No he’s not bad, but (through no fault of his own) he blew his shot.
He’s never going to be as red hot as he was when he won the world title, unless the stars align perfectly.
Now, he’s in a not entirely uncomfortable niche, where he’s well liked, puts on good matches, circles the title scene occasionally, but thats it.
And he seems okay w. that, which is why i say he’s overrated, when ppl act like he’s being denied something, or held back or any number of other things.
We praise wrestlers for taking a crap/silly gimmick and running w. it, making it work, getting the fans excited etc., because they put in that extra effort, because they obviously WANT to advance.
Well, we have to do the opposite to wrestlers who DONT put that effort in, who dont have bad gimmicks, who have fan support, who have talent, and yet just coast.
Yeah, bookers will do what bookers will do, but in the end? Its the wrestler who’s going to rise or fall, through their own efforts.