#4 Johnny Curtis (Season 4 Winner)
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Out of the four superstars on this list, Curtis is perhaps the most well-known of the lot. Currently working for WWE as Fandango, he has become a true fan favourite, owing mostly to his visible determination to get the most out of any gimmick he is given.
Curtis was a relatively well-known star before making his NXT debut, wrestling in WWE’s other developmental rosters as well as a lengthy period on the independent circuit. He was a well-deserved winner of NXT season 4, and many of us were excited to see what he would be doing on the main roster. However, the initial signs were not good as he was given a series of bizarre gimmicks and storylines, including a backstage segment where he poured a glass of milk on a plate while crying.
Curtis then made a return to NXT as part of the NXT Redemption Season, which again consisted mainly of pointless love affairs and meaningless tasks, distracting us all from his obvious wrestling abilities. The low-point came during an angle involving Matt Striker and Maxine with a convoluted series of events that ultimately went nowhere.
Curtis made a return to the main roster soon after, this time as Fandango. While it was obviously meant to be a somewhat tongue-in-cheek character, the gimmick did allow him more of the spotlight, building heel heat on himself after continuously refusing to wrestle until the announcers could pronounce his name correctly. Fandango went on to enjoy perhaps his biggest period of success in WWE, beginning with an upset win over Chris Jericho at Wrestlemania 29.
Things would then take on an even more bizarre feel after he became an unlikely fan favourite the next night on RAW. The fans in attendance began spontaneously singing his entrance music, beginning a trend known as ‘Fandango-ing’.
In the week following RAW, Fandango’s theme music climbed to number 11 on the UK download chart and was played over the speaker system of several UK football club stadiums at the weekend. The WWE failed to capitalise on this, however, keeping Curtis a heel and doing everything they could to pour water over a potentially hot gimmick.
Fandango’s fortunes would then take an unfortunate turn, floundering in the lower levels of both RAW and Smackdown. It is not until recently that fans have been reminded just how talented a star Curtis is. He is currently involved in a tag-team with Tyler Breeze who call themselves ‘Breezango’ or ‘The Fashion Police’. They have become one of the most entertaining parts of Smackdown Live, showing video segments where they investigate cases of crimes against fashion.
Curtis has done more than enough to earn himself a singles push, but it is unclear whether the WWE have enough belief in him. Breezango ought to at least have some time as tag-champions sooner or later before the inevitable break up. Perhaps the Fandango character can be given a few extra layers of seriousness, then at least we will be able to see how far the NXT Season 4 winner can really go.
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