Monty Brown backstage at Raw?

[societyr]

Rumors are he was backstage and Brown and the WWE are currently starting negotiations. Looks like we may get to see Brown and Lashley yet, as a duo under Ron Simmons tutledge would be...DAMN!...something. Once again it's just mere shadows of what the E once did, taking guys who didn't get pushed like maybe they should have and being brought in and who knows future World Champion? While TNA takes in as many big names it can get, ala Angle who so far hasn't cause really any change in the ratings with a 0.9 for his interview on impact and then a 0.8 for his first appearance in the impact zone. Right now the prime time slot will be really good for them and then the 1.3-1.5 in come rolling in, followed by a slow escalation throughout the year if Spike advertises it right.

[Marshall]

I thought after seeing Simmons in the first segment that we'd see more of him in the show, in an angle with Shelton Benjamin. With Shelton's problems recently I thought we could see the Nation of Domination make a comeback - possibly to feud with Cryme Tyme Back on topic, Brown would be a perfect fit in the 'E and he could really have an interseting feud with John Cena

[Marshall]

I thought after seeing Simmons in the first segment that we'd see more of him in the show, in an angle with Shelton Benjamin. With Shelton's problems recently I thought we could see the Nation of Domination make a comeback - possibly to feud with Cryme Tyme Back on topic, Brown would be a perfect fit in the 'E and he could really have an interseting feud with John Cena

[Trashbear]

[QUOTE=Marshall;156112]I thought after seeing Simmons in the first segment that we'd see more of him in the show, in an angle with Shelton Benjamin. With Shelton's problems recently I thought we could see the Nation of Domination make a comeback - possibly to feud with Cryme Tyme Back on topic, Brown would be a perfect fit in the 'E and he could really have an interseting feud with John Cena[/QUOTE] I dunno, I think Monty Brown and John Cena are guys who need a better worker to lead them through a match if they want to have a good match. Monty Brown isn't good on the mic and isn't good in the ring, but he looks like a million bucks. Cena is good on the mic and looks great too, but his in-ring skills are pretty limited. I didn't start watching TNA until this past March so Monty Brown was almost an afterthought and I never really got why he was made out to be such a big deal, and even though the WWE specializes in guys who look great and are lacking in the talent department (See: 1/3 of the roster), I can't picture Brown doing particularly well in WWE.

[Trashbear]

[QUOTE=Marshall;156112]I thought after seeing Simmons in the first segment that we'd see more of him in the show, in an angle with Shelton Benjamin. With Shelton's problems recently I thought we could see the Nation of Domination make a comeback - possibly to feud with Cryme Tyme Back on topic, Brown would be a perfect fit in the 'E and he could really have an interseting feud with John Cena[/QUOTE] I dunno, I think Monty Brown and John Cena are guys who need a better worker to lead them through a match if they want to have a good match. Monty Brown isn't good on the mic and isn't good in the ring, but he looks like a million bucks. Cena is good on the mic and looks great too, but his in-ring skills are pretty limited. I didn't start watching TNA until this past March so Monty Brown was almost an afterthought and I never really got why he was made out to be such a big deal, and even though the WWE specializes in guys who look great and are lacking in the talent department (See: 1/3 of the roster), I can't picture Brown doing particularly well in WWE.

[Marshall]

I agree that Brown isn't a particularly good in-ring worker, but I have to disagree that he isn't good on the mic - I think he has Rock-like characteristics and can pull it off quite well. I think that if the 'E do bring him in, if they utilise and intergrate him well from the beginning, I think he could do major business for them. If all else fails, stick him in a tag team with Chris Masters, that'll give him something to do...:D

[Marshall]

I agree that Brown isn't a particularly good in-ring worker, but I have to disagree that he isn't good on the mic - I think he has Rock-like characteristics and can pull it off quite well. I think that if the 'E do bring him in, if they utilise and intergrate him well from the beginning, I think he could do major business for them. If all else fails, stick him in a tag team with Chris Masters, that'll give him something to do...:D

[Irish Wolf]

I don't thin Brown is anywhere near as good as the Rock on the mic and he doesn't have that charisma that just exudes from people like the rock without really doing anything. I've seen so many interviews where Brown has tripped over his words and it just blows a good "I'm gonna kick the crap out of you" promo and makes him look like he doesn't even have a handle on the english language.

[Irish Wolf]

I don't thin Brown is anywhere near as good as the Rock on the mic and he doesn't have that charisma that just exudes from people like the rock without really doing anything. I've seen so many interviews where Brown has tripped over his words and it just blows a good "I'm gonna kick the crap out of you" promo and makes him look like he doesn't even have a handle on the english language.

[Travis]

Exactly. Since he's not reading from a script, obviously, he just improvs most of it and stumbles on his words. I mean, who the heck comes up with "Hippofant" from a script. So maybe him in the WWE doing promos might be pretty good since he has something to read from.

[Travis]

Exactly. Since he's not reading from a script, obviously, he just improvs most of it and stumbles on his words. I mean, who the heck comes up with "Hippofant" from a script. So maybe him in the WWE doing promos might be pretty good since he has something to read from.

[djthefunkchris]

I wouldn't count on that... Most the scripting in the WWE is kind of loose after they get the point accross. The wrestlers actually wing it alot.

[djthefunkchris]

I wouldn't count on that... Most the scripting in the WWE is kind of loose after they get the point accross. The wrestlers actually wing it alot.

[wooodaddy]

yeah, kinda like mention this and then waste 5 more minutes type of deal.. I think they both should be used against better workers, but they both have potential one day to wing it all on their own, but definitely do not use them against each other right away.. I dunno though because Cena's been goofing w/ Nitro and K-Fed the last few weeks, so I don't know where WWE is going w/ that, but same for Umaga.. I hope Vince doesn't turn the WWE into a later WCW where Vince Russo used a lot of Hollywood people to try to push his product.. big disaster.. As long as Orton and Edge feud w/ DX, there is really no one else to help push Cena and the rest of the roster..

[wooodaddy]

yeah, kinda like mention this and then waste 5 more minutes type of deal.. I think they both should be used against better workers, but they both have potential one day to wing it all on their own, but definitely do not use them against each other right away.. I dunno though because Cena's been goofing w/ Nitro and K-Fed the last few weeks, so I don't know where WWE is going w/ that, but same for Umaga.. I hope Vince doesn't turn the WWE into a later WCW where Vince Russo used a lot of Hollywood people to try to push his product.. big disaster.. As long as Orton and Edge feud w/ DX, there is really no one else to help push Cena and the rest of the roster..

[Irish Wolf]

With Cena having the title and the other big guys in a fued against each other it's time for some one in the upper midcard to try and make it by getting a story against Cena. I'm assuming this will be done with Nitro seeing as they had him lose the belt and then that thing with K-Fed. I think WWE can actually properly use stars with the Nitro character as long as they don't put them in matches, it'll be good business to cross promote and having Nitro and Melina as "frineds of the stars" will allow them to do so without putting them in a match. Now we just need to see if Nitro and Cena can work well in the ring. This is a chance to let Cena get back to a streetwise character while still staying face. He can play the tough but loveable street kid and pul out his old rap promos against Nitro's hollywood upperclass character and I think that shold do well. As for Monty Brown I just don't like him that much but I'm willing to watch for a change in his abilities he may get better. Lashley I think could eb a great powerhouse if he didn't sound like a school girl whenever he opened his mouth. The difference between the pitch of his voice and his size is just way to much for me.

[Irish Wolf]

With Cena having the title and the other big guys in a fued against each other it's time for some one in the upper midcard to try and make it by getting a story against Cena. I'm assuming this will be done with Nitro seeing as they had him lose the belt and then that thing with K-Fed. I think WWE can actually properly use stars with the Nitro character as long as they don't put them in matches, it'll be good business to cross promote and having Nitro and Melina as "frineds of the stars" will allow them to do so without putting them in a match. Now we just need to see if Nitro and Cena can work well in the ring. This is a chance to let Cena get back to a streetwise character while still staying face. He can play the tough but loveable street kid and pul out his old rap promos against Nitro's hollywood upperclass character and I think that shold do well. As for Monty Brown I just don't like him that much but I'm willing to watch for a change in his abilities he may get better. Lashley I think could eb a great powerhouse if he didn't sound like a school girl whenever he opened his mouth. The difference between the pitch of his voice and his size is just way to much for me.

[Almaida]

I like Monty, so hey good for him. I hope he makes it, and I'd say he definitely has the charisma and is absolutely loaded with star quality. His promos are fairly hit-or-miss, but the thing that'll really work in his favour is that he's naturally a very good speaker, which seems to be rare in wrestling these days. The material he comes up with can be weird (though he's also hit some really good stuff), but his raw speaking ability gives him an enormous upside in that department. Criticizing him for not being a "good wrestler" [i]completely[/i] misses the point, and is yet another reason I think TNA's management is both clueless and ass-backwards (he was/is actually in the doghouse with them because they thought he was spending too much time trying to be a star and not enough trying to be a "good worker"). I honestly believe that, if given the chance, Monty could be huge someday. So I really hope this ends up being true. On a somewhat related note, why the hell do people always make the Monty/Lashley comparison? I mean, I really like both guys, but they seriously have absolutely nothing in common, other than the fact that they're big black dudes. Those two are about as similar as Kevin Nash and Brock Lesnar. And yes, I'm aware Nash is a good 8-9 inches taller than Brown, but the point remains. What is it that makes people associate Monty and Lashley with each other, if it isn't the skin colour? I just don't get it. EDIT: Also, since it was brought up, I'm of the belief that Lashley's voice isn't necessarily the problem; it's his conviction, or more accurately lackthereof. He always seems super timid when he talks, he doesn't fully enunciate, and he seems to strain himself just to get the words out. His voice would be just fine if he could convince you he believed in what he was saying. Again, look at Lesnar. His voice was higher pitched than you'd expect out of him, but he grew to be comfortable on the mic and at the end of his run became a good promo. Lashley could do the same, he just needs someone to coach him or something. Pair him with, like, Arn Anderson as a manager like they did with Finlay as an opponent, and boom, problem solved. But I guess that's neither here nor there.

[Almaida]

I like Monty, so hey good for him. I hope he makes it, and I'd say he definitely has the charisma and is absolutely loaded with star quality. His promos are fairly hit-or-miss, but the thing that'll really work in his favour is that he's naturally a very good speaker, which seems to be rare in wrestling these days. The material he comes up with can be weird (though he's also hit some really good stuff), but his raw speaking ability gives him an enormous upside in that department. Criticizing him for not being a "good wrestler" [i]completely[/i] misses the point, and is yet another reason I think TNA's management is both clueless and ass-backwards (he was/is actually in the doghouse with them because they thought he was spending too much time trying to be a star and not enough trying to be a "good worker"). I honestly believe that, if given the chance, Monty could be huge someday. So I really hope this ends up being true. On a somewhat related note, why the hell do people always make the Monty/Lashley comparison? I mean, I really like both guys, but they seriously have absolutely nothing in common, other than the fact that they're big black dudes. Those two are about as similar as Kevin Nash and Brock Lesnar. And yes, I'm aware Nash is a good 8-9 inches taller than Brown, but the point remains. What is it that makes people associate Monty and Lashley with each other, if it isn't the skin colour? I just don't get it. EDIT: Also, since it was brought up, I'm of the belief that Lashley's voice isn't necessarily the problem; it's his conviction, or more accurately lackthereof. He always seems super timid when he talks, he doesn't fully enunciate, and he seems to strain himself just to get the words out. His voice would be just fine if he could convince you he believed in what he was saying. Again, look at Lesnar. His voice was higher pitched than you'd expect out of him, but he grew to be comfortable on the mic and at the end of his run became a good promo. Lashley could do the same, he just needs someone to coach him or something. Pair him with, like, Arn Anderson as a manager like they did with Finlay as an opponent, and boom, problem solved. But I guess that's neither here nor there.

[Remianen]

[QUOTE=Almaida;156331]EDIT: Also, since it was brought up, I'm of the belief that Lashley's voice isn't necessarily the problem; it's his conviction, or more accurately lackthereof. He always seems super timid when he talks, he doesn't fully enunciate, and he seems to strain himself just to get the words out. His voice would be just fine if he could convince you he believed in what he was saying. Again, look at Lesnar. His voice was higher pitched than you'd expect out of him, but he grew to be comfortable on the mic and at the end of his run became a good promo. Lashley could do the same, he just needs someone to coach him or something. Pair him with, like, Arn Anderson as a manager like they did with Finlay as an opponent, and boom, problem solved. But I guess that's neither here nor there.[/QUOTE] Yeah, I think folks forget that you don't need a Barry White or Isaac Hayes voice to be menacing. Look at Mike Tyson, circa 1988. Short, physically imposing dude with a schoolgirl voice. But when he said he was going to hurt someone, you believed him. But I don't like Arn as his possible manager. I think Ron Simmons would be a better fit, personally.

[Remianen]

[QUOTE=Almaida;156331]EDIT: Also, since it was brought up, I'm of the belief that Lashley's voice isn't necessarily the problem; it's his conviction, or more accurately lackthereof. He always seems super timid when he talks, he doesn't fully enunciate, and he seems to strain himself just to get the words out. His voice would be just fine if he could convince you he believed in what he was saying. Again, look at Lesnar. His voice was higher pitched than you'd expect out of him, but he grew to be comfortable on the mic and at the end of his run became a good promo. Lashley could do the same, he just needs someone to coach him or something. Pair him with, like, Arn Anderson as a manager like they did with Finlay as an opponent, and boom, problem solved. But I guess that's neither here nor there.[/QUOTE] Yeah, I think folks forget that you don't need a Barry White or Isaac Hayes voice to be menacing. Look at Mike Tyson, circa 1988. Short, physically imposing dude with a schoolgirl voice. But when he said he was going to hurt someone, you believed him. But I don't like Arn as his possible manager. I think Ron Simmons would be a better fit, personally.

[Trashbear]

[QUOTE=Almaida;156331] Criticizing him for not being a "good wrestler" [i]completely[/i] misses the point, and is yet another reason I think TNA's management is both clueless and ass-backwards (he was/is actually in the doghouse with them because they thought he was spending too much time trying to be a star and not enough trying to be a "good worker").[/QUOTE] While I appreciate good wrestling, I agree that it isn't a pre-requisite for stardom. That being said, TNA is/was a bad fit for him. As an organization that puts a little more emphasis on workrate, Monty is certainly out of his element. Your claim that TNA's management is "ass-backwards" is also valid given some of the illogical booking choices (see: last 3 months of the X-Division), but by the same token, Monty Brown was a TNA employee and in wrestling, much like in life, if your boss tells you to do something and you don't do it you can expect some backlash. In this case, Monty seemed only interested in getting himself over and less interested in getting the angles over. I can't particularly fault Monty for wanting to get himself over, but it's that type of self-centered thinking that alienates management and his fellow wrestlers. After all the pushes and opportunities that Monty Brown had, he still wasn't taken seriously by the people. I think that speaks to his overall lack of drawing power in wrestling. He has a tremendous look and that will certainly help him if he joins the WWE, but I personally don't think he'll be much in the promo department and it's already known that he's not much in the ring.

[Trashbear]

[QUOTE=Almaida;156331] Criticizing him for not being a "good wrestler" [i]completely[/i] misses the point, and is yet another reason I think TNA's management is both clueless and ass-backwards (he was/is actually in the doghouse with them because they thought he was spending too much time trying to be a star and not enough trying to be a "good worker").[/QUOTE] While I appreciate good wrestling, I agree that it isn't a pre-requisite for stardom. That being said, TNA is/was a bad fit for him. As an organization that puts a little more emphasis on workrate, Monty is certainly out of his element. Your claim that TNA's management is "ass-backwards" is also valid given some of the illogical booking choices (see: last 3 months of the X-Division), but by the same token, Monty Brown was a TNA employee and in wrestling, much like in life, if your boss tells you to do something and you don't do it you can expect some backlash. In this case, Monty seemed only interested in getting himself over and less interested in getting the angles over. I can't particularly fault Monty for wanting to get himself over, but it's that type of self-centered thinking that alienates management and his fellow wrestlers. After all the pushes and opportunities that Monty Brown had, he still wasn't taken seriously by the people. I think that speaks to his overall lack of drawing power in wrestling. He has a tremendous look and that will certainly help him if he joins the WWE, but I personally don't think he'll be much in the promo department and it's already known that he's not much in the ring.

[Almaida]

Hey, a good debate! It's been too long. And speaking of too long... Calling him self-centered is just a tad over-dramatic, don't you think? Every star in the history of everything made it that far by getting themselves over, so you can't exactly fault Monty for a flaw --if you want to call it that-- in the system. That's a fallacy. Furthermore, from what I could see, Monty was not a stupid man; it doesn't make sense to say he was only interested in getting himself over and not the angles, because both have a lot to do with each other. Angles generally only work well when the people involved are over, and good angles often help people get over. I'm not saying he was some sort of genius savior or anything, but I think you're being too hard on the guy and exaggerating the potential effects of his alleged selfishness. I somehow don't think management or talent was alienated by Monty Brown trying to be the star they so sorely need. But I want to back up a bit. I also appreciate good wrestling, though my definition of it is somewhat different than TNA's, which is a different thread entirely. But here's the thing, TNA is already full of what they believe are good wrestlers (and for argument's sake, I'll pretend I have the same view of "good" as them). If you have 40ish good wrestlers who've been doing their thing for a couple of years and reached a plateau as far as popularity, and you have one guy who can break through and be a huge star, why would you force the potential star to be just like everyone else? Why would you homogenize everything like that? People always complain about WWE making everyone wrestle the same match, but TNA really isn't any better in terms of expectations. Monty was something different, he was someone who wouldn't do a million flips a night and go at a breakneck speed, but he was a guy who had a genuine larger-than-life aura and real marketability. That's something that can neither be taught nor manufactured. It's that rare something that someone either has or they don't. Monty has it, and he has it in spades. THAT's the type of guy you build into a star and put on top to bring the people in, and then when they're already there, if they want to go gaga over Chris Sabin's latest "innovative~!" moves, let them. But if you make him another face in the crowd, you're squandering the most useful characteristic a wrestler can have, and it's something you can't just teach your latest project to have. It's true that at the end of the day, what your boss says goes, but Monty shouldn't be blamed for how his TNA stint went any more than a Brent Albright or a Psicosis should be blamed for not doing well in WWE. TNA tried to force Monty into being something he wasn't, and the result was that it just didn't work. You can't force a square block into a round hole, and you can't force a star to be like every other midcarder. While we're on the subject, and since you brought it up. I have reason to believe that Brown's lack of overness in the Impact Zone is not evidence that he's not good enough to get over, and the reasons are twofold. First of all, ignoring how "smart" (or notsmart) the TNA crowd may or may not be, it is one tiny, tiny sample of wrestling fans; it's roughly the same 900 people week after week after week seeing the same guys in the same building over and over. They're bound to cool off on guys they see all the time, it's inevitable. Of course, it doesn't help that these are the same people who pop for contrived spots, bust out feeble and cliché duelling chants for a damn Sharkboy vs. Maverick Matt match, are "above" heel heat, and think they're making a statement by booing Jeff Jarrett because he's "bad for business." On top of that, this crowd WAS hugely into Monty at one point, even if he was wrestling an "inferior" style. And then he got squandered and buried; he failed to win the title from Jarrett, turned heel to become a lackey for the same guy, won at least three or four #1 contender's matches and never got a title shot, and then when he was getting over as a face again, he turned heel [i]again[/i] to position himself under Jarrett [i]again.[/i] And then there was the nothing feud with Rhino, which morphed into a nothing three-way feud with another guy they're horribly botching in Samoa Joe. It's no wonder Monty didn't mean much by the end of his run there; he [i]wasn't allowed[/i] to mean much, and that makes all the difference. You say someone's worthless for a long enough period of time and people will start to believe it. This is another reason I hope he does end up with WWE, because he'll get a fresh start. Of course, WWE's another political minefield, and whether Monty gets the chance to reach his potential there is highly questionable as well. [quote]Yeah, I think folks forget that you don't need a Barry White or Isaac Hayes voice to be menacing. Look at Mike Tyson, circa 1988. Short, physically imposing dude with a schoolgirl voice. But when he said he was going to hurt someone, you believed him. But I don't like Arn as his possible manager. I think Ron Simmons would be a better fit, personally.[/quote] Great point on Tyson. That's EXACTLY what I'm talking about. Tyson's voice is far worse than Lashley's, but he uses it so much more effectively that it doesn't even matter. Also, I see where you're coming from with Simmons, and I love Simmons, but I don't think he'd be a good fit with Lashley, and here's why. As I said, Lashley's voice in and of itself isn't a problem, but when you pair him up with a guy who sounds like James Earl Jones' long lost brother, it'll only amplify Lashley's lack of baritone. Plus, Simmons is, for lack of a better description, too in-your-face to be in Lashley's corner. Lashley's supposed to be a quiet, soft spoken guy who could kick your ass. Faarooq is... neither quiet not soft spoken. Arn, on the other hand, [i]mastered[/i] the quiet, soft spoken asskicker style of interview, and that's why I picked him. Here was a guy who sounded like your kindly old uncle, but when he cut a promo, it was so super intense that you had no trouble believing he could kill you five times over without batting an eyelash. I'm pretty sure that's what they want Lashley to be, so why not pair him with the best? Not that it means anything anyway, since it was just a random example off the top of my head that'll never happen. Still fun to talk about, though.

[Almaida]

Hey, a good debate! It's been too long. And speaking of too long... Calling him self-centered is just a tad over-dramatic, don't you think? Every star in the history of everything made it that far by getting themselves over, so you can't exactly fault Monty for a flaw --if you want to call it that-- in the system. That's a fallacy. Furthermore, from what I could see, Monty was not a stupid man; it doesn't make sense to say he was only interested in getting himself over and not the angles, because both have a lot to do with each other. Angles generally only work well when the people involved are over, and good angles often help people get over. I'm not saying he was some sort of genius savior or anything, but I think you're being too hard on the guy and exaggerating the potential effects of his alleged selfishness. I somehow don't think management or talent was alienated by Monty Brown trying to be the star they so sorely need. But I want to back up a bit. I also appreciate good wrestling, though my definition of it is somewhat different than TNA's, which is a different thread entirely. But here's the thing, TNA is already full of what they believe are good wrestlers (and for argument's sake, I'll pretend I have the same view of "good" as them). If you have 40ish good wrestlers who've been doing their thing for a couple of years and reached a plateau as far as popularity, and you have one guy who can break through and be a huge star, why would you force the potential star to be just like everyone else? Why would you homogenize everything like that? People always complain about WWE making everyone wrestle the same match, but TNA really isn't any better in terms of expectations. Monty was something different, he was someone who wouldn't do a million flips a night and go at a breakneck speed, but he was a guy who had a genuine larger-than-life aura and real marketability. That's something that can neither be taught nor manufactured. It's that rare something that someone either has or they don't. Monty has it, and he has it in spades. THAT's the type of guy you build into a star and put on top to bring the people in, and then when they're already there, if they want to go gaga over Chris Sabin's latest "innovative~!" moves, let them. But if you make him another face in the crowd, you're squandering the most useful characteristic a wrestler can have, and it's something you can't just teach your latest project to have. It's true that at the end of the day, what your boss says goes, but Monty shouldn't be blamed for how his TNA stint went any more than a Brent Albright or a Psicosis should be blamed for not doing well in WWE. TNA tried to force Monty into being something he wasn't, and the result was that it just didn't work. You can't force a square block into a round hole, and you can't force a star to be like every other midcarder. While we're on the subject, and since you brought it up. I have reason to believe that Brown's lack of overness in the Impact Zone is not evidence that he's not good enough to get over, and the reasons are twofold. First of all, ignoring how "smart" (or notsmart) the TNA crowd may or may not be, it is one tiny, tiny sample of wrestling fans; it's roughly the same 900 people week after week after week seeing the same guys in the same building over and over. They're bound to cool off on guys they see all the time, it's inevitable. Of course, it doesn't help that these are the same people who pop for contrived spots, bust out feeble and cliché duelling chants for a damn Sharkboy vs. Maverick Matt match, are "above" heel heat, and think they're making a statement by booing Jeff Jarrett because he's "bad for business." On top of that, this crowd WAS hugely into Monty at one point, even if he was wrestling an "inferior" style. And then he got squandered and buried; he failed to win the title from Jarrett, turned heel to become a lackey for the same guy, won at least three or four #1 contender's matches and never got a title shot, and then when he was getting over as a face again, he turned heel [i]again[/i] to position himself under Jarrett [i]again.[/i] And then there was the nothing feud with Rhino, which morphed into a nothing three-way feud with another guy they're horribly botching in Samoa Joe. It's no wonder Monty didn't mean much by the end of his run there; he [i]wasn't allowed[/i] to mean much, and that makes all the difference. You say someone's worthless for a long enough period of time and people will start to believe it. This is another reason I hope he does end up with WWE, because he'll get a fresh start. Of course, WWE's another political minefield, and whether Monty gets the chance to reach his potential there is highly questionable as well. [quote]Yeah, I think folks forget that you don't need a Barry White or Isaac Hayes voice to be menacing. Look at Mike Tyson, circa 1988. Short, physically imposing dude with a schoolgirl voice. But when he said he was going to hurt someone, you believed him. But I don't like Arn as his possible manager. I think Ron Simmons would be a better fit, personally.[/quote] Great point on Tyson. That's EXACTLY what I'm talking about. Tyson's voice is far worse than Lashley's, but he uses it so much more effectively that it doesn't even matter. Also, I see where you're coming from with Simmons, and I love Simmons, but I don't think he'd be a good fit with Lashley, and here's why. As I said, Lashley's voice in and of itself isn't a problem, but when you pair him up with a guy who sounds like James Earl Jones' long lost brother, it'll only amplify Lashley's lack of baritone. Plus, Simmons is, for lack of a better description, too in-your-face to be in Lashley's corner. Lashley's supposed to be a quiet, soft spoken guy who could kick your ass. Faarooq is... neither quiet not soft spoken. Arn, on the other hand, [i]mastered[/i] the quiet, soft spoken asskicker style of interview, and that's why I picked him. Here was a guy who sounded like your kindly old uncle, but when he cut a promo, it was so super intense that you had no trouble believing he could kill you five times over without batting an eyelash. I'm pretty sure that's what they want Lashley to be, so why not pair him with the best? Not that it means anything anyway, since it was just a random example off the top of my head that'll never happen. Still fun to talk about, though.