How Alexa Bliss Is Saving The Women's Revolution
When Alexa Bliss pranced onto Smackdown this past summer, none of us gave it much of a second [...]
Alexa Bliss is saving the Revolution all by her 5ft self. But how?
It's multifaceted, but to be short: commitment to character.
Alexa Bliss is the best talker in WWE. Sorry, Paul Heyman (not there enough). Sorry, Bray Wyatt (lack of consequence). Sorry, Miz (well, he may be the best, but I'm trying to make a point here). She's proof that the microphone, not frog-splashes or streamers, is the most direct highway to our smarky hearts.
Do you think Chris Jericho enjoyed his 11th prime thanks to his in-ring physicality? Do you think people sing along with Enzo Amore because they find him attractive? When a casual or nostalgic fan reminisces about wrestling, they don't gab over chain wrestling - they recall Austin 3:16 or The Ultimate Warrior's verbal agony. Alexa Bliss found that hallowed vein, and she's draining it.
Bliss' promos are delivered with a natural belligerence. Equipped with her now patented snide, Bliss' performances are perfectly fortified by facial expressions that could degrade the most confident of adversaries. She's the girl I feared in middle school. She's despicable. And I love it.
And we love it. Go give her Payback match another watch. At the ultimate road game, against the purest of babyfaces, Alexa got a legitimate pop upon that championship 3-count. A victory that made her (not Charlotte, ahem) the first woman to be a RAW and Smackdown Champion.
If it wasn't clear that WWE rewards personality over work-rate, I summon this past RAW's opening segment where Bliss stood on a platform and ran down every woman on the roster. Could the company state their direction any clearer?
It's not like the girl is Ahmed Johnson either, she can go in the ring. Her finisher, Twisted Bliss, may not be Neville's Red Arrow, but it works. Couple that with her vintage DDT and her gymnast background and we have a working arsenal. Not to mention she does all of this while wearing a belly button ring - caution to the wind, Maggle!
Point is, Alexa is getting better every week. The gap in character potency compared to her peers was already discernible, but every day she is champion that margin will exponentially widen. Entering off-radar was probably the best thing for Bliss, as she was able to mold her character without the micromanagement that a Sasha or Bayley surely encountered. That freedom to maneuver one's character is the lifeblood of WWE. Bliss serves as a reminder to us and all of wrestling that to make it in this business, you can't just be a good wrestler; you have to be a great character. In Bliss, WWE found a vibrant personality who should be able to deliver their timeless philosophies. Conversely, Bliss finds herself in a realm of swelling expectation, but by now, we know better than to underestimate her.
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