I Wonder If WWE Is Giving Tensai Another Push

[Jack-Hammer]

It's no secret that Tensai as a character has been a flop, even top ranking WWE officials have said so. I never really gave much thought to Tensai being part of the MITB match, I just figured he fit in with the "wide open" concept of it being anybody's match this year.

However, a thought popped into my head a little while ago from out of the blue. I remember a very brief tag team match in which Dolph Ziggler & Tensai teamed together on Raw this past Monday. As Tensai was leaving the ring, the camera closed up on Vickie Guerrero and she was looking over him with something of an appraising eye. It wasn't the look that you see her giving Ziggler, you know with her being the cougar gazing over her piece of eye candy. Her expression suggested she was considering something like "maybe I should try getting this guy as my client".

There's been tension between Dolph & Vickie for a while and most people feel that it's time for Ziggler to head out on his own. I can't help but wonder if maybe, just maybe, Vickie is going to screw Ziggler over tomorrow night in favor of Tensai and help him to win the WHC MITB match. It makes sense, in some ways, if WWE wants to get Tensai over, then they should hook him up with Vickie. Let's face it, Vickie Guerrero is a walking furnace. She's great at helping heels get over and generate heat.

I might be reading too much into this and it might all be absolutely nothing. I personally HATE the idea of Tensai winning the WHC MITB match tomorrow night. He has practically zero heat at this time and the fact that he lost to Tyson Kidd in roughly 20 seconds a few weeks ago didn't help. Sure it was a "fluke win", but it was a win all the same. Part of me just feels pairing Tensai with Vickie could be a last ditch effort to save the character. I'd have no problem with Vickie taking him on at some point, but not with him winning MITB because the guy just doesn't have it and I just don't see even Vickie being able to help generate the kind of needed interest Tensai would need for fans to give a shit that he could be the next World Heavyweight Champion.

 

[Fire Marshall Bill]

I might be reading too much into this and it might all be absolutely nothing. I personally HATE the idea of Tensai winning the WHC MITB match tomorrow night. He has practically zero heat at this time and the fact that he lost to Tyson Kidd in roughly 20 seconds a few weeks ago didn't help.

I pretty much think what I bolded sums it up. Not to mention, there's 8 competitors in the WHC match tomorrow, 6 of them showed up on Smackdown to continue the build for it. Guess who the other 2 were? Tensai and Tyson Kidd. If anything, their feud might continue beyond MITB as a way to help build Tyson Kidd. There were brief reports saying he's in line for some kind of push.

Plus, I'm not sure Vickie would fit well with Tensai anyways. Talk about meshing of cultures...

Furthermore, I think most people would consider that a step down for Vickie.

 

[TheLoneCharles]

WWE likes to build a star out of nowhere, and Tensai winning the WHC MITB would almost be the equivalent of JBL's main event run. You had a career midcarder thrown into a new gimmick, and was generally condemned by everyone on the internet.

After JBL's year long run, it made for a career launchpad for John Cena because EVERYONE wanted JBL to lose the title although most agreed by the end of that reign that JBL was actually not that bad. I see that potentially coming for Tensai. It would be a nice moment down the road when an upcoming face would knockoff WHC Tensai. I can totally see Ryback winning the WHC over Tensai.

 

[vampirek]

WWE likes to build a star out of nowhere, and Tensai winning the WHC MITB would almost be the equivalent of JBL's main event run. You had a career midcarder thrown into a new gimmick, and was generally condemned by everyone on the internet.

After JBL's year long run, it made for a career launchpad for John Cena because EVERYONE wanted JBL to lose the title although most agreed by the end of that reign that JBL was actually not that bad. I see that potentially coming for Tensai. It would be a nice moment down the road when an upcoming face would knockoff WHC Tensai. I can totally see Ryback winning the WHC over Tensai.

Equivalent to JBL? At least when they pushed JBL it was credible. Here you have this big Texan who is a millionaire having a problem with the Latino Champion. Tensai offers what? He went to Japan, learnt their trade and been a pointless addition to the roster ever since. Tensai should never be World Champion, at best maybe the odd title match to give the champion a couple PPV wins.

 

[SuperKick36]

WWE likes to build a star out of nowhere, and Tensai winning the WHC MITB would almost be the equivalent of JBL's main event run. You had a career midcarder thrown into a new gimmick, and was generally condemned by everyone on the internet.

After JBL's year long run, it made for a career launchpad for John Cena because EVERYONE wanted JBL to lose the title although most agreed by the end of that reign that JBL was actually not that bad. I see that potentially coming for Tensai. It would be a nice moment down the road when an upcoming face would knockoff WHC Tensai. I can totally see Ryback winning the WHC over Tensai.

The Ryback part at the very end would be nice... but Tensai is certainly not JBL. JBL had the ability to piss people off on the mic that Tensai does not.

Tensai NEEDS a manager. Bad. That little man-toy that runs around with him is useless. I think that Jack-Hammer has something here, because I noticed that look as well, but they do that stuff all the time. I wouldn't be suprised if Vickie took him on, BUT I seriously doubt Ziggler will get dropped from Vickie right now.

However... if Dolph turned face, then this would be a possibility and ONLY if he turned face. Keeping him heel and having him leave Vickie would not be utilizing a good story line. They could have Dolph win the championship, and then if Tensai wins the briefcase, he could cash in on Dolph, and Vickie could talk about how Dolph left her and blah blah blah (I'm just rambling on now).

If Tensai had a manager, he'd be a more intriguing character and a more believable heel.

 

[LegendKiller716]

I was thinking the same exact thing when I seen Vickie's face. I feel like Vickie and Ziggler will split Sunday. Either Vickie will help Tensai, or she will screw Ziggler. At the end of the night Ziggler will be a face. I know a lot of people want him to stay heel, but he needs to be face when he hooks up with Flair. The fans are gonna cheer Flair, so him and Ziggler will need to turn together, much like Flair and AJ did in TNA.

Back on topic, if I had to bet I'd say Vickie helps Tensai win, and now everybody in the match is gonna come at Ziggler because it's his fault she was out there.

 

[TheLoneCharles]

Equivalent to JBL? At least when they pushed JBL it was credible. Here you have this big Texan who is a millionaire having a problem with the Latino Champion. Tensai offers what? He went to Japan, learnt their trade and been a pointless addition to the roster ever since. Tensai should never be World Champion, at best maybe the odd title match to give the champion a couple PPV wins.

JBL was far from credible when he was suddenly thrust into the title picture. I remember WWE was lambasted for pushing JBL when they just got done burying all that WCW talent. Hell, if you want a recent example Daniel Bryan was going absolutely nowhere even with the MITB briefcase, he wasn't anywhere near over until he actually won the title and turned into what he is now.

Tensai is only pointless because he doesn't have a good storyline. Not his fault I've seen 12 year olds on the forums come up with more entertaining ideas than the writing team. Other than that, Tensai is more than credible, would you want to have a guy his size charging at you?

Tensai could easily be built up the exact same way Mark Henry and Big Show are now. He's clearly underappreciated for what he is, and that is a very agile and athletic big man. Plus, like I said the payoff of having someone knock him off would pay dividends later. After all, weren't Daniel Bryan and John Cena elevated that way?

 

[FitFinlay4Life]

It definitely makes sense, he needs talked up and at present there are three mouthpieces in the WWe - Paul Heyman will be kept with Lesnar because building a stable would dilute "the next big thing's" aura; AW is too small scale if they still intend to push Tensai; that leaves Vickie.

On the plus side, she is a great heat magnet... but here's the problem - she's a great heat magnet for herself, she struggles with talking up her clients because she has to continually use "Excuse Me!!" during her promo time which detracts from her putting over whoever she is with.

I can see Jack being 100% correct here and I can even see what the other guys are stating being attempted. What I would struggle seeing is the WWe Universe accepting him as a main eventer under her tutelage, for that he needs an old school manager (like a Heyman) who would persuade people that he deserves to be in an elevated position.

 

[Fansince1992]

Thinking about it , it does make sense. For the last few weeks we have seen Tensai kicking the crap out that little Japanese follower guy who accomanies him to the ring. This could mean Tensai wants rid of him.

The problem with Tensai is we never hear him talk and the little follower/manager he has doesn't either. We know he is a big guy, who use to be called Prince Albert and then A-Train who wrestled in Japan and that's all, from what Cole and Lawler always tell us. He does need a Mouthpiece like Vikkie to help him gain some heat.

It might look a bit wierd Vikkie managing a big guy with a Japanese Gimmick, unless they make Tensai more American looking or they make Vikkie wear Japanese Clothes

 

[matman8540]

I don't think it's so much of a push, as they have to make all the MITB participants credible. However, there is a point with Vicki going Japanese. After all, Captain Lou Albano did that when he was managing Mr Fuji & Mr Saito. He'd come to the ring dressed in a kimono, and a Japanese head band. When the Captain was a heel, he was a serious heat magnet. Back to Tensai/Albert, he could benefit from Vicki or Paul Heyman.

 

[Mustang Sally]

Never could quite figure out what WWE was shooting for in hiring Fat Albert. If they wanted a fierce-looking Japanese guy, couldn't they have found a real Asian guy to play him? Where in the world (literally!) did they get the idea of bringing back a lower midcarder whom everyone was going to recognize, anyway? Did they think we weren't going to catch on?

But okay, they brought him in.....and now they've decided the push has "failed."

Failed?

What exactly were they expecting to happen? Given that the push was still in it's early stages, how do they define success or failure? Creative gave us that shocking swerve by having Tensai beat John Cena, right? Had they already decided the push had failed? I mean, it wasn't that long ago, was it? It seemed to me the Tensai character was being what it should have been. At what point was it determined a re-package was needed?

As for Vickie pairing with Tensai? Well, it's certainly something different and would force some changes in how we look at her. That's presuming she isn't going to be the same shrieky, whining character she's been with Dolph. I don't know what she could "do" for Tensai that she doesn't do for Dolph, but then, I've never really seen what so many fans apparently like about her in the first place.

 

[puppetmaster 316]

The only way I want to see Tensai a world champion is to see him repackaged.His gimmick will never work.No one cares for it.He doesn't have the looks to interest younger fans and his talents at wrestling is mediocre.
Now working with Vickie will get him heat but due to Vickie not himself.Although he is a good way of putting over tallents.For example after Ziggler wins tonight he attacks him from behind not only attacking Dolph but turning him face(if WWE wants it)and aligning himself with Vickie.

 

[Falcon257]

I liked tensai when he debut. I think he had good momentum when he arrived. Did they push him to fast when he arrived? most likely! He should have been built up slower by facing more jobbers and mid card acts. I liked his music, his look, and everythin about him it reminded me of a back in the day gimmick which wwe needs more of. But wwe got scared over pushing him and dropped the ball!

WWE follows the same formula with big monsterous guys that they give up on for pushes... and that is to have their first lose to cena
1. Umaga
2. Khali
3. Kane (recent return abumlence match)
4. Brock (extreme rules)
5. Tensai
6. Big Show (new attitude)
7. Batista (2010 heel)

the list goes on there are prob many more that i cant think of but wwe always follows that same pattern when they are looking to bury someone they have them lose to cena most of the time clean

 

[Syborgg]

Tensai should be nothing more than what Albert was. That is muscle. As in a thug used to just beat people up. If Vickie picked him up as part of her "Stable", he should be used as a type of enforcer or maybe to team up with another wrestler and go for the tag titles(not with Ziggles. Swagger maybe).

If they were to re-package him, I would just make him Albert again. He was never great on the mic, but atleast Albert was allowed to speak, Tensai doesn't speak.

 

[Giddy]

I'm not sure... I see what you're saying about Vickie leaving Dolph for Tensai, I'm just not sure it's going to happen during MitB. I think it could work, and that would give Tensai not only Vickie heat, but huge heat for screwing over Ziggler, and push Ziggler over as a major face- hell, maybe he could even defeat Tensai for the briefcase to really get him over. I don't think we will see this happen, but it could be a good way to get both Tensai and Ziggler over