Success, Bust or In-Between: Petey Williams

[It's Damn Real!]

This is a new poll series I'm hoping to run here in the TNA section where (recently) departed former talents of the company will be critiqued regarding their work with the company. 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 series is Petey Williams.

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Petey Wiliams
Years with TNA: 5 (2004–2009)
Number of titles runs: X-Division Championship (2x)

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Notable Feuds:
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• Chris Sabin (2005)
• AJ Styles (2005)
• America's Most Wanted (2005)
• The Naturals (2005)
• Christopher Daniels (2005)
• Senshi/Jay Lethal (2006)
• Latin American Xchange (2006)
• Robert Roode (2007)
• Scott Steiner (2008)
• Consequences Creed (2008)
• Main Event Mafia (2008)

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Other Accomplishments:
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• Debuted in TNA at the 2004 World X Cup Tournament (replacing Teddy Hart as captain of Team Canada).
• Was an original member of Team Canada (Scott D'Amore, A-1, Robert Roode, Eric Young, Petey Williams)
• Was a member of Planet Jarrett
• Was a member of the TNA Frontline (AJ Styles, Samoa Joe, Jay Lethal, Consequences Creed, Eric Young, O.D.B. and the Motor City Machineguns)

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Previous Polls:
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• Christian Cage – 87.72% Success, 12.28% In-Between, 0% Bust
• Booker T – 46.43% Bust, 33.93% In-Between, 19.64% Success

 

[It's Damn Real!]

Resounding success for me, primarily because of his ability to adapt and overcome IMO. Even when Williams started dancing on the edge of becoming irrelevant, he always found new and fun ways to repackage himself (or be repackaged) in a way that didn't really seem too forced or meaningless – most recently with his "Little Petey Pump" gimmick, which I don't think anyone saw coming.

 

[JayBriscoe2010]

A total bust no doubt about it. What did he ever do asides from hold the X Title a couple times? I wouldn't call him a 1 move wonder like some have but also I dont think he's very good, just mediocre. He is a step or 2 below Wrestlers his size like Austin Aries & Davey Richards, although back in 04-06 he was above average. He had some really good matches within the X Division in TNA but did anything stand out to make you remember him asides from the Canadian Destroyer? Not for me at least. He last had a short stint with ROH which was rather underwhelming, I haven't seen his match with Aries at GBH VIII though. Petey is Petey...nothing more.

 

[Mitch Henessey]

I was huge fan of Petey Williams when he was in TNA, but I'll have to say he was in between. Petey was a good wrestler, but what I think really hurt him, was his lack of mic skills. He was sort of entertaining on the mic, when he took on the "Little Petey Pump" persona, and mimiced Scott Steiner. This guy could be an awesome addition to the X-division title picture if he were still in TNA.

I think being a part of the Front-Line hurt him. He just sorted of blended in, and his feud with Steiner shoulkd've been bigger. Plus, he had the Canadian destroyer, which was just an awesome finishing move.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

I'm probably gonna have to go with in-between. Petey Williams is someone that I usually found fun to watch in the ring and he had some great matches. The Canadian Destroyer looked absolutely sick and is among the most memorable finishers to come about this past decade. Williams only had two title runs the entire time he was in TNA, but I'd have to consider them to be quality runs at any rate. His two runs as X Division champ lasted a total of a little more than 10 months and, in my view, Williams' second run with the title was the last good one. The title was much more prestigious during his two runs.

However, I think Williams also had a difficult time staying relevant in TNA. For a lot of the time, he just kind of floated through TNA without really having all that much going for him. Now, while he did have two good runs with the X Division title, those runs took place roughly three and a half years apart. In the time in between, there just wasn't really all that much going for the guy. He did wind up feuding with the likes of Daniels and Styles but he came out on the short end and they were probably his two best feuds. Now, he did start to become relevant again during the whole Little Petey Pump/Maple Leaf Muscle gimmick. While it gave him something to do, including his second X Division title run, he ultimately came out of that gimmick looking like a chump really. A lot of the angle had him playing second banana to Scott Steiner, during which he would often wind up being humiliated by Steiner in one way or another. It was just hard for me to ultimately take the guy serious running around as a Mini Me Scott Steiner.

 

[HT UK]

I'll go with In-between. Yes he was a great athlete, and his finisher was so awesome.

But I felt he never reached his full potential, mainly thanks to TNA's shoddy booking.

 

[JJohns]

Would I call him a bust, no. Far from it. I think the problem with Petey WAS the Canadian Destroyer. TNA at first really built him around that move, in fact, he had a feud with Sabin with that move as one of the points of it. Could he have been a success, yes. He had a wealth of untapped potential, which started to tail off near the end of his run there when he became "Little Petey Pump". He doesn't do the Maple Leaf Muscle/"LPP" gimmick, I think he'd still be there, possibly in the running for the Global Title.

 

[EStreet]

thought his finishing move was one of the best I've ever seen. really creative, but otherwise he was plagued by injuries from what i remember and could never get an original character that was believable (in the time that i watched, which was from '07 on)

 

[Remix]

I'm going to say success. firsflt because for he's the second longest reigning champ of all time (and his second reign is also in the top 5), was the leader of one of the most important factions in TNA history, pulled of whatever he was given very well, and was the highest paid man in the X Division. Which means he was a good champion, a company man and he got well paid out of it (until he got fired, obviously).

Also he had the best finisher in the company, bar none. Making the Destroyer popular is more than enough to be considered a success,

 

[Super Crazy]

I'm going to say he was a success in TNA. As you noted he had many memorable feuds. He was a part of one of the best stables in TNA history in Team Canada. He always put on good matches. His finisher is like nothing I've ever seen. I loved when Steiner took him under his wing and he became " Little Petey Pump ". It's a shame he's not with TNA anymore, as I feel they'd have a good spot for him in the card, even now with Hogan now in charge.

 

[wrestling fan 666]

I'll go with In-between. Yes he was a great athlete, and his finisher was so awesome.

But I felt he never reached his full potential, mainly thanks to TNA's shoddy booking.

I couldn't agree more. I felt in-between for the same reasons. Great talent, but never got the chance to shine in TNA. He has one of the best finishers in the business, yet they don't know how to use him. Too bad!

 

[CaptainZaltan]

I would like to say 'success', but given that he's no longer in TNA, that's obviously untrue. But I certainly wouldn't say 'bust', as he is an incredible athlete with infinite potential who held the X title, lead a major heel faction, and had some great feuds in his time with the company. So by default, it has to be 'in-between'; at least for now, as I'm hoping that the door hasn't closed completely on Peteys career. Hopefully TNA will pull it's head out of it's ass and bring him back.

I have no idea why Petey was released in the first place. From all accounts, he was well liked, a good employee and performer. He always seemed to get a good response from the Impact Zone. While he certainly had some difficulties cementing his face persona (and with gimmick in general), it seems as though TNA gave up far too quickly. The 'Mapleleaf Muscle' gimmick had potential. As I said, hopefully TNA will rectify this and bring Petey back in the future. He can certainly bring more to the table than Rob Terry, or Cody Deener, or Val Venis, or (etc)...

 

[NSL]

A total bust no doubt about it. What did he ever do asides from hold the X Title a couple times?

He had the most devastating finisher in wrestling, and he was the captain of the most hated stable of the last 10 years.

What else do you want, after you add in a handful of X Division title reigns, while the division was at it's best?

I wouldn't call him a 1 move wonder like some have but also I dont think he's very good, just mediocre. He is a step or 2 below Wrestlers his size like Austin Aries & Davey Richards, although back in 04-06 he was above average. He had some really good matches within the X Division in TNA but did anything stand out to make you remember him asides from the Canadian Destroyer? Not for me at least. He last had a short stint with ROH which was rather underwhelming, I haven't seen his match with Aries at GBH VIII though. Petey is Petey...nothing more.

Except, this thread is all about his time in TNA. In TNA, Petey is an "in-betweener". As stated previously, he held the X Division title twice, while the division was at it's best. He headlined pay-per-views in matches against AJ Styles and Chris Sabin, and the Ultimate X between the three of them is considered the best Ultimate X of all-time.

But, he teetered off at the end, not really keeping himself in the title hunt, and struggling to find a base. He was great with Team Canada, but then never connected with the crowd as a face, and didn't get over with Steiner.

That's why he's in-between.

 

[JOSHG85]

In Between....

Early Petey was great and a fantastic addition to the X division...

Late-TNA Petey was a joke...this was mainly due to booking but his in-ring performance began to wane as well.