Bam Neely the next Batista or Jesus?

[Rollermacka]

I was watching last weeks Smackdown and with Bam losing his first one on one match, do you see him becoming a star or just another forgotten body guard? Batista started out as "Deacon Batista" and now is a number one contender, on the other hand Carlito's old bodyguard "Jesus" is well, no one really cares. They both were big guys who started out strong, and Bam is a former OVW champ do you think he's good enough to take off in WWE?

[Volare]

ECW imo...he could do well there.

[The Optimist]

More like Matt Morgan. He'll be out there for two years, maybe a mid card title at most, then he'll get fired and picked up by TNA.

[Destor]

Alls I know is he needs to team with Roadkill.

[BigDaddyCool]

He could go the Tomko route and I doubt he can go the Nash route.

[Destor]

http://www.firetank.com/smashwrestling/graphics/interviewpics/roadkill1.jpghttp://www.wwe.com/content/media/touts/splash/images/6999240

[Destor]

Seriously

[Theo Dious]

I can't believe you're suggesting that this guy could be the Messiah.
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I also can't believe that you guys let this joke go this long.

[Destor]

Does that make Bats the devil?

[Theo Dious]

Anyways, yeah, if the measuring stick of guys starting out as bodyguards go Nash > Batista > Tomko > Jesus, I'd guess that Bam is going to end up between Tomko and Jesus.

[BigDaddyCool]

http://www.firetank.com/smashwrestling/graphics/interviewpics/roadkill1.jpghttp://www.wwe.com/content/media/touts/splash/images/6999240

At first I thought Bam Neely was Roadkill. I remeber hearing something about giving Roadkill a gimmick change in OVW or whatever and having him lose some wieght and a shave.

[Destor]

Yeah, that was the plan. Then they found this guy and figured the work was done.

[Destor]

See you on the unemployment line Roadkill :wavesad:

[Rollermacka]

I can't believe you're suggesting that this guy could be the Messiah.
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I also can't believe that you guys let this joke go this long.

Wel, that's not what I ment he was just the first name that popped into my head of "other bodyguards" There's plenty of them to choose from though. In WWE we had Sakoda (Tajiri's Yakuza muscle), Big Vito and Big Guiedo, in TNA there was A1, Titus and in WCW we had Big Swoll. There's plenty of others out there, and who woulda thought that Big Swoll wouldnt become the next hall of famer :nono:

[parkmania]

Don't forget Ralphus!

[BigDaddyCool]

Who all started off as a body guard, lets make a list:

Kevin Nash/Deisel was Shawn Micheal's body guard
Tomko was Christian's body guard
Bam Neely is Chavo's
Test was Motley Crue's
The Decon was D'Von's
Jesus was Carlito's
Bull Buchanan was Cena's backup, but Bull had beena around before that...barely counts.

Who am I missing?

[Lord-Of-Darkness]

Sid was HBKs, but had been around for a while anyway
Curtis Hughes(was that his name?) was Y2Js
I think Issac Yankem was Lawlers, although I'm more inclined to think he was just 'backup'

and Chyna was Hunters, lets not forget....

[thedamndest]

Mr. Hughes had also been around for awhile though.
Would you could Luther Reigns for Angle?

[BigDaddyCool]

Mr. Hughes had also been around for awhile though.
Would you could Luther Reigns for Angle?

What ever happened to that dude?

[thedamndest]

He got thrown into the talentless hoss pile and was never heard from again?

[BigDaddyCool]

Oh, we forgot about Albert/A-Train. He started as Droz's body guard, bodyart designer.

[thedamndest]

He had this look about him like he was on the football team in high school but then ended up getting fat and selling used cars in your home town. Wait til he ages more, you'll see it then.

[thedamndest]

Oh, we forgot about Albert/A-Train. He started as Droz's body guard, bodyart designer.

That's not the same thing :shifty:

[thedamndest]

What about "handlers"? Because 911 got his start as Sabu's handler. Kamala had Kim-chee, although I think Kim-chee was around before then.

[BigDaddyCool]

What about "handlers"? Because 911 got his start as Sabu's handler. Kamala had Kim-chee, although I think Kim-chee was around before then.

Close enough.

I'm starting to notice most big guys come in as "bodyguards" or handlers, or someone's backup. Vladimir Kozlov is one of the few bigmen that comes into wrestling as someone that wants to wrestle, not just a huge dude that falls into wrestling.

[thedamndest]

DDP was a manager for the Diamond Studd before he learned to wrestle. I'm not going to count that though.

[Mr. Nerfect]

I haven't seen too much from Bam Neely, but from what I've been reading, he's actually a fairly good performer. There's a column on 411 Mania called "Hidden Highlights" and it takes a look at the little things people do on WWE TV to add to the nuanced entertainment of the show. Bam Neely has been in there a few times because of his reactions to things and stuff.

I'm hoping that Chavo Guerrero makes a face turn in the near future. Bam Neely turning with Chavo Guerrero would be pretty cool. Do we get too many face bodyguards? If not, he could remain Edge's muscle, or he could stay on ECW and go over some of the ECW Originals a few times to see if there is any potential there ringwork wise.

[NeanderCarl]

Big Bossman started out as Jim Cornette's bodyguard Big Bubba Rogers in the NWA.

[NeanderCarl]

Virgil!

[Theo Dious]

Okay, upon review I shall now reorder my list:

Wrestlers who started out as bodyguards and later went on to get significant pushes:

Nash > Batista > Chyna > Tomko > Virgil > Luther Reigns > Jesus

Justifications:

Nash > All
Batista = World Heavyweight Champion, Main Evented Wrestlemania.
Chyna = Possibly less significant than Tomko or Virgil, but did hold the IC title and was the first woman to do a bunch of things.
Tomko > Virgil because... well look at him, people take him far more seriously than anyone ever than ol' barber-pole-legs.
Virgil = Longer lasting and better known than the rest of the list.
Reigns = Associated with Main Event Angle in a top-level World Title feud, though for a very short time.
Jesus = I'm not saying Jesus was useless, I honestly don't remember because he was around for about five minutes as a stopgap solution for an injury plague.

[NoRoolz]

Nathan Jones.

[thedamndest]

Virgil held the Million Dollar Belt. Gotta put him over Chyna.

[NoRoolz]

But Jarrett jobbed to Chyna.

[Theo Dious]

Incidentally, I was watching the Jericho/Chyna/Holly match at Rumble '00 the other day... my God Chyna was a shit wrestler.