Bully Ray, a long-time supporter and observer of Zoey Stark and her wrestling career, has recently voiced some criticism about her performances on the WWE main roster.
Despite having spoken highly of her potential during her time in NXT, Ray seems less impressed with Stark’s work since her promotion’‹ to the main roster.
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From NXT Standout to Main Roster Critique
Zoey Stark, under the mentorship of Trish Stratus, emerged on the scene as a promising talent. Her work in NXT was highly appreciated, with many fans impressed by her performances.
However, since her move to the main roster and her appearances on WWE Raw, Stark’s work has attracted a different kind of attention, specifically from Bully Ray’‹.
Ray expressed his thoughts on Stark’s main roster performances on Busted Open Radio, stating, “In NXT, I really enjoyed Zoey Stark. So far, on the main roster, not so much.”
Ray went on to explain his reasons, citing Stark’s promos and verbiage as being overly forced and suggesting she might be trying too hard to memorize her lines. He contrasted this with her time in NXT, where he believed she seemed more relaxed and natural’‹.
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The Real Issue: Delivery, not Verbiage
Ray clarified that his criticism was not about what Stark was saying, but rather how she was saying it. He observed that her delivery lacked the tone, inflexion, volume, energy, and personality that would make her promos more compelling.
“I’m actually looking in Zoey’s eyes, and watching her memorize stuff,” Ray stated, indicating that Stark’s performances were coming off as rehearsed rather than authentic’‹.
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Behind the Scenes Influence
In addition to critiquing Stark’s performances, Ray also shared his suspicions about potential influences behind her character development.
While he absolved WWE’s writing team of any blame, Ray suggested that WWE’s Chairman, Vince McMahon, might be playing a part in shaping Stark’s character in a way that doesn’t quite fit her style.
He pointed to Stark’s demeanour at the end of matches as evidence, suggesting it was too “over-the-top” and characteristic of McMahon’s preferences’‹.
