Mojo Rawley Working with Acting Coach Will Elevate His Stock at WWE NXT

With an assist from the world of Hollywood, Mojo Rawley is going to charge back up the WWE NXT rankings.

The energetic powerhouse began his run with WWE developmental with hype aplenty. A lack of growth had him slide from the ranks of NXT's most promising prospects to a place where fans began to toss around the word "bust."

Help is on the way, WWE addressing one of Rawley's biggest weaknesses: his performances on a live mic.

According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t Wrestling Inc), Rawley will be working with renowned acting coach Howard Fine. 

He joins Roman Reigns as WWE personalities to get help from Fine. Reigns' sessions with the acting teacher haven't transformed him into The Rock, but he has looked more comfortable on the mic as of late. 

Like Reigns, Rawley is an impressive athlete who came to WWE by way of football. Rawley, who briefly played in the NFL, clearly brought along his footwork and explosiveness from the gridiron to the wrestling mat.

He struggled to connect with fans, though. Although he's likable and has a solid supply of the elusive "it" factor, he hasn't caught on.

Rawley's persona is built around him being spirited, a ball of electric energy. His catchphrase summed it up: "I don't get hype; I stay hype."

For now, he has just a single gear. He's excited and loud, and that's it.

It's a limiting act, one that grates in its current form. However, that's the only weapon in his verbal arsenal right now.

Whenever he strays from that hyped shtick, he stumbles. His attempts at exuding anger or intensity aren't convincing.

After Bull Dempsey cut a gash into his face at NXT Takeover: Fatal 4-Way, Rawley went into a rage. John Cena, this was not.

His emotions felt put on. That pseudo street talk sounded like a guy putting on tough-guy airs.

To make it to the main roster and to even make progress on the NXT hierarchy, he is going to need to be able to handle those kinds of moments better. His acting range has to widen.

That's where Fine comes in.

He's an experienced, respected acting coach. As Rhode Island College notes on its website, "Fine has personally coached Oscar winners Jennifer Connelly and Jared Leto; Oscar nominees Brad Pitt, Michelle Williams, Salma Hayek, Bradley Cooper and Will Smith."

The kind of work he has done with those names and the participants on NBC's Next Action Star is more than he needs to do with Rawley.

Rawley isn't going to do lengthy scenes or multiple characters; he just needs to learn how to better radiate emotions, better deliver his lines and engage the crowd more. 

WWE's addressing this weak point is smart. It's surprising that the company doesn't go this route more often.

The acting elements of sports entertainment, from promos to selling the pain one receives in the ring, are hugely important. For every natural at these skills, there are 10 guys who struggle with them. Rawley is certainly among that group.

Acting coaches should be a regular part of the developmental process. 

For now, it's been something WWE has called upon most notably for Reigns and Rawley. Both men have all the physical tools to succeed in this business. Both look the part.

Bringing in Fine is a wise way to sure up their biggest weakness. 

Helping Rawley grow from being one-dimensional on the mic is going to change his fortunes. Without progress in that department, he's going to be running in place while other prospects elevate their skill sets.

Credit: WWE.com

Sami Zayn and Adrian Neville both started out as below-average talkers. In recent months, each wrestler has shown great improvement. 

Sessions with Fine will help Rawley make his own upward movement. 

He will better stand out amid a crowded field of prospects. He will find his voice and be more than a one-trick pony. Winning over the crowd will begin with drawing it in with his promos, just as we've seen Zayn, Tyler Breeze and others do.

The next item on his checklist then needs to be his move set. A finisher that has one wrestler knock another to the ground with his gluteus maximus is hard to swallow.

As good of an athlete as Rawley is, one has to assume that he will catch on with what he needs to do between the ropes. Meanwhile, he's getting the same tag team partner Brad Pitt once had—a partnership to upgrade his mic work.