Over the last few days, the WWE has demoted their best creative talent in Paul Heyman, which wasn’t a surprise to many based on reports. Still, there’s no doubt his demotion is going to negatively affect several wrestlers he’s been pushing. It’s not a surprise as it’s been reported time and again that Vince McMahon wasn’t a fan of his, but needed him to improve the product.
McMahon had always been able to bury the hatchet if it made him and the WWE money, but he’d just as quickly bury the same hatchet in a person’s head if they failed or he needed a scapegoat.
Pushed the wrong people
But this article isn’t about Paul Heyman joining Eric Bischoff and many others that have served as sacrificial lambs over the years to McMahon’s impatience and temper. In this case, Heyman still has a job. Probably because McMahon knows AEW will snatch him up in a second and that’s potentially be game over.
Nope, this is about the wrestlers McMahon didn’t/doesn’t like that Heyman has reportedly pushed.
Some of the names being mentioned on various sites and articles online are Aleister Black, Apollo Crews, Cedric Alexander, Ricochet, and the Street Profits (Angelo Dawkins and Montez Ford).
It’s no secret that Ricochet and Alexander have been buried multiple times by McMahon, but they managed to find a way out, possibly due to Paul Heyman, only to disappear again.
Aleister Black is a fan favorite, and he’s on the cusp of greatness if handled right, but that could change in an instant.
Apollo Crews fits nearly every checkmark McMahon has for wrestlers. He’s big, muscular, and is charismatic. It’s great to hear him talk and see him smile. His enthusiasm is infectious, and he could become the next big thing if he’s allowed to grow and inspire people. The fact he’s the current United States Champion is a good sign, but now that Heyman is off the creative team, will that change?
Like the rest of the talent on this list, the Street Profits are enormously talented and charismatic, but their biggest fault, given McMahon’s dislike of tag teams, is that they are a tag team. The WWE has long set a trend of not caring about the tag team division beyond brief moments here and there, and they use it to cultivate their future singles stars. Names on this list include the British Bulldog Davey Boy Smith, Bret Hart, Matt and Jeff Hardy, and now Otis.
Forfeiting the future
While all of this is pure speculation, it’s important to note that those names mentioned above, as well as others most likely, are the future of the company. Their talent can’t be ignored, and to shun them for one reason or another instead of finding a way to use them hurts them as much as the promotion. It’s short-sighted and is one of the reasons so many have requested their release to work elsewhere.
While the ratings on Raw were falling, it’s nothing new. Both Raw and Smackdown have had their problems, and they’re often the same ones. Currently, Smackdown is more of a case of fast forwarding through it to see specific matches/moments, and Raw’s about to join it in that regard with both having the same creative head (Bruce Prichard) in place.
Vince McMahon is a genius as he’s proven time and again, but it’s beyond time for him to step aside and let Triple H run the show. Or he should step back and let those in positions to run things do so with limited interference. Either of those is a tall order for a micro-managing king like Vince McMahon, but has any company chewed through talent, creative and otherwise, over the years as much as he has? And many on a whim?
As fans, we want to see every promotion succeed and put their best out there for our enjoyment. It makes professional wrestling better as we get a higher quality of entertainment, and the wrestlers can see their careers grow and blossom. Where the WWE goes from here is unclear, but they continue to drive away their fans and that’s never good for any business.
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