Erick Rowan Is Perfect as WWE's Lovable Big Man

Erick Rowan is currently working toward relevancy as a singles star in WWE. The 6'8", 315-pound Superstar is riding what could be considered his first wave of momentum outside of The Wyatt Family, as he is quickly emerging as a standalone character in the company.

While he is not as intense as his former family brother Luke Harper, Rowan is still a very tough individual in the ring. But as Harper continues to show his wild-eyed dominance over his opponents in WWE, Rowan has more of a softer side that is only now beginning to come out. The fact is that Rowan is perfect as the company's lovable big man.

It seemed like a foregone conclusion that Rowan would remain a heel after Bray parted ways with him. After all, the family had been walking in the shadows for their entire WWE run and had done an admirable job of it. In fact, no one was seemingly better at portraying the villains during that time than The Wyatt Family, with the only possible exception being The Shield.

credit: wwe.com

But while The Shield sought to destroy their opponents and leave them for dead in the ring, The Wyatt Family was more concerned with decimating them psychologically. The Wyatts broke down their rivals from the inside out; that was the program and one that the family rarely ever strayed from.

So when they went their separate ways, it was only logical that all three men would continue to behave like business as usual.

But somewhere along the way, someone did not communicate this to Rowan. When he came to the side of John Cena's Survivor Series team on the November 17 edition of Monday Night Raw, he showed fans that he would be more than the heel big man he had always been.

Rowan had surprised the crowd and made the turn, leaving his heel ways behind him. And it was absolutely the right move for him.

credit wwe.com

The truth is that of The Wyatt Family's two former big men, Harper is the one that should be presented as the vicious bruiser, the despicable brawler that is very cold and calculating in the ring. He has the right look for it, he fits the role perfectly and he is very believable in that character.

But the same can perhaps not be said of Rowan, who just does not look like the menacing type. When fans look past his stature, his beard and his goat mask, they see a guy that seems to have a softer side.They see a Superstar that is very likable and more importantly, one that is very lovable.  

It's easier to support Rowan because of this and it's also much easier to imagine him becoming a top babyface in the company. He has that quality that makes fans want to support him, one that curries favor despite Rowan's intimidating physical appearance.

And WWE is evidently interested in spotlighting Rowan as a top babyface Superstar. Putting him opposite of The Big Show is a good start for Rowan, mostly because of Show's ability to draw heat.  The World's Largest Athlete recently turned heel once again and now he is feuding with the former Wyatt Family member.

Of course, one feud likely will not be enough to fully establish Rowan as a premier protagonist in WWE but it will help him to get over with the crowd. Many fans are likely still trying to warm up to Rowan as a babyface after having hated him for so long under Wyatt. Now they will have the opportunity to do just that.

Some fans may consider Rowan too soft, too much of a cartoon character considering his size and strength. Those fans likely feel that he has much more potential as a straightforward big man in the ring.

But his character can be so much more. His childlike persona makes him a somewhat sympathetic figure in the eyes of fans and that gives him a much-needed connection. Rowan has the ability to be the lovable big man that can become very vicious very quickly, thanks to his size and that makes him very versatile.

At this point, Rowan can do no wrong because he's still learning how to get over and he has everything it takes to do just that.

Rowan has a hook with the audience, which means he has his foot in the door. He has went from being a henchman for The Eater of Worlds to being a star in his own right and that star is only getting brighter. Rowan is not the creepy monster that Wyatt is and he is not the crazed brawler that Harper is.

Rowan is perfect in his role as the lovable big man. Only time will tell just how big and how successful he can be.