In a previous article I wrote about WWE performers who could have been main eventers had they been booked correctly. This time out I’m going to talk about WWE talent that deserves to be pushed down the card (something that has already happened with many of them) due to their own laziness, complacency, a lack of fresh ideas and/or their inability to do what every great performer does – just be themselves with the volume turned up.
Dolph Ziggler
I know that the Internet wrestling community will point the finger at WWE creative and say that Ziggler has been unable to break the glass ceiling and become a solidified main eventer because they keep booking him as enhancement talent. And years ago I may have bought that argument, but not anymore. My issue with Dolph Ziggler is that he took his obvious love of Shawn Michaels and allowed it to slowly morph him into a Michaels clone as time has gone by, and because Michaels is still considered relevant to today’s wrestling fans, it’s hard to look at Ziggler as anything but a wannabe as a result. First came the hip swivel as part as his entrance which was reminiscent of the “sexy boy” character. Then he went with long tights as opposed to trunks. Then came the superkick as his finisher. And then, as if it wasn’t already obvious that he was emulating Michaels, he started “tuning up the band” prior to the superkick. Maybe WWE management is oblivious to it, or maybe they don’t care because they don’t perceive him as a top star anyway. But if Curtis Axel is supposed to be considered a comedy act for ripping Hulk Hogan, and Damien Sandow for ripping Randy Savage, then how are we supposed to look at Dolph Ziggler as a main eventer when he’s clearly – just not as flamboyantly – ripping Michaels?
WWE.com has poked fun at this by releasing a clip that supposedly shows Ziggler entering the ring to Michaels’ theme music (obviously a dub job). Not sure why they posted that but they did. And Shawn actually acknowledged the obvious comparisons on the Stone Cold Podcast when he said, "The only thing I worry about is, like a Ziggler who goes a little too far into my pattern. People compared me to Flair, but as soon as I heard comparisons to Flair I went off the radar and did something of my own. One thing I’d encourage these guys to do is to let people influence you to the point where they make that comparison in the beginning, but then you need to set yourself apart. The only problem I see with this generation is they continue to go down... like I saw Dolph Ziggler and I said, "Thank you man. Every Monday night my Twitter numbers go up because I can count on you to remind everyone of me." He’s a nice kid, but for his career standpoint now is the time to differentiate yourself."
The Usos
I’ve never been a fan of the Usos; I’ve never considered them to be as great as WWE used to present them. But at least I can acknowledge that when they debuted in 2010, and more specifically after they went babyface in 2011, they represented something different. They were identical twins, they had the Samoan dance entrance, the half-painted faces, and they debuted at a time when the WWE tag team division was weak and lacking of real full-time teams. My problem with the Usos – at least prior to their recent *much needed* heel turn – is that they continued to do the same schtick with the same entrance, the same face paint, the same ring gear and the same in-ring move set week after week for years. They got so lazy in the ring that it felt like they were doing 20 superkicks per match. And the whole smiley, hoppy, goofy thing is fine when you’re 21 but not when you’re in your 30’s. Hopefully their recent heel turn will be the shot in the arm they need to get it together and keep recreating themselves in order to keep things fresh.
Dean Ambrose
Back when The Shield debuted in 2012, Ambrose was considered the unofficial leader of the group. He typically stood in the middle of the three, did most of the talking for the three, and was the first of the three to win a singles title, the United States Championship. But today just as John Cena pointed out on Talking Smack, Ambrose’s Shield partners Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns have become stars while Ambrose is still “trying to figure it out.” I felt that his appearance on the Stone Cold Podcast – when he was WWE Champion no less - was an embarrassment and was indicative of the fact that he wasn’t ready for that spot. I feel that he tries too hard to be the “lunatic” character, but it’s a character that you can only get so much mileage out of. Ambrose in my opinion is the best talker of the three Shield wrestlers with quick wit, the ability to read and play off the crowd, and a good sense of humor. But that personality is overshadowed by his presentation not to mention his refusal to lower his guard and just be himself when the situation calls for it.
Jack Swagger
I used to see great things in Jack Swagger and thought he had a ton of potential. He’s deceptively big at 6’6” and 260 pounds, he was an All American amateur wrestler and he had a good look. He also had a natural cockiness about him when he made the main roster on the ECW brand in 2008 and I thought he had the makings of a top heel. Sure he was never a good promo man, but that’s why mouthpieces like Paul Heyman have jobs. The problem with Swagger is that just like a lot of other performers on the WWE roster, he fell into a creative rut and doesn’t appear to have the ability to get himself out of it. He still wears the shirt with the handprint on it and does the stupid “We the People” catchphrase even though that gimmick ran its course two years ago. He shows no emotion, doesn’t even acknowledge that a crowd is present, and uses basically the same move set that he’s used for years. Even John Cena with his ridiculous schedule will take the time to think of and then execute new moves in his matches. Granted, I could talk about how Cena has worn the same type of T-shirt, hat, shorts and shoes for 10 years but that’s beside the point!
Randy Orton
Oh the Viper lovers out there are gonna grill me for this one! But seriously, can you recall Randy Orton doing anything new in the last decade aside from getting the “Voices” entrance music in 2008 and occasionally growing a beard? Has he done anything differently at all? Same mannerisms, same ring gear, same facial expressions, same move set. I don’t think he’s changed a damn thing and so I found his year away while he recovered from injuries to be a blessing. And give it six more months of watching him do the same thing every week, and I’ll be ready for him to take another leave of absence.
Titus O’Neil
I put this man on my list of guys who could have been a main eventer had he been booked properly from the start, but now he belongs on this list with the others due to his inability to evolve. O’Neil was on the second season of WWE NXT in 2010 but it was the NXT Redemption season in 2011 that put him on WWE’s radar. Then came the Prime Time Players tag team in 2012 with Darren Young, and it looked like O’Neil was going places. He not only had size, a good look and a good athletic background, but he also displayed personality and a sense of humor with the “millions of dollars” shuffle and the dog bark. He’s also a popular guy backstage and known as a family man and for his charity work, and so he seemed to have all the makings of a superstar. But for whatever reason, he’s regressed in the ring. He hasn’t added to his move set, he hasn’t made any changes to his ring gear, or mannerisms, or catchphrases. And as I said in my other article, he seems more comfortable talking like a regular guy in WWE marketing videos than he does cutting a promo in the ring. Maybe he’s destined to be some sort of goodwill ambassador for WWE, but I’m not sure he has anything left to give as an active performer.
It’s no accident that Chris Jericho is still headlining shows in 2016, almost 20 years after he first debuted in WWE. It’s no accident that The Undertaker has appeared in over two decades’ worth of Wrestlemanias. And it’s no accident that Hulk Hogan was the biggest thing in wrestling in 1996 after he first became the biggest thing in wrestling in 1984. These guys understood that they had to change and evolve over time. The “red and yellow” babyface Hogan was getting booed in WCW in the mid-90s and needed to change. The gray glove wearing, no-selling Taker of 1991 would have burned out the audience inside of a couple years had he not evolved, not only changing his look and ring gear but also his in-ring style as wrestling became more about athleticism. And the Jericho of the late 90s could get away with a ponytail on top of his head when he was 28 but not so much now at 45.
The problem again comes down mostly to complacency and laziness. WWE has very minimal competition (at least they did, maybe their acceptance of indy wrestlers will change that) which means there is a limited number of performers that could come in and take a spot from an established, experienced talent. And that means that a guy like Randy Orton can be in a holding pattern for years and stay on top. A guy like Ziggler can blatantly copy a WWE Hall of Famer and get away with it. It’s a mentality that took a long time to get ingrained into the heads of a lot of wrestlers in the WWE locker room, and it’s a mentality that will take a long time for Triple H and company to shake.
