What the hell ever happened to gimmick names? Let's take a look at RAW last night: -Shelton Benjamin -Garrison Cade -Rob Conway
Now that is some boooooring ass shit right there. What the hell is that? Where the hell would the Rock be with Dwayne Johnson? Benjamin and Cade have absolutely no gimmicks. During the "Attitude Era" no one used their real name. Maybe Angle and a couple other wrestlers. The writers really need to come up with gimmicks for more people. Regular Ol' Garrison Cade coming out in regular red trunks ain't working for me.
You don't get that until you get your push. They don't know where they are going with those guys yet. Enjoy The Hurricane, S.H.I.T., and Matt Hardy Version 1, they are going nowhere right now. A gimmick name is just a gimmick name the company has to push and the wrestler has to seize the push to make the gimmick name work.
Originally posted by Juggalo101Regular Ol' Garrison Cade coming out in regular red trunks ain't working for me.
So you'd rather go back to the days of evil clowns, garbage men, and voodoo priests?
You're right, guys like The Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase, Ricky The Dragon Steamboat, The Nature Boy Ric Flair. What a bunch of wrestling jokes!
The fact is that the WWE went to real names as a conscience effort to make wrestling look more realistic. Although gimmick names like Razor Ramon, Hulk Hogan, and even stuff like Shawn Michaels worked great, they seem to think that people will "buy" wrestling more if it's more Shelton Benjamin and no more names like Ultimo Dragon. It works sometimes if a guy's got a great name like Brock Lesnar, but does anyone remember when they tried using "Dave Batista"?
I agree that the stupid gimmicks had to go, but that's not what he's talking about. A guy needs a good name to make it in wrestling. If he wasn't born with it, then it's up to the company to give him one.
If you've got a guy with a name that sounds good for the wrestler you're presenting, why change it? If you try and gimmick everybody, like the WWF did in the mid 90s, you end up with some real stupid names and gimmicks out there, simply because there is a finite amount of good ideas you can expect from even the most creative writing staff. Some names work, some don't. I doubt you'll ever see a wrestler named Julian or Kelly, but Shelton Benjamin sounds like an athlete's name - and, in Benjamin's case, since they make frequent use of the non-WWE Shelton Benjamin's actual accomplishments, it would sound pretty stupid if they started calling him something else.
As an aside, a guy could get over using the name Garrison Cade. Getting over when you're as bland as white paint is a tad more difficult.
Originally posted by Juggalo101Where the hell would the Rock be with Dwayne Johnson?
The Rock was never known as Dwayne Johnson in the WWE. He debuted as Rocky Mavia. The name was tribute to his father Rocky Johnson and his grandfather Peter Mavia.
While I think a good name is a must for any worker who really wants to get over in a big way, I don't think its the name that gets him over. It's charisma and exciting ring work.
You want gimmick names? Welcome to the era of Tyson "The Problem Solver" Tomko, Hirohito, and Mordecai.
And look around.. the gimmick names never really left us. There's plenty still around: The Undertaker, Rikishi, A-Train, The Hurricane, Scotty Too Hotty, Grand Master Sexay (is he still back?), Edge, Booker T (really? that's not his real name?), the list goes on and on.....
Originally posted by ShotGunShepActually the Rock debuted as Flex Kavana :)
When? In the USWA? Some houseshow? I have the 1997 Survivor Series on tape where he debuted as the mystery partner, and I'm pretty sure he debuted as Rocky Maivia, the blue chipper.
(Not Bob Kohm)
In the context of baseball, the use of drugs hurts only the player. In the context of baseball, the use of alcohol hurts only the player. In the context of baseball, womanizing hurts whom? Maybe the wife of the player? In the context of baseball, felonies are crimes against society, not against baseball. In the context of baseball, gambling is the only crime against baseball.
Gambling, in the context of baseball, is a capital offense and Rose has richly earned-- hell, he agreed to-- his death sentence. Let him hang.
Bob Kohm, co-owner of Rotojunkies.com (rotojunkies.com) , and a large market kind of guy.
Originally posted by ShotGunShepActually the Rock debuted as Flex Kavana :)
When? In the USWA? Some houseshow? I have the 1997 Survivor Series on tape where he debuted as the mystery partner, and I'm pretty sure he debuted as Rocky Maivia, the blue chipper.
Wasn't that the 1996 Survivor Series, or am I mistaken?
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I agree with Omar Padilla. It's kinda artificial if somebody, for example Garrison Cade, had he's name chanced to something else suddenly without any meaning. If you have come to WWE with the name you go on with the name.. But again, agreeing with Omar Padilla, I gotta say that nicknames like The Game and The Next Big Thing and so on are making the wrestlers somehow more "interesting". Those names cannot be made, they just come out with time.
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Rocky broke into the biz as "Flex Kavana" down in the USWA in Memphis in the mid-90's. He captured tag gold with Bart Sawyer. (courtesy Dwayne Johnson Online)
His WWF debut came at Survivor Series 1996, under the name "Rocky Maivia." You all know the rest.
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Booker T (really? that's not his real name?), the list goes on and on.....
Isn't Booker's name really Booker T. Huffman, therefore going by his real first name and middle initial and not a gimmick name? Or is that his "kayfabed" name to explain where his gimmick name came from?
Thrill, you're right, I was a year off. He was already in the NOD by '97. But, Stilton was still right. Rocky was never known as Flex Kavana in the WWF, as was originally asserted.
In the context of baseball, the use of drugs hurts only the player. In the context of baseball, the use of alcohol hurts only the player. In the context of baseball, womanizing hurts whom? Maybe the wife of the player? In the context of baseball, felonies are crimes against society, not against baseball. In the context of baseball, gambling is the only crime against baseball.
Gambling, in the context of baseball, is a capital offense and Rose has richly earned-- hell, he agreed to-- his death sentence. Let him hang.
Bob Kohm, co-owner of Rotojunkies.com (rotojunkies.com) , and a large market kind of guy.
Well, Jerry "The King" Lawler used to say about The Book's criminal past in every match Book was in, so it's no surprise. (This led to a great moment at Survivor Series 2003, where after doing another Booker/Robber joke, JR said made light of King's S Series team with the Clowns (I think) which made him reprimand JR to just call the match).
Booker T (really? that's not his real name?), the list goes on and on.....
Isn't Booker's name really Booker T. Huffman, therefore going by his real first name and middle initial and not a gimmick name? Or is that his "kayfabed" name to explain where his gimmick name came from?
--Monte N
Oh my! Deduct 10 smark points from me for not even bothering to look into it. I just always assumed it was a tribute to Booker T. Washington, but I guess it's more than a tribute. Didn't realize it was his true namesake. Huffman, eh? I doubt there's any realtion to Maven Huffman, though. There isn't, is there? :)
Okay, perhaps Jugalo101 means they need nicknames. I mean, in the past there were Bret "The Hitman" Hart, "The Nature Boy" Ric Flair, Greg "The Hammer" Valentine, Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart, "The British Bulldog" Daveyboy Smith, "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes, etc. It's not necessarily a gimmick name, but it's a cool nickname to call people.
Recent examples would be "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, "Y2J" Chris Jericho, and "Mr. (whatever)day Night" Rob Van Dam. Any number of appelations may make them seem "cooler" whilst avoiding the "cartoony" feel.
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I've heard JR use "malfunction at the junction" more than twice. I find it odd that he doesn't give credit. Ross is usually on top of things like that. Maybe he is stealing it.