10 Ways To Repackage WWE's Struggling Wrestlers
A beacon of hope for WWE's lost souls.
WWE don't always make the most of their massive roster, but the group has rarely been as rich with talent as it is today. From top to bottom, Raw, SmackDown, and NXT are all stacked with world-class wrestlers, and while the group suffers from a lack of high level star power, this is largely down to the way they've been written.
The company currently have close to 140 individuals listed as active performers. That's a lot, and Creative have unenviable task of coming up with a well-defined character for each. Unfortunately, they fail just as often as they succeed, and while some flops are inevitable on a roster of this size, the number of WWE superstars currently saddled with go-nowhere gimmicks is far too high.
These performers are crying out to be repackaged, and while switching their characters wouldn't guarantee improved fortunes, their current roles are only dragging them down. They need personas that cater to their strengths, hide their weaknesses, and allow them to build momentum. Success where their current situations have failed, in other words.
Who are these wrestlers, and how should they be repackaged? Let's take a look.
10. Goldust: Theatrical Heel Manager
'The Golden Age' has flopped. It began when Goldust turned on partner R-Truth back in May, and continued with a series of well-acted, well-produced segments over the next few weeks, before the story returned to the ring. Unfortunately, the build was all for nothing; Goldust and R-Truth's physical altercations got no reaction from the crowd, and their feud will go down as one of 2017's most forgettable.
WWE tried to rejuvenate the elder Rhodes brother, and it didn't work. It's a shame, because Goldust is still a good worker even at 48 years old, and as one of the most underrated performers of the last few decades, he deserved one final run. That window now appears to have closed.
'Dust has since announced that he'll reveal his "masterpiece" at SummerSlam, hinting that he's about to take a young protégé under his wing. Assuming he's not bluffing, slotting him into a managerial role makes all kinds of sense. If WWE can't get him over on his own, they may as well use his talking ability to benefit someone else, and leaning heavily on his Hollywood influences would make for some unique promos as he "directs" his client's career.