And who thought Husky Harris would hit the top before he became Bray Wyatt?

[Mustang Sally]

Show business is rough, and rarely fair. How many folks have dedicated their lives to achieving fame in the entertainment industry as actors, singers, etc.... only to find that despite mountains of talent, they can't get a break because no one will look at them? Maybe an actress with the ability to win an Academy Award is out there filling time as a waitress while she waits for a Hollywood agent to discover how great she is. Perhaps she spends the rest of her life that way, and we never get to see her on the silver screen. Maybe the next Robin Williams of comedy is looking to break into the business, but he can't get beyond unpaid appearances on an improvisation stage because no one sees enough in him to invest time and money.....or, more realistically, to even take a look.

In pro wrestling, we all have our personal favorites; most of them are people at the top of the chain. It's easy to root for a Daniel Bryan or Randy Orton because WWE management has decided to keep them in our line of sight at all times. Even second-tier folks like Cody Rhodes who, despite the best efforts of the Creative people in WWE, can rise only so high and no higher; yet, the poor souls in the locker room waiting anxiously for their chance probably wonder why Cody is given chance after chance while they languish in the back, drawing a paycheck while begging management to give them a push.....even tossing their original ideas at Creative and trying to convince them why they would be the best performer to play it.

And, face it, even these folks are more fortunate than the performers who spend years in the indies, trying to make it to WWE.....and never do. It's a tough business......show business always is.

In another section of this forum, one poster makes a case for Alex Riley, whom he feels would be a main event performer if allowed to. I can understand the sentiment; my pick was Drew McIntyre who, for 4 years after his initial push, probably hoped against hope someone would give him another program to run with. They experimented with a "gay" gimmick for Drew in a few house shows, then had him splitting off from 3MB and wrestling singles matches, presumably with the idea of eventually giving him something new. Instead, he's been future endeavored and we may never know what he might have done with a second chance.

But if you knock this notion, saying that guys like McIntyre, JTG, Trent Barretta and Vladimir Koslov would never have amounted to anything, no matter what type of innovative program might have been written for them, I counter by pointing to William Rotunda, aka Alex Rotundo, aka Husky Harris......aka Bray Wyatt.

Isn't he the poster child for what can happen when the right program is developed for the right performer? Okay, you can tell me he was the greatest thing going as Husky Harris ......but WWE management apparently didn't think so, right? They tried him in a few scenarios, then sent him down to wherever ineffective performers get sent to. It took quite a while for him to get back to the big time, didn't it? Personally, I had forgotten about him. Back then, we might have pointed to him as one of the also-rans who'll never make it big. Yet, look at him now.

We can say the same thing about guys like Curtis Axel who was in Never Never Land for a long damn time, until Creative found a new direction for him to run, one that culminated with him getting wins over people like John Cena and Triple H............and what about Paul Levesque, himself? Early in his career as a blueblood who wore a jacket that made him look like a circus ringmaster, and saw him being embarrassed by the likes of Henry O. Godwinn in an Arkansas Hog Pen match (which he won & then was made to look foolish), not to mention being destroyed in 30 seconds by a returning Ultimate Warrior, Levesque was allowed to pitch his own character idea and wound up as Triple H.....talk about a success story featuring an also-ran who rose to the top of the charts.

Maybe the title of this topic should have been: "It's the Program, Stupid!" but it's a tribute to the guys and gals in the back who don't make it big despite having as much talent as ones who do.....but never catch the wave that brings them the glory.

Have you got a performer who fits this bill......either backstage at WWE or somewhere else who dreams of stardom and probably curses the higher-ups who won't give them a chance.....even as they kiss their posteriors while they wait?

 

[klunderbunker]

This is a flashback to the old ways of booking: you know there's talent there, but you need to find the right way to display him. That's why you would see so many different gimmicks thrown at someone until they finally found something that stuck.

As for the answer to the question, there's a guy who recently passed away: Brad Armstrong. He was someone suffering from a curse, the Candyman, a masked man who hung out with the Freebirds, and a Spider-Man ripoff so close to comfort that Marvel Comics said cut it out. Armstrong was incredibly talented in the ring but never got a significant push at all. Instead he floundered with stupid gimmick after stupid gimmick that never went anywhere. THe guy had the lineage and the skill but never got pushed for whatever reason. Kind of a shame really.

 

[Mudlup50]

I'm gonna say this and it's not meant as an insult but getting big in WWE is in my opinion 4 things.
1. Ability, and I'm not talking technical ability I'm talking basics think guys like Cena, he's strong, has a few big moves and that's it.
2. Good writing, by that I mean you need a good writer behind you, a good character something to get you over. An example of this would be McIntyre
3. Charisma, you need to make your promos interesting but also sell any gimmick you're in...best example of this right now is Cody Rhodes
4. Luck! That's what most of it boils down to, right place right time...didn't lose too much momentum when losing to the wrong guy or held the viewers interest more on luck than anything. The Miz would be my example here.

WWE had been really low on #2 recently in my opinion. Most people in WWE have #1. And #3 I think is rare but it's out there. #4 is so big because it's the variable here, perfect example of it being such is Ryder who was super over and then got shitty writing followed by even worse luck and eventually became a jobber...again.

Thank you for telling me that though, I had no idea Bray was Husky Harris...wasn't he related to someone in the company already?

 

[Pedigree1]

I had often read of Brad Armstrong,very talented in the ring lots of charisma but never caught a break.. I think he was just in the wrong place wrong time.. Loads of talent,but never given a break..

Drew was another one,who had talent and charisma but for some reason just never got over.. Had the Chosen One Gimmick stuck,who knows what would have been.. When he started Jobbing out,and thrown into 3MB i kept waiting for him,to break out,turn on Slater and go his separate ways.. he was too damn talented to be stuck in Limbo but probably we will never know what could have been..

Is it luck,charisma,ability,good writing?? A combo of all four obviously,but IMO its luck just being in the right place right time.. It is show business,a play for us all.. Some get discovered,while others who are the next big thing never get discovered.. Others get pushes who dont deserve it,others dont get pushed knowing that they do.. The Triple H gimmick,while he was Hunter Hearst Hemsley, a snotty blue blood who knew back then,he would be in the position that he is in today..

Does it help that Bray Wyatt has lineage in the company?? The Rotunda's have history perhaps that means something perhaps not.. I think it helps its like that job interview,not what you know who you know type of deal.. Curtis Axel loads of talent,but not really that charismatic IMO has the perfect thing with Ryback as Rybaxel..

There will always be guys or gals who never get discovered,and would have been as big as Cena Hogan Trish etc

 

[chicagokmc]

I'm gonna say this and it's not meant as an insult but getting big in WWE is in my opinion 4 things.
1. Ability, and I'm not talking technical ability I'm talking basics think guys like Cena, he's strong, has a few big moves and that's it.
2. Good writing, by that I mean you need a good writer behind you, a good character something to get you over. An example of this would be McIntyre
3. Charisma, you need to make your promos interesting but also sell any gimmick you're in...best example of this right now is Cody Rhodes
4. Luck! That's what most of it boils down to, right place right time...didn't lose too much momentum when losing to the wrong guy or held the viewers interest more on luck than anything. The Miz would be my example here.

WWE had been really low on #2 recently in my opinion. Most people in WWE have #1. And #3 I think is rare but it's out there. #4 is so big because it's the variable here, perfect example of it being such is Ryder who was super over and then got shitty writing followed by even worse luck and eventually became a jobber...again.

Thank you for telling me that though, I had no idea Bray was Husky Harris...wasn't he related to someone in the company already?

I'll add a couple of things:

5. How you're born - genetics. Some people can just naturally do things that others can't. Harris is a big guy with speed and quickness. He can move. If he was a big, but slow, plodding guy I don't think they would be as high on him.
6. Who you're born to - legacies. WWE loves its 2nd and 3rd generation wrestlers. I think being born to Mike Rotunda, who had a good run in WWE, helped harris too. Look at some of the other legacy stars still around curt axel, tamina. wwe doesn't give up on them easily.

 

[Mustang Sally]

Is it luck,charisma,ability,good writing?? A combo of all four obviously,but IMO its luck just being in the right place right time.

True, yet imagine the continuing saga of all those aspiring performers whom the powers-that-be simply refuse to look at. They toil on, day after day, doing whatever they're instructed and desperately looking to show something that separates them from the rest.

Maybe some of the best creative ideas by the performers were never acted upon; falling victim to management who had their minds set in advance on certain performers and programs.....and some great ideas might never have gotten off the drawing board.

Triple H should be the last one to adopt a mindset like that, given that he was once one of the performers who pitched his own ideas and had them incorporated into the act.

Or, maybe I have it wrong, and management listens to everyone in their employ and uses good, equitable judgment to pick and choose what they take......or reject.

Or, perhaps they take only the suggestions of people who are at the top of the company.....and everyone else can keep their mouths shut, with management claiming they have a handle on everything and suggestions from the rank & file aren't needed or appreciated, thank you very much.

 

[Dagger Dias]

I will admit I was one of those who never thought Bray would make it as far as he has. I hated the Husky Harris character when he was on NXT season 2 and didn't like him when he was in Nexus either. I thought he would never make it any further than being an enforcer in the Nexus.... I was wrong. He became Bray Wyatt and has made tremendous improvements. Now he has a great gimmick, a unique entrance, two intimidating underlings to help him out, and a character that ultimately allows him to showcase his promo skills. Bray will probably be a World Heavyweight Champion someday, something I never would have said about Husky Harris. Even back when there were two world titles.

 

[Un-Bo-Lievable Jeff]

I think luck has as lot to do with it in a few ways.

Barrett is a good example. Leader or Nexus which to a point had a very good theory which WWE ruined in my opinion when they had Cena Win. Barrett came back as BNB and it really worked but he's been unlucky with 'unlucky' injuries over his time and you wonder if WWE will stick with him yet again.

Luck in another sense is if WWE give you the chance to run with a character. Some wrestlers to come up with their own creations, but some are also WWE's. I'm not sure which way Wyatt's went, but can you imagine if the Wyatt gimmick was Bo Dalls instead? Similar look (without the beard obviously) but the creepy smile. I think it can be luck that you're given a gimmick that ends up getting over, and although a lot is to do with the character/wrestler portraying that gimmick, it can be luck if you get given a good one that WWE are right behind.

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

I think the various factors listed such as Charisma, Lineage, Genetics, Ability, Good Writing, Luck etc are all correct, and it takes a combination of some (if not most) of those for someone to become a star. However, I have one more to add to the list

- Powerful friends/supporters.

I've seen people have used Triple H as an example of someone who pitched his own ideas to management, which eventually led to his blueblood character morphing into Triple H, the Degenerate which is correct. I'd hope that when he has control of WWE, that Hunter will allow the talent to put their own ideas forward as to how their character can develop. This creativity will help talent when cutting promos as it will be material they like and believe in, rather than lines force fed to them by the storyline writers (who are utterly dreadful these days).

However, I definitely think if talent has a powerful supporter/friend backstage then it can greatly aid their career. Whether it's being a favourite of the boss, or having the WWE Champion as a good friend, a wrestler can greatly benefit by the influence of friends in high places.

I'll use Triple H as an example again here. Yes, Hunter worked his ass off to get to where he did in WWE, putting up with the punishment dished out to him after the Curtain Call incident, working his way back up the card and becoming arguably one of the best heels of all time. BUT, I firmly believe that he could have been fired after the MSG Curtain Call, had he not been so close with Shawn Michaels, the WWE Champion, Mr Untouchable and Vince McMahon's golden boy.

When he first joined WWE as Hunter Hearst Helmsley, Triple H asked HBK/Nash/Hall if he could ride with them, and immediately got into their inner circle. Remember, these guys were already top stars and this new guy got himself into their friendship group. Therefore, Triple H would have been praised, talked about and bigged up to the creative team and Vince McMahon by all other members of the Kliq- who were notorious for looking after their own, at the expense of other talent.

This also goes for X-Pac/1-2-3 Kid. Yeah, he was a good talent but I doubt he'd have kept his spot as long as he did without such close ties to Triple H and Shawn Michaels.

 

[Navi]

Drew was another one,who had talent and charisma but for some reason just never got over.. Had the Chosen One Gimmick stuck,who knows what would have been.. When he started Jobbing out,and thrown into 3MB i kept waiting for him,to break out,turn on Slater and go his separate ways.. he was too damn talented to be stuck in Limbo but probably we will never know what could have been..

I listened to Jericho interview Drew Galloway, as he goes by now a couple of days ago and he explained himself what the problem was. He stated that he had been wrestling for about 4 months with a fracture in his wrist, and hadn't told anyone about it.

A member of the medical team saw his worrying about his wrist one night during a match and when they x-rayed it they found the break. That was just when he had been put into 3MB and ended up being out for about 3 months. When he came back the Shield had just debuted and he, himself admitted that 3MB was dead in the water. Personally I think it was just a pure case of bad luck.

As for Bray Wyatt, I hated the Husky Harris character as well, and never bothered with him that much. As Wyatt however, he has reinvented himself, and is quite good in the ring, but for me his mic work is gold. I can't wait for him and Jericho to start bantering back and forth. When he was feuding with Cena, Wyatt would cut a great promo only to have Cena come back with "LOL you smell like poo". What a huge disappointment that was on a weekly basis.

As much as I like the Wyatts, Luke Harper is the standout in the group.

 

[benland12354]

Anyone can be a WWE superstar...all you have to do is Bo Leive.

 

[THTRobtaylor]

You have to look at Windham Rotunda and Bo as having a very unique lineage. These are brothers but not like Cody and Dustin in age difference or their childhoods... They are products of the same man, but trod very different paths to the Rotunda boys

These grew up together surrounded by some of the cream talent of the last 50 years. Their grandpa, BlackJack Mulligan was known as one of the best wrestling talkers of his generation, Their uncle was Barry Windham, one of the top stars of his eras in terms of talent and charisma and also a cautionary tale/calming influence as to how things CAN go, their other uncle Kendall was a "woulda coulda shoulda made it big" in terms of talent and their father was one of the most technically sound wrestlers ever and easily a future Hall of Famer in his own right.

Like the Uso's the Rotunda boys grew up immersed in wrestling but their unique lineage is an advantage more than any genetic trait they may possess. These two were around locker rooms since young childhood, watching listening and talking about the business, hearing the stories of their granddad, uncles and father... the highs, lows and everything in between.

From Blackjack they will have heard tales of the old days, old school mentality and in their later years I am sure the realities of life on the road. From Barry the pitfalls associated with too much partying and what it can do to a "cant fail" career and from their dad the realities of being a gimmick wrestler, making it work even if it looks the shits on paper (Captain Mike anyone?) All were in the WWF for a long period of time or several times in Barry's case. Vince respected all of them, if they showed up at a show the kids were welcomed so thus Vince and Trips have known Bo and Windham a long time too.

Windham Rotunda has seen the good and bad of the business in a relatively short space of time. He was part of the hottest faction to hit the WWE in 20 years but he was ultimately discarded back to NXT. It wasn't personal, he just was given too much too soon and they couldn't push ALL of the Nexus/New Nexus the same and NXT gave the chance to go back and start over which his uncle never really got after the WWF and his dad had to work hard to build in the NWA.

He knew he was gonna have a gimmick thrust on him, so why not create it yourself and beat them to it?

IRS/Michael Wallstreet was not who his dad was but it worked for him for his most successful period, just as Bray has become who Windham will be remembered as. Then another big setback as the idea was crystallizing and the gimmick working, he got hurt badly. For many those 2 setbacks would have killed their career but thanks to that grounding he was able to see the opportunity to use the time to hone the Bray Wyatt character into something he could sell to WWE long term. How many guys truthfully come up with their own gimmick from inception to being on the WWE Roster? Especially developmental talents? not many.

Someone in WWE, likely Hunter and Vince in tandem recognized this, the lineage and that both kids, but Bray in particular has that fabled "mind for the business", they let him run with it in NXT while he was hurt and it worked. Indeed the only noticable change WWE has made as a company is the song, from the Stones "Time is on my Side" to the free "Whole World In His Hands"... and good as the first was the 2nd is just the icing.

Did we see all this coming? Probably not but we should have seen Husky as more than just the "fat one" in the (New) Nexus... He was not WWE or Vince's usual pick physically, didn't seem to have the skills etc... but Vince saw it early, so did Trips... What he did have was pedigree and a keen mind for something different.

The only guy really with a pedigree close is The Rock and look what happened there, he was the last guy to truly change things up in the way Bray is doing.

Want proof? The cellphones. It's so simple it is absolute genius and it probably came from Bray asking some of his buddies or the fans to do it... WWE didn't come up with that, the fans didn't themselves.. but Bray could easily have just as he did the "spiderwalk", kissing the opponent before Sister Abigail and even picking his own ring music.

NOONE has gotten the freedom he has gotten to shape their character since they let Cena rap that first time. We may not have seen it but the guys writing the checks saw it a long time ago.

 

[theblasterkid]

I find the Bray Wyatt character intelligent and intriguing. It would be cool to use character in a movie. The best thing the WWE has going for them right now in my opinion is, The Wyatts, Reigns, and the Ambrose versus Rollins feud ( I'm really enjoying it).