The WWE Series: 11) Jack Swagger

[Adam Rush]

Hello, guys, here's the 11th installment of the WWE Series! Feel free to request, and thanks for the request, TheExpectant2000.

What kind of investment has Jack Swagger been to the WWE: Positive, Neutral, or Negative?

Jutht the factth (Thpethal Jack Thwagger edithon):
1) Jack Thwagger ith a two-time World Champion (if you count ECW)
2) Jack Thwagger debuted on ECW on Theptember 9th, 2008.
3) He ith the All-American American American American (5 minuteth later...) American American (Okay, we'll jutht move on to the nectht part )

Overview: He was supposed to be the next big thing. And he was...until we realized he had a lisp. (That, or something happened backstage.) Point is, this guy was so promising, and now, his stock has dropped faster than JaMarcus Russell. I still think he can be a World Champ again. In fact, maybe that's why they're burying him!

Decision: ...erm. I gotta say negative. He's been buried too much to be even neutral at some point.

What's your opinion?

Closure: YETH! YETH! YETH! (Swagger/Bryan Tag Team )

 

[Kelso1ftw]

I'm gonna go with D-Bry on this one and go NO! NO! NO! ever since he came in he just seems like a cheap kurt angle knock off and even more so now that he has been using the Ankle Lock... I think he can be a good mid card champ but not too much more beyond that as of now he hasn't done a single thing since his whole championship run a few years ago besides letting everyone make fun of him for his lisp and running around the ring with a giant eagle mascot lol. Negative all the way with possible neutral in the future if he can get some steam back

 

[Unknown]

i kinda liked his (LISP), It kinda made him original, and it was kinda funny. But he was caught up in to much stuff going on, like the nexus the and undertaker returning. That when he lost his championship, people just kinda forgot about him and he started to fade away. I really like jack swagger because hes got the look, the in ring skills, and even though people think his Lisp makes him terrible on the mic, he was a all around good wrestler. But of course WWE just gave up on him and now he is a jobber for Brodus Clay and Tyson Kidd. So even though i hate to say it, Hes a negative. But its not his fault, WWE just doesnt know how to use him.

 

[Aquaman6686]

I vote positive. Swagger is a fantastic wrestler and has better mic skills than he is given credit for. The only ones to blame for his lack of success are the writers, they sabotaged his career by downplaying his "swagger" after he won the World Heavyweight Championship, then cutting his reign ridiculously short. Swagger has all the tools to be a top player, he just needs a steady, committed push.

 

[LeviCook]

I think it's a no brainer that the answer is Negative. Seems like every time Swagger has a match he loses. The only time it felt like he won is a couple times he teamed up with Ziggler. When Swagger debuted in ECW i was a big fan. I thought he had a huge amount of potential. He was good on the mic unless you count his lisp. Had a good look. And was a great wrestler. Then he later went on to win MITB and the World Heavyweight championship. Which most people didn't like. I honestly found his World Heavyweight reign entertaining. Like when he was showing off all his trophies from when he was a kid and having his dad get beat up all the time. To even having his own mascot. Swagger was becoming a character. Something that helps you get over in WWE. And just like that it was all gone. I personally believe Swagger should have had a longer run. But the point is their investment in him has been Negative. In ECW it was great. Smackdown it was decent. Now it's horrible. I hope to god Swagger doesn't get released but at this point i don't know what they could do to turn his career around. He needs something. I wouldn't even mind seeing him as a face, Just something. His career is in desperation mode. That's where you need to do whatever you can to survive.

 

[The Extract]

He was a very promising young athlete that I thik could have been something HUGE in the WWE. He debuted very well, and had a pretty good ECW title reign. Swagger put on a great match, and feud with Christian. Then Tommy Dreamer was added to the feud. Once Swagger was traded to Raw, it was all downhill. Until, he was drafted to smackdown.

He won Money in the Bank, and then the World title. BUT to me, this is where Swagger busted. IMO, they should have had him hold on to the MitB briefcase for a long while, kinda like Edge. That would establish him as a main event player even before getting the title. And once he got the title, they shouldn't have put him in a crappy feud, where he had to take a cowards way out, with Big Show.

SO, IMO, Swagger is a negative, but can be a major player if pushed right.

 

[Ethelion]

I was beginning to wonder when you'll post this next installment.

Anyway, Jack Swagger's got to be the hardest WWE Superstar to evaluate to date.

First, he was impressive during his undefeated streak in ECW (until finally losing to a returning Christian in 2009). The only reasons why he finally lost his undefeated streak to Christian was to put the returning Captain Charisma over and that his streak had end at some point.

Second, he was enjoyable to watch as the ECW Champion, as Mr. Money-in-the-Bank, and even as World Heavyweight Champion. He even played the arrogant and cocky, but skillful heel exceptionally well. When he reintroduced the Ankle Lock, it was cool for me at first, but it quickly got old...

Then, he lost steam by starting to job. Why the WWE halted his push is beyond me. Sure, he added the United States Championship in his resume, but that was only because they wanted the strap off Zack Ryder.

Despite his current status, you can't overlook his past accomplishments. In the end, Jack Swagger has been a neutral investment to the WWE so far for me. He's actually travelling the same road as Drew McIntyre's today. But unlike the latter's case, the WWE can still save Swagger's career. I just don't know how...

As for my next request, like I've said in your previous installment, kindly make one for Mark Henry. This request also goes out to the anonymous poster who previously requested for this.

Peace.

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

With the struggles of Jack Swagger over the last couple of years and his lowly staus in the company at present, I could not vote "positive" here, but it was very diffcult to pic bwtween "Neutral" or "Negative".

Swagger has had alot of success- title wise, since joining the WWE, and looked set for a really good career, winning the ECW title early on, having a good gimmick and going on a long unbeaten streak, but a shock MITB win, and the subsequent World Title run seemed to have completely put the breaks on his WWE career.

I can see what WWE were trying to do with putting the belt on him. They desperately need a new crop of Main Eventers and thought Swagger would become one, but the poor standard of his run and the decision to take the belt off him completely killed all his momentum.

He is really just a glorified jobber now, which is a shame as he does have very good wrestling ability. The lisp doesn't help him on the mic, so I think he needs to get himself a manager to do that talking for him, as wrestlers with poor promo skills did in the past.

Swagger is not a lost cause, WWE could still save his career, but for a former World Champion to fall down the card so quickly with little sign of recovery means I have to vote him NEGATIVE.

 

[Uncle Sam]

Jack Swagger is an excellent wrestler. He's built like a brick shithouse, he's very interesting to watch, and he's probably the most underrated promo man in the company at this point. For some reason, people think having a lisp makes him bad on the microphone. Yeah - that's always been the rule in the past.

Jack Swagger's world championship reign was successful. We've covered this before, haven't we? It might not have set the world on fire, but Swagger's reign had great matches, feuds and storylines. Swagger drew major heat. It was afterwards when WWE dropped the ball - when it took months for him to be featured in anything as prominent as Michael Cole's lackey.

If WWE aren't getting their money's worth, it's their fault. Swagger has more than held up his end of the bargain.

 

[Radical]

I'll continue to say that Jack Swagger is a good athlete and performer DESPITE being buried so much lately.

I think he is a good as a champion. He was good at ECW champion, good at World Heavyweight Champion, even if it happened a bit fast and he might have lost a bit of his character that got him there once he became champion but he's been a POSITIVE investement in the sense that WWE has got good use out of him in the past. For him, personally, I'm sure he feels it has been negative lately but at least he is still getting matches (even though he loses all of them) he is still on the roster and you never know when he might get that push again.

I wish he would bring back the mascot. The mascot was a great idea for a guy like him to use as a distraction for opponents to get some wins and is also great for storylines and feuds as the face character can beat up on the mascot to get at Swagger.

I hope they start using Swagger better.

 

[Pedigree1]

Agree with Uncle Sam!! Swagger is built indeed like a brick shit house. He is jacked a very intimidating force. He lots of IMO untapped potential. A two time all american we already know all that. When he went on ECW he went on a long unbeaten streak running over everyone.

It is not his fault at all that his momentum has come to a screeching halt but all is not lost. Was his Title run a success no but far far from the worse title run. His lisp hurts him he is decent on the mic but he needs a manager to be a mouthpiece for him AW maybe??

I think him jobbing is an utter disgrace the man is too talented for his kind of treatment. Sometimes Vinnie Mac and creative blow my mind lets give santino a long US title run but screw over Jack swagger who can wrestle circles around most of the roster.

I sincerely hope the WWE stops this nonsense and properly builds swagger the right way. Its not jacks fault at all this is happening this is all on the WWE

 

[HBKistheHOF]

Negative

Swagger is one of the pound for pound BEST ATHLETES WWE has right now and was a favorite of mine!

But his acting is laughable AT BEST, his promos are boring and bad, and his gimmick has become as stale as Big Slow.

He was a reigning ECW and WHC champion and could have been great.

But unless he makes a MAJOR turn around, he has become one of the biggest wastes of WWE's time and one of the biggest disappointments in recent history.

 

[MisterRob]

Jack Swagger has always had a LOAD of potential. The problem has never been Jack Swagger, it has ALWAYS been the WWE. For whatever reason they have wasted his abilities and potential, something that continues to baffle me.

To me, there's no way Swagger is a negative. The fact he's being used as a solid mid carder and is able to have good matches and put over other talent makes him a good investment for WWE. They're getting their money's worth right now, in fact, just using Swagger as a mid carder. But Swagger, to me, can be so much more then that and that's where WWE is doing a terrible job of taking advantage of the asset they have and getting a greater investment out of someone like Swagger.

Swagger had a great rookie year, and did a great job during his time on ECW. He's even had a successful time in the WWE so far, being US champion and even being a WORLD champion. But the man is great in the ring, he can have great matches and feuds, he has a unique look and he is definitely underrated on the mic. Swagger has the entire package, WWE just needs to do their job and showcase that package, giving Swagger the means to show the world all of those assets.

It's WWE whose failing with Swagger, not the other way around.

 

[xavyer]

At this moment i vote neutral, because i think his career can still be saved, the WWE needs to turn him face or somethig so he can start over, i think he must of done something backstage to be in the dog house, that's the only thing i can think of for him not succeeding, because let's be honest, the guy is a phenomenal athlete, has all the tools to become a big star, the mic thing is something he can improove, but other than that he's great, if there's ever a great storyline he can even pin one of the top stars cleanly so he can get over, i now what i'm about to say is waaay out at left field, but it can save his career and get over quickly even if he does't win the match, but i think he should face the Undertaker at wrestlemania 29, bare with me, around that time he can start to say that he's tired of being misused or mistreated, and that he has a point to proove, and challenge Taker at Wrestlemania, like i said, even if he looses, he can put on a fantastic match and get over with the crowd, and that or something else can save his career, just an opinion.......

 

[red ass skull muhfukkah]

I'm going to say positive. I'm a pretty big fan of his, I like pretty much everything about him and think he has all the tools do big things but like most have said; WWE just keeps dropping the ball on him. You can't say Swagger as an investment is negative when you really haven't invested anything in him in 2 years. He had everything going for him until he dropped the World Title.

But to say he's had a negative impact is bullshit considering he's won every title there but the WWE Championship, has the ability to and has put on some great matches and has the potential to be a top 5 heel if given a decent push.

 

[Dagger Dias]

Swagger has been a negative investment for WWE.

Jack Swagger could have been, and SHOULD have been a major success by now. He has great skills in the ring, decent mic skills despite the lisp, and has held numerous championships. When he won the World Heavyweight Championship, it could have been the start of bigger and better things for the All American American. Of course we all know that did not happen. Swagger's run with the World Championship is regarded among the worst that the belt has seen, and he is viewed rather negatively at the moment.

What instead happened, is all WWE's fault. His booking was absolutely awful. First his world title reign (which will probably be his only one) gets cut short. Then he does absolutely nothing relevant other than (kayfabe) training Cole for a Wrestlemania match for a significantly long timeframe. This could have been Swagger being managed by Cole in another attempt to push him up the card. Then we have his US Championship win, he could have had an excellent run as the heel "All American American United States Champion Champion" the marketing takes care of itself.... Or rather it would had they made him do SOMETHING when he had the title. Then he gets overshadowed by Ziggler in their tag team.

With all of the time and effort they have invested into Swagger, but with awful booking at the same time, Swagger has been a very negative investment for WWE. One could argue he has been one of their most negative investments in recent years. If you're going to put so much into a wrestler's persona and pushes, BOOK HIM PROPERLY! Swagger's career has basically become a waste of everyone's time. That annoying haircut he recently got isn't doing him any favors either.

 

[edgefan4life]

my only fond memory of swagger is on ecw when he was having a rivalry with christian and tommy dreamer. him and christian worked great together and when dreamer got involved it turned into a great story between the three of them. that in my opinion was the peak of swagger's career. he was top of the c brand but back then i always thought ecw was way better than raw or smackdown. that was when he was most relevent, at least to me being someone who watched ecw regulary. then he was moved to raw and done nothing, came out of nowhere and won the world title and had a boring reign, then lost it and done nothing and it's been down hill ever since. he is a good wrestler, has a great build and look of a champion. he's not bad on the mic but not great either. again ecw in my opinion was his best time on the mic as he got time to shine and traded barbs and insults with christain and dreamer. i miss the 2009 ecw days with them three. good times. way better than anything raw and smackdown produced over the months of may and june. anyway apart from his time on ecw i think he was a bust considering what he was expected of him with his pedigree. i think he should have stayed on ecw longer and not rushed onto raw when there clearly was no room for him. not a huge fan of his gimmick and thought he was a cheap kurt angle rip off aswell especially in 2010 when he started using the ankle lock. id say swagger was a wasted investment and i feel sorry for the downward slope he has been on since 2009. that was when he was last anybit entertaining.

 

[HBsam31]

This was one of the tougher ones to pick. He has held almost every major title and won MITB. He has just fallen so far since then. He is a great athlete, and could be a major major heel. The WWE really dropped the ball on him. I couldn't vote positive just because of how far he has fallen, and he has accomplished to much to say he was a negative. I voted neutral as I feel his career can be saved if the do something with him very soon. I just wonder if they will put the time in him to do so.