Paige VanZant has been one of the more underrated additions to AEW television as part of the American Top Team faction. Dan Lambert is getting huge heat from his promos running down the AEW roster and fan base, but the talent he represents are the most important part of the act. VanZant is arguably the talent most suited to thrive in wrestling from the MMA talents.
A strong social media following and a respected reputation from her UFC days would see Paige helping AEW get more coverage and bring in new viewers. VanZant has not wrestled, but she participates in the physical attacks from American Top Team against Chris Jericho’s Inner Circle faction. The assumed plan is for Paige to wrestle eventually and there is a shot she becomes a great crossover superstar for AEW. Ronda Rousey set the blueprint, but VanZant can become the next major female MMA star to thrive in wrestling.
Paige Vanzant's Success In MMA
Paige VanZant has been a top name in the MMA field due to her results in the octagon and her following on social media. The Instagram page of VanZant sees her with almost 3 million followers since she has a strong fan base from her MMA career. VanZant has spent most of her career in UFC with her fights generating interest almost every single time.
The hot start in MMA would see Paige racking up an impressive 6-1 record. However, a split over the next few fights would see VanZant losing her momentum and falling out of the UFC spotlight. Unlike other sports where losses could ruin one’s value, Ronda Rousey proved that star power wins out over the losses by keeping her name value before joining WWE.
Dancing with the Stars and Chopped were two of the bigger projects for Paige when getting involved in the celebrity reality television scene. The fan base of VanZant grew, despite only having two fights since January of 2018. MMA seems to be moving into a past of VanZant’s career rather than the present, but it helped her reach a strong level of fame.
Paige VanZant Is Already Getting Over In AEW
Wrestling fans are aware of Paige VanZant due to her crossover appeal as an MMA standout. The American Top Team faction in AEW is mostly there to help Ethan Page and Scorpio Sky get over, along with introducing new MMA fighters. VanZant has arguably had the least important role as just part of the team, but she’s made the biggest impact.
American Top Team beating down Jericho at AEW Grand Slam would see VanZant getting a shot in with the biggest reaction from the crowd. Even Jericho’s promo insulting VanZant helped generate interest since the male MMA fighters have less of a high profile than Paige at the moment. The timing of VanZant in the ring during her rare spots add even more to make one believe she will be great at the job.
VanZant’s biggest crossover skill is the personality and presence that helped make her a star in UFC. Not every fighter to get famous is known for having undefeated records. Paige had her fair share of victories in the octagon, but the mainstream appeal in marketing the fights was her biggest asset to UFC.
Paige Vanzant Has Potential To Help AEW
Only a handful of MMA fighters have broken out in major roles when making the move to pro wrestling. Paige VanZant already has more potential than 95% to make the jump due to her following and natural charisma. The mannerisms and short interactions with other wrestlers in AEW show that she completely understands the character side of the job.
VanZant also has a lot left to offer at the relatively young age of 27 years old. Most athletes leaving other sports for wrestling are typically a few years older when having to learn faster on the spot. VanZant could easily wrestle for a full decade to fifteen years if she fell in love with wrestling and wanted to truly commit to becoming a fixture in the business.
AEW’s women’s division may be the most ideal situation for both parties if VanZant starts wrestling. The upside is that AEW needs a couple of bigger players for the women’s division. Any extra attention from VanZant joining could help the company grow in an area they’d like to make up ground in. AEW must treat the inclusion of Paige in American Top Team as a bigger deal and do whatever is possible to have her break out as a crossover star for the women’s division.
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