It should be obvious to most people that WWE Superstar Andrade, aka former CMLL and New Japan Pro Wrestling star La Sombra, is one of the promotion’s top in-ring talents right now. It’s still great, however, to hear that come out of the mouth of a WWE legend.
In an interview with Sports Illustrated, Stone Cold Steve Austin (who is never wrestling again, stop asking) had high praise for the Mexican superstar, calling him a “hell of a damn worker” and explaining what he has left between himself and top-level WWE stardom.
From Austin, who was also a hell of a damn worker before he had his neck broken, and an exponentially more popular one afterward:
“Right now, the people that are on top are the people that should be on top … But I called this two years ago watching his match when he did the favors for somebody that night, and I said, ‘Man, this Andrade kid is going to be a player one of these days.’ I think he’s proving that … He still has a ways to go, but it’s just tweaking that character. The kid’s a hell of a damn worker.”
For an explanation of what “tweaking that character” means to Austin:
“The people that have tremendous success either have a gimmick that is so close to them that it’s basically them turned up or it’s so far away from them that it cannot be missed … It’s all about how you resonate with the people.
“Wrestling is a relationship, whether you’re a heel or a babyface, you’re establishing yourself as a brand. How do you make them feel? They’re living vicariously through your storylines. They feel strength, vulnerability, or power. If it works, you’re doing something that resonates with people in regards to entertainment and wanting to invest in a person.”
He’s not wrong. Let’s hope WWE remembers how to assist in that resonance and work toward it instead of making it harder for everyone via imaginary “brass ring” grabbing. Also, for the sake of the Internet, let’s assume that Stone Cold Steve Austin versus Andrade has been confirmed for WrestleMania 36. Tell everyone you know.
