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Post by YAKMAN is ICHIBAN on Apr 8, 2019 16:27:18 GMT -5
My one issue with the Demon stuff is that there really isn’t any discernable difference aside from Finn crawling and sticking his tongue out a lot. He should be wrestling a different style as the Demon... one that emphasizes a more aggressive and ruthless style from his usual flippy stuff. He did seem to do that more last night.
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Post by Doctor No on Apr 8, 2019 16:28:08 GMT -5
The Demon is stupid/silly when Finn is booked like such a weak loser. It only works to me if it just seems to be another gear that this top guy kind of star can pull out some times. Not as some superpower this mid carder gets that makes him unbeatable or whatever.
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Post by Instant Classic on Apr 8, 2019 16:28:50 GMT -5
Cause he’s a freaking dork.
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Post by A Platypus Rave is Correct on Apr 8, 2019 16:30:43 GMT -5
My one issue with the Demon stuff is that there really isn’t any discernable difference aside from Finn crawling and sticking his tongue out a lot. He should be wrestling a different style as the Demon... one that emphasizes a more aggressive and ruthless style from his usual flippy stuff. He did seem to do that more last night. He's done it before too. the commentators just pushed it more last night with the Powerbomb
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nisidhe
Hank Scorpio
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Post by nisidhe on Apr 8, 2019 16:36:55 GMT -5
Interesting. Looks like I'm the first self-identifying woman in this thread. The headcanon the Demon has generated within his fans seems to be lost to those outside Balor Club. If all you see is a headdress made of leather straps and chains, some labour-intensive bodypaint and over-the-top animalistic affectations and you think it's wonky, I don't know what to tell you. Finn Balor is not for you. That's okay. Honestly, if Finn was any different in the ring when he was 'The Demon' I might buy this. But he isn't. He's just Finn, wearing a lot of body paint. And that still managed to be cool, when the paint looked good. But the entrance has always been lame. All I'm getting is that this character is the absolute definition of 'skin deep'. They'd be far better if they just had the paint be a thing he does for big matches, because he's a dork who likes roleplay stuff. Fans could accept that quite easily, just like they apparently accept Triple H living out his pubescent fantasies of being various kinds of movie hero. At the expense of once again playing the "Creative's fault" card, I'm not entirely sure we can lay this situation at Ferg's feet. The closest we got to some significant character development was the feud with Wyatt, and even then a) somebody higher up watered it down even beyond the baselines set by either Finn (who'd explained the Demon back before Summerslam '16) or Bray (who frequently mentioned his relationship with Sister Abigail), and b) somebody higher up than Triple H couldn't see the value in the story and quashed it as soon as an excuse arose to quash it (the outbreak.) Vince may not fear the Demon, but he should deeply fear what might happen should he lose that dork to AEW (which is far more likely than it seems right now.)
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Post by government mule on Apr 8, 2019 16:41:24 GMT -5
He's not very intimidating.
Now if Lashley was doing that Demon crap...holy shit I'm running
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Post by Prince Petty on Apr 8, 2019 16:59:14 GMT -5
Honestly, if Finn was any different in the ring when he was 'The Demon' I might buy this. But he isn't. He's just Finn, wearing a lot of body paint. And that still managed to be cool, when the paint looked good. But the entrance has always been lame. All I'm getting is that this character is the absolute definition of 'skin deep'. They'd be far better if they just had the paint be a thing he does for big matches, because he's a dork who likes roleplay stuff. Fans could accept that quite easily, just like they apparently accept Triple H living out his pubescent fantasies of being various kinds of movie hero. At the expense of once again playing the "Creative's fault" card, I'm not entirely sure we can lay this situation at Ferg's feet. The closest we got to some significant character development was the feud with Wyatt, and even then a) somebody higher up watered it down even beyond the baselines set by either Finn (who'd explained the Demon back before Summerslam '16) or Bray (who frequently mentioned his relationship with Sister Abigail), and b) somebody higher up than Triple H couldn't see the value in the story and quashed it as soon as an excuse arose to quash it (the outbreak.) Vince may not fear the Demon, but he should deeply fear what might happen should he lose that dork to AEW (which is far more likely than it seems right now.) I don't lay it at his feet. I like Balor a lot, and wish the WWE would do something more ambitious with him. But the Demon as a character just doesn't work for me. The announcers sell it like we're not watching Finn Balor, and it just feels hokey. If they just had him use the bodypaint for big matches then it could be a surprise each time. Finn's music hits, he comes out and... 'he's wearing paint! What's the design this time? Look at his opponent, he looks worried now. He knows Finn means business.'
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nisidhe
Hank Scorpio
O Superman....O judge....O Mom and Dad....
Posts: 5,761
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Post by nisidhe on Apr 8, 2019 17:37:20 GMT -5
At the expense of once again playing the "Creative's fault" card, I'm not entirely sure we can lay this situation at Ferg's feet. The closest we got to some significant character development was the feud with Wyatt, and even then a) somebody higher up watered it down even beyond the baselines set by either Finn (who'd explained the Demon back before Summerslam '16) or Bray (who frequently mentioned his relationship with Sister Abigail), and b) somebody higher up than Triple H couldn't see the value in the story and quashed it as soon as an excuse arose to quash it (the outbreak.) Vince may not fear the Demon, but he should deeply fear what might happen should he lose that dork to AEW (which is far more likely than it seems right now.) I don't lay it at his feet. I like Balor a lot, and wish the WWE would do something more ambitious with him. But the Demon as a character just doesn't work for me. The announcers sell it like we're not watching Finn Balor, and it just feels hokey. If they just had him use the bodypaint for big matches then it could be a surprise each time. Finn's music hits, he comes out and... 'he's wearing paint! What's the design this time? Look at his opponent, he looks worried now. He knows Finn means business.' That's another part of the problem, and it's not a problem only with Finn. The announce team has _no_ idea how to sell an event even like Wrestlemania, and Vince micromanages too closely to allow them to try. I genuinely shed a tear when someone commented last night the very words, "It's pandemonium! They're hanging from the rafters!" Those words have put money in Vince's pockets every single time they've been uttered but he won't let his announce team utter them or anything close. They should be selling Finn as if they were Mary Kay sales people two lipsticks away from the pink Cadillac. Instead, nobody outside the locker room can really be arsed.
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Post by Citizen Snips on Apr 8, 2019 17:42:43 GMT -5
They really need to explain what The Demon is/represents other than "Aggression!", since most wrestlers are aggressive people.
The reason Triple H had that epic sell of "His name...is Cactus Jack!" is he realized he just went from having to deal with the Foley that wore a sock puppet and tried to make The Rock laugh to the Foley that had no problem setting himself on fire and being thrown into barbed wire if it meant that he could hurt someone else as well. There was always a clear distinction between Mick's personas that made that gimmick work. Finn is just "I'm painted up and a little faster" while the announcers yell "IT'S DEMON TIME"
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Post by Widow's Peak on Apr 9, 2019 9:29:15 GMT -5
They should treat it the way it was treated in NXT, where it was always just framed as something Finn does for a special occasion and it doesn't necessarily give him super powers. Or they should just go full Lucha Underground with it and just embrace the supernatural cheese.
In any event, give us a simple explanation of why he doesn't use the persona all the time.
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Post by Mister Pigwell on Apr 9, 2019 9:33:22 GMT -5
Interesting. Looks like I'm the first self-identifying woman in this thread. The headcanon the Demon has generated within his fans seems to be lost to those outside Balor Club. If all you see is a headdress made of leather straps and chains, some labour-intensive bodypaint and over-the-top animalistic affectations and you think it's wonky, I don't know what to tell you. Finn Balor is not for you. That's okay. If a key character point is dependent on "headcanon" then everyone involved has failed at every level of storytelling from Vince to Finn to the writers.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 9, 2019 9:44:28 GMT -5
He's not very intimidating. Now if Lashley was doing that Demon crap...holy shit I'm running Lashley with those contacts was more intimidating than Demon Finn will ever be. Dude could literally sprout horns and summon fire and I'd give the edge to glow-eyes Bobby.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 9, 2019 10:12:30 GMT -5
They really need to explain what The Demon is/represents other than "Aggression!", since most wrestlers are aggressive people. The reason Triple H had that epic sell of "His name...is Cactus Jack!" is he realized he just went from having to deal with the Foley that wore a sock puppet and tried to make The Rock laugh to the Foley that had no problem setting himself on fire and being thrown into barbed wire if it meant that he could hurt someone else as well. There was always a clear distinction between Mick's personas that made that gimmick work. Finn is just "I'm painted up and a little faster" while the announcers yell "IT'S DEMON TIME" That's how I've always felt they WANT it to be perceived, but they never execute it right. The whole "demon" shtick shouldn't be predictable to the point that "Well, it's Mania/SummerSlam/one of the big 4, time for the demon". It should be the nuclear option. It should be the point where Finn says "I'm going to go to a place where this may very well kill me, but I'm going to take you with me", and then he should go in and make the ring work convey that. Unfortunately, he doesn't.
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Post by Ishmeal Loves BBL Bayley on Apr 9, 2019 12:26:49 GMT -5
The problem is in the marketing of the Demon. Before WWE it was something he did like for big matches but he didn't wrestle any differently. Now it's being presented akin to Randy Orton "going to that place" and it's stupid. And I love Balor.
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schma
El Dandy
Who are you to doubt me?
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Post by schma on Apr 9, 2019 12:43:23 GMT -5
I just find the tongue wagging of the demon (and I mean literal tongue wagging, not talking) to just be so ridiculous. It makes it harder to take the demon seriously.
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Post by The Heartbreak TWERK on Apr 9, 2019 14:32:38 GMT -5
I just find the tongue wagging of the demon (and I mean literal tongue wagging, not talking) to just be so ridiculous. It makes it harder to take the demon seriously. Bingo. He's never done that before this last appearance. Hokey as shit. Please don't do that again.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 9, 2019 14:37:59 GMT -5
The entire Demon concept has largely been Flanderized at this point.
On NXT, the Demon get-up was just a way for Finn to tap into his inner strength reserves. He was more theatrical and flamboyant as the Demon, yes, but it was basically just a way for him to dial up the aggression and be able to take more punishment.
On the main roster, the Demon is treated like a legit superhuman alter-ego, and WWE has shown an utter inability to write "this wrestler has superhuman powers" effectively other than Taker and Kane. All the people who were like "the Demon should be more distinct from regular Finn!" - that's how you get shit like hissing and tongue-wagging, because the main roster doesn't know how to write anything non-corny for a character like that.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 9, 2019 14:49:48 GMT -5
I like Finn as the vanilla midget with a big fighting heart but the Demon is lame.
Lashley was the true monster and I was pissed that he lost to trick or treat boy.
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Post by Kevin Hamilton on Apr 9, 2019 15:41:56 GMT -5
I do sorta wish they'd have done the whole Great Pumpkin paint vs Drag Bray.
Even the graphic for that was hilariously stupid.
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Post by Mister Pigwell on Apr 9, 2019 15:50:41 GMT -5
I do sorta wish they'd have done the whole Great Pumpkin paint vs Drag Bray. Even the graphic for that was hilariously stupid. That was a hair out of my threshold for enjoyable dumb. I think Finn would be as bad off as Bray is if that match happened.
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