Jack Swagger: Do you ACTUALLY want to watch him?

[mrfantastic111]

In the past I've liked Jack Swagger. When he was on ECW and had the cocky smile with an amateur-wrestling style I really liked the guy. I liked him when he won the MITB ladder match and defeated Jericho for the world title. However, as soon as he raised the title he didn't do his trademark arrogant smile, he did this generic angry-man face. He's had the same persona ever since. I understand that it was a way for fans to take him more seriously, but my god his character just became so boring... I understand that it's a wrestling program, but watching his dreary promos consistently just made me want to switch channels.

I understand that he's a good wrestler, has a good look, but I just don't enjoy watching him. I want him to do well because he works hard, but I really just don't enjoy watching him on my television set. We always talk about how we want wrestlers to have more tv time, do more exciting things to get us to watch the show, but sometimes you don't have to want EVERY wrestler to be on your show. At the end of the day, you can't force yourself to enjoy every wrestler, just because the IWC enjoys this mentality that every decent wrestler HAS to be pushed. I mean, the guy is the US Champ but WWE doesn't even do anything with him half the time. He has the 2nd most important title on RAW, but he didn't even participate in the Chamber or have a feud. He took on Justin Gabriel, who I like, but you'd expect that the US Champ is meant to have alot of focus, and the way WWE broadcasts him really is a reflection of WWE's faith in Swagger to actually interest or intrigue an audience.

This is my point of view, and I generally just don't enjoy watch Swagger, even though on paper he has almost all the tools needed to make you want to watch them. Sometimes I feel that people want a wrestler to be pushed simply because they're decent in the ring or have a good look, or there is no one else there to push on the roster, disregarding that they may not be interesting what-so-ever, but who else will they goto? I understand that you have to give someone a chance, but unless Swagger has a major gimmick change or something, I'm really just not interested in this guy anymore, but WWE keeps pulling him out of the bag expecting people to suddenly be interested in him, even though he really does nothing entertaining. I mean, if a character on a sitcom or a comedy isn't interesting, you just change the channel when they come on screen. What would you do with Swagger at this point?

Your thoughts?

 

[KnowMyRole-ShutYourMouth]

In the past I've liked Jack Swagger. When he was on ECW and had the cocky smile with an amateur-wrestling style I really liked the guy. I liked him when he won the MITB ladder match and defeated Jericho for the world title. However, as soon as he raised the title he didn't do his trademark arrogant smile, he did this generic angry-man face. He's had the same persona ever since. I understand that it was a way for fans to take him more seriously, but my god his character just became so boring... I understand that it's a wrestling program, but watching his dreary promos consistently just made me want to switch channels.

Pretty much sums up my feelings on the guy. I completely lost interest when he stopped doing push-ups for his entrance, and started being super serious. It's like he went to the Chris Jericho school on how to be a heel (another discussion for another thread).

I mean, how much better would it have been if he was doing push-ups and kissing the WHC like he is doing now with the US Title? The complete character change from cocky to deadbeat serious was a horrible idea. It eventually stripped any and all incentive to hate him away because he was so boring that you simply did not give a remote fuck about him.

Hopefully, he is on the upswing. There is a ton of potential there. I know he isn't even close to a focal point at this point (god damnit), but let's see where he goes over the course of the year. The WWE still has a Ziggler/Swagger program in their back pocket whenever they decide it's time to turn one of them face.

 

[go_patriots11]

Totally on the fence about Swagger. I don't hate the guy but he doesent exactly ooze charisma. To me theres no shame in that and maybe all he is destined to be is a middle man which in part could be a tool to slingshot the talent with more charisma. As you said he CAN wrestle and has the ability to put on great matches, but now its time too see how his character can evolve. There are a few routes I would suggest at this point with dealing with Swagger. 1 being some sort of multi-wrestler faction, or even try turning him face

 

[GeneralKarim]

Basically what you guys said.

At first I kinda liked the idea of him being serious because I thought people would take him more seriously..but as his title reign progressed I started to miss his old persona, more because it suits him,this serious stuff hes been pulling dressed in all that colour doesnt seem to be him.Hes works well,deosnt get injured, has nice moves,works well with bigger guys ( see his matches with Cena ),all he needs is some mic work.

I liked him from the first time I saw him on ECW ( sounds like a love story lol ).They should really start giving him some chances and get him in a good feud.Cause the chance they gave him with the world title was unfair for him, since he was not ready in the slithest for it.I know they were testing the waters,but it was clear that he had more work to do before he could carry that title.

 

[justin71]

He's been stuck with the poor mans Kurt Angle stigma for too long and he's now known as Zigglers wacky side kick. I say put him in a stand alone program where he can step out and show some character what I would like to see him do is defend the US belt like he did when he was ECW champion because that was when he was at his best.

 

[TempestH]

I love watching Swagger in the ring. He does have a bit of charisma. I dislike that he's been rendered a non entity even as the new United States Champion.

He also needs to have his pushup pyro back

Best...Entrance...EVER.

 

[Headman]

I never got the guy. From day one I've wondered what anyone else sees in him. At the very least they could have given this awkward mongoloid a name he could pronounce instead of Jack Thrwwwwaaaagger. And his world title push was horrible. He began the year jobbing, won MITB and became champion, then went back to jobbing. To answer the original question, no I don't want to watch him.

 

[sTyLnK]

His look is fine, he's a great wrestler and he works hard. Please people, when he had his run and won the WHC he was great. People thought it might have been too soon, but it's all about pushing younger talent and seeing what they can do. I thought he was doing well, but then got buried and that's that. I like watching him and for me personally, I wish he would get that push again. I know he can do it.

 

[PunkIsGod]

He probably needs better booking, that´s all. I donn´t think that the creative team know what to do with his character. I don´t like to solve all problems saying that he should turn face because nowadays that´s the answer to everybody on the internet: turn Cena heel, turn JoMo heel, etc.....
But actually, turning Swagger face and using the All american american and United states Champion, put him in a feud with Alberto Del Rio in some kind of Usa vs mexico thing.
He´s still very young and he will get better. He´s good in the ring already , he did had great matches with Rey Mysterio and a great match with The Undertaker while Jack was WHC.
Maybe also change his finisher and attire to stop the comparation with Kurt angle.

 

[Jenna.]

I honestly hate everything about him. I hate his entrance music, I hate that running around the ring thing he does. I hate that he wears that full body suit and that lisp is God awful. I mean really. At least I can tolerate Cody Rhodes' lisp, but this guy...a mess.

With that said, he's a very good wrestler, but boring and horrific character.

 

[Twocenter]

In the past I've liked Jack Swagger. When he was on ECW and had the cocky smile with an amateur-wrestling style I really liked the guy. I liked him when he won the MITB ladder match and defeated Jericho for the world title. However, as soon as he raised the title he didn't do his trademark arrogant smile, he did this generic angry-man face. He's had the same persona ever since. I understand that it was a way for fans to take him more seriously, but my god his character just became so boring... I understand that it's a wrestling program, but watching his dreary promos consistently just made me want to switch channels.

I understand that he's a good wrestler, has a good look, but I just don't enjoy watching him. I want him to do well because he works hard, but I really just don't enjoy watching him on my television set. We always talk about how we want wrestlers to have more tv time, do more exciting things to get us to watch the show, but sometimes you don't have to want EVERY wrestler to be on your show. At the end of the day, you can't force yourself to enjoy every wrestler, just because the IWC enjoys this mentality that every decent wrestler HAS to be pushed. I mean, the guy is the US Champ but WWE doesn't even do anything with him half the time. He has the 2nd most important title on RAW, but he didn't even participate in the Chamber or have a feud. He took on Justin Gabriel, who I like, but you'd expect that the US Champ is meant to have alot of focus, and the way WWE broadcasts him really is a reflection of WWE's faith in Swagger to actually interest or intrigue an audience.

This is my point of view, and I generally just don't enjoy watch Swagger, even though on paper he has almost all the tools needed to make you want to watch them. Sometimes I feel that people want a wrestler to be pushed simply because they're decent in the ring or have a good look, or there is no one else there to push on the roster, disregarding that they may not be interesting what-so-ever, but who else will they goto? I understand that you have to give someone a chance, but unless Swagger has a major gimmick change or something, I'm really just not interested in this guy anymore, but WWE keeps pulling him out of the bag expecting people to suddenly be interested in him, even though he really does nothing entertaining. I mean, if a character on a sitcom or a comedy isn't interesting, you just change the channel when they come on screen. What would you do with Swagger at this point?

Your thoughts?

Jack Swagger is one of those guys who are extremely talented wrestlers but lack the mic skills. He can carry a match. There is no doubt whether he can/not deliver when it comes to wrestling but he doesn't that IT factor with his mic skills. To be honest I hate it when he speaks something. I know its not his fault but..

He was given a great push. He won the MITB and defeated Jericho to win his first world title but did he deserve it? Was he ready? Then he was made to feud with Rey Mysterio and Big Show. He did good job but not what we would expect from a champion. During his reign he lacked the mic work. Due to his poor mic skills, he was driven to mid card back again.

I think he needs a talker as a manager. Vickie is good at drawing heat but she is not the best talker. He needs someone like Jimmy Hart who could make any one heel. If I were given a chance, I'd assign him with a guy who could do his talk as his manager. Just like Brock lensar and Paul Heyman.

 

[Aquaman6686]

I'm a HUGE Jack Swagger fan. I think he could have been one of the biggest stars in WWE by now if they hadn't sabotaged his World Heavyweight Championship reign by taking away everything that made him interesting in favor of "generic angry heel", and then taking the title off him way too soon. I was hoping him winning the United States Championship would get him back on the right path, but so far it's led to precisely nothing.

 

[Archangel_Haven]

If Jack was to quit the BS All American, American gimmick, and tried some Ruthless Aggression (well, at least as much as rated pg tv will allow) he could prove interesting. As a face, he'd be bland, but make him a ruthless heel (with a new finisher, seeing people do the anklelock makes me think of Angle copycats), and give him a good run, perhaps crushing a face with a valid chance at his US title, would make him interesting.

He has the skills in the ring, he just needs to reach the next level in both ring and mic skill. Heck, have him turn on Ziggler (even though i do like the idea of them as allies) and have Jack maybe ruin a World Championship chance against Ziggler in a drastic way, and it may make him a bit more relevent.

Heck, have Jack and Ziggler compete in PPVs, we know Dolph is easily capable of doing multiple matches, and being believable i both, maybe have Jack do the same, but in a dastardly heel way.

 

[JaylisJayP]

For some reason I'm drawn to watching Swagger, and I couldn't even tell you what it is. He is a boring character, he gives off the sense that he's so much smaller than he is, and his mic skills are average at best. But I always root that he'll get a real push and become something more.

The lisp is bad, though.

It seems all you have to do is throw someone in a program with Cena (Ryder, Eve, Kane, Punk) and their stock shoots up immediately. Might be something worth looking into after wrestlemania.

 

[mkman613]

GREATEST POST EVER!
I cant stand him.
Stiff on the mic.
Stiff in the ring.
Un-interesting move set.
Kurt angle knock off.
Cant get a reaction from the crowd.
Also, he has a unique body type that is not shown off with what he wears.

I say, give him a chance as a face with this character... if that doesnt work. chaneg him all together.

BORING, BORING, BORING

 

[BaconBits]

He's not a very good professional wrestler. He's got the in ring moves, for sure, but the rest of the package is severely lacking, and I don't think it'll ever be there. He's just not very charismatic at all.

I think he missed the boat. With his high level amateur background, he should have gone into mixed martial arts. His wrestling skills, coupled with his length and athleticism, would have created a whole lot of problems in a heavyweight division still littered with some pretty one-dimensional fighters. He'd have been a main event fighter with ease by now. Oh, and his rather boring persona and lack of charisma wouldn't hinder anywhere near as much him in a sport where your fighting does most of your talking.

He's young enough that he could still make the switch. He should look into it, for sure.

 

[The_Sharpshooter]

If I had to make a list of WWE's top full time performers, I'd put him somewhere in the 9-12 range, which is a great thing for a guy with no storyline. Swagger has it all to me. No mic skills? My brother & I always bring up his one liner from Survivor Series '10 in Miami: "Jack Swagger no habla espanol!" Lol. He said that on Del Rio's team! What about when Henry/Show had their beef, so Mark came to Swagger about taking Show out? Swagger talked to Henry with so much confidence & SWAGGER, I thought the face turn was iminent(spell check). I like when he talks, but when's the last time he had a mic? A flower can't grow without water!

I don't think there's any dispute about his in ring ability. Aside from Punk, he may have my favorite moveset. Vader Bomb. Gut Wrench Power Bomb. Belly 2 Belly Suplex with 1 hand. He's the best bruiser not named Sheamus. Not much to say here.

Only problem he may have to me is he doesn't have a "routine". You know, Cena's 5 moves of doom. Well everyone has a 5 move routine. Barrett with the knees & kicks on the ropes, Orton's clotheline leading to middle rope DDT. Punk's knee leading to the elbow drop. Once he gets his routine & you know what to expect, you'll see him in longer matches & programs.

#YEAR OF SWAG

 

[jrichardson25]

He needs time on the stick. The guy has the ability to talk. Give him a bit of creative license and let him rip loose. Basically, if I were to tweak his character have him mimic Kurt Angle to a degree since he does have that amateur background. He can say he's a better technician than *insert feuding star here*. He also needs to have more (not to pull a pun) swagger. He's good. He should strut it like he's good... Vickie is a heat magnet but this guy could seriously go over as a face. I think that's what's killing him more than anything is he's a heel when he could be a face quickly.

 

[Dspiracy]

I personally think the dude is boring. There are a few things that need to be done with his character to make him more interesting. Here are a few examples:

Shave his head bald.
Add a mouth piece as part of his attire and let it say "REVENGE" on it.
Make him very mean and aggressive.
Add another finisher to his Ankle Lock, like the All American Slam.
Allow him to boast about his World Championship Reign every chance he get.

Sounds like a real american american.

 

[Archangel_Haven]

Still think Swagger could get further as a heel, just look at him, i meanc ome on, Swagger as a heel would just be amazing! (A real heel, not the BS he's been doing, All American American, lame.)

He could succeed as a face, true, but being a face is easy, and can be easily forgettable. Let him have a good run at being heel, he'll surprise everyone! (Either that, or just prove he's just physical with bland personality.)

 

[Mustang Sally]

He's a useful employee in that he can put up an effective offense and his technical wrestling ability gives him the proficiency to sell for his opponents, which he does well. Plainly, his persona needs the support of others, in that he doesn't generate much interest by himself. Placing him with Vickie Guerrero and Dolph Ziggler has probably saved him from being relegated to the lower card. Even his brief association with Michael Cole pointed out Swagger's need to have someone in his corner to save him from trying to entertain us by himself.

I don't see the company trying him out as a face; the notion of fans rallying around him just seems unrealistic. I can appreciate that he knows his way around the ring, but his countenance is downright "goofy" and the only characters I can recall getting somewhat over with that type of personality were Doink the Clown and Eugene......which is hardly the stuff of legend.

 

[SteelRevenge]

I actually like Swagger. The guy is something like 6`7`` but he can actually wrestle. All the time people give big guys the pass on their lackluster inring ability: zeke, barrett, ryan, etc but here is one of their heavy weights who proves that arument false.

IMO he is a message that the big guys have to step up their game and its a pity he hasn`t been handled very well.

I`m not sayig he`s ME worthy, not even close, I get he lacks the promo side. I just think they could have done a slower build up with him over the last 3 years rather than throw him right into the world title picture then throw him all the way down to the undercard.

That being said, his time with dolph and vickie has started him back on the right track and I`m excited to see where this goes so YES I do want to see him every week.

 

[Foshinzo]

I think Swagger is the atypical, "I'm trying too hard," guy in the WWE locker room.

1) He couldn't get over with his wrestling, because though he's good in the ring, but he's nothing special. Something about Swagger in the ring that I think is telling, is how technically, he's kind of a better wrestler than Punk. He screws up less than Punk, his wrestling is tighter, and yet Punk's matches are infinitely more entertaining. I think that's what's wrong with Swagger in the ring.

2) They gave him Vickie, which hasn't helped him like it has Dolph because Dolph is just plain better. DZ has a good gimmick, he's fun to watch, and he's constantly getting better, you can't say that for Swagger. Ever since moving to Raw, he's gotten so much worse, and I think that can be credited to being, "exposed," as some people say. He got exposed as an entertainer that's not very entertaining. He'd already been exposed after his WHC run, and being on the A show finished off any momentum he had. If it weren't for the WWE's massive desire to use him, he would sink to the bottom of the card. Big, athletic wrestlers are always good to have, but they don't always make for stars.

3) His promos are just terrible. It's like this man never learned how to tell a story in the wrestling business. Don't get me wrong; he tries, but he's just not good at it. Sure guys who were bad at promos were able to get over, but Bret Hart and Chris Benoit didn't talk with a lisp and Swagger is nowhere near their in-ring level. I hope I don't offend anyone with a lisp, but I do hope that you see my point. Their lack of speaking sort of made them badasses, whereas Swagger just can't pull that off, IMO.

4) Finally, and this one's just for me, what the hell is he doing during his entrance?

I never liked his song, which is just my opinion. I know that there are people out there that actually do like his song, but the motions he makes are hilarious. First of all, he does the push-ups, which are fine because he's always done the push-ups and I never really thought that they were stupid. In fact, it's a nice touch. However, why is he drawing his own lines and then crossing them? It's like he has no idea that he's crossing his own lines.

"Look at what a bad-ass I am! I just drew a line in the dirt, AND NOW I'M GOING TO CROSS MY OWN LINE! FEAR MY HABITUAL LINE-STEPPING! *mwahahahahah*

I know it's weird for this part to bug me so much, but it's what I mean when I say he's trying too hard. He just looks stupid when he does it, and it's causing his entrance to take forever.

This guy just doesn't have star power, and that's going to be the mark of his career. Why should I care about this guy? Sure, he puts on fine matches, there's nothing wrong with his matches, but his ability to tell a story is just.damn.terrible. His gimmick isn't great either, and story-telling ability and gimmick are what make you in the wrestling business. Swagger fails at both.

 

[Richard Blonoff]

I appreciate his in ring ability. He can put on a solid technical match. He has never wowed me but I have never been unimpressed.

I don't really care for his promos. I have the same lisp issue that Swagger was so I don't mind it/don't notice it but he is fairly dull imo. I originally liked his pairing up with Vickie and I anticipated a potential feud between he and Ziggler that seems to have fallen to the way side and overall his association with her has grown old to me

His character is also a bit stale. A few minor tweaks may help and I don't think he needs a character overall or repackage but give him a small change.

And FFS is you are gonna put the title on him at least have him on TV each week and not just put him in non title matches on Superstars. Give him a feud. You had him defend it in a throwaway filler match against Gabriel, a Smackdown superstar. Fuck

 

[H33LTurn]

He just needs to be booked better. Even though he has an uncanny resemblance to Kurt Angle I still think hes a unique enough character in todays environment to be successful. WWE just has to wait it out until an opening arrives for him. Whenever something in pop culture happens that makes people think about arrogant patriots they can capitalize on the fact that they have Swagger in their back pocket. Until then they shouldnt turn him into a jobber. When you have someone as talented as him you cant sacrifice their reputation for a role many guys on the roster can play. Not everyones meant to be a world champion or the face of the company, but I think Swagger can serve a purpose in the industry in some capacity.