So what actually makes a "Next big thing"

[EaztSte]

And will my WWE company be in trouble in the future since it says I don't have any.

 

Skip to the bottom for the question.

 

I'm in no shortage of stars (and by that I mean YOUNG stars). I've still got HHH, Jericho, Cena, Taker, Orton, Michaels.

 

I've elevated R-Truth ( took FOREVER, now he's 38 D: ), CM Punk, MVP and Ted Dibiase Jr. to the main event scene along with the above.

 

I have a very strong Upper Midcard division of

AJ Styles

Big Show

Booker T

Christian Cage

Jeff Hardy

Matt Hardy ___

Ricky Banderas ------------|

The Bryan Kendrick --------| -- The Architect's Of Pain Stable

Tyson Kid ---------------|__

 

And below that I have brilliant workers in midcard and future potential stars. This IMO is my strongest division in terms of wrestling ability. All the midcards guy have their own B show called WWE WarZone.

 

Bryan Danielson

Chavo Guerrero

Christopher Daniels

Evan Bourne

Homocide

Jake Hager (Jack Swagger)

James Storm

Jamie Noble

Jay Lethal

Jeff Jarrett

John Morrison

Kofi Kingston

Mistico

Paul Burchill

Rey Mysterio

Rob Van Dam

Samoa Joe

Shelton Benjamin

William Regal

 

---

 

I seem to of gone completely off subject but perhaps some of that can help your answer....Am I eventually going to fail as my stars grow old...or is a "Next big thing" rare? And what exactly makes a wrestler become a "next big thing"?

 

Thank you.

[Comradebot]

And will my WWE company be in trouble in the future since it says I don't have any.

 

Skip to the bottom for the question.

 

I'm in no shortage of stars (and by that I mean YOUNG stars). I've still got HHH, Jericho, Cena, Taker, Orton, Michaels.

 

I've elevated R-Truth ( took FOREVER, now he's 38 D: ), CM Punk, MVP and Ted Dibiase Jr. to the main event scene along with the above.

 

I have a very strong Upper Midcard division of

AJ Styles

Big Show

Booker T

Christian Cage

Jeff Hardy

Matt Hardy ___

Ricky Banderas ------------|

The Bryan Kendrick --------| -- The Architect's Of Pain Stable

Tyson Kid ---------------|__

 

And below that I have brilliant workers in midcard and future potential stars. This IMO is my strongest division in terms of wrestling ability. All the midcards guy have their own B show called WWE WarZone.

 

Bryan Danielson

Chavo Guerrero

Christopher Daniels

Evan Bourne

Homocide

Jake Hager (Jack Swagger)

James Storm

Jamie Noble

Jay Lethal

Jeff Jarrett

John Morrison

Kofi Kingston

Mistico

Paul Burchill

Rey Mysterio

Rob Van Dam

Samoa Joe

Shelton Benjamin

William Regal

 

---

 

I seem to of gone completely off subject but perhaps some of that can help your answer....Am I eventually going to fail as my stars grow old...or is a "Next big thing" rare? And what exactly makes a wrestler become a "next big thing"?

 

Thank you.

 

Next Big Things ARE rare. Very rare, in fact. To qualify to show up on the list a worker needs to have very high potential both in the ring and popularity wise and be younger than 29. Higher star qualities tend to mean they're more likely to hit that high popularity potential, but even low SQ guys can sometimes make the list. Oh, and workers have to be pushed as midcard or lower to show up, but being pushed higher than midcard won't effect their potential any.

 

Really, you'll only typically have one or two of these kind of workers in your company at best (and frequently none when you're smaller).

 

Even without a "Next Big Thing", you also have your Hot Prospects list. These are the guys who also have pretty good potential, but are less likely to end up being guys who are both fantastic in-ring workers AND massively popular. Some of these guys have the ability to be solid in-ring workers, even to become national stars, or something inbetween, but they aren't the total package that a NBT COULD be. Also, note that Hot Prospects must be younger than 30, meaning a worker who is a Next Big Thing when he's 28 will disappear from THAT list when he turns 29, but still be a Hot Prospect.

 

But as long as a you have a solid amount of hot prospects, you'll be okay for the future.

[EaztSte]

That was an excellent answer that left no questions thank you.

 

I can't get enough Hot Prospects so I think I'll be good.

[T-Jay]

Try and think of it like real life WWE....

 

Since Hulk Hogan there hadn't been a Next Big Thing until Stone Cold and The Rock appeared. Someone may try and argue Bret Hart or Shawn Michaels even Triple H, but none of them reached the stratusphere of success that Austin & Rock did. The only N.B.T that came after that was John Cena (love him or hate him.... it happened... and he's worked hard & persevered through the bad times which made him even more popular). The only NBT that I would consider coming from WCW would be Goldberg. He hit icon status in less than a month. Even Hogan can't claim that.

 

The way I view it, is someone who rises up the card so quick you have no choice but to hang on and cross your fingers. Like a rocket.

[ampulator]

John Cena doesn't count as a N.B.T. N.B.T. is pretty strict. You must have a high potential in popularity (he has that) AND high potential in ring-work (which has improved much).

[T-Jay]

So going by your post, Hulk Hogan was never a Next Big Thing since he couldn't wrestle his way outta a wet paper bag.

 

By the way, not all N.B.T's eventuate to that status. There are many examples of that over the years. But things like attitude, injury or whatever can affect their ability to explode into "overnight" sensations.

[Remianen]

The way I view it, is someone who rises up the card so quick you have no choice but to hang on and cross your fingers. Like a rocket.

 

No. Neither Austin or Rock rose up the card so quick you have no choice but to hang on and cross your fingers. Or are you completely ignoring the 'Stunning' and 'Ringmaster' and 'Rocky Maivia' stages? Besides that, how old was Austin at Royal Rumble in '96? 32. Kinda late to be a 'next big thing', wouldn't you say?

 

In TEW terms, a Next Big Thing is exactly as Comradebot explained it. I dunno how rare they are though (I have at least 2 in every game I play) and sometimes it takes time for them to be recognized (i.e. you won't see them pop on the list the moment you sign one). But Hot Prospects are enough to take you to Global. Next Big Things are great BUT as the section's advice tells you, they still require care in reaching that potential. That's why I took exception to T-Jay's example (because it's not true - these workers aren't 'ready made' stars who will reach the top with no input from you. Just like Austin probably wouldn't have reached his potential if not for his star turn at Royal Rumble '96). Having people think they can just ride that pony til its legs fall off will lead to folks completely screwing up what could be the foundation a successful promotion is built on.

[Remianen]

So going by your post, Hulk Hogan was never a Next Big Thing since he couldn't wrestle his way outta a wet paper bag.

 

He wasn't ever a 'Next Big Thing'. He was a Hot Prospect. EDIT: Who developed into a Franchise Player.

[ampulator]

Hogan was a pretty good wrestler, actually. I saw his Japan stuff with Andre. I heard his knee got screwed up really bad, though, and that's why he didn't wrestle as intensely in the WWE. He didn't have to either, at time. I'm also not sure whether Hogan would qualify as N.B.T., by the game's standards.

 

And to be fair, that was a different time, different product, different fan base. Unfortunately for Cena (who I like as a person), there's too many other stars that have more Star Quality and good ringwork than he does, and the WWE handicaps him with a stale gimmick and character.

 

I'm beginning to see that the WWE might be slowly trying to go for some others. I'm pretty sure, unless, they give Cena less restraints and restrictions, that's he's not going to get anymore popular.

 

Edit: Thanks Remianen. That's what I wanted to say.

[Comradebot]

Hogan was a pretty good wrestler, actually. I saw his Japan stuff with Andre. I heard his knee got screwed up really bad, though, and that's why he didn't wrestle as intensely in the WWE. He didn't have to either, at time. I'm also not sure whether Hogan would qualify as N.B.T., by the game's standards.

 

And to be fair, that was a different time, different product, different fan base. Unfortunately for Cena (who I like as a person), there's too many other stars that have more Star Quality and good ringwork than he does, and the WWE handicaps him with a stale gimmick and character.

 

I'm beginning to see that the WWE might be slowly trying to go for some others. I'm pretty sure, unless, they give Cena less restraints and restrictions, that's he's not going to get anymore popular.

 

Edit: Thanks Remianen. That's what I wanted to say.

 

And, really, they should give him some more freedom. Cena has it in him to be an AWESOME star, and much more than a generic family friendly babyface. His stuff as the Protoype in OVW was a thing of beauty, and he really does have a way with the microphone when given the chance to take the ball and run with it. Unfortunately, he never gets that opportunity.

 

Cena is definetly not a NBT, but more like Bam Bam Johansson style prospect in my EWA. He can improve to the point that he isn't a TERRIBLE wrestler, but his real potential lies in his interviews and ability to become a star.

 

John Cena, however, is not an Alpha nor Norwegian.

[FINisher]

John Cena, however, is not an Alpha nor Norwegian.

 

And thus, instant FAIL.

[Candyman]

No. Neither Austin or Rock rose up the card so quick you have no choice but to hang on and cross your fingers. Or are you completely ignoring the 'Stunning' and 'Ringmaster' and 'Rocky Maivia' stages? Besides that, how old was Austin at Royal Rumble in '96? 32. Kinda late to be a 'next big thing', wouldn't you say?

 

In TEW terms, a Next Big Thing is exactly as Comradebot explained it. I dunno how rare they are though (I have at least 2 in every game I play) and sometimes it takes time for them to be recognized (i.e. you won't see them pop on the list the moment you sign one). But Hot Prospects are enough to take you to Global. Next Big Things are great BUT as the section's advice tells you, they still require care in reaching that potential. That's why I took exception to T-Jay's example (because it's not true - these workers aren't 'ready made' stars who will reach the top with no input from you. Just like Austin probably wouldn't have reached his potential if not for his star turn at Royal Rumble '96). Having people think they can just ride that pony til its legs fall off will lead to folks completely screwing up what could be the foundation a successful promotion is built on.

 

You're thinking of King of the Ring '96, but yeah. Austin was the best example of "right place, right time" in the history of the world. He wasn't a Next Big Thing, he probably wasn't even a Hot Prospect. Everything fell absolutely perfectly for him.

 

As for The Rock, he's a perfect example of why the game warns that you have to be very careful with Next Big Things and Hot Prospects. The WWE just about did everything wrong with him when he made his debut, and they had to take him off TV for a couple months and basically start over from scratch before he could reach his potential.

 

If you want to talk about real life Next Big Things, look at Shawn Michaels, Triple H, and Brock Lesnar. Jack Swagger is a present day NTB. Mr Kennedy would be a good example of a NTB that failed.

[Fullhouse]

I agree with Candyman as I was about to say that Shawn Micheals and Brock Lesnar were good examples of Next Big Things and some of you may be too young to remember but Sting when he debuted with WCW or whatever they were called back then. The Ultimate Warrior and Goldberg were pushed properly and good examples of how to handle NBT.

[Comradebot]

I agree with Candyman as I was about to say that Shawn Micheals and Brock Lesnar were good examples of Next Big Things and some of you may be too young to remember but Sting when he debuted with WCW or whatever they were called back then. The Ultimate Warrior and Goldberg were pushed properly and good examples of how to handle NBT.

 

No, I'd say those guys are Hot Prospects with massive popularity potential. In-ring, neither of them (ESPECIALLY the Warrior) have ever had a large amount of potential or talent.

 

Michaels and Lesnar, on the other hand, are probably good examples.

[TeemuFoundation]

Except (As much as I adore and love the guy) Michaels was never was a Next Big Thing. He never drew a dime.

[Remianen]

You're thinking of King of the Ring '96, but yeah. Austin was the best example of "right place, right time" in the history of the world. He wasn't a Next Big Thing, he probably wasn't even a Hot Prospect. Everything fell absolutely perfectly for him.

 

Bzzzt! Sorry, while the last sentence is correct, I don't think anyone with any sense could watch Austin's work in ECW and see him as anything but a Hot Prospect. Seriously. That was the whole point of him going there after "the fax that changed the fortunes of WWE".

[D-Lyrium]

I'm not sure I necessarily agree with the notion that to be a Next Big Thing you have to have the potential to morph into a fantastic in-ring talent. Surely it depends on your product?

 

If you're the SWF, all you're really looking for in a Next Big Thing is a guy who can work without injuring the entire roster, has a great look and lots of star quality, and will likely become a massive household name. Someone like The Rock.

 

Sure, he had to suffer through the Rocky Miavia stage, but surely the fact that he got noticed by the WWF (sic) as Flex Kavana, then got saddled with the one-dimensional-good-guy-babyface shtick just as the Attitude Era was starting to take off so had to go away and come back as a heel, and STILL became one of the biggest babyface draws in wrestling history... surely that ADDS to his status as a Next Big Thing, rather than takes away from it?

 

Austin is the polar opposite. He was a decent wrestler who got a really lucky break. That could happen to absolutely anyone in your company. Except Dusty Bin. The Rock was an amazing talent that got a series of **** thrown at him before damn well forcing himself to be a star regardless. Hogan? Eh, bit of both.

 

I mean, ****, if a guy gets kneecapped and still wins Olympic Gold in the marathon, he's got to be a hell of an athlete?

 

Hot Prospects are guys that could be good for your company in future.

Next Big Things are guys that could BE your future.

 

I never saw it as anything more complicated than that. *shrugs*

 

Michaels? Hot Prospect. Hart? Hot Prospect. Lesnar? Iffy. Sure, they called him the Next Big Thing, but was he? Really? The guy could hardly say his name.

[Remianen]

Hot Prospects are guys that could be good for your company in future.

Next Big Things are guys that could BE your future.

 

I never saw it as anything more complicated than that. *shrugs*

 

That's too subtle. Not everyone's going to recognize the difference (and there is a very big difference).

 

For example, in my current game, I have two workers. Twins. One is a next big thing, they're both Hot Prospects. Do you split the team up? Why or why not? That's the subtlety I'm talking about. Many people will automatically see 'Next Big Thing' and the first thought that enters their mind will be PUSH PUSH PUSH. Nevermind the fact that the very section says 'They should be handled with care!'. A lot of folks will see 'Next Big Things are guys that could BE your future' and automatically think 'they have to be in the main event NAO NAO NAO' when that's so totally contrary (in most cases), it's unreal.

[djthefunkchris]

So going by your post, Hulk Hogan was never a Next Big Thing since he couldn't wrestle his way outta a wet paper bag.

 

... Why do people think this.

 

Hogan was incredibly popular before WWF got ahold of him. Although Vince could see the potential in him, obviously better then most, Hogan was like an Underground sensation before even coming on board the WWF. Kind of like Samao Joe was in ROH. Imagine Joe getting that reaction no matter where he went, no matter what promotion he wrestled under. That was Hogan "BEFORE" Rocky.

 

As was mentioned, his Japan work was mostly about wrestling, less about entertainment.

 

Hogan was the "Ace" that made Wrestlemania and the WWF national. I don't know if anyone but Vince would have been able to pull it off, looking back (at the time, in retrospect I'm sure someone else could do it "knowing" the potential). Vince had a vision that he could see/smell/taste, and Hogan was the way to make it happen alot faster then he could have done it without Hogan.

 

If you don't go back and really look at the things Hogan did before his huge popularity burst, you won't ever get the right impression about him. I HATED HIM most of the time, but I can tell you that he didn't become an icon by not having any skill at all. He could keep you completely entertained for very long match's, during the whole match. I remember having to stand on the back of chair's throughout his whole match, as if he were the hottest music artist out at the time. To give an example, Cyndi Lauper was HUGE at this time, and Hogan coming out was 10 times bigger then her coming to ringside.

 

He didn't just show up one afternoon and say "Listen to me Brotha! Your looking at the most charismatic performer in history! I'm going to go to the ring, and your going to love me or hate me more then you have anyone else. Your not going to care if I can wrestle either, because this is the 80's brotha! In the 80's we don't care about wrestling, we care about heart!"

 

That's not how it was. He was moving around and everywhere he went there was this huge following, almost like groupies... or perhaps exactly like groupies, that went to every show they could, that they knew he would be at (no matter the promotion). If anything, he was mistreated at first, by not giving him the title' when he deserved it. IT made Vince signing him excite his fans... they knew he had a chance in WWF. Vince made sure he got the belt, when he signed him.

 

Hogan might not have been a Jericho in the ring, but he wrestle'd as you would think a big guy like that would wrestle. He moved around the ring in a way you would expect someone his size to move (and better). He wasn't just giving a big boot and leg drop. He actually had a much bigger moveset then what you see most of the TNA and WWE character's have now... I would probably say in the day (80's), he was more like HHH then Cena, in the ring.

[T-Jay]

I can accept that maybe my definition maybe a little askew, so thanks for correcting that. But I still strongly stand behind Goldberg as a NBT.

 

It was guys seeing him training at the Power Plant that said he's gonna be huge in WCW just due to his power alone. That's exactly how they marketed him.

 

Here's a thought... maybe the NBT would be closer to someone who is young... groomed carefully until they are at a point where they can lead the promotion ... then pushed to the moon very fast. Basically from curtain jerker or working dark events to Main Eventing within a month.

 

John Cena fits that definition. His first TV appearance was confronting Kurt Angle who was among the top stars at the time. Then he moved on to Undertaker.... then the refurbished JBL and the list goes on. And yes I know I skipped some stuff... just hoping to make a point.

 

Also, I agree that Vince needs to give Cena the room to grow and expand his character. I certainly wouldn't turn him heel.... but give him the freedom to take aspects of his early heel days and use them against opponents.... Let him talk crap about them .. hell if the raps were funny again... do that now and then.. not all the time... it would get old fast.

 

Lastly, I think Cena needs to spend a lot more in ring time with DX. The reason being it will help him tweak and fine tune his in-ring performance and hopefully add new moves & variety to his arsenal.

[SWF2K9]

I must be really lucky, I have 4 NBT

 

1. Evan Bourne

2. Bryan Danielson

3. Dolph Ziggler

4. Primo Colon

 

also, I have already got Carlito to a Main Event level, but he fell back down to Upper Midcard, also, John Morrison is officially in the Main Event scene

[lazorbeak]

I'm not sure I necessarily agree with the notion that to be a Next Big Thing you have to have the potential to morph into a fantastic in-ring talent. Surely it depends on your product?

 

If you're the SWF, all you're really looking for in a Next Big Thing is a guy who can work without injuring the entire roster, has a great look and lots of star quality, and will likely become a massive household name. Someone like The Rock.

 

Sure, he had to suffer through the Rocky Miavia stage, but surely the fact that he got noticed by the WWF (sic) as Flex Kavana, then got saddled with the one-dimensional-good-guy-babyface shtick just as the Attitude Era was starting to take off so had to go away and come back as a heel, and STILL became one of the biggest babyface draws in wrestling history... surely that ADDS to his status as a Next Big Thing, rather than takes away from it?

 

Agreed completely on The Rock. In fact, he's a textbook case in how just being a "next big thing" doesn't automatically make you a main eventer. He had a gimmick no one liked and was very, very green but WWE thought he was a potential superstar and as soon as they let him get a character he was winning championships and working programs with guys like Austin.

 

Austin is the polar opposite. He was a decent wrestler who got a really lucky break. That could happen to absolutely anyone in your company. Except Dusty Bin. The Rock was an amazing talent that got a series of **** thrown at him before damn well forcing himself to be a star regardless. Hogan? Eh, bit of both.

 

I think you're selling Austin a little short: he was an excellent wrestler with good charisma that with the right gimmick got even better charisma and ended up being a star. That doesn't just "happen." You need to have the skill and the talent to back up a "lucky gimmick."

 

Hogan was assuredly a NBT, but well before his main event run in WWF. He was already 30 years old and an established name when Hulkamania and Wrestlemania started up.

 

Michaels? Hot Prospect. Hart? Hot Prospect. Lesnar? Iffy. Sure, they called him the Next Big Thing, but was he? Really? The guy could hardly say his name.

 

Lesnar was definitely a next big thing. Poor mic skills? The guy was a physical freak with incredible athleticism and conditioning and excellent amateur skills at a young age. He was made one of the company's top stars in a matter of months and headlined Wrestlemania when he was what, 25? WWE saw him as more than just a guy that could be in the main event, they saw him as one of the future faces of the company.

 

Also people are being way too revisionist when evaluating these guys. A next big thing is a guy the game describes as potentially being "the icons around who(m) the entire promotion is built." That doesn't just mean they can make it to the main event: anyone can if they get a push. It means they can constantly be involved in the title picture, they can headline your big shows, and they can essentially be the face of the promotion.

 

Now to me the Ultimate Warrior is a clear-cut Next Big Thing. From his program with Andre to his IC title run to his program with Hulk, it was clear he was being groomed to be the next Hogan- the face of the company. And if it weren't for his ego he probably would have been: a pretty good reminder in why you shouldn't moon-push young talent that isn't widely respected: they end up completely insane. But there's no doubt WWF saw Warrior as a potential icon and the face of their company, the same way WCW saw Goldberg as the potential face of their company or the way WWE saw Lesnar (remember how he was literally the face of the company on Smackdown: HCTP?)

 

To me questionable cases are more like Edge. Being a bigger guy and reasonably good-looking he always seemed like the most clear-cut potentially breakout star from the Hardyz/Edge and Christian days, and if you told me in 2000 that he would have main evented a Wrestlemania I wouldn't have been surprised. But at the same time he wasn't the guy somebody looked at and immediately said "there is a future ten time champion!" The way people did when they saw The Rock or Brock Lesnar or even John Cena.

[Candyman]

Bzzzt! Sorry, while the last sentence is correct, I don't think anyone with any sense could watch Austin's work in ECW and see him as anything but a Hot Prospect. Seriously. That was the whole point of him going there after "the fax that changed the fortunes of WWE".

 

Wrong answer. When Austin got to ECW, he was already 30 years old - too old to qualify as a Hot Prospect.

 

Next.

[Candyman]

To me questionable cases are more like Edge. Being a bigger guy and reasonably good-looking he always seemed like the most clear-cut potentially breakout star from the Hardyz/Edge and Christian days, and if you told me in 2000 that he would have main evented a Wrestlemania I wouldn't have been surprised. But at the same time he wasn't the guy somebody looked at and immediately said "there is a future ten time champion!" The way people did when they saw The Rock or Brock Lesnar or even John Cena.

 

I completely forgot about Edge, he's another good example. And he really might be the perfect modern day example of how Next Big Things should be handled. He spent 3 years in the tag team division before going solo full time, and then another 2 years (plus a year on the injury list) in the midcard before going after the World title.

 

As for Ultimate Warrior...eh, the WWE clearly viewed him as a Next Big Thing, but I'm not sure he actually was. In game terms, I look at him as an example of how guys can go above their popularity potential if you push them hard enough, but they always come back down eventually. But it's hard to know if he would've had the staying power if he wasn't a complete nutcase.

[ampulator]

I would consider Brock Lesnar an N.B.T. Shawn Michaels COULD have been a N.B.T., but he wasn't. He had all the prerequisites for it... but he just wasn't one. Definitely a Hot Prospect.

 

I would say the same for Edge, except his situation was more unique. Although he fits the WWE now than he did before, it's mostly because the WWE changed, not him. He came in time where you had to be big or entertaining on the mic. When he began, he was uncorformtable with the mic (he said so himself). And he wasn't that big of guy (though he was tall). As time, went on, the overall size of each wrestler on the roster became smaller as well, and Edge fits in more now. He was definitely a Hot Prospect.

As for being a N.B.T., well, there were mitigating circumstances, some of which were somewhat out of his control, that held him back. It wasn't really hit fault or anyone's.