So apparently there have been rumors circulating that Skip Sheffield will be returning soon, also WWE has recently trademarked the name Ryback this was the name Sheffield originally used in FCW this gimmick was pretty much a terminator type character who came from the future. So what do you think WWE has planned for Sheff... I mean Ryback and what kind of impact do you think he will make on his return?
The Man From The Future
- Thread starter Rated sj
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Ultra Awesome
Im standing in Brooklyn/
When Skip Sheffield first started on NXT, he looked like a complete joke. The cowboy gimmick with the "Yup, yup, yup" did him no favors whatsoever and it just strengthened the idea that he would not be winning the competition. But once he was showcased apart of Nexus, that's when Skip started showing what he really had in him. A fire burning, strong will--at Summer Slam this man was an unstoppable phenomenon. I dare say he looked the most dominant in the entire match. Unfortunately, he was injured and therefore unable to continue on his rising fame.
Now, he's coming back...as a terminator(?)--I'm not so sure how I feel about that. The idea of being from the future alone is a bit corny and something that would have worked in the 90's but not in 2011. Perhaps I'm judging too harshly, but until I see what he does with that gimmick, I will continue to say that this is a horrible mistake if it does happen.
Personally, I would like to see Skip returning with the name "Ryback," but simply as a dominant-type heel that will stop at nothing from crushing all of the competition. Skip's a big guy--giving him the role of a dominant heel is right up his ally and something that he could excel in. He's a big guy with the acting skills to make it happen, and based on what I saw prior to his injury back in 2010, that's where he belongs.
Now, he's coming back...as a terminator(?)--I'm not so sure how I feel about that. The idea of being from the future alone is a bit corny and something that would have worked in the 90's but not in 2011. Perhaps I'm judging too harshly, but until I see what he does with that gimmick, I will continue to say that this is a horrible mistake if it does happen.
Personally, I would like to see Skip returning with the name "Ryback," but simply as a dominant-type heel that will stop at nothing from crushing all of the competition. Skip's a big guy--giving him the role of a dominant heel is right up his ally and something that he could excel in. He's a big guy with the acting skills to make it happen, and based on what I saw prior to his injury back in 2010, that's where he belongs.
The 1-2-3 Killam
Mid-Card Championship Winner
FCW, being a much smaller company that is meant to experiment with ideas, characters, and concepts can get away with things like that. But I doubt very much that a "terminator from the future" will work in today's industry... Granted, ECW back in the day had some crazy characters, but WWE 2011 is NOT old-school ECW.
Part of me wants them to try it, just to see the audience crap all over it.
Part of me wants them to try it, just to see the audience crap all over it.
I love gimmicks and am all for more gimmicks/interesting characters being introduced into the WWE but this one could go either way. It could be great and to be honest I personally was not one bit interested in Skips return until I heard about the Ryback character now I am intrigued...at the same time it could be a huge mess and has more than enough potential to fail and be as cheesy as some of the worst gimmicks in WWE history. I don't think this sort of thing will coincide well with characters like CM Punk who would just turn the whole thing into a joke but I am interested in how the WWE will approach a character like this in the current era. I am undecided yet on any opinions of Skip as far as his in ring work goes but I will be keeping an eye on the whole development.
Charismatic Enigma
Grand Slam Champion
I hope when he arrives back from the future, to make his new debut he is managed by one (or both) of the members of Tekno Team 2000 (and uses their theme song):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rT0mAY3j8oE
PS: wouldn't it be hilarious if the "it begins" promo was actually for Skip and had nothing to do with Jericho or Undertaker, people's heads would explode. haha
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rT0mAY3j8oE
PS: wouldn't it be hilarious if the "it begins" promo was actually for Skip and had nothing to do with Jericho or Undertaker, people's heads would explode. haha
PeaceAndLove
Dark Match Winner
^dude i would piss my pants. Anyway this ryback thing seems kinda far fetched but it seems like nobody has seem the character so here you guys go i dont know how to judge it so give me some insight on it. Not as corny as i once though but eh..kinda funny seeing sheamus in fcw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxKH_R1JDWs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxKH_R1JDWs
MikeyBobby
Dark Match Jobber
This sounds awful. These ridiculous gimmicks do not work. The only one that worked was Undertaker, so that's one ridiculous gimmick in about the past 4 decades that's worked. You would think someone in a position of power would see a pattern. Then again, Skip is so magnificently talented and reliable I'm sure he could get any gimmick over.
Hell, I hope he comes from the future just to tell all the nerds that these videos are not about Jericho, hops in his Delorean and goes back to 2047 or whenever he's from.
Hell, I hope he comes from the future just to tell all the nerds that these videos are not about Jericho, hops in his Delorean and goes back to 2047 or whenever he's from.
I hope Ryback is just going to be used as a nickname & not a gimmick. These cartoon character gimmicks will not work nowadays, and if you really think about it, they didn't work back in the days. When have we seen someone with a cartoonish gimmick become a serious world champion in any major organization? I like Sheffield's intensity in the ring; he a no nonsense type a guy who can really reak hovoc.
I am all for gimmicks and think that the WWE needs more, especially in this PG era. I hope that they gamble and do a gimmick with Sheffield because gimmicks are so overlooked in today's wrestling.
That said, a character from the future is such an awful idea that I think when juxtaposed with the Gooker, the Gooker will look better. But hey, it can't be as bad Eli Cottonwood's gimmick.
That said, a character from the future is such an awful idea that I think when juxtaposed with the Gooker, the Gooker will look better. But hey, it can't be as bad Eli Cottonwood's gimmick.
brochester8
Getting Noticed By Management
I personnaly can't wait for him to come back. I was a huge fan of his and thought he had potential and with this gimmick can only get better. He's a lot better than Mason Ryan that's for sure.
mykeymayhem
Dark Match Winner
How about The Undertaker, Kane, Mankind, The ultimate Warrior, Hulk Hogan is a pretty cartoonish persona kinda like super man I think I made my point here...If cartoonish persona's like kane, and the undertaker still work there is no reason why Ryback can't work.
Kane and The Undertaker's gimmicks have been tweaked heavily since their debuts. Their gimmicks back in the day fit perfectly with the era, and the WWE knew they had to change it up as they moved on in times and that's what they did. Kane went from a masked devil-like character to a bald guy who talks about how demented he is, and his character isn't doing very well at all right now. But he's around because of his experience and his awesome promo skills.
The Undertaker's gimmick has been heavily changed as well. He used to be a mortician-like character, was changed to a biker (plenty more things to name), and currently he's a pure striker with gothic getup more than anything. If it wasn't for his WrestleMania streak, I doubt he'd be a huge draw even as a world champion. No disrespect for either Kane or 'Taker as I have always been a huge fan of theirs. My point is that their current gimmicks are entirely different from what they used to be, and Ryback sounds, in a word, silly. I'm glad they're testing it out in FCW first but I'm hoping he comes in as he was. The cowboy thing sounds more normal, to be honest.
The terminator type gimmick could honestly go either way. It could either be a big flop because it's too cartoony gimmick but at that the same time, that could always be a reason it could explode.
Some wrestling fans really miss the gimmicks as well as it adds a bit of flavor and variety. The issue normally isn't the gimmicks anyways, it's the people playing them being able to pull it off or not. If Sheffield can pull off the Ryback futuristic terminator gimmick, then hell yeah let's do it. Spice up the WWE a little. Wrestling feels too bland anymore with it only feeling like it's kissing babies and smiling types for the faces, cocky arrogant heels out the wazoo, or attempts at monster heels. Maybe a gimmicky character would add some flavor back into the roster....
Which is precisely why it could work.
Some wrestling fans really miss the gimmicks as well as it adds a bit of flavor and variety. The issue normally isn't the gimmicks anyways, it's the people playing them being able to pull it off or not. If Sheffield can pull off the Ryback futuristic terminator gimmick, then hell yeah let's do it. Spice up the WWE a little. Wrestling feels too bland anymore with it only feeling like it's kissing babies and smiling types for the faces, cocky arrogant heels out the wazoo, or attempts at monster heels. Maybe a gimmicky character would add some flavor back into the roster....
Which is precisely why it could work.
This gimmick wouldn't have worked in the heyday of Max Moon, let alone now.
Look at the current storylines in the WWE. Since WrestleMania, we've had the big CM Punk vs John Cena feud, the Triple H COO storyline, and the Cena/Rock feud, for example. Punk vs Cena was based around contracts, money, fame, power. Triple H's COO storyline was based around...contracts, money, fame, and power. The Cena/Rock storyline? A little different, but at the end of the day there's no real gimmick to it. Rocky has transcended any sort of gimmick, he's just the Rock, and Cena is much the same. They're just two mega stars clashing.
Let's face facts, folks - the era of these kinds of gimmicks is dead. Want proof that they don't work in today's WWE? How about Kizarny? Who? Right, the utter failure of a creepy clown guy who nobody bought into because the gimmick doesn't gel with modern WWE. (Disclaimer: Despite Kizarny failing miserably in the WWE, Sinn Bodhi is currently being awesome on the indy circuit, particularly in CHIKARA, where these things are still alive and well). Remember Hurricane Helms? Sure, he kind of worked in the goofiness of the Attitude Era (when, you'll note, this sort of thing was beginning its death knell). Then they tried to bring it back in the ECW reboot. Fell flat on its face. DJ Gabriel? Yeah, I don't even need to explain that one.
Admittedly, Skip Sheffield has something that sets him apart from all of these guys -the fact that he's a behemoth, which helps a lot in the WWE. But pretending he's a terminator from the future? Come on, guys. Just think about how well that would go over. Read: it wouldn't. I'm fine with calling him Ryback, if we must. I'm fine with giving him some personality, goodness knows he needs it. But there's a huge difference between personality and such an over the top gimmick as this.
Note how the most successful guys in the WWE got to where they are today. Punk played the straightedge card to great success on his way to the top. But he wasn't a DARE Officer, or a prohibitionist, or something silly like that. It was an aspect of his overall personality. At the end of the day he was a real person - like everyone else. A lot of people might say that this is boring, or something. It isn't, it's the natural progression of the WWE. There's plenty of other places to get your fill on gimmick heavy product. Watch CHIKARA. The modern WWE superstar doesn't have a gimmick - he has a personality, which is entirely different. Ryback, terminator from the future? That's a gimmick, and it will fail if they push it too hard down the Robocop lane. Find some kind of balance. Call him Ryback if you must, but perhaps he's a justice obsessed, avenger type who straddles the line of face and heel. Now that's an intriguing personality for any modern WWE star.
Finally, in closing, note that there are obvious exceptions for the Undertaker and to a lesser extent Kane who have achieved a sort of transcendence from all this. But at the end of the day it ought to be quite obvious that no heavy gimmick will succeed in the WWE today. One requires a personality, not a gimmick. Bring in Ryback, the Man From the Future...and he'll be on his way to future endeavors.
Look at the current storylines in the WWE. Since WrestleMania, we've had the big CM Punk vs John Cena feud, the Triple H COO storyline, and the Cena/Rock feud, for example. Punk vs Cena was based around contracts, money, fame, power. Triple H's COO storyline was based around...contracts, money, fame, and power. The Cena/Rock storyline? A little different, but at the end of the day there's no real gimmick to it. Rocky has transcended any sort of gimmick, he's just the Rock, and Cena is much the same. They're just two mega stars clashing.
Let's face facts, folks - the era of these kinds of gimmicks is dead. Want proof that they don't work in today's WWE? How about Kizarny? Who? Right, the utter failure of a creepy clown guy who nobody bought into because the gimmick doesn't gel with modern WWE. (Disclaimer: Despite Kizarny failing miserably in the WWE, Sinn Bodhi is currently being awesome on the indy circuit, particularly in CHIKARA, where these things are still alive and well). Remember Hurricane Helms? Sure, he kind of worked in the goofiness of the Attitude Era (when, you'll note, this sort of thing was beginning its death knell). Then they tried to bring it back in the ECW reboot. Fell flat on its face. DJ Gabriel? Yeah, I don't even need to explain that one.
Admittedly, Skip Sheffield has something that sets him apart from all of these guys -the fact that he's a behemoth, which helps a lot in the WWE. But pretending he's a terminator from the future? Come on, guys. Just think about how well that would go over. Read: it wouldn't. I'm fine with calling him Ryback, if we must. I'm fine with giving him some personality, goodness knows he needs it. But there's a huge difference between personality and such an over the top gimmick as this.
Note how the most successful guys in the WWE got to where they are today. Punk played the straightedge card to great success on his way to the top. But he wasn't a DARE Officer, or a prohibitionist, or something silly like that. It was an aspect of his overall personality. At the end of the day he was a real person - like everyone else. A lot of people might say that this is boring, or something. It isn't, it's the natural progression of the WWE. There's plenty of other places to get your fill on gimmick heavy product. Watch CHIKARA. The modern WWE superstar doesn't have a gimmick - he has a personality, which is entirely different. Ryback, terminator from the future? That's a gimmick, and it will fail if they push it too hard down the Robocop lane. Find some kind of balance. Call him Ryback if you must, but perhaps he's a justice obsessed, avenger type who straddles the line of face and heel. Now that's an intriguing personality for any modern WWE star.
Finally, in closing, note that there are obvious exceptions for the Undertaker and to a lesser extent Kane who have achieved a sort of transcendence from all this. But at the end of the day it ought to be quite obvious that no heavy gimmick will succeed in the WWE today. One requires a personality, not a gimmick. Bring in Ryback, the Man From the Future...and he'll be on his way to future endeavors.
All I can think is, if they actually try to push this "Man from the Future" thing, aren't people just going to be like "Uuhhhh, no. That's the guy from NXT who joined the Nexus and disappeared, he's not from the future" 
and just shut him down? I personally don't really see the appeal of this guy. He's another big guy that looks juiced to the eyeballs. When we already have a bunch of big guys do we really need this one too? Isn't Mason Ryan punishment enough? I'll take Big Zeke and Sheamus over those two all day.
and just shut him down? I personally don't really see the appeal of this guy. He's another big guy that looks juiced to the eyeballs. When we already have a bunch of big guys do we really need this one too? Isn't Mason Ryan punishment enough? I'll take Big Zeke and Sheamus over those two all day.
The gimmick shows a lot of promise in my opinion and would be far better for Skip than his annoying cowboy gimmick from NXT. They had the right idea with him being a heel enforcer for Nexus. If Ryback will show similarities to this while also being a Terminator tribute, I'd be all for it. Skip needs to be in a role that takes advantage of his skills, not something silly or annoying. I think it will work out for him because a gimmick like that would make him stand out while also showing what he can do. Now, if they would just have him debut the character at all.... We will see what happens. The real question isn't whether this gimmick will work or not, but rather WHEN IS HE COMING BACK!? He has been gone for over a year now and his injury healed months ago.