WWE needs more British wrestlers

[Piss Bucket]

Topic.

TNA has a wealth of UK talent including that guy who used to be Oblivion on Gladiators, Rob Terry, and Doug Williams, and the good thing is they actually use them, well mostly.

My point is that apart from Wade Barrett, WWE hasn't had a good wrestler from the UK for years, probably not since the late British Bulldog, William Regal used to be good but nowadays he's quite out of shape, and is currently used once in a blue moon to wrestle jobbers on Superstars.

I know there will probably never be a British John Cena, or even close, but I would like to see UK wrestler get pushed to the moon in WWE, I thought it would happen with Drew McIntyre, even though he's a Scot, but they turned him into a jobber.

Anyone agree with me?

 

[KettleFace]

I do see your point and as a fellow Brit myself I think that there is a variety of British talent that could be used to good effect in the WWE, however if you want to see a UK star 'pushed to the moon' in the WWE I really do think it's just a matter of time before Barrett takes on that role. He's had a fantastic start to his career and I can only see him getting better and better. He has the look, the mic skills, the in-ring ability and the credibility to make it as a top star in this business. Expect big things from him in the next few years.

Also, on your Drew McIntyre point - I don't expect to see him out of the main event scene for much longer. Some may disagree with me but he's been impressive in the last few months, most notably his appearance in the Elimination Chamber. Don't forget he is 'The Chosen One', there's some big potential there that I think will be fulfilled sooner rather than later.

 

[Piss Bucket]

I do see your point and as a fellow Brit myself I think that there is a variety of British talent that could be used to good effect in the WWE, however if you want to see a UK star 'pushed to the moon' in the WWE I really do think it's just a matter of time before Barrett takes on that role. He's had a fantastic start to his career and I can only see him getting better and better. He has the look, the mic skills, the in-ring ability and the credibility to make it as a top star in this business. Expect big things from him in the next few years.

Also, on your Drew McIntyre point - I don't expect to see him out of the main event scene for much longer. Some may disagree with me but he's been impressive in the last few months, most notably his appearance in the Elimination Chamber. Don't forget he is 'The Chosen One', there's some big potential there that I think will be fulfilled sooner rather than later.

I agree about Wade Barrett, he won the IC title on SmackDown last week, so they're obviously planning something for him down the line, I actually wanted Barrett to be the one to challenge the streak at WM this year, Barrett and Taker have history, and although I want Mark Calloway to hang up his boots with the streak intact, if pushed the right way Wade Barrett could've been seen as a legit threat to the streak, they way they could've booked it was with him being English, they could've said that if an American or Canadian can't beat the streak, maybe an Englishman can, mad idea I know but it could've been OK.

 

[Pro Wrestling is FAKE]

:cough: Sheamus :cough:

NO!!

Forgotten some-one lately have we.. And stay with me dear friend because in the first year of him making his debut, we all thought that Drew was going to go places and beyond.. How many people can brag that they got signed by VKM himself and being proclaimed as The Chosen One.. This is just the the dawn for Wade.. Lets see how he handles the hot afternoon..

And really you can't forget Sheamus.. The guy was the first ever Irish World Champion.. In my opinion the WWE is doing fine with the British pool.. Sure I would like to see more of Mr. Regal, but again his career had its golden period.. He beat CM Punk to become the KOTR and has been multiple time Raw GM... So I hope you dont mind me not agreeing with you.. But of course, talent from where-so-ever it comes from is welcome.. UK, Canada, Mexico, Japan, India.. As long as they are entertaining they are welcome in the "E"..

 

[Jason Scene]

WWE have never had an abundance of British wrestlers.

One thing I think most that have been in WWE, can take, is that they're almost always remembered for their time or talents. Dynamite Kid, Tom Billington for one is a legend and spent very little time in the WWF. The British Bulldog, Davey Boy Smith is another that could possibly be the greatest British wrestler, in terms of success of all-time.

Then you got guys still going, like William Regal, who has a very good legacy by the way. He's the one who really moulded Bryan Danielson into what Bryan eventually became. And for that, he'll always be known as a great trainer.

Wade Barrett hasn't even been around that long and look at the strides he has taken. Winner of NXT Season 1, leader of the Nexus, main evented a handful of PPV's in 2010, was the breakout star in the wrestling business, has had matches with the likes of Cena and Orton and is now the WWE Intercontinetal Champion.

At one point WWE wanted Nigel McGuinness.

Mason Ryan, William Regal, McIntyre, Layla and Wade Barrett I think arre the only Brits currently on the WWE main roster, but I'm sure more will add to that in the future. Most Brits have good tenures. Unless your name is Paul Burchill.

Also, I was actually a bit amazed that there has never been a British WWE Champion.

 

[Jason Scene]

And really you can't forget Sheamus.. The guy was the first ever Irish World Champion..

Ireland has nothing to do with Britian. It's an insult to Irish people to refer to us as British or reference it. Sheamus has nothing to do with the UK, Finlay does, but not Sheamus.

Refrain from mentioning him as somebody who can be credited in this topic. Thank you.

 

[SomeAreSet]

McIntyre's been fighting Edge for weeks now,so in my opinion I don't think he's being a jobber.Jobbing to a world champion isn't the same as jobbing to a random upstart in a match that has no meaning to it.Also,McIntyre's already been IC and tag team champion.Not bad for a guy who's only been on WWE for a year and a half.Barrett and McIntyre are 2 to look out for in the near future.I don't think it's possible for Barrett to not become world champion,barring a massive f*ck up on his part.

Also,I have to admit that I read the whole thread in a posh English accent.

 

[Jay Sherman]

Brits......They Stink!

Not really. I get you want more Brits, national pride. That said if you want more, wishing wont do much. Just hope some more talented Brits stand up and get noticed. Barret has all the tools in the world in my opinion to become huge in the WWE. With Nexus last year he ran RAW and even showed up on SD a good few times, even beating WWE's Golden boy in the process, and running one of the most talked about groups since the NWO. So I do not think Vince wont push Brits, he is just waiting on another Barret.

PS: On a side note I would be proud if I could have claimed Regal to be American. Doug Williams in the ring and Mic and his general presence though is the equivalent of filing my taxes, he could not get any more boring.

 

[GW_Hart86]

I think TNA has some good british talent that the WWE can hopefully sign up in the future.

However, I think the only Brit with any potential in the WWE at the moment is Wade Barrett, which seems to be a unanimous opinion amongst Brit fans.

Being a Scot myself, it pains me to say this, but I don't think highly of Drew McIntyre at all. I think his in-ring ability is good but his mic skills need a lot of work and I think his actual character needs some effort put into it as well. Personally, I prefer the wrestlers from Britain who base their characters on their country.

For example, it would be good to have a Rowdy Roddy Piper type character who is actually SCOTTISH! If Drew McIntyre could take advantage of this for his character I think he could go a long way I hope.

 

[Piss Bucket]

McIntyre's been fighting Edge for weeks now,so in my opinion I don't think he's being a jobber.Jobbing to a world champion isn't the same as jobbing to a random upstart in a match that has no meaning to it.Also,McIntyre's already been IC and tag team champion.Not bad for a guy who's only been on WWE for a year and a half.Barrett and McIntyre are 2 to look out for in the near future.I don't think it's possible for Barrett to not become world champion,barring a massive f*ck up on his part.

Also,I have to admit that I read the whole thread in a posh English accent.

Before Wade Barrett can become World Champion, he needs to distance himself from being part of a faction, OK he was the leader of the original Nexus, the most talked about group since the NWO, and is currently the leader of the Corre, but he needs to branch out and be his own wrestler IMO, not hide behind his Nexus or Corre cronies, especially given that IMO his IC belt win was tainted by Corre run-ins.

 

[The Suplexer Perfecter]

The Corre is basically a group of all guys from a different country.

Slater- America, Jackson- Guyana, Gabriel- South Africa, Barrett-England/UK. That's actually pretty neat.

You also have McIntyre. So I think it's just fine. I'd prefer guys from everywhere.

 

[SomeAreSet]

Before Wade Barrett can become World Champion, he needs to distance himself from being part of a faction, OK he was the leader of the original Nexus, the most talked about group since the NWO, and is currently the leader of the Corre, but he needs to branch out and be his own wrestler IMO, not hide behind his Nexus or Corre cronies, especially given that IMO his IC belt win was tainted by Corre run-ins.

I don't think he does.He can become greater without having to break off from his faction.Triple H did it with DX and Evolution.Orton did it with Legacy.Not every world champion has to be a one man powerhouse like Cena.If he becomes world champion as a heel,being in a faction would give him added heat,then you can start adding stipulations in his title matches where the Corre aren't allowed at ringside and have him win a match by himself.Besides,who was and is the face of Nexus and the Corre?Yeah,it's Barrett.By making him a leader of men,he looks even more powerful than he would if he was just walking around by himself.Being in a faction doesn't have to be a bad thing,especially not when you're the de facto leader of the faction.

 

[BigDaddyKewl]

I think the problem is it seems a lot of them get stuck with the sterotypical gimmick of being a British snob. For example William Regal, Paul Burchil, Dave Taylor, Brutus Magnus and Doug Williams all have/had a similar gimmick.

 

[hello_im_average_23]

I agree, im a English fan and i feel as if there needs to be not just more british wrestlers but more european wrestlers.

British
I love the fact that Wade Barrett and Drew McIntyre are waving the british flag in WWE, i like Barrett alot simply because he's english and also the fact that he is a good wrestler, both in the ring and on the mic, As with Drew his in ring skills are great but his mic work is pretty bad. But this is what i want- a british face, when, since the late British Bulldog was there a british face? Because lets be honest, america and Britain don't get along, therefore the writers tend to make the british wrestlers the heels, but why not have a face that isn't american/canadian? It seems there are never any top quality face's who are from anywhere outside North/South America. When i say top quality i don't mean guys like Santino, i mean guys who are going to come in and have the same crowd reaction as the Cena's, Orton's, Mysterio's, Fan favourites basicaly. Guys who win championships multiple times!

European
There arn't enough european guys in the WWE for me, why not have German, French, Spanish, Italian etc wrestlers? Maybe wrestling is not that big in europe although i doubt it since wrestling is a world wide sport. I don't care if they're heel or face, just to have a global success if WWE are so world famous they should be able to get more fans on board if a particular wrestler is waving they're country's flag (like i said i like Barrett mainly because he's english). TNA have a wide variety of Superstars/Knockouts from all over the world, like you said Rob Terry is representing Wales, Hernades is Mexican, they have alot of Northern Americans of course but they have more world wide talent that WWE.

 

[JJohns]

I wouldn't say that the WWE needs more British Wrestlers. They need a better mix of wrestlers, but not necessarily more from one particular country. By my count, there are 4 members of the active roster (Not names from the "Roster Page" but actual active roster that actually has been active in the last year). There are 11 countries that only have 1 wrestler on the current active roster, including the wrestling hotbeds of Japan and Mexico (I didn't include Sin Cara as he has yet to debut, and Rey and Chavo are both from the United States). The United Kingdom is one of only 3 Countries or Territories that have more than 1 wrestler on the roster. They have four, Regal and Layla from England, McIntyre from Scotland and Ryan from Wales.

The reason that there are more than 40 American Born wrestlers on the WWE main roster is because that's where the bulk of business is done, and the majority of the fans that they actually cater to are from.

 

[Andy 2 Randy]

Im British, and yeah there is a lack of British Stars...But, look at the people who are currently over with the 'Universe'
John Cena, Randy Orton, The Miz
However hard us brits try to be as good as any of those three, and more, we can't ...Why, Because could you imagine a British Cena, a Welsh Miz?
Look back, Brits have been stereotyped to be either Snobby, or a proper brute force (who is also snobby)
We had one chance of someone breaking that mould about 2 years ago...His Name...DJ GABRIEL...yeah, exactly...I'm Just Sayin...

 

[The_Gene_Genie]

I think the balance of British wrestlers at the moment is just right. I say that as a Brit myself. A lot of British wrestlers tend to get tarnished with the stereotypical snobbish gimmick. Because of this lack of originality towards British performers if there were too many on the roster, then the writers would simply run out of ideas very, very quickly. As a result most of those superstars would find themselves languishing off screen for a short period, before being released.

I like how WWE have started with Wade Barrett. He is typically British, intelligent, has a good look and excellent delivery on the mic. He is being allowed to be himself and they have even acknowledged his bare knuckle boxing past on screen, which displays his legitimacy as a tough guy. As a fan, I expect big things from Barrett and believe he has all the attributes to become the first British WWE Champion/World Heavyweight Champion. I hope he fulfills the promise he has shown.

I am also a fan of Layla El. She plays her role in LayCool well and is the perfect foil for Michelle McCool. They are polar opposites when it comes to appearances, but have the same catty personalities. She has earned her position on the roster and seized the opportunities presented to her.

There has been an abundance of British performers over the years in American wrestling and while they may not have ever graced the grandest stages within the WWF/E, they have left an impact on the sport in one way or another; Davey Boy Smith (arguably the most successful British export), Dynamite Kid (Chris Benoit developed his style after Dynamite), William Regal (arguably the biggest British name currently active in America and responsible for training many a star), Chris Adams (trained Steve Austin), Fit Finlay (pivotal for many years in developing wrestlers behind the scenes), Adrian Street (his gimmick was the main influence on the Goldust character), Alfred Hayes (was an on screen presenter and held other roles within WWE throughout the 80's and 90's), to name but a few.

The current crop have their work cut out if they are to emulate or surpass the achievements of their predecessors.

Drew McIntyre, Doug Williams, Brutus Magnus, Nigel McGuinness (TNA's Desmond Wolfe), Mason Ryan, Rob Terry, Winter (formerly Katie Lea Burchill in WWE), all have attributes that could make them a star, but are lacking elsewhere in my opinion...whether that be on the mic, in ring talent or simply their lack of marketability or on screen presence. Ultimately, their progress is down to them and their commitment to their own development. However, another contributing factor towards the lack of star power could be the lack of investment in the British wrestling scene. There has been no television product for years and unless you are a hardcore fan, a lot of what is on offer tends to pass the rest of the world by.

 

[Aotearoa (Bushwacker)]

I agree with most posts here. More British wrestlers, YES. But more overall international wrestlers as well.
Make the INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPIONSHIP truly intercontinental again. To me it has always seemed kinda dumb when an american fights another american in america for the IC. How is that intercontinental????
Everybody loves the hometown hero, and it would massively grow the fanbase to have more international heroes to cheer. There are a billion indians but only one indian wrestler. Khali truly sux but every Indian I know loves him cause he's Indian. There's a billion fans right there, LOL.
I'm from New Zealand so we always cheer, the Polynesian wrestlers, and claim them as our own. Regardless of Face or Heel we always want to see the Samoan win. Umaga was way over here as are the USO's.

 

[The Perfect Max]

As a fellow brit, I agree with you. However, the reason for this maybe due to the fact that the majority of americans have heard and know what WWE is. At my school in England, if I mention Hulk Hogan everyone looks at me like who the hell is that? I thought he was supposed to the be the wrestling icon. Many people know Dwayne Johnson in England but know one in my classes knew he was one of the greatest wrestlers of all time known as The Rock.

My point is the reason UK wrestlers are scarce in the WWE is because they simply don't know. I also agree there hasn't been a legendary UK wrestler in the WWE, but people like Sheamus, Wade Barrett and Drew McIntyre, even Mason Ryan, are making some sort of mark on the WWE. All of these superstars need to develop and once they do, who knows what may happen. Many are dubbing Mason Ryan the "New Batista", Sheamus is already a 2x WWE Champion and United States Champion within 2 years, Drew McIntyre is an Intercontinental and Tag Team Champion who also had a good show in the Elimination Chamber and Wade Barrett led the most talked about group in the WWE since the nWo.

IMO, things are improving when it comes to UK wrestlers and there will be legendary world champions from the UK.

(I mean, if Vladimir Kozlov can do it, anyone can)

 

[masonwade313]

who the hell said there was no British champion???? Davey Boy Smith was a wwe champion... and in my opinion..most british wrestlers are boring and they style is to slow ... its entertainment not the wwe slow show..

 

[THTRobtaylor]

Of the roster, a good enough portion is Britsh/Irish already. The only reason for more would be a UK based WWE division or developmental territory, something I am sure will be in the pipeline in the next 2 years due to the sheer amount of talent over here.

We have the Englishman, Irishman, Scotsman and a Welshman all in major roles on the Roster, add Regal, Finlay and Layla and that is 10% of the active/semi active roster.

 

[Jaims]

If I said I think it's a crying shame that AAA has too many Mexican wrestlers and not enough Americans, would you think that's odd?

Look, the WWE is trying to reach out to other countries and cultures, but it is an american company, it will be easier for americans to get noticed by working in the states, whereas it would be harder for a British wrestler currently wrestling in England to get noticed.

Besides, there's a very diverse group of wrestlers right now representing Italy, England, Wales, Ireland, Russia, Japan, Scotland, Guyana, Ghana, Canada, Mexico, India, South Africa, technically Samoa (but I'm sure they're American) and maybe somewhere else that I'm forgetting. And sure, the biggest names right now are from the USA, but Sheamus is the US champ and Barrett is the Intercontinental Champ, and Gabriel is one half of the tag champs, so I don't know what more you could ask of a US based promotion.

I understand anyone's desire to see more of their countrymen in the WWE, but I think the WWE has done a fine job in creating some international representation in the company and not much more can be expected.

 

[Jason Scene]

who the hell said there was no British champion???? Davey Boy Smith was a wwe champion... and in my opinion..most british wrestlers are boring and they style is to slow ... its entertainment not the wwe slow show..

I said it, and no he wasn't. Go learn your stuff kid.

British Bulldog was never WWE Champion. His greatest accomplishment was winning the WWE Intercontinental Championship from Bret Hart at Summerslam 1992 in Wembley.

 

[Dowdsy McDowds]

And sure, the biggest names right now are from the USA, but Sheamus is the US champ and Barrett is the Intercontinental Champ, and Gabriel is one half of the tag champs, so I don't know what more you could ask of a US based promotion.

I understand anyone's desire to see more of their countrymen in the WWE, but I think the WWE has done a fine job in creating some international representation in the company and not much more can be expected.

You reckon the fact Wrestlemania's round the corner perhaps has played a role in Seamus and Barrett winning titles recently? I get the impression that these guys winning these titles is just a way to try and entice more buys from the foreign market in a cheap manner. I mean have Barrett and Kofi crossed paths since The Corre arrived on Smackdown? That's not rhetorical, I just haven't kept up with it much lately.

To directly answer the OP's statement, I don't think they do. The UK is not a huge wrestling market compared to say Japan or Mexico and I honestly don't think that adding 3 or 4 more British guys would suddenly provide a resurgence of interest here. A noticeable amount anyway.

The nationality factor when it comes to bringing in wrestlers seems to be vastly becoming redundant; if you can't cut a promo in English, you ain't gonna be around at the top too long*. You can be well versed in the different wrestling styles, but at a time when the WWE is distancing itself from the middle W then what does it matter?

*Khali (and probably Sin Cara) are the exceptions, due to their ties to potential big markets. Being used as a means to an end and not due to any great talent must sting a bit though

 

[JBSMan]

:cough: Sheamus :cough:

Not British, but why should being incorrect and ignorant get in the way of making a point?

They have a solid little contingent of them right now - Drew, Wade and Mason Ryan all have regular spots in fairly major positions on TV. Regal is still around to help guys out and appear on TV when needed. There's not exactly a drought right now... no point in bringing in Brits for the sake of it, when they just bring in GOOD ones, like they have so far.