10 Secrets You Only Learn Attending WWE House Shows

6. What A Character Might Do Next On Television

THE BIG BIG SHOW
John Canton

With the cameras (mostly) off, house shows are great ways to road test new characters in front of the live crowd, even if they're uneven or unfinished.

Your writer felt like he was watching the collapse of a character at a post-WrestleMania XV house show when Triple H arrived to the strains of the D-Generation X music then tried and failed to mock the concept as a heel. This version of his disdain for his old mates never made air.

Unlike in 2004, when the same loop featured Bradshaw - in full APA regalia - turn suddenly on John Cena to claim a United States Championship match at the behest of heelish authority type Paul Heyman.

Within weeks, he was the hideous John Bradshaw Layfield, challenging Eddie Guerrero for the WWE Title as the company took big gambles in a star-laden time. It was risky enough playing out on television and pay-per-view - these practice runs at least highlighted to management how capable he could be at embracing the hate ahead of a surprisingly lengthy run.

Sometimes, the show goes beyond teasing out a new gimmick and delivers the entire match...

In this post: 
The Big Show
 
First Posted On: 
Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett