10 Things In Wrestling That Can’t Be Taught
1. Whether Or Not Vince McMahon Likes You
Or maybe there’s hope yet!
Theoretically, one might be perfectly equipped for wrestling superstardom. A wrestler could talk a great game, be tall, work very well across a host of genres, connect with the crowd, prove themselves to be so durable as to work a schedule exceeding that of all of their peers while still exhibiting potential in a brand new role, possess enough bad boy appeal to prove popular among men and women, possess enough affable charisma with which to entertain young children, toe the company line, cause the company no PR embarrassment whatsoever…
I’ve just described Dean Ambrose, WWE’s hidden heel gem (and thus in theory its biggest face, using The Rock Formula), and he’s never going to be considered The Guy because, simply and brutally, Vince McMahon does not see him as The Guy. Ambrose is tall, but not tall enough, and looks too much like a dishevelled pro wrestler in WWE’s glossy sports entertainment context. In contrast, Big Cass is nice and tall, and nice and orange.
You can’t teach talent, but you can become a beneficiary of baffling favouritism.
That, sadly, is all it takes.