10 Impulse Reactions Following WWE Extreme Rules 2017

8. The Singer

Alexa Bliss Bayley
WWE.com

Seemingly moving away from the 'Drifter' persona, WWE spotlighted Elias Samson in the singing role that has thus far generated the most vitriol from live crowds.

'Baltimore is bathed in filth', he began, following on by suggesting that 'these people are all the same' He went on to lambast the city and residents, in a similar effort to his hugely irritating efforts on Monday Night Raw. It seemed to work - fans seemed thoroughly displeased with his presence.

It was cheap heat of course, but it was heat all the same, and not the type of reaction many thought Samson was capable of achieving after a middling run on NXT.

His strained vocals weren't the only thing that suggested he might actually be getting over. Bathed in the glow of a single spotlight, a crowd plunged into darkness responded with phone lights identical to the 'fireflies' that greet Bray Wyatt upon his own blackened entrance.

The very image conjured up by Wyatt's arrival has long been the argument for why he continues to deserve a place in the upper echelon, but if knocking the house lights off for Samson generates similar ambience, what can the 'Eater of Worlds' really offer instead?

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett