My latest column for upgruv.com, a site of all things trending, looks at the reports of backstage heat on Enzo Amore in WWE. Here’s an excerpt:
So, as Enzo is reportedly not being welcomed to dress in the same room as his colleagues, he would do well study The Miz’s history.
Mike Mizanin is a unicorn in WWE. He overcame awesome backstage heat to become a successful and respected WWE superstar as The Miz. Former world champion and current broadcaster JBL, a known (if controversial) locker-room authority figure, cast light on Mizanin’s rare recovery on WWE Network’s “Bring It To The Table.”
“Now here’s what’s bad about it. Most of those guys – except for Miz, Miz is the only one – never made it. Once the locker turned against these guys – they were sprayed with human repellent or whatever – they never made it. So the odds are completely against Enzo. Now I think he’s very talented, I’ve had a good working relationship with him but apparently, there’s a lot of problems with him and the rest of the world.”
— JBLThose comments did far more than offer historical perspective for Enzo’s current situation. They also confirmed — on WWE programming — that reports of Enzo’s troubles were not fake news. Corey Graves even went on to add that he dislikes Enzo (real name: Eric Arndt) for being in character all day, every day.And these days, Enzo is facing speculation he will be removed from the RAW roster.
How you doin’? Let me spell it out for you: B-A-D.
A demotion to the 205 Live or NXT roster would be better than a firing. But wherever he might land within WWE, Enzo would have been deemed unworthy of the company’s flagship program by decision makers.
NXT would be the best place for Enzo. Like his character, the NXT brand is cool. His return to where he became a star likely would be welcomed by NXT’s vocal fans who have seen many of their favorite wrestlers move on to RAW or SmackDown Live.
At NXT, Enzo would be the kind of anchor that stabilizes a ship instead of dead weight the crews is ready to toss overboard. He merchandise sales would be best for business at NXT, too.
CLICK HERE in the rest of the column for big reasons why 205 Live would not be the best spot for Enzo to go.