WrestleMania season is upon us, and this year WrestleMania will be loaded up with big names such as The Undertaker, Brock Lesnar, Goldberg, Triple H and more. There’s no denying that stars like Lesnar and Golderg have name value, but over the past few years fans have criticized WWE for building the WrestleMania card around stars from the past.
Although WWE has several wrestlers on their roster who could potentially become big stars someday, the company has struggled to create a big star on the level of Steve Austin or The Rock. Chael Sonnen recently spoke to Channel Guide Magazine, and he talked about WWE’s lack of star power, and he noted that he thinks right now is the perfect time for someone to break out.
“WWE has been hurting for stars for a while. They’ve done a really great job with what they have. Somebody needs to emerge though. Now is the perfect opportunity. I do feel like when I watch it that there are guys in the back who haven’t figured out the bureaucracy yet of how to break through. There is no clearer, more opportune of a time than right now. I’m just waiting for that guy to come forward and have their Steve Austin moment and grab control of this thing.”
Of course when Steve Austin broke through the glass ceiling it was a very different time for the wrestling business. During The Attitude Era wrestlers had a lot more freedom to express themselves, whereas nowadays promos seem to be a lot more scripted.
As far as what it’s going to take for someone to break out and become the next big star, Sonnen thinks someone is going to have to put their job on the line to break the mold.
“It’s going to take some courage. Somebody is going to have to do it. They are going to have to get a script one day and say, ‘That’s not right.’ They grab a microphone on live TV, put their job on the line and go for it. That’s how it works. It looks like creative has such control over these guys; they just don’t want to see that. But that is what it’s going to take. The time is right now. They are looking for a star, and the fans are looking for a guy they can truly get behind. Somebody needs to step up and do it.”
It remains to be seen if the next big star will break through anytime soon, but as Chael Sonnen noted, the time is now because if WWE keeps going at this rate they won’t have big names to call upon for future WrestleManias.
After last night’s showing at Bellator 170, I guess I’m still waiting on him to have his..