Tyson Kidd, Damien Mizdow and the Year of the Sideshow

During last week's Divas match on Raw, a pocket of fans chanted for Tyson Kidd.An otherwise forgettable moment embodied WWE's latest revolution. Kidd stood ringside in a supporting role as his wife, Natalya, competed. But his antics as an obnoxious, jealous spouse made him the center of attention. Kidd's effectiveness in such a small role is a sign of the times. In a more cynical era, attention spans are at a premium. One can't help but watch Kidd's growing popularity and wonder if Matilda the Bulldog was before her time.

With a WWE product optimized for social media, anything is liable to trend on Twitter. And those who make a living from ringside stand to benefit.Damien Sandow spent much of 2014 as an impressionist. He lampooned more noteworthy celebrities and wrestling personalities. From LeBron James to Vince McMahon, Sandow embraced a gimmick of mocking household names. Although featured in weekly segments on Raw, he served as ancillary entertainment at best.Far from the center of attention, Sandow was just pretending.

Sandow flourished, however, after using his sideshow qualities to become a bit player. Rebranded Damien Mizdow, his career exploded after exclusively mimicking The Miz. Now, chants of "We want Mizdow!" are the norm every time the team appears on screen.During last week's Raw, James Caldwell of PWTorch wrote, "Once the bell sounded, the focus went to Sandow getting cheers ringside." The less Mizdow is used as a wrestler, the more ardent the support.

The Miz is trumpeted as a tongue-in-cheek movie star. He never met a camera he didn't like and draws heat by talking up his so-called A-list accolades. Miz's actions set the stage for Mizdow to be the darling.No longer just a charismatic stunt double, the rise of Mizdow is arguably 2014's biggest comeback story.WWE capitalized on a changing fanbase by allowing the attention to shift toward the unheralded act. Similar to Kidd's ascendancy, Mizdow became a bigger star in the background. His efforts were rewarded during the Slammy Awards, winning a fan vote for "LOL Moment of the Year."

Mizdow's Slammy win and continued superstardom furthered an ongoing storyline. This was brought to light during Michael Cole's sit-down interview with the tandem. Cole expressed his desire to become a stunt double, enraging The Miz.As the voice of the WWE, Cole represents the promotion's acknowledgment of Mizdow's unlikely success. It's a trend ingrained deep in WWE's fabric.

Fans of NXT recently made a star out of a relative unknown during the October 16 episode. She was nicknamed Blue Pants specifically to be an afterthought against the debuting Carmella. Full Sail University chose to rally behind the enhancement talent, chanting "Let's go Blue Pants!"Blue Pants returned on the November 27 episode of NXT to even more fanfare. Justin James of PWTorch noted "The crowd [wanted] the Blue Pants character," as they remained "firmly behind Blue Pants."

There's nothing novel about a magician's lovely assistant becoming more popular than he is. But the rabbit? In 2014, the sideshow arrived. With every moment magnified in a new WWE, it's here to stay


Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2313106-tyson-kidd-damien-mizdow-and-the-year-of-the-sideshow