If you're unfamiliar with how the segment works, here is a quick breakdown: Each edition, a wrestler will be put under the spotlight and rated on a 0-100 scale based on 10 categories that have been broken up into 5 umbrella sections: In the Ring Skills, On the Mic Skills, Appearance, Backstage, and Crowd Reaction. The rating scale is as basic as you can get: 0-1-2-3-4 | 5 | 6-7-8-9-10. It follows the Three-Count Critique method of green being the good, yellow being in the middle, and red being the bad. A perfect 100 is the goal.
AJ LEE
Update: On March 20, 2020, we did a recalibration of points for a 25th episode special. In that episode, nearly every wrestler saw some adjustments. Below, you'll see the original scores on the left and then the updated score on the right, with the original description for the original score underneath. For explanation on the updated points, check out the 25th edition podcast.
IN THE RING SKILLS
Athleticism: Does the person have a good signature moveset and finisher? Can they perform a wide variety of moves on a regular basis and not botch them?
My Rating = 8
AJ was one of the more athletic women on the roster for quite some time. She was no stranger to dropkicks and staying off the mat. Her Black Widow finisher alone required a lot more athleticism than some of the other standard finishers that divas tend to have (particularly the ones that do neckbreakers or DDTs).
Psychology: The wrestler's ability to tell a story in the ring. Do they make you believe it's real or do they forget to sell their injuries properly? Can they make a long match stay interesting and not get boring?
My Rating = 7
Women's wrestling doesn't get much of a chance to have any real psychology, but AJ Lee knew what she was doing when given those rare opportunities.
ON THE MIC SKILLS
Charisma: If they get a mic, can they cut a promo without stuttering? Are they repetitive or do they keep things fresh?
My Rating = 7
AJ was one of the better talkers, but not a 10/10. She could handle herself on the mic in most situations, but one thing that makes me deduct some points is that I sometimes felt as though she was in pain or nervous when cutting promos by her delivery.
Character: Is their gimmick(s) interesting? Can they pull off being both a heel and a face?
My Rating = 9 / 8
At first, AJ was just a cute little girl with a spunky attitude. Granted, I liked that already, but she hit a new stride when she started going crazy. That ended up being a super fun character that got over with the crowd immensely and that's not something you see often for the divas.
APPEARANCE
Physique: Are they in the proper shape for their gimmick or are they out of shape? (note: someone like Mabel isn't supposed to look like John Morrison, but Matt Hardy gaining weight deducts his points).
My Rating = 8
She's extremely fit and that never wavered, but she was also very small. The women in WWE don't have to be huge and are actually expected NOT to be, so that's not the biggest deal in the world, but it does prevent her from being a 10 because at times, I wouldn't believe that she could win in a fight against someone she was up against.
Entrance: Their music, the pyro if they have any, whatever taunts or actions they do to make it interesting.
My Rating = 6
Skipping to the ring was a nice touch and her theme music was bubbly enough to fit her, but I would have been happier if there were some other aspects added to it.
BEHAVIOR
Backstage: Are they a locker room leader or do they cause problems behind the scenes? Are they bogged down in politics? Do they put other people over or screw people over?
My Rating = 6
A lot of points are deducted due to the Michelle Beadle situation. Other than that, it seems like she was well liked and very professional. That whole CM Punk relationship argument, though, puts a significant bruise on her score for this.
Public Relations: Is this wrestler a public relations problem with arrests and such, or are they someone that promotes the company well, does charities, talk shows, etc?
My Rating = 8
AJ isn't the John Cena of the women's division when it comes to this kind of stuff, as that distinction goes to Natalya. However, she's definitely been around the block for charities and all that, and she doesn't have a sordid past that WWE needs to stay away from, nor does she have arrest warrants out for her or anything of the sort.
CROWD REACTION
Popularity: How loud are the cheers and boos for them? Do they sell merchandise? Are ratings up or down when they're on screen? How many Twitter and Facebook followers do they have?
My Rating = 8
AJ's merchandise sales were apparently top notch and judging by the reaction from the audience, I see no reason why that should be a surprise. She's been popular since the beginning and at one point was even one of the most popular acts in the company including all of the men.
Credibility: Is this person someone you would see as a main eventer and a future legend or are they doomed to forever be a jobber?
My Rating = 8
Her size was the only issue as far as credibility was concerned. In such a short amount of time, she built herself up to be the top of the division and won the title multiple times. Now that she's retired, many have pointed out that she's already made a Hall of Fame worthy career and I don't disagree.
TOTAL SCORE: 75/100 - 74/100
FINAL THOUGHTS: At the moment, AJ Lee has the third highest final tally out of all of the people we've done so far, falling just short of Triple H (#2 with 78) and Shawn Michaels (#1 with 83). That is very, very impressive, and it's deserved. She is someone who was a bright star in an otherwise dimly lit division and she'll go down in history as one of the best women the company has seen in a very long time.
WHAT DID YOUR SCORE TALLY UP TO?
WHO SHOULD WE RATE NEXT?
WHO SHOULD WE RATE NEXT?
LEAVE YOUR THOUGHTS IN THE COMMENTS BELOW!
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