma to me is a lot more about how you deliver lines than what specifically you say.
ReplyDeleteI see how you'd see Young would have the edge there. I think Bateman has some fire, but I don't see that as exactly the same thing as doing intense moves or doing a lot on offense. It's more of a general sense of "he's really into the match and putting it all out there" as the situation calls for. Bateman hasn't been quite the same lately for some reason, but it could just be because he's not standing out as much as he had been.
As for Regal and Austin, I know specifically that Regal looks for a lot more than that, or at least realizes that you need more than that to be successful in WWE. He posts tips for wrestlers every so often that include things about being good at things outside of ringwork. Here's one list of his: http://fwordphilward.wordpress.com/2012/02/05/my-usually-tips-for-becom/
I know that Austin's also a big fan of Zack Ryder, so he, too, recognizes that it's not just what you bring to the table in the ring. Andy might have won Tough Enough, but it won't necessarily make him successful in WWE. Daniel Puder could probably legitimately wrestle circles around a lot of people in the company, but he wasn't as successful as others who lost on Tough Enough (Miz, Boogeyman). In fairness, I think Puder had a chip on his shoulder that rubbed people the wrong way. Though people hated Miz backstage for a while too and he got to stick around...
I don't think Titus (or anyone, really) needs to have complete in-ring talent from that standpoint to be successful. While it'd be a plus, his goal shouldn't be to win over critics. I agree that he's not the total package by any stretch. He just needs to be a "worker" (in other words, getting the audience at large to do what he wants them to do - cheer, boo, etc.). I'm not evaluating him on how "good" of a match he does from a technical standpoint, since that doesn't matter to a lot of people in the company or (likely) most fans. Cena showed that he had what it took technically in his early years, but didn't start to become who he is now until he combined that with more of a personality.
The face turn and softer character will be pivotal to see how well he can do long-term if he isn't able to do his intense character on the main roster. It's not quite "life or death" but if they haven't featured him outside of NXT and Superstars much before now, I'm thinking the higher-ups (for now at least) aren't as sold on him. With some performers who really stand out beyond technical, intense wrestling being looked at to be called up from FCW, the last thing he needs to be right now is someone who doesn't fit in a role well. And I absolutely agree that it should be given time to play out.
I meant the role of big powerhouse vs. the role of well-rounded wrestler that Young has kind of "tried out for" being easier to reach for Titus, not heel instead of face. I think it might actually be easier in some ways to get a crowd to boo a performer than cheer them.
I originally saw Tensai as "Prince Albert" so it's kind of different for me too. I do like that he stands out from what he had done previously. I think there's at least one other big guy coming back soon in a new role, too. If I'm not mistaken, he'll have a video package or something tonight on Smackdown.
I think his potential new role could be a chance for him to show that missing element, which is charisma. Given, the role he's been in for over a year wasn't based on charisma, it really gives him a chance to kind of "step outside of the box" and show his range a bit. I like the idea if he does indeed switch roles, I'm interested to see if he does have that charisma. I know it's there; it just needs to be shown, and this is a chance. I liked the segment backstage, and think it's a good start.
ReplyDeleteI think your point about the higher-ups not being sold on him yet is valid, and it is a chance for him in this potential new role to break that mold a bit. He's shown the in-ring talent and aggression side, so his character has basically done everything he can do. Switching it up is a chance for him to prove more and show more positive attributes. I know many (including a lot of the higher-ups) probably viewed Bateman as kind of a charismatic goofball before he turned heel and feuded with Titus, so that is an example of how branching out can prove more. You get what I mean there?
Do you think things are shaping up to be another Titus/Young feud here? Though it would be in different roles, you would think two different feuds would be enough. I'm interested to see where things end up there.
With that Tensai character, we've seen so many guys like that dominate at the beginning, and end up either released or demoted shortly after. I don't know what to make of him, honestly. I think if he's more of a Kozlov or Umaga-type character (power and skill, but doesn't talk or have much personality) it may fall flat eventually.
I'm also pretty glad he's doing something different from the "No Days Off" character. He was starting to get me tired of watching him (outside of his actual moves), and that's hard to do sometimes. It wasn't quite "Big Show" levels of wanting to see something else, but I thought it was definitely time for something new.
ReplyDeleteI see what you're saying. Any time someone's doing the same thing a lot (and/or basically being used in ways to make others look better), it's not a good sign as far as what management thinks of them. They might stay employed, but their careers can stagnate. Chavo Guerrero's about the best example I can think of as far as recent performers goes. Though, of course, if you're a top guy with lots of TV time they're good with you doing the same stuff a lot.
It certainly looks like they could go back to them facing off. I think they need some more breathing room before they face off again. Ideally, they'd just split off and do their own things for a while. Or someone else gets brought into the mix to freshen things up. I'd like to see Young team with Percy personally. Though some of that comes from knowing they teamed up for a while in FCW before Season 1 of NXT (when Darren had the crazy hair and jacket).
That's a good point about Tensai. You can add Khali to that list, too. I thought they got a lot out of all 3 as far as big feuds before they lost faith in them. Umaga had suspensions and I'm guessing they didn't think Kozlov was ready to be that big of a deal. It is notable that they brought back someone who hadn't been on TV for WWE in years. He had a pretty steady gig in Japan, so I'd hope they have good plans for him.
If you haven't checked this out already, you will be very interested to see this. Read carefully. Any validity to these reports?
ReplyDeletehttp://sports.yahoo.com/top/news?slug=ycn-11207454
This one's pretty heavy, so I'll have to take it piece by piece. In order:
ReplyDeleteThere is definitely discontent at Rock's comeback. Business for Survivor Series '11 wasn't as high as people hoped. I remember specifically seeing that someone said something like "How do you feud with a TitanTron?" in regard to that event. He's not "in the trenches" full-time like a lot of people on the road who aren't getting TV time.
I would not be surprised in the least if there was a lot of similar (if not harsher) feelings toward Lesnar. I hate to say it, but the consensus is that he's pretty much back for the money. The estimate I've seen is 30-35 dates, with more being possible if negotiations go that way. I haven't seen a dollar figure, but he's definitely being paid well (granted, he was a pretty big draw in UFC). I do know that a lot of people on the roster make less than 7 figures (top guys excluded - HHH has a downside guarantee of $1 million).
Whereas Rock returned as a successful movie star, Lesnar's returning as something of a worn-down MMA fighter. Had health issues not intervened, he wouldn't have any reason to retire from UFC. He hated working the road and the lack of privacy during his earlier run, so that's likely still at play.
There was also concern that he got "pushed to the moon" then didn't want to return the favor in helping other performers get to the next level. It only took him a couple of months post-debut to win the WWE Title from The Rock at Summerslam to become the youngest champion ever. He was undefeated for months, including beating The Undertaker in Hell in a Cell. Taker is THE GUY backstage, so there was (is?) legitimate animosity over him "taking his ball and leaving" after being a big deal at 2 WrestleManias. If you haven't seen their confrontation at the UFC event last year, I'd recommend looking it up. Also, if you wonder why people get the rug pulled out from under them so much, a lot of it is because they don't want another guy to do what Brock did.
I don't know as much about Rock's new deal. He'll be sticking around, though (in-between movie shoots of course). Plans change, but Rock vs. Brock for the WWE Title at Mania wouldn't be shocking. I'd also be upset at that if I was working there, though I think it could do pretty big business. Of course, it doesn't really do anything for the people on the road full-time, and once it's over you're "stuck" with people you haven't pushed nearly as hard. Why should fans stick around for Punk, Bryan, etc. if they've been made to look inferior to the part-timers who are probably gone after WM29?
TNA's not going to sign all the disgruntled WWE stars, and not all of them would do as well there as in WWE. They have their own BS hierarchy of older performers and people getting by on name value. There's a faction of disgruntled TNA stars to consider as well who will complain about playing second fiddle to the WWE cast-offs. TNA's seen as even more incompetent than WWE in a lot of places. They have some pretty big-name stars (RVD, Angle, Sting, Jeff Hardy) but aren't really in the same league as WWE business-wise.
Yeah, those are very good points there. People criticize Rock's entry back into the WWE, but his is indeed more legitimate and "fan and competition" oriented in terms of returning to his old playground. With Brock, it is indeed probably the money issue, as UFC wasn't working out for him anymore. I can DEFINITELY see where possible tension and animosity from the superstars as well as fans come into play there. Seven-million dollar contract in a non full-time role when others don't even pull in a quarter of that? That makes me respect and definitely discount the critics of Rock's return.
ReplyDeleteGiven, Brock is an extremely talented athlete that has roots with the WWE, and since many don't care too much about the politics aspect, he may not get as much criticism from the fans. However, sustainably, is he one of the guys who will be there for the long haul? Is he there for the right reasons? Probably not, and that's where I feel the criticism is deserved.
Now, from a business standpoint, the politics and ethics of bringing in "part-time" guys like Lesnar have less value with it being a corporate and for-profit entity. People will pay to see Lesnar. It would be WAY different if I was sitting as one of the higher-up employees for the WWE rather than just my stance as a fan, but I personally view the criticism of his return as justified. Good points there. Mine mirror yours.
By the way, are you keeping the same stance on Otunga in that the match times and lack of "big moves" won't be a big factor? Being in the main event, posing for 50 percent of it and only pulling off headlocks and clotheslines for Otunga really isn't doing him any favors in my book. It shows charisma and sells him as a heel, but that's already solidified. I think he has proven those aspects and really needs to focus on being as legitimate in the ring as he can be.
I'm kind of curious as to how the deal came together, since he retired under UFC contract. Dana White's on friendly terms with Vince, but that's rather magnanimous. I don't know who all had to be involved for it to work.
ReplyDeleteI seem to remember the average salary for a WWE performer was $550,000 or so. It's VERY important to note that that could include FCW talent, which would skew it notably downward. Some of the more tenured performers surely get a lot more than that. There's also merchandise, etc. to consider. Triple H's contract was released publicly as part of an SEC filing, but it's really heavy on legal language so I basically relied on someone else's "bullet point" version of it.
I'm concerned about Brock's athleticism in 2012. I could be reading too much into him wearing a T-shirt over his physique, but as I said he faced some pretty serious health issues at the end of his UFC career. He's noted as a very tough guy, so the fact that it took him out of action is pretty alarming. He MIGHT sign on again after WM29, but it's far from a guarantee.
I try to at least see what they're thinking from a business perspective. In the earlier days of wrestling, it was much rarer to see the top guys (and therefore it meant more when you did see them). With as much TV time they have to fill these days, that's not as sustainable. Filling that time with characters the audience isn't as familiar with can be risky. Though, of course, if those characters don't get a chance to break out, how are they going to become "draws" like Lesnar, Cena, etc.?
I mainly saw that for Otunga as a midcarder. They made kind of a big jump with him having a singles match in the main event. Tonight's match was kind of concerning. Ideally, they'd feature him in a way that shows off his strengths and hides his weaknesses while he builds up ring skills (I liked how they used him on Smackdown). In a main event, he does need to be able to wrestle a "fuller match".
I don't know if fans are ready to buy him as that level of a performer yet, given how many people move in and out of the main event picture without staying long. Showing that he's able to work longer matches would be beneficial in getting him there. Though they might have just wanted him to be a set-up for Cena beating a heel instead of having a competitive match, since their endgame was Cena/Brock instead of something with him. His job could have just been to draw boos away from Cena.
I'm not necessarily concerned with Brock's athleticism. Even with him being older and somewhat banged up, he's still an extraordinary athlete with a lot of range. If he has the confidence to (possibly) compete in one year in front of 80,000 fans at Wrestlemania, I don't consider it as much of an issue. Remember when he pulled off a Shooting Star Press?
ReplyDeleteIt's hard for me to figure out how much the blame of Otunga's lack of moves is on Management versus Otunga himself. I'm not sure if Management just doesn't have the confidence on Otunga to have longer than a four-minute match or if Otunga just simply has some discretion, but chooses to pose instead.
I do also think that it's hard to buy into him as a "top level" guy if he can't compete as heavily. Even if he did, there are only like three or four guys (Cena, Orton, Sheamus and maybe a couple of others tops) who have SUSTAINABLY stayed at the top.
Do you see any benefit to this constant posing compensating for lack of moves? I mean, he's been down this road before and we've all seen it. Why not plug in a missing piece to his puzzle in pulling out a better match?
Yes, I remember him doing that (and it was quite a moment), and thought he was insanely athletic in his WWE run, but that was 8 years ago. This is more than being older and banged up (like say, Taker or Mysterio). This was considered life-threatening, even for someone as insanely tough as Lesnar. This article goes into some detail on it (note that it's from before he retired from being decimated in his last UFC fight): http://www.mmamania.com/2011/5/17/2176747/brock-lesnar-diverticulitis-felt-like-a-shotgun-blast-to-the-stomach
ReplyDeleteGiven the confusing hierarchy backstage (Management tells Creative what to write, but performers might get some leeway in how they get to the end of the match. The veterans variously referred to as agents and producers give sometimes-contradictory advice on the best means to the ends since there are a good number of them), it's tough to know who exactly to blame. I don't know what the higher-ups think of his wrestling skills, but they're said to be high on him in everything else. Note that a lot of those agents have been around wrestling for decades and pick up on a bunch of "small things" that a lot of people don't catch (myself included).
It's also kind of hard, for me, to say where people fall on the hierarchy of being a top guy with guys like Henry and Show popping in and out of that level over the years. And, of course, the part-time guys can just come in and be top guys a lot.
From a "story" perspective, theoretically it sets him up as a cocky guy fans want to see knocked out more so than see him lose a longer match. I think you need some of both worlds to make something successful. I wish I knew what percentage of current and potential fans watch for story vs. in-ring action. Online/hardcore fans seem to skew towards the latter, but I don't think they're indicative of the audience at large.
This is obviously kind of different (and from 30 years ago), but it reminds me a little bit of comedian Andy Kaufman vs. Jerry Lawler. Fans weren't paying for a 5-star match by any stretch. They wanted to see the annoying guy get clobbered. http://www.cnn.com/2012/04/07/us/kaufman-lawler-wrestling-match/index.html?hpt=hp_c2 For something a little more modern that's similar, Austin vs. McMahon (or even Hart vs. McMahon in 2010 to a degree).
I think we'll have to wait for a bit to make a more representative conclusion to be completely sure about Lesnar. I mean, I don't think the WWE would invest so much money and effort to sign Lesnar if he wasn't still a "main event" athlete. I mean, for him to possibly be in line to headline pay-per-views in front of 80,000 people shows how much he has left in the tank.
ReplyDeleteGiven, I don't expect Shooting Star Presses lol, but a lot of that can come from more of ring rust moreso than age or decrease in athleticism.
I checked out some of those links, and see your point about Otunga. I guess being a fan of his, I'd like to see him branch out. You do a good job with not factoring in other fans' opinions and criticisms, but for me, it's tough to hear others criticize Otunga's talents. I'd just like to see him break the mold a bit and kind of break the mold. You get what I mean there?
I mean, I can see him remaining at the mid-level with his current abilities and intangibles, but to move to the higher level and get more credibility, he needs to combine the charisma with the in-ring ability.
If only he and Young could combine into one person. Then, they would have the charisma and talent to be a World Champion lol.
I would counter with them using Nash so much last year, but he didn't actually compete but a few times. Lesnar will probably work more than he did. I know it's not a popular opinion, but I think Cena could work "around" him if he had to and still put on a good match. Not that I think the straits are that dire.
ReplyDeleteI think Lesnar got legitimately concussed from doing the Shooting Star (he didn't make it quite fully around and landed partially on his face), so I'm glad he probably won't try that again. I seem to remember that Billy Kidman was ticked that Lesnar did "his" move then, and he's an agent now so it's perhaps even less likely. Though now that Kidman's retired, maybe he'd be ok with it? I wouldn't expect it either way. I'm very curious as to what he'll be able to do given that surgery.
I think a lot of it could be that I don't have time to read much in the way of fans' opinions (and, unfortunately, some of it can run together- complaints about PG, Cena, etc.). I'm definitely influenced by others' opinions. It's just generally people who I see interviews of. I've seen some clever fan opinions, but like I said they unfortunately sometimes get buried beneath negative gut reactions.
I feel similarly about performers breaking out. I want to see a number of guys break out into being top guys, but am at something of a loss to say exactly what it is they're missing outside of a push. I'm not as passionate about Titus and Bateman as say, Punk or Cody Rhodes. I try not to, but I can get upset when people jump all over someone with potential before they get a chance to get to the level of Cena, Orton, etc..
I think Management's high enough on Otunga for now for him to continue to get chances to grow in the ring. It can take a good deal of time to become really good in that aspect. Hopefully he's either working longer matches on live events or before fans are let in to the arena for when he does need to do that kind of thing. They switch things up on live events pretty often so sometimes he's probably just a fill-in for Laurinaitis or is just there to eat a Brogue Kick or something. I guess maybe they rotate who's in charge of a particular live event (behind-the-scenes), and of course each agent likely thinks he should be used in different ways.
To clarify: Creative writes what happens on the TV shows, but generally Management just has one of the agents/Producers in charge of one brand's live events for a weekend. Bad guys are still bad guys and such, but things won't go exactly as they do on TV. Cena's not going to be fighting Brock on live events due to Brock's deal only being for so many dates, so he has a different opponent. The whole card gets shuffled from there with the performers they have.
As for combining those two, I think if you threw in some more WWE experience, it might work. Very few performers (it seems) excel at both the "sports" and "entertainment" to be the ideal perfect World Champion.