WWE: Pushes for Tenured Stars Should Squash Claims of "Underutilized" Talents

To call the IWC reactionary is to say water is wet or Sarah Palin is a joke. With that understood, it doesn’t come as any surprise that the concept of character development is lost on many within the community that have short-term memories and no long-term vision.

The WWE has the same issues, which has likely been a trigger for why so many wrestling fans in these parts panic at bizarre occasions, but the last two months should give us all reason to step back and recognize that a professional wrestling career is indeed a marathon and not a sprint.

After Raw went off the air, as shown on an online video produced by WWE, it was announced the R-Truth would receive a WWE title shot against John Cena at Capitol Punishment under the condition that he apologizes for his behavior on the show, namely, assaulting a fan.

This will be Truth’s first one-on-one title shot in the WWE on a PPV nearly a decade since he debuted with the company under the name K-Kwik as the Road Dogg’s tag team partner.

Earlier this week, B.G. James was quoted as saying that he thinks WWE really missed the boat on Ron Killings because he should have been pushed a long time ago and it’s too later for them to finally take notice.

Coming from a guy that debuted in WWE as “The Roadie,” a lackey for so-called country music superstar "Double J" Jeff Jarrett, he should recognize the fact that where you start isn’t indicative of where you finish.

I recall K-Kwik’s first run. Honestly, it wasn’t too much different then the act he has been putting on for the last year with WWE. A gimmicky hip hot artist that jumped high, used acrobatic offense and generally lost to anybody above jobbers.

It wasn’t until he moved to TNA did he receive a push as a more serious act under his given name. That push inevitable ended and he became a run-of-the-mill mid-card act.

At 38 years old, Truth is finally getting a real push as a major character against the top draw in the business with a striking persona, and quite honestly, I think it’s perfect timing. Sure, he’s a big old for a first-time run at the main event, but this man was Raw when he arrived and hadn’t shown much development as an in-ring performer in that time.

His ring-work still makes me question his longevity as a main event challenger, but I also don’t think a young, less experienced Truth could ever have pulled off the character he is now displaying. Sometimes, it takes years for a guy to get a push, to find a character, to carve out a niche distinct enough to draw the reaction of the crowd.

On Smackdown, you are witnessing Christian’s first sustained run as a main-eventer in his time with WWE. Sure, he had his brief upper mid-card run against Cena before departing for TNA, but aside for a stint with the ECW Championship (R.I.P.) he hasn’t spent much time as a featured character on the show. Christian’s tenure with the company is being highlighted as part of the angle.

His title victory was heralded as a dream come true, and his subsequent loss was therefore increasingly devastating. His inevitable heel turn will sustain his title run considering the dearth of main event caliber baddies to combat the indomitable Randy Orton. Christian is an example of what can be achieved with patience.

Christian may have the skill-set to have been a main event player for years by now, but considering the transience of the main event scene beyond Cena, Orton and Undertaker in the last few years (think: Swagger, Ziggler, Kofi, Barrett, Sheamus) this is Christian appears to be receiving the chance to earn a permanent, or at least, consistent guest appearance, spot among the top tier. This wouldn’t have occurred without years of consistent work.

The two members of the WWE roster that we hear the most complaints regarding their use have been CM Punk an Alberto del Rio. Supposedly, Punk is upset about his place on the card and the way he has been booked in storylines for the last year or more. Fans are concerned that ADR is going to be buried and forgotten upon his move to Raw and won’t get the run with the title that he deserves.

Punk should sit down with Christian over a nonalcoholic beverage and discuss being “misused” and “paying your dues.” Punk has achieved more in his first few years in WWE, including main eventing SummerSlam, than Christian had until last month.

Punk feuded for the first three months of 2011 with the company’s second-biggest face draw on the full-time roster. Punk should give Chris Jericho a call and ask him about his first few years with a major televised wrestling promotion in the United States.

Jericho jerked the curtain and wrestled show-stopping midcard matches for WCW for years while waiting his turn while Goldberg ran wild and the nWo bathed in each other’s palpable smug. He then came to the WWF and was verbally smacked down by the Rock upon his debut.

When he finally got a chance to run with the belt, winning a four-man tournament he had no right of winning to becoming the first ever Unified Heavyweight Champion, his first and only Wrestlemania main event was a glorified squash at the hands of Triple H.

Punk has nothing to complain about at this moment. He could be getting a bigger push, but that’s not always how it works. He’s one of the most talented guys on the roster, but so was Eddie Guerrero, and that didn’t keep him from running with the European Title and spending quality time in programs with Chyna for extended periods of time.

Those who complain about ADR getting lost in the shuffle are the most mind-boggling. This man won the Royal Rumble. He fought for the WHC at Wrestlemania. He could do nothing until Survivor Series, cut a promo about how he has both of these accomplishments on his resume and immediately be a threat once again.

ADR is money and WWE knows it. After Truth is put down by Cena at Capitol Punishment, we’ll likely get an ADR chase for the gold. It also wouldn’t shock me if he were to win the title from Cena for a few months in an extended feud before dropping it back to crowd favorite. Realize that this guy hasn’t even been on the active, televised roster for a full year and we have some claiming that he’ll never reach his potential.

Examples such as Truth and Christian are why I don’t worry about Punk, Del Rio, John Morrison, Cody Rhodes, Jack Swagger or Dolph Ziggler. Ultimately, the talent rises to the top, and in many of their cases, it requires time to really understand what it takes to play with the big boys in the main event.