Bodybuilding type

[milkman12]

How much do you really think the WWE pushes/encourages a certain type of look. (chiseled, body builder type)

As much as everyone says that Vince and Triple H enjoy a certain look, John Cena, Roman Reigns, Batista Etc. There have been very many huge guys that got absolutely no traction or push. Matt Morgan, Mason Ryan, etc.

Do you still think that the old school body builder philosophy is prevalent in the WWE as far as hirings and promotions?

 

[JoeFromTomsRiver]

I think the WWE is very self-conscious about steroids, and the linking of steroids to wrestlers and even MCMAHON over the years, so you aren't seeing physiques at the top of the priority list anymore.

And they have a "Wellness Policy" that they like to pat themselves on the back for, which is a joke, and they can't have too many guys around who look obviously juiced up or else they risk exposing the Wellness Policy as being nothing more than window dressing.

 

[PDX_RipCity]

Really good topic, so I'll bite...

I think the Big Muscle body type is still the preferable physical "look" for Vince McMahon and the WWE, however, it's not given nearly as much priority or importance as it was in the past.

Simply look at the WWE roster during the 80's compared to the roster of today. Current stars like CM Punk, Daniel Bryan, Dolph Ziggler, Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose, Cody Rhodes and upcoming talents such as Sami Zayn, Corey Graves, and Tyler Breeze are all being given or being groomed for prominent main-event level roles, but are far from the muscle-bound body types of past stars.

The wrestling industry (aka sports entertainment) has changed a lot from decade to decade, for instance as work-rate became more important heading into the 90's, we saw stars like HBK, Bret Hart, Jericho, Benoit, Guerrero and others given chances to be main-event level guys. What's happening today is just an extension/evolution of that.

Still, if a big muscled guy with solid talent comes along (like Roman Reigns) is the WWE going to push them to the moon as the "face" of their company? You're damn right they will. And there's nothing wrong with that. However, the door has never been wider for those talents who don't have the bodybuilder physique to become major players on the roster and that's nice to see.

The WWE understands that times have changed since the 80's and the bodybuilder figure is simply not as popular in society anymore. Today, it's more trendy to be trim and muscular, perhaps a similar look to your average MMA fighter. So in some ways, they don't have a choice. Also, the WWE is going to ultimately do what makes them money in the long-term, so if they are hurting financially and not pulling great ratings, they are simply more likely to push a guy like Daniel Bryan if he's getting a big reaction from the fans.

Basically, if the WWE is desperate enough, they will push an anorexic midget if they think it'll help get them ratings. Or on the positive side, today the WWE needs wrestlers that can work a faster-paced, higher work rate type of a match (compared to the WWE of the past), and that simply translates to guys who are slightly more mobile and not as weighed down by excessive muscle. Another way to look at it is, wrestlers like Roman Reigns, Cesaro, and Wade Barrett are considered "bigger/larger" guys in the WWE today, but would have been smaller-to-average guys back in the 80s.

So....yes, big muscles and size still matters to the WWE, but not as much as it used to.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

Personally, I don't know where notions like "Vince McMahon only likes big guys" or "only guys with muscles get pushed in WWE" came from. When it comes to the overall package of a wrestler being chiseled, having a genuine bodybuilder and/or powerlifter type of build, you'll see they tend to represent a minority rather than a majority.

During the 60s and much of the 70s, Bruno Sammartino was THE face of the company. The guy was a genuine freak of nature when it came to physical strength, but fans loved him and that's what ultimately sold tickets. When Bob Backlund took over that spot in the late 70s, he wasn't exactly a physical powerhouse or master of the universe, but people loved him. Same with Hulk Hogan, Warrior and a handful of others over the years. It's ultimately about who the fans embrace, who they support and who they generally want to spend their money on that's of primary importance. If the guy has the face of an angel and the physique of a god, that's great as long as he draws money. Otherwise, he's another Tony Atlas, Ken Patera, Tom "Zeus" Lister, Ahmed Johnson, Matt Morgan, Chris Masters, Mason Ryan, Brutus Beefcake, Davy Boy Smith, Jim Powers, Paul Roma and various other guys who saw some mid-card success or who were ultimately a bunch of never-wases who happened to have impressive physiques.

Have there been guys that Vince looks at and feels they have the potential of drawing people in while also having a great physique? Absolutely. But despite the various proclamations to the contrary among a lot of internet fans, Vince does have some idea as to what he's doing otherwise WWE would've gone out of business a decade or more ago. Having a great physique is no guarantee of success, that's obviously a POV that Triple H has otherwise NXT would be absolutely packed with bodybuilders and powerlifters. Having guys that are, to one degree or another, aesthetically pleasing is obviously something any company goes for. Let's face it, when people watch wrestling matches, they wanna see wrestling matches performed by guys who're in good physical shape.

 

[Pedigree1]

At the end of the day,it is indeed who will sell the most tickets and who the fans take in. Maybe Vince loves the bodybuilding types;i can see where people would get that idea Hogan,Warrior,Cena etc. But really guys like Daniel Bryan,who the fans go nuts over is not exactly a powerhouse by any stretch. But the fans love him,simply because we all see ourselves in him,"Hey if he can do it,so can I.

Wrestling is a awesome mix of everyone,Bodybuilders,short guys,tall ones,everything in between. If the fans embrace you,and you yourself believe in your own character you good to go..

 

[Reflection]

Definitely; having a good body is almost a must in today's WWE. You may be the best wrestler in the world, but if you have manboobs and beer belly hanging from both sides, you aren't gonna get too far. Its important to look sharp- thats the first criteria. Then come the other criterion like you gotta have good mic skills, you gotta have a good look and work ethic, you gotta be able to carry a 10 minute match etc. Guys like Mason Ryan, McIntyre, Masterpiece etc. qualified in the first criteria, but failed in most of the rest... and thus their fate.

 

[chicagokmc]

in the 70's/80's, I think the thing they looked for first was personality/mic skills, with the assumption that they could choreograph a match to make that person look good. think about some of the mainstays then, Greg Valentine, Adrian Adonis (especially late in his career), Bundy, Junkyard Dog. As our society changed and became more fitness conscious, so did the WWE and now, while they don't have to be bodybuilders, I do think they reversed thought and focus on physique/athleticism first with the assumption that mic skills/audience appeal can be picked up.

 

[bioshock]

It all comes down to what they can do on the mic and if they get over with the crowd. Look at the Hogan era along with Warrior, yeah both were huge, but don't forget same time you also had Rick Rude, Hercules, Warlord, Hawk, Animal, and many other huge guys, they just couldnt carry them self on the mic like Hogan and Warrior could, sure Rude was decent, so was LOD, but they still had to have managers to do their talking.

Mason Ryan was a huge guy, but you just know he wasn't worth a lick on the mic. Batista and Cena on the other had could talk the talk. Its all that matters in this era of WWE.

 

[Honkey_Kong]

How much do you really think the WWE pushes/encourages a certain type of look. (chiseled, body builder type)

As much as everyone says that Vince and Triple H enjoy a certain look, John Cena, Roman Reigns, Batista Etc. There have been very many huge guys that got absolutely no traction or push. Matt Morgan, Mason Ryan, etc.

Do you still think that the old school body builder philosophy is prevalent in the WWE as far as hirings and promotions?

Most of those guys you listed don't have bodybuilder physiques. You ever see those IFBB pros? They look nothing like the WWE wrestlers. Cena and Batista when they were younger looked more like them, but both of those guys abandoned those physiques for more functional physiques.

But to what you're saying, it's not that Vince likes big guys. It's that larger than life people typically sell more than people that look ordinary. You can find a few exceptions like Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart, but those guys aren't the rule.

As far as Daniel Bryan goes, I think he's a great wrestler (he was better in the indies, but I digress) and a great character. But let's not kid ourselves, he's not drawing the crowds that Hogan, Warrior, Stone Cold, Dwayne drew. Not by a long-shot.

Eventually, when some of the media's over-demonizing of steroids fades down and a lot of those negative myths are debunked, you're going to see WWE's wellness policy getting a bit less enforced and bigger and bigger "superstars" will be gracing the ring again. The public wants their larger-than-life heroes.

And by the way, if you think Hogan had a bodybuilder's physique, you're completely out of your mind. He had such bad dbol bloat and he didn't even have the right proportions to be successful as an amateur. Even Warrior's physique changed a lot from his stage days to his WWF days. He no longer was a bodybuilder type when he made it to there.