Do 2nd/3rd generation wrestlers have it tougher?

[agentmichaelscarn]

First off let me say, I know that they have an advantage in terms of getting their foot in the door. I know many of them may not even have made it to the WWE if it wasn't for their last name. But by tougher I mean after they are in the WWE is it harder for them to get over because people constantly either compare them to their Dad or think of them when they see them?

I think of all of the 2nd or 3rd generation wrestlers and it seems like the more successful ones are the ones that either don't associate or let it be known that they are one or use a completely different gimmick. Like say The Rock for example, when he started out advertising his heritage people hated him but once he kinda distanced himself from that and started to become his own character he succeeded.

Another example is Randy Orton. Now I could be wrong so correct me if I'm wrong but when he was with Evolution did the WWE or Orton advertise that Bob Orton was his Dad? I remember a few years after when he was feuding with Undertaker his Dad was around but I can't remember before that. Regardless it's not like he is a clone of his Dad looks wise or character wise which I think makes it easier to distance himself from him.

But on the flipside of those 2 you have guys like Ted Dibiase and DH Smith, who basically advertised who they were and looked and acted the same as their Fathers and they really haven't done anything.

So basically to me it seems like 2nd/3rd generation wrestlers are better off either hiding their heritages or using completely different gimmicks. But unfortunately it seems like majority of the time the WWE makes it known who their parents are which I think makes it tougher for them to get over. What do you think?

 

[Mitch Henessey]

It all comes down talent, when you stop and think about it.

Having the last name of a popular and respected Hall Of Fame wrestler can make things tougher. In some cases (namely Ted DiBiase) WWE has tried to turn second and third generation wrestlers into carbon copies of their fathers. This particular approach failed miserably with Ted DiBiase, an he wasn't able to get over as a heel. Cody Rhodes didn't go the route of the "common man," but his tenure as a heel has been pretty successful. He excelled as a heel with the disfigured persona, and Cody continues to be one of the more entertaining heel Intercontinental Champions over the past few years. When it comes to his characters, Cody hasn't suffered from the identity crisis problem, and he has been able to step outside of his father's shadow. But Cody can deliver on the mic, and he continues to improve in the ring. DiBiase isn't horrible, but at the same time, he doesn't do anything to stand out. Ted really doesn't offer anything different, or highly entertaining, when it comes to his mic skills and matches, and he just looks like another generic mid carder most of the time. DH Smith was just another big guy, who was below average in the ring, and he couldn't cut a passable promo to save his life. Being the son of the Bull Dog was his only claim to fame, and besides an enjoyable run with Tyson Kidd as Tag Team Champions, his time in WWE was very forgettable.

Having the last name of a famous or respected veteran wrestler, who had a successful career could make things tougher on second and third generation wrestlers, but in the end, it takes talent to get over. Randy Orton was able to deliver a series of outstanding matches this year, he's still very over with the fans, and he really fell into a comfort zone with the face version of his character in 2011. The Rock is loaded with charisma, he can bring tons of energy, and you can shit all over his constant use of catchphrases if you want, but live crowds are ALWAYS hanging on his every word.

Trying to become a clone of their father could set the bar too high for second and third generation wrestlers, but these young wrestlers still have to bring something to the table, and in most cases, they only have themselves to blame, if they can't get over and have successful careers.

 

[The 1-2-3 Killam]

It very much depends on the wrestler, and to a lesser extent, the 1st or 2nd generation parent in question. The Rock may have been a 3rd generation star and one of the most legendary families in pro wrestling history, but without his massive level of charisma he wouldn't have gone anywhere. On the other hand, you have Randy Orton, whose father did virtually nothing relavant for Vince McMahon's company, yet Orton was fed to us on a silver platter via Evolution and association with Ric Flair and Triple H!

You would think Joe Hennig would be further utilized, and you'd think the sons of Rakishi would at least make TV. No such luck... Maybe they do have it tougher, but there is such an inconsistency among them that it's pretty much impossible to tell. I would say no, because they have an obvious "in" with the company. Hundreds, if not thousands of wrestlers train their entire life to get a try-out with the WWE, and never even make it that far. These guys grew up in the business, spent time in the locker rooms, and probably just had to make a single phone call to get their spot. Of course, keeping it is a whole different story. Just look at the laundry list of Superstars that have been cut, or just continue to sit on the roster doing nothing. Manu, Sim Snuka, the Usos, Joe Hennig, Ted DiBiase, etc.

 

[Tastycles]

Do they have it tougher? When Husky Harris and DH Smith are getting on PPVs, you have your answer. Seriously, there's quite a lot of nepotism in WWE and there are plenty of wrestlers who have gotten where they are precisely because of who they know, rather than who we are.

A lot of these guys simply aren't good enough but nepotism keeps them in a job. If a wrestler is good enough, they escape the shadow. The Rock came in being billed as the 1st 3rd generation wrestler, and I'd say he did a pretty good job of stepping out of the shadow of Rocky Johnson. If you're good enough, you prevail. If you're almost good enough, you survive and if you aren't, you don't, and that goes for all wrestlers, including 2nd and 3rd generation ones.

As with everyone else, they can give themselves an identity and the crowd can get on board. The difference is that they come with a pre-packaged identity that often keeps them in a job longer than it should.

I'm pretty sure Grandmaster Sexay would not have had a better career if he wasn't a Lawler.

 

[Defekt]

I think it's largely dependent on talent, but a 2nd or 3rd generation wrestler will have an easier time getting his shot.

Having a famous dad automatically makes a wrestler somewhat marketable, or at least will help get the right people's attention, but it's up to him to take the ball and run with it.

The Rock's heritage got the WWE's attention, but I don't think the fans were too concerned. I didn't even know who Rocky Johnson was in 1996. Likewise, I bet alot of fans only know Bob Orton as Randy's dad.

Dustin Rhodes was a lifelong mid-carder, while Cody seems destined for the main event.

Erik Watt's dad pushed him too the moon, and it made no difference at all. While Shane McMahon was booked more as a hardcore novelty and got over.

 

[BK Styles]

Well, look at it like this. If two guys walk in the door with equal experience, equal ring talent, and equal mic skills, but one is a second/third generation star, that individual will probably have the most expectation put upon his shoulders. He will probably never 'over-achieve' as great things will most likely be expected from his heritage. And if he doesn't make it, or his career stalls, people will look at him as being a flop. The other guy will be seen as a good talent, but if he achieves great things, it won't be as expected as if he were the son of a former wrestler.

Look at Cena and Orton. Both cam in around 2002, won the midcard titles, and both won world titles in 2005. For John Cena, the rest is history. Orton, however, went slightly the opposite way. He feuded with Taker, ending up on the losing side, formed Rated RKO, feuded with DX, and didn't have a title reign again until 2007. Now, some would argue that there isn''t anything in that, but others would look at that and believe that Orton underachieved in that period compared to Cena. Whilst he certainly didn't have Cena's success, he did not do badly for himself, and it is perhaps because of his family lineage that some would look on this period of his career as 'floundering'.

In this respect, yes, they do have it tougher in the sense of the expectation put upon their shoulders. But at the same time, they will sometimes find it easier to get their foot in the door of the company. They won't neccessarily be promoted to the main roster straight away, but they will probably get pushes first due to their name value.

Rock is an example of this. Pushed to the moon waaaaay too fast because of his dad and grandfathers name, which was essentially his main gimmick at the time. It didn't work, and only when that entire aspect was removed and we were introduced to 'The Rock' that he took off. On this occasion, it worked out very well in the long run.

There are exceptions, such as Joe Hennig. Look at his dad, then look at Joe, and all that he (hasn't) achieved so far. It's a shame, because I think the guy has talent, but nevertheless he is an example of a third generation star who hasn't broken through properly yet. The fact he is a third-gen star has been a negative, due to the amount of pressure people have put on him as a result. There is still time that his career will take off, but other than getting his name and face out into the public, NXT and all that resulted hasn't done him that much help.

Ted DiBiase is a great example of what happens when you try and play off your fathers success. It doesn't work. He not only stalled, he went backwards, and only in recent times does he appear to be finding his feet again. Cody Rhodes is the opposite; he is his own character in his own right, and he's flying at the moment.

The problem is, the most important thing is if the wrestler actually has it in the first place. If they're good, they'll get there eventually. The 'daddy' effect can have either a positive or negative influence ont hat stars career, however. But if a guy doesn't have it, his family history isn't gonna do anything for him in the long run.

 

[Tastycles]

Well, look at it like this. If two guys walk in the door with equal experience, equal ring talent, and equal mic skills, but one is a second/third generation star, that individual will probably have the most expectation put upon his shoulders. He will probably never 'over-achieve' as great things will most likely be expected from his heritage. And if he doesn't make it, or his career stalls, people will look at him as being a flop. The other guy will be seen as a good talent, but if he achieves great things, it won't be as expected as if he were the son of a former wrestler.

I think you can quite easily put this on the other foot. If a second generation star and someone else came otherwise identical came through the door at the same time, the second generation one, with his ready made gimmick, would be more likely to get high.

Look at Cena and Orton. Both cam in around 2002, won the midcard titles, and both won world titles in 2005. For John Cena, the rest is history. Orton, however, went slightly the opposite way. He feuded with Taker, ending up on the losing side, formed Rated RKO, feuded with DX, and didn't have a title reign again until 2007. Now, some would argue that there isn''t anything in that, but others would look at that and believe that Orton underachieved in that period compared to Cena. Whilst he certainly didn't have Cena's success, he did not do badly for himself, and it is perhaps because of his family lineage that some would look on this period of his career as 'floundering'.

Totally wrong. Orton is a much inferior wrestler to Cena, in just about every way and he has had a worse career to reflect that. Orton has been consistently in the main event, despite the fact he has never been as popular as the other main eventers, specifically Batista and Cena, of his generation.

 

[Dagger Dias]

I think that 2nd and 3rd generation wrestlers have it both tougher AND easier. It's not as difficult for them to get their foot in the door if they have a famous relative who worked for the federation. However, it becomes harder for them after that point because they have a shadow they need to come out from under. They are held to a higher standard so that they can make a name for themselves bigger than a legendary ancestor. It's definitely better to hide the heritage so the wrestler can make a name for himself on his own, he might fail but if it succeeds then he can have an easier time moving further up the card without endless comparisons to someone he was related to. Look at Ted Dibiase, giving him his dad's gimmick did nothing for him. Then in another example we have Randy Orton who will be known for his work as The Legend Killer and The Viper, rather than for being Bob Orton's son.