Let's talk about NXT in general, and how you would bring up some of its acts to the main roster.

**Tom Guycott** · 12-28-2014, 12:48 AM

Exactly. They already have a "thing" in him being "The Man That Gravity Forgot", but one of the possible dangers of the jump to the main roster is trying to saddle someone with a over-the-top persona and/or stripping them of what has been working really well for them to begin with.

Lest we not forget Big E, who had the AMAZING 5 count gimmick in NXT. He was a monster, and put everyone down, insisted the ref count to 5 instead of 3, and would finish them again, and count 5 himself. They even referenced THIS VERY GIMMICK IN HIS FREAKIN' ENTRANCE THEME! The announcers made the comparison to King Kong Bundy doing similar. It was over, he was over, and that could have been something that carried over to the main roster pretty seamlessly... as parts of the live crowd who watch both NXT and main roster would have already been familiar, the "5" chants could have grown, and they would have been able to let him grow into a believable superstar by now. If built (both parties) were built effectively, Ryback vs Big E could have headlined a PPV... in time, not within 4 months, which was/is another problem for another discussion.

INSTEAD they immediately dropped the 5 count stuff, shoehorned him into being the muscle in a (though entertaining via social media and live appearances) half-assed, directionless stable with Ziggler and AJ, and eventually unceremoniously jobbed him to the next monster they were looking to build. In short, they stripped him of everything that worked, made to look like he's not any kind of a factor, and it's somehow HIS fault he's not over. Oh, and now sweating profusely is part of his gimmick. Nothing says highly marketable mass appeal like uncontrolable sweating. [sarcasm] Maybe if he were around in the Attitude Era, and they released those "Maximum Sweat" toys (I worked in a toy store when that happened) [/sarcasm], but really... really? Sweating??

Essentially, the only people relatively untouched in the transition were Rusev and the Wyatt Family. Again, I've never been a fan of Rusev, but they actually let that gimick build from the beginning, and they didn't really change anything in the jump to the main roster except somehow make him decide to be Russian instead of Bulgarian because hey, 'murica, same commie country amirite?! They didn't decide to let him be The Bulgarian Brute on NXT, then decide to push him and Lana as demented ballerinas or some shit on the call up.

12-28-2014, 12:48 AM	#9
Tom Guycott Wrestling Marks Rejoice! Posts: 10,166	Exactly. They already have a "thing" in him being "The Man That Gravity Forgot", but one of the possible dangers of the jump to the main roster is trying to saddle someone with a over-the-top persona and/or stripping them of what has been working really well for them to begin with. Lest we not forget Big E, who had the AMAZING 5 count gimmick in NXT. He was a monster, and put everyone down, insisted the ref count to 5 instead of 3, and would finish them again, and count 5 himself. They even referenced THIS VERY GIMMICK IN HIS FREAKIN' ENTRANCE THEME! The announcers made the comparison to King Kong Bundy doing similar. It was over, he was over, and that could have been something that carried over to the main roster pretty seamlessly... as parts of the live crowd who watch both NXT and main roster would have already been familiar, the "5" chants could have grown, and they would have been able to let him grow into a believable superstar by now. If built (both parties) were built effectively, Ryback vs Big E could have headlined a PPV... in time, not within 4 months, which was/is another problem for another discussion. INSTEAD they immediately dropped the 5 count stuff, shoehorned him into being the muscle in a (though entertaining via social media and live appearances) half-assed, directionless stable with Ziggler and AJ, and eventually unceremoniously jobbed him to the next monster they were looking to build. In short, they stripped him of everything that worked, made to look like he's not any kind of a factor, and it's somehow HIS fault he's not over. Oh, and now sweating profusely is part of his gimmick. Nothing says highly marketable mass appeal like uncontrolable sweating. [sarcasm] Maybe if he were around in the Attitude Era, and they released those "Maximum Sweat" toys (I worked in a toy store when that happened) [/sarcasm], but really... really? Sweating?? Essentially, the only people relatively untouched in the transition were Rusev and the Wyatt Family. Again, I've never been a fan of Rusev, but they actually let that gimick build from the beginning, and they didn't really change anything in the jump to the main roster except somehow make him decide to be Russian instead of Bulgarian because hey, 'murica, same commie country amirite?! They didn't decide to let him be The Bulgarian Brute on NXT, then decide to push him and Lana as demented ballerinas or some shit on the call up.