In case you missed it, there is a new United States Champion…was this the right call with Logan Paul?
Yep, it was a good Crown Jewel, and for Paul, his second big appearance there in as many years.
One thing Paul is-and it’s something he doesn’t shy away from-is he is polarizing.
He’s been both cheered and jeered during his run with WWE, and to be honest, he is someone for whom being a bad guy just seems to come naturally.
Like, I presume he can be a nice guy outside of the ring…but he does what he does so well that I just can’t see it.
He’s loud, he’s cocky and…he’s better in the ring than anyone expected he would be.
But, that’s in part because sometimes we forget that he does have a solid amateur background, and WWE have ensured that he’s been trained up well before every match.
He may be a part-time attraction, but he’s seriously embraced the art of sports entertainment.
But…
Was This The Right Call With Logan Paul?
WWE fans have often despised part-time champions, and we have a couple now.
What may bother fans in the case of Logan Paul is that he is not only a part-time special attraction…but that he’s so new to the business and unlike so many Superstars…he hasn’t “paid his dues”.
And, I’ve probably been one of those people with that view of things. He’s only worked with WWE in the ring for a couple years, he’s only worked a few matches…he hasn’t earned this…has he?
But then, you have to remember…his first match was a tag match, where he didn’t have to carry things, and he wasn’t isolated.
He did so well with that, that he did get to work a one on one on a major PLE. Heck, in his first year of WWE, he got to challenge Roman Reigns for the title…and wowed us.
And now, a year removed from that failed challenge…he has challenged and defeated Rey Mysterio.
So is it the right call to put the US title on Paul?
As much as I don’t love it…I think so.
His matches have consistently delivered. We’ve seen his spots be highlight reel type moves.
WWE no doubt loves his worldwide reach and fan base too. But this isn’t a publicity stunt, because Logan Paul can actually wrestle.
Plus, he’s doing things in the ring that normally aren’t expected from younger, greener talents.
Like this move during his title winning match:
Now, maybe he really didn’t save Rey, but looking at a few different angles of it, it certainly did seem like something was off and if Mysterio had landed unimpeded, he may have sustained a major neck injury.
While it is not sexy by any means, the mark of a great professional wrestler often is how safe they work-making sure not to hurt their opponent, but also making sure that their opponent doesn’t hurt themselves performing the riskier moves.
So, I don’t totally hate this move.
Plus, there are a few other reasons I may really like this development.
First, and maybe it’s a big old nothingburger, but this could raise questions about Santos Escobar and Rey.
Santos appeared from the crowd to prevent Logan’s entourage guy from giving Paul back his lost brass knuckles.
But, as Escobar grabbed them and ran him off…he conveniently placed them on the ring apron, right where Logan Paul would be.
Shortly after, Paul used them to deliver the knockout punch to seal his first title win in WWE.
Was that just an oops? Or could this lead to an eventual breakup of the LWO as we know it?
Second? We’ve seen recent teases of Kevin Owens and Logan Paul.
As much as I would love to see KO go up against Reigns again (and win), I have a feeling that the prizefighter has a date with the social media megastar.
And that date would now carry with it a rich prize in the United States Championship.
So, this title change was big for Logan Paul, and it will no doubt generate a lot of buzz which the company will like. I also think it sets a few things in motion that will have us all thinking that this was indeed, the right call with Logan Paul.
