10 Things In Wrestling That Can’t Be Taught
2. Timing
As aforementioned, that Backlash match really was the truest test of his mettle. He failed.
The ability to register the effects of or the set-up of a move is far more important than the execution of the move itself. This is why Hiroshi Tanahashi is able to both inspire hope and shock New Japan fans - who have seen him do it for over a decade multiple times per match - when he floors a foe with his desperation dragon screw. He does so at the precise moment he appears weakest. Ditto Kazuchika Okada’s dropkick. This is why Daniel Bryan gets a kick over more than most wrestlers get a finish over. This is why fans get on their feet every time Randy Orton strikes an opponent with the RKO. For all his irrelevance, Orton times his still-potent weapon to perfection.
In contrast, Cass in New Jersey simply ambled about the ring, doing his moves, with little connective tissue between them. He didn't thwart Bryan at the last, cutting him off with a sinister zeal. He didn't go full-throttle in his attacks, orchestrating a sense of danger like a pitbull. Move, heat, move, heat, move, heat - with nothing instinctive to get the fans back on side.
That was it.