What qualifies a wrestler as a 'spot monkey'?

[Nark Order]

Was thinking about this the other day. What actually qualifies a guy as a 'spot monkey' in wrestling? We hear the term all the time. And how is it that guys like Jeff Hardy get the label but guys like Edge somehow escape it? Almost every huge spot in the WWE in the past 2-3 years (and many of the most memorable spots spanning across the past 8 years) has involved Edge. Side effect off the stage, getting FU'd off the ladder through a couple tables, Ladder bump from Flair, Spearing Foley through a flaming table, barbed wire with Dreamer and Funk, Leg drop off the top of the cage from Hardy, FU off the ring steps through the announcers table, Swanton from Hardy through a ladder in MITB... I could go on for awhile. Christian has been involved in crazy shit over the years also and escapes the label. So how is it that AJ Styles and Jeff Hardy are Spot Monkeys and Edge, Matt Hardy, and Christian are not?

What are these qualifications?

[The One]

Edge, Christian, and Matt can work a match WITHOUT resorting to a high spot. AJ and Jeff can't.

[Kane Knight]

Edge's matches really aren't defined by high risk spots. Matt's aren't. Christian's aren't It's not about the big moments (If it were, Taker'd be a spot monkey)

[NoRoolz]

Edge, Christian, and Matt can work a match WITHOUT resorting to a high spot. AJ and Jeff can't.

What exactly classifies as 'high-spot'? Just going to the top-ropes or something more extreme like flipping from the ring to the outside or using weapons etc?

'Cos I feel both AJ and Jeff can work matches without doing anything too extreme, and I reckon AJ without even going to the top ropes can perform a good match.

I'm not snapping at you or whatever just my opinion.

[thedamndest]

The ratio of headlocks to maneuvers that involve the wrestler in question's body rotating 180 degrees or more must be > 1:3.

[Kane Knight]

It's always hard to really quantify, because it's easy to call anyone who goes to the top a lot a "spot monkey."

[Nark Order]

It's always hard to really quantify, because it's easy to call anyone who goes to the top a lot a "spot monkey."

Exactly. Primarily why I made this thread. Just want to know where the line is between hardcore or highflyer and 'spot whore'.

[Kane Knight]

Exactly. Primarily why I made this thread. Just want to know where the line is between hardcore or highflyer and 'spot whore'.

I think it's like art versus porn. "I know it when I see it," as it were. I mean, there are some cases where it's obvious someone's a spot monkey, and I think Jeff crosses that line. Edge's matches are mostly played on drama. I don't exactly think he's a great technical wrestler, but I think of his TLC and similar matches as specialty matches, and highlights, not the real defining elements of his character. With Jeff, there's not much to him beyond his spots and specialty matches. I mean, it's still partially an "IMO" sort of thing, but Matt's got a lot of matwork going on that makes him solid. Edge is a solid worker who's known for a gimmick match, but not defined by it. Christian, I think is even less defined by ladder and TLC matches than Edge. Even Foley, who's had some brutal moments, and will always be remembered for HIAC and the like, saved those for special occasions (And was even a good worker early on).

[Fox]

To me, a spot monkey is a guy or a tag team that relies too heavily on certain "spots" to carry all of their matches.

For example, I hate Team 3D/The Dudleys because most of their matches feel horribly the same to me. I know I'm going to see that stupid wassup headbutt, I know Bubba Ray will hit his full nelson sit-down bomb thing and D-Von will hit his big flying reverse elbow off the ropes. And they do. Everytime. Fucking spot monkeys.

In the same vein, RVD became a terrible spot monkey toward the end of his WWE run. You knew you would see the shoulder-butts in the corner followed by the back hand spring spot. You knew you would see the rolling thunder spot and possibly the spinning leg drop across the barricade spot. You might see the split legged moonsault if you're lucky, but you will definitely see the flying karate kick from the top rope. And you did. Every time.

Does that mean that RVD himself is a spot monkey? No. I know he can have incredible matches that are different every time, but that's given circumstances (amount of TV/screen time given to have his match, limitations on his moveset, his opponent, etc).


Lots of people call Sonjay Dutt a spot monkey. I disagree. When I watch his matches, I know he's going to hit some huricanranas and some planchas over the top rope and shit, but I have no idea when they're coming and when they do, they're usually too damn fast for me to see them coming. Does he consistently high-fly? Yes, he does. Does that make him a spot monkey? No, it means his ring style is consistent (CONSISTENT, not repetitive).

I also consider many of The Undertaker's matches to be spot-monkeyish in that he pretty much always just hits the same spots every match and never really shakes things up unless he's main eventing a PPV or something like that.

[St. Jimmy]

Shit on the Mic, and can't work a match without having to resort to "OMG" spots.

[Chavo Classic]

Fox is on the mark again. But that would also qualify Cena and the Rock as spot monkeys

[Kane Knight]

Fox is on the mark again. But that would also qualify Cena and the Rock as spot monkeys

And most main eventers in the last few years at least.

[Slow]

Cena isn't a spot monkey in the sense he's never had an OMG moment. ever. On the other hand, he does have a lot of "wow, i didn't see that one coming. how exciting. think i'll watch something else" moments.


Injured for 6 months, i still hate the guy

[Funky Fly]

For me, it's when I see a guy like the Amazing Red. All he's gonna do is hit big move after big move until the match is over. No psychology, sometimes not even injury selling. If a guy's been working over your legs for 20 minutes, you can't hit a 456897625678650 degree splash to the outside, you ass hat.

[BigDaddyCool]

If I said so.

[Mr. Nerfect]

I'm not big on the term, because I think a lot of guys are labeled with the name when they shouldn't be. AJ Styles, for example, has had his fair share of mat-based matches. But the general consensus seems to be correct: If you can't construct a match without using certain spots, you are acting like a monkey.

[Mr. Nerfect]

Fox is on the mark again. But that would also qualify Cena and the Rock as spot monkeys

Well, really, aren't they? The term is generally slapped on guys who fly around, but there is more variety in that then in John Cena's moves of doom. I'm actually going to count them. He has the sit-down hip toss (which may go, because it injured him), the flying shoulder block, Five Knuckle Shuffle, the Killswitch, Freestyle, Throwback (which he doesn't do much anymore), non-flipping variant of the Throwback, flying leg drop, FU and the STFU.

So yeah, Cena literally has ten moves he depends upon.

[Impact!]

Hitting signature moves does not make someone a spot monkey...