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Personality vs Persona

In light of recent conversation, I was wondering what everybody thinks about this.

Does the man behind the wrestlers personality have anything to do with their ability to get over with fans? And should it?

John Cena as an example.

All around good guy. Supports the troops, visits sick kids etc. His in ring persona is much the same. BUT. Do people connect with his character so well because he is everything he appears to be?

If he was a douche in real life, do you think that he would be as successful as the face he is?

I just used him as an example, but I was wondering what everyone thinks about it in general.
 

noumenon

Guest
I think being the total package really helps. In the case of Cena the guy really lives his in ring character. I mean to put it quite simply getting in there and sticking to what you know and who you really are is a hell of a lot easier than pretending to be something you're not.

Orton has stated on various occasions his character is his persona with the volume cranked up the maximum for the most part. What could be better than getting the ring and acting out all the things you wished you could really do?

Image also plays a huge factor in it all as well... looking the part your trying to convey makes all the difference.
 
I think being the total package really helps. In the case of Cena the guy really lives his in ring character. I mean to put it quite simply getting in there and sticking to what you know and who you really are is a hell of a lot easier than pretending to be something you're not.

Orton has stated on various occasions his character is his persona with the volume cranked up the maximum for the most part. What could be better than getting the ring and acting out all the things you wished you could really do?

Image also plays a huge factor in it all as well... looking the part your trying to convey makes all the difference.

So, Orton being the dick we all know him to be, do you think that will in any way taint his face turn? Same with Cena? Can the fans get behind Cena as a heel, going against everything they know him to be?
 

noumenon

Guest
No, because if Orton does turn face I'm hoping he'll be keeping the same character...simply directing his aggression towards different people should be enough to do so.
 

Mat Awesome

Member
Yes, I think a "real world" personality is a HUGE part of an "in-ring" character. Not even the best actors are perfect. Acting like something that your not easily shows and it causes people to look at you like, "He is so boring, he doesnt have any charisma." If your gimmick is your personality, its like you know how to act, its instinctive. When your gimmick isn't like your real life personality, you are always kind of dull because you don't know how to act.
 

LKP

Guest
Imagine Orton and cena in TNA. Would they both be like they are now as in fame and personality? No fucking way. Cena would be a gay solider boy and Orton would be the nutty professor. I think wwe handle people right, whether dicks in real life or not wwe make their image on cena. As long as he makes Vince money do you think cena is a dick in real life? Just a quick thought i had there guys.
 

LKP

Guest
I'm just saying imagine cena or Orton in tna with their personality or persona. It would be so different. I thought about it and typed it, i didn't think about it much lol. I got to stop doing that.
 

maty619

Active Member
Is Randy Orton really a dick? I dont think so despite what he might have said, I think if he was a dick he wouldnt say something like that. I dont think a heel would work as well if they were a bit of a nob head because they wouldnt be able to get the same chemistry with people like John Cena because John, being such a good guy, wouldnt want to work together with a dick head heel because they must have to speak to each other about these things, so I actually think Randy Orton and John Cena are pretty good friends otherwise it wouldnt work. That, I think would be the only thing that could make a difference if the wrestlers persona does or does not match their personality. The face and the heel should both either be a dick or both be a good guy imo.
 

kingovkings

Active Member
Orton has been know to be a right prick in the past. A bit of a hothead.

I think Orton's inring persona is pretty much his personality in real life.Just cranked up and magnified big time in the ring.

I think even though Cena is Mr goody two shoes and has been for like forever now. I still think he could get over as a heel.

As long as the storyline/Feud/Booking is done right he could make it work.

I think any super star who is good at what they do Should be able to get any persona over what ever there personality. I did say should and not CAN.
 

straight_edge76

Guest
I heard that a few years ago he (Orton) was a huge backstage prick, I even heard cases of hims trashing hotel rooms and shit like that. I am sure he was not and still might not be all that well liked in the back, I recall reading a few years ago that he was looked at as a "Daddy's boy" and the only reason he was where he was is because of his name; which at the time I thought could have been true but he has really matured in and out of the ring I think.
 
No, because if Orton does turn face I'm hoping he'll be keeping the same character...simply directing his aggression towards different people should be enough to do so.

You make it sound so logical, and yet...

Is Randy Orton really a dick? I dont think so despite what he might have said, I think if he was a dick he wouldnt say something like that.

Lots of sources say that Orton is a prick in real life. Can we take this as 100% truth? Of course not. But you don't hear stories about him being a real sweetheart AT ALL.

I dont think a heel would work as well if they were a bit of a nob head because they wouldnt be able to get the same chemistry with people like John Cena because John, being such a good guy, wouldnt want to work together with a dick head heel because they must have to speak to each other about these things, so I actually think Randy Orton and John Cena are pretty good friends otherwise it wouldnt work.

I'm sure all of us, either at work or school, have dealt with the proverbial dicks and suck ups. Just because their personalities don't mesh doesn't mean they are incapable of working together. It's called professionalism.


That, I think would be the only thing that could make a difference if the wrestlers persona does or does not match their personality. The face and the heel should both either be a dick or both be a good guy imo.

Please clarify.

Orton has been know to be a right prick in the past. A bit of a hothead.

I think Orton's inring persona is pretty much his personality in real life.Just cranked up and magnified big time in the ring.

I think even though Cena is Mr goody two shoes and has been for like forever now. I still think he could get over as a heel.

As long as the storyline/Feud/Booking is done right he could make it work.

I think any super star who is good at what they do Should be able to get any persona over what ever there personality. I did say should and not CAN.

I think it's totally possible to pulls ANYTHING off on a short term basis. Can either of them, stepping out of their natural comfort zone make it last though?

And if it were easy to put on a persona on this scale and portray it as truth to the world, all of us would be WWE superstars.
 

maty619

Active Member
You make it sound so logical, and yet...



Lots of sources say that Orton is a prick in real life. Can we take this as 100% truth? Of course not. But you don't hear stories about him being a real sweetheart AT ALL.



I'm sure all of us, either at work or school, have dealt with the proverbial dicks and suck ups. Just because their personalities don't mesh doesn't mean they are incapable of working together. It's called professionalism.




Please clarify.



I think it's totally possible to pulls ANYTHING off on a short term basis. Can either of them, stepping out of their natural comfort zone make it last though?

And if it were easy to put on a persona on this scale and portray it as truth to the world, all of us would be WWE superstars.

-They might have profesionalism but it would still effect their chemistry.
-I was just waffling but I was basically trying to some it up but I failed. :p
 
In light of recent conversation, I was wondering what everybody thinks about this.

Does the man behind the wrestlers personality have anything to do with their ability to get over with fans? And should it?

John Cena as an example.

All around good guy. Supports the troops, visits sick kids etc. His in ring persona is much the same. BUT. Do people connect with his character so well because he is everything he appears to be?

If he was a douche in real life, do you think that he would be as successful as the face he is?

I just used him as an example, but I was wondering what everyone thinks about it in general.

Hulk Hogan is a real life ego maniac cocksucker that thinks he alone brought wrestling to the forefront of mainstream success and that he still has that drawing ability at the age of 60 and has politicked his way to power and buried many talents and helped burn a near billion dollar company to the ground because of his egomania. Yet in truth he was a HUGE reason wrestling became mainstream in the 80's because of his gimmick as the ultimate goodguy, the man who told kids to say their prayers and take their vitamins. But if his gimmick mirrored the person he actually was, he would have told kids: "everything should be YOU first, stab your friends in the back, politick your way to the top, and refuse to be a team player. Brother."
 
-They might have profesionalism but it would still effect their chemistry.
-I was just waffling but I was basically trying to some it up but I failed. :p

Thank you for that. I'm glad i didn't have to write you off as a lost cause.

And maybe. Depends on the degree of professionalism.


Enzo Malenko said:
Hulk Hogan is a real life ego maniac cocksucker that thinks he alone brought wrestling to the forefront of mainstream success and that he still has that drawing ability at the age of 60 and has politicked his way to power and buried many talents and helped burn a near billion dollar company to the ground because of his egomania. Yet in truth he was a HUGE reason wrestling became mainstream in the 80's because of his gimmick as the ultimate goodguy, the man who told kids to say their prayers and take their vitamins. But if his gimmick mirrored the person he actually was, he would have told kids: "everything should be YOU first, stab your friends in the back, politick your way to the top, and refuse to be a team player. Brother."

That may be true now, but was that how he really was in the beginning? Yeah it may make him a hypocrite nowadays, but people also aren't buying into it the same way they did back then either.

And that being said, do you think him falling back on that is effected by what people now know of him, or is everybody just as enamored of him as they once were?
 
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