Tough Enough

[Rob]

M-Dogg can sell, he can make a story work. Maybe not to the extent that the WWE want yet, but I don't see any others on the show that have an equal amount of charisma.

In terms of what his character needs, it's what the WWE can give.

He's about as much a WWE superstar as Bryan Danielson and Matt Sydal are...

[Goldferg]

Actually, Hondage has a point.

Cool High Spot bro, but without the rest of the match to put it in context... it's a cool spot. That's hard to tell if it's what he intended or a fuckup that didn't kill him and looked cool so he went with it. I mean what was it? S shooting star corckscrew elbow drop? a shooting sta corkscrew senton? what? i couldn't 100% tgell for certain.

You could take a highlight reel of... say... New Jack.. and try use it to make him seem like the best wrestler around. And then you see a New Jack match and get another view entriely.

Prolly a strawman example, but you see the point i'm making, right?

[jagilki]

[Tezmission Black]

WWE's next Diva everyone. Shes not face-planting, that's her finisher...The Standing Diving Headbutt.

[Alex Smiley]

Now THAT'S a spot.

[Black Death]

LMAO

I CAN NOT STOP LAUGHING ...

[T-Bonizzle]

Hahaha. The Golden Child of internet fans got axed.

[jagilki]

I honestly feel it was the whole point of him being on the show.

JUST so Austin could say "Mr. 9 year pro, look MRS USA IS BETTER THAN YOU!"

[Ash Bombay]

If that broad from last week got a development deal out of her 1 day on the show, then the internet darling must be debuting next week on Raw as Cole's new Internet darling to beat up Daniel Bryan.

[Rob]

Hmm thought he had a good chance to win but I guess it wasn't to be. Another great moment though when he wouldn't let Austin take the title... Austin was like "Wtf... give it to me!! "

[Mike Storm]

That guy was retarded. He got a massive spiel about how he has to take his opportunities and fuck everyone else so he then says "permission to speak sir". Jesus I haven't seen anyone on this show with the balls that a WWE superstar has yet. I want to see someone talk, not with the same manor that Stone Cold does because he's one of the best, but at least with some passion and balls.

[Russ]

Did that farmer guy really just back-bump the Stunner?

Again though an entertaining episode and definitely a show I'm gonna be watching every week! Really impressed by some of the women in this; can you seriously imagine your early Kelly Kellys and Alicia Foxs being body slammed that hard by Bill DeMott 5 times in a row? Somehow I just don't see it, so props to them for that and I hope with Kong's arrival and the signing of most of the TE women they can really rennovate the Diva's division to put people like Michelle and Ivelisse in there.

Surprised Matt went? Yeah, but after his exhibition where he essentially spent the whole time taking moves from Luke he sort of asked for it. Add into that asking for permission to speak and really he might be technically skilled but I think WWE's shown time and time again it ain't being technically skilled that gets you to the top (Rock/Miz/Austin/Cena/Hogan and so on). Honestly would have preferred to see Ryan go, he irritates me no end and anyone that's crying about his Mrs 2 weeks in when he's gonna be on the road 300 days a year just... no.

[Rob]

Honestly I think had Matt not proven he couldn't grab his opportunity by the throat, Ryan would've gone. There's no way he's going to last another week in this competition let alone the rest of his freaking career away from this bird

[Hondo]

Honestly I think had Matt not proven he couldn't grab his opportunity by the throat, Ryan would've gone. There's no way he's going to last another week in this competition let alone the rest of his freaking career away from this bird

I hear what you're saying, but history would tend to disagree with you.

Look back at most of your non-contestant voting reality shows (The VH1 Dating shows are the worst offender). In each group you have:

*The dashing, fresh-faced favorite, the person you can nearly tell from the beginning is the frontrunner
*The personable hard-workers who you can rally behind, but (most) will ultimately fall short**
*The butthole, the evil villain who you despise and can't wait to see go. Sometimes there'll be TWO Buttholes, a primary to kick the show off, and a secondary, to kinda step in when the primary's voted off/run their course.
*(Optional) The pseudo-celebrity. Perhaps they were on another reality show or from a past season of the same show. Or maybe they're marginally famous and are brought in to attract a few more viewers.

(**Not saying the CAN'T win, it's just that history usually proves otherwise)

The way this usually works out (and history will back me up here), the weakest character goes home first. Someone who's not so memorable and no one will miss. The next few weeks, they'll tease the Butthole going home, but in reality one of the Personables will go. This serves two purposes: 1) Shock that one of the better competitors got sent home so early, and 2) OMGZ, teh Buttole is still there!

Ultimately, they string the Butthole along (cue Russ joke here), teasing his departure but ultimately keeing him/her around until at least mid-show, whereas everyone at home rejoices and the real competition begins. At that point, you have the Favorite and a group of Personables, and maaaaybe the secondary Butthole (if he's still there), just to keep the interest going. That's not to mention the pseudo-celebrity, who'll capture your heart to come up juuust short, in order to get your sympathy and keep your interest going.

So why do they follow this basic script? That's easy. DRAMA. Long ago, studio execs and producers learned the simple equation Drama = Ratings. That's why they keep putting jackoffs on The Real World, that's why New York from the Flava Flav show keeps showing up on VH1, and that's why that friggin' Bad Girls Club show exists.

So we have our favorite in Luke (seems to be so far), our Butthole(s) in Skidmark (primary) and Mychael (secondary), our pseudo-celebrity in Rima, and everyone else.

As soon as I saw who the bottom three was, I KNEW Matt was going home. They're NOT going to send Miss America home on the second episode. And they're NOT getting rid of Bill DeMott's primary lightning rod in Skidmark (aka. The Butthole) on the second episode. Matt probably is a better wrestler than Skidmark, and he's certainly better than Rima.

[Ian "Wolfie" Trumps]

That wanker deserved to go because he is NOT what the WWE is looking for. Didn’t we just have an entire thread where the majority was up in arms because Vince McMahon wants to refer to his company as WWE from now on (long gone still the days of World Wrestling Entertainment...cause I can remember a total of ZERO incidents of ANY of us referring to it as that, yet we are all getting bent out of shape...ANYWAYS) so the cast members they are going to be looking for are going to be that one they can build a story around. I think this is what Hondo was hinting at anyway.

You need to have your Boy Band rise up music playing to show you have heart like the big black dude with the downie for the brother or Miss USA who is battling against the odds or the guy Bill DeMott constantly picks on so one day he can loose that nickname during the show cause he has earned Bill’s respect. It’s a reality tv show in all fairness folks, like an American Idol or Britain’s Got Talent or X Factor and without some of these ‘YOU LIFT ME UPPPPPPP’ moments the show is going to suck balls. You already have two antagonists in that Mike and Luke who are we kind of suppose to hate. If I would have been ‘Permission Pete’ I would have played up the thing that I have been in this business 9 years...I constantly have been knocked back and just need a break and now here is my break and filled every second of camera time about how if I don’t get this break...I am finished as I just can’t do it. But he was a big fucking loser pussy who doesn’t understand that it’s a reality show 1st and a chance for WWE 2nd.

Looking at past Tough Enoughs and I can remember Season 1. With the exception of Josh Matthews who got a job somehow with the company I always remember Chris Nowinski because that guy when he got to WWE if he would have stuck with it had the presence on camera to make it. What was his bit on the show? Guy was from Harvard and up his own ass so he was good television...I mean...Maven Huffman? Where is he now? Nowhere cause he fucking blew as a contestant.

Season 2 the guy who stood out to me went cause of that injury...turned out to be Matt Morgan. What happened to Jackie Gayda and Linda Miles who won? Nothing really...neither had enough personality to carve out long term careers and both have kind of bounced around outside Jackie marrying Charlie Haas I don’t even think either are in professional wrestling anymore.

Season 3 by now I think WWE started to learn their lesson, with guys like John Morrison and that Cappotelli kid winning the thing I think WWE were looking for the ‘look’ more by this stage as well as the charisma (although I can see  few people thinking Morrison lacks that, myself included)

By Four you had guys like Miz, the Spirit Squad lad, Skip Sheffield and chappy from Gladiators in there as well as Puder I believe...I think by then the clear direction of what the WWE was looking for in it’s contestants is shown. The ability to have the look, the voice and probably the emotionally invested story positive/negative over anything they can do in the ring I’d say.
I would think...if this plans out the way it does, I can see Luke getting all the way to the finals before his arrogance gets the better of him (at least in TV portrayal anyways) and a Diva wins this whole thing. None of the guys have the right look for WWE outside of him and their sob stories will only take them so far...including the guy who looks after the tard. But these are the types of guys who are going to make it to the later stages. They will need the guy with the retarded brother, Luke as the antagonist, Michkael as the shit antagonist and probably Skids as well...from the chicks they need that bitch with 11 years experience, a girl we can all get behind (blondie I think) and annoying Miss USA to make it up. The rest are pretty expandable in the early going.

If the TV show runs how I would expect it to, the out of place moment from last week was Luke doing his SCSA impression with I believe it was Jeremiah, but correct me if I am wrong. I can see him going soon on the basis their relationship has been highlighted for a number of weeks of being boys. This will be used as a catalyst of his departure to make Luke “REALIZE” he cannot burn the candle at both ends as the competition becomes harder. Cue grainy black and white flash backs to their bromance in about 2 weeks when he is gone.
It’s a reality show first...that is how I see it anyways.