It has long been a criticism of WWE that they rely too much on a top tier of established “guys” at the expense of creating and pushing new talent. Despite having a roster that is probably deeper on talent than it has ever been, WWE has too often failed to build up new superstars, a problem that has unfortunately become extremely evident over the last few months.
With former champions and headliners Seth Rollins, Randy Orton, Daniel Bryan, and John Cena all out of the picture for one reason or another, WWE has been scrambling to fill the void. We’ve seen people like Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose, and Kevin Owens step up and step into those roles, but there are some other stars in the making that WWE should invest their time in as well. One of those future stars is Kalisto. After a surprising first round win over Ryback in the WWE World Title Tournament and a Slammy-winning performance at in the 3-way ladder match TLC 2015, Kalisto finished 2015 as one of the most talked about wrestlers on the roster. Coming into 2016, WWE would be wise to keep building on his momentum and recognize that Kalisto is a superstar in the making.
In a lot of ways, Kalisto came into WWE as a bit of a sleeper. He had some exposure in the indys, having worked for a number of promotions including AAA, CZW, and Dragon Gate as both Octagon Jr and Samuray Del Sol. Despite this experience, Kalisto’s NXT signing did not generate the same amount of attention as the signing of Prince Devitt, KENTA, or Uhaa Nation.
That said, I thought it was a great signing. I had been watching Samuray Del Sol for several months working in AAW Wrestling in Chicago, so I had some insight into what he was bringing to the company. It was a bit slow going at the beginning of his NXT run, starting with the lopsided tag team with El Local followed by a dirt sheet rumor that he was going to be given a gay hair dresser gimmick. However, once Kalisto was partnered with Sin Cara to form the Lucha Dragons, he began to hit his stride, leading to an NXT Tag Title reign before the team was called up to the main roster. Since then, Kalisto has been dazzling the WWE Universe and building quite a reputation. It’s becoming quite obvious that the sky is the limit for the luchador and WWE would be wise to see how high he can go.
So what does Kalisto bring to the table that makes him a prime candidate for a solid push? A lot of fans are quick to draw parallels to Rey Mysterio, a comparison that is apt due to the obvious size and lucha style similarities. That high risk-high energy style is always a hit with fans, and Kalisto has already endeared himself with some pretty amazing moves. The athleticism of his no-hand handspring off the ropes is incredibly impressive, and no one is going to forget that death defying Salida Del Sol from the top of the ladder at TLC any time soon.
Put simply, you know that Kalisto is going to put on a match you want to watch. Of course, in ring ability is only part of the WWE equation, as a superstar needs to get over with the crowd. We have yet to see if Kalisto can really get to that point, but the ingredients are there. His smaller than the average wrestler build give him that underdog status that people like to get behind, and his “Lucha Lucha Lucha” entrance chant has the potential to be the next Yes Movement. We would be getting ahead of ourselves to say that “Lucha” will get to that “Yes” level, but the point is that it could. Sometimes it just takes a well place catchphrase to really get a guy to the next level. With both the skill set and the gimmick in place, Kalisto could really blow up big in 2016.
Beyond the in-ring presentation that Kalisto brings, a solid push for him would be very a shrewd business move on WWE’s part. Lucha Underground is generating a lot of buzz among wrestling fans for its innovative wrestling and story-telling style. In a lot of ways, it an entirely different product than WWE, but it would be a mistake for WWE to not try and capitalize on the re-emergence of lucha libre popularity. On a more macro level, WWE is always looking for ways to increase their international appeal and for stars that can headline international tours. It’s a principle that kept The Great Khali employed longer than anyone would have suspected and gave us a Sheamus versus Finn Balor match during the recent European tour.
WWE has been lacking a hero to appeal to Hispanic audiences ever since Rey Mysterio left the company. A skilled, bilingual luchador like Kalisto could fill that void. WWE tried very hard to make Sin Cara that guy, but it didn’t work out, and while Alberto Del Rio has proven to be a draw during shows in Mexico, his heel character doesn’t equate to mass marketability. Kalisto has the advantage there because he is both a baby face and more of what people think of as a “traditional” luchador, making him a star that a tour could be built around. Plus, he has a mask, a tool that immediately creates a unique look and a great merchandizing opportunity.
There’s of course no guarantee that Kalisto masks or tshirts will rank among Austin 3:16 or Hustle, Loyalty, Respect at the merchandise table, but it a pretty solid bet it will make money. Between the lucha resurgence and the marketability potential pushing Kalisto is truly best for business.
As of this writing, Sin Cara is on the shelf with an injury and Kalisto had his first taste of singles gold, winning the U.S. Title off of Alberto Del Rio. Granted, he held the belt for less than a week before dropping it back to Del Rio, so a short sighted fan might think that the push isn’t materializing. However, the opposite is true. WWE has signed a rubber match between the two for Royal Rumble, which could easily parley into a “last chance” match at Wrestlemania. How the program turns out and who walks away with the title is almost—almost—irrelevant. It is still a high profile feud against a former world champ for a mid-tier singles title. That shows some level of investment. Also, the Royal Rumble match itself provides another golden opportunity for Kalisto to shine, especially this year with the world title on the line. If Kalisto has a good, long showing in the Rumble it would further help to legitimize him as a singles competitor and a future champion. It is way too early to actually put Kalisto in the world title hunt, but it is never too early to lay the ground work to eventually make him a top bill superstar.
WWE has the talent to do some great things, if they only have the sense to use it correctly. Sometimes that means cashing in on the best available skillset, sometimes that means striking while the iron is hot when a particular need arises. In this case, Kalisto fits both those bills, and he can be a solid building block for the future of the company. WWE would be wise to invest time, invest attention, and invest a push in a superstar like Kalisto.
What are your thoughts on the future of Kalisto? Let me know on twitter at @MarkLPhilippEsq