The give a rational answer to a question wrestling fans overcomplicate thread

[Nintendough]

Why wasn't Curt Hennig a world champion in WCW or WWF?


While he was an amazing performer and a once in a lifetime physical talent.....His gimmick was more of a catch phrase than a sustainable persona that could evolve or be built upon

 

[Golayitdown]

Why wasn't Curt Hennig a world champion in WCW or WWF?


While he was an amazing performer and a once in a lifetime physical talent.....His gimmick was more of a catch phrase than a sustainable persona that could evolve or be built upon

Dope thread idea. Doesn't the former negate the latter when he had proven before and after the gimmick that he could reliably get over?

 

[Nintendough]

Dope thread idea. Doesn't the former negate the latter when he had proven before and after the gimmick that he could reliably get over?

It was over, and a timeless persona. However it is one of the most inflexible successful personas ever. What was required for his personas presentation disallowed any type of dynamic element, which means no growth.

 

[Golayitdown]

It was over, and a timeless persona. However it is one of the most inflexible successful personas ever. What was required for his personas presentation disallowed any type of dynamic element, which means no growth.

I agree with that, but I'm talking about Curt Hennig apart from the Mr. Perfect gimmick. He had the talent to get over before getting to WWE and stayed over for his entire career after WWE.

Not to mention that the gimmick itself wasn't as limiting as say a Kane or OG Undertaker in that he couldn't show his true in-ring skills or his crazy amount of charisma.

 

[Nintendough]

I agree with that, but I'm talking about Curt Hennig apart from the Mr. Perfect gimmick. He had the talent to get over before getting to WWE and stayed over for his entire career after WWE.

Not to mention that the gimmick itself wasn't as limiting as say a Kane or OG Undertaker in that he couldn't show his true in-ring skills or his crazy amount of charisma.

I don't dispute him being over post Mr. Perfect. My issue of interest is how somebody that over ends up being a secondary NWO guy and battling for US titles and IC belts without one real serious world title chase or run. He seemed to only get "respect shots" at the belt just to keep him a strong upper midcarder.

 

[puppetmaster]

Damn. Can't really poke a hole in your theory on Mr Perfect if I'm being fair

 

[Nintendough]

Why did Warrior fail in WCW?

Had nothing to do with him being a weirdo, or weak as a worker etc. Plenty of guys much worse have made it work.



Warrior was a glorified moment in time, again another non-sustainable persona. Much more restricted on an extreme levwl than the previous one discussed since there was never a build up or real story to what made him the Ultimate Warrior. He pretty much was boxed and presented as a nut and a nut will always be a nut. He was a flash of timing more so than brilliance since he arrived when mullets, generic metal songs and colors could hypnotize people. By the time his WCW had came, the world around warrior had changed but he was still the same. He was literally the same guy who beat red and yellow Hogan with zero update or change, because it was impossible to do so without somehow changing the character. Good for a surprise appearce for nostalgic, yes. Good for a run with a ppv match, probably a no.

 

[Buggsy Mogues]

Why did Warrior fail in WCW?

Had nothing to do with him being a weirdo, or weak as a worker etc. Plenty of guys much worse have made it work.



Warrior was a glorified moment in time, again another non-sustainable persona. Much more restricted on an extreme levwl than the previous one discussed since there was never a build up or real story to what made him the Ultimate Warrior. He pretty much was boxed and presented as a nut and a nut will always be a nut. He was a flash of timing more so than brilliance since he arrived when mullets, generic metal songs and colors could hypnotize people. By the time his WCW had came, the world around warrior had changed but he was still the same. He was literally the same guy who beat red and yellow Hogan with zero update or change, because it was impossible to do so without somehow changing the character. Good for a surprise appearce for nostalgic, yes. Good for a run with a ppv match, probably a no.

I actually think the prob was WCW changed him up too much... the smoke "magic" effects, the long ass promo they had him cut. People woulda popped for the old Warrior who just ran out, clean house and left.

That Havoc show with the Hogan re-match was a sellout and popped one of their bigger buyrates of the year so I wouldn't call it a failure, but I don't think his WCW run had legs to last much longer than that even if he didn't get hurt.

 

[Scottie Drippin]

Damn. Can't really poke a hole in your theory on Mr Perfect if I'm being fair

I can Because in a thread about simple answers, he went and instead reached for a complicated and incredibly subjective one. The simple answer is this:

He absolutely would have won world titles if he didn’t suffer what SHOULD have been a career ending back injury ‘’91. From then on, every time he was in the ring, he was on borrowed time. It’s very, very hard to imagine Bret still wins the title when he did if Perfect is around and healthy. How on earth could Curt’s persona and character come into play when the belt went to Bret in his absence, who is like Curt’s less charismatic palette swap who went years without proving himself capable of a dynamic performance.

 

[Konnan]

Why did Vince screw Bret at Montreal?



BRET SCREWED BRET

Going out on your back is a time honored tradition and Bret simply didn't want to play ball.

 

[WHolla09]

Why wasn't Curt Hennig a world champion in WCW or WWF?


While he was an amazing performer and a once in a lifetime physical talent.....His gimmick was more of a catch phrase than a sustainable persona that could evolve or be built upon

He hurt his back during his first WWF run. I'm sure if he didn't retire he probably would have feuded with Flair for the title.

In WCW, he was another great wrestler in a company full of great wrestlers. His ceiling unfortunately was US title. If he was younger, he may have got a run, since Jeff Jarrett did.

 

[Ed MOTHERFUCKING G]

"why didnt they wait until WrestleMania to do _____ (major title change or turn)"


Because if they waited until WrestleMania for everything, then the rest of the ppvs and raws for about ten months wouldn't matter.

 

[puppetmaster]

I can Because in a thread about simple answers, he went and instead reached for a complicated and incredibly subjective one. The simple answer is this:

He absolutely would have won world titles if he didn’t suffer what SHOULD have been a career ending back injury ‘’91. From then on, every time he was in the ring, he was on borrowed time. It’s very, very hard to imagine Bret still wins the title when he did if Perfect is around and healthy. How on earth could Curt’s persona and character come into play when the belt went to Bret in his absence, who is like Curt’s less charismatic palette swap who went years without proving himself capable of a dynamic performance.

Bret was gonna break through no matter what . .. especially once the Feds came knocking on Vince's door and all the body guys started mysteriously shrinking or leaving the company.

Curt was bordering on the cartoonish with his selling often which unfortunately matters when you're a heel. It can separate an upper midcarder who is great on a mic from a world champion. Take away the back injury, the steroid trial would also have been a hurdle as the company damn near overnight went small for a while.

You could see Bret was a star in the making back in the days when the hart foundation wore blue and dude couldn't even look at the camera without his shades on. Dude was always able to sell an ass whooping believably even when he couldn't talk, it's a small detail on paper but it's why he became who he became because his selling made people care. Curt wasn't that type of performer. He was an ultra charismatic dude you build with not on.

 

[CM_Burns]

Much simpler answer to why Warrior failed in WCW: They didnt book it right. He was never gonna work as THE guy, or have a five year run, but he could've had a good year run. He was very over in his first appearance, and matches vs Sting, Goldberg, and maybe even Raven and the Flock could've worked/drew big.

 

[Scottie Drippin]

Bret was gonna break through no matter what . .. especially once the Feds came knocking on Vince's door and all the body guys started mysteriously shrinking or leaving the company.

Bruh, Curt was "small", too. If he's healthy there's no way he doesn't get the same elevation Bret got. The moment was perfect for guys like he and Bret (and later Shawn, who did all the same "cartoonish" selling you're saying hampered cut Curt he learned it from him, yet didn't stop him from becoming one of the faces in the company, and let's not even get into that Ric Flair guy with his selling, or The Rock later). The back injury is the only thing that came between Curt and runs as world champion in his career.