7 Ways WWE Can Improve Baron Corbin

Baron Corbin has stacks of potential. He’s big enough and strong enough to fit into Vinnie Mac’s ideal height and weight for a WWE superstar, but his oily, receding hairline and weird tummy face give him an altogether unique look.

Add to that the fact that Corbin comes with a built-in heel persona, two really cool finishing moves, an easily accessible gimmick, and an Andre The Giant Memorial Trophy tucked (not literally) under his belt, and you begin to wonder why his main roster stint has been little more than a disappointing dud.

He’s flip-flopped between underwhelming feuds with the likes of Apollo Crews, Kalisto, and Jack Swagger, none of whom have managed to garner heat for Corbin, or put him over in any meaningful way. This isn’t the fault of any of the aforementioned superstars, but more to do with WWE’s post-draft lack of roster depth; there simply aren’t enough notable faces on SmackDown Live that can elevate The Lone Wolf.

Corbin has all of the ingredients needed to be a monster heel, but while his Raw counterpart Braun Strowman is tearing jobbers limb from limb, week after week, Corbin is languishing in the lower card following a kayfabe injury. It’s not too late for the Lone Wolf though. It may take some doing, but here are 7 ways WWE can make Baron Corbin the leader of the pack...

Randy Orton’s run as the Legend Killer was, aptly, legendary. The gimmick birthed the RKO, allowed him to run roughshod over the likes of Shawn Michaels, Mick Foley, RVD, Ric Flair, and Triple H, and cemented his place as one of the company’s must-see performers. It was Orton’s believability and then-brilliant character work that allowed him to overcome and absorb the star power of his beloved predecessors.

Baron Corbin could easily revive the gimmick, albeit probably under a different name. Picture this: it’s a SmackDown homecoming for one of the roster’s most well-loved legends. It might be Rey Mysterio, it might be Edge, it might be Christian, and it might even be Kurt Angle. The important thing is: everyone is happy to see them, and the crowd is losing its collective mind over such a monumental return. That is, until Baron Corbin enters from the crowd, hits the returning hero with the End of Days, and simply says: “You’re eating up my TV time.” Exit stage left.

This could lead to a storyline in which Corbin demolishes beloved '80s and Attitude Era stars, beginning with easier targets (who can still go for a good two minute squash match) like DDP, Road Dogg, and even Shane McMahon, before working his way up to more protected legends. Maybe it even leads to a confrontation with the original Legend Killer?

It already fits Corbin’s disrespectful character, and makes him feel like a big deal without stepping on the toes of current champions or protected babyfaces. It worked for Orton, so why not Corbin?