Where will Elias' WWE journey take him next?
When Elias came walking into WWE with a loaded six-string on his back, there were a lot of expectations for the multi-talented superstar. And rightfully so.
The promising prospect had great size and just looked like a pro wrestler. Add in the fact that he was a legitimate musician who incorporated his guitar and his music into his gimmick.
With his deadpan delivery and somber expression, he was able to add to the levity of many of his singing segments by keeping the audience on the edge of their seats. They just never knew what nonsense he might throw out there next.
He developed one of the best catchprases in recent memory when he suggested that WWE actually stood for 'Walk With Elias'. Unfortunately, it looks like those days have come to an end. No one's walking anywhere anymore.
@IAmEliasWWE is apparently heading towards a character change & personally I think it’s a terrible thing. His character was one of the most reacted to characters when they didn’t make him a jobber. Here’s a thread of my fav Elias promo moments. #Elias #WWERaw #WWE #WalkWithElias https://t.co/wx5gneOSM9
Several weeks ago, WWE aired a vignette where ditched his guitar and basically torched his original character. Since then, there has been plenty of speculation as to what the WWE Superstar's next move will be.
There will be no more strumming of guitars or singing jingles, as the company's creative team wanted him to evolve.They had given up on Elias' persona and wanted to try something new. As usual, no explanation was given, and it left many in the WWE Universe scratching their heads.
This transformation may have been a positive thing for the performer, had it been executed both effectively and immediately.
Unfortunately, Elias has been missing from WWE television since this summer.
Where he at?!?! #walkwithelias https://t.co/OkUPVgHeQF
At his best, Elias was truly entertaining. He had a great presence on the microphone and terrific comedic timing during his promos. While his wrestling abilities could often leave a lot to be desired, he made up for it with his outlandishness and the way he sold his gimmick to the fans.
What happens next for this performer is anyone's guess. Recent rumors surfaced that he was all set for a re-boot, but that it was eventually nixed by Vince McMahon. Details of the new persona were not given, but the story behind the story was that the WWE Chairman thought that Elias looked 'too much like The Macho Man' for it to work.
Wherever Elias walks from here, let's hope he gets a second chance at being a first-rate superstar. He has way too much charisma to be yet another talent that is wasted and falls by the wayside.
Taking the guitar and music man gimmick away from him could potentially be a mistake, but WWE still has time to make things right. Elias may never walk out to the sound of that opening guitar chord again. But there's still a chance that he can strike the right notes in a re-mixed version of his WWE career.