Quote:
Originally Posted by Noid
Regardless of what led to him getting opportunities, you have to accept that DDP ran with those opportunities. He was HUGE, and I heard someone reference the Diamond Cutter and DDP as late as 2006 in general conversation. DDP found his way onto the pulse of people. You say that guys like Austin, Rock, Triple H and Angle were around, but The Rock was actually out making movies at this time, Triple H was injured and Austin and Angle were both heels.
Instantly becoming the top guy is one thing, but being used to your strengths and with the intent of making money is another. Vince's pride had him treating the WCW guys like shit when he really needed to generate new stars to replace the absence left by guys like The Rock and Triple H. Listen to the pop when DDP revealed himself to the WWE fanbase. They went NUTS. People knew who DDP was, and were entirely keen and willing to get behind him in the WWE. Listen to the reaction when Booker T showed up and put Austin through the announce table. Both DDP and Booker T had the potential to make huge amounts of revenue for Vince McMahon, but he chose to bury them with comedic beat-downs and such -- to the point where DDP's greatest singles success was winning the fucking European Championship, and Booker T's greatest success came five years down the track.
Now they did have a lot of guys put to the back-burner in 2001 with the huge array of talent coming in. Big Show and Billy Gunn essentially became non-existent for a while, which led to them forming that "Show-Gunns" tag team in the later half of 2001. Edge won the King of the Ring and had quite a bit of mid-card success (he won something like two Intercontinental Championships and the United States Championship), but didn't really start his major ascension until 2002 in his feud against Kurt Angle.
But the point is -- a lot of potential was wasted with the Alliance angle, and a lot of guys essentially became mid-card fodder when they could have been used more productively. DDP and Booker T were two of the more grossly misused performers of 2001, in my opinion, and would have made adequate replacements for Stone Cold Steve Austin (who was now a heel) and The Rock (who was out until around SummerSlam, I believe).
All you had to do is have DDP run in and give people Diamond Cutters, and the merchandise would have flown off the shelf. Depending on how well that did or did not get over, you can then make an informed decision about how you use DDP. The WWE didn't even try it.
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This.
People just don't see it though because they're blinded by the facts of what really happened. It is BECAUSE DDP, Rhyno, Raven, Booker T, Shane Helms, Kanyon, Taz, Mike Awesome, Sean O'Haire and Lance Storm were all down graded from their positions in WCW that people (like Tedious) don't see the potential of what could have been. "Oh, they were just mid-carders and were never going to make it in the WWF." You have been trained to believe this because of how they were portrayed on television. Had DDP been pushed to the main event as a face and had an amazing 5-year run against the likes of Angle, Benoit, Austin, Rock, Undertaker, Kane, and Triple H, then they would be singing an entirely different tune. The difference, I think, Noid, is that you and I can see the potential of what could have been.
Of course, we have very differing opinions on one Val Venis... but still.