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It’s a New Champ, Yes It Is! But Does it Matter?

Big E. is the new WWE Champion! It’s a new champ and a new day, but is it really just the same old story?

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Big E. is the new WWE Champion! It’s a new champ and a new day, but is it really just the same old story?

Big E cashed in his Money in the Bank contract on Raw last night to become the new WWE Champion.  The story throughout the day was that Big E planned to show up on Raw and cash in his contract against the winner of the Bobby Lashley vs. Randy Orton title match; this was primarily promoted on his Twitter account.  In fact, the story was so unsubtle and predictable, most fans were probably wishing for some kind of swerve just to keep us on our toes.  However, it was hyped, it was promoted, and it was paid off in full.  It was a very cool moment for a lot of fans, and it generated a great deal of attention on social media after the show.  However, when you really analyze it in depth, how much did this title win really matter?

It is important to remember WWE’s rationale for doing this.  AEW managed to pull through and beat Raw in the key demographic last week (eighteen-forty-nine males) by some three thousand viewers, and WWE rapidly hit the panic button for damage control over losing their key demo.  While some fans have argued that this was due, in large part, to football season starting up again, it really can not be argued that this was never part of WWE’s “long-term vision” for Big E cashing in to become champion.  In fact, it was really difficult to view this scenario as anything other than straightforward “hot-shotting.”  WWE has a terrible track-record when it comes to logical story progression of their Money in the Bank winners, and based on what they did on Raw, what makes Big E’s situation any different?

The concern coming out of this is how WWE follows up with it.  While there are plentiful story directions they can feasibly take this, the concern is whether or not Big E factors into the extensive equation.  Hypothetically, if this was done to setup a Lashley vs. Big E rematch at Extreme Rules, only for Lashley to retain the title, what happens to Big E afterwards?  Do they keep him in the title hunt, or does he get “Kofi’d?”  That is, does he get shuffled back down into mid-card obscurity like Kofi did after he lost the WWE Title?  Right now, WWE is weighing its options with Lashley, as they have the eventual Goldberg rematch waiting in the wings; they also have Brock Lesnar as a foreseeable opponent.  In both of these scenarios, Vince may easily want to save those matches for WrestleMania next year.  And if either match ends up being for the WWE Title, Big E would find himself out of the picture entirely.

Another important thing to note about the cash-in was the focal point of how it was done.  WWE may try to blur the lines and persuade fans that the cash-in was “clean,” because Big E announced it beforehand on social media.  However, the execution of the cash-in was no different from every single Money in the Bank cash-in we have seen since John Cena in 2012.  It has now become a comical trope in WWE where the Money in the Bank winner is almost “bound by law” to wait for the opportune moment when the champ is not at 100%, capitalize on the injury or disadvantage, and win the title in relatively short order for the “shock-and-awe” value.  Once in a blue moon, this crash TV element works, but every year?  It has now become predictable and boring.

And this is exactly what Big E did on Raw.  He waited until the title match was over, Lashley was already hurt and fatigued, and Big E cashed in his contract on a vulnerable champion and beat him in quick fashion.  It should also be noted that Bobby Lashley is the heel, and Big E is supposed to be the babyface in this equation.

In an ideal world, WWE has a great potential story at their fingertips right now.  They have the chance to setup a five or sixth month “chase to the title” program for Big E– in fact, something very similar to what they did with Daniel Bryan between SummerSlam 2013 and his road to WrestleMania in 2014.  If Lashley manages to recapture the WWE Championship at Extreme Rules using underhanded tactics, they could spend the next several months propping up Big E’s title rematch at WrestleMania 38.  They could dedicate the show to building up Big E’s singles run, have him win the Royal Rumble, and launch him into WrestleMania season as their top babyface on Raw.  In the meantime, you can do Lashley vs. Goldberg and Lashley vs. Orton in some capacity.  The idea, however, is to keep that Lashley/Big E rematch fresh and really build anticipation for it heading into 2022.  Will WWE do this?  Of course they won’t, but it is always nice to fantasize that they have a clue.

Conclusively, this is not going to diminish Big E’s title win.  It was a very special moment for Big E and longtime wrestling fans that have wanted to see him get a run at the top for years.  However, reality will soon set in that WWE is not viewing this from the same standpoint as a lot of fans; this was a ratings ploy, it was a hot-shotted, short-term business strategy, and a desperate attempt to bring back the key demographic.  Some blinded WWE fans will dispute this notion right now, but come back after Extreme Rules and see if you still have the same opinion.

Sources:

Metcalf, M. (2021, September 9). SHOWBUZZDAILY’s Wednesday 9.8.2021 top 150 CABLE Originals & NETWORK FINALS update 2. Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved September 14, 2021, from https://showbuzzdaily.com/articles/showbuzzdailys-wednesday-9-8-2021-top-150-cable-originals-network-finals.html.

Wrestling Observer. (2021, September 14). WOR: Raw, Big E WINS WWE Title, Draft, NXT and Aew, more! WON/F4W – WWE news, Pro Wrestling News, WWE Results, UFC News, UFC results. Retrieved September 14, 2021, from https://www.f4wonline.com/wrestling-observer-radio/wor-raw-big-e-wins-wwe-title-draft-nxt-and-aew-more-353351.

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Opinion

Chris King: The Wyatt Sicks’ Wasted Potential By WWE

Chris King takes a look at the WWE and their wasted potential of Uncle Howdy and the Wyatt Sicks faction.

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Wyatt Sicks WWE

Chris King takes a look at the WWE and their wasted potential of Uncle Howdy and the Wyatt Sicks faction.

It’s that time of the year again, folks; it’s unfortunate and downright awful that so many WWE superstars got released today. I’m not going to list all of them, but I am going to talk about one of my favorite factions, 

The Wyatt Sicks. Nikki Cross, Joe Gacy, Erik Rowan, and Bo Dallas (Uncle Howdy) were something special. After Bo’s brother Bray Wyatt’s tragic passing, WWE felt like there was a hole that needed to be filled. Wyatt was one of the most creative and brilliant characters, and Bo would be taking over his brother’s concept and bringing it to life. In 2024, at the end of an incredible documentary highlighting Wyatt’s career and struggles, Bo appeared on the screen portrayed as Uncle Howdy. The last time Uncle Howdy was seen on-screen was at the 2023 Royal Rumble, where Wyatt defeated LA Knight in a Pitch Black Match. Howdy jumped off a structure onto Knight. 

This post-credit scene sparked so much speculation and excitement that Wyatt’s brother would carry on his legacy and possibly debut the faction that was Wyatt’s concept. On the June 17th episode of Monday Night Raw, The Wyatt Sicks made their dramatic debut ,destroying the backstage area as well as “murdering” Chad Gable. It was such an iconic arrival for Howdy as he made his menacing walk from the back into the audience who were chanting “Holy Shit.” The Sicks and American Made (Chad Gable and The Creed Brothers) battled for months, with The Sicks being victorious. On the September 9th episode of Raw, The Sicks defeated them, with Howdy getting the win with Sister Abigail. 

The following year, The Sicks would move over to Friday Night SmackDown, and it seemed like WWE had a plan in place. They would win the tag team championships from The Street Profits and start to look dominant. Now, what should have happened next is Howdy should have won the United States title. The Sicks could have held all the gold over on the blue brand, but it never happened. The Sicks entered into a never-ending feud with The MFT’s (Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga, Tonga Loa, JC Mateo, and Talla Tonga.) It started off exciting, and the WWE Universe was red-hot for their interactions. 

After months of repetitive matches and The MFT’s stealing their lantern, the feud grew tiresome and boring. Even Tama asked Solo why they are still holding onto the lantern, as it was destroying them as a whole. Finally on the SmackDown before Mania, Tama

gave the lantern back to Howdy against Solo’s wishes. Please explain to me why both factions fought almost every single week instead of just having one final blowoff match at WrestleMania. 

It should have been either a massive street fight or a falls count anywhere match on the grandest stage of them all. Instead, it turned into a meaningless week-after-week extravaganza that benefited no one. The MFTs won the rivalry, and The Sicks don’t even work for WWE anymore. This was the same criminalized creative process that Wyatt dealt with during his first run in the company. 

We’ll never know how much of a dangerous force The Wyatt Sicks could have been in the WWE. For all their careers’ sake, I hope they stay far away from the company for as long as possible. Every superstar that was cut deserves better!

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Opinion

Chris King: Bloodline Saga: Is This the Right Call For WWE?

Chris King questions the WWE’s logic in setting up Jacob Fatu as the next challenger for World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns 

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WWE Jacob Fatu Roman Reigns Backlash

Chris King questions the WWE’s logic in setting up Jacob Fatu as the next challenger for World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns

Roman Reigns is once again World Heavyweight Champion after his dominant win over CM Punk at WrestleMania 42. On the following night on Monday Night Raw, The OG Bloodline came back together as a well-oiled machine as The Usos stood side by side with Roman. With the WWE Universe asking who would be the first to challenge “The Tribal Chief,” Jacob Fatu shocked the world by answering the call. 

Fatu is running hot after his impressive win over Drew McIntyre and feels like he is ready to become the new world champion. This bloodline segment ended Raw, and it picked right back up on SmackDown with even Solo Sikoa and the MFTs involved. This is now two shows that have been centered around The Bloodline saga, and it’s made me question whether or not WWE should be retelling this story. 

The Bloodline (Roman Reigns, The Usos, and Solo Sikoa) ran WWE for over four years as Reigns’ henchmen, doing his dirty work to retain his title. Even though Roman has declared he doesn’t want Jey and Jimmy to serve him, it sure seems like WWE are spinning their wheels. Fatu could add a whole new chapter into the story, even if he’s not able to beat Roman at Backlash. “The Samoan Werewolf” could be forced to do the same thing as Jey did all those years ago and fall in line. 

 In my opinion, I feel like Fatu should be challenging for the Undisputed WWE Championship because that’s a title I feel like he should win. I understand standing up to your blood and trying to prove you’re the best, but I don’t think this is the right move. It feels like 2022 all over again, as The Bloodline is the central focus on both shows. If Fatu doesn’t win, what happens to all his momentum he’s been building over the last two years? 

Why did WWE make this the best choice for storyline purposes? Why couldn’t creative have come up with a different challenger for Roman? There are so many other superstars that could challenge The Tribal Chief, such as Rusev, Bron Breakker, Gunther, or even a returning Sheamus. 

I just can’t help but question WWE’s logic here, and it kind of reminds me of all the times The Shield reunited. Could WWE be pushing the same storyline too many times here? Could the WWE Universe get tired of this rinse and repeat cycle of The Bloodline Saga?

Are we about to see all the weekly episodes solely focused on The Bloodline again? Will it be cinema… Yes. Is there still money in The Bloodline… Yes. Was it the right call? That’s to be determined!

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