The NXT influence continues to drip into the WWE landscape which is gradually building towards perhaps a new era or phase in the companies history. Hey I can dream right? Once again RAW was a weekly seesaw that became balanced with the good and the damn right ugly. At one moment the future appears bright, and the next? Before you can soak in the aftermath it is snatched away with some let down waste of television time. Monday Night RAW is a roller coaster to me, a roller coaster that has a slow build before you reach the next thrill, to be fair you can say that about WWE in general.
Last week I brought the name of a creative genius into the column, ladies & gentlemen I am of course speaking about Paul Heyman. The advocate for the beast incarnete, for the one that puts the 1 in 21-1, Brock Lesnar! Every time Paul Heyman cuts a promo I am left in awe on how he carries himself through the segment, it’s hard to not watch this guy work or hear this man speak about the business. If you ever hear an interview you’ll gain a greater understanding that he’s exactly the guy who practices what’s preached. For Brock Lesnar as an example Paul has frequently mentioned years before Brock’s latest run that a monster superstar with poor microphone skills requires a decent mouthpiece.
Giving a superstar a person to speak on there behalf should never be seen as a weakness, although the performer needs the mouthpiece to contribute effectively on screen. The emphasis is using another person to hide that weakness and emphasise the strength. Now I’ve covered the whole gimmick run through on my debut article back but my topic this week really surrounds the attention to detail that’s lacking in wrestling these days. Attention to detail that must remain consistent and help enable each performer to get over with the audience.
Back to Paul & Brock for a moment, Brock is thee most dominating force in the WWE locker-room today, arguing that point would be difficult to effectively accomplish. The man simply sells buy rates, draws eyes to screens and is very entertaining to watch in ring. Never once does it occur to me: “oh wait he’s crap on the mic”, the way he laughs to Paul Heyman’s hype speech just emanates pure confidence, it’s a genuine chemistry that ties together. That detail may appear a minuscule detail however it is effective, and subconsciously we as fans crave to see things that are well thought out and are connected with multiple aspects.
Throw the Paul Heyman & Brock Lesnar dynamic in the positive example pile for effective use of detail to boost interest. Looking towards an undeserved victim of poor creative direction I present to you Dolph Ziggler. This excellent talent has been in a constant limbo professionally since his debut, there are huge milestones he’s accomplished yet never had that moment which truly solitifed him as a main event/must see attraction. He’s brilliant in the ring, decent executing promos and has the tools to do the job. Using his World Championship reign following the money in the bank cash in on Alberto Del Rio you will see the baggage put onto his career backstage that drags down his effectiveness on screen.
If I were to describe the overall Dolph Ziggler persona I’d use the following words & terms:
-Overconfident
-Motivated
-Highly capable
-Determined
-Egotistical
-A show off (but of course)
-Vain
-Charismatic
-Competitive
Now these points are what the audience around the World would expect from Dolph Ziggler on screen. When the WWE launched him with his second World title reign it appeared that the glass ceiling was being shattered, that all changed when the creative direction developed a fixed entourage double act with Big E Langston & AJ Lee along with some questionable booking choices. The end result of the creative direction during that reign made Dolph Ziggler appear;
-Desperate
-Incapable of defending the gold
-Shy of a challenge
-Reliant on others
-A braggart/Just talk and little action
Few areas hold a connection and the rest were a drastic change. You cannot expect the audience to join a superstar on their journey to then change the script once the pay-off has happened, because that alters what you’re watching completely. If you are waiting in heated anticipation for a wrestler to finally reach the top of the mountain, it’s that same marketable character that should appear once it’s all said and done, and start to expand upon that persona gradually. Don’t give people a template of traits and then switch them over in a mere whim. This example right here is what I feel has plagued so many aspiring performers, it’s the lack of detail and consistency that dooms their growth. The company does often invest in a person’s successful but are so quick to sell the shares in case stocks take a plunge, all based on a needless fear.
A WWE fan is going to be confident in what the company is confident backing. Once you show signs of withdrawing support; you can’t expect the paying fan keep throwing money at what you think won’t last or doesn’t have a purpose in the future. WWE fans are only as fickle as the minds coordinating this garbage. Crap goes in, crap comes out – simple logistics.
Let’s look at a veteran who has lost a great matching gimmick that probably can’t be resurrected, that veteran being Kane. Kane used to bring fear across the roster, a monster with a prescience that was felt when they squared up to the other big names in the business. Booking a monster those small attention to details are found in how others perceive that person, fear has to be seen when he’s around and even when he’s not around. Imagine having Kane as a challenger back in the day for the WWE title, Kane on a mission to cause utter destruction until he claimed that ultimate prize against a superstar like Triple H. Triple H hiding behind the general manager, always looking over his shoulder during interviews, hiding inside his locker-room throughout the show and always having a weapon such as a trusty sledgehammer in his pocession.
Wherever Kane chases Triple H; bodies are left in his warpath with high powered moves – viscious chair shots, tombstone pile-drivers and choke-slammed to hell. Kane on the microphone reminding the champion Triple H that there are so few days remaining until he meets his maker and that there’s no way to avoid his defeat.
Now ask yourself does that sound like the old Kane?
A creative approach to market a monster in a feud?
Would it entertain you?
Do you want to see that pay per view bout?
My fantasy booking style draft shows Kane’s strength through the behaviour of others. That along with the menacing body language, his natural physical attributes and a notorious reputation for causing destruction & devastation all merge into a complete package. Quickly switch to the Kane of today and what’s the freaking point?!
Attention to these small details that compliment the person they build is what fans subconsciously crave, a design that intellectually satisfies us creatively and our mental process for logical reasoning. Knowing that a company has taken time to craft a well thought out show does reflect to the audience in the final product. I guarantee you that if RAW were to be in the power of a well renowned booker in secret for one week; you’d notice the difference early on into the show.
What do you guys think? Am I right or wrong? Share your opinions with us here at SLTD in the comment sections!
Until next week folks take care!
Daniel over and out.
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