MVP: Ballin’ For 15 Years

In this edition of The Wrestling Estate roundtable, we reflect on the career of MVP 15 years after his in-ring debut in WWE.

How do you feel MVP’s return to WWE has been?

Chad Gelfand: MVP’s return has been excellent. He helped give Bobby Lashley the final boost up to main event, WWE Champion status, and he was one of the few highlights of many of the pandemic era Raws.

Steven Jackson: I haven’t been watching WWE regularly since MVP returned, so I am unable to comment on this.

John Corrigan: Solid. He’s certainly added to Bobby Lashley’s reign of dominance.

Jack Goodwillie: It’s been fine, if not a bright spot on the shows. I like MVP, even if there’s not one part of the game he’s considered elite at. He’s a good talker, he was a good wrestler in his day and while not exceptional in any one area, he has always been someone very in touch with his character. I don’t think I’ve ever seen MVP do something on screen that we would consider out of character or out of the ordinary, and that’s why his managerial run has worked. He’s still the same MVP people came to know and love back in the day.

Did WWE drop the ball with his first run?

Gelfand: Yes. MVP as the diva, superstar athlete was money and it seemed as if WWE was setting him up to be a new top guy on SmackDown along with Mr. Kennedy… Kennedy, but they went in a different direction. The long losing streak angle was the kiss of death as far as MVP becoming a main eventer. MVP, Mr. Kennedy, Shelton Benjamin and Carlito are all part of a lost generation of young midcard wrestlers that were never able to transition to the main event for one reason or another.

Jackson: No. MVP got as far as he could in the WWE system at that time. It was refreshing to see MVP on the indies and especially in NJPW!

Corrigan: Absolutely. He came onto the main roster with a lot of momentum after signing the “largest contract in SmackDown history.” Aside from the “Power Ranger” chants, fans instantly connected with his athleticism, T.O. demeanor and that grandiose entrance. Racking up gold through the rest of the 2000s, it seemed like he was on the cusp of stardom before being released in 2010.

Goodwillie: It’s hard to say. Do I think he could have been a fringe main event talent if things broke the right way? I do. However, the initial MVP character had more gas in the tank before he turned face and formed a tag team with Mark Henry. I’ve got nothing against Henry or the MVP-Henry tag team, but I was never a big fan of it because it was one of those tag teams that formed out of necessity due to WWE cutting or splitting all their actual tag teams and not because it was the right thing for both guys to do at the time. So, while MVP COULD have become a part-time PPV headliner or even a transitional world champion, the real money was him in a fleshed out midcard feud that, if given the time, could be very entertaining.

The Matt Hardy feud is proof of that and really should be the blueprint for how midcard programs are handled. Give us some variance! The modern midcard feud in WWE is just a series of matches that are all the same, albeit with minor differences and maybe a different finish (but sometimes not). The Hardy-MVP feud had run-of-the-mill matches, but also run-ins, memorable angles, a boxing match with Evander Holyfield, an impromptu tag title run and eventually, the title change. Meanwhile, nearly 10 months passed between the time Hardy and MVP first touched and when Hardy finally beat MVP for the United States Championship. They just don’t make ’em like that anymore. TLDR? Yeah, there was potential for more with MVP’s initial run.

What’s your favorite MVP match?

Gelfand: The Money in the Bank ladder match at WrestleMania XXIV. One of my all-time favorite MITB matches with Shelton Benjamin’s crazy flip off the top of a ladder through another ladder and John Morrison’s second rope, ladder assisted moonsault. While MVP wasn’t the main focus, he still had a big part in the match with Matt Hardy returning and costing him the briefcase to continue their feud.

Jackson: I really enjoyed MVP’s matches with Matt Hardy. The tag team matches and chemistry was great! Backlash 2008 when Matt Hardy defeated MVP is my favorite. The story told over so many months worked so well. Plus, MVP’s U.S. Title reign brought the belt to even greater prominence.

Corrigan: His series with Chris Benoit stands out, especially the last one at Judgment Day when MVP finally figured out how to defeat the veteran. MVP has the distinction of being the final guy to really work with and learn from Benoit.

Goodwillie: I always like the work he did with Benoit. Then again, Benoit had an ability to make up one half of anyone’s greatest match. The 2-out-of-3-falls match at Judgment Day 2007 was a good showcase for MVP.

What’s your favorite MVP moment/angle?

Gelfand: The Matt Hardy/ MVP United States title feud was gold and their games of one-upmanship including basketball games, beer-drinking and pizza-eating contests gave the feud a different, more entertaining and personal flair rather than it just being about the title.

Jackson: Again MVP’s feud with Matt Hardy, and their angle involving them being WWE Tag Team Champions definitely stands out. I really enjoyed the moment when they won the belts, and how although they didn’t get on, they wanted to keep the titles.

Corrigan: I have a few aside from the Hardy feud. The Beat Down Clan in Impact had potential, especially considering who else was in the group (Samoa Joe, Low Ki, etc.). His Boiler Room Brawl with Sami Callihan in MLW was a cool throwback. And his return at the 2020 Royal Rumble was a fun surprise.

Goodwillie: It’s gotta be the series of non-wrestling competitions with Matt Hardy. When MVP first debuted, nobody really knew what to make of him. The fans at No Mercy ’06 where he made his in-ring debut chanted “Power Ranger” and I’ll admit, I didn’t love the character. As he got more mic time, however, I really came around to the character and the Matt Hardy feud was a classic case of old-school booking with a new-school coat of paint. Angles such as their 1-on-1 game and a pizza eating contest made MVP a long-term, sustainable act.

If MVP left the sport today, does he belong in a wrestling hall of fame?

Gelfand: Yes. As a wrestler, he was a memorable character, United States Champion, Tag Team Champion and the first IWGP Intercontinental Champion. As a manager, he helped bring Bobby Lashley a WWE Title. He’s definitely a hall of famer.

Jackson: MVP has achieved a lot around the world, but I wouldn’t say he belongs in a hall of fame. However, MVP certainly deserves recognition as one of the most diverse, entertaining and technically sound wrestlers of his generation.

Corrigan: Before typing this, I agreed with Goodwillie, but now Gelfand is convincing me otherwise. For 15 years, he’s been involved in the sport in one way or another, competing in all of the major promotions except for AEW. He’s been over since day one, racking up gold and then transitioning into the veteran role to put over young talent like Benoit did for him. If MVP continues to be successful as a manager, leading more talent or even Lashley back to the gold, then he belongs in a pro wrestling hall of fame.

Goodwillie: As far as the WWE Hall of Fame goes, yeah, absolutely. He was a defining midcarder in the mid-to-late 2000s that sort of went the way of Carlito: great initial heel run with main event upside, followed by a face turn, but because he’s a more natural heel, he got sort of cast to the side before forming a tag team and leaving the company. As far as a wrestling hall of fame goes, I wouldn’t say MVP is the best of the best, which is what real hall of fames should be reserved for. That said, he does have a nice place in WWE history, and one day the company will surely recognize him for all he contributed over the years.