What were the biggest questions the superstars of WWE Raw and SmackDown Live left behind this week?
WWE tried to move past the Greatest Royal Rumble this week and focused more on the upcoming Backlash PPV. Both Raw and SmackDown superstars will be on common grounds at the PPV and we are in store for a number of inter brand matches. These include title matches as well and it will be quite intriguing to see if any of the titles were to change brands over the weekend. Improbable as it may be, like the old saying goes, ‘anything can happen in the WWE’.
Raw failed to deliver this week as the show was headlined with a six man tag team action featuring Roman Reigns, Braun Strowman (yeah in the same team) and Bobby Lashley. Opposing them were Jinder Mahal, Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens. Why would Strowman ever play cavalry to aid Reigns or Lashley? When did he become such a team player? Only God and Vince McMahon knows.
SmackDown however, was much more focused and delivered quality action and captivating moments. The show also built further momentum as far as Backlash goes. The WWE title match promises to be a vicious conclusion to Nakamura’s never-ending assaults on Styles. Big Cass will be getting in the ring against Daniel Bryan despite his painfully awful promo.
The show was headlined by the women’s division as Charlotte, Becky Lynch and Asuka took on Carmella and Iconics. The babyfaces got the win ultimately, but there were shades of character shift and self-doubt within the match. That leads us to the first question of the week.
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5. Will Becky Lynch turn heel eventually?
If you look at the above picture Becky is evidently the odd one out if you had to pick one. While it’s certainly not because of charisma or in ring skills. Lynch is a performer who has carved a name for herself and can go toe-to-toe with the best women in the WWE on any day. However, some poor booking decisions have left her without any serious momentum.
Her fiery fighting babyface persona has always resonated well with the fans. However, creative has failed to capitalize on it. Moreover, she hasn’t had the level of success Charlotte or Sasha Banks have had on the main roster. It’s been ages since she came anywhere near the Women’s title on SmackDown Live. Becky was someone I was rooting for to mover to Raw and start over. Instead, she is still very much a part of Team Blue.
However, it seems like creative is finally paying some attention to her booking issues. Last week, Lynch teamed up with Asuka against the Iconics and ended up taking the fall. This was shocking to say the least as you don’t normally see Asuka lose, even in a tag match. This week Lynch was out to prove a point, but ended up taking a major chunk of the heel’s offense.
She is getting more and more frustrated with the present state of things and has been looking for ways to prove herself. Will her desperation finally result in a heel turn or some sort of redemption arc?
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4. Why is creative wasting time with Bobby Roode’s babyface run?
Bobby Roode is a fine wrestler. He is not about flashy jumps and offence but is a more methodical wrestler much like Randy Orton. However, one thing Roode doesn’t lack even in the least is charisma. The way his entrance got over with the fans is a testament to that. It’s not just the song, but rather it’s how Roode makes it look actually glorious.
Roode was once the top heel in NXT. It took him to the very top of the locker room there as he became the NXT champion. However, when Roode made his main roster debut, the grizzled veteran debuted as a babyface. It was hard to digest the idea of a character shift for Roode. His egotistical persona was one of the highlights of his run in NXT. Now, for him to ditch that and pander to the crowd was a bit awkward.
When Roode was revealed to be Raw‘s final draft pick, a lot of people felt that as underwhelming. In the babyface team that night, he was the one with the least momentum and the one who was the least over with the fans. Roode’s face run still continues on Monday nights to no avail. Most recently, he was seen losing to Elias via referee stoppage.
It’s high time to turn him heel and project him to a higher order up the ladder. A heel Bobby Roode should be feuding against the likes of Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins and Finn Balor. Not losing to Elias.
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3. Can Baron Corbin grow past the usual booking?
Being one of the original NXT homegrown talents, Baron Corbin should have reached enviable heights by now. The Lonewolf has the size and the looks and as far as character work goes, Corbin is on top of his game. He is an excellent heel whom the crowd loves to boo. Corbin has found a medium level of success in the company so far.
He has won the United States title once and held the Money in the Bank briefcase at one point. However, it amounted to nothing because of a failed cash in. As such, Corbin’s move to Monday nights was a welcome change. He needed a new set of foes after suffering at the hands of creative on Tuesday nights for a good while.
However, the moment he began mixing it up with No Way Jose, all my hopes went down the drain. This is exactly what Corbin has been doing since his debut. He gets in the way of a fun-loving generic babyface and ends up losing the feud, making himself look like a fool. Now throw in Titus O’Neil into the mix and you have all the negatives in one place.
Corbin should be targeting bigger fish. How about him going after Finn Balor or the IC champion Seth Rollins? A feud between him and Braun Strowman would be gold. Instead, he is still wandering the mid card without direction or motive. Can the Lonewolf ever break out and find success?
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2. Is WWE priming Roman Reigns for a redemption angle?
Roman Reigns just can’t seem to get the job done. He can’t get the win when it matters the most and despite being WWE’s chosen one, Reigns has tasted the bitterness of defeat twice at the hands of Brock Lesnar. Both those times, it was almost a matter of certainty that he would finally win the Universal title.
But Reigns lost. This Sunday, he is scheduled to face Samoa Joe. There are no titles on the line. But pride and honor are. If Reigns suffers one more defeat, it would be a third straight loss for the Big Dog in big match situations. So what is the end game for all this? Usually, a series of heart breaking losses can eventually act as a catalyst for a babyface to turn heel.
But with Reigns, we know that will never happen. He isn’t turning heel anytime soon folks. So then, what is creative up to? That then lead me to the question – is a redemption angle in the works? Reigns could potentially lose more and more matches, much to the joy of the crowd. He could be counted out of the Universal title picture and even his biggest fans could doubt the Big Dog.
He could then work his way back up the ladder, picking up wins and momentum along the way. It’s the organic way for a babyface to go over with the fans. Honestly, that is how Roman Reigns should have gotten to the top of the mountain in the first place. That way, the fans who cheered him on during the days of the Shield would have still loved him.
However, at this point in time, it remains to be seen if the fans would accept him despite this potential redemption angle.
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1. How will Samoa Joe factor into the WWE title picture?
Samoa Joe turned heads this week with yet another scintillating promo. Joe informed Styles that after Backlash this Sunday, he would be coming for the WWE title, regardless of whether Styles or Nakamura wins on Sunday. Joe will be facing Roman Reigns from Raw at the PPV. From they way the odds are stacked against Reigns at the moment, I expect Joe to pick up a big win and gain more momentum.
However, the question remains; how will he factor into the WWE title scene? One thing about Joe intrigued me last night. When Nakamura’s music played, despite being a no-nonsense heel, Joe turned back to the entrance ramp, ready to fight the King of Strong Style. That is uncharacteristic for most heels in the WWE.
Heels stick together usually. It seems like Joe is more of an anti-hero at this moment, and a very dangerous one too. He is okay with fighting either Styles or Nakamura to win the WWE title. From the looks of it, he might as well win the coveted prize soon.
Samoa Joe Vs. AJ Styles is a match wrestling fans have witnessed a number of times in the past. Styles Vs. Nakamura is also the same. However, Samoa Joe Vs. Shinsuke Nakamura has an appeal and potential for a dream match. But there is just one issue. Both these men are heels, and are tremendous at playing the heel role.
So how do you balance out things? Simple. Throw in AJ Styles in the mix and you have a triple threat match pro-wrestling fans all over the world would drool over. Styles could perhaps lose the title to Nakamura come Sunday. He would still have his rematch. However, Joe could lay his claims for a shot at the title too, eventually resulting in a mammoth triple threat feud that could bring the fire back to SmackDown Live.
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What are your thoughts on the potential triple threat feud? Are you excited to see Samoa Joe on Tuesday nights? Moreover, do you agree that he is rightfully where he belongs? Let us know in the comments section.