Brodus Clay: Life after Tons of Funk

[CM Steel]

It's been going on two years since we've all seen the character known as Brodus Clay in the WWE from his days as Alberto Del Rio's bodyguard. And he has yet to make a big impact in the WWE since his big return. Sure Clay has the cheerleaders in his corner, a fresher gimmick, and now Tenshi aka Sweet T as a tag team parter in a division that is hanging on by a wire. But when the team Tons of Funk finally does break-up or Sweet T Tenshi turns on Clay like he did on Scotty Too Hotty those years ago. Where will that leave Brodus Clay?

Brodus Clay is the former bodyguard of rap legend Snoop Dogg in where Clay first got the first part of his ring name, "Brodus" (Snoop Dogg's real name is Calvin Brodus). Now what if bigg Snoop Dogg, Snoop Lion, Snoopzilla whatever Snoop's name is now adays makes a one time appearance on RAW since he's "down" with the WWE like that. And indorse Brodus Clay on TV the way it was suppose to be. Everybody knows Brodus Clay past with Snoop anyways, so why not?

And maybe Brodus Clay will eventully win a championship. I haven't seen his straight to DVD horror movie yet either.

 

[Allstar]

I believe Brodus has the potential to have a career very similar to Mark Henry. Mark Henry was a heel enforcer in the Nation Of Domination in his early career (much like Brodus was to Alberto Del Rio) then after that dissolved we saw Sexual Choclate arrive. Fast forward a few years and he's one of the best monster heels in history. I think Brodys is in his "sexual chocolate" stage in his career. In a year or so I could see him droping his funkasauras gimmick and feuding with some top faces

 

[PingPongBundy]

I could picture Brodus turning on T because of the losing record that's occurred since becoming a tag team. He could turn on him like Hurricane did to ROsey several years back. He could explain that T was holding him back and he's tired of dancing for the kids. Done before, yes, but I think he could pull it off. He could be such a menacing heel that people would be afraid to bring up that he debuted as the Funkasaurus long before and T ever got together. He could just deny that and who would question it?

 

[That Zon Kid]

I am personally sick with Tons of Funk. it ruins both guys and makes them a joke. Tensai's faced the Undertaker at Wrestlemania. Brodus can still go a long way. I could picture him as a Mark Henry type.

 

[Mr. Book This Section]

I honestly don't see Brodus getting anywhere, well atleast with the gimmick he has now. I honestly don't see him getting a Mark Henry type career. Perhaps he will just be a bodyguard for the mini wrestler's who are heel. He isn't too good on the microphone and he only has about 10 moves.

 

[Mustang Sally]

Brodus Clay is one of those hugely rotund men of whom we're supposed to say: "He moves unbelievably fast for a guy his size!" as if he should be installed as a main event performer on the basis of how fast he can jiggle his fat during a wrestling match.

Earlier in his career, when portraying a heel in the service of Alberto Del Rio, we read rave reviews about his coming career as a roughneck. In truth, he's a nothing performer with a nearly empty barrel of wrestling moves. I'll never understand how a guy who looks that physically bad managed to attract the positive attention of so many wrestling fans on this forum.

Thanks to WWE, Brodus got lucky; Creative came up with a gimmick that played perfectly into Clay's "talents." I don't think management ever intended the Funkadactyls to win tag team championships or set the world on fire in any way, but that they became favorites of the crowd.....even while doing the same damn thing week in and week out.... speaks to the success of having an act mapped out and finding the right performers to work it.

To say the least, I would be very surprised to see Brodus Clay amount to anything as a singles wrestler after his comedy troupe breaks up.

 

[Dagger Dias]

First of all, Mack, it's Tensai. Not Tenchi. That's almost as bad as when you called the pawn chess piece a "pond".

Secondly.... The moment Brodus (or Tensai for that matter) loses this tag team or gimmick, I will likely lose interest. This is the most interesting he has ever been. Without the Tons of Funk team or his own Funkasaurus gimmick, he's just another boring big guy who brings nothing interesting to the table in the federation. I hope the two of them stay in this gimmick and team forever. They get to give the fans a happy moment by acting silly and get some time onscreen. If they revert back to Brodus' generic big guy persona or any of Tensai's older personas they run the risk of getting lost in the shuffle.

Could Brodus win a title? Maybe. He would need something that sets him apart from the rest though. The Funkasaurus character and Tons of Funk team do that for him currently. He can still have fun in that character but be allowed to get a little angry, that adds more believability to him being further up the card. Tensai can still be his sidekick and they can still win matches believably while having fun acting silly under their current personas. Life after Tons of Funk would concern me that it leads to boredom and a lack of a push for Brodus. Just keep them in this gimmick, they found their calling.

 

[H33LTurn]

Brodus' time on the main roster has to be limited. The team with Sweet T can only last for so long, and after that he's either back to the Funkasaurus or doing some bodyguard gimmick. I dont think WWE would waste a celebrity appearance on Brodus Clay unless they had something good planned for his career. They'll most likely keep Brodus around like they've done with guys like R Truth who arent necessarily going anywhere but are good with the WWE's younger crowd and are free to work house shows.

 

[JabroniBeater81]

I actually really like the Snoop Dogg idea. Snoop coming back for a celeb segment, running into Brodus backstage and talking/slapping sense into him. Saying that he used to be a bodyguard for Snoop, nobody would've ever messed with him, "what happened? You gone soft? I'm ashamed to have had you in the dogg pound" going against the gangsta/West Coast attitude that got him recognition.

 

[BigDaddyKewl]

I think when Tons of Funk splits up Brodus should be the one to turn. They have tried to get Tensai over as a heel time and time again and it always falls flat. They should at least try to give Brodus a heel run. I remember there was a lot of buzz leading up to his debut with the vignettes, everybody thought he was going to play another monster heel and we got The Funkasauras. Now that Tons of Funk has run its course they eventually turn Brodus heel and see how it pans out.

 

[Spidey Revivey]

I am personally sick with Tons of Funk. it ruins both guys and makes them a joke.

What was Sweet T before Tons of Funk? What was Brodus?

If your answer isn't "bland monster heel" then think it over some more.

. They should at least try to give Brodus a heel run.

They did. Went as well as John Cena losing an "I Quit" Match.

I honestly don't see Brodus getting anywhere, well atleast with the gimmick he has now.

What do you mean by "get anywhere?" Why are people so sure that Brodus Clay hasn't already exceeded expectations with this gimmick? Is it really not successful? Are the audience not singing along with his music and dancing in place?

Tons of Funk is most likely the highest acclimation in Brodus Clay's career and that's not a bad thing. People will remember the flash, the music, the cheerleaders and the dinosaur theme for years to come. Children eat that shit up. And we should all believe "turn him heel" is the answer to success?

If Brodus Clay breaks from Tons of Funk, it shouldn't be to become a typical boring ass heel that uses his body to run through people. We've seen that shit too many times. No, if he is going to be more than he should improve upon the gimmick he has already. Let him get involved in midcard feuds as a loveable bruiser the fans can root for. Not everything needs a heel treatment.

 

[Chococat]

I think Brodus is doing just fine for his career. Why does everyone have to turn heel to be taken seriously?

If ToF split, why does Brodus have to change? Why does Sweet T have to change? Both men can still be those characters that fans have come to recognize and still be a threat to any title.

I definitely could see both men as contenders to the IC/US titles.

Besides, Brodus will always be remembered as the funkasaurus, no matter what you do to him or his character.

 

[The Eighties]

If Brodus is content then there's nothing wrong with having a solid jobber spot locked down. I think he speaks pretty well and has become a competent worker, but whether that would be enough for him to transition into being a singles monster heel I don't know. It would be easy enough to execute if they wanted to give it a try, but I wonder how much either Brodus or WWE are interestyed in trying it.

 

[GeneralKarim]

I dunno tbh I think he will either get released or maybe used to get guys over, if that's even possible.

The dude is out of shape and fat as hell.To be blunt he looks disgusting in my eyes. I dont know how he got attention from WWE in the first place. He has no moves basically and there are better big man than him.He's 33yo which means after this tag team stick his ship will sail in terms of doing anything meaningful in the WWE. Obviously if he is content with his place than all this doesnt matter.

I'm a pretty open-minded guy buy I never saw the appeal of the "Funkasaurus".It seems like a character that I would cheer if I was in the crowd and was drunk as hell that night and is specifically directed at kids, cause u know..we need more of that stuff.

Plus there is something disturbing in seeing a grown man, giggle his fat like that, a whole lot of fat. I remember when he debut and was rubbing on guys like grinding on them, that made me sick.

 

[MCMG]

Firstly, lets not underestimate Tons of Funk. While I'm not a fan there is a certain group of the "WWE Universe" that will love Clay and Sweet T. When I was younger, I remember loving when Rikishi and co. starting dancing. To be honest, Rikishi, Scotty and Grandmaster could come back and I'd love seeing them back.

Once Tons of Funk has run its course - which it will - then there is only one way I see Clay's career going. An inevitable shitty feud with Tensai where they have a match at a minor PPV before Clay falls into the black-hole in which JTG currently finds himself. He will then be released.

That is my honest opinion on what will happen after they split. I do think, however, that Clay has potential. Turning him into a monster heel is the obvious choice and it makes sense. Like others have suggested, he can effectively replace Mark Henry. Work with different faces and make them look good. It is a decent place to be and he might eventually get his chance.

Clay could be a reliable part of the mid-card but unfortunately, once he stops dancing he will inevitably be heading towards the unemployment line.

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

Brodus Clay is one of those hugely rotund men of whom we're supposed to say: "He moves unbelievably fast for a guy his size!" as if he should be installed as a main event performer on the basis of how fast he can jiggle his fat during a wrestling match.

Earlier in his career, when portraying a heel in the service of Alberto Del Rio, we read rave reviews about his coming career as a roughneck. In truth, he's a nothing performer with a nearly empty barrel of wrestling moves. I'll never understand how a guy who looks that physically bad managed to attract the positive attention of so many wrestling fans on this forum.

Thanks to WWE, Brodus got lucky; Creative came up with a gimmick that played perfectly into Clay's "talents." I don't think management ever intended the Funkadactyls to win tag team championships or set the world on fire in any way, but that they became favorites of the crowd.....even while doing the same damn thing week in and week out.... speaks to the success of having an act mapped out and finding the right performers to work it.

To say the least, I would be very surprised to see Brodus Clay amount to anything as a singles wrestler after his comedy troupe breaks up.

Brodus Clay looks like shit, and while he is fairly agile for a man of his size I am completely unimpressed with what he can do in the ring, Tensai is far...FAR better wrestler than Brodus will ever be.

I am pretty surprised he has lasted as long as he has in WWE, as I haven't yet seen a match where he showed any kind of talent that hinted to me that this was a guy with potential to be a big singles star one day. He is fine where he is in a tag team for laughs, if he HAS to remain on the roster. If I was running WWE, Brodus Clay would be one of the first wrestlers sent to the unemployment line, as there are huge numbers of NXT talents who are 10x the wrestler Brodus is, just waiting for a chance while fat useless guys like Clay take up spots on the main roster.

 

[The Eighties]

Well his entrance and dancers have been given to Xavier Woods and JBL through a shot at him on commentary about the WWE universe not being interested in him, so I am not expecting any big push anytime soon, plus Sweet T has moved to commentating on NXT.

 

[Mitch Henessey]

To be honest, I don't see a real bright future for Brodus after Tons Of Funk. The Funkasaurus is a novelty character with a short life span, and you cold tell audiences were already bored with/tried of Clay weeks after his debut.

Sure, Clay could could be the big nasty generic monster heel, but I don't see a big upside for the change. Maybe a few noteworthy matches at first to give the turn a boost, but I don't expect Brodus to get any where near the WWE or WHC (or Unified Championship). Brodus will bounce around the mid card, as a snarling monster. He'll squash his fair share of tomato cans as a heel, and he might go after the IC or US title, but that's about it.

 

[JohnJohnson]

I liked the gimmick at first just because I thought his matches were funny. Then by the time I saw his third match I lost a lot of interest, because they were all the same. Eventually I thought the gimmick was stupid. Just a big smiling face dancing with kids. Recently, he is heelish, and seeing him kinda bully Xavier Woods was interesting. I like him now, because I see him as something like a 1990s video game boss, or a ninja turtle villain. A big dancing dinosaur monster that's flashy and over the top is entertaining to me. He even reminds me a little of King Mabel. As long as he is a heel, does bad things, and beats the crap out of his opponents. I like the spikes on the back and the goggles. It adds to his persona. I think it would be cool if he had minions or something come to the ring with him. Keep the Funkadactyls, but have some random jobber minions come out dancing in the background. They could show backstage segments of him sitting in his own dressing room with disco lights and dancing women, while eating a Turkey leg and bossing his minions around. Every now and then have him destroy a minion for messing something up. I don't know. I just think that they should evolve the gimmick instead of repackaging him.

 

[Wildcat66]

Well. Brodus is a heel now, and I guess it's probably for the best.

 

[HellBoundPower]

Brodus needed the heel turn to be honest. The dancing big guy gimmick was starting to ware thin. You can really only do that for so long before it gets stale. Tons of Funk were pretty much jobbers, and now Brodus is getting some attention due to his heel turn. I don't know what will come of it though. I think things might go similar to Shad Gaspard's heel turn. He'll get serious and have a few big moments before getting relegated to jobber status. I don't think he'll get released, but he'll probably float around in lower card range for the rest of his career.

 

[Mighty NorCal]

Its about goddamn time. Looks intimidating, plays the asshole role real well, and the "747" (what One Man Gang called that second rope splash) is a phenominally legit finisher for a guy that size. He can do big things if they keep him strong.

 

[Ayden Awestruck]

Whether he stays where he is on the card or does drop down (which wouldn't surprise me in the slightest considering creative's track record), I do love what they are doing with Brodus right now. He is born for the role of a monster heel and he is looking as intimidating as he ever has. And it didn't take much either. It might have been simple and it might have been old school but fighting over theme music worked and proved as a successful transition. My biggest question though is where does Tensai go from here? Because Lord knows he needs to ditch this dancing gimmick just as much as Brodus. Maybe even more.

 

[martymcfly]

My guess is once he is out of this uninteresting, unimportant feud with R-truth & woods, he will defeat tensai cleanly to give him some credibility, then will be given a somewhat higher level match at one of the less important pay per views, say against ziggler or langston. Brodus will lose that, after that will be delegated to being a heel midcard level jobber. There's not really much else for him to do.