Is Adopting a "Crazy" Gimmick The Only Way To Revamp a Career?

[DaylitoJames]

Lately on my WWE television the only interesting storyline is AJ going insane weekly while cockteasing multiple wrestlers to our amusement. It got me thinking though that this time last year AJ was rarely seen doing random skits with Hornswoggle, now she's Crazy AJ that most of the TSC roster would commit murder for that puss... but why is that? Is it because she's all crazy now?

At one time R-Truth was a dancing stereotype that wasn't respected around these parts... then he wen't crazy and ended up main eventing ppvs with John Cena. Before HHH became champion for the first time he had to cut a crazy promo talking about "I'MMA THE STUDENT OF THE GAME! I NEED THE TITLE!" Hell Edge went from happy ass smiling canadian to insane Rated R "I WANT THE TITLE OR I'LL SHARE YOUR GIRL!" gimmick to get over to main event status.

My point is with all these generic ass babyface and heel turns these past couple of years... is going the "crazy" route the only way a wrestler today can make it to main event status? Does Kofi gotta start slapping random people yelling gibberish the only way he can break out of his midcard hell? Santino running around with a snake puppet on his hand is working wonders... worked for Mick Foley with Socko

Who's the next person that's gonna become the new "Loose Cannon Brian Pillman"-type to gain attention? Will Jack Swagger have to make a "pipebomb shoot" promo for him to be revelant again? What do you think TSC?

 

[Jackson LeRoy Briggs]

Triple H wasn't crazy, at least not by wrestling standards. He was overly protective of his title but there were never any signs that he was losing it.

And Santino's retarded, not crazy. There's a slight difference.

 

[boriquaking]

people enjoy seeing eccentric characters sometimes..

 

[Singh]

I would start world war three and go taliban on all 4,515 members (minus myself) of the coli for aj hahahaha

Anyway it's less "crazy" gimmick adoption for me but more seeing a motherfukker in a different light. If you can pull off the crazed shyt properly, it's a hit. It's what makes a motherfukker's character more interesting.

take Pillman for instance. He came through as the former football player turned cruiser-weight (he was x-div before there was a x-division). That was cool and all but then BOOM motherfukker went nuts and it was his best work. We believed it.

But look at bytch ass Miz. He did the whole fake ass "hate me now" shyt and tried to spazz out and beat the shyt out of cena week after week. They were trying to promote him as this psycho miz. NO ONE BELIEVED THAT shyt. It was like "come one breh you look like a faq, your not hard, we don't believe a word that comes out of your mouth, your not gully, and keep doing the one thing you can do well which is taking maryse on shopping sprees". Going nuts does not work for everyone.

It's all about being dynamic and adding dimensions to your character. I don't think the next motherfukker to blow will need a pipebomb promo to get on. Knowing the E sometime next year fukkin vince will send out Hornswaggle to cut a pipebomb promo and have ryback come out and beat the shyt out of him after.

cookie cutter babyfaces and heels are trash but it is what it is. I am pretty sure there are a gang of motherfukkers in the locker room that want to switch there shyt up and get on but due to the constraints of creative and whatever bullshyt is going on (limited tv time, being too shook to speak up for yourself, and etc) they can't. We know which dudes and chicks (that are being under-utilized) got skills and can go on the mic and in the ring, however the E ain't giving us that shyt for whatever particular reason. Keep in mind that coke boy recycles so much of his old shyt into new talent. That's why when we see these new dudes coming up sometimes we're like "Hmmm didn't I see this shyt in the 90's"

Dean Ambrose seems to be the next loose cannon.

fukk it, i don't think a character needs to "go crazy" to get that major co-sign or push. But historically there are solid examples of how taking that approach has worked out.

 

[Tommy Fits]

people enjoy seeing eccentric characters all the time..

Fixed

That's a big problem with WWE now a days is too many of the characters are boring and bland regardless of heel and face status. Look at the few guys that are over, all eccentric. Even back in the day look at a guy like Bret who seemed straight laced. But when you think about it he came out wearing pink tights and purple sun glasses talking about he was the best there is the best there was and the best there ever will be.

They need to let cocaine back into the industry, liven these guys up some.

 

[DaylitoJames]

Fixed

That's a big problem with WWE now a days is too many of the characters are boring and bland regardless of heel and face status. Look at the few guys that are over, all eccentric. Even back in the day look at a guy like Bret who seemed straight laced. But when you think about it he came out wearing pink tights and purple sun glasses talking about he was the best there is the best there was and the best there ever will be.

They need to let cocaine back into the industry, liven these guys up some.

I'll admit I didn't completely understand the swag of Bret's character when I was young, I loved his matches but that was it. NOW when I look back at him I notice the over-the-top aura and confidence he had... Bret was a true G

 

[malbaker86]

take Pillman for instance. He came through as the former football player turned cruiser-weight (he was x-div before there was a x-division). That was cool and all but then BOOM motherfukker went nuts and it was his best work. We believed it.

Dean Ambrose seems to be the next loose cannon.

I agree w/these the most (agreed w/everything you said btw). I also felt that they should of done more w/Cody Rhodes when he had the mask on but...yea

 

[PopOnCloud9]

I agree w/these the most (agreed w/everything you said btw). I also felt that they should of done more w/Cody Rhodes when he had the mask on but...yea

When they took that mask off of Cody he started to look like a jobber with a cool vest, then they put the lid on his career by doing the worst thing you can do to any young superstar.............. a feud with Big Show

He still tried to do the psycho thing, but it didn't work without the mask. The mask, hoodie and lisp joint had him on some Dr. Doom ish. It's hard for the roster to standout with so many limits on them. I remember when Dolph got that haircut one week and then had to go back to the bleach blonde look because he looked like everyone else. Eventually the crazy gimmick will run it's course just like the cocky heel gimmick has run it's course. Punk had something going by being a heel who was in tune with the IWC and breaking that 4th wall by saying stuff on tv that we say every day. Then the E gave him a shirt, a title, a dope ass theme and the nikka never looked back.

"The Reality Era " could have produced some new opportunities for a different type of characters. Just have some outspoken cats. Like put Tyson Kidd vs. Sin Cara and right before the bell rings let him get a mike and say im not doing a damn thing until you turn on these damn lights. Put Kidd vs. Del Rio and before the bell rings have him say im not doing a damn thing until you put subtitles on the titantron of what Ricardo just said or have him do the entrance over again with Justin Roberts. This is an example of how you can make a "useless" dude cool. shyt even have Jack Swagger come out and ask questions about why isn't his pyro covered in the budget any more and have him feud with the remaining wrestlers who do have pyro to prove that he's better than them. We've seen feuds created over more stupid shyt, so this could actually work.

 

[malbaker86]

When they took that mask off of Cody he started to look like a jobber with a cool vest, then they put the lid on his career by doing the worst thing you can do to any young superstar.............. a feud with Big Show

He still tried to do the psycho thing, but it didn't work without the mask. The mask, hoodie and lisp joint had him on some Dr. Doom ish. It's hard for the roster to standout with so many limits on them. I remember when Dolph got that haircut one week and then had to go back to the bleach blonde look because he looked like everyone else. Eventually the crazy gimmick will run it's course just like the cocky heel gimmick has run it's course. Punk had something going by being a heel who was in tune with the IWC and breaking that 4th wall by saying stuff on tv that we say every day. Then the E gave him a shirt, a title, a dope ass theme and the nikka never looked back.

"The Reality Era " could have produced some new opportunities for a different type of characters. Just have some outspoken cats. Like put Tyson Kidd vs. Sin Cara and right before the bell rings let him get a mike and say im not doing a damn thing until you turn on these damn lights. Put Kidd vs. Del Rio and before the bell rings have him say im not doing a damn thing until you put subtitles on the titantron of what Ricardo just said or have him do the entrance over again with Justin Roberts. This is an example of how you can make a "useless" dude cool. shyt even have Jack Swagger come out and ask questions about why isn't his pyro covered in the budget any more and have him feud with the remaining wrestlers who do have pyro to prove that he's better than them. We've seen feuds created over more stupid shyt, so this could actually work.

Man I agree w/Tyson Kidd. He's absolutely talented but isn't being used. Granted he may not have the "charisma" that the E desire but if you have him say smark things or give him JUST enough tv time, he'd blossom. "The Reality Era" should be used more to elevate the youngins and also turn it back to a more "realistic" form of sports entertainment but that won't happen in the near future.

 

[DANJ!]

I can't lie... I don't think the whole "reality" shyt works. It does to a degree, but look at how much more over DB is, now that he's become a dikkhead who celebrates even the smallest shyt with an enthusiastic chant. And look at how LESS over Cody Rhodes is, now that he's pretty much a regular heel doing regular heel promos.

I think WWE is the same way it's always been, to some extent- only the ones with a distinctive character and/or look really get over. The ones who do all that same shyt everyone does don't have a chance, unless they're capable of some extraordinary in-ring shyt. Mark Henry had his best year ever in 2011, and wasn't any greater a wrestler than he's been for years- but they gave him the 'Hall of Pain' gimmick and had him talk shyt to his opponents while he beat their ass, and there it happened. Zack Ryder (even tho' he's now back on the JOB Squad it seems) had a gimmick that took him to the US title, which woulda never happened if he hadn't pushed the Zack Ryder look/sayings/manneriisms on his own. Even David Otunga, who's the same lame nikka in the ring he's been since 2010- but that coffee mug and that ass-kissin' lawyer schtick gets him a reaction the minute he shows up onscreen.

It's not necessarily that it has to be "crazy"... cause there's been a lotta unover crazy ideas/characters too... but if the character has quirks, it usually gets over. That's why Justin Gabriel, Tyson Kidd, A-Ri, Ted DiBiase, and dudes like that aren't there... and yet people cared enough to boo the shyt outta Sandow before he even had an actual match.

 

[OmegaK2099]

R truth was actually pretty good at his CRAZY gimmick people paid to see what hed do at that ppv where he wrestled cena, then they ruined it by breaking up awesom truth and those awful lil jimmy shirts.

I wish we had another mankind or goldust type character.

 

[DaylitoJames]

R truth was actually pretty good at his CRAZY gimmick people paid to see what hed do at that ppv where he wrestled cena, then they ruined it by breaking up awesom truth and those awful lil jimmy shirts.

I wish we had another mankind or goldust type character.

In 2012 a "Goldust" type will have homophobes complaining and a "Mankind" type will have the kids

 

[Fellatio]

A Rico type today would be dope. Mabie randy could give it a go when hes back

 

[OmegaK2099]

[ame=http://youtu.be/qNZFLuL7bPA]WWE Capitol Punishment 2011 John Cena vs R-Truth Promo - YouTube[/ame]

 

[DANJ!]

I wish we had another mankind or goldust type character.

Cody coulda been a lil' bit of both... he was pullin' off that psycho shyt well. It was goin' perfect and had a storyline behind it. Then it just got stopped cold.