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Post by "Gizzark" Mike Wronglevenay on Dec 28, 2022 5:50:05 GMT -5
Malenko is a terrible example for this.
His nickname was the Iceman. His personality was deliberately low key, and he didn't need it, as indicated by how ridiculously over he and especially the Cloverleaf was
This is like asking for guys who don't know how to tone it down to a tasteful level and putting Savage on the list
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Post by Mid-Carder on Dec 28, 2022 5:51:23 GMT -5
At a much smaller level, Michelle McCool is a good example. She was a great, smooth technician and had some genuinely really good matches, especially for that time, but was a black hole of charisma.
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tafkaga
Samurai Cop
the Dogfather
Posts: 2,116
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Post by tafkaga on Dec 28, 2022 9:14:48 GMT -5
Malenko is a terrible example for this. His nickname was the Iceman. His personality was deliberately low key, and he didn't need it, as indicated by how ridiculously over he and especially the Cloverleaf was This is like asking for guys who don't know how to tone it down to a tasteful level and putting Savage on the list Yes. Malenko was very charismatic, and that's why he was so successful playing the "serious guy" character. He doesn't belong in this thread at all. When you can go out and play such a dry character and still connect with fans, that's evidence for personality and charisma, not against. Of all those mentioned, Furnas and Lafon..... ESPECIALLY Lafon. Lafon always looked bored. He had some great moves but he looked like a robot doing them.
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Post by Tiger Millionaire on Dec 28, 2022 9:51:44 GMT -5
Dan Severn.
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Sephiroth
Wade Wilson
Surviving
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Post by Sephiroth on Dec 28, 2022 10:54:54 GMT -5
Steve Williams.
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Venti
Unicron
Posts: 2,998
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Post by Venti on Dec 28, 2022 12:27:58 GMT -5
you telling me THIS GUY didn't understand the personality part That entrance was like when you could give wrestlers different entrance themes and moves in the old Smackdown games, and you'd just give them something ridiculous
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Post by kingoftheindies on Dec 28, 2022 12:37:17 GMT -5
I don't think Lance fits this list as he got over in all 3 feds doing a serious heel character. Lance's issue is that if he doesn't get it, he doesn't try to see another viewpoint.
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Ozman
Samurai Cop
Chi-Town!!!
Posts: 2,374
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Post by Ozman on Dec 28, 2022 13:11:33 GMT -5
The Dynamite Kid.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Dec 28, 2022 16:29:52 GMT -5
Emma has already kinda faded away on the SmackDown roster. She's amazing in the ring, but just void of any personality. Other instances? She had a great run in Impact with Kaleb with a K. She plays a heel much better.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Dec 28, 2022 16:30:47 GMT -5
Most of AEW’s roster.
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Post by TOK Hehe'd Around & Found Out on Dec 28, 2022 16:57:28 GMT -5
Goto NJPW really did him bad when he became the poster boy of a failed heavyweight title push. Giving him chance after chance when he wasn't ready really damaged him for a long time. However, the fan is an animal in the ring and he stands up there for me as one of the great NEVER champions with Ishii and Shibata. His in ring has carried him because you know to expect a no-nonsense hard hitting match with him He lowkey has a very impressive resume that has gone under the radar Goto suffered from not having the second excursion that Nakamura and Naito got after their initial pushes fell flat. He's been the same exact "wrestles good and follows Bushido" dude since 2007 while all of his contemporaries (and guys who debuted way after) lapped him while being more outlandish personalities.
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Post by sportatorium on Dec 28, 2022 17:23:12 GMT -5
Terry Taylor. He could play a character, but it always felt contrived. He didn't have a lot of natural charisma (from what I've seen). Taylor's arc in Mid South/UWF was pretty great. From white meat babyface who was hugely over in that territory to his eventual heel turn on Chris Adams & alliance with Hot Stuff Eddie Gilbert was excellent. Bobby Eaton was fantastic in the ring, but needed Cornette and a partner to get over. A lot of examples listed here are booking as much as the wrestler lacking personality. Brian Pillman wasn't setting the world on fire as "Flyin Brian" before he developed the Hollywood Blonde into loose cannon gimmick and WCW would have kept him in Tom Zenk midcard babyface lane forever.
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Post by James Fabiano on Dec 28, 2022 17:24:45 GMT -5
Malenko is a terrible example for this. His nickname was the Iceman. His personality was deliberately low key, and he didn't need it, as indicated by how ridiculously over he and especially the Cloverleaf was This is like asking for guys who don't know how to tone it down to a tasteful level and putting Savage on the list Yep. I think the Iceman thing was done even better in ECW where they just had him never speak, while being someone's hired gun (Jason, Shane Douglas, 2 Cold Scorpio...) I'm going to defend Lance Storm too, because his serious schtick worked especially in WCW. When he first became a full-fledged heel in ECW, he had some good lines as well before settling into the super serious thing again, now with spiffy catchphrase.
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Post by James Fabiano on Dec 28, 2022 17:26:07 GMT -5
Terry Taylor. He could play a character, but it always felt contrived. He didn't have a lot of natural charisma (from what I've seen). Taylor's arc in Mid South/UWF was pretty great. From white meat babyface who was hugely over in that territory to his eventual heel turn on Chris Adams & alliance with Hot Stuff Eddie Gilbert was excellent. Bobby Eaton was fantastic in the ring, but needed Cornette and a partner to get over. A lot of examples listed here are booking as much as the wrestler lacking personality. Brian Pillman wasn't setting the world on fire as "Flyin Brian" before he developed the Hollywood Blonde into loose cannon gimmick and WCW would have kept him in Tom Zenk midcard babyface lane forever. Bobby and Stan/Dennis did some good pantomime while JC was talking, so I wouldn't say he had no personality.
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Post by James Fabiano on Dec 28, 2022 17:26:39 GMT -5
He had a personality. Just a BAD one.
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Post by nevthebassist on Dec 28, 2022 18:17:38 GMT -5
Not an amazing wrestler but I feel Lex Luger could’ve done more had he been able to talk properly. But he's one of the biggest legend stars ever in this... gah!
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King Devitt
Grimlock
It gets better the longer you stare at it
Posts: 13,757
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Post by King Devitt on Dec 28, 2022 22:04:52 GMT -5
I can make a case for most people on this list except Shelton Benjamin.
The man has in-ring talent out the wazoo, but can't even make faces on the screen without it looking awkward as hell.
I feel like there's a lane for him, and his presentation that could have worked, but WWE never tried to find it.
He's the beginning and end for me of someone who is an amazing wrestler, and if he'd found something that clicked he'd be a multi-time world champion.
Clearly there was one time WWE wanted him to work out, which you can't say about a lot of people on this list, but it just didn't.
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Post by kingoftheindies on Dec 28, 2022 22:40:29 GMT -5
I think the other question worth asking are we saying people that had a glass ceiling or just never got over because of how bland they were?
Cause honestly guys like Jay Bradley, Brent Alrbright, and Paul Burchill all kind of fell into that as they all could go with the best of them but they could never get the crowds outside of OVW to care for them
Shelton I'd say falls under the glass ceiling side of it because he couldn't even act cocky without looking like a doofus.
I'd honestly throw Test into that category before he got raided to the gills because he had moments where he was both legit over as a face (summer 99 and as European Champ) and as a heel (Invasion) due to his style but people always lost interest in him after a few months
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