Andy Leavine - Book His WWE Debut

[Troy]

Andy Leavine won the latest series of Tough Enough on June 6th this year. Since then he made one more appearance on RAW the week after in a backstage segment with Stone Cold but after that he hasn't been seen. He was suspended for a Wellness Policy violation and is now in FCW plying his trade. There was even a report the other week that said he was collecting tickets at the door at a recent FCW event. He is going by the name Kevin Hackman in FCW and as far as I know he hasn't debuted on FCW tv.

So how would you debut him on the WWE main roster?

Would you keep the name Andy or would you give him a new gimmick? What brand would you put him on and how would introduce him to the fans? Would you run promo videos like they are doing with Brodus Clay or would you have him wrestle right away? Who would you have him face early on? Can he make it in WWE?

On a side note which other Tough Enough contestants do you think WWE should hire?

 

[Andrew]

Personally, I'd release him already.

I liked the other dude who came 2nd.

But if he was to be booked... I'd show promos from TE, FCW and how he has developed and hype him up. I'd then book him as a heel where he appears out of nowhere and attacks someone like Evan Bourne or Sin Cara even.

I'd let him use the name 'Silent Rage'.

 

[Troy]

I think that his Wellness suspension probably set back his debut by six months. After he did that WWE would have wanted to punish him even more by leaving him in FCW for even longer for embarrassing the company by getting suspended soon after he won Tough Enough.

I would wait until after WrestleMania before debuting him. This is a busy time of year now and he would simply get lost in the shuffle. Get him working in FCW fine tuning his "Silent Rage" gimmick. Make it so that come April or May next year he is ready to wrestle good matches weekly on tv and can cut a good promo.

To debut him I would start showing videos the night after WrestleMania. Show a video of him training and hype that the TE winner has been working hard for a year and we will see a new Andy in a few weeks. Continue these videos each week on RAW and Smackdown showing the transition he made from boring Andy the TE winner to Silent Rage the top superstar. Then after about a month of video promos debut him on RAW and book him in a squash match where post match he says that the time for Silent Rage has come. Again continue this for a few weeks on both shows and then book him in a proper feud. Book him against someone similar in size so a Barrett or Brodus Clay and book them in a storyline for a couple of months.

Honestly though I can't see him making it big in WWE. He doesn't seem to have enough charisma to make it and I can't see him working a gimmick well. I don't think that he will have much success in WWE.

I had hoped that after TE finished WWE would give a few more wrestlers FCW deals Luke, Martin and Matt should all be in FCW right now.

 

[Tapout]

Remember, not all Tough Enough winners go on. Usually it's people who lost earlier in the season.

Personally, I'd go with AJ Kirsch, who has already been on one WWE show, as a jobber to Brodus Clay. Or Matt Cross. Or Martin. Those three were the standouts, and have good chances.

 

[Andrew]

The Miz = Only success from TE.

 

[Derrick]

Matt Cross, Luke Robinson and the Martin guy. The three that I like. Luke to go somehow ultraheel. Because I see the "it factor" in him to be a future world champ one day.

 

[Troy]

The Miz = Only success from TE.

Maven was pretty successful during his time in WWE. But The Miz is the only true star they have created from the program and he was probably the one that people least expected to make it.

 

[The New F'n Show]

Morrsion was also on Tough Enough and some people would count him as succesful. Others like Nidia, Jackie Gayda, and Linda Miles made TV but did nothing.

 

[Dale]

I'd say Josh Matthews is a definite success too despite not ending up as a wrestler. Providing he doesn't want to leave he'll likely be there for a long time as he's a damn fine commentator and can double up as a backstage announcer too.

 

[The New F'n Show]

True on Matthews he is forgotten because he doesn't wrestle but he is valuable to the company.

 

[PHX]

Shit not totally sure because I don't really like him and don't think he should have won TE at all. I'd kept him with the whole Silent Rage deal since it's about the only thing interesting about him. Give him a mouthpiece who talks for him to build up the fact that he doesn't like to talk and book him as a heel I suppose.

 

[Troy]

^Now that is a good idea. Give him a manager to do the talking for him. He lacks charisma and will be served better by having someone cut all his promos so he can just wrestle. They could also bring him in as a bodyguard for a wrestler and put him in a Diesel type role for the few six months.

 

[PHX]

I mean I wanted to say the bodyguard deal but it's all too common of a way to use a big man and usually falls flat in the WWE as of late. I think the art of the manager needs to be used more which brings me to think maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to put him with the heat machine that is Vickie Guerrero.

 

[John McHenry]

I'd say Josh Matthews is a definite success too despite not ending up as a wrestler. Providing he doesn't want to leave he'll likely be there for a long time as he's a damn fine commentator and can double up as a backstage announcer too.

I agree too and he wasn't that bad in the ring. Dare I say if the WWE feels Cole has to feud with someone make it Matthews.

Back to Andy I kinda rooted for him but to this point I don't know why anymore.

 

[Andrew]

Give him the 'Silent Rage' stuff, make him a bit like Umaga. Just attacking people, no mouth piece person whatsoever. Just Andy demolishing people for a while, later on he then cuts a promo that shocks the universe.

He reveals who he is and cuts a promo about why he kept his anger for a while, he continues to hate on the people and blames them for his past and rage.