Wrestling Roundtable #3 12/23/07 Part 2 : Can Foreigners Get Over In America?

In the third segment, the panel discusses whether foreign wrestlers can ever be accepted in main event-level spot in America. Are the fans too trained in a specific, American style to get in to someone so different? Do stereotype gimmicks prevent someone from getting over, or in fact help? Does John Cena qualify as a stereotype? Can someone like Takeshi Morishima, KENTA or Naomichi Marufuji from Pro Wrestling NOAH in Japan, all of whom had main event-level pushes in Ring Of Honor, translate to a main event-level spot on American television? Why can't main eventers from other countries come in with respect and in a big spot like in decades past? Will WWE's international brands experiment work? We encourage any questions and feedback. Look for the next show as we'll be covering the major news stories in 2007 for our year in review, as well as a debate about who deserved better/longer world title runs, and who didn't.
Hosted by Eric Santamaria. WrestlingRoundtable.com is coming soon!

* The views expressed on The Wrestling Roundtable are solely those of the individual and do not necessarily reflect
the views of any other entity, person or organization *

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[Guest1001]

13:38

"Please inform countries like Europe . . ."

[facepalm]

[WrestlingRoundtable]

I actually said, "In foreign countries like Europe," but that doesn't make me less wrong, heh. I meant to say 'areas' or 'territories' which was the idea WWE had at the time that didn't come to fruition, but man do I feel stupid now, heh. Even more so because I HATE when people say stuff like that! And just before that I called him El Hijo De Santo when it's El Hijo Del Santo I believe, so please excuse me losing my brain for a minute

-E, Wrestling Roundtable

[sfields425]

I agree that it all comes down to booking. Wrestling promotions can get almost anyone over if they are pushed correctly. Think of the biggest draws in wrestling history( Austin, Hogan, Rock, Goldberg) all though talented in their own special ways are not the greatest wrestlers but all got super over and drew a lot of money. If you run with someone while they are hot you can potential create a big draw, but WWE doesn't do that. They push who they want and not who the fans want.

[Bossdog05]

Foreigners can get over, the problem is that companies like WWE and TNA don't want to put them over. Hell, they don't even want to put blacks over. Look at Shelton for example, the man was getting mad pops back in 04 and 05 but what happen? The WWE put a hault to all that because they didn't want him to outshine Cena or HHH! Shelton had a chance to be WWE's biggest star today. Look at R-Truth, he was one of TNA's best, he goes to WWE and not being used right to keep the white boys at the top.

[kiddynamo41]

@teracall mmm, i'm not sure how valid that is. I mean on some level sure, but i think that's regional too. For instance being from texas lucha libre is huge here. And with a big military presence a lot of GI's marry foreign so there's a large asian presence here too and cultural influence. I think maybe in other areas there's more ill will, but i think politically, as with US politics, it's region to region. The average person doesn't carry that same aversion. At least i don't think so.

[kiddynamo41]

I think with foreign guys the look is alot of it. Like Del Rio, a legit Mexican from Mexico as opposed to Rey Rey who's from California. He's tall, has a great build and charisma, he can't help but push him. all the way to the title, though i think he should have had a longer run. But if say Ultimo Guerrero came in he wouldn't get nearly the push. he's shorter, not as cut, he's not WWE looking enough. Look matters more than nationality.

[TheManiacOnWheelsUSA]

Michael Jackson a novelty?? Don't think so!

[fagbert]

I love Lawrence's input, but man could he get testy in these early episodes. Why the rage!??!?! :P

[TheXYZcrash]

Im hoping Sin Cara gets a descent push. its all about style and your aproach, if your lucha, puro or british your expected to make a style change to fit wwe style, it doesnt mean u cant still base your ring work on that style like tajiri or mysterio did

[rsinghny]

How about the Great Khali? He is a legitimate main eventer, and they don't come more foreign than him :-)

[teracall]

This whole question of whether or not an immigrant can get over well in the U.S goes far beyond wrestling, it crosses into political territory. Think of it, as a whole Americans have never had the greatest relationships with foreign things or things that we perceive as foreign. And with all the issues we've dealt with in the past 10 to 20 years it's gotten even worse.

With the great illegal immigration debate, the September eleventh attacks, and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

[bikerboygeoff]

Well now you have Sheamus and Drew McIntyre who seem to be getting a push. Would just love to see an angle where the two had a match against each other. Sheamus and Drew had some great matches against each other in IWW.

Also think Paul Burchill could get over in a promotion that would let him do all of the moves that he is capable of doing rather than restricting him like WWE did.

[NostalgiaWrestling]

I think American culture and WWE's machine of molding people plays a big part, Americans are very patriotic and like things from their own country, Raven insulted a local football team in England and everyone laughed. Saying that the British Bulldog was super over in the mid 90's. Do you think he could have carried a further push up to the main event?

[elc1960]

That remark the guy made about Vince looking out the window seeing his gardeners has to be true. The Mexicools were as racist a gimmick as Saba Simba. I liked that you guys remember the "dream match" between Bruno and Pedro - no one else seems to. I most certainly can accept foreign wrestlers in main event spots in pro wrestling.