The WWE has made a lot of bold moves lately with their roster. Injuries and time off for veteran talent have opened the door for new players to rise and shine. With the increasing popularity of NXT and the talent it bolsters, it really is a new day for both the fans and the locker room. But timing is everything when it comes to the biggest stage in sports entertainment and not everyone works out, at first. Even legends like Chris Jericho needed time to adjust to what he *could* get away with and win some belts with the company. In the recent crop, there’s been more hits than misses lately and the misses from before have mostly been able to find a new angle to explore and make it fun for the fans.
That is until you get to The Ascension.
What started as a faction gimmick in Florida Championship Wrestling, Konnor (Conor O’Brian) and Viktor (Rick Viktor) would eventually become the most dominating tag team in NXT, holding the titles longer than anyone had before. It’s little wonder that when they were called up to the main roster in late 2014, they had a healthy amount of hubris behind them.
But on just their second major appearance on a Monday night in Corpus Christi, they shot themselves in the foot by calling out legendary tag champs Demolition and The Road Warriors in what turned out to be the gaffe of the year.
It’s a hole that the former champs have yet to dig out of as the tag divisions for both brands have been heating up of late. I have long desired a return to real tag team relevance in recent years and that renaissance is blessedly upon us. From the rise of the Uso’s to the return of the legendary Dudley Boyz, watching tag matches is fun again. But tag magic is not a simple matter.
The Ascension’s gimmick is too reminiscent of the Hall of Famers they mocked and
their in-ring performances to date have run the gamut of embarrassing and meant to be embarrassed. Even a team up with a veteran like Stardust has yielded little buzz. Is it a case of too much too soon for a team that’s only tagged together for a couple of years, bad timing on the gimmick or both? Both wrestlers have had their successes on the indie circuit prior to teaming up but despite being widely loved in NXT, they’re yearlong fail at the next level has been rough to watch.
But not everyone can make it, the question remains for the Ascension is if they should.
- Dave Parrish
EDITOR'S NOTE: Can the Ascension ascend already?
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