Is Baron Corbin legit?

[The Life Of Pablo Ren]

Smackdown has really been pushing him hard the past few weeks. He was in the WWE Championship Match on the Final Smackdown of 2016 and got involved in the contract signing between AJ Styles and John Cena on the first Smackdown of 2017. Being involved with the main title and the two biggest stars on the brand... that's pretty huge.

It's something that's really come out of nowhere, before this he was... I don't even know what he was doing... I think he was attacking Cruiserweights? Something like that.

Admittedly I was never the biggest fan of Corbin but he looked fantastic in the Title match with AJ and Ziggler, and it made me look at him in a different light.

The timing of this is certainly interesting, right around Royal Rumble season which obviously leads into WrestleMania season... are they building towards something big for him? And if they are... is he ready?

My opinion is, I think he's good enough in the ring and can excel if put up against the right opponent/opponents, and I always thought he was pretty good on the mic but after interrupting the contract signing... he sounded pretty amateurish after the promos that both AJ and Cena delivered. There's been a lot of worry (myself included) that if all the rumors turn out to be true and both Undertaker/Cena and Orton/Wyatt happen at WrestleMania, it's gonna leave AJ without a viable opponent whether he's Champion or not. I feared that they might give him Ziggler or Corbin... but now I don't know if Corbin would be such a bad idea IF he's built up right. Even with both being heels, I really liked how in the short build up to the Triple Threat match, AJ looked at Corbin as a threat and feared him opposed to "haha I'm a heel, he's a heel let's team up to take out Ziggler". I think that if they ever decided to go in that route, it could create for an interesting dynamic where you wouldn't necessarily have to change either's "alliance". I think I'd be very open to it.

 

[CH David]

Corbin has been on a roll lately. For the longest time he was just kinda there. He isn't exactly a Main Event player yet, but this little push is nice to see. He was the MVP of that Triple Threat in Chicago, no doubt. I hope his push continues and he actually has a good feud coming his way. So he may not be legit just yet, but he's on his way. SmackDown seems to know what they are doing with him.

 

[ComeOnVince]

I, for one, don't get the love for Corbin.

THAT BEING SAID, I'm happy to be wrong. I'm definitely happy to see them developing some new guys. I think they are taking the right approach with him on SDL - tying him to some main eventers and some main event segments without throwing him full-on into the mix.

I'm happy to watch and see what he can do. I gripe and gripe about WWE not really developing new guys, so this is a great thing to see and I very much really do hope that he works out. The more capable guys there are in the main event scene, the better. Makes the roster richer all around and gives more options down the way.

I like the SDL approach. Started slow, repetitive a little, but with a good degree of quality and time invested in the top feuds we've seen so far even if we don't all love the guys involved. I think there are only more good things to come from SDL, and this is a sign of that. I hope Corbin works out, even though I'm not sold yet.

 

[#hamler]

In an era when heels are cheered and faces are boo'd, Baron Corbin may be the best true heel (besides the Miz) in WWE today. He's not a chicken shit heel and that's something that is totally fresh in the WWE - especially nowadays. He didnt have to claw his way to the WWE. WWE made a phone call and here he is. He's entitled. He's a loner. He's a piece of shit and I love it.

I always thought he was pretty good on the mic but after interrupting the contract signing... he sounded pretty amateurish after the promos that both AJ and Cena delivered.

I agree with you for the most part. Corbin is legit enough to be in the main event but he's no where near ready to hang with the likes of John Cena on the microphone. With that said, have you seen any of his segments on Talking Smack? The dude is legitimately one of the best guest the show has on a regular basis because he goes on and on about how great he is. That's the problem I have with promos nowadays; I think they're way to scripted. If Baron Cobin can go on Smackdown Live and put himself over the way he does on Talking Smack, we'd have the greatest heel of the new era.

And that's what makes Talking Smack so great. It gives these guys time to develope their characters. It's just a shame it's only viewed by a selected few. Guys like Baron Corbin, The Miz and even AJ Styles have all benefited from Talking Smack and it shows. Corbin is definitely on the rise and but if he's going to be trading insults with Cena and Styles, he needs to be more comfortable in front of the live crowd.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

Corbin is still green and there's still work to do, but he has come a long way in my opinion. He's not a main event level player yet, I think he still needs work on the mic but it's better than it was. Truth be told, Corbin is much better at speaking during the segments in which he's appeared on Talking Smack because what he says isn't scripted; he may be told bullet points to touch on while he talks, but it very much seems like he's using his own words.

I agree with the notion of Corbin being an interesting heel; he's not a cowardly heel like Miz and he's not trying to be an "entertaining" heel like Jericho and Owens. In many ways, he's like Kevin Owens was when he first hit the main roster: he comes off as an entitled, self-important, opportunistic, calculating piece of garbage who doesn't care about anything except getting what he thinks is rightfully his. In my opinion, WWE needs more heels along those likes because even though Miz, Jericho & Owens have all done well in their respective roles, Corbin is one of the very few guys on the roster who feels like and is portrayed as someone that's dangerous.

 

[Kyphael]

Corbin is one of the best heels they have because he knows how to play a legit heel without trying to be a tweener. When he talks down a crowd, he does so with conviction, unlike Jericho who as good as he is, he's become a parody of his 2008 self.

Corbin also knows how to play his character well in the ring. He's a straight up brawler with agility and does things to hurt his opponents with no pandering to the crowd and he's very fluid, no wasted motions. If Cena stays face, I'd love for them to feud to elevate Corbin to the next level.

 

[shafe_41]

Of course Corbin is legit. Been a fan of his since his gimmick change in NXT. He's still a little wet behind the ears when it comes to putting together the entire package for a consistent main event player... but it's coming. He's getting the exposure right now. He'll move back down soon to feud with the mid-card faces and for the mid-card titles... but he's got what it takes. IMO he's got one of the best finishers going right now because he can kind of hit it out of anywhere and it looks good. Hope to continue to see Corbin flourish with every chance he's given.

 

[TheBadGuy92]

He's not a chicken shit heel and that's something that is totally fresh in the WWE - especially nowadays.

This is the main reason for me being a huge Corbin fan. He learned a ton in NXT and was fun to watch on Breaking Ground. He has the look and one of the companies best finishers. He doesnt need to talk much. legit bad asses shouldnt.

As long as they keep his momentum going i dont care what they do with him. win the rumble, win the WWE title. Major feud win. IC title win. Just give the guy something to run with.

 

[Navi]

The timing of this is certainly interesting, right around Royal Rumble season which obviously leads into WrestleMania season... are they building towards something big for him? And if they are... is he ready?

Of course he's legit, I don't even know why that's being asked. Since the brand split they have had to elevate some of the wrestlers. Look at the difference between RAW and SD alone. On RAW you have the same four guys each week dueling it out for the two titles.

On SD Alexa Bliss a rookie is holding the Women's title, American Alpha are tag champs, and Corbin is now in the hunt for the WWE title. Now I don't think he will win it, but he is getting matches with Cena and Styles, which would never have happened before the brand split.

I wasn't a fan of his in NXT to be truthful. All he did was come out, say nothing and squash someone. Always thought he was kind of a weird shape for a wrestler, very tall and skinny, and looked more like a biker than anything else. Boy was I wrong.

Some of his segments on Talking Smack have been the best, and his work in the ring is getting better each week. Sure he's made mistakes, but everyone does, he is still learning. He's also getting better on the mic and coming into his own. I think he will be holding the title in the next year or so. It all depends on how they book him, but if he continues the way he's going, sure give him a run with it.

 

[BestSportsEntertainer]

When Baron Corbin first debuted in WWE and was drafted to Smackdown, I was not a big fan. He was just okay in the ring and on the mic. He won the ATGMBR, but I didn't see too much potential in him. (It was probably because of that never-ending feud with Ziggler, where they had at least 15-20 matches in 4 months).

Since then I have been very impressed by his work. He was very impressive in the triple threat match for the WWE Title last week. He also gets actual heat and is booed by all the fans. Most other heels (Styles, Jericho, Owens, etc) are over with the majority of the crowd. Corbin is also getting pushed, and WWE needs new stars. He's certainly not ready for the main event scene (didn't look great next to Styles and Cena), but you can't expect him to be at this point. I'm sure Smackdown will let him develop and probably give him an IC Title run. Thinking about it, I would be very interested in an Ambrose vs. Corbin feud. Anyways, Corbin should be a big star eventually.

 

[Vanilla Midget]

I want to like him but I feel like he's missing something. He's come a long way, but he's still pretty green. That being said, he's in a great position where he's on the cusp of being pushed to the top, and that's an ok spot to be green in.

There's something about the biker fetish I find kind of odd. We here motorbikes, they constantly remind us he's a lone wolf, but we never see any bikes. He doesn't ride one to the ring (it would be too much like Chuck Palumbo, I know) and we never see him working on one backstage, so I wonder why it's the choice for his memetic sound during his entrance music.

Austin's was the glass shattering, Undertaker's was the bell, Corbin's in motorbikes revving. He looks kind of like a motorbiker, but never rides or references them. Kind of makes him feel like a poser, or rather a wrestling gimmick.

It's not be all end all, those are just some of my thoughts on the character. Otherwise I think he's got a great look, he's tall and imposing. He still has a lot of youth in his face, but that'll change over time.

I think he would be more interesting and legit if we saw him kick a bit more ass. A massive part of that is a lack of babyfaces on Smackdown. So far he's feuded with Kalisto, Jack Swagger, and Dolph Ziggler. Kalisto and Ziggler have been done to death. Who is there left to feud with Corbin?

I thought they would legitimize Swagger with a win over Corbin, but instead Swagger lost and Corbin was left without an adversary. Smackdown needs a face for Corbin to feud with. It's good to see him in the picture with Cena and Styles. Smackdown is getting the Elimination Chamber this year, so we'll more than likely see him there.

He needs a foil. He needs an established babyface to feud with, someone fresh and definitely over. Maybe he feuds with Ambrose for the IC title at Mania? Maybe he feuds with Strowman in an interbrand patchwork pants on a pole match to determine the least green future main event guy?

He's being booked differently and they're showing a degree of restraint which is why I think people want to like him as he's not just another cool or cowardly heel. When something is slightly different in mainstream wrestling, it often takes on hyperbolic degrees of popularity.

 

[The Yes Guy]

He's good.
He very much reminds me of Orton during his viper/punt kick days.
He's still a bit raw on the mic but has the potential unlike someone like Reigns. My guess is that he will improve by spending time with the likes of Cena, AJ and the rest.

So he needs those top feuds. Not the title yet. He needs to look strong even in a loss. They're building him well. The way they should have built Reigns.

 

[Deoxyribonucleic A.C.I.D.]

He's not legit, he's a kayfabe character.

But yeah, I really don't see anything special with him, but nor would I have seen anything special with HHH back in 1996. Corbin is just being tested, they're not planning anything.

If Corbin passes this test, he's probably gonna be the next IC champ, but I don't think that will come sooner than Mania.

 

[Trance Metaphor]

I've liked Baron Corbin since his NXT days. He had a cool entrance and attire with a matching loner attitude. I like how believable he is as a heel, because he legitimately comes across as someone that doesn't align with anyone anywhere. He's just in it for himself and he looks dead serious all the time, which just adds to his mystique. It kind of reminds me of Kane back in the day when he was just silent and didn't crack jokes or do anything goofy. Baron Corbin definitely has room for improvement and he is far from World Champion material for the time being. The best thing would be for him to win the Intercontinental Championship and enhance his mic work. I'm actually fine with him not talking as that really poses more of an intimidating factor and blends well with his 'lone wolf' style. His in-ring work is good as far as I can tell. His match with Kalisto at TLC still stands out in recent memory. He is a refreshing heel that isn't afraid of anyone and doesn't do the usual heel antics that we're so used to seeing. I hope this continues with him for a while and he actually picks up big wins.

 

[StaRRStruck]

Corbin has the potential to unravel some inner persona once the time is right. I love how forward and pushy he is on Talking Smack and how honestly doesn't give a shit about anyone except himself. He's shown he can go in big match situation ala the triple threat to close out 2016 on SDL. My only concern for him is hoping he doesn't dry out and continues to develop his character as after a few years his character may go bland.

Regardless, Corbin has a lot to show and a serious program with a star he could create a real fiery feud with would elevate him as just not a tough guy, but a tough guy you DO NOT want to fuck with. Currently on SDL guys like Orton, Ambrose or Shelton Benjamin if he ever re-debuts would be great into elevating Corbin to that level. So to answer your question, I do believe if he has potential to become legit as he is already showing signs of it. No matter how green he is, he's pulling all the strings to keep himself relevant on the roster.

 

[ShinChan]

Yupp, he's a legitimate one.

Of course, he isn't a main eventer but by time, he can be easily. The triple threat match against AJ Styles and Dolph Ziggler was good enough to increase his credibility.

He isn't awesome on mic but he isn't bad either. The Lone Wolf gimmick is a quite good one for someone like Corbin.

If he's booked strongly as well as smartly, he could be a good main eventer for sure.