"growing into a role" vs. "the audience gives up"

[tap]

This poll is somewhat inspired by this thread: officialfan.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=WWE&action=display&thread=249725

Do certain wrestlers really grow into their role and become good faces/heels that draw ratings and money?

Or do audiences just give up and accept whoever is being booked strong because there's no one else to get behind?

Some possible examples:

- Brock Lesnar, 2002
- Triple H, 2003
- JBL, 2004
- John Cena, 2005
- Bobby Lashley, 2007

[Deleted]

Yes

[tap]

Jan 3, 2010 22:47:28 GMT -5 @bootytime said:

Yes

Care to elaborate?

[Slingshot Suplay]

I know in my case, I didn't buy into Triple H for a while, because in my eyes, he's Shawn's lackey. I gave up and just accepted it, but it took a few years for him to grow into the role, in my opinion.

As for a guy like Brock, I felt like he was money because he looked like a legit monster, like he could destroy anyone in his way.

[giraffe4hire]

I think the "growing into a role" thing can happen naturally (for example Kofi Kingston) but it usually only happens when the "older" for lack of a better word "smark" community is also backing that wrestler. Take for example CM Punk. He debuts at the Hammerstein. Right out of the gate, the crowd is roaring CM PUNK! CM PUNK! and they really made him come off as credible wrestler. I think that really made an impression on the mainstream audience of WWE, and made them think "Hey, this guy must really be something special." Next thing you know, the Survivor Series crowd is popping for him over DX, he wins money in the bank, etc. This could have happened without the initial smark backing at Hammerstein, but I really wonder if Punk would have gotten where he is if, say, he debuted somewhere else with no fan support.

But then you have something like Hardcore Holly main eventing against Brock Lesnar in 2004. And I legit remember him getting pops on Smackdown. I mean, really? Yeah, Brock broke his neck, but he suddenly just gets a main event push on his return? And the crowd was just going with it. And if I remember correctly, Brock basiaclly squashed Holly at the Rumble. And within a week, Holly was back to his Velocity slot with no complaints coming from the fans.

I can't really say one is more popular than the other, but Kofi seems to be one of the only guys in recent memory that seems to be on course to the main event without any real indy / smark support coming out of the gate.

[American Dragon]

Jan 3, 2010 23:43:38 GMT -5 giraffe4hire said:

Next thing you know, the Survivor Series crowd is popping for him over DX

Well, Philadelphia is one of the biggest smark cities in the world. Just sayin'

[The F'N Captain]

In the opposite effect I think Kane's kind of grown out of his role. I like him and all but he just doesn't seem to be as into it as he was.

[Big L]

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