Slater or Otunga?

[TheJbody]

When the Nexus debuted the original members were Wade Barrett, David Otunga, Justin Gabriel, Heath Slater, Darren Young, Skip Sheffield, Michael Tarver and Daniel Bryan.

Tarver was released and Sheffield is no where to be found. Darren Young is on NXT. That leaves five. Barrett, Otunga, Gabriel, Slater and Bryan. Gabriel is a high flyer so he would be in a Cruiserweight division (if there were one). Barrett and Bryan are two very talented superstars clearly on the rise and would have been called up to the WWE without NXT (imo).

That leaves two. Otunga and Slater.

These two easily get the worst opinions of the original Nexus. Otunga has charisma. He has potential on the mic. It's his ring skills that are holding him back.

I just don't understand how people hate Slater. He's good in the ring, on the mic and he's got a face you just want to punch. That being needed for a good heel. If given the opportunity, Slater might be a mid-carder in the future. Otunga on the other hand, not so much.

So you chose. Who has a brighter future in the WWE, Slater or Otunga?

 

[Paralyzer Z]

Otunga and this is really an easy one for me. If you look at it closely WWE already sees something in Otunga more so than they do in Slater. David is working with John Laurinitis on the flagship show and gets plenty of TV time. Slater on the other hand is in the Mid card on Smackdown but may eventually get better. In Nexus Slater played second fiddle to Otunga and Barrett. Where Slater was the mid card Nexus guy, Otunga was the Upper mid card guy. Based in that history alone one could amuse that Otunga's future is better than Slater's. Otunga has better mic skills and the look of a future main eventer. Heath Slater has the look of a douche who you want to punch which is good for being a heel as you said: A heel jobber. WWE has more faith in David Otunga than they do in Heath Slater, history has shown it, and their current status shows it. If the big E backs you up more, the more chances you have to succeed in the company.

 

[Da Truth]

I think Otunga has the brighter future, though Slater is better in ring. Otunga is just horrible, but he has other things going for him. I don't know about the future maineventer part Zrise, but he's great on the mic. He has the look & all the intagibles. I can see him in some kind of on camera role, such as a manager or something, but he has to work on his in ring skill. Slater just isn't gonna be anything more than a jobber unless the WWE really work on the tag team division and make him a tag team star; that's Slater's only hope to any kind of major success in the E.

 

[FearMyBeard]

Neither men excite me in terms of their wrestling ability. So I'll go with mic skills instead. Otunga can talk. He is someone who I'd get for any speaking role in the WWE be it as a GM of a brand, manager of a stable or even a possible commentator. I can't say the same for Slater.

I agree with you that Slater can be a good midcard guy but the thing is, I think there are tons of wrestlers that could be good midcard guys who don't have to talk but just go in the ring. Otunga, I don't think I'm the right guy to accurately judge one's wrestling capability, is perhaps an average performer in the ring but the fact that he can talk(and a good one IMO) I think can get him farther than Heath "good midcard guy" Slater in the WWE.

 

[The 1-2-3 Killam]

As much as I usually side with the underdog, I just can't put any support behind Heath Slater. I don't hate him, I just forget he exists about 99% of the time. I've said it before, but the only good thing Slater has done is be the brunt of a John Cena joke. I really don't like applying the stereotype of a wrestler having to be a certain height, weight, or have the perfect skin tone...but Slater is kind of the opposite of everything you'd look for in a pro wrestler. At least one that can make it big in the WWE...

CM Punk is living proof that size doesn't matter if you have the skills to draw. Same goes for Jericho and HBK. Sheamus is proof that you can be pasty white and look totally off-putting and still be a legitimate title contender. The problem is...Slater is pasty white, off-putting, has a serious size issue...and doesn't have an over-abundance of skill to back any of it up.

Not that I think Otunga's future is Hall of Fame worthy, but Slater is the weaker of the two by far. At the very least Otunga is married to a celebrity. They don't really advertise that as much as you'd think, given Vince's apparent love-affair with Hollywood and all that bores hardcore wrestling fans. But I don't see Vince giving away that potential route so soon.

 

[Hulk Hogan's Brother]

I really liked Otunga in his role as the lawyer of the renegade group that was rebelling against Triple H. Otunga may not be able to wrestle much but he can be a good mouthpiece and that is what he should aim to be for the rest of his career. I can see him get a few midcard title reigns at some points in his career but I do not think that he will ever be a main eventer. Not that there is much problem with that. Otunga may not be the most talented but if he is smart and plays to his strengths, he can fashion out a midcard career for himself. Like I said, I like the lawyer gimmick and I would like it if he continues to play that or something of that sort, maybe an instigator or something.

Heath Slater, on the other hand, just does not stand out. Or maybe he does, as one of the most effeminate looking wrestlers of all time. It's a wonder that he is still employed. Makes you wonder if the WWE know more about him than we do. For Slater's sake I do hope he has a plethora of hidden talents or else it won't be long before he is on the road.

 

[TheErikMoonShow]

Id have to jump in and repeat what someone said earlier. David Otunga is married to a celebrity! Exactly. With the way WWE has been I wouldnt be surprised to go as far as see the WWE build him into a World Title just to have him next to Jennifer Hudson holding the belt. WWE loves being in the mainstream and on TMZ with shit like that. Dont get me wrong if I personally had to choose itd be The One Man Ginger Rock Band with a better career and neither reaching past IC or US title ranks.

On a side note theyve announced it the marriage a lot on NXT and a few times on RAW. Im pretty sure theyve called her Kate Hudson on multiple occasions so until I posted this I thought he was married to the actress lol.

 

[SD619]

I wish there was a none of the above option. But for the purpose of the thread, I would answer Otunga. He has a average gimmick currently and is involved in backstage segments with the likes of Punk, del Rio and Laurinitis. Also, he is married to a celebrity which is something that WWE could use in some storyline.

As for Slater, he was suspended and came back last week and I doubt that anyone noticed that he was gone. He is nothing special in the ring and is in desperate need of some sort of direction.

 

[Dagger Dias]

At this point I would say Otunga has the brighter fuure. He is very good on the mic and has really impressed with his lawyer gimmick. This gimmick could work well as a manager or GM in the future to use him in ways that can get around his below average in-ring abilities. All he needs to do is improve in the ring though and he will have all it takes to become a star one day.

Slater on the other hand.... I liked him from the moment he debuted on NXT and had high expectations of him as a potential midcard champion or even an upper card heel one day. However he went from The One Man Rock Band to The One Man Assault Band and then he got himself suspended. He. probably won't see pushes anytime soon because those are two rather large mistakes and I view him as being in danger of becoming future endeavoured right now.

 

[NotoriousWWE]

I think Slater has a brighter future as I can see him in the IC Title picture sooner rather than later. Whereas Otunga is so poor in the ring he's become a backstage prop for promos and segments. He's just there to be that akward guy, kinda like Coachman was to Vince back in the 2005 era.

 

[Hero_Kid]

I agree with everyone who said david otunga because he does have more of the shape skillz and he always got more heat then slater thats why he was the second in comand his problem is his ring skills need more work. Right now otunga would be staying if one had to go slater is just called up for squash matches now maybe he does good on superstars i dont know because i dont watch it slater was just the tag team guy who came second to his partner Justin G. but otunga is the obvious choice

 

[chicagomadepunk]

Otunga has been a semi part of a feud as to where slater has not been in any feuds and he barely gets tv time. Otunga has been in a few backstage segments and slater is not in any to my recent memory.

 

[PunkIsGod]

Otunga by miles.
Heath slater is a good tag team wrestler and could be a good heel. But good for a tag team or the lower card. I like slater but i don´t see star potential in him.
Otunga has tha charsima and the mic work. He´s awful on the ring, but he could be a great heel GM. comentator or backstage character like right now.
To be succesful in the wwe you don´t have to be the best wrestler. You have to be a good character.
In Japan or the indies, slater has brighter future and is way better than Otunga. In the WWE, Otunga is better by miles.

 

[the_analyst_87]

Can neither be an answer?
I don't get why everyone thinks Otunga is good on the mic. He sounds like he is reading from a script. He kinda sounds like an athlete acting in a sitcom or a commercial. Slater already has a wellness violation and a sexual assult accusation at the biggest event of the year. Neither have carisma and neither have anything spectacular in the moveset department. The only reason Otunga is on TV is becaue of his wife and his law degree. Slater has neither so he is rarely on TV, except maybe to job to Orton 2 months ago (bragging point). I just think these two were the worst two from Nexus and the longer they stick around, the more it shows.

 

[JWGunslinger]

Even though I can't stand either of them and there should be an option for neither, if I'm picking the lesser of two evils my choice is David Otunga. Slater has better in ring skills but nobody bores me more than that man, I look at him and all I can see is mediocrity. He's billed as the one man rock band while he should be the Bedtime Fairy who puts everyone to sleep when they see him, there is nothing about his character that is the least bit interesting and he's flat out shit in the mic. He may have worn WWE gold but that was thanks to him being a part of the Corre and Gabriel was the heart and soul of their tag team, all Slater did was give JG a guy to tag in.

Otunga on the other hand may not be the best guy in the ring, but he atleast has the look of a WWE Superstar and can talk. I hated Otunga and McGillicutty because they were such shit in the ring and their personalities were shit, but fortunatly they dont have the gold anymore and they have spilt. Which leads to where David is now, he made some improvements since his tag team time and has done quite well with promos playing the part of a lawyer for those against Triple H in the walkout a short while back. This was the best we've seen from him since his time in the Nexus and I really hope they keep it up because it's somewhat working and we don't have to see him in the ring much. Neither of these superstars have really bright futures, but if one of them is going to survive longer than the other it will be Otunga.

 

[NewEraIB]

David Otunga if he works on his in ring skills. His mic skills are bad, to be honest. As one reader stated, he sounds as if he's reading off a script. His voice is bland. Does anybody remember that little spat he had with Laurinitis? I forget what exactly was said but I do remember something to the sense of: Look John, I graduated from Harvard law School, so I'm a lawyer. and while I'm not practicing right now, these superstars look to me for legal advise." If anybody has the link for it on youtube let me know, it was awful. Anywho, he has a better build and look than Slater. His in ring skills and his speech deliver need work, but it can be done.

Slater, as another mentioned above, is pasty white, has a douche face, is the wrong size and basically has no talent to back himself up. Had he and Gabriel not broken up just yet, they could have been a tag team to help the division flourish a bit more. If they get back together for no reason maybe he'll at least have something to do.

 

[Ellye]

David Otunga has the "brighter" future here, I believe.

Brighter as in, he might end up being a jobber that appears on television, on the next few years; while Slater will be a jobber that doesn't appear on television anymore.

 

[ner0]

Even though I think Slater is the better wrestler, Otunga is the easy choice for this question. He at least has something going on right now with his legal advisor thing and gets some time on TV. Slater on the other hand prior to just coming back from his wellness policy suspension last I remember he lost to freaking Santino on Superstars

 

[The_Sharpshooter]

I'm picking Slater, and I'm gonna use the reasons you people picked Otunga to make my case.

Seems everyone's in agreement that Slater is better in ring right? Now what about Otunga that makes him stand out to you? When he talks his lawyer mumbo jumbo, does it amuse you in anyway? Or are you all just that big a fans of bowties? His character is wack, and he doesn't have the personality to make it better. Once they come to realize that his wife doesn't want to ever sing the National Anthem at a WWE event, they'll finally let him go. HE HAS NO POTENTIAL.

Without guys like Heath, the industry couldn't be built. He's the Brooklyn Brawler. Chavo. Poor man's Tyson Kidd. He's that guy that goes out every night, gets beat up by up & coming face, then goes home to lick his wounds and count his money. He's already in the doghouse with his actions the past year, so he might as well get comfy where he is.

But the thing is, after awhile of dedication and jobbing, sometimes the bookies decide its your shot. You have more of a chance getting that opportunity if you suitable in ring. Thats what Heath Slater is, and he'll continue to improve.

Who has the brighter future? 3 years from now, I expect to see Heath Slater jobbing to Samoa Joe on Raw. 3 years from now, I expect to see David Otunga going through lawbooks, trying to find loopholes to keep Jennifer Hudson married to him. ONE MAN ROCK BAND!

 

[ABC123]

Get them both out in my opinion. I think Otunga's little backstage stint as a stooge will keep him in a little longer than Slater but personally I don't rate either of them