Examining Adam Rose's Direction, Upside and Long-Term Potential

Adam Rose is a role player trying to move past All-Pros. 

A talented wrestler with a knack for wackiness, Rose has struggled to move past WWE's low rungs. Character changes and gimmick shifts have displayed his versatility but not equaled big-time success. That will continue.

WWE is so rich with emerging talent that a competent performer like Rose has little chance of upward movement.

Fans have seen him go from the predatory bruiser Leo Kruger in the developmental system to a party-happy goofball to now a scatterbrained braggart who nicknamed himself The Radical Mongoose. As part of The Social Outcasts, he and three other low-ranking Superstars are busy playing stepping stool for others.

When WWE needs to generate momentum for someone, it turns to this foursome.

AJ Styles and Chris Jericho needed a win to show off the power of their unity last month. The company turned to Rose and his crew to do the job. When Ryback needed a recharge, WWE had him pound on Rose.

This has been The Social Outcasts' lot. They are the bottom-feeders of the tag team division, wise-cracking enhancement talent.

It's a role guys like Damien Sandow and Darren Young would love to have at this point. As Scott Fishman of the Miami Herald pointed out, the group is fun enough to warrant some share of the spotlight:

Rose is the faction's most out-there member. When The Social Outcasts start talking trash, he is the one who always throws out the oddest insult. It's not Mizdow-level fun, but it's a flash of enough charisma to have one wonder what lies ahead for The Radical Mongoose.

Strengths

He didn't get to show off his ring skills much in the early incarnation of his Rose gimmick. As part of The Social Outcasts, lengthy in-ring opportunities remain hard to come by.

Rose is a solid brawler, though. As Kruger, he was convincingly vicious, dished out eye-catching strikes and was at his best when a match evolved into more of a fight than a wrestling contest. He also wields an excellent spinebuster.

Even through all the bells and whistles of his gimmick, his skill shines through. Jim Ross saw it even when Rose was busy tangling with a man in a bunny costume. On the Q&A section of his website (h/t Wrestling Inc), Ross wrote in 2014, "I haven't related to the Adam Rose business but hope that he is successful. He can wrestle."

The vast difference between the unsettling Kruger and his current spaced-out role is a testament to Rose's acting skills.

He embodies his characters. He infuses energy into them to make the most of them, even if they are acts with low ceilings.

But it's who he is under all the shtick that could be his entry point into the audience's heart. As Turnbuckle Magazine tweeted, his real-life narrative draws one in:

Fans saw in the E:60 special on NXT that Rose (real name Raymond Leppan) is a hard worker, family man and passionate artist. It's surprising that WWE hasn't tried to tap into that more. Sprinkling more of Leppan into Rose could make him an intriguing babyface.

Obstacles

Both the current edition of his gimmick and the one that led Rosebuds to the ring with a lollipop in his mouth are the kinds of acts that are double-edged swords.

They allow a midcarder to nab the audience's attention. However, they are goofy comedy roles that aren't usually the stuff of champions and marquee stars.

The Social Outcasts group is giving him airtime, but it's billed as a group of perennial underdogs. It's not likely that WWE is going to start presenting them as legit threats to anyone.

But even if Rose transformed back into Kruger or some new, more serious character, he would struggle to make a major impact. He's not spectacular in the ring. His best bout to date is an NXT match against Cesaro in 2013. The rest of his resume is filled with average affairs.

Beyond that, he doesn't have a money-making look. And he's not elite on the mic.

Rose is solid all-around but not special in any one department. Trying to imagine him hanging with Seth Rollins in a main event matchup or trading insults with Kevin Owens is difficult. He doesn't have anything in his arsenal that will convince WWE officials that he deserves spotlight over those men, Dean Ambrose or NXT stars like Finn Balor or Sami Zayn.

Long-Term Potential

If WWE still ran a brand split between Raw and SmackDown, Rose and The Social Outcasts might have been able to earn a tag team title run. As it stands, there are just too many teams ahead of them to envision that happening.

Plus, NXT will feed the main roster acts like Enzo Amore and Colin Cassady and American Alpha soon.

As a singles star, Rose is destined to be a low priority. 

Not only does he have midcarder-level ability across the board, he has been booked like a joke for the length of his career. To be considered anything else at this point would take a monumental reversal of perception.

Terry Taylor faced the same climb after debuting as The Red Rooster. Matt Osborne was destined to be on the bottom of the food chain after playing Doink the Clown. The Radical Mongoose is in the same position now.

Rose's best hope for championships and accolades is to head elsewhere and begin anew.

Should he move to TNA and remake himself into a version of his Kruger character, there's a good chance he gets on a roll. Being able to brawl more and be part of a less stacked roster would open the door for him to nab a midcard title.

Otherwise, he's bound to be a character actor watching bigger names earn all the Oscars.

Be sure to check out previous editions of this ongoing series:

• Luke Harper 
• Kevin Owens
• Sasha Banks
• Tyler Breeze