I Don't Get The Love For Christian
 

I've never been able to get in to Christian the way so many here already have. get that he's a solid worker, he's decent on the mic, and I can see he's got a sizeable fan base. But he'll never be top guy. Just doesn't have the it factor. To me, he is the Jannety to Edge's Michaels.

So, what am I missing here?

I do dig his entrance theme though.

Christian is one of my favorites, and it really doesn't wake me up at night wondering why you don't like him.

Do you see what I'm saying?

I don't get it either. He's no Randy Orton.

Terrible thread

Don't see what's wrong with it.

Different strokes for different folks.

I myself don't see what the big deal with Bray Wyatt is or with Brad Maddox for that matter. I cringe every time Maddox opens his mouth on a microphone

I 100% agree. Christian as a face is about as bland and boring as they come. Miz level bad.

Christian as a heel is one of the most entertaining characters around

You've answered your own question.

THE BIG DEAL WITH BRAY WYATT IS THAT HE IS AWESOME

CHRISTIAN

CHRISTIAN

AT LAST, YOU'RE ON YOUR OWN

sick post, Savior

It doesn't help that he's been pushed/depushed so much or that his career has been hamstrung by so many injuries (injuries that WWE never really capitalized on returns with like they have with others). Also, the lightning quck World Heavyweight Championship reigns-and yes, I will include the Edge sympathy reign- and then the subsequent jobbing him out weekly doesn't make him look like he "belong'd" in the main event scene.... even though he was repeatedly getting storyline screwed, that was something that should have happened while he was a face chasing the title, OR, at least, as a heel while he was the champion. Instead, he was booked to look like a whiny puss who couldn't get it done instead of a legit threat- he was a heel nobody wanted to see win it again, and booked to ensure he wouldn't.

He's one of those that, if WWE really wanted to make people give a fuck about him, they could have easily, yet they squander just about any opportunity to do so... be it because "they don't see it" or that someone was pissed about him going to TNA. Even that, though, seems to be shot in the foot by the recent return of Rob Van Dam. Look how much hype, buzz, and fanfaire he got for his return? He got weeks of promotional package, not a surprise return on a 3rd teir show with announcers who sounded less than enthused.

I've been a fan since the gold curtains, mesh shirts, and opera.

:y:

The greater IRS clone has taken the best parts of Waylon Mercy, Raven, and what looked to be where they were going with Hade Vansen and has created a masterpiece.

"Good things happen to those who believe in Bray Wyatt."

And those who don't join the vultures, like Kane.

Skippord isn't right very often so when he is I like to draw attention to it.

Gonna just re-post what I posted in another topic...

Here's the thing with Christian...

His face run as champion on ECW was amazing to me. His promos and the random things he did during his matches to make the heel look silly like the slide between the top two turnbuckles into a kick in the face were awesome little things that he could only do as a face. He seems like he has fun with being a face when he's not asked to carry the company or anything. I like it.

I might have gone with RVD vs ADR for SummerSlam because it's a bigger draw and I don't think ADR is gonna lose to title to anyone at SummerSlame anyway but Christian getting some mic time in a main event feud is a good thing.

This is pretty much the only reason the World Championship is still around (in my eyes). Guys like Christian deserve to be world champ, but let's face it, with guys like Cena, Orton, Ryback, Undertaker, Brock Lesnar etc, a guy like Christian could never be THE man. Therfore, the world title allows guys to get their name in the history books, without having the company rely on them to be the top guy.

That said... I wanna see Christian with the big gold belt again. :D

I liked him when he was doing the kazoo shit avec Edge.

Agree.

The World title has been well acting as the "test" title for potential new stars or as a way to reward the non-mega stars for their hard work.

I always found him bland as a face. (Like Orton)

I'm hoping Christian goes heel again and teams up with AJ and Big E Langston.

So we can finally get a proper "reign of terror" from the two men and a chick trio. Thought we were gonna get one with Christian/Trish/Tomko, but that never happened. Then I thought we were gonna get what that should have been with Dolph/AJ/Big E, but they just jobbed a lot and then broke up.

So I say finally do the reign of terror, with the two helping Xtian keep onto the title by any means necessary. He would make a great "JBL-style" champ (eg, holds onto it for a good length, but always wins via cheap tactics and outside help).

I don't lose any sleep at night by knowing you aren't losing any sleep over this and only losing sleep over if JJ Abrams is on or off the new Star Wars movie.

Christian is fine. Would seem like they want to push him which is nice since I could always use a sustained push to help me determine if I like him more than the average midcard guy.

Christian circa 2005 made me a mark. The guy was on fire for pretty much the entire year. I still think the WWE missed a major opportunity there. His alliance with Tyson Tomko and Trish Stratus was solid gold. As a cheesy heel who believed in himself far more than even his allies did, there was an endearing quality behind his character that helped him appeal to people -- hell, he was just so entertaining.

Since he's returned, a healthy Christian has been one of the most consistently good in-ring performers there is. As a face, yeah he's bland, but so few guys are as solid at doing it as he is. I find his heel character is always generally more credible, but it seems to be at odds with the face character he portrayed essentially since returning in ECW.

Christian is consistent in terms of ring work, but not in character. As a heel, he'll do anything to get ahead. Smart. As a face, he'll fight valiantly and fairly. Where's the link? I think the most valuable Christian would be one that channeled his friend, Eddie Guerrero. A resilient and talented babyface who realizes he is undersized, is getting beat-up and that he CAN'T SPEAR ANYONE! OK, maybe save the Spear for matches with Rey Mysterio, Seth Rollins or someone small enough to make it look like the physics work.

I think Christian's heel run was ruined by Daniel Bryan becoming such an entertaining and wormy heel. There was no need for Christian's "ONE MORE MATCH!" character. When he returned as a face, I quite enjoyed his "change of heart," but his Intercontinental Title run was cut short because they wanted The Miz to do something.

I'd love to see Christian challenge for the World Heavyweight Title. Fuck it, put the title on him. Del Rio will get other runs because he is awesome. Christian winning the championship by pinfall, cleanly, would give him that little extra credibility boost. Then it can be a Triple Threat between Christian, Del Rio and Ziggler. Christian sneaks the victory out there by capitalizing on a Zig Zag and Christian slowly teases a heel turn. At Battleground, Christian and Ziggler have a one-on-one match, and there Christian has Big E. Langston help him out, hiring Langston to be his new "Problem Solver." A Christian heel turn with the World Heavyweight Title is complete. Then it's Hell in a Cell, where Langston can't help Christian. Ziggler wins the title there and Christian throws a temper tantrum, like we all know he is good at.

As a face, a Cesaro vs. Christian feud would be pretty brilliant, too. Cesaro is the young, strong guy, and Christian is the cheeky, cagey veteran.

As TPWW's #1 Peep, I agree with all the positive things said about Christian in this thread. To the haters, FUCK YOU

I don't care for Christian either

Same could be said for almost any well established upper mid card guy. But most of the others have some thing that sets them apart from the others.

I get the love for Christian.

Never been so close to neg repping you you sick son of a bitch

I understand and acknowledge the love for Christian. I don't expect him to rise to the level of Hulk Hogan or John Cena. He is one of the finest in-ring performers in the business who deserves to become the WWE Champion (and not the secondary World Heavyweight Champion).

What Noid said.

I like the never-say-die Christian because he is booked to win some, lose some unlike never-say-die John Cena, whom I also like but am not as intrigued with due to the win most, lose a few formula.

I think he is an excellent worker and is very solid on the mic, I just find him rather bland at the moment character wise. He has proven over the years that he can be entertaining in different roles.

Perhaps a title win at Summerslam and a heel turn and feud with Ziggler would be the answer to freshen him up (at least in my eyes)

Just a thought; isn't almost everybody more interesting as a heel?

They restrict baby face characters to happy-go-lucky, kid-friendly, nice guy characters to the point where there is little to distinguish one from another.

Kinda wish he'd go back to using the Waterproof Blonde version of "Just Close Your Eyes". Story of the Year version pales in comparison.

This is very true about current day WWE.

I like my characters with many layers, like a onion.

Attitude Era legend also.

Christian, how do you feel about people not liking you?

http://stream1.gifsoup.com/view3/477...-tantrum-o.gif

^I was there

I haven't been able to find a youtube video mocking Christian as viciously as other beloved wrestlers (HBK, below) have been mocked, so there must be something about Captain Charisma after all.
<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/prpDCFMfAGI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

One thing I wish is that he wasn't mandated to wear his merch all the time, and busted out his spiffy jackets/pants again.

I feel like Christian's career was derailed a bit when he went to TNA. Don't get me wrong, I am a fan of his TNA run..... but I just feel like if he stuck it out in the WWE, he would have been multiple times World Champ (upwards of 2, and serious runs), and possibly even have been WWE Champ by now.

http://oi40.tinypic.com/142qxye.jpg
^ From the backstage segment long ago with DDP where two little children walk in and tell him how ugly he is. Can’t find the clip for the life of me though.

I Like Chritian's Matches But He Isnt One Of My Favs

I completely agree with this. Christian's jackets and pants were great and showed he had a personality. Now he's just an old guy who wears his shirt. :(

I'd kill to get this Christian back:

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/RvONKq7wQW8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

http://www.personal.psu.edu/keb5492/...-campaign.jpeg

But more likely, he would have gotten the Matt Hardy/Chavo Guererro treatment: loyal company guy who doesn't get a break because they don't see it in him, consistently overshadowed by their more popular counterpart, and unceremoniously released during a housecleaning. At least Christian was willing to go elsewhere when he felt he wasn't being appreciated as opposed to continually being quashed until nobody gave a rat's ass if he was there or not.

I dunno. I think the company was mishandling him in late 2005, but I don't think him going to TNA really helped his standing in the WWE.

Tom's point ostensibly being that it didn't realistically (emphasis on realistically) hurt him, either. He even cited some solid arguments for why.

I agree with Lock Jaw, though. I don't think Chavo Guerrero will return to the WWE and become a multi-time World Heavyweight Champion. Maybe he will, and I will gladly welcome it as a Chavo fan, but I don't think the move to TNA helped Christian much at all.

Crowd couldn't have cared less about his match with Del Rio tonight

Of course they could have cared less. Observe:

http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q...0586848894.gif

hahahaha, Heath Slater must have been signing autographs in the parking lot

He needs to stop doing that jump over the top to the outside to slap the opponent move.

That could be because no one cares about Del Rio

#IDoNotLikeDelRioSoItWasHisFault

Christian is my favorite all time wrestler. Personally, when he returned about, 5 weeks ago, I didn't feel that "spark". Maybe because someone spoiled the return before I got to the DVR, or maybe because I figured it was just going to be a short term kind of thing, with him winning a few and losing a few.

His team beat the Shield, shocking to me, probably not the right move, but he becomes a bit more interesting to me.

Starts winning almost every match. I think... cool, but it won't last.

Read the spoilers over the last two weeks, watched Raw and now its a shock.

They got me back behind him!

Hoping, and maybe even expecting big things for his future!

well someone isn't a peep. should be.

Christian will probably win the World Heavyweight Championship at Summerslam and compete with the WWE Champion to unify the belts and cement his legacy in sports and entertainment.

Best idea ever.

Kalyx triaD follows sci-fi/fantasy movie news, yes. You are hilarious for pointing this out in a witty way, thanks.

I loved Christian's work on both RAW and SmackDown. They really need to give Christian some mic time to explain why we should rally behind him. Other than him simply wanting "#OneMoreMatch!" Even if it's just a video hyping Christian's career in the WWE, and showcasing all the championships he has won in his career.

I also think the guy could use a change of aesthetics. Different ring attire, theme music, titantron, etc. Make him seem like a big deal, and not just a guy who is coming out to wrestle.

To be honest Kalyx, your previous comment came off a bit douchy.

Like, we're not allowed to ask people what they see in a popular wrestler? He wasn't being an ass about it, he was legit asking people their opinion.

Christian doesn't get to do anything entertaining as a face. It's been that way almost since he returned. How many face promos can you remember him cutting?

The only thing that's ever bugged me about Christian, is his look. He's just way too skinny. Even guys shorter than him like Mysterio, and Bryan are still built.

Guy just has no muscle mass, and looks completely non threatening.

Christian does look skinny, but the way he springs around at his age is pretty amazing. If he were maybe just a little bulkier, it would be ideal. But there may be other tricks they could use.

Yeah his upper body isn't bad, it's just he's got the legs of a 14 year old girl. If he had pants like mysterio's to cover it up, it would go a long way to improve his look.

He also needs to start styling his hair again. He just kind of leaves it be these days. He used to be all about style, and fancy shirts.

As seen in Cool King's gif

This. :(

Christian used to have all these awesome jackets and entrances. He used to be so theatrical and would wear nice clothes and have this stylish look. Now he's just... a guy.

He won't get it.

I would love to see him like that again. But I believe that his "character" has evolved as he has aged. I don't think that the fans will take him seriously if he were to go back to his goofy ways. But then again, the hooded cape needs to make a return. It reeked of awesomeness.

I would mark out if Christian won the World Heavyweight Title at SummerSlam and then on RAW he appears only via satellite. He announces that he, like his best friend Edge, is retiring the undefeated World Heavyweight Champion. He's given so much to the company over the years, and to the fans, so he knows they will understand his decision to retire with the championship belt. Vickie Guerrero freaks and has to create a new belt to represent the World Heavyweight Championship as tensions rise on SmackDown because Vickie didn't know what Christian was up to. A new World Heavyweight Champion is crowned (let's say Dolph Ziggler) and Christian shows up with the Real World Championship and says hello to all his peeps and asks if they are going to accept this impostor champion. Christian then runs before he can be captured by security and forced to hand over the World Heavyweight Title belt.

It'd basically be a cross between the Summer of Punk angle and Ric Flair's "Real World Champion" shtick. The pay-off is a "unification" match between Christian and Ziggler to decide who is the World Heavyweight Champion.

Or you don't even pay the angle off. Instead, you just have Christian show up randomly with the old-school World Heavyweight Title belt and make being the unofficial champion his thing. Give him a reign that rivals CM Punk's WWE Title reign. Why create a new belt design? No real reason, other than if they want to treat the WHC like a secondary title, they could change the design to reflect that.

http://31.media.tumblr.com/03adecea5...fiq5o1_500.jpg

pic bomb

Noid has no end to intriguing plots. I like the idea of doing this when it comes to time to redesign the WHC and at Christian doing the Hollyood Hogan schtick of defending only when contractually obligated every 30 days.

It looks like that "Hollywood" sign is DROPKICKING CHRISTIAN IS THE HEAD!!!

Hollywood is pretty much a dropkick to the head if you've ever been there.

Post #39, man. :|

Stop having the same thoughts as other people, Cool King. Fuck!

Part of my point was that WWE continued to ground him down into status of lackey and comedy act to a pretty un-recoverable point. Vickie's gopher? Feuding with his own way-past-his-prime dad?? Jobbing repeatedly to goddamn Hornswoggle?!? By the time Chavo was gone, absolutely nobody cared. Had Chavo left sooner while there was still some spark to him, who knows, this thread may well could have been discussing him. Same could be said of Matt Hardy. It's more about *when* and *how* they left, and not just the simple fact that they did.

Hell, if Christian never left, HE may have gone on to become the Swagger Soaring Eagle. He went to TNA while people still gave a fuck AND actually became an asset to them instead of coasting by on his WWE recognition and/or being made to look like a fool. Christian walked away while he still had some status to his name, and even though his comeback was kind of handled in the manner of sour grapes*, he still came back with some status to his name, and not a collective groan from the crowd.

It's sad that it took a retiring Edge and a dramatic change in landscape ("smaller" guys getting better shots- which doesn't make much sense considering people like Edge or HBK were never the biggest) for this guy to be in the position he's in instead of getting a legit damn push in the first place.


*He could have just as easily gotten all the hype that both Jeff Hardy and the recently returned RVD got... both coming from TNA, mind you, and the subsequent push on the main roster instead of that lackluster "It's Christian." on WWECW. Its little things like that could have improved his perception instead of doghousing him like "fuck you, you left".

After thinking about it for awhile I think I have one major critique of Christian and it is that he is too good at hitting the Kill Switch efficiently. He's so quick about it that sometimes the match is over before the fans can get into the psyche that the match is ending now.

He had a really great match on the Road to Money in the Bank on Main Event against Damien Sandow. The match had a great back and forth pace and the finish was pretty quick. Christian had been thrown out of the ring by Sandow for a breather-move but Christian came back quickly and snapped the Kill Switch for the win. Great match sort of ruined by a flash-bang finish. You need to give time for the audience to understand there is a finisher so they can get excited about seeing it happening. "The Outta nowhere approach" isn't really for everybody or for every move especially for one with the movement the move is supposed to have. I also think he's been putting it on way too safely like Triple H has with the Pedigree for years. Not saying I want him to hurt people with the move, but it looked better when he drove the head more downwards to the mat instead of spreading it out.

Not a Christian fan, but I like him as WHC a hell of a lot more than Alberto Del Rio. Get the belt off that heat suck NOW!

Christian's glory days are long behind him how, and he's not getting the opportunity to show his best side, if he's still got it. I thought I wouldn't like him as WHC as he'd be getting it as a lifetime achievement award, but at the same time the WHC division is hot and him being a stable champion in there would allow some rivalries to form that weren't just about the belt.

As much as I would love for Christian to become a 3x champion fixture, I can totally see them having Christian beat Of The River, only to have Sandow cash in on him, which in turn has Cody come beat him down, then use the "soggy" contract to cash in on him.

But, I would much rather they keep him rolling. Say what you want to about his work as a heel being more entertaining than him as a face, but I like "finds a way to win" Christian better than "can't win the big matches" Christian. This is the solid booking that he could have benefited from ages ago.

I'd like to see Christian with the belt, just because then he might actually get the chance to cut a promo.

Christian as champion is always a good idea.

Like others have said, I miss his jackets and "style." Added another level to his character and he was damn entertaining at that time.

I kind of hate how almost everyone has to wear their own merch all the time now, looks particularly bad when a character like Damien Sandow does it. Barrett's awesome cape jacket also suffered because of this policy, he would probably be main eventing if he didn't have to wear his awful t-shirt.

Barrett still hasn't recovered from when they were pushing him to the moon and he broke his elbow on the Road to WrestleMania.

The shirt has nothing to do with it.

Christian's chemical shirt is pretty bad. He's not Heisenberg. He's had some really bad ones as of late. That killswitch one was horrendous.

Barrett needs a complete repackage. Every time they try to, he comes out looking the same, moving the same. The only things that have changed are his music and his finisher.

I am sad that Wade Barrett is not in the main event yet. Really big fan of him. Think is he tremendous.