H-Virus
Hank Scorpio
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Post by H-Virus on Feb 2, 2021 10:28:15 GMT -5
These are the four most common names when nepotism in pro wrestling is brought up, but who is the most damning case of it? Or is it someone else completely?
None of the four had any of the charisma, mic skills or in-ring talent of their fathers, all of them were pushed right out of the gate, being put into main event angles and matches before anyone could even begin to care about them, and they were surrounded by people who did all they could to help them get over.
But out of all of them, I feel like Garett got it the worst. He main evented Impact in his second match ever, not just with the company, literally his second match ever. He was put together with everyone from his dad to Ric Flair to Hulk Hogan to Sting to Jeff Hardy to AJ Styles with everyone talking about his potential and how great he was going to be. And even though the crowds sort of warmed to him for a short while, he never improved anything about himself the entire time he was there.
What do you think?
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Post by "Gizzark" Mike Wronglevenay on Feb 2, 2021 10:41:26 GMT -5
Brooke had nothing to contribute at all.
All of the others could just barely do literally something.
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Post by BorneAgain on Feb 2, 2021 10:50:42 GMT -5
Honestly I have to go with George Gulas. Wrestlers/promoter's kids have gotten prominent spots before but even the David Flairs and Garrett Bischoffs ended up in relatively harmless mid-cards role eventually. Brooke Hogan was basically a figurehead of dubious charisma whose worst contribution was some poorly acted segments.
George was someone with no redeeming elements in his work (beanpole physique, no skills on the mic, and an awful wrestler) that had to be carried by tag partners and opponents his whole career. Nick Gulas insisting on pushing his son not only caused crowds to turn on him (and these were fans from a strong kayfabe era mind you) but it eventually helped lead to other people within the Tennessee territory to split off from his company and form the promotion that ended up killing his. It was nepotism so bad that it literally killed the family business.
"Daddy said sell" and in the end George's daddy sold the territory; you can't get worse than that.
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Post by cassonova on Feb 2, 2021 10:56:23 GMT -5
I'm certain there are worse cases, but I'm not always great with the territories.
Anyway, I'm jumping on the Brooke bandwagon. Everyone else on the list became either serviceable or entertaining. Brooke was just there.
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Post by Baldobomb-22-OH-MAN!!! on Feb 2, 2021 11:05:48 GMT -5
Either George Gulas or Rambo Greg.
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Bad Moon
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Post by Bad Moon on Feb 2, 2021 11:27:11 GMT -5
Brutus Beefcake main evented Starrcade.
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Mozenrath
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Post by Mozenrath on Feb 2, 2021 11:29:57 GMT -5
Of these, it'd be Brooke. The others definitely got rushed, but David Flair was probably my favorite since I thought he had fun chemistry with Daffney and Crowbar. That trio was one of my favorite parts of WCW.
Brooke, that was just so obvious. While the others were rushed, I don't think Brooke was ever going to display any aptitude because being a wrestling-adjacent personality was always a vehicle to try to push her music career.
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Post by Cyno on Feb 2, 2021 12:11:44 GMT -5
Brooke Hogan of the ones listed. She just had like, nothing to contribute whatsoever.
In the other category: Greg Gagne.
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Post by jason1980s on Feb 2, 2021 12:17:52 GMT -5
It also sucks that Brooke Adams had to change her name due to Brooke Hogan coming in.
I don't think Erik Watts or David Flair were too bad. It's not like they were put in big storylines from what I could recall. They started pretty low and stayed there. As a kid I didn't know who Bill Watts was and he was gone from WCW by time I had watched it again (I stopped watching wrestling during the summer into early 1993) and he stayed on in the same role with or without his father there. David Flair probably came at a bad time to WCW with his father having lots of backstage problems. If he had come a few earlier or later he may have been put in a more upper card position. But again his being where he was on the card wasn't bad. I'm surprised he managed his life as well as he has given how his father acts.
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chrom
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Post by chrom on Feb 2, 2021 12:18:40 GMT -5
Brooke, like others mentioned the rest were green as grass and guacamole combined but maybe if they had trained for a couple years before being put on TV would be fine.
Brooke contributed nothing and it was said that they edited her into backstage segments because she was so bad.
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chrom
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Post by chrom on Feb 2, 2021 12:23:36 GMT -5
It also sucks that Brooke Adams had to change her name due to Brooke Hogan coming in. I don't think Erik Watts or David Flair were too bad. It's not like they were put in big storylines from what I could recall. They started pretty low and stayed there. As a kid I didn't know who Bill Watts was and he was gone from WCW by time I had watched it again (I stopped watching wrestling during the summer into early 1993) and he stayed on in the same role with or without his father there. David Flair probably came at a bad time to WCW with his father having lots of backstage problems. If he had come a few earlier or later he may have been put in a more upper card position. But again his being where he was on the card wasn't bad. I'm surprised he managed his life as well as he has given how his father acts. David's first appearance in WCW had him being awarded The US Title by Ric. A month later he was getting a World Title shot against Nash |
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Post by Viking Hall on Feb 2, 2021 12:29:02 GMT -5
I can forgive anyone who made an effort and wanted to be there, who their parents are wasn't their fault after all.
However, if you were just there because of who you happen to be related to and had no interest nor made any effort then that's a different story.
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Post by cornettesracket on Feb 2, 2021 13:02:27 GMT -5
Honestly I have to go with George Gulas. Wrestlers/promoter's kids have gotten prominent spots before but even the David Flairs and Garrett Bischoffs ended up in relatively harmless mid-cards role eventually. Brooke Hogan was basically a figurehead of dubious charisma whose worst contribution was some poorly acted segments. George was someone with no redeeming elements in his work (beanpole physique, no skills on the mic, and an awful wrestler) that had to be carried by tag partners and opponents his whole career. Nick Gulas insisting on pushing his son not only caused crowds to turn on him (and these were fans from a strong kayfabe era mind you) but it eventually helped lead to other people within the Tennessee territory to split off from his company and form the promotion that ended up killing his. It was nepotism so bad that it literally killed the family business. "Daddy said sell" and in the end George's daddy sold the territory; you can't get worse than that. Well you summed up what I was going to say. I know he wasn’t the first and certainly won’t be the last but at least the other kids of wrestlers had some measure of in ring talent and it was a combination of other things that went against them. George Gulas is the top answer every time. |
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Post by A Platypus Rave on Feb 2, 2021 13:06:50 GMT -5
Lacey Von Erich, probably should be listed...
I'd actually list Teddy Hart, dude had talent... but he as a massive douche because of who his uncles were... to the point that almost no one wants to deal with him.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 2, 2021 13:22:51 GMT -5
Even though they sucked, at least people like David Flair and Erik Watts seemed like they wanted to be better.
Brooke Hogan added literally nothing. She couldn't wrestle, she couldn't talk, she couldn't act, she's attractive I guess but still not as good looking as most women in the business, and she wasn't a "celebrity get".
She gave nothing to the reality tv world, then gave nothing to the music world, and then followed it up by giving nothing to the wrestling world that fed her growing up.
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chazraps
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Post by chazraps on Feb 2, 2021 13:30:26 GMT -5
Brooke Hogan of the ones listed. She just had like, nothing to contribute whatsoever. In the other category: Greg Gagne. Really? You didn't even like his tag team with Jim Brunzell? I'd say Greg has more great matches than anyone else on the poll. Even considering his contemporaries, I'd take still Greg over David Sammartino or Scott Putski. |
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Post by dirtyoldman on Feb 2, 2021 15:22:34 GMT -5
From 70s british wrestling, wasn't Big Daddy's brother the head booker?
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Post by BRAINFADE on Feb 2, 2021 15:39:54 GMT -5
From 70s british wrestling, wasn't Big Daddy's brother the head booker? He was, but Big Daddy was unquestionably over like crazy and was a huge draw. |
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cjh
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Post by cjh on Feb 2, 2021 15:44:00 GMT -5
It also sucks that Brooke Adams had to change her name due to Brooke Hogan coming in. I don't think Erik Watts or David Flair were too bad. It's not like they were put in big storylines from what I could recall. They started pretty low and stayed there. As a kid I didn't know who Bill Watts was and he was gone from WCW by time I had watched it again (I stopped watching wrestling during the summer into early 1993) and he stayed on in the same role with or without his father there. David Flair probably came at a bad time to WCW with his father having lots of backstage problems. If he had come a few earlier or later he may have been put in a more upper card position. But again his being where he was on the card wasn't bad. I'm surprised he managed his life as well as he has given how his father acts. David's first appearance in WCW had him being awarded The US Title by Ric. A month later he was getting a World Title shot against Nash David had been around for about six months before that. He debuted when his father was still a babyface. Most notably, he got a beating from the NWO where Hogan whipped him with a belt, pissing off Ric for real. |
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Post by BorneAgain on Feb 2, 2021 15:46:09 GMT -5
Brooke Hogan of the ones listed. She just had like, nothing to contribute whatsoever. In the other category: Greg Gagne. Really? You didn't even like his tag team with Jim Brunzell? I'd say Greg has more great matches than anyone else on the poll. Even considering his contemporaries, I'd take still Greg over David Sammartino or Scott Putski. While the TV title did seem like it was made to give Greg a singles belt, he rarely ever felt pushed beyond his ability. The tag team with Brunzell was popular enough, he knew how to work, and Verne was smart enough to never put the AWA World Championship on him. Worst you can say is that his physique wasn't all that impressive but I could still imagine him being successful in several territories where his dad wasn't the boss, which is more than can be said for the sons of Sammartino, Bischoff, or Watts. |
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