8 Ways WWE Have Screwed Up Baron Corbin
So much for that monster push.
Baron Corbin. 'The Lone Wolf.' 'Big Banter.' Call him what you will, but the man's career is faltering.
Winning this year's men's Money in the Bank ladder match was a huge vote of confidence from the WWE hierarchy, but it appears their faith has wavered. Corbin cashed in on WWE Champion Jinder Mahal during this week's SmackDown, but lost his contract in the most pathetic way imaginable, falling to a distraction roll-up in just five seconds.
Baron's main event meal ticket is gone. He'll face John Cena at SummerSlam 2017, and there's a strong chance he'll win, but will that be enough to recover his lost momentum? It's doubtful.
Corbin is a flawed performer who has struggled to connect with main roster audiences since arriving from NXT. His ring work is basic and his promo delivery is monotone, but that doesn't mean he couldn't have been a valuable heel commodity. Unfortunately, WWE have done a poor job of building him up as such. The last 16 months have seen Baron lurch from one misstep to another, and the company are just as culpable for his failings as he is.
Can he recover? Perhaps, but there's a lot of bad work to undo first...
8. Calling Him Up Too Early
WWE have done a good job of using NXT call-ups to keep their main roster stocked with fresh talent over the past few years, with guys like Samoa Joe, Alexa Bliss, and Kevin Owens currently among the company's most important wrestlers. This is WWE's preferred star-making method, and it's unlikely to change anytime soon.
Unfortunately, WWE haven't always done the best job in timing these call-ups. While it could be argued that the likes of Shinsuke Nakamura were held in developmental too long, others, like Apollo Crews, were promoted too early into their WWE education, and their flaws have been exposed on mainstream television.
Baron Corbin falls into this category.
'The Lone Wolf' wasn't the finished article when he debuted at WrestleMania 32, but Vince McMahon just can't help himself with tall wrestlers. He wasn't terrible, but Corbin was still green in the ring and unengaging on the microphone, while he has shown gradual improvements over the past 16 months, his growth has clearly slowed since leaving the Performance Center.
Had WWE held off for another 12 months and debuted Corbin in this year's Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal instead, perhaps Baron would be a lot closer to the performer they want him to be, and somebody capable of drawing more than a slight grumble from the crowd.