There have been many authority figures in WWE, with each of them possessing qualities that make them either succeed or fail. If you’re a great talker like Paul Heyman or Mick Foley, you can be a top authority figure. If you have a genuine unlikeable factor about you and are able to play on that like Eric Bischoff of Vince McMahon, you can be a top heel authority figure. However, the majority of authority figures that have come along end up coming off as very generic or bland in order for their times in charge to have any value.
Lucha Underground’s Dario Cueto is unlike many of WWE’s past authority figures. He’s not someone that needs to be kicking off show’s and cutting 10 minute promos to hype up the rest of the show. He’s someone that gets down to business whenever he’s on the screen. There’s rarely been a segment on Lucha Underground that’s he’s not been needed in. When he’s on screen, he lays down the law and that’s that.
It’s also worth noting that his motivation on the show is simple too. He’s clearly a boss that just wants to promote violence and wants to see people tear each other apart. While he is just as power-hungry as other villainous bosses, he puts on matches that are solely for his own entertainment. If this were Mortal Kombat, Dario would be Shao Kahn and he just wants all the luchadors to rip each other apart.
I think that’s the main difference between Dario Cueto and authority figures like Triple H and Stephanie McMahon. His motivation is obvious from the moment he appeared in the temple. Triple H and Stephanie’s motivations are a lot harder to pin-point as their actions contradict each other time after time. They do not want someone like Roman Reigns as their champion but they give him plenty of opportunities to win the WWE Championship along the way. Since Triple H and Stephanie are major ambassadors for the WWE themselves during events outside of the ring, there’s a balancing act going on that prevents the couple from being completely face or completely heel. Dario is clearly established as a heel that simply forces wrestlers to fight… sometimes to the death!
It also help Dario’s cause that his voice and appearance are distinct enough that he stands out as a recognisable figure in the temple. As far as looks and the way he talks, there’s no authority figure out there like Cueto which helps him out.
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