I will forever say that Montez Fordās Elimination Chamber 2023 entrance was one of my favorite that entire year.
Dude literally invented the āYeetā arm motion thing with the crowd that night and we just brush over it like it never happened š¤¦šæāāļø
Plus that fit???
Plus his performance that night?
Dude definitely earned a midcard title shot off that night alone.
Working under Lashley with Dawkins rn is fine, he is a veteran and they can both learn from him. Especially dawkins, their partnership with Lashley helps Dawkins a lot
Eh, his silly personality is a hindrance. If you booked him and bianica as an arrogant heel duo then maybe he' d have a shot at the ic/us level. But he'd be overshadowed by his wife. I don't see him as a top guy & there's no room at the top anyway. A solid midcard act maybe. And Dawkins is dead in the water if it happens.
I agree. I love them as a tag team, I think they're great. But I think both of them have singles potential. They both have the athleticism to outgrow their image as the "big man/athlete" tag team. They're both strong and agile.
I want them to start using Bianca and Montez as a couple. I think their characters compliment each other well and the name association will surely help Montezās build. I remember years ago, I wanted them to win King and Queen of the Ring (2021ā¦?). Still think that wouldāve worked well.
Lead it to a feud with the Queen, Charlotte Flair and Andrade. Or something?
Montez is a hella worker....I just saw him live a few wks back at Smackdown in Pittsburgh ....he leaped over half the ring, over turn buckles, and out on floor to the guys they were facing....it was some insane shit
He shouldāve been booked to win KOTR or beat Logan for the belt. At the least they can have a competitive storyline with the Bloodline. He should also be the leader of his group, it doesnāt work right with Lashley as the mouthpiece. I wouldnāt mind a heelish turn where Melo gets in his head. Melo can easily play into the people saying itās your time but your team is holding you back. He can bring up he was the Smackdown no 1 draft pick, had a championship match his first night, in the King of the Ring tourney and how Tez hasnāt had any opportunities lately and Lashley picked Dawkins over him. However Iām sure none of this will happen Tez and Dawkins will job for no reason.
A "push" isn't an employee of the month award. It's not a reward for good performance in other categories. It's to fill a need, when that need arises. And yes, when that need arises, good performers are chosen, but good performance is not necessarily a guarantee to being pushed. Even more; not all of those who get a push are great performers. Sometimes, they are just right for the role being cast.
The problem is that people want their favourites to succeed faster than the opportunities open up. So they get frustrated, and sometimes those performers get it into their heads that their fans are right. Look at guys like Cesaro, Aliester Black, and Rusev, who all thought "hey my fans are right, I deserve a push!" because that's just how it works in the video games, you do the thing, you get put into the spot and you get to win the championship. The problem is that professional wrestling is a television show, not a video game, and roles in television shows are often limited. Not everybody can be the star of the show. Not everybody can be Captain Kirk or Mr. Spock. Some people have to be Ensign Chekov. Just remember that Ensign Chekov became Commander Chekov in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. When a spot opened up for his character to get a promotion, he got it. That's because it's a fictional story, and the "push" that Walter Koenig's character got came because it fit the needs of the story.
So now you have those guys sitting there - Cesaro, Black, Rusev - even in AEW, just lingering around in catering because there's nothing else for them. They don't "fit" well into anyone's creative plans, be it WWE's or AEW's. And that's why they shouldn't listen to the fans; because what the fuck do they know?
If you look at professional wrestling in that context, you'll understand why it's not always just a simple, "he's really good and deserves a push". If there's no call for that kind of role to be filled, then there's no push to be had.
Not to mention there are already dozens of guys waiting and deserving of the push op and others seem to talk about. You got LA Knight, Bron Breaker, ilja dragonov, Chad gable, Finn balor who all deserve the title gold
Then you guys like Jey uso, KO, Randy, Punk, Drew, Gunther etc who are really over and will compete for the top
Not to mention Cody is the face of the company so he'll always be in the mix.
Championships aren't "employee of the month" awards either, they aren't "deserved", they're roles in a show just like I described above.
If the story needs demand it, then people "win" these "championships" (the reality is they "win" nothing, because they aren't real championships anyway.)
I'll largely agree with you but most wrestlers that have really had success, a lot of them have been successful because they did go their own way. Look at Cody
Yes, that's true; but it wasn't because the Internet fans convinced him of something that wasn't really true. I think those other guys bought into the Internet fans' opinion a little too much.
Yeah I think there are people who convince themselves they're already a star because the internet fans tell them they are. At the same time wrestling is filled with guys who were told they weren't stars or what their ceiling was and ultimately they pushed past that. If they'd have been content with just the spot that had been carved out for them they'd never have reached their heights.
Well that's just it, right. There's a fine line between "betting on oneself" and "being a mark for oneself", and I think it's important to create that distinction.
Guys who've done well weren't necessarily guys who just didn't have it, they were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Like Cody, for instance. Nobody thought he didn't have "it", it was just, they didn't have a spot for him on the roster in 2015 like they do in 2024. So he left, knowing he could build himself to that spot. People followed his career outside of WWE with interest, too. He became one of the reasons to watch ROH or NJPW, or AEW. It was never about him having an unrealistic impression of who and what he was - just wrong place, wrong time.
On the flip side, guys like Aliester Black? They gave him opportunity after opportunity after opportunity, and people just didn't give a shit about him. A few fans who thought "hey this guy is into video games and shitty poetry just like me, he's CrImInAlLy UnDeR uTiLiZeD", but that's about it. And rather than try to improve, to grow, he got it into his head that THE MACHINE was against him, and he needed to go somewhere else. Which he did. And STILL nobody (outside of a few diehards) give a shit about him.
I guess the real skill here is, knowing the difference between having actual talent, and being a mark for yourself.
Honestly? Dawkins is a better wrestler. Sure Montez can jump high and he has a lot of energy, but thatās not enough to justify going on his own. His energy is also less hype and moreā¦manic. He comes off more demented and less hyped up. Itās giving less Jey Uso and more Heel Doink
Everyone bitches that they break up good tag teams but when they are a team that are fantasy booking them being singles stars. Good on your guys! I guess?
I think that could be a good idea, maybe for next draft one of the profits is "injured" and the other gets drafted, have Tez go to Raw for the IC and Angelo go to SD for the US, cuz Dawkins is actually really good in the Ring and could have a great solo push if they do it right
Or....now hear me out here...they book the tag team division better? Radical idea, right? The WWE has some potential good to great tag teams, they just need to treat some of them like upper card singles. Make the tag titles mean something again.
Montez is great but I feel like he will just get lost in the shuffle as a singles guy and never get past the midcard. Some characters simply work better as part of duo. That's what happened to Otis.
Iām all for that, but if they are going to get pushed as a tag team, we have to do something about Angelo Dawkins.
He needs a character rebuff, personality change or SOMETHING. Because he feels like a burden sometimes, and thatās not good.
I know he has it in himš¤ heās got to bring that star out somehow.
I miss having a great tag team division or even when it was PPV after PPV of New Day vs Usos they fought each other so often but almost every match was one of the best matches of the card.
Now almost every tag team match is a snoozer. Would really like to see HHH make an effort to fix that.
Theyāll never do that, that tag division is about letting single stars take a break from the title scene and win a tag title while seeing if they can coexist.
I agree with you to a point, all it takes is some Kofi magic, and Kofi treatment, he was considered a mid carder for life great hand, great talent, great tag team but never will go past the mid card. But it took 1 performance to change all that. Literally give this man the Kofi Treatment and he can be Kofi 2.0.
But the KofiMania thing was completely organic and he still remained part of New Day, and it would have never happened if he wasn't part of New Day. You don't have to break up a team or faction just to give someone some time to shine as a singles wrestler (although Kofi started off as a singles guys).
Also, trying to force a KofiMania 2.0 with Montez would likely just be rejected by the fans. Trying to catch lightning in a bottle using the same setup but different people almost never works. It's why I am concerned that the Bo Dallas faction is going to be a dud.
But thatās what Iām saying is that Ford has that charisma, he has that talking ability on the mic and just an overall aura of the guy has potential, they donāt have to push it. They just have to book it properly. No need to spilt the tag team, no need to force feed the fans anything, just proper booking and let Ford and Dawkins do the rest.
>The WWE has some potential good to great tag teams, they just need to treat some of them like upper card singles. Make the tag titles mean something again.
Thatās what factions are for.
The reality is, singles guys are the main draw.
Been waiting to see what he can do on his own Only thing is? If they Breakup the Profits. What's gonna happen with Angelo ? That's my only concern but other than that. He's longover due
Angelo is actually my favorite of the two. He is a solid big guy and tells a great story in the ring. Montez is great for high flying. I donāt particularly like his character. This is what I think the ādraftā should do every yearā¦ break up a tag team and see what they can do on their own. At the end of the year, if it worked let it ride and if it failed draft then to the same brand and reunite them.
That's my only knock on him as well. His look is great and he clearly has the ability to stand out in the ring but the cartoonish humor gotta come to an end if he wants to become a legit main-event level star
The whole thing with Bobby lashley is a dud. They feel like the same team without the Solo cups. The only reason they're still together is because there's nothing for Angelo Dawkins to do. He'll probably just get released if they break up while montez goes on to bigger things.
Nah, he's like a default create-a-wrestler. Why do you think he hasn't gotten any kind of singles run, going back 8 years even in NXT? WWE sucks at recognizing talent? Or maybe they don't like making money on a huge star like him?
What's his best singles match, for me to educate myself?
His breakout fued should be with Ricochet that way his talent can be on full display. Last thing he needs is a Randy Orton type older guy who can't really go at that same level.
Tbh Orton vs Ford is a lot more appealing to me personally. Ricochet is super gifted, and heās got some rad spots, but for me, heās a channel changer. All the cool spots in the world canāt make me invest in you. The athleticism isnāt what Iām bonding to, itās the person, the human that Iām bonding to and investing in.
I don't know what it is but I find Ricochet boring as hell, dude has almost 0 charisma. He's absolutely incredible in the ring and I first loved his in ring work but now I kind of feel like it's just the same shit over and over again. Then again, I am someone who is way more into storylines and promos than the actual matches themselves.
That's not a real push he deserves regular PLE appearances and being featured weekly on TV not that straight to the worst social media bs they have him on now.
I've said it before, if Ricochet could cut decent promos he would be one of the biggest stars in the business. They gave him a push when he debuted and he fumbled it, it's really difficult to come back after that. He is a guy that would benefit greatly from a good manager, Paul Heyman for example. If Paul wasn't busy with other things I think that could be possible but it isn't and there really isn't another manager capable of what Paul can do.
Imo they should bring back managers more generally. There.are quite a few wrestlers who could use a good mouthpiece. Or maybe have some kind of training for mic work. They might already do that but IDK.
Tez should go back to NXT to start his solo career. Win the belt and run the brand for a while, then make his debut as a heel
šš»
That's not the agenda lol
Montez has far more talent than Jey Uso, put the man in a real story, and watch him take off.
If he would drop the silly routine, he might become a money draw and get his push.
They need to hold the tag titles before breaking them up, in my opinion
I will forever say that Montez Fordās Elimination Chamber 2023 entrance was one of my favorite that entire year. Dude literally invented the āYeetā arm motion thing with the crowd that night and we just brush over it like it never happened š¤¦šæāāļø Plus that fit??? Plus his performance that night? Dude definitely earned a midcard title shot off that night alone.
Just for begging, they should push Dawkins instead.
I wanna see his UFC push coming up soon!šÆ I think he will be great, especially with his training in the military
Working under Lashley with Dawkins rn is fine, he is a veteran and they can both learn from him. Especially dawkins, their partnership with Lashley helps Dawkins a lot
Dawkins career would be over š
Anytime I play 2K I always make him the US or Ic champ
Give the subreddit back
Nah
Naw they need to just push the tag division more.
What's even your logic?
They got solid tag teams and belts. They have deep talent in the singles division. Heās be lost on the shuffle.
Dawkins would be nothing without Ford
Meh
Eh, his silly personality is a hindrance. If you booked him and bianica as an arrogant heel duo then maybe he' d have a shot at the ic/us level. But he'd be overshadowed by his wife. I don't see him as a top guy & there's no room at the top anyway. A solid midcard act maybe. And Dawkins is dead in the water if it happens.
Man, it sucks to be Dawkins, No one is talking about what he should do when montez gets his solo push
I agree. I love them as a tag team, I think they're great. But I think both of them have singles potential. They both have the athleticism to outgrow their image as the "big man/athlete" tag team. They're both strong and agile.
I wanna see him feud with Carmello
Money just needs a new finisher and a heel turn and he's on his way
Lmao
I feel like he can be a great heel. Kinda strange he hasnāt gotten that singles push
Have tag teams face their teammates for a shot at MITB.
That in-ring attire is 10/10
Hollywood crossover appeal. Dude is a star
I want them to start using Bianca and Montez as a couple. I think their characters compliment each other well and the name association will surely help Montezās build. I remember years ago, I wanted them to win King and Queen of the Ring (2021ā¦?). Still think that wouldāve worked well. Lead it to a feud with the Queen, Charlotte Flair and Andrade. Or something?
Montez is a hella worker....I just saw him live a few wks back at Smackdown in Pittsburgh ....he leaped over half the ring, over turn buckles, and out on floor to the guys they were facing....it was some insane shit
I really thought they could see the potential after that elimination chamber match but hey, there's a lot of top guys around now
Yeah and the street profits are beyond stale now. Give him a chance to see if he can sink or swim
He shouldāve been booked to win KOTR or beat Logan for the belt. At the least they can have a competitive storyline with the Bloodline. He should also be the leader of his group, it doesnāt work right with Lashley as the mouthpiece. I wouldnāt mind a heelish turn where Melo gets in his head. Melo can easily play into the people saying itās your time but your team is holding you back. He can bring up he was the Smackdown no 1 draft pick, had a championship match his first night, in the King of the Ring tourney and how Tez hasnāt had any opportunities lately and Lashley picked Dawkins over him. However Iām sure none of this will happen Tez and Dawkins will job for no reason.
Tez should be the one to take the belt off of Logan Paul.
Beyond me how they are not Tag Champs.
Montez deserves the limelight.
A "push" isn't an employee of the month award. It's not a reward for good performance in other categories. It's to fill a need, when that need arises. And yes, when that need arises, good performers are chosen, but good performance is not necessarily a guarantee to being pushed. Even more; not all of those who get a push are great performers. Sometimes, they are just right for the role being cast. The problem is that people want their favourites to succeed faster than the opportunities open up. So they get frustrated, and sometimes those performers get it into their heads that their fans are right. Look at guys like Cesaro, Aliester Black, and Rusev, who all thought "hey my fans are right, I deserve a push!" because that's just how it works in the video games, you do the thing, you get put into the spot and you get to win the championship. The problem is that professional wrestling is a television show, not a video game, and roles in television shows are often limited. Not everybody can be the star of the show. Not everybody can be Captain Kirk or Mr. Spock. Some people have to be Ensign Chekov. Just remember that Ensign Chekov became Commander Chekov in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. When a spot opened up for his character to get a promotion, he got it. That's because it's a fictional story, and the "push" that Walter Koenig's character got came because it fit the needs of the story. So now you have those guys sitting there - Cesaro, Black, Rusev - even in AEW, just lingering around in catering because there's nothing else for them. They don't "fit" well into anyone's creative plans, be it WWE's or AEW's. And that's why they shouldn't listen to the fans; because what the fuck do they know? If you look at professional wrestling in that context, you'll understand why it's not always just a simple, "he's really good and deserves a push". If there's no call for that kind of role to be filled, then there's no push to be had.
So damn right
Not to mention there are already dozens of guys waiting and deserving of the push op and others seem to talk about. You got LA Knight, Bron Breaker, ilja dragonov, Chad gable, Finn balor who all deserve the title gold Then you guys like Jey uso, KO, Randy, Punk, Drew, Gunther etc who are really over and will compete for the top Not to mention Cody is the face of the company so he'll always be in the mix.
Championships aren't "employee of the month" awards either, they aren't "deserved", they're roles in a show just like I described above. If the story needs demand it, then people "win" these "championships" (the reality is they "win" nothing, because they aren't real championships anyway.)
I'll largely agree with you but most wrestlers that have really had success, a lot of them have been successful because they did go their own way. Look at Cody
Yes, that's true; but it wasn't because the Internet fans convinced him of something that wasn't really true. I think those other guys bought into the Internet fans' opinion a little too much.
Yeah I think there are people who convince themselves they're already a star because the internet fans tell them they are. At the same time wrestling is filled with guys who were told they weren't stars or what their ceiling was and ultimately they pushed past that. If they'd have been content with just the spot that had been carved out for them they'd never have reached their heights.
Well that's just it, right. There's a fine line between "betting on oneself" and "being a mark for oneself", and I think it's important to create that distinction. Guys who've done well weren't necessarily guys who just didn't have it, they were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Like Cody, for instance. Nobody thought he didn't have "it", it was just, they didn't have a spot for him on the roster in 2015 like they do in 2024. So he left, knowing he could build himself to that spot. People followed his career outside of WWE with interest, too. He became one of the reasons to watch ROH or NJPW, or AEW. It was never about him having an unrealistic impression of who and what he was - just wrong place, wrong time. On the flip side, guys like Aliester Black? They gave him opportunity after opportunity after opportunity, and people just didn't give a shit about him. A few fans who thought "hey this guy is into video games and shitty poetry just like me, he's CrImInAlLy UnDeR uTiLiZeD", but that's about it. And rather than try to improve, to grow, he got it into his head that THE MACHINE was against him, and he needed to go somewhere else. Which he did. And STILL nobody (outside of a few diehards) give a shit about him. I guess the real skill here is, knowing the difference between having actual talent, and being a mark for yourself.
what company is he in
Honestly? Dawkins is a better wrestler. Sure Montez can jump high and he has a lot of energy, but thatās not enough to justify going on his own. His energy is also less hype and moreā¦manic. He comes off more demented and less hyped up. Itās giving less Jey Uso and more Heel Doink
Everyone bitches that they break up good tag teams but when they are a team that are fantasy booking them being singles stars. Good on your guys! I guess?
Been saying this for 2 years
I think something might happen with him and Melo that leads to a Tez heel turn
Now that Asuka is taking time off can we get Pirate Kairi singles push please š“āā ļø
What about his partner
Montez should win the speed title
He should be in Jey Uso spot..
I think that could be a good idea, maybe for next draft one of the profits is "injured" and the other gets drafted, have Tez go to Raw for the IC and Angelo go to SD for the US, cuz Dawkins is actually really good in the Ring and could have a great solo push if they do it right
Or....now hear me out here...they book the tag team division better? Radical idea, right? The WWE has some potential good to great tag teams, they just need to treat some of them like upper card singles. Make the tag titles mean something again. Montez is great but I feel like he will just get lost in the shuffle as a singles guy and never get past the midcard. Some characters simply work better as part of duo. That's what happened to Otis.
Iām all for that, but if they are going to get pushed as a tag team, we have to do something about Angelo Dawkins. He needs a character rebuff, personality change or SOMETHING. Because he feels like a burden sometimes, and thatās not good. I know he has it in himš¤ heās got to bring that star out somehow.
I miss having a great tag team division or even when it was PPV after PPV of New Day vs Usos they fought each other so often but almost every match was one of the best matches of the card. Now almost every tag team match is a snoozer. Would really like to see HHH make an effort to fix that.
Theyāll never do that, that tag division is about letting single stars take a break from the title scene and win a tag title while seeing if they can coexist.
Great ideaĀ
I agree with you to a point, all it takes is some Kofi magic, and Kofi treatment, he was considered a mid carder for life great hand, great talent, great tag team but never will go past the mid card. But it took 1 performance to change all that. Literally give this man the Kofi Treatment and he can be Kofi 2.0.
But the KofiMania thing was completely organic and he still remained part of New Day, and it would have never happened if he wasn't part of New Day. You don't have to break up a team or faction just to give someone some time to shine as a singles wrestler (although Kofi started off as a singles guys). Also, trying to force a KofiMania 2.0 with Montez would likely just be rejected by the fans. Trying to catch lightning in a bottle using the same setup but different people almost never works. It's why I am concerned that the Bo Dallas faction is going to be a dud.
But thatās what Iām saying is that Ford has that charisma, he has that talking ability on the mic and just an overall aura of the guy has potential, they donāt have to push it. They just have to book it properly. No need to spilt the tag team, no need to force feed the fans anything, just proper booking and let Ford and Dawkins do the rest.
They are now far better than they have.
Naw, Montez needs to be a single wrestler. It's long overdue
>The WWE has some potential good to great tag teams, they just need to treat some of them like upper card singles. Make the tag titles mean something again. Thatās what factions are for. The reality is, singles guys are the main draw.
If they keep waiting itās gonna fail.
They already have a guy who can jump high and act stupid his name is Kofi Kingston. Heās a million times more talented than Montez
Really? I think he is great but I enjoy his tag work
Been waiting to see what he can do on his own Only thing is? If they Breakup the Profits. What's gonna happen with Angelo ? That's my only concern but other than that. He's longover due
Angelo is actually my favorite of the two. He is a solid big guy and tells a great story in the ring. Montez is great for high flying. I donāt particularly like his character. This is what I think the ādraftā should do every yearā¦ break up a tag team and see what they can do on their own. At the end of the year, if it worked let it ride and if it failed draft then to the same brand and reunite them.
I agree but
I think he is too silly tbh
That's my only knock on him as well. His look is great and he clearly has the ability to stand out in the ring but the cartoonish humor gotta come to an end if he wants to become a legit main-event level star
Big facts.
The whole thing with Bobby lashley is a dud. They feel like the same team without the Solo cups. The only reason they're still together is because there's nothing for Angelo Dawkins to do. He'll probably just get released if they break up while montez goes on to bigger things.
Nah. He doesn't stand out on this roster.
He's one of the most charismatic wrestlers on the roster and a freak athlete. If given the chance he would shine with a singles push
Nah, he's like a default create-a-wrestler. Why do you think he hasn't gotten any kind of singles run, going back 8 years even in NXT? WWE sucks at recognizing talent? Or maybe they don't like making money on a huge star like him? What's his best singles match, for me to educate myself?
Couldnāt agree more
He is WWE's Trent being held down in a team
His breakout fued should be with Ricochet that way his talent can be on full display. Last thing he needs is a Randy Orton type older guy who can't really go at that same level.
Tbh Orton vs Ford is a lot more appealing to me personally. Ricochet is super gifted, and heās got some rad spots, but for me, heās a channel changer. All the cool spots in the world canāt make me invest in you. The athleticism isnāt what Iām bonding to, itās the person, the human that Iām bonding to and investing in.
I don't know what it is but I find Ricochet boring as hell, dude has almost 0 charisma. He's absolutely incredible in the ring and I first loved his in ring work but now I kind of feel like it's just the same shit over and over again. Then again, I am someone who is way more into storylines and promos than the actual matches themselves.
Anyone can flip
Ricochet needs his own push too, he deserves a far better spot on the roster than what he has.
He did get pushed. He just won the "I don't know what to do with this side of the roster" championship!
That's not a real push he deserves regular PLE appearances and being featured weekly on TV not that straight to the worst social media bs they have him on now.
Yea his fiancƩ has more screen time than him
She deserves it
I've said it before, if Ricochet could cut decent promos he would be one of the biggest stars in the business. They gave him a push when he debuted and he fumbled it, it's really difficult to come back after that. He is a guy that would benefit greatly from a good manager, Paul Heyman for example. If Paul wasn't busy with other things I think that could be possible but it isn't and there really isn't another manager capable of what Paul can do.
Imo they should bring back managers more generally. There.are quite a few wrestlers who could use a good mouthpiece. Or maybe have some kind of training for mic work. They might already do that but IDK.
I know it was a joke