An Overlooked Aspect Of Wrestling: Image

[Uncle Sam]

Probably because nobody wants to come out and say, "I don't like John Cena - his jorts are silly" or "I really like Mike Knox; his beard is real puffy." Does Mike Knox even have a beard?

Sure, Sheamus is a good wrestler and a good heel. But would he be as good with a tan and slicked back black hair? We all like Randy Orton, but would he be as popular with a gut and nipple hair?

As vain and shallow as our society has become, I'm amazed that this sort of thing doesn't come up more often. I mean, I suppose it's because people feel they'd get laughed out of threads: "You don't like CM Punk because of the boots he wears? Get the fuck out of here!" Really though, image can be quite important. I feel like a tool - since when I did I ever use that word? - for stating the obvious but hey, there you have it.

Would the frankly obese Dusty Rhodes and his polka dots make it in today's world? Samoa Joe is his closest counterpart but even I came out and openly mocked him when he got up to a more Dusty-like weight - and it's not like he's really "made it", single TNA title reign aside. Inversely, some of Joe's popularity stems from the his image - his image of being a fat, unattractive guy that goes out there and gets things done.

Case in point: I like Evan Bourne because of how he looks; namely his tights.

Fig. A

Those are some badass tights. I mean, they even come in different colours. He's like the one man power ranger or some shit. And those boots, man, they're like Doc Brown went into the motherfucking future and brought them back for him. Shit, I bet they even self-fasten. And he wears a belt that's less necessary than hostility on the internet. That's just cool on another level. Justin Gabriel can do a 450 splash but looks like a twat. And I can't take AJ Styles nearly as seriously since he got that eye sore of a tattoo. Evan Bourne might be completely incapable of cutting a promo but he is where it's at.

I'm not even sure why I made this thread. I think it was just a long-winded way to say how much I like Evan Bourne's tights.

 

[Ferbian]

I wouldn't necessarily say that everything is about the image. Sure at some point it might have an influence in how we look at a wrestler. However it doesn't mean that we wouldn't have been able to adapt to Randy Orton as the heel, or face that he was if he had maintained the described pot belly and nipple hair that you describe.

That goes for anybody, at some point yes it's about the image, but it's also about adapting to how they look. I'm sure that we could get used to CM Punk not having had any hair at all from the very beginning, or having had the current look from the very start. He would most likely still have been able to maintain a look that would have kept him in the character and liking that he is. Even if the chicks would've dug him less.

The image I think is mostly about the look, the look that a wrestler has in general, a part of the "whole package" but in the end, it's not about how someone has better hair, tattoos, an inch bigger biceps, or a 4 or 6 pack. We would've adapted to it in some way or another.

 

[LitasRevenge79]

I don't think that's such a bad thing to wonder. Of course there's a culture of people to market to. Look at the Hardys. Mainly Jeff Hardy. You see him wearing those armbands, and painting his face, and all of a sudden, you see kids and people dressing just like him. Its THE THING to do. We'd be lying to ourselves if we didn't look at 'heroes' and see how they're dressing/what they're doing. Especially the little kids, look at how many kids in the CeNation orange shirts/sweatbands/chain gang gear in arenas. You can't deny that if someone from the creative sees a fan or two dressing up like a top star, they KNOW they can market and make BIG BANK on that, why else would they have started selling arm bands under the Jeff Hardy star section on WWE for a while? They know what these fans are wanting, and that these people look up to certain stars and will pay anything to dress/talk/walk and do whatever to be/act like those people. Anything WWE/TNA/any company can do to make the $$$ off those stars....it'll work.

 

[Hawkeye]

I know you don't understand why you made this thread,but I do think image is a big part of wrestling for me.

I know John Morrison isn't the most colorful,charismatic superstar on the roster,but those pants and coat are awesome. The fur around his legs really makes his movements pop,like the pommel horse leg drop he never does anymore,or even Starship Pain. The reason I got behind Zack Ryder was because he had half tights/half trunks. Those were freaking awesome. I always believed that superstars with smaller legs should wear tights,because it makes up for the lack of muscle/girth in that area. Superstars with a more proportionally even body type should 100% of the time be wearing the trunks.It makes them look even more symmetrical and therefore even more aesthetically pleasing.It's a shame we don't discuss a superstars image enough,because I'm positive they work hard on their appearance.

Take Christian for example,we all know he's a natural brunette,yet he still continues to dye and bleach his hair. You can go back to his heel run in 04-05(I don't remember the year,but he was with Tomko at the time) his hair was brown and he looked like an asshole.

Then

Now

His former tag team partner Edge,has immaculate hair. I saw it close up not too long ago and he could do commercials so you know he works hard on it. Most superstars are in a constant battle with body hair,because a clean shaven body accentuates the muscles and makes them look more like a greek god and less like a greek immigrant. There's clearly a certain image that superstars must maintain in order to illicit a certain reaction from the fans.I'll use your sig as an example with CM Punk. As a face,he keep up with grooming and such(to a certain extent) and in order to sell his maniacal heel character he grew his hair out in an attempt to look like a modern day Jesus Christ with the beard and unkempt long hair.

In it's purest concept,the WWE is an attempt to create larger than life superstars that give people something to aspire to. They want the massive biceps of HHH, the washboard abs of Dolph Ziggler, the flat stomach of Kelly Kelly, or the perfect perky breasts of Melina. In order to bring people in,your star attractions must look a certain way, but every now and then someone slips through the cracks. An imperfect superstar who for all intents and purposes could get lost in the crowd they perform for in a matter of seconds. My prime example here being Mankind. He was used to represent the common man(I refrained from using Dusty Rhodes as a reference because I know next to nothing about him,but he still counts toward this). Mankind was the one superstar that made it all seem...attainable."If he can do it,I can do it!" was the expected response from fans across the globe as won championship after championship. I think the next generation in that line of superstar will come from Samoa Joe and Husky Harris. These are meant not carved from granite,but rather molded out of clay. Not to say that this clay isn't without it's on unique prowess,but it remains to be seen on the same level as the stone figures placed before us today. But there are certain tricks these men can use to push them a little closer to perfect. Sure they're big,but they don't have large unsightly stretch marks or body hair in the most unmentionable places known to man. Total body hair removal and baby oil can bring the good out to light,while eliminating any negative traits their bodies would possess if they were "common men".

The fact of the matter is,image plays a huge,understated part in the wrestling industry when it comes to the IWC. If you take away all the beauty,splendor and glamour that comes from watching Professional Wrestling,then I'm sure you would find yourself with a large chunk of your viewers watching pretty people slap each other around on someone elses primetime TV show. To put it plainly,if you want ugly, go watch UFC.

EDIT: Now that I look at Christian,he should really start shaving that chest and belly hair.

 

[Blush]

It's so true tho. When a new guy is introduced, the first thing I check out are his boots. If I like his boots, I can move on from there. I like the way CM Punk and Kofi wear their boots and knee pads. And JoMo's fuzzies and Evan's clippy boots, Jeff Hardy and Bret Hart's both remind me of snazzy spats. I also really like Finlay's Celtic knot boots. These boots have personality, even if the wrestler in question has limited skills on and/or off the mic.

One guy that completely freaked me out was Albert/A-Train. I saw him at a show and I was mortified at how hairy he was in person. The guy also has a huge head, and when I saw him from a distance, I thought someone was wearing a helmet or something. I really don't know how the other guys would agree to wrestle him and not fear that they'd get their hands caught in his man-fur.

Manscaping, thankfully, is a necessity these days.

I'm torn on what guys, like Jericho, who have bow-legs should wear. Tights or trunks?

 

[One to Remember]

Alot of boot worship there Blush do we have a female wrestling fan here??

I love swagger's outfit, i esp. love the blue and red one with the stars. I miss that raggity old scarecrow outfit the old skool undertaker wore.

I love how spikey and shark finned and orange sheamus' hair is as well as his white skin. This might be because I am from Vols country though. He reminds me of freakazoid.

I love the glossy outfits of he divas and HHH in the trunks vs HHH in the tights no contest. When he started wearing the trunks you knew he was for real and he was about to dominate. HBK shedding the old broken hearts tights showed he was getting older and times really have changed. If I saw him in those old tights id expect a better faster match. They represent his prime and his youth.

I love the matchoman's wild tassles all over and those crazy tacky '80s and '90s colors. Not what he wears now.

I miss Big Sexy with the black locks, he was so badass and smug with them.

I wish Big Show would slim down and try to get those locks back. I am a bigger fan of the Giant then the Big Show.

Eazy E could get so much more passion out of his presense in TNA with his hair back in black. The leather jacket also.

Kurt Angle would be a new man if he could get his hair back and grow it right to that 2001 length.

Likewise I loved the Rock c. 1998 with that mixed boy top he had going. With that box cut he was cocky, with that short cut hes just a obnoxious show of.

 

[Soapguy]

Yes. Yes. Yes!! I don't think wrestling fans like to admit this when it comes to male wrestlers, but image is so important when it comes to a wrestler's career, and I like to use it as an indicator for potential success. That's not to say that I think it's the ONLY thing that can make people connect to a wrestler, but it's certainly a factor.

For instance, Batista had a discernible personality, average mic skills, sub-par in-ring ability, and an amazing look. I highly doubt he could've been successful with that beer belly that Uncle Sam mentioned in his original post. The same goes for John Cena, that's not to say that his charisma wouldn't have gotten him a few IC Title reigns or even a WHC rein or two, but I highly doubt he'd be the face of the company if he wasn't as attractive as he is. I guess to sum-up my thoughts on the matter without typing a novel for you guys is that I think looks and presentation are a factor. They have the power to elevate certain short comings or keep an other-wise talented worker from breaking the glass ceiling, but I don't think ANY performer (male or female) can get past a certain level of popularity without charisma, character, and in-ring ability even if they do have an amazing look. Of course, that theory has been proved wrong a few times, but I consider those individuals exceptions to the rule instead of the rule itself.

Personally, I think Tyler Reks is pretty hot. I also find him boring, if he was slightly more interesting in the ring and on the mic he might have a really solid career ahead of him, but I don't really see much happening for him. Drew McIntyre, on the other hand, isn't really all that spectacular in the charisma/personality/in-ring work areas, but he's good enough for his "superstar look" kind elevate them and make him a valid upper-mid carder if not more.

 

[Blush]

Alot of boot worship there Blush do we have a female wrestling fan here??

Why, yes. Yes, you do.

Drew McIntyre, on the other hand, isn't really all that spectacular in the charisma/personality/in-ring work areas, but he's good enough for his "superstar look" kind elevate them and make him a valid upper-mid carder if not more.

Drew bothers me. He looks like a stretched out Orlando Bloom, with a tiny mouth and squinty eyes. If he cropped his hair and grew more facial fuzz, it might make him look more aggressive/masculine. Or at least do something to make him look less generic.