Recently, there has been a huge debate over Zack Ryder, and his impact on this business. Now, many people say that he won't make it because of his gimmick, but that is where this thread, and I, disagree. In pro wrestling, there have been many outlandish gimmicks. Zombies, Boogeymen, Clown, Guido douches, supernatural un-dead, and many, many more. Very few have succeeded though. Why is this, you may ask. It's because gimmicks don't make a star, stars make gimmicks. The perfect example - Mark Calaway, and his gimmick of The Undertaker. There is a gimmick that was never meant to succeed in any way, shape or form. Sure, Vince McMahon might have intended for it to get over, but with just about any other man, that gimmick would have fell flat on it's feet. But he had the size, the in-ring work, the in-ring psychology, and that intangible x-factor to make that gimmick work, not just for a few years, but into the modern era and day, where it should have even less of a chance of working. This is an example of how The Undertaker gimmick did not make Mark Calaway - Mark Calaway made The Undertaker.
Take Glenn Jacobs for example. Kane is a gimmick that would never have worked in the first place if it wasn't for the Undertaker, and should have only lasted a little while, until that first feud with The Undertaker had ended. But Glenn Jacobs took the gimmick and ran with it, and is still going strong today. It is just another example of how the man made the gimmick, in this case with Glenn Jacobs making Kane.
Now, let us view examples of how the man tried to make the gimmick, but failed miserably. Marty Wright was given the preposterous gimmick of the Boogeyman, booked to eat worms and break a clock over his head daily. This was no more outlandish than a gimmick of the un-dead supernatural being that could survive being burnt in coffins and buried alive, or the brother of that man who also had supernatural abilities and the inability to feel pain, who had been burnt to the crisp and kept in an insane assylum. If those could work, then through suspension of belief then the Boogeyman gimmick should work as well, yes? No, because Marty Wright did not have the intangibles to make it work. He was not good enough in the ring or on the mic, he didn't have that x-factor to survive as a WWE superstar. So in this case, Marty Wright could not make the Boogeyman. He wasn't good enough, and failed.
Which is why I think Matthew Cardona has the ability to make Zack Ryder. He was given a goofy Guido gimmick by Vince McMahon and WWE creative. They gave him this gimmick to just pass by in the under card and wrestle on the C-show until he got released in a budget cut. But he eventually got tired of going nowhere, and took the gimmick into his own. First by cutting fun promos on ECW, then by putting great matches out there every week on Superstars, and finally by putting his entertaining webshow on YouTube and using Facebook and Twitter to entertain his cult following of fans. He went out into business for himself to get over, although many say he shouldn't have. Chris Jericho did the same thing to get over in WCW, and look where he is at now. Zack Ryder is now selling out merchandise, has signs and fans in the audience growing in numbers every week, is not only attracting adults, but children, as evidenced by his broski of the week feature on his show. He was given a gimmick which should have resulted in him being releases a year ago, and has turned it into "We Want Ryder" chants live in a neutral town on pay-per-view during an Intercontinetal Title match. He has the charisma, in-ring ability, and it factor, and Matthew Cardona is making Zack Ryder.
Which brings this thread full circle, in my point that the man makes the gimmick. Most gimmicks are likely to fail, and most do - but certain ones that would most likely fail have gotten over, and it's because of the man portraying it. Gimmicks that realistically should get over have failed horribly because of the man portraying it, while gimmicks that should realistically fail get over. The shoes don't make the man, the man makes the shoes. Or, in this case, the Guido doesn't make the man, the man makes the Guido.
Take Glenn Jacobs for example. Kane is a gimmick that would never have worked in the first place if it wasn't for the Undertaker, and should have only lasted a little while, until that first feud with The Undertaker had ended. But Glenn Jacobs took the gimmick and ran with it, and is still going strong today. It is just another example of how the man made the gimmick, in this case with Glenn Jacobs making Kane.
Now, let us view examples of how the man tried to make the gimmick, but failed miserably. Marty Wright was given the preposterous gimmick of the Boogeyman, booked to eat worms and break a clock over his head daily. This was no more outlandish than a gimmick of the un-dead supernatural being that could survive being burnt in coffins and buried alive, or the brother of that man who also had supernatural abilities and the inability to feel pain, who had been burnt to the crisp and kept in an insane assylum. If those could work, then through suspension of belief then the Boogeyman gimmick should work as well, yes? No, because Marty Wright did not have the intangibles to make it work. He was not good enough in the ring or on the mic, he didn't have that x-factor to survive as a WWE superstar. So in this case, Marty Wright could not make the Boogeyman. He wasn't good enough, and failed.
Which is why I think Matthew Cardona has the ability to make Zack Ryder. He was given a goofy Guido gimmick by Vince McMahon and WWE creative. They gave him this gimmick to just pass by in the under card and wrestle on the C-show until he got released in a budget cut. But he eventually got tired of going nowhere, and took the gimmick into his own. First by cutting fun promos on ECW, then by putting great matches out there every week on Superstars, and finally by putting his entertaining webshow on YouTube and using Facebook and Twitter to entertain his cult following of fans. He went out into business for himself to get over, although many say he shouldn't have. Chris Jericho did the same thing to get over in WCW, and look where he is at now. Zack Ryder is now selling out merchandise, has signs and fans in the audience growing in numbers every week, is not only attracting adults, but children, as evidenced by his broski of the week feature on his show. He was given a gimmick which should have resulted in him being releases a year ago, and has turned it into "We Want Ryder" chants live in a neutral town on pay-per-view during an Intercontinetal Title match. He has the charisma, in-ring ability, and it factor, and Matthew Cardona is making Zack Ryder.
Which brings this thread full circle, in my point that the man makes the gimmick. Most gimmicks are likely to fail, and most do - but certain ones that would most likely fail have gotten over, and it's because of the man portraying it. Gimmicks that realistically should get over have failed horribly because of the man portraying it, while gimmicks that should realistically fail get over. The shoes don't make the man, the man makes the shoes. Or, in this case, the Guido doesn't make the man, the man makes the Guido.
