Night of Champions: WWE has plenty of options to finally move forward, not backward

It is time for the future

Should there be a moratorium on the WWE at some point to figure out why wrestling has taken such a dip in ratings? Is there a chance that, although the company is infinitely successful, the road that is continually traveled week after week is to the point where a hiatus is needed not only for the roster, but maybe for the fans as well? Can the recent additions to the roster – Sting and The Dudley’s – really work in the WWE’s favor and would putting titles on these veterans make a difference to the fanbase, which has grown weary of the same feuds, same storylines and talent that is not booked properly?

Stop me if you have heard this before. Actually, don’t stop me, as it seems the only way to get this point across is to write about it over and over again. It is the same thing I asked about TNA in the past – where a sudden work stoppage would allow corporate to reassess issues, find new paths of interest and test the ideas of using new talent as the focal point rather than lean on John Cena week after week. The Seth Rollins experiment works, but the current WWE champion is being used in maximum overdrive. Fans will grow weary of him soon enough if he is not booked effectively and used wisely.

Right now, he has become the bell cow of television – which makes him an open target like Cena is with the fans. WWE does not need the masses yelling “Rollins Sucks” on their RAW programming or at pay-per-view events.

The idea of bringing in someone to replace Cena as the top face was already explored this year. Roman Reigns was not ready to assume the position. Try as he might, Vince McMahon could not force the idea down the throats of the many who plunk down $9.99 a month to watch the almighty WWE Network.

Daniel Bryan returned to action. But his stay was short. He injured himself again and took a major part of the fans with him. There hasn’t been anyone to fill his role. Dolph Ziggler filed a movie and fell into an awful storyline with Lana, Summer Rae and Rusev. Cesaro is a rugged competitor, but does not have the personality to make it as the face of WWE. Randy Orton is usually the “go to” guy when things get stale. He took some time off to get engaged and found himself again in a program with Sheamus. Ho hum. The new crop of stars like Sami Zayn (injured) and Neville aren’t there yet and cannot be counted on to have the same appeal for the long haul.

Setting up the future?

What is WWE and its cast of clowns going to do? What should they do? I have a few suggestions, but I am not sure anyone would take them seriously. I think Night of Champions will shock some of us – mainly because the ratings are lower than they have been in a while – so there could be a lot of reaching for a golden nugget to jumpstart the final quarter of the year with a bang.

What if Sting won the WWE World Title, but lost it Monday night to Sheamus? What if Cena beat Rollins for the United States Title? And what if Ryback loses the Intercontinental Title to Kevin Owens? All of these moves are plausible. But here is where it gets a bit dicey. Follow closely.

The Sheamus win on Monday night would lead to the anticipated Rollins face turn. And no, this does not mean he gets back together with former Shield members, Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose. Rollins stays in the title hunt. Sting would slither out of the picture – as he should – and Owens, by virtue of winning what was once considered the stepping stone to the company belt, challenges Sheamus to the title.

Owens is then the hero, as he takes Sheamus out of the picture. The only reason Sheamus has any reason for being around the main event is the briefcase. Make Owens the man the WWE must hoist its wagon to and see where it goes. If it fails, have Rollins challenge him for the strap at TLC.

Or, if the masses want to see the present and the future, have Brock Lesnar challenge Owens as a heel, which is the right place for him.

There is a real need to stop and rethink the road WWE is traveling. There is also a need to figure out whether the company can finally forge ahead with younger talent. This is the time to make it happen. Night of Champions is the perfect time to take that chance. There is plenty of backup plans and second guessing after the show. But for now, at least there are a few more options.

And a lot less stale programming for the fans to continue to endure.