Ric Flair now sadly parallels a circus geek as he continues to trample his legacy. Vince Russo is rarely remembered for the good work he did in the WWE because of his repeated mistakes in WCW and TNA. Hulk Hogan is a parody of himself but his legacy will forever be Hulkamania. Three lines about TNA are more than enough.
Chris Jericho will have control of the pen when it comes to writing his legacy while John Cena will allow Vince McMahon to write his completely. Edge has never been and will never be “The Man” but his legacy is secure from his consistency, despite multiple injuries. Triple H’s legacy? You even have to ask? Same for the Undertaker, but completely the opposite… Taker is the most revered competitor ever. You never hear anyone say a bad word about him and rightfully so.
What do you think of this “legacy” question? How would you categorize your favorite’s everlasting impact on the industry?
Like all of us, I am in control of my legacy and I focus on how I will be remembered when making decisions every day. Thanks to Terry Taylor’s recommendation to Jim Ross, I was given the opportunity to help scout and oversee talent for the WWE’s fledgling Talent Development System and so began how I want to be remembered for my time in the wrestling industry.
I say that I try to cast a wide net when looking at wrestling talent because fans and bookers alike enjoy different flavors of ice cream. No cookie-cutter approach works as variety makes everyone special. It’s often said that if everyone is a 7-Footer, then no one is a 7-Footer. That’s why athletes like The Big Show and Rey Mysterio are so special.
I also believe in a deep bench, because injuries and staleness happens. When a talent gets stale, it’s important to have somebody ready to plug in so the promotion doesn’t suffer. That’s why to me, the WWE’s brand extension was a bad idea because talent rotation keeps everyone fresh in the eyes of the audience. It’s also why I think the WWE should invest in a territory system, rather than wrestlers to give everyone places to work. But I digress…
