Keith Lee debuted his new persona on this past episode of RAW, now going under the moniker of ‘Bearcat’ as a homage to legendary wrestler Bearcat Wright. Much like Lee, Bearcat Wright was best known as an iconic powerhouse during the territories era, making waves across the industry during a time where black wrestlers were forced to be segregated from other white performers and only booked to compete against other black wrestlers.
Wright stood against this discrimination and led the charge for future black performers such as Ron Simmons, Booker T and Big E to eventually capture championship gold. Wright himself became a World Champion only five days after MLK’s ‘I have a dream’ speech, which only goes to show the imprint he’s left on the wrestling world, albeit one that isn’t discussed as much as it should be.
So there’s no surprise that a wrestler like Keith Lee is so pleased to honour Bearcat’s name as part of his new gimmick. This is all well and good, but after watching his dominant victory over Akira Tozawa in this week’s squash match, a problem is beginning to emerge within his new character.
Rumours have suggested that Vince McMahon and the powers that be in creative have decided that Keith Lee should continue as a ruthless, monster heel, not too different from the likes of Mark Henry during his Hall of Pain run. Even though Lee undoubtedly has the physical skill and presence to be that sort of character, I personally think that his true talents are going to soon go to waste.
Prior to his debut in NXT, Keith Lee was best known for his impeccable skills in both the squared circle and on the microphone. Lee was a beast between the ropes, matching both hosses and cruiserweights in 5* spectacles, but what made Lee stand out over the rest of his ilk was his ability to hold the audience in the palm of his hands through unique promo delivery. Lee’s charisma shines through everything else, whether that’s via his backstage interviews or in-ring segments, everything he says, fans are on the edge of their seats for.
As of writing, Keith Lee has yet to be given any real mic-time on the main roster, aside from a brief verbal spat with ‘The Viper’ Randy Orton on the night of his RAW debut last year. As per most of the criticism WWE receive following NXT call-ups, the talent just don’t get the opportunity to really prove to the audience that they are every bit of the superstar the world says they are. Just watching Keith Lee’s WWE 24 documentary on the WWE Network shows the genius behind his storytelling, the slow and elongated manner in which he speaks that keeps the audience invested in what he has to say.
Lee would be able to sell snow to the eskimos, if he had the time to pick up a live microphone. Unfortunately, all Keith Lee has been able to do so far on the main roster is compete in average matches against a small handful of rivals. Of course, due to a very serious spout of illness, Lee was kept off TV just as he was starting to build momentum, after competing in WWE Championship matches as 2021 was rung in. It’s a shame that he had to miss out on the impending mid-card success, but what can you do? We are in a pandemic after all.
Regardless, WWE should have done more to keep Keith Lee in the picture once he was fit to return to active duty. Instead, they’ve second guessed themselves and repackaged Lee with a character that I don’t think he’s truly in love with. Sporting a new beard and a less-than-impressive entrance, ‘Bearcat’ Lee is simply just a run-of-the-mill powerhouse that tosses small dudes across the ring and leaves them battered and bruised after only a minute’s worth of action. This is fine for his win-loss record, but do I truly care? Not until he gives me a reason to, and without the mic, that ain’t happening.
Don’t get me wrong, I have all the faith in Keith Lee to make whatever he’s given on a script work, but by not exploiting that raw, untapped charisma, WWE just won’t get it right. ‘Bearcat’ could be going jab-for-jab with the best talkers in WWE, both in the ring and out of it. That’s where his appeal lies, and that’s how you’re going to make this monster heel seem different to everyone that came before him.
I want to bask in the glory of the modern-day ‘Bearcat’, but I’m just not seeing it.
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