205 Live star Enzo Amore is suddenly one of the biggest standouts in the WWE after capturing the Cruiserweight Title at No Mercy, but the heat magnet continues to antagonize others.
The fact that Enzo Amore frequently rubs other superstars and WWE employees the wrong way backstage isn’t a secret at all, and it was actually addressed on Bring It To The Table. One of the hosts of the show, heel commentator Corey Graves, succinctly stated that the Enzo on television is the same Enzo backstage, which rubs others the wrong way.
Last night, Graves got to see first-hand what the Enzo “character” is capable of. Graves playfully joked on Twitter that because his son did Enzo’s dance after reaching second base, he has failed as a father.
My son just ran to second base, and danced like @real1 to celebrate.
— Corey Graves (@WWEGraves) September 30, 2017
I have failed as a father.
The reply from Enzo took things to a different level, and it upset many members of the WWE Universe.
Nah u didn't fail as a father!? U failed as a wrestler, thats why they dressed ya up in a suit N tie & told ya 2 sit down #HowYouDoin #Champ https://t.co/mdkrvflAfY
— REAL1 (FKA Enzo Amore) (@real1) October 1, 2017
Graves wrestled outside of WWE before joining NXT and was a hot prospect. However, concussions forced him to medically retire, ending the promising career of an entertaining in-ring performer. It may have been a blessing in disguise, though, because Graves has blossomed as an announcer for the WWE and is on his way to becoming perhaps the greatest announcer in the company’s history. He’s already the most popular commentator on both Raw and SmackDown Live after previously being a star on 205 Live and NXT from the announcer’s desk.
Enzo’s diss of Graves on Twitter seems to fit his new heel persona, which suits his real-life character much more appropriately. This tweet may have crossed a line, but it is worth mentioning that The Miz’s famous Talking Smack promo did somewhat the same thing. Miz said that Daniel Bryan is a “coward” for not leaving WWE and wrestling on the independent scene.
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The difference between these two situations is three-fold. Firstly, Enzo and Graves do not appear to have the same off-screen relationship as Miz and Bryan. Secondly, it is true that Bryan has been medically cleared by everyone except WWE’s doctors, whereas Enzo’s characterization of Graves’s retirement is untrue and insulting. It is also occurring on a platform in which Enzo does not act like a heel, as evidenced by this tweet. Thirdly, the Miz/Bryan promo was a part of a storyline, whereas Enzo and Graves aren’t involved in any sort of storyline together.
We’ll see how Graves responds, if he does at all. I get that Enzo may be trying to get heat, but this crossed a line.