The conversation the other day with my friend Colin led to a less than shocking discovery. Events that took place during the fatal four-way match on raw where Kevin Owens was handed WWE's universal heavyweight title could end without anything happening between triple H and Seth Rollins.
Once again another story line without a true ending.
If WWE was smart, it would keep the universal heavyweight title around Owens waste, but as we all know things don't always turn out the way they should. In many cases the wrong move is made, fans question it forever, and there is no resolution. This could be one of those situations. I'm not saying that Rollins is not worthy of being the company champion.
What I am saying is it taking the belt off of Owens now creates more damage that does help in establishing the bread brand's top title. If this was one brand was one title it would be different. In this case, however, triple H has established that he wants one person to hold the title over another, and therefore WWE should move ahead with that plan.
Again that may not happen at clash of champions but it's the thought that I'm going to go with. Here are five reasons why the company that shows a new champion should keep the belt on the new champion.
1- Continuity
The idea to put the Universal Title on Owens was a major chance the company took. Seth Rollins is a proven commodity with a major title around his waist. Also, Rollins is the heel everyone wants to love. But taking the belt off Owens right now is a blatant sign the company does not have faith in him as a leader of the promotion.
It also means there would be three champions since SummerSlam. Those kinds of numbers are never good for ratings.
2- It’s what Triple H wants
I love the idea that Triple H walks into Raw, turns on Seth Rollins and then hands the win to Owens and then walks out with the new champion. It left so many questions unanswered that to this day, we still have no idea how things will pan out at Clash of Champions. If I can say this without offending anyone, Owens is really the pawn here.
The real issue is with Triple H, Rollins and Stephanie McMahon. There will be a storyline with Triple H demanding control of Raw, which opens up another can of worms.
3- It’s a bold move
Going into the Fatal Four Way match, we all knew there was a chance Owens would walk out with the title, but we weren’t sure how. Ultimately, I thought it would be Roman Reigns and Owens in the final pairing, which we all know how that turned out. While Owens has been a mid-card champion, his stay in the company has not been very long.
Putting the strap on him now shows the McMahon’s have confidence in him and his future. Owens is a likable character – both as a heel and I could see him at some point becoming the babyface of the brand. As long as the fans like him and cheer him on, regardless of which side of the fence he sits, he should remain in the main event.
5- Roman Reigns
I know the Big Dog is in the middle of a solid feud with Rusev, but at some point, WWE is going to turn its attention back to Reigns and offer him another shot at the brass ring. That starts by beating the mighty Russian for the United States Title and then moving up another rung on the ladder to get to the top.
A Rollins-Reigns confrontation makes no sense if the company is hoping for a Shield reunion at Survivor Series. If Rollins and Reigns reconcile and fight as a force, how can WWE flip the script again? This makes more sense to ensure Reigns holds the belt again.
5- The start of something bigger
I eluded to this in another piece. What if Triple H is planning am NXT-like takeover and Owens is the centerpiece and initial mark? Wouldn’t something like the Nexus make sense? I could see Samoa Joe, Bobby Roode, Austin Aries and others possibly being chosen to join.
Dash and Dawson would also work so well. Since this is a new era of branding and WWE wants to get over with its “changes”, it cannot interrupt progress to take the belt off Owens and start something old all over again. Fans would get behind new NXT stars on the Raw roster headed by Triple H.
