Former creative team member's new blog

[TheBigBoot]

* On the Uso's WWE introduction and promo, Vince McMahon didn't understand the hip hop culture and the appeal of the tag-team. The original idea for the Uso's was to present them as the opposite of what you would expect from a Samoan superstar - intelligent, educated and wearing boots while competing.

 

Not buying it. We all know (or have all read, might be more accurate) that Vinny Mac isn't exactly the most in-touch guy with popular culture but I find that one extremely hard to believe. 'Make A Difference' Fatu was very much presented as a Samoan guy who was into hip hop culture and wrestled in boots who would cut promos in English, talking about growing up in the States. As another example from the same era, The Samoan Gangsta Party, who are being discussed in another thread right now, were the other side of that gimmick.

 

Then in the last decade we had The Island Boyz become Three Minute Warning, who had a hip-hop theme both musically and in terms of how they dressed, when they were brought up to the main roster.

[TheBigBoot]

Well, it's down already. Looks like somebody forgot the non-disclosure agreement he signed.

 

I did wonder about that, considering what a big deal has been made about WWE 'forcing' writers to sign non-disclosures in the past.

 

Any updates on what has happened?

 

Also, now that I think about it Rikishi had a hip hop-based character as well, hanging out with 2 Cool and dancing after matches.

 

Even when they resigned Jamal a few years ago the two rumours were always that:

 

1. He was going to be linked to John Cena to give him some 'street cred'/help stop the booing Cena was getting

 

Or

 

2. He'd reform 3 Minute Warning with Rosey

 

So when he became Umaga I remember it was actually a pretty big surprise at the time (and got a negative reaction on here for being straight out of the Seventies).

 

Which raises the question who are all these bare-footed Samoan wrestlers who didn't speak English in the past decade and a half that Piermarini was watching?

 

Personally, I'd be far more surprised if a Samoan wrestler in WWF didn't have a hip hop inspired gimmick because every single one who has worked with them for the last fifteen years has had one at one point.

[thicko]

* On the Uso's WWE introduction and promo, Vince McMahon didn't understand the hip hop culture and the appeal of the tag-team. The original idea for the Uso's was to present them as the opposite of what you would expect from a Samoan superstar - intelligent, educated and wearing boots while competing.

 

Not buying it. We all know (or have all read, might be more accurate) that Vinny Mac isn't exactly the most in-touch guy with popular culture but I find that one extremely hard to believe. 'Make A Difference' Fatu was very much presented as a Samoan guy who was into hip hop culture and wrestled in boots who would cut promos in English, talking about growing up in the States. As another example from the same era, The Samoan Gangsta Party, who are being discussed in another thread right now, were the other side of that gimmick.

 

Then in the last decade we had The Island Boyz become Three Minute Warning, who had a hip-hop theme both musically and in terms of how they dressed, when they were brought up to the main roster.

 

They were introduced like that though. I specifically remember an introduction promo, on Superstars I believe, where they talked about being educated and wearing smart clothes. I often think about how this seems to have been dropped when they appear.