Diamond Dallas Page

[jmt225]

Like the Sting thread, what are your thoughts on him and what do you think his legacy will be?

Personally, I was a huge fan. In fact, I didn't know anyone who watched wrestling at the time (mid to late nineties) who wasn't a big mark for Diamond Dallas Page. There was just something awesome about the guy you couldn’t help but love. And the fans would just go insane for the man. I mean, when he would get in there and Diamond Cutter the Flock or the NWO, the place would go absolutely nuts. They popped just as loud for DDP as they did Goldberg at one point. And the great thing about Page was that as over as he was as a babyface, he would still get over as a heel when a turn would come his way. I always thought that was pretty impressive and speaks highly of DDP's talent.

As far as what his legacy will be... I honestly don't think it'll turn out too well. His run in WWE was just so horrendous, and then in TNA it was even worse. And you know if you're a WCW guy and had a bad run in WWE, a place that loves to rewrite history, you have zero chance of being a legend in this business this day and age.

However, with that said, DDP is still to me one of the greatest babyfaces of all time. I really think at one short period in time you could've claimed he was the second most over person in pro wrestling behind Steve Austin. And that alone puts him up there with the greats if you ask me.

Also, the guy was a very underrated worker. Him and Goldberg had a match at Halloween Havoc 1998 that is not only Goldberg's greatest match of his career, but one of the greatest WCW Title matches of all time in my opinion. Moreover, his tremendous run with Raven and Benoit for the US Title actually brought dignity back to that belt for a while.

So, all in all, I think when it's all said in done, to knowledgeable fans DDP will go down as just someone they remember being a huge fan of at one period in time and to a lot of those fans, as probably one of the most underrated/underappreciated wrestlers of all time. While to new fans, unfortunately, it’s very much possible he'll just end up being someone who never even existed (that is, unless his movie career really takes off, but while I think he'll do better then the normal wrestler who tries to make that transition, I doubt he does enough in the film industry to really get that noticed).

 

[Richard]

Diamond Dallas Page is still one of my faveourite wrestlers of all time. As you said he was a great babyface and whenever he would hit the diamond cutter, the place would go nuts. He was one of the few guys that I watched WCW when it was still on TV here for.

Also, by the way, I'm pretty sure the match where he took on Goldberg was in 1998 because I have Fall Brawl from 98 where DDP won War Games which was before Halloween havoc. At Halloween Havoc, the ring introductions, the actual entrances and the match itself showed just how you are supposed to have a main event match.

In terms of his legacy, his older fans will remember him as a great entertainer while newer wrestling fans who know DDP from say, TNA, won't think much of him because his time in WCW was better than his time in WWF or TNA.

 

[Khalifa]

I agree. DDP was a great wrestler. very over with the fans. even when he was heel with bam bam and kenyon/kanyon ( how ever you spell it) he was still over with them for some reason. I finnaly realised his potential at fall brawl 98 in the war games match were he won. then he put up a spectacular performance at halloween havoc. i loved him when he was a tag team with Nash but WWE just completly destroyed the whole DDP thing.

 

[jmt225]

Also, by the way, I'm pretty sure the match where he took on Goldberg was in 1998 because I have Fall Brawl from 98 where DDP won War Games which was before Halloween havoc. At Halloween Havoc, the ring introductions, the actual entrances and the match itself showed just how you are supposed to have a main event match.

You are absolutely correct, sir. In 1999 he had the Strap Match against Flair.

And I think another reason his bout with Goldberg was so awesome was because it was following such a shitty match in Hogan vs. Warrior. I think it's easier to have a match come off great when its following something horrific like Hogan/Warrior II was. It's sort of like how HHH vs. Jericho at 'Mania 18 wasn't exactly a bad match, but since it followed such a great match like Hogan/Rock, the crowd was dead and it just didn't come off well. I think the fans were so bored/disgusted with what they had to sit through with Hogan/Warrior that they were ready for anything exciting to happen, and DDP vs. Goldberg that night definitely delivered and ended up giving the people's their money's worth on what was truly a shitty pay-per-view without that main event (Jericho vs. Raven was really the only other good match on the card; even Sting vs. Bret Hart was a let down that evening).

 

[NSL]

I was always a mark for the Diamond Cutter, but I think his legacy will always be tarnished by his stints in WWE, TNA, and as an actor.

The only time I wasn't a fan of DDP, or a storyline he was involved in, was the feud with Macho Man, where Macho Man brought up Kimberly being in Playboy, or whatever magazine it was. I was young and innocent, and thought it was a little too much, but it drew, and ratings went up, because it pushed the envelope...So, it still wasn't a failure.

He had a ton of good, if not great, matches in WCW, and if those matches are the ones remembered 5 years from now, he'll be OK...But, I doubt it...

 

[jmt225]

The only time I wasn't a fan of DDP, or a storyline he was involved in, was the feud with Macho Man, where Macho Man brought up Kimberly being in Playboy, or whatever magazine it was. I was young and innocent, and thought it was a little too much, but it drew, and ratings went up, because it pushed the envelope...So, it still wasn't a failure.

I completely forgot about the feud against Savage. That shit was AWESOME. It really felt like those two truly hated each other. I remember they headlined a Great American Bash event with a no DQ match that was beyond epic.

And I remember wanting that Playboy with Kimberly in it bad, lol. That was around the time I was reaching puberty and Kim probably has the biggest boobs in wrestling at the time.

But yeah... her and DDP also had great chemistry. Obviously they were involved in real life, but sometimes that still doesn't transition well on camera, but they made it work. If they had more solid storylines outside of the Savage one, then they would've easily ended up as one of the best on-screen couples in wrestling history.

 

[NSL]

That shit was AWESOME. It really felt like those two truly hated each other. I remember they headlined a Great American Bash event with a no DQ match that was beyond epic.

It was definitely a great feud, with a great finish, but the subject matter was a little much...When he had the feud with 'Taker, and they did the story with stalking his wife, it reminded me a lot of this feud, and I couldn't get into it.

Macho Man did a great job of playing the heel, but I always wondered why he did it, when he had a real-life relationship with Miss Elizabeth, and they had used her so often on screen. You'd think he'd know the possible repercussions of a storyline like that.

And I remember wanting that Playboy with Kimberly in it bad, lol. That was around the time I was reaching puberty and Kim probably has the biggest boobs in wrestling at the time.

She was definitely a hottie...But, there was better in WCW at the time (Nitro Girls).

 

[Khalifa]

It was definitely a great feud, with a great finish, but the subject matter was a little much...When he had the feud with 'Taker, and they did the story with stalking his wife, it reminded me a lot of this feud, and I couldn't get into it.

yeah i no. a bit full on . just liek the scott steiner storyline in 1998 was it? anyways i was sort of the same like the savage one. except for me steiner was like a tougher guy . it scared me more than savage did.

 

[Slyfox696]

Diamond Dallas Page was a worker who just came around at the wrong time. If his time had been now, he would be one of the biggest superstars in wrestling. Instead, he came at the end of WCW's mega run, with the greatest names of all-time ahead of him, and flourished when WCW was beginning to get smoked by the WWF. Right man, wrong time.

He was what too many guys today aren't. He was a professional. He was a guy who worked his butt off to not just put on good matches, but to literally BECOME his character. When you watched DDP, you weren't watching a character you were watching a REAL PERSON. Now, obviously, DDP wasn't a real person, but he played his character so well that you thought he was. Compare him to someone like John Morrison, a guy who is obviously just playing a character (and badly at that). The difference between a DDP and Morrison is literally the believability of the character.

And the man was solid in the ring as well. Was he a Bret Hart? No, but he was no slouch either. As has been said, DDP vs. Goldberg from Halloween Havoc is one of the most underrated matches of the last 15 years.

In the end, in my opinion, the legacy of DDP will always be right guy, wrong time.

 

[klunderbunker]

DDP is an interesting case to me. I've always seen him as slightly overrated. There were two big things he did absolutely right though: he had a kick ass finishers, and a hot wife, and he never let you forget those things. The name, the music, the older age, all of that came together to be a very good package indeed. However, I never could get into his in ring style. Not saying it was bad, but it just isn't my taste. I always liked the never say die character. He was definitely a solid performer in the ring and did his thing to a T, but his time in WWE was a waste and is what keeps him out of the great level to me.

 

[The Mark of Zur-En-Arrh]

I wouldn't dare claim that i know enough about the career of DDP, but i know what i like when i see it.

Now i've always been a hardcore WWE fan, and if it wasn't on tv and WCW was, then i'd check out what they were trying over there, but more often than not i'd turn away within seconds.... unless DDP was on. There was something about the guy that just made you want to watch. As Sly said, you truly believed that behind the curtain, and out and about in the street, if you walked up to DDP he'd probably introduce himself as Diamond Dallas Page and probably even shout 'BANG!'

When he came to WWE just before the Invasion angle, i was very excited. However, as his angle with Taker progressed and it became more and more stupid, i in turn became more and more disappointed. But i can distinctly remember an episode of Raw, where Booker T was in the dressing room having just had his ass handed to him, and then he turned around and there was DDP, teeth freshly whitened, smile across his face and his eyes wider than they'd ever been.

Self Help Guru DDP was born..... and i loved it. I don't know why but i LOVED that gimmick. I found it to be hilarious.

And then a few years down the road DDP announced that due to a career of injuries, he was hanging up his boots and it truly felt like a sad day to me personally.

DDP's legacy shouldn't be a bad thing.... it's a truly GREAT thing.

 

[Mr. TM]

Diamond Dallas Page will represent the WCW at its end, when in reality, it wasn't all that bad. The end put up a great fans lineup, and Page was unfortunately there for it. His legacy to me will be that wrestler who was super over with the fans, becoming the true people's champion. He was able to be more over than any wrestler ever in the last 15 years, no one got the crowd reactions he got while he was a face champion, night in and night out. He wasn't that great of a wrestler, but he showed, as long as you have charisma, that is all you need to be a great entertainer.

 

[OIL]

For me, I think he'll be remembered as a very, very good wrestler, just surrounded by bigger names when he was in his prime. DDP is quite underrated as a wrestler by some, and always put on very solid matches. Granted, when I watched him I was young myself, and probably didn't appreciate the quality of his matches then, but when I was younger the thing that made me enjoy his work was how exciting he was. The way he played his gimmick was so good that every time he was out, he did something exciting that got me interested.

Fast forward to now, and now I can truly appreciate the quality of his work. His failed stint in the WWF/WWE put a blemish on his work, because he really was that good. I don't think he was booked properly in the WWF; and therefore it somewhat killed his gimmick. But that's just me, to the wider world I think he really will be underrated, and will probably be thought of as a decent, exciting main eventer; when in reality he really was a fantastic worker. Deserves a Hall of Fame place for sure.

 

[pyrusane]

I'm torn on this one. I saw quite a bit of DDP when he was in WCW, because from 97 to 2000 that was pretty much all I watched. I was on the Nitro side of the MNW. There was a point where I thought he was pretty good. No one can deny the effort he put into learning his craft. Hell, the man was 35 years old when he started wrestling. He had a lot of heart, and a lot of dedication. But I think he was totally misused in the end. And I'm not talking about his stupid WWE run. Let's not forget that DDP was instrumental in David Arquette winning the WCW title. In fact, it was DDP that Arquette hit with the guitar to allow Jarrett to win the title in the Triple Cage match (which was actually an awesome concept, IMO). His feud with the NWO in 97 was classic. Jobbing to David Arquette...not so much.

And yes, I loved the "Positive Page" gimmick too, that was some hilarious stuff...