Could Umaga have ever been a headliner?

[Matisyahu]

Its going on two years now since Eddie Fatu known as Jamal of Eric Bischoff's 3 Minute Warning with Rosey, and later as Umaga passed away and it got me wondering what exactly would have become of him.

I always enjoyed when Bischoff would send Three Minute Warning out to the ring to destroy whoever was in it at the time by proclaiming they had gone "THREE MINUTES" past their given time or some other variation involving him saying Three Minutes. Anyways, they were freaking beasts when they first debuted and it seemed like no one even stood close but sadly it was over in less than a year and Jamal got fired. It happened supposedly due to a bar fight.

Then he redebuted as Umaga and pretty much ran through every top star on the roster including HHH, HBK, Kane, Ric Flair, and Cena for a 34 televised match win streak until finally losing his streak and first chance at the WWE championship in a match with Cena where Cena couldn't really pin or submit him so instead by using the broken ring rope in combination with a STFU choked Umaga until he passed out.
After this he got possibly his most important push by being Vince McMahon's hand picked fighter to take on Bobbly Lashley who was representing Donald Trunk in the Battle of the Billionaires Hair vs Hair match at Wrestlemania 23 but right before this, Umaga was given an Intercontinental Championship against Jeff Hardy who he completely destroyed to win his first championship.

He would go on to win the IC title one more time and help Vince McMahon win the ECW title as well which is still one of the most ridiculous things I've ever witnessed but thats a different story...
He also had some very great feuds throughout his short career in the WWE.

To me, he seemed to be one of the best monsters in WWE and I thought he could have been a great neither good nor bad type who could dismantle everybody in his path heel or face. He looked like a truly dangerous and slightly deranged individual

So my question to you is, do you think Umaga could ever have been one of the very top guys in the WWE? To me, I believe he could have but probably wouldn't have. I think he would have went the way of Khali and to a certain extent, Kane and Big Show where once they were legit monsters and could be at the snap of a finger but for some reason you are forced to believe that the likes of Rey Mysterio and the like can easily beat them any time. I think he would have been a great world champ and maybe could have had the spot currently held by Mark Henry where everyone is afraid of getting in the ring to face him and he had that aspect to him where he could beat anyone on the roster at any given time.

Anyone else think he COULD have been a top star or do you also think he would have basically just become a punchline like Khali, Snitsky, Koslov, Heidenreich, etc.?

 

[alexikosalov]

Umaga could have been next Kane. Long-term, upper-mid card sometimes main event heel. His match vs. Cena at Rumble was a 5 star brawl. That proved to me he could Main Event.

 

[The Future Rises]

I was a big fan of Umaga. The guy had a great gimmick and was one hell of an athlete in the ring. He had Armando Estrada as his mouthpiece and I think if he didn't drop Armando and stayed a monster heel, he would've been something big.

Umaga was a big man with a unique look that could put on great matches and really move despite his size. When he spoke English for the first time on Smackdown I think he did pretty good. His mic skills weren't too bad in my opinion, I think he should have kept Armando until the point where he didn't need him anymore.

Now, as for how big Umaga could have been, I think he would have been a decent main eventer. He would've been the perfect monster champion but unfortunately that didn't happen.

 

[mdj2010]

The problem with a guy like Umaga is that the current era of the WWE is incapable of supporting an out and out destroyer for the long term. Sure, you could argue Mark Henry as being a rather obvious exception to the rule, but how long can his domination last? Eventually he gets beat and all of that destroyer bravado loses its impact. Gone are the days when you could run a story like that for years. But at the end of the day, Henry featured in some of the most humiliating moments in the history of the WWE, so he deserves his spot.
The one thing that matters more than most is their mic skills. this is clearly what it takes to sit at the top of the WWE ladder nowadays and Umaga would clearly not have been able to compete in that area.
The question remains of 'would Umaga put butts in seats?' For me, he would keep them gripped whilst in the ring, but noone was buying a ticket to see him perform.

 

[Cobear1986]

Umaga I think could have been a really big superstar kind of like Vader back in the 90s and late 80s. I think taking away his manger and letting Cena dominate him through 2 matches I think he could have been the next bigger monster and I would have personally loved a Undertaker Umaga Feud

 

[JeffTheRef]

I felt refreshed when I first saw the Umaga character on tv. The WWE is filled with guys who wear the same tights, have the same haircut, perform largely the same move set, and cut the same promo's. Maybe this is just the late 80's-early 90's fan in me, but I missed (and still miss) actual characters on tv. Umaga came out with the tattoo's, the face-paint..and of course...A MANAGER.

He's a perfect example that characters can be different today but still be successful without being assigned the "comedic" role on television.

 

[KoC417]

Umaga could have been THE man. The monster heel that held the WWE Championship for as long as he wanted and would always be credible once totally established. He was built up as a legit monster so I could have seen him main eventing Mania. Believe it or not I actually could have seen him taking on Undertaker and coming within inches of beating him. Sadly we will never know what could have become of Umaga.

 

[The Underking]

Honestly I think he could be where Mark Henry is now. Umaga was fired due to breaking the Wellness Policy once and refusing to go to rehab. He was set to have a Royal Rumble return I believe where I don't think it would be hard to believe he could have broken Kane's record Eleven Eliminations. If not I could see Umaga becoming World Champion later on especially on Smackdown on the last couple years. So yeah I think he could have been a head liner and easily considering he main evented several shows was in one of the main selling points of Wrestlemania 23 and a Three Time I believe Intercontinental Champion the real question is will he make the HOH for me atleast it's the question.

 

[Cena's #1 In My Heart]

He'd probably be in Impact Wrestling since towards the end wasn't he wrestling on Hogan's Australian tour with the likes of Ken Anderson?

He defiantly would have gone to TNA for a stint, he could have been a great headliner... technically he was a headliner when he fought against John Cena..

He was good in the ring, and well who cares about his mic skills.. he had Armando and a devastating scream that struck fear into the hearts of his opponents before he drove the Samoan Spike down...

But I think WWE would have wasted his talent in the long run... which is why he would be in TNA.. much like Mr. Kennedy... Elijiah Burke... Brian Kendrick... and others.

 

[Da Truth]

Guys if you remeber; he was released from the WWE anyway for violating the wellness program and refusing to go to rehab. So, he probably wouldn't be in the WWE anyway. He was rumored to be going to TNA after his 90 day no compete clause was over. I think he would be a consistent headliner in TNA right about now and had many a feuds with Styles, Anderson, Joe, Crimson, etc.

 

[Tully]

I liked Umaga - he was a great heel and had mad skillz in the ring.

I think he COULD have had a Henry-like monster heel run...but they never let him get the W over Super Cena. Super Cena's predictable wins over Umaga kinda buried the guy's heat, IIRC.

 

[Dagger Dias]

The main problem with he Umaga character was that he could not talk normally. He did cut one promo about a Samoan Strap match right before he got released and he did a good job of remaining in character and sounding intense. Had he stuck around long enough and been allowed to do promos like that one, then he could have potentially main evented because unlike other monsters like Khali he had skills in the ring and could cut promos once they finally allowed him to. It's a shame we will never see what Umaga as a main eventer or even a world champion would have been like.

 

[LSN80]

I dont believe so, and I was as big of an Umaga fan as anyone. So much of what makes someone a headliner is their ability, whether as a heel or face, to connect with the audience. Umaga couldn't do that because for some reason, WWE decided they didnt want him to speak. Sure, that creates intrigue and a bit of mystery surrounding the character, but it also limits the upside as well.

I believe Umaga topped out where he was, and even had he stayed with the company, his position on the card wouldn't have improved. He was good for a TV main event when needed, and also to main event a PPV here and there as he did, but as a full-time headliner, he didn't cut it. We talk so much about the Daniel Bryan's who have all the skill in the world but don't have the mic skills and charisma to get themselves over, and Umaga fell within the same boat. He was a talented super-heavyweight, no doubt, but he lacked charisma and the mic skills to truly get himself over. Even when he did talk in a promo shortly before he was released, it felt forced at best.

Umaga was in a fine position on the card. He worked nicely as a mid-card champion who could hold the belt for some time and look dominant while doing so. What made him effective there was he was a believable destroyer. As a headliner, I couldnt see him as a draw or someone people would pay money to see lose. Yes, he did main event NYR 2007 against John Cena, but that was when they had brand-exclusive PPV's. In today's world of combined PPV's, he wouldn't have fit as a main eventer, and there's nothing wrong with that. He was in aa very solid spot on the card and was reliable for a good match when needed.

I liked Umaga - he was a great heel and had mad skillz in the ring.

I think he COULD have had a Henry-like monster heel run...but they never let him get the W over Super Cena. Super Cena's predictable wins over Umaga kinda buried the guy's heat, IIRC.

The most tired argument in the world. Do you truly grasp what it means to bury someone? Think back, and recall the matches that Cena had with Umaga. At NYR 2007, Cena got his feet up and rolled Umaga up. Sure, it was Umaga's first loss, but it was considered a fluke, as most roll-up victories are. Cena bearly hung with Umaga long enough to roll him up. Then the two had a vicious war at the Royal Rumble where both men barely beat 10 counts on multiple occasions. Had Cena buried him, as you say, he would have decisively beat him and that would have been the end of Umaga's push. Yet, Umaga won the IC title twice following and was in the match that received perhaps the most hype for Wrestlemania 23, the Billionaire Hair Match against Lashley. How exactly is that being buried?

If someone is going to hand you your first lost, who better then the face of the company? Umaga was undefeated for 8 months before Cena beat him. Losing to the champion and the company's top guy isn't a bad thing, especially when you look fairly dominant even in defeat. There was nothing predictable about either match between him and Cena, both were back and forth affairs that Cena barely pulled out. Umaga not becoming a consistent main eventer had nothing to do with Cena, whatsoever.