How will Charlotte do when she does eventually get on the main roster? I am a Ric Flair fan. Been a fan of the guy for a long time. Bought his book back in 2004. Got it autographed by him. All that being said, I am not going to say that the WWE should hand his daughter the keys to the diva division just yet. She is good in the ring. That could be the makings of a credible jobber. I don't want to believe that the WWE would do that to Ric Flair's daughter. They do it to Natalya, a relative to Bret Hart. But Bret Hart has had some issues with those in power in the WWE. Ric Flair seems to be on better terms and I don't think they would want to do anything to offend him. Just give her a fair shot. I can see her getting a good career in the periphery. She can benefit from the current dark age to win a few titles. I don't think she'll be a 16-time Diva's Champion, but she'll do well.
Nepotism can get annoying in pro wrestling. It is especially worse when the child of a former great performer is made to be another version of the parent. Ted DiBiase Jr. never really stepped out of his father's shadow. You look at Randy Orton. He comes from a wrestling family. But he has a unique style and character. He isn't a cowboy. He has found his own self. How will Charlotte work out in that regard? She does do some of her father's old tricks. She doesn't really have his charisma, but that might not be a bad thing. Let her show her own personality. If she does connect well with the fans on the main roster after her official debut, I just hope it is because of her own merits, not just because of who her father is.
Let me switch topics slightly. You hear all these stories, especially recently, of guys having to go backstage and complain and put their foot down to get a better push or just to get one match outcome to go their way. You know some fans get very upset when one match does not go the way they would like. I always knew there were some wrestlers like that, but there seems to be more these days than I would have expected. And in some cases, I don't feel some of these guys have a right to demand anything.
Recently, the "brass ring" metaphor has been used again by certain individuals in wrestling. You ride a carousel and you reach for that elusive brass ring. If you grab it, you've earned it. That is success. That is success that has been earned. Now, can you imagine some spoiled brat going up to the worker operating the ride and just demanding to be given the brass ring? Just for the sake of avoiding a scene, the worker hands the kid the ring. All the kid has to do is take it. You can say that is success for that spoiled brat. But did he really earn it?
The job of a pro wrestler is supposed to be to go out there and perform to connect with the fans. If you succeed at doing that at a high level, you have grabbed that brass ring and you deserve the great career. It seems that too many people are getting ahead through backstage politics or intend to get ahead through that. Let me just make it clear, there is nothing wrong with speaking up to get a legitimate opportunity. You have to sometimes let your voice be heard to not be pushed around. But to do it just for preferential booking, that is something else. If you have earned it and are not getting it, that is one thing. If you have not done anything to earn it and you are just given it, that is a problem.
Back in the day, I used to hear from some dirtsheets that some wrestlers got mistreated because they are hard to work with when it came to storylines and booking. These days, the opposite seems to be true. The idea now is that Vince McMahon loves it when guys step up. Vince McMahon should love it when guys are getting over with the fans. You play all these backstage games to earn yourself a better career. You go out there after that and connect with the fans. But are they cheering you for the performer you are? Or for all the hype and creative investment you have? If you are really so great, why couldn't you overcome a bad booking decision or a mediocre career? I wonder just how much substance some of these guys have. How great are they? There is no shortage of guys on the roster being pushed, but ratings are still horrible, the quality of the product is still bad, some top stars still have questionable overness, and all those other issues are still there.
They key to success should not be complaining backstage to take a career you never earned and be hyped to greatness. The key to success should be earning it through doing your job and connecting with those fans. If the WWE thinks they can just hype anyone to success, they will never turn things around. Pro wrestling in general isn't as great as it once was. It needs to be more about entertaining, less about overrating.
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