Grading 5 wrestling personas of the present day wrestlers- Part 1

Welcome to our new section in which we grade five wrestling personas of the present-day wrestlers. In this part, we grade the persona of Elias, the Bar, the New Day, AJ Styles, and the Undertaker

For a pro-wrestler, his wrestling persona is extremely important. Their entire credibility in the business depends on it. If you can't find and maintain a proper wrestling persona, you shouldn't blame the company for subverting your status.

In the WWE, the situation is a little different. It is the company which gives you the gimmick and the persona, and you have to work on it. The superstar has a very little control of that.

If that's the case, you can't blame the superstar for going stale. It is the company which gave you such an ephemeral persona.

However, some wrestlers have defied the odds. They have maintained their supremacy with the same old, stale, and momentary gimmick and personas. While some have prolonged it only for a year, others have perpetuated it for decades.

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#5 Elias as the guitarist heel

Elias transitioned into a better wrestler in the main roster with his guitarist wrestling persona

While other wrestlers fail to emulate their NXT run in the main roster, Elias has transitioned into a better wrestler. Triple H knew this beforehand, and in an interview with CBS Sports' In The Corner podcast, he acknowledged that Elias was built for the main roster and not the NXT.

"Double J" Jeff Jarret played the role of the guitarist heel brilliantly. He went on to win numerous accolades with it in the WWF, WCW, and the TNA. Although Elias hasn't won any title on the main roster with the same persona, that day is not far away.

WWE has rather booked the "Drifter" in a monotonous manner. With the spotlight gleaming on him, he would mock the audience with his guitar's tunes playing in the background. This gimmick shouldn't have lasted long. Yet, Elias has maintained his repute by doing the same thing every week on Raw. It is surprising that we still find humor in the year-old repetitive wrestling persona.

Moreover, he was on the top of his game in the build-up to the Elimination Chamber. Picking up a victory over John Cena and Braun Strowman in the main event of Raw is not a joke. But, he made it look convincing.

After his Intercontinental Championship match with Seth Rollins, we don't know what's next. But, one thing is sure. He has a long path to travel before he lets off this gimmick.

For his never-ending humor and a brilliant transition to the main roster, Elias gets a B+.

#4 Sheamus and Cesaro as the Bar

They don't set the Bar...They are the Bar

The Bar is one of the best tag teams in WWE's recent history. When they were formed, many wondered if they could fit as a tag team properly. They not only proved the critics wrong but also spearheaded the Raw tag team division last year.

Their entrance didn't change a little bit. With the spotlight glistering over them, the duo would pose in the Ben Ten's Fourarm position before Cesaro comes out from behind. They would walk into the ring wearing the traditional Scottish kilts and open it before their match. They surely got the coolest tag team entrance since DX's entrance in the SummerSlam 2009.

Their catchphrase "We don't set the Bar...We are the Bar" is nowhere close to Steve Austin's "Hell Yeah!" Moreover, it is the least intriguing thing in their gimmick. But, what makes us forget that is their brilliant in-ring work.

The duo would hold one of the members of the opposing team initially so that the "hot tag" can be made. In the traditional tag team matches, the "hot tag" usually signals the beginning of the endgame. But, if Sheamus and Cesaro are one of the teams, it is not. It would be followed up by a lot of tags and some terrific tag team action. Their chemistry with each other and the opposing team makes us believe that the match would finish even if they don't hit the White Noise and the Diving Neckbreaker combination.

Even in their loss, they wouldn't lose their credibility. Such is their wrestling persona, and they get an A for that.

#3 The comic and action-packed persona of the New Day

The New Day is riding smoothly on the same gimmick since 2014

When the 'New Day' was formed, no one had thought that they could last nearly four years. A smiling and dancing trio of three wrestlers mocking the WWE Universe to gain some cheap heat shouldn't have ascended above the lower mid-card at all. Yet, they became the longest reigning WWE tag team champions and brought the division to the world's notice.

You can complain that they turned face in the middle of it, but they didn't deviate from their fundamental theme. Even if you take into account their face turn, it has been over two years. Maintaining the same amount of charisma, if not surpassing it, over the span of two years is a huge achievement in the WWE.

Their in-ring work is great too. With such a farcical wrestling persona, many would think that they would often indulge in buffoonery activities. However, other than some rare occasions, they meant business once the bell rang.

The "New Day rocks" chants bustling in the background has proved that they made this nonsensical gimmick a rather intriguing one. Alas, rumors are circulating that the trio would be broken, and Big E will get a humongous push. If that's the truth, then many would miss this cheerful, jocular, and rapturous trio.

For their charisma to make t most out of this buffoonery gimmick, the New Day gets an A.

#2 The true male babyface donned by AJ Styles

AJ Styles is donning the "true male babyface" persona phenomenally

They say the toughest pro-wrestling gimmick of all time is that of a "true male babyface." You aren't going against the authoritative figures; you aren't betrayed by your tag team partner; and, you aren't an underdog fighting your bigger size opponent. You are the simple babyface who captivates the crowd with his charisma.

John Cena and Roman Reigns are also playing the same role. While the former played a huge role in the company's success when they transitioned out of the Attitude Era, not many would say the same about the latter. The chants of "Cena sucks" echoes in the WWE Universe because of the company's dissent to change his gimmick.

While these two have gone stale, AJ Styles hasn't. Ever since he turned face by shaking hands with Shane McMahon, he has been the topmost babyface of SmackDown. What separates him from John Cena and Roman Reigns is his ability to bring the best out of his opponents. No one had thought that he could make Jinder Mahal a reckoning force in their matches. But, Styles proved all of them wrong.

The persona might only be a year old, but we don't see him going heel any soon or changing his gimmick. For his perfect personification of the true male babyface, the "Phenomenal One" gets an A+.

#1 The Undertaker in his Deadman persona

The Undertaker debuted with the Dead Man gimmick and has only improved from time-to-time

When we had mentioned in the introduction that some wrestlers perpetuated their personas for decades, we were referring to the Undertaker. The Deadman has been a part-timer since he was "buried" by Kane at 'Bragging Rights 2010.' However, he transitioned into the gimmick permanently since his return at WrestleMania 20, and never looked back.

The fundamental idea of the Undertaker's wrestling persona is totally absurd. How can you expect the fans to believe in a teleporter who shoots lightning from his hands? On top of that, this spooky guy is on a mission to reap souls from his opponents and add it to his collection.

Yet, Mark Calaway makes it persuasive with his thundering voice, blood-curdling entrance, and wrestling move set. The haters might call him WWE's most protected wrestler, but he has portrayed the role in such a manner that you can't blame him.

The Undertaker is aging, and can no longer deliver performances with the same charisma. WWE will have a hard time to figure out his replacement who can maintain the same gimmick for many years, yet not go stale.

For his spooky depiction of the Deadman, Mark Callaway gets an A++.

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Stay tuned for the next week to catch our Part 2!