So I was thinking about Seth Rollins on my way to work, I have a long commute and often listen to POST Wrestling podcasts to mentally manage my sometimes 90 minute commute (one way) to my office that is only 40kms away from my home.
One huge criticism that fans always have for Seth Rollins is how he throws “Burn it down!” into each of his promos and how people feel it is shoehorned in constantly.
But when you look at some of the most memorable performers in WWE from the last 20 or so years I find that it is really common for them to have a sign off for every promo.
The Rock: "If you smell what The Rock is cookin’ "
Stone Cold: “That’s the bottom line, cause Stone Cold said so”
Bret Hart: “I’m the best there is, the best there was, and the best there ever will be”
DX: “If your not down with DX, we’ve got two words for ya”
Kenny Omega: “Goodbye and Goodnight”
The Undertaker: “Rest in Peace”
These catch phrases were often on multiple pieces of merch, we were exposed to these lines multiple times a week.
So why is it that fans weren’t really complaining about it then, but with Rollins they are now? I mean even when self-reflecting I find I’m annoyed hearing Rollins say “Burn it down” but I loved hearing the Rock, Stone Cold, Taker, and Bret all utter their phrases at the end of their promos.
Is it the quality of the promo overall?
Is it down to the fact that promos are more scripted now than ever before?
Is it that the catch phrase really doesn’t mean anything or doesn’t represent Seth Rollins?
Is it because at times he says it more than once per promo?
I am really trying to nail down why fans were and are OK with some performers and not with Rollins.
Also, it always feels like when it happens during his entrance there is a pop but really never when he says it during a promo.
I think it comes down to the fact that the guy is not a good actor and everything he says sounds extremely corny. It never sounds like he genuinely means anything he says.
I think part of it is those other catch phrases grew organically, and people were changing them before they were on t-shirts. “Burn it down” arose from the advertisement for WWE 2K18 where Seth Rollins burns down the WWE archives, and the phrase was on his Titan Tron and merch before it caught on with the audience. So it all feels very forced.
I think it a a combo of less than great promos, and the line itself. If you look at the lines you have listed (not sure how Kenny fits yet as far as it being hugely over), but they are largely in 2 molds
1.) The performer trash talking and just capping the end with an emphatic line (Stone Cold, The Rock, Taker). So performer says something about what they are going to do, then delivers the line.
2.) Hyping themselves (Brett, DX to an extent)
Seth is doing neither he is stating what he is going to do. Burn it Down- which if I recall came around his face turn after returning from injury. Which could make sense in rebellion against the authority at the time. But it doesn’t make sense when he is talking about anything else. Like when he is going to fight Corbin what is he burning down? Corbin? Then it should be Burn you down? If it was King Corbin it could be burn down his kingdom I guess. In the end it just feels forced rather than natural.
Beyond that it is also in his entrance music which these other sayings largely were not.
I mean if you look at say “Get these Hands” from strowman even though I think it is done too much at least it makes sense.
Good points, and I didn’t even consider Strowman either, but to me he leans more toward how I feel about Rollins than I do with the others.
If feels off, and far less holistic than the others I mentioned. Which could lend evidence to the detriment of promos due to their scripted nature that not enough of the performer comes out in the delivery and it just comes off as “this is the the box that WWE is packaging me into” kind of vibe.
Yes in general peoples catch phrases feel more forced. It is why I don’t love the Brain one but it is still better than Seth.
An example of a catch phrase that works right now is Adam Cole Bay Bay. Or UE saying “that’s Undisputed”. The main roster often has promos where it feels like they just stick the catch phrase in to get it on air rather than it flowing naturally.
It’s also much easier to get over a catch phrase as a heel. All of the examples you listed were almost all has heels.
For whatever reason when you have a cool heel fans like chanting their catch phrase maybe bc it’s less forced and they aren’t supposed to chant it. For a face they know they are supposed to chant it so they don’t.
It’s a weird dynamic sort of like how you treat a child by dangling forbidden fruit
I didn’t really watch WWE when Seth was part of The Authority but the clips I saw of him during that time, I don’t think he was cool enough to get “Burn it down” over at that point either, maybe I am wrong though.
Do you think this is a Seth Rollins problem, or a WWE problem?
Like is there any talent currently on the roster who is able to work and get over / build heat (properly) in spite of being heavily scripted?
Aside from getting off twitter where he is clearly a heel, what could he do to improve his promos?
I always found it odd that people were so high on Reigns and Rollins when The Shield was introduced when it was clear the Ambrose was the most complete Pro-Wrestler / Sports Entertainer of the three but wound up being the least pushed.
I don’t think Ambrose was the best of the three. Roman had and has the most potential for sure. He just hasn’t been used right - a heel turn at some point would have really helped.
It was the look for Ambrose. If he looked like he does now I think people would have been higher on him. In the Shield he just didn’t have a main event look especially in WWE. I think Reigns benefited most from the Shield (like Batista in Evolution, where he just needed to look like a big tough guy.), because he did not need to talk.
Joe is doing AMAZING job with his scripted promos.
Also I pointed in the case of Seth it is both the material and himself. I’ve seen him cut good babyface promos, but they are way fewer in between. Even as a heel he was dragging and I was more “Please, just stop talking and let’s go to the next segment” than excited to hear him speak.
I absolutely disagree. Even when the initial break happened, both Seth and Ambrose were miles away from him - one in ring and the other one on the mic. Maybe he would be more over now if he was not shoved down our throats the way they did, but maybe both Seth and Dean would be too if they were given the same treatment.