"The Chosen One" Gimmick

[steveom07]

Drew Macintyre was given 'The chosen one' gimmick. On 25 September 2009, WWE Chairman Mr. McMahon, in character, introduced McIntyre as a "future World Champion" that he had personally signed.

Macintyre fueded with R Truth, then Finlay (albeit briefly) then went on to fued with John Morrison and win the Intercontinental title.

Drew lost a couple matches to Kane and Matt Hardy which were ex-sponged from his record by Vince to maintain his winning streak, before finally losing to Undertaker.

Now my question isnt your thoughts on Drew Macintyre, but on the gimmick itself. In theory it sounds like it should work. Vince, a huge heel gives a superstar favoritism and help to gain victories.

What if this gimmick was given to someone else, i.e. Sheamaus - who I think debuted around the same time?

What superstar do you think would have made it work?

Could it be done again?

 

[Remix]

What superstar do you think would have made it work?

Almost any of the good superstars in FCW at the time could have made it work in my opinion. Kaval could have been a vicious bastard that McMahon met somewhere and he saw a bit of himself in him because of that viciousness. Justin Gabriel could have played it as that guy who's better than you and shows it off at every oppertunity (more or less a heeled up version of his Posterboy gimmick from before FCW). Wade Barrett would have been D-Mc but better in every way. Would have pushed the debut back a bit as he didn't return from an injury until December.

Let me put it another way. Lucky Cannon pulled off this gimmick in FCW. That is how easy it is, and yet McIntyre pissed it away.

Could it be done again?

Sure it could. It's an old gimmick, but it can and would work again in the future.

 

[obamartins]

When i saw "The Chosen One" gimmick the first person i thought of was Jeff Jarrett...

What Superstar do it think would have made "The Chosen One" gimmick work?

.....Jeff Jarrett

Why Jeff Jarrett? because he already did the gimmick in WCW 1999 to 2000 & he pulled it off better then any of these jabronis could today.

Jeff Jarrett had all the "stroke" back then because he was buddies with Vince Russo.

Regardless of the bad booking "The Chosen One" Jeff Jarrett is the best ive ever seen the "The Chosen One" gimmick portrayed.

For this concept to work now it needs to have that little bit of realism just like Jarrett/Russo did back in 1999/2000 & if you don't know what i mean then put your smark glasses on & do some research.

The only way i see this working now is if Vince McMahon came back & personally annnouced a guy who we all know he loves in real life like The Miz or John Cena as the "The Chosen One" & then play up gimmick from there.

Maybe they could have a "Cho Cho Cho CHOSEN ONE" quote at the start of their entrance theme like Jeff Jarrett did.

So choke on that slapnuts & have a slappy new year.

 

[poppycock]

It can work and can be used again. It's been used before like my avatar pic suggests... In WCW Jeff Jarrett was the chosen one, different in many ways to Drews gimmick but still the chosen one. I really like Drew and think he has a great look and has something that could be developed but nothing seems to click right and I a not sure his full potential will ever be realised in the WWE. With himself to blame as much as the WWE in my opinion. He needs to focus more on his aggressive side and bring to the table more of what we saw of him at Elimination Chamber. I really thought that was going to be the start of him showing us what he able to bring to the table but it fizzled out. I still enjoy watching his matches on Superstars but really feel there is something there that has not yet been tapped into.

As for the gimmick, well it could have been given to a few young stars and they could have made it work. Wade Barrett with his smugness, cockyness and mic ability could have been the chosen one. He also was the leader of "one of the most dangerous" (not in my opinion) factions in WWE history. But he was chosen to lead them all the same.

I even think CM Punk could have been given the gimmick and made it fit really well.

 

[martymcfly]

Part of the problem is that you can't call someone the "chosen one" and then start having him lose a bunch of meaningless matches. Yeah, the whole McMahon stepping in and clearing losses off of Drew's record makes you dislike the favoritism, but at some point it doesn't make sense that McMahon would keep throwing his support behind a loser.

For the chosen one story to really work, he needs to first go on a major winning streak. He doesn't need to fly to the main event title picture right off the bat, but he should be able to hold his own against at least midcarders for a long time.

 

[Remix]

Part of the problem is that you can't call someone the "chosen one" and then start having him lose a bunch of meaningless matches. Yeah, the whole McMahon stepping in and clearing losses off of Drew's record makes you dislike the favoritism, but at some point it doesn't make sense that McMahon would keep throwing his support behind a loser.

For the chosen one story to really work, he needs to first go on a major winning streak. He doesn't need to fly to the main event title picture right off the bat, but he should be able to hold his own against at least midcarders for a long time.

A winning streak, like the one he had for the best part of 5 months (ending with the first expunged loss)? Yeah, that's not an excuse for Drew failing when he was given this angle on his debut.

 

[Remix]

what exactly did Drew Mcintyre do to piss off "the powers that be" anyways? I heard it had to do with his marriage and subsequent divorce to that hot-ass Tiffany chick.

Me: He didn't get over after being put in a prime position to do so. Consiquently he got kicked down the card.

Dirtsheets: Tiffany being a crazy bitch and beating him up in a hotel room got him kicked down the stars but it's totally not his fault.

Believe what you want.

 

[Mustang Sally]

He didn't get over after being put in a prime position to do so. Consiquently he got kicked down the card.

It could be that. When he was "bestowed" with the gimmick upon entering WWE, he might have figured it was a golden chance to rise quickly to the top, only to find the title to be a curse rather than an honor. After all, if the storyline has placed you at the top of the roster; where do you go from there? Also, if you're automatically boosted ahead of performers who've been working their tails off for a long time, it could create resentment from those wrestlers, and it was rumored that it was exactly what happened.

To add to that, I read that Drew himself handled it badly, apparently taking seriously that he was McMahon's chosen.....and behaving badly. ("Hey, Primo! Get outta my way. I use the Coke machine first because I'm the chosen one, not you.") We don't really know what happens behind the scenes, but if this is remotely true, it spelled bad things for McIntyre right from the start.

It's been said that when the gods want to punish us, they make us believe in our own advertisement. It could be Drew believed in his and created a bad atmosphere that they're holding against him to this day. Hopefully, he's changed and will get another chance when the powers-that-be decide he's been punished enough. Certainly, he works a match better and sells for his opponents much more than he used to during his "chosen" days.

As for the gimmick itself, perhaps it could be used again if the benefactor has it explained right from the start that "Chosen One" is a storyline, not a coronation.

 

[Remix]

It could be that. When he was "bestowed" with the gimmick upon entering WWE, he might have figured it was a golden chance to rise quickly to the top, only to find the title to be a curse rather than an honor. After all, if the storyline has placed you at the top of the roster; where do you go from there?

You get to the top, win the title and feud with someone who wants that title. That's the way it usually works. Where did Kane go after debuting, demolishing his brother and losing at 'Mania?

Also, if you're automatically boosted ahead of performers who've been working their tails off for a long time, it could create resentment from those wrestlers, and it was rumored that it was exactly what happened.

That, plus being a complete ********. As Booker T once said, if you can't make it backstage, you won't make it in the ring.

To add to that, I read that Drew himself handled it badly, apparently taking seriously that he was McMahon's chosen.....and behaving badly. ("Hey, Primo! Get outta my way. I use the Coke machine first because I'm the chosen one, not you.") We don't really know what happens behind the scenes, but if this is remotely true, it spelled bad things for McIntyre right from the start.

And if he was a knobhead then that would still make it his own damn fault that he got kicked down the card.

It's been said that when the gods want to punish us, they make us believe in our own advertisement. It could be Drew believed in his and created a bad atmosphere that they're holding against him to this day. Hopefully, he's changed and will get another chance when the powers-that-be decide he's been punished enough. Certainly, he works a match better and sells for his opponents much more than he used to during his "chosen" days.

It probably didn't help that everywhere Drew went before WWE he got quickly to the top of the mountain. IWW? won the top title and met his biffles for liffles Sheamus O'Shaunessy and Stu Sanders Wade Barrett. FCW? He won the Florida Heavyweight Championship (so did Eric Escobar). It's possible that he expected the same treatment on the big show. He was sadly mistaken.

If he took McMahon's endorcement seriously then he's an idiot for taking something said on TV and probably told by creative was a gimmick literally.

As for the gimmick itself, perhaps it could be used again if the benefactor has it explained right from the start that "Chosen One" is a storyline, not a coronation.

Or if the reciptient wasn't an overrated jackass.

 

[HorsemenNo4]

I don't know if that gimmick works for anyone. I remember Elijah Burke getting a special gimmick from McMahon, "the future of ECW." Sadly, nothing really came of that. I think any title like that is the kiss of death on that character.

 

[TWJC: The Beginning]

The chosen one gimmick shouldn't be worked as a really really good wrestler. It should be worked as a mediocre wrestler who's given everything. Why the fuck would anyone give a shit about someone they're told is good and says he's good? There's no conflict there. That's just like "okay....I don't believe you".

Jeff Jarrett in WCW was like this and it's pretty much the only time I remember it working to that degree (also one of the few times jj has been entertaining). I can see Miz pulling it off.

As far as all the crazy people thinking there's some conspiracy about drew. First off, he was never that good, if he was, he would have drawn. Second, it was a gimmick. vince probably hoped he'd be great, but he wasn't, who cares. If you get pushed and don't draw, you dont' deserve another push. The push doesn't get you over, you get you over. Drew didn't, sucks to be him. Also, wins and losses don't really matter that much. you think fans actually went "well shit he's called the chosen one, I bet he is". No, ITS A FUCKING GIMMICK. Everyone saw it as that. If you're interesting you're interesting and people care about you. Drew wasn't interesting. No one legitimately believes Mark Henry is the WSM. However, mark is great at his character so people are interested in him.

 

[One to Remember]

if his character is based on being the chosen one why are you all angry that he failed to deliver or did not earn his spot at the top..? that makes no sense.. thats like not getting why DX didn't show manners or the LWO had no Black members.. If his gimmick is that then he does that.. good lord. the issue was when he was given that gimmick but the brass failed to let him deliver.. he should had been allowed to dominate the lower tier though and the mid card just for the sake of longevity then after that he could had just inserted himself into matches and feuds without consequence. he should had made shoots like Big Poppa Pump and operated wildly like Savage c. 1997. McMahon should/could had veto'd every penalty for this behavior and really reinforced the gimmick but did not. He has got the size and the look to bolster his realism, he doesn't need charisma or top notch wrestling skills because this gimmick has always allowed the wrestler the favoritism he needs to compensate. That builds heat, which is a type of steam.. operating outside of the parameters allows the wrestler greater chances to piggyback star power as well.

you all are talking about he took the gimmick too serious.. an athlete... in a fictional sport... took a storyline to heart..? are u people stupid..?

P.S. I thought this thread was about Double J too but his issue in WCW was he was too closely associated with stables. a chosen one either leaDS groups or walks alone so by the time he was declared the chosen one it was too late and that in conjunction with the mid carder perception and short comings in the WWF destroyed his viability.

THE chosen one has got to draw a clear line in the sand between being the top dog because of nepotism vs being the top dog by the grace of God.. thats a hard task. hes gotta convince the fans that hes not in his spot because the boss wants him there hes in his spot because he convinced the boss that he had a roster that was below him.