I'm Hopping Mad About Adam Rose's Bunny!

[Mustang Sally]

Okay, I'm really not, but don't you wonder what goes on during Creative meetings with Vince McMahon? A month ago, the rumor mill was telling us that McMahon didn't like Adam Rose and his act.

But, what didn't he like? Wasn't it exactly what it was supposed to be? If ever there was an act with defined parameters and no room for deviation, wasn't this it? If Vince was saying it "wasn't what he expected it to be," then what was he expecting? Even if his intention was to see how it played and go from there.....where was it to go? The fans seem to be reacting, which is all they can ask, right?

At first, they hired the same bunch of people to parade to the ring behind their hero, and then apparently realized it was too expensive and unwieldy to fly the same crew from city to city. Wisely, they began hiring locals in each location to play the parts.

Can you imagine the ads put out by the temp hiring agency?

(Wanted: girl, age 20-25 to dress as Alice in Wonderland and join a dozen lunatics in following a Mick Jagger-wannabe with a lollipop to a wrestling ring before and after his match).

As if in confirmation of McMahon's initial disapproval, Adam Rose disappeared from our screens for a few weeks, and we figured that was it for the act, right?

Instead, he returns.....with the only addition being a bunny who delivers a sidekick much like Justin Gabriel and makes a total ass of himself, presumably happy we can't see his face.

Okay. Now that the Rose Bowl has appeared on several Raw and Smackdowns in a row, can we presume Vince now likes what he's seeing? Is Justin Gabriel happy with his new hare-raising gig? Even Adam Rose is now being forced to actually wrestle, instead of perform, taking punishment during matches, which he wasn't doing before.

Is anyone predicting a future for this act? Or will the whole circus be sent hopping down the bunny trail before the month is out?

 

[TheICChampion]

I personally could care less about what kind of hare-brained scheme Vince had when he came up with this idea. If it's entertaining people, then I guess it's working. As for what goes on in ol' Vinnie Mac's head, I doubt even he knows sometimes. And of course, he's been known for changing his mind quite frequently. Long story short, there's really no telling what's gonna happen.

 

[Navi]

Speaking for myself, I have always liked Adam Rose. He was extremely over when he was in NXT, and I think if was due to his theme song World Goes Wild. Shame they couldn't get the rights to put it on RAW and SD. It was one theme the fans got really into, and they used to chant it during other matches as well.

When he came up to the main roster, I was hesitant, because while the Exotic Express plays well in a small arena like Full Sail University it was unclear how it would play in big stadiums. At the beginning they ruined it by having he camera angle too wide, it showed up much better on TV when they zoomed in a little.

But in saying all that, I love the Bunny, and it's something that I can see Vince McMahon approving immediately. It's well known that he likes that kind of shit, and there is no doubt it's entertaining the fans. Rose isn't a bad wrestler and it's good that he's getting the chance to show of his skills now. Having the Bunny at his side is a stroke of genius. Fans come to these shows to be entertained and Rose and the Bunny do the one thing they pay to see, entertain them.

I really hope that they don't unmask the Bunny on RAW and it turns out to be Zayn or someone like that. I would rather see Zayn debut properly and make a name for himself. If the Bunny turns out to be Gabriel then that's fine, it will breathe some life into a career that might have been seen as stalled.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

This is a perfect example of some of the differences between Vince McMahon's & Triple H's booking ideas. The stuff going on with Adam Rose & The Bunny is 100% along the vein of the "sports entertainment" comedy mid-card act cut from the same cloth as Santino Marella. Now even though the Adam Rose character was conceived in NXT, Rose wasn't necessarily booked as a harmless comedy mid-carder. There were comedic aspects to his character, but Rose's level of seriousness then compared to now would be like comparing Kurt Angle to Doink The Clown. When you have a tag team partner dressed up in a bunny outfit, you've entered an entirely different realm of comedic mid-carder status.

Santino is retired and, as a result, Vince feels the need for someone to take that spot Santino occupied, so Adam Rose has gotten it. As a result, Vince likes what he's getting now. I'm not saying that Adam Rose would've been a major player on the main roster had his booking been entirely under the purview of Triple H, as it had been in NXT, but I do think it would've been far less cringe worthy. Vince McMahon LOVES the kind of stuff we're seeing in regards to Adam Rose & The Bunny as he's much more of a "sports entertainment" guy than Triple H. I'm not totally hating on "sports entertainment", some of it can be pretty damn entertaining, but Vince genuinely adores corny comedy. Fans are okay with what's going on with Rose & The Bunny right now because it's still new, it's a novelty for right now that hasn't overstayed its welcome. However, if this stuff is still going on a few months from now, then we'll see more and more people get tired of it.

Last night, Raw went up against Monday Night Football, a two episode season premiere of The Big Bang Theory, the season premiere of The Blacklist and a new episode of Dancing with the Stars; I don't see stuff like Adam Rose & The Bunny vs. Slater Gator drawing viewers. There was no follow up to Cena vs. Lesnar last night as neither Lesnar or Heyman were on the show last night. According to reports, Heyman was scheduled to be on last night's show but wasn't due to re-writes that were taking place while the show was in progress. In my opinion, and that's all it is, it's become apparent that Vince is becoming more & more out of touch with fans. As a result, I thinking it's time he steps down. I know it won't happen anytime soon, but there'll be virtually no "sports entertainment" and far stronger consistency in storylines if Triple H becomes the final decision maker for Raw & SD! as he currently is for NXT. As I've said in other posts, I'm not trying to imply that Triple H can do no wrong or that he doesn't or won't make mistakes, but he's simply a lot more stable and consistent when it comes to booking a wrestling program than Vince has been in a while.

 

[skyflope]

long time i don't watch raw, now he enters only with the bunny? i think is way better this way

 

[chuckmdubya]

The gimmick is entertaining but wont be forever. Eventually people will not care about his party on the way to the ring and want to see him give good matches. He can keep the gimmick, entourage, and bunny, and succeed. But he cannot keep letting the bunny win for him if he wants to be more than a flash in the pan "remember that guy" gimmick.

I'd throw out a guess and say he's gonna have to be more like Mick Foley was after the deranged mankind. If all you did was hear Foley's mic work, you'd have no respect for him as a wrestler. Not because he wasn't good but because he never talked tough. When your as tough as Mick was in the ring, it doesn't matter what u say, you have the fans respect. Rose is gonna have to put on great match after great match if he wants to be a main eventer with his party gimmick.

 

[enviousdominous]

Here's the thing; I had to force myself to endure yet another bit regarding this God awful Brie vs Nikki angle. I got up to brush my teeth, feed the dogs, play some exhibition matches in WWE Supercard and that stupid shit was still on the fucking tv!

After that, seeing a performer in a bunny costume play the role as if he was born to do so, and also show some damn impressive athleticism in the process, I was glad I didn't turn in for the night.

I usually scoff at the silly stuff, because usually the WWE settles for annoying stupidity in a failed attempt to achieve clever amusement. This was actually fun to watch. The guy (Sami?) was hopping up the stairs and shook his tail at Titus to antagonize him. I imagine that wearing that costume makes it a little harder to hit the spots with precision, I didn't notice any mistakes.

The Adam Rose thing annoyed me before, that he's just some demented socialite on day two of his crystal meth bender. The bunny makes him work for me, except I know that there's no way the bunny thing is going to be permanent. I'll just enjoy it while it lasts. I really hope that before it fizzles out, the bunny meets Erick Rowan in his sheep mask.

 

[JoeyJoeJoe]

Is anyone predicting a future for this act? Or will the whole circus be sent hopping down the bunny trail before the month is out?

Does it have to have a future? What's wrong with it being a diversion for the time being that dies by the time the fall is over?

 

[THTRobtaylor]

Of course it has a future... a future going into the Tag division... Gabriel and Rose were a famed team in South Africa... so it makes sense they team up now... I can see them going against the "bizarre ones" in Goldust and Stardust... it'd be surreal to have those two freaks going against the Bunny... but it could be gold for promos with the Dust brothers, (Alice in Wonderland allegories etc) and give Rose something a bit more substantial... have it end in a Bunny must umask match for the tag belts and it's revealed as Gabriel... the announcers can then acknowledge that he and Rose have teamed for years etc...

The only way it goes south is if they use it as a launch for someone else... it didn't work for Hector Guerrero and it won't for them...

 

[Pedigree1]

Its shit like this,the bunny gimmick that makes me think Vince drinks a lot and blacks out and makes these stupid decisions like this.. No one knows what goes on in Vince's mind and im not sure he even knows.. I understand its sports entertainment and there has to be comedy aspects to it,but this is just dumb IMO..

This especially is not good if your going head to head with MNF and Big Bang Theory,and the new show Gotham.. This is proof positive that Trips does not have the final say so and its still Vince in control.. Adam Rose is a talent,but this gimmick is just stupid.. Who the hell is supposed to buy a 35 year old party frat boy?? There has to some sort of realism with this..

People are okay with his now,but come end of october and survivor series time,this gimmick will die a slow death if it doesnt change course.. Adam needs a character change teaming up with Gabriel would be a good start.. Like THROBTaylor said,these two would make an excellent pair..

This kind of stuff especially with all the fall TV shows coming on,its not how you draw new viewers,this is how you lose viewers!

 

[Headman]

If what the websites are reporting is even remotely true it seems like Vince changes his mind from one extreme to another fairly quickly. An example would be "We need to have Brock go over big on Cena to set up Wrestlemania!". Then one week later "Oh crap! What did we do? We need to get Cena's shine back!". Personally I just think the dirt sheets are making stuff up and none of them really know what Vince Mcmahon is thinking.

 

[MartialHorror]

My problem right now is the redundancy of this storyline. Adam Rose and bunny are feuding with two of the unluckiest jobbers since Gilberg...and each match has the EXACT same finish. I sincerely believe that feuds>the individual performers.

Would Ambrose be anywhere near as interesting if he was in Adam Rose's place fighting Titus O'Neil? Because this feud is so flat and repetitive without seemingly any stakes, I could care less about Adam Rose or the bunny...even if they are talented. In a lot of ways, this bunny gimmick is a rehash of El Torito. It's funny for a moment, but once the joke wears off, what's next?

 

[JoeyJoeJoe]

It's funny for a moment, but once the joke wears off, what's next?

The next joke.

It's about making a bunch of kids laugh right now, and they'll laugh at the next time the joke is played.

El Torito and the Bunny have more in common with Hillbilly Jim, George The Animal Steele, and the Gobbledygooker from the old days of WWF wrestling than anything and is geared towards that audience.

I really think this talk of "the future of Adam Rose and the Bunny" misses the objective. Now, whether or not we agree that this should be focus of the WWE, or an objective at all is another matter entirely...

 

[Navi]

Its shit like this,the bunny gimmick that makes me think Vince drinks a lot and blacks out and makes these stupid decisions like this.. No one knows what goes on in Vince's mind and im not sure he even knows.. I understand its sports entertainment and there has to be comedy aspects to it,but this is just dumb IMO..

You of course are entitled to your opinion, but I disagree that this is dumb. The guy in the Bunny suit does a great job, and shows off some fantastic athleticism, despite being hampered by a furry bunny suit.

It can't be easy doing those moves in that outfit, and more than that the fans love it. Now if he was carrying a big stuffed carrot and knocked people out with that, then yes it's dumb. But this Bunny can superkick his way onto my TV screen anytime he wants. Not all wrestling has to be serious, and about the dire consequences that some promo's deliver. This is light hearted fun and does what it's supposed to do, be very entertaining.

I am awaiting the Bunny's heel turn.

 

[Mustang Sally]

I am awaiting the Bunny's heel turn.

I'm waiting for him to start throwing rabbit punches at Heath & Titus.

But seriously, folks. As mentioned several times in this topic, trying to figure what Vince McMahon ever has in mind is impossible. In the case of Adam Rose, I'm just looking to understand what (apparently) changed his mind about continuing the act. It could be the rumor mill was correct and Vince had ordered Rose & his Rosebuds banished from the airwaves, but someone might have gotten Vince's ear and told him the company had already invested time and effort into creating the damn freak show in the first place.....and to give them a chance to spruce up the product and see if it catches on. They certainly didn't do any tinkering with the opponents, since it's the same 3MB (oops.....I mean 3MB's apparent replacement) but Vince might have given Creative one more opportunity to fine tune.

Enter the rabbit.

 

[hatehabsforever]

I find it very interesting these days since obtaining the WWE Network, and thereby watching plenty of old vintage material, including the pre-Monday Night Wars, the Attitude Eta, etc., A common sentiment on there is that back in the days when WCW was kicking WWF's butt for weeks on end, that WWF was stuck in the mentality from the previous decade. As such, it was too cartoonish, too gimmicky, and frequently was insulting to the intelligence of their fan base (depending upon what demographic you choose to target). Only when they realized that the fans did not want to see clowns, and dentists, and garbagemen, etc., but rather were more interested in more realistic and physical action, only then did WWE rise to prominence and win the Wars. Gone was the foolishness, replaced by Austin, Degeneration X, etc., and the wars were over. I'm not suggesting that the Attitude Era was perfect, but at least it was not insulting to our intelligence and not a source of embarrassment to watch.

Fast forward to today, and what do we have? Ballroom dancers. Funkasaurus (well not anymore, but we did). Matadors, complete with a little bull. And now someone wrestling in a bunny suit. It's not hard to tell that WWE has a virtual monopoly on the business these days, basically uncontested, allowing them to revert back to the pre-Wars era, back to insulting our intelligence with cartoonish gimmicks which are not reality based. Sure, they still do have some realism. Ambrose versus Rollins. Cena versus Lesnar. But it seems to me that WWE is regressing, falling back into the same trap that almost put them out of business a decade or so ago.

That's how I see the bunny. While I'm not hopping mad about it, and while I appreciate comedic segments to a certain degree, I personally do not tune into professional wrestling to see midget bulls, and wrestling bunnies, and other cringeworthy nonsense that makes me embarrassed to still be a fan of the product. I hope this is going to be short lived, and we get a wrestler reveal who will take off the costume and wrestle again, then fine. But I for one do not have any interest whatsoever in seeing this crap on the show. I lived through the Goon, and Duke the dumpster Droese, Doink and Dink, and Isaac Yankem DDS. It didn't work then, and it doesn't work for me now. I'm not sure if this is a creative visionary difference between Triple H and Vince, or what. I hope there's no future for the bunny or any of the other foolishness. Let's get back to realistic wrestling again. And why not do so by turning the wrestling world upside down by doing the unthinkable. I'd take that over Hornswoggle or El Torito, any day of the week

 

[Terry Silver]

More people want the bunny than Adam rose