2 Cents: EC3 in NXT

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NWK2000
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2 Cents: EC3 in NXT

Post by NWK2000 » Aug 3rd, '18, 08:46

Now, let me first start by saying, the man behind the gimmick is a talented, witty, athletic guy. And I LOVED the gimmick in TNA, mostly because it was nice to see a slimy heel get pushed above all else and really get the crowd under his skin. Now, for a character like EC3, he NEEDS to be the top heel in the company for the character to really have an oomph. Now, in NXT, not only is he not the top guy (understandable when you consider guys Tomasso are also there) but now he's a weird tweener feuding with Velveteen Dream. The fact that he's in the midcard and a quasi-babyface has killed my interest in the gimmick. Also his catchphrases are lame. "Top 1 Percent" is okay at best, as it's a simplistic descriptor his gimmick. "NX3" makes me want to puke in my mouth. It's one of those catchphrases that's so lame it really would only work if he was the top heel.

This has been bugging me for a super long time and I wanted to put a feeler out there and see if anyone else felt this way
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cero2k
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Re: 2 Cents: EC3 in NXT

Post by cero2k » Aug 3rd, '18, 09:02

The EC3 character was a 100% Impact character, it doesn't work anywhere else where the boss isn't called Carter, even when Dixie left Impact, you could feel that EC3 was winding down (probably what pushed him to going to WWE too). You're not a top 1 percenter when your boss is a millionaire and you're working the developmental circuit.
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Re: 2 Cents: EC3 in NXT

Post by Big Red Machine » Aug 3rd, '18, 09:56

I don't thinker it's fair to say that the gimmick doesn't anywhere that the boss isn't named Carter because there is still the core idea of the snobby rich guy who is used to having everything he wants handed to him, and the character did need to grow beyond "Dixie's nephew who was given tomato cans and wins via interference to inflate his record," but I think the concept of Dixie makes the introduction work the best.

I actually don't mind what NXT is doing with Ethan at all. I'm baffled that they chose to turn him babyface instead of The Velveteen Dream, but it's fine. The character still feels like babyface EC III felt in TNA. The catchphrases are lame and basic, but Ethan talks well enough that he doesn't need to rely on them so they don't bother me much. They feel like very minor parts of the character (as catchphrases, I mean. Obviously the whole 1% thing is the core of the actual character).
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Re: 2 Cents: EC3 in NXT

Post by cero2k » Aug 3rd, '18, 10:09

Big Red Machine wrote: Aug 3rd, '18, 09:56 I don't thinker it's fair to say that the gimmick doesn't anywhere that the boss isn't named Carter because there is still the core idea of the snobby rich guy who is used to having everything he wants handed to him, and the character did need to grow beyond "Dixie's nephew who was given tomato cans and wins via interference to inflate his record," but I think the concept of Dixie makes the introduction work the best.
if you want to do the 'playboy' entitled rich kid, then they need to go a bit beyond like with Del Rio, the cars, the valet, and really make him seem rich. Noah Cocoa or whatever his name is feels more like a playboy than ECIII who is just a well dressed man. it's also a weird gimmick to have in developmental, snobby rich kid that gets what he wants is more like something that should have gone straight to the main roster
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Re: 2 Cents: EC3 in NXT

Post by NWK2000 » Aug 3rd, '18, 12:43

cero2k wrote: Aug 3rd, '18, 10:09 ]

if you want to do the 'playboy' entitled rich kid, then they need to go a bit beyond like with Del Rio, the cars, the valet, and really make him seem rich. Noah Cocoa or whatever his name is feels more like a playboy than ECIII who is just a well dressed man. it's also a weird gimmick to have in developmental, snobby rich kid that gets what he wants is more like something that should have gone straight to the main roster
Agreed. And do you mean Kona Reeves?
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Re: 2 Cents: EC3 in NXT

Post by Big Red Machine » Aug 3rd, '18, 12:51

cero2k wrote: Aug 3rd, '18, 10:09
Big Red Machine wrote: Aug 3rd, '18, 09:56 I don't thinker it's fair to say that the gimmick doesn't anywhere that the boss isn't named Carter because there is still the core idea of the snobby rich guy who is used to having everything he wants handed to him, and the character did need to grow beyond "Dixie's nephew who was given tomato cans and wins via interference to inflate his record," but I think the concept of Dixie makes the introduction work the best.
if you want to do the 'playboy' entitled rich kid, then they need to go a bit beyond like with Del Rio, the cars, the valet, and really make him seem rich. Noah Cocoa or whatever his name is feels more like a playboy than ECIII who is just a well dressed man. it's also a weird gimmick to have in developmental, snobby rich kid that gets what he wants is more like something that should have gone straight to the main roster
Good point about the main roster. I guess they could fast-track him and still kind of play off of this. Having him really "earn" his way up works with the babyface thing they're doing, but you're right that it is to ultimate detriment of the character.
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Re: 2 Cents: EC3 in NXT

Post by cero2k » Aug 3rd, '18, 13:39

NWK2000 wrote: Aug 3rd, '18, 12:43
cero2k wrote: Aug 3rd, '18, 10:09 ]

if you want to do the 'playboy' entitled rich kid, then they need to go a bit beyond like with Del Rio, the cars, the valet, and really make him seem rich. Noah Cocoa or whatever his name is feels more like a playboy than ECIII who is just a well dressed man. it's also a weird gimmick to have in developmental, snobby rich kid that gets what he wants is more like something that should have gone straight to the main roster
Agreed. And do you mean Kona Reeves?
lol yes, that's the one
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Re: 2 Cents: EC3 in NXT

Post by NWK2000 » Aug 3rd, '18, 13:56

cero2k wrote: Aug 3rd, '18, 13:39
NWK2000 wrote: Aug 3rd, '18, 12:43
cero2k wrote: Aug 3rd, '18, 10:09 ]

if you want to do the 'playboy' entitled rich kid, then they need to go a bit beyond like with Del Rio, the cars, the valet, and really make him seem rich. Noah Cocoa or whatever his name is feels more like a playboy than ECIII who is just a well dressed man. it's also a weird gimmick to have in developmental, snobby rich kid that gets what he wants is more like something that should have gone straight to the main roster
Agreed. And do you mean Kona Reeves?
lol yes, that's the one
Noah Coca is a much better name.
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Re: 2 Cents: EC3 in NXT

Post by KILLdozer » Aug 3rd, '18, 20:46

Watching him last night from the latest NXT...he was pretty genuinely over in everything he did and said...might be on steroids but he's got some things going for him...he just needs to keep doing what he's doing and maybe add more power....just throw and slam people around to really add the finishing touch.

One way or another and regardless of whatever you all may say...that crowd loved every second of everything he did.
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Re: 2 Cents: EC3 in NXT

Post by Bob-O » Aug 3rd, '18, 22:49

I agree with everything here. EC3 is in a tricky spot. It's a character that was designed for Impact that worked really really well there. It's a character that, in order to have worked in WWE, should have been brought in ala Del Rio right into a top spot on the main roster. They screwed that up.

So, not out of the woods, they're not looking to change the current landscape to cater to Derrick Bateman. Not in the plans. Gotcha. NXT isn't a bad call here. They did it right with his debut, they made his signing feel like a big deal. His first promo was great, competing for the NA Championship in his first match was the right thing to do. After losing this match, we didn't see EC3 for a few weeks... a few videos... a squash or two... we're just now seeing his first actual feud, and it feels a little last minute to me. NXT, in a rare moment, screwed this up.

The whole point to the EC3 that worked so well on Impact was privilege. Things were handed to him, and this is what connected him to the fans and made it work so well. As a babyface, it worked because he actually DID work for things and admit that he cared, which ONLY worked in relief of his heel persona. Nobody wants to see EC3 WORK for anything! He shouldn't be working his way up the ladder! The rich entitled guy, this early into his run, SHOULD ABSOLUTELY NOT be doing tween work! The ONLY reason he's being cheered right now for anything is because NXT hasn't given us a reason to care about him either way and he's an amazing promo.

He shouldn't be challenged by Noah Cocoa over having nicer things, that should not even be questioned, because we're supposed to be pissed at BOTH of them for having nice things! What am I supposed to be doing as a fan watching that? "Say WHAT!? BULLSHIT! EC3 has nicer things than you'll ever have, Toothy! He's gonna kick your ass!" Velveteen is the absolute LAST person on that roster he should be working with. He should not be fighting over "spotlight", it should be assumed (in his mind, anyway) that he already has it. He SHOULD be feuding with Oney Lorcan or Ohno or somebody that's been there a while WORKING... the feeling should be that by being there he's holding people back...

...there's no privilege... there's no entitlement... there's nothing to care about...

...except Derrick Bateman, who is phenomenal at his job.
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Re: 2 Cents: EC3 in NXT

Post by Big Red Machine » Aug 4th, '18, 20:09

The more I think about it, there are definitely ways they could take it to bring out the heelish side of EC III. Like maybe have him lose to TVD still demand the spotlight from Regal like he has done a few times over the past few months and then turn him heel.
I do think you're right in that babyface EC III only works after you've had heel EC III... which led me to an odd and very un-WWE line of thought: What if we're supposed to know about TNA EC III? I know that assuming viewers have outside knowledge is not a good way to introduce a character, but in this case I think it's entirely possible that that is the idea. This is Triple H after all, not Vince, and if they didn't want that TNA connection to be in people's minds they'd have given him a different name like Kairi Hojo became Kairi Sane. I think it's possible that Hunter is anticipating NXT: UK becoming more of its own thing and 205 Live's roster expanding in the hopes of running their own house shows again, which would drain talent from NXT, and they're basically trying to use people's prior knowledge of EC III as a shortcut to not have to waste time telling those preliminary stories with him.

Just a thought.
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