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After nearly seven months of the WWE brand split, where do the Raw and SmackDown authority figures stand?
From 2013 to 2016, WWE had been controlled by the Authority faction. This began with Triple H and Stephanie McMahon bringing in a handful of wrestlers to enforce their power on the main roster, including Randy Orton, Seth Rollins, Kane, and the Big Show. It lasted until WrestleMania 32, when Roman Reigns defeated Triple H for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, sending the latter man off TV for the next four-plus months.
Before the Game returned, we saw new authority figures put into place for the brand split. Stephanie stuck around as the Raw Commissioner, and would be accompanied by Mick Foley. The Hardcore Legend isn’t new to this role, as he was the WWE Commissioner in 2000. Shane McMahon became the SmackDown Commissioner, while Daniel Bryan returned as the show’s General Manager.
The McMahons weren’t necessarily fresh faces to the authority scene, especially Stephanie. Shane had floated around on Raw after losing at to the Undertaker at WrestleMania 32.
Foley has been noted for, but with Bryan, his return delighted the WWE fans. He’s one of the most popular faces of the past decade, and was welcomed back with open arms.
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There’s going to be a time when the authority figures change, however. It’s just natural progression on WWE TV, as seen with the original brand split. So after nearly seven months, it’s worth evaluating the status of all four people. How much longer could they last? Is there a timetable for their departures?
Let’s take a look at the future of both McMahons, Foley, and Bryan and see how soon they could leave.
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Stephanie McMahon – Raw Commissioner
Stephanie McMahon’s Commissioner role has seen her bounce around at times. There will be instances where she’s forgiving and willing to work together with Mick Foley. These two can’t always disagree, right? Other times, she disagrees with what the Hardcore Legend is doing and emasculates the male competitors.
Heading into WrestleMania season, McMahon isn’t heading toward a feud, unlike her husband, Triple H. She has gotten in the middle of Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins for the past few months, but nothing more than that. There can’t be a payoff since the men aren’t able to get physical with the women, meaning that there can only be verbal barbs thrown.
So Stephanie’s role is pretty much safe, as we near the Show of Shows. She’s had an authority role for almost four years now, leading the Authority until WrestleMania 32, and now as the Commissioner of Raw. Unless something drastic changes between February 17 and WrestleMania 33, don’t expect her to be leaving her spot anytime soon.
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Shane McMahon – SmackDown Commissioner
Shane McMahon has stayed quiet for most of his run as SmackDown Commissioner. He hasn’t interjected himself too much in storylines, mostly lingering in the background with Daniel Bryan. They’ve held SmackDown steady, as the babyface authority figures, something that has been refreshing for a WWE product that has had heels leading the way since the Attitude Era.
When the Prodigal Son returned to WWE in February 2016, it came as a surprise. Maybe more shocking is him remaining with the company since then, appearing at least twice per month. He even competed in a second match at Survivor Series. Could this extended run be coming to an end, however? Potential spoilers about the match card may be seen below for WrestleMania 33.
The Wrestling Observer’s rumored card for the Show of Shows has McMahon competing again. However, it’s going to come against AJ Styles. We’ve seen the former WWE champion make subtle complaints about management for the past few weeks, with nothing turning into anything more. If Styles becomes infuriated with Shane, could we eventually see him look for a change in commissioner?
To make Styles vs. McMahon interesting at WrestleMania 33, there needs to be some kind of stipulation there. They’re not just going to fight for the Phenomenal One to vent his frustrations with his fists. Maybe it’s booked that the former Hardcore champion has to put his commissioner job on the line? It could be a way of getting him off of TV, if that’s the plan. There’s been nothing to indicate that WWE is going to take off programming, though.
If this Styles vs. McMahon feud develops, something is going to be needed for this to make it interesting. Bray Wyatt vs. Randy Orton, Kevin Owens vs. Chris Jericho, Brock Lesnar vs. Goldberg, Roman Reigns vs. Undertaker, and other rumored matches all have a lengthy storyline background to it that sells what the Superstars are competing for. Seven weeks out, Styles vs. McMahon doesn’t. If they’re going to have a standard singles match with nothing tied to it, no one will care. If there’s some stakes, then we may have something going here. That could mean Shane’s job is put on the line.
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Mick Foley – Raw General Manager
Perhaps the most likely candidate to lose his job is the General Manager of Raw, Mick Foley. He and Stephanie McMahon have had spats for months, leading to the Commissioner of Raw questioning if this is the man for the job. This has heated up lately, even with WWE Superstars like Braun Strowman constantly complaining.
Unlike the SmackDown figures, Foley has been on Raw quite often. His return as the GM in July seemed like a fresh use of him, especially with the Flagship Show having been dominated by heels running the program. Months later, he’s become a bit stale, mostly due to overexposure.
The real aspect of this is Foley impending hip surgery, something he’s made public knowledge for months. It’s going to eventually take him off TV, so he can recover and not limp his way to the ring.
Making a general manager change around WrestleMania 33 could be the way WWE progress here. Maybe they bring someone in the night after the show, or the week after, if Foley resigns or gets fired seven days prior. Our own Jay Sichler recently made the case for Kurt Angle taking over this role.
Foley is going to be out sooner than later. When could that be?
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Daniel Bryan – SmackDown General Manager
Daniel Bryan sticking around on WWE TV may have been one of the company’s best moves of 2016. It’s reminiscent of Stone Cold Steve Austin leaving the ring due to injuries, and sliding directly into the co-Raw General Manager role in 2003. This is a win for the fans and keeps them interested in the authority role, even if the person is more popular than just about everyone on the roster.
Like Shane McMahon, Bryan has been in the background as the SmackDown General Manager. However, his role has been a bit more involved than the commissioner. This may be due to the thunderous crowd reaction anytime the former WWE World Heavyweight champion enters an arena, and the personable role he plays with the Superstars.
Authority roles don’t last forever in WWE, so like others before him, Bryan will eventually go. His wife, Brie Bella, is pregnant with their first child. It’s something that could take him away from TV when she has their baby.
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Luckily for fans, in storyline, there seems to be no indication of Bryan losing his SmackDown General Manager spot. He has been terrific in his role and makes Talking Smack work with his chemistry with Renee Young. As long as this all continues, don’t expect a change anytime soon.