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This past week's episodes of RAW and Smackdown were both enjoyable shows, with significant storyline advancements made on both RAW and Smackdown, with the build-up to TLC in full flow.
Major matches were announced for TLC, while Smackdown looked to start the Survivor Series build by putting an end to all earlier storylines. By this time last year, Survivor Series matchups between the two shows were announced. But this time around, that doesn't seem to be the case.
Fans are still intrigued to know what happens to the newly reunited Shield, as their presence has brought smiles to the faces of the WWE Universe. The Shield, Styles, Lesnar, Strowman and many other topics are the topics of discussion in the WWE Universe, and we look at five significant questions arising from this week's tapings.
#5 Still no sign of The Beast
WWE Universe is accustomed to seeing Brock Lesnar on a less frequently over the past few years due to his light schedule with WWE. However, Brock Lesnar defeated Goldberg at Wrestlemania to become the four ever Universal Champion, and six months later, he still holds the top spot on the RAW brand.
He defended the title at three pay-per-views in a row, and since defeating Strowman at No Mercy, "The Beast" is nowhere to be seen. WWE TLC is one week away, and the main event of the PPV is scheduled to be Shield vs. The Miz, The Bar, and Strowman. It seems unlikely that Lesnar will make his presence felt anytime before the PPV, a fact that doesn't go down well with a majority of the fans.
Brock Lesnar remains a colossal personality in WWE, along with John Cena, and WWE should try and utilise him as much as they can since his contract reportedly ends after WM 34. Fans want to see "The Beast" in action, and WWE will be wise to give the fans what they want.
#4 What's next for AJ Styles?
"The Phenomenal One", AJ Styles enjoyed an excellent championship reign as the US title holder for quite some time. He made his time as the champion memorable with some open challenge matches, and his run as the champion was brought to an end at Hell in a Cell. Styles is one of the biggest Superstars in WWE today and has a huge fanbase all over the world due to his long and successful career outside of the WWE.
He had a good run in the upper mid-card for over six to seven months now, and WWE should push him back to where he belongs, the main event scene. Jinder Mahal defeated Nakamura clean and Styles lost his rematch to Corbin this week, so fans are curious to see if these two are going to be paired opposite each other soon.
A program for the WWE title can help Styles and also give Mahal an excellent proven performer to work with for the WWE Championship.
#3 The Bludgeon Brothers - a throwback to the 80s
Fans demanded the WWE to give Luke Harper some much needed time on the weekly programming for months, and WWE has finally listened to the fans for once! Luke Harper was last seen feuding with Erick Rowan, and now it seems both of them are coming back as a tag team.
A vignette aired on SDL for the 'Bludgeon Brothers,' which seems like a name taken straight out of a SouthPaw Regional Wrestling episode. The gimmick is a throwback to the 80s-90s era, with both of them carrying hammers.
Harper deserved a good singles run in the upper mid-card or even the main-event scene, but a new gimmick for the former IC champion is also not a bad choice. It remains to be seen how WWE utilises these two behemoths, with rumours going around that they are Breezango's attackers.
#2 KO and Sami: Canadian Destroyers?
Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn renewed their friendship in a shocking turn of events at Hell in a Cell, with Zayn turning heel for the first time in his WWE career. Both of them gave heartfelt promos this week on SDL and WWE are finally utilising Zayn's character to the fullest.
"The Underdog from the Underground" has always been a great performer in the ring, and with his promos is proving his worthiness on the mic as well.
WWE has taken a bold decision to turn a fan-favourite like Sami Zayn heel, and whether this decision is long-term or temporary remains to be seen. Both of them have worked as a tag-team in the past on the indie circuit, so WWE inserting a new tag-team in the SDL division will be a great decision.
Both of these Superstars are talents of the highest quality, and with them working together, expect havoc in the SDL tag team division.
#1 The Shield has reunited - but for how long?
Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, and Dean Ambrose finally teamed up together, putting weeks of speculation to rest and giving the WWE Universe goosebumps. The rumours of The Shield reuniting have been circulating ever since Ambrose returned to RAW, and with the "Hounds of Justice" back on the hunt, WWE is in a prime position once again.
Reigns, Rollins and Ambrose wreaked havoc in their first run together, defeating a plethora of quality tag teams including Evolution. Thier second coming is a massive moment for WWE and their loyal fans. However, their reunion has raised several questions amongst the WWE Universe.
It remains to be seen if they end their second stint together at TLC and go their separate paths once again, or stick around a while longer. The latter is the most likely option as the Shield is a major draw in the company and together they can challenge some of the up and coming stables in WWE.
