500 Words...On The Boogeyman
Posted by Lee Baker
on 01/26/2007
What was your reaction when you first saw the Boogeyman?
I’d guess you fell into one of two categories. You either thought he was interesting and unique or you thought he was a joke and an insult.
I was amongst the latter. As soon as I saw him the wrestling snob came out in me. I like “catch as catch can” wrestling and iron man matches. Eating worms isn’t really my thing. However, I think I was looking at Boogey the wrong way…
You’ve all heard the kind of reaction crowds give off when they hear the familiar sound of Austin’s glass shattering or the Rock’s “if you smell…”. The fans know who’s coming and they go berserk with anticipation. But when the fans hear the sound of the Undertaker’s gong, it’s something else entirely. It’s not a case of knowing who is coming; it’s a case of knowing
what is coming. The Undertaker’s gimmick, despite being ludicrously hokey in concept, is massively successful in its execution, and all aspects of the character (the presence, the mystique, the invincibility) are summed up in that one “gong”. If you’re a wrestler standing in the ring at that particular moment, start shitting your pants…
To me, that is what they are aiming for with the Boogeyman. It’s tough to deny that his entrance is top notch, and the gimmick does have the potential to gain the kind of cult status that sent the Undertaker’s career into orbit. Sometimes a gimmick is so fun that you forget how stupid it really is and just buy into the character.
There’s a problem though.
- The guy can’t wrestle to save his life -
A bit of a stumbling block, I’m sure you’ll agree.
The Undertaker may not be the greatest wrestler in the world, but he can work. Boogeyman looks greener than a lush country field on a summer’s afternoon. The Undertaker’s Tombstone got over from the day one. The Boogeyman’s finisher is one of Test’s transition moves. Quite simply, Boogey’s commanding entrance and creepy aura are dampened by his lousy ring work. Good gimmick or not, there’s only so far anyone can go if management don’t trust you as a wrestler, and Vince clearly doesn’t trust Boogey. Time is not on his side either; Marty “Boogeyman” Wright is already 42 years old…
Paul Heyman has always said that in order to get the best out of someone you have to “accentuate the positive and hide the negative”. Well, Boogeyman’s negatives are that he’s a limited worker who’s not getting any younger. There’s only so long you can hide that before the positives become completely outweighed. Until such a time as he can make worthwhile contributions in the ring, he’s not going to be any more than a sideshow act involved in segments with the likes of Kristal Marshall and The Miz. If that’s all he’s going to be used for, I think I’d rather they kept the Boogeyman firmly locked in the closet…
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My name is Lee Baker, and that was 500 words.
Any questions, queries, praise or abuse, feel free to email me at eoe4w@hotmail.com. A response is guaranteed.
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