Post by Byson on Feb 3, 2009 21:33:51 GMT -5
Babyface for Dumbasses by Mitchell Jones of www.roughkut.com
I apologise in advance if I lose everyone at any stage of this write-up. It's harder than people think to conceivably tell people not only what a face is but how to be a good one, especially in today's wonderful world of wrestling where everything has changed since the good old days. But alas, I will give this my best show.
What is a babyface?
A babyface is the insider term for a good guy, the one who is cheered and loved by all the fans. In days of old, the standard babyface (or "face" for short) was the typical nice guy. He wouldn't cheat, swear, or argue. He would always play fair, shake hands after a match, and be the kind of guy that your Grandmother would love to take home with her and your Mother would love your little sister (or yourself, if any females are reading this) to date. Of course, times have changed thanks to ECW, WWF Attitude and the New World Order in WCW. Guys like The Sandman and Stone Cold Steve Austin would drink and swear obsessively in the ring, but were beloved by all. The NWO and DX would by nature be degenerates, but were lvoed because they were "cool". The Rock was an arrogant athlete who felt he was bigger than everyone around him, but his cocky demeanour, good looks, electrifying moves, and ability to cut amazing promos has made him THE most electryfying man in Sports Entertainment today. But either way, the babyface role remains the same - to be the guy that the fans love.
How easy is it?
An old school face in an old school environment is relatively easy to pull off. Just as a heel gains cheap heat through dissing the local football team or various members of the audience, the face adheres himself to them. A good example right now would be John Cena, wearing the shirt of the local football team (I presume Basketball, but forgive me as I'm not American so my sports team knowledge of the States is not the best). Fans tend to pop when they can relate to what they see. A face also takes the time to acknowledge the fans, slapping their hands and maybe giving his sunglasses to a young fan at ringside (ala Bret Hart). It's very simple to do. However, this isn't always a guarentee for success, as The Rock will tell you. For this reason, being a face isn't as easy as people think, especially in this day and age. For those who never got to see WWF in 1996, I'll set the scene. The Rock was known as Rocky Maivia, the young kid with a bright future who was always smiling and happy to be wrestling. He showed a lot of promise and was therefore pushed, pulling off an Intercontinental title reign. However, the fans didn't appreciate the WWF pushing this typical face kid down their throats, and he started being booed out of the building, to the point of receiving chants of "Die, Rocky, Die". That's how bad the backlash was. It wasn't until he turned heel and became The Rock that his real personality (turned up about 6 notches) started to come out, and people started noticing how good this guy really was. Two years later, he's one of the biggest stars in the industry, and a top babyface (as turned by the fans). Getting the right face balance is hard, because although in an e-fed you can simply write as though the fans automatically love you, I always tend to treat an e-fed like a real fed, and will never discount how fans may possibly treat you. Being a typical good guy can only get you so far. You have to have the right character that people can get into for you to be treated like a superstar. Otherwise, you may be turned heel by the fans, and that's not something that helps your confidence in any way.
Ways to be a good face outside the ring
As with any character, most of his or her development comes from outside of the ring, whether in promos, interviews or segments. Here are some tips of how to get the fans in your corner.
- Fan Interaction: Simple, really. Get the crowd into your work. Even Stone Cold Steve Austin, the most cold-hearted son of a bitch in the WWF would get the crowd involved in his interviews ("If you want Stone Cold to ______, them gimme a hell yeah" to which the fans would scream "HELL YEAH"). The same goes for DX ("Suck It"), the New Age Outlaws (damn, I'm not typing all of that out, lol), and The Rock (a few too many, don't you think). Even Flair's oh-so-simple "Whoo" is echoes through arenas nationwide by the crowds. Tt works. The fans love to join in with cool catchphrases. It makes them feel like they are part of something special, and as long as it is a cool catchphrase (for a not-so-good one, look at Booker T's attempt in WCW - "Don't hate the player, hate the game").
- Interesting Character: The Undertaker started out as a heel. I can see why, if you look at it realistically. A dark, gloomy character who likes burying people. Not really hard to figure, really. Yet about two year later, he was heavily cheered, and in about 5 years time, he was the biggest start (thereabouts) in the company. 14 years on, his gimmick is still over. Why? Because it's a cool and unique gimmick, not to mention he is believeable as a big guy. Fans will get behind a guy who is believeable. Look at Brock Lesnar, Kane, and Goldberg. Sting is another dark and gloomy character, but he was major over, not just because of his name, but because he was enigmatic and people could never predict his next move (although it did help that he was the franchise of WCW, no offense Shane Douglas). Fans will also get behind convincing comedy gimmicks. Everyone berated Rico for being in the "gay" gimmick, but he has pulled it off fantastically. Everyone knocked Eugene Dinsmore, but now he's one of the most over gimmicks on RAW. As long as it's played out well, people will enjoy it.
- Be Yourself +10: This is optional, and goes past what was said in the previous point, but this is another solid way of getting to the top. Jim Cornette said not lnog ago that the most successful gimmicks are those of people being themselves, with the volume turned right up. Stone Cold, The Rock, Triple H, Mick Foley, The Sandman, Raven, Goldberg, Hulk Hogan, the list goes on and on. These guys are all practically playing larger than life versions of themselves. So for a character you can use, maybe you should look at yourself. No one knows you like you do. Just turn the volume up about ten notches, and run with it. Whether you are an arrogant asshole or a porn star in the waiting, fans will get behind you and eventually embrace you. of course, this also works as a heel as well, but in terms of face characters, chances are you will be successful, because people love larger than life characters.
Ways to be a good face inside the ring
Just as effective in making your character work is what he does inside the ring. The psychology of a match can make or break your character's position in the eyes of the fans. Here are some tips you may want to take note of.
- Play the Underdog: Proven fact in wrestling - fans love underdogs. Why? Because they have reason to get behind them, especially if there is a conceivable chance that they might be able to pull off the win. This is how Shawn Michaels pulled off most of his career. Being in a company where big men roamed, Michaels put his body on the line every single night against any big man thrown his way, and knocked them all down. Fans got behind him because what he lacked in size, he made up for in heart, determination and ability, and the announcers made sure that you knew it, which made it even more effective. The same can be said for Chris Benoit around about now on RAW. The challenge of Kane, Triple H and Shawn Michaels in daunting, but he is pulling it off despite his size because his heart, drive, and technical ability is out of this world. Of course, guys like Spike Dudley won't get anywhere because although he is an underdog, he is basically jobber fodder right now. Now if he was used like he was in ECW when he beat every single giant there, people would love this guy. But as it is, the fact remains - the underdog role works.
- Play fair: As a heel, your objective is to win by any means necessary. With babyfaces, it doesn't work this way. Babyfaces are sportsmen. They play by the rules, and amaze people with their moveset, rather than their ability to pull tights or grab the ropes for leverage. Even in times of desperation, the faces stay on the good side of the referee, and can be used to get them over if they manage to overcome all of the cheating from the heel to win (ie. being the underdog - see what I mean?). It also builds sympathy if they lose too. So either way works. only under extreme circumstances should the face be allowed to snap, like Eddie Guerrero did at Judgement Day 2004 against John Bradshaw Leyfield. By this time, the fans will know that the face has to do something, and will be happy that he has finally taken matters into his own hands and won't stand for anything more. It raises the emotional bar and everyone is happy.
- That one move: What do The Rock, Rikishi, Goldberg, John Cena, and Scotty 2 Hotty have in common? That one move that people love to see. In each respective case, we have The People's Elbow, The Stink Face, The Spear, The Five Knuckle Shuffle, and The Worm. The fans love these moves because even though only one of them is actually anything special in terms of effect on opponent (the Spear), they all get the crowd riled up and behind it. It's a great way for face heat, and sometimes it can even turn heel wrestlers face (like it pretty much did for Rhyno with the Gore, and the Dudleys with the 3D and the table spots). That one signiature move doesn't have to be your finisher, but simple a move that riles the people up, and draws them in. Tease it, have it reversed, do whatever with it. But when it's hit, make sure it means something.
Impressive moveset: The one thing that turned Brock Lesnar face wasn't Paul Heyman. It wasn't his charisma (or lack thereof). It wasn't even his build. It was his strength. It was the fact that he was able to pick up 500lbs giants and F5 them with almost sheer ease. His power moves suited his body and his character, and people loved it. Chris Benoit is small, and a technical wiz, so obviously he's not going to be as powerful. But his wide array of suplexes are impressive, and his ability to turn almost any move into his signiture Crippler Crossface makes it a cool move because it's unpredictable, but almost always effective. Make your moveset fit your character, with one or two moves that catch peoples eyes as moves that are gonna impress people. Such moves include the Stone Cold Stunner, the Rock Bottom, and for sheer impact, the Jackhammer. People pop for moves as much as the wrestlers themselves, but they have to be the right mix to work.
How to convey your babyface character into roleplays
For the most part, both of the previous sections will help those in an "Angle" e-fed. But I'm going to guess that most of the readers of this will be in "Roleplay" e-feds, which are considerably harder (and since I've only been in this sort of e-fed for the past 2 and a half years, I know how difficult it can be) to do the above. However, at the same time, it's also a better way to develop your character away from the shows, which helps in the long run.
Most people tend to use roleplays for Interviews. No problem. It's simple and effective for devloping your face persona. Describe the clothes you are wearing. Being a hardcore brawler and wearing a suit isn't going to work. Being a face, wear a slightly tattered local football jersey, for the cheap pop. Dress cool. Make people want to be just like you, no matter the clothing. Describe your attitude to the interviewer. In some cases, you'll just be a straight guy, the type who says "May the best man win". In others, you'll be the joke-cracking funny guy who teases the interviewer or does impressions to make himself look cool and puts over the fact that he is going to win. Others use witty catchphrases for people to chant along with. Either way, make sure you get people's attention, and stick to your character. Nothing is worse than confusing the reader.
Another necessity is putting over your heel opponent. This is crucial. No one will get behind someone when it's going to be a squash. If he has attacked you, sell the injury. Sell how much pain he put you through. Make your opponent look strong. Just put over how much of a challenge he is. Just things like "Tonight is going to be my toughest challenge yet. This guy is one hell of a talent and looking past him would probably be my downfall. I'm just going to give it my best shot and give 110% as I always do" are good enough. It makes your win mean so much more (presuming you do win) if he looks like he is going to kick the crap out of you. Again, I can't emphasise the underdog role enough. And not only that, but making your opponent look like even more of a good heel makes people want to love you just to hate him. It works on all levels.
And speaking of your opponent, bounce off of him. Use ideas to bounce off each other and build up a repetoire together. If he starts talking about something, bounce back with a comeback. If he for instance, disses the local sports team for doing poorly, come up with some good things they've done and put down his local sports team to get him back. The little things like that make people care about feuds.
But not everyone does interviews. Some might go for workouts at the gym. Cool, use it. Show just how much your wrestler wants to win the match. Watch how he pushes himself to breaking point, to the point that people actually feel just how badly you need to win this match.
Or maybe you're talking to friends or teammates. Or maybe you're out and about but can't get it all out of your head. Anything works. Seriously, there are many ways you can put yourself and your opponents over. Just make sure you don't do thigs like purposely injure people or beat up officials and cameramen or stuff like that. For one, it's overdone. Not to mention it's a very unface thing to do.
For the divas out there
Naturally, girls are going to have different characters out there, so for them it's going to be a little harder.
Now, it's a little easier in Angle e-feds to seperate heel women from face women. The typical babyface is attractive, a good worker, athletic, and enjoys being in the limelight. The typical heel is usually either a psycho, way too prima donna, or a slut, to put it bluntly. But as a roleplayer, it's slightly harder to portray it correctly. You have to make sure as an attractive female that you don't overstep your arrogance. You also can't get bitchy, otherwise things may swing in the wrong direction for you. being in every guys business won't help either.
The best ways to get over as a woman are to either play the typical strong-willed woman who is slightly tomboyish and wants to overcome the odds (UNDERDOG!!!!), or to always get one over on the guys. Do NOT play the sexism card unless you are in a dominantly female e-fed, because the majority of guys who read it will feel a state of masculine pride and may turn you heel (at least in my opinion, anyway).
Do some research
It was touched upon in the "Heels for dummies" column, but it's absolutely true. Research. Look at a number of WWE/F videos and notice how their biggest faces and heels get their heat. Pick up on at which moves the fans make noise, and conversely, get bored. Even though being yourself is good, adding a hint of one of your favorite workers is a great move too, because it's a proven commodity, and as they are in the professional business for real, their influence can help you tremendously.
Also take a look at stereotypes (as suggested also). I know people go on about how stereotypes need to die in wrestling, but they haven't, and won't, so embrace it. If your fed is holding a show in Chicago, have your character big up the Bulls. If your character is mexican, have your heel character take shots at him, and then bounce back with stuff directed at him (without insulting the audience at the same time).
And most of all...
Have a laugh doing it. If it isn't fun, it isn't worth doing, so have fun, and go mad with those creative juices. It'll be worth it at the end.
Thanks for reading,
Mitchell Jones
I apologise in advance if I lose everyone at any stage of this write-up. It's harder than people think to conceivably tell people not only what a face is but how to be a good one, especially in today's wonderful world of wrestling where everything has changed since the good old days. But alas, I will give this my best show.
What is a babyface?
A babyface is the insider term for a good guy, the one who is cheered and loved by all the fans. In days of old, the standard babyface (or "face" for short) was the typical nice guy. He wouldn't cheat, swear, or argue. He would always play fair, shake hands after a match, and be the kind of guy that your Grandmother would love to take home with her and your Mother would love your little sister (or yourself, if any females are reading this) to date. Of course, times have changed thanks to ECW, WWF Attitude and the New World Order in WCW. Guys like The Sandman and Stone Cold Steve Austin would drink and swear obsessively in the ring, but were beloved by all. The NWO and DX would by nature be degenerates, but were lvoed because they were "cool". The Rock was an arrogant athlete who felt he was bigger than everyone around him, but his cocky demeanour, good looks, electrifying moves, and ability to cut amazing promos has made him THE most electryfying man in Sports Entertainment today. But either way, the babyface role remains the same - to be the guy that the fans love.
How easy is it?
An old school face in an old school environment is relatively easy to pull off. Just as a heel gains cheap heat through dissing the local football team or various members of the audience, the face adheres himself to them. A good example right now would be John Cena, wearing the shirt of the local football team (I presume Basketball, but forgive me as I'm not American so my sports team knowledge of the States is not the best). Fans tend to pop when they can relate to what they see. A face also takes the time to acknowledge the fans, slapping their hands and maybe giving his sunglasses to a young fan at ringside (ala Bret Hart). It's very simple to do. However, this isn't always a guarentee for success, as The Rock will tell you. For this reason, being a face isn't as easy as people think, especially in this day and age. For those who never got to see WWF in 1996, I'll set the scene. The Rock was known as Rocky Maivia, the young kid with a bright future who was always smiling and happy to be wrestling. He showed a lot of promise and was therefore pushed, pulling off an Intercontinental title reign. However, the fans didn't appreciate the WWF pushing this typical face kid down their throats, and he started being booed out of the building, to the point of receiving chants of "Die, Rocky, Die". That's how bad the backlash was. It wasn't until he turned heel and became The Rock that his real personality (turned up about 6 notches) started to come out, and people started noticing how good this guy really was. Two years later, he's one of the biggest stars in the industry, and a top babyface (as turned by the fans). Getting the right face balance is hard, because although in an e-fed you can simply write as though the fans automatically love you, I always tend to treat an e-fed like a real fed, and will never discount how fans may possibly treat you. Being a typical good guy can only get you so far. You have to have the right character that people can get into for you to be treated like a superstar. Otherwise, you may be turned heel by the fans, and that's not something that helps your confidence in any way.
Ways to be a good face outside the ring
As with any character, most of his or her development comes from outside of the ring, whether in promos, interviews or segments. Here are some tips of how to get the fans in your corner.
- Fan Interaction: Simple, really. Get the crowd into your work. Even Stone Cold Steve Austin, the most cold-hearted son of a bitch in the WWF would get the crowd involved in his interviews ("If you want Stone Cold to ______, them gimme a hell yeah" to which the fans would scream "HELL YEAH"). The same goes for DX ("Suck It"), the New Age Outlaws (damn, I'm not typing all of that out, lol), and The Rock (a few too many, don't you think). Even Flair's oh-so-simple "Whoo" is echoes through arenas nationwide by the crowds. Tt works. The fans love to join in with cool catchphrases. It makes them feel like they are part of something special, and as long as it is a cool catchphrase (for a not-so-good one, look at Booker T's attempt in WCW - "Don't hate the player, hate the game").
- Interesting Character: The Undertaker started out as a heel. I can see why, if you look at it realistically. A dark, gloomy character who likes burying people. Not really hard to figure, really. Yet about two year later, he was heavily cheered, and in about 5 years time, he was the biggest start (thereabouts) in the company. 14 years on, his gimmick is still over. Why? Because it's a cool and unique gimmick, not to mention he is believeable as a big guy. Fans will get behind a guy who is believeable. Look at Brock Lesnar, Kane, and Goldberg. Sting is another dark and gloomy character, but he was major over, not just because of his name, but because he was enigmatic and people could never predict his next move (although it did help that he was the franchise of WCW, no offense Shane Douglas). Fans will also get behind convincing comedy gimmicks. Everyone berated Rico for being in the "gay" gimmick, but he has pulled it off fantastically. Everyone knocked Eugene Dinsmore, but now he's one of the most over gimmicks on RAW. As long as it's played out well, people will enjoy it.
- Be Yourself +10: This is optional, and goes past what was said in the previous point, but this is another solid way of getting to the top. Jim Cornette said not lnog ago that the most successful gimmicks are those of people being themselves, with the volume turned right up. Stone Cold, The Rock, Triple H, Mick Foley, The Sandman, Raven, Goldberg, Hulk Hogan, the list goes on and on. These guys are all practically playing larger than life versions of themselves. So for a character you can use, maybe you should look at yourself. No one knows you like you do. Just turn the volume up about ten notches, and run with it. Whether you are an arrogant asshole or a porn star in the waiting, fans will get behind you and eventually embrace you. of course, this also works as a heel as well, but in terms of face characters, chances are you will be successful, because people love larger than life characters.
Ways to be a good face inside the ring
Just as effective in making your character work is what he does inside the ring. The psychology of a match can make or break your character's position in the eyes of the fans. Here are some tips you may want to take note of.
- Play the Underdog: Proven fact in wrestling - fans love underdogs. Why? Because they have reason to get behind them, especially if there is a conceivable chance that they might be able to pull off the win. This is how Shawn Michaels pulled off most of his career. Being in a company where big men roamed, Michaels put his body on the line every single night against any big man thrown his way, and knocked them all down. Fans got behind him because what he lacked in size, he made up for in heart, determination and ability, and the announcers made sure that you knew it, which made it even more effective. The same can be said for Chris Benoit around about now on RAW. The challenge of Kane, Triple H and Shawn Michaels in daunting, but he is pulling it off despite his size because his heart, drive, and technical ability is out of this world. Of course, guys like Spike Dudley won't get anywhere because although he is an underdog, he is basically jobber fodder right now. Now if he was used like he was in ECW when he beat every single giant there, people would love this guy. But as it is, the fact remains - the underdog role works.
- Play fair: As a heel, your objective is to win by any means necessary. With babyfaces, it doesn't work this way. Babyfaces are sportsmen. They play by the rules, and amaze people with their moveset, rather than their ability to pull tights or grab the ropes for leverage. Even in times of desperation, the faces stay on the good side of the referee, and can be used to get them over if they manage to overcome all of the cheating from the heel to win (ie. being the underdog - see what I mean?). It also builds sympathy if they lose too. So either way works. only under extreme circumstances should the face be allowed to snap, like Eddie Guerrero did at Judgement Day 2004 against John Bradshaw Leyfield. By this time, the fans will know that the face has to do something, and will be happy that he has finally taken matters into his own hands and won't stand for anything more. It raises the emotional bar and everyone is happy.
- That one move: What do The Rock, Rikishi, Goldberg, John Cena, and Scotty 2 Hotty have in common? That one move that people love to see. In each respective case, we have The People's Elbow, The Stink Face, The Spear, The Five Knuckle Shuffle, and The Worm. The fans love these moves because even though only one of them is actually anything special in terms of effect on opponent (the Spear), they all get the crowd riled up and behind it. It's a great way for face heat, and sometimes it can even turn heel wrestlers face (like it pretty much did for Rhyno with the Gore, and the Dudleys with the 3D and the table spots). That one signiature move doesn't have to be your finisher, but simple a move that riles the people up, and draws them in. Tease it, have it reversed, do whatever with it. But when it's hit, make sure it means something.
Impressive moveset: The one thing that turned Brock Lesnar face wasn't Paul Heyman. It wasn't his charisma (or lack thereof). It wasn't even his build. It was his strength. It was the fact that he was able to pick up 500lbs giants and F5 them with almost sheer ease. His power moves suited his body and his character, and people loved it. Chris Benoit is small, and a technical wiz, so obviously he's not going to be as powerful. But his wide array of suplexes are impressive, and his ability to turn almost any move into his signiture Crippler Crossface makes it a cool move because it's unpredictable, but almost always effective. Make your moveset fit your character, with one or two moves that catch peoples eyes as moves that are gonna impress people. Such moves include the Stone Cold Stunner, the Rock Bottom, and for sheer impact, the Jackhammer. People pop for moves as much as the wrestlers themselves, but they have to be the right mix to work.
How to convey your babyface character into roleplays
For the most part, both of the previous sections will help those in an "Angle" e-fed. But I'm going to guess that most of the readers of this will be in "Roleplay" e-feds, which are considerably harder (and since I've only been in this sort of e-fed for the past 2 and a half years, I know how difficult it can be) to do the above. However, at the same time, it's also a better way to develop your character away from the shows, which helps in the long run.
Most people tend to use roleplays for Interviews. No problem. It's simple and effective for devloping your face persona. Describe the clothes you are wearing. Being a hardcore brawler and wearing a suit isn't going to work. Being a face, wear a slightly tattered local football jersey, for the cheap pop. Dress cool. Make people want to be just like you, no matter the clothing. Describe your attitude to the interviewer. In some cases, you'll just be a straight guy, the type who says "May the best man win". In others, you'll be the joke-cracking funny guy who teases the interviewer or does impressions to make himself look cool and puts over the fact that he is going to win. Others use witty catchphrases for people to chant along with. Either way, make sure you get people's attention, and stick to your character. Nothing is worse than confusing the reader.
Another necessity is putting over your heel opponent. This is crucial. No one will get behind someone when it's going to be a squash. If he has attacked you, sell the injury. Sell how much pain he put you through. Make your opponent look strong. Just put over how much of a challenge he is. Just things like "Tonight is going to be my toughest challenge yet. This guy is one hell of a talent and looking past him would probably be my downfall. I'm just going to give it my best shot and give 110% as I always do" are good enough. It makes your win mean so much more (presuming you do win) if he looks like he is going to kick the crap out of you. Again, I can't emphasise the underdog role enough. And not only that, but making your opponent look like even more of a good heel makes people want to love you just to hate him. It works on all levels.
And speaking of your opponent, bounce off of him. Use ideas to bounce off each other and build up a repetoire together. If he starts talking about something, bounce back with a comeback. If he for instance, disses the local sports team for doing poorly, come up with some good things they've done and put down his local sports team to get him back. The little things like that make people care about feuds.
But not everyone does interviews. Some might go for workouts at the gym. Cool, use it. Show just how much your wrestler wants to win the match. Watch how he pushes himself to breaking point, to the point that people actually feel just how badly you need to win this match.
Or maybe you're talking to friends or teammates. Or maybe you're out and about but can't get it all out of your head. Anything works. Seriously, there are many ways you can put yourself and your opponents over. Just make sure you don't do thigs like purposely injure people or beat up officials and cameramen or stuff like that. For one, it's overdone. Not to mention it's a very unface thing to do.
For the divas out there
Naturally, girls are going to have different characters out there, so for them it's going to be a little harder.
Now, it's a little easier in Angle e-feds to seperate heel women from face women. The typical babyface is attractive, a good worker, athletic, and enjoys being in the limelight. The typical heel is usually either a psycho, way too prima donna, or a slut, to put it bluntly. But as a roleplayer, it's slightly harder to portray it correctly. You have to make sure as an attractive female that you don't overstep your arrogance. You also can't get bitchy, otherwise things may swing in the wrong direction for you. being in every guys business won't help either.
The best ways to get over as a woman are to either play the typical strong-willed woman who is slightly tomboyish and wants to overcome the odds (UNDERDOG!!!!), or to always get one over on the guys. Do NOT play the sexism card unless you are in a dominantly female e-fed, because the majority of guys who read it will feel a state of masculine pride and may turn you heel (at least in my opinion, anyway).
Do some research
It was touched upon in the "Heels for dummies" column, but it's absolutely true. Research. Look at a number of WWE/F videos and notice how their biggest faces and heels get their heat. Pick up on at which moves the fans make noise, and conversely, get bored. Even though being yourself is good, adding a hint of one of your favorite workers is a great move too, because it's a proven commodity, and as they are in the professional business for real, their influence can help you tremendously.
Also take a look at stereotypes (as suggested also). I know people go on about how stereotypes need to die in wrestling, but they haven't, and won't, so embrace it. If your fed is holding a show in Chicago, have your character big up the Bulls. If your character is mexican, have your heel character take shots at him, and then bounce back with stuff directed at him (without insulting the audience at the same time).
And most of all...
Have a laugh doing it. If it isn't fun, it isn't worth doing, so have fun, and go mad with those creative juices. It'll be worth it at the end.
Thanks for reading,
Mitchell Jones
