In a spot that took 20 minutes at WWE Payback, Vince McMahon announced that both of his kids would now be in charge of Monday Night Raw. The company’s flagship program had been in the hands of Shane McMahon since the night after WrestleMania 32, and many were likely hoping that would continue.
But now that Stephanie is back in the fold, the situation has become a lot more interesting. Her character has done nothing but feed her own ego as part of The Authority, while Shane has acted in the interest of fans watching every week. Can they possibly coexist?
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This was perhaps not the outcome that was expected when Payback hit the air. WWE had been teasing the announcement in the week leading up to May 1, and it was obvious that Shane was the favorite to get the nod. Vince may be a heel, but the booking attributed to Shane was overwhelmingly positive.
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Why not just let Shane keep rolling with Raw, and make the fans happy? The fact is that nothing comes that easy in the world of WWE, and this was no exception. Stephanie made her case and received props on social media for it.
Shane told his side of the story as well and there was no denying that the crowd was fully on his side. This was to be expected of course, but even from a storyline perspective, the choice was clear. Shane McMahon should be kept on TV, and in the driver’s seat on Raw.
But now everything’s changed. The company has put a new twist on the situation and fans are likely wondering what sort of circus waits on Raw. Will WWE focus so heavily on the McMahon siblings that the point of the whole thing gets lost? It would not be the first time it happened, and there could very well be a sense of dread as Raw approaches.
However this should not be the case. Raw has arguably not been this good in a very long time, as it has indeed become obvious that WWE is moving in a new direction. The move may have been a long time coming, and it may have been long overdue, but it’s happening nonetheless. This is what fans have been asking for, and now they have it.
This is the era of Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens. The two former best friends and pro wrestling journeymen are continuing their war in the house that McMahon built. Their match at Payback stole the show, and this is hopefully not the end of the rivalry. They definitely have more stories to tell, and they deserve the chance to tell it.
Dean Ambrose looked very good at Payback, as he finally won a high profile match. Chris Jericho gave him everything he could handle, and made him look good as only a veteran can. Now that The Lunatic Fringe is on the winning side, maybe he will finally find himself on the road to bigger and better things.
AJ Styles had a tremendous showing against Roman Reigns, and even though the WWE World Heavyweight Championship didn’t change hands, there is no doubt a new player has emerged. AJ is a real main event star and he always has been, but now the same can be said of him in WWE. He gave Roman a top notch bout, and now the two will once again face off at Extreme Rules.
Things are looking up for WWE. The days of Randy Orton versus John Cena are over, as now it’s time to move ahead. There is plenty of reason to be positive, and plenty of time to keep improving the product. The on-screen leadership of Raw should not be an issue in the midst of all the positive points, but it most definitely is right now.
The biggest concern for any fans watching is the distraction. This is the part where WWE must walk the tightrope, and it must do so with careful attention to detail. One wrong move and all of it becomes nothing but the overplayed McMahon saga once again.
Perhaps that outcome is unavoidable. But perhaps fans should just take it in stride, and enjoy the new era of WWE. The company has done an outstanding job of promoting this idea, and fans have totally bought in. So if Shane and Stephanie become part of the excitement, then all will be fine. They can add to the program, and be part of the new era. Fans have been waiting for the day when Vince steps aside in favor of his kids after all, so maybe that’s what we’re seeing now.
In that regard, it’s a great bit of booking that simply had to happen. The onus is on WWE to make it work, and to ensure that everything keeps going upward. The company’s track record of being able to maintain focus has not been all that impressive, but that must change now. The new era is here, and the McMahons are vital to making it work.
Tom Clark can regularly be found on Sportskeeda. His podcast, Tom Clark’s Main Event, is available on iTunes, Google Play, Amazon Android, Windows Phone and online here
