Is It Time To Give Joe Hennig His Name Back?

[Low_Ki]

I'm not going to go on and try and spell his current WWE name, I'll just call him Michael M for saving my embaressment.

Joe Hennig was introduced to the WWE audience during the New Nexus angle. Unfortunately, since then, creative, and to be honest he himself, hasn't really done a great deal. He is quite solid in ring, but I don't think I have ever heard him talk on a mic for more than 20 seconds.

He was in a very forgettable feud with Jerry Lawler which seemed to peter out, and I haven't seen him on TV in a while. (Maybe he is on Superstars, but I don't watch it).

My question is, is it time for a gimmick change and giving him his name back? I know I don't want him to fail. I like the kid. His father was my idol, and not to mention a truly gifted performer. I really hope for his sake they give him something to run with. I mean, come on, even David 'Z-List' Otunga has a gimmick that kind-of works for him at the minute.

Thoughts?

 

[Richard Blonoff]

I know some guys who come from famous families will change their stage name so they can actually get legit work based on skill and not just have people feel their name got them there.

That said he needs all the help he can get. Give him a little time back in FCW wrestling under his real name then call him back up

 

[TheJbody]

I don't want Joe Hennig to fail either but there are a lot of secnd generation superstars who aren't as good as their father. David Flair is one example and the DiBiase brothers may be another. They should send him back to FCW to work on a new gimmick and change his name if they want.

 

[David]

I just think they do it to remove the pressure off of him, like somebody said above not many stars are as good as their fathers, with the exceptions of the most recent cases of the rock and randy orton, who have both surpassed their fathers. I think they gave him the michael M name just so people don't think of him as mr perfects son, so his expectations aren't as high as they would be if he cam out to joe henning. I don't think they'll ever change his name but he does need something new to help him out

 

[Wald]

I wouldn't change him to his real name. If you announce him as Mr.Perfect's son there is a huge expectation for him to be at least nearly as good as his dad. He isn't, he's solid in the ring but he will never be on Perfect's level, so the tag of 'Not as good as his dad' would always be there

 

[Straightedge Jericoholic]

First of all they should change Mcgillwhatsoever into something else, keeping the Michael. According to me he just needs to be absent from TV long enough for everybody to forget him(Won't be that hard). Put him in FCW and change his gimmick or maybe just give him a gimmick cause he doesn't have one to change. Or the another idea would be to put him in a tag team with Skip Sheffield. Both would be irrelevant when they re-debut. So put him in a tag team, give him a gimmick that compliments Ryback(If Skip debuts as Ryback) and let them rise up the ranks. That would atleast make him more relevant than now.

 

[Davi323]

I don't think it's actually the WWE's to give back. It was my understanding that the decision to be Michael McGillicutty (why is this so hard to spell for some people?) was his choice, that it was somehow a family name, and he wanted to see what he could do outside of the inevitable shadow of his father's legacy. That's mostly anecdotal and could be completely false...that was just the impression that I had.

Otherwise, I would assume that Joe would be allowed to wrestle using the name Hennig as soon as he can start wrestling like a Hennig.

 

[Pedigree1]

IS this the E jobs to give back or michael Mcgillicuttys aka joe hennig? Poor guy is stuck big time being mr perfects son is a tall order hes ok in the ring but he will never be as good as his dad was!! He needs a gimmick that fits him people need to forget about him for a bit!! I dont even know if hes still on any roster i dont think he is is he? Theres too much pressure on him especially for second generation starts David Flair Bret Dibiase. Joe is a stud in the ring but not his dad hell who could be??

 

[#hamler]

Who the hell cares?

Since when does having your fathers' last name give you more charisma, in-ring skill or anything even remotely similar to the skills his father possessed ? Giving Michael the name Hennig means nothing. He's still going to be lifeless in the WWE, boring and charisma-less. What good does it do Ted DiBiase? Do you honestly think Orton is where he is because of the name Orton? Michael McGillicutty needs to make a name for himself then well talk a name change. K? K.

 

[Piss Bucket]

Who the hell cares?

Since when does having your fathers' last name give you more charisma, in-ring skill or anything even remotely similar to the skills his father possessed ? Giving Michael the name Hennig means nothing. He's still going to be lifeless in the WWE, boring and charisma-less. What good does it do Ted DiBiase? Do you honestly think Orton is where he is because of the name Orton? Michael McGillicutty needs to make a name for himself then well talk a name change. K? K.

Randy Orton is where he is because of his family connections, and the fact HHH is big on him.

 

[#hamler]

Randy Orton is where he is because of his family connections, and the fact HHH is big on him.

Sure there's a chance that the WWE might have first signed Orton because of his last name but that's not the reason Orton is the second biggest face in the WWE right now. Orton made a name for himself. He didn't rely on his father's legacy to get by in the business. Orton displayed everything it took for the WWE higher ups and the fans to accept him. His name Orton has nothing to do with his success. McGillicutty needs to take notes.

 

[JAB025]

I honestly don't think it matters what you call him. If he can't connect with the fans he will never make it regardless of last names.

He's got a lot of work to do to get back some TV time. An actual gimmick would help. Because quite frankly the "guy wearing backwards baseball cap" wasn't doing it for me.

 

[shafe_41]

There's nothing you can give him that will make him interesting. Unless he rides to the ring on a pink zebra throwing glitter and donuts with sprinkles to the crowd, he's plain and boring in every sense of the word. He needs a complete and total overhaul and re-packaging. You can't give his career the 10-count yet... but he's at 9 and still unconscious laying outside the ring. Just remember The Ringmaster. Though that was head over heels better than MM right now... maybe I'm comparing that gimmick to the SCSA gimmick... but The Ringmaster wasn't exactly interesting in the grand scheme of things. MM needs a brand new everything.

 

[Arsenal]

How is the guy supposed to get over when he has no gimmick? His dad got over huge because of the Mr. Perfect gimmick. The WWE is stupid to think that they can just throw him in there with no gimmick and he'll get over. Where's the creativity these days?

 

[nbieclkl91]

Give him back the Joe Henning name, turn him face and team him up with Ted Dibiase to creater "The Fortunate Sons". I did it in WWE 12 and I gotta say, it looks pretty cool. But seriously, they could be a very dominate tag team and it would help make both of them relevant...

 

[JJ15776]

Randy Orton is where he is because of his family connections, and the fact HHH is big on him.

So the fans cheer him because his last name is Orton? Even better, when the fans hear his music, their first thought is "Oh cool, HHH likes this guy! I'm going to stand up and clap my hands!"?

Sure, he got the opportunity because of his family connections. Most guys in the WWE get there through some kind of connection. It's up to them to take advantage of that opportunity. Look at Drew McIntyre...when he first started all we heard about was how much HHH, Shawn Michaels, etc. loved the guy. How's that working out for him now?

I honestly don't think it matters what you call him. If he can't connect with the fans he will never make it regardless of last names.

Bingo. Names mean NOTHING long term. All they are is a first impression. Once you get used to the name, which doesn't take long, it becomes irrelevant. It has no impact on how you view the person.

To answer the original question, giving him his name back isn't going to help. Or hurt. Giving him a gimmick isn't going to make much of a difference, either. He needs to start making the 'universe' care about him. No matter what he's called, or what his gimmick is, he needs to connect with the crowd. That's the bottom line.

 

[TimAH]

Give him back the Joe Henning name, turn him face and team him up with Ted Dibiase to creater "The Fortunate Sons". I did it in WWE 12 and I gotta say, it looks pretty cool. But seriously, they could be a very dominate tag team and it would help make both of them relevant...

Itd be a great idea of the WWE had ability to make a legit tag division. Unfortunately theyd probalby win the titles their first time together and then break up a month later. If they were actually committed to having a tag division putting these two together along with a manager who is good on the mic could do wonders for their careers.

 

[Headman]

Randy Orton is where he is because of his family connections, and the fact HHH is big on him.

Yeah, let's ignore the fact that he's insanely over and go with what you said. We can also ignore the fact that most 2nd generation superstars all the way back to David Sammartino and Greg Gagne fail to escape their fathers shadows. The Rocks and Randy Ortons of this world are few and far between. So while their names might get them in the door the record shows that they are more likely to fail than succeed. And Triple H can be as high on him as he wants but if Orton were getting cricket sounds when he walked to the ring he would not be in the position he's in.

As for the actual topic. Yes, I think he should use his real name. It's one thing to want to make your own legacy, but everyone knows who he is so at this point the name change is meaningless. Not to mention he picked a name that in no way rolls off the tongue. At least as a last ditch effort to save him from his "bust" status they should make the change and see what happens.

 

[thelegacywillremain1]

i dont think they will ever change is name they had the chance to do so when he was with cm punk in the new nexus storyline being that cm punk is a reality base superstar but with that being said we have to remember this is a young guy who is still trying to find his way give it time who knows where this guy will be in two years look at zack ryder he went from being a edgehead almost released and 3 years later he's a main player on raw and the us champ im just saying give it time doesnt matter the name

 

[Arsenal]

So the fans cheer him because his last name is Orton? Even better, when the fans hear his music, their first thought is "Oh cool, HHH likes this guy! I'm going to stand up and clap my hands!"?

Sure, he got the opportunity because of his family connections. Most guys in the WWE get there through some kind of connection. It's up to them to take advantage of that opportunity. Look at Drew McIntyre...when he first started all we heard about was how much HHH, Shawn Michaels, etc. loved the guy. How's that working out for him now?



Bingo. Names mean NOTHING long term. All they are is a first impression. Once you get used to the name, which doesn't take long, it becomes irrelevant. It has no impact on how you view the person.

To answer the original question, giving him his name back isn't going to help. Or hurt. Giving him a gimmick isn't going to make much of a difference, either. He needs to start making the 'universe' care about him. No matter what he's called, or what his gimmick is, he needs to connect with the crowd. That's the bottom line.

Wrong. A gimmick *is* a way to make the 'universe' care about him. So is having the same name as his father. Orton had both those things (the "Legend Killer" was his gimmick), and he got placed in one of the best stables of all time (Evolution) to get a rub from all-time greats like Triple H and Ric Flair. "Mike McGillicutty" has gotten none of those things.

Randy Orton got pushed heavily as soon as he arrived, and has been around for almost 10 years, so it's ridiculous to compare the two. Give MM the same type of huge push and wait 9 or 10 years, then we'll see how over he is.

 

[Trill Co$by]

Randy Orton is where he is because of his family connections, and the fact HHH is big on him.

Triple H was big on Chris Masters... look where that got him.


There's an old poem that begins with "What is in a name but a name?" and within the wrestling world, that's all that should be asked really. Michael McGuillicutty (see? not that hard) is not going anywhere because he has a weird name... He's not going anywhere because he has a shitty in-ring presence and an even worse mic presence. And don't give me that "he can work on it" bull shit because he was in FCW before going to NXT... and correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't FCW meant to DEVELOP mic skills? And he got to main television with none of them? Yeah, I'm sorry but his name is not why he's at the bottom.

 

[#hamler]

Wrong. A gimmick *is* a way to make the 'universe' care about him. So is having the same name as his father. Orton had both those things (the "Legend Killer" was his gimmick), and he got placed in one of the best stables of all time (Evolution) to get a rub from all-time greats like Triple H and Ric Flair. Mike McGillicutty has gotten none of those things.

McGillicutty has absolutely NO charisma...like at all. Why would you push Michael when he doesn't even show that he cares? He shows no passion, no charisma and doesn't even stand out from the rest of the WWE roster. The major difference between Randy Orton and Michael McGillicutty is that Orton immediately showed he had what it took to grow and learn the WWE's style very quickly. Mcgillicutty had plenty of chances to show us what he had. His time in New Nexus saw him on Raw at least 3 times out of the month. Yet, he continued to show nothing.

Randy Orton got pushed heavily as soon as he arrived, and has been around for almost 10 years, so it's ridiculous to compare the two. Give MM the same type of huge push and wait 9 or 10 years, then we'll see how over he is.

Orton debuted around March 2002. Then debuted with Evolution around February of 2003. That means a year of Heat, Velocity and other matches on shows that do not matter. Yet he showed something. Triple H and Ric Flair (two very seasoned veterans) obviously saw something in Orton. With guys like John Cena or Randy Orton or CM Punk who've worked with Joe in the past, why aren't they backing Joe to the top like Flair and HHH did to Orton? Why aren't these guys going up to Vince and demanded he is pushed? He brings nothing to the table that isn't already there. Even if you did change his name, give him a push, why would anyone cheer for him? Ted DiBiase shows charisma, uses his dad's name. Yet barely gets any sort of reaction. Michael McGillicutty or Joe Hennig would be no different.

 

[The 1-2-3 Killam]

I usually call him McChicken, just for the sake of simplicity. Also, because his personality resembles that of a dried-out, boring $1 sandwich from a fast food establishment. Oh, poor Michael McLagenBaggen... One thing I will never understand is an angle where a legendary has-been buries a current talent that is already having enough trouble getting over as it is! I mean, what more does Jerry Lawler need to accomplish in the wrestling world? Was "ruin an up-and-comers career" on the check-list before retirement?

I'm sure McDoogleburger can mount a full come-back. After all, he's got such "great in-ring skills" and "huge potential" since he's the son of a former legend! Do you know what son of a former legend has good, proven in-ring skill? Either of the Uso boys! At least we've seen good matches from them, unlike McBrokeback! Literally all I've seen from him is a half-dozen lackluster matches with Brotunga attached at his hip. Where are these hidden tapes showcasing the illustrious ring work of Michael McBadbat?

But if you want him to be taken seriously, he needs a name change. Joe Hennig might sound more vanilla than a McFlurry (see what I did there?), but at least I'd have to try harder to bastardize it...

 

[DirtyD79]

Really what's the point of introducing him and Husky Harris as the sons of Mike Rotunda and Curt Hennig when you're just gonna give them different names anyway? It's like they were basically saying "Just pretend we didn't say that...out loud for everyone to see on national TV."

 

[One to Remember]

I usually call him McChicken, just for the sake of simplicity. Also, because his personality resembles that of a dried-out, boring $1 sandwich from a fast food establishment. Oh, poor Michael McLagenBaggen... One thing I will never understand is an angle where a legendary has-been buries a current talent that is already having enough trouble getting over as it is! I mean, what more does Jerry Lawler need to accomplish in the wrestling world? Was "ruin an up-and-comers career" on the check-list before retirement?

I'm sure McDoogleburger can mount a full come-back. After all, he's got such "great in-ring skills" and "huge potential" since he's the son of a former legend! Do you know what son of a former legend has good, proven in-ring skill? Either of the Uso boys! At least we've seen good matches from them, unlike McBrokeback! Literally all I've seen from him is a half-dozen lackluster matches with Brotunga attached at his hip. Where are these hidden tapes showcasing the illustrious ring work of Michael McBadbat?

But if you want him to be taken seriously, he needs a name change. Joe Hennig might sound more vanilla than a McFlurry (see what I did there?), but at least I'd have to try harder to bastardize it...

Brotunga? Are you a mcbigot? lol Was Buelah McGilicutty any less hot because her two names were stupid? I don't like Joe Hennig either but they could always call him Mr. Perfect Jr. or Curt Hennig Jr. He could simply just be Mr. Perfect. How much did having a father's or forerunners name hurt Mysterio, Dos Caras jr. (Alberto del Rio), or El Hijo del Santo, or Carlito?

It's basically broken down into three catogories. Guys who benefitted from their father's name, those who faltered because of expectations, and those who just remained stationary.

I think the Windhams benefitted from Blackjack Mulligan, I think Rey Mysterio benefitted from his uncle, I think Eddie and Chavo both benefitted from their fathers and the Guerrero surname. I think in Carlito's home turf he benefitted from Carlos Colón Sr.

Shawn Stasiak pretty much went up and down in his career just based on his performance. Stan "the Man" Stasiak's career did not effect his and I don't recall Shawn ever being called the son of a WWWF champion.. I think people hinted at Brian Christopher being Jerry Lawler's son but it did not help or hinder him. Probably got him the job and daddy trying to make up for child hood blunders probably stoved off a few releases but it was all on him to remain a float. Rikishi is not effecting the Uso's out either. David Hart-Smith did not benefit from the Hart family or being British Bulldog's son. Natalya had to shine on her own and has. Goldust did well for himself, in the WWF he did better then his father, in WCW/The NWA not so well, in WCW he was horrid his last tenure.

David Sammartino, "THE NATURAL" DUSTIN RHODES", David Flair, Greg Gagne, and to an extent Ted DiBiase Jr. and maybe his brothers are probably going to be hurt by DiBiase Sr.'s legacy because they did not have the capacity to handle a direct persona and character transplant.. But the guys above have no contemporary relevence and I feel its a tired and no longer accurate statement that having a legendary dad will destroy your career. Plus its going to be WWE'S JOB to explain who the new wrestler's relatives are and they have to re-establish the parent or grand parent's impact. WWE can do that in a way not to overwhelm the rookie's star power..

P.S. The Green Ranger was not fundementally evil he was just of ambiguous origins as far as his powers went. Eitherway it was all just a scheme to make the dumb White Ranger the new popular boss. Shit I got the point when they reissued Tommy the vest and the fancy arm bands lmao