History Main / SpotMonkey

* Wrestling/ExtremeChampionshipWrestling is often accused of inspiring this trope in future generations of American wrestlers, although whether it had enough examples to be actually guilty is up to debate.
** Former ECW and Wrestling/{{TNA}} (and recent re-signee with Wrestling/{{WWE}}) wrestler Wrestling/RobVanDam often gets accused of being a spot monkey, but he shows more awareness of the "story" factor in his matches than most spot monkeys do, making him a borderline case at best.

** Not to mention that both Punk AND Hart got blackballed (at least from that company) for a fight that they had while both employed by TNA. Thankfully Hart's spot monkeying and locker room hell raising gradually diminished over the years to the point then rookie wrestler Wrestling/MaxwellJacobFriedman was able to convince Hart to ''not'' have a Canadian Destroyer off a ladder through a flaming table be one of the spots in an Wrestling/{{MLW}} match they had.

* Wrestling/JohnMorrison gets painted with this brush. Mostly since he's a former gymnast who now practices LeParkour and UsefulNotes/{{Capoeira}}, his spots can be ''spectacular'' when he does do them. As far as everything in between them, he's improved since his debut, but many of his TV matches boil down to him doing three spots, followed by his finisher, with the other guy doing most of the work. Since leaving WWE and working for Wrestling/{{AAA}} and Wrestling/LuchaUnderground as Johnny Mundo and Wrestling/{{TNA}} as Johnny Impact his psychology and consistency has improved substantially, so he rarely faces these accusations any more.
* Some of the members of Wrestling/{{TNA}}'s X Division, including Sonjay Dutt and Wrestling/JayLethal. Others, like Wrestling/AJStyles and Wrestling/ChristopherDaniels, employ a wrestling style with just as many impressive spots, but manage to actually chain them together with decent wrestling, and thus avoid being tarred with the spot monkey brush. It should be noted Alvarez still gave the match mentioned in the page quote three stars. "Good but could be better".

* Wrestling/ShaneMcMahon, despite the fact he is a sitting executive at WWF/E, part of one of the most legacied families in the business, and the boss' only son, who knows how to fight and wrestle. Did a flying elbow drop from the corner to the announce table at [=WrestleMania X-Seven=] to his dad, his signature move is a corner-to-corner dropkick into a trashcan, and his most famous spot is definitely the Leap of Faith off the Titantron or Hell in a Cell. He has also taken some nasty bumps too (such as being thrown through the King of the Ring set onto unpadded concrete, a bump that took ''multiple'' attempts to make work, with him landing squarely on his head on the failed tries), being sent through a plate of plexiglass twice and landing on his head and neck the first time, doing a Shooting Star Press onto a garbage can in his match with Wrestling/KurtAngle at the King of the Ring PPV, since it was pure showing off as the move would only hurt Shane and do nothing to Angle. He's also ''still'' a Spot Monkey well into his 50s and after a 17-year hiatus, and he has received multiple concussions and injuries for still retaining his high-flying moveset.

* Wrestling/MichelleMcCool was a more traditional example, doing handsprings and such for little reason than to show off (they would not even transition into another move or anything). She quickly got better about it but [[NeverLiveItDown some fans really let it go and insist]] she was always a mediocre talent who was only being pushed because of her relationship with The Undertaker.

* Sammy Guevara has been reckless and over the top from day one of his All Elite Wrestling debut, but really cemented himself as a spot monkey after the collective HeelFaceTurn of [[PowerStable The Inner Circle]]. Be it a missed tope, a power slam off the top rope, a pile driver through a table or missed charged into the post baby face!Guevara [[NoSell will not sell]]. Even when legitimately injured he no sold a missed senton on the ring apron, aggravating what might have been a bump he could have walked off with by just selling, working the rest of the match slower and taking a day or two off, in order to do more spots.

** To be fair, these guys ''did'' [[GroinAttack give up their manhoods]] [[DoingItForTheArt for the art]]...

->"If you can enjoy a match where a man gets a uranage on a guardrail and then gets body slammed on a guardrail and five minutes later is making a comeback and not selling his back? This is a match for you. If that sort of thing annoys you, not a match for you. This was a video game match with better psychology but a wrestling match with not great psychology."

* This can happen in piano too, most often in styles such as Ragtime where the player is allowed and sometimes even expected to improvise. So they decide to show off their speed and technical ability, oftentimes at the expense of the music. Compare [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ocdQjQTAig this version]] of ''The Chevy Chase'' by Eubie Blake, which is fairly close to the way it looks on sheet music, to [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBcfXuvo0_c this one]] played so fast and altered so much that there's almost no trace of the actual song left.
** Ragtime is an interesting example in that there were plenty of [=composer/performers=] who happily embellished their songs. Compare [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nI1__i9FSB4 the sheet music]] of Lucky Roberts' "Pork and Beans" to the way it sounded when Lucky Roberts himself [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8f9sQsPN8s played it]]. On the other hand, Music/ScottJoplin - widely considered the greatest ragtime composer - was ''not'' a fan of this style. His written sheet music often had a note that read "Do not play too fast. It is never right to play ragtime too fast."

** Ragtime is an interesting example in that there were plenty of [=composer/performers=] who happily embellished their songs. Compare [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nI1__i9FSB4 the sheet music]] of Lucky Roberts' "Pork and Beans" to the way it sounded when Lucky Roberts himself [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8f9sQsPN8s played it.] On the other hand, Music/ScottJoplin - widely considered the greatest ragtime composer - was ''not'' a fan of this style. His written sheet music often had a note that read "Do not play too fast. It is never right to play ragtime too fast."

** Ragtime is an interesting example in that there were plenty of [=composer/performers=] who happily embellished their songs. Compare [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nI1__i9FSB4 the sheet music] of Lucky Roberts' "Pork and Beans" to the way it sounded when Lucky Roberts himself [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8f9sQsPN8s played it.] On the other hand, Music/ScottJoplin - widely considered the greatest ragtime composer - was ''not'' a fan of this style. His written sheet music often had a note that read "Do not play too fast. It is never right to play ragtime too fast."

** Throughout his long musical career, from his beginnings as a classical concert pianist to his heyday as a Las Vegas headliner and television star, Liberace had the unusual distinction of being accused of playing like this in both directions: one notorious review levelled the accusation that, "''Liberace recreates — if that is the word — each composition in his own image. When it is too difficult, he simplifies it. When it is too simple, he complicates it.''" Liberace himself allegedly just stopped practising the piano at a certain point because he could play most of his sets by rote and covered his increasingly sloppy technique with flashy playing that ''looked'' and ''sounded'' more impressive than it was to actually ''play''.

Interestingly, the term "Spot Monkey" is often compared to "MarySue" in its overuse. It's seeing less relevance these days, partly because modern fans buy less into {{Kayfabe}} and the need for selling, partly because there is an increasing trend of audiences preferring more amazing stunts (and wrestlers who are happy to satisfy), and partly because the term has too often been used as shorthand for "wrestler I don't like." In the other direction, "spotfest" isn't always a negative term, and a fan can use it to when they are impressed with the conditioning or ability to put together rapid fire spots ''well'', or tell a good story with those spots. Contrast WrestlingPsychology, which tends to get ignored when this trope is in play.

* Wrestling/ShaneMcMahon, despite the fact he is a sitting executive at WWF/E, part of one of the most legacied families in the business, and the boss' only son, who knows how to fight and wrestle. Did a flying elbow drop from the corner to the announce table at [=WrestleMania X-Seven=] to his dad, his signature move is a corner-to-corner dropkick into a trashcan, and his most famous spot is definitely the Leap of Faith off the Titantron or Hell in a Cell. He has also taken some nasty bumps too (such as being thrown through the King of the Ring set onto unpadded concrete, a bump that took ''multiple'' attempts to make work, with him landing squarely on his head on the failed tries), being sent through a plate of plexiglass twice and landing on his head and neck the first time, doing a Shooting Star Press onto a garbage can in his match with Wrestling/KurtAngle at the King of the Ring PPV, since it was pure showing off as the move would only hurt Shane and do nothing to Angle. He's also ''still'' a Spot Monkey well into his 50s and after a 17-year hiatus, and he has received [[RealityEnsues multiple concussions and injuries]] for still retaining his high-flying moveset.

* Wrestling/ShaneMcMahon, despite the fact he is a sitting executive at WWF/E, part of one of the most legacied families in the business, and the boss' only son, who knows how to fight and wrestle. Did a flying elbow drop from the corner to the announce table at [=WrestleMania X-Seven=] to his dad, his signature move is a corner-to-corner dropkick into a trashcan, and his most famous spot is definitely the Leap of Faith off the Titantron or Hell in a Cell. He has also taken some nasty bumps too (such as being thrown through the King of the Ring set onto unpadded concrete, a bump that took ''multiple'' attempts to make work, with him landing squarely on his head on the failed tries), being sent through a plate of plexiglass twice and landing on his head and neck the first time, doing a Shooting Star Press onto a garbage can in his match with Wrestling/KurtAngle at the King of the Ring PPV, since it was pure showing off as the move would only hurt Shane and do nothing to Angle.

Interestingly, the term "Spot Monkey" is often compared to "MarySue" in its overuse. It's seeing less relevance these days, partly because modern fans buy less into {{Kayfabe}} and the need for selling, partly because there is an increasing trend of audiences preferring more amazing stunts (and wrestlers who are happy to satisfy), and partly because the term is more often shorthand for "wrestler I don't like." In the other direction, "spotfest" isn't always a negative term and can just mean impressed with conditioning or ability to put together rapid fire spots ''well''. Contrast WrestlingPsychology, which tends to get ignored when this trope is in play.

* Wrestling/{{WWE}}'s Wrestling/JeffHardy went through a severe spot monkey phase before his departure from the company, to the point he was [[AlternateCompanyEquivalent called]] the Teddy Hart of WWE, but got somewhat better after his return; while he's still known for his tendency to dive off high things, he is at least much better about using such spots as part of a match's story.

Interestingly, the term "Spot Monkey" is being used quite similarly to "MarySue" in its overuse. It's quickly losing its definition and becoming shorthand for "wrestler I don't like." In the other direction, "spotfest" isn't always a negative term and can just mean impressed with conditioning or ability to put together rapid fire spots ''well''. Contrast WrestlingPsychology, which tends to get ignored when this trope is in play.

** Not to mention that both Punk AND Hart got blackballed (at least from that company) for a fight that they had while both employed by TNA. Thankfully Hart's spot monkeying and locker room hell raising gradually diminished over the years to the point then rookie wrestler MJF was able to convince Hart to ''not'' have a Canadian Destroyer off a ladder through a flaming table be one of the spots in an Wrestling/{{MLW}} match they had.

** Special K was negatively contrasted with Wrestling/LowKi, a "[[SeriousBusiness shoot-style]]" pro wrestler who relied more on stiff kicks (and unlike the "stiffness spot monkeys" described above, knew how to be stiff responsibly). It didn't help Special K's reputation (or them in kayfabe) that Wrestling/LowKi was one of ROH's top stars and kayfabe threats at the time.

** Not to mention that both Punk AND Hart got blackballed (at least from that company) for a fight that they had while both employed by TNA.
* Wrestling/{{WWE}}'s Wrestling/JeffHardy went through a severe spot monkey phase before his departure from the company, but got somewhat better after his return; while he's still known for his tendency to dive off high things, he is at least much better about using such spots as part of a match's story.

* Wrestling/MichelleMcCool was a more traditional example, doing handsprings and such for little reason than to show off (they would not even transition into another move or anything). She quickly got better about it but some fans {{never| live it down}} really let it go and insist she was always a mediocre talent who was only being pushed because of her relationship with The Undertaker.

** Back in the old days of RSPW, this was called a Sabu Match, named after ECW wrestler Sabu. It's actually an interesting case of Sabu's wrestling style. Back in the old days, Sabu really could wrestle and would throw in the occasional high spot. However, the ECW crowd only cheered the high spots. It eventually devolved to the point where Sabu only did high spots because that's all the crowd would react to. The end result would be a high spot, a couple of minutes of walking around or resting, and then another high spot which completely destroyed any sense of wrestling psychology or workrate.