In a little under two weeks, WWE is going to change. Hopefully, it is for the better.
While there is no doubt the top superstars on the current roster can benefit from the brand split and the Draft, which will occur on July 19 on Smackdown, there is reason to believe, at least from my vantage point, some wrestlers will be lost in the shuffle.
Not everyone will be all smiles and handshakes once the changes are made. How WWE plans to book stars and feuds is up in the air. The fact SummerSlam is screaming down the train tracks means some superstars may get left behind in the shuffle to create the perfect brand split.
These five wrestlers could be hurt by the changes on the horizon.
#5 Randy Orton
There is no real position for Randy Orton when he makes his return to the ring. Word is the original date of late June for the former world champion’s return was scratched because his shoulder is still not well enough to compete.
Orton also has a neck injury that will not require surgery, but it is something WWE officials will have to watch closely.
The company must also take into consideration how they want to book him once he gets back. I assume he plays a babyface role and maybe joins the fight against The Club. I can also see him in a feud with Bray Wyatt or even someone who faces Brock Lesnar after SummerSlam. For now, he is swimming in no-man’s land.
#4 Roman Reigns
What happens to Reigns once he returns right before Battleground will determine his fate for the remainder of the year. How the company chooses to use him in the WWE Draft also determine if he gets another shot at the company belt.
Ted DiBiase has been vocal in saying he thinks Reigns deserves another shot at the crown. I think if he is afforded the chance to be a champion again, he will need to be repackaged and he will have to jump to the dark side. I’m not sure how the fans will react to him once he steps in the ring. There are rumors that he is being asked to apologize for his actions, hoping there will be contrition and the WWE Universe will take pity on him.
This is not how the Roman Empire was supposed to begin its reign.
#3 Xavier Woods
If you watch the promos with The New Day in its most recent angle with the Wyatt Family, you get the sense Woods is on the way out. It’s an angle I am still trying to wrap my head around because a feud with The Club makes more sense.
Nonetheless, Woods has plenty of potential and breaking up this successful tag team could be just the thing Woods needs to break out as a solid mid-card star.
A feud with Kofi Kingston would be intriguing, no doubt. We should watch the current storyline with caution as it could blow up in the creative team’s face.
#2 Triple H
What happens with the former WWE World Champion once the brand splits? Will there be bloodshed between Triple H and his brother-in-law, Shane McMahon? I assume Shane will run Smackdown and you could see the Cerebral Assassin runs Raw, which could lead to a bitter war within the McMahon family. Either way, the owners of WWE have once again made themselves the center of wrestling television.
I’d love to see him in an angle with Bray Wyatt – where Wyatt turns babyface and challenges the power of the promotion.
Triple H could also lead a faction of NXT upstarts once new talent is called up to the main roster.
#1 Sami Zayn
What happens to Zayn once his feud with Kevin Owens ends? A program with Chris Jericho would be perfect for Zayn, who is popular with the fans, but doesn’t scream champion as far as I am concerned.
Zayn is one of those guys who is a hard worker and is dynamic in the ring at times, but he needs a feud with a wrestler who is a step above him to make him look like a million bucks. He could also enter in a feud with The Miz, who is as underrated a superstar as there is in the company.
Another thought, and this might be a stretch, is a peaceful union with Owens at some point, where they create a successful tag team. I’m just thinking out loud on that one since it would probably never happen.
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