Oldschool
12-01-2009, 12:16 PM
Falls Count Anywhere: Main Eventer Criteria
Posted by Erik McNeal on 11/24/2009 at 03:08 PM
I wonder what it really takes, from a fan’s perspective, to be considered a legitimate main eventer in the WWE?
I don’t think you have to BE John Cena, Triple H, or Undertaker, but it helps. I want to break down what it takes and then apply to the mid-cards, particularly listing the #1 WWE title contender Sheamus, among others across the three brands.
My criteria will cover their look, music, ring work, and promos.
First impressions are that people judge you from 12 feet away before you even meet them. When you look at the main eventers of the past 20 years, what do they look like typically? Well built, physically balanced and somewhat imposing if not extremely imposing. However they are unique, but few are radically off the radar. Sheamus is large and looks like he could kill a guy with his hair even. Kofi looks too friendly sometimes to be taken seriously, though his actions make up for it, which is the road that R-Truth is going down as well. At some point, he’ll need to streamline his look to get that boost that people (like me) can latch onto, because right now, he looks silly most times. Who definitely has a main event look are John Morrison and the Miz. This also includes your attire. I think Morrison’s attire might be too out there, but he puts on great matches and it goes with his gimmick. Matt Hardy has poor attire, in my opinion. I think he could have gone a different direction, as he looks awful. I’ve never been a fan of jeans in the ring, but only a few people can rock it and get away with it (read: Cena)… others, not so much. R Truth and Cryme Tyme are the key offenders… and Truth doesn’t need them.
Now you see them… what is it like when they do an entrance? Triple H’s entrances were energetic and intense… The Rock was literally electrifying…. Stone Cold was bar-none extreme… Randy Orton is unnerving with matching lyrics and psychosis… Undertaker is a league of his own, as is Shawn Michaels. An entrance theme is extremely vital that it match WHO THEY ARE as a performer and also be memorable and easy on the ears. Cena, DX, Jericho, Orton, Taker, Legacy, Punk… catchy themes. I use them to work out and it’s energetic. They all match their person. I worry about Kofi because his theme music is like a pair of pull-up diapers and he is a growing boy that needs to graduate to his first pair of Hanes. He needs new music. Sheamus’ theme is OK, but its bland and clearly a beginners’ tune, as is most of the mid card, and also he will need to liven himself up if he is to be taken seriously beyond his WWE title match. Mid card themes usually sound somewhat goofy or cartoonish, to me, and they are like the branding of who is mid card and who is main event, and jobber and so forth.
The all important component is ring work. Ground/holds based, strikers, submission, and high flyers are the most used in the WWE. I figure this as a two-way street because guys have to work together to put on a match. Though many times, the main event superstars typically are grounded for the most part, save for a flying elbow, senton bomb, or dive over the top rope. The super high flyers rarely get pushed beyond a certain level (read: IC and U.S. title). I think we’re all still sticklers for traditional mat wars that engage you in a match; however, the matches with high spots are entertaining to say the least, if dangerous when taken in frequent doses. So far, the only guy that is guilty of this is Evan Bourne. Great athlete, but like Jeff Hardy before him, he will need to develop a ground game to be taken seriously. Other guys need to get loose like Sheamus, whom is well…. I don’t know because, I have never seen a “match” from him, but that is not to say he cannot put on a match. Some guys need to get aggressive from their fast-paced flying days, like Kofi. The nice guy is melting away and I think a harder move set will take him to the next step.
Now the last part concerns the spoken word promos. People judge others by how they talk. Volume, inflection (or lack of), pattern changes, dialect, use of words and choice of words are what we use to size people up. We get this via interviews and in ring spots. I notice that in wrestling, the guys are essentially actors…even if they are not necessarily good actors. The entire mid card is guilty of coming across as a bit fake or extremely nervous and apparently reading from a teleprompter or from posters. Talk all the crap about John Cena as you will, but I get excited during his promos because they feel genuine. Undertaker’s promos make me want to see someone dragged into an open grave. Triple H, at the height of his monster heel run, made me hate him with every fiber of my being and soul! These guys now, have to find themselves, to a point and then let it explode through the microphones and reach the people. They are not in the main event, because the people cannot connect to them completely.
We as fans expect certain things, and that alone, we have our own criteria for whom should be in the main events. The good main event superstar must look, enter, work and speak as if he is the world champion by birthright. Nothing less will do and the mid card of the WWE are now in the right time, when the company needs them to assume the roles of greatness and ascend to have highlight moments and maybe even… just maybe… headline a WrestleMania… or a few.
http://fallscountanywhere.blogspot.com/2009/11/main-event-criteria.html
Posted by Erik McNeal on 11/24/2009 at 03:08 PM
I wonder what it really takes, from a fan’s perspective, to be considered a legitimate main eventer in the WWE?
I don’t think you have to BE John Cena, Triple H, or Undertaker, but it helps. I want to break down what it takes and then apply to the mid-cards, particularly listing the #1 WWE title contender Sheamus, among others across the three brands.
My criteria will cover their look, music, ring work, and promos.
First impressions are that people judge you from 12 feet away before you even meet them. When you look at the main eventers of the past 20 years, what do they look like typically? Well built, physically balanced and somewhat imposing if not extremely imposing. However they are unique, but few are radically off the radar. Sheamus is large and looks like he could kill a guy with his hair even. Kofi looks too friendly sometimes to be taken seriously, though his actions make up for it, which is the road that R-Truth is going down as well. At some point, he’ll need to streamline his look to get that boost that people (like me) can latch onto, because right now, he looks silly most times. Who definitely has a main event look are John Morrison and the Miz. This also includes your attire. I think Morrison’s attire might be too out there, but he puts on great matches and it goes with his gimmick. Matt Hardy has poor attire, in my opinion. I think he could have gone a different direction, as he looks awful. I’ve never been a fan of jeans in the ring, but only a few people can rock it and get away with it (read: Cena)… others, not so much. R Truth and Cryme Tyme are the key offenders… and Truth doesn’t need them.
Now you see them… what is it like when they do an entrance? Triple H’s entrances were energetic and intense… The Rock was literally electrifying…. Stone Cold was bar-none extreme… Randy Orton is unnerving with matching lyrics and psychosis… Undertaker is a league of his own, as is Shawn Michaels. An entrance theme is extremely vital that it match WHO THEY ARE as a performer and also be memorable and easy on the ears. Cena, DX, Jericho, Orton, Taker, Legacy, Punk… catchy themes. I use them to work out and it’s energetic. They all match their person. I worry about Kofi because his theme music is like a pair of pull-up diapers and he is a growing boy that needs to graduate to his first pair of Hanes. He needs new music. Sheamus’ theme is OK, but its bland and clearly a beginners’ tune, as is most of the mid card, and also he will need to liven himself up if he is to be taken seriously beyond his WWE title match. Mid card themes usually sound somewhat goofy or cartoonish, to me, and they are like the branding of who is mid card and who is main event, and jobber and so forth.
The all important component is ring work. Ground/holds based, strikers, submission, and high flyers are the most used in the WWE. I figure this as a two-way street because guys have to work together to put on a match. Though many times, the main event superstars typically are grounded for the most part, save for a flying elbow, senton bomb, or dive over the top rope. The super high flyers rarely get pushed beyond a certain level (read: IC and U.S. title). I think we’re all still sticklers for traditional mat wars that engage you in a match; however, the matches with high spots are entertaining to say the least, if dangerous when taken in frequent doses. So far, the only guy that is guilty of this is Evan Bourne. Great athlete, but like Jeff Hardy before him, he will need to develop a ground game to be taken seriously. Other guys need to get loose like Sheamus, whom is well…. I don’t know because, I have never seen a “match” from him, but that is not to say he cannot put on a match. Some guys need to get aggressive from their fast-paced flying days, like Kofi. The nice guy is melting away and I think a harder move set will take him to the next step.
Now the last part concerns the spoken word promos. People judge others by how they talk. Volume, inflection (or lack of), pattern changes, dialect, use of words and choice of words are what we use to size people up. We get this via interviews and in ring spots. I notice that in wrestling, the guys are essentially actors…even if they are not necessarily good actors. The entire mid card is guilty of coming across as a bit fake or extremely nervous and apparently reading from a teleprompter or from posters. Talk all the crap about John Cena as you will, but I get excited during his promos because they feel genuine. Undertaker’s promos make me want to see someone dragged into an open grave. Triple H, at the height of his monster heel run, made me hate him with every fiber of my being and soul! These guys now, have to find themselves, to a point and then let it explode through the microphones and reach the people. They are not in the main event, because the people cannot connect to them completely.
We as fans expect certain things, and that alone, we have our own criteria for whom should be in the main events. The good main event superstar must look, enter, work and speak as if he is the world champion by birthright. Nothing less will do and the mid card of the WWE are now in the right time, when the company needs them to assume the roles of greatness and ascend to have highlight moments and maybe even… just maybe… headline a WrestleMania… or a few.
http://fallscountanywhere.blogspot.com/2009/11/main-event-criteria.html