Am I the Only One Unimpressed with Christian York?

[Spinebreaker]

Am I the only one seriously unimpressed?

I didn't want to dismiss him immediately, so I've been patient and watched his matches...

He's clumsy, rigid and sloppy.

A week or 2 ago his handspring from the ropes was feeble, and at Genesis RVD trying to put him on the ropes was embarrasing. Does York not know how to move his own legs? It was terrible.

Perhaps this is why no major company has wanted him in 16 years, he's just a poor wrestler...

I'm sure there'll be some other thoughts..

 

[Clem]

You're not the only one.

He's like TNA's answer to Botch Cara.

I've seen all of his matches and he's so awkward in the ring.

Every move looks to be a step too slow. The other wrestlers actually have to stop and wait for him to get into position.

I can understand the loyalty of giving a guy who was on your first ever show a shot, but he's done nothing with it.

I could see what they were trying to do with him at Genesis, but he simply doesn't deserve that spot. Kenny King is the one truly on the pace. He should've faced RVD.

 

[Lburn]

Congrats, you're unimpressed. Oh my goodness, you're such a rebel. Please link us videos of your in-ring work, and we'll assess if they're better than someone with 16+ years of experience.

 

[WhatAboutRaven]

Congrats, you're unimpressed. Oh my goodness, you're such a rebel. Please link us videos of your in-ring work, and we'll assess if they're better than someone with 16+ years of experience.

What are you, York's public relations man? Calm down bro, geez

I actually tend to side with the op somewhat, in that York really hasn't impressed me that much. That doesn't mean he's bad, as I enjoyed both his match with King and RVD at Genesis and found both, if nothing else rather decent. NOt great, but it's watchable.

I don't agree that he's TNA's resident botchmaster, I just haven't found any reason to care that much about the guy, but that can be solved with time if given a chance.

 

[Clem]

Congrats, you're unimpressed. Oh my goodness, you're such a rebel. Please link us videos of your in-ring work, and we'll assess if they're better than someone with 16+ years of experience.

Seriously? C'mon dude. Don't fans have every right to critique a wrestler's performance? Odds are we've been watching wrestling for the entire of those 16 years you talked about, if not longer. Are we never once supposed to have an opinion on the product? Everyone has an opinion on everything. We're just sharing ours. Saying we're not entitled to one is the most ridiculous argument I've ever heard.

In my opinion, Christian York is slow, clumsy and prone to botching. He's getting these high profile matches gifted to him and he's doing nothing to justify that faith in return. When management notices he's not catching on, he'll be dead in the water and released quicker than an undercard comedy act. If they couldn't think of a reason to keep Alex Shelley, an ACTUAL talent, on the card, what chance does a guy like York stand.

 

[shattered dreams]

I was actually thinking about making this thread and it appears someone beat me to it. York has a decent look and a decent backstory but I just can't stand him. I can't imagine he is drawing anything so I have no idea why out of all the possible X-division talent available in the world this is a guy they have chosen to push right now. His matches flow terribly because he doesn't have a clue when it comes to pacing or transitions and is prone to general sloppiness. Combine that with no discernible personality and I just don't understand what the appeal could possibly be.

 

[UrUp]

It's signings like Christian York that make me scratch my head and feel uncomfortable about whose in charge of signings for TNA and/or whose behind getting all this garbage talent pushed through.

I know the X Division doesn't have much of a direction right now, but ideally it's a young man's game - Christian York is going to be 36 in April.

I have no issue with age in wrestling, as I tend to think wrestlers all around - especially psychology wise - are at their best in their mid 30s and later, but hiring a no name 36 year old who wrestlers an X-Division style seems like a suspect move.

My only guess why they signed him and are giving him a decent push is because they signed him for pennies and hope he has a big upside. Otherwise, I'd start believing he was involved in one of those "behind closed doors" sexual favors rumors you here about in wrestling from time to time.

But yes - York is sloppy, is obviously slowing down due to age, and doesn't seem to have all that much potential all around.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

Christian York had potential. Coming out of Gut Check, he was light years stronger, better looking and more established than the line of garbage TNA paraded through the series last year.

York's problem, as most of you have noticed, is that at the end of the day he's just not that strong of a wrestler. He's quite sloppy, despite his 16 years, and he's going over guys who look better (King).

I don't blame TNA for hot shotting him a bit here, and the crowd still seems to be behind him, but it might be time to cool his jets just a bit moving forward.

 

[ABMorales787]

What? I don't believe he was ever picked to set the world on fire or anything. As it stands he's the X Division's top face behind Rob Van Dam himself, regardless. Who else do you expect in such a spot? Go ahead, tell me. What X Division athlete do you expect in that spot? To me he's doing his job perfectly fine. Botches come and go. Thankfully, he's no Zema Ion. Then him botching would become a genuine cause for concern.

 

[Afro-Ameri-Spawn]

First and foremost, to answer your question, I agree that York is a terrible wrestler. He is clumsy at times, his finisher isn't crisply executed enough to be believable, and his promos don't really seem polished enough for a 16 year vet.

BUT, he does have major upside potential. He has a very cut look, he's over with the crowd, and he's just the type of guy that TNA needs. Now. I'm sure that you are wondering that I mean by that last tidbit. It plain and simply means that easily gains the crowd favor as a face. And that makes him and excellent target to help build a solid heel figure in Kenny King. Remember, if you will, when Austin Aries was the X-division champ. He was a heel without any solid faces to help make the crowd despise him. So he was often cheered and got a mixed reaction that left those who did not know him wondering what to do when he was in the ring. So they decided to play to his face side and built it up through a feud with an established heel in Bully Ray. King is less known that Aries and wasn't really getting much of a reaction when he debuted. Now, they have York to play off of, which will help King to become a strong heel figure by feuding with the lovable underdog in York.

Other benefits of having York on the roster is that, while his execution is not what it should be, he has probably developed keen eye from working with several different styles worldwide that will enable him to be able to coach and develop young talent. And before you rake me over the coals for saying that, remember that mediocre players in all major sports leagues are usually the ones who make the best coaches(Herm Edwards, Joe Torre, Scott Brooks, etc.) and what you may be looking at is what will be TNA's ex trainer for OVW or agent for the main roster in the X-Division, as the division hasn't had a true X-division agent since the departure of Jerry Lynn. And while York is not Lynn, he still is fairly young and still able to work the ring regularly for angles.

So while has so many negatives that make it seem like his signing was a head scratches, the intangibles that he can provide actually make it quite the smart signing, especially at a bargain basement price. And while I will be cringing from his poor execution the whole way, I look forward to seeing what him being on the roster will hold for the future.

 

[klunderbunker]

TNA keeps reminding us that York was on the first TNA show and has been around 16 years. That's true, and it's also true that he's bounced around the indys for 16 years. Is it possible that he didn't get a mainstream job in all that time because he isn't that good?

At the end of the day, York is just a guy. He's not terrible, he's not great, but he exists. He's a warm body that can do a few moves better than most indy guys. The problem is that's the extent of his career profile. York isn't terrible, but there are a few dozen guys that could be put in his spot and get the exact same if not better results. That's not a good thing.

 

[LeviCook]

I wasn't impressed to begin with. I personally can't stand the way he talks. I hate that he sounds like a caveman.

 

[TylerFloyd5283]

Great look Great talent however He doesnt seem to connect or be able to flow with anyone when the spolight is on............high hopes but he chokes....just shows there is a reason that at his age hes never made it...i do hope he gets it together but every match is slower paced then what he shows hes not fluent with anyone

 

[Jack-Hammer]

Generally speaking, I think we're now ultimately seeing just why Christian York hasn't been a star either on the indy scene or the big time despite spending his entire adult life as a pro wrestler.

He has a good look in my opinion, it's a little bit different, but, again in my opinion, York doesn't really have much in the way of charisma or personality. The guy's simply there and has become just another X Division guy with even less personality than most of the other X Division guys.

Another problem is, as has been pointed out, the guy's just not that good in the ring. He's often slow, awkward and downright sloppy. Part of that stems from him trying to wrestle like a typical X Division guy, such as pulling off some sort of flashy or agile spot, but without the necessary agility or speed to pull the spots off. Last Thursday for instance, he did a handspring elbow like Sin Cara does where he's whipped to the ropes, does a handstand, allows his body to bounce off the ropes, gets back on his feet and jumps back with an elbow. York was so slow and sloppy in performing the move that you got the sense it was the very first time he'd ever tried to do it. His matches have all had spots like that, usually several. York is trying to wrestle like your standard X Division cruiserweight but he doesn't have the speed or coordination. I don't see why he simply doesn't adopt a more methodical style like Bobby Roode or James Storm. I think it fits in more with how he physically looks and it'd help him stand out among X Division guys.

I've never really expected much from Christian York. At 36, he's not going to be the future of TNA. At best, I think TNA will give him a run with the X Division Championship sometime in the relatively near future. I think York will stay firmly within the mid-card scene as long as he's in TNA, possibly in the tag team picture as well. He definitely doesn't have the ability to be moved higher up.

 

[owenmandias]

I think he is ok and has had good moments, but the genesis match was horrible. I was literally praying that he wouldnt win the championship!

 

[DX Mols]

This guy moves in slow motion in the ring. Nothing transitions well in his move set, he somehow sounds worse then RVD on the mic, and aside from his look, he's really got nothing going for him.

Just another TNA stiff that they'll push for a couple months and then disappear.

 

[D-Man]

York is just a guy who TNA has pushed mostly because of his look. Let's face it, the guy looks like a million bucks. Then, he spoke. Shortly after that, he wrestled. Now, we see the BIG picture and it's not all that impressive.

He's just another card shuffled into the deck of the X Division. He serves his purpose and serves it well but this diamond needs a lot of polishing before he can be on the same level as the rest of the roster.

Maybe he's got Magnus syndrome right now (he's all look and no skill but has potential) and can be molded into something just like Magnus was. It took some time but I've grown to really like Magnus. The same thing could potentially happen with York.

 

[Cereal Killer]

To answer the question in the title; no.

Allow me to explain; The guy is really bad on the mic. What he says has no effect and is nowhere near interesting. He's just one of those: "I'm gonna win tonight" guys. He has nothing special to say.

On to his in ring ability, lmao he is not a great wrestler. He pulls no high-spot moves as oppose to his X-Division peers and and is really sloppy. I don't know about his clumsiness but he executes moves with no effort and performs other moves that are too difficult for him to perform as the man is not athletic enough.

Check this out at 2:04, the part where he ducks the clothesline and bounces off the ropes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qw2M_sondw

Look at that. He took long to do that and the crowd is staring at him with face that say; "what the hell is this guy trying to do?"

Again, York is not as athletic as he thinks he is and is very sloppy. The reason why I'm disappointed with the guy is because of the pop he got from the crowd, the positive comments he received from the TNA roster and how everyone saw him as a great wrestler.

Because of all of that "hype", finding out that he has 16 years of experience, the great look (as D-Man said) and the moves he actually did well, I really thought he could make it big in TNA. There's no doubt that he can perform SOME decent moves but from everything else, I was let down after all of the "buzz".

 

[shattered dreams]

What? I don't believe he was ever picked to set the world on fire or anything.

He got to call out Jeff Hardy.

As it stands he's the X Division's top face behind Rob Van Dam himself, regardless. Who else do you expect in such a spot? Go ahead, tell me? What X Division athlete do you expect in that spot

Someone that can either wrestle or talk. I'd definitely take Sonjay over him in that spot.

To me he's doing his job perfectly fine.

Botches come and go.

They come and go more frequently once his matches start which is remarkable considering how slow he does most of his moves.

Thankfully, he's no Zema Ion. Then him botching would become a genuine cause for concern.

Zema is a million times more talented than this guy. I'd rather watch an all Zema impact than another match from York.

 

[Spinebreaker]

Congrats, you're unimpressed. Oh my goodness, you're such a rebel. Please link us videos of your in-ring work, and we'll assess if they're better than someone with 16+ years of experience.

Sigh, Really? That's you'r argument? So people can only proffer an opinion on something they do themselves?

Only Actors can critique films? Only painters can judge a piece of art? I'm a musician, I'll remember next time someone gives their opinion on a song or gig to tell them to come back after they've gigged for 6 years.

I take from your tone, that you're either an accomplished wrestler or have NEVER given an opinion on this forum...

 

[Spinebreaker]

He's got a great look no doubt, and I don't mind one bit him filling out the X-Division... But he's clearly being used as the 'upper' part of the division, which would be fine he weren't outperformed regularly by Garrett Bischoff.

 

[Ovaltine]

He has a great look... but he needs to stop trying to be an X division wrestler. He just doesn't have the speed for it. If he only used standard wrestling moves he would be fine. Unfortunately, he's trying to be and X division style wretler and he just doesn't have the skill and speed to do so.

 

[Spinebreaker]

Impact this week featued Mr. York continuing his fued with Mr. King...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4TU-LidtOHs

The match starts at about 30:30... Here's my highlights...

at 31:10 a terrible interaction between York and a ring-post.
31:52 - York follows a perfectly well delivered knee, with a bizarre grab at King's shoe! and then falls over.
32:25 - The slowest, laziest spin kick I've ever seen.
The follow-up repeated kicks look awful too.
The clusterf**k at 33:16

I'm not including every little moment when York looks slow or clumsy. But that's 4 terrible moments in 3 minutes of TV. Along with Yorks last couple of matches I reckon he looks awful once a minute.

 

[midgensa]

I am not going to lie ... the more and more I see York ... the less I like about him.

I HATE his hair ... and sure ... that sounds like it shouldn't matter, but with his mane ... it does. I think his in-ring antics are over the top and he ALWAYS looks like an actor out there to me ... sizing up his moves, making sure he is in the right place, etc. ... never looks natural.

He has a lot of things going for him, but I definitely do not love the guy and thought I must be missing something. Nice to see at least a few other people feel the same way.

 

[ABMorales787]

He got to call out Jeff Hardy.

And?

Someone that can either wrestle or talk. I'd definitely take Sonjay over him in that spot.

He's been hurt for a while.

Crowds cheering. He's not Moonsaulting into people's necks. He's not Devon. He gets a pass from me.

They come and go more frequently once his matches start which is remarkable considering how slow he does most of his moves.

Same deal as Sin Cara. He's still working and getting the crowd to care.

Zema is a million times more talented than this guy. I'd rather watch an all Zema impact than another match from York.

I blame Zema for the X Division being in the shape it's in. He fucked up Jesse Sorensen he fucked up Chris Sabin and fucked up Sonjay Dutt. It's amazing that he hasn't gotten the shaft like Hernandez has.