WWE is always eager to create new superstars. Even when old favorites may linger for as long as their bodies will allow, there’s usually some young blood on deck to take their place and continue the cycle. This hasn’t always applied to enhancement talent until recently. No, Barry Horowitz never exactly had his WrestleMania moment and the Brooklyn Brawler’s boyhood dream may have never come true (then again, who am I to assume?), but recently we’ve seen a few success stories from the lower card. In an era of Smackdown known for being the land of opportunity, some superstars are taking advantage.
The Fashion Police
When the “Fandangoing” fad swept the nation shortly after Fandango’s debut in 2013, it seemed like he had struck gold and hit the ground running. The chant made national news and became a viral sensation. Doing a little finger pointed dance to his theme music was akin to the mannequin challenge or the Harlem shake. Of course, WWE had to go and ruin a good thing by overexposing it. Fandangoing could have lived a full meme life (about 2 months), but WWE had to drag Michael Cole out to the ring and talk about how fun it was! Much like a parent telling their kid that they really like Radiohead, it suddenly became lame. And so, Fandangoing got the cool dad treatment and died.
Tyler Breeze, on the other hand, had a fairly commendable NXT run, only to flounder on the main roster. The Prince of Pretty recieved similar chants upon his debut as Fandango. In fact, they were the exact same ones. Crowds who were unfamiliar with Breeze in NXT accused him of being a Fandango knockoff (you know, the guy they abandoned in the first place). So, wisely enough, WWE put the two flamboyant characters together in a tag team named “Breezango.” Not the greatest name, but certainly not the worst mashup. Teams with a combined name rarely see much success (See: MizShow or JeriShow…pretty much any team with Big Show), but Breezango found some success with their new mutation into The Fashion Police. It’s a good pairing, since they’re about the same level of talent. Breeze is a bit better in the ring and Fandango is a bit better on the mic. So, in a fashion sense, they complement each other.
This started out feeling like a one-off schtick, giving out tickets to other wrestlers for their hideous ring attire. But once they got on Talking Smack and were given some mic time, much like Alexa Bliss, they were able to add some depth to their characters. The Fashion Police transformed from pretentious fashionistas into something a little more weird and witty. Now they’re more known for being strange than snooty, and it’s endlessly entertaining. They’re slowly getting more air time and a segment in the stylings of Law & Order. And at Backlash, they’ll challenge The Uso’s for the Smackdown Tag Team Championship. It’s been a much deserved transition for the Fashion Police.
The Golden Truth
While Smackdown Live is the land of opportunity, Raw has a tendency to keep people in their place. Goldust and R-Truth have been an ongoing joke of the Tag Team division for the past year or so, and haven’t been taken very seriously. After they cut a promo on Raw this past week, some fans thought they might actually win the tag team turmoil match for the number one contender spot. Entering last and putting up a good fight against Anderson and Gallows, The Golden Truth fell short.
But…considering they were spotlighted in such a way shows promise. Goldust is a future hall of famer for sure, and he claims that he’s in the best shape of his life (thanks to DDP Yoga), and R-Truth is a long time loyal competitor and athletic as hell, despite his age. The point is, both can work, talk, and have the experience to be top contenders. Even if it’s just a brief reign, I see the Golden Truth holding the Tag Team Titles in the near future. If they’re allowed to develop their bizarre partnership just a little bit more, they could be a very entertaining and welcome part of the show. Either way, these two should not continue to be the jobbers of the tag team division.
The Maharaja
Now, onto everyone’s favorite overnight main eventer, Jinder Mahal. Okay, maybe not everyone’s favorite, but he does show some promise. So far, the way Jinder has been written from a Creative standpoint has been stellar. Pairing him with fellow Indian superstars, The Bollywood Boys, and criticizing the American audience of holding him back because of their bigotry is a rational original story. And now that he’s been referring to himself as the Maharaja, and saying that the WWE Universe is threatened by his wealth and intelligence as an Indian man, it’s added an edgy element to what was a very stagnant “foreign guy” character.
However, Jinders work in the ring and on the mic is average. As great as it is to see him get a push from 0 to 60 in one match, he still has some room for improvement if he intends to stay in that top spot. Unfortunately, I do see him being relegated back down to the middle of the card in the future, but he can sleep comfortably knowing that WWE had enough faith in him to give him a feud for the Championship. He now has some sense of job security for the time being, something he didn’t have a few weeks ago. And if he continues to improve, he could become a very powerful figure on Smackdown. One thing’s for sure, were not likely to see jinder jobbing to anyone anytime soon.
Nathan Burke is a standup comedian based in Boston. He hosts the comedy podcast, “So Now I’m the Asshole” on Fans.FM and can be found on Twitter @IamNathanBurke
