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Post by jimmyjackezekiel on Sept 14, 2022 18:58:05 GMT -5
Okay I know some of you are thinking I'm crazy here but hear me out.
The overall narrative as I understand for the last 20 years has been Reverend D'Von sucked as a gimmick and went over like a fart in church.
But still I was watching a youtube video for the guy's theme and the comments seem to be "It wasn't a bad gimmick; it was just bad timing. It was too soon to split up the Dudley Boyz." something along those lines.
So that got me thinking, were these people onto something? Let's try and picture a world where the Dudley's never split up in '02 and the Reverend Gimmick never materializes. Now let's fast forward to the tail end of the decade where Team 3D splits up... If by some odd chance D'Von goes back to WWE, or even just stays in TNA and takes on the Reverend Gimmick. Could it take off into at least a decent midcard heel act? If not as a wrestler, how about as a manager?
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tirtefaa
Unicron
If you wanna know the truth, you gotta dig up Johnny Booth.
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Post by tirtefaa on Sept 14, 2022 19:28:19 GMT -5
It wasn't too soon to split up the Dudleys, but I always found it weird the way it happened. The nWo is apparently a singular entity that can be drafted, but the Dudleys are separate entities?
The fact that they didn't push for Bubba Ray to be a single's star was probably the biggest mistake. Even back then, it was clear he was a confident guy on the mic and could get over with the audience, and if anyone should have been a heel, it should have been him. But they paired him with Spike soon afterward, which didn't help either guy. Bubba could have easily been a upper midcard guy.
D-Von on the other hand was saddled with a stupid gimmick. Sorry, but Reverend D-Von was likely never going to get over with most anyone, religious gimmicks are usually doomed to fail, and given that he was given the most stereotypical church leader look (Catholic collar), it was even cornier. Add to the fact that any time Vince has done a religious gimmick, he can't go as far as he wants with it, so it becomes about "love" or "believing" in something that is never made apparent...and you're a "sinner" if you don't. It's such a confusing thing for a heel to put out there. D-Von may have worked better in a Brother Love role with the gimmick, but not as an active wrestler. If anything...I would have left him with the Dudley gimmick and switched Bubba's gimmick to something else in a heel role.
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Post by "Cane Dewey" Johnson on Sept 14, 2022 19:31:01 GMT -5
Yes.
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cjh
Hank Scorpio
Posts: 6,605
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Post by cjh on Sept 14, 2022 19:34:20 GMT -5
It wasn't too soon to split up the Dudleys, but I always found it weird the way it happened. The nWo is apparently a singular entity that can be drafted, but the Dudleys are separate entities? The fact that they didn't push for Bubba Ray to be a single's star was probably the biggest mistake. Even back then, it was clear he was a confident guy on the mic and could get over with the audience, and if anyone should have been a heel, it should have been him. But they paired him with Spike soon afterward, which didn't help either guy. Bubba could have easily been a upper midcard guy. D-Von on the other hand was saddled with a stupid gimmick. Sorry, but Reverend D-Von was likely never going to get over with most anyone, religious gimmicks are usually doomed to fail, and given that he was given the most stereotypical church leader look (Catholic collar), it was even cornier. Add to the fact that any time Vince has done a religious gimmick, he can't go as far as he wants with it, so it becomes about "love" or "believing" in something that is never made apparent...and you're a "sinner" if you don't. It's such a confusing thing for a heel to put out there. D-Von may have worked better in a Brother Love role with the gimmick, but not as an active wrestler. If anything...I would have left him with the Dudley gimmick and switched Bubba's gimmick to something else in a heel role. I believe in kayfabe, McMahon pushed the idea of having to draft the NWO as a group, believing Flair wouldn't choose them. Flair agreed to it, then surprised everyone by picking them.
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tirtefaa
Unicron
If you wanna know the truth, you gotta dig up Johnny Booth.
Posts: 2,865
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Post by tirtefaa on Sept 14, 2022 19:39:17 GMT -5
I believe in kayfabe, McMahon pushed the idea of having to draft the NWO as a group, believing Flair wouldn't choose them. Flair agreed to it, then surprised everyone by picking them. Was this explained in kayfabe? I know there was a push that Flair wouldn't draft Undertaker, but he did it anyway. If anything, it made Flair look like an idiot for drafting guys who absolutely hated his guts and would make his life as miserable as possible.
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Mozenrath
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Post by Mozenrath on Sept 14, 2022 19:44:22 GMT -5
It was a lower card heel act, a hypocritical religious conman. I don't really think anyone involved had any illusions it'd be something bigger than that, so it was probably considered a success on that metric.
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Johnny B. Decent
Patti Mayonnaise
Had one once
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Post by Johnny B. Decent on Sept 14, 2022 19:45:25 GMT -5
It did lead to this:
*probable language warning*
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Post by Natural Born Farmer on Sept 14, 2022 19:48:01 GMT -5
Nah, it was bad.
It was like someone remembered nothing about Samuel Jackson's character in Pulp Fiction except that he quotes a (fake) Bible verse once and decided to build a gimmick around it.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Sept 14, 2022 20:08:00 GMT -5
It was a good gimmick. I enjoyed it.
That promo where he says masturbation is a sin and Faarooq says "... So you don't masturbate? Well guess what, I DO!" and then he punches him always cracks me up.
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Gus Richlen Was Wrong
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Fun while it lasted
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Post by Gus Richlen Was Wrong on Sept 14, 2022 21:23:22 GMT -5
It did lead to this: *probable language warning* Hi, I'm a concerned citizen and-
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Post by Jacy Jayne Atomic Dog AMV on Sept 14, 2022 21:26:06 GMT -5
I will defend Reverend D-Von with my life, dude was hilarious. Compared to Bubba's bowling shirt era solo run he might as well have been The Rock.
Also that theme would literally make Malakai Black go to the Bible store.
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Post by Cyno on Sept 14, 2022 21:26:20 GMT -5
It was a bad gimmick but it was also the first time we ever saw Batista!
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Post by TWERKIN' MAGGLE on Sept 14, 2022 21:35:18 GMT -5
Also that theme would literally make Malakai Black go to the Bible store. language. Never go to the Church Store, it'll ruin your family.
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Post by saneiac on Sept 15, 2022 0:04:12 GMT -5
A religion spouting conman could absolutely work. Just not in Vince's WWE. Vince proved time and again that he doesn't understand subtlety, he'll always resort to stereotypes over actual characters, and any time something isn't working he tries to save it by making it about himself. As soon as D-Von said the words "Church of McMahon", the gimmick was dead.
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Post by LiamMcDuggle on Sept 15, 2022 0:15:49 GMT -5
Okay I know some of you are thinking I'm crazy here but hear me out. The overall narrative as I understand for the last 20 years has been Reverend D'Von sucked as a gimmick and went over like a fart in church. But still I was watching a youtube video for the guy's theme and the comments seem to be "It wasn't a bad gimmick; it was just bad timing. It was too soon to split up the Dudley Boyz." something along those lines. So that got me thinking, were these people onto something? Let's try and picture a world where the Dudley's never split up in '02 and the Reverend Gimmick never materializes. Now let's fast forward to the tail end of the decade where Team 3D splits up... If by some odd chance D'Von goes back to WWE, or even just stays in TNA and takes on the Reverend Gimmick. Could it take off into at least a decent midcard heel act? If not as a wrestler, how about as a manager? I just don't see how that gimmick could be taken seriously. Brother Love only kinda worked because it was over the top and campy. D-Von was supposed to be an upper-mid carder and serious. He even pinned Triple H.
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Post by "Gizzark" Mike Wronglevenay on Sept 15, 2022 1:57:00 GMT -5
I thought it was a great gimmick except for the wanking angle
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Futureraven: Beelzebruv
Bill S. Preston, Esq.
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Spent half my life here, God help me
Posts: 15,084
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Post by Futureraven: Beelzebruv on Sept 15, 2022 6:57:11 GMT -5
Bad timing... as in the gimmick might have worked 20 years before, but I can't see a wrestling priest getting anywhere at any time really. Well, unless it was Bishop Brennan
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agent817
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Member is Online
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Post by agent817 on Sept 15, 2022 9:11:02 GMT -5
It was a bad gimmick but it was also the first time we ever saw Batista! When he still had the contact lenses.
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Post by sdoyle7798 on Sept 15, 2022 10:28:23 GMT -5
It wasn't too soon to split up the Dudleys, but I always found it weird the way it happened. The nWo is apparently a singular entity that can be drafted, but the Dudleys are separate entities? The fact that they didn't push for Bubba Ray to be a single's star was probably the biggest mistake. Even back then, it was clear he was a confident guy on the mic and could get over with the audience, and if anyone should have been a heel, it should have been him. But they paired him with Spike soon afterward, which didn't help either guy. Bubba could have easily been a upper midcard guy. D-Von on the other hand was saddled with a stupid gimmick. Sorry, but Reverend D-Von was likely never going to get over with most anyone, religious gimmicks are usually doomed to fail, and given that he was given the most stereotypical church leader look (Catholic collar), it was even cornier. Add to the fact that any time Vince has done a religious gimmick, he can't go as far as he wants with it, so it becomes about "love" or "believing" in something that is never made apparent...and you're a "sinner" if you don't. It's such a confusing thing for a heel to put out there. D-Von may have worked better in a Brother Love role with the gimmick, but not as an active wrestler. If anything...I would have left him with the Dudley gimmick and switched Bubba's gimmick to something else in a heel role. I thought they at least tested the waters on an upper card push for Bubba? I can't exacty remember if they felt it wasn't connecting, or if it was stopped after he accidentaly dropped someone (HHH?) on their head when his arm went numb on a suplex.
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Futureraven: Beelzebruv
Bill S. Preston, Esq.
The Ultimate Arbiter of Right And Wrong
Spent half my life here, God help me
Posts: 15,084
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Post by Futureraven: Beelzebruv on Sept 15, 2022 10:42:35 GMT -5
It wasn't too soon to split up the Dudleys, but I always found it weird the way it happened. The nWo is apparently a singular entity that can be drafted, but the Dudleys are separate entities? The fact that they didn't push for Bubba Ray to be a single's star was probably the biggest mistake. Even back then, it was clear he was a confident guy on the mic and could get over with the audience, and if anyone should have been a heel, it should have been him. But they paired him with Spike soon afterward, which didn't help either guy. Bubba could have easily been a upper midcard guy. D-Von on the other hand was saddled with a stupid gimmick. Sorry, but Reverend D-Von was likely never going to get over with most anyone, religious gimmicks are usually doomed to fail, and given that he was given the most stereotypical church leader look (Catholic collar), it was even cornier. Add to the fact that any time Vince has done a religious gimmick, he can't go as far as he wants with it, so it becomes about "love" or "believing" in something that is never made apparent...and you're a "sinner" if you don't. It's such a confusing thing for a heel to put out there. D-Von may have worked better in a Brother Love role with the gimmick, but not as an active wrestler. If anything...I would have left him with the Dudley gimmick and switched Bubba's gimmick to something else in a heel role. I thought they at least tested the waters on an upper card push for Bubba? I can't exacty remember if they felt it wasn't connecting, or if it was stopped after he accidentaly dropped someone (HHH?) on their head when his arm went numb on a suplex. Yeah, I seem to remember him being pushed almost like a Mick Foley-lite, everyman hardcore character for a few weeks at least.
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