We’ve seen a lot of debuts in wrestling over the past year, and this got me thinking. What is the best way to bring a new guy, gal, or team into your wrestling promotion? Let’s take a look at how this has been done in recent history.

1) Vignettes

This method, seen most recently with the Wyatts*, makes most sense if the plan is to elevate the superstar to an important story. Showing short videos throughout the week give us an idea of who this person is and build anticipation to see them. This has seemed to work for the Wyatts so far, and has proved successful for superstars like Hunter Hearst Helmsley and Carlito*, who won the US title from John Cena in his first match. Failures with this method in recent memory seem to be when the superstar is not fully revealed during these segments, such as w Tensai*. I personally believe this is because we build up the surprise in our minds and expect it to be bigger than it ever really could be in reality. An obvious non WWE example is the August 1* reveal on TNA. People thought it was Batista, Goldberg, or Stone Cold. No way Tito is close to those names.

2) Out of Nowhere

This is always a good surprise for us, the fans. To see a new superstar with no buildup is always unexpected. The perfect recent example of this is the Shield’s debut at Survivor Series last year*. But when using this method it is important that the debuting wrestler(s) actually make an impact. A losing effort, such as with our good friend Scotty Goldman*, can spiral a national career downward.

3) As a Second Banana

Personally, I think this is the best way to introduce a new wrestler. It allows him or her to pay dues and get match experience without the pressure of a main story. It also gives us the opportunity to care about them and become invested before their first solo story. Big E Langston has done well in his role of bodyguard for both Dolph and AJ, and has slowly become more comfortable in the ring. Dolph, who himself debuted as a valet, has gone on to an illustrious career thus-far. One other superstar that made his debut as an accomplice is the aforementioned Batista*.

What do you think is the best way to bring a new superstar or team? Let me know in the comments or on Twitter @sswtom. ( https://twitter.com/sswtom )

-Tom Lahdnuh

*Check out some links:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmHsiVlUAUA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8riRONS2TCg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzJIIrl2qjI

Also, be sure to check out our podcast, Side Slam Talk:

The Buzz Kill Edition

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First off, Happy 4th to everyone in/from the US!

As I’m sure we’ve all noticed, the WWE product has improved ever since one of the worst Wrestlemanias in recent memory. Here I’ll elaborate and highlight on some of the changes the top company has made that have peaked our interest and made the inundation that is WWE TV a lot more tolerable and, dare I say, entertaining.

1) The Divas

The Divas actually have a story! I think that WWE has realized that even the men in their fanbase don’t just want to look at the Divas for two minutes – we want to see them actually do something interesting!

None are better to do that at this moment than Kaitlyn and AJ Lee. These two best friends have put together an intriguing story, using their broken on-screen relationship to fuel the fire. Their match at Payback told a great story as well, as AJ’s head games indirectly paid off and indirectly cost Kaitlyn the title (Kaitlyn taunted AJ for retribution after a finishing spear and was unable to get the three because she took too much time).

With the introduction of WWE’s new Total Divas, we are looking at a potential two-story Diva division. This is a step in the right direction. Hopefully once the reality show ends (or WWE decides to stop taking care of it a la Superstars, Main Event, NXT before it became developmental), WWE still continues to involve its female stars in intriguing parts of the show.

2) Predictability

WWE (or any story, for that matter) is always going to have some element of predictability. These stories have to should make sense, so we should be able to tell where they are heading to some degree. However, in the past WWE has not even tried to throw us any surprises that generate interest at all.

I’m not saying every surprise has to be a Brock Lesnar return against CM Punk. Small stuff like the arrangement the SHIELD matches at Payback (Bryan teaming with Orton instead of Kane) makes us want to see what will happen. And not every surprise needs to take place out of nowhere. The RVD return is a surprise, and we have 4 weeks or so to prepare for it.

All three examples I talked about are proof of the great writing we’ve seen from the creative staff lately. Here’s hoping it continues.

3) Character Depth

In the past few months, we’ve begun to see different sides of characters we love. Daniel Bryan and Zeb Colter have both taken steps to expand on their personalities. Dolph Ziggler is on the cusp of showing us how he functions as a goodie.

We’ve also seen some expansions in characters. Damien Sandow has shown us what he can do by challenging Sheamus to intellectual competitions on Smackdown. We’ve also seen Kaitlyn’s personality take a step forward by envoking some empathy in us do to her lost admirer, broken friendship, and lost title.

We all know that it’s the characters in the ring that makes us love wrestling. I think WWE has realized that they also make us tune in more, buy t-shirts, and come to events. This equals money for them and enjoyment for us.

– Tom Lahdnuh

What improvements and/or deteriorations have you noticed in WWE lately? Join in the conversation with us on Twitter (https://twitter.com/sideslamtalk) (https://twitter.com/sswtom) (https://twitter.com/sideslamrymac)

Also don’t forget to listen to the latest episode of our Side Slam Talk Podcast:

The Frisky Forgiveness Edition

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1) Rockstar Spud

Spud, as most of you will know, was the winner of TNA’s Tough Enough British Boot Camp, and thus earned himself a TNA contract. Immediately after his victory, we saw the beginnings of a feud with every newcomer’s first rival, Robbie E. It even for a second seemed that Spud was going to take E’s place at the side of Rob Terry, forming a UK connection and a viable tag team.

However, following Spud’s victory over Robbie E on Feb. 21 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pIvjC8ECbk), he was never heard or seen from again in the Impact realm. He, of course, was sent to OVW. Here his first match saw him gain the TV Title from Mr. 18-fuckin-59 Cliff fuckin Compton (this only works if you read his name in your best impression of his voice) and hold that belt for, ironically, 59 days.

What this all means to TNA fans is anyone’s guess. Spud, like many of his counterparts that participated in Gut Check, had his momentum cut just as people like us watching at home began to care about him. He was almost literally thrown of the ladder at the first rung.

His re-debut is even a question now: do we see our startchy UK friend anytime soon? My answer is yes. With the current 3-man rotation happening in the X-Division, Spud will get his shot here. It makes the most sense, and I’m excited to see what happens. Personally, I think Spud will knock it out of the ballpark. I think we see a high level of athleticism that warrants him not only a feud with Kenny King, but the X Division belt as well (via pinfall on the third man in the equation). King will net the belt back after a few tries, but Spud will have resonated with us enough to make him at least a bi-weekly TNA fixture.

2) Joey Ryan

Long time PWG staple Joey Ryan was the first man to lose Gut Check and the first man to gain a full-time roster spot from that competition (’cause that makes sense). As someone who’s watched the evolution of his sleazy gimmick I’m glad that all of his hard work paid off in him debuting this character to a nation-wide Impact audience.

However, Joey’s stock has begun to fall in recent weeks. He was relegated to interim Knockouts referee following Taryn Terrell’s inevitable move to the Knockouts roster. He did a fantastic job using comedy in the role (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XbntlQBGXc), but was doomed to be removed from it. He then was the third wheel in the uneasy team of himself, Robbie E, and Jesse Godderz.

I believe that TNA doesn’t know what to do with Joey Ryan because his character, while great, has a shelf life approaching its limits. What we need to see is a new evolution of Joey Ryan into someone more 3 dimensional than a 70s porn-star. This evolution can be a gradual evolution (maybe he falls in love and learns to respect women) or something spurred by a traumatic event (maybe he loses his hair and mustache as part of a match stipulation). Either way, it gives us something to invest in and a character to root for (or against) as we watch him change right before us. Not only is this how other TV shows make us care about their characters, but watching him evolve and grow is the reason I cared about Joey Ryan even before he even stepped into the Impact Zone.

If this evolution does not happen, I’m afraid Joey’s shelf life will expire and his star in Impact will fizzle until it’s gone.

3) Jessie Godderz

Our friend Jessie is perhaps one of the most pleasant surprises in recent wrestling history. As a Big Brother fan, I was one of perhaps five people who knew who Mr. PEC-tacular was the minute he was revealed as Tara’s “Hollywood” boyfriend at last year’s Bound for Glory. Knowing his cocky jock personality from Big Brother, I knew he would fit in as a heel in TNA.

What I didn’t know was how good he would prove to be in the ring. Yes, his selling is kind of campy, but that’s almost part of his charm. He has also shown me the ability to learn to take and give new moves as he continues to gain ring experience. We should see Jessie on TV on a more frequent basis.

I think the next logical place for him is the TV Title story. Provided Joseph Park comes away with the strap at Slammiversary, I can see a feud with Jessie some time in his future. I don’t think we will see a PEC-tacular TV title run, but maybe Jessie uses his Hollywood connections to discover Joseph’s true identity? It’s a fantastic way to make him an integral part of the story and get him some valuable experience with a ring veteran like Park.

– Tom Lahdnuh

What are some of your predictions? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter (https://twitter.com/sideslamtalk)

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