Misused wrestlers

[King Pitcos]

Just thought we could do with a thread about wrestlers who were misused. I know "they're misusing him" is usually just code for "I like that little quick fella and he's not WWE champion" but there are examples of wrestlers actually being used stupidly, and some of you must be able to recall plenty of them. I think Jack Swagger was severely misused for a lot of his world title reign, when they abandoned the brash jock gimmick and made him a big spastic version of Jericho's "bore in a suit" character.

[gadge]

Agree 100% about Swagger. He probably needs a trip to Japan, ala MVP, to try and work on his game and freshen up, as he's going nowhere in WWE now.

[The Cum Doctor]

Tarver is the one that comes to mind instantly here. The guy looked like an absolute killer in the early days of the Nexus and then just faded away and then got sacked for what would appear to be no reason whatsoever.

 

I think Kofi Kingston showed a lot of promise during the Randy Orton fued capped off with a belting wee match at TLC in 2009. He was also pretty good on the mic having just shed the whole Jamaican accent. He was shuffled back to the midcard soon after.

[Green]

If there was ever a time Swagger needed to do his goofy grin and victory lap it was when he pinned Jericho to win the title. He just looked like he'd absorbed Y2J's personality after the three count.

[Dr.PeterVenkman]

Not saying he should've been World Champion or anything but D'Lo Brown in '99 is a good shout

 

Even before the Droz accident, he was treading water when he could've been pushed harder, the reactions he got in his feud with Jeff Jarrett and subsequent feud with Mark Henry were massive considering he hadn't really had any type of push

 

Of course after the Droz incident, he became the Godfathers tag partner then turned heel on him and eventually teamed up with Chaz, plus he (understandably) seemed to have been affected by what happened but it was a shame he wasn't pushed, even if just for a few weeks, into a mini Big Show/Taker/Some other upper/main event level heel in late summer/early autumn '99

[Fox Piss]

I would of thrown Kenny Shamrock straight in world title picture back in 1997/1998.

[PunkStep]

Why does he need to go to Japan? He doesn't. He needs to be used effectively. Like Pity said, he was mis-used as WWE champion. They didn't need another self-important egotistical heel as world champ, but the goofy, cocky jock character would've been refreshing at the top of the card.

[The Cum Doctor]

Why does he need to go to Japan? He doesn't. He needs to be used effectively. Like Pity said, he was mis-used as WWE champion. They didn't need another self-important egotistical heel as world champ, but the goofy, cocky jock character would've been refreshing at the top of the card.

 

Indeed. They took the one thing that his character had going for it and took it away. I wonder if they were scratching their heads after it thinking "how did that title run go wrong?" like a bunch of idiots. I have no doubt that if the big goofy Swagger was the one holding the belt, it'd have been much better.

[King Pitcos]

Tarver is the one that comes to mind instantly here. The guy looked like an absolute killer in the early days of the Nexus and then just faded away and then got sacked for what would appear to be no reason whatsoever.

I think Tarver was fucked from NXT. He looked the most savage bastard in it, but he was the bumbling buffoon.

 

I think Kofi Kingston showed a lot of promise during the Randy Orton fued capped off with a belting wee match at TLC in 2009. He was also pretty good on the mic having just shed the whole Jamaican accent. He was shuffled back to the midcard soon after.

I don't think he can be singled out as particularly misused though, can he? At least no moreso than McIntyre, Ziggler, Barrett, Bryan etc. Like near enough everyone else below the main event, he's just there. Plodding along, hoping for the golden ticket. They definitely missed a trick with him in late 2009, but the wind was already knocked out of the sails before TLC when him and Orton had two throwaway and unspectacular matches on consecutive weeks of Raw. All of a sudden, their big anticipated PPV match just became another entry in a now-underwhelming series.

 

If there was ever a time Swagger needed to do his goofy grin and victory lap it was when he pinned Jericho to win the title. He just looked like he'd absorbed Y2J's personality after the three count.

Aye, he did! It was like the fucking quickening.

 

I would of thrown Kenny Shamrock straight in world title picture back in 1997/1998.

They did try. Shawn Michaels ballsed it up for him though, I think.

[IANdrewDiceClay]

I would of thrown Kenny Shamrock straight in world title picture back in 1997/1998.

At the expense of who? It was the era of the charismatic wrestler who could hold his own for 20 minutes on the microphone. Shamrock was green and had the personality of a Cabage Patch Kid. He needed time to develop in the ring as well (I'm sure Vader would agree with that). He did get a run with Michaels in late 97, but it wasnt much of a feud. They were to busy doing the pre-Montreal angles to bother with Ken.

 

-For me Scott Norton and Buff Bagwell should have been used far better. They should have been WCW's top tag team in 1997/98.

-Another one was DDP. Even though he was a massive star anyway, DDP should have been elevated to the main event club for good in 1997 and 1998. Or even turned him. Sting and DDP would have done massive business if done right in 1998. The pops he got in arenas were massive. And again in 2001, he was a ready made star, WWF could have done something with.

-Diesel was the very definition of misuse. The way he was booked in 1995 was how you really shouldn't book your main eventer. People say he never drew, but nobody would have draw how he was booked, presented and the opponents he was given (and the results of some of those matches).

 

I think they are misusing Daniel Bryan as well. For the next year, I'd have in tapping everyone in under a minute to set up a main event program. I'd even bring Kurt Angle back for it.

[The Cum Doctor]

I don't think he can be singled out as particularly misused though, can he? At least no moreso than McIntyre, Ziggler, Barrett, Bryan etc. Like near enough everyone else below the main event, he's just there.

 

I can't say I see much in any of the guys you mentioned there that would suggest they are much better than a midcarder. Even Wade Barrett looked a bit out of his league when he was fueding with Cena. Kofi Kingston looked the part when he was fueding with Randy Orton and I genuinely thought when the fued with him and Orton was done that we'd see more of him in the main events and I think if given the chance, he'd excel in bigger programs.

[Fox Piss]

Sid had fucked off sometime in 1997 Shamrock reminds me a bit of Sid. Guy couldn't talk but with his intensity and the UFC background he just shouts out legit hard bastard to me.

[Shovanist Pig]

Raven during his WWF/E stay. They just didn't seem to get him. He obviously didn't conform to their usual look they want and Vince/WWE hate guys who are marks for the business.

[gadge]

Why does he need to go to Japan? He doesn't. He needs to be used effectively. Like Pity said, he was mis-used as WWE champion. They didn't need another self-important egotistical heel as world champ, but the goofy, cocky jock character would've been refreshing at the top of the card.

 

I get all of that, but suddenly changing the way they booked him wouldn't change his audience perception. If he was suddenly pushed overnight, people would remember him being Michael Cole's joke lackey, and Evan Bourne making him look like a fool. 6-12 months away would give him the opportunity to come back fresh, and you know, he might learn a few things...

[garynysmon]

I know he was there or thereabouts for a while in 1987/88, but it's amazing how Ted Dibiase was never quite a main eventer. I wonder if that was due to his size? Because he certainly had all the tools.