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Would these guys make it today?


JerryvonKramer

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I'm not really a fan of the Bleacher Report, but I think from reading the intro to the article that the author's point was that the "ideal body type" for a wrestler has changed over the years and a lot of guys from the past might get overlooked in today's scene. There was a point a few years ago where every new guy that popped up in WWE seemed like he was a model for Men's Health magazine. I beleive his fat jokes are supposed to be from the point of view of WWE upper staff that would be evaluating talent.

 

My thoughts...pretty much everyone on this list could get over and would find a way to make it to the "big leagues." They would just have a longer road to WWE. Maybe they'd have to work the indy circut for a while and build up a reputation. True, WWE is using guys like Punk and Bryan, but those guys had to put in a lot of work before WWE thought about bringing them in.

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Totally agree with PeteF3 on the "time machine" comment and how articles like this always ignore the advances in training/nutrition/science etc, not just in sports but in society, and the evolution of wrestling/football/basketball whatever. A lot of these guys would look totally different if they came around today

 

One problem I have with the article (from Jerry's recap, because I won't read Bleacher Report and click through a million pages) is the seeming cherrypicking of guys from when they looked their worst. Harley Race the Burger King? Sure, when he was in his mid 40's ending out a long career. Harley Race in the 60's-70's? He had the physique of a linebacker. JYD? like someone else noted, totally ignores ripped, jacked up early career JYD and picks on him for being "the Junkfood Dog" later on, after his back was shot.

 

An interesting name to me is Kevin Sullivan. He was really short, but he had that linebacker (or in his case more like a fullback) type look early on, was a powerlifter, then got into bodybuilding and was pretty jacked up for a while in the 80's, and he wrestled bigger than he was. He also didn't wrestle the style that would be expected from someone his height today, but nobody really did back then. He was also a really good wrestling mind and could cut promos. If you took late 70's/early 80's Sullivan and dropped him into 2013 and he's doing his act in ROH or some other indys and getting over, would WWE look at him? Would he be more suited to being a manager/creative type in modern WWE? The comment that "he'd probably be doing a Santino act" seems nutty

 

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Paul Ellering working a muscleman gimmick is more offputting to me.

Ellering got into wrestling in the first place because he was a powerlifter and was discovered by someone AWA affiliated in a Minnesota gym. He held a world record deadlift for a time, according to some people, though I've never seen official confirmation on that. That's also what led to his in-ring career being so short with all the injuries

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This is a really dumb article. I have a scathing hatred for the Bleacher Report, when it pertains to their wrestling coverage, at least. How one can even begin to question whether a guy like Dusty Rhodes would make it is unbelievable. Well, he's only one of the most charismatic wrestlers in history. Jake Roberts is only one of the best heels in history. Vader would have worked in a heartbeat in a place like TNA. Those are just a few of the ones I saw and chose to go through but I'm not going through that whole list. I hate the fucking Bleacher Report.

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