Does Character TRUMP Talent?

In an interview with The Schmo, creative head Shawn Michaels stated that character trumps talent. So that is the question on the table. Having a good character is essential in the wrestling industry, but if one does not have talent in the ring, then why are they in the wrestling business? In the case of Michaels (whom I am a big fan of), he had both. His character was over-the-top flamboyant, and his skill in the ring was nearly unmatchable. In today's wrestling style, actual in-ring talent is not as important as it was back in the day. Is that due to the WWE moving their product in the 1980s to more of an entertainment style?

Given that they were the monopoly for years, it is understandable how fans only see character work over in-ring work. Hulk Hogan, for example, had a character known to people outside of the wrestling world, yet his in-ring ability left true wrestling fans wondering. Many others, like Hogan, could fall into that category, and it is subjective.

Five years ago, WWE finally got some competition from a newly formed wrestling promotion, All Elite Wrestling (AEW). They wanted to be the alternative to the WWE, which the WWE fans claimed they wanted. AEW seems to focus more on in-ring ability than the characters. But today, fans are complaining that there are too many matches on AEW's programming and not enough bullshit filler, as I like to call it. I am more interested in watching someone's in-ring performance than listening to them talk for 20 minutes. If I wanted to hear a sermon, I would go to church. I thought wrestling was about one's in-ring ability, not a character. While character work helps elevate a wrestler, it should be the in-ring skills that make you interested in them. So, I would have to say that I personally disagree with Heart Break Kid on this topic.