Has the royal gimmick really been of benefit to anybody in WWF/WWE apart from Jerry Lawler? Think about it, the likes of 'King' Harley Race, 'King' Mabel and 'King' Sheamus were all pretty much low points for the idea, with possibly only 'Macho King' Randy Savage using the concept wisely (and that's probably more down to the fact that Savage was a superlative performer who could turn most things into solid gold). Looking at 'King' Barrett today, the entire thing just screams mid-card mediocrity. Seriously, in 2015, are fans really expected to perceive the 'King' gimmick as a money-maker? Barrett has been tarred with a brush which had previously painted many victims, and even though WWE seemed determined to carry something on from their reprise of the King Of The Ring tournament, the Englishman should have been spared the gimmick change. Winning the King Of The Ring is one thing, but why does Barrett need to suddenly believe himself to be genuine royalty? It makes little sense, and has more than an air of cartoon-like atmosphere to it. Wade Barrett is not going to be propelled to the top of the card by suddenly donning a crown and wearing a cape, let's be honest, and it may be time to do away with this dated idea.
Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.
