POSSIBLY THE ONLY WAY TO GET THE EMPIRE OVER

Of course the title is referring to the Roman Empire that is lead by WWE World Heavyweight Champion, Roman Reigns. Although there appears to be change in the air, and we could see AJ Styles win the title this Sunday at WWE Payback. Or we could see Reigns turn heel appeasing many who feel it is his best route. But, history has shown us that ole Vinnie Mac is a stubborn man. Roman Reigns is THE guy, meaning both WWE World Heavyweight Champion, but also Vince's chosen one.

So, lets approach this with that mind set. Which leaves the question, how can WWE get Roman Reigns back over with the WWE Universe? Back, because people were behind him until it was overly obvious Vince was pulling the strings (promo delivery and wording, weak stories, etc). I can really only think of one way to possibly do this. And although some may think just a basic switch would do, they are forgetting that the point of this would be to get Roman over as a baby face. How would I do this? John Cena heel turn. But wait a minute, likely not in the way that you would like. Cena's heel turn would consist of only willingly joining The Authority and screwing Reigns out of the title. John's promos and playing to the youth would remain the same. He is already garnering heat with how he has done things the past few years, and is right in that fans would cheer if he turned thus negating the point.
John Cena's next World title ties him with The Nature Boy at sixteen. This alone would cause massive heat with the crowds already booing him. So, keep him the same but as THE guy for The Authority, and keep the title on him for a bit until fans would cheer for anyone who dethrones Cena. Enter Roman Reigns. If they don't root for him after that, then it would be time to give in and follow cousin Rock and turn heel. I honestly think that Seth Rollins will be returning to an ovation of cheers, similar to Triple H after his first quad injury. Rollins was WWE World Heavyweight Champion when he went down with an injury. Roman being the champ upon his return will garner more heat for Reigns. Rollins returning to Cena as champion would play into a heel Cena. They can even have Rollins fail at his attempt to recapture the gold. I wouldn't but this is about Roman remember. Seth fails, and maybe a Shield reunion with Reigns as the leader, and being the one to topple Cena.

I just can't see any other way to get Roman Reigns over as a face. If he is truly going to replace John Cena as the face of WWE, then perhaps Cena needs to be sacrificed so to speak to help Reigns. If they aren't willing to do this, then I really hope this "new direction" isn't a smoke screen or something. Guess we will find out soon. Until then my fellow wrestling nerds, Stay Nerdy!


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WANTED: ASIAN WWE CHAMPION

Before anyone says or thinks it, Yokozuna was not Asian but rather a Samoan (Polynesian) portraying one. So he doesn't count. We are talking mainly Japan and/or China, since that is where they will likely be billed from, but from an Asian country. Besides the point. In Japan wrestling is just as big as it is here in North America. Both with their own promotions, and whenever a promotion (a legit one) crosses the Pacific. It has been that way for decades.

So, why hasn't there been an Asian WWE Champion? Sure, we have had some superstars over the years of Asian decent, but nobody rose to the top. Some were never really able to "get over" while stars like Tajiri or Ultimo Dragon (who actually were able to garner some mid-card success in WWE). Perhaps the obvious reason could be the language barrier, North American English is said to be the hardest language to learn, and things can lose momentum with todays audiences and trying to understand broken English. Add the numerous appearances that may require a strong ability on a microphone (tv and radio talk shows, etc). Tajiri is rumored to be capable of speaking English quite fluently, but chooses to appear as though he can't in order to remain in character. There isn't anyone else who can? Even American born wrestlers like Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat (who is half Japanese) to represent their heritage? And even if there isn't, add another reason to the list of why "managers" are needed. Yokozuna only said "Bonzai!", even if he was actually Japanese, that is all he needed to say with people like Mr. Fuji (American born Japanese performer) or Jim Cornette doing the talking.
What started this thought, was watching a Hideo Itami match on NXT. Very talented, over with the crowd, and will likely make it to the main roster one day. However, I couldn't help but wonder, "Will he ever be a top contender in WWE? Will he ever wear the WWE World Heavyweight Championship?". This of course thinking back through time, and finding that there hasn't been any WWE Champions of Asian decent. There was an article years ago that had stated WWE Hall Of Famer, Antonio Inoki had defeated Bob Backlund for the WWE (WWWF) Championship in a match in Japan, but it was never recognized by WWE (WWWF). Even if this is a legit incident, reconized or not, it was in the 70's. Almost 40 years ago.

Will there ever be an Asian WWE Champion? There's been countless Caucasians, a few black wrestlers, a couple Samoan and Hispanic wrestlers, and an East Indian in Great Khali (who only captured the World title, and not the WWE title). Wrestling was and is built on diversity, it would be nice to see this continue with the WWE Championship/WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Whichever the name, but the main belt of the WWE.

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NO! NO! NO! NO! NO!

It could be nothing, things could go as all would expect. However, the situation involving Roman Reigns and Daniel Bryan could turn into a mess for some fans. Again, it could be nothing but it seems like they could be trying to turn Daniel Bryan heel. Far fetched, yes. Not as far as you'd think though. Flashback to last year, WWE left Daniel Bryan out of the Royal Rumble, and fans lost their minds, taking over episodes of Raw with chants. This of course forced WWE to change their plans, and fit Daniel into the Wrestlemania main event. And then injuries caused him to step away during his title run. Although not his fault, WWE was likely displeased, and showed us that in how they chose to bring him back.

They brought Daniel Bryan back not in the title picture, but instead at a near mid-card level. Fans have reacted to that, even going as far as booing Roman Reigns after he won the Royal Rumble. Now we have the two squaring off for the right to face WWE World Heavyweight Champion, Brock Lesner. Although it somewhat seems as though they are about to turn Roman, the fact that Vince McMahon was/is writing and handling Reigns promos, says he likely wants the next generation superstar to continue as a baby face. So, it is possible we could get the old swerve, and they will try to turn Daniel Bryan heel instead.

If that is really the case, then hopefully Daniel Bryan will show that he is this generations Stone Cold (was a star before WWE, white hot with fans, injuries, etc). More so, the fans will show that. Remember when WWE tried to turn the rattlesnake back in the "Invasion" days? Fans didn't buy in, and cheered Stone Cold Steve Austin no matter who he stomped a mud hole in. Good ol'J.R., Lita, anyone.

Or this isn't the case and something else will happen. If they aren't going to give the better match-up of Daniel Bryan Vs Brock Lesner, then a decent replacement would be Daniel Bryan Vs Seth Rollins for the Money In The Bank briefcase. Which for this nerd, would see Daniel Bryan win, and then successfully cash in later on at the end of the main event.


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WHAT NOW WWE?

Two months. That is the time frame in which WWE has to get Roman Reigns ready for the main event at Wrestlemania 31. Both in character development, and to get over (again) with the fans. Who have somewhat faded since his injury and return to the ring. Unlike Daniel Bryan. He hasn't seemed to lost anything in the ring, nor with the audience. Two also signifies how many consecutive years in which WWE and the Royal Rumble wasn't as well received as they had hoped. Last year, after Daniel Bryan not even being in the match, fans reacted. They reacted in a way we haven't seen in a long time if ever, and more surprisingly, WWE sought to correct the situation. And did just that. Daniel Bryan pulled double duty at Wrestlemania 30, ended up in the main event, and won the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. In hind sight, they didn't really have a choice. Fans had "taken over" episodes of Raw and Smackdown!, and would have likely continued if Bryan didn't win. Add to the fact that Undertaker's streak ended. Again, not really a choice.

What about this year? True, one could easily say that the Rumble took place in Philly, one of the most vocal wrestling towns, and that once they change cities fans will be on board with Roman Reigns winning, and going on to main event at Wrestlemania 31. They might not. Reigns is part of the future. No doubt. Take away the injury and he may be ready right now, but it doesn't feel like he is. Weak promos (which apparently were written by Vince), and really no build up to where he is about to go. To make things worse, it is hard to argue those who felt Daniel Bryan should have won the Royal Rumble match. Despite being out of action for so long due to a near career ending injury, Daniel Bryan is just as over with fans as he was before. One could also point out that he did so with out staying on TV, which they did with Stone Cold Steve Austin when he first injured his neck. And if he had won the event, wouldn't have needed someone to come out to try and change fan reaction (was Rock planned or was it a save attempt?). Although we are approaching 31. Wrestlemania 30 is still fresh in peoples brains, and would have made for a pretty sweet cherry on top of a year long sundae to to speak. Extremely hard to argue is that Daniel Bryan would also make for a much better match with Brock Lesner. Match quality, and a legit (and not overused like with Rey) underdog storyline. Roman Reigns versus Brock Lesner has the possibility to look more like Goldberg Vs Lesner a la Wrestlemania 20.

With this massive storm coming in, Raw is coming live from WWE Headquarters, so we may not really see how WWE reacts to the situation until next week. Could it all depend on how the fans react post-Rumble? Will the fans react? Will we see them take over Raw and Smackdown! again? Guess we will see.

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REIGNS IS OUT, WHO IS IN?

Rumors were rampant, and it was somewhat obvious that WWE has been giving former Shield member, Roman Reigns, the proverbial "push". Which was to culminate at Wrestlemania 31, with the young Samoan beating "The Beast" Brock Lesner for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. That was the supposed plan, but plans change, especially in pro-wrestling. Roman Reigns recently underwent emergency surgery on a hernia, that will take a long period of time to fully heal.

So, let's assume that Reigns is out of the main event picture, now we are left with the question of "Who's Next?" No, that wasn't a set up for a Goldberg return. Although his match with Lesner at Wrestlemania XX needs to be revisited (if not, erased). Who should WWE get behind and give a push? Should the person be a new superstar looking for his first shot? An established star that is waiting for their first real push? Or one of already established main event players? Opinions will vary on what type and most definetly in regards to who. But, here are some examples of who we think should step into Reigns boots....

Cesaro
Someone who could fill the void quite easily. Although it isn't a straight to the top type of push, Cesaro has been getting primed for one. Having won the initial Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal at Wrestlemania XXX, and being in the mix for the mid-card titles he has shown he is ready for WWE to at least see where he can go. Also, add the fact that he is another powerhouse, as well as a former Heyman Guy, it would make sense for him to face off against Brock Lesner for the strap.


Dean Ambrose
Still waiting to see just how well he does on his own, but for storyline purposes, he would possibly be a great choice. Also a former member of The Shield, he could either have Seth Rollins cash in on him the moment he wins the title, or begin a feud with a returning Roman Reigns. Although at the moment, I see Ambrose being more of a top mid-carder.


Randy Orton
I can't remember ever seeing this before. Orton vs Lesner. I can remember Lesner vs Cena back when they were all main roster rookies. I would be on the fence though as to whether I think Orton would be the right choice. Randall is an amazing performer, and perhaps under rated in some ways, however, with Lesner being the "heel", Orton would have to try and go "face". Something he doesn't like, and is clearly better when playing the villain. It would present him as the legend killing badass that he hasn't been portraying as of late.


Damian Sandow
Probably not the first name to pop into your head. And hard to blame you given how WWE has chosen to use him. However, Sandow has been over achieving with the crap hand he has been dealt. Although they are meant to be comedic, he is taking all these different roles and making them entertaining. His current work as stunt double for The Miz has been top notch. It would actually be nice to see him rewarded for it. He is similar to Triple H, when he was being punished for the MSG Kliq Send-Off.


Daniel Bryan
Like with Orton, this would be more of a run than a push. In Daniel Bryan's case, it would be a continuation of the run he was having with the WWE World Heavyweight Championship before also being taken down by injury. The lack of "YES!" chants is all due to him not being on television, as crowds do tend to light up with that chant whenever his wife, Brie Bella, is on. Like with Roman, we aren't sure of DB's return date, but would it not be perfect for a Royal Rumble return and once again capturing the WWE World Heavyweight Championship in Wrestlemania's main event? Especially after last years lack of Bryan in the Rumble.


The list is endless, and really a matter of opinion. Guys like Dolph Ziggler, Kofi Kingston, amongst many others are all due for a push to the top. With Roman Reigns out of action, and with no time table set up for his return, WWE may be best to at least try and start pushing any and all of their stars. The Rock and Triple H really shined through after Austin and Undertaker were on the shelf back in 1999/2000. And they're in the same situation right now without names like Daniel Bryan, CM Punk, Rey Mysterio, etc on the active roster (or under contract in regards to Punk).

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WHY LESNER ENDING STREAK WILL PAY OFF

First off, I am in the group that believes that the Undertaker's Undefeated Streak at Wrestlemania should never have ended. Now, it's happened, and it is past due that we all deal with it.
Now, I am in the group that thinks that there wasn't anyone else better suited to be "the 1 in 21-1" than Brock Lesner. Undertaker as a man, loves and respects the sport of MMA. He has said that if the sport was as big as it was when he started wrestling, he would've went a different route. Add the fact that the amateur wrestlers that have been in pro-wrestling have had a natural respect for being "legit" and for being legit tough guys too. Brock is one of the very few who could likely beat the Deadman in an actual fight. Add Taker's striking ability, it would make for a great one too possibly. Lesner is a former UFC Heavyweight Champ, amongst other accolades. Pretty legit.

A lot of people are in the group who believe it should have been an up and comer, or someone in the midst of a massive push. And you wouldn't be wrong in thinking this. However, the things I see wrong with this idea is that we don't know what the future holds. So many things could happen that could have turned the massive achievement a waste. Injuries (frequent or career ending), lack of interests from fans, real life situations (hate to say it but, Benoit). And who's to say who could handle that kind of heat? First, no matter the choice, the fans will be split on whether it was right or not. Secondly, breaking the Undertaker's streak at Mania would/could bring "Heel 4 Life" type of heat. Is that something an upcoming star needs? This is where Brock makes the better choice. He doesn't care. I am sure a part of the real Brock Lesner is honored, but knows professionally he is unaffected. He can be the heel and bask in the heat, and like he is soon to do, bath in Cena's blood and the cheers that will come with it.

Now, if Brock wins the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, it will add to the ending of the streak. How? Well, the fact that its justifies/makes sense what happened at Mania. Ending the Streak should translate into a title shot whomever ended it. So, take into consideration that the Undertaker is getting up there in age, and that his Wrestlemania matches were sooo good mainly due to the months of preparation that the old school professional put into his yearly appearances. So now, we would have a legit beast of a champ in Lesner who could "put over" an up and comer in the midst of a massive push. A push that would culminate in possibly an amazing match with not only the champ, but the man who conquered the Undertaker at Wrestlemania. Which would now go "un-tarnished" regardless of the up and comers future. Imagine Daniel Bryan finally coming back and knocking Lesner out with a knee to the chin and the win? Or of course the rumored, Roman Reigns would work too despite the Spear reminding me of Wrestlemania 20.

Although I would love to see the Undertaker come back one more time to face Sting at Wrestlemania 31, I will understand if 30 was the last we see of him (until HOF time). Once again, enter Brock Lesner. Once the financials work themselves out, and the pay day is there, Lesner could be the new "premiere" part-timer to take 'Takers spot. Rock is busy doing movies, Sting is looking for his "one more match aka first WWE match". Batista...we'll see how his next return goes. The entire situation worked against him at the Royal Rumble. Admit I was in the group of "Bootista Haters". Revenge on Evolution should be proper and almost a throw back to when I last liked him. Back to the point, not really anyone else to fill this spot.

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ARE WE APPROACHING A BRAND SPLIT IN WWE?

Flashback to 2002. Vince McMahon and the WWE was just a year removed from the purchasing of rival WCW in 2001. The WWE and the World titles were unified and "The Next Big Thing" Brock Lesner was fresh on the scene and wrecking havoc through the WWE roster. Vinnie Mac decided it was time to "shake things up", proceeded to split the roster into Raw and Smackdown!, with the two brands almost competing with each other. First it was 50/50 owners Vince McMahon and Ric Flair, with later, General Managers being named. Stephanie McMahon being in charge of Smackdown!, and the newly hired and former rival, Eric Bischoff being the GM of Raw. In the beginning, the WWE Undisputed Champion was to appear on both brands, until Brock Lesner beat The Rock for the belt. Then, Stephanie McMahon proceeded to sign Lesner to a contract making him exclusive to Smackdown!, which led to Bischoff handing Triple H the WWE World Championship so Raw would have a champion. For awhile, both brands were equal, and in some cases Smackdown! was considered the superior brand based on some opinions. With stars like Brock Lesner, Kurt Angle, Big Show (with Paul Heyman), amongst others helped with that. Of course, every year Vince McMahon would appear to announce that it was "time to shake things up again!", and we would see a draft lottery. At times it was pretty boring, but there were moments when there was some shock value, and meant good things for your preferred brand. Remember when Michael Cole was drafted to Raw, and Jim Ross to Smackdown!? Or like he referenced recently, when John Cena was drafted to Raw and unveiled the new WWE title? He was right, we were all pretty stoked about it all. Which also signaled the beginning of Raw becoming the "stacked" roster, and then later the brands coming back together.

What is the point of all of this? Look at the current WWE landscape. The titles are unified, making the holder the WWE World Heavyweight Champion. They haven't even opted to make them into one belt yet, which could mean they are looking to split them in the future. Include the overall size of the current WWE rosters, both the main roster as well as the NXT roster containing the rookies who will be looking for a place to land. Although it has been nice having the story lines carry over, and Smackdown! leading into a PPV, it is understandable that they would split the brands. Gives a platform to "push" more guys without displacing the current main event or mid-carders. Would we have ever seen guys like the late Eddie Guerrero or Bradshaw win the title if the brands weren't split? Who's to say if the JBL gimmick would have even worked as well as it did if not for being a Smackdown! product. Could help guys like Kofi Kingston, Dolph Ziggler and many others find their way (gimmick or simply a place to shine) with a brand split. Could even help Roman Reigns move away from Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose if they decide to split up The Shield (which has been rumored since before Wrestlemania XXX). Oh, and then there is Brock Lesner. This isn't the rookie from 2002, this is the new Brock Lesner. Thanks to the popularity of MMA, we all now have an appreciation for just how legit this guy is. Plus, in case you haven't been listening to Paul Heyman's constant reminders, he's the guy who ended The Undertaker's undefeated streak at Wrestlemania. Brock may be in part time mode nowadays, but very few argue that he will be winning the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at some point. Perhaps he goes Raw exclusive this time around.

Only time will tell I guess. It does seem to be heading that way, and like mentioned above there are good things that could stem from this. There are some bad as well, but as long as they stay true to the original brand extension and keep the shows equal, it will be less likely to be so one-sided. The drafts were often better then not, and made for better shows then some of those celebrity guest Raw's with only a few exceptions.