How Important is Timing?

[The Scarred One]

When I say timing, I'm not talking about timing in the ring but rather timinig in one's career. In other words, how important is timing when it comes to finding success in the WWE?

CM Punk joined the WWE in 2005, eventually debuting on the main roster a year later. Since then, he has built up quite the resume, becoming one of the most popular superstars the company has ever seen. He decided to join the company at a certain time and it paid off for him.

So now, let's take Daniel Bryan for example.

Bryan had probably been offer contract opportunities years before he actually decided to join the WWE. So let's say instead of waiting until 2009 to sign with the company, he decided to join back in 2006. After spending some time in developmental, he gets called up to either feud with Gregory Helms over the Cruiserweight Championship or join the New Breed in their war against the ECW Originals. Had this scenario occurred, would he still be in the same position that he is currently in or would he have been stuck in the midcard and eventually released?

Another example would be Seth Rollins, the current NXT Champion and the man formerly known as Tyler Black.

Back in May 2008, Rollins challenged Nigel McGuinness for the ROH World Championship. He lost, but it was considered by many to be his breakout performance. So instead of waiting for him to become ROH World Champion in 2010, let's say the WWE decided to snap him up a good while after that match. Let's say he would be called up to ECW with a dark gimmick. Would he be better off had that occurred or is better that time passed for him to mature and better his craft?

Not only can timining have an effect on someone when they join the company, but also when they find success in the company.

In this case, let's look at Mr. Kennedy.

Back in 2007, Mr. Kennedy won the Money-in-the-Bank Ladder Match at WrestleMania 23, granting him a world championship opportunity. At the time, the MITB contract holder was practically guaranteed a world championship reign. Despite having his issues with injuries, the WWE obviously had high hopes for him. But an injury scare not long after caused the WWE to strip him of his MITB contract. It was eventually revealed to not be a serious injury. Thus, Kennedy was screwed out of a world championship. He was in line for another push later that year as he was going to be revealed as Mr. McMahon's illegitimate son, but that got scrapped when he was suspended for drugs. But had those events not happen and had he not lost the momentum he had built up, would Kennedy have had a much more successful career in WWE? Would he still be with the company currently?

So the question is: is timing really important when it comes to finding success in WWE or is talent talent, regardless of when, where and how events go down?

 

[whoopin' ass]

timing is important as very few people walk in with a ready character. people may hate Cena but look at his character when he first started and tell me you saw main event. talent is important but few talented guys have just walked in and were pushed to the moon right away. you need to establish a character and that takes time and if they are not looking for someone new at that moment, you would get pushed no matter how talented you are since you would be able to go out there and show what you can do.

 

[kcoe24]

Timing is important for the over the top charcters. John Cena today gets a 50/50 reaction yet is character is no differn't then Hogan's was in the 80's. But today people don't want to see the superhero they want to see someone with abit more of and edge to them. Then you have Muhammd Hassan who had an unfortuante character at an unfortuanate time.

But for the best technical wrestlers no timming really doesn't matter. It helps but eventually they will find away to get over with the crowd cause there to good to not be on tv.

 

[Airehk]

I'd say timing is of main importance. Without it, you just have a match full of spots where even a suplex is a spot. At the end of the day, its wrestling and with out timing, you just have a couple kids in the back yard trying a few moves they saw on TV.

 

[theBec2101]

I believe timing is important, but there are alot more too it then that though. I think timing, storyline, and when to change it up all has to do with it. Look at Undertaker. He character is still going strong. Same goes for Kane. Hogan he flipped. People just want to see things different every now and then. I was easy for Hogan and people of that generation to stay same character because wrestling wasn’t on TV as much and all over the world as much.

 

[BTLion1990]

Well at one point, Steve Austin was managed by Ted DiBiase. He left for WCW leaving Austin with... well no direction at the time. At around about this time, HHH was punished and his KOTR win went to Austin. Jake Roberts just so happened to have ''reformed'' his ways prompting Austin to say ''Austin 3:16 says I just whipped your ass''.

Another equally important moment was when Michaels didn't wanna job to Bret Hart at Mania, giving Austin that classic submission match at WrestleMania 13 causing the fans to cheer him against all time great Bret Hart.

My point.... Timing absolutely is everything.

 

[THTRobtaylor]

Talent that is meant to "make it" will, even if they are out of the "right" time.

Who would have forseen Bob Backlund ever getting over again in 1994, enough to have the title a year later? Timing wasn't part of that, it was the right gimmick, mixed with something unusual and unique for the time.

Confusing timing and luck is misguided. Steve Austin would have popped regardless of Triple H's mistake or Austin 3:16. It just may have taken longer to achieve for him but by WM14 we would still have seen him in the title match, the talent was not only there but busting loose by the end of the DiBiase run.

While 3:16 siezed a moment and got him there faster, the push would still have come without it...He would have been in a much healthier position as he would not have had the broken neck from Owen for example. Austin without 3:16 but fully fit would still have been as big eventually.

Some made their own luck like Cena, Foley and CM Punk, but you have to remember that for most cases the decision on future push is made very early in their tenure or even pre-hire. WWE knew what they were getting with Punk and Bryan, indy stars with massive internet fanbases who, used correctly could translate to casual fans too as "everymen".

Where timing has helped is guys like Undertaker, who caught right on the end of the Hogan era, not to get him over, cos he was over from day one...but in how he could be used and "fed opponents" over time in the way they couldn't while Hogan was around. Had HH still been part of things in the 90's the guys fed to Taker would have been fed to him instead...

You could say that Triple H benefitted from his buddies leaving... but his push was already sealed, all it meant was he had less competition.