In the span of three weeks, Baron Corbin has gone from a mid-card feud with a luchador who only makes sporadic appearances on television to a spot in the main event of Smackdown LIVE’s final show of 2016.
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After winning the Andre The Giant Battle Royal at Wrestlemania 32 (a fact which JBL mentions every forty five seconds), it was clear the WWE was a fan of the former NFL star. Corbin seemingly faded into the background after Mania, but has come alive in the past month. Last night he inserted himself into Smackdown’s main event and made a fairly basic Ziggler vs Styles match much more exciting.
“That was a DECAPITATION!” – @MauroRanallo@HEELZiggler @BaronCorbinWWE #SDLive pic.twitter.com/FyBY85IQlW
— WWE Universe (@WWEUniverse) December 21, 2016
If you were wondering why Corbin is getitng a little main even rub, a report from The Inquisitor states that the WWE’s “most metal athlete” is in line for a huge push in 2017.
Out of the many talented NXT call-ups, many feel Corbin is not ready for stardom just yet. I say go for it. Unlike RAW, Smackdown’s two hour format allows someone to get pushed without it feeling like they are being pushed down our throat.
Corbin has most of the tools needed to be on top of the roster. His moveset is fairly vicious looking and his End Of Days finisher is one of the coolest moves in the WWE. His look is sort of Ascension meets Braun Strowman. Ok, I’m not sure if that’s a good thing, but he makes it work. The IWC gives him a lot of grief for his thinning hair, but what makes a man more sinister than losing his hair? Corbin’s mic work is straight forward. He’s angry. He wants to beat people up and he wants to win. Fine. I’m good with that.
Look for next week’s main event to be a test phase for Corbin to see how the crowd responds with him going toe to toe with two of the best in ring performers in the WWE. If Baron passes his test, he will be well on his way to fulfilling his potential in 2017.
I fully expect Smackdown’s Lonewolf to grab championship gold (or silver) by the time Wrestlemania rolls around. If the WWE really wants to pull the trigger, consider Corbin as a darkhorse to win the 2017 Royal Rumble.
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