"I'm gonna end your career!"

[Dagger Dias]

Is it just me or does it feel like this line is used WAY too often?

I feel like those 5 words, in that order, are said far too much. Perhaps it is just lazy creative teams who cannot come up with something better for the wrestlers to say. It's sort of like the boy who cried wolf. I'm sure you all remember that story. The more something is said, and then it doesn't happen, the less seriously people will take it the next time it is said. That's how I feel about wrestlers using the "I'm gonna end your career!" line. Very rarely, IF EVER does someone's career actually end after a match where "I'm gonna end your career!" had been said in a promo leading up to it.

It could be a lot more effective if it was used less, and only during the buildup for more intense matches where someone's career could actually end, at least within kayfabe. However the line has been used a LOT more frequently lately, and I just cannot take it seriously at the moment. Back when Orton was legend-killing it made more sense, but these days when someone randomly says it during a promo on TNA, it just doesn't sound like a threat that can be taken seriously.

Do you think the line "I'm gonna end your career!" is used too often or not, and why? Discuss.

In my opinion the creative teams need to come up with something better for the wrestlers to say instead of using "I'm gonna end your career!" so often. Does anyone else agree with me on this?

(This was not necessarily a rant.... Just something I have noticed a lot more lately, and I thought it could make for an interesting discussion.)

 

[Ferbian]

I don't necessarily think it has been used too much, there's small variations of it that's being used like Triple H telling Randy Orton before Wrestlemania "I'm gonna break your neck" not the same, but small variation, and would imply that he's gonna end his career.

I think the usage of career ending threats creates a new atmosphere to the feud at hand, it brings intensity to it both from the fans who'll hate the heel much more, or love for the face because they don't want to see the career ended.

On the same time, you also get a more heated background into the feud, the face will try to come out the victor, while the heel will constantly do his best to actually end the career of the wrestler, which will bring in great feuds and great matches most of the times.

So no, I don't believe it has been used too often, and I don't believe it could, as long as the feud is handled properly, and it's not every feud that will revolve around it.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

On one hand, yes, if you are accepting the use of "I'm going to end your career!" in a literal sense hoping that the heel who's using the line actually (kayfabe) wants to end the career of the face he's facing at any given point. If the heel wins and doesn't end the face's career, he looks relatively weak for having used such a strong hinge/springboard and not actually following through – though it can also be argued that the primary job of a heel is to get a face over, so what better way to do so than to have said face beat the odds in more ways than one?

On the other hand, I do wish they'd come up with something a little more creative and not nearly as "career ending" as "I'm gonna end your career!" except in the most personal and biggest feuds in the company at the time. Even variations I think would be acceptable. "I'm gonna put you on the shelf", "I'm gonna put you back on the sidelines where you belong", "I'm gonna take you out", etc. are all equally as powerful statements, but not all carry the same hinge stipulation of putting the wrestler on the shelf for good, and all would still mange to garner heat for the heel and cheers for the face, I'd imagine.

 

[Dagger Dias]

You pretty summed it up pretty well, IDR.

Basically.... I do take things litterally often (just a quirk of mine, I suppose) and I feel that the heels' credibility is damaged if they claim they will end someone's career, and then don't. I quite honestly never take that line seriously anymore. Now the other stuff you listed such as "I'm gonna put you on the shelf" or "I'm gonna take you out!" are MUCH more believable and that's the stuff that should be said instead of constantly having guys say "I'm gonna end your career" because people can't take that line seriously when it's so rare for a career to truly end after such a taunt is made in a promo.

 

[Ruthless-RKO]

I think its used the right amount..like Ferbs said..i mark out when HHH says, 'Im gonna break your neck'..just love it...

I do think they need to come up with a new line though...we've heard this line a lot...and it should only be used like say before a retirement match..or the final match of the feud..say hell in a cell match...

Some people have their own lines though.. e.g. Taker saying, ' You will rest in peace'..also meaning end ur career...even worse though..saying you will die!!

 

[D-Man]

I'd rather answer the question with a question...

The way I look at it, in real life, do you think the phrase "I'm gonna kill you" or "I'm gonna kick your ass" is played out?

This is basically the same thing. We're all supposed to suspend our disbelief when watching pro-wrestling and take our minds to a world where all of this glitz and glamor has some sense of realism. Well, in this imaginary world, "I'm gonna end your career" is just as common of a threat as "I'm gonna kick your ass" is in our real world. All of that being said, I try not to overthink the phrase too much because it ruins the world that pro-wrestling is trying to create for our imaginations to go to. The more we break the sport down, the more we're going to wind up finding all of its flaws and losing interest in it. We need to just look at this stuff and just allow it to take a hold of our minds and entertain us.

So, to answer the original question, I don't believe it's used too much. I think it's a necessary evil in the sport and a formidable substitute for using curses and vulgar language to get their points across. Instead of saying "I'm gonna kick the shit out of you" or "I'm gonna fuck you up", they say "I'm gonna end your career." After all, in the sport of pro-wrestling, careers have a very strong meaning. Entire plots and storylines always revolve around a standpoint of career and business because it covers up the amount of violence and aggression the sport contains.

We really shouldn't over-think this one too much.