Step By Step: The Beauty Of The Slow Build

Running. We’ve all done it. To a larger degree, we have all run a race in some form or fashion. What makes up the race, you ask? The start, the running itself, and the eventual finish of the race. It is what it is. So why is it that people run races? No matter what happens, everyone runs against another person for a variety of reason. Some run to test the other person’s speed. For others, it can be a test of endurance. Ultimately, we run races to win.

If you are running a race, it is done with selfish reasons. You want to cross the finish line. You want your hand raised. And if you are like me, you wanna talk some smack afterwards. It’s simply my competitive nature. That’s one thing I’ll never run from. All that aside, you can apply the “running analogy” to pro wrestling. Just like in a foot race or auto race or whatever race there may be, everyone is trying to get to the finish line. And as always is the case in pro wrestling, nothing is ever as it seems. The three elements of running the race are universal. There is no denying it. Running a race in pro wrestling is not the same as running one anywhere else because people are ALWAYS watching. Because even after (or if) you cross the finish line, a new race begins immediately. But in pro wrestling, which of these elements are the most important? I guess the best way to find out is to explore the most celebrated and familiar race run in all of pro wrestling…..

….the chase for a championship.

In examining these races, four title chases immediately come to mind. They are the respective runs of three Hall Of famers and one current star. While all of these men have been World champion multiple times, I will look at their initial title reigns and the respective aftermaths.

• HULK HOGAN: Hulk Hogan’s race to his initial WWE World title reign happened mostly in Minneapolis and the old AWA. Hogan had been feuding with reigning kingpin Nick Bockwinkle in a series of really entertaining matches. I’d never seen an AWA crowd more invested in a match except when these two fought. Hogan was coming close but always falling short in his chase due to some weird technicality. Around this time, WWE had begun its national expansion. Hogan left the AWA for the WWE and a much bigger paycheck. Less than two months after returning, Hogan beat The Iron Sheik to win the World championship. Hogan’s larger-than-life image transcended organizations so much so, he had WWE fans onboard with Hulkamania before he stepped foot into a WWE ring for a second time. And the rest is history…..
• STING: In the late 1980’s, the NWA had an influx of amazing young athletes ready to make a name for themselves. The Steiner Brothers, Barry Windham, Nikita Koloff, and Lex Luger were slowly becoming the face for a new generation of NWA wrestler. Standing out above them all was Sting. He was an amazing athlete that got people of all ages behind him. His story took several turns over the years. The 45-minute draw with Ric Flair in 1988. His induction and dismissal from the Four Horsemen coupled with winning the Ironman tournament in 1989. His knee injury after being announced as a challenger for the World championship. All the while, the fans stayed on board. It all culminated in Sting true coming-of-age match in July 1990 when he finally beat Flair for the championship. With every step of the race, Sting had captured the fans interest and they ran with him to the finish line. People trying to build a champion should study his run.
• STEVE AUSTIN: Hogan and Sting were game changers and Steve Austin was no different. Gone were the days of the magnificent blonde who populated USWA (I swear, I couldn’t tell him and Rod Price apart sometimes) and WCW. Austin used his early career misfortunes as the blueprint to reinvent himself. He was the undisputed leader of the WWE Attitude Era. No matter how vulgar Austin became, he kept fan interest even when he initially told people to “knock it off” when they began cheering him during his feud with Bret Hart. Was his run a straight run to the title? Heck no. Austin had a few bumps in the road. Between his knees and his neck, he unapologetically jumped those hurdles. And through it all, the fans’ support never wavered. He’d win the Royal Rumble and defeat Shawn Michaels to begin his first title reign.
• ROMAN REIGNS: The elevation of Roman Reigns is probably the most indicative piece of proof how times have changed in pro wrestling. Initially a member of the troika known as The Shield, Reigns look and demeanor made him stand out. Before long, his accomplishments within the group did the same thing as well. He was a sole survivor at Survivor Series. He nearly won the Royal Rumble only to lose en route to setting the record for most single Rumble eliminations. He became a breakout star and the fans were matching him stride for exciting stride. Somewhere along the lines, the fans turned on him. They decided they didn’t wanna run the race with Roman anymore. People said he wasn’t ready. They thought he didn’t earn anything because of his heritage. Eventually, he won the Royal Rumble and captured the WWE World championship only to lose it immediately afterward to Sheamus.

So what were the aftermaths of these respective situations? Hogan became WWE’s poster boy for the better part of a decade. His first World title reign lasted over four years and was bookmarked by some of the greatest moments in WWE history. Sting’s title reign would last less than six or seven months. He defended the title against Sid Vicious and came out on the better end of the Black Scorpion debacle only to lose the belt back to Flair. For all of the great things Austin did during his career, his championship reigns weren’t one of them.  “Stone Clod’s” first reign was only 91 days long. Austin gave the sport of wrestling a major face-lift. However, Hogan’s first reign nearly triples Austin’s combined days as champion over six reigns. As for Roman, his story is just still being written. He has a great chance to make sure history remembers him well and continue the magnificent tradition of his bloodline. He’s still running.

The slow build still works in wrestling. All you have to do is grab people’s attention and hold on to it. Sting and Austin are examples of the race being more fun while it’s being run than when it’s over. People held on to their strides and missteps. Fans felt compelled to jump hurdles and go over obstacles with them. When the race was finally over, it meant a whole lot more than just dropping a belt on a guy.

If you run the race the right way, it still does.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:  Trained by former NXT Trainer and WCW United States champion Bill DeMott, Anthony "Velvet" Hall has been a professional wrestler for over eleven years under the name Velvet Jones.  A noted blogger and vlogger, Anthony works remotely from Georgia as a Brand Development/Sales Representative for Masters Of Ring Entertainment - a special-events pro wrestling company based in Wilmington, NC