Let me just say it right off the bat – there is no “PUSH” in professional wrestling. None, it does not exist. Nobody sits around in a room and handpicks somebody that they are going to “get over”. That premise is ridiculous. Why? Because, the idea in any successful wrestling organization is to get the ENTIRE ROSTER over.
Wrestlers create their own path, plain and simple. If the people are getting with them you go with them, if they’re not, you don’t. It’s that simple. My job as a writer was to give out opportunities that were represented through allotted television time. It was what the talent did with that TV time that dictated their future. That time given was there for them to sell their “BRAND”, not only to the people watching at home, but also to the writers watching in the back as well.
Those who would never get over always blamed it on the material; those that became massive icons took those 3-5 minutes and created absolute gold. That’s how “Stone Cold” Steve Austin was born. Austin put on a pair of headsets, sat at an announce table, and earned more money through that one opportunity then those of us reading this—COMBINED—will never see. Unfortunately, in contrast, I know several guys at TNA who couldn’t get themselves over in the years, and years that they were given that opportunity. And, over, isn’t 300-400 people chanting, “this is awesome”, over is when you can’t walk through an airport without being stopped for an autograph every ten feet, THAT’S OVER.
When I look back at my experiences in wrestling, and I ponder over who got themselves over with what they were given better than anybody, the answer is real simple. As a matter of fact, nobody comes to mind as quickly as they do. This all dates back to when WCW was kicking the WWE’s backside prominently through the use of the NWO. One day, while sitting around Vince’s living room table, Vince turned to me and said, “I don’t get it, Vince, we have much better talent that is also a whole lot younger.” And, he was right. As great as Hulk Hogan, Scott Hall and Kevin Nash were at the time; the prime of their careers had already come and gone by the time the NWO was formed. WWE was much younger at the time, but hadn’t really yet taken a stroll down the “cool and hip” road.
At the time, the trio of Shawn Michaels, Triple H and Chyna were just starting to get over. The idea was to perhaps marry a guy, or two, to the group, and form our own younger version of the New World Order. It was at that time that Vince suggested to me Jessie James and Billy Gunn. I think my answer was, “ARE YOU NUTS?” That’s right, that’s what I said. Rock-a-Billy? Really? But, Vince had a gut. He saw something in both Billy and Brian that I just wasn’t seeing at the time. Vince was quick to come up with “Bad Ass” Billy Gunn. He loved that moniker. You’d understand if you knew Vince. From there the “New Age Outlaws” were born.
