[StuHockey]

Hey guys,

Jack Swagger has been a personal favourite of mine ever since he debuted in ECW a couple of years ago. Since then he has been ECW Champion, won Money In The Bank, and held the World Heavyweight Championship. However, recently, ever since losing the World Heavyweight Championship he has seemed to drop down the card.

I honestly consider him to be the best pure athlete in the WWE today, and it baffles me why they seem to have given up on pushing him, at least for the time being. Sheamus has experienced a similar problem (albiet until he recently won King of the Ring) on RAW.

Swagger could be THE guy to carry the company when Cena, Edge, Orton etc give it up. I know that will be possibly a decade from now, but even so.

Was Swagger pushed too quickly to the main event? Are they going to push him again but over a longer period of time?

Your thoughts on Swagger's career so far?

 

[SarcasmoBlaster]

I actually like Swagger quite a bit. Although I won't go quite as far as you in saying that he could a guy to carry the company, I do believe he could be a pretty consistent main event heel.

Unfortunately, it does not appear the WWE has much faith in him. He was basically jobbing before winning MITB (which he only won because the guy they wanted to win it, McIntyre, couldn't get over), and then went right back to jobbing after it. I still think he can be relevant, but he's got to get some feuds and PPV matches going.

 

[swagger_ROCKS]

The problem is the old generation is still in the WWE, like Cena, Orton, Triple H, Rey etc. Also Sheamus just won king of the ring, they are not gonna even dare jeopardize his status. Swagger definitely has a impressive career so far and I think that when the time truly comes stars like Swagger Cody Rhodes Morrison Wade etc will really make their mark in the company. Not all wrestlers can be in the main event picture at the same time just wouldn't look good.

 

[DesolationRow]

He's still being groomed for Kurt Angle's old spot. Not the face of the company, but a main event guy who spends a lot of time in the upper midcard, putting on some strong pay-per-view matches (if they can ever devote some storyline time to the poor guy again to get him back on PPV prominently). Probably a three- or four-time world champion, in the lower tier of the main event strata, maybe the odd one or two Wrestlemania main events like Angle, but not quite in the very tippy-top of the company unless his inevitable face turn takes off unexpectedly (and it just might, actually).

 

[Chris32482]

They haven't given up on Swagger, they just don't have anything for him at the moment. There are a lot of upper-midcard guys on both rosters right now, and only two midcard belts. Also there seems to be a disproportional amount of heels to faces, so there aren't enough feuds to go around. Like Swagger ROCKS said, once some of the older guys are gone, Swagger should be a more prominent player. Swagger's got all the tools, and he's one of my favorite wrestlers to actually watch perform right now. I remember when I first started watching WWE again last year, the first time I saw Swagger on TV, I had no idea who he was but I said "that guy will be a world champion." Of course I had no idea it would be within 6 months. So yeah, he's just a main event quality guy all around if you ask me.

 

[It's True]

WWE would be fucked if Swagger ever had to carry the company. Bottom line.

 

[Iceman.]

I wouldn't be suprised if he turns face soon, infact I'm gonna bet in 2011 he will be a full on face.

 

[Cynic]

I've found Swagger completely irritating since his debut. My annoyance with him exploded when he went from jobbing to Santino to immediately winning MITB, taking it away from other much more deserving and ready individuals (read my caps lock: KOFI). Then my irritation reached threat level midnight when he won the World Title from Jericho after, oh, one show of build after winning the briefcase.

Swagger's ascension was the absolute most horribly botched, way-too-soon overpush since Orton's title win in '04 - and yes, that's taking Sheamus' first into account as well. It didn't help that they repeated their failures with Orton by aborting Swagger's reign and giving the belt to Mysterio of all people.

All that being said, Swagger continues to put on fine matches, and his mascot actually made him entertaining for the first time ever, making its apparent demise all the more confusing.

Going against typical IWC protocol, I think a face turn can absolutley change Swagger's career for the better. The dude sounds so stupid when he talks he's absolutely impossible to take seriously as a heel. The jock gimmick he played in ECW, the chest-thumping simpleton he played on Raw, and the trying-to-be-serious champ schtick on SmackDown were all total failures. It wasn't until he started the campy mascot thing that he actually became entertaining from a character standpoint.

If they turn him face and use his natural buffoonery as a strength instead of the detriment it is as a heel, I think it could really turn things around for him.

But really, WWE risked ruining him by pushing him so quickly out of the blue. It took almost four years for them to salvage Orton's career after the '04 debacle; luckily Swagger doesn't have the personal issues Orton had. A face turn and a firm sense of direction could put him on the proper path, in my opinion.

 

[JerseyCloverleaf]

It's sad to say, but that lisp is going to be really hard to overcome for him to "carry the company." His in-ring skills are great (though he can still greatly improve upon them), but as we all know based on our current champion, mic skills matter in this business. He needs to de-emphasize it when possible, and beyond that, just work on his mic skills in general. It would also be GREAT if creative would let him drop the "All-American American" thing, and yes, even the Soaring Eagle. He comes across as too much of a joke when his ring skills are much more impressive than that.

 

[LegendofBaseball]

Let Jack Swagger mature in the midcard and upper midcard... The guy's still darn young. Sure, he's had success and that's good for his rep. But, he doesn't need the Main Event right now. He'll get there eventually, I don't see him carrying the company, ever, but he could easily main event caliber for SmackDown! for a solid 2 years somewhere down the line.

 

[Evo]

WWE would be fucked if Swagger ever had to carry the company. Bottom line.

Considering how well he did as World Heavyweight Champion despite the poor booking, I can't really agree with that statement at all.

Jack Swagger is one of the most mature guys WWE has in their arsenal. Right now, he's a sitting duck because WWE wanted to do Kane/Undertaker, and if reports are true (who knows if they are), then he's also a sitting duck because Undertaker is injured [reports suggested that Swagger would've moved up to feud with a reigning WHC Undertaker after the Kane feud... again, who knows].

I'm not worried about his future at all. He's got a very, very bright one, and deservedly so.

 

[Snowman]

The problem I see with Swagger is that one week he's being goofy so you think he's a goofy character and then next week he's a cocky jock guy. WWE need to plan out what they want to do with him and how they want him to be because he clearly has the talent to become a major force in the WWE. Personally I would like him to be a goofy character so the fans can get behind him fo at least showing character(even if he is the butt of the jokes) but still being a force in the ring (a bit like festus you could say).

 

[It's True]

Considering how well he did as World Heavyweight Champion despite the poor booking, I can't really agree with that statement at all.

Jack Swagger is one of the most mature guys WWE has in their arsenal. Right now, he's a sitting duck because WWE wanted to do Kane/Undertaker, and if reports are true (who knows if they are), then he's also a sitting duck because Undertaker is injured [reports suggested that Swagger would've moved up to feud with a reigning WHC Undertaker after the Kane feud... again, who knows].

I'm not worried about his future at all. He's got a very, very bright one, and deservedly so.

His world heavyweight championship reign was an embarrasment and that's not just due to bad booking. All his promos and segments were shit just because he lacks the charisma, mic skills and presence of a maineventer. Sure he's a skilled wrestler, but how far did that get Shelton Benjamin? If WWE have any sense Swagger won't get near the mainevent again

 

[Unsexed]

Undertaker/Kane was the only option at the end of the day Evo. Who else could have believably "put him in a vegitative state" other than Nexus (who have other things to do and would be a major case of putting all WWE's creative eggs in one basket)?

Whether Swagger would have risen to the ME again after 'Taker vs Kane is anyone's guess. But eventually he'll be given another run with the belt. He's too good not to eventually float back to the top.

 

[fourmbegginer]

I made the same article two days ago but thats a good thing
Jack swagger is the all American American
He should beat Danieal Brian for the US title
think about it that would be a great fued
and than Swagger would be US champ it all
makes sence people say he cant be taken
seriously with the Eagle well i do
i think that they could throw that
out their as a storyline makeout his oppenets take
him light than he smashes them thats
what i fought ADR was going to be like
anyway Jack Swaggers the man give him
a title or a meaningful fued hell
have him on raw saying nexus is
unamerican why not id be funny and
get him over :agree::agree::agree:

 

[DR JUPES]

He should be kept off the mic, he's a good wrestler though and I enjoy his in ring work. It annoyed me so much when he took the title off of Jericho, I could never forgive him for that.

 

[DesolationRow]

Going against typical IWC protocol, I think a face turn can absolutley change Swagger's career for the better. The dude sounds so stupid when he talks he's absolutely impossible to take seriously as a heel.

That's precisely how I always felt about Chris Masters (aside from hating his ring work and overpush back five years ago). I think his last year and a half of work speaks to the fact that he's better off as a face for just about every reason. In any event, I agree that babyface Swagger has a lot of potential. However, I think they need to keep him heel for a good 'nother year or longer for it to come off right. If they can take some of the goofy elements of his persona and couple them to the badass side he showcased in his vengeful attacks on Big Show and Mysterio about six months ago, you could have a pretty good recipe for a solid babyface turn for him. Just have him start doing that to guys like McIntyre or Del Rio, and I think the fans would lap it up with the correct build-up.

The problem I see with Swagger is that one week he's being goofy so you think he's a goofy character and then next week he's a cocky jock guy. WWE need to plan out what they want to do with him and how they want him to be because he clearly has the talent to become a major force in the WWE. Personally I would like him to be a goofy character so the fans can get behind him fo at least showing character(even if he is the butt of the jokes) but still being a force in the ring (a bit like festus you could say).

I actually think they more or less got it right during the bulk of his World Heavyweight Championship reign and immediate aftermath. If people remember, he first came out in suits and ties after winning the WHC but it wasn't like he completely changed his character, simply modified it. He still was "goofy," but in a more presentable manner: I still think of that promo he cut immediately after Extreme Rules following his victory. I know some say it was "X-Pac heat" but whatever it was, it was immense. "SIT DOWN!" At the time I thought that promo was his coming out party as a serious player. I know shifting everything for Taker/Kane appealed to WWE but I still maintain they could have had their cake and eaten it, too, by simply keeping the WHC out of that storyline altogether and keep it on Swagger--even if it meant he was placed as the indefinite "B main-eventer" until he was actually established. As it is, nothing very much was accomplished; whatever ratings and buyrates for which the B.o.D. feud was responsible would probably have been the same without the championship as a part of it since the angle was never actually about that.

 

[fourmbegginer]

He should be kept off the mic, he's a good wrestler though and I enjoy his in ring work. It annoyed me so much when he took the title off of Jericho, I could never forgive him for that.

Jerico won the bloddy thing cause of shawn michael sweet chin music undertaker was all set to finsh y2k when the sexy boy came from under the chamber to superkick tarker and give jerico the win it was great jerico won the title infact he beat edge at wrestlmania but got SPEARED throw the barrier jerico was hurt and came out the next smackdown with a banadge on
his waist and calling edge all types of names anyway Jack Swagger
heard enough and saw fit to get ride of the injured champ and
cash in his money in the bank but lets not forget swagger tryed
to take out super cena first but it failed he techinaley never
cashed in on cena but you new he was going to moral of the story
Jack Swagger is awesome and i wanted to relive that shit cause it was awesome to watch

 

[Prospekt's March]

I don't think he was pushed too quickly, i think he's ready, it's just WWE didn't handle his push well, he could have been a main eventer right now had Kane/Taker feud never happened. I know he's destined to be a future star since his debut, he's very impressive during his ECW run, his feud with Christian on ECW is very underrated imo, everything was there, quality in-ring segments, 5 star matches on PPVs, and i think Swagger was money on the mic at that time when he was still an energetic brash cocky jock, oh and his match against John Cena at the draft was freaking awesome, he's proven he could hang with the top guy, i was also glad when he won MITB and then became the world champion shortly after, but i was not fond of the more serious approach to his character that he portrayed during his WHC reign, he came across like Jericho-lite instead of being himself, his promos became more robotic and i didn't really like it, he was not Jack Swagger i knew from ECW at that time, but yeah he still managed to gain good heat week in week out, people legitimately despised him, but everything went downhill since he lost the world title to Rey, and then Kane won MITB and the rest is history.

He still has bright future, i just wish that WWE will fully revert him back to Jack Swagger i knew from ECW, bring back his chest beating and pushup in his entrance, i'm kinda glad that he slowly ditches the SSE gimmick because that gimmick is just plain stupid and screams midcard act, Swagger deserves better than that. I think the day Kane loses his world title perhaps will be the re-start of putting young star in the main event, who knows it might be Swagger's second chance.

 

[palmaster65]

yehh i think so too