Is John Morrison main event material?

[jellmoo]

Would you like him to read out a script? He already has what looks like the five moves of doom that all main eventers have. He doesn't over sell nor does he no sell. He's not afraid to do great spots either. Look up TLC match against Sheamus. He sold his knee like it was broken.

No, I want him to tell a story that has a beginning, a middle and an end. He needs to who us *why* he is doing what he's doing, rather than him simply doing something because it looks visually impressive. That's the very definition of a spot monkey: going from high spot to high spot with no reasoning in the middle.

What exactly does he need to improve upon? He has a unique arsenal of moves. Its not always punch, kick and struggle in the corner. Diversity creates excitment. Its what Cena's hated for.

It has nothing to do with the number of moves you use. It's about stringing together those moves appropriately, and telling the story of how you intend to beat your opponent with them. Watch a HHH or Undertaker match. Everything they do, they do for a reason. They use impressive spots too, but they do it in such a way that they come together to create a whole. John Morrison hasn't figured out how to do this yet. He just uses high spots to get a crowd reaction.

So you have an interview with him do you? Now, if he had the Shelton Benjamin syndrome and was too lazy to improve that'd be an issue. But he changed his look and his coat, I'd say he wants to improve.

An interview? What the hell are you... Never mind.

Do you honestly think that growing a scruffy beard and wearing a different coat is what he needed to do?

Rey Mysterio vs John Morrison IC title. Look it up.
Morrison vs Hardy IC title, look it up
Morrison vs Sheamus TLC
Morrison vs Miz at Raw
Morrison at EC 2011

They aren't classics by any means but they were fantastic matches for sure.

The very definition of a 5 star match is a classic. His matches with Mysterio and Sheamus were very, very good. But in both cases it was because he had a lot of help from his opponent.

Look up the Miz and Morrison show they used to do when they were Tag Team. Morrison's mic skills are a result of ******ed dialouges and bad jokes the creative team makes up.

Yet other superstars use the "******ed dialogues and bad jokes" and still manage to put together a good promo. John Morrison does not. So what do you do when a guy's best mic work is as a hell, but his entire wrestling catalog demands that he be a face?

Why shouldn't he be? I mean okay I understand if you don't like the guy but really, why not? If the WWE doesn't have confidence in him to be a WWE champ then give him the WHC title. He can run with a world championship for sure.

Why? He can't talk and his matches are spot after spot? What does he bring to the main event scene that isn't better suited to the mid-card or low level main event scene? The "water cooler talk" talk the next day about John Morrison is never going to be about the awesome promo he cut, or the amazing 30 minute match he had. It's always going to be about this crazy spot or stunt he did. That works just as well, for the same effect in the mid-card.

 

[Dowdsy McDowds]

I'm just wondering, do we know Vince doesn't want him to be a spot monkey? That's always a complaint I hear against the guy, and I'm not saying that isn't the case, but surely by now if Vince didn't want him doing that kind of stuff he'd have let it be known by now? Sure some of the fans here may want to see him change and improve (or have) some ring psychology, but if the guy is getting good pops from the crowd and is making money... then what's the harm?

On the subject of his good matches, I thought his triple threat with Miz and Bryan last year (can't remember the PPV) was pretty solid and entertaining. Did that start off his parkour gimmick?

Morrison had a good thing going with Jericho before he left, and if anyone can put Morrison over, who better than Jericho? IF Jericho comes back of course, if not then John may need to find a similar opponent to Jericho but for the life of me I can't think of who else would be as good.

I like Morrison, but if he never wins the big one I wont really mind. Having said that, if he does eventually end up winning the title a year or so from now I reckon he'll get an amazing reaction.

 

[Dwayne_Jason]

No, I want him to tell a story that has a beginning, a middle and an end. He needs to who us *why* he is doing what he's doing, rather than him simply doing something because it looks visually impressive. That's the very definition of a spot monkey: going from high spot to high spot with no reasoning in the middle.

I understand where you're coming from.

So allow me to explain using a Youtube video:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfM2zbDETt0

Skip to 1:45 to see Morrison in action.

Keep in mind the story before this: Punk tried to blind Morrison. This is before EC and Morrison's supposed to be pissed.

Alright, so he jumped in the ring. I can see where one would see a spot monkey esque thing but that kind of thing gives him pops so I suppose its alright.

After that he performs a Lou Thez of sorts. People usually do the takedown and punch routine when they're pissed so this is John Morrison going "I'm pissed the fuck off." He performs another Takedown this one with more impact. Another move of agression. This shows "Shit just got real." Then he goes after Mcguillicutty, you can see where I'm going with this. He's brawling more than doing high flying moves. Now, does that mean he's a brawler? No, but you can see that he has some sort of ring psychology where instead of doing his usual routine, he wants to make people believe he's pissed. Notice when he yells "I hope you're watching Punk."

Now I understand this is a special case, so if you see a video where he's spotting over and over please show me.

It has nothing to do with the number of moves you use. It's about stringing together those moves appropriately, and telling the story of how you intend to beat your opponent with them. Watch a HHH or Undertaker match. Everything they do, they do for a reason. They use impressive spots too, but they do it in such a way that they come together to create a whole. John Morrison hasn't figured out how to do this yet. He just uses high spots to get a crowd reaction.

Well yeah and he does that doesn't he? I fail to see where he does random attacks and doesn't string any moves together. Could you show me an example?

An interview? What the hell are you... Never mind.

Lol, meant that as a joke, what I mean by this is that you can't say "He's not working hard." If you've never talked to spoken to him. Everything else is hearsay.

Do you honestly think that growing a scruffy beard and wearing a different coat is what he needed to do?

No, but its a start isn't it?

The very definition of a 5 star match is a classic. His matches with Mysterio and Sheamus were very, very good. But in both cases it was because he had a lot of help from his opponent.

Well, there's a five star match and then there's a classic. A classic is when a match goes above and beyond your dreams. A match you remember forever. A five star would be a match that you're thoroughly entertained by. Shawn Micheals vs Shelton Benjamin. That was a five star match. Shawn Micheals vs Undertaker. That was classic.

Yet other superstars use the "******ed dialogues and bad jokes" and still manage to put together a good promo. John Morrison does not. So what do you do when a guy's best mic work is as a hell, but his entire wrestling catalog demands that he be a face?

Tell me one midcarder that has had a decent dialouge. Just one. Okay, I'll pick a recent one: R-Truth. As a face, how was he? As a heel? The difference is the dialouges not the actor.

And his mic work is not hell, he does what he can with what is given to him. The dialouge between Truth and Morrison for example. They couldn't ab-lib the whole thing. I mean that entire segment reeked of fakeness. No one friend talks like that to another. I think Morrison, if given a chance to ad-lib a lot of his lines can do well. I'm not saying he's the rock, but he's certainly not as bad as people make him out to be.

Why? He can't talk and his matches are spot after spot?

Please see above.

What does he bring to the main event scene that isn't better suited to the mid-card or low level main event scene?

Well for one, a non-conclusive feud with Miz, a feud with Cena, Orton, Del Rio, Punk and Jericho.

The "water cooler talk" talk the next day about John Morrison is never going to be about the awesome promo he cut, or the amazing 30 minute match he had. It's always going to be about this crazy spot or stunt he did. That works just as well, for the same effect in the mid-card.

Sure I get that, but here's the thing. What's the emphasis in WWE on? Cena or Evan Bourne? Who's gonna showcase their talents more as a result? Put it this way...

People pop when Cena and Orton see face to face. Or if Cena and Del Rio see face to face. Why? Cause they wanna see a match. If they see Bourne and Cena face to face the reaction won't be as big. Why? Simple because Bourne isn't near the level Orton or Del Rio currently is at.

 

[Tors Hall Rule]

Is he even more over than Mark Henry?

He definitely has exciting matches, but is he really any better than an Evan Bourne, Kavaal, or Jamie Noble?

His work on the mic never fails to be cringeworthy and very ackward sounding. It's painful to listen to this man speak.

His "look" right now is trash too. The guy looks like a fruitcake and he's not intimidating at all. Like another poster said above, it would probably be best for him to ditch the jacket and tights for something more plain, and maybe shave his head.

Is he over than Mark Henry.. Kindly tell me that do you watch wrestling while keeping the TV on mute..??

Evan Bourne, Kaval, Jamie Noble... I believe that JoMo has won more championships in WWE alone than all these people combined and I don't think they were ever in World title frame. This is now Morrison's third shot at the big one.

Spell check..

I agree with the look factor though. He also needs a entrance theme overhaul. Maybe a fast paced rock song. Not this one though.

 

[GrandSword]

I'm excited to see a JoMo / Del Rio feud. This could catapult Morrison into big time title contention.

The writers have dropped the ball on the Miz / Morrison feud which really could have had JoMo be a real threat to the belt. I think a high flying war with ADR would set Raw alight, and hope creative put them in a hot program.

 

[ocekit]

I like JoMo and think he could be a potential main eventer. He needs an overhaul in both his look and his attitude in order to get there and stay there on a regular basis.
Maybe it's just me, but sometimes it feels like he's just going through the motions, and doesn't act like he really cares about what he's saying. It's like he's lost some of the fire that should be driving him. Perhaps the backstage politics dragged him down, he's not feeling the script, or he's just having an off day, but something is definitely affecting his game.

 

[JWGunslinger]

You know I used to think he was main event status, not even 2 months ago I would have said that but it recent weeks it has become clear to me that he is not. I have thought J Mo has deserved that spotlight for some time, especially after his performance in the Elimination Chamber. After that event I was dying to get him in the world title scene but watching him since I have realized that he isnt evolving as a wrestler. Yes he in extremly athletic and capable but he needs to be able to mix things up when he doesnt have a cage or ladder to change his set, his major flaw tho is not his wrestling becoming a dull rerun.
To be a main eventer you cannot have many holes in your game, I will definetly say that Morrison's ring work is AWESOME, however his mic skills are so horrible that until he improves those skills he does not belong in the main event.

Bottom line is he needs a good feud that he can try some new stuff in, and have someone help him on the mic. I really do want to see him improve and make it to the main event but he's not quite there yet.

 

[It's...Baylariat!]

Breaking NEWS!

John Morrison is NOT Main Event material. Lariat has the report...

Lariat's Computer - John Morrison has struggled to get past main event status since he's separated from The Miz. Why? Because his gimmick has ran it's course, it's not 'timeless'. Imagine Edge keeping his goth gimmick for his entire run. Or Jericho still being Lionheart after nearly 20 years. Morrison needs to get rid of the hippie music and become serious. If I was a wrestler and I called out someone and then heard a cheap knock off of a Jimi Hendrix song over the loud speakers, I'd laugh.

Morrison can get there. He has that fucked up move set and the look, so if he's willing to reinvent himself, then Vince will give him a shot. Also, I think Morrison needs to get in a fight with someone. Apparently, he's seen as a pussy... and that's not going to endear yourself to Vince or anyone in power. He should sucker punch HHH or something.

But seriously, anyone who thinks Morrison can be a champion with his current gimmick is fooling themselves. Unless he changes in the next few months, he'll merely get a sniff of the title picture.

 

[cmedge]

The Prince of Parkour, The Shaman of Sexy, The Guru of Greatness, The Honcho of Hotness and The Monday Night Delight. John Morrison has almost all the credentials to do well.

First of all his look.

John Morrison is aligned with a new and unique look. From his coat to his sunglasses with the cross on it even to his tights. John Morrison has a unique and great look.

Second of all he has the physique.

He is a highflyer but he isn't small like Rey or Evan. He's fairly average and he has great abs if I may say. He isn't to small so it helps his believability when he is kicking around all sorts of big guys like Swagger or Sheamus.

Third of all he has a perfect entrance.
The slow motion, the timing, the fire works. Everything is great.

Fourth of all he has the natural born charisma
Morrison may not have Rock or Jericho kind of mic skills. But he does have some sort of charisma. He's charismatic.

Fifth of all he has the fan support
JoMo is one of the most over superstars in the entire WWE. He isn't massively over like Taker or Trips but he is really over. He does recieve huge babyface reactions sometimes.

Sixth of all
He has decent wrestling skills. People say he is a spotmonkey but he is "entertaining" when he is doing all sorts of crazy jumps and flips and kicks. We all love to see it. He can also put on a decent match. He had 3 of the best matches in 2009. His match against Jeff, Edge, and Rey Mysterio. All glorified choices of match of the year next to Taker and Shawn.

Seventh of all
The character perfomance is splendidly performed. He comes across as this pretty boy, badass (because of his beard) who could do all sorts of crazy moves and that needs to be taken seriously. He has the support of the crowd and he is this up and coming babyface superstar. His heel character perfromance was way more enhanced. Being more cocky, cool, using all sorts of big words, he was funny and he cut some of the best promos in the WWE at the time. He can easily be an effective and believable heel or face.

So coming to a conclusion...

Why do people honestly believe that John Morrison doesn't deserve to be a main eventer.

Sure he wasn't as good as HBK was when he was an up and coming midcarder. But Morrison is damn good and talented. It would be a waste of talent if he becomes this transitional midcarder who moves to upper midcarder status back down to jobber. John Morrison is better than that. Many of the IWC disagree with JoMo. But many of the IWC do like JoMo.

JoMO is one talented cat and deserves to be used correctly. A slow push like he has been having is excatly what he needs. To become this up and coming superstar moving throw the ranks beating big names like Sheamus and Jericho
and having victories over Dolph Ziggler and etc. This push could even be for a couple of years. HBK was pushed from 1992 and recieved many title shots until he finally won at Mania 12. JoMo doesn't need to win now, it could be next year or even the year after. Let him go through with this slow build up. So he will look like a real star like a Rock, or an Austin, or A Shawn or maybe even a Cena. He deserves to look like a star not some midcarder pretending to be a main eventer. (Sheamus, Miz, Swagger, Dolph Ziggler) Thank God WWE pushed Alberto Del Rio correctly. But legit, seriously. That could improve the quality of characters that the WWE used to take pride in building. A slow build up and years of effort is what's needed. Not a couple of months of victories or god forbid a win over Goldust and then becoming the new WWE Champion.

But John Morrison has almost all the right tools to become one of the best. All he does is that he needs to stop smiling so much and look more intense instead of looking like a generic babyface sometimes cause he smiles to much. A little work on his mic skills could help. Because it's harder to be a face then a heel. John Morrison pulls of his heel character better and his mic skills are better as heel. So he needs to work on his mic skills as a face.

He also needs to stop getting in trouble backstage and needs to earn the respect of future legends like Trish. Instead of letting his push get to his head.

But one day I promise you JoMo will be big.

 

[iwinulose]

i agree with most of that, i disagree with the statement about trish as she really isnt that good inring, i was disappointed as i expected more out of someone so highly regarded.

 

[Long Island Iced WXYZ]

I don't see Morrison as a maineventer.

I don't think he has the charisma, the mic skills or the in ring ability to be a big player.

He's not as over as the IWC would think, they have a tendency to overrate guys that they see are not getting a push.

I see Morrison as a mid carder and that's it.

I think he works better as a heel but with R-Truth turning that won't be happening anytime soon.

The fact of the matter is everyone thought that Morrison would skyrocket to the mainevent and leave his tag team partner The Miz to wallow away and eventually get released. But Miz evolved enough to get to the top.

Morrison hasn't done that, he's basically the same as that guy "Johnny Nitro."

 

[wushady]

I think he could be a main event level star if he improves his mic skills. He also needs to add to his move set. He's exciting to watch some of his spots are flat out amazing. However he needs to work on his mat wrestling skills. A high flier that relies heavily on high risk spots usually don't move past the mid card. HBK was a high flier but could also mat wrestler better than most other top stars. I've read reports that Vince McMahon didn't think RVD World champion material for the longest time because he was unorthodox and relied on high spots. He was finally given the title mainly to promote the ECW relaunch. If he improves and stays out of trouble backstage he should be a World/WWE champion soon.

 

[ThatGuy99]

Xcon most of the wrestling fans you know dont like Morrison? Most of the wrestling fans you know probably make up less than 5% of the "wrestling" fan base. And maybe you should've written "most of the wrestling fans I know" in your first post??
And as for that promo with R-truth. I just watched that promo again TWICE, with headphones on, and i can promise you, throughout the whole thing, i heard more "pops" and "yays" than "boos" and what were they booing? the bad jokes, and its not like he told 50 in that promo. In fact, I've just watched 5 of his past promos...and I heard more yays than boos, in the promo from 3 weeks ago, the crowd was quite behind him. YOU get YOUR facts straight and dont just post out of your dislike of Morrison without actually reviewing what you're criticising. Dislike him all you want, but a lot more people like John Morrison than there are who dislike him.

 

[blueskyy]

John Cena is supposed to be main event "material", but I never pay much attention to his match, his promo, or his interview on RAW or PPV; John Morrison, supposedly just a mid-card, but I would never miss him in action. What does this tell you about his mic-skill, or in-ring ability?

Well, to those who kept criticizing about his mic-skill, or him being a spot monkey, ask yourself these questions:

1. When it comes to the mic, where do you think he fair against the other superstars on the roaster? I'd admit that he is not as good as Sheamus, Triple H, The Undertaker, or Wadd Barret, but as a mid-card, what do you expect him to talk about when he has nothing to talk about? In his feud against Sheamus, I think he carried himself pretty well, at least better than a lot of other superstar in the locker room, namely, John Cena, The Rock (in his Wrestlemania comeback), Michael Cole, and even Edge (who hadn't been the same since he returned from his injury to the WWE).

2. When it comes to in-ring ability, where do you think he fair against the other superstars? Other than Jack Swagger, Kofe Kingston, Undertaker, Tripple H, Shaemus, and even Primo (in his latest match with Sin Cara), most of the other wrestlers aren't exactly what I called technical wrestlers. Where do you think John Morrison stands among them?

For me, if a wrestler can have 4 out of 5 good matches against different opponents, he is a good wrestlers, and should probably be given a push. I hate to think that he wasn't given the opportunity because of personal issues, or attitude problems...

 

[thedukeofpearls]

Morrison never did it for me TBH.
Sure, he has some talent, does alot of spots, and has a finisher that's a regular move in TNA which looks a little decent, but there's something about him that just screams mid carder rather than main eventer; I'd even say a low card act.

I'm sure many would like to disagree with me about this, but he's been around over 5 years and has yet to lose the mid card repetoire.
I personally think he'd do better in a different promotion altogether.

 

[berlinbrawler]

Months ago I had proposed a scenario that went "Morrison should keep the title until Summerslam and drop it to Morrison then."
At the time I didn't take it seriously because I expected Cena to win the belt at Wrestlemania. Now it looks like the Michaels-Jannetty Summerslam main event may be real.

In other words, I'm getting my wish. Careful what you wish for...
Recent outings have indeed made me doubt if Morrison really belongs in that spot. One in particular - his infamous water/cigarrette-promo with R-Truth. You know you suck when R-Truth has to carry you through a promo. It was nothing short of a trainwreck.

I'll say this though: The only really good match I have seen from the Miz was early this year against Morrison. So a main event match between the two, regardless of who wins it, would probably help both guys. I would just be concerned that Morrison screws up the build up.

 

[xcoN]

Thatguy, alot of people like Hogan too, but that doesn't make him a good wrestler now does it? Maybe you shouldn't have taken what I said so personally. No, instead you tried to cause problems because you got butthurt over me saying Morrison is a spot-monkey. Parkour, and doing random kicks, and botches spots doesn't make him a good wrestler. You should probably get your ears checked because alot of that crowd was booing him along with every fan out their who realizes how bad Morrison is. He can definitely improve since he's still young but right now he's below average.

 

[ThatGuy99]

Xcon, im starting to think that the majority of those boos you heard were your own. A lot of the crowd was booing him in the promo from three weeks ago? certainly not in THAT arena. and the term spot monkey is certainly over-used. what? do you want everyone to stick to submission wrestling and have a moveset with nothing but suplexes and headlocks? This business won't survive that way. IT WONT and that is closer to a fact than simply my own opinion. Morrison offers something called variety, if you don't like it. thats fine, but not everyone has be like Daniel Bryan or Chris Benoit to be considered a good wrestler. Morrison can slow the pace down and he's able to use more technical moves. i never said he was great or the next big thing. but he's got more likers than dislikers, he hasn't botched often as of recently (but if he has hey post some proof)
and he's a good seller who can make his opponents look good

 

[Trill Co$by]

John Morrison is straight up jobber to the stars material, and even THAT is more than he deserves. The guy's moveset is so unappealing and his entrance has to be one of the stupidest entrances I've seen. And honestly, even though he wasn't on TV in the last month or so, R-Truth was FAR better suited as a third person for this match.

Putting past my endless hate for the guy, and that stupid rumor that he'll be the next HBK (that's disrespect to HBK and you know it), I still see absolutely NOTHING about him that screams Main Event material.

What has he done since the departure of Miz & Morrison? Be involved in mid-card feuds and have ONE match against CM Punk on SD and ONE match against Miz on Raw... where he was carried in both of them, by the way. A lot of people like to fault WWE for "dropping the ball" on talent... and if they were to mention Hawkins and Ryder, then I would agree. However, there is nothing WWE can do for Morrison.

Face it, Morrison's an upper-card jobber and that's it.

 

[themizisawesomemikeali]

he could benifet from a heel turn he really needs a new look to make him look like a champion.John Morrison->Matt Hardy

 

[FSWWE]

John Morrison is straight up jobber to the stars material, and even THAT is more than he deserves. The guy's moveset is so unappealing and his entrance has to be one of the stupidest entrances I've seen. And honestly, even though he wasn't on TV in the last month or so, R-Truth was FAR better suited as a third person for this match.

Putting past my endless hate for the guy, and that stupid rumor that he'll be the next HBK (that's disrespect to HBK and you know it), I still see absolutely NOTHING about him that screams Main Event material.

What has he done since the departure of Miz & Morrison? Be involved in mid-card feuds and have ONE match against CM Punk on SD and ONE match against Miz on Raw... where he was carried in both of them, by the way. A lot of people like to fault WWE for "dropping the ball" on talent... and if they were to mention Hawkins and Ryder, then I would agree. However, there is nothing WWE can do for Morrison.

Face it, Morrison's an upper-card jobber and that's it.

100% true here!!

I've even read a schmuck here saying that he has better mic skills that John Cena and I have a question... Are you out of your mind?

He has the most horrible mic skills in the WWE right now! And if you dont pay attention to Cena I guess you missed The Rock on WWE!! To bad!!
He can wrestle? Well i dont like his movesets, taking out his finisher he is pretty horrible!
His entrance should won a award of being the worst entrance of WWE...
If he gets a WWE Champion, it will be so bad that WWE will fire him past 3 weeks!!
JoMo lovers face it, he sucks! Cody Rhodes, Ted DiBiase, Daniel Bryan, Drew McIntyre & R-Truth > John Morrison...

And more John Morrison is an asshole, he dates the most hated Diva in the locker room (Melina) and he even disrespect Trish Stratus (> JoMo even her should win the WWE Tittle first than Morrison)

He should be released and be champion in TNA since i dont watch it!!