When should Swagger return & how?

[xavyer]

Hey guys, there have been some talks about Jack Swagger, about him being repackaged, if he should remain a heel or become a face, etc. It got me thinking, i mean, he will eventually return, and the question is: When do you think is a good time for him to return, and when that happens, how should he doit? I got a few ideas, for example:

*Royal Rumble.- I'm not saying he should win it, but having him start at an early entry, let's say number 8, and last a very long time, even make it all the way to the final 4, or something similar, that way he can get people's attention.

*Survivor Series.- I kind of have an idea about this one, Antonio Cesaro wants to fight a good american wrestler, he can start saying something that he will refuse to defend the US title at the PPV unless he gets a descent or a great oponent, then whoever is in charge can say that he better show up and defend the title, and he can say that he has a very good oponent for him, and as soon as Cesaro is in the ring, and all of a sudden, Jack Swagger turns out to be the challenger.

*Monday Night Raw.- There should be some promos about announcing that someone will reborn or start back from the begining, a new road to success, and when that day comes, is Jack Swagger.

How would you like him to return?

 

[Wolf Pac]

I'm not sure if it's gonna happen, but I had the idea of Swagger being brought back as a member of Team Heyman, if a Team Heyman vs. Team McMahon match were to happen at Survivor Series. Even if that match doesn't happen at Survivor Series, I still think Heyman bringing back Swagger and managing him, making him a "Heyman Guy", would work out just great for Swagger. Him & Swagger would be a good pairing because Swagger is exactly like Brock Lesnar, he's big, agile, technical, a submission specialist, a former amateur wrestler and he can't talk but that's where Heyman comes in, and we all know how Heyman managed to get Brock over. I think Heyman could get Swagger over exactly like he how did Brock, Heyman & Swagger together would be like Heyman & Brock 2.0. It would also help if they put a "Crippler" gimmick on Swagger, where he injures and takes out some of his opponents & some other superstars, to show how much he's changed & developed himself. Book him as a "killer" to show that he is no longer a joke and that he means business.

 

[HBKistheHOF]

Personally I don't think he should return. While I enjoyed Swaggers work with WWE there is SO MUCH young & upcoming talent that hasn't even gotten a real shot, not to mention guys like Ziggler & Bryan that many (including myself) believe havn't reached their full potential, so why is Swagger even worth anything? He never really got over as a World Champion or as any real threatening heel.

If he was to return I think he would almost HAVE to return as a face, simply because he has proven to not work really as a heel. Also I'd say give him a total 360 degree character change kinda like with Brodus Clay & becoming the Funkasaurus.

IMO Swagger more or less reached his potential as a heel & therefore would have to essentially prove he could be profitable in some other fashion. And if they truely wanted to make his return impactful, since the general audience still remembers Swagger, he should return at a PPV. Really any PPV at all because the only PPV return/debut I can remember any time recently was Christian returning from injury or The Miz at MitB & he wasn't even really repackaged.

 

[hardy8778]

Well they should not repackage him or change what he is they should just turn him face and have them have a lengthy feud with Antonio Cesaro and win the U.S. title at tlc and continue to push Cesaro

 

[Giddy]

I think Jack Swagger should return as a face challenger to Antonio Cesaro. Cesaro is mocking America and calls out any American to face him, and prove that he's superior to America. Swagger comes out defending America, wins in a non-title match. Then at the next PPV he faces Cesaro, but Cesaro retains the title. They could have a few matches at consecutive PPVs, then build Swagger into a feud with someone else.

 

[Phil]

Stick Swagger on a coach and have him tour half of America in a stars and stripes tracksuit, document it, then bring him back and take a title from someone...
On a serious note he obviously ran his course as a heel and his character became very stale. He's such an amazing in-ring performer, I can’t say much else positive about him other than that. Maybe a face run is what's needed, a change of ring attire and new theme music could do wonders for him but it goes deeper than that. He needs to show more aggression and to be booked strongly if he is ever to be taken seriously again. This is a really puzzling one because the potential is there no doubt, he just doesn’t have ‘IT’, something is missing and I’m not surprised it has taken creative all this time to come up with something new for Swagger.
Me personally, I think a Bob Backland (intelligent/lunatic/nutter) gimmick could suit him and work in today’s programming. Have him be very bizarre but a friendly guy than can be short tempered when intimidated or pushed. This would give him an edge to his character that he has seriously been missing. He as a character is very stale, no question the guy’s personality is uninteresting and dry.

 

[TheLoneCharles]

Like some others have said, against Cesaro as the All American American, face style.

Cesaro says he is better than America and holds a title that represents obese America. He challenges an American superstar to face him and Swagger comes out. Swagger says "I'm proud to be American because I'm the All American American!"

Have him kick Cesaro's ass and you have the beginnings of a patriotic face character.

This would also allow Cesaro to move up the card, possibly to the IC Title level against Kofi

 

[GameOver]

Like some others have said, against Cesaro as the All American American, face style.

Cesaro says he is better than America and holds a title that represents obese America. He challenges an American superstar to face him and Swagger comes out. Swagger says "I'm proud to be American because I'm the All American American!"

Have him kick Cesaro's ass and you have the beginnings of a patriotic face character.

This would also allow Cesaro to move up the card, possibly to the IC Title level against Kofi

Sounds alot like Luger's face turn and the the following Lex Express to SummerSlam, and well we all know how that turned out
Swagger is not a face i'm sorry he's just too annoying, i can see it happening and it wouldn't be awfull but seriously i think he is better to stay heel.

 

[MTL722]

I've always liked the idea of Cesaro bringing back the European title instead of being the US champ. WWE is building Cesaro to be the anti-american, in your face, physical brawler. Who better to come defend the US and bring back the US title than the All-American American?

As many have said, Swagger as heel just isn't working. He's not believable. He has the same problem, and some may disagree, as Cody Rhodes in my opinion. Okay on the mic, good in the ring, plenty of potential, but they are not believable heels. I think Cody has it in him to be, but I can't see it in Swagger

 

[XXJJ]

I would have him join Punk and Heyman's alliance too. Get rid of his goofy haircut. Have him come back with a little more vicious streak. Basically promote him as a "wrestling machine". Let Heyman do Swagger's promos.. I dont think Swagger will ever be successful without a strong mouthpiece.

 

[Ballin247]

Its over for that guy. The only way he can have a good career would be to pull a Kane and come back with a mask and some kind of crazy character. The guy just completely lacks charisma and is torture to watch

 

[MooseDaddy]

If he was to return I think he would almost HAVE to return as a face, simply because he has proven to not work really as a heel. Also I'd say give him a total 360 degree character change kinda like with Brodus Clay & becoming the Funkasaurus.

You do realize that a 360 is a full circle right? He would be back right where he started. That being said I still think there is plenty of room for Jack Swagger. The guy has all the ability in the world, was able to draw a ton of heat in ECW and put on some great matches. Like a lot of other stars his stock fell because of the storylines he was put in. I think he could come back fine as a face or a heel depending on the need. Kurt Angle did the all American gimmick early on with the milk truck and medals and everything. Swagger doesn't have the medals but he could pull it off. He also pulls off the cocky gimmick and you could team him and Alex Riley if you were really needing another tag team as they both play off the jock persona well enoug.

 

[Longtimeviewer25]

i think his return will be soon now that vicki is back in power, hows hes repackaged i have no clue he was pretty boring before so cant get any worse..

 

[3drinks]

Why are people mentioning the american face gimmick? You realize Derrick Bateman is doing that now right(find the videos on Youtube). I think, and one person said this prior to me, but he is right; make him a Heyman guy. The guy who compared him to Lesnar is correct in identifying his skillset. Nothing wrong with Swagger, but he just cssn't speak. It's that lisp. It is holding him back so much, and it isn't even his fault.

Hell, you could even have him take on a similar role as to Kurt Angle when he was drafted to ECW. That whole "Wrestling Machine" gimmick. That would be perfect for him.

 

[MCMG]

Returning as a face would be better for him. There are far too many heels right now and he will be lost.

The Royal Rumble would be a good place to return. Him winning isn't a horrible idea, a few years ago this wouldn't be a realistic shout but now it seems he has no chance. If he were to win he could face Sheamus, Orton or even Ziggler for the World title.

Him and Ziggler have had previous, so that could be interesting, whereas Orton would allow a big name the chance to be in the main event. Ziggler and Swagger is hardly a huge main-event but neither was Sheamus/Bryan.

 

[BigDaddyKewl]

I would have him re align with Vickie Guerrero. Have Ziggler dump Vickie and turn face. Vickie "rehires" Swagger to avenge her and they become a new power couple. You could even throw Ric Flair in the mix with the rumours of him becoming Zigglers manager. If Ziggler wins the World Championship I think Swagger could be a credible contender with the right push,He is a former champion.

 

[z MUFASA z]

I think that now that we have an US Champ that is so against America and is so European why dont we repackage Swagger to return as a guy who truly is "The All American-American". We can make the title something relevant with guys fighting for it and bringing it to their home land. Like we can have Del Rio try to grab it and make it the Mexico Title, Cesaro can make it the European Title, if Sheamus dies out as a main eventer he can do it for Ireland (Finaly would be perfect), Gabriel, the list goes on. But back on point Jack Swagger is a truly great mat wrestler and I think WWE should showcase that more and not try to make him a powerhouse with Clotheslines and Spin-busters and a Gut-wrench Powerbomb. If they let him be Jack Swagger the wrestler he can flourish with the scenario I just gave.

 

[Mustang Sally]

.... I still think Heyman bringing back Swagger and managing him, making him a "Heyman Guy", would work out just great for Swagger.

That could be, but one way or the other, it will be interesting to see how they could re-package him and make it amount to anything. I think the whole "All-American Bad Guy" persona they gave him before was exactly the right thing for him, since it closely mirrored his real life. I know people who attended Oklahoma U. and remember Jack as a big deal football player and wrestler.

As a pro wrestler, he just isn't very interesting. Yes, he possesses the technical ability that had many people incorrectly accusing him of trying to emulate Kurt Angle. I never saw it that way; Jack had enough going on his own as a ring wrestler to warrant looking at him on his own.

Still, after (illogically) trying Jack as world champion, they started pairing him with Dolph Ziggler. This was a mistake, as the only way to benefit him by teaming him up with someone else was to give him a tag team partner who had a bigger name......or at least a more commanding presence. Dolph was too much like Jack to do him any good. Jack needed an obnoxious talking head.

Paul Heyman is that. While CM Punk doesn't need someone to speak for him, Jack Swagger certainly does. Let Swagger handle the physical attacks while Heyman sets the stage. It's worth a try.

Personally, I don't think anything they do with Jack Swagger is going to work particularly well. His movements are too gangly and his countenance is too goofy to take him seriously as a top threat. I'm not saying there's no room for Jack Swagger in WWE.....but I am saying he'll never again be a championship-level performer.

But hey, give it a try.

 

[heathyheath]

I'm with the people who think that Cesaro and Swagger should and will feud on Swagger's return. Swagger's act as a heel was getting old and he really deserves a shot at being an All American style face but the only way I can see him instantly getting over in that role would be to talk the US title away from Cesaro or at least to feud with him and come close.

Like I say I think it's being lined up to happen. Cesaro has turned very anti American in his recent promos and it just seems natural that Jack will come back having taken offence to his gimmick and go after Cesaro.

 

[DANIELBRYANrealwrestler]

I agree with alot of these opinions.Being a "Heyman Guy" could work since Heyman would do all the talking and with strong booking he could be a good main eventer.Also returning at the Rumble and making it to top 4 would definitely bring more positive attention.I thought he had potential before he even left to get repackaged.If Michael Cole would've manage him i thought he could've been a main eventer because they would draw too much heat and he wouldn't even have to be booked all that strong just have Michael Cole make interferences/distractions.

 

[Nada]

As some sort of conservative republican, "clean cut" guy, he already has the "conservative" rich white guy hair to go with it.

He will differ from JBL because he wont be portrayed as a hick/redneck, more snooty etc. He just needs the perfect mouthpiece to push his agenda


The only problem with such a gimmick is that WWE is largely republican focused, especially since Linda is running for office, but such a gimmick seems smart to do in this time.

 

[Viper316]

I would have if come back cost cena a title shot vs ryback and say that he hates cena coz he never gets a chance and heyman creates a group called heymans guys of ppl,who hates cena like Brock , Big Show , Punk , Swagger , Dolph , Miz and have them beat the shit out of Cena then the Rock comes out and makes the save causing Team Heyman (Brock Big Show Punk Swagger Dolph Miz) Vs Team VKM (Cena Rocky Undertaker Ryback HHH) 1 member short because team heyman took out Orton and this leads to the return of 316 Stone Cold Steve Austin at SVS 2012 or Mania for the WWE

 

[Viper316]

I would have if come back cost cena a title shot vs ryback and say that he hates cena coz he never gets a chance and heyman creates a group called heymans guys of ppl,who hates cena like Brock , Big Show , Punk , Swagger , Dolph , Miz and have them beat the shit out of Cena then the Rock comes out and makes the save causing Team Heyman (Brock Big Show Punk Swagger Dolph Miz) Vs Team VKM (Cena Rocky Undertaker Ryback HHH) 1 member short because team heyman took out Orton and this leads to the return of 316 Stone Cold Steve Austin at SVS 2012 or Mania for the WWE

 

[The Brain]

If the rumors about Ric Flair returning to WWE are true I would like to see him manage Jack Swagger. Flair could return at the beginning of Raw to a great crowd reaction and announce that he is back to lead a certain superstar to greatness. He would introduce his new protégé later in the show to create a hook. Later in the show Flair would introduce Swagger creating somewhat of a WTF moment as the fans don’t think too highly of Swagger. Flair would then cut a promo acknowledging the disappointment of the fans.

“You’re booing. Why are you booing this man? You don’t even know him. You may think you know him, but that guy you’ve been watching for the past three years wasn’t the complete Jack Swagger. It was just a glimpse. Even in that glimpse you saw an ECW champion, a United States champion, and even a World Heavyweight champion. He was able to accomplish all that in a short amount of time because his ability in this ring is unmatched by anyone in this company. His shortcomings came not because a lack of ability, but a lack of experience. Who has more experience than the Nature Boy? Since Swagger left Raw I have been filling his head with 40 years of my championship experience. Swagger’s ability coupled with my experience will give you the next great superstar. You’ve all known all along that Swagger has unlimited potential in this business but from day one you have put an invisible roadblock in front of him. Because of his All American background in amateur wrestling you immediately compared him to a certain Olympic gold medalist. You refused to give him an opportunity to be his own man. So blinded were you by this comparison that you didn’t even recognize that this supposed copy of a former champion had actually become better than the original. Well Jack Swagger is his own man and you’re all about to recognize that. Go ahead and boo him. You don’t have to like him. For the majority of my career you didn’t like me but you always respected me. And now you’re going to have no choice but to respect Jack Swagger.”

Yeah, I was bored so I just wrote out a little promo for you. I think it could work. Acknowledging comparisons to Kurt Angle could be a good way to get past them. Putting Swagger with one of the best talkers in wrestling history can only help him. Swagger’s always had the ability in the ring. He’s just had a hard time making people care about him. People still care about Flair. He could be just what Swagger needs to finally step up.

 

[theBec2101]

I guess anytime as long as the story is right. Hopefully he comes back as a face and can wrestle Show, Del Rio, Miz, even Punk. He is a far better choice than Ryback. I really hope they push him in the right direction this time. He is a great wrestler and not bad at talking. You could have him on someone’s team at survivor series or Royal Rumble. I just think he deserves another shot.