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#1 |
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1-0 TPWW Chess Master
Posts: 17,211
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Discuss the Career #1: Val Venis
As it was pointed out in another thread about Noid booking Val to win the World Title, I figure we could have weekly debates about certain wrestlers. Debate their careers, what they contributed, etc.
For this week, we can look at the career of Val Venis. He was pushed pretty strongly when he debuted in WWE, but it seemed as time went on his career fizzled out. When he was put in Right To Censor, it seemed like he was destined for a career in the Midcard. Your thoughts? |
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#2 |
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Posts: 61,634
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I’ll play even though this is a pretty pathetic attempt by a pretty pathetic poster to put me down, because hey — I’m the best actual discussion here.
Sean Morley was a decent talent. He had a good look and potential when he started. The gimmick fit the trash of the 90s. People are going to react to “SEX!”. They’re not going to emotionally invest or get behind the porn star turned wrestler though. And none of the boys really want to sell for the guy whose gimmick is his dick’s bigger than everyone and he gets to use it more. In retrospect, he was really just “there” as a talent. Watching old clips, I think he used to die too much as a face and never presented himself as bad-ass enough in the ring. When it was time for his heel turn, the gimmick was too much in his past to move on from smoothly. His best shot was actually probably as Chief Morley. They could have maybe down more with him in 2001 post-Right to Censor or given the heel turn in 2000 more thought. I do wonder how history would be different if Sean Morley & Adam Copeland were brought in as a heel team in 1998, possibly with Jim Cornette as a manager. He had a reputable run as a player/coach during his Heat days. This is where he became good enough at selling to actually kind of warrant a push, but by then there were younger, better options who hadn’t started to resemble a “Big Valbowski” themselves. He then revealed himself to be a giant piece of shit human, making any contributions he could potentially have a trainer, agent or even a manager or whatever moot. There it is. The open and closed book on Sean Motley’s pro-wrestling career. Now fuck you. |
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#3 |
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Shelly Martinez = Ratings
Posts: 23,625
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Few guys could sell as well as he did
Last edited by screech; 10-22-2023 at 12:02 AM. Reason: Taking bumps, I mean. No idea if he moved merch lol |
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#4 |
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I am the cheese
Posts: 51,504
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Legacy wise? He doesnt really have one. Midcard act that despite being pushed pretty strongly on two or three seperate occasions failed to get over beyond shock value.
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#5 |
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Posts: 493
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The problem with Val Venis was that we just looked at him. Yeah, he was never a sight to see. We just looked at him and the whole damn world didn't want to look like him. But they did. So we just looked at him.
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#6 |
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I am the cheese
Posts: 51,504
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Yeah thats a great point. We did look at him.
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#7 |
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Higher. Further. Faster.
Posts: 21,166
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He's a relic of the time. It's not necessarily his fault, but where is one supposed to go after 'male porn star'? Even with the Chief Morley gimmick, he was always overshadowed by more talented workers and people who were able to grow and evolve their personality in a gripping way. What use do you have for a guy like that when you're receiving refugees from the WCW exodus?
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#8 |
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Posts: 61,634
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Val Venis is really just a mid-card Rick Rude, right down to the repeat initials.
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#9 |
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Reigning Tipsters Champ!
Posts: 2,088
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I think he was underrated as a worker. He was athletic and had a great look. I think the time to push him was RTC. He was in the background, but he should have been front and center. Maybe painting him as guilt ridden and extremist and causing fractions in the group would have been a cool story and could have given him an edge that he always seemed to lack.
A reformed, radical heel with a chip on his shoulder could have been an interesting character direction for him. |
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#10 |
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CodeBot Engaged...WOAAHH!
Posts: 9,814
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Right character at the right time. He was able to keep his job long after that character and get a chance to try other things like RTC and Chief Morley because he got over once before.
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#11 |
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Best Poster
Posts: 57,066
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He was never gonna get past the porn star gimmick
I did enjoy his brief pairing in 2000 with Trish and his IC feud with Rikishi |
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#12 |
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I am the cheese
Posts: 51,504
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He had a great match/build with foley in 99. Def his most memorable for me
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#13 |
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Shelly Martinez = Ratings
Posts: 23,625
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White tights Val Venis was solid
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#14 |
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Feeling Oof-y
Posts: 17,151
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Good Midcard/tag guy.
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#15 | |
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1-0 TPWW Chess Master
Posts: 17,211
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Quote:
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#16 |
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Posts: 61,634
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#17 |
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Feeling Oof-y
Posts: 17,151
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The truth, as usual, lies somewhere in the middle.
I don’t think this thread is in any way an attempt to “put you down”. Splaya isn’t GD. However, the concept germinated in another thread where the mention of Venis was most definitely invoked to try and provoke a reaction from you. |
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#18 | |
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Shelly Martinez = Ratings
Posts: 23,625
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Quote:
A little tag team feud between those two and Steven Richards/Bull Buchanan with Ivory trying to keep the group together and "work toward the common goal" may have worked well for everyone. (If they did try this, I don't remember how it went lol) |
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#19 | |
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1-0 TPWW Chess Master
Posts: 17,211
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Quote:
I could have made Val Venis the fifth career person we looked at and he still would have had the same response. |
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#20 | |
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Posts: 61,634
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Quote:
I don’t want Splaya to like me. We just don’t need anymore GD antics in the forum. |
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#21 |
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1-0 TPWW Chess Master
Posts: 17,211
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You don't have to worry about that. I think you act like a know-it-all asshole who disrespects the majority of the forum. So trust me, I'm good.
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#22 |
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You know that’s right
Posts: 52,765
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In terms of surprisingly great match from absolutely out of nowhere, that cage match with Rikishi was a banger. And props to him for agreeing to take a top of the cage splash from a 400 pounder. I think you can count on one hand the amount of guys in that lockerroom who would do that.
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#23 |
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MVP Mark
Posts: 16,451
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Little kid me enjoyed Val Venis. He played his part and seemed like a solid enough mid card talent.
There are certain gimmicks that are hard to get over. Being a pornstar is one of them. |
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#24 |
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Skibbidy Lock Jaw
Posts: 88,874
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The Big Valbowski was indeed.... *breath heavily* solid enough.... and got over even with his...... *breath heavily* hard gimmick
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#25 | |
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Higher. Further. Faster.
Posts: 21,166
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Quote:
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#26 |
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LIMITLESS
Posts: 32,276
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#27 | |
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Higher. Further. Faster.
Posts: 21,166
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Quote:
![]() RIGHT HERE...ON TPWW!!! |
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#28 |
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1-0 TPWW Chess Master
Posts: 17,211
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I think that's the way that we will go. Gonna make a list of of like 10 more wrestlers, managers, announcers, etc and release it to you guys. Could be Midcard guys. Could be main eventers.
That way if you don't know about the person or want to do more research that's fine. Just trying to get some perspective from you guys about certain people in the industry. That's all. |
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#29 | |
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Posts: 61,634
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Quote:
On topic: The cage match with Rkishi isn’t really that good. It’s got the splash spot, but when you go back and watch it, it kind of plods. I’m struggling to think of a memorable Val Venis match, to be honest. Anyone got any good ones? |
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#30 |
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1-0 TPWW Chess Master
Posts: 17,211
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I thought D'lo Brown versus Val Venis Summerslam 1998 was a great match. Good wrestling, had a storyline subplot (whether D'lo using a chest protector gave him an unfair advantage in the match), and the match delivered. Good opener for a pretty great PPV in terms of storyline telling (this as we know featured the infamous Rock/HHH Ladder Match)
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#31 |
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Prince Of The Forum
Posts: 3,550
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RTC Val challenging The Rock for the WWF Championship on a smackdown was a pretty great match.
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#32 |
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Posts: 61,634
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SummerSlam ‘98 is the closest thing that came to mind. You can tell they had been watching their puro. Crowd was more into D’Lo if I recall.
Haven’t seen that Rock/Val match. |
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#33 |
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Shelly Martinez = Ratings
Posts: 23,625
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Speaking of, I was a big fan of the D'lo chest protector gimmick.
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#34 |
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Higher. Further. Faster.
Posts: 21,166
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Some say his chest is still injured to this day.
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#35 |
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Posts: 61,634
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There may be hope for Sean Morley to get another run with the TNA rebrand. Everyone remembers “Your Feature Presentation” beating Chris Daniels. Does D’Lo Brown still work there? Do Chest Protector D’Lo vs. Morley for the TNA Legends Title.
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#36 |
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RIP SABU
Posts: 35,579
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It left me feeling semi-flaccid at the end.
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#37 |
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Higher. Further. Faster.
Posts: 21,166
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Weren't we supposed to be doing one of these every week?
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#38 |
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Posts: 61,634
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