Abyss HAD potential to be TNA's version of The Undertaker or Kane.
I think Abyss was at his most interesting back when he had James Mitchell as a manager. James Mitchell is one of the best managers in this business, and he's vastly underrated. For some reason, he's not a manager in the WWE or TNA right now, which is a shame.
It's hard to argue the counterpoint for this debate, because Abyss is having a great run, one he hasn't had in a long time in TNA. He's a legitimate threat to the World Title. However, he still leaves a lot to be desired on the mic. He's really bad when it comes to cutting promos. He comes off as cartoonish.
And with how he's been booked over the last couple of years, his credibility has taken a major hit. I personally don't care about Abyss, because I feel his ship sailed a long time ago. Instead of being a real monster, he abuses himself. He comes off as being whiny. Why should I care about this big lug who is a danger to himself as much as he's a danger to his opponents?
When James Mitchell was with Abyss, he took the legwork out of Abyss coming off as being borderline ******ed in his promos. He put Abyss over, and he did a damn good job at it. He's a pretty scary dude himself, except he's pretty much a midget. What made Mitchell such a damn good manager for a guy like Abyss is that you can easily buy into him as being batshit insane, and he's the one who is advising this monster.
The way Abyss should be booked, and the way he should have been booked all along is that you have the prototype for a Michael Myers type character and with James Mitchell, it's like you basically have a deranged Dr. Loomis, who is telling Abyss to be destructive, rather than preventing it.
Of course, you can't book Abyss as a serial killer. However, much like Kane, back in his first run with the WWF, you can book him as an unstoppable monster, where it takes a LOT to put him down. A silent, brooding seven foot monster wearing a mask doesn't need to cut promos, and in Abyss' case, he's pretty bad at cutting promos, to the point where it takes away his credibility. With James Mitchell, you have that tool to sell to the fans where his credibility wouldn't be damaged, and you had these two who had the potential to run wild on TNA.
That's how Abyss should have been booked in the first place. And when he was booked with James Mitchell as his mouthpiece, I easily bought him as a monster. How awesome would it have been if those two were booked like a deranged Paul Heyman and Brock Lesnar?
First off, how can you not love that name? Janice is Abyss' pet 2x4 nail board. The very thing that left the TNA world champion RVD looking like a bloody mess, all thanks to Abyss and Janice.
This weapon might not have been something needed in his original run, however it sure as hell have helped Abyss become a dominant force to be reckoned with, something that should have been true from the start of this guys career.
If you really want to put Abyss over as a monster, why bother giving him a weapon? This isn't a horror movie, it's pro wrestling. Put him over as a guy who will fuck you up with his bare hands, and that it would take an extraordinary effort to put him down. It gives an even bigger rub to the guy who can actually beat him.
Mick Foley as Mankind have always been a crazed monster, and at the top as well. Mick has always been a tough nut to crack and to keep down, especially in hardcore matches. Abyss reminds me a lot of Mankind, and I'm sure a lot of people agree with me, Abyss is the second coming of Mankind, but he was never booked like that. A failure on TNA's side I must say.
The difference between Mankind and Abyss is that Foley knows the art of putting a promo together and he knew how to work a crowd. Abyss' promos entice the viewer to change the channel because they're so bad and cartoonish. Abyss should have been put over as a Kane/Undertaker type monster from the start. A basically unstoppable force who has a batshit insane mouthpiece.
I acknowledge that our arguments are very similar, but I feel there are enough differences here where we can turn this into a debate. I cannot, in good conscience, try to even play Devil's Advocate, because Abyss as an escaped mental patient dressed as a milkman, or as a lovesick puppy, or feuding with his therapist, or being written as a thinly veiled rapist, or as the second coming of Dave Sullivan are all terrible angles.
However, Abyss should have been booked as a Michael Myers-ish monster, and they had that going for awhile with James Mitchell as his equally deranged mouthpiece. And I think his character has taken such a bad turn where you can't take him seriously because of all the aforementioned awful gimmicks he's had.
when you mentioned Paul Heyman? I don't know really. Must because the whole deal would suck. Paul would most likely never be associated with Abyss, and probably never should. Abyss might not be perfect on the microphone, but he's doing just fine. And he comes off as more of a monster and deranged when he gets to cut his own promos, rather than having some mouthpiece tell people how messed up this guy is.