Rock 'N' Rave: What Went Wrong?

[NSL]

From September 2007, until February 2009, Impact was home to one of the more entertaining tag teams of recent memory. For those of you who don't know, The Rock 'N' Rave Infection consisted of Lance Hoyt, Jimmy Rave, and Christy Hemme. They were heels, but they were funny, and routinely put people over. Christy also showed a much different side of her self, and we got to see some decent wrestling from both Hoyt and Rave.

But...What went wrong?

Why weren't they successful? In an era of tag teams getting thrown together, they were a legit pair, with a legit valet. Hoyt was a decent brawler and power wrestler, while Rave was speedy and athletic. They made stars out of the other teams, but never quite got their own push.

Why not? Were they destined to be jobbers? Were they future champs that were never taken seriously?

I happen to think they could have been champs, even if it was as transitional champs. Rave was a legit X-Division-style wrestler, and Hoyt flat out dominated some of the guys he was up against. I think TNA just figured they were a silly gimmick, and wouldn't be taken seriously with the straps.

 

[BladeRunner]

Yep I think the gimmick killed the team off. They came out with a guitar hero guitar and asked everyone "who wants to get infected?". Not a good combo.

They are good wrestlers, I never got to see much personality, but that may have just been because TNA never gave them much to work with. I think it just started out badly and they were never able to save it even tho there was some talent in-between the ridiculousness.

 

[Dangermartin]

The guitar hero thing was stupid, it was funny the first time, but it got old quick. Personally, I always liked the "Who wants to get infected tonight?" line. I didn't like the way Christy used to come to the ring making out with Lance Hoyt, that was just strange.

I don't know what went wrong. Just poor booking I think. They showed in their last match against Beer Money that they could hang with the top teams. They were just never given a proper chance.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

They carried guitar hero guitar controllers to the ring, for fucks sake. Come on, NSL – you're better than this, bud! They were glorified jobbers – just like Shark Boy and Norman Smiley.

Hoyt may have had the size, and additionally the mic skill to make it, but he worked for the wrong company the entire time. Look at TNA at the time – who had size like him that was doing anything of relevance? What were they gonna do, book him in matches against Abyss every week? Hoyt was the prototypical WWE/F guy. A total McMahon clone.

Rave was good wrestler on the indy circuits, but he worked there – again - because the indies don't care about look. He didn't have one. His look was basically a scrapping together of any combination of non-matching tights and ring-gear, and a hair-cut that Devin Sawa would envy.

Hemme moved on because she was the only one who was able to. There was just nothing in TNA available for either Hoyt or Rave, because neither brought enough to the table, IMO.

I nick-named Hoyt "Tramp Stamp" the 2nd time I watched him wrestle, and I always thought that was the most hilarious thing about him. He looked like the bi-sexual version of Kevin Nash, and had a tattoo of some kind of fairy or butterfly looking thing on his lower back. I mean holy shit, the thing had wings on it, fellas. Wings.

I think it's hilarious that he was probably asked to cover it when he went to the WWE. "Vance Archer" wears tights that conveniently seem just over it. LOL!

 

[klunderbunker]

What went wrong? What went right would be better.

The only thing noteworthy of this team was Hemme looking like a goddess. Other than that, there was nothing at all of note here. They just flat out sucked as a team and a concept. The band thing was ok I guess, but seriously, the Guitar Hero thing got them nowhere so tehy kept going with it. Also Lance Hoyt is just crap, plain and simple. he's not entertaining, he's not that good. He's as generic of a wrestler as you could ask for and while Rave was decent, he couldn't carry a team.

 

[NSL]

What went wrong? What went right would be better.

Et tu, KB?

1.) Hemme has never looked like a goddess. Not with that forehead and sunken eyes.

2.) I think Hoyt was good. He was a basic big man, but like someone else said earlier, who else was there for him to face at the time? He wasn't jumping to the main event to face guys like Nash, so he was in a tag team where he can face a variety of people.

3.) Rave couldn't carry a team. The little guy never does. This much we can agree on. But, he was a great wrestler, and they looked good as a team.


Sure, the Guitar Hero thing was a little much, but before then, they were still a good team with a comedy gimmick, and at that time, they could have gotten a push in TNA. They were decent talkers, and the team dynamic brought out the best in the both of them.

 

[KamaKazie]

THAT TAG TEAM WAS HORRIBLE!!! And I've got three big reasons why:

1) The "Guitar Hero" thing was as bad a prop as Moppy was for Saturn.

2) Lance Hoyt reminds me of a poor-man's Test (and the original Test wasn't that great).

3) Lance Hoyt LOOKED gayer than Kanyon (Tramp Stamp, Eye Shadow, etc.)

 

[NSL]

THAT TAG TEAM WAS HORRIBLE!!!

Well, thank you for voicing an opinion.

And I've got three big reasons why:

Good. I didn't want to have to infract you.

1) The "Guitar Hero" thing was as bad a prop as Moppy was for Saturn.

I get it. The Guitar Hero props were bad, but were they really as bad as Moppy, Pepe, Head, or anything else that people were given? Mankind had a freaking sock, and they strapped him with the title.

2) Lance Hoyt reminds me of a poor-man's Test (and the original Test wasn't that great).

Test is very under-rated. Saying he reminds you of Test is a good thing. He was an agile big man, with a ton of power. I don't see the problem with this correlation.

3) Lance Hoyt LOOKED gayer than Kanyon (Tramp Stamp, Eye Shadow, etc.)

And, that has what to do with anything? Honky Tonk Man certainly looked "fabulous", and he's hailed as the greatest IC champ by some. The tramp stamp was a little "odd", but the eye shadow was just a part of the gimmick, and to be honest, it made his nose look a little more normal. Seriously, what's up with that thing?

 

[KamaKazie]

I'll give you the fact that there has been alot of horrible props in the history of wrestling, but the Guitar Hero Controllers ranks in the top 5... I honestly think Rave was talented, but his ring attire was worse than Shannon Moore's and worse than even Zach Ryder's attire... Not to mention Rave's and Hoyt's mic skills were worse than the early days of The Hardy Boyz, why do you think they stuck Hemme with them in the 1st place (who's mic skills are just a tadd bit better, but she was nice to look at)? As for Hoyt, his wrestling skill is no where near that of Test's (in his prime), the only reason I compared them was because of thier look/body type and Hoyt stole some of Test's old moves. And by the way, the Tramp Stamp is WAY TOO MUCH!!! It makes him not only look gay, but skanky flaming gay! So gay he would make a actual homo sexual man say: "wow, what a queer!" So if a gay-guy like Hoyt threatend to "infect me" I would take that in wrongest of ways... LOL (not that there is anything wrong with being gay)

 

[2TheMax]

Wow, you're somebody who actually misses "The Rock 'N Rave Infection"...

They were a joke from the beginning and a joke to the end. They had one of the most overused and annoying gimmicks of all time: The Rockstar. If you have clothes that would look like it came from Party City, you're going nowhere. These guys were no exception. Lance Hoy.."Lance Rock" (sorry) always had nothing but WWE written all over him. 95% looks, 60% talent.

And Jimmy Rave is just too puny to be taken as a threat. He was pretty talented, don't get me wrong, but he brung nothing to the table. If Evan Bourne isn't a threat by any means, why should this guy?

 

[LUMPYSULLIVAN]

NightShift Loser points out "3.) Rave couldn't carry a team. The little guy never does. This much we can agree on. But, he was a great wrestler, and they looked good as a team.""

I beg to differ about the little guy remark, what about Bret Hart when with Hart Foundation and Dynamite Kid with British Bulldogs.

 

[INDYjon22]

I liked these guys quiet a bit when they were around. Lance Hoyt is a very good big man who can wrestle and Jimmy Rave is.....well hes Jimmy Rave a REALLY good fucking wrestler who TNA didn't give the time of day. I think what did them in was becoming the comedy wrestlers that they became. I loved their guitar hero gimmick with Hoyt smocking a cig and rocking out but it can only last for so long and it ran its course. I don't think TNA really knew what to do with them as well, they were just lost in wrestler limbo. Having solid matches but not impressing the management, a truly unfortunate turn of events.