The Nikki A.S.H. Gimmick Is Failing For One Major Reason

Publish date: 2024-05-09

When Nikki Cross emerged on WWE Raw in a mask and cape, with bright gold and blue clothing which is far from the black and grey she had previously been wearing, dating all the way back to her time in NXT, it took many fans by surprise. Nikki’s name was changed, with “Cross” being removed from, as she was now “Nikki A.S.H.”, with that standing for “Almost A Super-Hero”, and fans were open to letting the new gimmick play out, even if it seemed a little silly at the start. However, the gimmick has ultimately been a huge failure, due to several reasons, but the key one being that there was no commitment from the start, with the word “almost” playing a huge role in that disaster occurring.

Nikki A.S.H. Should Have Taken The Path Of The Hurricane

There can be quite a bit of criticism towards WWE when they don’t commit to a push of a popular superstar with momentum, with creative backing out more times than should be the case with potential stories or climbs up the card for both babyfaces and heels. This has been seen with the likes of Big E, Rhea Ripley, and Kofi Kingston as main event world title contenders, as they each plummeted following their runs as champion. When WWE commits to something, with backing and in-depth thought, then they can produce great TV, grow characters to larger than life, and have good stories, but the Nikki A.S.H. gimmick is a clear example of that lack of committal.RELATED: 8 Wrestlers Who Were Legitimate Heroes Outside Of The Ring

WWE has had some popular superhero gimmicks in the past, with The Hurricane and Mighty Molly being the leading examples of how silliness and goofiness can work at creating a hugely popular babyface with this sort of character. With Nikki, she may dress up like a superhero, but for whatever reason, she deemed herself to be “almost” a superhero. This self-assessment and acknowledgment of herself that she wasn’t really a superhero damaged the gimmick immediately.

The Hurricane truly thought he was a hero, running in with his arm stretched out in a Superman-type fashion, trying to save the day, and throwing out ridiculous and comic-book catchphrases that many heroes have. Nikki had none of this, and that was a mistake, as WWE should have had her follow the path of The Hurricane, committing 100% to believe she was saving the day. Instead, Nikki had a gimmick that was stuck in a weird purgatory.

WWE Squandered Nikki’s Momentum Immediately

The fans weren’t sure what to make of the gimmick, and before it had been given a chance to develop, WWE pushed her up the card to immediately win the Raw Women’s Title. When the spotlight was firmly on her, WWE rushed together an inspirational sort of direction for her, which didn’t click with the fans at all, as some turned on her. She would lose constantly, dropping the belt a month later, before being thrown into a pointless team with Rhea Ripley in the Women’s Tag Team Championship scene. Nikki had less focus, unable to develop the gimmick, with the “almost” wording still hanging over her character like a grey cloud.

RELATED: Nikki Cross: Age, Height, Relationship Status & Other Things To Know About Her

She recently turned heel, attacking her former partner, but WWE hasn’t done anything creative with the superhero character. WWE could have stripped the “almost” and pushed a deluded heel character who believes she is the protagonist, in a similar vein to Bo Dallas’ hugely successful NXT gimmick. With the “almost”, she cannot commit to believing she is a hero, whether that be as a heel or babyface. Nikki currently exists as a bog-standard heel, taking cheap shots, cutting promos full of heel tropes, and not homing in on what has the potential to be a truly fun character, if only WWE committed to it.

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