2 Cents: The Viking Experience

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NWK2000
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2 Cents: The Viking Experience

Post by NWK2000 » Apr 16th, '19, 08:22

I actually like the name! It's a good name for a heel team, and it implies that we're living vik-cariously (get it, because Vikings?) through them because we're too big of wussies to hunt or swing an ax. Now if we get an inset promo EXPLAINING this, I'll be over the moon.

Also the individual name change for me is something they should've done when they got signed in the first place. Rowe was a decent enough Viking name, but Hanson should've changed his name, dude was just trying to ape Stan Hansen with that name.
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Re: 2 Cents: The Viking Experience

Post by cero2k » Apr 16th, '19, 09:23

just another case of WWE's "Fixing was is not Broken" MO.

War Machine = Awesome
War Raiders = Fucking Great
Viking Experience = Universal Studios ride

I don't mind the personal name changes, but they should have done that day 1, don't let someone get over with one name and then just change it for the fuck of it.

War Raiders felt like they were loving their heritage. Viking Experience sounds like either time travelers or role players. They'll get really over with the LARPing society.
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Re: 2 Cents: The Viking Experience

Post by Big Red Machine » Apr 16th, '19, 09:58

cero2k wrote: Apr 16th, '19, 09:23 just another case of WWE's "Fixing was is not Broken" MO.

War Machine = Awesome
War Raiders = Fucking Great
Viking Experience = Universal Studios ride

I don't mind the personal name changes, but they should have done that day 1, don't let someone get over with one name and then just change it for the fuck of it.
To be fair, the change from "War Machine" was likely a trademark issue with Marvel.

cero2k wrote: Apr 16th, '19, 09:23 War Raiders felt like they were loving their heritage. Viking Experience sounds like either time travelers or role players. They'll get really over with the LARPing society.
THIS!
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Re: 2 Cents: The Viking Experience

Post by cero2k » Apr 16th, '19, 10:03

Big Red Machine wrote: Apr 16th, '19, 09:58
cero2k wrote: Apr 16th, '19, 09:23 just another case of WWE's "Fixing was is not Broken" MO.

War Machine = Awesome
War Raiders = Fucking Great
Viking Experience = Universal Studios ride

I don't mind the personal name changes, but they should have done that day 1, don't let someone get over with one name and then just change it for the fuck of it.
To be fair, the change from "War Machine" was likely a trademark issue with Marvel.
this and that War Machine UFC guy that beat up Christy Mack
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Re: 2 Cents: The Viking Experience

Post by Bob-O » Apr 16th, '19, 10:33

cero2k wrote: Apr 16th, '19, 09:23 War Machine = Awesome
Agree
cero2k wrote: Apr 16th, '19, 09:23 War Raiders = Fucking Great
Strongly Disagree. Worse than The American Males. On par with Dudebusters.
cero2k wrote: Apr 16th, '19, 09:23 Viking Experience = Universal Studios ride
Slightly Agree, but I think it works. Lot's of ride names would make great tag team names...
-Space Mountain
-Millennium Force
-Tower(s) of Terror
-Mr Toad's Wild Ride

What doesn't work is that they've taken the small stereotypical part of this top ranked team and done away with the rest. This is along the lines of The Godwins... The Smoking Guns... The Headbangers... and made their easiest way of getting over (WAR! WAR! WAR! chants) not work as well, so much so they'll probably get away from it.
NWK2000 wrote: Apr 16th, '19, 08:22 Also the individual name change for me is something they should've done when they got signed in the first place. Rowe was a decent enough Viking name, but Hanson should've changed his name, dude was just trying to ape Stan Hansen with that name.
Part of me is just bitter about fixing what isn't broken. They didn't have to rename KENTA, they didn't have to rename Kevin Steen, and so on and so on... so when guys come in with their non-WWE names I get excited.

Now, I will say that I never once made any connection between Stan Hansen and Hanson until today, and I still don't see it. Rowe and Hanson just sound like names that fit those guys in those roles and go together really well.

But I also think the names Buddy and Murphy go together in a way that sounds kind of badass, but I already know how y'all fell about that...


Ultimately, I think this is one of those cases that we've seen many times before that WWE (Vince) knows these guys can get over on their own, doing their own thing, and won't allow it/doesn't want them for that/needs to have control of it. Changing the name from War Raiders I think is a good call, but taking the "War" out of them was not. Changing their unique names to two generic viking names was not. They'll be alright if they're allowed to shift out of first gear on the main roster, they're far more believable hosses than The Ascension when surrounded by hosses, but if they come out eating mutton chops and growling at each other like mindless idiots next week I'm afraid we're going to have a bad time. Don't think they haven't thought about it...
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Re: 2 Cents: The Viking Experience

Post by cero2k » Apr 16th, '19, 10:44

Bob-O wrote: Apr 16th, '19, 10:33
cero2k wrote: Apr 16th, '19, 09:23 War Raiders = Fucking Great
Strongly Disagree. Worse than The American Males. On par with Dudebusters.
C'mon! They raid...wars! It's like there's a war going on, and they get there, raid it, and leave!

I have the secret belief that they wanted them to be called War Riders, but then they accidentally copyrighted War Raiders instead.

Bob-O wrote: Apr 16th, '19, 10:33
cero2k wrote: Apr 16th, '19, 09:23 Viking Experience = Universal Studios ride
Slightly Agree, but I think it works. Lot's of ride names would make great tag team names...
-Space Mountain - This sounds like move Ric Flair should have had if he debuted past 2000
-Millennium Force - This actually sounds great for a tag team.
-Tower(s) of Terror - Ah yes! Hikuleo and whoever is Barbarian's son!
-Mr Toad's Wild Ride - Either a chikara team, or Mr. Toad's finishing move, which begs the question, why isn't there a wrestler called Mr. Toad!?
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Re: 2 Cents: The Viking Experience

Post by NWK2000 » Apr 16th, '19, 11:06

Big Red Machine wrote: Apr 16th, '19, 09:58
cero2k wrote: Apr 16th, '19, 09:23 War Raiders felt like they were loving their heritage. Viking Experience sounds like either time travelers or role players. They'll get really over with the LARPing society.
THIS!
I think there's some heat to be derived from that. They're two big tough guys, but they're so up their own asses about it that they compare themselves to warriors that conquered entire countries, and use that to excuse being heels.
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Re: 2 Cents: The Viking Experience

Post by Serujuunin » Apr 16th, '19, 11:17

NWK2000 wrote: Apr 16th, '19, 11:06
Big Red Machine wrote: Apr 16th, '19, 09:58
cero2k wrote: Apr 16th, '19, 09:23 War Raiders felt like they were loving their heritage. Viking Experience sounds like either time travelers or role players. They'll get really over with the LARPing society.
THIS!
I think there's some heat to be derived from that. They're two big tough guys, but they're so up their own asses about it that they compare themselves to warriors that conquered entire countries, and use that to excuse being heels.
WWE doesn’t have the ability to handle this idea the way they need to to make it believable. What would happen is someone would come out and say “LOL these guys think they’re Vikings, let’s point and laugh at them.” And then they’d get eaten.

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Re: 2 Cents: The Viking Experience

Post by NWK2000 » Apr 16th, '19, 11:29

Serujuunin wrote: Apr 16th, '19, 11:17
NWK2000 wrote: Apr 16th, '19, 11:06
Big Red Machine wrote: Apr 16th, '19, 09:58


THIS!
I think there's some heat to be derived from that. They're two big tough guys, but they're so up their own asses about it that they compare themselves to warriors that conquered entire countries, and use that to excuse being heels.
WWE doesn’t have the ability to handle this idea the way they need to to make it believable. What would happen is someone would come out and say “LOL these guys think they’re Vikings, let’s point and laugh at them.” And then they’d get eaten.
I don't see that as very likely, big monster tag teams are usually better protected than most tag teams in WWE
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Re: 2 Cents: The Viking Experience

Post by Big Red Machine » Apr 16th, '19, 11:30

cero2k wrote: Apr 16th, '19, 10:44

I have the secret belief that they wanted them to be called War Riders, but then they accidentally copyrighted War Raiders instead.
Ah. So a "Corre" situation, then.
Bob-O wrote: Apr 16th, '19, 10:33
cero2k wrote: Apr 16th, '19, 09:23 Viking Experience = Universal Studios ride
Slightly Agree, but I think it works. Lot's of ride names would make great tag team names...
-Space Mountain - This sounds like move Ric Flair should have had if he debuted past 2000
Agreed

-Millennium Force - This actually sounds great for a tag team.
In the year 1999, maybe (and that team obviously should have been Mascara Ano 2000 and "Millennium Man" Sid Vicious).

-Mr Toad's Wild Ride - Either a chikara team, or Mr. Toad's finishing move, which begs the question, why isn't there a wrestler called Mr. Toad!?
Candice was actually using Mrs. LeRae's Wild Ride as NXT-friendly version of the Mustache Ride
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Re: 2 Cents: The Viking Experience

Post by Big Red Machine » Apr 16th, '19, 11:35

NWK2000 wrote: Apr 16th, '19, 11:29
Serujuunin wrote: Apr 16th, '19, 11:17
NWK2000 wrote: Apr 16th, '19, 11:06

I think there's some heat to be derived from that. They're two big tough guys, but they're so up their own asses about it that they compare themselves to warriors that conquered entire countries, and use that to excuse being heels.
WWE doesn’t have the ability to handle this idea the way they need to to make it believable. What would happen is someone would come out and say “LOL these guys think they’re Vikings, let’s point and laugh at them.” And then they’d get eaten.
I don't see that as very likely, big monster tag teams are usually better protected than most tag teams in WWE
Tell that to The Ascension or AoP or Gallows & Anderson, or SAnitY or even Sheamus & Cesaro (the current designated JTTS team on the roster).
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Re: 2 Cents: The Viking Experience

Post by NWK2000 » Apr 16th, '19, 11:55

Big Red Machine wrote: Apr 16th, '19, 11:35
NWK2000 wrote: Apr 16th, '19, 11:29
Serujuunin wrote: Apr 16th, '19, 11:17

WWE doesn’t have the ability to handle this idea the way they need to to make it believable. What would happen is someone would come out and say “LOL these guys think they’re Vikings, let’s point and laugh at them.” And then they’d get eaten.
I don't see that as very likely, big monster tag teams are usually better protected than most tag teams in WWE
Tell that to The Ascension or AoP or Gallows & Anderson, or SAnitY or even Sheamus & Cesaro (the current designated JTTS team on the roster).
-Ascension suck ass. They're a relic of when NXT was basically putting together off-brand versions of tag teams that are awesome because they had nothing better
-Same with Sanity. Their gimmick was ill-defined and doomed to fail. They put on good matches but they're were just a vaguely-hinted-at group of anarchists. Plus Alexander Wolfe isn't very good, EY and Dain might be better apart than together.

-AoP didn't exactly set the world on fire, but they were the top team on Raw along with Gable and Roode, which is more than you can say for a lot of their peers (The Revival until like this year, Lucha House Party, Titus Worldwide,) . Maverick pissed himself but that didn't really lead to anything that buried the AoP.

-Gallows and Anderson don't need to be monsters. They're both naturally likeable, funny guys, so their best applications might be as comedy babyfaces which will lengthen their careers in terms of physical longevity

-The Bar has been pushed about as good as you can ask for. Vince doesn't like tag teams, but in that division they've been the front runner very consistently since Cesaro turned. This puts them in the same pedigree as The Usos or New Day. I see Viking Experience as the next Bar-esque tag team, where, despite never being the top act in the company, they'll be consistently featured as a tag team putting on really good matches.
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Re: 2 Cents: The Viking Experience

Post by Serujuunin » Apr 16th, '19, 12:42

NWK2000 wrote: Apr 16th, '19, 11:29
Serujuunin wrote: Apr 16th, '19, 11:17
NWK2000 wrote: Apr 16th, '19, 11:06

I think there's some heat to be derived from that. They're two big tough guys, but they're so up their own asses about it that they compare themselves to warriors that conquered entire countries, and use that to excuse being heels.
WWE doesn’t have the ability to handle this idea the way they need to to make it believable. What would happen is someone would come out and say “LOL these guys think they’re Vikings, let’s point and laugh at them.” And then they’d get eaten.
I don't see that as very likely, big monster tag teams are usually better protected than most tag teams in WWE
What I mean is, they’d squash whoever came out to make fun of them.

They lack any kind of nuance in storytelling to make it compelling lol

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Re: 2 Cents: The Viking Experience

Post by Big Red Machine » Apr 16th, '19, 13:00

NWK2000 wrote: Apr 16th, '19, 11:55
Big Red Machine wrote: Apr 16th, '19, 11:35
NWK2000 wrote: Apr 16th, '19, 11:29

I don't see that as very likely, big monster tag teams are usually better protected than most tag teams in WWE
Tell that to The Ascension or AoP or Gallows & Anderson, or SAnitY or even Sheamus & Cesaro (the current designated JTTS team on the roster).
-Ascension suck ass. They're a relic of when NXT was basically putting together off-brand versions of tag teams that are awesome because they had nothing better
-Same with Sanity. Their gimmick was ill-defined and doomed to fail. They put on good matches but they're were just a vaguely-hinted-at group of anarchists. Plus Alexander Wolfe isn't very good, EY and Dain might be better apart than together.
Alexander Wolfe is actually great. Watch some wXw.

You're not wrong about their failure being due to having an "ill-defined gimmick," but "ill-defined gimmick" is also a category that I would put Gallows & Anderson in. Furthermore, your premise is that bigger teams would be more likely to be protected, but along with that should come more screen time and an attempt to define the gimmick. WWE could have done that with them but chose not to, which I think shoots your premise in the foot. If they weren't willing to put the effort into developing SAnitY past their crippling ambiguity then what makes you think they'll be willing to put the effort in to develop the Viking Experience beyond "they're Vikings?"
NWK2000 wrote: Apr 16th, '19, 11:55 -AoP didn't exactly set the world on fire, but they were the top team on Raw along with Gable and Roode, which is more than you can say for a lot of their peers (The Revival until like this year, Lucha House Party, Titus Worldwide,) . Maverick pissed himself but that didn't really lead to anything that buried the AoP.
They might have had the titles, but only by default because The Shield were broken up and everyone else had been treated like goofs for so long that they were pretty much all jobbers. The most over team in the division during this time period was The Revival, while the two teams fighting over the titles feuded around a manager peeing his pants. AoP won the belts in a Handicap Match lost them to Roode & Gable when their manager got pinned. That's not top tag team stuff. The team getting pushed the most during that time was the Drew & Dolph (and their pals Lashley and Corbin).
NWK2000 wrote: Apr 16th, '19, 11:55 -Gallows and Anderson don't need to be monsters. They're both naturally likeable, funny guys, so their best applications might be as comedy babyfaces which will lengthen their careers in terms of physical longevity
I could make this same argument about AJ Styles or Becky Lynch or the Usos. We've seen "big, funny likable guy" tried a million times with the likes of Big Show, Kane, etc. and it has almost never been a good use of the wrestler in question. The best use for them is as large babyfaces who have hard-hitting hoss-fights with the monster heels.
NWK2000 wrote: Apr 16th, '19, 11:55 -The Bar has been pushed about as good as you can ask for. Vince doesn't like tag teams, but in that division they've been the front runner very consistently since Cesaro turned. This puts them in the same pedigree as The Usos or New Day. I see Viking Experience as the next Bar-esque tag team, where, despite never being the top act in the company, they'll be consistently featured as a tag team putting on really good matches.
And by "pushed" you mean guys who haven't won a match all year?

Having good matches is great and all, but their comes a point when you stop caring because it's clear the company isn't behind them (see: Ziggler, Dolph or Zayn, Sami Kingston, Kofi 2009-2014 or Rusev, *REDACTED*). They're not portrayed as being on the same level of New Day or the Usos; they're their also-rans. They get this spot because they're the only heels Vince feels like using because he doens't like SAnitY, Bludgeon Brothers were injured, and G-d forbid we actually use someone like the Colons or try to do something with Shelton Benjamin.
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Re: 2 Cents: The Viking Experience

Post by Bob-O » Apr 16th, '19, 13:59

Big Red Machine wrote: Apr 16th, '19, 13:00 You're not wrong about their failure being due to having an "ill-defined gimmick," but "ill-defined gimmick" is also a category that I would put Gallows & Anderson in. Furthermore, your premise is that bigger teams would be more likely to be protected, but along with that should come more screen time and an attempt to define the gimmick. WWE could have done that with them but chose not to, which I think shoots your premise in the foot. If they weren't willing to put the effort into developing SAnitY past their crippling ambiguity then what makes you think they'll be willing to put the effort in to develop the Viking Experience beyond "they're Vikings?"
I think Gallows & Anderson tell us all we need to know when it comes to the Vikings. One of the top teams in the world, made their names elsewhere, WWE has nothing for them and will stop anything they get going. The Bar, The Bludgeon Bros, Usos, New Day... all of these guys are Vince ideas. To give the man his due, maybe he just doesn't know how to work with somebody else's creation, but it is what it is.

These name changes might be the saving grace for War Machine in WWE, maybe that's Vince "creating something" he can work with... we also know the carny in him loves "attractions", larger than life-type stuff that I'd think two 300+ pound guys flying around the ring like cruiser-weights might qualify for... Vikings or Pirates or NASCAR Drivers or Trained Bears, he's GOT to see the spectacle here where he might not have in Gallows and Anderson.
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Re: 2 Cents: The Viking Experience

Post by NWK2000 » Apr 16th, '19, 14:10

Bob-O wrote: Apr 16th, '19, 13:59
I think Gallows & Anderson tell us all we need to know when it comes to the Vikings. One of the top teams in the world, made their names elsewhere, WWE has nothing for them and will stop anything they get going. The Bar, The Bludgeon Bros, Usos, New Day... all of these guys are Vince ideas. To give the man his due, maybe he just doesn't know how to work with somebody else's creation, but it is what it is.

These name changes might be the saving grace for War Machine in WWE, maybe that's Vince "creating something" he can work with... we also know the carny in him loves "attractions", larger than life-type stuff that I'd think two 300+ pound guys flying around the ring like cruiser-weights might qualify for... Vikings or Pirates or NASCAR Drivers or Trained Bears, he's GOT to see the spectacle here where he might not have in Gallows and Anderson.
Agreed. I also see VE as a team that will get over just because they wrestle good, much like Blackochet eventually will.
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Re: 2 Cents: The Viking Experience

Post by Serujuunin » Apr 16th, '19, 15:08

NWK2000 wrote: Apr 16th, '19, 14:10
Bob-O wrote: Apr 16th, '19, 13:59
I think Gallows & Anderson tell us all we need to know when it comes to the Vikings. One of the top teams in the world, made their names elsewhere, WWE has nothing for them and will stop anything they get going. The Bar, The Bludgeon Bros, Usos, New Day... all of these guys are Vince ideas. To give the man his due, maybe he just doesn't know how to work with somebody else's creation, but it is what it is.

These name changes might be the saving grace for War Machine in WWE, maybe that's Vince "creating something" he can work with... we also know the carny in him loves "attractions", larger than life-type stuff that I'd think two 300+ pound guys flying around the ring like cruiser-weights might qualify for... Vikings or Pirates or NASCAR Drivers or Trained Bears, he's GOT to see the spectacle here where he might not have in Gallows and Anderson.
Agreed. I also see VE as a team that will get over just because they wrestle good, much like Blackochet eventually will.
They really need a tag team name, those two.

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Re: 2 Cents: The Viking Experience

Post by NWK2000 » Apr 16th, '19, 15:13

Serujuunin wrote: Apr 16th, '19, 15:08
NWK2000 wrote: Apr 16th, '19, 14:10
Bob-O wrote: Apr 16th, '19, 13:59
I think Gallows & Anderson tell us all we need to know when it comes to the Vikings. One of the top teams in the world, made their names elsewhere, WWE has nothing for them and will stop anything they get going. The Bar, The Bludgeon Bros, Usos, New Day... all of these guys are Vince ideas. To give the man his due, maybe he just doesn't know how to work with somebody else's creation, but it is what it is.

These name changes might be the saving grace for War Machine in WWE, maybe that's Vince "creating something" he can work with... we also know the carny in him loves "attractions", larger than life-type stuff that I'd think two 300+ pound guys flying around the ring like cruiser-weights might qualify for... Vikings or Pirates or NASCAR Drivers or Trained Bears, he's GOT to see the spectacle here where he might not have in Gallows and Anderson.
Agreed. I also see VE as a team that will get over just because they wrestle good, much like Blackochet eventually will.
They really need a tag team name, those two.
"Kick and Flip Express"
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Re: 2 Cents: The Viking Experience

Post by KILLdozer » Apr 16th, '19, 15:29

I'm just gonna go completely randomly off the wall here...but I CAN'T be the only one who's ever thought about what this "forum" stuff would be like...actually in person instead of over the internet lol. I see coffee and a giant rectangular table involved...as well of course, televisions with wrestling on them...
When they come, they'll come at what you love.

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Re: 2 Cents: The Viking Experience

Post by cero2k » Apr 17th, '19, 14:26

From PWInsider
When WWE NXT Tag Team Champions The War Raiders debuted this past Monday with their new team name, The Viking Experience, it was not the initially pitched name for the duo.

At one point, the duo was slated to be billed as The Bezerkers but it changed as they moved closer to debuting.
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