TPWW Forums - View Single Post - Is it too late for AJ Styles to be the top face in the company?

**Mr. Nerfect** · 04-19-2018, 07:00 PM

Lol, in no way is The Miz as charismatic as AJ Styles. Look at their career trajectories and listen to the fan reactions for them. I can understand where #fan is coming from with the mic skills, but charisma?

Charisma =/= mic skills. It doesn't need to be loud or expressive. It can be intrinsic. AJ Styles commands an arena when he walks out there. The Miz stomps out like he wants to. He tries hard. He's got a great ethic. As far as "WWE entertaining" goes, you can give him a microphone and words will come out of his face with the intended cadence and whatever. That's like answering a multiple choice question with an essay though.

I think #fan is grading them by the WWE's usual standards of what they look for in a variety entertainer (hence his comments about acting and such). There's merit to that point. In a wrestling context though, I think that's a false framing of talent though. I think the work happens through genuine emotion, which Styles manages to milk and The Miz doesn't.

So yeah, Miz is probably perfect for the WWE right now. Charisma or not, they can push him how they like and people will just have to deal with it anyway. It's why Reigns hasn't needed to go away. Getting sick of Dolph or Bray? Deal with more of them -- we've got them locked down for 10 years. AJ has managed to navigate his way to the top of the card is such a short time because of things like his ring skills, charisma, marketabilty and his work ethic. I think the evidence as to who is a better all-round professional wrestler is there.

And that does influence your promo. I'm sorry, but it does. Otherwise you could do what Vince Russo suggested and just hire actors and train them up. A promo is not the same as a thespian monologue. Some people do tell an eloquent story with their promos (see: Cactus Jack). Others rant and rave and barely make any sense, and if it that works, it works. Just because someone can memorize ten minutes of dialogue, it does not make them an effective promo. It makes them useful for what the WWE wants. The Miz is not a better promo than Dusty Rhodes. He's not. That being said, Dusty Rhodes would be a terrible actor. Dusty absolutely fucking sucked at commentary. Promos =/= eloquence.

As a result, when AJ Styles cuts his promo, and I believe him to be genuine and I know that I'll be getting some sort of in-ring pay-off to what he's saying, I get far more into it than when The Miz hosts his "talk show" segments. If AJ Styles said "give me $20," I'll be more likely to do it than if The Miz said that. That's what a promo is there for. It's there to hype a fight. Styles can do that a lot more effectively because of his credibility than The Miz, because The Miz lacks it. His good promos have played into this and exploited that in order to make you see him either want to succeed or fail. "I was forced to change in the hallway because no one took me seriously." "You talk about what a great wrestler you are, but your neck is broken and my neck is not." Those were good. Really good. "I'm the most must-see Superstar in the WWE and I'm going to win back my Intercontinental Title!" Eh.

The Miz's delivery is ace. His verbal control could be considered better. But it goes to a delivery/deliverer diametric.

04-19-2018, 07:00 PM	#98
Mr. Nerfect Posts: 60,919	Lol, in no way is The Miz as charismatic as AJ Styles. Look at their career trajectories and listen to the fan reactions for them. I can understand where #fan is coming from with the mic skills, but charisma? Charisma =/= mic skills. It doesn't need to be loud or expressive. It can be intrinsic. AJ Styles commands an arena when he walks out there. The Miz stomps out like he wants to. He tries hard. He's got a great ethic. As far as "WWE entertaining" goes, you can give him a microphone and words will come out of his face with the intended cadence and whatever. That's like answering a multiple choice question with an essay though. I think #fan is grading them by the WWE's usual standards of what they look for in a variety entertainer (hence his comments about acting and such). There's merit to that point. In a wrestling context though, I think that's a false framing of talent though. I think the work happens through genuine emotion, which Styles manages to milk and The Miz doesn't. So yeah, Miz is probably perfect for the WWE right now. Charisma or not, they can push him how they like and people will just have to deal with it anyway. It's why Reigns hasn't needed to go away. Getting sick of Dolph or Bray? Deal with more of them -- we've got them locked down for 10 years. AJ has managed to navigate his way to the top of the card is such a short time because of things like his ring skills, charisma, marketabilty and his work ethic. I think the evidence as to who is a better all-round professional wrestler is there. And that does influence your promo. I'm sorry, but it does. Otherwise you could do what Vince Russo suggested and just hire actors and train them up. A promo is not the same as a thespian monologue. Some people do tell an eloquent story with their promos (see: Cactus Jack). Others rant and rave and barely make any sense, and if it that works, it works. Just because someone can memorize ten minutes of dialogue, it does not make them an effective promo. It makes them useful for what the WWE wants. The Miz is not a better promo than Dusty Rhodes. He's not. That being said, Dusty Rhodes would be a terrible actor. Dusty absolutely fucking sucked at commentary. Promos =/= eloquence. As a result, when AJ Styles cuts his promo, and I believe him to be genuine and I know that I'll be getting some sort of in-ring pay-off to what he's saying, I get far more into it than when The Miz hosts his "talk show" segments. If AJ Styles said "give me $20," I'll be more likely to do it than if The Miz said that. That's what a promo is there for. It's there to hype a fight. Styles can do that a lot more effectively because of his credibility than The Miz, because The Miz lacks it. His good promos have played into this and exploited that in order to make you see him either want to succeed or fail. "I was forced to change in the hallway because no one took me seriously." "You talk about what a great wrestler you are, but your neck is broken and my neck is not." Those were good. Really good. "I'm the most must-see Superstar in the WWE and I'm going to win back my Intercontinental Title!" Eh. The Miz's delivery is ace. His verbal control could be considered better. But it goes to a delivery/deliverer diametric.