YMMV / The Kliq

• Base Breaking Characters: It's the same with any workers who get organized: there's going to be some benefits and also abuses.
  • Pro: The difference between today's midcard and the old guard is that the latter were actually booked to look strong. If they didn't like a finish, or if they thought it wouldn't get over, they wouldn't do it. Because Vince didn't hold all the cards, he was forced to listen to his performers and to rely on their storytelling ability in the ring. Now Vince has everyone so terrified and grateful for their lives and salaries that they're happy being mediocre for their entire careers. There are probably only ten guys on the roster who even know what it's like to be over, and only three of them — max — are allowed to be.
  • Con: Two of those guys left for WCW and one of them would have died by 1999 had he not gotten injured. Nobody in their right mind misses the Kliq phoning it in (only jobbing to each other) and fucking other workers over. And most of the time it was detrimental to the product, resulting in Shawn crying on TV and dropping a title for the millionth time and horrible Diesel main events being forced down our throats every month.
• Broken Base: Justin Credible's connection to the Kliq. Some fans consider him to be a member (At least unofficially). Others, including Credible himself, only see him as a friend of the Kliq and not an actual member. The fact that he criticized how something that was organic and real like the "Curtain Call" was made corporate adds support to the latter. When asked about this on his podcast, Kevin Nash would say that Credible was an honorary member similar to Louie Spicolli.
• Common Knowledge: A wrestling fan who hasn't seen the Kliq's signature hand gesture being used outside of wrestling might think that it's a gesture they came up with themselves. However, anyone else might recognize it as the "Turkish Wolf".^note Also known outside of wrestling as the Wolf Howl, Wolf Kiss, Kissing Diablos, etc. The group were aware of it; it was the name Sean Waltman introduced it to them with, and it is the direct inspiration for Nash, Hall, and Syxx calling themselves the Wolfpac. Discussed here.
• Ensemble Dark Horse: Triple H was initially a tagalong and junior member of The Kliq. Now he, along with his wife, run the creative department after the ousting of Vince McMahon.
• Harsher in Hindsight:
  • Any of Shawn's matches before 2002, and any of Scott or Kid's matches ever, if you know about their drug problems. It's almost guaranteed that they're performing while stoned and/or drunk.
  • Sure, four out of five of the Kliq showing up for Shawn's Hall of Fame induction was awesome. And yes, Scott's reason for missing it (he didn't want to be tempted with drugs or alcohol) was a commendable one. Except a few days later, Scott attempted an overdose, and according to Kevin at the time was still in very bad shape, and would continue to be in similar bad shape until he reconnected with DDP.
• Heartwarming Moment: The Kliq reuniting for Shawn's induction into the WWE Hall of Fame. From left, Hunter, Kevin, Shawn, and Kid◊, who haven't been in public together in years. And the only reason Scott's missing is because he knew being around them would trigger him into a relapse and he wants to stay sober.
  • And having a three-minute long love-fest of hugging and celebrating.
  • This absence was rectified a few years later when a clean and sober Hall was inducted into the Hall of Fame and greeted by the other four.
• Ho Yay: Oh good god. Look at any picture of them together, chances are they're draped all over each other. Read any interview with any one of them, and ten to one, they're talking up one of the others.
• Love to Hate: They were all charismatic individuals who knew what they were doing in the ring^note Michaels and Waltman are both well noted for being aerodynamic athletes, what Nash and HHH lacked in variance of moveset they made up for with demonstrative psychology in the moves they did do, and Hall was pretty much a Jack of All Trades in the ring before his condition deteriorated to the point many put him on the short list of best wrestlers ever not to be a world champion right along with Piper and Perfect and for the most part excelled more as asshole heels than as valiant faces.
• Never Live It Down:
  • For all of them, the Curtain Call.
  • For Shawn (and, to a lesser degree, Hunter) the Montreal Screwjob.
  • For Hunter, the "Reign of Terror" and marrying the boss's daughter. Well until Trips started running NXT, Jim Cornette refered to him derisively as "The Son In Law".
  • For Kevin, the Fingerpoke Of Doom. He was a very popular face going into that match. Coming out, though, is another story.
    • Not to mention him being very injury-prone; it's best described with the phrase, "OWWW, MY QUAAAADDDD~!"
  • For Scott, his alcoholism. Many people forget that he was once considered to be an equal wrestler to Shawn and was well known for having a brilliant mind for wrestling.
  • For Waltman, X-Pac Heat. He's the Trope Namer.
  • For all of them, their backstage antics and alleged burial of talent, especially around 1995-1996 before Nash and Hall’s departure.