Worst Ever "The Guy" for a Promotion/Company

[TMC1982 0]

For instance (in my humble opinion):

Ultimate Warrior - The problem with Warrior being "the guy" was number one, Hogan was still pretty visible (with his feud with Earthquake for instance) even though he presumably "passed the torch" to Warrior at WrestleMania VI. Number two, there really wasn't a whole lot of dimensions to Warrior's persona/character (beyond his typical cartoonish Warrior-shtick) like with Hogan or Randy Savage (or any other World Champions from that era). And number three, did Warrior really have a lot of credible contenders for his belt? He's main feud at the time, was with Rick Rude (who for most of his WWF run, wasn't really a true blue main event guy).

 

Lex Luger circa 1991-1992 - He had to live with the fact that he never beat Ric Flair for the belt (because Flair had just left WCW due to issues with managment). Luger beat Barry Windham for the belt, even though, Windham was virtually no where to be found near the main event/World Title scene up until that point. Fans also hated the idea of having Luger turn heel (by having Harley Race come out and help him win the match) that same night. Luger also did it at what's widely considered to be one of the worst PPV's of all time, Great American Bash '91.

 

Larry Zbyszko during the dying days of the AWA (when he came back after spending some time in the AWA) should be up on the list, because he purely became the champ out of neccessity (when Jerry Lawler left over a fiancial dispute with Verne Gange). By 1989-90, the AWA was made up of mostly no name jobbers/new comers, career mid carders, or guys way past there prime (a la Wahoo McDaniel). Zbyszko was primarily given the belt at that point (not only because he was the arguably the biggest heel on the roster) because he was Verne Gagne's son in law (he was the Triple H of that era ). If Verne couldn't make his own son the champ, then he might as well make his son-in-law the champ for security purposes.

 

"Rugged" Ronnie Garvin - When he beat Ric Flair for the NWA title, ratings for "NWA World Championship Wrestling" went from the 4.0 range to about a 2.8 (the quickest drop off in NWA/Jim Crocket Promotions history). Flair said in his book that even though Garvin was the face in their Starrcade '87 match in Chicago, the fans turned on him because according to Flair, Garvin's persona came across as too "Southern". Keep in mind that this was Jim Crockett's attempt at turning his promotion into a national entity to compete with the World Wrestling Federation. Flair added that Dusty Rhodes (though having an otherwise "Southern" persona too) would've gotten over easier because he had much more charisma than Ronnie Garvin.

 

Randy Savage circa 1988-1989 - As much of a mark I am for Randy Savage, I do agree that he seemed to be for the most part, "holding the water" until Hogan came back from filming "No Holds Barred". The fact that Hogan helped the Macho Man win the World Title in the first place also kind of hurts Savage's credibility. It was as if you needed Hogan's "blessing" (just as was the case with Warrior) in order to be accepted as babyface champion.

 

Booker T during the dying days of WCW - The problem with Booker was that by that point, the WCW belt had been crapped upon so badly, that nobody really gave a damn anymore. Also, WCW took too long to push Booker in the main event scene (always relying on Hogan, Nash, Flair, Luger, Savage, Sting and the like). Plus, the fact that Booker likes to brag about being a "five time WCW Champion" gives little credence if you ask me, since by that point, it seemingly became coming practice to play hot potato (especially with Vince Russo around) with the belts.

 

Bret Hart when he first won the World Title in WCW - Bret had already been booked terribly in WCW up until that point. When he finally won the belt, it was via a lousy Vince Russo booked tournament (I think DDP's wife, Kimberly was one of the competitors as well as Madusa). It didn't help matters that by the time that Bret won it, the belt was already scene as a joke (a la "The Fingerpoke of Doom"), and this was I believe, before David Arquette won it.

 

Justin Credible and/or Mike Awesome in ECW

 

Jeff Jarrett in WCW circa 2000 and/or during the early days of TNA

 

Diesel (still supposedly, the worst drawing World Champion in WWF/WWE history)

 

Rey Mysterio (at least, he was one of the worst booked champs in recent memory)

 

Yokozuna - He hadn't been around long when he got the belt, and instead of being pushed as unstoppable, everytime a PPV came round, they pushed it as though he was holding it until Hogan/Luger/Bret/Undertaker beat him.

 

JBL

[Dr. Zoidberg 0]

Eh. I'll admit it. I liked Jarrett in WCW.

 

 

My immediate choice goes to a indie fed here in NorCal. Forgot what is was called, but their champion's gimmick was that he was AJ Styles' little brother. Which means they're trying to leech the success off of the Other promotion, which in itself, is a reissuing of that OTHER promotion a few years back.

 

I dunno. Kinda laughable.

 

[Dandy 0]

Holding the top title in the company doesn't necessarily mean they were "The Guy" for the promotion at the time. It means they were "The Champ" at the time.

[ScissorPuppy 0]

Lex Luger circa 1991-1992 - He had to live with the fact that he never beat Ric Flair for the belt (because Flair had just left WCW due to issues with managment). Luger beat Barry Windham for the belt, even though, Windham was virtually no where to be found near the main event/World Title scene up until that point. Fans also hated the idea of having Luger turn heel (by having Harley Race come out and help him win the match) that same night. Luger also did it at what's widely considered to be one of the worst PPV's of all time, Bash at the Beach '91.

 

Just a slight correction. The PPV was The Great American Bash 91. Bash at the Beach didn't start until 1994. The name was a combo of Beach Blast ( 92,93 which I think is a much better than than BATB) and The Great American Bash.

 

[bob_barron 0]

Enough with the topics already. Just take a week to absorb the board and slow down a little.

 

That said, Sid being the guy in 2000 for WCW was pretty funny

[Jingus 0]

Really, that's all that needs be said.

[garfieldsnose 0]

Is Nash really worse than Sid?

[Jingus 0]

Sid didn't book himself to beat Goldberg, so, yeah. And at least Sid will do what the company tells him to and not try to figure out some sneaky way to get himself over and subtly bury everyone else. Nash's worse in the ring too, imho.

[garfieldsnose 0]

Touche.

[Kahran Ramsus 0]

Diesel. He killed the promotion for months. Had the WWF done something like put it on Michaels at Wrestlemania XI or change the belt sometime during the summer when it was clear his reign wasn't working, he wouldn't have been too bad. You admit your mistakes and move on, but the fact they stayed with it for a year despite him tanking even 3 to 4 months in has to make him the worse.

[BruteSquad_BRODY 0]

Geogre Gulas.

 

Adrian Adonis - World Champion of Southwest CW (I believe they wanted to expand via USA network unless I'm confusing promotions) in 83ish was a kind of iffy pick, though Adonis could go

 

Dick the Bruiser at 50+ still world champ in promotion (WWA?) He and Verne should have both trie to build up some new guys by jobbing to a few younger guys rather than cling to the top spots.

 

 

[Mos_Def 0]

Randy Savage doesnt belong. For a guy that had to follow the biggest star of all-time to that point, and a run of business unseen before, he did a very good job.

[Papacita 0]

Not even touching Nash's WCW run, since I had long since stopped watching by that point, but does anybody feel he gets a bad rap for that WWF title reign? I mean, in the same year and circumstances, who would've been the better choice as champion? Shawn was red hot when he first made the face turn in 95, but we saw what happened to him upon getting the title. Bret probably would've been the best babyface for that environment, but the Owen feud had been done to death, and he still would've had to deal with the Sids (although admittedly, I liked their work in 97) and the Mabels.

 

As for worst top guy overrall, Jarrett in TNA (at least from 04-06) was just horrible. I can't think of anyone worse.

 

Probably a controversial choice, but I don't think HHH should be excluded from the conversation. He's not as bad as Jarrett in the sense that he was at least over and didn't sink the company financially, but his run on top was just so self serving and he was so unjustifiably protected and placated that he just sucked all the enjoyment out of the product. And I don't mean this to come off as HHHate, either. I don't think he was soley to blame (or even the key reason) for WWE's creative problems from 02-04, and it's true that he's not only person to play politics once he got to the top, but I can't think of too many people whose politics had such an obvious and negative effect on a product. The only other guy I can think of (excluding Jarrett) is Hogan in WCW, and Hogan's status is such where even if you don't like it, you can understand it. To me, HHH was never so valuable (post-2000 anyway) that he deserved that kind of favoritism, especially at the expense of the RVDs and other up-and-coming talent that were making waves around that time.

[johnson316cane 0]

I wouldn't include Garvin. He was basically there to drop the strap to Flair at Starrcade.

[The Truthiness 0]

 

But hey, you got to love the guy, he basically worked his father and a billion dollar company in to investing in his own vanity promotion.

[Diamonddust 0]

 

But hey, you got to love the guy, he basically worked his father and a billion dollar company in to investing in his own vanity promotion.

 

Jarrett is my pick. I have never nor will ever buy him as "the man" of a promotion, even one that he runs.

[cabbageboy 0]

This has to be Justin Credible. He should have never gotten the title and there was no remote chance he could have drawn money. Diesel could have potentially drawn had it been booked a different way (namely he rolls through the Rumble in 1995 and beats Backlund at WM in a more feasible match).

 

Warrior? He was over enough circa 1989-90 to have been world champ. He had to follow The Guy however and it never quite worked. And all of those WCW guys weren't even champion long enough to qualify as The Guy.

 

But Justin? Heyman tried for 6 months to get this guy over and it was a major factor in wrecking ECW. During his run ECW lost its national TV deal and it was blatantly clear Rob Van Dam should have been the champion.

[garfieldsnose 0]

This has to be Justin Credible. He should have never gotten the title and there was no remote chance he could have drawn money.

 

But Justin? Heyman tried for 6 months to get this guy over and it was a major factor in wrecking ECW. During his run ECW lost its national TV deal and it was blatantly clear Rob Van Dam should have been the champion.

 

 

But Paul Heyman is a genious.

[Scroby 0]

Eh. I'll admit it. I liked Jarrett in WCW.

 

 

My immediate choice goes to a indie fed here in NorCal. Forgot what is was called, but their champion's gimmick was that he was AJ Styles' little brother. Which means they're trying to leech the success off of the Other promotion, which in itself, is a reissuing of that OTHER promotion a few years back.

 

I dunno. Kinda laughable.

BTW and Jason Styles?

[PILLS! PILLS! PILLS! 0]

jOHN CNEA cuz his offense look WEAK and he should turn heel~!

[naiwf 0]

Triple J from TNA's early years is my choice. I'm amazed that he didn't book that company into bankruptcy.

[Dr. Zoidberg 0]

Eh. I'll admit it. I liked Jarrett in WCW.

 

 

My immediate choice goes to a indie fed here in NorCal. Forgot what is was called, but their champion's gimmick was that he was AJ Styles' little brother. Which means they're trying to leech the success off of the Other promotion, which in itself, is a reissuing of that OTHER promotion a few years back.

 

I dunno. Kinda laughable.

BTW and Jason Styles?

 

Booyah. That's it.

[Scroby 0]

Eh. I'll admit it. I liked Jarrett in WCW.

 

 

My immediate choice goes to a indie fed here in NorCal. Forgot what is was called, but their champion's gimmick was that he was AJ Styles' little brother. Which means they're trying to leech the success off of the Other promotion, which in itself, is a reissuing of that OTHER promotion a few years back.

 

I dunno. Kinda laughable.

BTW and Jason Styles?

 

Booyah. That's it.

.........yeah......the only problem with that is I'm pretty sure Jason Styles is a lot older than AJ, plus he's a prick as well. I got a couple of stories of shit he's pulled and copied.

[BruteSquad_BRODY 0]

AWA in 1982 allowed Otto Wanz (a fat Austrian who had no American main event experience) to hold the belt for several months thanks to a pay off by Wanz to Verne. Wanz couldn't go like the AWA fans were used to and didn'thave the tough guy appeal of other top faces like Hogan and Crusher had to the AWA fans (although Crusher was retired at this point)

 

Then in 1983 the AWA put the belt on Jumbo Trusuda thanks to another payoff (Baba to Verne) The fans didn't know who Trusuda was a he had no chance as a top face

 

AWA in 1984 combated Hulkamania's charisma and body and Flair's promos and 60 min classics with.... Rick Martel

 

AWA finally ended the Martel disaster byu giving the belt to irritable Stan Hansen, who while a known guy and a great promo/worker, his loyalties were to Japan and he left the AWA high and dry and took the belt with him.

 

AWA tried to use Greg Gagne as the top face in 1987 with all the defections, and by that pint it wasn't going to work

 

the AWA in 88 gave the belt to a wrestler from another promotion (Jerry Lawler) which proved to be a bad choice as he actually expected to get paid and took the belt and went home