Buy or Sell #4: Zeb Coulter will make Jack Swagger over as a face

[Ziirox]

Alright, kids. If you've ever watched PTI (Pardon the Interruption), a sports talk show on ESPN, you already know how to play. If not, the rules are simple. If you agree with the statement, you "buy" it. If you disagree, you "sell" it. You need to explain why you bought or sold the statement.

We saw Jack Swagger turn face recently:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTohF9avAZA

It's got to be the easiest face turn we've ever seen. Hyper Patriotic gimmicks just work very well. Look at the likes of Hulk Hogan, Sgt. Slaughter, and Hacksaw Jim Duggan. Those men were quite possibly the best pro-U.S.A. gimmicks we've seen on the big stage. The WWE has been lacking a good patriotic American performer for quite some time. I believe Jack Swagger can be it. The only wild card here is whether or not he will be able to do with Zeb Coulter at his side.

So, here's your Buy or Sell: Zeb Coulter will HELP get Jack Swagger over as a face.

BUY

There are a few standing conditions to my buying this statement.

I don't think Zeb Coulter can keep spewing his anti-immigrant propaganda. That's the first thing he has to change. Today's America (at least in the eyes of many) is no longer Xenophobic (if you don't know what that means, look it up). Our country is praised for the fact that it's a "melting pot" of all walks of life. You can't be a good guy and spew jargin about illegal immigrants and not sound like a bat s**t crazy racist. That was what it was before. Zeb's agenda has to change. He has to simply praise our country as the best, lead some U.S.A. chants, and talk up about how Jack Swagger is a REAL American. His other duty is putting down the bad guy's country as a backwards nation that is completely wrong. This face turn means he'll be watered down as a mouth piece, but in order to get Swagger over, that's what he needs to do.

When/If Zeb does eventually turn on Swagger (which will probably happen at some point), it will just be as simple as Jack's face turn. Zeb can go back to being a Nationalistic Xenophobe.

So, Buy or Sell this?

 

[Tjfitzsimmons88]

deff BUY

Swagger has been nothing in the last few years. hell get a small tv push now and again but nothing like he once was. once the real amercians broke off swagger hasn't done much. This is fresh for him. we all no rusev is gonna win bc there pushing him like umaga and isnt going to lose until he faces likes of cena or someone like that, but this is good for swagger bc a lot of other things can come about this.

after rusev we can get swagger and del rio
this could be chance to turn Kofi heel and fued with swagger
turn sheamus heel

so different things can happen good for swagger. get him back in the US title picture too

 

[wrestler36]

Buy. We The People has been over for awhile now, even as they were heels. Swaggger has always been solid in the ring and with Zeb as the mouthpiece, that's all he's got to be right now. In the future, I would love to see Angle return and Zeb turn heel and have those to feud with Swagger.

 

[Slash-LN]

Sell.

While a patriotic gimmick is easy to get behind the crowd has to have a strong dislike towards the heel. A Swagger/Rusev feud is more a battle of their mouthpieces than it is the wrestlers involved.

People chant "We the people" but it has more to do with the chant than it does Swagger. And since Zeb is the one doing the talking it's more him that people care about than Swagger. You could put almost any wrestler in that same situation and get the same reaction.

In the case of Rusev Lana gets more of a reaction than he does.

It's not like when Hogan fought turncoat Slaughter. People actually hated Slaughter for turning his back on America.

Swagger is very good in the ring but people just can't invest in him for whatever reason.

He might get a little momentum if he beats Rusev but ultimately I think he'll go back to where he's been most of his career. And that's a shame because I like the guy.

 

[theblasterkid]

Buy. I actually love the "Real American" gimmick. It kind of reminds of the past where WWE had more managers. Colter is great on th mic and their feud with Rusev and Lana was destined (gimmick wise). What they could have done for suggestions: Have Rusev challenge Sheamus on the 4th for the title and have Rusev go over, then you would have had Swagger vs. Rusev for the US Championship.

 

[mmmmbeer]

Sell. Anyone gets a huge pop when they get put opposite the anti-American spewing foreign wrestler...even when it makes little logical sense (see Kane vs. the Un-Americans).

I actually like this as an opportunity to rehab Swagger's career a bit, but don't buy Coulter as getting Swagger over. He's spent the last year plus playing (and doing a good job) a ridiculous tea party stereotype and now we are supposed to all pop because he targets it at Rusev? I think it will become a bit stale/unbelievable as the angle goes on.

As weak as Swagger is on the mic, I think it would actually be a good move and have Rusev take out Coulter, and have Swagger handle his promos solo before perhaps reintroducing Zeb after a couple of months as his manager with better packaging.

 

[Catacomb]

this wouldve been a good post before last monday, but weve seen raw by now and the crowd already sided with swagger, not just chanting usa, they chanted for swagger specifically

 

[Softcore Holly]

Easy Buy for me

Swagger as a good lasting face remains to be seen, but I have no doubt Zeb can keep bringing on the cheers. For a guy as good on the mic as Zeb and with a easy assignment like being patriotic against the foreigner bashing American on a monster heel run? No question about it, Zeb can do it in his sleep.

 

[kadroan]

BUY

As long as they don't try to be a face.

Both Zeb and Jack got to continue what they do best. Zeb - continue to insult non-Americans. Jack - beat up anybody who gets in his face.

Now if he tries to be like how Big E was waving the American Flag etc, he will get stale quick.

 

[theblasterkid]

BUY

As long as they don't try to be a face.

Both Zeb and Jack got to continue what they do best. Zeb - continue to insult non-Americans. Jack - beat up anybody who gets in his face.

Now if he tries to be like how Big E was waving the American Flag etc, he will get stale quick.

This I agree with. Why did they turn Big E into a Southern Baptist preacher? I don't know. Let him be himself. The guy was over in NXT with his five count gimmick.

 

[Blade]

It'll get cheap pops for sure. But is that really being over? I mean, anyone can start a USA chant. But that doesn't necessarily mean they like Swagger, it means that they like America. As faces, there's no real depth to the real Americans.

I'll Buy. Swagger will be over, but it'll be in the most shallow way possible.

 

[JoeyJoeJoe]

Sell.

To get OVER, he's going to have to have contribute some of his own steam power to this, and I'm not convinced that Swagger can do that. He can only have Colter so long, and eventually he's own bland personality will come bubbling up again.

The fans aren't popping for Swagger...they're popping for Colter. And while that can work for heels, I don't think the same applies to faces.

 

[THTRobtaylor]

I buy it, but not in the way you are thinking... I expect Rusev to "take out" Zeb before their match, I mean "maim" him in the storyline, the kind of injury that he has to sell by being offscreen for some time... It's the classic "Rocky 3" story, the manager gets hurt and the "hero loses badly" as a result cos his head isn't in the game.

The rematch is signed for Summerslam... and Zeb is offscreen the whole time until the go home RAW, where they do the famous "home interview" with Rusev/Lana and Swagger in ring where he says he cannot be there to help Jack during the match...but he would never have let Jack go in there without another Real American by his side and won't now...cue Derringer...cue the Red and Yellow... Cue Hulk Hogan who will be in Jack Swagger's corner at Summerslam and help him get the upset win over Rusev, even if it's a DQ or countout.

Feud continues, Hogan in his corner and Zeb eventually returns around October time or maybe Survivor Series...by which time Hogan and Swagger are "mega over" and Hogan has anointed him as his true successor. Zeb feels slighted, squeezed out and that Swagger has lost the path...so he finds a heel American to face off with Swagger into the Rumble/Mania. Kurt Angle anyone?


This works because while Zeb could play sympathetic for a while, he is a natural heel manager. Swagger needs a mouthpiece but not necessarily Zeb... Hogan would be perfect for this new "American Hero" Swagger and be someone who can work with him to help him improve what he has rather than hiding it the way "We The People" does... Swagger ISN'T Hulk Hogan but he's not a million miles from what Hulk was physically in his prime, he could pick up some mannerisms from him and while I don't see him donning the Yellow and Red, I do see it as a natural protege type deal...

Zeb then becomes invaluable because he becomes the heel again, by feeling slighted, squeezed out and ultimately responsible it means he can take another guy from the roster and help him in the same way he did Swagger and Cesaro. IF they were going to bring Angle back or Shelton Benjamin then he's the perfect guy to be able to do do that and for it to work. Angle v Swagger at Mania could be a very good option if Kurt can be focused, in shape and clean... with Hogan in one corner and Zeb in another the battle of the Real Americans could get Swagger to where they wanted him to be before his drugs bust... He can be overzealous and clumsy at times but overall his ring work is among the top 5 in the company and people DO like him both backstage and in the stands... this could be the way to do it.

 

[Dagger Dias]

Buy.

While Jack Swagger is more gifted at being a heel wrestler, Zeb is good enough on the mic to get him over as a face. I'd rather Swagger and Zeb stay heels, but this can work. The point is.... Zeb can make Swagger become over as a face if he continues the same type of promos he has been doing, but focusing on heels like Rusev instead of the foreign faces. Without Zeb, it would not be possible. Jack Swagger on his own could NEVER get over as a face. Zeb was the best thing that ever happened to him. He could get Swagger over regardless of his face/heel status, he's that good on the mic. Let's see where this goes. For now, I buy that Zeb can make Swagger over as a face. Whether that actually happens or not in the long term, we will have to find out as it plays out.

 

[Y 2 Jake]

I'm convinced Swagger would've been a breakout babyface had he turned on Michael Cole during their brief partnership. He also had the most underrated world title run of recent memory.

His potential headline run is over, but Swagger will become a great babyface with or without Coulter.

 

[chicagokmc]

There is something about Swagger's look and demeanor that just yell heel. To get over as a face I think he needs someone like Coulter to be the patriotic mouthpiece leading the "we the people" chant.