Dead Wrong About...

[Post]

Dead Wrong About…

So, there are times in life when we rush to decisions and make premature judgments about things based on initial feelings. Many times these judgments are right on, but sometimes we are just DEAD WRONG.

I am the type of person that hates to admit when I am wrong. But this forum has encouraged me to confess a major sin…a premature judgment in professional wrestling that I made, that I need to get off of my chest.

When Brock won the King of the Ring tournament in 2002 (and an automatic title shot v. the Rock at SummerSlam) I had a gut feeling that he would be the next WWE Champion. This thought sickened me. I thought Brock was terrible for the business. I hated his brash, cocky attitude and his lack of respect for opponents and the company that made him.

I went as far to write a letter to WWE in which I expressed my feelings that Brock Lesnar as their champion would not only destroy the WWE, but professional wrestling altogether. I never sent the letter, but fumed over the next several weeks that one of my favorite pastimes was ruined. We all know that Brock did win the title, had a great run as champion, and made a great impact on the business.

Admittedly, a few months later I realized how wrong I was, and I ate quite a lot of shit from my friends. To be honest, I deserved it.

So, what I want to know from you is:

What is the biggest thing you have been dead wrong about in professional wrestling?


Please describe the event and tell what made you change your mind.

Can’t wait to read all of the responses!

 

[The Brain]

I was wrong about Kane. When I first saw him at Badd Blood in 1997 I figured he was brought in to feud with Taker and would be gone within a year. He wouldn't have been the first guy to do this. Kamala, Giant Gonzalez, and Underfaker come to mind. I assumed the feud would go to mania and a few months later Kane would lose a casket match or buried alive match and never be seen again (I figured Glen Jacobs would be back with a new gimmick). Here we are 13 years later and Kane is still around. I would have never guessed that.

 

[Tommy Rage]

I often thing guys suck when they first debut and they end up being rather good. I know I am not alone here but I remember hating Miz when he was first called up to the main roster and I didn't start to like him at all until the Morrison tag team when I started to appreciate his charisma and the improvements he was making in the ring. He pretty much carried the team and that really stood out to me. Obviously now he is one of the best mic workers going and one of the most charismatic wrestlers I've seen, as well as being more than capable of producing the goods in the ring. He's one of my favourites in 2010, but in 2006-7 I thought he sucked and had no future in the company. I'll admit I was quick to judge him on his background, but I have since smartened up and learned to give everybody a fair chance to prove themselves and make an impression, as Miz has done. Guys are going to take time to improve. Hell, Taker wasn't good on a consistant basis for like 7 years.

Another one would be John Cena. I am the biggest John Cena fan you will meet nowadays (on the internet at least) and rank him up there with the very best faces of all time, yet when I first got back into the product in mid 2006, I saw him and thought he sucked. I had heard of him as I still read results now and then and had seen pictures, but when I first started watching again I found it hard to buy him as the top guy. I remember thinking to myself "Really? THIS is the top guy in this era of wrestling? This is their Rock/Austin figure? REALLY?". Some smartasses will probably say I had the right idea back then rather than now, but I soon got used to Cena and found him to be pretty damn good in his role due to his charisma and the way he got fans into his matches. You can't argue with the reactions he gets for sheer noise. However what really convinced me that he was the man was when he produced all those great matches in early-mid 2007 during his title run (before Kennedy injured him). That was when I first started thinking of him as a very good wrestler.

 

[Wolf Pac]

Whenever Mr. Kennedy in his first few weeks in WWE always took the mic from Chimel, punched him in the balls and yelled his name through the mic, I thought the guy sucked but in time he grew on me.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

I was wrong about The Miz. When this guy first showed up, I just wanted Taker or Kane to wad this guy up, wipe their ass with him and then flush him down the drain. Like a lot of people, I thought the guy was just some reality show jerk off that wanted to keep his 15 minutes of fame going and thought that wrestling would be a way to do that and to earn some easy money in the process.

However, over a long period of time, I have to admit that The Miz not only won me over but proved a lot of his critics wrong. Some people still don't like the guy, which is to be expected as you can't please everybody, but there's no denying that he's worked very hard to get to where he is at this point in his career and I most definitely think he deserves to be there.

 

[Mr. Artistic guy]

I think the same with cena as well. I used to dislike the guy because of the high position he had in the company despite the lack of pure wrestling talent he hyas. But as I've watched him, and put myself in his shoes I realised that he has endured people booing him for years now, and not because he can afford to, it's because he genuinely loves the fans and the business and he works as hard as anybody to stay where he is. When I really thought about how hard it would be to do what cena does, I really came to respect the guy because of never giving up. I was wrong to think he was an asshole, he didn't beg to be where he is, he probably worked harder than anybody knowing that he isn't a naturally gifted athlete like most of the guys.

A great number of superstars since I started watching again in '08 is another problem I had. I wanted to project anybody to the top as soon as I saw them for the first time. I remember the first guy I saw was R-Truth and I just thought that vince has to make this guy a world champion sooner or later becuase I liked how he was in the ring. Also, on the list I've mistaken as "soon to be" top stars are john morrison (although he may be on the rise with this sheamus thing, we'll see), drew mcintyre (slowly going nowhere atm), eric escobar (I thought he was starting to get good attention off the whole vicky thing, then he dissapeared) and hawkins and archer only recently amongst many others. I still think they deserve to be treated better as do all tag teams in the WWE.

Its funny because WWE does actually have 2 heel teams (archer/hawkins and the uso's) and 2 face teams (dudebusters and you may include santino and kozlov maybe) and yet no tag team divison as such. Anyway there is examples of one I underestimated and some that I overestimated. We all make rash descisions, just ask earl hebner.

 

[#hamler]

The Miz- I think just about everyone saw a loser in this kid when he first arrived at Tough Enough. I, aswell as the WWE locker room thought this guy was a punk and when he became an on air host for Smackdown, I wondered how long he'd last. Then, moving to ECW changed a lot of things. He worked his mic skill on the dirt sheet and became extremely over as a heel. Then he improved on his in ring ability while teaming with Morrison. I really began liking him when he started his feud with Cena. It showed that he can hang with the big dogs. Now the Miz is a sure future Champion.
Sheamus- dead wrong about him. In fact, I said to myself, this guy will never be a WWE champion. He was dominat but I just seen another ECW newbe that didn't belong. Nowadays, I get pissed when he's not in the main storyline on RAW. He's become one of my favorite WWE superstars today. And now I realize he belongs there.

 

[Mustang Sally]

I was wrong about Randy Savage being a WWE loyalist for life. When he was growing an ever-expanding gut while sitting at the announcer's table after losing a "Loser Retires" match to Warrior, I thought they would find a reason to get him back as an active wrestler almost immediately, and I still don't understand why it took so long.

Then, when he did come back, he had to wrestle with his shirt on because of that unseemly pot belly. He looked pretty bad in beating Crush at that PPV but I still figured he'd get in shape and again be the Macho Man we all knew.

Instead, he stayed out of shape....... and then suddenly ran to WCW to get the big money. It really rankled me when I saw him turn up there in much better shape than when he left WWE. When Vince McMahon made the announcement that Savage was gone, I really thought he was sincere when he talked of all the great memories Savage had given the company.

But it was all garbage, wasn't it? Turns out McMahon is bitter at Savage to this day and I'd really like to know what went on back then.

I was truly wrong about Macho Man and I'm sorry for it.

 

[Dowdsy McDowds]

The Invasion being a good story.

I was fairly new to wrestling at the time and didn't know much about 'the other company.' Over time since then I've felt more and more let down not by the angle itself, but the players involved. If everyone (WWE & WCW) had been fit at that exact time it could have been so much bigger.

There was one funny bit I vaguely recall, Stone Cold turned up late to a Raw or Smackdown and found out the Invasion guys had lost a couple of titles. Anyone remember that?

 

[Blush]

I could not stand Mr. Kennedy when he debuted. His ring entrance seemed drawn out and he didn't say much of anything interesting while on the mic. It was sort of heading into Undertaker territory where I could use it as a bathroom break and not miss anything.

What changed my mind about him was when he was on commentary. I dreaded it when I saw him at the announce table, but once he started talking I had to eat crow. He completely won me over and I've been a little mark ever since.

 

[neildittmar]

I was dead wrong about Stevie Richards.

Upon seeing him in ECW, I thought he would be the next coming of Shawn Michaels. No, really! He seemed to love the business, had a great personality and sense of humor, played his role as Ravens lackey well, and was even fairly athletic in his matches.

When he got to WCW, I expected the world to take a liking to him and Richards to be a breakout star within a year or two. Seems that the only reason Bischoff and company hired him was because he could continue playing Ravens underling, though. So unfulfilled, off to WWF he went.

Then he became Steven Richards as the head of Right To Censor. While once again, Richards played the role to perfection, I was not a fan of him being used that way and thought his natural talent was being "squandered" as I put it many times. This guy should be showing feats of athleticism, not running around in a mock-up executive suit with his head shaved, getting beat by "better" guys on the roster.

Even though his return as "Stevie" Richards in WWECW was closer to where I thought he should be, his perenniel role as "jobber to the stars" didn't change much and eventually it was off to TNA.

Dr. Stevie... shudder.

Even during his little speech about "proving himself" at Hardcore Justice last year I started to get the bug again. After so many false starts and disappointments, I was (again) convinced that this was "it" for Stevie Richards and he would catapult into the main event scene where I thought he always belonged. A somewhat strong showing against Justin Credible seemed to add a bit of fact to that fantasy.

Then EV2 fell apart and he was gone... again. Nowadays I see Stevie Richards for what he is. He's still that really loyal guy who loves the business and can show those feats of athleticism when the need arises. A main event player he will never be though. I strongly doubt he'll hold a world title in either WWE or TNA and his time as a potential active participant in either organization is just about up.

Way back in 1994, I thought Stevie Richards was the next big name in wrestling. I was completely, utterly, and disappontingly dead wrong.

 

[jacdnwarrior]

Mine are pretty easy to recall. The Rock, Edge, Mick Foley, Trish Stratus. I mean I know Rock had the look, but I did't think he'd be the monster that he later became in terms of his value to the company. When the title the first time and became a heel and had the battles he had with Foley and then became part of the Rock and Sock connection, that's when I began to see him as the star he later became.

Edge was in a tag team and had the crazy spots at TLC matches, but I didn't see him being anything more than a tag team star. When he went solo, and had the battles through midcard to main event status, I have to admit I was rather impressed.

Mick Foley, I remembered him a little bit from WCW as Cactus Jack and I had some fondness for the moves he did outside the ring. I hated when he had to become Mankind to satisfy Vince, and while he did bring something to the table with how he portrayed the character, I never thought they would allow him the chance to become a main event star.

Trish was one that was very hard to tell. Now I know she might not be the best performer to be the Divas ranks but the fact is she came from a very long way to become the credible performer she became. She went from eye candy to a woman who actually work in the ring.

 

[Spidey Revivey]

I was dead wrong about Matt Hardy. I figured since he had shown dedication to Vince by taking his midcard-for-life career ever since The Hardy Boyz disbanded that somewhere down the line, he would get at least one World Championship Title reign. The pinnacle of my foolishness happened while the "Lita Affair" was going down. I got sucked up into feeling that Matt Hardy deserved to wear the gold. When he was sent to Smackdown I thought well that's it; they care about him after all and his first bit of gold will come due to real life events (Hey, it did wonders for Rey).

Raw only pushed the feud. Smackdown capitalized on his character for a while. That's it. And now I am kind of glad Matt Hardy didn't get hardware. That would have been a shitty way to be World Champion; out of pity.

 

[Rayne]

Kenny Dykstra. Dead wrong on him.

He's a local boy, and he had been impressing people for years around the area with his intuitive grasp of ringsmanship, for lack of a better term. I have friends who went to high school with him, where he'd often fake sick to drive hundreds of miles to appear at some card in a VFW. That work ethic, from everything people heard about him, carried through with him into OVW and then his two WWE runs, both as "Kenny" with the Spirit Squad, and as the god awfully named "Kenny Dykstra", which was the gift of a writer with absolutely no fucking imagination.

As I hear it, his problem was fans. He didn't want to be famous; yeah, appearing on TV is great; having people try to reach through your car window with a marker when you just want to go to the hotel and sleep, not so much. Being a WWE wrestler involves plenty of schmoozing with fans, especially guys who aren't top notch. If you don't have that, you've got nothing.

Now you'll see him pop up in Chikara every now and again, but that's about the top of it for him. It's possible the WWE could pick him back up- he's still pretty young- but boy, did he burn through a lot of early promise.

 

[Tastycles]

There's not much significant that I've got wrong over the years - only things like match results and draft predictions. I suppose my biggest wrong to date was with CM Punk. I liked Punk from the moment I started watching wrestling regularly again, but my mistake with him was that I thought he'd struggle to connect with the audience at the highest level, because his lifestyle is so abnormal compared to the average wrestling fan. It's true he never connected as a face, but as a heel he really managed to turn the crowd against him and make them truly invested in him as a character, and I didn't expect him to be able to do that in such a manner.