carrying a match

[Guest Kid Kablam]

Maybe it's just that I haven't watched enough, but how do you tell who's controling the match?

[Guest Downhome]

Watch the main event of Smackdown, and then you'll see an example of it. :D

[Guest y2jailbait]

I think a lot of smarks get a little carried away with that single point though. The term "can wrestle a broomstick and make it look good" is something that has been said for so long that it gets to the point that some smarks believe its true. It takes two wrestlers to make a single match good. I dont care if its Angle Vs A Train, it takes two to make it work. Now, about carrying and in the case of Edge most notably, carrying is a little overrated by smarks i think. I mean Edge and Angle have a great match at backlash, and then all smarks say its the work of Angle carrying the match. Its just typical smark hate for Edge, along with hate for Big men like Show, A Train, Taker and others.

 

In other words, the term carrying a match is just used as a way to put down a wrestler that a smark doesnt like or enjoy.

[Guest razazteca]

Brian Pillman carried a pencil in a good segment in ECW

[Guest AndrewTS]

It basically means that a certain wrestler, usually the one calling the match (that is, laying out the sequences and telling the other wrestler or wrestlers what they're going to do next), is bumping, selling, and throwing out some awesome offense in such a way that both guys look good.

 

In most cases entire matches aren't practiced, but certain sequences may be. Usually the more experienced/talented wrestler is who keeps track of these things.

[Guest CanadianChick]

IMO, most matches that are classified as great do not have one wrestler completely carrying the other wrestler. That is why a Big Show vs Benoit/Angle match isn't great; Angle/Benoit are practically doing all the work. This is how I look at it: it takes two people to have a great match.

[Guest HartFan86]

Look for the guy calling the most audibles, or in smart mark term, spots. The guy who does the most talking usually does the carrying.

[Guest FeArHaVoC]

Watch Bret Hart Vs Davey Boy from Summerslam 92'

[Guest Anglesault]

As a general rule, if a match involves kane or Big Show, and it isn't horrible, someone was doing all the work. All two of Test's watchable matches were carried by the other guy.

[Guest Mole]

Plus, when someone carries the match, they usually try moves that they usually don't do.

 

Best example of this would be to watch some Jazz/Trish matches, when Jazz first came in.

[LaParkaYourCar]

I think a lot of smarks get a little carried away with that single point though. The term "can wrestle a broomstick and make it look good" is something that has been said for so long that it gets to the point that some smarks believe its true. It takes two wrestlers to make a single match good. I dont care if its Angle Vs A Train, it takes two to make it work. Now, about carrying and in the case of Edge most notably, carrying is a little overrated by smarks i think. I mean Edge and Angle have a great match at backlash, and then all smarks say its the work of Angle carrying the match. Its just typical smark hate for Edge, along with hate for Big men like Show, A Train, Taker and others.

 

In other words, the term carrying a match is just used as a way to put down a wrestler that a smark doesnt like or enjoy.

I tend to disagree. If a wrestler does well against good wrestlers, but sucks any time else it's kind of obvious they aren't as good as it seems. It is possible to lead a wrestler by the hand into a watchable match.

 

Now....some wrestlers are very carryable, which is a good trait to have if the wrestler isn't great. A carryable wrestler is a decent wrestler. They're not awesome, but they are decent and when put with the right people their weaknesses can be overshadowed.

 

Then there are wrestlers that just can't be carried and just slow a match down.

 

Of course there are those who are in between. Those who sometimes have good days where they can be carried to something watchable and sometimes not.

[Guest Mad Dog]

If you want to see people get carried through matches I'd suggest anything Flair did in the 80s.

 

He was the only person that could ever get a semi-watchable match out of Ronnie Garvin.

[Guest AlwaysPissedOff]

If a wrestler does well against good wrestlers, but sucks any time else it's kind of obvious they aren't as good as it seems. It is possible to lead a wrestler by the hand into a watchable match.

 

Now....some wrestlers are very carryable, which is a good trait to have if the wrestler isn't great. A carryable wrestler is a decent wrestler. They're not awesome, but they are decent and when put with the right people their weaknesses can be overshadowed.

 

Then there are wrestlers that just can't be carried and just slow a match down.

 

Of course there are those who are in between. Those who sometimes have good days where they can be carried to something watchable and sometimes not.

That sounds like 96% of the roster save for Eddy, Benoit, Rey, and Chavo(and on occasion Jamie Noble).

[Guest deadbeater]

Another way one can tell: one wrestler would be doing wild or funny acting while the other one looks poised. The wilder one is usually the one carrying, and sometimes call shots by the gesticulations.

[Guest CanadianChick]

I tend to disagree. If a wrestler does well against good wrestlers, but sucks any time else it's kind of obvious they aren't as good as it seems. It is possible to lead a wrestler by the hand into a watchable match.

You just described every decent wrestler in that description. Let's take Angle as an example. He has great matches against good-to-great workers, but doesn't have great matches against lugs like the Big Show. Does this mean that Angle isn't a great worker?

[Guest AlwaysPissedOff]

Heh... me and CC think alike.

[Guest Anglesault]

I tend to disagree.  If a wrestler does well against good wrestlers, but sucks any time else it's kind of obvious they aren't as good as it seems.  It is possible to lead a wrestler by the hand into a watchable match.

You just described every decent wrestler in that description. Let's take Angle as an example. He has great matches against good-to-great workers, but doesn't have great matches against lugs like the Big Show. Does this mean that Angle isn't a great worker?

I think he meant like Kane, who has good matches with Angle or Jericho, but isn't even close to watchable against anyone else.

 

Or test, who had a good match against eddy, and then, well, yeah.

[Guest AlwaysPissedOff]

He still described Angle to a T, so she's right in bringing it up.

[Guest Anglesault]

He still described Angle to a T, so she's right in bringing it up.

Angle has had some pretty good matches with one of the worst talents in the company (Kane) and a very good match with John cena, who hasn't even shown a glimmer of hope since Jericho.

[LaParkaYourCar]

I'm not saying it happens all the time. It's just sometimes sucky wrestlers get a fire lit under their ass when put up against great wrestlers and the great wrestler is able to lead them by the hand to something watchable.

 

Just because a great wrestler isn't always able to carry someone doesn't diminish their talent. Just means the sucky wrestler is being dead weight and not trying.

 

It does happen...like things like that happen in real life. Bad actors when put with good directors can perform better and when put with a good dancer a bad dancer can be led into doing well.

[Guest AndrewTS]

I remember Keith citing a time, in total shock, where HOGAN carried VADER to a decent match. Off day for Vader.

 

Oh, and the infamous Lionheart/Eddy match where Jericho blew up early, Eddy LITERALLY carried him through a pinning sequence and figuratively the rest of the way.

 

Vader and Jericho both had off days then, and were carried, and oddly Hogan had a fire lit under his ass that day. *shrug*

[Guest CanadianChick]

I'm not saying it happens all the time. It's just sometimes sucky wrestlers get a fire lit under their ass when put up against great wrestlers and the great wrestler is able to lead them by the hand to something watchable.

 

Just because a great wrestler isn't always able to carry someone doesn't diminish their talent. Just means the sucky wrestler is being dead weight and not trying.

 

It does happen...like things like that happen in real life. Bad actors when put with good directors can perform better and when put with a good dancer a bad dancer can be led into doing well.

Allright I see your point now. You just weren't very clear in your previous statement, that's all.

[Guest Hogan Made Wrestling]

An interesting but good example of carrying that doesn't involve one wrestler dragging the other one through a good match is Angle vs. The Rock at No Mercy 2000. Angle is still green has hell at this point (at least in terms of wrestling main eventers) and while he has all the physical ability to keep up, The Rock calls all the spots and dictates the flow of the match. In this case, neither guy was a slug, but one was clearly the leader.

[LaParkaYourCar]

An interesting but good example of carrying that doesn't involve one wrestler dragging the other one through a good match is Angle vs. The Rock at No Mercy 2000. Angle is still green has hell at this point (at least in terms of wrestling main eventers) and while he has all the physical ability to keep up, The Rock calls all the spots and dictates the flow of the match. In this case, neither guy was a slug, but one was clearly the leader.

yeah I like that example. Cause usually those who are carried to great matches are already decent wrestlers....maybe that's why the real sucky ones aren't carried that often.

 

You'll learn that I sometimes take a few posts to flesh out my ideas......I have trouble finding the words sometimes, but if you keep me replying I tend to find what I'm trying to say.

[Guest Brian]

Mainly, you get used to picking up on a bunch of little points. You'll start to notice how differnet people stylistically wrestle and put together matches and work against different opponents. Pacing, transitions, and audibles are a few easy ways to tell who's in control. Bumping sometimes is what the match needs. Finding ways to adapt to the opponent.

[Guest Choken One]

I never liked the term "Carry" because It's all about perceptions. I perfer "Beniot Lead the match" or "Beniot worked the match". Carry has negative connocations, when the best term is that FLAIR CONTROLED the match.

[Guest The Mighty Damaramu]

Hey didn't Kane carry his match against HHH at No Mercy? If so that's just sad.........

[Guest Vern Gagne]

Jericho carried/lead Kane to one of his best matches ever on Raw.

[Guest Imarkout4chrisdaniels]

Another thing that happens frequently is the way two workers just click when they wrestle each other. It may be similar styles, chemistry, experience, or even contrasting styles (big man vs. little man) that lead to good matches whenever they wrestle each other. Doesn't necessarily mean they can have good matches with others all the time. Sometimes, people just click.

[Guest Brian]

And sometimes they kliq.