'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
It's no secret that WWE has had a lot of hits and misses when it comes to storylines and while WWE is sometimes able to pull off a home run and get fans excited, there are other times that a storyline doesn't hit its mark. Of course, the reason for either outcome is completely subjective and reliant on a lot of factors, but The WWE Universe knows a stinker when they smell one.
Sportskeeda is the one-stop destination for latest WWE rumors and wrestling news.
With that being said and various new storylines being introduced on Monday Night Raw, here are five of those storylines that WWE should continue and five that should be scrapped in favour of something new. Keep in mind that the reason for each entry will vary, but fan response, storytelling and execution will all be key factors in decision making.
#10 Shouldn't continue: Bayley Sasha counselling sessions
While WWE struck gold when they finally had Bayley attack Sasha Banks after a match on Monday Night Raw, the storyline took a weird turn when Raw General Manager, Kurt Angle, announced that the two would have to receive counselling as a result. In fact, it seemed to obliterate the momentum the two had to go after the attack almost immediately.
Whether WWE has a long-term goal with this storyline remains to be seen, but the uninteresting counselling segments that aired the next week on Raw really shows just how much the company is dropping the ball here. Maybe that will change as time goes on, but WWE really might be better of doing something else with these two.
#9 Should continue: Mojo Rawley versus No Way Jose
WWE have actually made the lower mid-card matter again and believe it or not, they did it by turning Mojo Rawley into a heel and having him attack No Way Jose. Rawley even attacked one of Jose's groupies for good measure, which really got a shocked reaction from the crowd when it happened.
In the end, it's probably not a feud that's going to set the world on fire or anything of that nature, but it is a refreshing way to make the mid card matter again. It could also be the start of something big for Rawley if WWE can capitalize on the momentum they are building up, but that still remains to be seen.
#8 Shouldn't: Doing nothing with Elias
WWE have one of the greatest midcard heels of the last decade on The Monday Night Raw roster, but are actively choosing not to use him. While Elias did make an appearance during The July 2nd episode Of Monday Night Raw to play a song for The Riott Squad, fans didn't hear from The drifter for the rest of the evening.
By doing this, not only did WWE miss out on a chance to utilize The Drifter's ability to draw heat from a crowd, they also haven't meaningfully advanced Elias's storyline in any way either. Of course, some will claim that WWE has enough going on in the midcard right now, but does that even begin to justify keeping one of your biggest heels to a limited role?
In the end, maybe some fans won't see things the same way, but it's honestly sad to see WWE wasting so much potential in favour of some of these other stories. Whether WWE will change that or not remains to be seen, but WWE really needs to do something with Elias before his momentum and fan support start to waiver.
#7 Should: Authors Of Pain Versus Titus World Wide
While some fans in The WWE Universe are probably bummed that WWE isn't doing more with The Authors of Pain, especially with the lacklustre title picture that the tag team division has right now, their feud with Titus Worldwide seems to be the perfect stop gap to get there. Not only that, it helps build up the two as brutal threats to tag team division.
Think about! If there was any word to describe the match between The Authors of Pain and Titus Worldwide, it would be brutal! With that being said and the sheer brutality that AOP displayed during their match with Titus Worldwide, it's pretty safe to say that this is just a way to showcase their talents before sending them up the card a bit.
#6 Shouldn't: Bobby Lashley as a babyface
WWE brought fans into another dimension on the July 2nd episode of Monday Night Raw and while fans came into the show believing that Reigns could never be the company's top star, it now seems like it is Bobby Lashley that can't live up to the tall task. In fact, Lashley proved this during an interview segment where he completely bombed.
Lashley tried his best to lay into Roman Reigns, who he will be facing at Extreme Rules, but the jokes never seemed to hit their mark and just made Lashley look foolish. He even had that ridiculously corny smile that Roman Reigns got on him for at the begging of the show, which only added to Lashley's problems.
In the end, maybe this is intentional to try to make Reigns look better in comparison to Lashley. but its definitely negatively affected Lashley in the process. Whether Lashley can rebound from this mess remains to be seen, but WWE really needs to start limiting Lashley more on the microphone until he's a little more ready.
#5 Should: Kevin Owens versus Bruan Strowman
Bruan Strowman and Kevin Owen's have been crossing paths a lot lately and it's honestly getting more and more interesting by the minute. Of course, that started last month when Finn Balor and Bruan Strowman teamed up to take on Constable Corbin and Owens, but its honestly taken on quite a few more interesting layers in the process.
The next week on Raw, WWE had Owens and Balor switch teams, which resulted in Balor and Corbin getting into a brawl and Owens pissing off Strowman. The incident was bad enough that Owens tried to flee for the parking lot to leave, but when he arrived, he found his car flipped upside down in a crumpled heap.
Things only got better after that as Owens ran from Strowman again and got himself counted out in the main event of Raw. While the move seemed anti-climatic, especially since Owens assured everyone that he wasn't worried and had a plan, he was later locked inside an outhouse and launched off The Monday night Raw set.
With that being said and the rumour going around that Kevin Owens and Bruan Strowman are on a collision course for a steel cage match at Extreme Rules, it looks like WWE is going to continue this storyline for quite a while. The best part of all this, however, is the fact that Strowman is known for doing insane stunts inside steel cages, which should be fun to watch.
#4 Shouldn't: Riott squad segments
The Riott squad had all the momentum in the world when they debuted on Smackdown Live earlier this year and had even more opportunities ahead of them when they came to Monday Night Raw in The Superstar Shakeup. Unfortunately for the fierce threesome, WWE hasn't done much with them since coming to Raw and what they are doing is getting old fast.
With that being said, WWE really needs to stop the groups little fake riots backstage. They are honestly at a point where it looks hokey and extremely off-putting to watch. Not only that, it also is ultimately pointless unless WWE tries to capitalize off this gimmick in the future, but it doesn't seem like they really know how to.
In the end, WWE really needs to drop this little backstage temper tantrum and really knock the women's division on its ass like they did when the group first debuted on Smackdown Live. They need to be bold and brash. They need to make waves and just throwing around a mat and guardrail backstage isn't going to accomplish that.
#3 Should: Finn Balor versus Baron Corbin
The WWE Universe might not like Finn Balor's current role on Monday Night Raw, but its actually much better then what fans are giving it credit for. While Balor is probably still months away from being reinserted back into The Universal Title picture, his feud with Baron Corbin is an excellent stepping stone to getting there.
Not only does it serve as the perfect stop gap for Balor, especially since it gives him someone that he hasn't worked with before on Raw, it also allows Balor to build himself up as a bigger babyface by sticking it to authority figures in the process. If nothing else, this is a great way to establish him as an anti-authority figure, which will only make him white hot with fans.
In the end, Corbin versus Balor is a lot more then meets the eye and the two superstars have already proven that with the story they are telling in the ring right now. Maybe it's not exactly what fans want right now, but it's going to take time for WWE to get enough momentum behind him to justify a Universal title shot.
#2 Shouldn't: The Woken Warriors Versus The B Team
Its no secret that The Tag team divisions on both Raw and Smackdown have been in a state of disrepair lately, but WWE tried to solve that problem by pushing The B Team. Unfortunately for the company and fans that are sitting through this dumpster fire, the duo largely seems like a flop and not capable at all of carrying a championship storyline.
Not only was that evident by how flat Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel fell when trying to imitate Wyatt and Hardy, but also by the uninteresting storytelling being told inside the ring. If nothing else, all the team has going for it is a minuscule winning streak, some hit and miss segments and a tag team division so disastrously bad that they can take advantage of.
In the end, hopefully, The B team is just a fad and WWE introduces The Authors of Pain, The Revival and Rollins and Reigns into the title picture to shake things up a bit. Of course, WWE may stay the course and continue to try to get the duo over with the fans, but it seems pretty pointless with the lacklustre storyline they have been given so far.
#1 Should: Roman Reigns heel turn
Believe it or not, WWE finally did.
While it didn't happen all at once, especially since Roman Reigns accidentally botched a few of his lines in the opening promo on Raw, it quickly became apparent that he wasn't a baby face anymore. In fact, when Roman Reigns said that it was his yard and that he owned it, everyone went absolutely crazy in the arena.
It was honestly one of those moments that you couldn't believe your eyes as you watched it. Roman Reigns. The guy who had trouble getting any kind of positive reaction from The WWE Universe had the fans eating out of the palm of his hands during his promo. Not only that, he also had fans chanting his name as well.
Reigns then had fans in the palm of his hands again when he got a huge reaction for demanding that he be booked in a match against Drew McIntyre and Dolph Ziggle later in the show. The move was an interesting one since he would already be competing against The Revival that night, but Reigns's intensity is what really sold the segment to fans.
Then there was the tag team match with Seth Rollins and The Revival, which featured fans actually chanting we want Roman while Rollins was struggling to make the tag to Seth Rollins. Unfortunately for The WWE Universe, that didn't end up happening as The Revival jumped into lay a beat down on Reigns, but the moment served its purpose.
Think about it! WWE actually had fans chanting things like We want Roman and let's go Roman. Not only is that indicative that his new semi-heel persona is slowly starting to get him over with the crowd, it also means that WWE may finally have the answer on how to build up Reigns as a big enough tweener to take on Lesnar at Summerslam.
In the end, it's working! Its finally working and WWE needs to capitalize on it from now on. No more Mr. nice guy with Roman Reigns! WWE needs to continue to experiment with these heel segments for him and eventually find out how to parlay that into a blockbuster feud with Brock Lesnar for the title.
It's all right there. WWE just needs to execute it.
Send us news tips at [email protected].
Do you love to play crosswords, Wordle or other exciting games? We'd like to connect with you. Fill the form here!
