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WWE in November 2019 will be remembered for NXT’s multiple invasions of RAW and SmackDown, as well as the black and gold brand’s sensational victory over their rivals at Survivor Series.
The month also saw CM Punk debut as an analyst on FOX show WWE Backstage, while Seth Rollins teased a heel turn by berating the rest of the RAW roster following their Survivor Series annihilation at the hands of Team NXT and Team SmackDown.
With just one month left before 2020, what should WWE do to set things up nicely for the new year? Do we need to see some more heel turns? Face turns? Title changes? Debuts? How about a shocking betrayal?
In this article, let’s take a look at five things that WWE must consider doing in December 2019.
#5 Plant the seeds for Bayley vs. Sasha Banks
Heading into Survivor Series, many WWE fans pointed out that SmackDown’s team in the women’s elimination match (Sasha Banks, Lacey Evans, Carmella, Nikki Cross and Dana Brooke) was a lot weaker than their Team RAW and Team NXT counterparts.
As it turned out, Banks was the last woman standing on Team Blue, but she was unable to prevail against the final three remaining Superstars from NXT (Rhea Ripley, Io Shirai and Candice LeRae).
Despite her loss, “The Boss” emerged from the pay-per-view as the standout woman on the SmackDown roster, even ahead of her best friend and the current SmackDown Women’s Champion, Bayley, who submitted to Shayna Baszler in the main event.
WWE made it clear on the latest episode of SmackDown that Evans will be next in line for an opportunity at the blue brand’s women’s title, despite the fact that Bayley vs. Banks is the biggest one-on-one match in the SmackDown women's division.
Moving forward, it would not be at all surprising if we saw the two ‘Horsewomen’ battle it out at WrestleMania 36. The question is whether WWE plants the seeds for that match with a betrayal in the near future or whether it happens in early 2020 instead.
#4 End the Rusev vs. Bobby Lashley storyline
One of the most bizarre WWE moments of the year occurred on the season premiere episode of RAW, where Lana kissed her new boyfriend, Bobby Lashley, on the stage area whilst her husband, Rusev, watched on from the middle of the ring.
Since then, lots of crazy shenanigans have gone on in this storyline on RAW, from Lana faking a pregnancy to Rusev being hit with a 90-feet restraining order against his own wife.
Two months on from the start of the storyline, Rusev and Lashley were supposed to meet in a one-on-one televised match for the first time at Starrcade on December 1. However, Kevin Owens ended up facing Lashley instead, while “The Bulgarian Brute” interfered towards the end of the match to cause a disqualification.
With TLC on the horizon, it seems inevitable that Rusev vs. Lashley will finally happen at the last WWE pay-per-view of the year.
Regardless of the outcome, the majority of fans have grown tired of this storyline, so it would make sense for both men to find new rivals after TLC. After all, despite the questionable storytelling, Lashley is a bigger heel and Rusev is a bigger babyface than at this point two months ago, so the storyline has served its purpose.
#3 Move Andrade into the United States Championship picture
Since the 2019 draft took place in early October, Andrade has been among the most impressive performers on RAW. Not only is he regarded as one of WWE’s most talented Superstars, but he has won six of his last seven matches on the red brand, with his only defeat coming via disqualification against Seth Rollins.
During that time, “El Idolo” has defeated Mustafa Ali, Sin Cara (x2), Carolina & Sin Cara, Cedric Alexander and Akira Tozawa on Monday nights. As you can see, with the exception of Carolina, all of those opponents are former members of the cruiserweight division, which suggests Andrade needs tougher challenges if he is to reach the next level.
Rey Mysterio defeated AJ Styles in an impromptu match for the United States Championship on the November 25 episode of RAW, and he would certainly be a suitable rival for the former NXT Champion over the next month.
WWE has placed Mysterio and Andrade in multiple matches against each other in the past, but it often felt like they were going one-on-one for the simple reason that they have good matches.
With a title now up for grabs, the next chapter in the Mysterio vs. Andrade storyline would at least have something riding on it.
#2 Establish Seth Rollins as RAW’s top heel
As of the time of writing, it is unclear whether Seth Rollins has fully turned heel or whether he simply showed a more aggressive side to his character when he insulted the rest of the RAW locker room following their disastrous performances at Survivor Series.
The November 25 episode of RAW saw AOP attack Kevin Owens in the final segment, teasing an alliance with Rollins in the process. This has led many fans to speculate whether the former Shield member is set to join forces with Akam and Rezar, who could become a more monstrous version of the J&J Security double-act that helped Rollins during his last heel run in 2014-15.
Needless to say, after a year of major ups and major downs, “The Beastslayer” could definitely do with a big shift in character. He began the year as the most popular good guy on RAW, but he has become the most polarising good guy since Roman Reigns and John Cena over the last few months.
Just like in 2014, it would be best for business if December 2019 featured a Rollins heel turn.
#1 Bring back Sheamus as a good guy
After seven months away from a WWE ring, Sheamus returned to television on the November 29 episode of SmackDown when he cut a promo in a dark corridor and claimed he will “ravage everything and everyone” who stands in his way.
Interestingly, it is not clear whether the Irishman will return as a babyface or a heel. He namechecked Shorty G as somebody who he sees as a “misfit” and a “coward”, which suggests he will be a bad guy, but he also mentioned King Corbin and “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt in the same sentence.
His tag team run as part of The Bar certainly had its light-hearted moments, but Sheamus was predominantly a heel in WWE between his April 2015 return from injury and his April 2019 leave of absence.
Moving forward, it would be nice to see WWE use “The Celtic Warrior” in a similar role to 2012. This time, however, there is no backlash from an unpopular 18-second title win hanging over him, so he should have no issues getting fans to cheer him.
