After the fantastic work done by both Raw & SmackDown Live, the two standouts of the week in the WWE have to be recognized as Finn Balor and Sasha Banks. While one challenges for the new WWE Universal Championship at SummerSlam, the other was crowned WWE’s newest Women’s Champion.
Elation ran throughout the WWE Universe as change was on display and the feeling of “they are finally listening to us” resonated through the fans. With every celebration, there seemed to be an alternate reaction somewhere spoiling the fun, so to speak.
Unfortunately, and sadly, those in the old guard took aim at the rising stars of today’s WWE in unneeded and devolved fashion.
Former WWE Superstar Road Warrior Animal took a shot at Sasha Banks’ successful run so far; even questioning how much the WWE paid Muscle & Fitness to have her on the cover. While it really wasn’t a direct shot at Banks herself, more at the WWE’s “attempt to shove someone down people’s throats”, it felt like a sad attempt of a former superstar trying to find a way to make himself relevant again. It’s especially so because out of the performers to give their unwanted critique, why is Animal of all people the one making these statements?
He prefers stars to get over on their own, which is fine, but Sasha Banks has been over like rover since even before her epic match with Bayley at NXT TakerOver: Brooklyn last year, which catapulted her even further.
If that’s not enough, her main roster work with Team B.A.D. showed who fans truly wanted to see as continuous chants of “We Want Sasha!” rained down at every turn. The fans know who they want and the WWE looks to be listening to the fans as they should.
Sasha Banks is hot right now, so why wouldn’t the WWE capitalize and keep her hot?
Not only is this a good play for the WWE business-wise, but it exposes Sasha to a wider audience and gets her over with more people in and outside of the WWE. She’s worked up to her spot the right way and earned the respect and guidance of industry legends such as Triple H. That is a huge endorsement. Clearly, Animal hasn’t been paying real attention to the product for some time.
With Animal also involved in a lawsuit (here we go again) with others against the WWE for wrongful injury and/or not addressing the concussion issue or whatever unwarranted claims they have, it’s even sadder to see a legend in the sport resort to using the “back in the day…” cliché in a negative way to try and have people talking about him again. Just an opinion like his, folks.
We also have Ric Flair. Not so much a cheap shot at Finn Balor, as Flair’s stated Balor’s a great performer on his podcast, but Flair believes Balor is not a “legitimate heavyweight” and that we’ll never see the day “a cruiserweight will ever main event a WrestleMania.” Granted, Flair also said he could be wrong (which he is), but this is another example of someone giving an opinion based on his dated mentality of the business and is too stuck to realize the old ways aren’t working in 2016.
Has he forgotten about Eddie Guerrero, Rey Mysterio and Daniel Bryan? Smaller men who have gone to the top and maintained their position? Or what about men in the independent circuit such as Zack Sabre, Jr. who are lighting up the wrestling world?
There will always be big men in the business who will be champion, but it’s now an age where the playing field is as even as its ever been. Gone are the days of size meaning certain victory to the bigger competitor. The men mentioned, including guys like CM Punk and Finn Balor himself, have helped break the stereotype of smaller men being the dinner of the 6’4” 250 plus pounder. Why can’t some people accept that?
What’s also frustrating is there are those like Animal and Ric Flair who claim to want the business to change and claim to support the new crop of talent, but when someone as deserving as Finn Balor gets an opportunity, they challenge the logic of why they are getting the push they’ve worked so hard for. Is Finn a smaller man? Compared to other WWE superstar, yes. Can he captivate the audience enough to receive the kind of reaction he did on his main roster debut? If you didn’t hear it, watch Raw again and turn your television volume up some more.
The purpose of the WWE Draft was to bring about the “new era” of the WWE. Finn Balor is a talent that has such a unique look and presence that he simply commands attention and in turn, creates a new atmosphere for people to dive into. Finn Balor is exactly what the WWE needs right now to bring us into the “new era”.
There are those in the old guard who are not willing give 100% support to current athletes on the roster. Performers who not only keep the business afloat, but who wholeheartedly want to progress it and not regress it. That or they are so into themselves and their time that they forget about how the business needs to move forward instead of remain stagnant through flawed philosophy.
How can there be true growth if those who helped pave the way don’t want to help pave new ways for themselves, which will only produce new contributions and new guidance that help the up and coming talent become more than what they even believe they can be?
One would have to guess these smaller, “forced down our throat” talent will need to show the old lions that a new pride is here.
Ric Santos is a contributing writer to Powerhouse Nation, giving his unbiased thoughts and opinions with a goal to stop ill informed and hate filled wrestling talk.
You can follow him on Twitter:
and also on his own blog by visiting www.WeekendWarriorBlog.com