What's the deal with Rhino?

[BradXXX]

While I don't remember Rhino ever being very good on the mic, I do remember him being a monster heel in the past, and it was a lot more entertaining than the vanilla face he's been playing in TNA for years.

I really don't understand why Rhino doesn't use the piledriver in TNA on a regular basis for a finisher. I always (and still) see the Gore as a setup move. And as a finisher I think the gore is pretty lame.

The piledriver isn't nearly as dangerous as a lot of the moves done in TNA, and Rhino seemed to be a master of it.

I don't know that he could ever be main event level, considering his lack of mic skills, but if TNA were to have a mid-card title, I think a heel Rhino of old would be a pretty good champ.

I hate how whenever I see Rhino is in a match these days, I cringe, but in the past I used to love his matches. Is it just the TNA curse? They seem to take anything that any kind of "edge" to it, and make it bland (current LAX, Samoa Joe, Team 3D, Christian to name a few).

 

[Minfast Greel]

I remember back in the days of ECW on TNN. Though I hated TNN, I quickly fell in love with the ECW product and one of my favorite Champions that they had was Rhino. The guy really could cut pretty good and very intense (you actually felt his rage, at least I did..) promos and he was a damn good champ in my opinion. The way that ECW promoted and booked him, it was easy to believe that he was unstoppable. He is one of the few heels that I actually found myself cheering for when he absolutely destroyed his opponents. But, I really think that had more to do with ECW's booking than his skills as a whole. Don't get me wrong, I think that Rhino is a solid wrestler, but if his character isn't booked right, he simply can't look good. Look at the absolutely horrid job that WWE did with him. I think that pretty much proves that no matter how badass the character is, if the booking isn't done right, nothing in the world can make them look good. Just my opinion /shrug

 

[BradXXX]

Yeah I remember his ECW promos being decent for what they were. But normally they were just him saying he was going to "kick someones fucking ass" or something. And you can't really talk like that in TNA or WWE.

For me WWE killed Rhino when they took away his piledriver. That was always a really big Rhino trademark and piledrivers are apparently too dangerous for WWE. They completely watered Rhino down and made him shitty.

What I'm saying is, why has TNA kept the same watered down character? I mean obviously booking him that way didn't work in WWE, so why would they do it again? What's the point of even having him on the show if they keep him the way he is? Would anyone miss him if he was never on TV again? I doubt it. And that's a damn shame.

 

[he6rt6gr6m]

Ive personally said that Rhino could be the TNA Champ. again. I think he needs to be given a bit more mean-ness to his gimmick, because he is a real babyface at the moment. He needs to have some kind of mental breakdown, and start trashing stuff on his way to the top.

Right now, he could be "The Guru" Sonjay Dutt's fellow Guru.

 

[SpiralHands]

Rhino back in the day was fierce and in your face. Now though hes in TNA they have to obviously water him down. It bad enough hes a face. Ive never seen Rhino get more than a medicore reaction from the crowd except when he came back at AAO I think it was and Gored James Storm out of his boots. Rhino would be much better heel I could see him just making main event if he was but at the current face he is now I dont think he'll ever be bigger than mid-card. And I agree the Piledriver should be his finisher more often, the Gore unless someone like James Storm takes it looks ultra lame and looks more of a take down than a finishing manouver.

 

[Lithium66]

Yea ECW rhino was a fucking legend them gores and piledrivering woman on to tables was some good times but i think now wwe n tna has water him down and i dont see him as a main event champion again.

I think tna kinda mess up rhino he was champ for a short time then was out of the title hunt after so other people just took over his place.

My other reason with the piledriver is that it turn common move and now ban cos its a very risky move to do and one day could ruin another wrestlers life but hey i know the ban list moves in wwe but i dont know about tna ban list so if any1 knows do tell

 

[BradXXX]

Yea ECW rhino was a fucking legend them gores and piledrivering woman on to tables was some good times but i think now wwe n tna has water him down and i dont see him as a main event champion again.

I think tna kinda mess up rhino he was champ for a short time then was out of the title hunt after so other people just took over his place.

My other reason with the piledriver is that it turn common move and now ban cos its a very risky move to do and one day could ruin another wrestlers life but hey i know the ban list moves in wwe but i dont know about tna ban list so if any1 knows do tell

I'm pretty damn sure TNA doesn't have a ban on the piledriver...they have wrestlers that do much more dangerous moves.

And when Rhino does a piledriver, it's usually pretty brutal/good looking so it is a lot more believable than the gore for a finisher.

 

[Tolk]

WWE pretty much tamed Rhino's gimmick. I agree that a heel Rhino would be great at the top of another TNA midcard title scene. But give him a manager again, the no talking is what makes guys like that scary. It's like they don't talk due to a build up of anger, rage, and having tunnel vision.

 

[Kyphael]

You know, sometimes TNA doesn't know what they have and just can't make amends to their booking. Rhino's character is stale, and he badly needs to go monster heel. On the flip side, and this is totally unrelated, James Mitchell, a great mouth piece for any monster heel gets released because they had nothing for him. You know what I mean?

 

[Monkey_Mania]

Rhino has never really been to entertaining for me. Don't get me wrong he is a solid worker for sure. But he just lacks something to make it to the big level. I remember when he won the ECW title. He was real good then. he had so much fucking intensity. Ever since then though, he has lacked that and other skills to be a big time player. It is never to late to get better, but at this stage in Rhino's career he is better suited at the role he is in at TNA.

 

[mstaken]

Rhino was fabulous in ECW...but, that was how many years ago? Age takes its toll on everyone! I think the reason that he might not be using the piledriver in TNA is that move takes some strength to do. He really has to hold the opponent to do that move. With his history of injurues, in my opinion, I don't think that Rhino could use the piledriver again without the fear of injuring himself or his opponent. At this point in his career, Rhino is stuck with being a high profile mid-carder in TNA. I have to give Rhino credit that he was looking a bit pudgy for awhile. When he came back to TNA after his short leave of absence, you could tell that he had worked out and dieted. He did look thinner and toned. So, to the average fan watching the show live or onscreen, he looked better than before he left the show. Unlike most TNA wrestlers, he took the time to attempt to improve how he looked. I give him kudos for that. As for needing a mouthpiece, I agree that Rhino needs mic help. His promos are not good. I don't see TNA paying a manager to put over a mid-card wrestler. Could James Mitchell help him on the mic? Would James Mitchell push and sell Rhino to the fans? Yes, but why would TNA invest paying two salaries to put Rhino over in a mid card position? If he was being pushed for a championship run, then maybe TNA could invest two salaries into him...but, I don't see them doing that. For now, Rhino is like alot of TNA wrestlers who are stuck in mid-card land waiting for Angle, Booker and Samoa Joe to get injured or disgusted and walk away. Otherwise, they are just content working and collecting a paycheck every two weeks.

 

[kaihorro]

i completely agree with that last statement

if they were goin to push rhino as a monster heel wth a mouthpiece mitchell would be the perfect fit i think they should turn him heel by turnin on christian goin absolutely insane and pound the shit out of him, would make for a gud feud but only problem is theyve done this before but with role reversal (not that chirstian is a monster or anythin) but i think rhino needs to be more intense to succeed in tna

 

[WCCWfan]

Its a shame to see someone like Rhino, Christian, and 30 other guys be used the way they have lately. TNA had something new and unique when they 1st came on tv. They had so many exciting matches and it really was Total Non-stop ACTION. Now its to campy to watch. I loved watching Amazing Red, Elix Skipper, hell, even Raven. But they bring in older top names (Sting, Angle, Booker T) who cant take the bumps they used to, and make them the top guys. TNA had something when they took WWE mid card guys and said 'look at the potential these guys had and you blew it'. They used the hunger that Christian and Rhino had and unleashed it. Knowing you have a chance to be on top makes a better performer. Rhino was a damn machine when he won the title. Even after losing it, he was a force being he was in the forefront. Then his chances of another shot at the belt started to pull away when 'remember when' guys started signing. Why would you break yourself in half when you don't have a shot anymore? I wouldn't have the same fire inside. I wouln't care. I'd wrestle when needed and grab my money. No sense for Rhino to be tha man he was unless he was put back into title contention. Heavyweight, tag, or even an intercontinental style new belt. Rhino has the power and execution he had 8 years ago. It shows. Bottom line: GET RID OF RUSSO, stop using stale talent and skits, give the shot to new talent and the misused stars of other feds, like Rhino, Carlos Colon, Super Crazy, and Kazarian, and give them real title shots. Watch what tose guys will do then...

 

[TNAw00t]

You know, sometimes TNA doesn't know what they have and just can't make amends to their booking. Rhino's character is stale, and he badly needs to go monster heel. On the flip side, and this is totally unrelated, James Mitchell, a great mouth piece for any monster heel gets released because they had nothing for him. You know what I mean?

wow, thats actually exactly what i was thinking...i was thinking something like mitchel comes back saying he has a new monster or something and while rhino and abyss in some tag match, then rhino gores abyss or something

 

[Syxx-Pac]

Rhyno never really cought to my atention... Rhyno wsa just boring, and I don't quite know why he was pushed as ECW Champ, and NWA Champ. I never liked him, and I though he would always be at the mid-card. But I seriously don't like him corrupting the tag team division. He is currently putting Christian's sucess on the line becuase he is holding him up as a tag team partner.

 

[doublej_TNA]

I hope TNA is listening...
Rhino should be a champion right now!
Hell.. he is definition of world champion...
He has done ELEVATION X..

TNA could do so much better by putting an X-division title on Rhino, and give it a hardcore title appeal for a while. guys like Rude, storm, Kaz would all make an interesting contenders.

What is 1 think that TNA should have don and has not yet??
Put the ECWs biggest tallent vs WCWs largest... Sting vs Rhino on a PPV! The intensity would be great!

I think TNA is acutally using the tag titles as a Mid-card (see AJ/Tomko, sting/angle)
basically to keep gold on them.

honestly I am OK w/ joe having the title.. but its boring now. Lets see Rhino, christian, sting, Nash, steiner in the spotlight.

keep out booker, angle ect...

build up Roode, Storm, Kaz and redo the the damn X-division.. Pete williams is not selling me one bit.. and the day they put that on EY I just might quit watching

 

[andremt9]

Rhino must be build as a Monster... The man who comes from nowhere and Gore the stupid idiot that is ripping him in the middle of ring

Rhino must be a Man that after was cheated,put his oponent through a Table and makes the oponent bleed.

But now Rhino is only the Man of Christian cage,a calm guy who suits football Jerseys in backstage and have friends...

Rhino,to work,must be the guy that brokes the opponent in half before he try to do anything,not the guy who after lose to the heel,stay in ring angry

 

[absent]

But they bring in older top names (Sting, Angle, Booker T) who cant take the bumps they used to, and make them the top guys. TNA had something when they took WWE mid card guys and said 'look at the potential these guys had and you blew it'.

Totally agree with this. When you had the likes of AJ vs Abyss as the main event, as far as high impact technical fast paced wrestling, they could hold their own against the highest spot fest match of the X-Division but by the time they brought in Sting and put him main events against a similar wrestler, the main events never had the same pure wrestling impact as they under card. Yeah you might argue that the older guys have better psychology or story telling or whatever, but the main events suddenly lost their stand-out quality. For me, to the point where I'd loose interest come the main event, 'cos I know I'd seen all the unexpected stuff on the event already beyond maybe a little story twist, and the main event seemed little more than a WWE style copy. An alternative is not the same as a copy, and often a poor one at that.

Guys like Rhino were good in the main event initially, 'cos his style was so tonned down in the WWE compared to ECW and when he came to TNA it was a chance to try and let it out again. In ECW he was so good through a combination of intensity, Paul-E and the pile-driving women gimmick which gave him Dudley Boys type heat. This is where TNA could benefit from bringing in WWE guys, letting them do the stuff that WWE wouldn't let them do but you always wanted to see, not just directly transplanting them over to TNA.