Darren Young Interviewed on the "Today Show"
The interview was conducted by Matt Lauer
http://www.wwe.com/videos/darren-young-appears-on-nbcs-today-show-to-discuss-his-recent-announcement-of-hi-26140700
Lex Luger Interview Promoting His Biography "Wrestling With the Devil"
http://www.christianpost.com/news/ex-pro-wrestler-lex-luger-on-finding-god-after-wild-life-of-drugs-prison-and-paralysis-101311/
Davey Richards and Eddie Edwards Confirmed for Upcoming WWE Tryout Camp
The camp takes place at the end of this month.
Credit Dave Meltzer, Wrestling Observer Newsletter
WWE Bringing Back the Evil Clown Gimmick?
WWE Developmental wrestler Knuckles Madsen debuted the gimmick at a NXT show this past weekend. It was reported as being similar to Doink the Clown.
Credit Dave Meltzer, Wrestling Observer Newsletter
The Daily Show also tweeted out something about Young. They're getting a lot of mainstream press on this.
ReplyDeleteI dunno about Eddie and Davey trying to make it in the WWE. They're both kinda generic looking and neither one is overflowing with charisma. I kinda feel like both would do better working NJPW full-time.
ReplyDeleteYou know what would be awesome? If Darren Young shows up on RAW now and pulls a Mark Henry-style swerve in which he says he pretended to come out to get back on TV and it worked! I was trending worldwide/all over the news etc and now you can't fire me etc. Super heel heat.
ReplyDeleteI'm also down for some evil clowns
ReplyDeletequestion:
ReplyDeletedoes this automatically make dyoung a face?
if he stays a heel, i can just hear lawler (or maybe jbl) saying (on command from vince), why are these fans booing him? just cause of who he likes?'
and serious question about any acknowledgement on tv: is it PG? a lot the audience are 10 or younger and dont know about that stuff, and not that the parents might think its wrong, but they may not think its time for them to know
I don't think you need to mention it. He's an actor playing a role.
ReplyDeleteGay is so boring. If Darren Young came out as a Furry that would have been something
ReplyDeletebut im betting thats not how wwe thinks. i wouldnt put it past them to say something as vague as 'he's sure been getting a lot of press lately'
ReplyDeleteI think the Darren Young thing is all just an elaborate plot to get a free gravy bowl.
ReplyDeletelol at this tidbit from as former writer:
ReplyDelete'Vince McMahon wanting to censor Christian's face on television with a blue dot: Right before I started, there was a big show, I think it might have been in Toronto. Christian was just so completely over, and everybody thought he was going to get a push at, I think it was the World HeavyweightChampionship at that point. We were on the plane one time shortly afterI started, and Vince was just like "God damn, I just don't like his face. His face really bothers me." I was like, "He's ugly, Vince?" "No, it's not that he's ugly, it's just, I don't know, it's ratty! You know what we should do? That Kennedy gimmick." And we're all like, "What?" Some see-on of the Kennedy fortune I guess got arrested for rape in the 1990s at some point. When the woman who was accusing him was on the stand, all of the networks put a blue dot over her face. Vince was like, "God damn, you know what we should do? We should put a blue dot over his face whenever he comes out." It was the flight to Sheffield, England, also the flight where the Spirit Squad idea was invented. This was a whole flight of bad ideas."
http://www.411mania.com/wrestling/news/294385/Former-WWE-Writer-Alex-Greenfield-Says-Vince-McMahon-Wanted-to-Censor-Christian%5C%5Cs-Face-on-WWE-TV.htm
which you can now see for a $200 ticket at wm axcess
ReplyDeleteBut that's never really been how wrestling has worked, is it? I mean, I guess there's always a line- we don't hear about Kane loving Ayn Rand or anything like that- but a lot of the times the personal stuff, whether by the company's desire or because of fans, gets blended in. The Edge/Hardy,Lita stuff comes to mind pretty fast.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of gravy bowls: Darren's ass.
ReplyDeleteGay is the new straight. If you're straight, that's gay.
ReplyDeleteJust saw Knuckles debut on a youtube fan vid. Looks pretty good so far but the gimmick is in it's infancy stage and of course will go through some tweaking.
ReplyDeleteAm I the only one here who actually liked the Spirit Squad?
ReplyDeleteYes.
ReplyDeleteHaha. Classic Vince
ReplyDeleteId be FLOORED if Vince doesnt nemtion it somewhere on WWE tv. I can see the service video announcement now "Darren Young talks to youth about his sexuality, B A STAR."
ReplyDeleteThe trouble with doing an evil clown gimmick now is that it'll just be accused of ripping off the Joker. Doink's schtick was fresh in 1993 since the Joker's psychotic side wasn't quite as well known to the audience, as Cesar Romero's Joker was still the dominant portrayal. (Sure, there was Nicholson's Joker, but that was basically just Jack being Jack in facepaint.)
ReplyDeleteI feel like in a world where top talents can go on Total Divas and talk about the characters they play on TV, and Swagger and Zeb can break character in the middle of a video, that Darren Young the wrestler can go on being the same character while Fred Rosser, the person playing him, can be openly gay in public, and they can leave it at that. Just seems like we're in the post-modern world of wrestling where even if we all acknowledge the reality behind the curtain, it can be winked to on-screen without making a thing out of it.
ReplyDeleteI mean in terms of terrible gimmicks I thought they ranked higher than a lot of other guys, plus after Gene Snitsky, Heidenreich, and Luthor Reigns it was nice to have actual non-shitty workers on TV.
ReplyDeleteThey should still try it out though. If this Madsen guy can pull it off of course.
ReplyDeleteMy ex-girlfriend watched Raw with me a couple of times and the only two comments I remember her making were about The Great Kahli: "Wow, that guy is really big" and Christian: "Is it weird that I find this guy attractive?". Maybe Vince has similar feelings, deep down, and that's why he needs the blue dot there.
ReplyDeleteWhat's wrong with ripping off the Joker? If they're going to rip something off, might as well rip off something awesome.
ReplyDeleteI thought they were ok until they became DX's job guys for about 2 months.
ReplyDeleteIf he and Titus get married on Smackdown, will the priest rip off his mask to reveal Eric Bischoff again?
ReplyDeleteWhat may be unfair about this whole deal is that the more talented (by far) PTPer, Titus O'Neil, will get surpassed by Darren Young just because Young came out. At the end of the day, Young is a meh talent, regardless of sexual preference.
ReplyDeleteYoung is decent in the ring but yeah Titus has the personality of the group.
ReplyDeleteI say the more gay the better, more women for the rest of us.
ReplyDeleteAmbrose will sue for gimmick infringement.
ReplyDeleteGonna have to disagree with you there. Jack was far and away the dominant Joker.
ReplyDeleteOpen letter to the "keep DY's personal life out of his character" crowd:
ReplyDeleteHas it occurred to you guys that there are more important people's feelings to worry about here than heterosexual (male) wrestling fans? Like, oh, I don't know... HOMOSEXUAL PEOPLE, PARTICULARLY CHILDREN? Having an openly gay WWE superstar gives young gay youth someone to look up to and be inspired by. And like I mentioned in another thread, it's disingenuous to have a straight person play that role, so none of this "just create a totally original gay character and give it to an NXT geek" stuff.
If DY's not on board, forget it. But if he's cool, why the hell not?
So basically, give him a push 'cause he's gay regardless of how untalented he is? Sounds like exploitation to me.
ReplyDeleteHe SHOULD mention it on tv. This is a big deal, and a big first step. There's a ton of good that come of this, who cares if Vince thumps his chest over it?
ReplyDeleteLet me guess, you're against affirmative action too?
ReplyDeleteFirst off, who said anything about giving him a push? I said make him gay, as in give him a boyfriend or something. I don't need him to be WWE champ by the end of the year.
I am against affirmative action. We can save that debate because neither of us will probably convince the other of anything.
ReplyDeleteAs for changing his character, yes, I agree with you there. Zero issue with that at all and I hope he improves and it works out for him.
If its done correctly. If Vince goes all Vince and completely overexposes it, itll come off as tacky and as a complete PR move. This would be worse than him not coming out.
ReplyDeleteThe Spirit Squad was an good gimmick for a heel stable. They were annoying in the way you want some heels to be annoying. Kinda like the Honky Tonk Man - you just wanted to see people beat the crap out of them.
ReplyDeleteMore likely they'll say how much he's been trending on Twitter without expalining why.
ReplyDelete"We can save that debate because neither of us will probably convince the other of anything."
ReplyDeleteDon't feel like explaining your position?
Wow his name is Fred Rosser? That just doesn't fit...
ReplyDeleteIt's too exhausting on the internet and things get misconstrued without proper tone. I'd be happy to over a beer. Anyone live near South Florida?
ReplyDeleteAt that time. Ledger > Jack now.
ReplyDeleteI think that Hardy thought he would come off as sympathetic in that whole thing and he'd be a big big star and make money. Instead he kind of sounded like a whiny heel. But there was an angle there.
ReplyDeleteYou stole my girl, I'll beat you up. I mean...I get that.
there's no real angle in D Young being gay.
I'm curious... why would she think it was weird that she finds Christian attractive?
ReplyDeleteTotally. I stood in the TSA security line w/my girlfriend at the time next to Christian and his girlfriend (now wife) and I must say, he's quite the looker.
ReplyDeletewell, there isn't in the conventional sense, but my point is more about the weird way wrestling blurs reality/fiction lines. Few people are just an actor in wrestling, there's usually some of their reality in the character.
ReplyDeleteAt this point, I feel like him being gay is going to be a thing either way, so they might as well figure out a way to use it. I mean, it's been on tmz and the morning show and shit, cat's not going back in the bag, fans are going to react.
I really wish wrestling were at the point where a guy could come out and there wouldn't be a reaction in either way but that's not the case, so you might as well get in front of it?
Dude they're not objects! Women are pe... sorry I couldn't even get through that.
ReplyDeleteYou never go full Vince!
ReplyDeletelol, I'll give you that one.
ReplyDeleteShe was asking as in, 'is it weird that I find one of these wrestling guys attractive'? The weird part was being attracted to a wrestler, not Christian specifically. She was a very sweet, but reserved woman, not the kind who would blurt out, "OMG Cena is so HOT!!!"
ReplyDeleteI get it; I think he's a cool looking guy. He was in a horror movie called Night of the Wolf (I think it was a made for Sci-fi original) and he totally gave off the low-key action star vibe.
"She was a very sweet, but reserved woman, not the kind who would blurt out, "OMG Cena is so HOT!!!" unless she saw Parallax1978, then, like any woman, she would be unable to contain herself."
ReplyDeleteFIFY
He'll be in line behind 2011-12 Sting.
ReplyDeletePrecisely why I never let her anywhere near the Blog of Doom comments section.
ReplyDeleteA wise precaution.
ReplyDeleteI agree, it was a great heel gimmick, especially for a collection of dudes who were actually athletic enough to all the moves. I think the problem was that all 5 guys were treated interchangeably. Freebirding the tag-titles between that many guys did nothing for them. I think the gimmick might have succeeded if Kenny had actually been made the centerpiece and presented as a mid-level threat who had 4 guys running interference for him at all times. Losing to Shawn or Hunter wouldn't have been a problem, but he needed to win a couple feuds first. Maybe they could have had him go over Shelton Benjamin or RVD a few times (with copious help from the Squad) to establish his abilities and then had him lose to HBK or HHH (but not all 5 guys to both). The gimmick had more potential than it amounted to, but I think a lot of that was the fault of the handling.
ReplyDeleteThere's footage of Ambrose doing the same character in 2006, before Ledger's Joker existed.
ReplyDeleteSo if your coworker is gay but is less talented than you he should get more promotions than you?
ReplyDeleteI would love it if Vince sat down and wrote an honest, candid autobiography. The stories would be crazy.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to see DYoung get "fired" by McMahon as part of an angle. (A remix of the HHH/Booker T "you people" gimmick) and watch the internet explode.
ReplyDeleteKnuckles Madsen? Seriously?
ReplyDeleteAgreed. In short... best person for the job, period.
ReplyDeleteMore like Fred TOSSER... am i rite?
ReplyDeleteThey didn't realize Kenny was the guy they wanted to push until it was too late.
ReplyDeleteAll I said was make him gay. Where does it say he should be pushed higher/featured more prominently?
ReplyDeleteAnd just curious, does the idea of someone *not* getting a job/promotion cause they're gay upset you as much? Because that happens too. A lot.
I was gonna reply to this but I'm pooped from the Gay thread. Another day...
ReplyDeleteI STAND BY MY SNARK!
ReplyDeleteWouldn't the better message for gay fans be that you can play any character in wrestling, regardless of your race, sex, etc etc?
ReplyDeleteIt can work so long as Nu-Doink never speaks. What made Doink work, in a lot of ways, was that he was non-verbal and that added to his scariness.
ReplyDeletelink please
ReplyDeleteYou'll just bitch when he gets jobbed out, and cry "homophobia".
ReplyDeleteCompletely agree - sure, it was goofy, but it was a heat-magnet gimmick and a great way to highlight their high-flying ability.
ReplyDeleteThat would be something, but if he busts out the YiffPlex, I'm never watching wrestling again.
ReplyDeleteWell it DID make him a big star, AND eventually got him his job back. Fans online bitched every time he lost, especially as Edge dominated their feud. It was like YEARS before the fans turned on him, because his online behavior got even more whiny and ridiculous.
ReplyDeleteDoes Lawler even talk on RAW anymore? I forget he's there most of the time.
ReplyDeleteI'm very glad to see that Luger's paralysis turned out not to be permanent. I know he got a lot of (deserved) flak for his I'm-better-than-this attitude, but he always seemed like an immature guy who fell into demons rather than an outright bad guy. I hope he can continue freeing himself from his physical and other shackles and manage a decent life.
ReplyDeleteMust be a relative of Abe "Knuckleball" Schwartz.
ReplyDeleteI liked Jack's Joker for what it was in that particular film, but Ledger added a much more dark spin on it for what the Dark Knight was. I like both films, but I remember much more of Ledger's performance so I'll give the nod to him.
ReplyDeleteYeah, it would probably be the wrestling books to end all wrestling books. I don't think anyone could top that.
ReplyDeleteI hated the idea, but in their first match when they used the small trampoline to do a flying clothesline my attitude changed. They were fine for what they were, but their burial at the hands of DX was unwarranted.
ReplyDeleteThis isn't necessarily in direct relation to your comment, but we all know wrestling audiences are more in the "redneck" type area, so if they tried to portray DY as a face, how do they know that the crowd isn't going to just crap all over it? I could see him getting pretty negative reactions from the crowd and it coming off looking bad on TV.
ReplyDeleteThe PG thing is interesting. The might be a problem for the WWE's audience. Not that kids don't know about gay people these days, but it might make some parents think twice about programming choices.
ReplyDeleteAs I commented above, we know wrestling crowds can be a little more socially conservative, so I'm not sure if they run with Young as a face that it's going to turn out the way they want it to.