Before Ezekiel was born, Elias Sampson made an impact in WWE during his time in developmental back in 2014. The former Sampson wasn’t a huge independent name coming in, and trouble seemed to be brewing down in the black-and-gold brand. Elias never appeared to fit in with the NXT crowd. This was the era where fantastic wrestling was the bread-and-butter for the brand, and his drifter gimmick just wasn’t finding its footing with Full Sail. It never worked in NXT because Elias didn’t have the opportunity to play with different crowds in the brand. Combine that with the fact that his gimmick was a one-dimensional farce then it was a wonder that Sampson was even called up to the main roster. But he was. and somehow, the drifter gimmick was getting over.
No matter how you feel about Elias as a wrestler, there’s no denying that the WWE superstar is one of the best promo guys on the roster. Heck, it wouldn’t be hard to say that he’s easily a top-five in the current brand. The drifter gimmick had some legs because Elias was allowed to play with a different crowd each week, and him being an annoying heel really helped make him stand out. Elias was given a character that stood out from any of the main roster guys and his charisma really did captivate WWE audiences. So why is Elias not in the main event? WWE is a character-based program, and he had no trouble getting a reaction from the crowd. That unfortunate night when Kevin Owens and Elias got massive heat in Seattle showcased that he knows how to get an audience under his control. Well, the problem is that in retrospect, no one actually cared about the man himself, just the gimmick. Elias was an annoying heel, so he said and did things to get under the skin of the crowd. Great! However, once the belt rang, that heat rarely transferred over.
This is why the focus shouldn’t just be on the gimmick, but on the wrestler as well. Elias did the typical heel things once he was in the ring, but that charisma and personality just didn’t shine through. In truth, Elias was as fun to watch in the ring as paint drying. No disrespect to the man himself as the WWE star surely works hard, but can you name one match that he really stood out in? That’s also on WWE’s end as well. Elias never really had a compelling rivalry that made you connect with his character. Sure, he’s a heel, but outside annoying the crap out of WWE audiences, he’s done nothing that truly makes you despise him. Towards the latter of his heel run, he was also getting over as a babyface as well. Again though, that was only when a microphone was in his hand. Even when WWE turned him babyface, there was still nothing interesting about Elias’s character. He was still the same guy, which was likely a confusing message for some.
The man that’s spent a better part of two years annoying the WWE audience is now a babyface with the same gimmick? What characteristics does Elias have to make him heroic? Fighting Baron Corbin doesn’t automatically make you the good guy. Are you cowardly or courageous? Loving or cruel? Strong or weak? We needed character development that told audiences why he should be cheered once the bell rang. Elias never had a true mission statement as a face, so there was no reason to care about his journey as a good guy. Hell, the guy never really had mission statement as a heel. Perhaps it was to be annoying as possible, but he’ll need an arc too. Plus, he was still extremely bland when it comes to wrestling. Elias just hasn’t been able to cross that ceiling because he needs to get better once the bell rings. This new Ezekiel gimmick is funny, but it doesn’t scream main event star. Plus, it doesn’t fix the issues he has once the bell rings. This isn’t saying that he’s a terrible in-ring performer. He’s nowhere near the levels of a Great Khali, but he’s definitely in the realm of Jinder Mahal. Until Elias can start putting out tremendous performances inside of the squared circle then he’ll always be a mid-card act. Of course, that also requires strong booking from WWE creative. It’s not impossible for Elias to create magic once the bell rings, but his gift of gab can only keep the fans interested in him for so long.
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