Wrestlers you've changed opinion on
 

I'm sure it's been done before, but yeah. Good, bad, or multiple flips back and forth - who are some of the wrestlers you've found yourself changing your opinion on over the years?

Dolph Ziggler has to be my biggest one. He was one of my favorites from 2009 and on. While I did always feel like his ring name would hold him back (try as I might, I just could never imagine a WrestleMania ad promoting a guy named Dolph Ziggler in the main event), I felt he was underutilized for so long and I was really happy when he won the World Heavyweight title in 2013.

Then they somehow failed to follow up on Sting helping him vanquish the Authority at Survivor Series 2014, and try as I might to care about him, I just started feeling apathetic. Then by mid-2015 he was in that awful storyline with Rusev and Lana and I started to actively dislike him.

I guess I had a similar thing happen with John Morrison. I loved him but the last year or so he was with the company I had soured on him, and after a few years when he resurfaced in Lucha Underground I remembered why I liked him. But with Dolph, I've never had a chance to miss him because he won't go away.

Despised CJ Parker. I thoroughly enjoy his work as Juice Robinson.

CM Punk. Loved what he represented and stood for, but it was all bs to get himself over. As soon as he realized he would never get to Cena's level, was surpassed in popularity by Daniel Bryan, and his chance to be the guy was about over with Roman Reigns clearly the future, he became a whiny Punk. The fact that he bailed on all the fans that still to this day chant for him says it all.

I used to hate Finn Balor and didnt get the love for him coming into the WWE from NxT. I didnt like the demon character at all. This last year I honestly think he's been the best in ring worker in the WWE. I am genuinely entertained by his matches. I dont flip the channel when he's on. Everyone else is subject to a channel flip, but no Finn.

Braun Strowman

Thought at first he was just going to be another typical boring Big Man/Monster type that Vince loves to over-push but up until his heel turn last year, ended up enjoying him a lot as a wrestler.

Daniel Bryan

When the Shield first came to the main roster I really liked Ambrose and thought he was their leader. Now I think he is awful.

Yeah, I really started getting into NJPW during the G1 in 2017 and I found myself shocked by how much I enjoyed him. He’s only gotten better since.

Ambrose is a good one. I've basically stopped caring about everyone in WWE. The most noticeable drop-offs have been with Dolph Ziggler and Cesaro -- Cesaro's not really being his fault.

I turned around pretty big on Rusev. I'm cooling on his potential now, since I fear the time for him to be a star is passing, but I don't think he's a shitty foreign heel gimmick anymore.

This is a good one.... I used to hate him... especially for how much people here fawned over him....

It took until his first heel turn for me to really get on board the D-Bry train...

I still don't like him but I guess I'm not supposed to now. The gimmick reminds me if what Austin Aries was doing in Impact over the summer except Bryan is a bit more intense about it.

I always wanted to love Bryan as a little smark, but I did feel like he performances "lacked something" right up until the end of 2011. I wouldn't say I changed my opinion on him, but I felt validated in believing in him.

I gave zero fucks about Sheamus for the longest time. Even in 2012 when he was getting a main event run, looking like he could be one of the faces of the company and putting on great matches, he just really didn't do anything for me.

But I've come to really appreciate his work in The Bar. Yes being a Cesaro fan helps, but they have a really fun dynamic. He's on the wrong side of 40 and has spinal stenosis, so I'm inclined to just enjoy him while I can.

I've got a few though, never really cared for Zach Sabre Jr but I liked what I seen from him in NJPW last year.

Scorpio Sky, I wasn't big on him when I first seen him in ROH because my first thought was Too Cold Scorpio rip off and then he got teamed up with SCU and has been great.

Adam Page is another one, really came into the Hangman gimmick. Before that he'd just floated around factions looking like a bigger Adam Cole. Working Japan has been great for him in the ring as well.

The tag team of Falla Bah and KM I thought I would hate at first but they became one of the most entertaining teams in Impact.

The Bar should be presented as a much bigger deal than they have been.

Yes, i totally agree

Bob Backlund

Until about 4 years ago I had only seen his second WWF run and heard guys like Superstar Graham and Larry Zbyszko shit on him constantly. Since getting into that era, I've discovered that Backlund had tremendous matches and was really exciting in the ring.

Conversely, I used to be really into Rick Rude as a kid, but going back and watching his 80's stuff, he was pretty dull in the ring until the early 90's and might be the most over-rated wrestler of all time. His feud with Jake Roberts in ring was awful

Rude and Steamboat also had shit matches. How do you have shit matches with Steamboat?

He was just so friggen dull in the ring for such a long time.

Mark Henry. I used to change the channel when he was on, but his Hall of Pain gimmick was fantastic.

Kind of a mild one as I wasn't a huge fan to begin with, but Jinder Mahal. When came back super jacked and won the title, I was interested. He was a different guy in one of the featured spots. I tried to get behind him. Then I realized he's actually not very good. I'm enjoying this new meditation gimmick though, and him having lackeys is a good thing.

So I guess I've come all the way around on Jinder? Seems weird.

I used to HATE Test. Instant channel changer. Started loving him when he started using the Big Boot as a finisher and left T&A. He used to kill people with that boot.

I used to be a Kane mark. Not anymore.

Chinlocks and the worst top rope jumping fist I've ever seen.

I fucking hated Heath Slater during his first couple of years on the main roster. He was getting pushed as a babyface during the first season of NXT, but it just felt so forced and he seemed really awkward and uncomfortable. Then he looked ridiculous trying to portray a serious heel in the Nexus and Corre days.

Once all that ended and he started doing those legends segments leading up to Raw 1000, he became immensely entertaining as a comedy foil, especially since he can sell his ass off. I wasn't surprised he got the crowd way into him after the most recent brand split.

Heath Slater keeps popping into my mind, but I've always wanted to like the guy, haha.

One day we will get a Heath Slater title reign.

Brock Lesnar forced to defend the Universal title on Raw, but it turns out to be against Heath Slater. Strowman or Reigns or whoever Lesnar is actually meant to be feuding with interferes, Slater wins the belt.

They'd probably reverse the decision the next week, but man that moment would blow the roof off of the fucking building.

Not a wrestler, but I LOVE Tony Shiavone now a lot more than I did 20+ years ago. Great commentator.

Tony has to be motivated to be any good. When he is, he's very good.

But he's a proper sports pbp guy which I think really helps. If he has a product he can treat like a sport, versus sports entertainment, he's even better.

Fuckin loved Test and became an even bigger fan after he left T&A. His Big Boot was the best.

Sting. Loved Surfer Sting didnt like Crow Sting

Super steroided up Test in ECW was my favorite Test

ECW Test is depressing to watch in hindsight because you know the damage to his body was already done. He was a dead man walking.

This. His match against RVD was very underrated.

I’ve changed my opinion on Randy Orton about 17 times.

Chris Benoit. I was a huge fan of the rabid wolverine growing up. Remember him making Lesnar tap out at Survivor Series, winning the Rumble next year, jumping to RAW, main-eventing WM XX with HBK and Hunter and winning the World's Heavyweight Championship. Got very emotional when Eddie came out to celebrate with him. Still remember watching him cry at Eddie's tribute show and feeling like shit. I was largely indifferent to his return to mid-card status and subsequent reigns as United States Champion. Vividly recall watching a Monday Night RAW leading into WM 22 where the reigning WWE Champion, John Cena made him (while he was the United States Champion on Smackdown) tap out to the STFU in an inter-promotional match. My interest in him was rekindled when he was drafted to ECW and was eager to see his ECW Championship program with CM Punk. Remember almost crying when they aired the tribute show on RAW and the eventual horror after learning what he had done.

When Alexa Bliss got the call to the main roster and was like "Oh, another hot piece of ass." Her first few matches were like whatever. But over time she got a hell of a lot better of all fronts. Really impressed me, and, a few others here.

Now I guess her future is in limbo now, which sucks.

Seth Rollins

Seth’s a good one, actually. I enjoyed him for a really long time, but ever since he went face his promos are always the same and, frankly, so are his matches. Sells the knee every match but somehow still has the energy to get all of his cool shit in.

John Cena. liked his 2002-2007 run, hated his 2008-2013 run.

Now i appreciate him more as he is putting more people over, not being crammed down our throats every week. plus his U.S open challenge is what really made me change my tune.

Seth seems like a weiner IRL. There's a difference between being a company guy and drinking the Kool-Aid. Really hated it when he jumped on Meltzer over the Peyton Royce thing. And then you go and work Saudi Arabia? Twat.

Shut the fuck up, Noid.

Lol

His ring work is really good, but there are things about him that just rub me the wrong way too. Like his superplex into a Falcon Arrow. Like, save a kick-out from that for the WrestleMania main event. Although I'm sure he won't be hitting that on Brock.

Actually, I do wonder what move Seth is going to beat Brock with at Mania? The Curb Stomp is his main finish now, yeah? For some reason, I just can't see that being the move that keeps Brock down. It just looks funny in my head. Maybe in the heat of the moment it will come off as really epic?

Technically, he did defeat Brock Lesnar in a match at Wrestlemania and also used the Curb Stomp to score the pinfall and win his maiden WWE Championship.

He defeated Lesnar?

Wait, you mean that cash in?

This is the problem I have with rasslin these days. They have diluted finishers by letting everyone kick out so they come up with these other moves, ie superplex/falcon arrow that should be finishers as they are more devastating but they are filler moves. So many times a huge devastating move means nothing because it’s not the designated finisher.

He won with the Suoerplex/Falcon Arrow anfew week’s back didn’t he? They just need to do that occasionally and not have everybody kick out of it.

I saw an Al Snow interview where he said that most of the stuff identified as a false finish aren't really false finishes because for it to be a false finish, you have to actually think the match is going to end. Crowds don't bite on those moves.

But worse yet, every big match now you have guys kicking out of the actual finish and when it doesn't happen it leads to confused response. I remember Brock beating Braun after one F5 and everyone's reaction was "wait, that's all it took?" We should've never been conditioned to expect more.

Always thought the AJPW/NOAH main event scene had it right. Guys have several moves that could potentially end the match, but don't always get the job done. It creates tension at every pinfall/submission. Then they have one "super move" that they only break out once in a while, but it's a one hit killer.

He pinned Roman in that match, but he's hit the move on Brock before. He did it in the build to the Rumble Triple Threat with Cena too. And Brock's a genius, so I'm sure he can take it. For some reason I just find it odd to imagine Brock stumbling around in position and a dude the size of Seth stomping his head into the ground in epic fashion, haha.

I could see a more desperate version of the move or one onto the title belt being used for the finish or something. It's just an odd visual to imagine Brock "co-operating" for a move that much.

It's only when they start hitting these moves that people wake up and get into things too. They'll only start popping after the first "finisher" only gets a two and the offending wrestler holds their head in disbelief that the same thing that happens every match is happening in this match.

Yeah, the conditioning is a major gripe of mine. I saw people complaining because Jeff Hardy only uses one Swanton Bomb to win matches.

I like the way Brian Last describes modern wrestling. It's a bunch of junior heavyweights wrestling All Japan style.

Elias.

He was nothing of interest in NXT, and surprised he got called up. His matches are still nothing special.

But each week he goes out there, particularly when he was heel, and just managed to get a reaction every time. Nothing special, just classic heel tactics of insulting the local team etc but he just managed to get it right each time.

So what you mean is you're impressed with how he remembers which teams are in which towns?

Seth Rollins.

Used to hate him for that stupid hair. He stopped that is now prolly my favorite, even though I don't watch much.

That was part of the effort to make the F5 a one hit kill that was building to Roman kicking out if it, and all that work lead to a crowd of

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