Wrestlers That Are All Hype And No Talent

[Ferbian]

We've seen it before. We've been hyped up to watch someone debut, hyped up to go to a live show. We've always had some kind of hype for a specific event.

But there's also those hypes that leaves us disappointed with the outcome. Someone who didn't reach the expectations that you wanted them to reach.

These are talents that I would like to fit under the category of "All hype and no talent". Sure they might have talent. Sure they could've been more impressive. But in the end, you, I, whomever ended up being disappointed.

This thread is to discuss people that you thought were a huge disappointment. Some which you were expecting much more from and didn't achieve the point of pleasing your expectations.

A great example I have myself is Bryan Danielson. Not because of the fact that he was released way too early. But because I completely lost interest in him after a few weeks of constantly loosing. His wrestling ability wasn't displayed properly. And most importantly, I hated his dropkick variation.

So how about you? Which wrestler would you address as "All hype and no talent"?

 

[Optimist Prime]

Depends on what your including into the definition of "talent".

Personally, as I've let it be known, if a wrestler doesn't have a personality - they're no good to me at all. They can do as many back flips as they want to off the top rope...it doesn't mean anything to me. If they can't entertain with the build ups of the matches (which are the majority of the situations) and the microphone. You should remain a jobber.

That being said, both companies are riddled with these types of wrestlers.

Although I'm going to go out on a limb and say that you meant talent as solely "wrestling ability" instead. In that case, I can't help you. I am incapable of viewing it that way.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

Depends on which way you look at it – who was all hype (by the fans and IWC) and no talent, or who did I hype, who ended up flopping? Two very different answers. Also depends on how you define "talent".

The IWC and fans always love to hype the drone wrestlers like Morrison, Mysterio, etc. because they were exciting in the ring, but like Optimist, I'm sold on personality, not ring-ability. Like him, I'd rather watch Kevin Nash wrestle in a match that had a proper feud than watch Amazing Red face Eric Young because Red can do a lot of spin kicks and back flips. Nash may be old, but he can still tell a story better than Red or Young, so in that case, I'd say any of the "talents" in the industry today who lack personality fit this bill.

As for who I would have hyped who I think fell short, well, RVD for one. Was never a huge fan of him to begin with, but I was behind the idea of bringing him into TNA as a player – he's fallen way short if you ask me. Back to being good ol' boring, pot-smoking burnout RVD with a personality best compared to a dialtone.

 

[Mustang Sally]

Depends on what your including into the definition of "talent".

Personally, as I've let it be known, if a wrestler doesn't have a personality - they're no good to me at all.

I can agree with that. Shane Douglas comes to mind. He's a pretty solid worker in the ring and certainly knows his wrestling but he could never seem to overcome the stigma of being "boring." WWE made a big deal out of him with that Dean Douglas program, yet he turned a mildly interesting idea into a snooze-fest.

So, my notion of talent includes more than being a good wrestler.

 

[harrythem]

For me it's got to be Randy Orton. He's a proficient wrestler but, I just don't get the big deal about him! I can see most do but, I just don't see it. His interview style bores me to tears (it reminds me of Triple H back when-uh every-uh word-uh ended-uh with-uh an-uh uh-uh, yet somehow not even that interesting) and I just don't see who his character is aimed at.

Also Drew McIntyre. I can't see the big craze with him either, apart from the fact he's so boring he makes the babyfaces comebacks look so exciting.

 

[Big Nick Dudley]

The Miz: I cannot understand what people see in this guy. And no, my attitude toward the Miz has nothing to do with him coming from reality tv...

I just don't see it. OK, the guy can talk. But his mic skills are way, way overrated. He has a monotone voice, and IMO, his "really, REALLY?" and "Awesome" lines are the most annoying thing on Raw. I don't think he's bad on the mic by any means, but he isn't the next Rock.

My main problem with this guy is in the ring. I have never, and I mean never, watched him put on a great one-on-one match. Never. I don't think he sucks in the ring, but do I think he's good enough to belong in the main event? No. He rarely defended that U.S. title, and he doesn't seem to wrestle on television as much as a lot of other guys. I think the WWE knows his weakness is inside of the ring. I do not see this guy putting on a great 20-25 minute match...ever.

I think people dig his character, and that's fine. I'm not bagging on anyone for being a Miz fan. The guy is pretty funny, but I don't think he's nearly as entertaining as most on the internet. I'm not a Miz-hater, not at all. I hope he can combine that mic talent with in-ring ability, I just haven't seen it yet.

 

[LitasRevenge79]

For this category, I would have to say Rey Mysterio. Don't get me wrong, I love a good underdog every now and then. But you can't be an underdog your ENTIRE career and play the victim role all the time. I mean everyone has a time where they go back and forth and good guy-bad guy. But why not him? It just seems like in every storyline he's in now its "Poor pitiful me, I've got to be the underdog, and have it be David vs Goliath" the little guy versus the world. I think at some point people get sick of that mentality. Then you add to the fact that more and more stories pop out about his supposed 'diva' behaviour backstage and that was a reason for him winning the belt to prevent him from leaving? I know that's just rumor, but it also seems like every year there's some reason for Rey to be whining about something involving why he's not winning some politics backstage, and that's not what you want to do with HHH and Vince in charge. Then let's go on to his bad knees, and how often he's doing those aerial moves, does he think that maybe those moves, as flashy as they may be, are the ones putting his knees at risk even more? Again, that's why I say all hype and no substance for me with Rey Mysterio.

Some runners up for my list would also include David Otunga, Kazarian, R-Truth, Eve, Jesse Neal, and Madison Rayne.

 

[Little Jerry Lawler]

For this category, I would have to say Rey Mysterio. Don't get me wrong, I love a good underdog every now and then. But you can't be an underdog your ENTIRE career and play the victim role all the time. I mean everyone has a time where they go back and forth and good guy-bad guy. But why not him? It just seems like in every storyline he's in now its "Poor pitiful me, I've got to be the underdog, and have it be David vs Goliath" the little guy versus the world. I think at some point people get sick of that mentality. Then you add to the fact that more and more stories pop out about his supposed 'diva' behaviour backstage and that was a reason for him winning the belt to prevent him from leaving? I know that's just rumor, but it also seems like every year there's some reason for Rey to be whining about something involving why he's not winning some politics backstage, and that's not what you want to do with HHH and Vince in charge. Then let's go on to his bad knees, and how often he's doing those aerial moves, does he think that maybe those moves, as flashy as they may be, are the ones putting his knees at risk even more? Again, that's why I say all hype and no substance for me with Rey Mysterio.

Some runners up for my list would also include David Otunga, Kazarian, R-Truth, Eve, Jesse Neal, and Madison Rayne.

I'm sure Mysterio wishes he was a foot taller and fifty pounds heavier so he doesn't have to play the underdog role all the time. What role do you want him to play given his height and size? And how exactly does this equate to not having any talent? Mysterio has been one of the top five workers ever since he stepped foot in the WWE. Injuries have slowed him down in the past few years, but he has still consistently produced some of the best matches. His matches with Kane, Edge, Jericho, Morrison, Ziggler, Orton, and Angle have proven that.

 

[Marks "R" Us]

I know its not current but the all time greatest example of this has to be Glacier. He was built up as a super badass who was gonna tear thru the roster when he debuted. Apparently teaching him to wrestle just kinda slipped their minds but these things happen. One of the greatest build ups ever for one of the worst wrestlers of all time.

 

[info62]

I think saying that any wrestler has absolutely no talent is not only harsh but also pretty inaccurate.

Off the top of my head I would think to say Orton, Edge or Jericho have the most exaggerated hype. Not that they aren't talented but all three of these guys are treated like they are gods by the IWC. I would say that, despite my extreme dislike for both men, I think Orton and Jericho are the only two out of these three who come close to deserving the ridiculous hype they have.

So despite the fact that he is one of the few people in WWE that I like, I'm choosing Edge. Again I would never say he has no talent, but I think it's obvious that he is no longer as entertaining in the ring, and even his character as a whole is less entertaining, ever since his feud with the Undertaker ended. So it probably isn't even his fault, since injuries are what most likely caused the quality of his matches to go down, and the WWE getting much more strict with the pg rating has caused his character to lose the characteristics that set him apart from he rest of the roster.

Runners up: Kelly Kelly, The Miz, the entire Nexus, Ted Dibiase JR, Kazarian

 

[Father Uncle Oscar]

Kizarny. Although I'll give him the benifit of the doubt: He has a sick finisher, and he wasn't even given a chance. What did he ever do? Lengthen MVP's infamous face turn losing streak. But what else? 2 20-Man Battle Royales? Then he got fired. That's it.

I believe Alberto Del Rio will also end up being like Kizarny, Eric Escobar, and Jon "The Flame" Heder. Too much talk, just step in the ring already. And on top of that, one of the most boring gimmicks in recent history. I'm anticipating his debut, only because I want those annoying vignettes gone.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

For me, I think that a wrestler needs to have a decent mix of personality and in-ring ability before I can really say whether he or she has got the stuff. Being able to talk on the mic is important to me because it shows the viewer who this character is, what he/she is all about, to show what makes them different on a personal level from the rest of the locker room. Also, I think actually making people care about watching you in a wrestling ring is just as important. After all, it is wrestling. If I just want to listen to somebody blow hot air for a couple of hours each day on tv, there are goofy talk shows for that. And, on the other hand, if I want to watch a bunch of one dimensional nobodies with no personality and charisma wrestle matches, the indy circuit is practically overflowing with them.

As for a wrestler in which hype outweighs the actual talent...hmmmmm...I think the one that most stands out to me is Rob Van Dam. RVD is someone that some wrestling fans look at as if he were God Almighty come to Earth. I'll admit that RVD has been in some matches that've been entertaining to watch and that might be enough for some people. Nothing wrong with that. Different strokes for different folks. But the guy has absolutely zero personality and he may well be worse on the mic than any other big name wrestler of the past 15 years. This past Thursday on iMPACT! was a perfect example why.

Overall, I've never really been a huge fan of RVD because of that. Wrestling is full of spot monkeys, guys that flip all over the ring and this and that and that's fine. But RVD has never really been able to make me say "Yeah, I wanna pay $50 bucks to watch this guy do his thing".

 

[Maestro48239]

I'm sure there's going to be quite a few that disagree with me, but i'm going with Evan Bourne. the kid is phenomenal in the ring, but has anyone ever really heard him cut a promo? I sure haven't. for all his high-flying abilities, he strikes me as someone that has the personality of a coat rack. and for the most part all he is, is a punching bag for sheamus lately, anytime they want to make sheamus look better, they have him squash poor little evan

 

[Soapguy]

In all honestly, I think it's pretty impossible for someone to be hyped without ANY talent. I can actually appreciate in ring skill, personality, and charisma. It's nice if someone has bits and pieces or loads of both, but I think strong in-ring workers with no personality AND charismatic characters who aren't all that well versed in the ring have places on the roster in various places on the card. (It really depends on the person.) So, I assume the point of this thread is wrestlers' whose talent aren't worthy of the hype they get.

Lita is actually praised for her in-ring work and her personality/cool factor. Her cool factor/personality are there, but she's sloppy as all hell in the ring. Every time I watched her wrestle someone I liked I was on the edge of my seat. Not because she was exciting, but because I was pretty sure she was going to injure them. Luckily, she only ended up harming herself. (Which sounds a lot more harsh than I'm intending it to)

The Miz: I find his promos to be entertaining, but nowhere near as entertaining as some people make them out to be. His in-ring psychology isn't good enough to cover up his lacking quantitative in-ring ability. I think he's pretty over-hyped right now, but at the rate he's going he might just reach the hype by the time the WWE actually put the title on him.

 

[TJ Matics]

K2 - Don't get me wrong,
I like Kelly,
& She has improved drastically over the past 2 years,
But PPV, Womens title matches are just out of the question,
I know WWE's been frantic since Beth.P got injured,
But having divas w/ talent like McCool and Layla job to her is just wrong,
Another thing is that she makes other divas look bad,
Some ppl are saying that Layla can't wrestle,
Which she certainly can,
Because of the match they had at MITB,

Kennedy/Anderson -To me the hype for this guy is just dreadful,
He has MIC skills for days on end,
But in the ring,
ehhhh,
Change the channel,
See what else is on

David Otunga - He just looks lost in the ring,
They can push him w/ Nexus all they want,
But IMO,
He'll always be an I love New York reject/Hudson's Husband,
& His weak little voice doesn't frighten anyone,
Him talking to Orton backstage a few weeks ago and trying to stare him down,
was laughable

Runner Ups: Heath Slater, Maryse, D.H Smith, Darren Young

 

[Wade's Public Transit Bomb]

Currently.. The Hart Dynasty. They have been giving a lot of ring time, a lot of promo time, and even some really great rub.. And the result? They can't even get reactions on a taped show before the main show. Tyson Kidd is bland and bland. I think Amazing Red has more personality then this guy. AMAZING RED. For some reason DH Smith gets a pass from the IWC even though he fits that "Big hoss" mode far more than someone like Batista, who gets criticized way too much (imo). And Nattie.. I really think people get too critical of the other divas in order to praise her. Just because Nattie can do moves like a man doesn't mean she is a better wrestler than the other divas. It just means she moves like a man. She doesn't have any charisma, she sounds like a tranny, and like DH Smith, she is reliant on what her Daddy is known for to get a reaction.. Which she doesn't.

 

[Soapguy]

Currently.. The Hart Dynasty. They have been giving a lot of ring time, a lot of promo time, and even some really great rub.. And the result? They can't even get reactions on a taped show before the main show. Tyson Kidd is bland and bland. I think Amazing Red has more personality then this guy. AMAZING RED. For some reason DH Smith gets a pass from the IWC even though he fits that "Big hoss" mode far more than someone like Batista, who gets criticized way too much (imo). And Nattie.. I really think people get too critical of the other divas in order to praise her. Just because Nattie can do moves like a man doesn't mean she is a better wrestler than the other divas. It just means she moves like a man. She doesn't have any charisma, she sounds like a tranny, and like DH Smith, she is reliant on what her Daddy is known for to get a reaction.. Which she doesn't.

First, Batista is a good 40/50 pound heavier than Harry Smith. . . .so yeah. . .Smith is not a "bigger hoss" than Dave Batista. Batista doesn't get insulted purely for his size. The guy is limited and rather clumsy in the ring. The guy got injured MULTIPLE times in matches with people who are known for being safe workers. The guy himself, is a pretty limited in-ring worker and unlike a lot of people he didn't have amazing mic skills to make up for it (he wasn't bad at promos either he just wasn't amazing at them). He purely had a kick-ass look and was simply serviceable in every other area.

Harry Smith, while he may not be showing tons of personality, is pretty natural in the ring and far less limited than Batista, hence the reason why people aren't attacking him.

Watch Natalya's promo after Bret was released and get back to me on her not having charisma and personality. As far as her wrestling skills are concerned, she's not praised because she can "do moves like a man". She is praised because she can do those "man" moves well, work a good match, and has a decent moveset. We can count the divas who have those three things on one hand, so while I can certainly see an argument to her being over-hyped (because she is, after all, surrounded by a group of 1s and 2s.), to say she isn't AT LEAST in the top five female performers in the company is a bit ridiculous.

I'm not even going to get started on the your claims about them using their legacy to gain a crowd reaction. If someone is indeed doing that, I highly doubt it's the performers themselves. You can look no further than company they currently work for to blame for that. Frankly, it's not the dumbest thing in the world to do for the sake of older wrestling fans.

 

[Hazardous]

im going to go back into the history books here and say Ken Shamrock.

They Hyped him as "The Worlds Most Dangerous Man" and in the UFC he may well be a legend, but in the WWF he was nothing more then.. well, what word really can describe him? he didnt do too much. had a few good matches here and there, had a run or 2 as IC champ, and won the King of The Ring, but his promo's SUCKED. was made into this crazy guy who beat up his own partners and Ref's. in my opinion he did not live up to the Hype at all.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

One that sprung to mind today, once I heard about him being in the main event at the Hardcore Justice ppv, is Sabu. To me, Sabu is the perfect example of how overrated a lot of these former ECW wrestlers are. Sabu has always been barely able to string two words together on the mic and I wouldn't exactly call him a great wrestler inside the ring. After all, unless he's going through a table or gettin wrapped in barbed wire or getting smacked upside the head with a steel chair then there's nothing really to say about him.

I suppose that my point is that it doesn't necessarily take anybody special to have done what Sabu has done to make himself known, just some strong masochistic tendencies. I'm sure that not all of Sabu's matches have been hardcore, but his hardcore stuff is all you ever hear anyone talk about and it doesn't take much skill to do that.

 

[donfryeismyhero]

My definetion of talent is someone who can work me into believing in them as a credible wrestler/fighter. So by that definetion I'll say Cena. I know people have said on these boards that HE can wrestle but from what I've seen in the WWE, no he can't. I find his in ring work to be sloppy & clumsy. His promo's are stale & boring (even though I do recognize him as probably the best promo guy in the company). To me he's just a phony action hero. It's frustrating because I used to be a big John Cena fan but it's like he doesn't even try anymore. That's what turned me off to him.

 

[Whatsinaname696]

completely agree with don bout cena.... and there's Kaz... he does have talent, but he's aj light, his mic skills are... nonexistent, yet they keep trying to reinvent him... and for me the only time it worked... was the one he didn't like (suicide), not being seen or heard... which is exactly how it should be imo

 

[Bill Lesnar]

Bill Lesnar thinks R-Truth fits the theme of this thread, becuase he does not have mic skills (juvenile, gruff voice) and his finsher is low impact compared to the angle slam which half the time only garners a two count

 

[Kenny Powers]

I have to go with RVD and Jeff Hardy. I could understand the hype 10 or even 5 years ago, but not now. Hardy is overweight and sloppy in the ring. Kurt Angle said it best on ReAction when he said Hardy is only good as the opponent he is facing. He will only bring it when he is wrestling someone who brings it back. I was a huge RVD fans years ago, but lately I don't understand the hype. RVD thinks him and Jeff Hardy are the messiahs of TNA, when ratings haven't changed at all since they came in. RVD can put on good matches when he wants too, but him and Jeff have no personality what so ever. I can't stand to watch a RVD or Hardy promo. These two have been hyped to the moon and don't deserve it anymore.

 

[MOExecution]

I'll have to go with RVD...
Everybody loves this guy! He gets a HUGE fan reaction everytime! But in all honesty I think he is the most overrated guy out there. He oversells EVERY move! And his wrestling skills are not exactly up to par either. People talk about John Cena having five moves, hell, RVD has just as few. He is not that great on the microphone either! RVD's TNA World HeavyWeight Championship reign honestly made me sick... He Main Evented with AJ Styles. I expected so much more then what I got out of it and this match completely sucked! He had a match with Sting and that match also sucked! He had a Fatal Four Way with Mr. Anderson, Abyss, and Jeff Hardy and that match EVERYBODY looked confused and did not seem like they prepared for the match at all! All of these matches MAIN EVENTS! And they completely sucked! I thought being the World Champion made you the best in the company, but it's obvious that RVD is not the best! He shouldn't even be in the Main Event! The only good match he had recently was against Sabu. I am happy RVD is no longer the TNA World Champion and hopefully TNA does not put the title back on him! Everybody may love Rob Van Dam, but honestly he is just overrated! Nothing, but hype and NO TALENT!

 

[One to Remember]

Depends on what your including into the definition of "talent".

Personally, as I've let it be known, if a wrestler doesn't have a personality - they're no good to me at all. They can do as many back flips as they want to off the top rope...

okay well even though its entertainment and scripted it is meant to be an imitation of a legitimate sport.. Not every wrestler should have to be able to make what we are watching look like a spanish novella.

Don't get me wrong, I love a good underdog every now and then. But you can't be an underdog your ENTIRE career and play the victim role all the time. I mean everyone has a time where they go back and forth and good guy-bad guy. But why not him?

Steamboat was never a heel. I don't recall the scorpion Sting ever being a heel. Goldberg was truly never a heel in his whole 5 years in WCW. Why do wrestlers even have to go back and fourth, hot and cold? Are you aware men don't have periods..? taking a closer look at heel/face turns they really make no sense in the context of sense, pro rasslin' or not..

What could Mysterio even do to turn heel? Way in on the arizona law on the next SD!? There is nothing that can be done to make him heel. Even cheating would be found justified through some means.

Último Dragón, wwe hyped him then regulated him to velocity airings.
His accomplishments are too numerous and at the time WWE did have a crusierweight division.

Tank Abbot should had been given the title because he was a legit fighter and near the top in his discipline.

Ken Shamrock should had been utilized more when he was still in his prime. If there was not enough room the WWF should had made some or simply not hire him.

Goldbergall the hype from the '90s still couldn't stop the Goldberg express from derailing in WWE. No dream matches, altered character, just a complete failure.

Tazz I remember al the disruptions and countdowns and sound effects hinting at his debut. the WWF never did anything with him why he was active.

MVP[B/] MVP really must stand for his name because hes going further and further down the card where other naes such as CM Punk took far less time.

Edge He simply can't wrestle. I can't even remember the E&C days anymore just Edge cheating ad using weapons over and over again. HE cheapens his own worth and I wonder what he still knows athletic wise.

LashleyWhat was even his point? To this day I laugh at his whole reign. What was he supposed to be? The Black Goldberg?!
The new Lesnar?

Ezekial Jackson9 Big Zeke started moving up the ECW card and became the last brand champion. Where has he been since and how much longer will he remain in the memory of fans? A momentum killer this stupid is an ominous sigh for his career in WWE.