Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins: Frustration or working an angle

MVP and Bobby Lashley’s departure from WWE created some interesting discourse online. Fans have always watched closely to see how WWE books the performers of color on the roster. Much was made about the lack of Black men being booked on PLEs, and that number was even lower for men of Asian descent. As that conversation brewed, fans brought up names like Oba Femi and Trick Williams as eventual WWE NXT call-ups who will be main event-level talents. But what about the stars currently there? Montez Ford is one that fans have wanted to see for a long time, and he’s recently sparked up thoughts about brewing frustration with his place on the roster.

Recent interviews and tweets led the wrestling community to think that both Angelo Dawkins and Montez Ford are frustrated with their position in the company. Fightful Select reported on November 10 “some talent we spoke to who said they had seen and heard the same but weren’t sure if it was a part of a grander work for the show.”

So, there are two sides to this potential situation. On one, Dawkins and Ford could be setting the stage for a split. The split that a lot of people have long wanted to see. The initial hopes were that Ford would get a strong push as a singles performer, yet Dawkins has also shown that he has the in-ring talent and character work to be a great solo contributor for the WWE. They are set to face off against the Motor City Machine Guns on the next episode of SmackDown. This is a match they should be expected to lose, as it wouldn’t make any sense to take the title off MCMG so early. Perhaps this is the opening necessary to lead to this team’s split.

Then there’s the other side of the equation. What if these are two more Black men frustrated with their position on the main roster? When MVP and Lashley split from the company, it was clear that there were some differences in thought with how they were being used. Dawkins, Ford, and B-Fab were linked to the same group, so perhaps that feeling is mutual within them as well.

If that is the case, there’s a bigger issue here. Triple H’s booking has come under criticism in recent months, and his “I don’t see color” remarks during a PLE post-show did not make things any better. If these individuals are openly frustrated with how they are being used, there’s a bigger story there worth understanding. Especially when taking into account the history of the company. WWE needs to do all it can to avoid scandals and negative publicity such as this.

Are Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins working an angle? Perhaps. Could there be two more Black performers concerned about their utilization on the main roster? That could also be true. Either way, this is a developing issue to keep an eye on heading into the end of 2024.