After Koslov

[salTy]

Once Koslov goes through Vince's monster formula of pounding through the lower, middle, and upper cards only to be fed to the current champ followed by a slow decline back down the card, will we finally see MVP get his shot to be the next great heel champion?

Now, I know Koslov is impressive, but he's going through this same monster formula that we've seen a thousand times before, and honestly, I think he's in a spot that MVP should be in. MVP has proven that he can have great, memorable feuds, work the mic, get heat from the crowd, and work his ass off in the ring. I honestly believe that Koslov is in his spot now because Vince has such a hard-on for this whole heel monster routine.

Maybe I'm too high on MVP, but I see nothing he has done wrong to permit being jobbed out every week -- on the flip side I also see no reason to go through another one of these monster programs.

[Mozenrath]

Remember when that happened to Lesnar?

Yeah, me neither.

Seriously, though, it's not like this formula is exclusive to Vince. NWA and many others did exactly the same thing. Hell, look at how WCW would try to feed guys like Abdullah the Butcher to Sting.

MVP does seem like he'd be the heir apparent, as I think him and Triple H have a good potential feud in them, but it's really hard to predict these things.

Like I said about Lesnar, though, it's not always the same story with a monster heel. Time'll tell.

[salTy]

Lesnar was different. For one thing, he was American. Secondly, he was young and had the look of a future champion, and they were obviously pushing him to be the champion. He was more like Goldberg -- with the only difference being that he started out as a heel.

[Mozenrath]

Oct 14, 2008 5:27:00 GMT -5 salTy said:

Lesnar was different. For one thing, he was American. Secondly, he was young and had the look of a future champion, and they were obviously pushing him to be the champion. He was more like Goldberg -- with the only difference being that he started out as a heel.

Good point, I can see where you're coming from.

My point remains, though, that just because that's the way it's been, doesn't mean that is the way it always will be.

[shamana]

I do hope Koslov would avoid this treatment (after all, we already have a prime subject - Khali - who demonstrates how such characters tend to end); I think he can do a fair bit for the WWE. Still, I doubt that a Russian would be given such a respectable position as WWE's resident monster-slayer, even though the Undertaker will be retiring soon.

As for MVP, I'm somewhat ambivalent. He's fairly good, but so far has not impressed me all that much.

[azz0r]

Koslov will be Snitsky before you know it.

[Baixo Astral]

The monster push like that has always been the same... Bruno Sammartino was fed people like that constantly.

[Mozenrath]

Oct 14, 2008 7:46:53 GMT -5 Baixo Astral said:

The monster push like that has always been the same... Bruno Sammartino was fed people like that constantly.

Good point. Andre was virtually the only person who fought him and didn't just kind of fade out afterwards.

[randomranter]

I've been watching wrestling for over 20 years. The formula hasn't changed, and it probably never will. Why? It WORKS.

Every champion gets fed monsters. Even Andre eventually fell into this category, to a degree, though the circumstances were different. Yes, it was more of a "Passing the torch" rather than simply "being fed", and andre was well into his declining years. But in the end, the basic formula was still the same: He was booked as a credible threat to Hogan, lost in the big match, and slowly faded back into the midcard.

Some wrestling formulas simply........work. "Champion being fed monster" works. "Face chasing heel champion for title" worked in the NWA, while "Heel being fed to face champion" worked in the WWF.

Look at tag team matches. They're almost all the exact same formula: Face gets trapped in ring while heels cheat. Ref allows heels to switch in and out without tagging, but face cannot do the same thing. Eventually, face in peril makes hot tag. Crowd goes nuts. Face #2 goes berzerk on both heels. Face #1 makes miraculous recovery in seconds. All 4 brawl in ring. Insert screwy end of match here.

It's another formula that simply works.

Undertaker feuds are another one. Big monster beats down undertaker. Announcers play up the "I've never seen anyone manhandle him like this before!" Undertaker disappears for a while. Some time later, undertaker starts playing mindgames with heel. Big match booked. Undertaker makes grand return. Undertaker wins. Crowd collectively orgasms.

Going back on topic, I don't see Koslov being used differently than any other monster. He'll be fed to HHH, and eventually pushed back down to the midcard once that feud is over. As others have said, I predict he'll be in Snitsky's position within six months.

[Mozenrath]

Unlike Snitsky, though, Kozlov can actually wrestle.

Also, Snitsky doesn't benefit from the fact there are like 8 guys in the company with somewhat similar styles or builds, and they're mostly better than him. Short of being unwashed, what makes him stand out?

1. Festus
2. Kane
3. Bam Neely, kinda.
and more. At least Kozlov has a pretty unique look.

[randomranter]

Festus is a comedy act.

Kane is.......well.........Kane.

Bam Neeley doesn't actually do anything.

[BrianZane]

Until Edge comes back, MVP is just about the only heel left with any kind of cred after Kozlov. My fear with Vladdy K (my new nickname for him I just made up) is that if/when he loses to Triple H, then he'll be in the same position Umaga was in after losing his feud to John Cena...still used often and portrayed as a monster, but strictly in the mid-card to the point of irrelevance.

So like I said earlier, MVP is the next natural step for Triple H and the main event scene...but once Edge comes back, methinks he'll take that spot.

[Mozenrath]

Oct 14, 2008 8:25:09 GMT -5 randomranter said:

Festus is a comedy act.

Kane is.......well.........Kane.

Bam Neeley doesn't actually do anything.

Still, the three of them are on TV decently often, and Snitsky isn't. They're doing better than he is.

My point is, Snitsky's problem was he wasn't really ever special, outside of baby kicking. Kozlov isn't the same thing we've seen 90 times before like "Tall guy, pumphandle slam, seeya later".

[The Tank]

Oct 14, 2008 7:44:56 GMT -5 azz0r said:

Koslov will be Snitsky before you know it.

IT WASN'T MY FAULT...SKI.

What? I can't speak Russian!

[Jedi-El of Tomorrow]

Oct 14, 2008 5:27:00 GMT -5 salTy said:

Lesnar was different. For one thing, he was American. Secondly, he was young and had the look of a future champion, and they were obviously pushing him to be the champion. He was more like Goldberg -- with the only difference being that he started out as a heel.

Also, Lesnar could legitimately be called one of the greatest athletes in WWE history. For a guy his size to move like he did, and be able to hit the SSP (granted the one time in WWE he tried it, it didn't go that well), that shoots him right past the monster heel role.

[efarns]

The monster push is just one phase of a guy's career. After getting jobbed back down the card, there will be some kind of gimmick tweak or face turn. If he can make that work, he'll make his way back up the card.

[Bobafett]

also depends on what they plan to do in regards to Jeff Hardy if hes going back to midcard hell..though..if they are having Hardy win the rumble and then win at WM..then i can see MVP at least being the Rumble/NWO opponent to HHH

[Just Jay]

You know, its easy to think that Kozlov would go further down the card after his big feud with Triple H (sooner or later), but the roster depth just doesn't allow for that.

One of the reasons why fans didn't buy Kennedy as someone who could take Batista's title at the Royal Rumble years back is because he simply wasn't built up enough. There are plenty heels that just aren't ready on SmackDown!. I love Shelton, MVP, and The Brian Kendrick as much as the next guy, but I don't feel like they've been given the exposure they need yet. Vladmir on the other hand, has been made to look like a force by taking out Triple H and Jeff Hardy in numerous occasions and this week he'll be facing Mr. Hardy himself. At this point in time, besides Big Show, Kozlov is simply too important to fluster down the card. I would have agreed a year ago when SD! had the likes of Big Daddy V, Mark Henry, and The Great Khali on the same show. But times are different, and Kozlov is an important player.

[Dave at the Movies]

I like Kozlov. I hated when they gave him theme music because I loved that he had none but after hearing his russian theme and seeing that whole russia look on the stage it actually looks pretty cool.

He reminds me a lot of Samoa Joe when he first debuted for TNA back when they were still on FSN.

[Fishbone is Marshall Law]

Oct 14, 2008 7:44:56 GMT -5 azz0r said:

Koslov will be Snitsky before you know it.

Yes he will. And soon Koslov will job to the likes of Dirk Ziggler, and the rest of WWE developmental talent.