For Heath Slater, Social Outcasts Represents 2nd Chance for 1st Impression

When one looks back at the career of Heath Slater, January 4, 2016 could prove to be a pivotal point for the West Virginian.

It was on that night the perennial jobber, a lovable loser if there ever was one, defeated Dolph Ziggler in a massive upset and took leadership of a group of similar Superstars he dubbed The Social Outcasts. While some may refer to the group as a modern-day equivalent of Al Snow's J.O.B. Squad, what the newly formed faction represents is second chance for Slater to make a first impression.

Rewind the clocks back to 2010.

World Wrestling Entertainment had just debuted a new competition show titled NXT, featuring several young stars vying for the right to become the next big Superstar. One of those men was Heath Slater, a red-headed, rockstar-looking youngster who appeared to have the personality necessary to succeed at the next level. He did not win, though, and many wondered whether he would ever be back on WWE television.

The answer was a resounding "yes."

He returned alongside his fellow NXT competitors in a group known as Nexus. The young stars, enraged over their humiliating treatment as part of the show, took WWE by storm and immediately set their sights on John Cena. 

Unfortunately, it became clear over time the group was little more than the latest hurdle put in front of WWE's franchise star, and upon their demise, Slater disappeared into the mangled mess that is the company's midcard scene. Sure, he enjoyed three tag team title reigns with Justin Gabriel, but that came at a time when the company de-emphasized tag wrestling, leaving them with a weak division to champion.

It was not until 2012 that Slater became relevant again, though for reasons he may not have liked all that much. That year, he would spend weeks challenging legendary figures from Monday Night Raw's glorious past and end up on the receiving end of a beating, none worse than on the Raw 1000 broadcast.

No matter how many times he exhibited his tremendous personality and charisma in segments with Lita, Vader, Sycho Sid or even rapper Flo Rida at WrestleMania XXVIII, Slater could not catch a break, and his talents went wasted on live events, scarcely watched episodes of Superstars and Main Event and the wildly fun and entertaining YouTube exclusive JBL and Renee Young Show as the titular male's idiotic nephew, Clem Layfield.

A legitimate tough guy from his years spent boxing, he had no problems allowing himself to look like a fool on WWE television, as witnessed in his days as the leader of 3MB alongside Drew McIntyre and Jinder Mahal. But there was always a sense he could contribute more if WWE Creative and management allowed him to.

Which is why The Social Outcasts present such a humongous opportunity for Slater.

The eighth-place finisher in Superstar of the Year voting despite not collecting a single quality victory in 2015, Slater has a connection with the fans few do. It is organic and was built on the Web. His #HitSlatersMusic movement, born during John Cena's U.S. Championship Open Challenge, made him relevant at a time when Creative seemingly forgot he was still on the roster.

People enjoy him and find him to be immensely entertaining.

Now he is back on television, him and his fans have the chance to prove to WWE brass one does not have to be chiseled out of stone or the most dynamic athlete to connect with the audience.

More importantly, though, Slater has the chance to impress the fans who know nothing of him other than his status as one of the biggest jobbers in the company. The Social Outcasts could catapult Slater to a level of stardom he has not experienced since his days in Nexus, all the while building faith in his character among fans who see him as enhancement talent at the very best.

A win over someone as respected as Dolph Ziggler is a very good start for Slater. As the weeks and months pass, it will be imperative he continues to collect wins.

If he starts to lose, every victory he amassed will be negated because of the audience's preconceived notions of him. Thus, every step of the push for Slater and his minions must be expertly crafted or risk wasting television time on an act that will never succeed and excel beyond the basement, where Slater, Bo Dallas, Adam Rose and Curtis Axel have spent years.

2016 has the potential to be an exciting, rewarding and banner year for Slater, who has been so criminally underutilized for years fans would've been hard-pressed to even assert he still had a job in WWE before Monday's broadcast. Now, he has the chance to shut up his doubters, silence his critics and introduce a new audience to his One Man Band of awesomeness by way of a four-man faction of jobbers.