Wrestling WWE IX: A Solid B+

[wjowski]

How is Kane's spot a bad place to be in? Former three time World champion, tons of Rumble and WM moments, MITB winner, held some records for awhile, and has been a fixture on TV & PPVs for almost 20 years.

Holds a near-monopoly on terrible storylines, conisistently terribly booked in almost everything he's ever been involved in, basically holding onto his spot only via his talent and size. You can talk about his Rumble records or his runs with the Pity Championship all you want but they'll be long forgotten by fans while Spilled Coffee, Katie Vick, and Shane McMahon's Electrified Groin will likely be remembered as his career-defining moments.

Whatever happens with Harper I hope he ends up better than a schizophrenic midcarder victimized by ass-terrible booking.

[clayholio]

Holds a near-monopoly on terrible storylines, conisistently terribly booked in almost everything he's ever been involved in, basically holding onto his spot only via his talent and size. You can talk about his Rumble records or his runs with the Pity Championship all you want but they'll be long forgotten by fans while Spilled Coffee, Katie Vick, and Shane McMahon's Electrified Groin will likely be remembered as his career-defining moments.

Whatever happens with Harper I hope he ends up better than a schizophrenic midcarder victimized by ass-terrible booking.

It's tough, holding onto your spot only via talent and size.

For me, the defining Kane moment is the "You're Having My Baby" video he made for Lita. That trumps anything bad he's ever done, and by a mile.

[Legato]

It's tough, holding onto your spot only via talent and size.

For me, the defining Kane moment is the "You're Having My Baby" video he made for Lita. That trumps anything bad he's ever done, and by a mile.

For me. It was Team Hell No. Took something that could have been bad but made it not only funny but actually watchable

[wjowski]

It's tough, holding onto your spot only via talent and size.

For me, the defining Kane moment is the "You're Having My Baby" video he made for Lita. That trumps anything bad he's ever done, and by a mile.

My point is that whatever success he's had has been in spite of WWE's management and not because of it. I want Harper to be treated better.

[KingEli]

So....Cesaro is Sagat now apparently.

I seen the pic and damn if he doesn't look like the King of Muay Thai.

He already has the tiger uppercut down.

[alex]

As me an others pointed I think any midcarder would be lucky to have Kane's spot. Especially those who haven't been on tv.

I'm looking at Reigns vs HHH at Mania

I mean, from job security yeah, but from quality i don't think anyone would want to be kane.
And i bet Reigns wrestles hunter well before mania, rumble at the latest.

[clayholio]

For me. It was Team Hell No. Took something that could have been bad but made it not only funny but actually watchable

Kane's really good at the odd-couple tag teams, but Team Hell No was the best of 'em. That should have been a dead end for both Kane and Bryan, and they totally made it work.

My point is that whatever success he's had has been in spite of WWE's management and not because of it. I want Harper to be treated better.

I feel like Kane's true talent is that he's bulletproof to bad booking and bad stories. It's a superpower.

I'm digging Harper, he works well with everyone so far. But I'm just hoping that he's treated better than Luke Gallows, at this point.

[alex]

I feel like Kane's true talent is that he's bulletproof to bad booking and bad stories. It's a superpower.

I'm digging Harper, he works well with everyone so far. But I'm just hoping that he's treated better than Luke Gallows, at this point.

He's a better wrestler than Gallows was.
http://vimeo.com/99882867
Sin Cara only episode of botchamania, it's actually depressing.

[Siddon]

We already have Kane's replacement with Luke Harper.

BTW:

Jericho returns. Ratings spike. Segment is 3rd highest of the year. Jericho was "trending worldwide" ahead of RAW.

The REAL best in the world is back, BABY!

Luke Harper is 34 years old, 5 years older (a wrestling generation, than Rusev), I think Luke Harper is awesome but he's more like JBL or Barry Windham where he has that one hall of fame quality run for a year.

[alex]

Seriously, he did make more mistakes than anyone with his level of experience should have. I remember thinking it was because of the people he worked with, but watching that, a lot of it was him.
What was the deal?

[clayholio]

He's a better wrestler than Gallows was.
http://vimeo.com/99882867
Sin Cara only episode of botchamania, it's actually depressing.

That was pretty funny (that Chavo match was something), but they missed the two best moments of Sin Cara's WWE career. 1: WWE deliberately announcing his real name when he got popped on the Wellness Policy (which had previously been unknown), and 2: ADR "accidentally" unmasking Sin Cara during a match. When that happens in CMLL, they blur out the guy's face, they're serious about their kayfabe!

Seriously, he did make more mistakes than anyone with his level of experience should have. I remember thinking it was because of the people he worked with, but watching that, a lot of it was him.
What was the deal?

Part is that he was sloppy. It's not as if no one ever botches in lucha libre matches, it's just that the crowd doesn't care nearly as much. You have to screw up a couple of moves in a row before the crowd even notices. Lucha is more about movement - dives and flips and stuff. The style is a lot lighter, and it doesn't matter if you barely make contact on a senton or whatever. It's the flip that matters, not the impact. In American wrestling, the impact matters a ton. People want to hear the chops, and see people get planted on a body slam or a suplex. Otherwise it looks really fake.

Sin Cara came to WWE apparently believing that he wouldn't have to adapt his style at all, and thinking that he wasn't going to have to work on anything. His sentons from that video would have been passable in Mexico. The dives were objectively terrible, but there are guys in CMLL who eat it that badly on dives at least half of the time, and still keep doing them. The rotation into La Mistica was occasionally rough, and I can't blame that on WWE guys, because John Morrison routinely hit that rotation into a DDT without trouble.

[lancerman]

The thing with Kane is that he debuted in an iconic storyline with an iconic character at the genesis of what would be the biggest wrestling boom ever. So he's associated with that and the Attitude Era. Therefore, he will always be somewhat of a star no matter what. But he's not at a level where he can do anything serious. But he has maximum job security.

[BeastieRunner]

If Kane is so mediocre why has he been employed for nearly 20 years AND still going in the ring?

He's no Lou Thez or Mr. Backlund in the ring yet he still moves pretty good for a really big guy. He's definitely a Hall of Famer.

Nearly every wrestler has embarrassing and crappy moments, so I don't think that is really a decent litmus test for being good or bad.

[Legato]

It's funny how Kane is being singled out in having bad storylines while he's not the only WWE guy to have a bad angle. Or even a bad match

[lancerman]

If Kane is so mediocre why has he been employed for nearly 20 years AND still going in the ring?
He's no Lou Thez or Mr. Backlund in the ring yet he still moves pretty good for a really big guy. He's definitely a Hall of Famer.

Nearly every wrestler has embarrassing and crappy moments, so I don't think that is really a decent litmus test for being good or bad.

My response to this was:"The thing with Kane is that he debuted in an iconic storyline with an iconic character at the genesis of what would be the biggest wrestling boom ever. So he's associated with that and the Attitude Era."

"