10 Times WWE Turned Trash Into Treasure (... And YOU Didn't Notice!)
Those rare times where WWE has shown a deft touch in fixing its problems.
So many times over the decades, WWE has been accused of taking absolute gold and bafflingly turning it into utter trash. And while that is very much true, there's also the flipside to this, where the market leader has managed to salvage a seemingly-doomed talent or act and make them into something special.
More often than not, such changes and tweaks are clear to see, but there are those other times when subtlety is the order of the day. Without audiences particularly realising it, WWE has been able to recalibrate or rehabilitate a grappler in a way that makes them eventually feel like a much bigger deal or at least feel a lot more natural in their particular role. Or in a certain fella's case, he was simply put under a mask so that the sins of his past were quietly erased from the public conscience.
It's on those more subtle, quiet changes in positioning and perception that the spotlight is on here, as we explore those rare times that WWE has operated with a deft, delicate touch rather than the promotion's usual hammer fist approach to fixing its problems.
With that in mind, then, here are ten examples of WWE going under the radar in turning utter trash into absolute gold.
10. Villainous Sidekick To Scrappy Underdog
While Becky Lynch famously took her career to an entirely different level upon becoming the Man, WWE had quietly given Lynch a major shot in the arm several years before she had her nose busted by Nia Jax and found herself lining up against Ronda Rousey and Charlotte Flair as WrestleMania 35.
Initially debuting in NXT as a dancing, smiling babyface, Becky turned heel in October 2014, aligning with Sasha Banks and becoming the Boss' lackey. While this villainous persona was certainly an upgrade on the prior babyface act, there was clearly an obvious ceiling for Lynch when positioned as being, for lack of a better term, a sidekick.
Wisely, seeds were eventually sown for some dissension amongst Becky and Sasha, and this came to a head at NXT TakeOver: Unstoppable, where the Irish Lass Kicker faced Banks for the NXT Women's Championship after toppling Charlotte and Bayley to earn that shot.
It was here - as Lynch came up short - where we would really see the Becky Lynch who would eventually land upon the main roster as part of the Women's Revolution; the Becky Lynch who would be forever positioned as the scrappy underdog often in the shadow of the likes of Flair and Banks.
Most importantly, it was this version of Becky Lynch who would ultimately get such a groundswell of support behind her that fans would rebel against a purported SummerSlam 2018 heel turn - which nicely dovetailed into Becky becoming the no-nonsense, ass-kicking, game-changing Man.