The last month or so has arguably seen the spotlight on Luke Harper more so than at any other point in his WWE career thus far, but after his loss to AJ Styles on this week’s SmackDown Live, his immediate future is unclear.
In failing to beat AJ this past Tuesday, Harper lost his chance to challenge his former master, Bray Wyatt, for his WWE World Championship at Wrestlemania. So what is next for the ‘Backwoods Brawler’?
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After impressing in high-profile matches in recent weeks, it would certainly seem like a waste if WWE does not capitalise on his momentum and place him in a significant role at the ‘Showcase of the Immortals’ on April 2nd.
However, most of WWE’s top stars appear to already have concrete plans for Wrestlemania so there are not many options left for Harper.
But, with that being said, here are 5 possible roles for Luke Harper at Wrestlemania 33…
#1 vs. Shane McMahon
If this past SmackDown Live is anything to go by, a match between Luke Harper and Shane McMahon could be on the cards, with either Shane being angry at Harper for his accidental kick to him at ringside, or Harper accusing Shane of being a distraction during his match and blaming him for his defeat.
A match for Shane has been heavily rumoured for the past few months with AJ Styles expected to be his opponent, but after Styles put himself in contention for a WWE Championship match at Wrestlemania, that bout could be off the cards.
Personally, I could take or leave a Shane O’Mac match at Mania, but he and Luke Harper could match up well. Harper’s brawling style would compliment Shane’s daredevil antics and a fight between the two could be fun to watch, particularly if it’s given a no-disqualification stipulation.
#2 vs. Braun Strowman
Or, could Shane pick Harper to represent the blue brand in an inter-promotional match at WrestleMania?
Although nothing has been announced yet or even teased, a Raw vs. SmackDown Live match at Mania would make sense considering the bickering between the brands since the draft.
But, as I mentioned previously, most Superstars already seem to have a match set for Mania. However, one man who has not yet been locked into a match is the ‘Mountain of a Man’, Braun Strowman.
You’d expect Braun to be used in a high-profile match on April 2nd considering his recent push and Steph picking him to represent her brand would make sense due to his dominance in recent months. Add to that the history between Harper and Strowman from their time in The Wyatt Family and you have a Mania-worthy match.
#3 Andre the Giant Battle Royal
Yes, I know, the Andre the Giant Battle Royal is pointless and has done nothing for the winner in previous years, but what if WWE were to make it mean something?
How about the winner earns themselves a title match for any championship on either brand whenever they choose?
Then there would be some much-needed importance added to the match, not to mention the unpredictability of where and when the winner would turn up to cash in their opportunity.
If this stipulation was added to this year’s battle royal, then surely Luke Harper would be one of the front-runners to win it, along with the likes of Dolph Ziggler, Sami Zayn and Samoa Joe who are yet to be placed into a match at WrestleMania.
#4 Erick Rowan
After being reportedly cleared to return, it’ll be interesting to see how Erick Rowan is utilised prior to WrestleMania, if at all.
He could possibly return to once again side with Bray Wyatt and try and help him retain his WWE Championship, or maybe he will take issue with Harper for turning on Bray a few weeks back and set-up a showdown at the biggest show of the year between the former tag team partners.
Rowan has been posting teaser videos in recent weeks, one of which you can see below, suggesting an imminent return.
When he does return, a feud with Harper is ready made considering the history between the two and a brawl pitting two of the Wyatt Family’s monsters against each other would be fun to watch.
#5 - Harper & Rowan vs. The Usos vs. American Alpha
Or could Rowan’s return see the reformation of the Harper & Rowan tag team?
With Luke Harper now stepping out of Bray Wyatt’s shadow and becoming his own man, could we see this new Harper take a returning Erick Rowan under his wing and align with him to target the SmackDown Live Tag Team Championships?
Harper & Rowan have had some great matches with The Usos in the past, particularly their 2-out-of-3 falls match at Battleground 2014, so adding them to the Usos/American Alpha feud in the next few weeks could set up a triple threat tag match, which would have the potential to steal the show at WrestleMania.
Whether any of these matches will materialise remains to be seen, but Harper has shown in recent weeks that he is capable of delivering great performances in high-profile matches and deserves the opportunity to do so again on April 2nd.
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