My vote went to Kaval, simply because when he steps into the ring, it's blatantly obvious that he's a different breed than the rest of the NXT rookies.
I like to think that there's not too much gas left in Mysterio, and Kaval could be groomed over the next couple of years as the guy to take over that mantle. Hell, he has the "World Warrior" gimmick and a quiet kind of personality, a bit of mystery about him, put him under a mask and see if that works out for him.
Forfeit the game, before somebody else takes you outta the game, and puts your name to shame Cover up your face, you can't run the race The pace is too fast, you just won't last - "Points Of Authority" - Linkin Park
Originally posted by InVerse Rey was already an established star before coming into the WWE and he arrived with much hype, so I'm not sure that he really qualifies as a breakout star. He's certainly a much bigger star than he was in WCW but I don't know that he ever particularly "broke out."
How long did it take Chris Benoit to breakout in the WWE? Eddie Guerrero didn't truly breakout until he really developed the Lying, Cheating and Stealing persona.
I don't think that Rey Mysterio was a bigger star outside of WWE than Chris Benoit or Eddie Guerrero (or Chris Jericho, or RVD) when they were first coming in. Kaval and Daniel Bryan have been (kind of) stars outside of WWE for many years as well. But that doesn't mean that these guys can't have (had) their real (!) breakout in WWE.
Count me in amoung the people who would have liked to rank the list. But anyways I votes for Husky Harris because I felt he needed it given the last poll. Kaval is my overall #1 with McGuillicutty #2. Kaval will have enough support and I can't vote for Perfect Jr. So Harris it is.
Originally posted by John OrquiolaWhat "character" does Rey Mysterio play? Has he ever cut an interesting promo or won anyone over with a charismatic personality?
If you weren't deeply moved by his impassioned appeal for Sting's forgiveness the night after Misterio teamed up with the Four Horsemen to attack Sting when no one was sure of Sting's loyalty in regards to WCW and the nWo, then you are spiritually flawed.
Speaking of things from WCW nobody remembers, everyone involved would be bigger stars if they'd explained away Alex Riley's ridiculous "30 year old who apparently just graduated high school" gimmick if they claimed that he was Rotunda's kid and was carrying on the Varsity Squad legacy. Husky Harris could have been repackaged accordingly as the bastard son of Dusty Rhodes/brother of Dustin Rhodes, and Dashing Cody Rhodes would have been brought in as Dashing Cody Cena, John Cena's kid brother.
Since they didn't do any of this, I blame Husky Harris' current low polling results entirely on Matt Striker, who stepped all over the Rhodes/Harris dynamic back in week one of this season, when Cody was trying to explain that he was going to triumph this year by proving he could turn Harris into a star despite his slobby looks, which would have been a solid storyline for the show.
Furthermore! Furthermore, Dashing Cody Rhodes won't truly become the breakout star he could be until they directly address how different he is from his family. This means an eventual face turn where he dons the gold make-up for one night only to become Codedust to team up with Goldust and Dusty as Stardust to face, I don't know, let's say Regal, a heel Santino and Doink the Clown (as played by Bryan Danielson).
That is all.
Oh, wait, that's not all: I vote for Kaval. He kicks people. Hard. Not that he can't talk (he has an awesome voice), but kicking people hard gets over even for people who struggled with the English language, like Tajiri or Chris Benoit.
Originally posted by InVerse[[ ... ]]Chances are, I wouldn't have voted for Rocky Maivia, The Ring Master, Randy Orton or John Cena, either. Their initial characters were extremely boring.
And those are all excellent examples of what I *am* looking for! :-) I'm looking for the differences that distinguish "serviceable midcarder" from "potential for stardom". But I'm glad we're clarifying the different criteria that we're applying.
Originally posted by InVerseHell, aside from coming with a built in catch phrase, Michael McGillicutty's character isn't terribly different from John Cena and Randy Orton's debut personas which were all about Ruthless Aggression.
Unless the gimmick is soooo bad that it gets in the way of the guy's potential (eg. Skip Sheffield, Festus, maybe Cottonwood?), I don't find the gimmick to be a huge factor at this point. What I don't see in McGillacutty is that riveting, x-factor, charisma, expressiveness intangible thing that separates out the potential stars from the rest of the crowd.
Originally posted by InVerseWhen I think breakout star, I think someone who can bring a good deal of everything. I made my pick based on who I would be most interested in seeing involved in a main event program. Kaval would most likely put on better matches than Husky Harris but I think when you look at an entire program, including the promos and storyline, there's so much more potential for Harris than there is for Kaval.
So, you're not factoring in where you think they will (or reasonably could be) be in 2-5+ years? That's another difference we have in our selection criteria. I want them to be useful today, & I want them to be able to sustain stardom for a career.
Originally posted by emma So, you're not factoring in where you think they will (or reasonably could be) be in 2-5+ years? That's another difference we have in our selection criteria. I want them to be useful today, & I want them to be able to sustain stardom for a career.
But that's exactly what I'm factoring in. Five years from now, I expect Husky Harris to be putting on good to great matches and entertaining programs, having been given the opportunity to excel. Whereas I expect Kaval to be doing the same thing in five years that he'll be doing in six months, putting on the occasional excellent match in boring to adequate programs, probably slowing down a bit because by then he'll be creeping toward forty.
The reason I watch professional wrestling is for the storytelling, in and outside of the ring, and to me, Husky Harris seems best poised to entertain me.
Originally posted by OliverOn NXT? No idea...I don't really follow the show.
But on the main roster? I'm gonna go with Matt Bourne.
I'm pretty sure that was just a one time appearance for Doink and it was Lombardi under the mask anyway.
I voted for Husky. Figured I'd vote for one of the heels since they're at a disadvantage when it comes to fan voting to begin with. Cottonwood is dorky and useless, and despite all the hype Riley is still just another guy doing the cocky heel routine to me (Husky sort of does it as well, but where others would gloat he acts disinterested and above everything, which makes for a different vibe and is part of why I like him with Cody). I dig Husky not being a cookie cutter guy in stellar shape with a nice hair cut, and I think with a couple more years of seasoning he'll be a good hand in the ring, plus entertaining as all hell.
I liked it and I'll tell you why. When I read it I was like LOL OLIVER, MATT BOURNE, MIGHT AS WELL CALL HIM JASON. And I totally forgot that Doink himself had just been on TV which is even more salient.
Low Ki has been part of plenty of great pro wrestling feuds and angles though. He holds up his end of the equation, he has good business instincts, and he plays a good straight man (Nash, Laycool); I just don't think that all comes out when they ask him to do canned NXT "I am honored by the WWE Universe" stuff.
Yes, I meant Matt Bourne - or whomever was under the Doink makeup a couple of weeks ago. The Doink character is infinitely more entertaining than anyone from either season of NXT.
Sing this special song. It's just for you. Kaval will have to overcome his size, so I'm going to say Harris.
Also, thanks to Oliver I would now like a bizarro NXT season with Doink, Repo Man, the Brooklyn Brawler, Glacier, Disqo, the Godfather, Essa Rios, and Gangrel.