10 Indy Wrestling Stars WWE Would Ruin
Best Botch Machine.
It's too early to write Main Roster Asuka off yet - but the very fact that there's debate to be had is as shocking as it is crushing as it is inevitable. Asuka arrived from NXT undefeated, over, and equipped with a seriously special aura. She was, in a word, unf*ckupable.
Early signs, if not ominous, are certainly puzzling. While Asuka and Emma contested a decent back and forth match at TLC, the amount of offence Emma was allowed raised eyebrows. Their rematch on RAW followed near enough the same template.
This Emma was far removed from the prospect she was circa TakeOver: London. This Emma was damaged goods, having been jobbed out to a Curt Hawkins degree on RAW this year. This Emma was also removed from her contract a week later. There was no grand plan to keep her strong in defeat; it was as if WWE simply couldn't help itself, and positioned Asuka for long stretches as a dreaded underdog. The parallels between NXT-era Asuka and WCW-era Goldberg were evident. Invited. The parallels between Main Roster Asuka and Main Roster Goldberg are already eerie.
"WWE should sign Hot Wrestler X!" is a phrase dying a sad death. And with good reason...
10. WALTER
WALTER is bloody ace.
He's a big hard b*stard who knows he's a big hard b*stard, and is secure enough in his character to only showcase his freakish athleticism when the match - the opponent - drags it out of him. He performs the best no-sell spot this side of Tomohiro Ishii. He doesn't laugh maniacally, like a cartoonish movie villain. He simply shoots his opponents a piercing stare, as if to say: Why are you trying to hit me? Trying to hit me is pointless. He then draws hardway blood from their chests with the sickest chops on the worldwide scene. Watch closely, and you'll see his opponents literally brace themselves before impact. They know what's coming is going to f*cking hurt. A lot.
The problem with WALTER - or WWE's problem with him - is that blood is the rare preserve of the main event club. Guys are allowed to work snug - consider Sheamus - but not WALTER snug. The man is redefining stiffness more than John Holmes did.
There's also the physique thing to consider. WALTER is not defined. It doesn't matter that he's profoundly harder-looking than Jinder Mahal. He's "fat", by WWE standards - and if Randy Orton can still use McDonalds in a jab at Kevin Owens, a guy with an inferior promo game is knackered.