"Pretty Wonderful" Paul Roma

Why wasn’t Paul Roma a bigger draw?

He had a lot going for him. Great physique, good looks, decent on the mic…so what was it about Roma that didn’t stick? He certainly believes he was as good as anyone, but his career certainly didn’t hit the big heights that he expected. But there was a point in 1994, that Roma probably had his biggest success in professional wrestling. Who knew that it would be part of the tag team, simply known, as “Pretty Wonderful”.

Paul Roma was no stranger to the ranks of the tag team division. In fact, by the time he joined “Mr.Wonderful” Paul Orndorff, he was a grizzled veteran with all things ‘tag teams’. Roma began his career early in the mid 80’s, but was more recognized when he tagged with Jim Powers to form the “Young Stallions” during the late 80’s in the (then) World Wrestling Federation. Roma and Powers never got much of a push, which isn’t really a surprise. The two had to make noise against the likes of the Killer Bees, Demolition, the British Bulldogs, the Hart Foundation, the Islanders, and many, many more. Things didn’t get much better there, in the beginning. He was named as a member of the Four Horsemen upon entering WCW, much to the surprise of many. While he wasn’t the most popular member of the Horsemen, ‘Pretty” Paul Roma won his first championship alongside Arn Anderson, when the Horsemen beat “Stunning” Steven Austin and Steven Regal for the WCW Tag Team titles in 1993. He would eventually leave the Horsemen and turn on Erik Watts to join Paul Orndorff for his, what, fourth tag team in his career? “Pretty Wonderful” was probably his best run as a pro wrestler, as Roma and Orndorff eventually won the WCW tag titles from Cactus Jack and Kevin Sullivan. Roma was an underrated performer, in my opinion, and probably could’ve received a push as the WCW Television Champion (at worst) but he never really seemed to get the attention or credit he probably deserved. He was a great athlete, with a great look, as I mentioned earlier. But to tag with Orndorff (who is vastly underrated as a performer) was a great fit. The two complimented each other very well, and Roma provided a younger, more versatile version of Orndorff, who was on the latter half of his career.

Despite the differences between the two, Pretty Wonderful complimented each other well. Orndorff represented the “old school”, coming up during the hey day of WWF and was a main eventer alongside “Rowdy” Roddy Piper and Hulk Hogan during the “Rock n’ Wrestling” days. He represented the older guard, but still had a great look, had strong charisma and complimented Roma well. Roma, for his part, was the member of the team who would escalate the top rope, drop elbows, and take higher risks. While not necessarily a high flyer, Roma never shied away from scaling the ropes at any time or taking high risks. Orndorff was the technician, working the body part, and methodically targeting limbs and joints. The two complimented each other well, and reached their peak in mid-to-late 1994 when they held the WCW tag titles. Rumour has it that Roma had a bit of an ego (name a pro wrestler who doesn’t) which eventually led to his release from WCW. He never made it much further after that, and the last time anyone saw Roma on a big stage was during WWE’s documentary of the Four Horsemen, in which he pretty much bad mouthed Ric Flair and Arn Anderson, which is probably the last time anyone heard from him. Still, despite all that, Pretty Wonderful could’ve had a longer run than anyone ever gave them credit for. They had a nice mix of youth and experience, and two separate styles that complimented each other well. If not for egos and mismanagement by WCW officials, they may have had a bigger push in the company and could’ve reach higher pinnacles of success. But let’s not forget…it was Paul Roma. He had no business being in the same ring as Paul Orndorff. Let’s be honest. I enjoyed the tag team. Shame they never got a bigger push, or at the very least, a longer run.