5 Most Insane Things Happening In Wrestling Right Now (Feb 16)

BASS! How low can you go?

Strowman Double Bass
WWE.com

WWE does not know how to book babyfaces.

Roman Reigns, infamously, once uttered the words "Sufferin' Succotash" on WWE TV. At TLC, Jason Jordan hucked vegetable produce at Elias. Which of those two men is massively over a few short months later? Perhaps Dennis The Menace, introduced to the American public in 1951, isn't the ideal template for a wrestling hero 67 years after the fact.

As Seth Rollins made an uneasy transition to the babyface role in 2016, the writers equipped him with a secret weapon: "Sparklecrotch!" This was their idea to get him over as another fun-lovin', wisecrackin' tyke. A smattering of chants followed, but the craze lasted all of 20 seconds. It was said to have popped Vince McMahon which, sadly, is all that matters. Once a Superstar becomes remotely popular in WWE, WWE does everything possible to render that Superstar massively unlikeable. AJ Styles refers to Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens as 'Kami', but he gets away with it because he is AJ Styles. You would pay him to crush your mother's calf.

What we have witnessed over the past decade and a half is the concept of 'Hulk Dust' burning to ashes - and WWE is already going the broad comedy route with Braun Strowman...

5. Brrrraaaaaaauuunnn

Strowman Double Bass
WWE.com

...and it was amazing!

On this week's Monday Night RAW, the Monster Among Men interrupted Elias' concert with an absolutely massive double bass. He then unleashed a quite beautiful singing voice, incorporating his catchphrases in such a way that it plastered a smile all over the face, as opposed to compelling you to burn Stephanie McMahon's Marketing For Beginners handbook. In one of two classic sight gags, the guitar strings got those hands. As a bit, it worked because it was as irreverent as it was inexplicable - and because it added shade to rather than detracted from the Braun character. We love Braun because he is a destructive force - so when the punchline manifested as a brutal-looking double bass shot to the back, the natural order was restored. It helped too that Strowman was so comfortable playing for laughs. His enthusiasm was infectious.

This set a dangerous precedent, admittedly - there's every chance that that's all folks, and Strowman becomes a complete maroon as of next week - but at this point at least, the Braun character is so bulletproof that he can do anything.

Here's hoping Chief Brand Officer of WWE is next.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!