[OFFICIAL] Michael McGillicutty / Kofi Kingston Discussion Thread

[Yuridius]

I see him doing well on NXT but not winning it. I can see him start working as a face before being kicked off. Then he would turn on Kofi attacking him as he left the arena. To me it has the feel of Daniel Bryan. I mean hell I could almost see him doing the same sort of speech when he gets kicked off, (The “This Daniel Bryan guy sucked, but Bryan Danielson will rock” one). I see him last as long as it takes for Brett Dibiase to recover from his knee surgery. I then see him getting voted off for some rather lame reason before coming back in Ted Dibiase’s stable.

Does anyone else see this reasonable or am I living in a pipe dream?

 

[Rhonda Rousey's Sports Bra]

I'm still confused as to why they would put a video package together showing his heritage and yet not use his real name. I really like Hennig though so far, he comes off as a great face and from his bloodline I'm sure he isn't bad in the ring. Him being paired with Kingston might be a bit boring since they are both face but the brawl that happened tonight might change that a bit.

 

[Ferbian]

By far one of my favorite rookies right here, he seems like one of the few to have the complete package on that show, microphone skills, in-ring ability and the look, something I think only Alex Riley may come close to accomplishing alongside Michael here.

I think Michael will go very far in this season, at least I hope he'll end up in the final 3 at least, because he's probably one of the only ones I right now particularly want to see on the main roster.

 

[Ice Cold]

My favorite of the rookie along side Percy Watson and Alex Riley. I will admit this is mostly due to the fact that he is the son of one of my favorites of all time Mr. Perfect. The resemblance is pretty creepy, I though I was looking at a ghost of the young Curt Hennig. He looks to have the same build as the old man too, lets hope he has half the talent of his father. He seemed to have quite the knack for the mic part, I just hope to God he uses the Perfect Plex.

I think instead of changing his name they should have let him be exactly who he is much like they did with Rhodes and DiBiase. Just call him The Perfect One or The Perfect Son Joe Hennig or something like that and let him run with it. The one thing for me is that I absolutely don't want to see him have anything to do with any stables or tag teams like this "Fortunate Sons" stable coming about or the "Legacy" tag team we already witnessed. Give me a solid singles wrestler.

 

[steveh0481]

Ice Cold, I agree 100%. The resemblance of Joe, er Michael McGillicutty, to his father Curt is insane. All he needs is longer hair (I'm sure it would be naturally curly) and I would have deja vu of Perfect in the ring. My only hopes with him is that the WWE doesnt try to rehash the Mr. Perfect persona to a T with him. I'm already getting the feeling that WWE is turning Ted Dibiase into his old man. I like nostalga, but I dont like the same character the senior portrayed being used for the son. It just seems like lazy character development. I dunno, maybe thats just me though. All I can say is that Joe Hennig, crap keep doing it... Michael McGillicutty, is already getting over and I'm excited to see this young guy become part of the WWE.

 

[Ice Cold]

Ice Cold, I agree 100%. The resemblance of Joe, er Michael McGillicutty, to his father Curt is insane. All he needs is longer hair (I'm sure it would be naturally curly) and I would have deja vu of Perfect in the ring. My only hopes with him is that the WWE doesnt try to rehash the Mr. Perfect persona to a T with him. I'm already getting the feeling that WWE is turning Ted Dibiase into his old man. I like nostalga, but I dont like the same character the senior portrayed being used for the son. It just seems like lazy character development. I dunno, maybe thats just me though. All I can say is that Joe Hennig, crap keep doing it... Michael McGillicutty, is already getting over and I'm excited to see this young guy become part of the WWE.

Good way to bring that up about the gimmick. I definitely get what you're talking about with rehashing the same gimmick and how it can seem like lazy character development. I wouldn't call this particular case lazy character development though, I think it would just be that much easier for him to get over that way. Sometimes these things handle themselves and the audience just picks up on it. I think if they pushed him as exactly who he is(son of Mr. Perfect) it could work, not saying it's a guarantee.

 

[Widdows]

I don't think its a mistake to start him as a heel, as all second/third generation wrestlers usually are. It's a shame the 'fortunate sons' stable didn't work out in the short term, as then he may have debuted with his real name, or at the very least something respectable.

 

[Cmac3311]

I agree with the notion that he should use the last name of Hennig, McGillicutty is a mouthful lol..... Overall though this guy has the look and in ring skill to go far in the WWE, hell I think he could be better than Rhodes and DiBiase down the road. I'd have to say this season of NXT has been a lot better, better characters and much better in-ring action unlike the botch fest in season 1.

 

[X]

Well the reports are that the plan was to bring him in with the Hennig last name, but apparently he himself requested that he be given a different ring name, as he doesn't want to be seen as riding the coattails of his family. Got to respect the dude for that, he doesn't want anything handed to him on a silver platter, he wants to work for it. Which is a big reason why I like the kid so much, he's got boatloads of potential and I definitely see him as a future star in this business, he's got all the tools necessary. I'm a bit surprised by his total reversal from last week though as he appeared to be set up to be a heel but after last night's episode of NXT they're definitely pushing him as a face now, and that's actually a great plan considering he's paired with Kofi and has an exciting in-ring style.

Definitely see great things in the future for Joe Hennig, I'd say he's the favorite to win this season along with Kaval.

 

[D-Man]

I'm very interested in this pairing.

As we can see from the start, both men have charisma. MM seems to have inherited some of his dad's mic skills and personality, which is a nice breath of fresh air. (It would be quite disappointing if he was a failure on the mic, considering his dad was one of the greats at cutting promos in relation to his character.) And it also appears that he's quite skilled in the ring. I guess that's what years of upbringing in pro-wrestling will get you. But combine that with Kofi's infectious style and charisma and you've got yourself a good recipe.

My only negative with MM is the fact that he cut his promos and was billed as a heel, yet he's going out of his way to align himself with the over-babyfaced Kofi Kingston. He needs to stick to his core character development in order to avoid confusion with our IQ-challenged audience. Besides that, I feel he's going to be a player.

 

[Theo Mays]

Hennig is probably my favorite rookie of the class. I hadn't heard what X said in the post above, but if that is the case that is awesome that he wants to work his way up and not get by on his last name. I mean we obviously know he is Curt's son, but from the early goings we can see that he is good in the wrong and good on the mic. Shame I missed the first week, as I would have liked to see him as a heel compared to this past week where he was clearly a face.

I think being teamed with Kofi will help him out. Kofi is over and has a fast paced style and I think the two of them will mesh well together. I definitely think he will be amongst those in the running to win season 2 and he would be my pick to win the whole thing.

 

[Father Uncle Oscar]

Alright guys, there's your story behind where the name McGillicutty came from. It wasn't horrible name-making by WWE, it was his mother's maiden name. And now that this is known, I respect WWE Creative Staff a lot more than previous because, again, they didn't make up the name.

And I kinda do see the resemblance between McGillicutty and his father, Mr. Perfect. Not much though, but that's only because I havn't seen him at all and I just started watching NXT recently.

 

[Dagger Dias]

Alright guys, there's your story behind where the name McGillicutty came from. It wasn't horrible name-making by WWE, it was his mother's maiden name. And now that this is known, I respect WWE Creative Staff a lot more than previous because, again, they didn't make up the name.

Wow, seriously? I did not know that. Thanks for filling us in. I too thought it was a bad name change by WWE at first.

Now on to my own response to this thread. I like McGillicutty as a rookie. He's been rather impressive so far and I think he will make it to at least the final four in the end. I see him having a great career after doing quite well on this NXT season because, as the child of a great star, he has what it takes to succeed later on in the WWE. I find his pairing with Kofi to be kind of random, but there have been much worse pairings before.

 

[juggalo]

Hey guys,
This is my debut thread so im sorry if its crap

This has been bugging me since the start of NXT season 2, They call him Michael McGillicutty but the world knows he is Joe Hennig. So why not let him use his real name, especially when the name Hennig carries the importance it does. what are your thoughts

 

[xcalypsox]

I think they want to own the rights to his name just like the own Husky Harris. If he got a fan following with his actual Henning name then he can jumpship and use the exposure he got to take some fans with him. At least this way all the casual fans only know him as McGillicutty so if he leaves he would have to change his name from McGillicutty and therefore all those casual fans might not recognize him in a differant promotion.

 

[klunderbunker]

This is my favorite right here. He has the look, he's solid in the ring and he can talk. What more is there to want here? he's fun to watch in the ring and just goes out there and gets it done. HIs name is about as stupid as you could ask for but whatever. I see a lot of Barrett and Jericho in there but as faces. Kofi is probably the most successful of the pros other than Miz and he gets the best rookie. Hennig could win this whole thing but it's going to be close. I'd put him at the top at the moment but not by much over Riley and Kaval. Solid guy though and if he keeps it up will be a WWE star.

 

[J-Dogg]

I really like Joe Hennig, his name change is awful, but he has what it takes to be on the main roster, he's impressive in the ring just like his father was, he can talk on the mic. Plus his Ruthless Aggression attitude is what Cena had when he debuted, which is the kind of attitude i can dig. Also another plus for Joe is he has Kofi as his pro. Kofi has been successful in his time in WWE so far and has good feuds and developed more over time, Joe is certainly in my top 4 of the season 2 rookies.

 

[Goliath Uterus]

I'm a huge fan of Hennig, I've been following him for some time now down in FCW, and I always felt he had the potential to become a player in the WWE. I don't really agree with his name change, however, especially since they are acknowledging the fact that his father is Mr. Perfect. Joe Hennig is a much better name that Michael Mcguilicutty.

Anyway, I feel that Mcguilicutty, along with Alex Riley, are the two men who could benefit the most from winning this competition. While both of them are going to be stars regardless, they need that extra bump, that extra push that will help them instantly be elevated to the upper echelon of superstars in the WWE, whoever they decide is more ready, is the likely canidate to win this. I imagine the Kofi pairing was done for a reason, and I'd imagine that reason is likely for Michael to turn on Kofi, and turn heel. He had been playing a heel charecter before his departure from FCW and he was doing a fantastic job, I predict a turn before season 2 is over.

 

[The Doctor]

Hennig was impressive today, both on the mic and in the ring. He needs some polish, but they all do, and he needs considerably less than many. The way he used "breath" was fantastic, very reminiscent of Barrett's "Winds of Change" line. And his match with Watson was very exciting. Good work, and he is definitely going to be a force in the WWE.

 

[thrilla11]

Joe Hennig is here to bring Ruthless Aggression back and I love it. Henning has the look and the drive to make it in this business. He has the lineage and the experience as well. Will Joe Henning win this competition? No, he won't but he will surely sign a contract and join one of the main brands in the future.

In FCW, Henning held the Heavyweight Championship and was the better tag team partner of the Fortunate Sons with Brett Dibiase. I love Henning's style in the ring and the comparisons to his father are not far fetched. But he wants to make his own name in the business, which is why he changed his name and I could not agree more with this. Wrestlers should play off their fathers in wrestling, not imitate them (Ted Dibiase).

Henning is probably the most intense rookie in NXT next to Kaval. His finisher is fast, ruthless and hard hitting. Would I have liked him to use the Perfect Plex? Sure but Henning is trying to disassociate himself from his father, not imitate him.

Henning has definitely impressed me thus far in the competition. He has the look (although he could bulk up in my opinion), charisma and his mic skills need polishing but he's right there where I expect him to be on the mic. Henning has a tough task ahead of him with such rookies like Kaval, Riley and Watson in front of him but Henning looks more than capable.

 

[The Vintage One]

McGillicutty has the total package. He is in the top 3 in mic work and his top 3 in the ring in this competition. He has that ruthless aggression and he looks intimidating in the ring as well.

Personally, I hope they have McGillicutty go undefeated for most of the season and try to have him be perfect like his father, and it could be interesting what they could do with that angle.

McGillcutty despite the name has a bright future in the WWE.

 

[Cmac3311]

Notice he is 4-0?
That's "Perfect" isn't it?
We might see a second coming of Mr.Perfect and no it's not Mr. Ziggles

 

[Mannic]

i loved joe henning back when he was in FCW i was at the show when he won the title hes a nice guy and even came out and signed autographs after the show and since then ive always said i wish he could make it big.. that horrible horrible name really needs to go... hes great in the ring just needs a bit of mic work but he has a very explosive personality id be happy to see him win

 

[The Calgary Kid]

Hennig and Riley are my top two. I've been voting for Riley because I feel like he doesn't have as much support (heel character, heel pro), but would be happy if either of them won. If it would mean that he could reinvent himself, use his real name and come back later though, I'd just assume have Hennig lose.

As pretty much everyone else has stated, they couldn't have picked a much worse name for him, especially when acknowledging his pedigree. Sure, they've mentioned that McGillicutty is his mother's maiden name, but if you're going to talk about how you're "perfect" and be all nudge-nudge-wink-wink about it, why not use the name? Kofi reaching out to the fans by calling them "The McGilli-buddies" has just made the whole thing eight billion times worse.

That said, his mic work has been solid, he's been great in the ring and he has a ton of charisma. He needs to unleash a bit more of the ruthless aggression he talks about, and maybe lead up to a heel turn. For a possible scenario, I'd say have Kofi hold onto the IC title, Hennig wins and uses his PPV title shot against Kofi at Night of Champions. The reason for going after a mid-card title? It's the one his father held twice.

 

[The People's Peep]

You know, McGillihennig is quickly becoming my favorite rookie this season. He is really good in the ring and his mic work is good and getting better. He keeps me watching every week, but mostly for another reason.

Sometimes, he shows some heel characteristics and then there are times where he acts like a face. His pro is Kofi, the biggest face on the show. But he still gets some heat. Its really weird. One of my favorite things to watch for when he's in the ring is the reactions and it changes like every week. Maybe its just me, but its really odd. I hope he settles by the end of the season.