5 signs the Lana/Bobby Lashley storyline is actually a success 

Is WWE's love triangle between Lana, Rusev, and Bobby Lashley (and... well, just wait...) actually working?

While it might not seem like it, especially since a vocal minority have been trashing the segments online, there are quite a few other factors that they seem to be overlooking for some reason.

Now, this doesn't mean The WWE Universe isn't entitled to their opinion, or that their opinion of the storyline is even wrong, but everyone's tastes are different. This is why it is pretty much up to outside factors to determine whether a storyline is successful or not and not just a vocal minority of angry fans.

With that being said and The Lana/Rusev storyline clearly being far from over, here are five signs that the storyline has actually been a huge success so far. As always, let us know your thoughts in the comments below and be sure to tell us whether you think the storyline has been successful so far or not.

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#5. Making Bobby Lashley Relevant

All eyes are on Bobby Lashley right now!

Bobby Lashley hasn't done much of note during his latest stint in WWE, but the company finally seems interested in changing that. It also seems like they're interested in keeping Lana and Lashley as an item for the foreseeable future, which should more than make up for his dry personality.

That way, Lana can generate massive heat for Lashley and WWE can hide his weakness on the microphone. Of course it's going to be nothing compared to what WWE did with Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman, but it should have a similar effect if implemented the right way.

In the end, Lashley has needed a mouthpiece after losing Lio Rush, and Lana seems to be his best option. It also seems like this will help Lashley finally reach the upper card on Monday Night Raw and eventually work his way into the title picture.

#4 Showcasing new superstars

This storyline could do wonders for Liv Morgan's career.

Liv Morgan has been off television for months now, following her stint with The Riott squad and fans were starting to wonder if she would ever return. Interestingly enough however, vignettes starting to appear on Raw over the past couple of weeks, which hinted at Morgan revealing her "true self" at a later time.

WWE ultimately decided to have her do this during the closing moments of last week's controversial wedding segment and it has a lot of fans talking. Of course a lot of that has to do not just with her being revealed as Lana's secret lover, but also by what could be next for the young Superstar.

In all honesty, a tell tale sign that a storyline is working is its ability to help build new Superstars and WWE might have accomplished that with Liv Morgan. In fact, between her being involved in the first LGBTQA storyline of the this decade and even getting the upper hand on Lana to end last week's show, the sky is very much the limit here.

#3. Viewership up

Believe it or not, The WWE Universe keeps tuning in for more.

Believe it or not, interest in Raw is actually up.

How could that be though? Isn't The WWE Universe critically panning the storyline between Rusev, Lana and Bobby Lashley every chance they get? Aren't they getting tired of Lana and her overreactions to everything? What about Lashley's dry personality? Haven't people had enough of that?

While all these things might be true, the fact that this storyline is the equivalent of a car wreck - it's terrible but it's hard to look away. In fact, this story is giving off a lot of Attitude Era and Ruthless Aggression Era vibes, which is only making it that much more watchable for fans.

Interestingly enough, WWE actually had a major uptick in viewership during the last Raw of the year, pulling in an average of 2.43 million viewers. Furthermore, the third hour of the show that featured the wedding between Rusev and Lana ended up pulling in 2.338 million viewers.

Not only is this a firm sign that WWE fans are at least interested in what is going on, it shows that they are responding quite positively to this Attitude Era type content. Whether fans want to admit it or not - and a vocal minority of the fans don't, these segments are working and the Lana/ Bobby Lashley storyline could be a blue print for what the company does in the future.

#2. Fans are angry

Some of The WWE Universe is not happy about this. Not. At. All.

Listen. That's the sound of millions of pro wrestling fans complaining about a love triangle storyline right before settling back in to watch more of it. Now, there's nothing wrong with them doing this, especially since it helps keeps the storyline relevant. However, it's also a firm sign that the company's big plan is working.

In fact, between the way Lana is acting outlandishly awful and the company bringing several real life issues into the storyline, it's pretty obvious that this is all apart of WWE's plan to incorporate more mature storytelling. The best part is that a majority of fans are responding positivity to this, which is just further proof that it's working.

Of course there are still fans that are going to complain about it and find the segments cringeworthy, but it's still getting fans talking. Furthermore, it's getting fans to engage, for better or for worse, with the product in a way they haven't done in a long time. It's almost as if they are making fans care about pro wrestling again.

When was the last time that WWE had everyone talking like this? Heck, when was the last time WWE had fans this intentionally angry about a segment? If nothing else, WWE has gotten under their skin in the best way possible and it's going to have a lot of positive effects in the future.

#1. Fans getting behind Rusev

The WWE Universe seems to be getting behind Rusev like never before.

Now let's talk about where all this anger is going.

Although some fans might find it to be useless and just another example of how WWE doesn't know what they are doing, it's actually the exact opposite. In all honesty, the company knows that Lana is grating on The WWE Universe's nerves. They know that their storylines are bordering on something you would see on Jerry Springer and that's the point.

All of these things are coming together and overwhelmingly turning into support for Rusev, who wasn't even on television that long ago. That's a huge uptick in popularity for The Bulgarian Brute, and it gives WWE a strong babyface in the upper midcard of Raw. It might even result in WrestleMania magic.

If nothing else, WWE knows what they're doing here and they have proved that on multiple occasions. Sure, some fans might swear off the company over this and they have every right too, but the same would be true for almost anything they do. At least this way, the company gets to create something interesting, establish a new superstar and do it in a way that is reminiscent of The Attitude Era.

Make sure to share your own thoughts on the angle in our comments section below.