James Ellsworth has much to be thankful for during this holiday season. The independent wrestler turned mascot of Team SmackDown Live at Survivor Series, officially signed a contract with the Blue team on WWE Talking Smack the night before Thanksgiving.
As he said it himself, before putting his name on a company contract, it was a 5-year-old boy’s dream come true.
Ellsworth has been a part of SmackDown Live’s main event picture, earning a victory over WWE World Champion AJ Styles in recent weeks, which has wrestling fans like myself a bit uneasy. Why would the company that is pitching the importance of a title match between Styles and Dean Ambrose at TLC, sidestep its own game plan to include a mid-card neophyte in its booking?
Ever since Ellsworth appeared on Raw before the Brand split in July in a match versus Braun Strowman, he has remained relevant in the feud of the blue team’s two top stars. Once the pay-per-view is over, how will the company book him moving forward?
There is a place for Ellsworth in WWE – where that is, remains to be seen.
Ellsworth isn’t Rockstar Spud. He isn’t Barry Horowitz or some jobber, who is asked to come in and make the upper echelon look better; his story has been solid, much like the rebirth of Heath Slater. Now WWE must take the success of this program and enhance it in 2017.
Here’s a look at five ways WWE should book Ellsworth after the TLC pay-per-view.
#1 Send him to NXT
Ellsworth was an independent wrestler for 14 years, prior to signing with WWE. Even while working with the company since the brand split, he spent time in Indie shows. There could be a way to repackage him, giving him a new look at potentially a bigger role in NXT.
WWE has used NXT to help develop and enhance talent. While his role to date has been effective, it is still raw. There is no shame in moving down a rung or two, before coming back up to the main roster. Mickie James is a prime example of someone who returned to the company and had to rebuild herself as a competitor with an eye on the main roster.
#2 Tag Team Division
I see Ellsworth as a poor man’s Heath Slater. Slater got his start on the main roster with The Nexus. He honed his skills as a tag team specialist (with Justin Gabriel and David Otunga). What if Ellsworth worked in the tag team division, potentially with Slater, once he and Rhyno drop the SmackDown Tag Team Titles?
As odd a combination as this is, I see there is great potential. Ellsworth competed on the independent circuit, under the ring name "Pretty" Jimmy Dream, often as part of a tag team with Adam Ugly as Pretty Ugly. There is a chance he could make a big impact with a partner by his side.
#3 Put the WWE World Title around his waist
The worst thing WWE could do is make him a legit contender for the world title. But as a fan, I have to ask, “Why would WWE have him win matches against AJ Styles if there was no intention of pushing him as a threat to unseat the current champion?”
The biggest issue I have with Ellsworth being part of this program is, he isn’t ready to assume that role and is not championship material. It shows a lack of depth on the part of the blue team. With that said, there have been worse cases where unworthy wrestlers have held gold; David Flair, David Arquette and Vince Russo, just to name a few. Ellsworth is better than all of them.
#4 Cost John Cena the WWE World Title
There is a match booked after Christmas in Madison Square Garden between Styles, Ambrose and Cena with the title on the line. If Ellsworth is part of this program at the live show, would he cost Cena a chance at glory? Could there be an instance, where he becomes part of a program that helps Ric Flair retain the business’s greatest record?
Cena has been screwed out of titles before (Jon Stewart last year). Flair had his own “assistant” in Charles Robinson, from back in WCW, when the referee made sure The Nature Bowl won at any cost. WWE could once again open the vault and try something old that appears new once more.
#5 Cruiserweight Division
This one might be the most obvious. The 31-year-old is not as agile as some of the other wrestlers in the division, but a move to the Cruiserweight division would allow him to show off his talents, before making another move toward the mid card.
When I look at Ellsworth, I see a wrestler who can brawl, and this could be effective in a division made up of high-flying competitors. I also think he could have some place in a program with Brian Kendrick as his pupil. And if WWE ever tried to adopt cruiserweight tag titles, there is no doubt he could be a prime contender to secure those straps.
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