6 Ways WWE Can Save Apollo Crews

Wrestlers will inevitably find themselves in similar situations to those who came before them. Such examples can be used to mimic what was successful and learn from what was not. There is a long list of superstars who were tipped for greater runs than they achieved in recent memory: Carlito, MVP, Mr Kennedy, Ryback, Wade Barrett, and Damien Sandow to name but a few. But it is the example of Bobby Lashley that Crews can arguably learn from the most.

Like Apollo, he burst onto the SmackDown scene and initially ran through the competition. Where Apollo has wavered, Bobby steamrolled on to US and ECW title runs but he would never reach the summit of WWE. On paper Lashley had a strong short tenure in WWE, but he was never considered by the fans as a top name - even when co-main eventing WrestleMania 23 for President-Elect (yes) Donald Trump in the Battle of the Billionaires. In large part, this inability to win the crowd could be down to never leaving his comfort zone - when it was established he was not a strong talker, Vince simply kept him away from the mic.

Apollo would do well to replicate much of what worked for Lashley; freakish athleticism is a strong selling point for both men so making this a focal point makes sense. But if Crews is to fulfil his potential then he must be prepared to work on the weaker sides of his character whilst he is still young enough to bounce back from any missteps. There are no guarantees in WWE (backstage politics seem to scupper as many pushes as they enhance) but attempting to both emulate the success and improve on the shortcomings of those that came before will only help Apollo's long-term development.