TSC Evaluation #16: Diamond Dallas Page

[mrken12]

I said 7 to myself the minute I read the title but I'll have to up that after reading some of these replies

-Mic work/promos - 7
No stand out promos I can recite or anything but he had a few over catchphrases in an era where that was important and he could talk. Could deliver a good promo either as a heel or face. Even his acting chops in Ready to Rumble were admirable for a first timer/wrestler.

-Personality/gimmicks - 8
The Original People's Champion. The guy was OVER. He was a real scumbag as a heel and a cool rockstar type face. The Diamond handsign is iconic. I like the period where the nWo was trying to recruit him, really put him over big if the biggest act at that time wanted him in their camp. The Stalker gimmick in WWF, while uncharacteristic, worked up until KOTR 01 where they buried the fukk outta him almost immediately after he started. Positively Paige has lead to some memorable gifs so I cannot totally hate it.

-Ring work (along with some of your favorite matches/feuds) - 8

I would be remiss if I didn't post a shyt ton of Diamond Cutter gifs to show how cool, innovative, and fun to watch that shyt was. Even all these years later, some of these are more inventive and creative than a lot of the RKO's outta nowhere Orton's hit. I mean

Wondering where or how he'd hit it in a match was like half of the allure in watching him work, but he was no slouch in ring. I appreciated his work more as I grew older than as a kid watching him. His feuds with Savage, Raven, Guerrero all produced quality matches. I love the triple threat with him, Raven, and Benoit. Gave Goldberg arguably his best match at Halloween Havoc. One of the few highlights to watch in WCW's last few years.

Overall rating (which doesn't have to be an average of the above scores)
- 8

I don't feel right putting him over Rey Jr who I also had at 8, but 7 doesn't seem right either. Had his WWF run gone better he might be higher, but that was a real political hit job that was kindve damaging to his legacy but wasn't his fault. He was a bonafide star in an era full of them, so much so to where WCW trusted him to be in there with celebs like Karl Malone and Jay Leno against Hogan. The DDP Yoga stuff he's been responsible for after his career has ended is very admirable and he deserves props for helping Jake and Hall. I also need to give DDP Yoga a shot at some point.

Speaking of Ready to Rumble:

 

[Notorious 1 E.Y.E.]

hes an 8
just off the fact it spawned one of the goat gimmiks, positively kanyon

 

[3Rivers]

The Luger hate here is fukking ridiculous. Like, lex Luger, a man who was always IMPORTANT and crowds popped for even in 97, is a 2???

The only place I see Luger hate in online tbh. I don't remember people being at him at all back in the day

 

[Notorious 1 E.Y.E.]

The only place I see Luger hate in online tbh. I don't remember people being at him at all back in the day

think its casue of the miss Elizabeth shyt

 

[3Rivers]

I'll give DDP a 7....MAYBE an 8 A memorable wrestler with a memorable finisher in a memorable era

Loved his feud with Savage

 

[Ed MOTHERFUCKING G]

He was never more over than Sting

Matter of fact Meltzer brought up some interesting stats about Luger just the other night

Breh, i watched that shyt live and watched it again. I dont give a fukk what meltzer says about shyt i lived...luger was over.

In 97 most over:

Faces:
Austin after he turned
Sting
Bret before he turned
Luger
Page

Heels:
Hollywood
Austin before he turned
Hall
Nash
Bret after he turned
Savage
Jericho
Sid
Hbk
Jericho

 

[Heelish]

think its casue of the miss Elizabeth shyt

Definitely the reason.

 

[3Rivers]

think its casue of the miss Elizabeth shyt

I coincidentally watch this today

 

[Ed MOTHERFUCKING G]

think its casue of the miss Elizabeth shyt

Definitely the reason.

that and wwe NOT beating you over the head how great he was, and making him a footnote in the monday night wars....him defecting to start nitro has made them shyt on him for years. Really petty.

 

[Heelish]

Not to keep talking about Luger, but I find it funny how some people blame him for her death as if it wasn't her choice to become a junkie.

 

[Playaz Eyez]

Breh, i watched that shyt live and watched it again. I dont give a fukk what meltzer says about shyt i lived...luger was over.

In 97 most over:

Faces:
Austin after he turned
Sting
Bret before he turned
Luger
Page

Heels:
Hollywood
Austin before he turned
Hall
Nash
Bret after he turned
Savage
Jericho
Sid
Hbk
Jericho

And Luger is less interesting than every single one of these names listed, and there's probably more you could add in front of him. Elizabeth nor the WWE not highlighting him has nothing to do with that

 

[Ed MOTHERFUCKING G]

And Luger is less interesting than every single one of these names listed, and there's probably more you could add in front of him

Sure, but that wasnt the point...he was interesting to 1997 crowds especially wcw crowds and for him to be rated lower than d lo brown all time is just fukkin ridiculous

 

[Playaz Eyez]

Sure, but that wasnt the point...he was interesting to 1997 crowds especially wcw crowds and for him to be rated lower than d lo brown all time is just fukkin ridiculous

D-Lo had a coolness factor that Luger never had that's the only thing I could think of honestly

 

[3Rivers]

Not to keep talking about Luger, but I find it funny how some people blame him for her death as if it wasn't her choice to become a junkie.

I think a lot of people project her Miss Elizabeth character to be who she actually was as a person, like she was without any faults. She was human. At the time of her death she was seeing Lex who by his own account was on a 2nd chance from his wife after she forgave him for cheating on her with Liz the 1st time

 

[Ill Lou Malnati]

-Mic work/promos: 6. Said nothing special, never cut a great promo, but had some attitude and good catchphrase.

-Personality/gimmicks: 8. Had lots of charisma. "The People's Champion" thing really worked for him during the Monday Night Wars era. Really reinvented himself during that time after a run as a sleazebag manager and a low/mid-card guy.

-Ring work (along with some of your favorite matches/feuds): 7. Good wrestler who could have great matches. Had a great feud with Savage and with Raven, and the whole 'Will he or won't he join the nWo?' angle was entertaining. He had some very good/great matches with Johnny B. Badd (Havoc '95), Savage, Goldberg (Havoc '98), Sting (Nitro x2, I believe), Christian (WM X-8), and Raven & Benoit (Uncensored '98).

-Overall rating (which doesn't have to be an average of the above scores): 8. One of the few true stars WCW (we're talking post-Turner buyout) ever made.