New Authority Figure in Charge
This one comes down to how the Shane vs. Undertaker match will play out. Shane McMahon running Raw will ‘hopefully’ give a fresh outlook on the product, having Triple H and Stephanie working more backstage and with NXT. They could have Shane act as the GM/owner for now, bring in a different figure (such as Regal, JBL, Stone Cold, Mick Foley, or anyone really), or promote an entirely new format. WWE could take an innovative step and give more fan access via the WWE app & website, such as a slight degree of match booking (only slightly, because we can’t see AJ styles vs. Kevin Owens in a ladder match for the title every week). Along with a change in authority, they could also add in some format changes. They could add in more tournaments and legitimate #1 contendership matches (similar to NXT). Triple H & Stephanie were strong characters at one point, but they have overstayed their welcome on Monday night.
New Announcers on Raw
WWE has done a great job bringing in and training new announcers. Smackdown is graced with Mauro Ranallo, and NXT has the talented team of Tom Phillips and Corey Graves. Byron is slowly becoming a better play-by-play announcer, and Rene is a fresh voice that could be used at any time. Is anything inherently wrong with JBL or Michael Cole? No. It would be nice to see Cole take more of a backseat (as he leads announcing in the background anyways) and give the spot to someone else. This could be the very reason Ranallo was brought in, but who knows with the WWE. Taking Lawler off the Raw desk was a good start, but they need to commit to taking the announcer change to the next step. A new voice for the fans at home can be a great breath of fresh air. A great example is how Mauro announced the Fastlane pre-show vs. how Cole announced the rest of the show. In this case, different definitely can be better.
Split the League of Nations
Originally, this faction could have worked, especially with Sheamus as the champion. Once he lost the title, all of the momentum (if there was any to begin with) of this team dissipated. Rusev, who was on track to being an upper midcard/lower main event heel last year, has now been reduced to a sidekick player. Alberto Del Rio, a man who was dominating Lucha Underground with his charisma and in-ring style, turned into a midcard stale wrestler that looks like he never left the WWE in the first place. Each man needs to go their separate ways, and begin to establish the character that made them somewhat captivating in the first place. Give Rusev a vicious streak again. Let ADR play the rich and entitled Latin star, and possibly give him an enforcer. Give Barrett one more chance as Bad News Barrett, where he was the most effective. Hitting the reset button will help everyone in this group.
All-in or Fall Back
There are a few wrestlers in very odd spots on the roster right now. Some of them are in a state of limbo, and WWE needs to decide to push them or leave them as enhancement. No more half-push teases that do nothing to advance the careers of these wrestlers and their opponents. Bray looked like he was ready to face Lesnar at WrestleMania, but was pulled back. The Wyatts lost to Big Show, Kane & Ryback at Fastlane. Every time the Wyatts look like they are ready to build a mean streak, they lose and lose and lose. Then they receive a slight push, and lose again. If the WWE wants the Wyatts to be a dominant force, they need to start attacking people and abducting them at random, winning big events, and backing up their promos. Bray needs to be untouchable, and every feud he is in needs to showcase that. They could also add some more substance by adding in a new teammate. Either someone like a repackaged Adam Rose, or possibly adding in a female member would add a bit of interest.
After winning the US title, Kalisto looked like he was put in the ‘Mysterio’ spot. Unfortunately, aside from a drawn-out feud with Del Rio, he has reverted back to tagging with his former partner and not making any movements. Instead of sitting around, they need to have Kalisto take on multiple opponents for the title, and keep getting underdog wins until he is poised as a credible contender in the midcard and upper midcard areas. If they do not believe in Kalisto, then have him drop the title and continue to tag with Sin Cara (although this seems like a mistake, since he has personality and in-ring talent).
Finally, our internet friend Cesaro is another person in an odd place. Had he not been injured, he likely would have had a chance to shine with this thin roster. When he returns, he will be met with other new additions, returning stars, and other pushed stars. The Swiss Superman cannot go to waste and just become another gatekeeper like Dolph Ziggler. Giving him a mini Goldberg-like winning streak by starting from the bottom may be the best way for him to garner interest. That way, 6-12 months from when he returns, he has a full head of steam if they need to put him into a big spot. They can also showcase him by having him face more main event wrestlers and actually winning. He has a built-in fanbase, a gimmick (Cesaro section), an innovative moveset, and his acting skills have improved quite a bit since his debut.
NXT Call-Up
Currently, NXT has a ton of talent that is ready for the main roster: Finn Balor, Sami Zayn, Samoa Joe, Enzo & Cass, and Nakamura. One could also make a case for bringing up Bayley, or Blake & Murphy (with Bliss of course) as well. Austin Aries bringing the role of “veteran skilled in-ring guy” to NXT frees Joe to move up to the roster (who could feud with virtually anyone). Zayn has a built-in feud with John Cena and Kevin Owens soon as he moves up. Finn Balor will flourish once his reformation of Bullet Club happens (depending on how it unfolds). Nakamura (if you have not seen him before) is so energetic and skilled in the ring, it would be quite tough for him to not get over on the main roster.
The big factor in any of these men moving up is how they are treated. The main roster does not have a good track record of treating NXT talent. If you exclude the FCW crew (Wyatts, Shield etc.) or the women, there are very few successes. Kevin Owens is doing well, and Rusev at one point was doing well. Whoever debuts on the Raw after WrestleMania needs to be made a huge deal, similar to Owens’ debut. They need to be vaulted into a solid feud, and their personality needs to be shown. Not only that, but they must continue to be showcased in some way in order to not be lost in the shuffle. If that was the case for the others, Tyler Breeze and Neville could have been sitting in better spots right now.
Agree? Disagree? Have other ideas? Post Below.
