Another Lame Ass "Rate the Wrestler" Thread: Diamond Dallas Page

[Nate DaMac]

I hate these threads, I really do. Everyday they pop up and they always suck. However, I am a hypocrite. So there we go.

Frankly, I am just curious how the members of this forum would rate DDP. He seems to be one of the least discussed stars of the Monday Night Wars Era, but he was a huge star in his own right in the late 90's as well. It seems the only time he is brought up these days is when Mark Madden wants to make himself feel important.

I seem to remember him quite fondly. Always loved him as a kid, loved the Diamond Cutter, and hell, even when he debuted in the WWE as Taker's wife's stalker, I still marked the fuck out. Even though he was a heel character and I was way before my "smark" days, I was happy as hell to see him in the WWE.

His popularity was off the charts. I can never recall someone working so hard to get a finisher over and it worked like a charm. The whole, "The Diamond Cutter can come from anywhere" bit was built perfectly and we saw a lot of unique variations.

If I have to give him one of those facetious letter grades, I suppose it'd be a B. But you don't have to do that.

So how do you rate DDP?

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

I would probably go for a B- for his ability, but an A+ for effort!

Page worked his ass off to get to the top, after coming in late. He was initally a manager, becoming an in-ring competitor in his late 30s, to to get as far as he did was a great achievement. He ended up a multi-time WCW champion, tag-team champion, TV champion and US champion. Correct me if I am wrong but isnt that every title WCW had to offer (other than the Hardcore belt?)

Page was determined to become a success, and should be used as an example to all young wrestlers as someone who never gave up, and would try anything and put the extra effort in to get over. Look at this quote I found on Wikipedia from Page

[Bischoff] gave me the job as I was a good example of work ethic, passion and someone that cares about the business. Since they wouldn’t really book me, I went down to the Power Plant every day I wasn’t working. That’s how you adapt to adversity. Even when I started to make it, I still kept going back. Until I was on the road 260 days a year-plus, I was still going to that Power Plant. For five years I went there, because that’s how long it took me to get to the top

What other wrestler constantly attempts to improve and better themselves like that? That shows dedication, and desire which is something that employers value. No wonder Bischoff ended up respecting DDP and pushing him hard. The guy was a model employee.

Another Wikipedia quote relating to Page is:

Page determined to continue improving his character, sought the help of Jake Roberts who advised him on the psychological aspects of the business

Again, that is what wrestlers should do, attempt to learn from and pick the brains of the best. Guys like Jake Roberts and Raven are geniuses when it comes to the phycological side of wrestling, and it only heightens my respect for DDP that he sought out Roberts in order to improve further.

I am glad that Page finally got his rewards for all his hardwork, when he ended up as one of WCW's most popular stars, known as "The People's Champion" and becoming one of their headliners in the later days of the promotion. People say it was just due to his friendship with Bischoff, but I believe while that may have helped (as Vince's relationship with HHH certainly helped Hunter), I think it was also Page's desire, effort and willingness to listen, learn and improve his character all the time, that led him to the top.

He wasn't incredible in the ring, but he was pretty good. The Diamond Cutter was an awesome move, and one that he worked his ass off on to get over. Even today, Randy Orton uses a version of that move, which shows how much people like it.

I was happy to see him in the WWE, although I would rather it have not been as a heel, stalking Undertaker's wife, I thought he was wasted in that storyline although he made the most of it. I can appreciate that Vince only saw him as a short-term wrestler due to his age, but I would have liked to have seen WWE capitalise on his popularity more and given him a short run at the top of the card, rather than at European Title level.

He alos would be great as a manager, as he can cut a great promo, was always entertaining and would be good to have around. He would also be better than Booker on commentary thats for sure, and his mountain of cheest cliches would be great on the announcers desk.

 

[jaceynightheat]

Over all grade: A
-
I was going to give him a B+ but he's in a lot of my childhood memories so I figured that was enough to pump him up to an A.

He may have had a slow start but the second he started to take on the nWo he was on fire! Without a doubt at that time the Diamond Cutter was the best finisher in the business. He always hit it out of different places & it was wonderfully done.

He really played the every man hero, probably the best since Dusty Rhodes. I don't think anyone has really filled that void in either WWE or TNA. He had great matches with Macho Man, Raven, Bret Hart & others in WCW.

A problem (though not his fault) was when he lost to Goldberg. Sure Goldberg was a monster but I think it really was DDP's time then. In that match DDP hit him with the diamond cutter, the place exploded! The fact DDP didn't win made me feel like I was ripped off. But since this was WCW, it wasn't all that surprising.

Another thing that didn't make sense was the Jersey Triad being heel. It never went anywhere, I think at that point DDP had too many fans behind him. People liked Kanyon & Bigelow. They would have been much better off as a face team.

His time in WWE. Sure people can say it was lack luster but his first feud was with The Undertaker. Not too shabby I say. Pretty much he & Booker T were the only recognizable WCW guys at the time. They also changed DDP's theme when he came joined WWE. Also a couple weeks back he got a great ovation.

In all honesty, I bet he's in great shape still & has a few more matches left in him. It's a shame he isn't one of the guys on commentary or a couch on Tough Enough. Either way, I think he'll be in the Hall of Fame one day.

 

[rokuma]

Overall Grade: A

He was one of WCW's "champions" against the NWO and probably the most popular other than Sting (yes, I'm including him over Flair, who was injured the majority of the NWO angle). Like jacey said, when DDP hit the Diamond Cutter on Goldberg, the crowd erupted....ERUPTED. That's how popular DDP was. He was even more popular than WCW's monster.

He put on great matches with Savage, Hart, Raven, had a good match with Goldberg, some good matches with Sting, and even managed to make Malone and Jay Leno interesting in their respective matches. I disagree with jacey, that the Triad should have been faces. There were too many in WCW at that time. Sting was still huge, I believe Hogan had just turned face again, Goldberg was still around, Nash and Hall were getting face pops....they needed a group of heels and DDP did it to perfection.

His run in WWE may have been mangled, but aren't most ex-WCW stars'? It would be hard to beat DDP in WCW. He was that awesome in the day.

 

[eljay7i]

Same here

Over all grade: A

I gave him a A of all the memories I hav of him as a kid growing up.

I was going to give him a B+ but he's in a lot of my childhood memories so I figured that was enough to pump him up to an A.

Yes, I remembered when he defeated Curt Hennig for the U.S. Tittle the place went nuts.
He may have had a slow start but the second he started to take on the nWo he was on fire! Without a doubt at that time the Diamond Cutter was the best finisher in the business. He always hit it out of different places & it was wonderfully done.

I partially agree with you there, cause Daniel Bryan is doing a pretty good job recently playing the "everyday man".
He really played the every
man hero, probably the best since Dusty Rhodes. I don't think anyone has really filled that void in either WWE or TNA. He had great matches with Macho Man, Raven, Bret Hart & others in WCW.


I wouldnt say that was a problem, Page looked great losing that match and didn't loose any momentum. Infact he won the strap the following year.

A problem (though not his fault) was when he lost to Goldberg. Sure Goldberg was a monster but I think it really was DDP's time then. In that match DDP hit him with the diamond cutter, the place exploded! The fact DDP didn't win made me feel like I was ripped off. But since this was WCW, it wasn't all that surprising.


I totally agree, They were way to popular to remain heels.

Another thing that didn't make sense was the Jersey Triad being heel. It never went anywhere, I think at that point DDP had too many fans behind him. People liked Kanyon & Bigelow. They would have been much better off as a face team.



WWE shoulda booked DDP better cause he had so much more potential. I honestly think he should of had a reign as WWE Champ.His time in WWE.

Sure people can say it was lack luster but his first feud was with The Undertaker. Not too shabby I say. Pretty much he & Booker T were the only recognizable WCW guys at the time. They also changed DDP's theme when he came joined WWE. Also a couple weeks back he got a great ovation.

No doubt about it, Page deserves that honor after all he's done for the fans especially in the late nineties.

In all honesty, I bet he's in great shape still & has a few more matches left in him. It's a shame he isn't one of the guys on commentary or a couch on Tough Enough. Either way, I think he'll be in the Hall of Fame one day.

 

[wrestler36]

I'd give him an A. One of the few true WCW breakouts. Although he may have had some leverage being friends and neighbors with Bischoff, nobody could question his work ethic. Plus with whole WCW powerplant and a bunch of established names, starting out as a wrestler at 35-36 years, or however old he was is as hard as it gets. Great feuds with Johnny B. Badd, Guerrero, Hall, Nash, Savage. You name it. Huge following and good on the mic.

I thought they were on to something big when he entered the WWE, but after he was buried by Taker and they changed his gimmick, it was the beginning of the end. He still made the motivational speaker character work to an extent, but he would've been awesome if they just let him be him. Regardless, if you look at his rise to the championship, his great feuds and his personality on the mic, I think he deserves an A.

 

[GUMBO2ndcoming]

There was a time where DDP was the hottest thing in WCW next to Sting and Goldberg.

Everyone was throwing up the diamond symbol and BAAAAANG! Myself included, I went back and watched some of the DDP matches on the Nitro DVD and his actual wrestling skill isnt all that bad.

His character was perfect and right at the time, He even pulled off being a heel pretty good too. His WWE run was exciting at first with Taker but then was stopped cold turkey which I think was expected. Nonetheless DDP overall gets a B+ from me. A lot of fans during that time will remember DDP.

Hopefully he will get the HOF one day.

 

[Hulk Hogan's Brother]

I'd give him a B-. DDP was one of WCW's best booking decisions. He was the first man to standup to the nWo and had a kickass finisher to boot.

He was never the top face of that company. That honour went to Sting in the early part of DDP's career and to Goldberg in the latter half. DDP had a lot of charisma and was decent in the ring as well but somehow he was never able to become the top babyface of the company. Maybe that was because he was never projected as an unbeatable, invincible guy which is the manner in which both Sting and Goldberg were projected. Let's face it, WCW needed a superhero to combat the supervillians the the nWo were but DDP wasn't that guy. He was a guy whom the fans respected and yet when it came to down to whom the fans counted on, it came down to Sting and Goldberg. Not that that is too bad a thing.

Also I know that he does not deserve the full blame for it, but the second half of his career, after he turned heel on Golberg, sucked. He was a guy who should have never turned heel. I do not understand what WCW were trying to accomplish here. I would have liked to see Goldberg defeat Page clean and move on. It is not as if he kept the title for too long after that. But as a heel, he just did not click at all. I do not mind Page's short title reigns much because not everybody can be the top guy. It's the heel turn that I mind.

I saw Page essentially as the Mick Foley of the company. I also see some simiarities between Rey Mysterio and Page. Both Foley and Rey are great examples of great number two babyfaces of the company who found their niche in that role and never let go of it. Page could have also done the same. There were a number of guys whom WCW could have pushed in Page's place as a heel most significant among them being Bret Hart. Page may have got way more kayfabe success( who didn't in WCW at that time) but he stopped being entertaining to me the moment he turned heel.

 

[marklouis]

I'd give him a B. He was a very solid in-ring performer, & he was very good on the mic. I never understand why Madden hates him so much. The guy started at the bottom & worked his ass off until he became a world champion. And he had some good feuds. His feud with Randy Savage & the nWo as a whole was very well done. And while he wasn't great in the ring, he was pretty good. His matches with Savage were good. I recently bought the "Best of Nitro" DVD, & there are a couple of very good DDP matches on that set-one with Bret Hart for the US title & one with Sting for the world title. Like others have said, he was really over with the crowd, one of the most popular guys on the roster. He had a really good career, & I don't see why people need to take shots at him.

 

[TheCrusher]

I would give WCW DDP a definite A, just because he not only was such a workhorse, but because he was the right man at the right time to give a shot of the positive to what was something of a negative-powered promotion. That's not a slam on WCW of the era. It's just that many of the things that drove the crowd and the storylines appealed to the darker side of our nature. It took a pretty powerful personality to get over as a "man of the people" during such a cynical era. And even today, my kids will flash the Diamond Cutter sign and hit the "Bang!" And my oldest wasn't even born until 2001, so he has left something of a lasting impression. He did lose some steam after the heel turn, but was still worth watching.

WWE "stalker" Page was not a character I liked at all, and it was the beginning of the end of a good career. I do give him credit for doing his best to get the story line to work and not half-assing his way through it. I'm not going to assign a grade to the Page of that era. Many things were mishandled during that transition, and he got caught up in it.

So, he had a run of about four years or so where he was one of the best guys to watch in all of wrestling. And it's not like right now, where you look at the major promotions and say being among the best guys to watch isn't as that much an accomplishment. The two major promotions during DDP's prime had quite a lot of guys worth watching. To stand out in a positive way during that era was quite an accomplishment.

 

[Dude_Love87]

A... no question. Considering some of the angle's they gave this guy in the mid 90's, it really is a surprise he turned out as big as he did. It seemed like he was facing Johnny B. Badd every PPV, he had to play a homeless guy, and he had the distinct honor of holing the Battle Bowl ring LOL... Badd and DDP had some great matches though. For me, DDP really hit it big when he gave Scott Hall the "Diamond Cutter" after accepting the NWO shirt. Afterwards, he went in the crowd and Eric Bischoff says "he's #1 on our list" Epic WCW moment. Plus, the "self High Five" concept was genius.

 

[eljay7i]

Well said Dude Love, some of his early angles were plain horrible, but i must admit the Diamond Doll was hot lol. But to me Page hit it big after we beat Hennig for the U.S. Title at Starrcade 97, that solified his spot as a big time player.

 

[FlairFan2003]

C-: Page had a decent character when he came into his own at the start of the NWO fued, in the ring he was very one dimensional, he never had the ability to adapt, he couldn't carry anyone. Yeah, he had good matches with Savage, one of the 10 or so best in ring performers among main eventers during the 80's and 90's. His WCW Title match vs Flair on Nitro was really good too, go figure. He looked good vs Benoit. Book DDP against an average or limited worker and the matches were horrible.

He was over with crowds however, his best moment being his Halloween Havoc Main Event vs Goldberg in 98 - probably his biggest match.

Solid but unbspectacular on the mic, limited and restricted in the ring. Personally I think Hogan was a better in ring performer, he knew his limitations, knew just what he could do to push himself and be entertaining, and he definately had charisma.