4-Step Formula for Success as a WWE Superstar

Breaking down today's WWE superstars, it's easy to figure out why some have success while others fail to reach their full potential.  It's much more than creative deciding who is going to be the next big thing or backstage politics taking a lead over genuine talent.  It's much more complicated than that.

There is a formula for success to determine who will one day be headlining and who will be fighting it out on Superstars for the remainder of their career.  It can be boiled down into four basic categories that each success in the business fits.

Catchphrases

Fans love to be able to get behind someone that always has something cool to say.  The Rock made an entire career out of it.  He had so many catchphrases it is hard to keep track of how many he's patented over the years.  

"Hell Yeah," "If you smell what The Rock is cooking," "Rest in Peace," are some of the most memorable slogans uttered out of past superstars' mouths and the list can go on. 

When you think of a superstar, you're more inclined to think of what he's most noted for saying rather than the match he most recently fought.  Having the ability to win over a crowd by having a calling card whenever you cut a promo is of crucial importance when making yourself a success in the business. 

Without a catchphrase, your promos are limited to trying to convince people you care about the words you're saying.  With a catchphrase, everything you want the people listening to believe is already done for you.

Looking at current failures:

Sheamus: although one of the biggest faces in the company right now, this is one of the few aspects his character needs to continue his paths towards excellence.  He doesn't speak an awful lot, but when he does he's very good at it.  Giving him a catchphrase will increase his marketability even more, which would launch him back into the main event scene for good.

Arrogance

Even the most honorable of men have a little edge to their character.  Some call it confidence, others call it cockiness.  The more suitable term is arrogance.

The modern-day version of pure arrogance resides in Alberto Del Rio.  He oozes arrogance from head to toe.  Flashy entrance, new fancy cars every show and even spectacular wrestling attire speaks volumes to how much Del Rio believes in himself.  Heck, he calls everything he tries to accomplish his destiny, for crying out loud. 

All the greats, from Hulk Hogan to Triple H, exerted arrogance into every move and match throughout their careers.  They allowed this attribute to assist in the storytelling they did in the ring. 

Every good story has a villain who tries to make his opponent believe he's already defeated while the hero relies on his confidence in overcoming the odds tell his side of the story.  Lacking arrogance means you have already lost half of the battle. Arrogance is an extremely critical part to building a quality superstar.

Looking at current failures:

Christian: although overly annoying, he shows no confidence as a heel.  His whiny attitude says he's more scared of failure and rejection than ambitious towards winning and acceptance.

Nicknames

Establishing a moniker, or nickname if you will, directly affects your character build. 

The Game, the Rattlesnake, the Deadman, the Brahma Bull, the Rated-R Superstar... these are just a few of the immensely successful nicknames that legends have used during their careers.  Those nicknames may not have come quickly, but once they arrived they weren't gong anywhere. 

Announcers such as Michael Cole love to overuse these nicknames for superstars during their matches, but it's only to put more emphasis upon them.  A nickname such as The Viper doesn't stick unless it's being used as often as the wrestler's name itself. 

Looking at current failures:

Drew McIntyre: Sinister Scotsman; not something very many people got behind.

Nicknames mean publicity in the WWE.  Why would they promote somebody who doesn't have that special catch in their name besides their name?  It's marketability 101.  Establishing a nickname to go by means you've worked hard enough to earn a nickname, which in turn means you've earned your way up to the top of the food chain.

That One Defining Moment

What's more crucial to building a successful superstar than that one special moment that transcends the rest of their career? Nothing.

Actually, it's very rare to find one moment for each successful superstar that truly meant the world to their character's growth.

Usually, it comes in the form of a monumental victory or even sometimes a defeat.  For others, it's a heel or face turn that turned their spiraling career around.  Or if you're like CM Punk, it's just completely venturing off the beaten path and calling out the entire organization as a whole. 

Once Punk dropped the pipe bomb on the wrestling world, his legacy was forever cemented into history as the guy who broke the mold for future generations.  He said things nobody around him or that came before him ever dared to do. 

This moment was so iconic for so many reasons. 

1. He did it all while sitting school style on the top of the ramp rather than in the middle of the ring.  This allowed for everybody to force their eyes onto him rather than having to rotate around so everybody could see him at one time or another.

2. He called out the names of guy no longer with the company.  "Hi, Colt Cabana. How you doin'?" was symbolic in the fact that he didn't care what company Colt worked for, he just wanted to say hello to a dear friend.

3. He wore his "alter-ego, polar opposite's" T-shirt to do it.  Punk and Stone Cold Steve Austin are always compared to each other through their differences of lifestyle and their similarities of attitude.  Punk wearing Austin's shirt to his crowning moment in the WWE sparked huge rumors about a possible match between the two, causing a huge uproar in fan attention.

4. He went from one of the most generally hated men in the company, according to live crowds, to the hero of a new era in less in 10 minutes.  How many people can say they changed their entire lives with a few words and 10 minutes worth of time? I know of one man for sure.

These are just a few of the great things that came out of Punk's worked shoot that sent the entire Internet Wrestling Community ablaze without performing a single physical move.  By looking like a second-grader paying direct attention to his teacher while she's trying to teach the class how to read, Punk allowed people to know that he is no bigger than any of us and that we are all people just like him. 

Having that one defining moment in your career is extremely rare to find.  Guys like the Undertaker spend years and years to build up an incredible legacy.  Punk did it in less time that it takes most people to shower in the morning.  That's when you know you have something special on your hands.

Looking at current failures:

Cody Rhodes: he has yet to make that special moment in his career, although at his current rate should be on his way there shortly.

Catchphrase + Arrogance + Nickname + Special Moment = Successful

Looking at these four steps for the most well respected and accomplished superstars both from today and years past, it's without question each one of this plays an environmentally critical role in character development. 

No superstar who lacks any of these traits has every been recognized as great or will ever be placed in the limelight in the WWE.  For those who do lack any of them, it takes nothing more than to look at who they are a tweak a few things.

There is talent all over the WWE and few are being used to their full potential.  By following these steps to becoming a successful superstar, there is not a doubt in my mind that the next generation of talent is lying in the wings waiting to make their names be remembered.