Could it work now: "The Loose Cannon"

[Xero]

I did one of these before, so here we go.

Do you think, in this day, if the gimmick didn't happen in the past so it's fresh, that Brian Pillman's "Loose Cannon" gimmick - that is, blurring the line between a crazy, stop at nothing character and reality - would work today? Would it be differently handled? Would it have gone further? Why or why not?

[Kane Knight]

Would it be over with the fans? Probably. Would it work? Well, that would imply that someone backstage was competent enough to sell water in the desert, and I don't think there is such a man.

[The One]

I think that gimmick could work any time after the 70's. But as KK pointed out, they would fuck it up.

[The Naitch]

yup, initially it pops up sometimes when we get optimistic about a new superstar debut with a sweet gimmick, but when all the dust has settled, all the smoke has cleared, WWE fucks it up somehow. *TRUE STORY*

but what's funny is when they debut a shitty gimmick (when we find via news report ) it turns out to be good (ie Boogeyman, Eugene)

[Mr. Nerfect]

Yep, the nail has been hit on the head. The gimmick could work, but the WWE would fuck it up. While the gimmicks are not the same, see RVD (circa 2001) and CM Punk for how the WWE can take something that is over as fuck, and wipe their ass with it because it's not the guy they envisioned to be their top star.

[Kane Knight]

You could also throw Cena in, just because he was phenomenally over, then they decided to make him a "good" champion. I know it's not an exact fit, but there are a lot of cases over a wide spectrum of fuckups.

[Mr. Nerfect]

You could also throw Cena in, just because he was phenomenally over, then they decided to make him a "good" champion. I know it's not an exact fit, but there are a lot of cases over a wide spectrum of fuckups.

I was going to say something about Cena, but I was going to connect him to how he is the anti-thesis to the "Loose Cannon" character. He's pure, he's controlled, he's well-mannered. With the WWE being so high on him, I doubt a blurred-line character would be allowed to do well on Heat.

You make a great point about how the WWE took a good thing and molded it to their ideal image, in regards to him, as well.

[Zen v.W.o.]

The thing is, the original "loose cannon" gimmick or character was something Brian came up with. He just really took it to the level it got to himself. Back then, wrestlers could actually perform in the manner they might like to be able to too. They were more tolerable in allowing their wrestlers control over their own characters. Brian had it in him to make that work so damn fucking good. Today, I dont see very many guys with the same drive or the same aptitude. Not only that, but everything today is so strictly booked and robotic.

Austin made himself who he was, Pillman did the same, Piper went off the hook after they gave him a mic and said show me what you got...Today however, the wrestlers are given crap, and accept it, and then cant seem to bust out of it. Or they may not accept it and wanna try something to hook the fans, but as I said, the writing and booking is just horrid now. And everything is so by the script that there is no chance to alter anything or try things on the fly to suit themselves or the situations they are facing.

[Dave Youell]

Yeah I def think it would work, remember when Matt Hardy started doing run in's after he got fired? That stuff was freaking awesome! Anything that doesn't seem part of the show gains my interest.

[Stickman]

Yeah I def think it would work, remember when Matt Hardy started doing run in's after he got fired? That stuff was freaking awesome! Anything that doesn't seem part of the show gains my interest.

Serious? You brought Matt Hardy into this discussion :rofl:


I honestly dont' know if it'd work now. EVERYBODY at some point seems to have a Loose Cannon moment. And as stated, nobody is given free reigns to do what they want with their character. It would be way too over booked and probably make you laugh more than anything (ala the Matt Hardy thing).

[Shadow]

Yeah I def think it would work, remember when Matt Hardy started doing run in's after he got fired? That stuff was freaking awesome! Anything that doesn't seem part of the show gains my interest.

The Matt Hardy thing worked for maybe one run-in, maybe two. After that it just got repetive and the storyline went nowhere.

[Arnold HamNegger]

The Matt Hardy thing worked for maybe one run-in, maybe two. After that it just got repetive and the storyline went nowhere.

Yeah, I was gonna mention that but you beat me too it. Perfect example of the WWE creative team having a golden storyline land in their lap and fucking it up worse than Eugene doing Calculus.

[Mr. Nerfect]

The Matt Hardy thing worked for maybe one run-in, maybe two. After that it just got repetive and the storyline went nowhere.

I think the program kind of got a little derailed when Vince brought Matt Hardy out of the limo, and said he always does what the fans want. What this was calling for was Matt Hardy to get on the mic, and instead of thanking Vince and the fans, he should have said something like: "Vince, if you had listened to the fans in the first place, I wouldn't have been wished the "best in my future endeavours". Fuck you!"

Another angle that I think the WWE fucked up pretty bad, was Triple H/Randy Orton. Eight days after Randy Orton won the World Heavyweight Title from Chris Benoit, Triple H requested Orton hand over the Title to him. In my opinion, this would have been perfect. They wanted the two to face at WrestleMania, so why not hold it off until then? Give a slow burn to the Evolution breaking up angle? Randy Orton spitting in Triple H's face was a good moment, but it could have been held off until closer to Mania.

Randy Orton forfeits the World Heavyweight Championship to Triple H, and Chris Benoit is none to happy. Benoit is still the top face, and tries to talk Randy Orton into leaving Evolution, but Orton is still technically Triple H's boy.

The WWE fucked it up pretty bad.

[Kane Knight]

The Matt Hardy thing worked for maybe one run-in, maybe two. After that it just got repetive and the storyline went nowhere.

Yeah, the first week, I was like, "OMG, I wonder what's gonna happen next week!" Then next, it was like "Didn't this happen last week?"

[CSL]

I think the program kind of got a little derailed when Vince brought Matt Hardy out of the limo, and said he always does what the fans want. What this was calling for was Matt Hardy to get on the mic, and instead of thanking Vince and the fans, he should have said something like: "Vince, if you had listened to the fans in the first place, I wouldn't have been wished the "best in my future endeavours". Fuck you!"

Another angle that I think the WWE fucked up pretty bad, was Triple H/Randy Orton. Eight days after Randy Orton won the World Heavyweight Title from Chris Benoit, Triple H requested Orton hand over the Title to him. In my opinion, this would have been perfect. They wanted the two to face at WrestleMania, so why not hold it off until then? Give a slow burn to the Evolution breaking up angle? Randy Orton spitting in Triple H's face was a good moment, but it could have been held off until closer to Mania.

Randy Orton forfeits the World Heavyweight Championship to Triple H, and Chris Benoit is none to happy. Benoit is still the top face, and tries to talk Randy Orton into leaving Evolution, but Orton is still technically Triple H's boy.

The WWE fucked it up pretty bad.

<font color=white>Yeah but Triple H/Batista was done perfectly which I believe was Orton's spot originally so they can do it if they want, they just choose not too.

Which is idiotic.</font>

[NeanderCarl]

Wow. I remember the exact same thread less than a year ago.

This forum is going round in circles now?? We have less than a year's worth of material between us??

[parkmania]

Wow. I remember the exact same thread less than a year ago.

This forum is going round in circles now?? We have less than a year's worth of material between us??


Now that's just sad. Even the WWE writers don't reuse the same material that often...:nono:

[Kane Knight]

Wow. I remember the exact same thread less than a year ago.

This forum is going round in circles now?? We have less than a year's worth of material between us??

We haven't really had an infusion of new things to talk about.