The state of WWE is just sad for any wrestling fans at the moment, as Raw and Smackdown Live have been disappointing the WWE Universe over the last few weeks. Gone are the moments of brilliant writing that elevated the shows. No more do we see unexpected decision making from the creative team that kept us on our toes, and now the overall sense of freshness has disappeared from the product.
So, the question that faces fans right now is simple: where has WWE gone wrong? You see, to pinpoint the exact moment in time when WWE started taking a turn for the worse would require one to go back maybe ten to fifteen years. The company has taken baby steps to the unfortunate position it is now in, and it might take another few years for the company to improve matters.
However, if WWE were looking for a short term solution, then they should start with changing their set of champions on both Raw and Smackdown Live, as replacing some of those stars with more intriguing ones would do the product a world of good.
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#5 Intercontinental Champion: Daniel Bryan
Finn Balor is an incredible athlete that can pretty much do it all in the ring, as the man has traveled the world with the intention of perfecting his craft and becoming one of the best professional wrestlers in the world. However, if there is one thing that Finn Balor can't do at the moment, it is give the Intercontinental Championship the credit it deserves.
Now, I know loads of fans would criticise my opinion on Balor's IC title reign, but let us face the facts: Balor has not been given the chance to do anything with the belt since winning it. WWE has rarely featured Balor on Smackdown Live since the Superstar Shakeup, which is just baffling, and now it seems like he won't get much more chances to prove his worth if his booking carries on at this rate.
So, if there is a man for the job, then it is definitely Daniel Bryan. Bryan is one of the few stars in WWE that has that star power to make any title relevant, and while it's sort of contradictory to say Balor's downfall as IC Champion has been his lack of screentime when Bryan himself is facing the same problem, Bryan brings something else to the table.
Bryan is a widely popular star that has more outlets to promote himself as champion, as shows such as Total Divas/Bellas give him some time and space to get his reign cemented. Moreover, Bryan is too important to be stuck in the tag team division during a period where WWE is struggling to make the division feel relevant.
WWE needs to use Bryan better, and the IC Title might be the best way to do that, and as for Balor, he should move on to the main event and reignite his career if given the chance.
#4 Women's Tag Team Champions: Asuka and Kairi Sane
Who doesn't admire The IIconics' heel work since they became WWE Women's Tag Team Champions? And I know that these superstars have been pushed into the background since becoming champions, but the backstage segments WWE have posted on their Youtube channel involving The IIconics have been pure gold.
However, while Peyton Royce and Billie Kay's banter might be world class, their reign as champions has been less than stellar, which is not their fault. WWE might never book these superstars in the manner fans would want, as their lack in-ring skill has seen WWE use them more like 'Divas' instead of champions capable of carrying the women's division on their backs.
Therefore, the only team that could give the titles the credit they deserve is the duo of Kairi Sane and Asuka. Asuka and Sane have not been seen on WWE TV for some time now, and that is a mistake, as their exceptional in-ring skills would make the product a whole lot more appealing to viewers that just want to watch some cool wrestlers wrestle.
That would be a major improvement to the women's division, as the division has been lacking some truly great wrestling with all the Wild Card absurdity going on, and this team could give the fans that. Moreover, Pure wrestling is what the product could benefit from at this moment.
#3 United States Champion: Ricochet
Ricochet is a type of wrestler that you won't see come around too often, as WWE has always been the land of the giants, so, when you see a star like Ricochet mixing it up with some of the biggest stars today, it gives you an indication that WWE would use him in a better role in the future.
There is no doubt that Ricochet would be one of the better champions in WWE when he does get a chance to hold the gold, but other fans would feel that there might not be a better superstar to hold the US Title than Samoa Joe.
Now, there is no problem with Joe being the US Champion, but at this moment, the US Title needs a superstar that is fresh and exciting, and who better than Ricochet to be that man that brings a different style to the Raw midcard division?
'The One and Only' can be the saving grace for Raw's midcard, as we are so used to seeing stars like The Miz and Cesaro holding gold in this division of WWE, but with Ricochet, you have someone unique, and a distinguishable star is what the WWE Universe craves.
#2 Universal Champion: Samoa Joe
The reason why I replaced Samoa Joe with Ricochet as the US Champion is due to the fact that the "Samoan Submission Machine" would be better suited as the World Champion. There is nothing really wrong with Seth Rollins' Universal Title reign, but if one would nitpick Rollins' run as champion, then the one problem would crop up could be the fact that WWE has no idea on how to get it started.
We have already seen Rollins take on Brock Lesnar, Baron Corbin, and Drew McIntyre in the past, but now WWE is intent on giving us the same thing, as he is now he is battling them again. And this is sort of boring for any fan looking for an exciting main event scene.
Joe's brief run at the top in 2017 showed fans one thing: the man is a big game player. Therefore, there would be no doubt that if Joe was given a chance to hold the Universal Title he would elevate all material WWE handed to him. From promos to building main event matches, Joe is the guy for the job.
#1 Cruiserweight Champion: Dolph Ziggler
"It should have been me." While that famous line by Dolph Ziggler is meme material for many members of the WWE Universe, when you dig deeper into the mindset of Dolph, you will discover that he really does deserve everything from the WWE.
Ziggler is one of the many superstars that worked tirelessly for the company over many years, and it's truly a shame that WWE never allowed Ziggler to reach his highest potential in the company. We heard Mike Kannelis criticise WWE for not caring about 205 Live, and to be honest, that is the truth.
When Mustafa Ali, Buddy Murphy and Cedric Alexander were stealing the show every single week on the brand, WWE noticed too little of their brilliant performances, and now that those pillars of the division are gone, WWE needs to inject a new face ion the brand.
Who better than Dolph Ziggler to fill that spot, as the showoff would be a perfect foil for Tony Nese, and the rest of the roster. Ziggler would instantly raise the profile of the Cruiserweight Title, as his ability to make everything in his programmes standout is just exceptional.
205 Live needs that star power and Ziggler needs the opportunity to showcase his ability, so this would the perfect recipe for success. And even though Ziggler is currently billed at 218 pounds, we saw WWE build angles around stars like Buddy Murphy trying to cut his weight down to 205 pounds to contend in the division. .