WWE: Why John Morrison Fell Victim to the "Create-a-Wrestler" Syndrome

"I get it. Everyone is replaceable." —John Cena, Raw, July 4, 2011

This will be my last John Morrison article, as his departure is a matter of profound indifference to the world. Among wrestling fans, it's been a matter of mass speculation, rumor and innuendo. Where he'll go and what he'll do seems to vary as much as the winds in a tornado.

With John Morrison in the swan song of his WWE career, there has also been some debate if his talent was really one of a kind. In a sense, it was. Morrison possessed a unique ring style for the WWE. His motto in the ring is best described with three simple rules:

1. Use every elevated surface to your advantage.

2. When in doubt, flip your opponent.

3. Be creative in your use of the barricade.

Really not much else to it. The issue is that "Can the Shaman of Sexy be replaced?"

In short, yes. I love Morrison as an in-ring talent. He was creative in certain spots and has charisma in the ring. His style was fun to watch and he was easy to cheer for in the squared circle.

However, he never possessed a consistent promo ability, which maybe why he never broke through the glass ceiling to true main event status.

In the WWE, it seems all top-level talent possesses some ability on the microphone. Even Randy Orton, who gets my award as "Mr. Vanilla" for his babyface promos, cut some good promos as a heel. Guys like Punk, Cena, Orton (as a heel), Henry, Miz, Truth and Barrett are all great on the mic. Even up and comers like Bryan and Ziggler are finding their way in this area.

Let's compare Morrison to B/R darling Zack Ryder. Ryder's move-set in the ring can be described as "basic." The Long Island Iced Z's moves usually consist punches, kicks, and arm drags. Morrison's move set is more advanced than Ryder's. However, why is Ryder so much more loved? Creativity and ability to connect with the audience.

Ryder is an underdog in the ring, creative in his approach to be seen by the fans and he is very confident in himself. The latter is probably the most telling thing of Ryder. For all intents and purposes, Ryder is a guido. But he comes across as having an unshakable faith in himself. Fans see that and find it sexy on a certain level. 

While speaking of move sets, Morrison isn't as unique as some fans think. Indy circuit wrestlers like PAC and Ricochet (check out one of their matches in the video) possess just as fluid a style and are more explosive in the ring. Guys like Gabriel and Borne both possess top rope finishing moves that have just as much flare. Wrestlers come and go all the time with similar moves and skills.

If the WWE were looking to create another John Morrison, they could do so rather easily. It's simply a matter of finding the right guy with the body, sending him to FCW for a few months to get the right style down and bring up up to main roster. Let him stew for a bit on Superstars or NXT to gain some familiarity with the audience and that's about it.

In a certain sense, Morrison is simply a symbol for the lack of creative expression amongst the current roster of the WWE. Guys like Punk, Cena and Ryder are all stand out talents because they have modicum of uniqueness to their gimmicks. As such, they are remembered because they can connect with words as well as action.

Many other talents, such as Morrison, simply never could connect. He's is a lot like the "Create-a-Wrestler" feature in game "WWE '12." He was made to have a unique look and a cool move set. But he is easily deleted and another one can be made in the same flavor.

Ultimately, I would prefer for Morrison to return to the WWE. However, he is not a "once in a lifetime" talent. Morrison is simply a wrestler, nothing more and nothing less. Cool style in the ring? Yes.  But he is replaceable.