does that make Cena the best title holder today?Edit: nah it was Punk
Wrestlers you thought were better Title chasers than Title holders
- Thread starter Nintendough
- Start date
does that make Cena the best title holder today?Edit: nah it was Punk
TrueEpic08
Dum Shiny
I would actually say that Joe, when booked correctly, is a great champion (see his ROH Title reign) due to his versatility at promos. When called for, he can do the whole cool and collected champion bit, then go in the ring and prove why he has reason to be so confident.
But I was watching some Samoa Joe promos from the 2005-2007 period, and goddamn was he great at being the angry, chasing babyface. It helped that he was such a great promo guy, probably the only guy left that actually knows how to properly deliver a screaming promo.
I mean, when he gave us this before his match with Jeff Jarrett (non-title, because we couldn't have Sting NOT winning the belt at Bound For Glory in 2006):
TNA: Jeff Jarrett Bloodies Samoa Joe - YouTube
All I could think was, "This man should have absolutely killed Jeff Jarrett and won the World Title, and why he didn't, I have no idea." We forget due to about 3 years lost via stupidity, sciatica, and lost motivation, but at one point, Joe was legitimately the best and most complete wrestler in the world. The first year and a half run to the belt was great, GREAT stuff, and he could've been the breakout star TNA needed if they had just put the belt on him at BFG that year.
But of course, that didn't happen.
A slightly independent question: We talk about great chasers (The best since I started watching in no order: Sting, Goldberg, Rock, Austin, Jeff Hardy, Diamond Dallas Page, Joe from his TNA debut until 2007, possibly Homicide in ROH and heel Randy Orton. Mark Henry's 2011 run to the title was so short and sudden that I'm not sure that I want to include him, but that was excellent stuff as well), but not really about what MAKES a great chaser. So I'm posing that question: In your opinion, what makes for a great title chaser? I have two main criteria, that are no way exhaustive, but I feel are absolutely necessary to be great at chasing:
1). You need to be a special kind of over. You can't just be a regularly over guy who gets loud pops, rather, you need to have a unique type of charisma that draws people in and makes them invest in you (Beyond the megastar types, DDP and Jeff Hardy had this down pat).
2). The people have to believe that the chaser can win, which also means that the result should always be in some sort of doubt. See the Jeff Hardy case study; when I watched his chase unfold, while it always seemed like he should win, it never seemed like a foregone conclusion. In fact, it felt like his chance could disappear with a hard gust of wind, at times. For actual foregone conclusions (Like Sting chasing Hogan), the threat needs to be so huge that a protracted chase seems necessary for the chaser to win.
Every great chaser, I believe, satisfied these two conditions in spades. What do you guys think are the conditions that create great chasers?
AquaCityBoy
Veteran
Wade Barrett was his most interesting when he was feuding with Kofi for the IC title. They had one of the best feuds in 2012 as far as in-ring work.
Now look at him.
Now look at him.
NYChase718
Veteran
Wade Barrett was his most interesting when he was feuding with Kofi for the IC title. They had one of the best feuds in 2012 as far as in-ring work.
Now look at him.
they wasted him so bad
i blame the miz
Doctor Wily
CapcomSwag
Steamboat
Lynn
Dreamer
Lynn
Dreamer
fixed
If you are old enough to remember Lex Luger in his prime, then you know that the Total Package was that dude. When he couldn't "go" the better wrestlers carried him to fantastic matches.
And he had so much charisma...dumb as 3 fuxs but he talked to that camera and made you believe that being a hero/face was cool.
The moment Ric Flair left for WWF, and Luger turned heel, it nearly killed WCW. Luger became comparable to a TNA heel champion.
And he had so much charisma...dumb as 3 fuxs but he talked to that camera and made you believe that being a hero/face was cool.
The moment Ric Flair left for WWF, and Luger turned heel, it nearly killed WCW. Luger became comparable to a TNA heel champion.
Kane before he lost the mask
Jericho
Christian
benoit
Booker T
taker
angle
Jericho
Christian
benoit
Booker T
taker
angle
TrueEpic08
Dum Shiny
Are you talking about late 80s Luger?
If so, I agree. I remember watching some of those old JCP pay-per-views and being shocked at how over and good Luger was (and yes, I would call him a good worker at the time. Never could carry anybody, but perfectly fine). Great babyface too. People should watch those title matches he had with Flair from 1988 until Flair left in 1991. Really good stuff. Start with this.
Hell of a fukk finish here, but then again, it's not about the finish, but how it's used...
Check the pop for the ending though.
Check the pop for the ending though.
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Luger was a god in the late '80s/early '90s. It was all about Sting/Luger/Hogan/Warrior for me in those days. 
Nintendough
#Kliq
I grew up on Nitro Luger but I still remember loving to watch him pursue Hogan and the title. When he won it I was excited but when the show was over I really went into "okay now what?" mode.