Yeah, there are guys whom I don't get that are insanely over. Jeff Hardy was one of them to a degree. Yeah, I enjoyed Hardy when he was around, but the devotion he got from everyone was a bit much. I could see where it came from. He did insane, insane shit. He was one of the best high flyers to go through the WWE ever. He was excellent at something.What is Tyler Black excellent at? I'm sure the fanboys and fangirls will be quick to point out what appeals to them, to see what I'm missing, but unless it's something huge, I don't see how Black does anything excellently except play to the emo crowd with his ring attire.
He has to be carried in the ring. Yeah, he's got a cool finisher, but so did Goldberg, and he was never confused with a good wrestler. It's not just about the end, but how you get there. Against someone like Bryan Danielson or Nigel McGuinness, Black can be watchable and even enjoyable, but when he's asked to carry his own weight against a guy like Sonjay Dutt, and the results aren't good. His size, which would be viewed as an asset, works against him because he's lanky and because the style he works doesn't suit someone with his frame. He ends up looking awkward in the end, and when there isn't someone to lift the heavy weight, it's sorely noticeable.
He might be able to redeem himself if he had a great personality and promo ability, but that's not the case. The guy sounds like a sheepish high school outcast, not a professional wrestler. He makes Roderick Strong sound like Ric Flair, and Roderick Strong is a consensus bottom-of-the-barrel promo guy (which is a shame, because Roddy is among the most gifted workers out there right now). I hear him cut promos and it's embarrassing as a wrestling fan.
But I'm in the minority. Black apparently has a legion of fans who come to the shows and chant "Next World Champion" at him. I could appreciate it if he had any kind of redeeming quality. I mean, I'm an A-Double guy at heart, you all know that, but if the fans got riled up for a Strong or a Colt Cabana or an El Generico or or even a Davey Richards to take out Aries, I'd have no problem getting caught up in the moment. But Black? You're asking too much. The best thing I ever witnessed that involved him was Claudio Castagnoli telling him to go back to Iowa so he could cut himself during an ROH Video Wire.
So there it is, out in the open. I don't get the guy ROH is grooming to be the next big face World Champion. I mean, if he's going to make the company money, more power to them if they do end up strapping him at Final Battle. Just don't ask me to get all that excited.
