Brad Maddox is going to be a breakout star in 2013. I said it a few weeks ago in the first ‘Spotlight’ of the year, and I’m still sticking with it. If you missed it, I talked about new stars like Big E Langston and The Shield, but here’s what I said about Maddox:
Another name worth mentioning is another accused CM Punk “ally” in Brad Maddox. I am making a bold prediction right now, but Maddox is my WWE Breakout Star in 2013. I really think he will be a constant presence on TV, he already gets alot of time for ‘not having a contract.’ I don’t know what his exact role would be, but he’ll be around whether he’s a referee, a wrestler or even the next guy to get his own talk show. Maddox has charisma and character, he has that pain-in-the-ass quality about him but he actually believes his own hype. I can see big things for Maddox this year; I don’t think we’re completely done seeing what his role was in the Hell In A Cell main event and how he’s connected to Heyman, not Punk. Go back to what I said about debuts; Maddox wasn’t hyped before hand, he was added as a new referee and his reason for hiring made sense. He had a bit of a misunderstanding with Punk on an episode of RAW, and a missed foot on the rope made him noticeable, but it laid the groundwork for the eventual Hell In A Cell events. Maddox’s reasons were simple: he wanted to be a WWE Superstar by any means necessary, so he took a job as a ref and went into business for himself. It works because it’s believable.
Maddox is already making waves, and it’s only been a few weeks. He is getting more backstage time, and more speaking segments, including joining commentary on Main Event and RAW. If this isn’t enough for you, Maddox is (SLIGHT SPOILERS)going to be involved in some kind of injury angle this week, according to Smackdown reports. They don’t just do this with anyone, so there’s definitely something bigger in store. I think they’ve done a better job with Maddox then they have with keeping The Shield consistanly booked. CM Punk may not be involved, but Paul Heyman definitely looks like he knows more than he lets us, or the champion, know about.
I think we will see more in the coming weeks with the development of Maddox’s character. He stands on his own with his cameraman and maneuvering backstage with Booker T and other people, but he also has an interesting dynamic with Heyman and (to an extent) Punk. Maddox is annoying and like I said earlier, he has that “pain in the ass” quality about him. He comes off as a pest when he’s around Booker T or the commentators, but he’s really become a thorn in Heyman’s side. I’m actually glad we haven’t seen more yet; I’m enjoying waiting to see how this all unfolds. The Shield’s attacks are in the name of “injustice,” but we still don’t truly know what they are here for. Injustice can be a vague statement. We know Brad Maddox wants to be a star, and he’ll do it by any means necessary. He said this much on Monday night, and I believe him. Maddox has had the same agenda since he debuted on television; we didn’t get the reveal until Hell In A Cell, but it’s been effective.
Brad Maddox will be a star because he is making great use out of his time. You may have heard he isn’t the best wrestler, so he is making up for it in his actions, mannerisms and speeches. (Whether that is true remains to be seen, but I think we can agree he is a strong speaker.) Part of me wants to think he does tell the truth about being overlooked and undersized, and he really will do anything to be a star. He’s believable, and he’s done exceptionally well as a referee, commentator, on-air character, enhancement wrestler, and so on. Maddox is going to be around for a while because he’s part of the bigger picture. Somehow, someway we will find out more about his role with Heyman, or what else he will do to succeed. (For all we know, his attack could be a set up for sympathy; I think he could do something along the lines of a Randy Orton ‘News Update’ and it would be brilliant.) Real or set up, there is more in store for Maddox; there’s definitely a plan and he’s definitely up to something. We may find out more this week, next week or some other time but Maddox will have a future in the WWE. Maddox is going to be a star in his mind, and he very well may prove it to us quicker than you think, so he is not someone to discount this year.
