It’s that time of the year where wrestling becomes interesting and football is at its end, also know as the perfect time to start watching wrestling again. We are close to the Royal Rumble which is the starting point to Wrestlemania, and because of that I’d like to preview the Royal Rumble before I get into the main topic.
Kane vs. John Cena
I’m not a big fan of Kane’s work or gimmick at this stage of his career. I find it funny that people actually thought he’d become a better wrestler and gimmick if he were just put the mask back one when – in reality – once he took the mask off the mystique was gone. I also don’t have many good feelings towards John Cena right now. He’s a hard worker, but his character is very stale right now and his promos are just hard to sit through. This feud just feels like filler because we all know its to give Cena something to do before his match with the Rock. The only question still remaining is does Cena win now or later? I think this match will go to some no decision and they’ll extend the feud.
WHW Title Match: Mark Henry vs. Big Show vs. Daniel Bryan (c)
I don’t mind this feud and it seems as if they’re going to turn Bryan heel, something that he’s actually been very good at doing believe it or not. The only problem I have with this feud is Daniel Bryan should be wrestling people he can showcase his talent with. We all know Bryan’s title reign is not going to last and who knows where he will be after he losses it. So why don’t they allow him to go out there and showcase his talent while he’s on top? Maybe they’re not because they don’t want people to realize he’s a better worker than most – if not all – their true maineventers. WWE has shown that they have a mindset like that… but if that’s the case, why is he champion to begin with then? Anyways, I believe Daniel Bryan will win this match in a heelish way, teasing his heel turn.
CM Punk (c) vs. Dolph Ziggler
With his back against the wall, CM Punk will overcome all the odds and win this match. Hopefully Johhny Ace doesn’t become too involved with this match because he could hinder a match that ought to steal the show. We all know about CM Punk’s talents but not everyone knows about Ziggler’s. When the WWE allows Ziggler to showcase his talent, he can put on a good match with just about anyone. We’ll see how he does in the spotlight, but Punk will guide him through the match even if he stumbles.
30-Man Royal Rumble
It’s hard to predict how good or bad the Rumble will be, but usually they’re very entertaining matches. Hopefully they’ll will be shocking surprises and good booking (aka the main recipe that makes a Rumble match good). Jericho is the sure favorite to win the Rumble but I cannot remember the last sure favorite that has won the Rumble. I believe the WWE will throw a curveball by picking someone we don’t expect. I have no idea who that person can be, though.
Now onto the main topic: We Need More Gimmicks Like Brodus Clay
Before Brodus Clay’s new gimmick, he was just another NXT guy. He was no different from Heath Slater (except Slater was more known due to being in Nexus). He (Clay) wasn’t a very good wrestler, talker or character. He was plain and vanilla then, but if you ask a wrestling fan who watches Raw who Brodus Clay is now, they could tell you all about him.
The reason they can tell you about him is because his gimmick stands out. He’s not a create your own wrestler number 2 on WWE 12. He’s unique and sticks out like a sore thumb (in a good way) because of his goofy disco music, awful dancing, attire, and for calling his spots out loud while wrestling. He’s an outlandish, goofy character but for that he stands out as someone that you can remember.
Think about all the guys in the WWE who had way more talent than Clay that couldn’t or cannot stand out because they have/had no personality. A person who comes to mind on the WWE roster that fits this description is Evan Bourne.
He (Bourne) has great athleticism and knows how to wrestle, but he doesn’t stand out and cannot get over consistently because has has nothing unique about his character. There is nothing there for any fans to get emotionally invested in when it comes to Bourne.
The main reasons the WWE lacks wrestlers who stand out are because of two major things: the WWE’s developmental system and the wrestlers they scout.
The wrestlers the WWE hires almost all look and act the same. They all have short hair, a great body, and either play a generic heel or babyface (although that’s writer’s fault). I am not saying wrestlers like them cannot be in wrestling, but there needs to be some variety. There has to be some clashes. I mean what’s so fun about seeing CAW 1.0 facing CAW 2? Nothing at all. And would HBK really have been a boy toy and sex-symbol if every wrestler looked like him? Nope.
I believe the problem with the WWE’s developmental system is they teach all their wrestlers to work exactly the same way. Even though it helps young wrestlers from getting injured or hurting the person they are working with, it makes a lot of the WWE’s matches very colorless. Plus, if a wrestler is young and inexperienced, should he be wrestling on the main stage yet anyway?
Even though I don’t believe Clay is ready for the main stage yet, his character has overshadowed his flaws because it stands out. If more wrestlers had unique characters, they would be able to hide their flaws and more importantly get over with the crowd.When everyone is the same, nobody can stand out.
If you think of the greatest wrestlers of all time, each one had a certain uniqueness about them. Ric Flair was the snobby rich d-bag. Austin was the tough SOB who took no shit. The Rock was the over-the-top pompous jock. Hulk Hogan was the larger-than-life cartoon character. And the list goes on of wrestlers who stood out because of their characters because they were different and unique.
If more wrestlers had a character that were different, more wrestlers could get over because they would be able to stand out. Think of the greatest times in wrestling and the most popular.
Let’s use the Attitude Era for an example. The Attitude Era never had the greatest talent or the best booking in the world, but they did have unique characters that stood out and their unique blend of characters were a major element that made the era so successful.
Wrestling has never been about your run-the-mill jocks who you could see at the YMCA every day. It’s about seeing people who you wouldn’t usually see on an average day, which is why the WWE needs to create more gimmicks like Brodus Clay so they can all stand out on their own and not be like the other wrestlers on the roster.
