Crowd reaction said to be key reason behind reduced in-ring focus
Summary
– Maxxine Dupri’s WWE push has reportedly cooled after weaker crowd reactions
– Dave Meltzer said WWE once saw major potential in Maxxine because of her look
– Her RAW loss to Raquel Rodriguez added more doubt about her current direction
Maxxine Dupri’s momentum in WWE appears to have slowed down.
During the June 29 episode of RAW, Maxxine faced Raquel Rodriguez for a shot at Sol Ruca’s Women’s Intercontinental Championship. Maxxine lost the match, and the reaction around it became part of a larger discussion about her WWE push.
On Wrestling Observer Radio, Bryan Alvarez said the match had “absolutely no heat” and that the crowd did not seem invested. That led Dave Meltzer to explain why Maxxine has not been featured as much as an in-ring performer lately.
Meltzer said WWE originally viewed Maxxine as someone with star potential because of her look. The company gave her a bigger push, but the live crowd response did not match what officials were hoping to see.
“That’s why we haven’t seen Maxxine as a wrestler. They thought she was a big star because of her looks, and they were giving her the big push, but when she went out, the people didn’t react.”
Meltzer explained that WWE can sometimes ignore crowd response when the company is fully committed to someone at the top of the card. That is not always the case for wrestlers sitting in the middle or lower part of the roster.
“At the end of the day, the people aren’t always the judge. Because if it’s someone who they see as a top, top person, they’ll do the, ‘People don’t know what they want.’”
He added that a quiet response can be especially damaging for someone who has not already been locked into a major role.
“But if you’re in the middle or low, and they don’t react to you, man, it’s f***** for you. That’s what basically hurt her career — the people didn’t react to her matches.”
That makes Maxxine’s loss to Raquel feel like more than just another defeat. It also reflects how much work she may have ahead if she is going to rebuild momentum.
WWE previously gave Maxxine a significant spotlight, including a Women’s Intercontinental Championship win over Becky Lynch. That run ended in January after Natalya turned on her, and her push has cooled since then.
Maxxine is still getting chances, but the reaction has not reached the level WWE wanted. Her look helped create an opportunity, but the next step depends on whether she can get the crowd to respond.
