Why are certain talent still employed?

[The Mark of Zur-En-Arrh]

I've always wondered why the WWE has kept certain talent employed for so long while dropping other up and coming talent for no reason.

I recently read a post by Vito where he stated that he did everything that Creative asked of him like wearing a dress all the time, and they suddenly released him with no warning or decent explanation.

So why are we still watching Hardcore Holly and Mark Henry on WWE TV? These two superstars for example have been injured more times than a bunch of other guys put together, Henry himself also caused a bunch of injuries in 2006, and these two haven't had a decent angle since the 90's! So why are they still on WWE TV when plenty of better talent have come and gone instead? And why is nothing ever done with these guys? Do you have any idea what could be done with them? Your thoughts?

 

[I_Like_All_Wrestling]

Hardcore Holly I could see, as a basics teacher for younger guys. While it sucks that Vito was released, I didn't see much that he had to offer.

He's a list of mine:

Mark Henry: is terrible and serves no purpose really. He's just another big guy, but 1 or 2 are enough.
Jim Duggan: I personally think you see him too much for his role, nostalgia is fine but I always thought he was ******ed, in the literal sense of he was a poorly mentally developed individual, now that hes 50 something it looks worse
Charlie Haas: I think Haas is a great wrestler, but without being in a tag team with Benjmin he's stale, I don't think he'll ever be over on his talent alone
Snitsky: not entertaining at all, I'll change the channel
Deuce and Domino: generic tag team with nothing to offer
Jesse and Festus: stupid tag team gimmick, the new godwins, I hate Jesse's look but I think he's got something to him
Hornswoggle: a joke as a wrestler, I get that big heels beat him up to make them more of a heel, but some on
Chuck Palumbo: juts a big guy, no charisma, brings nothing to the table
Kenny Dykstra: some people are high on him, but I find him completely boring with a generic style, look and personality
Mike Knox: really what does he offer, he's just another big body
Big Daddy V: I don't see any upside to him whatsoever, and I never have
The Boogeyman: I don't think he brings anything, maybe if you want to keep him for a kid factor
Colin Delaney: really?
ECW: is dead. I like that the originals have a job (esp Dreamer), but I don't think they need Richards, Nunzio, Balls or Dreamer

A lot of people would say Khali, but I see their point from a business standpoint, he's a draw to the huge Indian market. And at least he's not a big fat giant.

I also personally hate the Miz. I know he's there because of his Real World/Road Rules affiliation and for some reason women think he's attractive, but I don't think he brings anything and if he left there would be no problem. I don't hate the guy in a heel manner, I hate the guy as in I change the channel and am done with the show due to disinterest.

 

[The Mark of Zur-En-Arrh]

LOL, you dislike all the guys i dislike. 2 points coming from yours I_Like_All_Wrestling.

1. I personally think that Festus has potential, his match with Taker the other week wasn't terrible. However, i've seen nothing about Jesse that impresses me. It's always Festus getting the win in their matches and i haven't seen Jesse in a singles match. IMO he's only good for getting Festus' gimmick over really. Would b much better as Festus' manager than his tag partner.
2. Big Daddy V is a shame because he's one of the few KOTR winners that DIDN'T get the guaranteed push that KOTR winners get. He, Mr. Ass and Ken Shamrock got nothing for winning, but it marked the beginning of Bret Hart, HHH, Austin, Lesnar, Booker T, Kurt Angle and Edge's rise to the top of the food chain.
3. Totally forgot about Palumbo (which isn't surprising bcoz i've never liked him). This guy is even more of an anomally bcoz he doesn't keep get injured and coming back, or sent to Development, he actually gets RELEASED and re-hired. Why, for the love of God why?

 

[Father:_Polley]

Jesse's actually not bad. because Festus is the power wrestler out of the two, though Jesse's probably the better in the ring.

as for Billy Gunn's KOTR push, he was in a programme with the rock and it was dropped because he was genuinely awful.

as for the other talent mentioned, they're there because no company can survive with just the top names, it needs jobbers and filler, otherwise you have guys who are good with nothing to compare them too.
other guys are there because they're loyal. mark henry being the prime example. He's good as a big guy and has been there a while

 

[PsxMeUP]

I agree with Polley:wanna_cracker.

You can't just get rid of guys you don't feel any attachment to. Paul Dysktra is a young wrestler. Reminds me of Orton a bit. Snitzky and Mark Henry are upper-card jobbers. Who's gonna make The Undertaker look good, Jamie Noble? Once the Festus gimmick gets old both might fade away or Jessey could turn into an Owen Heart type character. Mike Knox is a good technical wrestler, for his size. You rarely see guys that big doing that many suplexes. Hardcore Holly can turn into a major heel (which might happen soon) with the right story. But I agree with some of the older guys. Get rid of the following:

Funaki
Val Venis
Hacksaw Jim Duggan
Nunzio
Stevie Richards

Every time I see them I'm surprised they're still around.

 

[RKO Orton]

Most of them are just used to job to midcarders. When was the last time Mark Henry, Snitsky, Hacksaw, Great Khali, or Big Daddy V beat anyone other then some no-name jobber? Like polley said, some are just very loyal to the company so they still have a job (Henry, Holly) while others are to put over Midcarders.

 

[Father:_Polley]

I agree with Polley:wanna_cracker.

You can't just get rid of guys you don't feel any attachment to. Paul Dysktra is a young wrestler. Reminds me of Orton a bit. Snitzky and Mark Henry are upper-card jobbers. Who's gonna make The Undertaker look good, Jamie Noble? Once the Festus gimmick gets old both might fade away or Jessey could turn into an Owen Heart type character. Mike Knox is a good technical wrestler, for his size. You rarely see guys that big doing that many suplexes. Hardcore Holly can turn into a major heel (which might happen soon) with the right story. But I agree with some of the older guys. Get rid of the following:

Funaki
Val Venis
Hacksaw Jim Duggan
Nunzio
Stevie Richards

Every time I see them I'm surprised they're still around.

you just named 5 examples of the loyal ones. funaki's a road agent i think so he won't go. and he's happy as a jobber. Duggan would go before the rest go i think. but they all serve jobbing purposes...richards has made a career out of being a jobber

RKO - the big guys serve their purpose (except snitsky). simply having them as monster heels is a guaranteed storyline, and they can make the likes of Kane, Taker and Show look vulnerable. let's face it, that's a pretty hard thing to do because they're big guys in themselves. however, Khali's one of the few guys show looks a normal size beside.

 

[AnthonyMango/NoFate007]

As stated above, most guys do serve a purpose, albeit a lot of the time its just to job.

To keep myself from making this an extremely long post, like most of mine are, I'll just say a note that the following list is the group of guys that I really would just let go if I were in charge, as opposed to listing that plus the guys that I think could be used in different ways (like having Knox in a tag team).

So without further ado, the people I see no point in keeping anymore are as follows:


1. Hacksaw Jim Duggan - I smile when I hear "hooooooo!", but not because I ever thought he was a great wrestler or anything. He's basically just a jobber, but he can't handle himself in the ring anymore to sell things better than any other type of jobber, so he's only good for nostalgia. Guys that are only good for nostalgia, use them like they use Sergeant Slaughter, not in the ring.

2. Vickie Guerrero - Yeah, its a shame Eddie died, but as mean as it sounds, get over it. Vickie isn't good at anything she does, in my opinion, and her role could easily be filled by someone who is natural on the mic. If they really want to give her some sort of a paycheck, put it backstage somewhere like catering or something lol.

3. Balls Mahoney/Nunzio/Richards - We don't need all three jobbers. Richards is the best suited to stay, I'd say, though, so I wouldn't mind keeping him as ECW's Val Venis, in a way. Balls and Nunzio, though, they might be put to better use as road agents or trainees or something. Start jobbing out some new kids like that James Curtis guy that never gets a 1-count lol.

4. Mike Adamle - This is, of course, unless he starts improving. If he stays the way he's been, they should just 86 the guy.

 

[wzf2]

It's funny how val venus is still around. They should have gave up on that guy a long time ago. His career has not budged one mm for ten years. Yet he is always on the roster and some how seems to just pop up out of nowhere some times to put on a few matches for a few episodes of raw/smackdown and then just leaves. Until he pops up again.

Well, yeah there have been lots of guys who have disapeared. Nathan Jones is a good example. There was a lot of hype about him and then he was gone just as quickly as he left. Let's also not forget about heinreik. They let him go for no reason.

As for vito, I thought he was sooo funny. That whole skirt and dress thing was the best. People were going to start to get tired of that though. And it looks like that was the extent of what he could do in terms of funny level. They need to get real writers to write the shows.

 

[The Mark of Zur-En-Arrh]

Well Nate Jones decided to leave because he couldn't handle being on the road all the time (what did he expect?).

I can understand these guys talent for jobbing, but they could still be used in a storyline every now and again. Both HH and Henry have had world title shots in the past, and then nothing else since. When ECW was still semi-extreme Holly was actually used properly with RVD, then came back to Raw and became a nobody again. He's only a tag champ at the mo to make Rhodes look good (and i can see Carlito/Santino getting the straps soon.)

10 years ago they had Brooklyn Brawler and the Mean Street Posse a the company jobbers. That's four guys. Since then the number has multiplied and once again wwe creative is at the heart of that problem IMO.

 

[the_phenomenal1]

Jim Duggan: He brings nothing and has ruined any past legacy he had. It isn't seen as a giantkilling if a heel beats him, he was good when he first come back and did the little angle with Eugene as partners simply because it was a little comeback and a "feel good" angle, however when that happened he should have stopped being an active competitor.

Snitsky: The other thread which asks "who is worse Khali or Snitsky?" Well hands down it has to be the man who once posessed the most admirable beard ever!! There's a lot of criticism aimed at Khali, Big Daddy V, Mark Henry & Snitsky because they are big, slow and useless. However, i feel they all bring something to the table except Snitsky. Khali as well as being good for WWE in India, he's huge!!! He should be used sparingly but when he is used should be dominating. Mark Henry, looks the part. He isn't particularly tall but is built like a brick sh*thouse and has history in WWE (forget the Mae Young thing). He's known for the path he went on when he kept injuring people which actually got him over, so he is a natural heel. Big Daddy V, like Henry has history although I believe he has had too many gimmick changes since his prime to be considered a big threat. I believ V is actually too big and too slow, that's why i was glad to hear WWE had told him to lose weight. I believ it should be his last chance and if he comes back with a bit less weight but still a big enough size to fit his character then he can be a genuine talent, otherwise he should go. Snitsky, he is not particularly big, his mic skills are non existent (neither are the others but they don't really speak), he doesn't have a figure to make you worried for the other competitor and has had his ass handed to him far too many times to think he's still capable of being a dominant heel.

 

[Cage917r]

^^^Well 10 years ago they only had one show, they need jobbers for 3 now so that is why there are so many. Jobbers serve a purpose in wrestling, they are necessary for the product. Most of the current jobbers are guys who were once popular and had good pushes, now are nobodies. Its a good thing that WWE keeps them around instead of throwing them out on the street saying see your later. Did somebody say they should get rid of Hacksaw? Seriously, this guy is a vet, a legend, a guy they will never fire. When we wants to be done, he will be, but I see no point in them firing him. Henry never gets a good push, but he is useful as a big guy who can sort of move in the ring. Venis is another vet, a guy who has been with the company forever and wont get fired. There is nothing wrong with keeping these guys around to job and work house shows. It is WWE showing there loyalty to there wrestlers, and I have no problem with it.

Now if I had to cut a couple guys, it would be these:

1. The Great Khali-Now I know he is huge and plays the giant role, but the minute he lost to Cena it was over, he was done. Since then he has jobbed in pretty much every fued he has been in. He doesn't put on an entertaining match like other jobbers, so I think it is time he goes away. NOTE: This will never happen because they make him look like a star in India.

2. Colin Delaney-I mean his character is just stupid. How on earth can creative think that anyone really wants to see this. A guy get put in the ring and killed every week, then gradually get better and earn a contract. Plain and simple, he is way too small to be in WWE, especially for a guy who really isn't much of a high flyer.

3. The Boogeyman-he has been gone for a while, but he isn't fired. Another guy who has taken his course, has achieved about all he will achieve, should just be sent packing, its over for him.

 

[Danmen001]

All the shows they have, they need jobbers. They need people who drop left right and center because the WWE needs the weak to feed to the strong. As a self confessed mark (thats right I went there), I respect everybody who works for the company, no matter what thry do. Now if I had to let some fairly useless superstars go, it would be as follows:

Snitsky - He, although a monster heel is boring...... and a not so great wrestler. He doesn't seem to be good on the mic (with what little time he gets). Also, he is uncharasmatic and frankly stale.

Val Venis - His character is ok, but he doesn't have any oomph. He only gets to job occassionally, which is bad if ur career choice is jobber. He is a decent wrestler though, and better than snitsky.

BDV - He is an ok monster jobber, but he is pretty boring. He doesn't cut great promos, but his matches are ok. The main problem is his fitness. He had to lose to a DDT, because the Undertaker could't pick him up to chokeslam him. Although BDV is loyal to the business, I give him credit for that.

 

[Y 2 Jake]

Val Venis - His character is ok, but he doesn't have any oomph. He only gets to job occassionally, which is bad if ur career choice is jobber. He is a decent wrestler though, and better than snitsky.

Venis is employed because he is a good solid wrestler. He's a ring general. You have a green wrestler, you put him with Venis. The match might noit be great. But when they're in the ring with him they learn. Most of the wrestlers on the roster have been matched up with Venis in dark matches. Because they need to learn how to wrestling in front of a large audience, but they don't want them to totally fuck up. Which they won't if they're with him.

 

[L4L]

I don't understand why Snitsky is still around the man just plain sucks. He has nothing going for him at all. I don't know what else to say he had his glory during the whole Its not my fault storyline after that he digressed. Mark Henry to me seems to be a less talented Umaga a guy who gets pushed as a monster cause if you look at him he is one has the look, only to get squashed later on. he beat batista then when Batista came back Henry was squashed same with Undertaker. Henry has the power obviously has the look intimadating as hell just doesn't have in the ring moveset agility or speed to be what he could be. Quite frankly playig on the whole Worlds Strongest Man thing is getting old we know how strong you are give us something else Mark a new gimmick name change something to push him on. i think the only reason WWE keeps Henry is because they don't want to release him and see him show up in TNA plus the wwe has invested a lot of money in Henry take a look at the latest flex mag with arnold on the cover in it they talk about the strongest men in History Henry being named number 2 only because he no longer competes in strength competitions thats says alot for Henry. I think the WWE also sees that and won't let him go for that reason.

You know TNA would use that to push Henry even though Henry isn't good in the ring if put in there with the right guys he could be made to looks good and watchable.

 

[Father:_Polley]

Venis is employed because he is a good solid wrestler. He's a ring general. You have a green wrestler, you put him with Venis. The match might noit be great. But when they're in the ring with him they learn. Most of the wrestlers on the roster have been matched up with Venis in dark matches. Because they need to learn how to wrestling in front of a large audience, but they don't want them to totally fuck up. Which they won't if they're with him.

A good point and one i'd have made if it weren't for the phone ringing. Val is good in the ring, he knows exactly what he's doing and can walk new wrestlers through the match and make them look good.

Add to that the fact he's been there 10 years, is reliable, hasn't bitched about not being main event material and sees his role as building up talent and you have why he's there. plus his porn star gimmick is still over with the crowd after 10 years.

 

[Father:_Polley]

why Mark Henry?
a) He's a big scary dude. when have you ever seen anyone that size and power in the wwe ring and not thought he could easily win this?
the fact is, Mark Henry lends himself to stories. he has the potential to crush men that the likes of kennedy simply can't. can you see CM Punk throwing Taker around? No. Mark Henry is big enough to make Undertaker look in trouble
b) He's loyal. he doesn't cause trouble, apparently is not roided up, didn't rip Michael Hayes' head off for comments. WWE needs people they know WANT to be there.