El-P Posted May 6, 2018 Report Share Posted May 6, 2018 How about Chris Candido? There's a guy who - perhaps since he is no longer with us - is always rated as a top notch worker among his peers, drawing comparisons to high level American workers of the time such as Michaels and Benoit. He is usually referenced by fellow members of the ECW crew as the best worker in that particular locker room. However, for certain students who have done their homework and watched all the available footage, I'm not sure he even cracks the top 5 all-time workers for ECW on most lists. While most everyone agrees his best stuff was in SMW, claiming he was a top tier US worker at the time seems a bit much. Does he fit in here? In terms of career trajectory it's about as middle-of-the-road as it gets but Candido never ceases to entertain me. I went through about 95% of available ECW shows some time ago. Candido was clearly one of my favourites there. The thing is with Candido is that he never got the super high end matches but he really wasn't positioned to do so (apart from SMW, which is also why this is considered his best work). He's also a guy who didn't take himself too seriously (and there the Owen comparison applies) I believe and would rather had fun than try to be a star (and back then, he would never had the same opportunities he would have gotten now because of his size). Then there was the life going astray (Tammy surely didn't help) which really fucked his trajectory too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shodate Posted May 6, 2018 Report Share Posted May 6, 2018 What heel stuff did Owen do in the indies? Besides his USWA work, I mean. qhilw on PWO people will say his stuff in Japan is indie Just like bret Owen was heel in Japan The Mainstream Narrative is everything out side of WWE or back than WWE and WCW is indie No it isn't, stop talking rubbish. i have debate on YT when i brought the fact that N has been the 2nd biggest promotion in the world for most of the last 40 years in pure drawing sense sibce it get dismissed like it an indie that is wjat i mean by people saying TNA is bigger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iamthedoctor Posted May 6, 2018 Report Share Posted May 6, 2018 How about Chris Candido? There's a guy who - perhaps since he is no longer with us - is always rated as a top notch worker among his peers, drawing comparisons to high level American workers of the time such as Michaels and Benoit. He is usually referenced by fellow members of the ECW crew as the best worker in that particular locker room. However, for certain students who have done their homework and watched all the available footage, I'm not sure he even cracks the top 5 all-time workers for ECW on most lists. While most everyone agrees his best stuff was in SMW, claiming he was a top tier US worker at the time seems a bit much. Does he fit in here? In terms of career trajectory it's about as middle-of-the-road as it gets but Candido never ceases to entertain me. Along those lines is Owen.. He's probably overrated for his 80s workrate-y stuff and underrated for his 90s character-driven heel stuff. Im more the opposite as I like his 80s stuff more than the 90s stuff. Perfect/Blazer at Mania I really love. The thing with Owen is he tends to get more love from fans after he passed away, he was a good wrestler but I really don't see him being World Champion had he not died. I think if he had gone with the Harts to WCW then maybe but WWE side deff not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mad Dog Posted May 6, 2018 Report Share Posted May 6, 2018 I think had Owen not died he would have gotten a run somewhere in that 02-04 range when a lot of people were getting runs with one of the two belts. He seems like he would have been a perfect candidate for a short run when HHH was trying to inflate the number of championships he held. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riderman Hongo Posted May 6, 2018 Report Share Posted May 6, 2018 I think had Owen not died he would have gotten a run somewhere in that 02-04 range when a lot of people were getting runs with one of the two belts. He seems like he would have been a perfect candidate for a short run when HHH was trying to inflate the number of championships he held. Was he not planning to retire? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt D Posted May 6, 2018 Report Share Posted May 6, 2018 How about Chris Candido? There's a guy who - perhaps since he is no longer with us - is always rated as a top notch worker among his peers, drawing comparisons to high level American workers of the time such as Michaels and Benoit. He is usually referenced by fellow members of the ECW crew as the best worker in that particular locker room. However, for certain students who have done their homework and watched all the available footage, I'm not sure he even cracks the top 5 all-time workers for ECW on most lists. While most everyone agrees his best stuff was in SMW, claiming he was a top tier US worker at the time seems a bit much. Does he fit in here? In terms of career trajectory it's about as middle-of-the-road as it gets but Candido never ceases to entertain me. Along those lines is Owen.. He's probably overrated for his 80s workrate-y stuff and underrated for his 90s character-driven heel stuff. Im more the opposite as I like his 80s stuff more than the 90s stuff. Perfect/Blazer at Mania I really love. The thing with Owen is he tends to get more love from fans after he passed away, he was a good wrestler but I really don't see him being World Champion had he not died. I think if he had gone with the Harts to WCW then maybe but WWE side deff not. How about Chris Candido? There's a guy who - perhaps since he is no longer with us - is always rated as a top notch worker among his peers, drawing comparisons to high level American workers of the time such as Michaels and Benoit. He is usually referenced by fellow members of the ECW crew as the best worker in that particular locker room. However, for certain students who have done their homework and watched all the available footage, I'm not sure he even cracks the top 5 all-time workers for ECW on most lists. While most everyone agrees his best stuff was in SMW, claiming he was a top tier US worker at the time seems a bit much. Does he fit in here? In terms of career trajectory it's about as middle-of-the-road as it gets but Candido never ceases to entertain me. Along those lines is Owen.. He's probably overrated for his 80s workrate-y stuff and underrated for his 90s character-driven heel stuff. Im more the opposite as I like his 80s stuff more than the 90s stuff. Perfect/Blazer at Mania I really love. Well, yes, that's the conventional wisdom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt D Posted May 6, 2018 Report Share Posted May 6, 2018 How about Chris Candido? There's a guy who - perhaps since he is no longer with us - is always rated as a top notch worker among his peers, drawing comparisons to high level American workers of the time such as Michaels and Benoit. He is usually referenced by fellow members of the ECW crew as the best worker in that particular locker room. However, for certain students who have done their homework and watched all the available footage, I'm not sure he even cracks the top 5 all-time workers for ECW on most lists. While most everyone agrees his best stuff was in SMW, claiming he was a top tier US worker at the time seems a bit much. Does he fit in here? In terms of career trajectory it's about as middle-of-the-road as it gets but Candido never ceases to entertain me. Along those lines is Owen.. He's probably overrated for his 80s workrate-y stuff and underrated for his 90s character-driven heel stuff. Im more the opposite as I like his 80s stuff more than the 90s stuff. Perfect/Blazer at Mania I really love. Well, yes, that's the conventional wisdom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mad Dog Posted May 6, 2018 Report Share Posted May 6, 2018 I think had Owen not died he would have gotten a run somewhere in that 02-04 range when a lot of people were getting runs with one of the two belts. He seems like he would have been a perfect candidate for a short run when HHH was trying to inflate the number of championships he held. Was he not planning to retire? I don't remember but I doubt it would have lasted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El-P Posted May 6, 2018 Report Share Posted May 6, 2018 Im more the opposite as I like his 80s stuff more than the 90s stuff. Perfect/Blazer at Mania I really love. Well, yes, that's the conventional wisdom. Actually, you really don't hear much about any of his 80's stuff, which is not much anyway in term of body of work (some of the NJ stuff is excellent, some isn't), while the Bret feud and the Bulldog match in Germany are part of the canon WWF greatest matches. So, no I don't think Owen's 90's is that underrated tbh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peachchaos Posted May 6, 2018 Report Share Posted May 6, 2018 I think had Owen not died he would have gotten a run somewhere in that 02-04 range when a lot of people were getting runs with one of the two belts. He seems like he would have been a perfect candidate for a short run when HHH was trying to inflate the number of championships he held. Was he not planning to retire? I don't remember but I doubt it would have lasted. Owen is painted in interviews by Bret and others as someone who was not long for the business, even before the Montreal experience. When you view his work from 98-on, it really shows. Seems likely he would have left wrestling before the Monday Night War even wrapped up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iamthedoctor Posted May 7, 2018 Report Share Posted May 7, 2018 How about Chris Candido? There's a guy who - perhaps since he is no longer with us - is always rated as a top notch worker among his peers, drawing comparisons to high level American workers of the time such as Michaels and Benoit. He is usually referenced by fellow members of the ECW crew as the best worker in that particular locker room. However, for certain students who have done their homework and watched all the available footage, I'm not sure he even cracks the top 5 all-time workers for ECW on most lists. While most everyone agrees his best stuff was in SMW, claiming he was a top tier US worker at the time seems a bit much. Does he fit in here? In terms of career trajectory it's about as middle-of-the-road as it gets but Candido never ceases to entertain me. Along those lines is Owen.. He's probably overrated for his 80s workrate-y stuff and underrated for his 90s character-driven heel stuff. Im more the opposite as I like his 80s stuff more than the 90s stuff. Perfect/Blazer at Mania I really love. Well, yes, that's the conventional wisdom. Watching him as the Blazer he seemed quicker as a high flyer but when Owen came back after High Energy/New Foundation he was more a mat wrestler as you can tell he slowed his ring style down. I heard rumours about him never wanting to be a wrestler about he was forced to by Stu cos all the other boys were and that he was planning to retire after a few years. I don't see him coming out of retirement and really when he split from the Nation and formed a team with Jeff I think he would have stayed midcard for life. WWE had alot of top guys in the main event scene even in 2002 - 2003 time so can't really see Owen holding the belt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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