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Jack Swagger Needs a New Path in WWE

Jack Swagger Needs a New Path in WWE

Posted: Jun 13th 2013 By: mikeiles

Remember that supposedly reinvigorated Jack Swagger who competed for the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 29 and looked like he was about to get pushed to the moon?

Yeah, well, he?s gone, and the Swagger of 2011-2012 is back.

That?s the Swagger who became virtually irrelevant, developing into a jobber and complete afterthought only a year after he won the World Heavyweight title in 2010. He was booked incredibly poorly over that two-year span, serving as the jobber to the stars for everyone from Sheamus to Randy Orton and even failing to create much of a buzz when tagging with Dolph Ziggler or holding the United States Championship.

So, Swagger went away for a while and returned earlier this year, with a renewed push that he hadn?t seen the likes of since 2010. He was paired with a superb manager in Zeb Colter and almost instantly thrust into a main-event role as Alberto Del Rio?s World title challenger at WrestleMania 29.

But once again, Swagger has had some major hiccups that have kept him from truly excelling in the WWE. He was, of course, arrested for DUI and marijuana possession not long after his main-event push started, and now, he?s sitting on the sidelines while nursing what appears to be a nasty hand injury.

Different year, same story for Swagger: Disappointment.

Despite having the creative team behind him and an excellent mouthpiece by his side, Swagger?s problems have continued. He?s had the aforementioned outside-the-ring issue, hasn?t gotten over to anywhere near the extent that the WWE wanted him to and is back on the shelf after missing the last five months of 2012.

That?s what makes right now such a critical time for Swagger. He?s either going to have to take a new path in the WWE and succeed at it, or he?s going to be in jeopardy of leaving the company altogether.

It?s a shame to say (or type) that because Swagger?s such a great in-ring talent, but quite simply, the ?Real American? shtick that Swagger has been doing with Colter just hasn?t worked for him.

For whatever reason, the vast majority of fans simply haven?t reacted much to Swagger or cared about he and Colter?s xenophobic rants, heelish pro-American stance or Swagger?s major feud with Del Rio. Perhaps because the issues that Swagger?s character revolves around are too confusing for the average wrestling fan to truly understand, his ?We the People? gimmick has been a big swing?and a big miss.

Although he?s had a pretty big presence on TV since returning and has had Colter try like hell to help him get over, Swagger has largely generated crickets from the crowd, and hasn?t been able to involve into the top-level heel that the WWE clearly wanted him to become.

Now, there?s only one way to fix that problem: Change things up for Swagger. Yes, again.

One thing Swagger has literally never done in his entire WWE career is perform is a babyface, which is actually pretty baffling when you consider that he largely failed as the jock-like character he portrayed in the beginning of his career and hasn?t had a ton of success as ?The Real American,? either.

So, why not give Swagger a shot as a babyface?

Yes, how Swagger would perform as a good guy is a total mystery. But at the same time, he?s got the tools to make it successful: He?s talented, he?s got the size and the look, and perhaps most importantly, he loves his country.

If there?s any type of superstar that pro wrestling fans can get behind, it?s a patriotic one who does everything for the USA. That type of gimmick worked well for Jim Duggan, Sgt. Slaughter and Kurt Angle, and if done right, it could work for Swagger as well.

At the very least, it?s certainly worth a shot.

Though Swagger has had some success in the WWE; he?s never been able to solidify himself as a top guy with the characters he?s portrayed so far throughout his career.

It?s time for a change, and Swagger needs to stop going down the path of being a patriotic heel and start a new path?one where he?s a pro-American babyface and a WWE hero.

 

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Spotlight in History

  • 1968 The Spoiler & Gary Hart def. Fritz Von Erich & Grizzly Smith for the WCCW American Tag Team Titles
  • 1971 Ramon Torres def. Roger Kirby for the NWA World Junior Heavyweight Title
  • 1978 David Von Erich def. Bruiser Brody for the WCCW Texas Heavyweight Title
  • 1979 Oki Shikina & Sugar Bear Harris became the TSW United States Tag Team Champions
  • 2011 Drake Gallows became the BYEW Entertainment Champion
  • 2016 Psycho Sawyer def. Ray Martinez for the SRPW Heavyweight Title
  • 2016 Psycho Sawyer def. Spyder for the SRPW United States Title
  • 2021 Legend Has It (Thrash & Killbane) def. Two Man Sam (Sam Stackhouse & Samuel Savage) for the CPW Tag Team Titles
  • 2022 Team Boner (Drake Gallows & MLP) def. Psychotic Messengers (Maniac Mike & Malachi) for the AIWF Tag Team Titles
  • 2022 MLP def. Duncan Kincaid for the RDW Iron Man Title
  • 2022 Nashoba def. Al Farat for the MajCW 24/7 On Call Title

Week of Sun 09-06 to Sat: 09-12

  • 09-06 2008 The New York Express (Thomas Knight & Jeff Knight) def. The Untouchables (J. D. Rebel & The Enforcer) for the SECW Tag Team Titles
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  • 09-06 2014 Spanish Wolf (Nathan Estrada & Michael Wolf) def. The New York Express (Jeff Knight & Thomas Knight) for the OECW Tag Team Titles
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  • 09-07 1979 Mark Lewin def. Bruiser Brody for the WCCW Texas Brass Knuckles Title
  • 09-07 1980 Terry Gibbs became the TSW Tri-State Champion
  • 09-07 1981 Frank Hill & Eric Embry def. Joel Deaton & David Deaton for the TSW Tag Team Titles
  • 09-07 2004 Kenzo Suzuki & Rene Dupree def. Paul London & Billy Kidman for the WWE Smackdown World Tag Team Titles
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  • 09-09 1970 Waldo Von Erich def. Jack Curtis for the TSW Mississippi Title
  • 09-09 1980 The Grappler def. Ted DiBiase for the MSW North American Heavyweight Title
  • 09-09 2002 Papa Voodoo def. HIMM for the ACW Hardcore Title
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  • 09-09 2011 Michael Barry def. Dustin Heritage for the MWA MAX-Division Title
  • 09-09 2016 One Man Sam def. Brock Landers for the MSWA Mid-South Cruiserweight Title
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  • 09-10 1968 The Spoiler & Gary Hart def. Fritz Von Erich & Grizzly Smith for the WCCW American Tag Team Titles
  • 09-10 1971 Ramon Torres def. Roger Kirby for the NWA World Junior Heavyweight Title
  • 09-10 1978 David Von Erich def. Bruiser Brody for the WCCW Texas Heavyweight Title
  • 09-10 1979 Oki Shikina & Sugar Bear Harris became the TSW United States Tag Team Champions
  • 09-10 2011 Drake Gallows became the BYEW Entertainment Champion
  • 09-10 2016 Psycho Sawyer def. Ray Martinez for the SRPW Heavyweight Title
  • 09-10 2016 Psycho Sawyer def. Spyder for the SRPW United States Title
  • 09-10 2021 Legend Has It (Thrash & Killbane) def. Two Man Sam (Sam Stackhouse & Samuel Savage) for the CPW Tag Team Titles
  • 09-10 2022 Team Boner (Drake Gallows & MLP) def. Psychotic Messengers (Maniac Mike & Malachi) for the AIWF Tag Team Titles
  • 09-10 2022 MLP def. Duncan Kincaid for the RDW Iron Man Title
  • 09-10 2022 Nashoba def. Al Farat for the MajCW 24/7 On Call Title
  • 09-11 1957 El Medico def. Duke Keomuka for the WCCW Texas Brass Knuckles Title
  • 09-11 1958 Angelo Savoldi def. Dory Funk for the NWA World Junior Heavyweight Title
  • 09-11 1963 The Bolos (The Great Bolo [1st] & The Mighty Bolo) def. Bill Watts & Jerry Kozak for the TSW United States Tag Team Titles
  • 09-11 1967 The Von Erichs (Fritz Von Erich & Waldo Von Erich) def. Brute Bernard & Mike Paidousis for the WCCW American Tag Team Titles
  • 09-11 1967 Danny Hodge & Skandar Akbar def. Chati Yokouchi & Togo Shikuma for the TSW United States Tag Team Titles
  • 09-11 1968 Danny Little Bear & Kit Fox def. Jack Dalton [1st] & Frank Dalton for the TSW Louisiana Tag Team Titles
  • 09-11 1978 Bruiser Brody def. Fritz Von Erich for the WCCW American Heavyweight Title
  • 09-11 2010 Ryan Reed became the NCW Heavyweight Champion
  • 09-11 2010 The Unknown & Yoshi became the NCW Tag Team Champions
  • 09-11 2010 Aerial Assault (Ky-ote Joe & Eric Rose) def. The Future Hall of Famers (Dane Griffin & Shane Rawls) for the IZW Tag Team Titles
  • 09-11 2010 Team Shake It (Josh Evans & Martin Casaus) def. The D-Stinguished (Elias Castaneda & Arik Angel) for the ACW Tag Team Titles
  • 09-11 2021 Warren Powers def. Drake Gallows for the EPW All-American Title
  • 09-11 2021 Drake Gallows def. Warren Powers for the EPW Internet Television Title
  • 09-11 2021 Revan became the RDW Iron Man Champion
  • 09-11 2021 Most Wanted (Dan Webber & Reese & T-Arsenal) def. The Rejecs LM (Dr. Corvus & Elijah Sparks) for the WAH Tag Team Titles
  • 09-12 1982 King Kong Bundy & Bill Irwin def. The Von Erichs (Kerry Von Erich & Kevin Von Erich) for the WCCW American Tag Team Titles
  • 09-12 1983 Butch Reed & Jim Neidhart def. Magnum T. A. & Jim Duggan for the MSW Mid-South Tag Team Titles
  • 09-12 1988 The Samoan SWAT Team (Samu & Fatu) def. John Tatum & Jimmy Jack Funk for the WCCW Texas Tag Team Titles
  • 09-12 2004 Chris Matthews def. Brandon Bishop for the ACW Heavyweight Title
  • 09-12 2009 Bobby Starr def. Kevin James Sanchez for the BYEW Entertainment Title
  • 09-12 2010 Xavior def. Kevin Morgan for the MSWA Oklahoma Title
  • 09-12 2015 Double D def. Aaron Neil for the IZW Impact Division Title
  • 09-12 2015 Erica def. Paige Turner for the IZW Queens Title
  • 09-12 2015 Brad Michaels def. Johnny Z for the IZW Heavyweight Title
  • 09-12 2015 Richie Adams def. Jake O'Brien for the ComPro Heavyweight Title
  • 09-12 2015 Shawn Hernandez became the DI2IW Intercontinenal Champion
  • 09-12 2015 What Wrestling Should Be (Jermaine Johnson & Jordan Jacobs) def. Impact, Inc. (Damon Windsor & Johnny Z) for the IZW Tag Team Titles
  • 09-12 2015 The K. C. Wolves (Graham Bell & Luke Langley) def. What Wrestling Should Be (Jermaine Johnson & Jordan Jacobs) for the IZW Tag Team Titles
  • 09-12 2025 Floyd Maystorm def. Clover Botello for the WAH Hunger Dojo Title
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