Success, Bust or In-Between [Legends]: Diamond Dallas Page

[It's Damn Real!]

With a relative success rate for these in the TNA and WWE sections, I figure it can't hurt to try an expansion into a larger market with a legendary series in the Old-School section as well.

Just as was done with the series in the other sections, legendary talents in the industry will be critiqued (by you) regarding their work over their careers. You can vote them either a success, a bust or in-between if you don't feel they deserve either extreme.

In addition to your vote, I'd like to know why you feel the way you do. Why was this particular charater a succes, a bust or in-between?

Next in the Legendary Series is Diamond Dallas Page.

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Diamond Dallas Page
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Years in the industry: 21 (AWA, WCW, WWF/E, TNA, JCW)

Number of titles runs: WCW World Heavyweight Championship (x3), WCW United States Heavyweight Championship (x2), WCW WOrld Tag Team Championship (x4), WCW World Television Championship (x1), WWF European Championship (x1), WWF Tag Team Championship (x1)

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Notable Feuds:
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• Doom (Butch Reed & Ron Simmons) via The Fabulous Freebirds (1991)
• Dave Sullivan (1994)
• Eddie Guerrero (1996)
• nWo via Scott Hall & Kevin Nash (1997)
• nWo via Randy Savage (1997)
• Curt Hennig (1997)
• nWo via Hollywood Hulk Hogan (1997)
• Chris Benoit & Raven (1997/98)
• Hulk Hogan & Dennis Rodman (with Karl Malone) (1998)
• Hulk Hogan & Eric Bischoff (with Jay Leno) (1998)
• Goldberg (1998)
• Jeff Jarrett (2000)
• Kanyon (2000)
• Scott Steiner (2001)
• The Undertaker (2001)
• Raven (2004)
• Jeff Jarrett (2005)

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Other Accomplishments:
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• Broke into the business in 1988 as a manager in the AWA
• Managed Badd Company (Paul Diamond & Pat Tanaka) and the Diamond Dolls in 1988
• Managed The Diamond Exchange (Col. DeBeers, Curt Hennig & Madusa Miceli) in 1988
• Managed The Fabulous Freebirds (Jimmy Garvin & Michael Hayes) in 1991
• Debuted Scott Hall (as Diamond Studd) and Kevin Nash (as Vinnie Vegas) in WCW via The Diamond Mine
• PWI Most Improved Wrestler of the Year (1996)
• PWI Feud of the Year (1997 v. Randy Savage)
• PWI Most Hated Wrestler of the Year (1999)
• Also starred in Rob Zombie's "The Devils Rejects" as Billy Ray Snapper in 2005
• Coined a number of catch phrases including "Yo! It's me, it's me, it's DDP.", "Bang!" and "Self High Five"

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Previous Polls:
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• Scott Hall – 73.91% Success, 19.57% In-Between, 6.52% Bust
• Diamond Dallas Page – In Progress

 

[Ferbian]

I'm gonna say DDP was a success, while the amount of championships he held wasn't exactly anything big, he did achieve holding the WCW world heavyweight championship 3 times, while it was in a somewhat struggling time, and the reigns were rather short as well, it's still an achievement under his name.

He was incredibly over during his WCW days, and I think he could've been incredibly over in the WWE, and have been a success there as well had it not been for the miss use of him during the Invasion storyline.

Success.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

Damn shame he really didn't get into the wrestling aspect of pro-wrestling until late in his career, because I really feel like DDP is one of the last real warriors/old-school guys from the war years who could have had a phenomenal career had it not been for his massive misuse following the collapse of WCW.

Like Ferbian noted, his runs were short, but holding the WCW World Heavyweight Championship three times in that amount of time he was with the company was a huge success considering how difficult of a title it was to actually own, especially when Hogan had his death grip on it.

Success for me.

 

[Rated R SuperFan]

Damond Dallas Page is a 100 % SUCCESS !!! period without question he is the original PEOPLE'S CHAMPION (Not the Rock) he was a Solid in ring proformer and magic on the mic !! He was a commentator ,manager , multipule time WORLD Champion but he was SUCCESSFUL at something not many athletes can say they were successful at , that being what they did after they retired from their sport .

Diamond Dallas Page went on from wrestling to start his company YRG ( Yoga For Real Guys) and as turned that into something great . NOW Page has moved on to acting currently working on the film Pizza Guy . He is also a motivational speaker with his Live Life At 90 % speech which means simply this Life is 10% of what happens to you and 90% of how you react to it . this speech has changed my life so much so that I got a tattoo in DDP's honor of a diamond with the number 90 in the middle .

For all the Marks (Mark) Madden's of the world who call DDP DDME you are all entitled to your opinions but DDP is one of the greatest wrestlers of our generation for the simple reason to quote JR "He put an ass every 18 inches" , for all the things he did in the business for all the titles he won for all the smiles he created on the fans faces DDP is a 100 % SUCCESS and all the experts in the business NEVER SAW IT COMIN' ..... BANG !!!!

 

[Spidey Revivey]

Multiple World Champion= Success.

Despite his age, he captured the top belt in the WCW in his 40s or so. He was a major draw and was charismatic. His catchphrase of *Bang* and his signature Diamond taunt would become one of the most well-known hand gestures in wrestling period.

WCW he was success, but because of his downgrade to WWF(E) I almost said in-between. WWE really lost out on a diamond oppurtunity with him.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

I'm going to have to go with In-Between for DDP. I respect that Page was able to become a big star in wrestling by getting a late start in being an in-ring performer. There's also no doubt that Page was really over in WCW.

However, Page's reigns as champions were mostly either forgettable or just plain jokes. DDP's three reigns as WCW World Heavyweight Champion lasted a combined total of 29 days. The fact that he did win a major world championshp three times is something in and of itself no matter what but, at the same time, they took place when WCW was at it's lowest point in terms of product quality. His time as WCW World Television Champion was a pretty forgettable 42 day run back in 1995 and the Jersey Triad's runs with the WCW World Tag Team Championship was also nothing to write home about.

I also found most of Page's feuds to be pretty forgettable as well. I think his best feud was easily the one he had with Randy Savage, though he did have some memorable feuds with Hulk Hogan as well.

Page's time in the WWE was really just kinda meh. It's a shame because I think he could have been a long term contributor to the WWE. But, come what may, his time in the WWE was a total bust.

Overall, I think I have to stick with In-Between for Page. He won a number of prestigious titles and had some very high profile feuds. However, most of his title runs were completely forgettable as were most of his feuds.

 

[chiefcannon]

"Yo! It's me, it's me, it's DDP. Man love or hate aside (cuz I knw tha hates comin) but look at what he's done. Made tha Freebirds even hotter gave us Diamond Dolls Exchange N I personally witness this (MIND U ALL I'M 25 SO I AM AN WRESTLING WARRIOR) MIND pun intended. The Class of The Champion match wit Eddie/Savage War (made Savage legit again)/ Henning Fued. Those were all moments in time that made WCW better ratings or not. Everybody that was watching THA WARS at the time know WCW = WRESTLING WWF/WWE = EXCITEMENT FLASH ENTERTAINMENT. And everyone that watched can tell you that DDP was a MAJOR PLAYER top 10 in tha latter years for sure. DDP in my opinion was a HUGH SUCCESS!

 

[Ducey13]

100% Success. I was a HUGE DDP fan back in his WCW days. There's a lot that can be debated about how many championships he held and for how long he held them for. But DDP was just simply one of those guys that everybody loved. Yes, I would have loved to have seen DDP have a longer career, but thats becuase he was so great! He's still a success even tho his WWF run sucked. Thats not his fault tho. I was excited when he return to wrestling via TNA. He didn't do anything epic while he was there, but at least it was a way for him to leave wrestling on a better note and on his terms, which he deserved.

Bottomline: He was a great talker, a good worker, and had the ever elusive IT Factor!
He was also one of the few guys (Along with Goldberg, and Booker T) who became a star in WCW not having come over from WWF.

and lets not forget. He was a star in READY TO RUMBLE. THE Best Wrestling Movie of All Time!

 

[nwo1234life]

I would have to say success for DDP because of his feuds with Savage,Raven and Hogan. also for his 3 World Title wins.