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WWE SmackDown Superstar Madcap Moss shocked audiences last week when he pinned Rey Mysterio to become the number one contender for the Intercontinental Championship. This creative decision has been met with some criticism, most notably by wrestling legend Dutch Mantell and former WWE official Jimmy Korderas.
Prior to his victory last Friday, Madcap was having a difficult time finding a regular spot on WWE programming. Moss was snubbed from the 2023 Men's Royal Rumble after being previously announced for the match. Before his victory in the fatal four-way match on February 10th, Moss hadn't won a televised bout since the Clash at the Castle kickoff show in September 2022.
Moss outlasted Karrion Kross, Santos Escobar, and Rey Mysterio to become the challenger for Gunther's Intercontinental title. Here are five reasons why WWE made the right call with Madcap this time around.
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#5. Gunther needs a fresh babyface to fight on WWE SmackDown
Out of the four participants in last week's number one contender match, Madcap Moss and Rey Mysterio were the only clear-cut babyfaces. Karrion Kross is currently portraying a villainous character, while Santos Escobar may or may not still be a heel after showing the ultimate sign of respect to Rey after SmackDown last week. Escobar's role is currently unclear when it comes to his character's direction.
Rey is currently busy having a storyline with his son Dominik and the faction known as The Judgment Day. The Master of the 619 has also faced Gunther in the past for Intercontinental gold and was defeated.
Madcap Moss, on the other hand, is a fresh face for Gunther to fight. There's more to gain for Moss' overall character in battling Gunther for gold when compared to Rey Mysterio, who has already held two reigns with the IC title, among his many accomplishments.
#4. Madcap Moss' win was unpredictable, and unpredictability could make WWE more exciting to watch
Prior to becoming the number one contender, Madcap Moss fell to Karrion Kross in a series of televised matches. Out of the four participants during last Friday's main event match, Moss seemed like the candidate who was least likely to win.
Although Kross and Santos Escobar both play heel characters, they seemed more likely to be Gunther's next opponent than the babyface Moss. And even though Rey Mysterio had already wrestled The Ring General for gold, The Masked Superstar still seemed like a better bet than Moss when it came to becoming a number one contender.
Santos appears to be on the rise in 2023 with a win over former WWE Champion Kofi Kingston. Escobar seemed to be a logical opponent for Gunther's Intercontinental title going into last week's fatal four-way. Instead, WWE went with the unpredictable choice of Madcap Moss. As WWE demonstrated with the success of the Attitude Era, unpredictable storytelling can go a long way in a TV product's success.
There's also the question of 'will WWE continue with this unpredictability by having Moss win the match against Gunther?' Considering that wrestling fans witnessed an unpredictable outcome to last week's match, will they be in store for something similar on this week's SmackDown?
#3. Madcap Moss arguably needed the win more than Rey Mysterio, Karrion Kross, and Santos Escobar
Since leaving Baron Corbin's side in 2022, Madcap Moss has seen his wrestling career go downhill. Moss began that year with momentum and potential before experiencing a steep decline that saw him lose matches and generally become featured less on TV. Moss needed a win last Friday more than a living legend like Rey Mysterio and two wrestlers who've been positioned as rising stars in the company.
Up-and-comers like Escobar and Kross would also arguably benefit from being named the number one contender for Gunther's gold. However, they didn't need it as much as Madcap, who has suffered through a string of bad luck and poor booking decisions after proving himself as a charismatic performer who can hold his own with a wrestler like Drew McIntyre and make Happy Corbin's segments a more entertaining and complete package.
#2. A loss against Gunther wouldn't hurt Madcap Moss' stock
Karrion Kross and Santos Escobar suffering a convincing defeat to The Ring General could negatively impact both wrestlers' positions on the roster, considering that they're both already prominent mid-card stars on the rise. Madcap Moss, on the other hand, would have more to gain by putting on a valiant yet ultimately unsuccessful fight against Gunther.
Moss was booked poorly in the weeks leading up to his upcoming match against Gunther, making it a victory for Madcap to simply be scheduled for a televised match for a title as prestigious as the Intercontinental Championship. Regardless of the outcome of the match this Friday, putting Moss back in a relevant position is a win for Madcap.
While another loss against Gunther wouldn't necessarily hurt Rey Mysterio's stock, he already has enough on his plate and doesn't need to fight the fierce Austrian. Moss, on the other hand, seemingly has everything to gain by being booked as Gunther's next opponent. There is no shame in Moss losing to the longest-reigning Intercontinental Champion of the 21st century.
#1. Madcap Moss wins no matter the outcome
It's worth reiterating that Madcap Moss will win during his match against Gunther no matter the outcome. It would be an incredible boost for Moss to actually win the IC title off the Austrian, but even in defeat, Madcap would be better positioned than how he was previously booked on WWE programming.
If Moss loses to Gunther but still puts up an incredible fight, he could win over a significant portion of the WWE Universe and re-win those viewers who have lost interest in him. Moss is already the underdog going into the match, and wrestling fans are known to love underdog characters like Rey Mysterio and Daniel Bryan. The muscular Madcap also isn't the typical underdog, but he is someone that the WWE Universe has favored in the past.
Moss won the main event of last week's SmackDown, hitting Rey Mysterio with an elbow drop to earn his shot at Gunther's Intercontinental Championship. Win or lose, Madcap has gained a lot from this added attention and is once again a relevant conversation among WWE fans.
