Corkscrewed's Contemplations: Eddie Guerrero's Promo Skills

[Corkscrewed]

Blatantly ripping off Heyman's "Discussions," but this is aimed at bringing a sort of different view of things, at least sometimes. I post about something on my mind. You all discuss.

The first topic: EDDIE GUERRERO

There is no perfect wrestler. Even the legends that we worship had some areas which were not spectacular. Austin is a huge draw, but he's not a technical genius (though he is solid). Neither is the Rock. Benoit lacks promo skills. Kurt Angle doesn't fly as well as, say, Rey Mysterio.

But then we have Eddie Guerrero, who seemingly posseses every tool avaiable. He's full of charisma, can wrestle in any style and do it well, is a great, respectable person, and is full of charm. He's incredibly talented at everything he does... right? Well, I have to say, though, in watching him last night and recently, he does have one thing to work on: his promos.

Now, I know you're probably screaming at me, thinking I've gone mad or turned heel or something. Eddie's great at promos! The fans are well behind him! He gets plenty of pops!

He does... kinda. Eddie can conduct some great promos... but only under certain conditions. Eddie is at his speaking best when he's emotional and speaking from the heart. His promos against Lesnar during their feud, talking about overcoming the odds, beating adversity, and silencing his demons, were full of amazing intensity and warmth and truth, and they were quite an experience to take in.

But that's not everything in promos. When it comes to the light-hearted comedy side, I think Eddie stumbles--just a little. Take the King of Promos: The Rock. Here is a man who can be a heel, a face, an entertainer, and a fierce avenger. Whether he's vowing revenge, showing emotion, or being funny, The Rock gels no matter what.

That's something that Eddie currently lacks when it comes to comedy promos. I'm watching him do the auction stuff, and he seems halting, as if he's grasping for that great punchline that makes the segment memorable. The same happened last week when he unveiled the stuff he stole from Kurt. He walked around, and he seemed like, "Okay... now way.. oh hey! This!" Someone like The Rock would never be awkward like that.

The thing is, and this is very subtle, Eddie is not yet a person who can excel at the spur of the moment. He's not as good as, say, The Rock or Jericho at inventing things right then and there. He doesn't have exceptional material or content. He is at his best when pouring his heart out, but aside from that, he's not exactly smooth... at least not yet.

Now, I'm not saying he sucks. Not by a long shot. However, when you're as amazing as Eddie Guerrero is, you are held to a higher standard. Frankly, the only reason I compare Eddie to the best in this example is because he is so talented. No one will mistake him for a Brock Lesnar or Jeff Hardy on the mic, but he's a good, solid notch below that level that makes a gifted promo speaker. If he can hone that part of his repertoire...the ability to conduct brilliant promos, I can honestly say that he can become the single greatest wrestler in history.


Note to those who don't read too well: this is by no means a flame on Eddie... just constructive criticism.


DISCUSS.