Personality vs. Wrestling Ability

[Graveler]

I was watching some discussion on this topic. Is one more important than the other?

[Lock Jaw]

Yes. Personality. You can be the greatest in the ring, but if you have the personality and charisma of a wooden board, you aren't going anywhere.

On the other hand, you can enjoy a terrible wrestler if he has a good personality/charisma to make up for it.

[Swiss Ultimate]

Don't forget the fact that what you or I consider to be a terrible gimmick might be enjoyed by a near consensus of fans. Really, what matters most is the talent's ability to engage fans and secure their money on merchandise, tickets and PPV buys.

[Juan]

I personally prefer Wrestling Ability, but a good mix of both is always welcome.

[Swiss Ultimate]

RVD sold me on his ring-work. Guy had amazing charisma in the ring, though I never thought he had much on the mic.

Not everyone can out-promo Bill Alfonso though...

[KaosDarksol]

Personality is the most necessary but a good performer needs both

[Rammsteinmad]

To make it in WWE you need personality. To make it anywhere else I'd say wrestling ability.

[Nicky Fives]

To make it in WWE you need personality. To make it anywhere else I'd say wrestling ability.

This.....

[Corporate CockSnogger]

I generally need to be interested in a wrestlers character before I get interested enough in their matches.

It's mostly why I'm not a fan of Daniel Bryan. I know that he's good in the ring, but I find his character so boring and tedious that I'm not interested in his matches in the slightest. Same used to apply to Benoit for me.

[Gertner]

Personality and it's not even close

[MoFo]

Personality, hence why Otunga is awesome and Danielson isnt.

[Shisen Kopf]

Rasslin ability is more serious than personality which is why Dean Malenko is the greatest rassler ever bitches!

[Zeeboe]

To make it in WWE you need personality. To make it anywhere else I'd say wrestling ability.

Which is exactly why "anywhere else" is not nearly on the same caliber as World Wrestling Entertainment, and never will be.

[Kane Knight]

For Sports Entertainment: Personality. For the indies: Personality is practically poison.

[Destor]

To make it in WWE you need personality. To make it anywhere else I'd say wrestling ability.

this i think at this point the wwe audience has been conditioned to hate wrestling. it seems like they wish they were watching a variety show instead.

[Destor]

Which is exactly why "anywhere else" is not nearly on the same caliber as World Wrestling Entertainment, and never will be.

wrestling in mexico currently generates more income. the world is bigger than the us folks.

[Zeeboe]

wrestling in mexico currently generates more income. the world is bigger than the us folks.

Well, I'm not worried about Mexico. I'm only concerned with my country. But I will type that Mexico is a very poor and primitive country that lacks education and original entertainment, so it doesn't shock me that those people get overly excited about a fake sport. NOTE - I have been to Mexico and they enjoy WWE above everything else.

[Destor]

no they enjoy CMLL above everything else.

[Zeeboe]

When I went to Mexico, I had a Hulk Hogan t-shirt on and I had several Mexicans praise the shirt and talk to me about WWE wrestling. I also was in a store one time and a local newspaper had a picture of the Undertaker on it, and the store owner and I chatted about WWE for several minutes. World Wrestling Entertainment is a world-wide thing for a reason.

[Indifferent Clox]

My limted experience is more important than fact!!!!

[Destor]

When I went to Mexico, I had a Hulk Hogan t-shirt on and I had several Mexicans praise the shirt and talk to me about WWE wrestling. I also was in a store one time and a local newspaper had a picture of the Undertaker on it, and the store owner and I chatted about WWE for several minutes. World Wrestling Entertainment is a world-wide thing for a reason.

good for you. none of that means anything toward the argument tho. bothAAA and CMLL are bigger in mexico (and texas) than the WWE. point in fact due to that largemexican fanbase in mexico when the fed runs the cow palace that cant draw as well as either of the previously mentioned promotions. your personal expiriance of having people adress the merch you were wearing and not the merch you werent wearing means little.

[Wolfpack423]

Yes. Personality. You can be the greatest in the ring, but if you have the personality and charisma of a wooden board, you aren't going anywhere.

On the other hand, you can enjoy a terrible wrestler if he has a good personality/charisma to make up for it.

See I'd take a Dean Malenko over Santino Marella any day of the week. I'd rather see a good match than a farce wasting my time.

[Zeeboe]

good for you. none of that means anything toward the argument tho. bothAAA and CMLL are bigger in mexico (and texas) than the WWE. point in fact due to that largemexican fanbase in mexico when the fed runs the cow palace that cant draw as well as either of the previously mentioned promotions. your personal expiriance of having people adress the merch you were wearing and not the merch you werent wearing means little.

It means WWE is not just an American thing. I've never heard of CMLL and I only know about AAA thanks to my memory of the PWI magazine, and I've never seen those numbers, and again, even if it were true, I stand by my first statement - Mexico is a very poor country hungry for anything, and since WWE cannot go there all the time, or Texas, of course, local indy feds are going to do well, but if WWE was there weekly, more people would go to WWE events. But we can agree to disagree.

[Kane Knight]

wrestling in mexico currently generates more income [citation needed]. the world is bigger than the us folks[citation needed].

My limted experience is more important than fact!!!!

I wonder how many people can spot the irony here.

[Swiss Ultimate]

The world is not bigger than the U.S....except China...unless you mean collectively.

[Indifferent Clox]

Are you serious RN dtts?

[Attitude99]

Which is exactly why "anywhere else" is not nearly on the same caliber as World Wrestling Entertainment, and never will be.

entertainment wise maybe, wrestling wise, hell no. You must one of those people who actually think CM Punk is the best wrestler in the world, lol.

[Rammsteinmad]

For the record, despite my post, I'm a fan of both. I love a good, technical match, as much as I love a good entertaining story as well. Both have their places in wrestling and WWE.

[CSL]

entertainment wise maybe, wrestling wise, hell no. You must one of those people who actually think CM Punk is the best wrestler in the world, lol.

whilst I personally may not think Punk is the best wrestler in the world, given the horrendously condescending tone, please inform us all as to who is

[Rammsteinmad]

http://i41.tinypic.com/izvn2h.jpg

[Indifferent Clox]

Cm punk is up there he's no danielson.

[DLVH84]

Wrestling Ability!!!

[James Steele]

"Wrestling ability" is great, but true "wrestling ability" isn't just cool moves. Personality, charisma, and the ability to tell a story that fans get emotionally invested in (to the point of paying money to see it) is what wrestling has always been and will always be about.

[DLVH84]

Yeah, but having both can make you a total package, which is rare.

[James Steele]

You can't just say "Personality = Mic Skills" and "Wrestling Ability = Moves". That is what makes wrestling more than just acting and more than just glorified gymnastics.

RVD and Chris Benoit only cut a "good promo" a handful of times, but they both had charisma and personality in the ring and it sold their character and their psychology.

[James Steele]

I almost want to copy and paste my rant on TNA from awhile back. TNA has bar-none the most athletic roster in the world, but it doesn't mean shit because all they can fucking do is flips and loud kicks in their shiny pants. If you are only over because of cool moves, you won't stay over because people become desensitized to your cool moves. Same thing that happened with the overuse of blood, weapons, run-ins, etc.

[CSL]

being desensitized is nothing! when that happens, you just do more movez!

[Zeeboe]

entertainment wise maybe, wrestling wise, hell no. You must one of those people who actually think CM Punk is the best wrestler in the world, lol.

I'm not too familiar with him. In any case, how am I suppose to know who to cheer for and boo for if I don't know anything about the men's personalities?

Professional wrestling always has been and always will be sports-ENTERTAINMENT. The athleticism seen in the ring is only half of what makes the business as unique and successful as it has become.

Take a look at the last major boom period in the industry beginning about 1997. It was during that time that some of the most memorable moments came to fruition. Skits like D-Generation X dressing up like the Nation of Domination and the Corporation or using a tank to invade WCW headquarters amidst the Monday night ratings wars were segments that will undoubtedly live in our minds for eternity.

Where would the Austin/McMahon feud have gone if it relied simply on in-ring action? The answer is not very far. It was the back and forth promos between those two rivals that made for months worth of great television. Do you think that The Rock would be making movies in Hollywood if he were never allowed to cut promos and show the audience his quick wit and unique sense of humor?

If a show like “The Sopranos” were to only have nonsensical violence without any storyline, it never would have made it past a first season. If “ER” were only about tales from the operating room and never dwelled on the lives of it’s physicians, they probably never would have won an award.

[crusnik]

Yeah, but having both can make you a total package, which is rare.

:y: This is true, I think maybe Ric Flair is in this category.can anyone else give an example?

[Rammsteinmad]

Finding a 'total package' isn't that hard. There are loads of examples:

Kurt Angle, Shawn Michaels, Chris Jericho, Steve Austin, Eddie Guerrero, The Rock, The Undertaker, CM Punk, Sting, Booker T, Curt Hennig, Randy Savage, John Cena, Edge, Christian, Sheamus, Dolph Ziggler, DDP... the list goes on and on.

[CSL]

:y: This is true, I think maybe Ric Flair is in this category.can anyone else give an example?

Steve Austin
The Rock
Triple H
Randy Orton
John Cena
Sting
Arn Anderson
CM Punk
Shawn Michaels
Bret Hart
Curt Hennig
Ted DiBiase
Roddy Piper
Edge
Chris Jericho
Christian
The Miz
Jimmy Jacobs
Austin Aries
Dolph Ziggler
Eddie Guerrero
Brian Pillman
Jack Swagger
Scott Hall
Kofi Kingston
Jeff Hardy
Kurt Angle
Jeff Jarrett
DDP
Jake Roberts
Elijah Burke
Rob Van Dam

etc etc + 1 million others

personality + wrestling ability does not = complete package

[crusnik]

Steve Austin
The Rock
Triple H
Randy Orton
John Cena
Sting
Arn Anderson
CM Punk
Shawn Michaels
Bret Hart
Curt Hennig
Ted DiBiase
Roddy Piper
Edge
Chris Jericho
Christian
The Miz
Jimmy Jacobs
Austin Aries
Dolph Ziggler
Eddie Guerrero
Jack Swagger
Scott Hall
Kofi Kingston
Jeff Hardy
Kurt Angle
Jeff Jarrett
Elijah Burke
Rob Van Dam

etc etc + 1 million others

personality + wrestling ability does not = complete package

but it sure doesn't hurt either.lol

[CSL]

oh no of course it doesn't, it's most of the battle won