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Post by Dynamite Kid on Dec 23, 2007 20:00:17 GMT -5
See, that reads to me as ECW's talent not being as good as WWE's. I realize there's a lot of people that prefer the ECW product of that era, and that's fine, but most of that roster wouldn't have worked in the WWE product, Taz included. Taz would've worked GREAT on the WWE roster. Especially against Angle, the olympic, milk-drinking nerd versus the suplex-throwing badass? That would've been a great angle. The few times they did something with Taz, he was over as hell.
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Post by Aceorton on Dec 23, 2007 20:24:21 GMT -5
Taz's WWF music was extremely kickass, it should be noted. The heartbeat, then the flatlining, then the boom ... that's main-event level music.
He was over immediately. And for that reason alone (regardless of what you think of his wrestling ability), the WWF blew it.
I blame the Undertaker. I don't have any evidence, but it sounds like something he'd be responsible for.
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Post by Aaron E. Dangerously on Dec 23, 2007 20:36:38 GMT -5
See, that reads to me as ECW's talent not being as good as WWE's. I realize there's a lot of people that prefer the ECW product of that era, and that's fine, but most of that roster wouldn't have worked in the WWE product, Taz included. A lot of ECW guys could've worked very well in the WWE. But they were pretty hot to trot on themselves, or at least had a fanbase that was willing to defend them to the death. Taz was good. But after seeing both his ECW and WWE stuff, I'm just not impressed enough to believe him worthy of a serious push. He should have been treated better, yes. But he was not worthy of a main-event spot. And let's keep in mind the ol' Paul E. saying: "Hide the negatives, accentuate the positives."
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Post by Captain Wonderful on Dec 23, 2007 20:41:37 GMT -5
Man, listen to that massive ECW chant at a WWE pay-per-view. Jim Cornette once said that the new ECW is proof that "Vince McMahon could f*** up a wet dream." Truer words were never spoken.
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Post by Dynamite Kid on Dec 23, 2007 20:44:03 GMT -5
I'm not saying he had to be main event. But he was bottom-card! He went from undefeated TV and world champ to losing the hardcore title twice in eight minutes.
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Corporate H
Grimlock
He Buries Them Alive
Posts: 13,829
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Post by Corporate H on Dec 23, 2007 21:09:02 GMT -5
Angle/Tazz could've and should've been the next Rock/Austin.
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Post by molson5 on Dec 23, 2007 23:37:39 GMT -5
There's a reason ECW went out of business. Only a niche, limited audience cares for that type of product. Those are facts.
And Taz was a big deal in that promotion that was destined to fail. He had no business being pushed at the next level.
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Post by joeman on Dec 23, 2007 23:54:15 GMT -5
I saw Tazz at the Smackdown showing this past month and let me tell you something, he looks like a cartoon character in real life. He was extremely short(5'3 imo) and is built like a refrigerater. I would laugh at his face but would get scared since he looked like a guy that is constanly pissed.
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Post by joeman on Dec 23, 2007 23:56:13 GMT -5
I realize there's a lot of people that prefer the ECW product of that era, and that's fine, but most of that roster wouldn't have worked in the WWE product, Taz included. A lot of ECW guys could've worked very well in the WWE. But they were pretty hot to trot on themselves, or at least had a fanbase that was willing to defend them to the death. Taz was good. But after seeing both his ECW and WWE stuff, I'm just not impressed enough to believe him worthy of a serious push. He should have been treated better, yes. But he was not worthy of a main-event spot. And let's keep in mind the ol' Paul E. saying: "Hide the negatives, accentuate the positives." Yeah, because it wouldn't be noticable to hide Tazz weakness by making him wear 3 inch shoe lifts along with Kane size boots. Sometimes you cannot hide the negatives.
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Post by Lance Uppercut on Dec 24, 2007 4:49:36 GMT -5
I think Taz was doing just fine until he got injured.
The last I remember of the original Taz was on Heat with Benoit kicking the car door on Taz's Arm.
Next thing you know, he comes back weeks later with a new haircut and that prison guard outfit with a bunch of new catchphrases.
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Splinter
Don Corleone
Picard really hates fat kids
Posts: 1,897
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Post by Splinter on Dec 24, 2007 4:56:16 GMT -5
Taz was criminally misused. Most fans at that time period knew of his reputation and WWE had built up the arrival brilliantly with hte "Mood Is About To Change" interruptions during shows, so Taz could have been an upper midcard/main event challenger with the best of them. So why he was so tragily booked into the toilet was beyond belief
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Post by TRUTH TELLER on Dec 24, 2007 6:04:46 GMT -5
There's a reason ECW went out of business. Only a niche, limited audience cares for that type of product. Those are facts. Actually, I beg to differ. ECW went out of business because the guy who ran it was a horrible businessman who didn't pay his debts and let them stock pile. The ECW niche as you called it was parlayed by Vince McMahon into the Attitude era, the most successful era in the history of professional wrestling. You can say a lot of things about ECW, but you can't say that the ideals behind the promotion only appealed to a niche audience, because Vince, the better businessman, proved that not to be the case with Austin, Rock, DX, et al. Don't let your bias towards something you don't care for cloud your judgment. Now, whether or not the ECW/WWE "Attitude" was a good thing for business long-term, is more debatable. And as for Taz not being able to draw, being a small fish, yada, yada, yada, almost anyone can get over if they have the office behind them and the crowd responds. Tazz had the crowd massively behind him. WWE just didn't capitalize. If crowds react, you're doing your job correctly and the office should follow suit. It shouldn't matter if some close-minded imbecile living off a childhood fantasy of immobile unintelligible giants, that only pushes the people that fit his archaic mold, doesn't see that guy as "credible" because of height. People at that point thought he was a bad ass. That's half the battle won right there. If today's world of MMA has taught us anything, it's that size doesn't always matter as it pertains to fighting. Vince just doesn't see it, because he's still living in the turn of the century carny era where all us huckleberries are supposed to ooh and ahh at the dude with the big muscles.
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Post by Red 'n' Black Reggie on Dec 24, 2007 9:11:37 GMT -5
There's a reason ECW went out of business. Only a niche, limited audience cares for that type of product. Those are facts. not really. we'll never know, because ECW was only AVAILABLE to a niche, limited audience.
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amaron
Samurai Cop
I yam what I yam.
Posts: 2,212
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Post by amaron on Dec 24, 2007 9:31:11 GMT -5
I hope the people mentioning Taz being short aren't the same people who complain about the WWF/E being filled with 'nothing but hosses'.
You can't have it both ways.
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Post by teamjd on Dec 24, 2007 9:39:03 GMT -5
Taz didn't end Angle's undefeated streak, that was an illegal choke hold!!
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Post by darthpipes on Dec 24, 2007 10:02:56 GMT -5
I remember the day after Taz beat Angle, they were reporting on the internet sites that they had no plans to push him and he would basically be a mid-card act. Never understood why. A week later, the Radicals debuted.
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Post by Dynamite Kid on Dec 24, 2007 12:02:31 GMT -5
Ah, the Radicalz. Honestly, I think I can understand a little better why he wasn't pushed so much now. The Radicalz were hot, hot, hot commodities. There's a reason ECW went out of business. Only a niche, limited audience cares for that type of product. Those are facts. And Taz was a big deal in that promotion that was destined to fail. He had no business being pushed at the next level. Thank you Eric Bischoff.
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Post by Jared Has Been Enlightened :) on Dec 24, 2007 12:16:40 GMT -5
Taz sucked. He was ECW's version of Goldberg, a guy whose career was made via booking and not actual talent/charisma. Once he got to the WWE and was around true superstars like Austin, Rock, Taker etc. he was exposed, just as Goldberg was. Taz was great for ECW - he was not, all around, a WWE-caliber talent. See, that reads to me as ECW's talent not being as good as WWE's. They had Aldo Montoya as their world champion. Nothing more needs to be said really.
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404error
Mephisto
GO LEAFS GO
Posts: 719
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Post by 404error on Dec 24, 2007 12:36:23 GMT -5
Taz sucked. He was ECW's version of Goldberg, a guy whose career was made via booking and not actual talent/charisma. Once he got to the WWE and was around true superstars like Austin, Rock, Taker etc. he was exposed, just as Goldberg was. See, that reads to me as ECW's talent not being as good as WWE's. They had Aldo Montoya as their world champion. Nothing more needs to be said really. So Taz had no talent or charisma? Huh.
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Post by Jared Has Been Enlightened :) on Dec 24, 2007 12:50:56 GMT -5
Taz sucked. He was ECW's version of Goldberg, a guy whose career was made via booking and not actual talent/charisma. Once he got to the WWE and was around true superstars like Austin, Rock, Taker etc. he was exposed, just as Goldberg was. They had Aldo Montoya as their world champion. Nothing more needs to be said really. So Taz had no talent or charisma? Huh. Not the amount needed to be a big star outside of an 800 seat arena.
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