WWE Raw: Will We Witness The Evolution Of Elias?
By Tom Thomas
Elias has been a top performer on WWE Raw ever since being called up. This week, the WWE Universe might have witnessed the birth of something special from the Sinister Songster.
Elias has been one of the most entertaining stars on WWE Raw. His ascension to success has been rather surprising to say the least. At a time when many of the NXT favorites failed to make an impact on the main roster, here is a guy who constantly failed to get over with the fans on NXT. Yet, here he was the past week, calling out the Universal Champion Brock Lesnar.
One must thank the creative team and the people behind who put their trust in the Drifter. When he was in NXT, the fans rejected him with all their might and I often wondered why would they do it. I never followed the show in those times but whenever he popped up on my screen I’d think, man he’s got the looks and seems to be doing a good job as a heel. I wonder why everything I read about him on the internet says the fans rejected him.
The truth is, Elias has always had that intensity and charisma. It might not have come out at all times but when it did he showed flashes of excellency. Recently, a video of him doing a promo while still touring the independent scenes had popped up online. If you watch it you can probably label it as one of the origins of the Elias we see on Monday nights.
Yes, there is a long way between Logan Shulo and Elias. But the origins of the Drifter we see now lies here. The voice modulation and the tone of his promos, the screen presence that he is blessed with, everything has always been there. Perhaps it could be the lack of promo time or song segments in NXT that failed the Drifter. Perhaps it could be mere timing that got him over on WWE Raw.
But fact of the matter is, the Sinister Songster has been growing and building on his character for many years and the results have been superb. We might have witnessed the latest evolution of him this week on Raw. To quote from Erik Beaston of Bleacher Report
"Elias stared into the camera, an intense look in his eyes the likes of which the WWE Universe has never seen."
This was not the unapologetic heel who loved to give it to the fans in attendance. This was a man who was disappointed in the way he lost his shot at winning the gold. We saw a man who was hungry for more and who believed he deserved better. One man, who was out to prove his worth and show the world he would bounce back and be even stronger.
That is a quality we don’t normally see in a heel. So does Elias’s next evolution turns him into a babyface? Or an anti-hero? Whatever the case may be, he has created a space for himself on the main event scene on Monday nights. The idea of him squaring up with Brock Lesnar does not seem like ramblings of a delusional heel anymore. Because The Drifter has put in the character work and the in-ring work to deserve this.
Next: WWE SmackDown Live: Breaking Down The Gauntlet Match
Are you excited for Elias’s potential new direction? Do you think he is in line for more opportunities and might be a future champion soon? If you think so, join me and sing with me; WWE stands for Walk With Elias!