Why WWE's Style Hurts Gail Kim

[masterragu]

A BADSTREET PERSPECTIVE ON WHY WWE'S STYLE HURTS GAIL KIM

by Dave Whitaker 7/26/2003 11:01:00 AM


Fans of women’s wrestling (like I am) have been watching Gail Kim. I’ve noticed her looks and her athletic ability. I’ve noticed how she looks like Malia Hosaka (that is to say she is beautiful.) I’ve also noticed, unfortunately, how much she has struggled. She’s not had many good matches during her short time in WWE. Why she was brought up this fast is beyond me. Especially when you have workers like Daffney down in OVW.

Anyway, another big problem in the development of Gail Kim is the style of WWE itself. In the old days, before “sports entertainment,” became all the rage, matches and promos were not scripted to the very end. This is still true in most indy feds. The guy booking would decide who would win or lose, but it’d be up to the workers themselves to plan spots. They might do it before the show in the ring when none of the crowd has been let in. They might do it backstage.

The point is though, the workers controlled what went on the ring. It had its uses. If you had a slow worker with one who could move faster, the faster worker could call the spots and keep a decent pace going. A rookie could be led by a veteran into a decent match if the rookie had any type of skill. There was enough freedom in the ring to where things could be improvised if something went wrong, you didn’t have a script which planned out every move and detail.

Of course you know it’s just the opposite in WWE. Every spot, every word of every promo is planned out.

There is little room for creativity or improv. Not only does that hurt the creative process and make the WWE product more stale, it hurts youngsters like Gail Kim. Kim, while being very athletic, and having a wonderful look, is obviously not skilled enough to be on equal footing in a match with veterans like Molly Holly, or even more experienced wrestlers like Victoria.

But because WWE scripts out every detail, someone like Molly can’t carry Gail to a good match. Gail is unable to learn as she works by following the lead of a veteran. She’s forced to keep up and contribute like she is a veteran. How is she going to get better if she can’t learn? How will she develop as a talent if she cannot benefit from the experience of some of the other female workers? I am convinced Gail Kim would be having better matches if she wasn’t having to work WWE’s style.

If you want examples, go back and look at old NWA or WCW tapes. Nikita Koloff was never a great worker, but Ric Flair was able to make him look like a superstar. Flair did the same for Ronnie Garvin. The Road Warriors made the Powers Of Pain look like a great tag team when the Warlord was an incredible stiff. Further examples can be found in many indy feds today. The quality of in-ring wrestling is usually better than in WWE because the workers are able to plan the spots in the matches. The only time it doesn’t happen is when you have two inexperienced workers in the ring.

Also, WWE’s insistence in scripting every word of every promo is not good for Kim. How can she learn to speak and connect with the fans if she’s got some college kid, or Hollywood script writer trying to come up with what to say for her? While she may need help in developing her style, she would be able to get a better connection with the fans if she was allowed to come up with things on her own that worked. She needs to be able to make that connection with the fans. Sometimes the best catchphrases, promos, etc. are those that are done off-the-cuff, or unplanned.

Steve Austin’s “What?” was an idea of his. Fans chanting “you suck” in rhythm to Kurt Angle’s music was their own idea. Fan interaction and an ability to use it has always been a key in keeping wrestling fresh and creative. Unfortunately in WWE, that ability to be creative doesn’t seem to extend past certain workers.

A shame too. Because it would surely help young workers like Gail Kim develop. Not saying she won’t be a star anyway. But trying to climb a mountain with a two-ton pack on your back is much harder than being able to move on your own.

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[SeQueL]

WWE's Style Hurts EVERYBODY ON THE ROSTER!! LOL
Cept maybe Kurt Angle,TheRock, and Brock Lesnar.. They are always high energy
They jus waterdown the already watered down shiit.. Seems they dont know how ta utilize talent anymore

[Nam Dekan]

yeah i agree with that, everything is too scripted, and way too much mat work, and that hurts the cruisers. Watching these guys like Rey, Ultimo, Hurricane, Spanky, Knoble, and Moore to name a few...Watch these guys old matches in wcw to see them doing there style of wrestling or watch Spanky in his ROH matches.

WWE needs to get away from the 100% scripting and do some shoot promos...Also let wrestlers do more of there style, thats a huge reason why its stale...everything is to paint by the number and predictable...

[6th_plague]

female wrestlers are put there to look at...

shes too 2d

[Feme Sole]

I cant stand the girl

She doesnt seem that interesting.

[6th_plague]

word, no ass, no tits...

[Complete Chaos]

she lost the title on raw last monday i think to molly holly

[Tha Top Dawg]

Originally Posted by Abstract Vizionz

yeah i agree with that, everything is too scripted, and way too much mat work, and that hurts the cruisers. Watching these guys like Rey, Ultimo, Hurricane, Spanky, Knoble, and Moore to name a few...Watch these guys old matches in wcw to see them doing there style of wrestling or watch Spanky in his ROH matches.

WWE needs to get away from the 100% scripting and do some shoot promos...Also let wrestlers do more of there style, thats a huge reason why its stale...everything is to paint by the number and predictable...

yep, I've been saying that forever. Wrestlers should be allowed to wrestle whatever style they want, and they shouldn't have scripted promos unless it's for someone who really isn't that good, but then again those people shouldn't be allowed to talk anyway.

[Nam Dekan]

Originally Posted by Tha Top Dawg

yep, I've been saying that forever. Wrestlers should be allowed to wrestle whatever style they want, and they shouldn't have scripted promos unless it's for someone who really isn't that good, but then again those people shouldn't be allowed to talk anyway.

yeah or rookies like the guys up from the minor leagues

[Tha Top Dawg]

Originally Posted by Abstract Vizionz

yeah or rookies like the guys up from the minor leagues

I really hate how they're constantly bringing up green workers, cripes put them in development, dark matches, shit shows until they are decent enough to be on the main shows, maven, nowinski, depree, grenier, orlando jordan, orton and some others should NOT be on their top 2 shows, they're wrestling is so damn generic and bad it's pathetic.