Debut Promos: Bad Idea

[Y 2 Jake]

I dont mean return promos like Mysterio, Batsiata, HHH etc have. I mean superstar who will be making there debut in upcoming weeks. They dont usually work out. Which kind of makes me feel like what's the point.

Jimmy Yang recieved a debut promo. Well it was a re-debut. But it's still the same thing. If WWE had any plans for him then they wouldn't have put the cruiser title on Finlays midget.

Jesse & Festus will only get title shots because there are no other teams.

In Cade & Murdocks two years as a team they have only had decent matches with The Hardys. Now that feuds over there's nothing left for them.

Carlito has had no memorable matches in his two and a half years in the company.

The Highlanders suck.

And yet I might be wrong but I dont remeber seeing a Lashley, Kennedy or Umaga promo. And those are three of the biggest stars on Raw. If they got rid of these ''pointless'' promos couldn't they give a bit more time to a match or an angle that's actually going somewhere?

 

[LadyFranchise]

I agree Jake. I mean why cut a promo if the fans aren't going to care about what you say? The fans aren't going to take you very seriously if you ramble on about why you're brought into the WWE if you haven't proved anything yet. If you're going to talk about how you're going to contribute something, atleast do a couple of matches and show the fans that you are capable of being a top superstar instead of boring them right off the bat by giving promo.

 

[The not-so Great Khali]

And yet I might be wrong but I dont remeber seeing a Lashley, Kennedy or Umaga promo. And those are three of the biggest stars on Raw. If they got rid of these ''pointless'' promos couldn't they give a bit more time to a match or an angle that's actually going somewhere?

Exactly. Lashley and Kennedy just started out winning matches on Velocity before winning matches on Smackdown and then entering feuds. Umaga came out on the Raw after WrestleMania 22 and simply attacked Ric Flair. However, these debut promos only really occur for faces so I reckon it's because the WWE are trying to force us into liking them before we've seen them. The last debut promo that I can remember being for a heel was Finlay but most fans already knew him from WCW.

 

[sKKKiddmarXXX]

I wouldn't really call debut promos a bad idea if a gimmick is needed to get over before the superstar(s) debut.

Mostly everyone on your list Jake has some sort of gimmick or personality that is different than just some guy from some state that is just a wrestler. That's what guys like Kennedy and Lashley are. Guys that are normal people who's dream is to become World Champion.

Jimmy Wang Yang needed the promos. Otherwise when he debuted everyone would be like, "WTF is Akio doing back?". Gimmick changes in which the superstar becomes a new person definitely need the promos to let everyone know that their previous character was dropped. How awkward would it be if Garrison Cade comes out twice as big as before with the name Lance and a new partner? I never knew the wrestler known as "Jamal" so comparing Umaga to him is difficult for me. He most likely didn't receive a promo because he added paint to his face and most casual fans probably wouldn't recognize him.

The problem is that most of these gimmick wrestlers fail to deliver. The Highlanders have to act like a bunch of foreign morons instead of just using a gimmick of 2 wrestlers from Scotland looking to make it in the WWE. William Regal doesn't need some "Englishman" gimmick. He's just a white wrestler that happens to be from a different country than the U.S. or Canada. The Highlanders may not be the best workers in the business, but could be a decent jobbing tag team of the future if pushed right on a program like ECW. The current ECW product focuses more on just wrestlers who want to be champion, not prolong stupid gimmicks (besides Boogey).

Cryme Tyme would be an example of a team that got over huge with their promos. I couldn't wait for them to debut. They were hilarious to begin with, but then just started to fade. Instead of maturing their gimmick into 2 serious black wrestlers from Compton, they stayed with the whole "this is what white people think black people act like gimmick". I figured it was just a smart ass gimmick to begin with, but they stayed with it and it wasn't cute any more.

The most a debut promo ever did for someone that I can remember is Muhammed Hassan. That dude was so over as a heel even before he debuted. He received so much heat it was ridiculous. His anti-american gimmick is what I really miss in today's product. Even though I couldn't stand them, guys like Hassan, Daivari, and La Resistance made watching the mid-card matches interesting.

Unless it's to push someone as a top face or heel, or re-invent a character, then debut promos just hurt the wrestler(s) because the people actually expect something from them. Why get everyone worked up for someone that can't deliver? Jesse and Festus have been having promos forever now it's getting boring. For some stupid gimmick that they have, 2 and at most 3 promos are enough. No need to push them down our throats so that we no longer care about them.

 

[TheShiznetNo2]

sKKKiddmarXXX, you make it almost sound as if the wrestlers themselves decide the gimmick they'll have or will have. The only wrestler I know that has that power is Hogan.

 

[Prax]

Well to be fair The Shiznet, a lot of wrestlers are encouraged to come up with their own ideas and gimmicks and storylines. Obviously Vince has the final say but that doesn't mean the wrestlers have no say in the matter. If Akio didn't like the Jimmy Wang Yang gimmick he wouldn't have re-signed with WWE and he wouldn't have played the gimmick nearly as well as he does.

But regardless, that comment has no bearing on this subject or any argument.

I think Jake, in your original post, you prove why these promos are necessary to introduce these new wrestlers. Lashley, Kennedy, Umaga... all guys who turned out to be main eventers. They had the in-ring abilities, the look and the charisma that didn't require them to be established through promos.

Lashley was brought in just another wrestler and built from the bottom up, what kind of promo would you have given him? same for Mr. kennedy. Umaga, as explained by another poster, had such a unique look that you didn't need promos. All three of these guys would've been best introduced through matches.

Now take a look at guys like Wang Yang, Festus and Jesse, etc etc. In the ring, they're just like a lot of other wrestlers, not necessarily anything that special at the moment of their debut. What sets them apart is their gimmick, and that needs to be established, because if these gimmicks debuted with no previous introduction people would not understand it most of the time (unless it's something like Umaga, which works without intro), and they would care even less.

Obviously it doesn't work sometimes, but neither does just introducing a random wrestler sometimes as well. Introducing gimmicks has worked a lot of the time, and one of those gimmicks is Cade & Murdoch. You might not like it, but they've managed to make their gimmick work and part of the reason for that is because they've been established before their debut. You can't just introduce random wrestlers just like that all the time, it won't work.

 

[Kourtney_Game]

Yep thats true, but some people with debut promos were pretty good, but just didnt live up to the hype, ie boogeyman, but i honestly would have a wrestler simply debut, then the crowd can make out what they think of him during their wrestling.

 

[Da Vinci's Nightmare]

If I remember correctly didn't Y2J have a promo to start with?

I think Debut promo's are sometimes a good idea, because if a wrestler just looks like some generic wrestler with a different gimmick, then the fans would need to know who said person is. So with a promo that will explain it to them, as people have said before me aswell, if the wrestler has been repackaged then they should have promo's aswell, especially if they have had a drematic change.

 

[Shocky]

y2j did, but only kinda. Countdown to the millenium, what the hell was that? Sure we all knew what it was, but to base wrestlign fans that had no idea about Jerichos contract situation, that jump was huge, with little knowledge what the Millenium was.

I don't think they work, only rarely. Razor Ramons stuff was great. Pushing the guy in the fountain. I'm not sure if Perfects stuff was before he was in there or while he was there. Throwing a football from one end of the field to the other, and catching it, he's simply perfect.

The promos are good, only if the talent is good, which apparantely, it hasn't been for a loooooong tme in the WWE. They work, only if the people hyping themselves up have enough talent to live up to their hype.

 

[mister_e]

the best promo ever for me were the sean o'haire ones 4 his return a single star the devils adovact thing

then he returns never loses a match then gets injured and fired he has gotta be the only wrestler never to lose on tv and be fired

 

[Matisyahu]

I think my favorite had to be Steven Regal a REAL Mans Man. Wearing a god damn yellow hard hat and a flannel shirt with cutoff sleeves doing his stupid frown while chopping down and tree then nodding his head like he did a job well done. Then when all was said and done he barely ever wrestled and then disappeared for awhile...maybe even went back to WCW for awhile then came back as the SAME character from WCW with the name William! What was that?!


Possibly the only person that benefitted from an introductory promo in the last 3 years would be your boy Jimmy Wang Yang and possibly Cryme Tyme but even I got sick of that pretty fast its a shame though cuz it started out so well.


By far the worst ever would be the new bald green teeth Snitsky character who for some reason sweats really really bad and has terrible acne! I think I liked him better when nothing was his fault but him agreeing to shave all his hair off and wear green teeth caps..oh thats ALL HIS FAULT. And why do promos now?! I mean the guy has been doing this character for months now and he is just now doing promos. Its like when Sabu started talking..what the hell was that?

I'm Sabu *mean look* I...uh...wrestle *meaner look* I will beat the big show grrrr"
*end of promo* I think they TRIED to make him look like a douche

 

[Unrated Superstar]

Ok, if we're gonna mention someone from as far back as Jericho (who didn't REALLY have pre-debut promos), I must mention Kurt Angle. That came about the same time as Jericho. He had promos before his debut and look how big he became. The promos were used to put him over as an arrogant olympic gold medalist and get him instant heat.

Since then, Muhammed Hassan is a good one...Jimmy Wang Yang makes sense because of the new gimmick.

But in general, I would have to agree with Jake...pre-debut promos don't normally make me interested in someone, they just leave me scratching my head.

 

[Ticked Off Texan]

Like it's been said before, the promos rarely work as well as there supposed to. Cryme Tyme looked like they were gonna get pushed right into the Tag Team title situation and now look at them, barely seen and when they are it's them stealin' shit or something. Jimmy Wang Yang's was only because of his gimmick change. Rene Dupree's didn't work, Test's worked OK but I wouldn't say it was a great thing for him, he got pushed as Big Show's bitch pretty much which wasn't where I wanted to see him. Shannon Morre's flopped and he dropped the gimmick quick.

But for the ones that did work, I can only think of CM Punk, his first night on ECW he got a huge pop and he's still over with the fans.

Y2J didn't really have a promo back in the day, as far as I remember it was just the Millenium countdown and then he had the segment with the Rock of his first night.

And yeah, debut promos just don't usually get me 'pumped' for their debut, Cryme Tyme and CM Punk's promos did, with the rest I was pretty much confused as to why they were even on the show.

 

[THe WHoLe FuCKiN SHoW]

if i remember correctly im pretty sure they pushed promos for guys like Y2J, Tazz and Goldberg before they ever got to the WWF/E and those guys were huge acquisitions that everyone cared about. Maybe even Kurt Angle as well. I cant remember. But yea for the most part these promos are a waste of time.

 

[C-Murder]

The promos before a guy debuts is a quick way to generate a buzz around a mid-card wrestler. Not everyone debuts right at the top and a pre-debut promo is not always the kiss of death. One guy that comes to mind in this is Edge, he had all the hype surrounding him before he debuted, I remember being really excited to see him in a dark match before a Raw in syracuse before he was ever on TV. Granted it took about six years for him to become a major star and this is the exception and not the rule

 

[MR.SCOTT]

the best promo ever for me were the sean o'haire ones 4 his return a single star the devils adovact thing

then he returns never loses a match then gets injured and fired he has gotta be the only wrestler never to lose on tv and be fired

it was a great gimmick, a shame that he couldnt wrestle, it was like his character and gimmick was great the build up made us all intrigued, but when he actually put it into practice i was like wtf!, the guy had not style no charisma and lost all sense of his character

 

[KyleCobra]

i do agree with all the O'Haire talk, one of the best gimmick ideas to come along in ages and just didnt deliver..but anyway


I agree with Shock..the promos only work if the wrestler is talented. Angle fit his promos so damn well, and delivered immediatly in the ring.

and Jericho doesnt count, most people,myself included, didnt know anything about his contract situation. It was before the IWC was as big, and it suprised the hell out of me to see a guy i knew from WCW on WWF television.

guys like Nathan Jones were built too much on their gimmick, without being able to showcase skills in the ring.

 

[michiganj24]

First debut promos can work if 2 things happen. A the gimmick must be interesting. Guess what almost everyone recently has bee so generic or rehashed its sad.
Cryme Time = The Gangstas /PG-13
Festus =Eugene + Abyss
Boogeyman= Papa Shango
Highlanders = Bushwhackers

B) the wrestler mus have talent and a good work ethic. Well most of these wrestelrs either suck or ar ein the tag team division which just plain sucks. I mean how great can you be when you have 2 opponets

And Carlito well he can do good and has good matches. But the reason he dosnet have memorable matches is he dosent try hard enough

 

[jr4190]

I like it when WWE just has a superstar randomly show up.. just make his/her return or debut with no notice.. it actually suprises me. Duh. Like.. I don't really remember.. but I dont think Goldberg had any promos? His music just started playing while the Rock(heel) was ranting in the ring. He came out.. speared the rock.. blah blah blah FEUD TIME! Yes. Dont tell the fans! make it a suprise.

 

[rabbit]

I no u guys think that promos for debuting wrestlers are useless but look at what it did for MVP when he debuted he was just trashin on everybody and when he finally stepped in the ring he impressed a whole lot of people

 

[mtuphill]

I think the best thing is a mix of everything. It is good to see a superstar be build up before hand and for there character to be got over.
It can also though be good to have wrestlers fight on lower shows and make a name thought that.
Things would get boring if they used the same format all the time.
My fave debut promo i think could be the Y2J countdown. I did love Undertakers promos before he came back at 2000 Jugement day. That was such a surprise when he came out on that bike

 

[NickFlair]

Wrong wrong aaaaaand wrong. The returning/upcoming promos are great, but need to be used very sparingly. The Y2J promos (old and current) and the orange Tazz logo flashing on the screen were great. I didn't know about the Jimmy Yang one, and the Festus ones are just dumb, but those last two are for nobodies. The Cryme Tyme training video promos were good and funny, and when Vince was going talking about the cancer in the WWF, and the nWo promos were showing up, it always got a pop.

 

[LMaruko]

And yet I might be wrong but I dont remeber seeing a Lashley, Kennedy or Umaga promo. And those are three of the biggest stars on Raw. If they got rid of these ''pointless'' promos couldn't they give a bit more time to a match or an angle that's actually going somewhere?

Actually, Umaga is a new gimmick of an old character. If you may recall back when Eric Bischoff had his 3-Minute Warning squad, they consisted of the team Rosey and Jamal. Rosey went on as the resident Superhero reject, but Jamal was out of action for a while.

Enter Umaga. Umaga is the new gimmick for Jamal. He had already been around, and apparently Mr. McMahon wanted to use his Samoans as effectively as possible.

But case in point, promos ARE useless. HEAT should be used for up and coming wrestlers and popular wrestlers that have been out of action for a while, and then develop a storyline in HEAT and bring in that superstar as his popularity rises. I honestly think that ECW should be used as a promo show with the lesser superstars, and divide ECW superstars onto RAW and SD and unify the ECW championship as the Undisputed Hardcore Championship.

 

[ImpactPlayer27]

It depends on how they're used. If you overkill with the promos, then you're just going to end up making the promos bigger than the wreslter. Cryme Tyme's promos never bothered me. I found them funny. Jesse and Festus, got repetitive quick. Nathan Jones, that was a waste. Highlanders, Bushwhackers if they were from Scottland and otherwise boring in the ring. The Boogeyman, really is as earlier posts said is Papa Shango except goofy and gross rather than freaky as hell. One that seems to have backfired is Judas Mesias and thats cause he got injured and who knows when he'll be back which sucks because I had hopes for Mesias vs Abyss.

 

[Sicko]

I remember when the WCW was showing Glacier promos for months and that guy was nothing more then a jobber LOL, I think WWE actually does a great job with promos, sometimes they may run them too long before they actually debut the Wrestler, I thought the entire countdown with Y2J the first time worked great, as for wrestlers coming back from injuries, I would rather be suprised sometimes, like I would like to see Edge return and just spear the hell out of someone or when Bobby Lashley returns he do a run in, don't need the entire HHH type promo about how he is returning, only wrestler that should have a promo for his returns is The Undertaker