Getting 2nd/3rd Generation Stars Over: Joe Hennig

[Master_MIND]

How do 2nd/3rd generation stars get over? They become original characters. Having a successful father as your gimmick is really not a gimmick at all. It could arguably be considered a hinderance.

When The Rock came in as Rocky Miavia all they did was bill him as a 3rd generation superstar, I didn't know who his father or his grandfather were at the time and therefore I didn't give a shit about him. He became something when he became The Rock. His personality came through with that character and they then had no real reason to even refer to his heritage except on rare occasions. The rest is history. Randy Orton is a similar case. Many people may dislike Orton but no one can deny he is a star and has been extremely successful. That success didn't come until he became the Legend Killer and joined Evolution. You can argue it was all how he was booked, which is partially true but Orton did run with it, and in that sink or swim situation he most definitely swam. HE became a character The references to and appearances from his father only enhanced his character, they didn't overshadow him.

That brings me to the focus of this post: Joe Hennig AKA Michael McGillicutty

After seeing him on Raw this week I decided to put this idea I have had about him for awhile out there for debate. (On a side note a few months back I posted that WWE needs to take advantage of Wade Barrett's bare knuckle fighting story with vignettes. They did and I think he is much better positioned now. So yes, I am taking credit for his re-launch and success) Here's hoping it works for Hennig.

I believe he needs a real character in order to get over and be a big time player. Since he looks nothing like his father they need a very different type character. My idea takes advantage of it on an original way.

Very dark vignettes should run showing a masked/hooded man lurking in shadows. A voice - which could be altered for effect - says he has been overlooked and overshadowed his whole life. He has literally lived in shadows. He then says he now embraces it and has become The Shadow. This masked character then begins to appear on Raw by brutally attacking babyfaces - Mysterio, Ryder, Santino, Kofi etc. Eventually he reveals himself as Joe Hennig. He would need to cut a stellar promo which I'm unsure he can do but whatever. He explains who he is: the son of Mr. Perfect, the grandson of Larry the Ax....he is Joe Hennig. He blames the WWE for calling him Michael McGillicutty to hold him down. He then does the unthinkable and blames his father for casting such a big shadow that he could never escape from. He blames fans for not supporting him and he says he hates the superstars the fans love. He says he is not to blame for his actions, everyone else is.

He would need a very dark entrance with smoke and shadows. Very dark intimidating music. He would wear a hooded sweatshirt or something like that to the ring with a bandana covering his face. His entrance would be different which is something we rarely see anymore. The subtleties of this business are almost gone, but that's a whole other rant.

Hennig would work with the aforementioned faces and beat them. Literally beat them down. He would work a very sadistic and violent style. He would lose some matches by DQ but that wouldn't matter to him. The beating he would inflict on the fan favourite would satisfy him enough.

If HHH is really as high on him as reports have stated he, HHH, would work with and PUT HIM OVER at WrestleMania 29. Imagine a confrontation between the 2 during the build where Hennig says he is going to use HHH to get to the the top just like HHH used Stephanie to 12 years ago. The match would have to be a brutal street fight like the kind HHH worked in 2000. This style could then become Hennig's signature after the win. This rub would surely launch the character. Sink or swim time for him then.

 

[Lewis617]

This could work, however I think it is a stretch for Hennig. I don't see him as a dark character. The way you were describing him as coming out to smoke and dark entrance lights and heavy intimidating music, immediately makes me think of guys who tried the dark theme in the past but never really got over (Gangrel, Kevin Thorne). He needs to be repackaged yes, but if they do it needs to be all out. Grow the hair out, either cut the facial hair or let it get thick and scraggly like Mike Knox. Change his attire and basically redo everything, his look, his attitude, his talking skills, his finisher (cuz that thing is lame). How about this for an idea to push it.....

He faces someone that he should lose to but pulls of the upset, like Justin Gabriel did recently. Have him do that to about 3-4 midcard guys...... then have him face easy opponents.....as he faces easy advisary one after another he gets the impression that those big wins were for nothing so he gets more aggressive and brutal with each beating he inflicts on the lesser talented wrestlers. Til eventually he snaps and loses by DQ and begins to beat a guy with a chair, or continue to choke them out, etc. Then one of the midcard guys comes out to make the save and that begins his first fued/rivalry. I could see a few midcard guys that would work for this scenario (Kofi Kingston, Rey Mysterio, Sin Cara, R-Truth, etc.) Have him win and keep moving up the ladder.

 

[Boourns]

As long as he wears a balaclava, hood or cowl as opposed to an actual mask this would work pretty well. However, in regards to his promo abilities he's a lot more comfortable on the mic than you would assume, anyone reading this should check out his recent NXT stuff online.

 

[Redemption-2012]

Well, the problem you have with Joe Hennig, number 1 his name sucks. Number 2, we know next to nothing about him! What has he done memorable...! admittedly I don't watch NXT. But i'm sure if its the right time and the right time, he needs to develop his character, mic skills and ring work.

 

[HBKistheHOF]

(On a side note a few months back I posted that WWE needs to take advantage of Wade Barrett's bare knuckle fighting story with vignettes. They did and I think he is much better positioned now. So yes, I am taking credit for his re-launch and success)

Well first off, not trying to be rude, but how could you or your post take any credit for Barrett's repackaging? Let alone the fact that I would hardly call a poor re-debut, a much more weak finishing move, & getting lost in the shuffle AGAIN facing Orton on Smackdown a "success".

As for Joe Hennig, I think you hit the nail on the head with your analysis of Orton & Rocky. They got over because they were an EXTENSIONS of their families legacy, they weren't trying to be their families legacy.

I think a slightly less dramatic approach would be better. Have him come out for a match one night & have the announcer start to say Mcgillicut... only to be interupted, "No, My name in Joe Hennig". Out comes Zack Ryder or some jobber face for a match, BOOM! Drop kick to the head, Ryder is out cold. Hennig picks up the mic, " I told you....My name is Joe Hennig." From there on he can start cutting promos about how he is not "Perfect" & go on a huge heel spree of beating people down and let him develop from there. Give his family history & let him build off of it himself. Let him just be Joe Hennig & kick ass.

 

[Hitman80]

I always thought they should play off the Mr Perfect character and history but have Joe Hennig not be quite so perfect. He could come out and talk about his dad and show Curt as being Mr Perfect with all the old vignettes.

Joe could then claim the apple don't fall too far from the tree and he is just as Perfect too but the only thing is he isn't and the only way he can be is if he cheat to be able to maintain that name. Which wouldn't be too dis-similar from when Curt returned in 2002.

'The Perfect One' Joe Hennig

Why they haven't played off his name is beyond me.

 

[Mustang Sally]

Having a successful father as your gimmick is really not a gimmick at all.

Of course, there's also the other side of that statement: Would wrestling have been the profession this guy picked had his father not been a pro wrestler? For sure, McGillicutty doesn't resemble his father in the ring. Curt Hennig was a ring technician while his son is a run-of-the-mill performer. He's had some decent training and knows his way around the ring, but so do a lot of other people. I don't see anything special about this guy and figure it's going to take a gimmick created by management to get anything started for him. Perhaps the reason he's in WWE at all is a nod to the fame of his Dad. Heaven knows, WWE loves multi-generational wrestling families.

Why did he abandon his father's last name? I'm not talking about an explanation put out there by the WWE machine; I'm talking about whose idea it really was: his or WWE's? If it was his idea, meaning he wanted to distance himself from his father's fame, that could be considered admirable.....or it could be considered throwing an obstacle in his own path that needn't have been. If it was management's idea to change his last name, you'd have to wonder why.

Or is the idea to let the kid go back to his father's name after he's proven himself? After all, wasn't The Rock parading himself as Flex Cavana before using his father's (and grandfather's) last name?

I don't see anything that sets Michael McGillicutty apart.....to me, he's just another version of Trent Barretta.....or Seth Rollins....or Johnny Curtis. All guys with nothing that distinctive about them that are waiting for a chance that may or may not ever arrive.

 

[enviousdominous]

Your idea could very well work and be huge with fans and even a demented pessimist like myself. As I haven't seen it fleshed out, I have to say that I'm sick of "darkness" gimmicks. They're a very cheap way to steal the crowd's attention because really; who can't throw on a hoodie and a mask and lumber to the ring with a dreary dispostion? If he goes with a gimmick where he's been overshadowed his whole life, then he still is just Curt's kid.

I think if it would be better for him to seperate himself from the legendary status of his father, he has to go balls out in a different direction. Here's my (gratuitous) idea for him.

Joe Hennig (using his real name this time) is granted a match where if he loses, he's fired. He loses after taking a fluke loss. He grabs the mic and loses it in a worked shoot. The crowd does their "What?!" thing. He flips out over that and rips into the crowd for being too stupid to understand the English language and that they can take their lack of a high school education to hell. He rants for a minute when his mic is cut off, he throws the mic down and storms into the back.

Cut to Joe storming through the hallways of the arena. He comes upon Vince or HHH, who at the moment was having a pleasant conversation with someone else. Joe grabs his shoulder and turns him around to look at him, then puts his finger in his face. Joe rants about how it's HHH/Vince's fault that those fans are so stupid and would respect childish humor over actual talent. HHH or Vince takes a deep breath and mentions how Joe does not work there anymore and is therefore trespassing before calling security over.

Joe laughs and proceeds to attack the security team, maybe choking one with his own shirt while shouting something about the CM Punk incident. Police come over and Joe back-elbows one of them by mistake.

Commercial

Joe is shown in handcuffs being walked to a waiting cop car by a group of cops and Vince/HHH. Joe is obviously more irate than he is remorseful. Joe is put into the cop car, the door is closed. Vince/HHH looks at him through the window of the car and laughs while making a smart comment. Suddenly the glass is kicked out by Joe, freaking out HHH/Vince. Joe is allowed to get a few more rants out before he's taken away.

Future episodes of Raw show Joe Hennig working concessions and cleaning the ring as part of his community service, or possibly as a program with the prison he's with if they want to go that route.

Joe is not allowed to get angry now, so of course fans and members of the roster will occasionally complain that there's too much ice in their drink by throwing the drink onto Joe's face. Joe breathes deeply and apologizes, the person walks away and Joe nods his head while saying that he apologizes for what he'll do to them.

Joe gets a lawyer, perhaps Otunga, who manages to work a deal where he can wrestle a match as a service to the public. Vince/HHH agrees only if they have full creative control over how he's portrayed, as it was already a clause in the contract Vince/HHH gladly sign Joe to a part-time contract. Joe comes to the ring as Joanna Henning wearing a dress and makeup. His opponent, possibly the one he threatened earlier, is taken back with uncontrollable laughter. Joe stands showing no anger and laughs a little himself. The opponent manges to compose himself and the two work a clean match. Joe shows a sense of humor when his dress is lifted up or he's pulled from the top rope by it's tassels. Joe loses as his attire is an obvious hinderance and shakes his opponent's hand after the match before raising his arm up to show that his opponent was the better man.

The lawyer comes halfway down the ramp with a huge grin and shakes Joe's hand as he comes up the ramp. The two of them laugh with each other sharing occasional comments as they disappear into the back.

Cut to Joe and his lawyer walking and chuckling as they walk through the hallways only to be met by HHH/Vince. HHH/Vince asks them why the sudden sunny disposition. Joe's lawyer mentions something about how HHH/Vince really should read something before they sign it.

It turns out that Joe must be granted a minimum amount of matches per month, and that for every one he wrestles he's given a sizeable share of stock in the company itself. The lawyer explains in a future episode that if the WWE chooses to nullify the contract, they will have to forfeit the projected stock to Joe. HHH/Vince still has full creative control however.

Joe is packaged as The Snot Gobbler, Scotty the Potty, The Pink Prancer, etc. As one of these offbeat gimmicks he's put into a match with The Big Show or Ryback. Before doing their finisher, HHH/Vince runs to the ring screaming for them to not do it. Ryback/Big Show get confused as to why and Joe manages to pull a fluke win from the confusion. It turns out that if Joe is injured and cannot perform, he's granted creative control over HHH/Vince who will perform in his place. Ryback/Big Show is so angered over the fluke loss that he injures Joe while Vince/HHH freaks out with wide eyes.

A bit wordy, but I think it would work.