WWE: The key to Ember Moon becoming one of the promotion’s best

Returning WWE NXT star Ember Moon can become one of the cornerstones of the promotion.

Already one of the better in-ring performers in WWE NXT and a former champion to boot, Ember Moon resides in the early stages of a high-potential feud with Dakota Kai ready to reemerge as one of the stars of the brand following a long absence due to injury.

Since Moon has burst back onto the scene, presenting ambiguously in her in and out-of-ring work, there’s still not a notable focus to her character work.

Continuing to be humble and vulnerable while maintaining a steadfast belief in herself of “skill, honor, and heart” is something that has always made her incredibly likable.

While part of this has to be attributed to writing, it seems worth suggesting that her natural tendencies to being blunt, telling hard truths, and being cocksure of herself are all characteristics that should be embraced in her coming run.

Letting her real personality take over in the coming weeks is the best way to ensure she continues connecting with the fans, giving observers passionate and casual a reason to dig into what she’s selling.

Moon generated kayfabe buzz for her on-camera guest spots on WWE programming, and in podcast interviews with the likes of Booker T and others.

Daily DDT’s own Graham Matthews elicited responses from Moon that showcased her state of mind after returning from a devasting Achilles injury, sustained in the fall of 2019.

From letting her nerd flag fly, to just getting downright frank on camera, Moon has to find a new focus for her on-screen presence.

Moon’s return following the Io Shirai-Candice Lerae title match at NXT Takeover 31 almost upstaged what was an excellent, topsy-turvy, shenanigans-filled title match, even after Toni Storm announced her return, and cast a new look on the long-awaited returnee to the black and gold brand.

And while Moon is feuding with Kai, she’s in all likelihood leaving fans around the world anxious about the potential for future potential matchups, some of which she’s especially excited for, as detailed in the aforementioned Daily DDT interview.

"“When I was on the independent scene, I thought she (Io Shirai) was the best female wrestler in the entire world. To what she did to how she wrestled with the other person in the ring, it’s just magic. It really is magic.” (I wanted to work with her at the Mae Young Classic) “It’s crazy how things work out. I just might get to wrestle someone on my wrestling bucket list and that’s Io Shirai. There’s plenty of other women, too, like Rhea Ripley and Dakota Kai. Dakota’s someone I traveled with for years on the independent scene and we’ve never gotten to wrestle each other, not once.”"

The “She-nom” or “War Goddess” type nicknames? Cast those out the window, or at least downplay them in terms of her actual character. Have Moon speak her truth about how she feels about members of the roster, and the opportunities and mistakes others have made. Let her build on some tweener energy and if it really works, let her swing heel. She’s not the non-human entity she was when everything about her character was about The Eclipse and some wolf howl that was supposed to make her a supernatural being, when all it came across as was a cosplay. She can have lavish and unique costumes without tying it into her previous on-screen presentation.

At 32 years old, now is the time for Moon to do some of the best work of her career, and if the writers on NXT are smart, they’ll let her play a big hand in determining her role going forward. Think about the potential of her NXT feud with Asuka, but with more emotional involvement in what happens with Moon.

As Moon said in the first promo following her return: “No one is going to walk over me anymore. No one is going to tell me what to do, because I’m going to do what I want to do, because I’m Ember Moon, damnit.”

If she stops acting and lets more of her real self show, she stands a great chance of endearing herself to fans, encouraging further devotion, and then riding them through dynamite future matchups.

The best way to show off all Moon has to offer is to continue to let her personality shine, and given that chance and determination, she’ll eclipse all that we’ve seen to date.