Ok, you all know how Giant sized wrestlers are usually used as monster heels right? Well the WWE has The Big Show, Kane, and The Great Khali all as faces on their shows right now. Big Show's doing a good job with his face run, Khali's is just plain aweful, and Kane may be in line for a heel turn if they make this Kane and Undertaker Umpteenth-hundred. My point is, should you have all of your giants be faces instead of at least one being a heel? Having all three kinda weakens the chance of a heel believably beating one of them without breaking the rules the whole match. Anyway, what's your thoughts on this?
The Friendly Giants?
- Thread starter Adalam
- Start date
prowrestlingking
Dark Match Jobber
i feel its ok to have them as faces if they so chose but in the case of say bigshow they need to simply make him a destroyer. lets face it if they did that he would run straight threw the entire company,same with kane and as for khali he just needs to go away
mayankeagle
Pre-Show Stalwart
Well, sometimes giants as friendly really don't leave an impact. Look at Khali, for example. He was so pushed when he debuted as a monster heel, even defeated Undertaker cleanly in his first match (that's the biggest accomplishment you can ever get in the WWE history) and later on won the world title too. But now, he has become a joke as a Punjabi playboy. The kiss-cam just didn't suit him well and neither does the friendly gimmick. It has brought him down significantly compared to how he was earlier. Giants always work better as destructive heels than as faces. On the other hand, if you have a great gimmick like Taker 
or the masked Kane, you can be a face/ heel/ tweener and still pull it off - the crowd will always cheer for you.
or the masked Kane, you can be a face/ heel/ tweener and still pull it off - the crowd will always cheer for you.XgringolocoX
Championship Contender
Big Show works as a face because he's funny and personable. I just hate it when they have him job to small fuckers. Khali sucks either way. Kane...without a severe gimmick change should remain a heel. This face turn I think is just what everyone is saying and he'll be the culprit thus making this a fake face turn, yeah it's all fake whatever. It makes him a heel all along is what I'm saying.
I guess to answer the question...no, sorta. Gimmicks should be natural extensions of the wrestler, IMO. If they are comfortable and natural on camera then its more believable. I'm not holding onto the medevil mindset that if you're bigger than everyone else you're a mean son of a bitch. Even Frankenstine had a soft side.
And why does it matter if a heel couldn't cheat to win against one of these big motherfuckers? Heels are supposed to cheat. aren't they?
I guess to answer the question...no, sorta. Gimmicks should be natural extensions of the wrestler, IMO. If they are comfortable and natural on camera then its more believable. I'm not holding onto the medevil mindset that if you're bigger than everyone else you're a mean son of a bitch. Even Frankenstine had a soft side.
And why does it matter if a heel couldn't cheat to win against one of these big motherfuckers? Heels are supposed to cheat. aren't they?
The Stallion
Dark Match Jobber
in the PG era we need the big show as a face> i like him as a face better than a heel> he is funny and works well with fans.
Taker has his character and thats one of a kind he needs to be the deadman until he hangs it up. than American badass was good but his role now is unchangeable
kane should always be a heel> something needs to happen that the mask comes back. like if taker took out some revenge on him and burned his ass up then kane could be one of the best heels on smackdown. PUT THE BELT ON KANE he has been around for eva and from what i know is healthy.
WWE needs to push the PG envelope as far as they can to keep wrestling interesting. The big men are the key to captivating ppls attention>
Khali needs to be a heel bottom line if show is the face giant on smackdown we need a heel giant on raw. like said before they give him the biggest push they could n now he is dressing up in a top hat n dancing with a dwarf wtf is that. make him a nasty terrifying force. they can give him the same kind of push if he puts over cena but have him reck house before that and take out other heels like the pal one or faces like orton. use him now beofre his giant ass cant do anything anymore> if they took him off the scene and built him so he loses that awkward shape and looks more like a wrestler he wouldnt even have to talk> get him some dominating music and get rid of that lil camel jocky he carrys around with him and you have a huge heel and asses in the seats
Taker has his character and thats one of a kind he needs to be the deadman until he hangs it up. than American badass was good but his role now is unchangeable
kane should always be a heel> something needs to happen that the mask comes back. like if taker took out some revenge on him and burned his ass up then kane could be one of the best heels on smackdown. PUT THE BELT ON KANE he has been around for eva and from what i know is healthy.
WWE needs to push the PG envelope as far as they can to keep wrestling interesting. The big men are the key to captivating ppls attention>
Khali needs to be a heel bottom line if show is the face giant on smackdown we need a heel giant on raw. like said before they give him the biggest push they could n now he is dressing up in a top hat n dancing with a dwarf wtf is that. make him a nasty terrifying force. they can give him the same kind of push if he puts over cena but have him reck house before that and take out other heels like the pal one or faces like orton. use him now beofre his giant ass cant do anything anymore> if they took him off the scene and built him so he loses that awkward shape and looks more like a wrestler he wouldnt even have to talk> get him some dominating music and get rid of that lil camel jocky he carrys around with him and you have a huge heel and asses in the seats
Stories aside, all three of them have to be friendly. Think back to the days when Andre would decide who won or even walked away. I agree with gringo though, seeing Show job to Mysterio makes me sick but speaks volume about White outside of the ring. Until Khali can say anything besides "BLAHHH!" it doesn't matter what they do with him. I think Kane will remain a tweener just due to the fact that long time fans want to see him wreck stuff. But I digress, giants are naturally heels having the ability to destroy the roster but when guys come along like Kane and Big Show with the ability to perform it widens the spectrum.
i think its a matter of are they believable monster heels. Kane, Big Show, and Kahli all were at one time but at some point had to lose and lost their appeal. yokozuna was a monster heel squshing everyone but he too became stale after losing to bret, undertaker, and shawn. The fans and the writers no longer see these guys as major players unless they are dominating. The great kahli was like giant gonzalez from the 90's except he can wrestle. now hes playinga righful role as entertainer until he can once agin become relevant.
The Stallion
Dark Match Jobber
thats the thing with wwe Matt7584 you mentioned that they have to be believable> well thats the creative teams job. they can turn any one they want into whatever they want. ex.. the last raw we got teased with a face turn from the pale one> i figured he was messing around but for a minute he had me sold that he could turn face just that quick. just think if he would have given up the belt instant face turn. kahli needs to be a heel for the rest of his time with the WWE yea we laugh at him a a goof but i feel he is more profitable as an unstoppable force that does what he pleases he doesnt need to talk he is not American and traditionally wrestling fans hate ppl not in the stars n stripes he needs to bring that out more
I dont think its a case of wat category u fit into depending on your size. I personally have only been able to enjoy BigShows work during his face run as his monster heel gimmick is just bland and boring.
where as over in TNA Abyss is the most annoying thing in the world as a face no matter what incarnation of it is. But as a monster heel he is very credible.
where as over in TNA Abyss is the most annoying thing in the world as a face no matter what incarnation of it is. But as a monster heel he is very credible.
Giants in the wrestling business should probably always stay heel, I would think. I look back at times where these people have been successful and can’t help but think that face turns are probably what have ruined them. Look at Kane for example, Kane’s only World Championship reign came as a fucking scary monster that had problems talking and showing his face because he was so scarred. Now though, he has switched alignments and his vigour and his way a little bit.
The same is true of The Big Show. As a heel, he is one of the best at imposing himself on other people. The boxer gimmick, even if it is flawed, works well with that and the one-punch knockout does especially. However, as a face right now, he is dreadful. He flip-flops between being scarily dominant as a heel, to trying to make bad jokes as a face. He goes from being feared and respected to a glorified Santino in a matter of months and I think he loses his lustre a little because of it.
At the end of the day, it is always easy to play the angry giant role and although these guys might want to show a little more depth beyond that, I think they should stick to doing best and that is being heels and dominating people.
The same is true of The Big Show. As a heel, he is one of the best at imposing himself on other people. The boxer gimmick, even if it is flawed, works well with that and the one-punch knockout does especially. However, as a face right now, he is dreadful. He flip-flops between being scarily dominant as a heel, to trying to make bad jokes as a face. He goes from being feared and respected to a glorified Santino in a matter of months and I think he loses his lustre a little because of it.
At the end of the day, it is always easy to play the angry giant role and although these guys might want to show a little more depth beyond that, I think they should stick to doing best and that is being heels and dominating people.
Via Armbar
Has a pretty good dick.
If you're a giant and playing it up for laughs then chances are they have nothing else for you at the moment. Either your run as a scary, unstoppable monster has ran it's course or somebody has taken your place for the time being. I can't recall any giant debuting as a face. They debut as monster heels because it's not only the easiest but the most believable. A giant teddy bear is neither interesting nor believable as a credible contender and therefor renders the athlete obsolete.
Look at Khali for example. Debuted as a monster force, taking out one of the biggest and most respected men in the business. He had some moments afterward where he looked dominant and unstoppable, crushing many in his path. Flash forward a couple years and take a look now. His wrestling tights are tucked away neatly in his suitcase 90% of the time because he's written into ridiculous skits and guest host segments. There are many reasons for this but I have to believe that the biggest is because his character had ran it's course. Once a character like that tastes defeat, they usually just aren't the same. You never hear, in this day and age, of a character like Khali or Show going undefeated for years. It isn't permitted by the current state of the product.
Character growth is inevitable and necessary in the business. Especially when your gimmick is that of a giant. The problem is, there are only so many places to take a gimmick for guys like Big Show. You either play to your size and stature or you play it for laughs and cheap pops. For the time being, he's doing the latter. Really, do you want to see the same Big Show that feuded with Undertaker for far too long just a short time ago clogging up the main event scene again? It's something a little different and it's adds some longevity to Show's relevance.
Look at Khali for example. Debuted as a monster force, taking out one of the biggest and most respected men in the business. He had some moments afterward where he looked dominant and unstoppable, crushing many in his path. Flash forward a couple years and take a look now. His wrestling tights are tucked away neatly in his suitcase 90% of the time because he's written into ridiculous skits and guest host segments. There are many reasons for this but I have to believe that the biggest is because his character had ran it's course. Once a character like that tastes defeat, they usually just aren't the same. You never hear, in this day and age, of a character like Khali or Show going undefeated for years. It isn't permitted by the current state of the product.
Character growth is inevitable and necessary in the business. Especially when your gimmick is that of a giant. The problem is, there are only so many places to take a gimmick for guys like Big Show. You either play to your size and stature or you play it for laughs and cheap pops. For the time being, he's doing the latter. Really, do you want to see the same Big Show that feuded with Undertaker for far too long just a short time ago clogging up the main event scene again? It's something a little different and it's adds some longevity to Show's relevance.
The Future Rises
Thinking Of A New Name..
i think there doing this because of the PG rating. if there gonna stay PG, they need to stop scaring little kids with "monsters" IMO, thats the reason why we hardly see any monster heels in wwe nowadays.
Just to address the first point, Andre debuted as a face back in the early 70's, and did very well with it. After all he remained face until '87.
As for Khali, the reason he doesn't wrestle as much, to my knowledge, is he has a great deal of trouble with his knees.
Seriously, it isn't impossible for a giant wrestler to be a face, it doesn't degrade from their presence. If people are including Kane as a giant, then why does the Undertaker not feature? He works as a face, so why anyone else? It seriously is like saying if your over this size, you must be a heel. If thats holds true, then cruiserweights, conversely, must all be faces. Silly I know, but along much the same lines.
I prefer giants as heels mostly because I think their size natually leans towards them portraying convincing bad guys or 'monsters'. With that being said however, lets look at a few of the WWE's so called 'giants', most of whom have enjoyed runs as heels and faces.
Kane- debuted as a monster heel, yet he has played the face as well. I believe the Kane character is best suited to his demonic ways when he is wrecking havoc on WWE (much like he is currently doing, only he is a face/tweener as he's doing this in the name of The Undertaker). Perhaps Kane's most successful run as a face was in 2002 when he was arguably Raw's biggest good guy when he went up against HHH. Also in 2002 he was playing the joker, doing Kanearoonies amongst other things - however, as 'un-Kane-like' as this behaviour may have been, I still think it was a necessary progression for the character and in that sense it worked well. Nevertheless, Kane has experienced most of his greatest success as the bad guy in my view, whether it be his original program with The Undertaker or the period following his unmasking...Kane's size, coupled with the monster heel persona is simply a formula that works.
The Undertaker- Again as with Kane, 'Taker has worked as both a face and heel. Many would argue that some of his best work came during the Attitude Era as the evil leader of the Ministry of Darkness. However, the question could be asked, did his success as a heel during this period have to do with him being a 'giant'? For some reason, WWE has never really portrayed him as a true giant as they prefer to promote him based on his supernatural character, yet Kane who isn't that much larger than 'Taker, often is protrayed as a big man (especially in the months following Kane's debut). Whether or not we consider 'Taker a giant in the true sense of the word, I still think the character works well as a heel, yet he is a great face today, perhaps mostly becuase he commands such a respect from the fans.
Big Show- I think this man makes a better heel than he does a face. As a face, he seems one dimensional to me, a face Show often consists of him smiling and shaking the fans hands with not a whole much else there. Yet as a heel, Show often comes across as devastating, powerful and as a legitimate threat to any top face or champion - and I attribute much of this to his overwhelming size.
Great Khali- without doubt this man works best as a heel (and I say that from a fan's persepective). As a heel he was impactful, was given a World title win and was no stranger to the main event. Now as a face, his is a joke and is lucky to make it onto a 2 minute segment (obviosuly this has a lot to do with WWE finally realizing his limited abilities and his knackered knees, but still). WWE probably feel he works well as a face as he gets cheered and long gone are the chants of 'You can't wrestle!' and in that sense it is smart booking from them, but in my own opinion Khali worked better as a heel and again much of this had to do with his massive size...
Mark Henry- again, I just think he is a bland face but as a heel he is much more interesting. It is very easy to believe when you see someone of Henry's size talk smack and then back it up with his brutality and strength, as opposed to being all smiley and light hearted...
Andre the Giant- obviously this guy played both the face and the heel. Admittedly, I think Andre made a good face, he did actually come across as the BFG but again, his size made it so believable when he was a heel...as a fan it's easy to think 'this guy's huge and with his size he is capable of doing bad things to people'. This is why I think big men or 'giants' generally make very competent heels, it just feels natural.
Obviously there are many more to consider but generally I think the bigger you are, the better the chance you will work more effectively as a heel. That isn't to say giants and big men cannot be good faces, it's just that their size naturally appears to lend well to heelish characteristics...
Kane- debuted as a monster heel, yet he has played the face as well. I believe the Kane character is best suited to his demonic ways when he is wrecking havoc on WWE (much like he is currently doing, only he is a face/tweener as he's doing this in the name of The Undertaker). Perhaps Kane's most successful run as a face was in 2002 when he was arguably Raw's biggest good guy when he went up against HHH. Also in 2002 he was playing the joker, doing Kanearoonies amongst other things - however, as 'un-Kane-like' as this behaviour may have been, I still think it was a necessary progression for the character and in that sense it worked well. Nevertheless, Kane has experienced most of his greatest success as the bad guy in my view, whether it be his original program with The Undertaker or the period following his unmasking...Kane's size, coupled with the monster heel persona is simply a formula that works.
The Undertaker- Again as with Kane, 'Taker has worked as both a face and heel. Many would argue that some of his best work came during the Attitude Era as the evil leader of the Ministry of Darkness. However, the question could be asked, did his success as a heel during this period have to do with him being a 'giant'? For some reason, WWE has never really portrayed him as a true giant as they prefer to promote him based on his supernatural character, yet Kane who isn't that much larger than 'Taker, often is protrayed as a big man (especially in the months following Kane's debut). Whether or not we consider 'Taker a giant in the true sense of the word, I still think the character works well as a heel, yet he is a great face today, perhaps mostly becuase he commands such a respect from the fans.
Big Show- I think this man makes a better heel than he does a face. As a face, he seems one dimensional to me, a face Show often consists of him smiling and shaking the fans hands with not a whole much else there. Yet as a heel, Show often comes across as devastating, powerful and as a legitimate threat to any top face or champion - and I attribute much of this to his overwhelming size.
Great Khali- without doubt this man works best as a heel (and I say that from a fan's persepective). As a heel he was impactful, was given a World title win and was no stranger to the main event. Now as a face, his is a joke and is lucky to make it onto a 2 minute segment (obviosuly this has a lot to do with WWE finally realizing his limited abilities and his knackered knees, but still). WWE probably feel he works well as a face as he gets cheered and long gone are the chants of 'You can't wrestle!' and in that sense it is smart booking from them, but in my own opinion Khali worked better as a heel and again much of this had to do with his massive size...
Mark Henry- again, I just think he is a bland face but as a heel he is much more interesting. It is very easy to believe when you see someone of Henry's size talk smack and then back it up with his brutality and strength, as opposed to being all smiley and light hearted...
Andre the Giant- obviously this guy played both the face and the heel. Admittedly, I think Andre made a good face, he did actually come across as the BFG but again, his size made it so believable when he was a heel...as a fan it's easy to think 'this guy's huge and with his size he is capable of doing bad things to people'. This is why I think big men or 'giants' generally make very competent heels, it just feels natural.
Obviously there are many more to consider but generally I think the bigger you are, the better the chance you will work more effectively as a heel. That isn't to say giants and big men cannot be good faces, it's just that their size naturally appears to lend well to heelish characteristics...
JollyJokerthePhoenix
Dark Match Jobber
Huh. Didn't notice that unitl the original poster here brought it up. I do think a new heel giant needs to be added, doesn't matter which show. Then again, I suppose hearing the Ezekiel Jackson is on RAW, he could qualify, but I think Smackdown needs a new addition. Hmmm...perhaps Jackson Andrews from FCW...I don't know.
Klown_Karnage
Slapstick Heavyweight Champion
The mark of a truly good main eventer, in my opinion, is that he can play both face and heel believably. They gotta be able to do both to stay relevant. Obviously there are a few exceptions. Mysterio has been a great main eventer and would not be believable as a heel, but for the most part a wrestler should be able to be believable in both roles.
As to the "giant" aspect, it works in either context. The Big Show is great in both roles, but I actually think him better as a face because it allows him to express a bit more in terms of promo. He's pretty limited as a heel to angry and what I call "little kid ripping wings off of flies". That's pretty much all he's got. As a face, he can be hilarious on the mic, he's believable coming to the rescue of a buddy, and his character becomes one of the most "human" and well-rounded (no pun intended) of the bunch.
Khali...well, his major drawback is the fact that nobody can understand him without the use of his interpreter. You do that bit long enough and people are going to get tired of it, but again, the Punjabi Playboy was fun for a little while. It's time to do something different, though, maybe turn on Rajin (sorry if I butchered the spelling) and maybe go to being the big monster that helps someone else who's the brains. Maybe if Hornswoggle were to turn heel and start speaking English, that might work...
Kane...he's rarely if ever believable as a face. It works if he's simply going after someone who is a heel and even helping out a face because it furthers his own goals, but he's not, nor will he ever be, a "good" person. A long time ago, they experimented with a version of Kane who was trying to be normal and gain acceptance (with varying degrees of failure although some funny bits did come out of it) but Kane is best as a heel because that's his character.
I think it would behoove the WWE to change some of the giants to heels, but I don't think that the WWE should turn them solely on that basis. Even given how thin the story lines are and how little the WWE pays attention to continuity, there should be at least a small bit of logical progression.
As to the "giant" aspect, it works in either context. The Big Show is great in both roles, but I actually think him better as a face because it allows him to express a bit more in terms of promo. He's pretty limited as a heel to angry and what I call "little kid ripping wings off of flies". That's pretty much all he's got. As a face, he can be hilarious on the mic, he's believable coming to the rescue of a buddy, and his character becomes one of the most "human" and well-rounded (no pun intended) of the bunch.
Khali...well, his major drawback is the fact that nobody can understand him without the use of his interpreter. You do that bit long enough and people are going to get tired of it, but again, the Punjabi Playboy was fun for a little while. It's time to do something different, though, maybe turn on Rajin (sorry if I butchered the spelling) and maybe go to being the big monster that helps someone else who's the brains. Maybe if Hornswoggle were to turn heel and start speaking English, that might work...
Kane...he's rarely if ever believable as a face. It works if he's simply going after someone who is a heel and even helping out a face because it furthers his own goals, but he's not, nor will he ever be, a "good" person. A long time ago, they experimented with a version of Kane who was trying to be normal and gain acceptance (with varying degrees of failure although some funny bits did come out of it) but Kane is best as a heel because that's his character.
I think it would behoove the WWE to change some of the giants to heels, but I don't think that the WWE should turn them solely on that basis. Even given how thin the story lines are and how little the WWE pays attention to continuity, there should be at least a small bit of logical progression.
I dont think it matters too much about the size of the superstars, if the other heels are doing their job then they can more than make up for the lack of a destructive monster heel. Kanes more of a tweener at the moment id say anyway. He is targeting anyone to find his answer. Khali i think shouldnt be taken too seriously, hes had his run as a monster heel and i dont see him getting anything like it again, Big Show was a heel with the Miz/Jericho and although he wasnt the classic monster heel it was clear that from his size and the devastating right hand he had that he could always be a monster again.
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