543Y2J
Patti Mayonnaise
Seventh level .gif Master
Posts: 38,794
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Post by 543Y2J on Sept 14, 2013 18:53:37 GMT -5
One of the biggest character changes and contrasts in history? Did anyone else love how it was done? Such a distinction from the beer drinking, kicking ass, foul mouthed Texan to a Wall Street, corporate, politician New Yorker. Just an amazing transition and it truly showed his rage as an actor to go from one personality to the next so easily and successfully. I love JBL's reign and it is one of the best reigns of all time in my opinion, it just worked perfectly. Thoughts on the transition? His promos? Do you prefer Bradshaw or JBL? Both? His title reign? Feuds with Eddie, Cena, Taker, Booker etc?
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Sparkybob
King Koopa
I have a status?
Posts: 11,001
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Post by Sparkybob on Sept 14, 2013 19:01:51 GMT -5
Have some thoughts on old JBL.
-His push seem sudden but he really worked hard to get himself over. -Eddie deserves 95% of the credit of getting JBL over. Great feud. -From the end of the Eddie program, to the smackdown after survivor series, his reign was shitty, thought he had some cool promos -He really settle in a groove after Survivor series and truly felt like a main eventer. -He did his job and got Cena over which was his intended goal.
So in short, I loved his character, his reign was shitty for a good couple of months but he settle back into a groove and did a great job at the start, and end of his reign.
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fart
Tommy Wiseau
Posts: 80
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Post by fart on Sept 14, 2013 20:03:15 GMT -5
Long, strange road resulting in one of the worst gimmicks, theme songs, and reigns of all time. APA Bradshaw was the climax for me, title or not. Now he's a D level commentator. Cool he climbs mountains though.
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percymania
Bill S. Preston, Esq.
Percymania will live forever! Oh yeah!
Posts: 17,296
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Post by percymania on Sept 14, 2013 20:07:38 GMT -5
It was quite a transformation indeed. I was luke warm about it at the time, as JBL was seen as an aging personality while younger guys like Cena, Batista, Orton etc were climbing the ranks. Looking back though I absolutely loved the JBL character. He played it so well and over time he became one of my favorite guys. He was like an old school heel character.
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EyeofTyr
Hank Scorpio
Strange and Mystical
Posts: 5,744
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Post by EyeofTyr on Sept 14, 2013 20:13:35 GMT -5
I loved JBL.
That said, the change was abrupt and jarring for how drastic of a change it was. And, his push was too much, too quick. I'd argue he could've even worked like who he was clearly designed after, the Million Dollar Man, and never won the title, simply held the US and the tag straps & regularly challenged for the top title.
By the end of his reign, he had really come into his own and bloomed into a full fledged main eventer. But it doesn't justify the lengths they went to with the push in the beginning, especially because it was clear through a solid first part of it it wasn't really working too well. Even more when you consider that his run in WWE didn't last for that much longer after his title reign. It might have been unforeseeable, but his health issues that forced him into retirement really further solidify how the means didn't justify the end with him.
Still, like I said, I loved the character and it definitely had some moments. The obvious ones being the Eddie feud, the HBK feud and his attempts at taking over RAW when it was in anarchy.
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Sephiroth
Wade Wilson
Surviving
Posts: 29,314
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Post by Sephiroth on Sept 14, 2013 20:55:22 GMT -5
I think we need to remember that this change came about at right after Lesnar and Goldberg had both left, and as I recall a couple other people were injured. So they needed a new main event heel, and he got to be the lucky man. I suspect a big part of it also was because he was starting to get mainstream exposure for his success as an investor; he had just published his book, he was a special guest on CNBC and on financial segments for Fox News and CNN, and he was writing columns for newspapers in Texas. But yeah, the sudden change was very abrupt and they pushed it way too hard. But to his credit he did everything he could with it, and eventually found his way to use the character for all it could possibly be.
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Post by Bootista on Sept 14, 2013 20:59:09 GMT -5
I loved JBL. That said, the change was abrupt and jarring for how drastic of a change it was. And, his push was too much, too quick. I'd argue he could've even worked like who he was clearly designed after, the Million Dollar Man, and never won the title, simply held the US and the tag straps & regularly challenged for the top title. By the end of his reign, he had really come into his own and bloomed into a full fledged main eventer. But it doesn't justify the lengths they went to with the push in the beginning, especially because it was clear through a solid first part of it it wasn't really working too well. Even more when you consider that his run in WWE didn't last for that much longer after his title reign. It might have been unforeseeable, but his health issues that forced him into retirement really further solidify how the means didn't justify the end with him. Still, like I said, I loved the character and it definitely had some moments. The obvious ones being the Eddie feud, the HBK feud and his attempts at taking over RAW when it was in anarchy. I thought he was designed after J.R. Ewing, with the cowboy hat and all.
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Post by Joe Neglia on Sept 14, 2013 21:55:59 GMT -5
This happened at the same time as the attempted Bubba Ray Dudley solo main-eventer push, right? When both teams got separated by the draft? I seem to recall people at the time thinking it was Bubba who was going to break out and were pretty much crapping on the "lame" JBL gimmick.
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CH Punk
Bill S. Preston, Esq.
Advice: Noted
Stuck in the Retro Zone
Posts: 15,570
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Post by CH Punk on Sept 14, 2013 22:02:18 GMT -5
This happened at the same time as the attempted Bubba Ray Dudley solo main-eventer push, right? When both teams got separated by the draft? I seem to recall people at the time thinking it was Bubba who was going to break out and were pretty much crapping on the "lame" JBL gimmick. If I remember correctly, Bubba was in 2002 or 2003, while JBL was a bit after WrestleMania XX in 2004 (In fact, both Dudleys were traded to Smackdown with Booker T for Triple H after the draft the night after Mania).
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CM Dazz
King Koopa
Chuck
Posts: 10,475
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Post by CM Dazz on Sept 14, 2013 22:03:07 GMT -5
This happened at the same time as the attempted Bubba Ray Dudley solo main-eventer push, right? When both teams got separated by the draft? I seem to recall people at the time thinking it was Bubba who was going to break out and were pretty much crapping on the "lame" JBL gimmick. I honestly thought Bubba was going to be the next Mick Foley.
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chazraps
Wade Wilson
Better have my money when I come-a collect!
Posts: 28,268
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Post by chazraps on Sept 14, 2013 22:10:15 GMT -5
Have some thoughts on old JBL. -From the end of the Eddie program, to the smackdown after survivor series, his reign was shitty, thought he had some cool promos -He really settle in a groove after Survivor series and truly felt like a main eventer. Honestly, I think the moment you can pinpoint the character going from uninteresting to great was his promo at No Mercy 2004 when they decided to turn him full-Republican. Given the climate at the time of the 2004 election, having JBL blame his perception as a villain on the "liberal media" was the start of them really making the character feel three-dimensional and giving it what he had been missing. From there we got the "since I've been WWE champion, there's been no terrorist attacks" and "everytime I come out here I have to say it in spanish, say it in 'hip-hop,' say it in 'monster.'" JBL that fans really liked from that reign. But Summer-Winter 2004 was one of the worst times to be a fan and working out the kinks of the character that had to be rushed was a big reason why.
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Post by Super Nintenjoe KBD on Sept 14, 2013 22:13:26 GMT -5
Wow, that "drink or fight" era looks so lame for some reason. Thank Odin he turned hell. I remember not being too impressed with his "bad ass" singles push on Raw after the brand split in 02. I later stopped watching and I remember being pretty surprised when I'd check in and see his new character.
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Post by Bootista on Sept 14, 2013 22:14:13 GMT -5
Wow, that "drink or fight" era looks so lame for some reason. Thank Odin he turned hell. I remember not being too impressed with his "bad ass" singles push on Raw after the brand split in 02. I later stopped watching and I remember being pretty surprised when I'd check in and see his new character. He became Satan?
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Post by Super Nintenjoe KBD on Sept 14, 2013 22:18:03 GMT -5
I saw my error but figured someone could have fun with it.
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Sparkybob
King Koopa
I have a status?
Posts: 11,001
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Post by Sparkybob on Sept 14, 2013 22:35:32 GMT -5
Have some thoughts on old JBL. -From the end of the Eddie program, to the smackdown after survivor series, his reign was shitty, thought he had some cool promos -He really settle in a groove after Survivor series and truly felt like a main eventer. Honestly, I think the moment you can pinpoint the character going from uninteresting to great was his promo at No Mercy 2004 when they decided to turn him full-Republican. Given the climate at the time of the 2004 election, having JBL blame his perception as a villain on the "liberal media" was the start of them really making the character feel three-dimensional and giving it what he had been missing. From there we got the "since I've been WWE champion, there's been no terrorist attacks" and "everytime I come out here I have to say it in spanish, say it in 'hip-hop,' say it in 'monster.'" JBL that fans really liked from that reign. But Summer-Winter 2004 was one of the worst times to be a fan and working out the kinks of the character that had to be rushed was a big reason why. Yea like I said, even during the shitty part of his reign, he had some good to great promos like usual. Just that I thought his feuds with Taker and Booker were uninspiring.
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EyeofTyr
Hank Scorpio
Strange and Mystical
Posts: 5,744
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Post by EyeofTyr on Sept 14, 2013 22:41:35 GMT -5
This happened at the same time as the attempted Bubba Ray Dudley solo main-eventer push, right? When both teams got separated by the draft? I seem to recall people at the time thinking it was Bubba who was going to break out and were pretty much crapping on the "lame" JBL gimmick. Think you might be mixing up JBL with Devon's push on Smackdown as the good Reverend. Bubba and him I recall both having those that liked the shticks and both had people calling them the one that would win out in the long run.
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Post by Joe Neglia on Sept 14, 2013 22:46:35 GMT -5
'ite. For some reason I was thinking the APA and Dudleys were both broken up by the draft at the same time, with Bubba being pushed hard on Raw and JBL being pushed on Smackdown. Maybe it was another team the year of the Dudleys I'm thinking of.
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Post by OGBoardPoster2005 on Sept 14, 2013 22:53:08 GMT -5
'ite. For some reason I was thinking the APA and Dudleys were both broken up by the draft at the same time, with Bubba being pushed hard on Raw and JBL being pushed on Smackdown. Maybe it was another team the year of the Dudleys I'm thinking of. Bubba's push was 2002, right around the Fall. He even had a match with HHH for the World Title.
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Post by Joe Neglia on Sept 14, 2013 23:07:55 GMT -5
Looking at the Wikipedia page for the brand extension/draft (why, god, does such a page even exist?), it seems I was right. Kind of.
It WAS Bradshaw I was thinking of. It just wasn't when he morphed overnight into JBL, it was when they gave his gimmick a more western feel again. And he wasn't pushed as hard as I remembered, just in the Hardcore division.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Sept 14, 2013 23:24:19 GMT -5
He should've done a reverse AJ Styles.
Have the APA music hit, come out on the stage, crowd is pumped, good times...then the music changes to the Wall Street bells clanging and cows mooing, and an assistant runs out and throws a towel on his shoulders and a cowboy hat on his head and rips his APA tights off to reveal his new JBL trunks. His smile becomes a contemptuous scowl, and the Bradshaw we know and love is dead. FOREVER.
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