WWE: 10 Reasons David Otunga Should Be Used on Raw

David Otunga is never going to be confused for the future face of the WWE or even as a possible main eventer.

But after being one of Otunga's biggest critics upon his debut on the main roster, he's gradually grown on me. I've come to accept the fact that he's going to be featured prominently on Monday Night Raw.

Some wrestling fans are still upset about that because Otunga certainly isn't a great technical wrestler, but he's stepped up over the last several months and earned his spot on TV.

Yeah, I'm actually surprising myself right now while typing this. I give props where props are due, though.

Here are 10 reasons why David Otunga should be used on Raw.

10. He Can Work the Mic

David Otunga isn't on the level of Chris Jericho, John Cena or CM Punk when it comes to mic work, but—who are we kidding—no one is.

There are plenty of superstars who bore me to death the second they start cutting a promo. I'm talking to you, Alberto Del Rio.

Yet, I find myself entertained whenever Otunga grabs the mic. Although he's not going to shock the world with a worked shoot or wow the crowd for 10 minutes, he keeps the audience entertained despite the calmness to his voice.

Otunga isn't one of those wrestlers who has to scream or raise his voice to get a reaction, and I really like that about him.

All he has to do is talk, and the crowd boos him because of what he says and not because he's yelling at them.

Otunga won't be winning any "Best Talker of the Year" awards, but in a WWE that features a lot of less-than-stellar mic workers, he's one of the few talkers who always seems comfortable and rarely screws up.

9. He's Actually a Decent Heel

There are plenty of heels who are heels in name only, but David Otunga isn't one of them.

When he walks out into the arena or appears in a backstage segment, he gets booed big-time. You know he's a heel the second you see him.

Otunga is the snotty, corporate stooge who manages to get heat for the simple fact that he walks around with a coffee cup and wears a bow tie.

He's grown into a solid heel because, much like John Laurinaitis, he tends to make announcements that really piss the fans off—like when he interrupted The Big Show on Smackdown—told him he would not be wrestling Mark Henry and then got knocked out as a result.

While numerous heels struggle to find their own niche, Otunga has definitely found his as Laurinaitis' sidekick. 

8. How Else Is He Going to Improve?

You can't expect a superstar to improve if he doesn't get the opportunity to.

No one is going to get better in the ring or on the mic if they're completely left off the show every week. Just ask someone like Tyson Kidd, and you'll see what I'm talking about.

I know that David Otunga isn't exactly a good wrestler and many fans don't want to see him on TV, but that's exactly the point.

Otunga is never going to progress in the ring if, like a number of mid and lower card workers, he never gets to compete in any matches in front of the live crowd on national TV.

He can train on his own all he wants, but wrestling in front of a few agents and fellow wrestlers doesn't even compare to doing so on Monday Night Raw.

7. The Importance of on-Screen Characters

I watch the WWE primarily because of what goes on in the ring, but I will never overlook the impact that on-screen characters can have on pro wrestling, whether good or bad.

We've seen Teddy Long really struggle as general manager of Smackdown, and it's hurt the show overall for quite some time. On the other side of the fence, some of the greatest performers in the history of the business were on-screen characters rather than wrestlers.

Vince McMahon is considered by many to be the best heel the WWE has ever seen, and what was he? An on-screen character.

Even guys like Eric Bischoff thrived primarily because of what they did as a character as opposed to what they did in the ring, proving that you don't have to be a competitor to have a lasting impact on the business.

That's exactly what David Otunga can do.

I'm not saying he will rival Bischoff or McMahon one day (not even close), but considering that quality on-screen characters are a rarity today, Otunga has the chance to be a memorable one who makes good story lines even better.

6. David Otunga: Jobber to the Stars

Even though David Otunga seems to be getting a decent little push over the last couple of weeks, he's not going to be pushed to the moon like The Great Khali (we hope).

Every wrestling show needs jobbers or enhancement workers, and that's exactly what Otunga will be for most of his career.

He is going to be the heel who opens his mouth, gets himself in trouble and then winds up being placed in matches with top baby faces like Randy Orton, John Cena or Sheamus.

And when Otunga does face those guys, he's going to perform well in his role as David Otunga, jobber to the stars.

Much like Santino Marella often does for the WWE's top heels, Otunga is going to help the WWE's biggest baby faces build up some momentum by getting destroyed by them.

I don't know about you, but I'd rather see Otunga in this role than someone else who's a lot more talented than he is in the ring.

5. He's Harmless

Like I mentioned in the last slide, David Otunga is kinda sorta getting pushed right now, but for the most part, the guy is pretty harmless.

He's not competing for World titles, hogging the main event spotlight or wrestling 10-minute matches on Raw every week.

Otunga is used primarily as on-screen character as opposed to an actual wrestler, and he spends a lot more time appearing in backstage segments than he does competing inside the square.

I would be complaining about Otunga as well if he was being shoved down our throats as a great wrestler and a World title or even a secondary title contender. But that just isn't the case.

He's working in his perfect role as John Laurinaitis' right-hand man, and even if he does get in the ring, his time inside it is limited.

I'll wait to start moaning about Otunga the day he's competing for the World Heavyweight Championship inside a Punjabi Prison.

4. He Actually Has a Gimmick

How many WWE superstars have no gimmick whatsoever?

I mean, there's nothing that really separates Curt Hawkins from Johnny Curtis or Alex Riley. None of these guys have an actual character.

David Otunga, on the other hand, has a definitive gimmick that makes him stick out more than most wrestlers on the main roster.

He is the legal counsel to John Laurinaitis, using his real-life background as a Harvard Law grad to develop a character that's gotten over pretty well on WWE TV.

It is the greatest gimmick in the world? Of course not, but at least Otunga has one. 

3. He Serves a Purpose

Even if David Otunga never stepped in the ring to compete, he'd actually serve a purpose.

Since parting ways with the new Nexus, Otunga has really thrived in his new gimmick as John Laurinaitis' sidekick and made himself an integral part of the WWE's storylines in the process.

Although Otunga isn't irreplaceable, he definitely makes an impact on Monday Night Raw every week in some way, shape or form.

Maybe he gets the crap beaten out of him by CM Punk, maybe he cuts a promo on behalf of Laurinaitis or perhaps he gets heels to campaign for Laurinaitis to take over as general manager of Raw and Smackdown.

Whatever Otunga's doing, he isn't there just to be there. He's contributing to big angles, and surprisingly, he often makes Raw a little more interesting.

2. Otunga = Publicity

Whether we agree with it or not, a superstar who has any sort of connection to the world of entertainment is much more likely to get pushed.

Although The Miz became WWE Champion in large part because he worked hard and improved drastically, there's no doubt that his reality TV past and the coverage it got him on other networks played into his World title run.

Similarly, I wouldn't hesitate to say that David Otunga's relationship with Jennifer Hudson is likely doing the same.

Is it fair? Probably not. But it's a smart business move for Vince McMahon and the WWE.

The company is going to continue to thrive only if it expands its impact to other avenues of entertainment, and that's exactly what Otunga's relationship with Hudson allows it to do.

People will continue to talk about "Jennifer Hudson's fiancé" wrestling on Monday Night Raw, and unless they split up, I think that'll continue for the foreseeable future.

And trust me, Vince loves it.

1. He Makes John Laurinaitis Even Better

John Laurinaitis has taken a weakness (the fact that he's boring) and turned into a real strength by calling himself "Mr. Excitement," getting over huge as a heel in the process.

While Laurinaitis is definitely thriving as the interim general manager of Raw, he does rely heavily on David Otunga.

Otunga and Laurinaitis appear together in backstage segments, in in-ring segments and now, Laurinaitis has begun accompanying Otunga to the ring for his matches.

They are almost inseparable, and like any great duo, they work best when they are together. Laurinaitis wouldn't be the same Laurinaitis without Otunga, and vice versa.

It's not a problem. It's just something worth taking notice of.

Otunga makes Laurinaitis better, and when Laurinaitis is better, Monday Night Raw as a whole is a lot better, too.

Drake Oz is a WWE Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter and ask him any wrestling-related questions on Formspring.