I'm taking Junior, obviously. VKM. Mr. McMahon. Vinnie Mac.

 

I'd like to flesh it out. Very interested to see what this thread will produce and if there will be any consensus.

I would think an obvious one would be: size trumps skill.

Yes, history is littered with little guys beating big guys in WWE, but that's usually the culmination of a story, where the little guy has learned enough about the big guy to pull out a victory. In general practice, if you're bigger, you will win.

- Monster heel/foreign menace goes on long undefeated streak to set up a match with one of his top babyfaces. Then the monster heel/foreign menace loses that match and doesn't get another true run at the top of the card and he loses interest

 

- He loves a match/feud with a good tagline (Title For Title, A Match Made In Heaven A Match Made In Hell, etc.)

All-conquering Superman babyface on top, rotating roster of heel challengers to try to take him down.

 

EEEEVILLLLL authority figure (post-Montreal) who hates all faces, for some reason.

Putting the tag team titles on the two main eventers that were feuding.

 

Did it over and over in the attitude era. Used it for the Cena vs Michaels match at Mania 23. There are others times that I probably over looked but that's a Vince hallmark.

Isn't the feuding tag team partners typically thought of as more of a Russo thing?

 

Babyfaces with questionable morals would be Vince though, right?

Isn't the feuding tag team partners typically thought of as more of a Russo thing?

 

Babyfaces with questionable morals would be Vince though, right?

I think both are I feel cause Vince has final say on everything. Benoit and Angle in 2002 and Rock and Jericho in 2001 comes to mind after Russo.

 

EDIT: How can I forget Daniel Bryan and Kane. They were not top guys at the moment but they didn't get along and they funny skits about it until they became a legit team.

To me, though, when I think of hallmarks, I think of aspects of his booking that have rung true from day one more than things he picked up along the way.

But he didn't pattern the top baby face on top for a long time against a rogues gallery of heels thing from his father? I feel like he picked up a lot a things along the way that were not his original hallmarks but twisted it enough to be his creativity at work.

Yeah, I wouldn't call them his inventions so much as something that is consistent about how he booked starting out and how he books in 2015.

What about "reinvention" of territory/indie stars?

 

I'm not super knowledgeable about WWWF and pre-Wrestlemania WWF, but I feel like the number of examples of guys that Vince "reinvented" or gave wholly new gimmicks to (Curt Hennig becomes "Mr. Perfect," Harley Race becomes "King Harley Race," Cactus Jack becomes Mankind) certainly outnumbers the guys he took in and didn't "retouch" (Ric Flair, Jim Cornette, Rob Van Dam).

That's probably more business driven then booking (i.e. copyrights.)

The superhero babyface who somehow overcomes insurmountable odds.

 

This is essentially how Vince views himself.

I think that's more a Vince Sr. thing that worked well enough for his son to keep. Backlund and Sammartino were around before Vince and drew a lot of money in their time.

It says something when it hasn't always worked for VKM, though, and he keeps going back to it.

Tag teams existing as supplementary developmental for young guys.

Feuds that tend to last exactly three months (or in other words, three MSG shows/three PPVs).

He has only pulled it off successfully once -- with Austin and Rock -- but he's been trying to create a #1 and #1A babyface for ages. Hogan was going to be 1A for Warrior. Bret for various guys to differing degrees. Now he wants Cena to be that for Reigns. I wouldn't call it a hallmark of his booking style, but it's a recurring pipe dream.

When I was a kid just about everyone in the midcard had a foreign object, along with most of the managers. There were even live animals. It was as though Vince was looking to make money in toy accessories, but they swerved another purpose in that week after week kids like me watched Superstars to see Dibiase stick a hundred dollar bill down some jobber's throat or Beefcake give someone a haircut. And then there was always the anticipation of what would happen if they came against one of the main guys on the roster.

 

Vince liked to use the intercontinental title as a stepping stone for the World title. He also liked injury angles and having long time friends or partners fall out with each other. One thing he was really good at were the turns, which were almost always memorable. And he was generally pretty good at repackaging the guy who'd turned heel. I hated the way he phased out each vanquished Hogan opponent, but a few of them rebounded okay like Savage, Andre and Piper.

 

How about trying to rub shoulders with musicians, Hollywood actors and sports stars? He tried that a fair bit in the early Wrestlemanias. A bit of glamour to differentiate themselves from the rest of wrestling.

 

Hogan constantly being portrayed as the best athlete in sports. A fair bit of jingoistic, red white and blue storytelling to go along with his right wing politics. Original theme music, colorful outfits, and recognisable looks for everyone with only slight variations in the tights or trunks people wore.

 

Strong emphasis on finishers. Sleeper holds where the victim raises their hand the third time. Heels in peril tag structure. Escape rules cage matches.

He has only pulled it off successfully once -- with Austin and Rock -- but he's been trying to create a #1 and #1A babyface for ages. Hogan was going to be 1A for Warrior. Bret for various guys to differing degrees. Now he wants Cena to be that for Reigns. I wouldn't call it a hallmark of his booking style, but it's a recurring pipe dream.

What about Savage and Hogan?

Sending the fans home happy. That was a staple of the WWE through the Hulkamnia era from 1984-1991.

 

JJ Dillion talked about it on one of those Guest Booker shows but the TV had a very specific formula with Vince as the booker. The way he would roll out the PPV lineup and build to the matches is very distinct when you go back and watch the TV. I find the TV to be much more conservative with Vince at the helm when it comes to giving away feature level bouts on TV.

 

Vince's attention to detail is also pretty fantastic during that 1984-1991 time frame as well. Things like Tito Santana still going after Rick Martel years after the Mania turn in battle royals and such.

Vince as a rule didn't like people just having a regular name in the WWF. You couldn't be just Harley Race or Ricky Steamboat. You had to be "King" Harley Race or Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat.

 

He has only pulled it off successfully once -- with Austin and Rock -- but he's been trying to create a #1 and #1A babyface for ages. Hogan was going to be 1A for Warrior. Bret for various guys to differing degrees. Now he wants Cena to be that for Reigns. I wouldn't call it a hallmark of his booking style, but it's a recurring pipe dream.

What about Savage and Hogan?

 

 

Wasn't this a temporary deal since Hogan was filming a movie. Savage was going to 'stand in' as top face because they already had his heel turn planned out when they first paired them up right?

A Vince trademark is definitely humiliating people just for the hell of it.

He also seems to have a propensity for bringing guys in hot, but then booking them into a lull at some point later before trying to re-push them up the card. My understanding is that he feels the need to humble guys lest they get it in their head that THEY are the draw and not the "company".