Santino

[sek69]

So they put the US title on Santino tonight, and a few things occurred to me. First off, WWE seems to actually be acknowledging someone caught on with the audience. Yes, it's the US title and it can be (correctly) argued it doesn't mean shit, but it's a sharp change from jobbing him out the last few weeks after getting a giant reaction the weeks leading up to the Chamber PPV and at the show itself.

 

It makes sense when you think about it, his character is the embodiment of the plucky babyface that used to be a staple in wrestling. He has that goofy charisma that makes it easy to get behind him, and he does some of the best comebacks I've seen in a while. He gets the crowd engaged, even when everyone knows he's jobbing, which is something a great majority of the roster seems incapable of doing. The pop he got for winning was one of the largest in recent memory, even though they tried to tramp it down with teasing the false Dusty Finish with Johnny Ace.

 

I just wonder what side the IWC will come down on this, happy a guy who got himself over got rewarded, or outraged a comedy gimmick wrestler was put over a superior wrestler like Swagger.

[Jingus]

I've never understood all the hate for Santino out there. Well, if you don't find him funny, I guess that's just the subjective nature of humor and there's not much to be said about that. But he "plays his role" pretty perfectly as the goofy underdog who can trip up even the best heels if they're not on their game. He's a great seller, able to be convincing as both a total pussy whom anyone can beat up and a tough little bastard whose comedic attitude hides some legit threat. Basically he's the world's best Disco Inferno. His weird offense is a highlight, sticking out as unique and different in a company where far too many guys tend to wrestle like identical clones. Hell, he even got me to enjoy goddamned Kozlov when the big doofus was acting as Santino's Linderman-style bodyguard.

[sek69]

He's been in the doghouse for so long it's easy to forget he's actually not as bad as the impression you get from some of his WWE work. If I'm correct, I think he was the guy who got Cornette fired from OVW for laughing at the Boogeyman when he was supposed to sell fear (and good lord has time only helped his cause on that one). Ever since then it seems like WWE looks for the slightest reason to shit on the guy. He got the "can't work" tag stuck to him almost immediately after his debut, which I'm sure is at least partially because he doesn't work like Generic Developmental Guy #7089. In fact, that might have even helped him in getting over now since it seems like the crowd sort of picks up he kind of deserves better than being the goofy dude sent out for comic relief and actually seemed to be willing him to win matches. He had me actually thinking for a second they were going to have him win the World Title when clearly there was no way, which is probably the first time I felt that since the famous Jeff Hardy match with Taker.

[Tim Evans]

Besides Daniel Bryan, Santino is my favorite guy in the company. Even when he's in with utter shit like Mason Ryan or Tyler Reks, he makes the matches entertaining. Last night on Raw, he got bigger pops than Cena, Rock, HHH and Punk. Dude deserves at least the US title. I don't see a problem with him holding the title.

[rovert]

Yeah I never got the uber hate for Santino or Hornswoggle for that matter. But the past couple of years Santino has bored me to tears on the B shows as he was very samey and uninspired. But when he is on he is on. This time last year/before he introduced the hand puppet I thought he was going to be released.