From the E-Feds to Reality: Chip Friendly

For those who don't know, TH is an e-fed enthusiast. Even in years when he wasn't watching wrestling, he was still e-fedding. He ran several characters in several feds at a time at his peak, but now, he resides only in Empire Pro Wrestling with one character. Still, he's handled and seen a ton of characters. Some may work in the real world, some may not. This is one of those characters from the former.

Have a wonderful day!

The first character/concept that I didn't have anything to do with, other than job to...

Name: Chip Friendly

What's His Deal: Friendly, a character handled by friend of TWB Dan West back in the day (and possibly now), is a cloyingly agreeable character where he's nice to everyone he meets. However, there's an underlying sarcasm to his niceness, almost like he's being incredibly facetious to the point of insincerity. Basically, he'll shake your hand as he's plotting to stab your back. His moveset even reflected his undying wishes to make people happy. His impact finisher is a tilt-a-whirl face bomb, while his submission finisher is a double fishhook called the "Smiley Face".

Was He Successful in E-Feds: Yes, Friendly was amazingly successful, capturing the World Championship in his major fed. He's one of the most beloved characters, heel or otherwise, in the history of the circle where he's handled in, thanks to Dan's quick wit and cutting handling of the character. I'd say it's probably his most successful character, even though others he's handled have won more titles.

Could He Get Over in Reality: Definitely, but it would have to be given to a guy who has great delivery and who could be so cleverly disingenuous without even thinking. The thing is, this character couldn't be wholly scripted. It wouldn't work if it was someone memorizing lines unless that person was a MASTER at doing it. However, I think what made it work in print is what would make it flourish in real life – the organic nature of how everything comes about as a result of what the opponent character does. Honestly, I think if Alberto del Rio weren't so well-cast as the Mexican aristocrat and had a cleaner grasp of the English language, he'd be perfect for this role. I mean, he's already got some elements of Friendly's character in his own. I think what would set him apart from other guys would be his facial expressions. I love his facetious smile. It's the best.

Remember you can contact TH and ask him questions about wrestling, life or anything else. Please refer to this post for contact information. He always takes questions!