Fantastic Posted June 30, 2014 Report Share Posted June 30, 2014 Inspired by this recent photo of Chris Hero (man, that happened quickly): I think it might be interesting to share similar photos of wrestlers not looking their best, and comparing them to when they have looked their best. Let's start with Hunter: Summerslam 2012 Spring 2000 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steenalized Posted June 30, 2014 Report Share Posted June 30, 2014 Twelve years and a drug policy will do that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillThompson Posted June 30, 2014 Report Share Posted June 30, 2014 Wrestling should not be about someone looking their best though. It should be about who gets the job done, both in kayfabe and working terms. If a guy is booked to look good in winning, his physique does not matter. If a guy can go in the ring, his physique does not matter. Frankly, this is essentially WWE brainwashing, the idea that only bodybuilders and dudes who are super lean look like professional wrestlers. I say no thank you to that, and Dick Murdoch, Vader, Jerry Blackwell, Chris Hero, Bray Wyatt, and a lot of others concur with my assessment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yo-Yo's Roomie Posted June 30, 2014 Report Share Posted June 30, 2014 I think appearance matters, but regardless, I get the impression this thread is just supposed to be a bit of fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FedEx227 Posted June 30, 2014 Report Share Posted June 30, 2014 Twelve years and a drug policy will do that. Some guys on the Observer board looked at the timeline and it was right around that time when Stephanie got pregnant so clearly he was trying to get off everything. He's since, "gotten back into shape" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timbo Slice Posted June 30, 2014 Report Share Posted June 30, 2014 Hero didn't look that soggy when I saw him a couple weeks ago. Not that noticeably so, actually. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
funkdoc Posted June 30, 2014 Report Share Posted June 30, 2014 Wrestling should not be about someone looking their best though. It should be about who gets the job done, both in kayfabe and working terms. If a guy is booked to look good in winning, his physique does not matter. If a guy can go in the ring, his physique does not matter. Frankly, this is essentially WWE brainwashing, the idea that only bodybuilders and dudes who are super lean look like professional wrestlers. I say no thank you to that, and Dick Murdoch, Vader, Jerry Blackwell, Chris Hero, Bray Wyatt, and a lot of others concur with my assessment. p. much this even in legitimate sports, the obsession with six-pack abs is some real bullshit. being that ripped is more likely a sign of weakness than strength, unless you're a genetic freak or on drugs. i've known people who have done figure competitions (basically bodybuilding-lite for women) and the dieting involved will turn you into a monster even with PEDs! tl;dr i think bodybuilding, pro wrestling, & film have given us a completely warped idea of an "athletic body" EDIT: if anyone cares, fuyuki & yatsu (89 vs. mid-90) would fit this thread to a T, i imagine. noriyo tateno would be the standout example among women although i wouldn't consider the super-skinny look "best"... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loss Posted June 30, 2014 Report Share Posted June 30, 2014 Yeah, I think this thread plays into unrealistic expectations, especially with the HHH contrast. He was 30 in the first picture and 43 in the second one. Putting forth the mindset that he should look the same is the type of ridiculous standard that kills wrestlers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt D Posted June 30, 2014 Report Share Posted June 30, 2014 Hunter is always better when he has less muscle on him anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fantastic Posted June 30, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 30, 2014 Yeah, I think this thread plays into unrealistic expectations, especially with the HHH contrast. He was 30 in the first picture and 43 in the second one. Putting forth the mindset that he should look the same is the type of ridiculous standard that kills wrestlers. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHDHRl-K5tQ In that video, Justin Credible discusses the importance of "being in shape", it's not just about being ultra huge and ripped. Loss: Of course, it's unrealistic to expect that Triple H is going to look absolutely fantastic 12 years later, but my point was, he doesn't look anywhere near "in shape". He was flabby, and seemed to have lost a significant amount of mass from his arms. He was walking into a major PPV to headline looking far from his best. Triple H doesn't seem to want to slim right down, it's big or GTFO with him, even if he can't workout as much because of corporate commitments, he'll still apparently make the effort to remain huge. OK, how about the opposite end of the spectrum? The road is pretty hard going on some wrestlers. Look at how much CM Punk aged in only a few short years: 2007/2008 2013 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Chief Posted June 30, 2014 Report Share Posted June 30, 2014 I don't get what the point is, Punk looks pretty much the same. If anything he's leaner now due to his dietary changes. And you're comparing a screencap of HHH to a publicity photo from 14 years ago that has been photoshopped and touched up for use on merchandise and advertising. HHH still looks phenomenal for his age, I don't think that's even debatable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
(BP) Posted June 30, 2014 Report Share Posted June 30, 2014 Punk might not be a fair example because he's a notorious insomniac. He'd have baggy eyes regardless. HBK looked basically like he did when he originally retired during the 2002 comeback, and he aged about 20 years over the subsequent 7. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SomethingSavage Posted June 30, 2014 Report Share Posted June 30, 2014 I was honestly hoping you'd post a pic of Punk from around his OVW days, when he was desperately attempting to bulk by all means. And he just resembled some human-sized bloated toad frog tucked & stuffed into 'rasslin trunks. Some guys just don't carry the weight well. NATURAL muscle mass is something that takes a long time to cultivate. It isn't going to happen overnight. Noticeable mass isn't gained that quickly. And I think Punk learned that it's easier to be athletic, lean, and comfortable near his natural body weight than stressing himself over what he felt were others' expectations. As far as aging overnight? I see a little of that in Shawn, but I don't think anybody pulled it off like Flair. Guy didn't age a day in WCW practically. Even in his early WWF return of '01, he looked essentially unchanged. Then BAM. Instant old man around the Evolution stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fantastic Posted June 30, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 30, 2014 Punk might not be a fair example because he's a notorious insomniac. He'd have baggy eyes regardless. HBK looked basically like he did when he originally retired during the 2002 comeback, and he aged about 20 years over the subsequent 7. HBK was a hell of a lot leaner when he returned, he aged, but he remained in consistently good shape, albeit at least 30lbs lighter than he was in his prime (guess why...) Punk lost a lot of mass in general, not just muscle. He aged facially and the road really took a toll on him. There were few times where he didn't look like he needed a good night's sleep during his 2011-2013 headline push. On one hand, it shows that he's working his ass off, but on the other hand, he's the face of a brand and looking like he's been up all night partying. John Cena has no excuses, that guy works harder than everybody and always manages to look refreshed and as a start should when on camera. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JerryvonKramer Posted June 30, 2014 Report Share Posted June 30, 2014 In a bid to change the direction of this thread before it is inevitably locked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillThompson Posted June 30, 2014 Report Share Posted June 30, 2014 Sorry Fantastic, I find the notion you are putting forth ridiculous. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fxnj Posted June 30, 2014 Report Share Posted June 30, 2014 Wrestling should not be about someone looking their best though. It should be about who gets the job done, both in kayfabe and working terms. If a guy is booked to look good in winning, his physique does not matter. If a guy can go in the ring, his physique does not matter. Frankly, this is essentially WWE brainwashing, the idea that only bodybuilders and dudes who are super lean look like professional wrestlers. I say no thank you to that, and Dick Murdoch, Vader, Jerry Blackwell, Chris Hero, Bray Wyatt, and a lot of others concur with my assessment. If appearances don't matter, you're saying you'd get the exact same enjoyment out of Kawada if he wrestled his entire career in a chicken suit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
funkdoc Posted June 30, 2014 Report Share Posted June 30, 2014 the fact that people would call HHH in that first photo "flabby" or anything close is exactly what i'm talking about here to me, that looks like someone who got really good results on a Starting Strength-type program. and if i had to guess which one was a better athlete, i would take the one without the six-pack. i remember seeing one case of a dude who started out at 10-12% bodyfat but didn't exercise - he was just genetically skinny and had some abs. he got into hardcore weightlifting and ate a ton to support the strength gains, since that's the only way to do it without drugs; he ended up having a noticeable gut and *zero* visible muscle definition, but his squats went from entry-level to well over 400 pounds IIRC. parv/fantastic/et al. would ridicule the idea of this guy having an "athletic body" if they saw the shirtless pics, but he became an infinitely better athlete than he was when he had abs! learning stuff like this from friends over the years has made WWE look that much sillier to me, let me tell you! EDIT: i would enjoy kawada 100x more if he wore a chicken suit, but then my tastes tend toward the absurd for a lot of things Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SomethingSavage Posted July 1, 2014 Report Share Posted July 1, 2014 Punk's insomnia issues probably didn't help, but I saw a noticeable difference after he altered his diet. During the memorable WWE Championship reign, he talked about how he'd went vegan and quit eating meat altogether. The guy just looked depleted and flat. It wasn't a lean look either. There was nothing remarkably more vascular about him. There wasn't any added muscle tone. He just looked worn and withered. I'd heard he did a Q&A at a Comic Con or something sometime last year, and he'd mentioned that he felt 100% better after he'd started eating meat again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt D Posted July 1, 2014 Report Share Posted July 1, 2014 Wrestling should not be about someone looking their best though. It should be about who gets the job done, both in kayfabe and working terms. If a guy is booked to look good in winning, his physique does not matter. If a guy can go in the ring, his physique does not matter. Frankly, this is essentially WWE brainwashing, the idea that only bodybuilders and dudes who are super lean look like professional wrestlers. I say no thank you to that, and Dick Murdoch, Vader, Jerry Blackwell, Chris Hero, Bray Wyatt, and a lot of others concur with my assessment. If appearances don't matter, you're saying you'd get the exact same enjoyment out of Kawada if he wrestled his entire career in a chicken suit. I'd get more enjoyment out of that probably too. Especially when he does the thing where he grabs the head and kicks a lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillThompson Posted July 1, 2014 Report Share Posted July 1, 2014 Wrestling should not be about someone looking their best though. It should be about who gets the job done, both in kayfabe and working terms. If a guy is booked to look good in winning, his physique does not matter. If a guy can go in the ring, his physique does not matter. Frankly, this is essentially WWE brainwashing, the idea that only bodybuilders and dudes who are super lean look like professional wrestlers. I say no thank you to that, and Dick Murdoch, Vader, Jerry Blackwell, Chris Hero, Bray Wyatt, and a lot of others concur with my assessment. If appearances don't matter, you're saying you'd get the exact same enjoyment out of Kawada if he wrestled his entire career in a chicken suit. Probably, he'd just present a different sort of enjoyment, or he'd be an ass kicker in a chicken suit, works either way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steenalized Posted July 1, 2014 Report Share Posted July 1, 2014 Wrestling should not be about someone looking their best though. It should be about who gets the job done, both in kayfabe and working terms. If a guy is booked to look good in winning, his physique does not matter. If a guy can go in the ring, his physique does not matter. Frankly, this is essentially WWE brainwashing, the idea that only bodybuilders and dudes who are super lean look like professional wrestlers. I say no thank you to that, and Dick Murdoch, Vader, Jerry Blackwell, Chris Hero, Bray Wyatt, and a lot of others concur with my assessment. If appearances don't matter, you're saying you'd get the exact same enjoyment out of Kawada if he wrestled his entire career in a chicken suit. I'd get more enjoyment out of that probably too. Especially when he does the thing where he grabs the head and kicks a lot. Wasn't the difficulty in eating vegan on the road why Daniel Bryan stopped strictly adhering to it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strummer Posted July 1, 2014 Report Share Posted July 1, 2014 After Shawn got the hair plugs he looked much better. Hunter had thinning hair back in 03/04 (obvious from steroid use) but then suddenly had a full head of hair again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
(BP) Posted July 1, 2014 Report Share Posted July 1, 2014 Bryan said he had a soy allergy, which I understand would prevent him from eating most meat substitutes to keep mass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SomethingSavage Posted July 1, 2014 Report Share Posted July 1, 2014 Wrestling should not be about someone looking their best though. It should be about who gets the job done, both in kayfabe and working terms. If a guy is booked to look good in winning, his physique does not matter. If a guy can go in the ring, his physique does not matter. Frankly, this is essentially WWE brainwashing, the idea that only bodybuilders and dudes who are super lean look like professional wrestlers. I say no thank you to that, and Dick Murdoch, Vader, Jerry Blackwell, Chris Hero, Bray Wyatt, and a lot of others concur with my assessment. If appearances don't matter, you're saying you'd get the exact same enjoyment out of Kawada if he wrestled his entire career in a chicken suit. Probably, he'd just present a different sort of enjoyment, or he'd be an ass kicker in a chicken suit, works either way. Agreed actually. I mean, I mark for El Hijo del Pandita. So sure. Why the hell not? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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