Lack of validation
Ignore the rankings. Baron Corbin might be one of the top guys on the SmackDown Live roster.
The only problem is that there hasn't been any follow through on the opportunities he has earned and eventually delivered on. He won the Money In The Bank contract but even with a strong showing holding the briefcase, he lost it allegedly to backstage heat.
Then, he won the United States Title only to lose it on his next major defense to a guy who dropped the title to negotiate for part-time status. Now, a win at Fastlane means not only holding the WWE Title but also heading on to the main event of WrestleMania.
If this happens, that will be a quick follow through for a Lone Wolf who has struggled to make those moments count.
Keeping kayfabe alive
In the age of acrobatic flips and broken kayfabes, Baron Corbin actually reminds us of how a heel indeed carries himself in and out of the squared circle. His social media antics? That is something a heel Triple H would have indulged in if Twitter was already present in 2003.
The thing is, Corbin isn't really as bad an overall performer as most would see him to be. Ever wonder why his promos are not connecting? That's because they have been already edited backstage before holding a mic.
Holding the title would mean a little more freedom and respect in his pitches and he is in dire need of one in order to enlighten the people that he isn't at all bad both on the mic and in the ring.
A lot of unfinished business
Baron Corbin's feuds might be considered more like arguments rather than storylines. The Kalisto feud was forgettable, he never really got one bit of revenge on John Cena for costing him his Money in the Bank contract, some petty scraps with Shinsuke Nakamura, Tye Dillinger, and AJ Styles (despite winning the United States Title from the latter), Corbin just hasn't held a feud worthy of being called a "storyline".
Holding the world title is going to be interesting for the Lone Wolf as the buildup to WrestleMania will be long enough, then maybe another name gets inserted in the Corbin-Nakamura title feud after Mania, or even a rematch clause on the next pay-per-view will be enough time to indeed tell a story.
He needs it more that any of them
WrestleMania won't be the same without John Cena but he has solidified himself already as an all-time great. Dolph Ziggler is starting to follow Cena and The Rock's footsteps and make a name for himself in the comedy bar industry, AJ Styles is still the number one guy in the company, Shinsuke Nakamura is still as big despite how much of himself he left in NXT. Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn might try to cancel each other out again with roles reversed.
If Corbin loses this one, he's got nothing to do come WrestleMania and he does not have an NFL training camp to attend to if he does not get booked for Mania. Bottom line is, Corbin's relevance is hanging in the balance right now.
It would be sad to see him slide down the card just because he isn't allowed to do his ironically effective style.
Do you think Corbin needs to win at Fastlane? Let us know in the comments below!
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