Does Ring Attire Matter?

[klunderbunker]

I'm watching another awful Coliseum Video from Bret's second title reign. Something about Bret during his title reigns always screamed in over his head to me. I think I figured it out: his attire was the same as when he was part of the Hart Foundation other than the jacket. He looked like someone that was still part of a tag team instead of a singles guy.

This thread isn't about Bret though. In short, how much of a difference if any does the ring attire someone wears make to you? Do you have a hard time taking someone in a certain kind of attire seriously? Does it matter at all?

 

[mrbrownstone]

Yeah I think it does matter but it doesn't play a huge role or anything, it wouldn't be the difference between winning a title, but it does make a minor difference.

I mean, imagine Cena coming out wearing The Undertakers ring gear or wearing a tight bright pink muscle shirt, it would be hard to take him as seriously wouldn't it. Conversely imagine Taker just wearing tights, wouldn't seem very "supernatural" of him now would it.

The main thing it does it help add to someones character, The Undertaker has his long coat, his has and all those things add to his deadman gimmick, likewise Cena has his baggy jean, military tags, armbands all adding to his military like good guy persona. So I think as long as the attire fits the character and doesn't look terrible (see: HBK SSeries 2002) then it shouldn't matter too much.

 

[LamaNamaneumi]

In some small way it dose make a difference to me. Take Zack Ryder for example, when I saw him in is one pant leg/one side shorts attire I could tell he had "Superstars" written all over him. I think he can make that character work, but his attire was his downfall.

King Sheamus is another good example. Is he supposed to be from Lord of the Rings? He has become a joke, Sheamus was a dominating force when he first appeared on RAW. Now, with his stupid cape and his crown of twigs, he can not even pick up a win. His attire may have nothing to do with this, but since picking up his King wardrobe, his stock has droped.

When the British Bulldog had his last run with the fed, he wrestled in his Wranglers. That might not be the worst attire he could have had, but I could not take him serious anymore. He looked like he had to pawn off his ring attire.

I don't even want to think about Faarooq and his helmet.

 

[Hulk Hogan's Brother]

Ring attire, like a lot of other things in wrestling, isn't something you'll notice unless there is something horribly wrong. I don't think that anyone would be obsessed if Austin wore brown tights instead of black but the entire smark contingent would die if he were to wear pink tights to the ring. On the whole though, something like this is a bit hard to happen because I don't think that it is possible to make such a huge error.

Ring attire is just an extension of the gimmick that a wrestler plays. But that is true for most things in wrestling, in my opinion. Moves, entrance music, taunts are just an extension of the gimmick.

As for your example KB, I think that it is best if the ring attire is changed when a wrestler graduates from a tag team wrestler to a singles wrestler or say if the wrestler changes his gimmick. Can you imagine "the honest man" Chris Jericho coming out dressed as the Ayatollah of Rock and Rolla? Perception matters a lot in wrestling and the change in attire is like sending a subtle message that the wrestler is no longer the guy he used to be.

So yes, ring attire does matter a bit but not a lot as most fans won't notice unless something is really amiss. Also I do think its a bit hard to mess up.

 

[papap47]

I say wrestlers in WWE with 'unique' style/costumes are the ones who'll get more crowd attention. So YES, ring attire matters.

 

[ABMorales787]

I don't know. Ask him:

Ring attire may not be the most important thing, but in a field where the way you present yourself drives a lot, it has some major influence. You see John Cena come out in nifty street clothes, that's attractive. You're curious to his peculiar wrestling attire. You see Matt Hardy come out looking like ^ that, you're most probably repulsed. You see Randy Orton come out with nothing but his trunks and pads and you feel he's going out serious. You see AJ Styles jump out with his hooded vest covering his face, you expect some flash because of his look. So yes, ring attire does a lot.

 

[The Brain]

Ring attire can definitely make a difference for certain wrestlers. I’ll use Mr. Perfect as an example. When he first came to the WWF in 1988 he wore simple blue trunks. There wasn’t really anything wrong with that but it did look rather generic. At WrestleMania V he debuted the singlet we all know him for. It wasn’t anything flashy but it was much more fitting of his character. A simple change in attire instantly made him a more credible star in my opinion.

How about Owen Hart? In late 1993 he had begun a heel turn and was trying to go from a low midcard wrestler to a main event wrestler. I don’t think that would have worked as well if he kept his purple parachute pants.

John Cena is an ironic example. I remember watching an episode on Confidential when he first arrived in WWE. He said he had about 100 different trunks all different colors and styles. It’s funny that a guy like that just wears jean shorts now but it is much more fitting of his character.

The Hart Foundation is another good example. In 1986 they had the same style that we’re all used to but they were blue and black instead of pink and black. They were doing well but Vince felt there was just something missing. One day they randomly wore the pink tights during a workout and entered catering with them on. Vince walked in and exclaimed “That’s it! That’s your new look. Don’t change those tights.” A couple months later they were tag team champions.

Professional wrestling is all about the presentation. I’m sure very careful planning goes into coming up with the right look for a wrestler and their ring attire can make all the difference.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

In most cases, it depends upon what sort of image you're trying to present as a character. For instance, how fearsome and macabre looking would The Undertaker be if he wasn't a near 7 foot man dressed all in black? I doubt he'd get quite the same response or people would look at his character in the same light if he came out dressed all in white.

Now if you're someone that basically just comes out in more standard gear, a pair of tights, knee & elbow pads and boots then I don't think that attire tends to matter quite as much. It might depend more on your build, your height, your hair, any piercings or tattoos you might have or your personality to sell the fans on generally what you're all about.

 

[The Crock]

It definitely matters, but it depends on the image/gimmick of the wrestler. You know, a guy like Samoa Joe during his Nation of Violence days, I couldn't take him seriously because he pretty much wore a skirt the whole time. What if Kane didn't wear his regular pants, what if he wore plain white trunks? He'd be nothing more than a "Kozlov-type." Ring attire gives guys personality, it gives them something extra. You'll definitely remember a guy more if he's wearing unique or fearsome ring gear rather than generic white trunks.

On the other hand though, your example about Bret Hart got me thinking, I always thought that Bret's attire was great. The wrestling singlet was much better than what he wore in Stampede when all he wore were generic red or white trunks. Then again, you do want a guy to change somewhat throughout his career to legitimize him more. I probably wouldn't have taken a guy like The Rock seriously if he had worn the Rocky Maivia Era crap to the ring, it didn't scream champion it screamed amateur. So, yeah ring attire most certainly matters.

 

[Calderownz]

It matters in the smallest way possible.

I'm someone who HATES when wrestlers don't wear knee pads, for example. However, I don't let something like that stand in the way by any means. It might be a reason to pile on a wrestler that sucks. You might say, "He doesn't even look like a main eventer." However, it's not going to hold someone back that has everything else going for them.

 

[CelticCorey]

I really don't care about ring attire unless someone wore Big Dick Johnson attire.

The attire doesn't really stand out to me and when I'm watching a match, I do not think of ring attire. I liked Zack Ryder's old attire because it was unique and all but I really could not care less for the most part what somebody is wearing in the ring. There are things I look for in a wrestler. Attire is not one of them.

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

I think it does matter, but when you look at some of the most successful and over wrestlers of all time, like Hulk Hogan, Steve Austin, The Rock and Goldberg, they all just work plan trunks in the ring (although Hogan and Austin did wear a shirt or vest) to thing ring.

The attire of a wrestler is generally just something that can add to their gimmick, making it look more realistic, such as Sgt Slaughter dressing like a soldier, or the Undertaker wearing the long black coat like the Grim Reaper, or even The Godfather coming out in the fur coat and carrying the pimp stick.

A boring, generic attire can be the death-knell of a wrestler if they cannot pull it off in the ring, just look at some of the jobbers over the year in ill-fitting trunks getting smashed around the ring by a superstar. Alternatively, if your gimmick is ridiculous and your attire is part of that gimmick, then that can also completely flop- look at Giant Gonzales for an example of this.

Some of the best ring attires are just basic, like Austin and Goldberg. There whole gimmick was about someone just kicking ass, and the "no frills" black trunks were perfect for this. No distractions, just a bald bad-ass beating people up. Sometimes the simple things work best....

All in all, I do certainly think a good, cool-looking attire can benefit a wrestler, but it isnt the be-all and end all. Its the gimmick, and your ability that matter most...but attire certainly can create an impression (good or bad) that can help or hinder a wrestler from the off.

 

[Ruddalin]

I dunno if it's considered mattering, but I was never a fan of daniel bryan's plain red trunks and boots, but when he got the new really nice red and white ones with the dragon design on them I marked out for how cool he looked all of a sudden

 

[mrpops]

Yes. Samoa Joe looks like a bum with his half brown poo red/half black shorts. It looks like he got them from a garage sale or something. Makes him and his company look poor.

Im not sure how i feel about MVP's power ranger suit. Sometimes he looked great in it. Other times i bursted out laughing at how stupid he looked. Its hit and miss for me.

Cody Roades looks like a complete idiot without kneepads. It looks so awkward. He really needs to get a pair.

Kanes old attire with his mask easily kills his current attire. Taking off the mask and only wearing pants really killed his monster look. He lost all sense of intimadation and looks like just another big guy.

Im sure i could think of more, but those are what popped into my head first.

 

[Burnout]

It matters for some, it doesn't matter for others.
Some wrestler's can get away with bland and generic attire, if they back it up with great in ring skills and mic work. Steve Austin being an example, nothing flashy, but he was able to make people care for him, not what he wore. Other's, Attire means a heck of alot more. If someone is lacking in a certain department, ring attire can always garner some intrest, for example, Zack Ryder. Before Zack became known to me, I always notcied his attire, and it made him stand out and be unique, and his attire made a lasting impression. Attire can also have bad consequences for people, as other's have metioned, attire can be terribly wrong for a person, leading to this person being know for there awful attire, and not for what he can do in the ring and on he mic. Attire has to fit someone's character, Undertaker wouldn't be Undertaker in pink trunks, John Cena wouldn't look right in a RVD type singlet, so attire has to suit who the person is, otherwise, it just messes up people's view's on wrestlers, so attire is now a very important aspect of being a big star, with some exceptions to it,

 

[luxferre]

For me it can make all the difference....Just imagine Ultimate Warrior without the face paint and the tassles...just another roid head, but just those simple things worked a charm!

 

[JGlass]

Yes, up to a point, and it has a lot to do with precedent.

Your attire has to make you stand out, and it has to match your character. For instance, Dean Malenko always had those plain trunks with very little writing or design on them, while Eddie Guerrero always had colorful tights with special designs. Is this why Eddie want on to be a legendary wrestler and Malenko did not? No, but it could be one reason why Eddie stood out more in their early days together.

You also have to dress according to character. John Cena wore the jerseys and jorts when he was a rapper, Edge and Christian wore those goofy sunglasses and t-shirts, HBK has the chaps, chains, and leather. This really just helps the fans identify the wrestlers and pinpoint their personality. Like they say, you dress for the job you want.

And then the precedent issue comes from past attire. Like you said, Bret was still wearing his tag team outfit during his championship run, and that doesn't really work. Tyson Kidd changed his attire after the Hart Dynasty broke up because black and pink are the colors of his past now. John Cena lost the jerseys and started wearing colorful t-shirts for the kids (he kept the jorts, but we all know that's so he has a place for his cell phone). After Miz broke up with Morrison he ditched the goofy pants and hat in favor of trunks, showing that he's a "real" wrestler now. Your attire needs to evolve along with your persona in order to help you stand out and make sense.

 

[ThUnDeRpHoEnIx]

Before anyone else goes on think of this.

One of the, if not the greatest performer off all time went his whole career wearing longs trunks.That man is Shawn Michaels.Now everyone imagine what wouldve happened if HBK wore shorter trunks like Austin.There would be no Sweet Chin Music because of how awkward it would look.

 

[Tastycles]

Image is vital in getting a character over, and attire is an important contributor to that. If Steve Austin came out looking like The Ultimate Warrior, with tassels, facepaint and fur., he would not have really been very convincing as an every man. Similarly, Kane would never have gotten over looking like a normal man wearing wrestling attire. I doubt that it could make or break a career, but it does help in fleshing out a wrestler's character.