Who's the next Man?

[fye]

'Indian' isn't actually a language by the way, he speaks Punjabi. Most people in India speak Hindi or Tamil

 

Nah, you're all right with that, like, because it's a race of people, and it's a food

 

Brilliant Partridge style quote slipped in there

 

Its a heel's job to be a dick but its not WWE's job to anger masses. The Hassan thing that ended his push was filmed the same day as the London bombings and it was deemed a terrorist attack on Undertaker.

 

Not to be pedantic but the angle was filmed BEFORE 7/7. It was Sky who showed it on (or a day after) 7/7 and failed to edit it out who should get the blame IMO.

 

But yes, I agree the whole Muhammed Hassan was very badly handled.

 

Fair point, I mistakenly misled on my point

[IANdrewDiceClay]

He was 33 when he made it to the main roster. He'd been under contract from his late 20s, though. He's only 43 now and he's been out of the business a few years, so they got a lot of of him.

[King Pitcos]

I don't think they'll ever get close to another Cena. He's one of only four wrestlers who have been The Man in WWE since wrestlemania began. Savage, Andre, Warrior, Undertaker, Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, HHH, Randy Orton and CM Punk couldn't do what Cena does. He's had longer on the very top than Rock or Austin combined, and he's been The Man in an era with very different TV requirements than Hogan had.

[jm29195]

Its a heel's job to be a dick but its not WWE's job to anger masses. The Hassan thing that ended his push was filmed the same day as the London bombings and it was deemed a terrorist attack on Undertaker.

 

Not to be pedantic but the angle was filmed BEFORE 7/7. It was Sky who showed it on (or a day after) 7/7 and failed to edit it out who should get the blame IMO.

 

But yes, I agree the whole Muhammed Hassan was very badly handled.

 

The Hassan angle was shot at the Smackdown taping on Tuesday 5 July. The London bombing was on Thursday 7 July. WWE has control over the content of their US broadcast and the angle was broadcast in full on Smackdown on the US air date of 7 July. This caused outrage with the network who basically got the Hassan character banned from Smackdown and caused WWE to kill it off at the Great American Bash.

 

Sky has ultimate control over the content of the content of non-live WWE shows in the UK. Sky did edit completely the Hassan angle from the Smackdown broadcast which first aired in the UK on Friday 8 July. This did not stop WWE replaying most of the Hassan angle in the highlight package for the Hassan/Taker match on the UK live broadcast of Great American Bash a couple of weeks later.

 

Sky was not to blame here, it was WWE all the way.

[ShortOrderCook]

Can people stop suggesting small, or funny looking guys?

 

There are some obvious criteria for what The Man needs to be:

 

6 foot +

Built like a bodybuilder

Tough looking

Good talker

Great at media appearances

A gimmick that can shift millions of merchandise items

Able to be a long-term face

Must be American or possibly Canadian

 

If you're short, ugly, uncharismatic, look like as short-order cook, speak in a foreign accent, then forget it. You might get to be champ; you might get to headline Wrestlemania; but you'll never be The Man.

 

I actually possess several of your criteria and I look fucking incredible.

[The Dart]

When I first saw Derrick Bateman I thought he was a future megastar. Dunno why and I'm probably wrong but we'll see I guess.

I can see why you thought that. He has a decent look (physique is very impressive), he is decent in-ring and seems to have charisma. He could definitely do something of note, if given the right gimmick/push/angle etc. A good all-rounder.

 

Yeah I thought Bateman had a really cool look. Shame his USA Guy thing hasnt taken off. On a similar note I really thought Johnny Curtis could have been a star. Then he started pouring milk over himself. Still time I suppose though.

 

Did anyone see the recent "Where is he?" return video for Bateman on NXT? I thought it was class. There deffinately something about him.

 

No, because it wasn't for Derrick Bateman. It was brilliant though.

[PunkStep]

Trent Barretta, wasn't it?

[andrew "the ref" coyne]

Its a heel's job to be a dick but its not WWE's job to anger masses. The Hassan thing that ended his push was filmed the same day as the London bombings and it was deemed a terrorist attack on Undertaker.

 

Not to be pedantic but the angle was filmed BEFORE 7/7. It was Sky who showed it on (or a day after) 7/7 and failed to edit it out who should get the blame IMO.

 

But yes, I agree the whole Muhammed Hassan was very badly handled.

 

Sky was not to blame here, it was WWE all the way.

 

The Hassan angle was shot at the Smackdown taping on Tuesday 5 July. The London bombing was on Thursday 7 July. WWE has control over the content of their US broadcast and the angle was broadcast in full on Smackdown on the US air date of 7 July. This caused outrage with the network who basically got the Hassan character banned from Smackdown and caused WWE to kill it off at the Great American Bash.

 

I can't (and didn't) comment for what happened in US, I don't remember. However surely if the episode was film, edited and handed over to the TV network, surely there is fuck all WWE can do after this point?

 

Sky has ultimate control over the content of the content of non-live WWE shows in the UK. Sky did edit completely the Hassan angle from the Smackdown broadcast which first aired in the UK on Friday 8 July. This did not stop WWE replaying most of the Hassan angle in the highlight package for the Hassan/Taker match on the UK live broadcast of Great American Bash a couple of weeks later.

 

However you're defenitely wrong there. I watched that angle on Sky TV, so I therefore do hold Sky accountable to some degree.

 

To be honest I feel slightly sorry for WWE in that they filmed this angle, and by the time the London Bombings happened, I (presumed) the tape and the ability to edit it out of the broadcast was out of their hands at the time. However saying that, I thought that the Hassan character was stupid and insensitive from day one.

[rocky64]

The next big star for the wwe is gonna have to beat taker at mania because it's the only way there gonna stand out amongst the current crop they've got.

[PSF]

Trent Barretta, wasn't it?

 

Yes, you're right. No wonder I couldn't find a link.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjsLYXgnzHs

[wrestlemaniacx]

I think it's going to somebody none of us have ever seen yet.

 

Cena pretty much came out of nowhere himself didn't he...the austin/rock era had ended not that long ago,there was still a roster of incredible talent to keep the shows going, but there was definatly a void back then as well, then quite randomly some young dude walked in to challenge Kurt angle in that "whoever can beat me" sorta storyline back then, wearing boring ass trunks,claiming he had "ruthlesssss aggression ?" yeah sure he had a great physique but did any of us really, REALLY, knew we were looking at wwe's next face then & there ? i doubt it, he was just another jacked up guy appearing in a segment.

 

He didn't have a reputation behind him, or rather, and indy rep. so aside from the 10 people that bothered to watch some ovw prototype matches nobody had a f'n clue who this guy was at the time.

 

Fast forward a few years and it turns out the guy is the biggest name in wrestling today because he can do all the things hogan did and pull it off well. like him or not as a wrestler he's cut from the same mold hogan was, big,muscular, charisma to spare, true company man with all the media appearances and stuff. basicly a real life american superhero.

 

And that's what wwe will always want as their face and i don't think he's there yet,with them always scouting new guys and even olimpic athletes again apparently, there's bound to be some muscled up, square jawed good ol' american boy waiting in the wings somewhere, he just needs to be discovered.

 

If "the face" was based on talent then yes guys like tyson kidd might have a shot but it was never that way and will never be that way.

 

pro wrestling will always be a very visual bussenis and i'm not sure the mold could, or even should, ever be changed because even i, a fan who likes his good WRESTLING and thinks highly of skilled athletes, don't really want to see 'those guys" as the poster face of american biggest wrestling club.

 

i WANT it to be a big, charismatic muscled up guy that looks like he walked out of a comic book, they have the most important thing of all,called presence. if a guy like hogan or rock or cena passes you on the street, you notice, even the old lady walking across the street walking her blind dog will notice he's a "somebody" at least. bourne, kidd and the like...not a chance. i'm amazed punk has managed to get so far in wwe, and deservedly so, but even he, as good as he is and arguably well known/famous, is hardly as accepted in the general media as Cena as, punk will get, or stay, at an orton level of fame at the most in wwe, he'll be this generations HBK, the guy that gets consistently great matches, always around the spotlight, reliable to pull in many fans, but not THE man.

 

Think back to when brock lesnar first debuted, had you ever heard of him before ? i sure didn't, but the first second i saw him it was obvious this one was the next face, he had it, nobody else remotley like him on the roster and a true beast in the ring too,obviously he got the rocket strapped to his back as well, i have always truly belive if he never left when he did he'd be bigger than cena is nownor at least IS what cena is now, he would've been the face of the company for as long as he wanted but f'ed that oppertunity up for himself altho you can't blame him for wanting to have a life outside wwe, i'm just glad he's back even on a limited shedule, this man was made for pro wrestling, naysayers be damned.

[unfitfinlay]

I don't think they'll ever get close to another Cena. He's one of only four wrestlers who have been The Man in WWE since wrestlemania began. Savage, Andre, Warrior, Undertaker, Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, HHH, Randy Orton and CM Punk couldn't do what Cena does. He's had longer on the very top than Rock or Austin combined, and he's been The Man in an era with very different TV requirements than Hogan had.

 

I think you're right but for a different reason.

 

In recent years WWE has been pretty reluctant to use it's actual stars to really put over new talent. Undertaker, Batista, Triple H and Michaels all left or went part time without giving the rub to anyone that could've actually used it. Meanwhile Sheamus, Del Rio, Bryan etc, have all largely been working amongst themselves and not truely breaking through as a result (at least in my opinion). That leaves Cena as the only genuine star who works a full time schedule.

 

I think for someone to replace Cena they'll have to beat him so decisively that there's no question that the torch has been passed and I could see WWE being reluctant to do that in case it hurts Cena's drawing power for his part time appearances or his ability to shift merchandise.

[tiger_rick]

I don't think they'll ever get close to another Cena. He's one of only four wrestlers who have been The Man in WWE since wrestlemania began. Savage, Andre, Warrior, Undertaker, Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, HHH, Randy Orton and CM Punk couldn't do what Cena does. He's had longer on the very top than Rock or Austin combined, and he's been The Man in an era with very different TV requirements than Hogan had.

 

I think you're right but for a different reason.

 

In recent years WWE has been pretty reluctant to use it's actual stars to really put over new talent. Undertaker, Batista, Triple H and Michaels all left or went part time without giving the rub to anyone that could've actually used it. Meanwhile Sheamus, Del Rio, Bryan etc, have all largely been working amongst themselves and not truely breaking through as a result (at least in my opinion). That leaves Cena as the only genuine star who works a full time schedule.

 

I think for someone to replace Cena they'll have to beat him so decisively that there's no question that the torch has been passed and I could see WWE being reluctant to do that in case it hurts Cena's drawing power for his part time appearances or his ability to shift merchandise.

 

Trips laid down for Sheamus didn't he?

 

Cena didn't get the rub off anyone, he worked his way up. They'll never have another Hogan/Rock/Austin but they could create another Cena from nothing.

[Dirty Eddie]

Cena didn't get the rub off anyone, he worked his way up.

 

He Beat former champ Big Show for the US Title at his first Wrestlemania, then he beat "smackdown's longest reigning Champion" JBL at the next Mania. Then he beat Triple H clean in the main event and Shawn Michaels clean in the main event in the next two years.

 

He beat Edge and Big Show a few years later, then he beat Batista clean the year after that.

 

That's a number of bona fide main event World Champion legends and a couple of (at the time) solid main eventers. And that's just looking at Wrestlemania!

[Sexy Dad]

Cena didn't get the rub off anyone, he worked his way up. They'll never have another Hogan/Rock/Austin but they could create another Cena from nothing.

 

Cena benefited greatly from being in the ring with Jericho, Angle, Triple H and HBK in his first couple of years as a main eventer so got the rub from mixing it up with the already established names. If he had feuded with the likes of Christian, Edge, Batista and JBL aswell as the guys even less established in the mid 2000's similar to how Sheamus is working with the current crop of guys trying to break out now then he likely wouldn't be perceived as THE MAN.