Shinsuke Nakamura talks about crying after wrestling Brock Lesnar

[Mr. Nerfect]

Originally Posted by #BrotherVito DELETED They are really good. But there have been prolonged stints where I haven't had any interest in watching them because they were phoning it in on a regular basis. Like, they were so gifted that they could just half-ass it and still have it be totally passable. So I get why they did it. But as a fan I just didn't find it particularly interesting after a while. Del Rio felt checked out for much of his WWE run and his boring character didn't help. Orton seems to mostly just coast when he's a face, he's very outspoken of his preference of being heel and it does seem like he's extra motivated when they've allowed him to have a heel run.

Ah, a well-thought out response. This is something I can engage with. Thanks.

I get what you're saying, but a lot of what made Del Rio boring wasn't that he was "phoning it in." I'd say the part that you could make a case for Del Rio doing that would be League of Nations, and who can blame him for that? They all did, sans Rusev, because you need to pick your battles. I think the issues that plagued Del Rio were other. I think it's too assume too much to assume that if he had tried it would have worked. The guy got a really good push and people just didn't care beyond WrestleMania, and I may be generous because I was into the act for a minute.

With Orton, I feel all the points have already been said a thousand times. Sometimes he looks unmotivated. The dude is still on the road full-time, largely, 16 years into a WWE career. He still produces good work and is one of the most over guys on the roster. Is he phoning it in, or are you just used to seeing him? I've grown to appreciate him more and more, not less and less, because I can see how much better he is than a lot of the guys who do bust their ass but don't "get it" as much as he seems to.

As a fan, I'd rather watch someone special like Brock than someone routine and mundane that busts their ass to flop around like a fish for no reason. I don't consider that "phoning it in." That's the point. I consider it better work. Jared Leto isn't a better actor than Bryan Cranston because he goes full insane and immerses himself in the character and does too much. If someone can do more with a wink than a monologue, more power to them.

I'm sure Ultra Mantis has had creative experiences and is speaking true to his own opinions. Cool. So have I, and I appreciate both process and product. Different people have different processes. If the product is what is desired (and I'd argue with Brock that it is), then that process might be important to that. Don't fuck with it. Especially not out of some insecurity-filled "they don't love it enough" bullshit. If you are the best at something and everyone in your field is an asshole, you might choose not to associate or love the culture, but it doesn't mean your work isn't valid.