The Underrated

[HEIDENREICH]

Eто новата статия от същия автор-този път разглежда хора на които не им е провървяло според него.С едно-2 изключения доста странен подбор този път според мен.

Lex Luger:

A lot of the hate for Luger is for his personal life in the last few years. Yes, a lot is also for his style in the ring as he could come off stiff at times. However, if you take the time to watch some of his early stuff from 1987-91, the guy really wasn't that bad. True, he was often carried but still had better than many credit him for now. Luger's problem was never quite potential, he had it. The problem was that he was rushed way too fast by Florida promoters who were too eager to make him the next Hogan and not give him time to develop his skills. So he was not only raw but also got a swelled had fast as he was given a title only a month into his career. I know people will say he only fit in with the Horsemen because the rest covered for him but it takes more than three great guys to look good (Paul Roma proves that). Luger did have a good drive and was really over with the fans. Yes, his run as champ in 1991 was poor but let's face it, WCW had more than enough problems then that you can't blame it all on him. I do think his accident in '92 cut a lot of his ring skills down although he still managed to do well in WCW for many years afterward. Yeah, the guy got into a lot of stuff in the last few years (not going so far as to say Elizabeth's death was his fault of course) but I don't think it quite fair to lambaste him as a worse guy than he was in the ring. Maybe not great but then neither was Hogan himself.

Demolition

: How is it possible to hold the record as the longest-reigning tag team champions ever and be ignored by most "greatest tag team" lists? Well, in the case of Ax and Smash, it's obviously due to their act. Barry Darsow can talk all he wants on how Demolition were never intended to be Road Warrior rip-offs but come on, we all know they were. It's not like they were the only ones to be sure; they were just the most successful. The thing is, you can make a case that Demolition were actually better in the ring than the Warriors. Yeah, not the same power and overall presence but much better sellers and technicians who reigned long as both heels and faces at a time when WWF's tag team scene was at a high. The two had great chemistry that had fans backing them and proved they earned that long reign and its follow-ups. Yeah, adding Crush was rough but it did give the team a bit more life afterward and the fact we never saw them against each other has helped add to their rep as a great team. While the Warriors at the end were a shadow of their once great self, Demolition broke up before they got too stale and thus keep their great tough rep. It's a shame most don't recall that more.

Shelton Benjamin:

I think I may get some agreement here. Now, it's true Shelton does have some problems on the mic, not quite comfortable with it at times and a bit rough too. He also hasn't quite found the right in-ring character and this "Butch Reed 2.0" thing isn't quite right for him. Which is a damn shame because the guy should have been a bigger star at this point. He is incredibly talented technically and with high-flying moves and proved he can do big stuff with the first two MITB matches. He's also shown he can handle himself against big names like HHH and Shawn Michaels and three reigns as IC champ and two as tag champ are nothing to sneeze at. If he could just find the right character and persona, he may be able to finally click over and get higher up which he deserves. Of course, with some guys, too much character can be a bad thing…

Marc Mero:

It's a damn shame that Mero's major claim to fame is Johnny B. Badd. Fact was, in his prime, the guy was a damn good worker, good technical prowess, nice selling and a pair of hard hitting fists. Unfortunately, WCW's brilliant idea to package him as a Little Richard look-alike who would put plastic lips on fallen opponents that he never quite got rid of, despite winning two TV titles. He did slightly better in WWF as himself, winning the IC belt before a knee injury curtailed his run. When he did come back, he had a tough new attitude but seemed a bit lost and his big contribution was introducing then-wife Rena aka Sable. He popped up briefly as Badd in TNA but is pretty much out of the game and again, it's a shame he has to be remembered more for his goofball character antics rather than a good ring guy who took to it well.

:Rick Martel

Winning a world title when you're young is not always a good thing. When Martel became AWA champion, it was pretty much a move of desperation on Verne Gagne's part, his attempt to get his own fresh babyface to win fans over. Unfortunately, at the time, Martel was just too bland on interviews to really carry although he was a good worker. After losing the belt, he'd bounce around, winning the WWF tag titles with Tito Santana before becoming heel. The "Model" may have been a goofy character but Martel was great with it, constantly flashing his arrogance, milking the heat of the crowd for himself and seeming to improve in the ring as he went. While he never did get a big title run, he had good feuds with guys from Jake Roberts to Razor Ramon and still had good skills during it all. Maybe he wasn't right for his world title run then but he did prove a worthy competitor afterward.

Elix Skipper

: It says a lot that the guy responsible for one of the greatest moments in TNA history can be forgotten by his own company so fast. To this day, TNA will run the bit from "Turning Point ‘04" with Skipper's incredible cage-walk/hurricarana which was amazing to watch. He did get a push afterward as a singles face but never quite a big player as most expected. A shame as he is still capable of some high-flying moves and good technical skills but got mired in the tag ranks too long with Simon Diamond and then the XXX reunion. Is he even still under TNA contract? It's been so long since he's been seen, it's hard to tell. But if you can dig up some of the older TNA DVD's, you can see Skipper as one of the X Division players who never got to get the belt, rather unfair but then, we know how TNA can be with talent.

Dustin Rhodes:

In terms of actual athleticism and wrestling ability, I do believe Dustin is one of the few cases of the son being superior to the father. He was definitely in better shape and while his early push in WCW was due to his dad's backstage power, Dustin did show a good ability with nice technical skills Dusty lacked, some power hitting and his blandness was soon pushed aside for good rapport with the fans. He had good reigns as tag champion with Ricky Steamboat and Barry Windham and some decent singles runs too. But more importantly, Dustin showed a knowledge that being under his father's large shadow (no fat jokes please) was holding him back and so conceived Goldust, which has to rank as one of those ideas truly ahead of its time. Yeah, it was out there for 1995 but considering the ways the boundaries were pushed and shattered in the next few years, Dustin was onto something. It was a bit freaky with the homosexual overtones but he still backed it up with good ring action and his act added to his heat. Of course, he soon was trapped by it as it was really the only way he could be successful on his own as proven by his poor WCW and TNA runs afterward. Black Reign is obviously his attempt to capture that magic again and it's a bit disturbing that he only feels comfortable in a goofy persona as he is a good worker overshadowed by a father whose ring skills he outshines.

The Fantastics:

One of the most overlooked tag teams ever, Bobby Fulton and Tommy Rogers were doing high-flying and hard brawling battles before Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannetty ever met. The two blended together perfectly in the ring with hot tags, double-teams and great high-flying attacks. But they also proved they could get down and dirty as with their bloody 1986 feud with the Sheepherders. They did have a good run in the NWA feuding with the Midnight Express for the US tag titles that showed the best of both teams but somehow fell under the cracks afterward which doesn't seem right for a pairing capable of so much. Indeed, most fans barely know they existed but if you watch a classic match of them showing old-school tag team at its finest, you wonder how anyone could forget.

Davey Boy Smith:

I know I may hear it from some on this one. Davey Boy has often been cited as a guy who had to be carried to decent bouts and being a bit rough in the ring. But track down some of his classic Stampede stuff and a trimmer Davey Boy was good then. The British Bulldogs in their prime were a classic team, Davey Boy the power, Dynamite Kid the speed and their long success shows Davey Boy wasn't just some hanger-on. His singles stuff is also better than he gets credit for as he was a great technician (as natural for someone trained in the Dungeon) and if you watch the SummerSlam '92 match with Bret, you can see it's not a case of Bret carrying it all, Davey Boy gives well too. Yeah, he wasn't in Bret or even Owen's league as a singles guy but he was still good as his battle with Bret in December of '95 shows. Again, a shame his personal life gets more attention as well as the injuries that cut down his mobility. But watch his early stuff and you can see the Bulldog had more bite than people credit him for.

The Big Show:

Again, a choice that may get some protests. Now, while being introduced as "the son of Andre" when he broke out in 1995 was bad, Paul Wight did do well. He was much trimmer then and it wasn't uncommon for him to throw dropkicks, unheard of for someone of his size. True, he had mostly power and chop moves but he also had smarter ring presence and a better seller than most big men. For his run since joining WWF, he's often shot down because of the goofier antics and angles he does but the guy has a great ring presence and charisma. I still remember the bit in 2000 where he would impersonate people in the ring (his Hogan imitation at Backlash is still utterly hysterical) and even today, he is able to get fans going for him, heel or face. He's slowed by injuries but still retains a great power presence and is still a better seller than most other big men you can name. More importantly, he's shown the ability to go along with whatever's asked of him and with so many guys getting in trouble, it's nice to see someone able to buck up and take what comes his way and often doing a fair job with it.

Candice Michelle

: I admit a bit of bias as I've been a fan of hers since before she really started wrestling. Yeah, the body is stunning, we all loved the Playboy spread but Candice has also improved very nicely in the ring. Sure, she's no Trish Stratus but she's come quite far with some good moves (that leglock by the ropes is unique, give her that) and more importantly, really seems to have gotten into the actual wrestling instead of just posing about. She's taken a few lumps which shows she's really into the mat work and does seem to want to make a name as an in-ring competitor more than the usual Divas. I expect her to come back with a new fire and wanting to improve more, showing that even among the Divas, there's potential for real breakout talent, which is good for the future of women's wrestling.

[nWoHulkster]

Dustin Rhodes е яко underrate-нат, period. Early 90s WCW Dustin Rhodes e един доста способен кечист, който за съжаление не получава нужното признание в Интернет, с изключение на някои кръгове, където преди години дори имаше нещо като рубрика "50 мача, които показват защо Dustin Rhodes е по-добър кечист от Triple H" или нещо подобно. Early 90s WCW Dustin е един страшно солиден кечист! Освен това имаме Goldust, който е един от най-емблематичните и запомнящи се образи на Attitude ерата, а и Dustin по това време също си беше добре на ринга. Между другото, макар и със сигурност да не е първото нещо, което съм гледал, първият ми ясен спомен от WWF e с Goldust. In-ring работата му като Black Reign също въобще не е толкова лоша колкото някои хора се опитват да я изкарат и ако TNA престанат да използват Reign & Rellik като the Xplosion jobber team двамата могат да бъдат един много стабилен отбор.

Друг кечист, с който съм напълно съгласен, че е undertate-нат е Lex Luger. Lex Luger от края на 80-те и малко от началото на 90-те RULES! Още си спомням страхотните му мачове с Ric Flair, които имах честа да гледам, когато бях на 14 години (господ да поживи германската телевизия Premiere и нейните 3 до 9 часа кеч на ден, всеки ден - NWA/WCW, ECW, WWF, AAA, SMW!!! ). Като прибавим и другите работи от този период, които съм гледал просто изобщо не виждам как може да се hate-ва срещу Lex Luger. Пичът си е страшно солиден на ринга по това време и има един куп добри, че и много добри мачове. След това вече може да не е нещо кой знае колко особено на ринга, но пак си е поне ОК и е интересен за гледане. С две думи, Luger заслужава повече уважение!

Другите споменати по-горе не ми се коментират, макар и да има какво да се каже за някои от тях. Точно както при предишната тема за overrate-натите, така и тази за underate-натите, много не искам да ги коментирам, тъй като, ако започна да изброявам всички имена, които мисля, че заслужават да бъдат споменати ще има да си пиша с часове, а просто нямам време и желание да се занимавам толкова.

[HEIDENREICH]

Lex Luger и аз винаги съм го харесвал,даже америкън хиро версията при Винс.Фейс търна на самолетоносача е най-грандиозния и запомнящ се такъв търн евър.ПЕРИОД! И досега се опитвам да набия на джихад в кухата лейка,че човека има умения-при него явно лошия късмет го закопа.

Goldust ми е по забавен като интервюта и поведение-гейския му образ къртеше-до бели коси ще помня как партньора му Оуен не смееше да се сменя ,понеже си пазеше задника,а и целувката на Ахмед беше култова,както и писмото до Рейзър .А и не помня друг да е свалял Гробаря :clap:

[Shawn_Michaels]

Като цяло съм съгласен с всичко казано,но мога да добавя още едно име,което беше по-подценено от изброените според мен - Оуен Харт

[parcaleste]

Eдинственото което му е Underrate-aто на Оуен е това, че му беше даден goofy gimmick; просто живееше в сянката на брат си. А и не забравяй, че имаше спечелени колко? Две или три Slammy-та?

[Shawn_Michaels]

Бе тея Slammy-та за какво ги редиш,те не значат нищо особено,съвсем друго си е да беше световен шампион,точно затова Оуен беше подценен,защото живееше в сянката на брат си,но като умения не му отстъпваше особено,вярно Брет беше по харизматичния,но Оуен поне една световна трябваше да има.Той си беше един от иноваторите на американската high fly сцена,освен това стила си му беше уникален,имаше много puro в него покрай тея години,които прекара в Япония.Според мен Owen Hart>British Bulldog,макар че и Булдога мачкаше

[gboy]

А бе The big show как е подценен, като навсякъде, където е бил е световен шампион ? Ега ти подценяването !

[RcadestickR]

Оуен за мене си е бил и ще си остана по-харизматичен от брат си. За умения на ринга можем да поспорим, ама като си от такова семейство няма как да не си добър. Уникални са и двамата. На Брет интервютата, обаче, са толкова едноообразни, че не е истина. Оуен имаше олигофренски гимик, обаче го играеше по най-добрия възможен начин. Доста е underrated. Все пак е направил 5-звезден мач с брат си и т.н. Умаловажават го, според мен, най-вече заради по-кратката му кариера. Ако беше доживял щеше да е championship material...

[Shawn_Michaels]

Възможно е,но зависи как щяха да се отнесат с него покрай Ледения и Скалата трудно щеше да прогресира,а като сложиш Трите Хикса и Гробаря още по-трудно,а те през годините му осраха малко образа

[corruptedshadow]

Не ми се пише сега, но искам да спомена, че от тея тука най ме разочарова, че Dustin Rhodes не беше издигнат достатъчно. За мене си един много кадърен професионалист, който не получи заслуженото никъде. Освен. че в WWE не направи образът на Златния Прах един от най - известните по онова време.

[nWoHulkster]

Колкото и позитивно да се изказах по-горе за Dustin Rhodes, не съм съгласен, че Dustin е трябвало да бъде издигнат повече. Човекът просто не е main event материал, така че това, което постигна си е горе-долу това, което заслужава (според мен). Многократен интерконтинентален шампион/upper-midcard звезда в WWF и upper-midcard звезда в WCW въобще не е малко.

Owen Hart е друг кечист от това upper-midcard ниво, който за мен просто няма "IT" фактора да бъде главна звезда или шампион (освен ако не говорим за кратък transitional title reign). Страхотен кечист и т.н., но за разлика от Bret няма нужното присъствие и звездна аура, които са необходими за една main event звезда.

И между другото, има underrated и underrated. Понятието може да се разглежда в две посоки (или като комбинация от двете). Първо имаме underrated откъм успехи, които е можел да постигне и освен това имаме underrated като мнение на феновете за него и неговите умения. Като че ли се получи леко разминаване в посоката на дискусия, така че беше хубаво и това да се отбележи.

[DAMN]

Аз не съм много съгласен с подбора, който е направил журналистът. За Shelton Benjamin е прекалено да се каже рано да се каже такова нещо, още е млад и има какво да постига ако не в WWE, то в някоя друга федерация ще бъде оценен и използван както трябва. За Gig Show също не съм съгласен. Бил е световен шампион и в WCW и в WWF/E, многократен Tag шампион, това ако е underrated, аз съм трамвай . С другите не съм добре запознат и не мога да кажа нищо за тях, но специално за тези двамата не съм съгласен.