Matt Morgan. The Blueprint. At 7’0 and around 300lbs, Morgan had the size and the look to succeed. He was pretty much everything Vince McMahon loves. Morgan was a giant, he was competent on the mic, and he was muscular. Technically, WWE hit the jackpot but blew the earnings.
Morgan would be involved in major storylines in TNA and had several brushes with the World title but was never used to his full potential. Let’s get in the time machine and see if his career can be salvaged.
Where Did Things Go Wrong For The Blueprint?
You could say things started when he was promoted to the main roster and was placed on SmackDown. It’s not that the brand selection that is the problem but going to the main roster, period. He was making progress in OVW learning ring craft and developing mic skills.
Also, remember that the early 2000s was a rough time for young talent coming in. Morgan was going to be called up regardless but it should’ve been at the time when the company had actual ideas for him. Instead he was put on the roster without any actual direction outside of becoming a part of Team Lesnar—which should’ve been the New Dangerous Alliance.
After thing fell apart there, he was given a stuttering gimmick. The bad thing about the gimmick is that I remember this more than his first full year in WWE.
Matt Morgan’s first run in TNA was more fruitful. While he never racked up the trophies he should’ve, he was booked better than he was in WWE. He even became a main event heel and threatened champions for the TNA World Title.
Salvaging Matt Morgan
What we’re salvaging is his WWE career. His TNA/Impact Wrestling career definitely could’ve been better but as far as gimmick development and push goes, he had better treatment down in Florida. The easiest solution would’ve been to just book him as a bodyguard who eventually breaks away to get the spotlight on himself.
While he has been a bodyguard more times than any of us can count, it usually didn’t materialize into anything for Morgan. So, the bodyguard angle gives them a star to feature weekly as well as the main wrestler they want to push. If the bodyguard turns on the star, you have a built-up star ready to pull the bodyguard up the card.
Of course, that’s not what WWE did and it’s probably the simplest of storylines to run. The more far-out alternative is Matt Morgan wrestling under a mask as Abel, the brother of Kane—and by extension, The Undertaker. In WWE, this would’ve been the best option for Matt Morgan early in his career and I could actually see him pulling off an over-the-top gimmick.
The gimmick’s life span is another story.
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