Biggest cancers in the wrestling business?

[dlg3000]

Not to name names, at least for me, but there are people who have been labeled as cancers in the wrestling business for whatever reason. Who in your opinion are or were the biggest cancers in the wrestling business and why would you think so? Who had such a negative impact on the business that they would be labeled a cancer? Ouch!

[Hugh Mungus]

Thread starts and ends with Teddy Anus Annis Hart.

[Ultimo Chocula]

From what I hear, Mitch Ryder.

[Hugh Mungus]

Here's some others that I can think of:

• Buff Bagwell
  
• Scott Steiner
  
• The Kliq (specifically, Kevin Nash, Shawn Michaels [circa 1995-1998], and Triple H [circa 2002-2005], though your mileage will vary, because they are huge draws)
  
• Jim Herd
  
• Hulk Hogan (see The Kliq's entry)
  

[Baldobomb-22-OH-MAN!!!]

can't believe no-one else said Ian Rotten

[Fiddleford H. McGucket]

From a pure "Wrestling" standpoint, Vince Russo. A man who has been famously had the want to "Remove the ring entirely" attributed to him.

For all the "I was saved" spiel he goes on, for all the "Success" he's had over his runs, his style of booking is disaterously short-sighted. I'd be willing to even go so far as to say that his style of
'constant swerve" booking has turned off and turned away even "Die-Hard" fans of the industry.

[ICBM]

Not a person but an idea. The dependence on ratings that remains the measuring stick for wrestling. There is a lot that goes into a good promotion. Merch, live events, exposure in other media. Ratings are important but should not be the end all standard

[Wolf Hurricane]

Sept 14, 2011 9:30:36 GMT -5 ICBM said:

Not a person but an idea. The dependence on ratings that remains the measuring stick for wrestling. There is a lot that goes into a good promotion. Merch, live events, exposure in other media. Ratings are important but should not be the end all standard

Seconded on the idea of ratings being more important than hard money. Also, the mainstream wrestling (WCW, WWE, TNA) notion that no one wants to see women put on a show, they just want bimbos as eye candy. It's pretty much put women wrestlers between a rock and a hard place; either wrestle for low pay or model around and short-change themselves for a larger paycheck.

As far as people; Vince Russo and similar people who've helped perpetuate this mindset in wrestling. Not gonna say Ian Rotten, though; yeah, he's a scumbag, but he's such small potatoes that I don't think he affects the business as a whole too much.

[derickyuki]

Sept 14, 2011 9:30:36 GMT -5 ICBM said:

Not a person but an idea. The dependence on ratings that remains the measuring stick for wrestling. There is a lot that goes into a good promotion. Merch, live events, exposure in other media. Ratings are important but should not be the end all standard

I thought that WWE during the Monday Night Wars proved that ratings didn't matter. WCW tried to focus on getting ratings for Nitro in the late 90's by bringing in No Limit, KISS, having a million dollar giveaway...all while not focusing on merch.

[The Dark Order Inferno]

The Kliq. Their stranglehold on the WWF in the mid 90's, where they prevented any new stars from being created almost brought the company to the point of bankruptcy. Hall and Nash may have been draws, but they were never draws for the WWF when part of the kliq group, HHH and Michaels weren't much better, their best years happening in an era where the company itself was the draw.

Paul Heyman isn't labelled a cancer, but by gosh he should be. He started his ECW with the dumping of another company's title in the trash, removing what remaining credibility the NWA belt had. While it was well booked, ECW (re)popularised swearing, blood, worked shoots, bad language and garbage wrestling. Yes the other companies took that ball and ran with it, creating the attitude era, but it did a lot of harm to wrestling in the long term. He also slid straight into work with another company when ECW folded, most of the people he owed money to weren't so lucky, but hey, he's a booking god.

Eric Bischoff. One good idea doesn't make up for the fact he let the lunatics run the asylum in WCW and is doing likewise in TNA. The damage he inflicted on WCW, handing out guaranteed contracts and sucking up to guys like Nash and Hogan was so great nobody could have salvaged the company, it could have been booked by Jesus himself and would still have a bunch of guys with little motivation to help the company succeed as they'd be paid whatever.

[Deleted]

Begins and Ends.

[The Ichi]

Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels and Psycho Sid. I believe their starsigns are all Cancer. I always had HBK pegged as a Virgo...

[baronmordo]

Eric Bischoff's one good idea wasn't even his idea-it was New Japan's. As far as Heyman goes-the NWA belt didn't have any credibility before Douglas dropped it. As soon as WCW dropped it for its own title, it was useless.

[Doctor Tull-eus S. Venture]

Throat Cancer

Took the life of Dr. Death, caused Brian Pillman to endure 31 operations and live in excruciating pain, and silenced one of the greatest talkers in the business, Bobby Heenan.

[Fiddleford H. McGucket]

Sept 14, 2011 11:24:16 GMT -5 The Dark Order Inferno said:

Paul Heyman isn't labelled a cancer, but by gosh he should be. He started his ECW with the dumping of another company's title in the trash, removing what remaining credibility the NWA belt had. While it was well booked, ECW (re)popularised swearing, blood, worked shoots, bad language and garbage wrestling. Yes the other companies took that ball and ran with it, creating the attitude era, but it did a lot of harm to wrestling in the long term. He also slid straight into work with another company when ECW folded, most of the people he owed money to weren't so lucky, but hey, he's a booking god.

Hell, I'll go a step further (Which I really needed someone to open this Pandora's box).

ECW "Style" led to a more extreme style in WWF/WCW, necessitating a preference for the "Glorified Stuntman" over an athelete. This need for constant stimulation led to the rise of Crash-Style booking, leading to the "Russo Era/Overly Raunchy/Sex & Violence over Substance" style.

The "EXTREME" style also contributed to one of the WORST subcultures/subgenres in our favorite pseudosport: Backyard "Wrestling". Every one of these "Yard Tards" claim to be "Resurrecting ECW"......all the while doing no WRESTLING, just hitting each other with flourescent lights and doing untrained powerbombs that make me cringe.

Vince McMahon may have Killed wrestling......but Paul Heyman looted the body.

[Tiger Millionaire]

Drug use.

[celticjobber]

Vince Russo is by far and away the biggest cancer ever on pro wrestling. He helped kill WCW and is in the process of killing off TNA.

[Mozenrath]

Sept 14, 2011 12:39:58 GMT -5 Doctor Tull-eus S. Venture said:

Throat Cancer

Took the life of Dr. Death, caused Brian Pillman to endure 31 operations and live in excruciating pain, and silenced one of the greatest talkers in the business, Bobby Heenan.

Indeed.

And if you want something that is a huge bane to the industry, it is probably prescription pills, even moreso than steroids.

[Michael Coello]

I'd say someone like Ole Anderson is as much a cancer as Russo is considered, and Cornette to a lesser recent extent.

I think holding back the industry from any change is worse than moving it forward in a dumb direction like Russo did.

[Tiger Maskooo]

Chris Benoit