... and why there are too many running around right now.
I am very aware of the fact that the WWE is still stuck in the middle of the so-called PG Era. No blood, less violence, and an overall cleaner image of the company. Babyfaces like John Cena at the top are essential to make the shows interesting for a younger audience. Another, in my eyes way too strong factor are the fun characters though.
To clarify, I am not against humor in the WWE, not by far. But there is a difference between humor and slight slapstick from time to time, and the vast display of laughingstock every week, especially when the latter one are airing at the expense of real talent. Currently, I feel like the WWE is overrun with such characters. Their in ring performances are limited, unspectacular, and boring in the best; simply bad in the worst case. In this particular case, it doesn't even matter whether we are faced with really untalented wrestlers or whether the company restricts their move set. I can only judge on what I am presented with on TV, and at the very best it is a simple case of vicarious embarrassment.
Santino Marella had been a somewhat serious competitor in former times, but over the years he and his cobra became a pure annoyance. A green sock rolled over his arm is supposed to turn an otherwise mildly strong move into a finisher? His overall slapstick attitude is rather bothersome, and still the so-called Italian man is allowed to stand victorious.
The Tons of Funk are luckily not to be seen that often anymore, and if they are at least losing their matches. The first time we saw Brodus Clay on the TV screen he was a threat, a reckless bull, the bodyguard of Alberto Del Rio, strong and unstoppable. Now, he is a dancing dinosaur...
Same with Tensai. Leaving out his earlier career as A-Train or Prince Albert, he returned to the WWE with a name addition of Lord, dominating, even being in the title picture for some time while he was the strongest force of John Lauranitis' People Power. Now he dances Gangnam Style alongside with Clay.
Hornswoggle, once the little protegé of Fit Finley, is someone many see as being the reason why the Cruiserweight Division is no more. Little people wrestling had been big in the WWF in former times, but Hornswoggles action in the ring consists of dancing around, and simply looking funny, neither contributing to any story line, nor to his own or a partner's character.
The Great Khali is another giant that fell from the top into the bottomless pit o laughingstock. He was fierce and feared, being the World Heavyweight Champion, but since then everything went downwards! He dances, he got Bollywood music for his entrance, he is depicted as a stupid but calm giant who can't even properly articulate himself. The only good thing I will ever take from Total Divas is that the format and her wedding brought Natalya away from her pairing with Khali!
3MB aren't the worst in this list, but they still made it. Heath Slater's One Man Band gimmick had been annoying as fuck, but in his latest singles action he at least functioned as cannon fodder for some returning legends. Thrown together with Jinder Mahal and DrewMcIntyre, a first thought could've been that they could actually get dangerous. But that remained for one or two weeks max. Since then, the stable gets jobbed, their appearances on the JBL & Cole Show along with backstage and even pre-match segments showing clearly than none of them should be taken seriously.
Following the current rumors, Drew McIntyre is mighty smart to want to part with 3MB!
I can see the appeal of these characters to a younger audience, the simple minded humor and dancing being the WWE substitute of Spongebob & co., but as an adult I am dreading every appearance of one of these characters. Especially since I see talent getting jobbed to them, or screen time taken away from matches that are or would be worth watching.
My big fears after seeing the entrance of Los Matadores had been that with this tag team, another pair of simple fun characters was added to the already way too long list. On the other hand, it was a relieve to see, that Fernando and Diego were actually allowed to show off the moves - and even more - we still know from Primo and Epico. Two Puerto Rican wrestlers displayed as Spanish matadors is one thing, giving them a small bull mascot as a sidekick another. But still, I can accept this little fun segment that makes them more seizeable for younger viewers as long as they bring something to the mat. And exactly this a quality lacking in all the Marellas and Khalis out there!
Knowing the WWE, El Torito will play a big role in the future, and I can almost guarantee that it will be too much and annoying me pretty soon. But until then I hope there is still some time.
