Hola
You know, there's a good chance you'll turn away from this entry considering I've been lacing every post with how I think some guys are genuinely left to rot while having the utmost of potential. Yadda, yadda. Thing is though, as I now work per requested topic, here goes.
I was asked to list a top 10 of superstars past and present who I felt has been misused and underappreciated. I spent days thinking of names (since I genuinely have nothing better to do except collecting unemployment) and while it was a hard task, I succeeded with merit. No problem with tooting my own horn from time to time. That's not even a euphemism.
I'm not going to go down the list and actually make a "top 10". I'll just do them in the order I've written them down. Yes, I actually prepare by making notes before entries. Anyway, before I veer off too much...
Christian
Well, no surprise, eh? Anyone who has read my blog at least once knows I have a huge (figurative) boner for Christian. When a fellow wrestling fan I know in person (rare in my neck of the woods) asked me who my favorite was, two names came up. Him and the guy that's next on the list. Almost ten years later and that hasn't changed. Imagine how frustrating it is for someone like me to constantly have to deal with him being passed over. Well, Vince, you're wrong and here's why.
Why not Christian? Does he lack ring psychology? Nope. He can sell a story. Is he terrible on the stick? Have you fucking heard him? I'll grant you the sometimes lame jokes, but from his first day away from The Brood, he's been entertaining audiences alongside Edge.
There's where it gets serious. Edge. They're the bestest and longest of friends and partners. Great, but it has held Christian back. Edge was always the breakout star of the pair. He debuted sooner, and Christian came in under Edge's wing. He was never taken seriously as a singles star after that. Wrongfully, I might add. Post E&C, Edge became a midcarder and Christian turned heel, first feuding with Edge, later dumped into a stable with (among others) Lance Storm. Then came Captain Charisma. The sheer idiocy of that gimmick was quickly explored (the super-hero costume) and he subsequently became a fan favorite despite all of it.
A Goldust story, if anything.
We've made it to 2005. That means a great year for the man as he decided to leave WWE and look for appreciation in TNA. And by golly, he got it. TNA actually gave the man the opportunity to be the face of the company (AND a last name!!). Whether that was because of his ability to do so or simply because he was a familiar face to wrestling fans (i.e. WWE reject) remains ambiguous for the sake of the story moving forward. He gets two title runs and an undefeated streak like a motherfucker until someone with more star power pops around (Kurt Angle that is). After that, the Instant Classic was sidetracked. The TNA way, I suppose (or the Carter way, more specifically). Get a bigger name, the rest can fuck off.
He held out until 2009 after which he returned "home". ECW? Well, at least he's on tv again. Despite Todd Grisham sucking the life out of his return with his deadpan "It's Christian..." and Matt Strikers not-so-vague reference to his TNA moniker, he was the face of the show about two weeks into his return. Then shit became hopelessly stale again and he was given no opportunity whatsoever.
Then Edge retired and Christian became the "best friend". He got to win Edge's vacated World Title only to lose it to Randy Orton (Randy FUCKING Orton?) 4 days later. No fair shake is what it is. That was the writing on the wall. I don't think he'll ever get the appreciation he deserves. He turned forty this past November. He should probably collect the money and call it a day. I fear it won't be getting any better.
Great, I've written a whole epic and I haven't even made it past the first name yet. Truth is, the rest'll be a might shorter.
William Regal
Evidented second choice. And you know why. Is there something this guy cannot do? Okay, maybe the "Real Man's Man" wasn't particularly convincing, but still. Make him heel and he will make people hate him with relative ease. Make him a comedic persona and he'll have people laugh. He fucking rapped! Multiple times!
Ask any guy who's on top right now about who they go to for advice and nine out of ten, the answer will be "Regal". His ring work is impeccable, and almost legendary. Legendary in the sense that he made Bill Goldberg his fucking bitch. He was supposed to be squashed in WCW but Regal kept the fucker going for ten minutes. While Regal did let himself get pinned, he was the real victor in that match. And he got fired for it. Because you know, getting a good match out of a talentless hack is unprofessional conduct, right?
Hopes for improvement in 2008 though, when the man manages to win King of the Ring with dirt sheets even reporting that the GM will actually have a run with the world title. My giant boner is excited by this time (equivalent to watching the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in slow motion, ahem). Then he fucks it up himself. Fucking performance enhancing drugs. A world title is too far fetched, I'm afraid. It's done and over with. He's in a good position now though. Occasionally wrestling a match and for the most part just helping the young guys with undoubtedly great advice. Hopefully, it'll pay off. Look at Danielson.
Diamond Dallas Page
Can you feel the BANG!? I certainly could, before 2001. Page was a unique chap in the sense that he didn't wrestle until he was like 35. An age whereby most wrestlers are slowing down. Not Page, though. Despite being told he wouldn't make it, he fucking did it. World champ, extremely over with the fans (the genuine People's Champion I dare say). At one point, even a hot commodity in WCW. Then the buyout happened.
Vince, in his infinite lack of (creative) wisdom decided to utilize DDP as a stalker of Undertaker's then wife Sarah. It was his death warrant. Fucked over before he even got to it. Looking back though, DDP probably made more of himself after his active career than Vince ever could. DDP is now a guru, but the entrepreneurial kind who actually manages to do well for others. Just watch the video of the paratrooper who got severely injured on a mission. Through DDP's yoga, he's actually able to run again.
Then look at the accountability crib. He has taken in two of the most infamous guys in the business. Guys known for being unreliable due to their addictions. Guys he turned onto the right path, culminating partly in the events of last monday's RAW. Class of 2014? Make it happen, guys. He's earned his place among the greats.
Vader
Huh? Yeah. Fucking Vader. He's considered a WWE legend, right? But that's no thanks to WWE, at all. Vader is Vader because he made it happen in Japan and WCW. Where he was known for being stiff competition (pun completely intended). A guy who took a lariat from Stan Hansen, had his eye pop out of the socket and fucking finished the match regardless. That's simply Vader. In WWE, Vince wanted to rename him the Mastodon (it didn't happen thankfully) but he was turned into a jobber. The fact he's now considered a legend and has been given more opportunities in WWE post-career is a fucking joke. A 400 pound guy doing a moonsault? He did it. Sure, he was old school stiff, but you're not being a professional if you can't handle a stiff punch. I feel he always needed to earn more respect. Thankfully, he got it elsewhere at least.
Goldust
Surprising? He's being actively applauded these days. Thing is though...He was Dusty's first son to step into his father's shoes. He didn't have that eccentricity (at first) and he was always deemed "the son of".
Then Dustin got saddled with the Goldust character. The death of any man's chances at success. Not him though. Like so very few before him, he totally made it work. He achieved popularity because he no longer had that "Rhodes" name to hold him back. Sour grapes prevailed though, and he's been let go so many times, I've neglected to count. Now he's back in full force, teaming with half brother Cody and it seems like his younger sibling actually managed to give him some credibility backstage. He's earned it. To actually make the Goldust character popular as fuck is no mean feat. I don't expect him to have any further success as a singles competitor though.
Paul Heyman
His managerial skills are well documented and he's certainly used to his fullest potential. It's however his creativity that is greatly underappreciated. Put this man at the helm of any booking team and you are guaranteed success (the same could be said of Jim Cornette). The thing that holds Paul E. back is the fact that he's so vehemently against the grain that anyone would be mental to hire him. His exploits at ECW are well known. Creatively sound, financially a fucking mess. Eliminate the financial factor and you've got yourself one of the smartest bookers around. He'll end up in the Hall of Fame regardless, but it won't be for what he does best: the creative aspect.
Jake the Snake
The guy that either invented the DDT or popularized it. That's not the point however. His return last monday signified his inclusion on this list (kidding, he would've always been on it). The overwhelming factor here is that he pissed his own chances away. True. Jake had plenty of demons to combat. A battle he lost on many occasions. He was never taken seriously, and that was totally wrong.
Jake the Snake is one of the few brilliant minds in this business. Ring psychology is completely second nature to him. Ask Alex Shane who had the opportunity to witness that brilliance (so I've read once, it's why I picked him out).
Watch any interview or promo he's done and tell me this guy couldn't sell a front door to a homeless guy.
It's great to see that DDP managed to get Jake back on track, as it was a hard challenge (watch Jake's dvd "Pick your Poison", I nearly fucking wept.). The way he looked last monday, coming back to (what should have been) a standing ovation... I'm pretty sure WWE is not yet done with the revitalized Snake. So far, I've read that he's almost a lock for the HOF, so here's hoping. He managed to screw his own career over but for sure, he should've gotten a lot more credit than he's ever been given. Also, Jake the Snake for Royal Rumble!!
Raven
Everyone's favorite resident weirdo. This guy has proven to be innovative, creatively a genius and a fucking microphone scientist. He's got an IQ of well over 140 and it shows. Raven could drop you an elongated promo and you'd be hooked on his every word. That's fucking class. I once spent an internship in an office. I'd be sitting for hours on end in the archives, stacking paper and folding boxes. I had a couple of podcasts where Raven was asked about the art of being a babyface/heel. Two hours on each subject ... not a single word wasted.
Yet, this guy was stuck on Sunday night Heat for most of his in-ring career either doing commentary or wrestling. WHAT THE FUCK? Then he goes to TNA, they give him a World Title before fucking him over big time and being left with nothing. Even TNA didn't give him a fair shake. Now he's stuck doing B-movies ... for fucks sake guys ...
Antonio Cesaro
Let me point out, that this is a hopeful case. It's just that his career so far hasn't amounted to his potential. But considering he's getting big pops for his giant swing, he might be going places. In 2005, WWE is where he didn't go. He got signed, but was fired before even clearing his paperwork. The guy that helmed stables such as Swiss Money Holding and later formed BDK in Chikara (highly successfully I might add) is now part of a stable who's main intent is to re-introduce casual racism to television. Blegh. Antonio is still Claudio Castagnoli underneath, capable of so much more.
Fully aware that WWE is a uniform soup of nothingness these days, I still have high hopes. He deserves more than he's gotten. Simple.
The last one was a kicker.
Evan Bourne? Matt Striker? Kane? Simon Dean? Zack Ryder?
After you get going it's kind of hard to single anyone out.
Evan Bourne is a talented high flyer, but unfortunately, the emphasis is on "high". If he keeps that up, he's fucked.
Matt Striker isn't exactly going anywhere in WWE, because he's no longer employed. Thing is though, he was multifaceted enough to be kept around. He was awesome on commentary, had some great puroresu influences in his matches for any wrestling fan that got a kick out of it (as I did) and didn't do all too bad as an MC for NXT, despite being given fuck all to work with.
Simon Dean is much of the same way. Good thing he re-evaluated and is doing something useful now. Dean, as Nova, was pretty innovative and he was a better Hogan parody than even Hogan himself. The fact he was made to be a modern day Richard Simmons, just less camp, is stupid.
Kane, the endless repetition of the story of how this monster was made into a cuddly teddy bear has gotten yet another chapter. Corporate Kane ... just no. I guess Mr Bourne left his ganja too close to the creative team.
Zack Ryder ... well, there's no real point in discussing it, right? He tried, it went over, but grew stale fairly fast. He's got to redefine the gimmick and be less one-dimensional. But I don't think he'll ever outgrow "Superstars" again. He had a successful shot with his youtube show, but that's no longer an option. It's been done. It is a dead horse for TNA to consider playing with now. Good luck, Zack.
Fuck it now, I'm going to publish and have a smoke. Ciao.
~D.
