Loss Posted January 27, 2016 Report Share Posted January 27, 2016 WWE relying on Jericho to go the distance in the Rumble and give Styles a good match in his Raw debut shows that they really need a younger workhorse type to take on that role. It's just not a role for a 45-year-old. You need someone ideally who won't look odd working with big or small guys and who isn't going to threaten the main event picture, but is still protected to a lesser extent and can work with anyone in any spot on the card. You need someone who's over enough that they'll have reasonably heated matches. You also need someone who is great at carrying guys and making them look like a million bucks -- not just doing the job, but putting them over in a way where they look better for it. It's hard for me to find someone on the WWE roster who fits that bill entirely. I keep going back to Tyler Breeze since that was sort of his role in NXT, but I think he's almost too much of a gimmick. Maybe not, though. I also thought about Luke Harper since he's sort of taking on that role in a limited way now anyway, but he's so huge that I don't know if he's the type that could take a Styles Clash or put over smaller guys convincingly, for example. So who are the guys that best fit the bill? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt D Posted January 27, 2016 Report Share Posted January 27, 2016 The answer is Cesaro, right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coffey Posted January 27, 2016 Report Share Posted January 27, 2016 Honestly, first guy that came to mind was Heath Slater. They entrusted him enough to be the guy that worked with all the legends they were bringing up, building to the big RAW anniversary show. He's a helluva bumper & always makes his opponents look good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loss Posted January 27, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 27, 2016 Can you elaborate on Cesaro? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JerryvonKramer Posted January 27, 2016 Report Share Posted January 27, 2016 Why can't it be Ziggler? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loss Posted January 27, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 27, 2016 Honestly, first guy that came to mind was Heath Slater. They entrusted him enough to be the guy that worked with all the legends they were bringing up, building to the big RAW anniversary show. He's a helluva bumper & always makes his opponents look good. I like Heath, but he may be a little low on the card to pull it off. I guess good comparisons to past guys used this way are Jericho, Ted DiBiase, Mr. Perfect and Arn Anderson in WCW. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loss Posted January 27, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 27, 2016 Why can't it be Ziggler? Ziggler's bumping disqualifies him in my mind, because it's the type of Hennig-Michaels exaggerated bumping that gets himself over more than his opponent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt D Posted January 27, 2016 Report Share Posted January 27, 2016 Cesaro is freakishly strong, strong enough to do things like this: Which transfers both to hitting moves and helping guys by taking their moves. He's credible, fairly Teflon, impactful, tall enough but not freakishly huge, had really good matches with guys of all sizes, can work singles and in a multiman, face or heel, can work over a bodypart or get worked over and sell, can work an eight minute spring with a lot of exciting offense or something longer with a lot of heat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loss Posted January 27, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 27, 2016 It seems like sometimes beating Cesaro creates resentment because people want to see him in main events. I don't know if I'm off on that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt D Posted January 27, 2016 Report Share Posted January 27, 2016 I think the difference is that no one expects them to ever pull the trigger on him. He's like Arn in that regard. He's a career midcarder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coffey Posted January 27, 2016 Report Share Posted January 27, 2016 Honestly, first guy that came to mind was Heath Slater. They entrusted him enough to be the guy that worked with all the legends they were bringing up, building to the big RAW anniversary show. He's a helluva bumper & always makes his opponents look good. I like Heath, but he may be a little low on the card to pull it off. I guess good comparisons to past guys used this way are Jericho, Ted DiBiase, Mr. Perfect and Arn Anderson in WCW. I think he's higher on the totem pole at this point than Tyler Breeze, whose name you threw out there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loss Posted January 27, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 27, 2016 I brought up Tyler Breeze just because that seemed to be his NXT role. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coffey Posted January 27, 2016 Report Share Posted January 27, 2016 Hmm. Damien Sandow, maybe? ...the Miz would be a good answer... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timbo Slice Posted January 27, 2016 Report Share Posted January 27, 2016 Cesaro has a higher ceiling, but I actually think he's the right answer as a gatekeeper of sorts. If he was healthy, they would have had him be the long man in the Rumble. The answer is someone who can alternate between the top of the card and the middle of the card easily, and I think Cesaro's your guy. Breeze would be a good one, Daniel Bryan was a great one before he got over to main event status, and they looked like they were going to do it again with him and the IC title before he got hurt again. I think in about a year the answer would probably be Sami Zayn. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luchaundead Posted January 27, 2016 Report Share Posted January 27, 2016 It is absolutely Breeze he was the MVP of NXT for 3 years always delivered in ring and keeps himself over after a loss with great promos. Other possibilities are Tyson Kiss when he gets back and coincidentally Samoa Joe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strummer Posted January 27, 2016 Report Share Posted January 27, 2016 Maybe I'm way off but I think Vince saw Punk as his next great mechanic but Punk wanted no part of it. Remember "make Roman look good"? It may be a reach but I think Punk saw that this was going to be his role going forward and knew his shot as a permanent made top guy was done and he left. That wasn't the only reason but one of them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El McKell Posted January 27, 2016 Report Share Posted January 27, 2016 Maybe I'm way off but I think Vince saw Punk as his next great mechanic but Punk wanted no part of it. Remember "make Roman look good"? It may be a reach but I think Punk saw that this was going to be his role going forward and knew his shot as a permanent made top guy was done and he left. That wasn't the only reason but one of them Wasn't the Punk's problem with the 'make Roman look good' thing that he was winning a 3 on 1 handicap match against The Shield and therefore he couldn't make Roman look strong. Didn't he say something along the lines of 'I was about a second away from saying do you know what would make Roman look good, if he pinned me.' Although yeah, seems like part of why he left was not getting to be a real top guy. Anyway Cesaro is the obvious choice for this role unless they're gonna do something actually meaningful with him, which I highly doubt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slasher Posted January 27, 2016 Report Share Posted January 27, 2016 I am not seriously advocating this but why can't it be Jericho? He has less mileage on himself compared to the other 40+ year olds on the roster because of him taking months off since like 2005 or whatever year it was where Bischoff fired him and he was escorted out. If you meant week to week then yeah nevermind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlet-Left Posted January 27, 2016 Report Share Posted January 27, 2016 Darren Young? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laz Posted January 27, 2016 Report Share Posted January 27, 2016 The issue with it being Cesaro is that the audience clearly wants him higher on the card. I don't see him as a ME tier guy, but definitely an upper card gatekeeper (like Timbo said). For a good mechanic role, I think you need somebody who the fans will react to but isn't at risk of overshadowing higher card talent. Cesaro definitely doesn't fit that since he gets louder reactions, as face or heel, than some of those pushed over him (Sheamus, ADR, Roman in certain cities). In my opinion, the best currently signed talent they have that would be a great midcard mechanic would be Swagger. He's not in danger of getting more over than people he'd be working with, has enough talent to carry himself, and his credentials both amateur and pro make it so that a win over him could still matter for those at lower or equal card positions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C.S. Posted January 27, 2016 Report Share Posted January 27, 2016 According to Dean Ambrose, it's him: http://www.cagesideseats.com/wwe/2016/1/4/10711612/dean-ambrose-thinks-of-himself-as-a-good-mechanic-for-wwe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AstroBoy Posted January 27, 2016 Report Share Posted January 27, 2016 Why not Sheamus. He can have good matches with everybody, make them look good in a win or loss. Plus you don't have to worry about him being favored by any section of the audience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcmmnx Posted January 27, 2016 Report Share Posted January 27, 2016 Cesaro was the first name that came to mind, but he's more of an offensive wrestler that imo doesn't really sell that well. I have higher hopes for Zayn than this role(wishful thinking) , but he would be excellent at it. I think Ziggler has been jobbed out too much, and I'm not a fan of his work anyway. Del Rio wouldn't be a bad choice, but I really don't think he's that over. I think Zayn and Cesaro are the most likely candidates. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Childs Posted January 27, 2016 Report Share Posted January 27, 2016 I am not seriously advocating this but why can't it be Jericho? Because he's not very good? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FMKK Posted January 27, 2016 Report Share Posted January 27, 2016 Rusev or Del Rio could be options for that role too. It would make sense to have one on the heel side and one babyface too so Cesaro could play the role as well. The problem is that someone in that role requires at least a modicum of protection but WWE doesn't seem to want to provide any protection whatsoever for the vast majority of the roster. Even those they are trying to protect (e.g, Reigns) are being damaged by the booking. Rusev would be really good as an upper midcard gatekeeper for babyfaces on the rise too, slotting in for B PPV main events when required too, but I think he's been treated too weakly recently. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.