Could A Catfish Story Work In WWE?

[The Brain]

So I just learned what the term catfish means. I thought the tv show Catfish was something on Discovery or Animal Planet about…well catfish, until I saw my sister liked in on Facebook. Anyway, I’m sure you guys are all way more up to date on this terminology than I am but for those that don’t know, catfish means to create a false identity on line to deceive someone. So with all the talk of Manti Te’o supposedly falling victim to a catfish scheme I couldn’t help but think this kind of ridiculous drama is something you would see in a soap opera. Do you think this is the type of storyline that could work in WWE?

I think it could be an interesting angle for someone like Zack Ryder. His character is gullible and he’s known for all his activity on social media so he would be a perfect target. That would be the safe route but could this work as a main event angle by taking a much more controversial route?

John Cena’s work with Make a Wish is well documented and you can probably already see where I’m going with this. We have a sick child reach out to Cena through Twitter. His story is sad and inspirational. Cena replies to him and the two keep in touch for a few weeks. Cena mentions him on Raw cutting a promo telling his tale and dedicates his matches to him. We get a sad update informing us the little guy’s time is almost up and he wants to Cena to be by his side at the end. This would mean Cena would have to miss a title defense (I assume Cena will be champ again someday) at the upcoming ppv. The heel authority figure says if Cena misses the ppv he would be stripped of the title and the challenger (whoever that may be) would become champion via forfeit. Somehow it is revealed that the challenger created the sick child and he was the one communicating with Cena the whole time. He was hoping to steal the title by getting Cena to forfeit the match. This heel instantly gets a ton of heat and Cena has a ton of sympathy going into the ppv title match.

I do recognize the flaws with this angle. I’m all for using people’s emotions for a good storyline, but using sick kids is probably crossing the line. On the other hand it’s not like a real kid would be used in this angle. Also I don’t know that mixing Cena’s real life work with Make a Wish should be brought into a storyline. I would not mention Make a Wish by name during the storyline but naturally that’s what everyone would think of. This angle could receive some very negative criticism as there are still so many people that refuse to accept wrestling as a scripted television show despite always being so quick to point out it’s completely fake. One very minor thing to consider is timing. If a story like this were to take place it needs to happen after the Manti Te’o story has been out of the news for a while or the fans would catch on too quickly.

So what do you guys think? Would a catfish angle work in wrestling? If so would it be better utilized in the midcard against a guy like Ryder or would the more controversial angle work? Even though I came up with the idea and think it would make for a really interesting angle I don’t know that it would be wise for WWE to go with the idea I proposed for Cena. I think if I was in charge I would run the idea by Make a Wish before executing it. If they were ok with it I’d do it but if not I think I would go the safer rout with Ryder. Let’s hear your thoughts.

 

[Master JM]

While it might very well be met with critical backlash, (people would probably assume that WWE is capitalizing on the Manti Te'o story and its buzz) by the more easily offended people, this could make for good dramatic TV. Also, doing something so conniving would get huge heat on the heel that did it. A mixed bag of an idea, but I like it.

This might be an odd choice, but I think that Bray Wyatt could be brought to WWE TV in this manner. I'm not the most creative person when it comes to fantasy booking, so I can't really get into much depth about how this would work, but here's a rough idea:
-Wyatt pretends to be a ''guiding angel'' for some mid-card face; preferably one that's over with the crowd. Ryder sounds just about perfect, actually.
-He leaves video recordings behind for Ryder in his locker room, telling him that he can help him ''regain his wings'' (Something that Wyatt himself had said), and rise back to glory again. Ryder falls for it.
-Over the weeks, clues are left for Ryder to follow. He's told that if he can find them all, he will receive help.
-The conclusion is Ryder walking into an empty area only to get ambushed and brutally beaten by Wyatt. This probably gets him heat as the fans were having their hopes up for Ryder getting re-pushed. He introduces himself to the WWE Universe and all that jazz.
-In the next few weeks, we get to know Wyatt and his devious persona, and he slowly introduces the members of the Wyatt Family, one by one.

TL;DR version: Wyatt tricks Ryder into believing that he will help him rise up the card, but ends up kicking his ass backstage in the end.

So there we go. I haven't given this much thought but it would certainly make for interesting TV, at least to me.

 

[jholcomb22]

The WWE already did a catfish story before it was a trend. They had a woman start a relationship with Vince McMahon based on the notion that they had met and had a child. We never met the woman, only the mysterious attorney for her. At the end of the angle, it was all a made up thing that they tried to pass off as hornswoggle for a little while.

 

[CDR]

In wrestling, the story lines that we see used are, 99% of the time, recycled. In some form or fashion, we have seen each story line before. Whether it's a love triangle, an up-and-comer looking to make a name for him/her self, or just a good old fashioned grudge. We've literally just about seen it all. However, the way that the WWE has succeeded in being the top wrestling company in the world is that they do these story lines with added flavor, if you will. Their story lines are not new ideas, but they are the classic ideas with modern variation. When Stone Cold was feuding with McMahon in the late 90s, it was an idea that has been seen before in media - television shows, music, etc.. The worker doesn't like the boss. However, by throwing in a few on-screen arrests, beer trucks, and middle fingers, they gave the audience something never seen before. And it propelled the WWE into being a pop culture item. We all know about Vince's obsession with pop culture. He strives for his company to be up there with American Idol and the NFL, popularity wise. Therefore, I could definitely see the WWE integrating a "catfish" type story line.

Catfish, the show on MTV, is currently one of the most popular television shows there is. Granted, not everybody has seen it (Brain) but it is sure gaining popularity very rapidly. This is why I can see a catfish story line occurring on WWE television. If it could potentially help Vinny-Mac bring the company's popularity to a new level, which I can see, then why would he not be all for it? And the most important part of it is that IT HASN'T BEEN DONE YET. Introducing brand new ideas is rare in wrestling. Writers work with what has been given to them by past writers. But nobody has done this before. This can work, but there are a few things that must happen for it to be a major, popularity booster.

First, it has to seem real. For this story to be believable by everybody, we can't see Zack Ryder in the locker room surfing the web on his laptop. Why? Because they never show anybody on laptops on WWE television. It isn't a regular thing to see. Therefore, when the laptop shows up, the story line will be highly predictable. It needs to occur in a fashion that fans will not see as out of the ordinary. And what I mean by that is, use common wrestling mainstays. Use video packages foreshadowing a new character. We've seen this many times. Use something of that nature, something that wouldn't tell the audience, "hey something is different here," because if you show the audience something like Ryder on the laptop, you're tipping your hand to them.

Second, it has to happen to a face. This may seem obvious, but it's true. If you've seen the show Catfish, often times the viewer is left feeling sorry for the person who has been fooled. That needs to be the end result. If it happens to a heel, nobody's going to feel sorry for him. The audience needs to feel sympathy. But ultimately, it must lead to the third thing:

Third, it must lead up to the climax as a wrestling match. At the end of the day, it's still happening on a wrestling show. With the catfishing happening to a face wrestler, the person who is behind it ultimately needs to be a heel. Thus, the face will need to redeem himself with a win over the culprit in a match.

Finally, it needs to push the envelope. I know Brain brought it up in the OP, and I don't think it should involve a sick kid or anything, but it needs to turn heads. A sick kid should be off limits, I think. But using a wrestler's real life past or using a controversial topic is what would help boost the WWE into the limelight. Controversy creates cash, right? Make it controversial and the popularity will rise.

We have seen all the story lines, but we haven't seen a catfish story line. It could work if done right. And not only work - but make the WWE a household name again.

 

[3drinks]

I think this is a viable angle for the WWE to pursue, however, they must be very, very careful with stuff like this. The "Make-a-Wish" thing that The Brain mentioned is an example of too far, and unacceptable for WWE's image. But this is the kind of thing that, while wonderful, just has to be carefully examined on a case-by-case basis.

 

[ShatteredDreamsProduction]

This might be an odd choice, but I think that Bray Wyatt could be brought to WWE TV in this manner. I'm not the most creative person when it comes to fantasy booking, so I can't really get into much depth about how this would work, but here's a rough idea:
-Wyatt pretends to be a ''guiding angel'' for some mid-card face; preferably one that's over with the crowd. Ryder sounds just about perfect, actually.
-He leaves video recordings behind for Ryder in his locker room, telling him that he can help him ''regain his wings'' (Something that Wyatt himself had said), and rise back to glory again. Ryder falls for it.
-Over the weeks, clues are left for Ryder to follow. He's told that if he can find them all, he will receive help.
-The conclusion is Ryder walking into an empty area only to get ambushed and brutally beaten by Wyatt. This probably gets him heat as the fans were having their hopes up for Ryder getting re-pushed. He introduces himself to the WWE Universe and all that jazz.
-In the next few weeks, we get to know Wyatt and his devious persona, and he slowly introduces the members of the Wyatt Family, one by one.

TL;DR version: Wyatt tricks Ryder into believing that he will help him rise up the card, but ends up kicking his ass backstage in the end.

This is brilliant my friend. It's perfect as it incorporates the idea of the "catfish" storyline. Without actually having to mimic the real life events of Manti Te'o or cross the line with a sick child.

Instead we have a sick minded wrestler who preys on the lower card. Offering help when he wants to hurt them.

If I can add to this. Instead of himself beating people up. He could introduce new members of the Wyatt family so that people wouldn't know who they are at all or that he was the mastermind behind it all. I know WWE tends to ignore facts from NXT when most people will have seen the current Wyatt Family members and will put 2 and 2 together instantly.

 

[Face/Off]

Be a Star thats all I say lol. It would be a controversial angle indeed what with the media these days. We bit OTT to use a sick child for reverance in a storyline but could be the sort of plot that brings the business out of the awful PG era. We have saw some shockingly bad storylines like Kane/Katie Vick, Kane/Lita/Snitsky and even the battle between the late great Eddie Guerrero and Rey Mysterio over the custody of Rey's son Dominic. Could be a stab in the dark though.

 

[Charismatic Enigma]

Man, just gotta say I'm loving everything I'm hearing in this thread. The sick kid gimmick, the Bray Wyatt introduction, I think any of this stuff would be awesome. The more screwed up the better! haha

One thing I will say is whenever WWE has tried to emulate a current event via a story line, it is usually PAINFULLY obvious where it is going and/or what it is ripped off from. So if they were to go this route, I would almost want them to start it in an incredibly subtle way and build slowly over the course of a couple of months, maybe culminating at WrestleMania. Like if they were going with the Wyatt/Ryder angle, I would start with a comment on Ryder's twitter page by some random "fan" that basically tells Ryder he's getting the shaft and the fans want to start a petition for him or something, let it build up some momentum to the point where they talk about it on TV, and maybe Ryder gets booked for a US title match or something as a result, then to thank the "fan" who organized it all Ryder calls her on the air, then he starts to develop an infatuation with her, until eventually it ends up being Paige or something and she could come up with Wyatt and the family, and obviously beat the crap out of Ryder and go around manipulating people behind the scenes growing the stable.

I'm not sure where to go with all this, but like I said if it could be done in a way where it isn't super obvious that it's ripped from the headlines this could make one hell of angle, and a great way to introduce some new talent.

 

[Radical Canadian Goose]

This is a great idea for a storyline! I do think Ryder could work as the foil and I do like the Bray Wyatt ideas being thrown around. However, my idea with a story like this is to split Team Rhodes Scholars. Yes, t is going to be pretty much a mirror image of Manti T'eo. Cody falls for a girl online, she gets sick, passes away. All of this plays on for a few weeks, with Sandow in his ear telling him what to do. Cody is distraught after the death of his gf and because of his grief he costs his team the Tag Titles (yes they are the Tag champs in this storyline). Sandow beats up Cody after the match. The following week Damien reveals in his own intellectual way that Cody never had a gf and he was playing him the entire time to prove how gullible and naive humans are (creative could likely come upwith a better reason than this for Damiens motivation). This leads to a fued between the two making Cody a beloved babyface and moving Sandow into the upperechelon of heels

 

[hunterXhunter21]

I would really like to see this used in a story line. Plus it writes itself. A diva comes on to a face, the face rejects her saying he has a gf he met online. Wwe would have to go as far a making a fake profile online and having them interact for a few weeks before it is brought up on tv. Then for a few months people keep asking to meet her and each time she is promoted something comes up. Kinda like Clays debut. We finally have a Raw in her home town and the face goes to her house to meet her. Bam! A debuting heel answers the door and attacks the face.

 

[Dirk]

Great idea, OP.

But using a wrestler's real life past or using a controversial topic is what would help boost the WWE into the limelight. Controversy creates cash, right? Make it controversial and the popularity will rise.

The sorriest I ever felt for a wrestler was when Bossman stole Big Show's dad's casket. That was based on Show's dad dying only a few years prior.

 

[wrestlingfan]

The Anonymous GM was a catfish story. Everyone thought it was either Michael Cole or numerous WWE legends when it turned out to be Hornswoggle.