A Little to Much to Early?

[MOExecution]

So today as I was sitting in class I was thinking about Pro Wrestling. The one thing I was thinking about though is a question that I have asked myself and was wondering what you guys thoughts were about it...

Now I will use John Cena for example. He debuted in the company in 2002 by 2003 he faced guys like Kurt Angle, Undertaker, and I believe even had a shot for the WWE Championship at one point. These were early signs that John Cena was going to be the face of the WWE. At WrestleMania XX at Madison Square Garden John Cena got his first taste of gold with the United States Championship defeating The Big Show and feuding with competitors such as Carlito, Booker T, Rene Dupree, and etc. John Cena went on to win the United States Championship on three consecutive times only to go on and win the WWE Championship a year later at WrestleMania 21. He Main Evented every WrestleMania since 21. He has won the WWE Championship six more times and the World Heavyweight Championship twice. He has competed against guys like; Shawn Michaels, Triple H, Randy Orton, Edge, Chris Jericho, Batista, JBL, and more.

Now with a resume like that and you don't have to do it with John Cena only. You can do it with any veteran in the business like; Triple H, Edge, Undertaker, and etc. Do you think that the business gives these guys to much at one time? Another example would have to be The Miz; former United States Champion, Unified Tag Team Champion, Money in the Bank winner, and WWE Champion. When guys like these win so many accolades at once you just have to think to yourself what exactly keeps these guys driven to continue to do what they do? When you have done it all and there's nothing left to do why continue on? Not only that, but these guys they have YEARS left in their careers what do they do after they have faced everybody and have beaten everybody? So my question here along with all of those as well is do you think they give these guys a little to much to early? What are your thoughts? Do you think WWE should slow down the process of building stars by not giving them so many accolades at once?

 

[Cenation716]

Oh no, not at all. I think it's great. It cements them as true icons in the business. Take John Cena for example, he is a 9-time World Champ, 3- time US Champ, 4-time Tag Champ, Royal Rumble winner, 6-1 win-loss record at 'Mania & he is the face of the company & because of these accomplishments, these guys are noticed & everybody who's a fan of pro-wrestling knows who he is. Same with HBK, Undertaker, Edge, Jericho, HHH, Bret Hart, The Rock, SCSA.*

 

[Kyle316]

I see what you're saying, and I agree with you. Superstars nowadays don't seem to really have to "work" as hard to make it as a top star in the business (unlike veterans Shawn Michaels, Chris Jericho, ect.)
For example, Shawn Michaels career in the wwe spans a long, long time. It was 5 years (I believe) until he won the world title at Wrestlemania 12. Those 5 years he spent, first, as one-half of The Rockers, then went on to capture the Intercontinental Title, and so-on.
The Miz.. within 2 years, tag team champ, U.S. Champ, Money in ther Bank winner, and now WWE Champ, as you said. So yes, superstars today are definently given too much, too early. It makes later accolades less significant, due to their overdose of success in such a short time.
Don't even get me started with Alberto Del Rio...

 

[FutureChamp328]

Depends on who you are referring to. For example, Jack Swagger went from ECW Champ to Money in the Bank to an absolutely forgettable run as WHC. On the other hand you have the Miz who has done everything you listed and done really good with all of it. A good push usually includes a quick succession of big wins and various titles and when done right they work really well people ranging from Undertaker to Sheamus have won the WWE title within a year and done great others have had to wait years for a mediocre reign it all depends on the wrestler.

As for what keeps them driven look at Hulk Hogan not TNA Hulk Hogan I mean Wrestlemania 18 Hogan. The guy had done everything we though he could do and he went in and had a huge match with Rocky that had a big build up that everybody wanted to see. In 15 years w could think that Cena is done and he could wind up coming back to face the next big face of the WWE. In other words you never really know what will happen. (Cena vs AJ Styles anybody?)

 

[Rasha]

Do you think WWE should slow down the process of building stars by not giving them so many accolades at once?

Not always, but sometimes it would be nice.

The problem facing the WWE right now is that there isn't enough talent on their roster to give top prospects much to work with if they keep them away from their top talent. The days of having guys like Kurt Angle compete for the European Championship are over. If you have a young guy who you really like, you don't want to put him in programs with the likes of Chris Masters and Tyson Kidd or else nobody will notice.

I've heard a lot of people blame Goldberg for this new way of introducing talent, but people forget that Goldberg spent almost a year wrestling nobodies and mid-carders before he got a crack at the Main Event. You forget how humble the beginnings were for Goldberg, wrestling Mike Enos and Brad Armstrong in the opening matches on Thunder. WCW obviously had plans for him, but how quickly he ascended was a reaction to fan response and not something that was forced on the public.

 

[Klown_Karnage]

I once heard an interview with Kane in which he spoke of something similar. Building a character or story line slowly vs. instant gratification. Things are happening a lot quicker in the WWE, I agree. Many stars come straight up from nowhere, bypassing the mid-card almost completely and then grabbing a main event championship (Sheamus for example.) It does seem to be the day of instant gratification. Feuds erupt seemingly out of nowhere, tag-teams are together today, split tomorrow. A guy's a face, then he's a heel, then he's a face again. You debut a guy and all of a sudden he's in the running for a championship (mid-card or otherwise.)

As I understand it, the build up did use to be a lot slower. With many feuds it was weeks and weeks before the two wrestlers would even touch. Now it happens instantly. I think this is simply professional wrestling adapting to the business and the medium of television, as well as the general attitude of the audience. Let's face it, they want something and they want it now. So, the WWE is going to give it to them now, even if the wrestlers may not be essentially ready or if some of the audience may think they haven't "paid their dues" yet.

 

[OutsiderDX]

I don't think wrestlers get burnt out from winning championships, they get burned out from the travel.

For the majority of them, wrestling is their work and its a business. In countless interviews, so many wrestlers have stated winning championships is kinda meaningless (usually except for their first one).

This is their job and as long as they are making a paycheck for their family, they will do it, whether they have zero championships or a 40.

Winning multiple championships just give a wrestlers higher visibility, thus opening up more avenues to explore. If the Rock never broke through, as was wrestling Savio Vega on Shotgun Saturday night, he would not have had movie roles offered to him.

They soon realize that they dont have to be on the road 300 days a year, work less, be in less pain by going outside of wrestling.

 

[AttitudeChild]

I completely agree with you brother. These guys have gotten WAY to much to soon. When i look at guys like Cena or Orton and even lately Miz, it just looks like most of their drive is gone. People say that the Wrestlers in TNA are just showing up to collect paychecks and whenever I see Orton thats the same vibe i get. They been at the top so quickly and for so long that being there seems to not matter that much to them. They dont really have anything to work for anymore. WWE needs to stop giving these guys so much so soon. Its unnecessary.

 

[WunNightStan619]

i honestly believe that this is wun of the WWE's main problems. It all ties into character development. Thats how you end up with guys like sheamus, swagger, and miz who are still in the process of developing their characters winning world titles, thus bringing down the quality of the show. I honestly think that peoples main problem with cena isent that he is a bad wrestler or anything. its just that WWE has forced him down our throats and was skyrocketed within 2yrs of his debut. These types of pushes are only for a select few such as the Goldbergs and the Kurt Angles and Lesnars, undertakers. Even The Rock, who wun his first title in his second year is a different case being that he had an "it" factor like no other.You have guys like hbk, jericho hhh, edge steve austin, etc who have had years to perfect their craft before being presented in the main event scene.

I personally enjoy seeing the development of characters through the years. In my opinion no non-main eventer in WWE has caught my eye in the last 4-5yrs than John Morrison. Seeing him come up from MNM, breaking out into a singles star, the name change, ECW world champ, into what we see him as today. I feel as tho when he wins the title, its gonna be all the more meaningful because of his development. I feel as tho the fast pace pushing of stars and the lack of quality of the talent in the title scene is the reason why the titles dont mean as much.