The breakup was teased through a video posted on the WWE App before Raw. Both of the Prime Time Players fought singles matches during the show. O’Neil had Young in his corner for the latter’s match with Christian. However, Young arrived alone for his bout with Dolph Ziggler. Both of the Prime Time Players lost, although both were made to look relatively good in defeat. Of course, Christian and Ziggler are probably capable of making me look decent in the ring, and I possess somewhat less in-ring training than Jay Leno, so it’s difficult to forecast whether they’ll be booked as strongly in the future.
The reaction on the WrestleZone forums to this possible breakup was mixed, but the respondents were quite clear that they perceived Darren Young to be the Jannetty of the team. The consensus is that Young lacks the persona and in-ring ability to rise above the midcard, and I’m afraid I have to agree. Some contributors suggested that Young should begin mirroring John Cena’s appearance and mannerisms. I don’t think very highly of those gimmicks in the first place – both Charlie Haas and Jay Lethal attempted similar shticks, and neither of those guys were able to succeed despite (in my opinion) greater charisma and in-ring ability. If everything went perfectly, Young would be doomed to a comedy jobber position on the card. There are worse things to be than a comedy jobber – I’d happily trade paychecks with Santino any day. Nonetheless, if the Prime Time Players are truly finished, I think Young will be better served by taking another tag team partner (the sooner, the better) and continuing his run as slightly bland enhancement talent.
