MidnightHouseRocker wrote:The problem with trying to package Steen as a heel falls with Cornette (the character). Right now, Steen is the SCSA type character... though instead of being the pissed off blue collar working guy (or so WWE revisionists will describe him), Steen is this apathetic sociopath whose whole goal is try to destroy professional wrestling. It writes itself, let guys come out and challenge Steen while defending the industry (hence why the program with Kingston has been so compelling). Right now it just looks like the boss trying as hard as he can to regain control of his company. The problem is nobody likes the boss, so they will continue cheering for Steen regardless.
It's not just Cornette (although the overall creative for the past year-plus has been generally quite bad, for which Cornette and Delirious both deserve blame). Steen also doesn't want to be a genuine heel, or else flat-out doesn't understand what he's doing wrong. He does so many things that seemed designed to get face pops that it looks like he's deliberately wrecking the angle.
Example:
In March, Kevin Steen, alleged heel, is informed by Jim Cornette that his archenemy, El Generico, is returning after a three-month absence recovering from a beating Steen gave him. Generico wants revenge and Cornette has booked him versus Steen in a no-holds-barred match at the upcoming iPPV. This should be a relatively big moment, but Steen couldn't be more visibly bored, literally making "yap, yap, yap, I don't care" gestures and leaning listlessly on the ropes as Cornette announces the return of his sworn nemesis.
In order to put the angle over and not make Generico look like a total non-entity, Steen might show some fear, consternation, or at least a flicker of emotional interest that this match is going to happen. But no, that would be so uncool.
That moment should have been something like Foley putting the Cactus Jack t-shirt on against HHH. Instead, it was nothing. That was Steen's fault, not Cornette.
