The Problem With WWE's 'Chosen One'
Drew McIntyre was called 'The Chosen One' before he actually was, and shortly before this problem of predetermined success was so blatantly the enemy of creativity.
It was a neat enough gimmick for a newcomer. Get put over huge by Vince McMahon then win enough matches in impressive enough fashion so that the boss' endorsement suddenly becomes something the fans have to swallow too. As a heel, it's perfect material to get heat as an entitled bully. As a babyface down the line - and was the case for real in 2020 - discussing the pressure of the shortcut role and failure could lead to quite the neat redemption tale.
McIntyre has done admirably well not just to look and feel like a top guy but to do so in front of no fans. His entire WWE Championship run came to define the first wave of empty arena WWE though, and it remains to be seen just how well his Reigns/Cena-adjacent patter would have gone down every week with live crowds.
His success seemed predetermined from the moment in late-2019 when he swaggered out with a Kevin Nash confidence and counted down to his own Claymore. But he's the rule-proving exception of recent times. Becky Lynch's character went awry at the start of 2020, Seth Rollins' persona was left shattered by his time at the top in 2019, and the likes of Daniel Bryan, Rusev and Braun Strowman were the 2017/18 nearly-men underneath what proved to be the final Reigns babyface title push.
Miro's words came from frustrated experience, and his weren't the only ones...
CONT'D...