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The Specialists
Character Matters: Mr. Anderson... Anderson - Have his YouTube videos shown a wider range than his Mr. Kennedy character did? Oct 16, 2009 - 4:30:42 PM
Ken Anderson's summer vacation is available now on YouTube. The former Mr. Kennedy has spent his 90-day non-compete clause musing on the web about wrestling, social media, working out, and playing video games.
I was eager to see how he would recreate himself not only to internet fans, but to a smaller audience of wrestling executives while he bides his time and hones his resume. What I saw showcases the potential in Ken Anderson, while also pointing out his major weakness as a wrestling character.
Anderson rose from independent wrestling and OVW to WWE in 2005, starting one his first feuds with ring announcer Tony Chimmel. Kennedy played the arrogant wrestler who wanted to announce himself, since he thought he could do it better (which he could). For the next five years he moved slightly up and down the card mostly making news from his boisterous ring introduction, injuries, and poor judgment during media interviews.
He also starred in a WWE movie release ("Behind Enemy Lines: Columbia") which was awkwardly promoted with Kennedy in a role that did not match his Mr. Kennedy bravado. I hesitate to say that it didn't match his character... since I can't seem to define Ken Kennedy as a character at all. Being cocky is a trait, not a fully drawn character, and it's hard to think of examples when Kennedy could be mapped out as more than a "cocky" wrestler.
The YouTube video series is interesting since it shows off some of Kennedy's humor (I am assuming he wrote these vingettes). It shows he has a certain presence, has the ability to carry himself like a star, knows how to project himself with an interesting cadence, and has above-average comedic timing. But again, it's hard to define Ken Anderson in a meaningful way in sentence or two.
In the last Character Matters column we looked at Bobby "The Brain" Heenan and his simple character statement: I wrestle like a manager and manage like a wrestler. I struggle to find any consistent statement to define Mr. Anderson.
This becomes a problem not only in two minute YouTube clips, but when you need to make a connection with your audience. I beleive for Anderson to reach the next level he needs to tap into something more than generic arrogance or sarcasm.
I have heard it said that Anderson isn't anything without his dropped-mic ring entrance. It clearly was a hook for him and became a crutch. However, his real dilemma is his lack of character depth. Delivering lines well is part of performing, but putting a meaning behind them based on a well-drawn character fans can understand and relate to is the next step.
There is something there. Ken Anderson has an "it" factor that more than half his contemporaries don't have. His ring work is acceptable, but I believe he will need help creating a character or finding a way to tap into himself in a way that can resonate with fans. If he joins TNA, can a booker such as Vince Russo help him define himself and his mission in TNA, while providing something for Anderson the performer to work with? Or will Anderson mature and find himself over time, like you can argue Randy Orton has done? The worst situation for Anderson might be the indy scene where there is no episodic framework and no reason or place for a more evolved character to take shape.
A fancy ring entrance, snappy catch-phrases, and finishing moves help, but character matters more. After a summer spent creating a new Ken Anderson, I am not convinced that he has found a character we can sink out teeth into and relate with, but his charisma and performance ability will keep me tuned it to see if he can find it.
[Mr. Kennedy art credit Grant Gould (c) PWTorch]
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