5 biggest questions from WWE in 2021

Many WWE Superstars had a fantastic 2021 that saw them achieve new milestones. Roman Reigns was at the forefront of it all as he sucessfully defended the WWE Universal Championship throughout the entire year.

Riddle’s dreams came true in 2021 as he teamed up with Randy Orton to win the RAW Tag Team Championship. Meanwhile, Bianca Belair and Sasha Banks made history and main-evented the first night of WrestleMania 37. The EST also won the SmackDown Women’s Championship to make her 2021 unforgettable.

On the other hand, several WWE Superstars had a tough year. While many were released from their contracts, others struggled to get even the slightest bit of screentime. From start to finish, the year raised many questions, as renowned performers like Drew Gulak and Mustafa Ali struggled to find success.

With that said, let's take a look at the five biggest questions from WWE in 2021.

---

#5. What went wrong with two former WWE NXT Champions in 2021?

Keith Lee was expected to win a major title in WWE in 2021. Several fans had The Limitless One's back, and Lee was ready to prove his doubters wrong.

Likewise, Karrion Kross continued his dominant run in WWE NXT at the turn of 2021. After he won the NXT Championship for a second time, Kross was fast-tracked to the main roster. But his run on WWE RAW was hamstrung from the start; he was separated from Scarlett and forced to change his appearance.

Both Superstars failed to thrive on the the main roster in 2021, despite their impressive backgrounds as former NXT Champions. They were ultimately released by WWE during a round of cuts in November.

Why did the company underutilize two of the most dominant men who ever came out of NXT? Did the creative team miss a chance to create two new stars with its questionable booking of both powerhouses?

Kross and Lee had the talent and charisma to become future WWE Champions. The right booking could have allowed them to become main-eventers in a matter of months.

Were Kross and Lee to blame for their release from the company in 2021? Or did the company let down two men who could have become top stars in 2022? It looks like both men will get picked up by rival promotions soon after their non-compete clause comes to an end. From there, fans will be able to get a better sense of their true talent.

#4. Did Bobby Lashley have to lose to Goldberg at WWE Crown Jewel 2021?

Heading into WWE SummerSlam 2021, the creative team decided to build a rivalry between Goldberg and Bobby Lashley.

Lashley was holding the WWE Championship at the time, and many fans feared the worst; it was widely assumed that the former WCW star would emerge victorious. But Lashley, thanks to some help from MVP, defeated Goldberg via referee stoppage at the pay-per-view.

This outcome was a weird way to temporarily end one of the most hyped rivalries of the summer. Two months later, WWE reignited the feud when Goldberg and Lashley faced each other at Crown Jewel 2021.

Lashley walked into the PPV without the WWE Championship, and Goldberg beat him in a No Holds Barred match.

Did WWE need to put Lashley down to put over Goldberg, who was 54 years old at the time? Did the loss significantly affect The All Mighty's value in WWE?

Lashley became one of the most dominant superstars in the company in 2021, but this loss further derailed his momentum after he lost the WWE Championship.

Should WWE have put Lashley up against Goldberg in 2021? Or would it have been better for The Icon to target another superstar? The outcome of the match negatively affected The All Mighty's year, so it's fair to question the storyline itself.

#3. Will Cesaro ever get back in the race for a world championship in WWE?

Many WWE fans have seen Cesaro as a top superstar who doesn't get the level of respect he deserves. The Swiss Cyborg is arguably the strongest pound-for-pound competitor in WWE, and he is also one of the finest workers in the ring.

Surprisingly, he has never won a world championship in WWE. This fact was seemingly set to change at WrestleMania Backlash 2021; there, Cesaro got his first one-on-one Universal Championship match against Roman Reigns.

Unfortunately, Cesaro was unable to defeat The Tribal Chief. After this setback, instead of getting another chance, or even remaining at the top of the card, Cesaro quickly faded out of the title scene.

Will WWE ever give The Swiss Cyborg another shot as a main-eventer? Is he ever going to win a world title in WWE after he failed to do so in 2021?

Cesaro is 41 years old, and the company has looked to push younger talent in recent years. That being said, Bobby Lashley proved that age is just a number after he won the WWE Championship for the first time at the age of 44.

With this in mind, it will be interesting to see if the creative team decides to give him another chance at the gold.

#2. Was it fair to push down Bianca Belair for Becky Lynch’s return at WWE SummerSlam 2021?

There were several surprises during WWE SummerSlam 2021. Most notably, Brock Lesnar returned and confronted Roman Reigns after the Universal Champion defeated John Cena.

Becky Lynch also made an unexpected return at the show when she wrestled for the first time since WWE WrestleMania 36.

The Man challenged Bianca Belair for the SmackDown Women's Championship, and it took Lynch less than a minute to defeat Belair and win the gold.

The victory was a big one for the returning main-eventer, but it came at the expense of one of WWE's brightest stars.

Was it the right call to immediately put Lynch over Belair in such a short match? Did The EST deserve better after she carried the SmackDown women's roster for most of the year?

Belair had a great year in 2021, and she made a name for herself during her run with the title. But a squash at the hands of The Man really affected The EST's value for the rest of the year.

Should WWE have waited a few weeks before giving Lynch a title victory? This alternative decision could have protected Belair from such a crushing loss.

#1. Who will take the WWE Universal Championship away from Roman Reigns after 2021?

Roman Reigns kicked off 2021 holding the WWE Universal Championship. The Head of The Table was expected to continue to hold the title for several months when the year started, and he did.

But no one expected The Tribal Chief to run through the entire year without losing the title. Several of the top stars in WWE tried to defeat Reigns, and they all failed.

The Head of the Table retained his gold against top-level performers like Edge, Daniel Bryan, John Cena, and Brock Lesnar. WWE seems to have exhausted nearly all its resources in its mission to build Reigns into the dominant champion he is today.

Who will ultimately defeat Reigns after his impressive 2021? Has WWE booked itself into a corner by allowing The Head of Table to go through nearly every top Superstar?

Lesnar seems to be the best option WWE has at the moment. He's already failed to take out Reigns once, and another loss could significantly dent his value.

Whoever defeats Reigns will automatically become the talk of the wrestling industry, so it will be fascinating to see who ultimately dethrones him.