A Couple Of Small Tweaks Could Actually Result In Monday Night Rawley
Mojo just needs to stop being an annoying dick...
I had planned to publish this piece just before this week's Monday Night Raw from London went on the air. However, I got cold feet just in case Mojo ended up getting his pants pulled down by Bo Dallas, or something similarly bad happened to him. Since he didn't appear on this week's show at all - instead getting a run out on the Main Event taping beforehand - I probably look just as stupid, but such is life.
Adam Pacitti has a fetish for Mojo Rawley. I don't how it started, I don't know when it started, but what I do know is that it's a beautiful thing and it should be celebrated. Before I dig too deeply into this article, I must clarify that I do not have a fetish for Mojo Rawley. My heart, soul and being belong to my bae and spirit animal, Handsome Rusev, of Rusev Day.
In the body of this article, there are two promos from Mojo Rawley. If you're the kind of person who doesn't like to read words and prefers pretty videos instead, please, I implore you, scroll down and watch each of them to get a flavour of what I'm talking about here. This is the Mojo Rawley we need to see from now on so he can truly make something of himself on Raw.
WWE are so close to having something special with Mojo but it's going to take a couple of tweaks to get there, in my humble opinion. I'm not mental. I'm not doing this article just so Pacitti and I can have a giggle the next time he takes me for a pre-PPV pedicure and prayer (the APPPPVPP, as he likes to call them). I genuinely believe that Mojo Rawley has what it takes to make something of himself in WWE. All he needs to do is JUST STOP BEING A CHILDISH, ANNOYING DICK; RIGHT M8?
I know, kettle pot black and all that stuff. I get it.
Anybody who saw Raw a couple of weeks back must have been impressed with Mojo. His promo when he came out to answer Seth Rollins' Intercontinental Championship Open challenge was understated but hit all the right notes. Rawley was even able to work a nice little impromptu dig in towards his former Hype Bros partner and supposed hometown hero on the night, Zack Ryder, proving that he can think on his feet when the cameras are on and it really matters. You can't teach that sort of thing, a Superstar either has it or doesn't.
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While everything he did down the ramp was measured and composed, you could tell there was a five-year-old child full to the brim with Orbitz desperate to get out. Watching it back, it was clear Mojo wanted to go back to the Status Quo of his character and start running around and bouncing off the ropes like there was no tomorrow. Why? I have absolutely no idea. All that nonsense has got you really far on the main roster so far, hasn't it, mate?
In his current state, I believe Mojo has a gimmick that only really appeals to him and his pals alone - because let's face it, there's no one outside of Mojo's social circles who is anything like what they are.
I guess you folks in Americaland would call them frat boys (?). They're the type of blokes who refuse to stop acting like they're on the summer holidays after they finish high school; they're the type of blokes who go on a night out and take their shirt off in the club to get the attention their parents presumably never afforded them; they're the breed of man who address each other as 'playboy', 'homeboy', and all kinds of other 'boy' related terms.
They're knobheads, is what I'm basically trying to say. And I don't think there are enough of them in the WWE Universe for this gimmick to succeed. Unless he's in his designated wrestling character 24/7, Mojo - and his pals for that matter - is just a dick. I get the sense that most of the people watching Mojo run around the ring like he's just been told the canvas is lava - or whatever the applicable meme of the day is - feel the same way.
When he appears on WWE TV - I know how ridiculous that sounds given the amount of pressure and scrutiny every Superstar has to be under from those in prominent positions backstage - I feel the only people who get a kick out of the bright attires, the American football references, and the constant running and jumping are the people he hangs around with outside of the ring.
Of course, I could be misinterpreting Mojo and his homies as I don't know them from Adam. Instagram gave me a pretty good idea of what they're like, but just to be safe, I'm going to apologise just in case.
He simply needs to lose the playboy (I don't really know how to surmise Mojo and his pals in one succinct term) schtick, and focus on what he's already proven he excels at.
Now I'm going to throw a hot take out there that could see the weight of my written word go one of two ways here: if it's the end, it's been nice knowing you. If you agree with me, then thanks and let's be friends 4eva xo. Here goes...
Mojo Rawley is the closest thing WWE currently have to Jake 'The Snake' Roberts.
WAIT! Are the lights still on? Who made everything dark? Am I still alive? I didn't mean it like that!? Help!!!
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I'm being serious. Watch either of the two promos above and you can't help but be drawn in by Mojo, his aura, his words, his eyes - I don't fancy him. Honest! Nobody does it anymore, but in these promos, there are moments where Mojo is speaking softly, yet louder than anyone else on the roster could possibly dream of.
He's mastered the technique of saying lots by saying very little. He's mastered the technique of speaking quietly and slowly, but his words carrying more weight than a shouty-shouty colleague of his. Why doesn't he use this more? I know what he does currently sets him apart from the pack, but it's not in a good way. Using these throwback methods would make him stand out in a good way, and would surely see him get the opportunity to verbally joust with the very best Raw has to offer because that style is not seen anywhere else.
We also have to look at the influences American football has on Mojo's character - and as a look at the word count for this article, it's the last thing we're going to look at for now. For a long old while, he wore paint under his eyes which is thankfully gone now, but the stances and the tackles are still part of his moveset.
For me, American football based stuff in WWE is doomed as long as Braun Strowman is around. Big Braun is a far more impressive specimen than every single former footballer we've seen arrive in WWE to try their hand at the graps. As long as big sweaty Braun is running around the ringside area, shoulder barging fools into the top tier of arenas around the world, anyone else with American football-flavoured moves as part of their arsenal - COUGH MOJO COUGH - has to stop.
They simply don't look as good, so why would you want to bring attention to that? And anyway, why bring attention to the fact you're a former footballer anyway in WWE when with at least one portion of the audience, it's a black mark against your name. You know, because you're taking the place of a wrestler who actually wanted to be one from a very early age.
That's bad.
Just do the following things Mojo and you'll be reet, pal:
Winner winner, chicken dinner.
Adam Pacitti has a fetish for Mojo Rawley. I don't how it started, I don't know when it started, but what I do know is that it's a beautiful thing and it should be celebrated. Before I dig too deeply into this article, I must clarify that I do not have a fetish for Mojo Rawley. My heart, soul and being belong to my bae and spirit animal, Handsome Rusev, of Rusev Day.
In the body of this article, there are two promos from Mojo Rawley. If you're the kind of person who doesn't like to read words and prefers pretty videos instead, please, I implore you, scroll down and watch each of them to get a flavour of what I'm talking about here. This is the Mojo Rawley we need to see from now on so he can truly make something of himself on Raw.
WWE are so close to having something special with Mojo but it's going to take a couple of tweaks to get there, in my humble opinion. I'm not mental. I'm not doing this article just so Pacitti and I can have a giggle the next time he takes me for a pre-PPV pedicure and prayer (the APPPPVPP, as he likes to call them). I genuinely believe that Mojo Rawley has what it takes to make something of himself in WWE. All he needs to do is JUST STOP BEING A CHILDISH, ANNOYING DICK; RIGHT M8?
I know, kettle pot black and all that stuff. I get it.
Anybody who saw Raw a couple of weeks back must have been impressed with Mojo. His promo when he came out to answer Seth Rollins' Intercontinental Championship Open challenge was understated but hit all the right notes. Rawley was even able to work a nice little impromptu dig in towards his former Hype Bros partner and supposed hometown hero on the night, Zack Ryder, proving that he can think on his feet when the cameras are on and it really matters. You can't teach that sort of thing, a Superstar either has it or doesn't.
[embed
[/embed]
While everything he did down the ramp was measured and composed, you could tell there was a five-year-old child full to the brim with Orbitz desperate to get out. Watching it back, it was clear Mojo wanted to go back to the Status Quo of his character and start running around and bouncing off the ropes like there was no tomorrow. Why? I have absolutely no idea. All that nonsense has got you really far on the main roster so far, hasn't it, mate?
In his current state, I believe Mojo has a gimmick that only really appeals to him and his pals alone - because let's face it, there's no one outside of Mojo's social circles who is anything like what they are.
I guess you folks in Americaland would call them frat boys (?). They're the type of blokes who refuse to stop acting like they're on the summer holidays after they finish high school; they're the type of blokes who go on a night out and take their shirt off in the club to get the attention their parents presumably never afforded them; they're the breed of man who address each other as 'playboy', 'homeboy', and all kinds of other 'boy' related terms.
They're knobheads, is what I'm basically trying to say. And I don't think there are enough of them in the WWE Universe for this gimmick to succeed. Unless he's in his designated wrestling character 24/7, Mojo - and his pals for that matter - is just a dick. I get the sense that most of the people watching Mojo run around the ring like he's just been told the canvas is lava - or whatever the applicable meme of the day is - feel the same way.
When he appears on WWE TV - I know how ridiculous that sounds given the amount of pressure and scrutiny every Superstar has to be under from those in prominent positions backstage - I feel the only people who get a kick out of the bright attires, the American football references, and the constant running and jumping are the people he hangs around with outside of the ring.
Of course, I could be misinterpreting Mojo and his homies as I don't know them from Adam. Instagram gave me a pretty good idea of what they're like, but just to be safe, I'm going to apologise just in case.
He simply needs to lose the playboy (I don't really know how to surmise Mojo and his pals in one succinct term) schtick, and focus on what he's already proven he excels at.
Now I'm going to throw a hot take out there that could see the weight of my written word go one of two ways here: if it's the end, it's been nice knowing you. If you agree with me, then thanks and let's be friends 4eva xo. Here goes...
Mojo Rawley is the closest thing WWE currently have to Jake 'The Snake' Roberts.
WAIT! Are the lights still on? Who made everything dark? Am I still alive? I didn't mean it like that!? Help!!!
[embed
[/embed]
I'm being serious. Watch either of the two promos above and you can't help but be drawn in by Mojo, his aura, his words, his eyes - I don't fancy him. Honest! Nobody does it anymore, but in these promos, there are moments where Mojo is speaking softly, yet louder than anyone else on the roster could possibly dream of.
He's mastered the technique of saying lots by saying very little. He's mastered the technique of speaking quietly and slowly, but his words carrying more weight than a shouty-shouty colleague of his. Why doesn't he use this more? I know what he does currently sets him apart from the pack, but it's not in a good way. Using these throwback methods would make him stand out in a good way, and would surely see him get the opportunity to verbally joust with the very best Raw has to offer because that style is not seen anywhere else.
We also have to look at the influences American football has on Mojo's character - and as a look at the word count for this article, it's the last thing we're going to look at for now. For a long old while, he wore paint under his eyes which is thankfully gone now, but the stances and the tackles are still part of his moveset.
For me, American football based stuff in WWE is doomed as long as Braun Strowman is around. Big Braun is a far more impressive specimen than every single former footballer we've seen arrive in WWE to try their hand at the graps. As long as big sweaty Braun is running around the ringside area, shoulder barging fools into the top tier of arenas around the world, anyone else with American football-flavoured moves as part of their arsenal - COUGH MOJO COUGH - has to stop.
They simply don't look as good, so why would you want to bring attention to that? And anyway, why bring attention to the fact you're a former footballer anyway in WWE when with at least one portion of the audience, it's a black mark against your name. You know, because you're taking the place of a wrestler who actually wanted to be one from a very early age.
That's bad.
Just do the following things Mojo and you'll be reet, pal:
- Stop running
- Stop jumping
- Stop being a dick
- Stop the bright colours
- Focus on those slower, moodier, darker promos
- Stop the American football schtick
Winner winner, chicken dinner.
Written by Ross Tweddell
Written and video journalist for Cultaholic Wrestling | twitter: @rossonrasslin | instagram: @rossonrasslin