Christian Quits the WWE

[dubq 0]

Friends of Christian are saying he feels that WWE management ignored him because they couldn’t take credit for his popularity. It’s said that he got himself over with fans, rather than moping around and expecting Vince or the writers to make him a star.

 

Credit: PWtorch

 

So it looks like Christian suffered Steven Richards' fate.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I'm surprised he hasn't quit yet, as well.

[Fökai 0]

Friends of Christian are saying he feels that WWE management ignored him because they couldn’t take credit for his popularity. It’s said that he got himself over with fans, rather than moping around and expecting Vince or the writers to make him a star.

 

Credit: PWtorch

 

So it looks like Christian suffered Steven Richards' fate.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Do they not remember that John Cena and Steve Austin created their gimmicks? They didn't go "oh shit, we didn't think of the white rapper idea, and he got over with it, bury him".

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I just assumed that the Torch made this up; it has their usual spin to it.

 

Honestly, how is any of this plausible? Even if the WWE didn't push him (which they did, since he was getting facetime with Cena, the top guy on either roster), they would've taken the credit anyway. It wasn't until they went back to the Cena/Christian confrontation at the first night of the lottery, that everyone bought him as a serious contender. For that entire month, Christian was over like hell.

 

On a sidenote: Like you said, when guys get over on their own to a certain degree, they have no choice but to listen to the fans. In the past two years, I can name a few: Benoit, Eddie, Cena, Eugene, Batista. None of them were depushed because the writing team felt slighted by the sudden fan interest in the wrestler.

[cabbageboy 0]

Think about this, of those guys Benoit, Eddie, and Cena all got over initially on Smackdown, which is a show that is mainly free of the sort of bullshit politics that hampers Raw. I wouldn't say there was ever any major new interest in Benoit, people already knew the guy was a great wrestler. Batista wasn't held down due to being HHH's pal.

 

Ironically Batista is also the one guy of those mentioned that they haven't fucked up as of yet. Benoit got depushed big time after his title run until he was jobbing to Orlando Jordan. Eddie got jobbed to Bradshaw and spent a whole year jobbing to Rey. Eugene got over in a fluke fashion and his gimmick simply never had any staying power. Even Cena is now quite stale and the fans are turning on him more and more every show.

 

Christian's main problem is that he doesn't fit that farm system motif of guys that they want to push (Batista, Cena, even Eugene) and he's not the uber respected veteran that was going to get his gold watch title run (Eddie, Benoit). Besides, given his constant jobbing and lack of credibility is Christian really a serious title contender?

[ChrisMWaters 0]

Besides, given his constant jobbing and lack of credibility is Christian really a serious title contender?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I got one name for you.

 

JBL.

[The Amazing Rando 0]

I didn't read through this entire thread...but is there a reason he CAN'T be "Christian Cage" or even maybe just "Chris Cage"? I have always liked that name for some reason and yes, Thug Life would be sweet to see again.

[Guest Leelee]

Chris Cage reeks of indy jobber.

 

I'd mark out if he was Conquistador Dos again, but I'm also an idiot.

[dubq 0]

I didn't read through this entire thread...but is there a reason he CAN'T be "Christian Cage" or even maybe just "Chris Cage"?  I have always liked that name for some reason and yes, Thug Life would be sweet to see again.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

http://www.ovwrestling.com/superstars/cage/profile.htm

Works OVW, which probably means WWE owns his name.

[Art Sandusky 0]

He likes Kid Rock still too. Good for him.

 

Chicken remains popular.

[ChrisMWaters 0]

Chicken remains popular.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

"CHICKENS!"

[Art Sandusky 0]

Whoa, is Roadkill in TNA? Shit, I'll pimp 'em forever now. I love that guy.

[Guest FromBeyondTheGrave]

Actually, Roadkill got signed by the WWE.

[claydude14 0]

Insert Amish talk show segement and you have Christian's spot on Smackdown! filled.

[CBright7831 0]

Actually, Roadkill got signed by the WWE.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

For some reason, for a second instead of Roadkill, I thought I saw Roadblock, and I started to get scared.

[hyperchord24 0]

WWE.com has a new inteview with Christian. It's, well, the same fluff that you'd expect from them. That's why I never trust "interviews" the wrestlers give there.

[nl5xsk1 0]

Friends of Christian are saying he feels that WWE management ignored him because they couldn’t take credit for his popularity. It’s said that he got himself over with fans, rather than moping around and expecting Vince or the writers to make him a star.

 

Credit: PWtorch

 

So it looks like Christian suffered Steven Richards' fate.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I'm surprised he hasn't quit yet, as well.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

You know, this could end up being the first of several/many mid-card or so level guys that just refuse to resign once their contracts are up. Especially if TNA continues to be a relatively respectable #2 in the industry. I could easily see people like Venis, Richards, Benjamin, Chavo all refusing to re-up and going to ROH/TNA/indies.

[2GOLD 0]

Friends of Christian are saying he feels that WWE management ignored him because they couldn’t take credit for his popularity. It’s said that he got himself over with fans, rather than moping around and expecting Vince or the writers to make him a star.

 

Credit: PWtorch

 

So it looks like Christian suffered Steven Richards' fate.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I'm surprised he hasn't quit yet, as well.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

You know, this could end up being the first of several/many mid-card or so level guys that just refuse to resign once their contracts are up. Especially if TNA continues to be a relatively respectable #2 in the industry. I could easily see people like Venis, Richards, Benjamin, Chavo all refusing to re-up and going to ROH/TNA/indies.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

I doubt Stevie ever gets fired. Cause he doesn't care. They know they can't hurt his feelings. He's more than happy to just sit in the back and collect his paycheck. Think how many times he's taken a shot at the WWE and he is still employed. He's gotta have photos or something.

[dubq 0]

Plus, he likes being in the videogames.

[nl5xsk1 0]

My whole point about Richards, et al, is that they wouldn't be fired, but choose to go to the alternative. Especially if TNA gets off the ground and has regular PPVs, free TV specials, videogames, DVDs, etc.

[2GOLD 0]

My whole point about Richards, et al, is that they wouldn't be fired, but choose to go to the alternative.  Especially if TNA gets off the ground and has regular PPVs, free TV specials, videogames, DVDs, etc.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Stevie won't leave. The only way Stevie leaves is if he gets a bigger paycheck from TNA, which won't happen. Stevie is in RVD mode, collect my check and no longer give a damn if they use me or not.

[The Ghost of bps21 0]

If Christian goes to TNA it will be a landmark signing.

 

He'd be the first person to leave WWE...and go to TNA.

 

People have been cut from the roster and gone to TNA. Sabu turned down Vince and went to TNA. But no one has left the big guys for the little guys.

 

If Christian does...well...all it really shows is WWE's inability to keep their guys happy.

 

Kazarian will probably end up being the first to leave WWE and go to TNA...but he shouldn't count since he's a cruiser and was already in the company.

[SuperJerk 0]

Earlier this week, SmackDown Superstar Christian alerted World Wrestling Entertainment that he was leaving the company. In an interview with WWE.com conducted Wednesday evening, the former Intercontinental Champion revealed that his decision to walk away from WWE was one that he struggled with for some time.

 

 

 

WWE.com: What lead to your decision to leave World Wrestling Entertainment?

Christian: My contract came up on Oct. 31 and we negotiated back and forth a little bit. But it wasn’t about the money for me, really. There were some other things that were going on that helped sway my decision. It wasn’t a contract dispute, if that’s what you want to call it. It was a number of different things – I’ve been on the road with WWE for eight years straight, and it takes a toll on your body when you’re going 250-300 days a year.

 

So part of it was that, and obviously there was some frustration and a lot of other reasons that factored in. But I wasn’t bitter at all. There’s no hostility. There’s just some times when you need a change and you need to do different things. It was something that I felt was necessary for myself at this time.

 

Plus, I have some other interests going on outside the business that I’m really looking forward to. I’m not saying I’m giving up wrestling, but there are some other things that are very appealing to me. I had a great eight-year run with WWE. A lot of guys would dream of having a run that long. So I thank God that I got to live my dream for that long. When it came down to it, not a lot of guys get to leave on their own terms, and it was something that I felt strongly that I wanted to do?

 

WWE.com: You said your contract expired on Oct. 31, but you still appeared at Taboo Tuesday on Nov. 1. Why did you show up after your contract expired?

Christian: It wasn’t even an issue. I was in the voting for Taboo Tuesday, so I wouldn’t have dreamed of not fulfilling that commitment. I didn’t want to let anybody that was counting on me down, whether it was the people with WWE or the fans. So there were no second thoughts. I was going to be at Taboo Tuesday regardless.

 

WWE.com: When did you finally come to the realization that you were going to leave WWE?

Christian: It was something that was weighing on my mind for months. I knew that it was a decision that could not be taken lightly because it’s a life-changing decision. So I was on the fence about it. Then right about the time I pulled up to the arena Sunday in Los Angeles, I realized that was it. It was a hard decision.

 

WWE.com: What was it like having to say goodbye to the people in WWE that you traveled with for eight years?

Christian: Saying goodbye was the hardest part. It all came about pretty quickly. I hadn’t told anybody how I was feeling or thinking, so it came as a shock for a lot of people. It was difficult because you spend a lot of time with them. You spend more time with them than you do your own family. They actually become your family. So it was hard to say goodbye. It was especially hard saying goodbye to the WWE fans because they are so loyal. I’m going to miss them, as well.

 

WWE.com: What was it like this week at RAW and Taboo Tuesday knowing you were leaving shortly?

Christian: I didn’t really think like that when I went out there. It was one of those things where it didn’t really hit me until I left the arena in San Diego. After SmackDown, I went to RAW. And after RAW, I went to Taboo Tuesday, so I was still going to work like I normally would. It really didn’t hit me until I left Taboo Tuesday. When I was pulling out of the parking lot, looking in the rearview mirror, I thought it was kind of an end of an era. It’s over.

 

WWE.com: Are you still going to be a wrestling fan? Are you still going to watch SmackDown?

Christian: Of course. I’ll always be a wrestling fan. I’m not saying I’m giving up wrestling altogether. This is just something that I felt I had to do to mentally get myself back into the place of where I want to be as far as competing and going out there and performing.

 

WWE.com: Do you think you’ll ever be back in front of a WWE audience again?

Christian: Never say never in this business. WWE was great to me. I felt like I gave the company everything I had. And they allowed me to live my dream, which was wrestle in WWE. So never say never.

 

WWE.com: What are you going to miss most about WWE?

Christian: Performing. We all get into wrestling to go out and perform for our fans. I’ll miss that feeling that you get right before you step through that curtain and you hear that live audience. There’s no feeling like it anywhere in the world.

 

WWE.com: Do you have any favorite memories of WWE that you are going to take with you?

Christian: I’m going to take all the memories I made with me, every last one of them. I wouldn’t give any of it back. There’s too many great memories to narrow down to just one. Leaving on my own terms is something I wanted to do. It’ll help me look back fondly and say “hey, that was a great time in my life. I lived my dream and I was able to accomplish my goals. And there’s no hard feelings whatsoever.”

 

WWE.com: Is there anything you would like to say to the Peeps reading this right now on WWE.com?

Christian: I’m going to miss them all. Hopefully, they will see me again someday.

 

http://www.wwe.com/inside/news/christianleaves

[Downhome 0]

If Christian goes to TNA it will be a landmark signing.

 

He'd be the first person to leave WWE...and go to TNA. 

 

People have been cut from the roster and gone to TNA.  Sabu turned down Vince and went to TNA.  But no one has left the big guys for the little guys. 

 

If Christian does...well...all it really shows is WWE's inability to keep their guys happy.

 

Kazarian will probably end up being the first to leave WWE and go to TNA...but he shouldn't count since he's a cruiser and was already in the company.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

What about the Dudley Boyz? They weren't happy with the money, just like Christian, refused to sign with WWE, then went to TNA.

[Guest Leelee]

Dudleys were released though, I believe.

[Downhome 0]

I thought their contract just ran out, like Christian, and they refused to sign a new contract because they weren't happy with the offer.

 

That's just what I thought, who knows.

[The Ghost of bps21 0]

A case can be made. I always forget about the Dudleys since outside of the ECW show they hadn't been on TV in forever.

 

Christians been on TV nonstop for years.

[Downhome 0]

Well yeah, but I'm sure fans still looked at the Dudleys as "the greatest WWE tag team" when they hit TNA, even if they hadn't been on WWE tv in such a long time.

 

It does say a lot when these guys refuse to sign with WWE. Not only does it say a lot about them personally, but it also lets everyone know that WWE is not, as many think, the only game in town anymore.

 

With all of these TNA specials and everything, if those in power in WWE aren't careful, we could be seeing a lot of other guys doing the same thing as the Dudleys and possibly Christian.

[Guest karlitoapple]

Nope, the Dudleys weren't the ones who walked away. WWE pulled out ofnegotiations themselves. I know that the Dudleys mentioned in some interviews that they were ready to accpet the new contract offers and even had a meeting scheduled for it on the same day Brock came up. Then out of nowhere WWE blindsided them and pulled the offers. They think Johnny Ace wanted to get rid of them.

[cabbageboy 0]

The Dudleys in TNA as Team 3D is actually a good thing. Let's face it, if anyone ever needed to be repackaged and given a fresh act it is the Duds. The only problem is that having watched them tonight they are still just doing their usual WWE formula tag spots rather than coming up with some different stuff in TNA.

[The Ghost of bps21 0]

Team 3D s helped by 2 things:

 

1. They'd been off TV (save for a good showing at One Night Stand) for a LONG time...and some of their staleness wore off

 

2. They went to a place where a value was placed on tag team wrestling. They couldn't show up in WWE and have a money feud with an actual tag team...but in TNA they could...because TNA has spent 3+ years putting over tag team...and AMW vs. the Dudleys...is...Interesting.

[Guest New Jake]

Ironically Batista is also the one guy of those mentioned that they haven't fucked up as of yet.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Haven't fucked up? They (WWE) fucked up at the thought of Batista even achieving such a main event status. Batista has done nothing more then follow Cena's root you know. If you ask me Batista is just filling in Brock Lesnar's role and quite poorly.

 

As for Christian. I always knew this was going to happen. As enthusiastic as fans may have seemed for him, Christian would never have gotten past the "coward heel" image. Which is all he really was over for in my opinion and I think the fans share my sentiment; they would have never seen past what the WWE had intended Christian to be. In all respects, Christian was as important as say Rick Rude.