10 Candidates For WWE’s Bizarre Post-WrestleMania 35 Push

6. No Way Jose

Luke Gallows Kona Reeves
WWE.com

No Way Jose feels less like a professional wrestler, and more like a test.

Even in 2015, Vince McMahon was in the process of aiming captive bolt pistols into the temple of every promoted NXT cow. "He's f*cking with me," Triple H said, as Dolph Ziggler of all people went over Tyler Breeze 2-1 in the latter's introductory programme. "He is, isn't he?"

Driven by paranoia, Trips devised a test scenario: he created a focus group "Vince McMahon Midcard Sports Entertainer". He called him No Way Jose, and built the gimmick in order to meet various, patented criteria. This guy has a good, hulking body. He has dumbass hair WWEShop.com can make into a wig. He wears a massive, ever-present "big smile out there". He - and this is paramount, this is the way to extract a sly yuk from Gorilla, perhaps even a boisterous impression - dances.

There is but one, fatal flaw in Triple H's fiendish masterplan: his entrance music is too engaging for the crowd, who had far too much mild fun dancing alongside it. That won't do, and thus the test fails.

No Way Jose exists to awaken that crowd early doors, but is not allowed entry into the building. He isn't getting over (because he isn't there) and so, in May 2019, No Way Jose becomes, simply, 'Jose' - a new heel act who doesn't want to have fun anymore. He wants to scratch and claw his way to the top.

He tumbles off the side of Titan Towers after three weeks.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!