Unstoppable? Not these days.

[URATOOL]

Why are all 'unstoppable' gimmicks so short lived these days? See Tensai and Brodus for modern examples.

Back in the old days (various eras) we had guys who were billed as unstoppable monsters or unstoppable big guys. Yes they lost from time to time, but the feeling there was fear of facing them never really went away. Whether it was Nash, Taker, Umaga, Vader etc... whilst they lost matches and 'jobbed' from time to time I don't remember huge jobbing streaks. Now a days it would seem you are unstoppable until you are beaten and then you job for months on end.

Is it bad booking alone or a we just getting what we want. The next 'big' thing! Over and over again.

[North Vegas Benny]

Why are all 'unstoppable' gimmicks so short lived these days? See Tensai and Brodus for modern examples.

Back in the old days (various eras) we had guys who were billed as unstoppable monsters or unstoppable big guys. Yes they lost from time to time, but the feeling there was fear of facing them never really went away. Whether it was Nash, Taker, Umaga, Vader etc... whilst they lost matches and 'jobbed' from time to time I don't remember huge jobbing streaks. Now a days it would seem you are unstoppable until you are beaten and then you job for months on end.

Is it bad booking alone or a we just getting what we want. The next 'big' thing! Over and over again.

In today's wrestling that's all people care about is the next big thing. And then once they get what they want they start with the hating and it's on to the next big thing.

[K2Jelly]

Nah, just yankin' your chain. Glad to have you back, TOOL. Robstar wouldn't shut up about how much he missed you and all.

Anyways, though I do share that sentiment with you about certain wrestlers, there's one man in the WWE who, so far, is an exception to that rule and his name is Ryback. Despite not being undefeated anymore, with a few losses here and there, he's still billed as a force to be reckoned with and his credibility hasn't diminished one bit. As far as Clay and Tensai are concerned, it's just a case of big pushes not bearing the fruit the WWE machine are after and with not being completely behind them in the first place like they are with Ryback.

[Asherdelampyr]

Why are all 'unstoppable' gimmicks so short lived these days? See Tensai and Brodus for modern examples.

Back in the old days (various eras) we had guys who were billed as unstoppable monsters or unstoppable big guys. Yes they lost from time to time, but the feeling there was fear of facing them never really went away. Whether it was Nash, Taker, Umaga, Vader etc... whilst they lost matches and 'jobbed' from time to time I don't remember huge jobbing streaks. Now a days it would seem you are unstoppable until you are beaten and then you job for months on end.

Is it bad booking alone or a we just getting what we want. The next 'big' thing! Over and over again.

It follows with the rest of entertainment as well, as attention spans and easy memory have gone to shit, pretty much every form of entertainment has adapted.

So yeah, I think it's a matter of giving the fans what they are demanding.

[Karsten Langenfeld]

Why are all 'unstoppable' gimmicks so short lived these days? See Tensai and Brodus for modern examples.

Back in the old days (various eras) we had guys who were billed as unstoppable monsters or unstoppable big guys. Yes they lost from time to time, but the feeling there was fear of facing them never really went away. Whether it was Nash, Taker, Umaga, Vader etc... whilst they lost matches and 'jobbed' from time to time I don't remember huge jobbing streaks. Now a days it would seem you are unstoppable until you are beaten and then you job for months on end.

Is it bad booking alone or a we just getting what we want. The next 'big' thing! Over and over again.

I agree with your post wholeheartedly. There are no credible Monsters anymore, and whenever they try to build one sooner or later they fuck up. usually rather sooner than later.

[Robstar]

Lack of managers is one thing. When a huge guy was mostly silent, letting a manager or handler speak for them, it adds to the mystique. Plus what Asher said about attention spans. Add to that the fact that Vince is like that guy at the barbecue who keeps turning the meat because he's impatient for it to be cooked and gives everyone salmonella from half cooked food. That's so much of the WWE product these days - undercooked and overseasoned.

[Darkside Ron Garvin]

It follows with the rest of entertainment as well, as attention spans and easy memory have gone to shit, pretty much every form of entertainment has adapted.

Lack of managers is one thing. When a huge guy was mostly silent, letting a manager or handler speak for them, it adds to the mystique.

These two facts have a lot to do with it for me. When you have a giant monster in someone like Kane or Taker, they had that mysterious feeling that something bad was going to happen when they were around. Not talking for these guys was a bonus in two ways: (a) by giving that credibility that they are legitimate psychopaths (b) allowing time before we hear them speak helps us to buy into the character to the point that we WANT to hear them speak. If not for the likes of a Paul Bearer, Bobby Heenan, or Captain Lou we get to see characters as what we perceive to be them speaking their mind... And once you hear them talk in more than one sentence, it is that first impression into the characters "thought process" so to speak.

Add to that the ever growing "need" the average fan has that things must happen now or they will never EVER happen, and you just overexpose "monsters" for being humans far too quickly. This brings them back to our realm and not in that zone of speculation and wonder, which is a big reason why many fans watch wrestling in the first place; the amazement and wonder involved with watching these athletes perform.

[Sicksnuff17]

Lack of managers is one thing. When a huge guy was mostly silent, letting a manager or handler speak for them, it adds to the mystique. Plus what Asher said about attention spans. Add to that the fact that Vince is like that guy at the barbecue who keeps turning the meat because he's impatient for it to be cooked and gives everyone salmonella from half cooked food. That's so much of the WWE product these days - undercooked and overseasoned.

Like this

Giant Gonzales - Harvey Wipleman
Great Khali- Rajin Singh
Vader- Jim Cornette
Andre the Giant- Bobby Heenan

[Cabers]

There seems to be the awe factor is lost after a while these days. You debut a guy he goes a 3 month TV win streak and the fans want him to either A. Have longer matches. B. Use more moves or C. Lose already!

Guess which way the WWE goes

[Playboy Stevie V]

I really don't think this is a new thing. I think Brodus being gimmicked the way he is, he wasn't going to be a main eventer. He's a spectacle for kids. The longer he goes as the Funkasaurus, the more Goldust type casted his career will be. It might be too late already.

The same goes for Tensai here in the states. He goes from Prince Albert to Albert to The Hip Hop Hippo (The original Funkasaurus) to A-Train, leaves for Japan and now we are suppose to forget? It usually doesn't work that way and it really didn't for him. The deafening "ALLLLLLLLLBERT" chants should be evidence enough that the fans didn't forget or are buying his new gimmick.

As Judge Smalls from Caddyshack once said "Well, the world needs ditch diggers, too."