King Pitcos Posted November 17, 2014 Share Posted November 17, 2014 I'd put Rusev as the evolution of guys like Harley Race, physique-wise. A big, broad bastard, but he's got a good bit more definition to him. Thing with Harley Race and those sort as well, is they were pre-Hogan. The Hulkster changed the perception and reach of a top wrestler. But using Harley Race as an example of an unusual physique (in terms of defending Sami Zayn) isn't the best route, I think, as the sky -- or at least the glass ceiling under Cena -- is probably the limit for Sami Zayn in WWE, whereas if he'd rocked up to an eighties NWA card in the shape he's in, he might well have been told to go and buy a ticket. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackhennessey Posted November 17, 2014 Share Posted November 17, 2014 Hold up Loki did you use CM punk and an example? The only reason I'd avoid him at a bar as he looks like a complete misery guys. Also on top of that physique wise he hardly put a bunch of effort it. I remember my mum seeing him on telly and she went "Oh he clearly like his sandwiches" gotta admit Zayn isn't as toned in the upper body as some of the lads but he's clearly put on a bit more mass from his ROH days could be he's just could do with toning it up. I agree with pitcos as there is certainly more variety in what can be acceptable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Arch Stanton Posted November 17, 2014 Paid Members Share Posted November 17, 2014 Hold up Loki did you use CM punk and an example? The only reason I'd avoid him at a bar as he looks like a complete misery guys. Also on top of that physique wise he hardly put a bunch of effort it. I remember my mum seeing him on telly and she went "Oh he clearly like his sandwiches" I remember putting WWE on the telly while I was round at my mum and dad's house a couple of years ago. When Punk appeared on screen my dad noted that 'he was a bit skinny to be in it, isn't he?', before my mum added that she wouldn't let him sit on her sofas with that greasy hair (this was slick-back Punk time). It really hit home what the average non-wrestling fan would think of him and I was never able to take him at all seriously after that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Undefeated Steak Posted November 17, 2014 Share Posted November 17, 2014 That's exactly it for me, Arch. Nobody's physique really matters on the indy circuit because 90% of those watching are hardcore fans like us. My problem is with the WWE, a lot of us forget that the average fan watching an episode or Raw or Smackdown sees it in a completely different light than we do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AshC Posted November 17, 2014 Share Posted November 17, 2014 Nail meets head. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loki Posted November 18, 2014 Share Posted November 18, 2014 Hold up Loki did you use CM punk and an example? I think I said he exuded a bit of a don't fuck with me aura, in that he looked like a miserable prick, had various bits of metal hanging out of him, and some prison rape tattoos. I would never use him as an example of a good physique, with that skinny fat ass. That's exactly it for me, Arch. Nobody's physique really matters on the indy circuit because 90% of those watching are hardcore fans like us. My problem is with the WWE, a lot of us forget that the average fan watching an episode or Raw or Smackdown sees it in a completely different light than we do. Exactly. And muscles sell tickets. Always have. Cena looks granite, Randy looks sleek and athletic, Rusev looks like a tough bastard. Rollins looks like a prime athlete. Big Show looks like a fucking monster. Zayn looks like a chap taking his shirt off on his stag do. Who's going to pay to see that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members tiger_rick Posted November 18, 2014 Paid Members Share Posted November 18, 2014 Yet none of that explains the popularity of a CM Punk or a Daniel Bryan. Because it isn't and never has been that simple. As well as the million big bastards who didn't get over at all you've got a guy like lex Luger who by all rights should have been the next big thing. Rusev looks great. But how many guys in the last ten years who looked great haven't got over. Loads. Or maybe I missed Koslov's world title run. Pro-wrestling has always had a barely definable "it" factor. What is "it" is sometimes charisma, sometimes physique, sometimes work, sometimes one or all. That's one of the great mysteries. That's why you can make a list of wrestling greats like Hulk Hogan, Dusty Rhodes, Bob Backlund, Bruno Sammartino, Ultimate Warrior, Jerry Lawler, Ric Flair, Shawn Michaels, The Undertaker, etc and none of them have a right lot in common other than they had "it". If Zayn can transfer his likablility and ability to draw sympathy from the crowd to the big stage, he'll do great. What he looks like has got fuck all to do with it. If WWE tell their audience that he's a great wrestler through competing with established guys, then they'll buy it. No offence to Arch but anyone who references non-fans in any debateis wasting their fucking time. They are non-fans. They'll always take the piss out of anyone who's skinny or fat because they think wrestling is fake shit. And you know that guy with the great physique. They just think he's a roid head. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Cutting Edge Posted November 18, 2014 Share Posted November 18, 2014 I agree with Rick, although a guys look matters the 'it' factor matters more and as enzo would say you cant teach that, plus I dont think people are as impressed with muscles as much as they used to when alot of guys these days are into fitness and look as good as the guys on tv, and they have the advantage of no aches and pains and all the supplements they want unlike wwe guys. And yeah its important to try and get new fans to the product but as Rick says you may never win them over, if he's not huge 'I could beat him' if he is 'hes on roids' its lose lose Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Undefeated Steak Posted November 18, 2014 Share Posted November 18, 2014 (edited) Yet none of that explains the popularity of a CM Punk or a Daniel Bryan. Because it isn't and never has been that simple. As well as the million big bastards who didn't get over at all you've got a guy like lex Luger who by all rights should have been the next big thing. At no point have I said that a physique was necessary for getting over or becoming popular - I just think that if you're performing on Raw or Smackdown then you need to have a respectable look, hence my original comment saying that Sami Zayn needs to improve his physique before getting called up. I don't want everybody to look like Randy Orton but you need to draw the line somewhere and you can't have a group of guys looking like Chris Hero. I'm struggling to think of a good example but here goes - if I went to see a pantomime down at the local village hall then I wouldn't care what the 'actors' looked like. However, if I went to the West End or a top end show then I'd have a certain expectation of what those performers looked like, whether it was the part of a princess or a gladiator. Edited November 18, 2014 by Undefeated Steak Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members tiger_rick Posted November 18, 2014 Paid Members Share Posted November 18, 2014 Sami Zayn looks nothing like a Chris Hero or Braden Walker. If he did, there'd be a problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Winston Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 Anyone catch the leaked Kevin Steen debut promo's before WWE pulled them all? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iamtheman Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 (edited) the promo was on last nights episode so it's up on wwe's youtube now https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTYm_u-nf3M&list=UUJ5v_MCY6GNUBTO8-D3XoAg Edited November 21, 2014 by iamtheman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members FLips Posted November 21, 2014 Paid Members Share Posted November 21, 2014 Sami Zayn looks nothing like a Chris Hero or Braden Walker. If he did, there'd be a problem. No, he looks like a chubbier Screech from Saved By The Bell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Linus Posted November 22, 2014 Paid Members Share Posted November 22, 2014 Hey, it's NXT! Highlight of the week right here! Pre-credits, they ran a package on last week's main event between Adrian "Jimmy Nail" Neville, and Sami "Seth Rogen" Zayn. It was a cracker, with a schmozzy ending that still makes no sense a week later. *Shrug*. Aaaaanyway, Sami at this point is quite the depressed man... Show proper starts with Bayley versus Becky Lynch. Poor old Bayley, always getting the shit knocked out of her because she's such a trusting soul. She's starting to look like a bit of a geek now, because the special needs in her won't let her get a win. I do not like this. She's fighting Becky, who turned her back on Bayley a couple of weeks ago to join up with Sasha Banks. Hey, you'd do the same. Becky gets the win after some rubbish shenanigans by Sasha, and then they both make fun of everyone's favourite ree ree until Charlotte comes out and scares them off. Haha, I just read that Sasha & Becky are Team BAE (Best At Everything). That owns. After the break, Bayley gets some advice from Charlotte, who really looks tired of her shit. Hey, it's the Vaudevillains! They became number one contenders for the tag titles a couple of weeks ago and now they want their shot at the Lucha Dragons. Dragons' music hits but two dwarves come out wearing Dragons t-shirts and Destroyer masks. I was all ready to hate on this because it's 2014, but then the Vaudevillains put on such a show of destroying the little fellas that I couldn't help but smile. I am a dick. Gotch & English are super. Not sure how this gimmick would work in a bigger arena but I don't care. It work here. A vignette tells me that some fat guy is the future. I see. Baron Corbin is massively over in NXT, even if he doesn't step over the top rope. Today's victim is Elias Sampson, who doesn't even get a move in. Corbin destroys him in 22 seconds as the crowd count every second. Corbin goes back up the ramp with a "yeah, I'm brilliant" smile on his face, past Bull Dempsey, who's coming out for his match... This was odd. Sampson didn't get an intro, but you can suspend disbelief a bit and imagine you didn't see his intro. Steve Cutler, who's facing Bull, just climbs into the ring for this match. Odd. Anyway, Bull seems pissed off. Maybe he didn't get twenty sammiches for his lunch today? He starts on Cutler and the crowd count along. When they reach 22 seconds they boo, and start chanting, "Baron's better!" Aces. Bull wins in under a minute, though. He's a hoss. Man, we're rifling through today! It's Tyson Kidd versus CJ Parker, which is match number 5 and we're not even 30 minutes in! I like Parker but his gimmick stinks. Alex Riley, the heel announcer, even pointed out that his message is a good one. Yeah, I know. Anyhoo, he loses to Tyson Kidd in as decent, but very short, match. Kidd challenged Finn Balor after the match. At this point, I'm not sure what Kidd is doing, career- & push-wise. Yes, it's Enzo & Cass! I freaking love these guys! They do their usual schtick and if you don't like it I don't like you. They do a bit about how they're not Parker Bros but they have game. Fucking ace. They're fighting this week's Microsoft 95 screensaver video recipients Dash Wilder and Scott Dawson. Dawson gets the upper hand on Enzo, before Cass comes in and cleans up for the win. Good, glorified squash. After the match, the Ascension come out and lay out Enzo and Cass. They then beat up Dawson and Wilder. They get on the mic and tell Hideo Itami and Finn Balor that they aren't dead (well, duh!) and that it's far from over. I hope they're wrong. About the over bit, not the dead bit. Depressed Sami Zayn comes out and says he is starting to doubt himself. He calls out Adrian Neville and tells him that he wants one more shot at the title, and if he can't win he will retire (or go to TNA - same thing, in effect). Neville tells him he doesn't need to win the title, but that he can't decide on title matches, only Regal can. Regal comes out and makes the match for the next Takeover in December. Neville says he won't accept Zayn's win or retire stipulation because he doesn't want to be the one to retire Zayn. This does not sit well with Sami, who tells him that if he can't win the belt, he'll quite anyway. Go Sami! You tell the big-nosed, big-headed Jimmy Nail twat! A Good Show. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Arch Stanton Posted November 22, 2014 Paid Members Share Posted November 22, 2014 A vignette tells me that some fat guy is the future. I see. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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