Lisping Ain't Easy

[Y 2 Jake]

You don't have to tell me it's a shit title. I knew it before I wrote it.

Anyway, basically it's a thread about how important mic skills are in wrestling today and all that. Because Swagger has got a lisp will he ever be taken seriously as one of the top stars in the company? I'll say no right now.

 

[The Dewbliners]

I don't see why his lisp should hold him back. I mean if ya think about it, some of the best talkers had lisps. Ric Flair? Lisper. Dusty Rhodes? Yup. Jeff Jarrett has a very prominent lisp. Several others as well, I just don't feel like listing them all. What I'm saying is, Swagger needs to learn how to make the lisp work for him, maybe enunciate a little more, or put forth a little more emotion. It's gonna be hard, but if Rhodes could do it, so can he.

 

[Mighty NorCal]

Well to be honest, he has mostly gotten rid of it, its hardly noticeable anymore. Also, I always felt they could use it for his character, as he is this big accomplished asshole jock, yet has a lisp that people make fun of. Its a layer of the character they could utilize IMO.

 

[Y 2 Jake]

I don't see why his lisp should hold him back. I mean if ya think about it, some of the best talkers had lisps. Ric Flair? Lisper. Dusty Rhodes? Yup. Jeff Jarrett has a very prominent lisp. Several others as well, I just don't feel like listing them all. What I'm saying is, Swagger needs to learn how to make the lisp work for him, maybe enunciate a little more, or put forth a little more emotion. It's gonna be hard, but if Rhodes could do it, so can he.

I thought Ric Flair was slurring!?

Jeff Jarrett's lisp isn't prominent enough for me, I've never heard it.

But yeah, those are wrestlers from different era's. And none were established WWE main eventers. No, not even Flair. I'll say that people just won't accpet him as a the top heel or face in the company.

 

[Marquis]

As a top face? doubt it. As a top heel? Perhaps. Sure the lisp makes him hard to understand sometimes, and makes him sound silly, but it has its advantages. A face can easily use it against him to make a joke for a cheap pop. The lack of being able to understand him sometimes would annoy the crowd. Thus generating some heat. I could picture him as a top heel with it. Hes just gotta learn to use it properly. Know what words to say and what words not to say when hes trying to be taken seriously. When trying to generate some heat. Or trying to get the face a cheap pop with a joke, say something silly with the lisp.

 

[The Dewbliners]

As a top face? doubt it. As a top heel? Perhaps. Sure the lisp makes him hard to understand sometimes, and makes him sound silly, but it has its advantages. A face can easily use it against him to make a joke for a cheap pop. The lack of being able to understand him sometimes would annoy the crowd. Thus generating some heat. I could picture him as a top heel with it. Hes just gotta learn to use it properly. Know what words to say and what words not to say when hes trying to be taken seriously. When trying to generate some heat. Or trying to get the face a cheap pop with a joke, say something silly with the lisp.

That's what I was trying to say myself, you just did it more eloquently. I look at a lisp, which I have one myself, like I do a stutter. All you have to do is focus all your effort on avoiding it, and eventually it'll lessen. I've suffered from both, and still do at times, and when I was working a local indy a few years ago, it was incorporated into the gimmick. With enough effort, I'm sure Swagger can get it to a minimum.

 

[The GR8 1]

I think that the lisp is perfect addition to his character. Like it has been said before he is a cocky jock but other people can easily make fun of him. I can see (sometime down the line) Jack having a promo where the crowd starts to laugh at him, he gets so angry and gets in this monster moment and beats the sh!t out of a couple of guys (I want to see blood) in the audience (maybe a face star too). That would make him a top heel at least in ECW. That could also lead to a search in competition and him moving to another brand. There is just something in this guy that will make him a big star (thought this before the John Cena match on Raw).

 

[Sean Valjean]

I think the lisp works for Swagger. He comes off as this annoying jock guy that has something anyone can crack on if needed. Besides, he owns in the ring anyway and is one of the few heels that doesn't have to cheat to beat you. He's like Kurt Angle was back in the day: a kind of goofy guy who was easy to make fun of but was so good in the ring that you still took him seriously.

Besides, if his lisp means we'll see more hilarious promos making fun of it (like Christian's video tribute to his lisp) than I'm all for it

 

[Shua]

The only thing that really bugs me about the lisp is the fact that, chances are, it'll probably continue to be picked on, even though Christian's beat the thing to death already.

Personally, the lisp doesn't bother me. I adds.....character to Swagger who, might have been a pretty boring talker otherwise.

 

[gd]

Personally, I don't think it is that big of an issue. Jack Swagger is my favorite in the WWE at this moment and I truly believe he is the next big star and will be main eventing Wresltemania within a couple of years. As others said before, there have been plenty of other wrestlers with speech problems who have still got over.

Swagger is able to put on some of the best matches in the company as shown by his matches with Hardy, Christian, and Cena. I completely enjoy watching him in the ring even if he was mute. I am more worried about him developing a second finisher for bigger wrestlers.

The truth is, speaking ability isn't as important in the WWE as some say it is. How else could you explain Batista?

 

[Nate DaMac]

I honestly think he has the best skills on the mic of any of the up and comers. the lisp doesn't bother me at all. its kinda funny when people rip on it, but his retalitions are usually spot on. he'll be up top soon in my opinion. Hes just too great of an athelete.

 

[Blade]

The lisp isn't that noticable, and it won't affect his career at all. He's already been successful and the whole lisp thing will work whether he's heel or face.
If he's face, the lisp doesn't matter cuase heels do 90% of the mic work in main event feuds, so he's ok there.
If he's face, it just gives the heels great material to use to make fun of him and to get the crowd a laughing. Although, this will only work with someone who's funny, like Christian did on his return promo. If he ever tries to do a programme with Jeff Hardy, god help us all...

But generally, I don't like Swagger's mic skills even though I like Swagger himself. He sounds kinda forced and wooden and is too focused on getting the reaction from the crowd rather than getting his point across. He's like a heel Rey Mysterio, going at a bad rythm and emphasizing the wrong words. It just makes for some annoying watching.

 

[gd]

I agree, I think that the problem with Swagger isn't the lisp, it's that the delivery is too forced. However, I think he will be able to improve on that with more experience. I'm guessing he will be above average on the mic within a year if they keep giving him promo oppurtunities on ECW.

Like a said, having incredible mic skills isn't exactly necessary for being in the main event. See Batista, Rey Mysterio, Jeff Hardy. I have a feeling that Swagger is going to be INCREDIBLE, lisp or no lisp.

 

[Little Jerry Lawler]

I don't think his lisp will affect him as much as a heel. The face can make fun of it to get some pops from the crowd. I believe he will have a successful career in the WWE regardless of it.

 

[Chris in SC]

The lisp is noticeable, but doesn't overpower the fact that he's a good worker. As noted above, it adds a bit of irony to the two-time All-American American cocky athlete bit. Now, if he was meh in the ring AND had the lisp, he'd be in trouble.

I just hope that every promo doesn't involve someone busting on it. Yes, it is occasionally funny, but don't over do it.

The fact that the lisp is one of the main things we can fault Swagger for says alot about where he's at in his career and where he's going.

BTW, I thought the thread title was funny.

 

[RVDgurl]

Jack Swagger's lisp is endearing. I actually think it helps his gimmick. Yes, I stare at his mouth the entire time he's speaking, but so what. His gimmick is dorky, over confident jock. The lisp simply highlights the dorkiness of the character. Besides, he has been a very good sport about Christian poking fun at a speech impediment. Aside from the lisp, his mic skills are pretty good.

 

[Mjolnir]

The top heel in Looney Tunes had a lisp too, and it never held him back...

Seriously though, I agree that if the only thing that we can really pick apart about Swagger is his lisp (and maybe slightly wooden delivery) then he is coming along a lot better than most of the newer guys. He can work on his anunciation and delivery... he seems to have some of the more intuitive aspects down pretty well already.

He has a great, athletic look and intenisty in the ring that make for some exciting matches. I look forward to his future, and branching out into the "big" shows.

 

[PuppetMaster]

In my opinion the lisp is a good thing for Jack Swagger has got going for him now, it lets the faces get over by making fun of it and i forget about it after he has been talking for a while. It also gives him a comedic side because of the audience laughing at him when he does his most prominent lisp words like ECW and Swagga. So yeah i think he will go far even though he has a lisp.

 

[Cowboyfromhell]

THuffering Thuccotash, this lithp is not impothibble to overcome.
Ok, enough trying to type with a lisp, I think they might slightly exaggerate his lisp (I do believe he legitamately has one, I think they just play it up) to give his character more depth, to have a flaw and get him noticed a little more. It gets people talking, obviously, because the dude has a thread about his speach impediment.
And I don't think a lisp will derail his career.

 

[WrestlingAuthority90]

The lisp really isnt that bad. The main problem with Swagger is his promos. They all sound like they're scripted and he always sounds confused. He seriouslly needs start practicing his promos so he dont sound like a crappy B-movie actor. Besides the bad promo skills I think he's a great talent that could be a future Wrestlemania headliner.

 

[gd]

The lisp really isnt that bad. The main problem with Swagger is his promos. They all sound like they're scripted and he always sounds confused. He seriouslly needs start practicing his promos so he dont sound like a crappy B-movie actor. Besides the bad promo skills I think he's a great talent that could be a future Wrestlemania headliner.

I honestly think his promos improve significantly from week to week. And of course they're scripted, most of the young guys are. As he gets more comfortable on the mic he will have more free reign. This is something that he will be able to improve on, and he has the ablilty to be one of the top superstars on the mic in the future.

 

[uhdorablexloser]

Usually when he's on the mic, I can barely hear his lisp. Maybe it's because my brother and I both have one and I'm just use to hearing it? I'm not sure. But I don't understand how a lisp can interfere with anything. I think Jack's an amazing heel. And all heels have weaknesses for faces to pick on. Jack's just happens to be a lisp.

 

[ECWillRiseAgain]

It's simply like Kurt Angle from 1999-2003 was, where Kurt played this dorky and sore-loser kinda character, the lisp thing is a way to sort of show that side..

BUT THEN AGAIN.. unlike Kurt, Jack does have this fratboy type of look with him..

I dunno, it can work, the lisp thing isn't really bad, his promo skills are definitely better than Jeff Hardy's (and I'm a hardy mark btw..)

 

[JimmyLeviathan]

Lisp or no lisp, Swagger's character is boring as hell. I'd love to see him play up the obnoxious frat boy gimmick, I honestly see potential in a frat-boy tag team, Swagger and Ziggler or Swagger and the Miz? Anything to stop the boredom that comes from looking at his expressionless face. As for his promo skills being better than Jeff Hardy's... I don't think Hardy is as bad as everyone thinks. Sure his southern accent can be grating and makes it hard for anyone to take him seriously but at least there's some life there. Swagger is catatonic by comparison.

 

[Sasori]

Well Swagger's lisping doesn't really seem to effect him the much, 'coz Christian picked on it so much hell he even made a video of it and how ridiculous it is! I mean come on 'Thukering Thukkhatash' thats genius LOL Swagger still has the dominant jock persona, and as General Disarray said mic skills can be over-rated some times how else can u explain Batista or the big slow (not a typo) there both terrible on the mic yet there dominant and MULTI TIME world champs!