We’re already in the middle of the middle month in 2021. The year feels like it’s going to speed up and be over in an instant. But there’s still enough time to do quite a bit in both WWE and AEW.
Normally, I like to look at the rosters around this time to assess how things are going so far and how these companies can make the next half even better. While we have no clue what secrets and shocks might be in store for us, we can have a wish list of what we’d like to see.
As such, I figured I’d toss out my suggestions of things I want to see take place in WWE and AEW at some point before the end of the year.
Since this ballooned past a “5 and 5” type of list into a “10 and 10”, I’ll be splitting them up in two posts, with this one dedicated entirely to WWE. Stay tuned for the AEW one to come next week.
As said, though, let’s start with WWE. We know we’re getting fans in attendance for Money in the Bank, SummerSlam is coming up and WWE should (at least theoretically) try to make up for lost time and give us some great content to compensate for some lackluster and lazy creative decisions during the pandemic.
Keeping in mind this is a wish list and not a set of predictions, here are just 10 (could have been more) things I want to see happen in the remainder of 2021, in no particular order:
Bobby Lashley vs. Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam
Back when Lashley returned to WWE was the best possible time to do this match. WWE didn’t do it, for whatever reason. Now, they have a rare second opportunity to do it in an arguably even better situation and they MUST sort it out.
I rarely will say this, but they need to pay Lesnar enough money to have him show up and be in the main event (or co-main event) of SummerSlam.
Ideally, since this is my wish list, he will fight Lashley in a match that has more MMA rules and Lashley will win to retain the WWE Championship. I don’t want Lesnar holding the belt hostage until WrestleMania 38 or anything of that sort.
Pull the trigger. It’s not going to come back around for a third time unless you keep the title on Lashley all the way until WrestleMania again and THEN pay Lesnar. But there are no other matches that can meet this level of intrigue for star power.
Xavier Woods Wins King of the Ring
Tomorrow night on SmackDown, Shinsuke Nakamura and King Corbin will fight over the King of the Ring crown. This is not an official transferring of the title if Nakamura wins, though. At least, that’s not what WWE has alluded to.
But in my ideal scenario, given what we’re working with, I think the match should end in a draw. Then, Adam Pearce should declare that neither is fit to wear the crown and a new tournament will start.
Both Nakamura and Corbin will be given entries. Everyone else needs to earn the right to qualify. It gives you weeks upon weeks of material and you can work the lowest of the totem pole and the highest stars into the mix. The jobbers fail to qualify and the midcarders and up are entered into the long tournament.
I’d stretch it out either with the finals taking place at SummerSlam or maybe even Clash of Champions in September. Throw in Ricochet, Mustafa Ali, Jeff Hardy, Otis, Sami Zayn and al sorts of talent.
Ultimately, I’d book Xavier Woods to win it in the finals against maybe Seth Rollins or perhaps Jinder Mahal.
Woods wants this so bad. Give it to him! It’s not like you’re giving him the world title and you have to throw all your plans (or, knowing WWE, lack thereof) away. Let’s see what King Woods can do with the crown and have a babyface KOTR for the first time in a while.
Keith Lee Returns and Wins Gold
We don’t know what’s going on with Keith Lee right now. The longer he waits to clarify what’s keeping him off television, the more worrisome it becomes.
What if he has a heart or lung problem from COVID? Is there a concussion issue that is going to keep him out of the ring forever like it seems is happening with Samoa Joe?
For his health and safety, as well as for my own fandom, I want to see Lee make his triumphant return and not only get the ball rolling again, but to win the United States Championship or Intercontinental Championship, depending on which brand he pops up.
Then, I’d love to see him work his way toward winning the WWE or Universal Championship at some point in 2022. My ideal situation would have been that he’d win the midcard belt a few months ago and be the 2022 Royal Rumble winner, but that’s not realistic right now, it seems.
Alexa Bliss Quits Doing the Bray Wyatt Gimmick
I’ve long said that I thought Bray Wyatt was better on paper than in execution. Once The Fiend started happening, I’ve been saying “it’s just Wyatt with a costume and lighting change and nothing different enough.” I keep being proven right every time I say they’re clearly not building toward anything worthwhile and that his feuds fizzle out into nothing.
Clearly, someone in WWE loves the gimmick so much that they just slapped it on Alexa Bliss for the past few months, too. She’s quite literally filling the Wyatt void by doing the same exact things, but as a cute Harley Quinn copy, rather than a twisted Mr. Rogers.
I don’t think it’s good. There was potential, but it’s not happening. The Lilly and Shayna Baszler stuff was dumb and I just want to see this end as soon as possible.
Bliss is certainly talented enough that I can have faith she’ll figure out another direction to take her character. We don’t need a replacement Wyatt. What we need is for Wyatt to be booked better and to stop taking up so much time just for the sake of messing with special effects.
Mace and T-Bar Revert Back to Dio Maddin and Dominik Dijakovic
A few steps have already been taken toward restoring these guys back to their true selves. RETRIBUTION is no more and the masks are gone.
But they still have those dumb names. They’re still cutting promos like they’re trying to merge Legion of Doom and Ultimate Warrior promos with The Ascension.
Both guys are talented—especially Dijakovic. I don’t want to see them fall by the wayside even more just because they have these stupid names and are coming across as trying too hard.
There was nothing wrong with Dijak in NXT. He looks like he could be a future world champion. Let the guy capitalize on his potential and stop hindering him.
The NXT Mainstays Get Fresh Matches
As much as I’m afraid Adam Cole, Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa would be thrown to the wolves on the main roster, I want to see them wrestle some of the people that they’ve been away from all this time.
Give me Ciampa vs. Orton. Do Gargano against Styles. Cole must have an amazing match waiting for him with Cesaro. I can’t imagine Owens doesn’t work well with all those guys, along with Zayn, along with Rollins, along with Ziggler, and so on and so forth.
The longer WWE waits to do any of this, the more of a chance it stands that they’ll never happen. Look at that Four Horsewomen vs Four Horsewomen match we never got, or Sting vs Undertaker.
As scary as it is to venture up to the main roster, without making that leap, we could be deprived of some great things. Plus, they can always go back down to NXT if it isn’t working out, just like Finn Balor did.
Cesaro Wins Intercontinental Championship
I think it’s too much to ask that Cesaro will win the Universal Championship this year. It may never happen, to be honest. There’s just no chance in my mind that he beats Roman Reigns, of all people, especially after having already feuded with him temporarily.
What he can win, though, is the Intercontinental Championship. In fact, I think he’s the absolute best choice to dethrone Apollo Crews and there’s no one else I can imagine fitting that bill better.
It’s a compensation title reign that doesn’t mean the same, but it’s still an honor. That’s the workhorse title (or, at least, used to be) and it’s got its own prestige. People dream about winning that championship and Cesaro would be an excellent guy to carry it.
205 Live Gets Replaced with NXT Evolve
Next week, we’ll find out what Diamond Mine is all about. Before that potentially shatters my hopes for this, I’ll put it out there one more time that I think 205 Live needs to be replaced.
It’s had enough years to see if the audience is there. Sadly, the viewers aren’t tuning in for cruiserweight action. The wrestlers are great and the matches are a lot of fun, but nobody seems to really care.
Keeping it to a cruiserweight-only show prevents WWE from better utilizing its talent. No women are on the show, you can only use people under 205 lbs and it’s not even live anymore!
I kept pitching that Stomping Grounds should return as the name of a developmental program, and I still think that can work, but NXT Evolve might be even better. You can retain the purple branding, which matches 205 Live and Evolve. The name obviously evokes developmental in that these stars are evolving to the next stage of their careers, too.
Give it 1 hour, maximum. Ideally, cut Main Event out of the time slot, too, since WWE doesn’t even acknowledge its existence. Put the lesser names on the bulk of the show with one selling point of a big name.
For instance, maybe the lineup is something like Ikemen Jiro vs Leon Ruff, Ari Sterling vs Brendan Vink, Gigi Dolin vs Ivy Nile, Simone Johnson vs Valentina Feroz, and a more marquee match like Pete Dunne against Josh Briggs.
RK-Bro Win the Tag Team Titles; Feud Later in the Year
Maybe my favorite thing going on with the main roster right now is the pairing of Riddle and Randy Orton. I genuinely like their chemistry together and this uneasy friendship they have.
The next step is to give them the tag team titles. After a run with those belts, they need to split up and feud. It’s just logical and the natural order of things.
Not only do I think a title reign for them would be fun and something nice to look back on in the record books, but I think it’ll give them much more to work with when they do eventually feud with each other, which I also think will be quite great.
That’s maybe even a match I could see taking place at WrestleMania, come to think of it. If they’ve got the legs to drag it out that far without it feeling like Owens/Rollins or Wyatt/Orton, maybe just the tag title run and the heel turn for Orton happens this year.
Edge vs….
I want to see The Rated-R Superstar in a feud with a handful of people still left to check off the list.
Seth Rollins is a given. AJ Styles is a must. Let’s see what he can do with Bray Wyatt as far as the creative side of things. Frankly, I know people will disagree, but I think he and Baron Corbin could have a great short feud.
Put him in the ring with some of the NXT people I mentioned like Gargano, Ciampa and Cole.
If we don’t get Edge against Kevin Owens, it’ll be a travesty. Sami Zayn would be a fantastic opponent for him, too.
Obviously, you can’t cram all of these in there in just six months. Each one of these could be a one or two month feud. But Edge should at least cross off two, if not three of them. I don’t want to see him only show up at SummerSlam and then wait until Royal Rumble again.
What is on your wish list for WWE for the rest of the year? Drop your thoughts in the comments below!
