Could Konnan have been a lot bigger star?

[tafkaga]

I really liked Konnan prior to his repackaging for Dungeon of Doom and later K-Dawg, when I pretty much hated him with a passion.  

Could you see Konnan being a much bigger star in the USA had he not gone the K-Dawg route?  

["Evil Brood" Jackson Vanik]

Yes if he was at his peak. I'm not sure what went wrong with his in-ring career in WCW. Perhaps it was motivation or perhaps it was injuries. Either way, he just fell off and while in-ring isn't everything, it was hard to ever get fully invested in him when he would wrestle like he was under water.

[Natural Born Farmer]

He’s there with Chris Benoit and Dean Malenko as WCW guys who always looked like dangerous competitors who should be feared even when they didn’t win and weren’t challenging for the top titles.

I actually liked him a lot less once he had a “character” and started cutting promos like he’d finally watched American Me, but I think that’s on Russo.

[jason1980s]

He burned bridges with WWF I'm sure, with them creating the Max Moon character and him bolting. He also screwed a promoter or two or more for autograph conventions about 10 years ago so over a 20 year period the man doesn't seem to care who he screws so why care about him? I never cared for him in WCW. I never got the attempted attitude era, Konnan with "peel my potatoes" or whatever he said. He was a knock off DX in the N W O at the very best.

When he came to WCW, there were so many other guys so much better and they were bringing in so many better wrestlers. He couldn't even get himself over to Bruce Prichard when the Radicalz went to WCW. Rather than asking any of the four guys to get him a position, he decided to call Bruce and say on a voice mail "this is K Dawg" who Bruce never even heard of. He never had an IT factor, he couldn't get himself over no matter what a major company gave him and he burned bridges.

[Mozenrath]

He was, at times, over as all hell in WCW, but I think that he was working hurt for a good bit of that or otherwise really not operating at a level that would have worked in the main event.

Still, I don't feel bad for him. I hear he did, like, pretty okay for himself in Mexico. Just a bit of success.

[thegatewaydrug]

If only he'd promoted L'Oréal instead of Oil of Olay, he'd be much bigger deal, fairly quick.

[EvenBaldobombHasAJob]

Sad thing is by the time he was working a character who was super over with the audience his body was already turning against him.

[Tiger Millionaire]

Nov 14, 2021 17:58:02 GMT -5 jason1980s said:

He burned bridges with WWF I'm sure, with them creating the Max Moon character and him bolting. He also screwed a promoter or two or more for autograph conventions about 10 years ago so over a 20 year period the man doesn't seem to care who he screws so why care about him? I never cared for him in WCW. I never got the attempted attitude era, Konnan with "peel my potatoes" or whatever he said. He was a knock off DX in the N W O at the very best.

When he came to WCW, there were so many other guys so much better and they were bringing in so many better wrestlers. He couldn't even get himself over to Bruce Prichard when the Radicalz went to WCW. Rather than asking any of the four guys to get him a position, he decided to call Bruce and say on a voice mail "this is K Dawg" who Bruce never even heard of. He never had an IT factor, he couldn't get himself over no matter what a major company gave him and he burned bridges.

To be fair to Konnan, I believe that Prichard story as far as I could throw Brother Love.

[celtics543]

Konnan was over. I think the fact that 95% of the fans from the Attitude Era could repeat his whole prematch spiel should speak to that. He was huge in Mexico and I think he basically got as over as he could've in the US. In my mind he was the WCW answer to Road Dogg and that was a great spot for him. It's too bad by the time he found a character that worked his body had betrayed him.

[jason1980s]

Nov 14, 2021 19:15:49 GMT -5 Tiger Millionaire said:

To be fair to Konnan, I believe that Prichard story as far as I could throw Brother Love.

I get Bruce is not a trusted source but...why make up a story about a guy who wasn't exactly the most popular or well known or famous? Konnan was literally 'just there' in WCW.
I guess that is saying I believe Bruce. It would make as much sense for Bruce making up a story about jobber wrestler as it would Konnan at the time.

[Tiger Millionaire]

Nov 14, 2021 20:17:57 GMT -5 jason1980s said:

Nov 14, 2021 19:15:49 GMT -5 Tiger Millionaire said:

To be fair to Konnan, I believe that Prichard story as far as I could throw Brother Love.

I get Bruce is not a trusted source but...why make up a story about a guy who wasn't exactly the most popular or well known or famous? Konnan was literally 'just there' in WCW.
I guess that is saying I believe Bruce. It would make as much sense for Bruce making up a story about jobber wrestler as it would Konnan at the time.

Not to turn this into a Brucie topic, but liars lie, and when you constantly lie, it's just easier than telling the truth.

[jason1980s]

Nov 14, 2021 21:31:39 GMT -5 Tiger Millionaire said:

Not to turn this into a Brucie topic, but liars lie, and when you constantly lie, it's just easier than telling the truth.

I understand that but of all people...why Konnan? He wasn't exactly on par with any former WCW stars at the time. And he wasn't even a star in 1993 with the Max Moon gimmick that anyone should have been pissed he bolted. Konnan as Max Moon would have done as well as Paul Diamond as Max Moon so no WWF backstage person should have been bitter so why make up a lie about him?

[The Rick Jericho]

If he made the jump in 2000 with Douglas and Kidman and the Radicalz, I think all 7 have different career pathes looking back.

[sfvega]

Nov 14, 2021 18:40:11 GMT -5 EvenBaldobombHasAJob said:

Sad thing is by the time he was working a character who was super over with the audience his body was already turning against him.

That seems to be the case. I remember being older and hearing about how great he was in Mexico and being like "The same Konnan?" Though it made sense since in 96 or whenever he was US champ, he was really lean and moved pretty good. But not long after that, he was kinda plodding. He was never out of shape in WCW, just worked slow. I thought he was just past his prime, but him being a little broken down adds up entirely.

[thegame415]

Eh, I think he did about as much as he would.

[Mozenrath]

Nov 14, 2021 22:13:29 GMT -5 The Rick Jericho said:

If he made the jump in 2000 with Douglas and Kidman and the Radicalz, I think all 7 have different career pathes looking back.

I could have seen him advocating to get some lucha guys spots, like he did with ECW and WCW, though that'd be a tough sell, probably. Could see them maybe trying to at least briefly try to make the Light Heavyweight title more of a thing.

[The Rick Jericho]

Nov 14, 2021 23:33:33 GMT -5 Mozenrath said:

Nov 14, 2021 22:13:29 GMT -5 The Rick Jericho said:

If he made the jump in 2000 with Douglas and Kidman and the Radicalz, I think all 7 have different career pathes looking back.

I could have seen him advocating to get some lucha guys spots, like he did with ECW and WCW, though that'd be a tough sell, probably. Could see them maybe trying to at least briefly try to make the Light Heavyweight title more of a thing.

Too Cool vs. The Filthy Animals would be a feud SO OVER in 2000, it would be scary. That alone, would've changed Konnan's legacy, at least to the WWE.

Kidman, Eddie and Konnan vs. Scotty, Grand Master and Rikishi would've been a BLAST!

[Feyrhausen]

Nov 14, 2021 21:31:39 GMT -5 Tiger Millionaire said:

Nov 14, 2021 20:17:57 GMT -5 jason1980s said:

I get Bruce is not a trusted source but...why make up a story about a guy who wasn't exactly the most popular or well known or famous? Konnan was literally 'just there' in WCW.
I guess that is saying I believe Bruce. It would make as much sense for Bruce making up a story about jobber wrestler as it would Konnan at the time.

Not to turn this into a Brucie topic, but liars lie, and when you constantly lie, it's just easier than telling the truth.

Whether he was lying or not this just makes him look stupid IMO. I see what he going for in that story. "Im so important I didnt know who K Dawg was.". Just makes you look like an idiot. You dont know the nickname of a wrestler who was fairly popular for your competition when they were beating the pants off of you? I mean in 98 I could tell you K Dawg was a guy named Konnan and I watched no wrestling in the 90s.

[kingoftheindies]

Nov 14, 2021 20:17:57 GMT -5 jason1980s said:

Nov 14, 2021 19:15:49 GMT -5 Tiger Millionaire said:

To be fair to Konnan, I believe that Prichard story as far as I could throw Brother Love.

I get Bruce is not a trusted source but...why make up a story about a guy who wasn't exactly the most popular or well known or famous? Konnan was literally 'just there' in WCW.
I guess that is saying I believe Bruce. It would make as much sense for Bruce making up a story about jobber wrestler as it would Konnan at the time.

Konnan told the story in a shoot interview though he said he introduced himself on the phone as Konnan. He said he got the impression Bruce was messing with him and said "he doesn't know me by my stage name, why the hell am I gonna introduce myself as Charles Ashenoff?"

[The Dark Order Inferno]

Nov 14, 2021 17:58:02 GMT -5 jason1980s said:

He burned bridges with WWF I'm sure, with them creating the Max Moon character and him bolting. He also screwed a promoter or two or more for autograph conventions about 10 years ago so over a 20 year period the man doesn't seem to care who he screws so why care about him? I never cared for him in WCW. I never got the attempted attitude era, Konnan with "peel my potatoes" or whatever he said. He was a knock off DX in the N W O at the very best.

When he came to WCW, there were so many other guys so much better and they were bringing in so many better wrestlers. He couldn't even get himself over to Bruce Prichard when the Radicalz went to WCW. Rather than asking any of the four guys to get him a position, he decided to call Bruce and say on a voice mail "this is K Dawg" who Bruce never even heard of. He never had an IT factor, he couldn't get himself over no matter what a major company gave him and he burned bridges.

You know he was a huge star in Mexico, right? They didn't call the guy the Mexican Hulk Hogan just because he was bald, juiced up and didn't like to job.