Kozlov is actually alright.

[FPSRussia]

People say his move-set's bland, it's part of his gimmick.

He's a bad-ass looking Russian that doesn't stop beating his opponent, believe it or not, Russian fighters are trained that way.

[YOUTUBE]Woe5AQjBOdE[/YOUTUBE]

If you watch the video, you'll see the fighting stances and strikes are very much between Kozlov and the fighters, so in that aspect, he's actually doing his job pretty damn well.

I'd personally like to see it written into the storyline that Kozlov is training Santino and have Santino start mixing in his OVW kickboxing-style gimmick.

 

[LegendKiller716]

Kozlov is a SAMBO specialist. It's a real fighting style he is trained in. It isn't his gimmick. His fighting style isn't bland, but his personality is. Santino is kinda helping his personality, but he just can't get over.

However I do like your idea of Kozlov training Santino. Maybe Santino can get a little credibility back.

 

[FPSRussia]

Kozlov is a SAMBO specialist. It's a real fighting style he is trained in. It isn't his gimmick. His fighting style isn't bland, but his personality is. Santino is kinda helping his personality, but he just can't get over.

However I do like your idea of Kozlov training Santino. Maybe Santino can get a little credibility back.

Everything is a gimmick in the wrestling world.

A lot of people say because Kozlov isn't one of the most agile guys in the ring, that he's boring and bland.

I think he brings a punch of reality to the table, and I would personally love to see him start using more submissions, it might even help him get over.

I also find it kind of ironic that Santino used to have the Russian bad-ass gimmick back in OVW and used a similar move-set to Kozlov, but Santino's was more submission based opposed to Kozlov's striking based set.

 

[Justin Satiable]

Just because you're a trained fighter doesn't mean you'll make it as a WWE Superstar. WWE is just as much about your skills on the microphone as your skills in the ring, and to be fair, Kozlov comes off as neither a strong wrestler, nor a strong mic worker. Nobody wants to see some big guy frequently simply toss some jobber around a ring constantly, then blandly stare at the crowd and mumble some words in a foreign language.

People say, and always will say such things as "Anybody could have been booked to be Goldberg," but when you see people flop the way Kozlov has, it's apparent that that simply isn't the case, and booking a guy as some unbeatable real-world fighter just isn't good enough to captivate the crowd.

 

[Post]

I really liked the way Kozlov was pushed a while back as an unbeatable force that could walk through anybody. Maybe one day he will get a chance to finish that angle. I could see him eventually turning on Santino (down the line) and having a monster type run like Sheamus did when first coming over to RAW. Maybe this ship has already sailed though...

I like Kozlov's current role and I am entertained with what he does in the ring. His style is unique and he works a little stiff, but it works for his character. He would get more reaction if he played it up, but hey, he's learning. His character is not so one dimensional now.

I think that a new finisher would benefit Kozlov greatly. His half-assed attempt at a semi choke slam does not seem like a good enough finisher.

 

[RicSpade]

Honestly its not that his gimmick is bland its that he went from a credible powerhouse to a side show mid carder, I mean this is a man who was a viable contender to take on Undertakers streak, a man whose first real lost was against HBK. I mean I am glad he is a tag champion now, but I honestly believe he should be going for a mid-card title as a face or at the very least heeling and be a main eventer again in a company that now lacks strong heels. I don't mind him being a tag champ with Santino, but if he ever got another main event chance here is what I would like to see.

They should put him over as destroying people like Sheamus has done in recent weeks. Then have him start attacking some of the top mid-carders and have them hint that its a top face (Cena perhaps) Cena comes to defend himself saying none of this was him, and I'm going back there to find the man responsible and either before he gets to the back or in the back have him get put through a wall or a stage show it was Kozlov, in the feud have him get disqualified so it doesn't hurt Cenas rep, have him keep beating down Cena after the match, and then have him go after another big guy heel or face and say something like "I don't care who you are in Double Double E I will take you down as I am most superior athlete!" hell maybe break someones leg like Kurt Angle did to scotty 2 hotty.

JMO but that just seems logical if you push him again.

 

[shankit231]

Kozlov is that bad of a talent at all. I remembered when he was on smackdown having world title bouts with Triple H he was almost undefeatable. The fans loved to hate him. They had a good direction for him then they had to pull a Benoit on his ass and throw him to ECW for some reason, where everything thing he built up and accomplished on Smackdown died. I think they need to do the Santino gimmick for a few more weeks then have Santino turn on him(WHICH WE ALL KNOW IT WILL HAPPEN) and start putting him back along with the main eventers just have him build up his mic skills. Honestly they can do a lot with Kozlov hes got the look of a badass, the attitude of one, and the potential to be one of the top stars.

 

[Judah's Lion]

anyone remember the tag team of "the knock out / tap out connection"? it was Elijah Burke and Sylvester Turkay. it was actually a pretty decent idea that just didn't get off the ground. i have no idea why that is, but it really worked for me.

i think Santino and Kozlov could do something similar. Santino is hugely over with the crowd and pretty brilliant on the mic. so he could be the mouthpiece for this tag team and cover up Kozlov's obvious weakness there.

then, as they have/had similar gimmicks in the past, they could be booked to be more than just a comedy team. don't get me wrong. they can still be funny. but they can also be more than funny. almost like DX was when HBK and Triple H first reunited. they were funny. but they also beat the crap out of major players and tag teams in a variety of matches. they were a serious threat to the titles and held the titles, but they were also funny. so why couldn't Santino and Kozlov be similar. be funny, but also be serious threats inside the ring when the bell sounds.

Santino could use his Cobra as the "knock out" part of the tag team, along with a more serious move set like he used in OVW. and Kozlov could use his impressive fighting background and submission skills as the "tap out" part of the tag team.

it's just an idea. but i thought it should have worked with Burke/Turkay and i think it could really work with Santino/Kozlov, if only because Santino is so over with the crowd and the writers.

 

[prowrestlingking]

Everything is a gimmick in the wrestling world.

normally i dont do alot of posting just enjoy reading whats being said but now and then i see something i just have to comment on. you said everything is a gimmick in the wrestling world. that i have to disagree on, i'm not sure how long you have been around it or what you know about it but considering i have been dealing with pro wrestling deeply for about 30yrs let me give you a couple of examples off the top of my head. i was at a restraunt about 14yrs ago just before a raw show and was sitting at a table next to stone cold steve austin and a couple other wrestlers.i was able to have about a 20min conversation with stone cold. he is not much different then what you see on tv and even said that himself. take ric flair i also have been around him on 5-6 occasions and the man is nuts,,he lives his persona,,what ya get on tv is what ya get in real life,,no gimmick just flair being flair i could go on and on but i think you get what i am saying,,,its not all gimmicks,,some of them are more real to who they are then you think,,,some are not

 

[Y2JChrisJericho]

I found the heel Kozlov to be extremely boring, but the face Kozlov is really growing on me and I enjoy it. His move set is bland, but maybe it is how he is trained to fight. I do think Santino is really helping him get over, because they have really grown on me as a tag team. We know that once they drop the titles that Kozlov will go back to being a heel after losing a rematch for the titles, it's really predictable.

 

[Dzone]

To be brutally honest I like the bland-ness in his personality, I always have, what do you expect a guy from Russia who looks bruised up to act like... But the Santino thing is helping him get over with the crowd and forcing other people to do the same, EMBRACE THE BLAND-NESS.

I like Judah's idea about the knock out/tap out connection thing, it was a good idea that never really got a chance and heres the perfect opportunity. But I do believe you got it the wrong way round make Santino the submission specialist and Kozlov the "knock-out" *<-- that sounded wrong lol... he's now a TNA knockout according to my comment...*.

 

[LSN80]

The thing that has to be considered is: Does this style fit into the landscape of what is receptable to WWE and thier fansd these days? The answer is no.

I have no doubt kozlov is a legit tough guy, and if I were ever to meet him in a dark alley, Id run as fast as I can on my bum knee. But when you match Kozlov up against the main event wrestlers within WWE, his style simply doesnt translate or go over well. It is quite boring. His match with HHH(with Edge and Hardy interference) at Survivor Series 2008 was one of the most boring matches Ive ever witnessed.

I get that his moveset is the way it is by design, and what he does is truly within the Sambo style of wrestling. That doesnt mean i enjoy it or want to see it frequently. I love that he's a tag champ with Santino as they've been wonderful as a team, but he seems to have found his niche. Its the dominant force in a comedy tag team, and he needs to stick to that. I have no desire to see him train Santino, as I quite like Santino for what he is. Comedy filler, nothing more. Why NOT have someone play to their strengths, as Santino and Kozlov do? I dont see why thats such a bad thing.

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

Kozlov is growing on me, I think this tag team with Santino is really helping him, as he was on the road to nowhere before this. The face Kozlov is something different and he has improved much more than I thought possible.

Right now I still cant see him doing much on his own, but in this tag-team I think he has a nice spot and is playing his role well. With Santino alongside him, Kozlov is showing more personality than ever before, which is benefitting him, as he was boring as a shit before.

I look forward to seeing where he ends up

 

[Undertaker the 5th]

I actually I'm starting to get into Koslov even though I used to hate him. I think his partnership with Santino has really helped both of them. It has helped Koslov because he is getting good air time exposure and is the Tag Team Champ. I don't think that can be bad when before that he wasn't even appearing on most Raws. It has also helped Santino by getting him some credibility back. I think Koslov's "gimmick" actually suits him well and like some one said he is a SAMBO specialist.