A.J. Lee (photo credit Grant Gould © PWTorch)
SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)…
September’s Wrestlepalooza harkens the beginning of the ESPN era of WWE PPVs, along with the promise of a new stage and new opportunities for WWE performers.
In professional wrestling, momentum is everything – and it can turn on a dime.
So, who’s leading the charge and who’s getting lost in the shuffle?
Rising Star of the Week: Logan Paul
In his rise to prominence as one of YouTube’s hottest influencers from 2015-2018, Paul became not only famous but infamous. A notorious video filmed in Japan’s “suicide forest” painted him as someone who valued sensationalism over ethics. He was later accused of fraud by investors in his NFT-based video game, which was never released.
As a result, WWE audiences love to boo him.
When Paul debuted in WWE in 2021, he was booed relentlessly despite being positioned as a face. In his wrestling debut at the following year’s WrestleMania, WWE course-corrected by recasting him as a heel. Paul has embraced the role and has been remarkably successful in generating heat ever since.
However, his talent as a WWE performer is simply undeniable. Logan Paul has taken to the craft of professional wrestling faster than anyone since Kurt Angle.
Paul has fantastic instincts in the ring and on the mic. His promo work is compelling and confident, belying his limited experience.
His remarkable athleticism, ability to sell his opponent’s offence, and willingness to take extreme risks, combined with the crowd’s desire to see him lose, make his matches some of the most compelling WWE has to offer.
No surprise, then, that John Cena selected him as one of the few opponents on his retirement tour. Paul brought out the best in Cena at Clash in Paris. He provided the movement and pacing that Cena—at this stage—cannot.
The Paris crowd’s dislike of Paul galvanized their support of Cena, which seemed to motivate the veteran. Cena ate up their adulation and delivered what was likely his best performance in years.
A decisive finish cemented it as the best match on the card — a rare honor for Cena, whose match against Cody was easily WrestleMania’s worst.
Arguably the best new wrestler of the 2020s, the Maverick’s value to WWE is incalculable.
Runner-up: A.J. Lee
A.J. Lee may seem like an odd choice for this list, given that she hasn’t wrestled or appeared in WWE for ten years. A standout of the Diva’s era due to her charisma, in-ring ability, and status as an anti-diva, Lee, ironically, set a record for longest-reigning Diva’s champion. Her record would stand for only a year before being eclipsed by Nikki Bella.
Fans have clamored for Lee’s return for the past decade, although not to the same degree they did for her husband, C.M. Punk, during his extended absence.
Until now. The buzz for Lee’s return is louder than ever.
Becky Lynch’s alliance with her own husband Seth Rollins foiled C.M. Punk’s planned revenge at Clash in Paris, and again on Raw. Punk is in dire need of an equalizer. Who better than Punk’s own wife?
While nothing has been officially announced, signs point to A.J. Lee returning in some capacity to align with Punk against Lynch and Rollins. When she does, the fans will be there to greet her, and she could not ask for a better partner and opponents.
Nick Barbati likes to say, “Timing is everything.” A.J. Lee’s return looks to be worth the decade-long wait.
Second Runner up: Roman Reigns
They say absence makes the heart grow fonder. And in Roman Reigns’ case, it’s true.
His massive reception at recent shows proves that the WWE audience is hungry for more Reigns. After nearly a decade of misalignment as Vince’ McMahon’s chosen lead babyface, Roman truly clicked when he turned heel in 2020.
It’s difficult to overestimate the success of his Tribal Chief role and its accompanying Bloodline storyline, which completely redeemed Reigns, and cemented his legacy.
Reign’s babyface run in the past year has been stop-start owing to his part-time schedule. He’s made few appearances and wrestled fewer matches.
The OTC’s frequent absence from WWE programming has only increased fans’ appreciation of him and whetted our appetite for his return.
His decisive victory over Bronson Reed, and subsequent beatdown by Bon Breakker sets the stage for higher-stakes feuds with Breaker, and ultimately Rollins. These will be some of the highest-profile and most highly anticipated programs of the year.
Part-time but full-impact, the OTC is one of WWE’s biggest attractions — whenever he decides to show up.
ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…
Check out the latest episode of the Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Post-show covering the latest episode of Raw: CLICK HERE to stream (or search “wade Keller” on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or any other iOS or Android app to subscribe free)
Fading Star of the Week: Nikki Bella
The audience has spoken. Nikki Bella is no babyface.
To be clear, Bella has value. Seemingly timeless, her trademark beauty hasn’t faded a bit in 20 years. She’s clearly in phenomenal shape and barely seemed to break a sweat during her Clash in Paris Match with Becky Lynch. Bella carries significant cachet from her prominence in the Diva’s era and success as a reality TV star, and is skilled in self-promotion.
However, Bella has come to embody much of what fans disliked about the Diva’s era. Bella comes off as a failed fashion model with limited mic skills, minimal ring ability, and no love for wrestling.
Even the remarkably compliant Paris crowd could not bring themselves to cheer for Bella, and she was resoundingly booed when she appeared backstage on Raw.
Bella has the potential to generate massive heat. Much like Logan Paul, she must stop trying to fight fans’ disdain, and simply embrace it.
Heel turn, please.
First Runner-Up: The Wyatt Sicks
Who are the Wyatt Six? What are they trying to accomplish? How are we supposed to feel about them?
It’s not clear WWE creative knows the answers either.
When they debuted on Raw, the Sicks were portrayed as brutal bringers of justice, something like the movie The Crow. Since coming to Smackdown, they’ve been portrayed as heels, repeatedly cheating to win matches. However, nothing else in their presentation seems to have changed. Their promos are dense, confusing, and often amount to little more than word salad – vague enough to seem meaningful, but ultimately incoherent.
Of all the matches at Clash in Paris, the Smackdown Tag Team Championship match was the least well received. Pitting them against the Street Profits, whose alignment is also uncertain, gave the audience no one to root for or against. The match featured the faction’s least interesting members: Dexter Lumis and Joe Gacy.
The story of dissension between the Profits was abruptly dropped. Despite a fantastic entrance and some very good wrestling, the match never clicked. A finish which saw the Sicks win due to interference by Uncle Howdy, left viewers unsatisfied and confused.
The Wyatt Sicks need a clearly defined mission, and some serious character development. Otherwise, they’re squandering Bray’s concept, essentially following the buzzards off a cliff.
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