Is David Otunga the new Masterpiece?

[asiatic7]

It seems as if David Otunga is using the old Chris Masters gimmick. While he does have the body for such a gimmick, do you think that it fits him? Will it get him over more than the lawyer gimmick could?

On a side note: Is David tanning or using the Great Khali's "oil and smeared lipstick" trick? Randy Orton once said in an interwiew that Khali uses baby oil and lipstick on his muscles to emphasize their definition. What ever Otunga is doing, his body appears to have a reddish hue.

I never liked David Otunga, but I like what they have been doing with him the last few weeks. He's turning into a obnoxious narcissistic heel. Just might be his niche. What do you guys think?

 

[The_Midnight_Show]

I think David Otunga is nothing if not an interesting character. I believe there is a resemblance between him and Chris Masters as well; however, they are different wrestlers and it would be unfair to say that "We have seen this before".

As for will this get him more over than his lawyer gimmick, it's tough to say. The lawyer gimmick was successful in that as Funk Man's right hand, ass-kissing man, it gave him a lot of heat. I think about it like this, after the whole Nexus thing dissolved and all the original NXT members went their own way, if Otunga had stuck solely to "I have big muscles, look at me," it would have gotten him nowhere. The reason that it seems to be working for him now (and I agree that I like his character currently), is because he has that lawyer-gimmick background. Otunga would have never made the main event with simply his lawyer gimmick, but in that same vein, I don't think Otunga (not all wrestlers necessarily) would be able to make it with JUST the muscle gimmick. It's the combination of the two that make Otunga a worthwhile character. This is something very simple called character development and when WWE utilizes it, it makes for some good TV

As a sidenote, my comment focused on Otunga's character; however, his in-ring work has also been above satisfactory. Needs work? Yes. But I believe he can improve enough to definitely become a mid-card staple, and from there, who knows.
Also as part of the sidenote, I've never noticed it before and I'm not sure if it is new, but I loved that break from Otunga's themesong when was on the apron showing off his muscles.

EDIT: I forgot to address fake v. real muscles. I have no idea. Obviously the oil makes them look sick, but besides that, I don't know if there is more involved or not.

 

[RicSpade]

I've said it once before and I'll probably say it a thousand times in my life every wrestler has a gimmick of some sort that was rehashed or started by someone else, Jack Swagger = Kurt Angle, Damien Sandow = Genius Lanny Poffo, Ryback = Goldberg, Brodus Clay = Flash Funk or Ernest Miller, It isn't important whose old gimmick your similar too, its about how you recreate yourself to be different then your predecessor. look at Brodus Clay, he's a fun guy, but has a mean streak, Ryback seems to be stuck in one gear, but your seeing less Goldberg chants now, and more Feed me more or Ryback chants. and then there is Damien Sandow, Sandow was even referenced by Booker T. as idolizing the genius too much on this fridays smackdown so he is still in that rehash stage, but in terms of Otunga, his problem is that he's not worth enough heat as a Wade Barrett or even Heath Slater, they want you to hate him cause he looks like Carlton Banks (Fresh Prince reference people) on steroids who is a lawyer because lawyers are bad, but other then that he is irrelevant to me regardless what gimmick he is similar to because nothing about him right now stands out.

 

[mikde_]

David otunga really confuses me! It seems like he has 2 gimmicks! Backstage he is the douchebag ass kissing harvard law grad and in the ring he is the flashy bodybuilder fiancée of jennifer Hudson. It would be nice if he stuck to one of them or atleast merged the two together better.

As for the question...I don't think he is doing the masterpiece gimmick really. It's only his enterance that resembles the masterpiece but yeah he is just doing the generic 'I have a great body! Look at me!' type of deal.

 

[THTRobtaylor]

It kinda works for me, cos he is saying "You thought it was all about the brains...once I am out here, talking is over..." when he does that entrance, it's his way of saying he can back up his talk with the brawn. Most "clever" gimmicks have people walking tapping their head or reading poems etc..

 

[JaylisJayP]

Otunga has below average mic skills but even he can talk better than Chris Masters. If he can get a little more believability in his delivery, and not make it seem like he's reciting lines, then he has a shot to get up in the heel picture. He's been in 2 very high profile angles since joining WWE with Nexus and JL, so it's certainly not for lack of exposure.

 

[JaceEvans]

what was Chris Master's gimmick? He would pose on the entrance ramp and then challenge someone to a master lock challenge. Master's gimmick was completely one dimensional and chris didn't add any more layers to it, which is probably why it failed. Now Otunga is borrowing the posing from the old gimmick he adds more to it because of his work as big Johnny's sidekick. I know it was Smackdown which is know for can heat and cheer's but he was getting an above average heat when he did his posing in the ring, I'd like to see him on Raw with this new dim lights and pose thing just to make sure it wasn't canned heat, before I sign off on him.

 

[Dagger Dias]

I would never want David Otunga to become the next Masters. The lawyer gimmick actually fit Otunga quite well, it made him stand out both as an authority figure who helped the heel GM and as a heel wrestler. If he were to fully take on the Masterpiece gimmick then one (or both) of two AWFUL things would end up happening. The first being that Otunga would start making Master Lock challenges. I hated those, they were such a waste of time. I'd rather watch Kelly face one of the Bellas in a 3 hour long match than sit through another Master Lock challenge. The second being that he would begin making his chest dance. If the latter EVER happens, Otunga loses every last ounce of respect that I ever had for him forever. Chest dancing is disgusting and should not be on television.

With that being said, no, I do not think Otunga is going to become the new Masterpiece. He's just posing in a way similar to Masters. He is not going to begin doing Master Lock challenges (or anything similar) and if WWE have any intelligence at all they will never have him make his chest dance like Masters did. The lawyer gimmick needs to remain intact in some way, it's perfect for Otunga and was something different. It allows him to be both a heel wrestler and an authority figure, he could be a GM someday easily or a manager, thanks to that gimmick. So what if he does a pose to show off his muscles, he's not going to become the new Masterpiece. That'd be a big mistake.