Sephiroth
Wade Wilson
Surviving
Posts: 28,891
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Post by Sephiroth on Jul 16, 2010 15:09:57 GMT -5
Granted, this one is kind of hard to pin down since it was not a single gimmick, character, or storyline. Nonetheless, I think it reeked, since it was really just an ego trip for Mr. V McMahon.
It started with an atrociously long promo where Vince ranted about how he drove WCW out of business by his "ruthless aggression." Of course he did not mention the rampant mismanagement and incompetence within WCW in its later years-it was all his doing, and that was all she wrote. From there on this phrase showed up repeatedly within WWE. I recall one video game where a backstage segment offered you a chance to slug other wrestler NPC's and would then reward you for showing "ruthless aggression." Chris Benoit-when he was still a wrestling fan favorite-adopted the phrase only adapted it into "toothless aggression" because of his trademark missing front tooth. And something I am sure few remember; this gave us one of the IWC's favorite punching bags, John Cena! On a particular night Kurt Angle was in the ring declaring no one had the guts to challenge him, when an unknown came to the ring and introduced himself as John Cena. Angle asked what made this rookie think he could take him on, and Cena replied "ruthless aggression."
If anyone has any other examples, please remind me, as I am sure I am forgetting plenty. Nonetheless, this one seems like Vince purely did it to stroke his own ego on TV, not to get any story or character across. Hence, the potential for wrestlecrap.
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Post by Jim Stansel on Jul 17, 2010 5:19:45 GMT -5
I actually remember people saying this was code to say that RUthleSS agressiOn was working for WWE again, as i believe he was literally hired and fired the day they debuted this phrase.
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Post by Free Hat on Jul 17, 2010 12:43:57 GMT -5
I think it was just an attempt at rebranding the product out of recognition that "Attitude" had become stale by that point. Whether or not it was successful is open to debate, but I don't see how it could be considered wrestlecrap.
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Post by Throwback on Jul 17, 2010 16:03:46 GMT -5
I kind of remember a ruthless aggression toy line
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Post by itputsthelotion on Jul 17, 2010 23:02:33 GMT -5
I think it was just an attempt at rebranding the product out of recognition that "Attitude" had become stale by that point. Whether or not it was successful is open to debate, but I don't see how it could be considered wrestlecrap. I thought the exact same thing at the time. I felt that Vince was trying to bring about a new era in the WWE. But they pushed the envelop so far in 98-99, where do you go from there? Do you push it again? And how would you push people's buttons after the 9/11 attacks? I didn't want to see violence in films and TV after that first year. And I'm still not a fan of violence. They should have focused more time on straight up wrestling. I can only see McMahon's ego-filled rant about Ruthless Aggression becoming a Wrestlecrap article but that's it. I really can't remember Ruthless Aggression going any further than John Cena's debut and Benoit's Tootless Aggression T-shirt. My memory isn't that good. |
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SAJ Forth
Wade Wilson
Jamaican WCF Crazy!
Half Man-Half Amazing
Posts: 27,214
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Post by SAJ Forth on Jul 18, 2010 14:41:13 GMT -5
It felt like they were trying to start a new period, like after Hogan's departure. The in-between periods never seem to work for some reason. Maybe because they still have the same thought process from the previous period.
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WWHHHD
Unicron
Break it down for a 5 second pose!
Posts: 3,467
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Post by WWHHHD on Jul 19, 2010 0:01:02 GMT -5
Toothless Agression I thought was CRAP! That darn Chris.... Bob Holly. But, when first introduced Ruthless Agression was over with Brock Lesnar... Other than that.....................
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Post by rhennesey on Jul 19, 2010 9:51:35 GMT -5
Yeah, I see Ruthless Aggression as a storyline that never actually materialized. Maybe not crap but a misfire.
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Sajoa Moe
Patti Mayonnaise
Did you get that thing I sent ya?
A man without gimmick.
Posts: 39,683
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Post by Sajoa Moe on Jul 20, 2010 17:26:04 GMT -5
Wasn't RAW 2 for the XBox subtitled "Ruthless Aggression"?
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Post by mongomcmichael on Jul 22, 2010 2:19:36 GMT -5
Yep. And it sucked.
I don't think this whole "Ruthless Aggression" thing was meant to be a storyline. Just a catchphrase that was adopted by McMahon and Bischoff in '02 and '03.
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SAJ Forth
Wade Wilson
Jamaican WCF Crazy!
Half Man-Half Amazing
Posts: 27,214
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Post by SAJ Forth on Jul 25, 2010 20:11:24 GMT -5
Wasn't RAW 2 for the XBox subtitled "Ruthless Aggression"? I think it was, not a great game though. Ok, but not great. |
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Post by A Platypus Rave on Jul 26, 2010 2:45:07 GMT -5
Wasn't RAW 2 for the XBox subtitled "Ruthless Aggression"? I think it was, not a great game though. Ok, but not great. I still play it every once and a while... and I love how nonsensical the season mode is. You'll attack someone for months... then they'll interfere in your matches and help you... and hten you'll be tagging together and never be booked against each other. |
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Post by Alex Shelley on Jul 26, 2010 3:28:34 GMT -5
I think it was, not a great game though. Ok, but not great. I still play it every once and a while... and I love how nonsensical the season mode is. You'll attack someone for months... then they'll interfere in your matches and help you... and hten you'll be tagging together and never be booked against each other. Soooooo... It was based on 2009? |
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Post by A Platypus Rave on Jul 26, 2010 3:46:40 GMT -5
I still play it every once and a while... and I love how nonsensical the season mode is. You'll attack someone for months... then they'll interfere in your matches and help you... and hten you'll be tagging together and never be booked against each other. Soooooo... It was based on 2009? I don't remember anyone having a safe dropped on them in 2009. |
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Post by mongomcmichael on Aug 14, 2010 2:04:29 GMT -5
Dude, if you want to know how ridiculously bad RAW 2 for Xbox was, consider this:
While I was playing season mode, there was a WWE Championship match pitting Hulk Hogan and Stephanie McMahon and when simulated, Steph won. And of course I'm not making this up.
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luiscurse
ALF
Don't puke on my pimp hat Warriah!
Posts: 1,005
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Post by luiscurse on Aug 15, 2010 16:08:40 GMT -5
Dude, if you want to know how ridiculously bad RAW 2 for Xbox was, consider this: While I was playing season mode, there was a WWE Championship match pitting Hulk Hogan and Stephanie McMahon and when simulated, Steph won. And of course I'm not making this up. But theres dust on your tv, blow dust away to reveal Mr. Stephanie McMahon  |
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