Unpopular Opinion: Why Baron Corbin should win Money in the Bank 2019
OK. Hear me out.
It's no secret that Baron Corbin is one of the most divisive wrestlers in WWE in 2019. Sure, some people like him. OK. Maybe only a few people like him and many, many more, totally revile him.
The reasons why are quite simple. Corbin, although he has the look and size Vince McMahon likes, the "Lone Wolf" does not possess an electric personality or a dynamic ring style to engage the WWE Universe.
However, WWE pushes him as the second coming of Roman Reigns.
In 1989, the Corbin push may have worked. However in 2019, WWE's audience is attuned to how the company does business and it is clear to see that Corbin is pushed, not because of talent but because he is popular with management.
The reason why he is vehemently booed on a regular basis is not because he is a killer heel, it is because he is resented, in the same way a person would resent someone who got promoted ahead of them at work because they socialize with the boss, not because they deserve the job.
When 1996 Olympic Gold Medallist and WWE Hall of Famer, Kurt Angle, announced he would be bringing down the curtain on his in-ring wrestling career, almost 20 years to the day after it began on an episode of Sunday Night Heat in March 1999, and advised his opponent would be Corbin, the feedback was universal. It was 100 percent negative.
Those same fans were disappointed further when Corbin stunningly inflicted defeat on Angle in said match on the grandest stage.
What was lost in the controversy though was that Angle likely suggested he put Corbin over. The Pittsburgh native has never been shy about doing business the right way, and in a way, it makes perfect sense that Angle would comply with the "time-honored tradition" of lying down on the way out.
Corbin's win might be unpopular. OK. It definitely is unpopular but WWE cannot let an opportunity slip through their fingers.
The next event on WWE's pay per view calendar is Money In The Bank on May 19, 2019, in Hartford, Connecticut.
The company is yet to announce participants for their Money In The Bank briefcase matches but it seems likely Corbin will be one of the entrants. If he is, then he has to win.
That is not as inconceivable as it might seem. In fact, Corbin has already won Money In The Bank, back in 2017, before his then push was terminated due in part to backstage disrespect he showed to WWE's doctor, Joseph Maroon, who was addressing concussion-related trauma in pro-Football.
Maroon, who was depicted negatively in 2015's movie, Concussion, was challenged by former Football player, Corbin, on his comments, which Corbin interpreted as downplaying the risks of brain injury in Football.
Soon after this incident, Corbin lost his Money In The Bank cash-in versus then-WWE Champion, Jinder Mahal (remember him?), and was squashed in embarrassing fashion by John Cena at SummerSlam 2017.
However, despite Corbin's transgression, WWE remains high on him as a performer. After deciding he was the best choice to end Angle's career, they must continue on a path to give the six feet eight inch superstar the best chance possible to achieve lasting stardom in the company.
His 2017 push did not work out due to backstage politics. His 2019 push could erase that from memory. He may not be the best talker or in-ring magician, but at 34 years of age, Corbin has a chance to win Money In The Bank and make a name for himself over the coming years.
He just might be the superstar the WWE Universe didn't know it needed. He and WWE have a duty to ensure Corbin becomes a top line talent.
Hey, stranger things have happened. Right?