We are weeks removed from WrestleMania 32 and surprisingly enough, things feel a bit different watching WWE. Admittedly, I sat on my ass for a few weeks and didn't write, because honestly, I had a sour taste in my mouth from both 'Mania and Raw the night after. 'Mania 32 had some great moments, but the outcomes left a lot to be desired. 'Nonsensical' is a word that comes to mind. Raw the night after reinforced that belief. But as the weeks have progressed, things seem a bit different.
Now, I'm not going to harp on this, but WWE did a lot to bury the idea of a meaningful finish at 'Mania. From AJ losing to Jericho to immediately becoming number one contender, to Shane being in control of Raw despite losing the stipulated Hell In A Cell match, things don't make a whole lot of sense. But then again, it's WWE. We've been subjected to so much short term booking and contradictive storylines that it's pointless to discuss it. So let's not.
To be quite honest, Raw has been pretty good. Cesaro returned. Sami Zayn is being featured. Enzo and Big Cass have arrived and are already showing a ton of promise. The two were the highlight of Raw the night after 'Mania 32. Apollo Crews and Baron Corbin have also debuted, but with less fanfare than Cass and Enzo. Sami Zayn has made waves with a few good showings in featured spots. His feud with Kevin Owens is still surreal to see play out on such a big stage, considering where they began on the independents. The positive about all though, is that they are fresh faces. The show feels fresh as well.
Here's what we really need to get to here. Roman Reigns is still struggling to get real reactions. Real reactions in that he hasn't gotten a reaction that wasn't driven by fans' disdain for him. The problem remains that his "heat" isn't "heat." Confusing, I know. Regardless of that, his feud with AJ Styles is getting hot.
Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson made their Raw debut by attacking the Usos. It seemed random until you consider that they're Reigns' cousins. Interesting.... A week later, they strike again, this time by beating down Reigns. Now we can see where this is going. The story reads that Reigns believes this is a plan by AJ, since Gallows and Anderson are his friends. AJ denies he ordered the beating and that's where we stand going into the Styles vs. Reigns match for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at Payback.
This is good stuff. How often has an angle in WWE had some depth like this? Yeah, AJ was booted from Bullet Club in New Japan the night after Wrestle Kingdom 10. Again, you apparently have to play along here and wipe some things from your memory. WWE doesn't expect you to know any of this, but whatever. The positive here is there's so many outcomes to the Payback main event.
Finish #1: Bullet Club Reunites
Can you imagine if Anderson and Gallows really were ordered to beat down Reigns by AJ and they helped him win the WWE Championship at Payback? I haven't worked a minute in the wrestling business and even I know that would be a hot angle. Can you say Shield vs. Bullet Club? Things are changing rapidly coming out of WrestleMania 32 and this would continue that trend.
Finish #2: Balor Club Is Formed
This one has a couple possibilities. Basically, the scenario is Gallows and Anderson interfere during or after the match, Finn Balor is involved, and the three take out AJ with no affiliation to Reigns. Keep in mind that the last news on Balor had him staying in NXT for the better part of 2016. He is still NXT Champion and there is still money in Balor/Joe III. Could he be working double duty? We'll get our answer soon enough. But the fact of the matter is an AJ/Balor feud would be quality, and Anderson and Gallows would add depth to the storyline.
Finish #3: The Roman Empire Is Formed
This seems unlikely, but then again, things much more dumb than this have happened. I'm not a fan of this scenario, but it's been talked about and speculated by many. This scenario sees Gallows and Anderson look as if they're going to help AJ, but end up turning on him in favor of Reigns. I'm going to interject my opinion here. THIS BETTER NOT HAPPEN. I understand the mindset, though. Turn Reigns completely heel and do it in a shocking fashion. The problem here is, Reigns becoming a heel will make or break him. The fans have accepted Gallows and Anderson quickly. They like AJ and the two together. It just seems that if WWE were to go this route, they would be running the risk of getting even more bad heat on Reigns. The fans might believe that WWE is doing another thing to push Reigns as the guy (sorry for that unintentional promo reference), but this time at the expense of two new guys that they like. Again, this is probably the most unlikely Payback finish of the three, but still very possible.
Speculation on the direction WWE is going has been rampant. Whether or not people hate that WWE didn't live up to the Undertaker/Shane stipulation, one thing is certain: the show feels different. It feels like this may be the beginning of a new era of WWE. With as many new faces and feuds that have entered the fold, WWE has a golden opportunity to capitalize on their momentum and genuinely improve the product. Payback will be a must-watch event for the company, and that is definitely a good thing.
Brady Sauvageau
The Heater
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