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The verdict is in, and while WWE started off the love triangle between Lana, Bobby Lashley and Rusev with the best of intentions, it has slowly devolved into something that fans just wish would end.
Of course there are a lot of reasons for this and some of them justified, but it's sad to see such an edgy storyline get a premature axing without much being accomplished .
With that being said and the writing pretty much being on the wall with storyline, here are five signs that Lana and Bobby Lashley won't last much longer.
As always, let us know your thoughts in the comments below and be sure to let us know when you think Raw's newest couple will split?
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#5 Nothing left to do
What else can WWE do? No, seriously, after having Lana cheat on Rusev with Bobby Lashley, announce that she was pregnant, demand a divorce from The Bulgarian Brute and a controversial wedding segment, what else can WWE do? Furthermore, what else can they do that will have the intended effect on the WWE Universe?
If nothing else, this storyline needs a mercy kill at some point in the very near future and hopefully that will come over the next couple of weeks. Either that, or WWE continues to try to create even more unrealistic situations for the storyline and draws the ire of the WWE Universe in the process.
In the end, WWE has done everything with this storyline. They tried a divorce and the fans didn't care. They tried a lesbian angle and the fans didn't care. They even had Lana put on bad acting in order to draw heat and they still didn't care. This proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that fans just aren't going to care.
#4 WWE shifting focus
While WWE has put a lot of time and focus into the ongoing saga between Lana, Bobby Lashley and Rusev, it seems like all that is starting to change. Not only is that evident by the storyline going from the main event to buried somewhere in the second hour, but also by the fact that the company didn't really offer a meaningful followup.
In fact, all that really ended up happening was Lana and Lashley finishing up their wedding ceremony and then getting challenged by Rusev to a match. WWE didn't even bother to follow up on the Liv Morgan and Lana lovers angle, which is another huge sign that the company is no longer in this for the long haul.
And who can really blame them for this decision? Fans have been critically panning this storyline for weeks now and while the company has tried to keep it going with Jerry Springer type storytelling, that hasn't even been enough to quell the audience. In all honesty, ending it might just be WWE's best bet at finally moving forward.
In the end, WWE deserves a lot of credit for trying to pull this storyline off. They also deserve a lot of credit for sticking with it as long as they did and hopefully they will get it. Sure, it was the equivalent of a disaster, but it might have been designed that way and the fans just didn't know how to react to it.
#3 Fan response
It's no secret that the hardcore WWE fanbase absolutely can't stand this storyline and while the company has tried several times to make it interesting, it doesn't seem to be serving it's intended purpose. In fact, it honestly feels like it is doing more to set everyone back than anything else.
For example, Bobby Lashley might be getting more attention, which is something that the company ultimately wanted from him, but it's all negative. It's as if fans don't see Lashley as the legitimate athlete that he is anymore and instead just see him as a running joke in the overall love triangle.
If nothing else, the storyline is benefiting no one right now and is really bringing three great talents down in one way or another. That is reason enough to end it right there and WWE might want to find a way out over the next couple weeks. Either that or risk further tarnishing the three Superstars they roped into this storyline.
#2 Rusev still needing a manager
Rusev is a lot of things. A talented athlete, a very imposing figure and a comic relief when the time calls for it. The only thing he isn't, however, is charismatic, which makes his promos somewhat cringeworthy to sit through at times. It also pretty much halts what would otherwise be a very successful career in WWE.
Like Brock Lesnar, Rusev needs a mouthpiece in order to be able to relate to the WWE Universe. That person started off as Lana and she did a great job for a long time. After awhile, Aiden English stepped into the role later on, but he and Rusev were broken up less than a year later at the height of the Rusev Day gimmick.
With all that being said, Lana served as the last link between Rusev and the WWE Universe, which is why them being separated was so confusing. Fortunately for Rusev, the storyline seems to be out of gas and maybe WWE can find a way to bring the two back together for the sake of The Bulgarian Brute's future in the company.
In the end, it's obvious that Rusev needs a mouthpiece and the only person suited for that job is Lana. She is the one that sold him so well during his time as United States Champion. She made him out to be such an imposing threat and she is the one that can take him back to this stature.
#1 Bobby Lashley's patience
Bobby Lashley has stayed relatively quiet throughout much of the love story angle between him, Lana and Rusev, but finally spoke up on the latest edition of Monday Night Raw. Interestingly enough, he told his new wife to shut up, which seems to show that even Lashley's character is losing patience with Lana.
If nothing else, that is proof that WWE is going to be experimenting with several different cracks in their relationship over the next couple of weeks to break them up. Of course, they have to do it in a way that would be pleasing for the audience, which makes this move a bit complicated.
On one hand, WWE can go with the predictable answer of just getting Rusev and Lana back together, but that would be a lot to explain. It would also consist of a complete 180 in terms of character development, thus why it's going to be difficult.
On the other hand, WWE could just split the couple up and then remove Lana from television, though that would require them negating the progress they made with the character.
In the end, Lashley's patience is waning and WWE is going to play with that over the next month or so. How the company ultimately breaks them up remains to be seen and will depend on what they think the best way out of this is, but don't expect Lashley shutting up Lana to be a one off.
