8 Wrestlers Being Buried By WWE's Scripted Promos

There was once a day long ago when people said AJ Styles' weak point was on the microphone. That myth has largely been put to rest in the minds of many, but for the sake of this argument "buried" is much more stifled.

Styles often feels out of place in his exchanges as he tries to put people over with his genuinely good mic skills, but the responses back are often hollow and robotic due to the noticeable skill gap. A perfect example of this was the exchange he had with Ricochet back on RAW in July.

AJ faced Ricochet with an intensity for "talking smack" but Ricochet came back with expressions and quips that felt like he was someone learning what humans looked like for the first time earlier that day.

Styles pulled it together, but that is the underlying issue. The material he is scripted to use needs to be pulled from the depths to be even believable, let alone memorable. That is coming from someone who has made promo work a strength of theirs. For someone less fortunate who still struggles with it? They are simply doomed.

Even when put in the ring with legends like Stone Cold, moments that should be instant magic feel just a bit... watered down. Calling Austin an old fart just seemed like one of those Vince-isms that was dropped in there to make sure you "pop the crowd".

Styles should be in control of his own... well, style at this stage of his career. And that starts with some simple unscripted promos.