Mike Knox Rox my Sox off

[Tastycles]

I said this in the Raw Live Discussion the other night, but I've had chance to think about it more now. Mike Knox is one of the best wrestlers on Raw, which I will get to in a moment. One thing that will certainly happen in this thread is that someone will bring up Snitsky. Just because they are both big men does not mean they are the same. Before Snitsky's last main event on Raw in February last year, he gave probably the dullest promo I have ever seen. To be outdone by Umaga on the mic takes some doing, but he managed it.

Anyway, the point I'm trying to make is that Shitsky was rubbish, and Mike Knox is excelent, and here's why:

1) Mike Knox has what very few wrestlers today have which is a gimmickless but original look. His beard gets a lot of stick, (if 400 beard jokes in a row are your bag, check out any Raw LD) but he is the first wrestler I can think of who has had such a massive one without being a biker or a wizard or som bullshit.

A beard does not make a good wrestler, but it does make him stand out from the crowd. He has a generic body type, but he avoids looking generic, which is always a good starting point on Raw.

2) Mike Knox is over as a heel. If you watched Raw this week, you will have heard the crowd be really into the match. I guarantee you that everyone who disagrees with me will put this on Mysterio, but that would be wrong. Watch Mysterio's match with Regal from a couple of weeks ago and the crowd is dead. People want to see Knox lose, which is a good start.

3) Mike Knox cuts a good promo. I can only recall two feuds for Knox in 2008/9 and that is his one with Finlay and the one with Mysterio. He was given little mic time,but he used what he had done really. His promo that he cut on Mysterio, saying he didn't know why he was attacking him was excellent. His promos on Finlay were also good.

He is probably kept off the mic because he is softly spoken and it doesn't fit with his look. However, I think that they could quite easily work that into his gimmick. After all, if you've ever heard Mike Tyson talk you'll know a mean bastard can have a high voice.

4) He is a solid and competent worker. Knox is no Bret Hart in the ring, but he isn't Ultimate Warrior either. He has quite a varied move set and his finisher is definitely in the top 50% of WWE finishers, maybe even higher. He was by no means stunning in the Elimination Chamber work wise, but he was not embarrassed either, and when you consider that he spent most of his in ring time with Mysterio and Jericho, that isn't bad at all.

 

[The Todd]

I have to say when he was given the push i thought "new snitsky" but I'm starting to change my mind. Watch the two chamber matches and compare the similar wrestlers, Knox and Kozlov. Kozlov has been pushed to the moon but he looked slow, boring and one spot where he rammed Hardy into the chamber it didn't even look like he was doing it! Now Knox controlled a big of the raw chamber and looked much better than Kozlov, he didn't look slow, he was exciting and when he rammed Mysterio into the cage it looked vicious!

Knox willl never main event, but he will be a solid jobber to the stars whilst dominating the mid card, a bit like Umaga but not on the same level.

 

[ChrisIrvine]

let me just say that I could not agree with either of you more. Kozlov??? Honsetly, who did he blow to even get a job with WWE??? I just don't get it. He's a bad wrester. He's a bad speaker, if u can even call it that. And he's a bad entertainer in general. And his "finisher" is a head butt which he utilizes by covering his head with both of his hands??? I really just don't get why he is even in the company, let alone been allowed several main even feuds. I mean he's not even a big or ripped guy. He's just average. Not even Above Average Mike Sanders is as low as this guy should be. I cant stress it enough: I DON'T GET IT.

Knox on the other hand---His match with Mysterio this last week, in my mind at least, is up there in terms of match of the year (on Raw at least). How can you argue with that. It was a GREAT match. I never paid any attention to Knox and I grew tired of Mysterio the second he pinned Kevin Nash, but I was thoroughly entertained by this match. So much, in fact, that when i watched it on DVR, I didn't fast forward through any of it. Selling moves is such an underlooked quality in a big man these days. Knox is fantastic. He was in a high pace match with a high flyer and didn't miss a beat. I'd love to see him get some mic time. In my opinion, he could be the next big "new" heel that rises through Raw.

WWE please listen to this: DO NOT MOVE KNOX AT THE DRAFT. He is PERFECT on Raw, and given time will develop into one hell of an entertainer.

 

[ghettodan]

I also agree with everyone so far in this thread. I have liked Mike Knox since he first showed up on ECW, but I really knew he had some talent when he had been off TV for awhile and came back in a match against Kofi. He was the 1st regular ECW roster member Kofi fought and they put on a really good match.

Everyone is right that he will most likely never be a main eventer, but he could be a mainstay in the mid card and show up to be used as a jobber for the Raw main event guys in both Raw main events and filler PPVs.

 

[Phoenix]

I really think Knox could go far, aside from jobbing to Mysterio after a good match (but then WWE does this all the time with Rey and big guys), I really see him going far. Even before NWO, his tag team match with Kane against Rey and Kofi was one of the best tag matches I've seen for ages (outside Miz & Morrison). His ringwork is brilliant, I just loved how you expect a 619 and Rey wins only for Knox to grab him and set up Rey for a chokeslam for the 1-2-3.

Also abit random, but Knox has some pretty awesome music, I really do get into it every time it goes on, it makes me look forward to Knox even more!

 

[Swolfsta22]

I actually thought Knoxx had potential when he was on ecw as kelly kellys boyfreind hes Large and agile hes like a younger verson of kane jus has a little better wrestling abilities and hes slightly smaller, his matchs with mysterio were very good especially the one this past monday, i feel he can be a big star in a year or two with some work and some big feuds he can be a big guy heel. Knoxxin Dudes outtt!!

also his tag match with kan vs kingston nd mysterio was very good.

 

[Mr. TM]

I enjoy Knox and believe he can be a big man that unlike Khali and Umaga, hasn't broken into the WWE with a bang so much, meaning he might have a chance to last longer and still be a little more scary. I hope when it is all over he does go over Rey Mysterio, adding to his impressiveness. After all the big men Rey goes over, it will make Knox look incredible if he can actually beat the underdog. He is good in the ring for a big man, I thought his match tagging with Kane was a great match. He isn't choppy in the ring like so many (better) wrestlers. And the Beard. I stay up at night wondering how to get a beard like that. Bravo Mike, Bravo.

 

[OIL]

Although he has a bit more personality about him, or that x factor comapred to people like Snitsky, I still find him as another monster heel. I mean, all he's going to do is plow through competition until he faces someone like Cena or HBK, and then lose. Then, his momentum is gone and he'll be in the mid-card for life until his release. It's a sad truth about most guys who come in with this gimmick type. The 'I'm big and scary & can beat anyone' gimmick. He'll be released by next year, and then another one will come through. Only Umaga is doing well really, and his gimmick is actually way more in depth.

 

[demon316]

I'd hate to have to repeat what most of you have said but...I too agree...Mike Knox is awesome! He actually has qualities that make him stand out above all the others. He's not a pretty boy by any means. Does not have a great looking physique. And that beard...that beard is one of the things I like most because I think it gives him more of a grizzly look. Unlike Snitsky who made the dumbest mistake of staining his teeth to look scary, Knox's beard adds mystery to his character. And the fact that he has not spoken much at all so far builds on that mystery.

I do hope that they do have him speak a little more. We definitely need to know more about him and why he became this way. I'm guessing after WM we might learn a little more. Think about it..his already ipressive in-ring skills and more developed mic skills..look out Orton.......Ok Ok I know that's going way too far...lol

 

[Scott Free]

Knox is pretty good for a big guy, he actually can do some mic work IF they let him,
he used to do fine in his ECW days with the Kelly Kelly story.
I think they should rip off Balls Mahoney's nickname and use it on Knox, with his new
hairy look Captain Caveman would fit nicely.
Best thing they could do is keep him far away from Tripple H, or he'll end up like Snitsky.

 

[Criss Hardy]

I thik Mike Knox and Paul Burchill could be main eventers, it would be ridiculous if they werent, they have the size, the strength and they both put on good matches.
But im still higher on Burchill than Knox, i dont know why more people havent realized his talent.

 

[ChrisIrvine]

I don't even think you can compare Knox to Snitsky. No offense to anyone named "Gene," but you can't debut a MONSTER and tell everyone his name is GENE. His character was dead before it even began.

On top of that, Snitsky really can't wreslte. I've always thought he sucked in the ring and he sucked on the mike. Not to mention.....and I honestly mean this....can anyone name a match he WON?

 

[Michael Miracle]

I'm warming up to Knox after not being that big of a fan of his on ECW, though he did have some decent matches with CM Punk. But, I think I have a great idea for Knox. Have Kane become a mentor toward Knox, teach him how to be a monster, which could lead to either a huge face turn by Knox or a huge heel turn for Knox by turning on Kane. While their matches wouldn't be techincal master pieces, they would definatly be entertaining...

 

[Lee]

Again, how you should do things correctly. Knox comes in ECW works his way up, off TV for a lil while, comes to Raw starts attacking Rey and has even had a place in teh elimination chamber.

The guy is decent in the ring for a big man, nothing special, but when you compare him to Raws other big man Kane, he's like Kurt Angle! He's decent on the mic too and his beard just gives him a rather unique look.

I am interested to see where they go with Knox, maybe an IC run could help him out.

 

[twiztid_lestat]

I agree, I was talking to my best friend about him, who is a big man fan, and a Snitsky fan, How Knox stacks up in his opinion, and we agree, that he actually is a pretty solid wrestler.

He looks and probrably looks stiff when he works, which helps his credibility as a threat. He looks like a monster mountain man who just likes to kick ass and leave. His finisher is friggin awesome looking on almost anyone.

I just think hes got such potential, Give him a good mouthpiece maybe, Possibly a new manager, or even if not, Let him keep doing what hes doing.

Beyond the TV ending, His match with Rey were great quality. And I hope to see more from him.

 

[Ben-Phillips]

I don't have anything to say other than he's a good talent and a workable character. I just disagree when it comes to the mic time.. Please, don't.. He's like a non-monsterous Brock Lesnar. He can't talk for crap, he sounded like a little kid when he was interviewed by Grisham with his thoughts about Mysterio.

 

[Theo Mays]

To repeat what has been said, but Mike Knox is AWESOME! I love the guy. He is good in the ring, sells moves, decent look (greatest beard ever lol), agile for a big dude, and a good finisher. I hope they keep him on Raw and let him continue to work his way up. Make a strong living in the mid card/upper mid card and have him flirt with the main event scene. I definitely think he is capable of that.

 

[NSL]

I've grown to like Mike Knox rather quickly. Like Snitsky, he has the mean guy look, and has the size that no one wants to mess with. Unlike Snitsky, he has talent, and can cut a good enough promo to get his point across.

He's a monster in the ring, and is definitely holding his own against smaller guys right now, but I'd like to see him against some bigger guys before he gets any title reigns. Matches against Big Show, Kane, Batista, and Mark Henry would impress me more than man-handling Rey all over the ring.

We've got a few weeks until Wrestlemania, so I guess we'll see a lot from him before then, and we'll get a better picture of where WWE is headed with him.

 

[Sean Valjean]

The only things growing faster than Knox's beard are my feelings for him. Maybe it's because of my friend, who loves Knox. Or maybe it's because I got my jollies watching him "hit-stick" Rey for weeks

I, like many others, thought he was Snitsky da Sequel, but lately he's really been showing some ability. His chamber performace, albeit short, was quite good, he looked very dominant. Hell, I'd even go as far to say that he's more dominant than Kane in general right now. The only thing hurting him are his mic skills, more specifically his voice. He has a Lashley thing going on in that he's a big, strong looking guy but has the voice of a 9 year-old boy. They also need to keep him away from Mysterio since Rey is apparently the destoyer of all giants and losing to him constantly hurts his character.

In the end, I can see Knox having a few IC title reigns, and maybe a tag title reign if they decided to pair him with Kane. A world title? I don't see it happening, but it isn't completly out of the question.

 

[MikeZnox]

Judging by my username, there's obviously going to be some bias, but I am really high on Knox. He's got the strength, the quickness and he can wrestle above average for a big man. He can also work a match fairly well. He can only improve from here as he get a bit more experience wrestling with some of the top tier stars.
I also like the gimmick of how he doesn't have any reason why he beats people up, he just does it. His voice kind of made me laugh, but hey, it is what it is.
Hopefully he doesn't fade away like many big men do after a while.
And by the way, that beard is bitchin

 

[TwistofRKO]

Ehhhhhh

He has potential.. great size, unique look, good finisher... something's missing. It;s just compiling with his pre-pubescent voice. He just looks too plain outside of that beard.

 

[Mighty NorCal]

most definately already a thread on this.


"how do you know this NorCal?!?!?!" you ask.


Probably becuase I started it. Infractions for all involved.