"I thought they could get him over huge with the kids" - WWE might have made a big mistake with Otis (Exclusive)
It's been a while now since Otis ditched his babyface gimmick to undergo a complete character transformation. However, Vince Russo explained why WWE might have made a big mistake with Otis during this week's Legion of RAW with co-host Dr. Chris Featherstone.
Otis returned to RAW on the latest episode, and Vince Russo admitted that it was the first time he'd seen the former Heavy Machinery member in his new avatar. Russo felt that the old Otis had the potential to be a massive babyface for the WWE.
The former WWE writer said that WWE could have gotten Otis over with the young audience, and he even gave a few examples of wrestlers from the past, such as The Mighty Igor, "Big Tex" McKenzie, and Ivan Putski.
Russo felt that Otis was like Ivan Putski and that the WWE could have made him a popular figure amongst the kids. Vince Russo appreciated how Otis was before the heel turn, and he praised the superstar's comical demeanor.
Vince Russo argued that the former version of Otis was more over with the fans, and he couldn't understand the reason behind WWE's decision to take a creative detour.
"Here's my point. This is the first time I saw the new Otis. Now, I saw the original Otis with Heavy Machinery. I saw that Otis and I was watching that Otis, and I was like, 'Bro, they can get this guy over huge with the kids.' Bro, do you remember way, way back, bro. I don't even know what promotion this was, but there was a promotion that used to play in New York with Big Tex McKenzie and The Love Brothers and The Mighty Igor. You know what I'm talking about? The Mighty Igor, that's who the kids loved. In WWE terms, it's kind of like Ivan Putski. That's who Otis was and when I saw Otis, and Otis is from Colorado, he trained here. When I saw Otis, I thought they could get him over huge with the kids. This guy could be a huge babyface, bro. He was funny with the promos, being the Chris Farley guy. Doing all that stuff, right? The stuff he did with Mandy. Bro, I have not seen him for a year, and now I see this version of Otis, and I'm like, wait a minute? Is this more over than the original? Like, what happened here, bro?" Vince Russo explained.
Otis and his current WWE status
MONDAY NIGHT ALPHA ACADEMY!
@WWEGable
@otiswwe
#WWERaw https://t.co/qHiB6LzJte
Otis has been a regular fixture in WWE's tag team division since turning heel earlier this year. Collectively known as the Alpha Academy, Otis and Chad Gable were recently drafted to RAW, and the duo competed in this week's show in a high-stakes match to determine the #1 contenders for RK-Bro's championship.
Brilliant, @otiswwe!!! 👏👏👏
@WWEGable has taught you well.
#WWERaw https://t.co/DQ6CjWU0rp
Otis was one of the most popular babyfaces in the WWE around this time last year, and it's astonishing when you look back at his character's progression since WWE abruptly ended the romantic angle with Mandy Rose.
Did WWE miss a trick with Otis? Could he have been a bigger star had he been booked differently? Let us know what you think in the comments section, and don't forget to check out a stacked episode of Legion of RAW above.
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