Do the people care about him?
Does he get heat?
Is he more interesting than the current feud the champion is in?
You are stuck on this thing where any crowd reaction = people "caring" or being "engaged".
Again, if people care, THEY'LL SPEND MONEY. There's a mile long list of wrestlers throughout history who always got good crowd reactions but people never invested in them enough to buy tickets or buy PPV's.
That's how you separate STARS from just good hands. Here's one you might appreciate. Jeff Jarrett always got good crowd heat in WCW. Always booked in top programs.
I'll slap you right now if you tell me he was ever a STAR.