It’s interesting to see the ever-changing dynamic of a wrestler and their character.
It’s interesting to see the ever-changing dynamic of a wrestler and their character. Sometimes it’s for the better, such is the case with Becky Lynch and her growing popularity. But then there’s cases like Baron Corbin, where things can go south in a short period of time.
After being called up to the main roster in April 2016, Corbin looked primed and ready to be one of the top stars in the company. He won the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal at WrestleMania 32, along with the United States Championship and Money in the Bank briefcase in 2017, as well as being in numerous other title matches.
But then he was sent to RAW as part of the 2018 Superstar Shake-Up, and that’s when things started to go downhill. Stephanie McMahon appointed him as her Constable of RAW and he debuted a new character, complete with a more professional look and shaved head.
He would eventually become the General Manager-elect when Kurt Angle was off TV, feuding with the likes of Roman Reigns and Braun Strowman until he was stripped of his authoritative power at TLC in December 2018. He tried to regain that title once the McMahon family took over once again, but he failed and was ultimately cast aside.
From the get-go, the new version of Corbin didn’t go over very well with the fans. To me personally, it gave off “Corporate Kane” vibes and kind of took away from the unique look he originally had.
If you need any evidence as to how far he’s fallen, just listen to the reaction the crowd gave a couple of weeks ago when Kurt Angle named Corbin as his final opponent at WrestleMania 35. You could just hear the life being sucked out of the arena within a matter of seconds.
Now the question is: can the character of Baron Corbin be fixed?
Well, the short answer is yes. There’s always a chance he could be redeemed in the eyes of the fans and become relevant once again, but that could prove to be a tall task. He might have already passed the point of no return, where no one can look at him and not think of this awful gimmick.
In all honesty, I can really only see one possible way to fix him: turn him back into The Lone Wolf.
This was the rough and tough persona that was created back in his NXT days. He was a dark and brooding individual who didn’t care about anyone or anything else but himself, and had the talent to back up his cockiness. He consistently made short work of his opponents with a mix of strength, speed, and striking, thanks to his backgrounds in football and boxing.
The Lone Wolf was a unique persona that very few could pull off, and Corbin was one of those men. This gimmick was a big reason why I was a huge fan of his during his time in NXT and his early beginnings on the main roster.
However since he’s traded in his long hair and biker-esque attire for a bald head and dress clothes, it’s just not the same anymore. The whole corporate gimmick has been done numerous times before and certain people can make it work, but a guy like Corbin, in my opinion, can’t really be taken seriously in a role like this.
It’s just a shame to see the direction he’s been going in. Just a few years ago he was in the main event picture on SmackDown Live, wrestling for the WWE Championship. Now he’s being lumped into storylines and matches that no one really cares about.
Maybe someday we’ll see the grittier version of Corbin return, with less dressy clothes and a tougher look. It would be better than seeing the shell of a once decent character that has now basically become irrelevant.
Only time will tell if Corbin can get back to even a fraction of what he once was, but as of right now it’s very unlikely. It unfortunately looks to be the end of days for The Lone Wolf.