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Alberto Dull Rio

I made this comment in the "angle-killing promo" thread but I feel it deserves more discussion.  Alberto Del Rio was brought in and treated like the next huge superstar upon his debut.  He won his matches often and with authority.  Also, the character and the approach to the character was fresh and seemed to be quite over. He won the Rumble and seemed ready to steamroll WWE in 2011.

Clearly, he has been seen as an upper to mid-carder since his return from injury and unfortunately, he felt that way during his runs as WWE Champion last fall.  Why do you think this is? I have a couple of theories:

1)  His push was inadvertently killed when the WHC was not put on him at WM 27.  The situation with Edge and its aftermath (Christian as sympathetic face/opportunity to get the title to Orton quicker) definitely contributed as ADR was the main heel on SmackDown for several months following his debut, then it became the Orton/Christian/Henry show (not that that was bad for the fans in and of itself).  I believe Del Rio had a much greater upside in the long term than Christian and he should've gotten the belt at WM regardless of the Edge situation.  Orton/Christian were great matches, but I think an Orton/Del Rio feud culminating at SummerSlam last year would've been a bigger deal in the long term.  After all, Christian is now the IC Champ, allowed to freely appear on TNA PPV's and has always been an afterthought to VKM.

2)  His character began to change and I think it has had a negative effect.  After he debuted, he always had the shit-eating, I'm better than all of you, heel grin and laugh before, during and after his matches.  It made his character humorous to an extent and worked great in getting heel heat.  Now, he's a sneering, sinister guy who cuts typically boring promos.  The fact that he was this smiling jackass, over-the-top guy with a personal ring Spanish announcer was fresh and great about his character.  Now, he's boring other than when Ricardo gets a chance to do something.

3)  This is what I mentioned in the prior thread.  Shortly after he cashed in at SummerSlam, John Cena cut a promo calling Del Rio an illegitimate champion, basically because he got the title through the briefcase.  It has been very difficult to take Del Rio seriously since then (granted, he's been on the shelf for much of that time).  Cena may have single-handedly killed Del Rio, a large portion of whatever bump comes with winning MITB (we'll see after this year's event) and whatever much-needed added value and prestige that the WWE Championship received during the Summer of Punk.

What say you?  Do you agree that the Del Rio character is now an after-thought with little hopes of revival?  If so, what do you think was the primary factor in making things work out that way.

I think the primary one is that Vince supposedly likes him because “he looks like he could kick my ass”, but ADR doesn’t get to kick any ass on TV.  He’s beaten Santino like a drum, sure, but goes 50/50 with everyone else and is only seen as a World title contender because we’re told he is.  At this point keeping him in the World title picture as a placeholder is just wasting everyone’s time.  They could make him and Ricardo into tag champions and milk that for a few months, or have him decimate one of the secondary champions and use his built-in prestige to restore some cred to those titles, for instance.  But yeah, the main thing is that now EVERY PROMO is about his destiny and how he’s better than us.  The writers have nothing new for him to say and once the Sheamus “feud” runs its course there’s nothing left for him to do based on this version of the character. 

Comments

  1. Beyond calling ADR an illegitimate champ, Cena did the most damage with the "everybody knows you rent those cars" line that Del Rio wasn't written to respond to. Grantland called it a Truman Show-like moment and I can't disagree. Del Rio's character really was in the best position to be a Ted DiBiase-like manipulator, but he's never been placed in that role. 

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  2. I think much like a lot of heels today, Del Rio suffers from not looking strong.

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  3. It probably would have been wiser to quickly throw him into the IC title picture upon debuting against Rey.  Let him win the title off whoever was champ back then, feud with Rey for fall 2010, transition into another IC feud in the winter into Mania (Kofi?), summer feud with Bryan or Morrison, all the while getting wins over the credible face midcarders and Rey.  Maybe have him main event a Raw or SD against Orton and have him go toe-to-toe with him before ultimately losing, but still looking strong.  Then have him win the MITB in July 2011.  You have a much more credible champion this way.

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  4. He's one of those guys I accepted they were going to push so I just stopped caring about him one way or another. He's there, he's going to be there, nothing I can do about it, no point getting worked out about it. Just zone out or change the channel. I won't lose any sleep if Del Rio never becomes the star he maybe could have been, but the booking hasn't done him any favors.

    Edge retaining, Christian's sympathetic reign, Christian turning heel, Orton winning the title, and a number of other scenarios are all things I'd rather see than Del Rio winning the title...but why push him only to have him lose at Wrestlemania? If they did it because Edge's career was in doubt, that's great. But they probably did it because "he can always win it next month", which is kind of their thing. No need to do it right the first time when you can just do it the next month. After months of being pushed he gets his big title shot and loses clean on the biggest show of the year.

    Winning the title last year didn't help him either since he had nothing to do with the storyline and they gave it to him mainly because they originally planned to and apparently nobody would go to shows in Mexico if Del Rio wasn't champion. Triple H is taking over the show, Punk is making waves, Cena and Punk are laying claim to the title, Cena represents the corporate WWE, Punk represents the uprising against corporate WWE...and in the middle of this generic "I'm bad because I'm rich" heel does the over-done Money in the Bank cash in so he can have the title. His first, and second, reigns (he had two, right?) were just getting in the way of the more interesting things going on.

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  5. 2 things -

    Del Rio had/has IC or US Champ 4 life written all over him.

    People wanted to pay money to see the CM Punk with the belt. Del Rio got Xpac heat after taking the title off him at Summerslam.

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  6. He's always just struck me as someone who would be a great midcarder. I don't ever picture him as a constant main eventer.

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  7. To all those saying he's a midcarder 4 life, just know that its always been within the man Alberto Rodriguez to be a top guy.

    As stated in a previous thread, its more the fault of WWE and their building or lack of building the character and booking of him. If he had gotten the IC/US title last year and slowly progressed to World/WWE title status this year or next (like the good old days) it would be easier to buy him as a main eventer.

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  8. Alberto Dull Rio. 

    I officially like that more than SHough610 's "it's Spanish for Randy Orton" line.

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  9. Very true. They come off as inferior.  You really can't have the typical cocky heel anymore because the heels aren't winning to back it up.  For storyline purposes, they have no credibility.  They had faith in Mark Henry and he rewarded their trust in him.  Big Show is trying, but it's not working as well because we've seen him at the top of the card only to get sent back down again so many times before.

    All of this makes what Christian did last summer even more amazing.  Without one pinfall victory he made a championship feud last like 4 PPVs without being boring.

    They've been willing to experiment with dominant heels that aren't big in stature.  From Ric Flair to Canadian-loving Bret Hart to Original DX Shawn Michaels to the Age of Orton to SES Cm Punk, there have been smaller heels with big balls.  They might even try it again with D-Bry.  Still, for the majority of the last 3 years, the WWE heel has not been able to evolve all that much.

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  10. Whoa, I missed that one.  Any links to the article or the promo in question?

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  11. Christopher HirschJune 26, 2012 at 4:51 PM

    This drives me crazy more than anything, heels lose way too much, hence they have little to no credibility. I know the good guy wins in the end has always been the story in wrestling but I feel like heels were made to look better in the past then they have been in recent history.

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  12. Now that I think about it, Del Rio probably lost at Wrestlemania 27 because they didn't like the idea of both world championship matches being won by heels. Then again, having both champions retain their titles was somewhat disappointing as well. 

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  13. Darn it.  You beat me by four minutes.

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  14. Actually now that I think about, it always bothered me that they would do these "tests" to all these younger guys to test their commitment so that they don't "pull a Lesnar" by giving them too much too soon. 

    And yet, here's Alberto Del Rio, who for the most part had a very similar first year to Kurt Angle for the most part, and is now seemingly giving the company a headache and wants to quit.

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  15. When ADR came in and beat Rey clean, it looked like WWE knew what it had and was gonna give us a new Million Dollar Man for this generation and then he made a wrong turn and wound up in NobodyCaresVille.

    With the way WWE(probably can blame Vince the most here) just bails on angles without payoffs and pretty much insults the audience with things that dont make sense, I have an idea that can fix things a bit....

    Have these writers, who obviously dont know enough about what works, just watch stuff from the WWE tape library and recycle the ideas that worked in the past. Vince cant get upset because if he doesnt like an idea, they can just say it was his....30 years ago. Of course, with our luck they will recycle stuff like RoboCop and Outback Jack.

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  16. I think the biggest problem is that he doesn't DO anything.  You drive up in cars?  Ok.  So?  Do something interesting with that money.  Bribe a ref or something.  Anything.


    He should buy Smackdown for a night and have a Carnival in his honor.  A huge party with wrestling, good food, music etc.  Then when someone isn't enjoying themselves properly, he flips out and kicks their ass, starting off a feud.
    Or maybe he could start El Cartel, a heel group that may or may not exist.  Strange officiating decisions involving the Mexican workers.  Rumors flying about referees being bribed, bounties being put on wrestlers, coordinated backstage attacks etc etc.  Is he to blame?  He can just shrug his shoulders, smile that shit eating grin, and play dumb.  What Cartel?  What's a Cartle?  I'm from Mexico, there are no "Cartels" in Mexico.  

    Or maybe he starts making "donations" to every city WWE travels to.  An ugly statue or some sort of passive aggressive attack on the city they are visiting, similar to how Edge and Christian would work a city's stereotypes into their five second poses.  By the end of the show, his donation is always destroyed or something.

    See, it's not that hard.  This kind of takes me back to the day of evild dentists, and evil trash collectors.  Ok, they're evil.  So HAVE THEM DO SOMETHING EVIL!  The Undertaker at least started crucifying people.  HHH really did turn it all into a game.  

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  17.  This is the way it always worked in the old days. Most guys got a run with the IC title before they wound up with the WWF title. It made them credible to the fans. That title is so useless now, that it means next to nothing. Its sad to remember how big a deal the IC title was back in the day.
     In my eyes, they should merge the two World titles and rid us of the IC and US titles, Once this is done, introduce a totally new secondary title and make it a big deal and have it defended weekly.

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  18.  Ok, couldn't find a Grantland link, but Bleacher Report covered the promo:

    While Punk's attention has been occupied by Kevin Nash, John Cena
    continues to gun for Del Rio. Cena called out Del Rio's gimmick, trying
    to allude to the fact that Del Rio's cars that he drives to the ring
    weekly are not his but rather rental cars. We can pretty much figure
    that part to be true for ourselves, but Cena tries to ruin the gimmick
    of another guy? Next thing I know, Cena will tell us that The Undertaker
    isn't actually a dead person.

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  19.  I really like the whole Cartel idea, could probably use Hunico and Camacho. Hell, Id even add Sin Cara, the fans are never gonna care about that dude anyway. But with Linda's political aspirations, they would never make a play on anything like this. Its a shame but WWE creative has its hands tied because of Linda.

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  20. Holy shit 50 Million Likes

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  21. Make all the booking mistakes you like but ADR is a completely unengaging performer... he's competent in the ring and on the mic yet he is missing that key ingredient that untangible IT factor that makes me care about a performer. When I think of ADR I think of the word 'dull'. Now if you could make a hybrid of Ricardo and ADR you'd have a heck of a charismatic over the top fun character. When your ring announcer is more over than the performer surely these are the tell tell signs to Vince and Co that it just isn't working out. 

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  22. Evil trash collectors? Wasn't Duke the Dumpster a face?

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  23. That's part of the problem: he doesn't really seem like he gives a shit. He's related to Mascaras and is from a family that gets respect pops in Mexico no matter what, so I think the idea of being hungry and actually fighting for your position rather than acting smug and entitled to it is foreign to him.

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  24. They'd only bring RoboCop back to job to John Cena.

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  25. He did have two, yes. He may be the least relevant 2-time WWE Champion ever.

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  26. The thing is, I know I've seen the heel win, sometimes for long stretches.... Sometimes even the "feud." Like, Vader in 93. He killed everybody for a year.

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  27.  And of course it would main event while Punk would be curtain jerking as the WWE champ.

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  28. That is a fantastic idea.  Make it happen.

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  29. I think there was another trash collector before Duke, but I could be wrong about that.  

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  30. Appreciate the random act of kindness by doing the research.  Thanks.

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  31. Agreed, the Cartel thing is actually pretty awesome. And it would still be effective  even if they called it something other than the Cartel so as to address your point of not drawing negative political heat.

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  32. He could do some great stuff as US champ, just by virtue of being a heel Mexican. All kinds of ways he could bash our country for being racist, unwelcoming, etc...

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  33. I am also befuddled like you in wondering why ADR was never pushed as a manipulator.  Between the slick look, aristocratic background, his size that doesn't make ya want to miss with him, and his smooth talking, you have to wonder why he's not pushed as such.  

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  34. I was REALLY hoping they put the U.S. title on him for a quazi-racist angle mon how Mexico is taking over America, but your idea with the tag titles works too.

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  35.  They could do a take on the Lance Storm Team Canada angle, change the title to the Mexico colors and stuff. Cant do any more harm to that belt as it is.

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  36. Seriously, I wanted ADR, Jinder Mahal, Ted Jr to form a stable and either have them managed by Ted Sr. or JBL. They could buy off guest GMs and get preferential treatment.

    But your Cartel idea is golden.

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  37. Maybe I'm just being daft but why does everyone seem to think everyone needs to be repackaged as soon as they aren't over in each segment? Miz, Orton, Show, Sheamus, Cena, Del Rio, Punk, Jericho all get complaints about being stale and needing to change up their gimmicks and being dead in the water.

    Is there anyone that's a current main eventer that DOESN'T need a repackaging? Tweaks are one thing but the majority seems to want all or most of these guys to completely change things up.

    As for Del Rio himself, the company can't book heels strong anymore that aren't monsters or aren't named Brock Lesnar or Triple H. Going into the RR last year, Shawn Michaels returned on RAW when announced he was going into the HOF and superkicked Del Rio without saying a word. At this time this was seen as something of a promotion, as if getting your shit handed to you by Shawn Michaels is a rub in and of itself. He went on to win the Rumble but then didn't go over at WM and then floundered even after winning the MITB and the WWE championship. He has no signature victories or signature matches or signature promos in about a year, though I fault the booking of him more than I fault Del Rio.

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  38. Off topic....

    If Steve Austin's career had ended at SummerSlam '97, would he be thought of as the 1990s version of Magnum TA? And by that I mean, the next huge star who had his career taken away.

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  39. You know another problem is that the heels just can't get over in the PG era. In PG heels really can't do anything that dastardly to piss off the fans. Plus with Cena never showing vulnerability that makes it even more challenging. Finally when someone does get some strong heel heat they immediatly get turned face.

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  40.  Yeah, something like La Familia accomplishes the same thing without being too on-the-nose.

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  41. You know that all the current WWE championships are held by faces. A heel champion for any of the titles is long overdue.

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  42. I believe Duke turned heel at the end of his run by no longer collecting the trash and letting it pile up. He also started mixing paper and plastics, throwing clear glass bottles into wastebaskets, and CLOSING THE COMPOST HEAP.

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  43. Sadly ideas such as this are nixed out of the gate in the PG era.

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  44. Biggest heel in Oregon EVER.

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  45.  I 100% disagree. Back before the Attitude Era, heels were able to get over and it was even more PG back then. The Savage/Steamboat and Hogan/Orndorff angles were two of the best ever and both Savage and Orndorff got over big time in what you can call the rated G era. Hell, even the Million Dollar Man got over during those times.

    The problem is guys dont have the seasoning they had in the past and they didnt have to deal with stupid writers.

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  46. Remind me to keep you on rotary when we decide to take over WWE's booking (whether they like it or not).

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  47. See, the fact that you think ADR steamrolled through everyone is part of the problem (not YOU, but the fact that WWE probably thinks the same thing, that they had him steamroll through everyone). He didn't. He beat up a bunch of mid card jokes and Rey Mysterio. Now go look at what kind of offense he gets against the John Cena's of the world...nothing much. Punk beat him decisively too although at least he looked somewhat stronger against Punk than he did against Cena.

    It's the way WWE treats nearly every single up and coming heel in the company. The only people allowed to ever look good against John Cena (aside from Punk, the one exception springing to mind) are firmly established top guys, usually monster heels like Big Show, Brock, and Kane, or one of the greatest of all time in The Rock. Look at Miz...I forget which PPV it was, but that I Quit match, HOLY SHIT I have never seen someone who was supposed to be a main eventer buried as thoroughly as Miz was in that match. Miz and Riley double teamed Cena for 20 fucking minutes beating him with weapons and Cena no sold the ENTIRE BEATDOWN and made Miz tap out with ONE MOVE. He got essentially ONE MOVE against Miz the entire match and that was all he needed. ADR had Cena kill his gimmick in a promo and then easily beat him. I'm, by the way, blaming the writers/road agents/whoever more than Cena in these cases, but that's how it is now. Say what you will about Punk winning most of his matches, at least he occasionally jobs clean (in non title matches anyway) and at least he makes his opponents look very strong despite losing (not so much with Ziggler at the Rumble, but in general). Again, I think this is more of a WWE problem than a Cena problem (although I wish Cena would do a better job selling the effects of matches, selling injuries post match and acting like he was in a tough competitive contest rather than grinning and posing and selling nothing), but the fact is up and coming guys, especially heels, are virtually NEVER allowed to look good against top guys like Cena. EVER. And then they wonder why these guys can't get to the next level.

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  48. Tremendous stuff.  I'm getting visions of the Cigar Store Indian Seinfeld episode. 

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  49. Hard to disagree with. The writters truly are ruining it.

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  50. For older school fans, Del Rio was simply doing a tweaked and weaker version of the JBL character, which itself was a tweaked and weaker version of the iconic Dibiase character.  It felt played. In ring, Del Rio seemed blah to me and his finisher just looks weak.  And why does he need to flip over just to simply lock up a guy's wrist?   As mentioned by others, his "personality" wasn't strong enough to propel him into immediate main event status, so he needed some decisive wins, which they never gave him. 

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  51.  I think what really killed him wasnt just that he lost to Edge at WM but that his armbar finisher, which if being realistic should have a guy tapping out in seconds, basically saw Edge read a book while trying to get out of it. If you destroy a strong finisher like that, its all downhill from there

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  52.  I think that's a great comparison.

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  53. I feel like livingonapear's post sums it up--he doesn't DO anything.  You could have stopped watching after his debut and really not missed any big "moments" (title wins notwithstanding).
    Same with the Miz.  It's not enough to smirk and act cocky.  Remember when heels used to wreck cars, steal girlfriends, taunt family members, and kidnap managers?  (Edge was a face, oddly)  

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  54.  Every single idea you pitched there would be great!

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  55. Wow, thanks everyone.  I'm glad that struck such an enthusiastic chord.


    I think it's too bad they've missed the boat on ADR, I think he's charismatic as hell, but that only takes you so far.

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  56.  The idea that El Cartel would be a stable that may not exist is such a cool idea. It opens up crazy possibilities: for instance Josh Mathews truly believes somethings up and becomes an investigative journalist filing a report each week.

    Alberto becomes enemies with, say, Kofi Kingston, and for weeks in every match he's in, no matter who the ref is, Kofi is either screwed out of a potential win b/c of a slow count, or illegitimately dq'd.

    Josh tries to get to the bottom of this, deducing the refs were bought off by Del Rio to specifically screw Kofi. When confronted Alberto gets to say cool shit like, "Get a warrant."

    ah, if only

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  57. LOL

    Holy god use of the word "rotary" here makes me *SO* happy.

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  58. There's a problem when the fans find your personal ring announcer more interesting than you. 

    I think creative was too hesistant to pull the trigger on Del Rio that killed him, I can't count how many PPV's last year where I expected him to win the championship and he never did. Regardless, I much would rather see Orton/Christian than Orton/Del Rio, I mean who knows he probably would of dropped to Orton sooner than expected had he went over at WM 27.

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  59.  Yeah, we kept on being told ADR was a shit-kicker but he's never actually done anything.  He's just a guy who talks big, wins some and loses more.

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  60. ADR hasn't really given a shit in a while.  But a motivated ADR looks like a killer.  Everything good about Angle with the goofy selling and lack of psychology.

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  61. Not Josh.  He's a commentator.  Have a babyface do the investigation.  Mysteries are fun, and you could put a guy over as a smart and clever guy.  It's a different dynamic.

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  62. Man, i wish Vince could somehow just take a minute to read this

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  63. the saddest thing is (and that's not meant as a knock on your ideas) that you probably came up with those stories in a few seconds or minutes.

    like you wrote yourself, it is not that hard. the WWE just chooses not to do it.

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  64. If any of the former writers opinions mean much, it's Vince and the writers are merely trying to make the storylines make some sense, to no avail sadly. 

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  65. so the main star gets repacked as Outback John?

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  66. in a way Alberto Del Rio feels like the 201x version of Rocky Maivia. on paper he has all the tools to be a huge star but it just doesn't "click" (at least so far).

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  67. and that's the way it mostly worked in the past as well.

    heels need to win (smaller) feuds to gain reputation to be taken seriously in big programs.

    instead we get something like Big Show vs. Cody Rhodes which served no purpose at all: if the idea was to sell Big Show as the monster to set up his feud with Cena, don't let him lose the ppv blowoff match. on the other hand, if the idea was to push Rhodes, don't make it look like his win was a fluke (and even let him get destroyed afterwards).

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  68.  And comes out with a rap version of Tie Me Kangaroo Down Sport

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  69. What's funny is that none of those things are particularly new or original. You're right, it didn't take me long to think of them, and they aren't that different from something like the Corporation or even nWo.  In fact the Cartel thing is nothing more than nWo with the first two rules of Fight Club being observed.

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  70. They would honestly have an excuse to bring back Shane Helms just for that.


    They would probably end up giving the investigator role to Santino just so they could stick him in a Sherlock Holmes hat.

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  71. Jericho... lol

    2000 and 2001 LMFAO!

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  72. Easiest cheap heat ever, redub the belt, the Mexican Championship.

    Done. and Over.

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  73. DON'T MAKE ME LAUGH.

    I HAVEN'T PUT DEL RIO OVER ANYONE BECAUSE THE GUY'S HEART HAS NOT BEEN IN WWE FROM DAY ONE. BEFORE WE EVEN BROUGHT HIM UP, HE WANTED TO QUIT, AND EVEN NOW HIS HEART ISN'T IN AMERICAN WRESTLING.

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  74. See the problem with merging the titles is the dreaded NUMBER ONE CONTENDER!!!

    It used to be the US/IC champion was automatic number one contender but with so many former world champs "above" that level of belt its dimishes the IC/US belts. So to me I say merge the IC/US belts into a TV belt and keep both world titles.

    The WWE champ is the flag bearer(s) of the company while the World belt is for the upper main guys.

    Basically it would be the world and IC title again but in NEWSPEAK

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  75. I BLAME OUR "WRITTERS" TOO.

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  76. I just want you to know any comeent with over 10 likes automatically gets you over with the Blog of Doom crowd.

    ...Ive only gotten 4...

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  77. only because Austins entire career was videoed.

    Magnum was in mid south and he was like 3-4 babyface behind Dog, Dibiase/Duggan Wrestling 2.

    I mean he had gotten his heat from Wrestling 2, so idk...

    Then he got his heat Dusty and the Horsemen, and his match with Tully put him on the map "nationally"

    Meanwhile Austin from just about the onset of being in WCW was pegged as being somebody out the gate. From the TV reign to the US reign to the tag reign. He was clearly gonna be a player.

    Im gonna say that Austin out Magnum TA'ed Magnum had his career ended in 97. Austin just had more defining matches under his belt at all levels on tape. whereas Magnum was just on a hot streak.

    Plus i dont think Magnum was gonna be this box office draw that the JCP guys think he was gonna be. Magnum wasnt nationally known. He wasnt gonna draw up north. Plus JCP was hell bent on villains and booking Magnum would have completely changed the way they did booking, cuz he needed to be booked like Superman, that means extended reign as champ.

    You think Flair or Dusty was gonna for that?

    Dusty booked himself as the lead baby far past his expiration date and Flair had a stranglehold on the title cuz he was the only draw.

    Bringing Magnum into the picture means (by now you know The Fuj is on a super tangent) brining Nikita to the main event scene and Tully to the main event scene, cuz those 3 had WARS at previous big shows. Kinda like how Rock/HHH fueded for the IC belt then once Rocky won the world belt, it was assumed that HHH goes up too by proxy cuz he holds wins over Rocky (Same with Warrior/Rude... I love that type of elevation) So now the main event scene has 3 new faces which means less paydays for Flair and Dusty.

    Id like to think that they wanted Magnum up there, but he wasnt gonna stay long.

    They also could have ran a heel Garvin cuz they won the Crocket Cup one i believe. Magnum brought too many possibilities and it would have been great BUT Flair is a politicking guy and would have not stood for that.

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  78. Oh for the love of all that is holy put the tag belts on him with Ricardo. That's the only way I could possibly be entertained by MJBL.

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  79. I love this, absolutely love it. Ricardo is the icing on the cake in this scenario.

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  80. Ha, then you get wrestling's Jimmy McNulty.

    Or do that same thing, where Kofi keeps getting screwed, he begins investigating & enlists a commentator to help him b/c of the power of the media.

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  81. The ADR/RR/Santino feud is a textbook example about what bothers me about current WWE booking. Santino bullies Ricardo, an announcer, and humiliates Ricardo and then ADR, defending Ricardo, is the heel? What the hell. And the only thing that saved it was Ricardo being a chickenshit and going after Santino after that match.

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  82. My loathing for both has cooled.

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  83. Theres a thin line between not giving a shit and being confident and even smug. Im really trying to articulate myself in a logical way -- I know those things dont necessarily have to go together, but I think ADR can care even with his smug attitude.

    As a comparison, and probably not the best one, Kobe wanted out of the Lakers in 2005-2006 and then he eventually won 2 more titles with them anyway.. You hear ADR wants out of his contract but at the end of the day I dont think he's half assing it. I do think he's not got a lot to work with in the WWE Universe he's in.

    Meltzer often cites that guys like ADR and Sin Cara carry themselves like stars backstage; and I kind of like that and think they kind of are.

     ADR is perfectly capable of being engaged in a match and being in a very good to great match.

    #ADRApolgistAndMark

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  84.  Fuck, they would, wouldn't they....

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  85. I wouldn't mind having Josh help the babyface, especially because Josh can take a few bumps and some heel can beat the fuck out of him to give the babyface a reason to go all Lethal Weapon on the heel.  But the point of every storyline should be to get wrestlers over.

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  86.  Which is kind of funny, because being smug and entitled is what his character in WWE is all about.

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  87.  Is it bad I saw the words "Cigar Store Indian" and I thought of Greg Valentine?

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