We’ve grown used to the WWE changing the rules to fit what they want to do. Titles change hands, contracts are terminated, and life goes on. Vince McMahon’s decisions shape the landscape of the WWE as well as the rest of the professional wrestling landscape for years. While there’s sure to be plenty of other moments, it’s hard to point to one that could sink or swim the promotion like the Elimination Chamber match being devalued to protect Roman Reigns.
And it all began with one match.
Universal Championship
(It’s funny how the boos were edited out and replace with cheers by the WWE in the video above. Nothing new there)
Having “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt lose the Universal Championship had to happen at some point. The problem is Wyatt’s the most popular wrestler currently in the WWE. No other has their opponents booed when they have the upper hand like he does. Usually, something like that is saved for when the opponent cheats, but all they have to do now is beat on Bray Wyatt.
The current argument is who else besides Goldberg would be believable to beat him?
Good point, but here’s the answer — Killer Kross.
Or Aleister Black.
Kross is the promotions new golden boy signee that’s currently retraining in the WWE Performance Center. He’s been rumored to make his debut at WrestleMania, but even if he debuts afterwards, he’s a fan favorite that can be built up as another dominant force that could have a really awesome feud with the Fiend’s gimmick. Their styles compliment each other’s perfectly, and have the potential to instant classics.
Black is one of the best wrestlers to come out of NXT in years and he would be a perfect counter-balance to Wyatt’s character. Both are nightmare born, and both rely on the hardly used ring psychology. Their styles would mesh, and like Killer Kross, their matches could be instant classics.
The problem with either of them is it’d take time and McMahon loves Roman Reigns.
The sacrifice
Goldberg wanted a Super Showdown moment to erase his botch-filed match against the Undertaker. Reports have said that he was supposed to lose to Wyatt, but the ending was changed. Most likely to protect Reigns.
As we saw on Smackdown when Goldberg was introduced as the new Universal Champion, fans weren’t receptive. Beyond the boos (Which really touched a nerve with Goldberg. Poor guy’s almost never booed and seemed to have developed a facial tick.) and chants of “You both suck!” from the fans when Reigns came out, his moment could turn into a nightmare.
He’s the WWE’s sacrificial lamb so we won’t turn on Roman Reigns when he wins the championship at WrestleMania.
The logic makes sense given Reigns is about to be pushed as the company’s top face against the wishes of the fans. We’re happy seeing him in the mid-card matches. He helps make them entertaining. But as the top guy? More fans will leave.
Not as many as if he’d been the one to beat Wyatt, but they’ll still leave.
Of course, we’ll get to see this play out post-WrestleMania when Wyatt and Reigns are expected to feud over the summer.
Before the summer or WrestleMania is the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view. The WWE has totally devalued the men’s Elimination Chamber Match by making Reigns and Goldberg at WrestleMania official. We knew Reigns would wrestling and win the championship, but this throws the entire process off kilter and shows how little thought went into this, not to mention how we now have a pay-per-view match that’s not worth watching.
But it’s the message to the fans that counts
Fans of every sport are knowledgeable about what’s going on. Most times, it simply comes down to we know what we like and what we don’t. And the fans have spoken. Again.
John Cena mentioned how we feel we’re ignored by McMahon and company, but he hears us. There’s no doubt the wrestlers do because they’re in the ring, they’re an arm’s reach from us most of the time. They have to gauge and deal with our reactions to McMahon’s ideas.
They have to deal with the fact we may be thought of as dumb and expected to follow along blindly to what he wants done.
It’s why AEW is growing in popularity and why the WWE’s been losing money. At some point, it may be in everyone’s best interest to have Vince McMahon step aside and allow Triple H or Shane McMahon to take over fully.
If not, we could be witnessing the WWE’s self-destruction.
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