Paid Members Hannibal Scorch Posted October 30, 2023 Paid Members Share Posted October 30, 2023 1 hour ago, RedRooster said: Is he really, though? Edge and Christian Cage are both almost 50, and are performing at an extremely high level. Austin’s run on top was much shorter than the age gap that exists between them and Knight. I don’t think age is a factor here; or at least, it shouldn’t be. It’s all about how effectively he can sustain the reaction he gets. I don’t view him as a main eventer, but a win over Logan Paul, to lift the US title at Wrestlemania seems like a good landing spot for him. Edge was retired over 10 years, Christian also had an extended break. That was in their 40’s. As for sustaining the reaction, people get bored, in a couple of years he’ll just be another mid level guy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidB6937 Posted October 30, 2023 Share Posted October 30, 2023 7 hours ago, Hannibal Scorch said: Edge was retired over 10 years, Christian also had an extended break. That was in their 40’s. As for sustaining the reaction, people get bored, in a couple of years he’ll just be another mid level guy. So we just don't push anyone because people will get bored? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedRooster Posted October 30, 2023 Share Posted October 30, 2023 8 hours ago, Hannibal Scorch said: Edge was retired over 10 years, Christian also had an extended break. That was in their 40’s. As for sustaining the reaction, people get bored, in a couple of years he’ll just be another mid level guy. Some other examples, then - AJ Styles is 46, and was close to LA Knight's age when he debuted in WWE. Dustin Rhodes is 54, PCO is 55 and Chris Jericho is 52. My point is that his age isn't really a factor in what success he might have going forward. Surely your point on boredom contradicts what you said previously on him 'running out of time'? Regardless, the potential for boredom exists for any wrestler, of any age. If that happens, and he's unable to reinvent himself, they can reconsider what value he has then; but while he's as hot as he is, they're as well as to push him in the way that they are. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidB6937 Posted October 30, 2023 Share Posted October 30, 2023 No one has a crystal ball. We can all act as smart as we want but in the end we don't have a fucking clue what'll catch on in the future or what would be a sustainable level of popularity etc. It's all guess work, even for those in charge! So whether they invest time in a youngster under the assumption they'll have a long and fruitful career, or they push a guy who is already popular.. there's room for both I think. And if the crowd want LA Knight right now, then what's wrong with WWE going with it? No one should look back at it as a waste of time if it doesn't last for ages. Not every person has to be at the top level for years and years and years. Sometimes you'll get guys who catch on and people will enjoy them for a while and then move on. But that's not something anyone can know until it happens. And you know what? If LA Knight IS just a flash in the pan - fuck it, even MORE reason to push him now! Make that money while people give a fuck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members BomberPat Posted October 30, 2023 Paid Members Share Posted October 30, 2023 I don't get LA Knight at all, but it's obvious that most of the fanbase do. His age means he probably isn't a long-term investment, but that's all the more reason to do something with now and capitalise on how popular he is while there's still time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FUM Posted October 30, 2023 Share Posted October 30, 2023 Think people are focusing on age far too much. A 40 year old in 2023 is no real comparison to a 40 year old in even 2003. Wrestling and the WWE locker room specifically has fairly cleaned up in terms of the pills etc. That coupled with just the general advances in sports science etc. means a 40 year old wrestler now probably has at least 5 years at a high level and then will still be capable of quality part time shifts after that. Sheamus has probably just had one of the best wrestling years of his career and he’s 45. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Hannibal Scorch Posted October 30, 2023 Paid Members Share Posted October 30, 2023 1 hour ago, RedRooster said: Some other examples, then - AJ Styles is 46, and was close to LA Knight's age when he debuted in WWE. Dustin Rhodes is 54, PCO is 55 and Chris Jericho is 52. My point is that his age isn't really a factor in what success he might have going forward. Surely your point on boredom contradicts what you said previously on him 'running out of time'? Regardless, the potential for boredom exists for any wrestler, of any age. If that happens, and he's unable to reinvent himself, they can reconsider what value he has then; but while he's as hot as he is, they're as well as to push him in the way that they are. And all of those people were well known and had great careers in their 20's and 30's. No one talks about Eli Drake and how great his run was there. People only started picking up on him, massively, in NWA. The point I am making, and is getting muddied in the wider discourse, is his big run is starting now, at 40. All of those wrestlers listed are also not appearing/performing on a weekly basis. I do agree that pushing him now while he is hot makes absolute sense, regardless of my own views on him, but to ignore the fact he is 10/15 years behind his peers is something to pay attention to. Thank god wrestlers have longer careers (how many wrestlers had we watched die in their late 30's and early 40's?), but I see him as another Ryback or Fandango where they are giving the people what they want now, but in a few years they will be looking for their next youngster to be the new made man rather then LA Knight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tsurutagun Posted October 30, 2023 Share Posted October 30, 2023 Knight is an insanely good talker and is a bit of a nostalgic act with a lot of their fans with many of them growing up on Rock and Austin and seeing someone take their candances and mould would make some fans go "I love this guy"Â I gave a gut feel that Reigns/Knight is going to be like the Summerslam main event. It's going to be shit and everyone is going to shit on it. Even the "@wweloadofnumbers twitter accounts who normally go ape for average yet hated that Tribal Combat rubbish Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidB6937 Posted October 30, 2023 Share Posted October 30, 2023 8 minutes ago, Hannibal Scorch said: but I see him as another Ryback or Fandango where they are giving the people what they want now, but in a few years they will be looking for their next youngster to be the new made man rather then LA Knight. Ryback? Maybe. I never really felt he was that over anyway but I guess that's always up for debate. Fandango? Didn't people just like singing and dancing to his theme for a bit? Was there actually anything in terms of a solid push or anything like that? I genuinely can't remember. I'm sure he was only ever a mid card guy anyway no? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Hannibal Scorch Posted October 30, 2023 Paid Members Share Posted October 30, 2023 6 minutes ago, DavidB6937 said: Ryback? Maybe. I never really felt he was that over anyway but I guess that's always up for debate. Fandango? Didn't people just like singing and dancing to his theme for a bit? Was there actually anything in terms of a solid push or anything like that? I genuinely can't remember. I'm sure he was only ever a mid card guy anyway no? Ryback was being seen as world champion material and he was certainly over. His sloppiness is, I believe the reason why they decided not to pull the trigger. Fandango had a solid mid card push, but his crowd reactions were LA Knight levels, but he was never pushed out of it. I think the difference between them is who is in charge. HHH certainly seems to be listening to the audience more than Vince ever did. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrew "the ref" coyne Posted October 30, 2023 Share Posted October 30, 2023 15 minutes ago, Hannibal Scorch said: Fandango had a solid mid card push, but his crowd reactions were LA Knight levels, but he was never pushed out of it. I think the difference between them is who is in charge. HHH certainly seems to be listening to the audience more than Vince ever did. Timing of an injury fucked old Fandango. Alledgedly he was due to win the IC championship in a Triple Threat, but was pulled due to injury, and Curtis Axel got the championship instead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedRooster Posted October 30, 2023 Share Posted October 30, 2023 48 minutes ago, Hannibal Scorch said: Fandango had a solid mid card push, but his crowd reactions were LA Knight levels, but he was never pushed out of it. I think the difference between them is who is in charge. HHH certainly seems to be listening to the audience more than Vince ever did. You've given Fandango as an example before while talking about LA Knight, but I don't think it's a good comparison. As far as Fandango goes, people liked singing his theme song - something that was sparked by the post-Wrestlemania crowd, if I remember rightly. But he certainly didn't sustain that reaction for any period of time - it was very short lived. He also didn't get the mega reactions for his entrance, in the way that Knight does. 54 minutes ago, Hannibal Scorch said: Ryback was being seen as world champion material and he was certainly over. His sloppiness is, I believe the reason why they decided not to pull the trigger. Ryback is a better example, right down to the fact aspects of their presentation were quite clearly plucked out of the attitude era - Knight being the Austin/Rock hybrid, and Ryback being similar to Goldberg. There was a time where it didn't feel like a bad idea to put the World title on him - back when he faced Punk. Things started to derail when they turned him heel and paired him with Heyman. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members LaGoosh Posted October 30, 2023 Paid Members Share Posted October 30, 2023 11 minutes ago, RedRooster said: Things started to derail when they turned him heel and paired him with Heyman. And that Mark Henry match at Wrestlemania that ended with Ryback dropping Henry onto his own head. Probably the worst match ending ever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vamp Posted October 30, 2023 Share Posted October 30, 2023 Ryback was dead in the water after his HIAC match with Punk where they booked themselves into a corner because they wanted Punk to have the longest reign in the modern era. He could have easily won that night and then dropped it at TLC in a screwy finish and you'd have shown he has everything to be a champion and got to Punk dropping the title to The Rock. People will say it that it would have ruined the impact of that but its bollocks because its The Rock. It didn't help that the match did nothing to make Ryback look like a bad ass. I don't know if it was whoever put the match together or Punk calling it or what, but Ryback needed to smash him. He didn't. The thing about Reigns title run at this point is that there's always going to be reasons not to pull the trigger on someone defeating him. It's Taker WM streak all over again. Do you give it to a youngster who has years on his side but might not be experience enough to run with it or might not stick around anyway? Do you give it to a proven commodity knowing that they're likely going to be able to run with it? Eventually you have to do it, and if you don't pull the trigger sooner you night end up being forced in a corner where you give the rub to someone just because you have to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FUM Posted October 30, 2023 Share Posted October 30, 2023 Ryback was finished from the moment he lost to Punk as they were too scared to end Punk’s long reign at that point. Pretty sure he only got that match with Punk as a replacement for someone else too. Not sure they ever got behind him as the guy from there. Don’t see him as a comparable example at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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