Randy Orton's Battle with Development

Sticking with part of yesterday's topic, when is someone going to get around to freshening up Randy Orton's act. He's had the same dreary entrance music since 2008. The last time he changed up his look was in 2011 (and that was just the addition of a closely trimmed beard, hardly revolutionary stuff). I can't remember the last time he debuted a new move or participated in a non-pay-per-view match where he came across as motivated to have a great match.

These are all things that would be easy to fix. Jim Johston, WWE's resident musical composer not-so-extraordinaire, could be prodded into producing something new for 'The Viper' or outsourcing it to one of those generic bands he likes. Orton could grow out his hair or shave his head completely. The latter is something he flirts with on occasion but never goes all the way with, always retaining the closest of buzzcuts.

Some different coloured trunks could be ordered. Orty likes a primary coloured squiggle on black a lot of the time and that's served him and many other wrestlers well. But it's dull and contributes to the overall dullness of Orton's character. Even something as simple as switching to white trunks could help give Orton an air of freshness.

Blandy Borton.

He could work on his promos, debuting a catchphrase or altering his cadence. He could implement a new move, either a transitional piece or a submission finisher. The dragon sleeper's free and I feel that, accompanied by a body scissors, would fit well with Orton's character. In longer, more important matches he could even target his opponent's neck, softening them up for the dragon sleeper and the RKO.

Imagine how much good it would do Orton to take a month or so off TV and return with a new haircut, a new submission move, new entrance music, and a lively, spirited promo style. He would seem like a new man, which may encourage people to show some interest in him. That in turn may encourage Orton to start tying a little harder.

It's notable that John Cena, a man who's been around as long as Orton and enjoys the same level of status within the company, continues to switch up his move set and makes a point of introducing new merchandise every few months. Yeah, the T-shirts are there to keep the money coming in more than anything else, but it helps Cena's look to constantly change. It's something Orton really needs to work on but he won't. Because of complacency.

Yeah, complacency will stop any of my suggestions from coming to pass. Orton knows he's guaranteed a certain status within WWE no matter. He has no reason to try and impress anyone because he has nothing to gain from it beyond the respect of people he very likely doesn't care about ("internet smarks"). Orton and his bosses are happy with how he looks, acts and wrestles. Therefore we're stuck with the same routine we've had for years.

Ryback Rules

I think anyone who appreciates a good wrestling-based chuckle will have become a fan of Ryback over the last year. This is not the unstoppable jobber-demanding musclehead who was hot-shotted to the top of the card in late 2012, the guy who jobbed to Mark Henry at WrestleMania XXIX, turned heel the next night, and then did some more jobs to John Cena before tumbling down the card into obscurity.

Maybe the nip slip could become a regular part of Ryback's repertoire.

No, this guy sends himself up with YouTube videos and childishly mocks “internet wrestling fans”¹ during his ring entrances. His videos, often recorded in profile on an iPhone in a move that seems designed to further the perception that Ryback is a clueless, bumbling simpleton, have included him taking part in rib-eating contests, rocking up at drive-thrus with his own entrance music blaring from the stereo of his (rental) car, and laying in a hospital hooked up to an IV and heart monitor even though he’s only there to undergo a hernia operation.

With these videos he has created a deluded persona for himself. One that suits him and that he seems to enjoy playing.

It’s the last video mentioned (also the most recent) that really showed how much potential the character has for being used on television. After acknowledging that he’s been working injured for a while (neatly avoiding revealing the nature of his injury) Ryback says he powered through for the kids, grandparents, fathers and mothers, noting that the mothers are particularly fond of ‘The Big Guy’. He then references a conversation he had with his “good friend” Babe Ruth, who died in 1948, 33 years before Ryback was born, before promising he’ll return “in a big way” and drifting off to sleep saying his own catchphrase. And throughout he continually refers to himself in the third person by his ‘Big Guy’ moniker. It’s wonderfully daft.

WWE should make the most of the character the man’s created. Precede his comeback with a series of delusional videos, aired on RAW and SmackDown, in which Ryback does things like visit children’s homes and open supermarkets, giving speeches and referring to himself as ‘The Big Guy’. When he gets back to arenas have him reference his famous pals in interviews. Anyone from Abraham Lincoln to Arnold Schwarzenegger. The joke is that much more surreal if the alleged friend is dead but they don’t have to be: the base punchline is that Ryback clearly doesn’t know any of these people.

‘The Human Wrecking Ball’s’ chance to crack the top has probably been and gone but he could still play a very convincing mid-card beast. He could have great matches with guys like Cesaro and Ziggler, sending ‘The Show Off’ bouncing around the ring and providing a suitable slab of flesh for ‘The Swiss Superman’ to muscle around. Ziggler and Cesaro should be the two guys WWE builds their mid-card around, and if they are then they’ll need opponents. Ryback’s perfect for the role.

***

¹ Because apparently it’s fine to lump us all together with this “label.” Whatever, Ryback. You bigot.

Hour Two

Over the course of That Wrestling Podcast Michael and I began frequently using the term hour two. It references the fact that the second hour of RAW almost always playing host to good but ultimately inconsequential matches. These matches usually feature the likes of Kofi Kingston and Dolph Ziggler. Guys who can wrestle a top notch match but who, for whatever reason, WWE seem unwilling to push beyond this filler role.

Good enemies, better friends?

This is something that could actually be used to WWE's advantage. Kingston and Ziggler could be paired up as a team or, better yet, put in a trio (those are so in right now) alongside a similarly overlooked mid-card vet such as Tyson Kidd or Justin Gabriel. It would be creating a new dynamic for the matches of all three and opening up storyline options for RAW's second hour (and SmackDown, Main Event, and pay-per-views too, obvs). That RAW’s second hour is bereft of plots is particularly depressing and something I think most would like to see changed.

There are various ways the three could be brought together. They could simply announce they're forming a team. That's suitably bland enough to suit WWE but it would be particularly unimpactful (if that wasn’t a word it is now). They could interfere in each other's matches for a few weeks before officially forming a group. My personal choice would be for the three of them to be booked in a three-way match for a US or Intercontinental title shot and announce the formation of their group instead of wrestling one another, challenging any three wrestlers to come out and steal the show with them in a six man tag instead. Because a desire to steal the show would need to be the driving force of a faction of this type, naturally.

If the three members got into the idea of being a faction it could become a highlight of RAW. Wearing some colour-coordinated gear and working on some double and triple team sequences would help to set them apart visually. They could bring back the strangely out of fashion practice of being at ringside for each other's single and tag team matches. Kidd and Kofi could be paired up as a regular duo and 'The Show Off' could be booked to pursue IC and-or US gold, with all three coming together for six mans every few weeks and facing their various opponents (or three randoms).

If left alone to establish themselves as a trio over a period of months then encounters with the Wyatt Family could be big events (had The Shield not split they’d have been natural opponents too). Imagine if this proposed new group closed an episode of RAW by attacking and getting the better of the Wyatt Family after months of earning a reputation of being a formidable three man team. In fact, you don't need to. Just glance at the face-off between the Wyatts and 'The Hounds of Justice' from November 2013 to see how well crowds will respond to such a stand-off if both teams have been built up to matter.

This proposed group (or one thematically similar to it) would give some structure to WWE's permanently overlooked middle card and give three guys the chance to get over without too much time commitment from the apparently overworked creative team. If they were allowed to develop character and a group dynamic WWE could have another Shield or Wyatt Family on their hands. The name of this proposed group? To do it full justice only one name's appropriate: Hour Two.

That Wrestling Podcast Episode 49

That Wrestling Podcast Episode 49 by Dave Hatton on Mixcloud

I’m not going to write loads about this episode. Basically, I think it’s one of our better episodes and it functions as a nice jump-on point to what we do.

Can this be improved on?

The opening natter covers a variety of topics. Included are niche manga available in Japan, the recent series of BBC crime drama Jonathan Creek, and an idea Michael’s had for months for a detective wrestler gimmick. So if you’re into Jonathan Creek, or the career of tousley-haired, large-chinned comedian-cum-actor Alan Davies, this is something you may find interesting.

Yes, it’s still a wrestling podcast.

The main topic is our second Three Improvements instalment. Last time we discussed tweaks that could be made to WWE tag teams. This time we discuss the more sombre matter of three TNA performers. Specifically we look at Rockstar Spud, a talented wrestler who doesn’t wrestle; Samoa Joe, a once great wrestler who’s let himself go a bit due to the indifference that TNA instils in everyone; and TNA world champion Magnus, a man Michael and I have very different views on.

No Mo JoMo?

It’s been over two years since John Morrison last appeared for WWE. He left the company after losing a falls count anywhere match to then-WWE champion The Miz on the November 28 RAW. He stated in interviews at the time that he was going to take time off to let his body rest and heal.

That lasted until February when Morrison, now competing under his real name of John Hennigan, returned to action in (of all places) the Philippines. Since then he’s become a regular for various small scale US promotions, made one or two appearances for Dragon Gate USA and wrestled in several European countries. He’s also pursued acting work and done some stand-up comedy. That he’s still wrestling tells me neither of the new lines of work has proven a lucrative avenue for him. The experience will have helped improve his promo skills though, the one clear weakness in his repertoire.

He’s avoided working for TNA or Ring of Honor or linking himself to a major Japanese company, which indicates that he’s not interested in tying himself to any promotion long term, at least not in a contractual capacity. And that in turn makes it seem as though he’s keeping himself free for a potential return to WWE.

John Morrison as the FWE champion

He’s been missed by WWE in his time away. In his final couple of years with the company Morrison had become someone who was trusted to go out and have an exciting match between the more important talking segments. This may sound flippant but it’s an important role in WWE and not one just anybody can fill. Wrestlers have to have a certain degree of popularity and an ability to work fast, big-bumping matches. Morrison had both.

At age thirty-four there’s no immediate rush for Morrison to return to WWE, but I’d like to see him back in the fold sooner than later. He can only continue with his current style for so long before he needs to start incorporating safer, less “high-risk” moves into his arsenal. He could make a return in, say, a decade and still do that, but the transition would be far trickier then. It’s best for him to return now while he can blend the dazzling offence he’s known for with new moves so the transition is less jarring for viewers.

Also, WWE could do with a man of his ability. They have Kofi Kingston and Dolph Ziggler to fill the slot but neither fits in quite as well as Morrison. Kofi comes across as a career mid-carder and while there’s nothing wrong with that it’s a perception that limits what can be done with him. ‘The Show Off’ is capable of bigger and better things but they’re not going to come his way until he gets to be a bad guy again, and until WWE management change their views on his place in the company.

Morrison would be excellent in the “hour two” role: that is have a exciting match in the hour where the lengthier performances take priority over the talking, which is saved for the first and third hours. He could, with the right support, use it to progress further up the card. Something Daniel Bryan’s ascent has proven is that you don’t have to have loads of time with a microphone to get ahead in WWE. It would be nice if JoMo had the opportunity to do something similar.

I think he’d be the perfect man to help re-establish the Intercontinental championship as the number two belt. With there being only one world championship in WWE now fewer people are going to find themselves with world title reigns on their CVs. Rehabilitating the Intercontinental title would be a good call as it would give the men who are never going to get a world title run something meaningful to wrestle for. Big E is fine as a champion but he isn’t going to have the sorts of matches the IC gold used to be known for. And it seems pretty clear that he’s going to continue up the ranks and get the WWE title at some point.

Morrison’s absence is also denying WWE and its viewers of a different kind of wrestling entrance. That’s an area WWE could really stand to improve in. Morrison’s standard entrance is already established with a slow motion effect and strobe effect but it could be much more. The photographers and the unfurling red carpet that were part of his entrance when he was in MNM could be brought back. He could sign autographs for people with aisle seats. Women could be hired to escort him to the ring. Different girls in every town, like the Godfather’s “ladies” but referred to as JoMo’s friends rather than anything more risqué.

This would not just provide a different kind of entrance but also help set Morrison apart from his peers and mark him out as something special, or at least different, to fans. That’s what viewers want: individuals with clearly defined characters, not people who all talk, act, and look the same. Morrison’s got everything WWE wants. They just need to give him the platform to let him win people over.

That Wrestling Podcast Episode 11

That Wrestling Podcast Episode 11 by Dave Hatton on Mixcloud

As Jim Ross and Triple H are fond of saying, there is no more important part of the current WWE system than developmental. It’s there that all of the future stars of the company can be found. The next John Cena, if there is to be a next John Cena, is either there now or will go through there on his journey to the main roster. It’s WWE’s tool for moulding wrestlers into superstars and ensuring its future as a company. For all the output of WWE Studios or big deals struck with names like The Rock and Brock Lesnar its NXT on which the future of WWE hinges.

Tyler Breeze: a good-looking man

 

And it’s NXT which is under scrutiny in the latest episode of That Wrestling Podcast. We talk about guys we like there, the approach taken with the booking of the group, and potential gimmicks for people stationed there.

Plus a little bit of Kevin Nash, and his thoughts on big men, and Ezekiel Jackson. It’s a hefty, and unwieldy, instalment.

The Matador Gimmick

You know how sometimes you'll have an idea and you'll think you should share it with the world before someone else does it? Yeah. That.

A few years ago I had an idea for a really gimmicky wrestling character. I've continually put off mentioning it anywhere because I wanted to save it and ensure it had maximum impact when it was finally used. In hindsight this was a stupid decision. It's not like I'm ever going to book an actual wrestling company. The closest I'll come is fantasy booking blog posts and they're not the sort of place to use this idea. Waiting hasn't saved the idea, it's simply allowed actual wrestling companies enough time to beat me to it. I should've known that would happen. I've watched the sport long enough to know that sooner or later everything gets turned into a gimmick.

The promotion that's beaten me to this incredible idea is WWE (hey, they'd already been there before with Tito Santana). On Monday's RAW they aired an introductory vignette for a new tag team called Los Matadores. It's basically a repackaging of the previously directionless Epico and Primo into bullfighters. It appears to be a comedy gimmick, which is good because outside of CHIKARA or a crazier Japanese promotion I couldn’t see it working as anything else.

 

This seems good, but I had something better

 

For the record I think this is a good move. Epico and Primo are talented guys but they failed to stand out. A bullfighting gimmick isn't the sort of thing that will take them to the top but it helps them distinguishable from their peers. More lower card guys in WWE would benefit from this treatment.

The idea I had was for a singles wrestler, dressed as a matador. He wouldn't just have been a matador though. Oh no. He would also have carried an encyclopaedia to the ring to show he was an intellectual. And to give him a handy foreign object.

Before each match he would have asked a member of the audience to ask him a question, at random, using the encyclopaedia. He'd either have answered it correctly or turned the question back on the audience member and used it as a way of insulting the town he were in. I’d have had him wrestling like a matador, sidestepping opponents with a heelish flourish. That's not something I'm expecting from Los Matadores.

This may sound a little strange and peculiar and ultimately pointless and I suppose it is. Without any sort of context explaining the concept of a wrestling gimmick is a little pointless. But you've not heard the name yet. It's the character's name that I was most proud of and the name that I think could have made it work.

The name was... wait for it... The Mind-Over-Matador.

Thank you for your time.