Examining Heath Slater's Direction, Upside and Long-Term Potential

Heath Slater is the unlikeliest of stars, a lovable loser who has turned his desperation for a job into one of WWE's most compelling stories.

A man who maximizes every minute he has onscreen, The One-Man Rock Band is essentially an enhancement talent who managed to outgrow his position. Not as athletic or powerful as the best of his peers, Slater instead leans on an underdog's charm.

When WWE split its roster into two distinct brands last month, neither Raw nor SmackDown selected Slater. The West Virginia native went undrafted.

Ever since, Slater had pleaded and fought to get a contract with one of the shows.

He has failed to win matches that would have awarded him a roster spot. He has angered SmackDown's authority figures. His journey is one beset with failure.

And in the process, he is at the height of his popularity.

WWE has wisely milked his free-agent status, turning it into one of SmackDown's best subplots. It has taken a guy who would have been an insignificant addition to one of the brands and allowed him instead to shine as a man scratching at the door.

Slater must now win the SmackDown Tag Team Championship tournament to earn a roster spot, a quest the veteran Rhyno agreed to assist him with.

His matches ahead will be dripping with high stakes. Whether he begins a hot streak or again stumbles, fans will be more invested in the midcarder. When he finally succeeds in finding a home, it will be a moving, celebratory moment.

That's the best use of any non-marquee star WWE has displayed in a long while.

Strengths

Slater is funny and likable, a charismatic goofball. He excels as a man who has no idea just how low he sits on the food chain.

It doesn't matter that Ryback clobbers him or that returning veterans run over him. He still exudes an unwavering cockiness. He still believes that he's a misunderstood megastar.

Throughout the years, he has flourished in that role.

His ability to sell his foes' offense is a big part of that. He amplifies what his opponents throw at him. When he takes a punch, it looks as if he's been hit with a sledgehammer.  

Slater has managed to turn his comic-relief role into a strong connection with fans.

He routinely receives loud reactions. He's often a hot topic online. And fans have taken to chanting their favorite also-ran's name when he's not around:

His momentum is reminiscent to Damien Sandow's when he played The Miz's stunt double. Slater just has to hope WWE utilizes him more than it did Sandow, who isn't even on the roster anymore.

Obstacles

It's not easy to put together a list of Slater's greatest hits. He doesn't have any particularly good matches on his resume.

A part of that is lack of opportunity, but it's also because he's not a tremendous worker. He's quick and agile, but not in a special way a la someone such as Apollo Crews. He's fine in the ring during a time when WWE is rich with top-notch performers.

Slater has to be worried about his booking in the near future, too.

The current free-agent angle is excellent, but what if WWE doesn't come up with anything for him after he signs with SmackDown or Raw? The company may leave him on the bench for an extended period as it has done at several points throughout his career.

He has been saddled with a silly wannabe-rocker shtick as part of 3MB. He was tossed into The Social Outcasts faction without much of a plan.

Once his current story arc ends, he will be in danger of working another low-priority gimmick. WWE isn't going to pave a golden path for him as it has done with Roman Reigns; Slater will have to get himself over.

Long-Term Potential

If WWE commits to Slater, he's bound to be a character fans remember for years to come. His ability to garner so much popularity while residing at the bottom of the card is a testament to that.

Aubrey Sitterson, host of the Straight Shoot podcast, tweeted:

"

Man, the ceiling for Heath Slater is way higher than most people think. He’s killing it with this storyline.

— aubrey sitterson (@aubreysitterson) August 25, 2016"

But how high is that ceiling?

If given the spotlight and booked well moving forward, Slater will develop a robust fanbase and be one of the more entertaining members of the roster for the rest of the decade.

The marquee isn't in his future, though.

Slater doesn't exude enough star power and is not enough of an in-ring magician to move past the midcard. Reigns, Seth Rollins, Finn Balor and others will continue to stand on rungs above him.

Credit: WWE.com

The most plausible best-case scenarios for The One-Man Rock Band include him and Rhyno becoming tag team champs and evolving into a hugely popular team for a spell. On his own, Slater could win the Intercontinental Championship and have a reasonably long run with the belt. Slater can easily be what what Zack Ryder would have been had WWE not cut his U.S. title reign short.

That would be quite impressive for a man who has long been positioned to be the modern-day Brooklyn Brawler.

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

• Eva Marie
• Nia Jax
• Mojo Rawley
• Paige