A New Era of WWE or How Wrestling Could Change

The WWE's brand split and roster drafts had come and gone, most people accepted it with little fanfare and focused on how the draft had been done before.  It flopped then and it will flop again they said.  Too many titles they said.  Not enough stars they said.  But, something crazy happened on the way to Monday Night Raw this week.  I was in attendance at the show with my best friend and his 13 year old daughter.  She, so politely, asked me what had been going on because she was more caught up with Total Diva's then the recent episodes of Raw and Smackdown.  As I looked her in the eyes I told her a lie, I told her that this will be different then previous weeks because they separated shows and now there is a Raw roster and a Smackdown roster.  I explained what a great time it was to get back into focusing on the shows because it will be all new.  I didn't believe it would be all new, I kind of expected the same Raw formula from every other week just with less guys.  But, something crazy happened on Raw this week...

 Raw was live from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and the show delivered.  Big time!  WWE used this brand split as a reset point and in one night laid out major plans for the future of the brand, created a new superstar and solidified a division ready to break out.  It was as impactful a Raw as I can remember in a long time.  Raw commissioner Stephanie McMahon and GM Mick Foley announcing that two fatal four way matches would take place to determine the number one contender to the number one contender Seth Rollins to crown the first ever WWE Universal Heavyweight Champion at Summerslam.  The contestants were announced as Jericho, Cesaro, Rusev, Owens, Zayn, Sheamus, Roman Reigns and then Finn Balor and as he was announced he slid his way from the back of the crowd into the forefront of the stage and there was an eruption in the crowd.  A sensation went over the live crowd as if something special was about to take place.  Finn Balor!?! All of a sudden Raw had a feel like something new was happening.  Now Raw was going to be highlighted by Kevin Owens, Sammy Zayn, and Cesaro combined with the seasoning of Chris Jericho (who has never been better), Rusev and Sheamus.  But, Roman Reigns would clearly be the winner when it was all said and done going on to face Seth Rollins, again, at Summerslam.  Ho hum, the more things change the more they stay the same I guess.  Well, an odd thing happened on the way to the end of Raw this week; wwe did it all correct.  Finn Balor won an excellent four way to earn a spot in the nights main event taking on Roman Reigns.  Here it comes, the match where Reigns beats the new guy and takes his sit on the throne of his own empire.  But, that isn't what happened.  Raw ended with Roman Reigns, the heir apparent, getting pinned clean in the middle of the ring.  Pinned.  Clean.  In the middle.  You could hear the collective breath being taken away from the wrestling die hards and casual fans alike as they had just seen a star created in one night.  A star you could get behind, a change that you could get behind. 

Finn Balor won the main event on Raw over Roman Reigns.  This is the biggest move that WWE could have made to make the statement that they are ready for change.  The future is on its way.  Raw featured four very good wrestling matches all of which had championship ramifications and all of which delivered at a high level.  Raw also peppered in some squash matches to emphasize some of its new, and not ready for prime time, performers as well as entertaining interview segments and for the most part was a home run.  It was a very easy to watch and enjoyable three hours.  However, the Finn Balor stuff may have not even been the best action of the night.

Welcome back to women's wrestling!  Sasha Banks and Charlotte put the new crop of young, beautiful and talented women where they belonged in wrestling on Raw.  Banks and Charlotte had an emotionally charged and action packed wrestling match that solidified a division that is ready to take the next step into not being women's wrestling but just being seen as wrestling!  These two girls, who may be stand outs but are hardly the only capable wrestlers in the women's division, worked so hard while putting their bodies on the line for the sake of women's wrestling.  They were not divas or models or wearing their bras and panties; they were high quality professional wrestlers telling a story in the ring that created a roller coaster of emotion for the WWE universe.  Make no mistake, this was hot shotting a title change to create buzz for Raw's new era, but was the perfect type of hot shot because everything was made better for it.  A ton of eyeballs saw Raw give the deserved time to two women who busted their butts to put on an amazingly entertaining match.  Would the title change have meant more at Summerslam?  Maybe.  But having the women's title change hands like this on Raw may have meant more for the credibility of how WWE sees it's women performers and just how good those performers are. Sasha Banks delivered an emotional promo holding the title after the match and there was no question how much that moment meant to her.

Something awesome happened during Raw last monday.  As I stated I went with one of my best friends and his daughter.  While my friend used to be a die hard he really isn't anymore, his daughter likes wrestling but it is clearly not her life let alone one of her favorite hobbies; but she likes it.  Neither really knew who Finn Balor was, they were only slightly more familiar with Enzo and Big Cass and she is a bigger Total Diva's fan then of a divas revolution.  However, by the end of the show she gladly shouted "new...day rocks", "How you doin'?", she went bananas when Sasha Banks won the title clearly stating she was the boss and by the end of the night this 13 year old girl casual fan knew exactly when to throw her arms in the air like Finn Balor and the rest of the die hard wrestling fans.  She couldn't wait for the next show she could attend as she tried to convince her dad to take her to Summerslam in New York.
The new talent is being showcased on weekly television, there is still a large crop of talent in NXT ready to be added to the main roster (both male and female), most importantly the casual fans and young fans can and will get behind them.  Perhaps WWE is right this is the dawning of a new era; one that satisfies the whole WWE universe.  An era where they have the performers to showcase and the talent all fans can support.  If WWE keeps offering product like this then it will be a great time to be a wrestling fan, but that's just this marks remarks.
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Road to Hell in a Cell / What should happen on Raw

 Hell in a Cell is two weeks away and the card for the show is taking shape.  The card features at least two Hell in a Cell cage matches, which is always an attraction, plus matches that will continue to build storylines as wwe heads toward the end of the year.  The Hell in a Cell pay per view is one of many "big shows" that is headlined by a gimmick match before the participants or purpose is known, which leads to many issues with the current product, but the gimmick match in this particular show usually produces some really good matches.  However, the idea of Hell in a Cell the match was created to lead to a finality to a strong rivalry; the first version being The Undertaker versus Shawn Michaels with the debut of Kane many many years ago.  WWE has produced a laundry list of memorable moments inside (and outside) the cell including Mankind being throw off and through the cell, Mick Foley's first attempt of retirement at the hands of Triple H, The bloody war between The Undertaker and Brock Lesnar and so many more. 

Hell in a Cell was created so that the simply saying the words Hell in a Cell made the crowd go crazy and the expectation of the match rose higher, now; wwe has a pay-per-view designated to always having that "special" match.  The result of this show is that the cell is no longer "special" at all.  The match was determined before the participants are which makes Hell in a Cell just another match, further emphasizing this point is the second bout held in the cell being John Cena versus Randy Orton.  Sure, Orton and Cena have a long storied history with each other but this match was made last week on Raw on the premise that whomever doesn't get to wrestle Seth Rollins challenges Randy Orton; so there is no score to settle or grudge to finish, just a match that was made to be contended inside the confines of Hell in a Cell.  So what is more important, the match or the feud? 

I would suggest the obvious answer should be the grudge.  The rivalry should be so heated that the only way to settle differences is by locking the hated combatants inside satan's playground; a bitter feud needs Hell in a Cell, it shouldn't be that Hell in a Cell needs participants.  That is why gimmicky pay-per-views, except Royal Rumble and Money in the Bank, should be eliminated.  This would make stipulation matches seem much more important and mean something to a storyline, instead of crow-baring  a special match into a storyline whether needed or not.  So how can Hell in a Cell be made important?

 First, do something to make Seth Rollins versus Dean Ambrose in a cell must see.  Dean Ambrose is a loose cannon not a cartoon character; he must be treated as such to make him reach his potential.  Not pushing a hot dog cart or magically appearing at ringside but Dean Ambrose needs to be the lunatic fringe that Seth Rollins fears being locked into a cell with.  Seth Rollins doesn't have to get beat up or embarrassed or have gak poured over his head; he needs to be the chicken-shit heel that he can be and get chased down by the brash psychotic Ambrose so that you, the fan, can't wait for Ambrose to finally get his hands on Rollins.  This feud which was very hot for awhile fizzled slightly with Ambrose taking time off and Cena being inserted into it but I believe can be re-energized quickly.  The only question is can a Dean Ambrose versus Seth Rollins headline a wwe pay-per-view?
Secondly, how can you inject some excitement into another John Cena versus Randy Orton match that was really thrown together hap-haphazardly? 

I would include the return of Bray Wyatt into this match where Wyatt and his family produces a vignette that says he will be at Hell in a Cell, he will be in the cell and he will bring down the status quo.  Three weeks of Wyatt taped promos has brought the Wyatt Family back to relevance and hopefully wwe won't allow him to falter again.  Best way to catapult Bray Wyatt to the top?  Insert him into the conclusion of John Cena and Randy and have him leave both men laying.  This will create intrigue as to who he wants to take on and allows Bray Wyatt to be what he is best at: chaotic.  There are less than subtle hints that Randy Orton may be turning baby face and perhaps him taking on Bray Wyatt would be a good first feud and allow Bray Wyatt to cement himself as a legit heel, which based on the video packages is where he is headed.  I believe Bray Wyatt is something special and John Cena or Randy Orton would not be hurt being used as his return to the wwe universe.

 Thirdly, make the secondary matches mean something.  This is the first major show where Brock Lesnar is not defending his wwe world heavyweight championship but there will be titles defended.  Why not make Dolph Ziggler versus Cesaro be important?  Why not hype the idea that the intercontinental title is a major title and two incredibly gifted athletes will belt for the championship?  Ziggler and Cesaro give this card the ability to have an excellent high caliber match that should have people on the edge of their seats from a wrestling perspective, which would be different from the two main attractions.  The same can be said for the tag team title match they should have. 

What is the negative of promoting a tag match that is almost certain to entertain the fans?  The tag team division is a missed opportunity at such a high level because tag team wrestling, even simple tag team wrestling, is so fun to watch.  It is wrestling by the numbers almost every time but the tag team formula is a proven winner and leads to exciting well paced action that typically is a crowd pleaser.  Throw in the soap opera of the Bella twins, decent female wrestling with

A.J and Paige, Rusev's next battle and this show should be pretty good, but is it important?
The problem with the current landscape of professional wrestling, not just wwe but all of professional wrestling, is that nothing really seems important.  This is a major issue especially with the advent of the wwe network and how reliant wwe's success is on the network.  WWE needs to create subscribers and their strategy is by reminding you of the cost, at no end, or by pushing the app or this or that to create interest; however, the best way to create subscribers or product interest is by producing "must see" programming.  All of the boom times in pro wrestling as started with high quality programming involving larger than life characters creating entertaining, intelligent and enthralling storyline that leads to dramatic, athletic and action packed matches.  The product creates the interest; the product has always created the interest and the interest and fan base builds based on the quality of the product.

 In closing, Hell in a Cell pay-per-view, Raw, Smackdown, Main Event and all wwe brand shows have to start feeling important again.  The fan base should be made to feel that cannot miss the next show or the one after that and no way are they missing a pay-per-view. 

The product should be so good that a wwe fan doesn't need to be reminded that there is a wwe network, or wwe has an app or they need to log on to wwe.com; the product should be so good that the fan base can't wait to log on to the website, should be viewing the app during the live weekly shows and watching the wwe network whenever time allows and for every pay-per-view. 
The price shouldn't make the wwe network a no-brainer, the content should.  And, it does; the network is awesome and is a dream come true for any wrestling fan but it is great because of the content not because of the stupid banter between michael cole, jbl and jerry lawler on a weekly basis.

raw is wary / cautious handling of John Cena

This edition of Monday night raw was the last episode before the return of NFL football, it also fell on labor day. Wwe raw was cautious to make any big moves creatively because labor day raw typically doesn't have the viewership of other raw television shows, because of this, wwe gave its fans a program that didn't offer much and fell short most of the show.  The show at its best times was flat and really poor at its worst but there was something to be noticed on this Raw that speaks volumes to me as a fan.  WWE has its largest crop of potential stars in probably 12 years right now.  Be it on Raw weekly, nxt on the wwe network or preparing at the performance center there are proven talents with the ability to work at a high level.  However, wwe will not pull the trigger on any of them to catapult someone to the top tier and continues to push old reliable.

John Cena has been the top guy in wwe for the last nine years after being drafted to Raw from Smackdown in the summer of 2005.  He was champion before that but I feel moving to the flagship show was the move that determined him the face of the wwe.  To put nine years as the top babyface in perspective Hulk Hogan's initial run in the wwf was from 1984 to 1990, six years, when wwe opted to put the title on the Ultimate Warrior.  Hogan was champion again in 1991 after beating Sgt. Slaughter at wrestlemania 7 but was out of WWF for good by 1993. (until his nWo return 10 years later) So, even if you include when WWF tried to use a new top babyface in the Ultimate Warrior, Hulk Hogan was the top guy in the company for nine years and really during that time Hogan was not always the focus of the wwe.
Would anyone put John Cena on the same level as Hulk Hogan from a character stand point?  John Cena has earned his credibility as top babyface superhero by doing everything and then some that wwe has asked him be it make a wish, personal appearance, wrestling injured, you name it and the guy has done it to maintain his spot and perform for the fans; but during that nine years there was never anyone that got close to replacing John Cena.  No matter how you feel about John Cena it is a pretty remarkable run on top.
Now, it seems that wwe is ready to crown a new face of the empire.  There just seems to be something inside of John Cena that makes you feel he is ready to step down a notch and let someone else take the major bumps and bruises on the top of the card, Cena has a number of nagging injuries including his neck and he is approaching the age where wrestlers start to slow down.  Cena has also started to put other guys over more than he ever has with feuds like he had with Bray Wyatt, which really helped elevate Wyatt, giving the rub to the Uso Brothers, and using his shine to try to raise Roman Reigns stock.  All the signs are there for a new "superstar" to step up and take charge.

WWE, however, seems very reluctant to pass the reigns to the next chosen one just yet.  The obvious selection from wwe is Roman Reigns.  WWE has been grooming him since the shield was together and there is no question why, Reigns has everything wwe looks for in a top star; he has size, athleticism, the look but the only thing he lacks is experience.  Roman Reigns is not gaining experience fast enough and he is not improving at the pace he will need to in order to be the top guy.  I would assume his time line is wrestlemania, and his opponent is Brock Lesnar.  WWE has done everything right with Lesnar by giving him the streak, dominating Cena and becoming an unstoppable beast so if Reigns beats him on the grandest stage it would be a huge deal. 

However, if the fans don't buy it then it won't be nearly as big as it could be.  In my opinion, if the fans don't buy it then wwe should call an audible for that main event.  The problem is that audible would have to be called by Royal Rumble since the main event and crowning of a new face of the wwe would have to be a wwe world heavyweight championship match.  Ultimately that means Roman Reigns has 4 months to prove he is the right guy for the job. Unfortunately, on Raw last night when Roman Reigns announced he was adding his name to the title mix the crowd was very underwhelmed.  WWE had to hoping that when Reigns delivered that line, which he delivered awkwardly, the crowd would erupt in support and it just did not happen.  I do not believe Roman Reigns will be ready to be the top guy in the company in less than a year.
The biggest problem with Reigns not being ready by wrestlemania is that is squanders the amazing opportunity to have Brock Lesnar put him over.  The guy that beat the streak, dominated Cena and has become an attraction losing makes that person an instant mega star and wwe can't afford to miss that chance.  So, who, if not Reigns, can step up to be handed the torch?

 The long shot pick is Daniel Bryan.  Why it is a long shot is because no one knows his health status.  His second surgery has been postponed for more tests and the expected return, from what I understand is 3 months, which puts him close to the Royal Rumble.  It is an easy story for Bryan to win the Rumble and go on to wrestlemania to challenge Brock Lesnar as the unrelenting underdog who conquers the bully.  The issues are two fold, first, the comeback is uncertain because of the health and second, I don't believe wwe wants to have Daniel Bryan as their long term face of the company and beating Lesnar can't be a hot shot move to push a guy, it needs to be the dawning of the new top guy.

 My pick, and not likely choice, is Cesaro.  Cesaro is a technically spectacular wrestler with, what appears to be, superhuman strength.  He also has a presence in the ring and natural charisma.  He certainly doesn't have John Cena type charisma or natural charm but I believe he could get over with all demographics as well as do the appearance and be a respectable ambassador for sports entertainment.  Most importantly, he would have an international appeal that could bring more exposure from an audience that sees wrestling as a more legitimate form of sports and entertainment.  I don't know if wwe is ready or will be ready to put the hype train behind Cesaro so I do not see him being the selected top guy but he has a lot of tangible and intangible allure for that spot.

 The real top contender for the next big time babyface should be Dean Ambrose!  Ambrose and his never say die mentality and approach to wrestling would lend itself perfectly to challenging Brock Lesnar.  The lunatic fringe toppling the beast would surely elevate Ambrose and the crowd would completely rally behind him and his character.  If you could turn back time and remember the story that developed after Stone Cold Steve Austin won his first title from Shawn Michaels and Vince McMahon tried to mold the texas rattlesnake into a corporate puppet; this story could be almost completely redone using Triple H and Dean Ambrose and it would work. 

Now, I am not saying Dean Ambrose is Steve Austin, he is Austin-like, and the closest thing to having the ability to catch fire with the crowd and they could live vicariously through him against the authority.  An added bonus to Ambrose becoming the top guy, and champion, is that Seth Rollins has the money in the bank briefcase so there is a ready made championship feud waiting for the next top heel and babyface.  This run would allow them to get comfortable with their new spots while putting on tremendous matches with each other.  Dean Ambrose can completely pull off the blue collar hero while Rollins is a completely believable sell out the corporation would get behind. 

Making Ambrose the face of the company, a kin to Austin, would begin the youth movement (which wwe is totally ready for, see nxt), shift the focus of the product back to a faster more athletic style and still offer compelling stories.  This move would also allow Roman Reigns to hone his skills and become the number two face in the company, which worked out well for Reigns cousin The Rock.
The style of wrestling pushed to the forefront buy Ambrose and Rollins being the two top guys is tailor made for the future roster wwe will boast with guys like ziggler, barrett, cesaro, sheamus, big e, kofi, sami zayne, tyler breeze, bo dallas, neville, kenta, prince devitt, kevin steen and daniel bryan.  This roster is so stacked with talent on the cusp of breaking out that if wwe pushed a wrestling style fit for all of the young talent they are stock piling sports entertainment would become a lot more sports and a lot more entertainment.

 I believe that wwe will make Roman Reigns "the guy" but if they ran an audible and made the leap of faith putting Dean Ambrose in that role wwe could domino into a really special time in professional wrestling and no one would suffer from it.  The next four months will be very telling as to who can handle the top spot and who may not be ready for the spotlight, either direction will be interesting and should be worth watching; something Monday Night Raw on labor day really wasn't.  That is just this marks remarks.

 For those reading the blog I appreciate the support and have been getting some really good feedback.  If you like what you read like the facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/amarkremarks and consider subscribing to the blog via your email from the main blog page, thank you very much.

WWE fantasy booking towards the new year

 WWE's product has been peaking my interest recently by turning out some intriguing story lines, developing the future talent and putting on quality shows.  Unfortunately, I am the type of fan that isn't going to leave the product; I have lived through way worse in wrestling and will probably live through it again.  However, WWE has progressively lost viewership in the millions since the boom period 15 years ago (holy cow 15 years ago?) and the ratings have seemed to plateau to about 4 million per week.  That number is half of what it was during the attitude era and the Monday night wars.  Which means WWE needs to figure out how to do something to rekindle the fire for over 4 million jaded wrestling fans in order to create another wrestling boom time.  The first question one has to ask is, can wrestling create another boom time and can it be done without direct competition?  If you believe it can, what needs to happen to bring the pseudo-casual fans back to sports entertainment?

I, for one, believe wrestling can have another boom period and I think it can happen now.  I believe there are enough key players on the wwe roster and being developed on the roster to appeal to everything wrestling needs catch fire.  I believe that this boom period and take place without any major competition to the wwe reign over sports entertainment.  WCW and Monday Nitro played a huge role in lighting the fuse for the wrestling explosion with the creation of the nWo.  However, wwe maintained its popularity when wcw was taken over by wwe for a period of time.  I also believe that this boom period can take place with the current product the way it is being presented currently; meaning the "pg style" that raw is being delivered.  Everyone loved the attitude era but i don't believe it was because of the blood and guts style of wrestling, profane language or racy stories; those things may have not hurt but they were not the catalyst of the rise in popularity.  WWE struck gold by pushing a blue collar tough guy giving his boss the treatment every blue collar guy wishes he could, fresh hip characters, compelling story and athletic wrestling matches.  Steve Austin led the way of a roster that included The Rock, Undertaker, Triple H, Chris Jericho, Mick Foley, Kurt Angle, Hardy's, Dudley's, Edge, Christian, Eddy Guerrero, and a myriad of secondary talent that made up a very talented roster of talent.  All the while, The McMahon family played super villains and were able to turn the wrestling world upside down.

 So, what needs to happen now to relight that fuse?  Can the wwe recreate an atmosphere that didn't allow its universe of fans to miss an episode of Raw?  I believe that they can, but it is going to take some risks being taken to build that one defining moment that will get current fans talking and catch the eye of the fans that have left the wrestling world.  Below is my fantasy booking, I do not expect it to happen, that may be some direction that would bring fans interest to wrestling back.

 I fully expect Brock Lesnar to beat John Cena at night of champions, not like the manner he did at SummerSlam, but I still think Lesnar will win.  I think that after Cena loses to Lesnar for a second straight time he should be off television for awhile, do a little soul searching before he makes another return.  I also believe that this is the last pay per view that Lesnar will be on for a few months because wwe believes that the Hell in a Cell match can sell the next show and a title match is not necessary.  So let's say at Hell in a Cell the main event resembles something like Seth Rollins and Randy Orton versus Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns in a Hell in a Cell match.  It is an extreme battle that Reigns and Ambrose begin to get the advantage in and this leads to the Authority and Kane coming down to the ring and inserting themselves into the match.  Kane, Orton and Rollins begin to get the advantage and they eliminate Ambrose from the match leaving a three on one situation with Reigns.  As all three men have him cornered John Cena's music would hit and Cena triumphantly returns to help Reigns out and take out the bad guys.  Cena and Reigns stand in the middle of the ring, back to back, challenging the Authority to attack.  At which point Triple H would stand up on the apron and give his famous thumbs down motion and John Cena would turn around and lay out Roman Reigns with an attitude adjustment. 

 Cue the jaws dropping and the authority would pounce on Roman Reigns leaving him laying while Triple H stands tall raising the hands of Seth Rollins, Randy Orton, Kane and John Cena!  No one would believe that wwe was finally going to turn Cena bad and that moment would create a "wrestling moment" that would have the wrestling world a buzz.  This would also create another gauntlet of wrestlers Roman Reigns would have to go through before getting to his new target of John Cena, allowing Reigns to hone his skills before he gets to the biggest stage of them all, wrestlemania.  Cena could go on Raw and deliver a promo about how he wrestled for the people and they all turned on him now he is wrestling for himself and for the money.  He could be arm in arm with his girlfriend Nikki Bella who is already with the Authority. 
 He essentially would become Hollywood Hogan and could revitalize his career as a heel and he would become the top heel immediately.  Dean Ambrose would still have his feud with Seth Rollins going that could lead them into the royal rumble and while he doesn't have to team with Roman Reigns they would have common enemies.  I think after Ambrose has finished with Rollins he could set his sights on The Authority as a whole because he is so anti establishment and the rivalry he has with the Authority might look very similar to an Austin versus McMahon feud with Ambrose ultimately going after Triple H, who would hold him down because of his instability and non-corporate attitude.  Triple H would clearly not think Dean Ambrose is best for business. 

 Survivor Series would lead to the perfect set up of Authority versus Reigns, Ambrose, and say, the Uso's in a traditional Survivor Series elimination match where after Ambrose and Rollins eliminated themselves it would come down to John Cena versus Roman Reigns as the last two men where John Cena would simply walk away, like a coward.  This would cement him as the top heel in the business and would only make the fans want to see Roman Reigns get his hands on John Cena even more.  While this is going on I would pair Brock Lesnar up against someone like Sheamus, who can afford to get the tar beat out of him and still make Lesnar look like a beast. 

The storyline going into royal rumble would be that the Authority is going to set up the match so that John Cena wins the rumble match so that he can recapture the wwe world heavyweight title at Wrestlemania with the help of the Authority, because John Cena can beat Lesnar if he is with the Authority and become the corporate champion.  Fast forward to the end of the Royal Rumble match itself; final four men could be Randy Orton, John Cena, Roman Reigns and Cesaro and Triple H finds his way to ringside.  Like every year the four men stand in separate corners as the match resets, Orton and Cena are clearly working together toward the same goal until the sheep mask appears and the lights go out.  Lights return on and the Wyatt family appears in the ring and they attack Randy Orton.  As the three Wyatts are beating on Orton; Cena, Reigns and Cesaro attack each other.  Triple H is livid at ringside because he doesn't know why the Wyatt's appeared and what is going on and he gets attacked from out of no where by Dean Ambrose.  The Wyatt's could eliminate Orton totally screwing up the plans of the Authority which gives Roman Reigns the opportunity to eliminate John Cena from the rumble.  The crowd would go nuts for the elimination and certainly think Reigns is going on to wrestlemania to win the title he is being groomed to win.  However, after a major Cena distraction Cesaro eliminates Roman Reigns and achieves the ability to challenge the champion at wrestlemania. 
Cesaro winning would get a huge reaction for two reasons, first, it would be a huge royal rumble upset and second, the crowd can easily get behind Cesaro; but most importantly, Paul Heyman would be shocked because Cesaro was a "Heyman Guy" so why would he want to challenge another "Heyman guy" for the championship.  Paul Heyman will have the ability to make Cesaro a huge babyface with his promos and Cesaro could do some spectacular power moves against someone the size of Brock Lesnar.

 The top of my Wrestlemania card would look something like this:

Brock Lesnar (champion) vs. Cesaro

Roman Reigns vs. John Cena

Dean Ambrose vs. Triple H

Bray Wyatt vs. Randy Orton or Wyatt Family vs. Orton, Rollins and Kane

In these four matches you would be creating a new and refreshing world heavyweight champion in Cesaro who would get a huge rub from beating the unbeatable Brock Lesnar.  Roman Reigns is made as top star of the company when he defeats the dastardly John Cena.  Dean Ambrose becomes "the peoples champion" as he challenges the head of the Authority and his boss Triple H.  The Wyatt family is officially turned good, which I believe is what wwe wants, but officially going after the Authority.  So coming out of wrestlemania you have established four major babyfaces of wwe for the foreseeable future and still maintain three top heels (i don't count Kane).  

While all these main story lines are taking place I am building the next tier ready to propel into the main events.  I would focus on the wrestling talent of a lot of these guys to help get them over.  I would turn Dolph Ziggler back to being a bad guy and utilize the return of Daniel Bryan to solidify this switch and simply have them feud over who is the best wrestler in the business.  Continue to showcase the tag team division wwe is so afraid to focus on and allow the middle of the card guys to position themselves.  Mix that in with the expected Undertaker return and a few other surprises my wrestlemania looks pretty good and really features the next wave of wwe and could build a real boom period in wrestling using the extremely talented roster of personalities they have.  My full wrestlemania card, as of now would be:

John Cena of the Authority vs. Roman Reigns

Brock Lesnar vs. Cesaro

Triple H vs. Dean Ambrose

Wyatt Family vs. The Authority

The Undertaker vs. Sting

Rusev vs. Hulk Hogan (or Kurt Angle)

Dolph Ziggler vs. Daniel Bryan

The Uso's vs. Big E and Kofi Kingston

Sheamus vs. Bad News Barrett

Rhodes Brothers vs. Big Show & Mark Henry vs. Rybaxel 

Paige vs. Natalya

some match involving nxt.

 At least in my opinion, this is a pretty effective card and could bring fans back to a product on the verge of breaking out.  I don't expect any of this stuff to happen but I think it could work, fortunately, I believe there are many ways wwe can bring the fans back in droves, ways wwe may actual do.  But for now the fans can only wait patiently, and blog their opinions, until wwe plans the next direction of its product and where they take the fans next.  Based on the current product I think all fans should be optimistic about the future and prepare for wwe's next boom period.  That is just this marks remarks.
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SummerSlam is building to the future and well... it looks promising

If you are wrestling fan you have noticed a slight changing of the guard at the top level of WWE in the last several months. If you are a fan just coming back to pro wrestling then you have chosen a good time.  The future stars of Raw and Smackdown are being discussed recently and it is probably due to a huge influx on very talented young men and women being featured, or not so featured, on television every week.  Also, with the unveiling of the WWE Network fan are now able to have NXT at their viewership disposal, really getting a glimpse of the athletes as they are groomed for the big leagues.  I for one find the next wave of "superstars" as something to be very excited about.  But who really has a good shot at being the next top tier level stars in WWE?
Roman Reigns is clearly being groomed to be the next top superhero of WWE going into the future.  He was very protected by the shield as a performer being showcased in ways only to make him look strong.  He was seen as the power of the team and was has used his high level of athleticism to build a move set that is very popular with the crowd.  Reigns also has the look of a superstar, being big and muscular makes him stand out from the crowd.  It doesn't hurt either that his cousin is The Rock!  Samoan family genes can do wonders for a guy in WWE, unless you become a super hero in training.  However, Roman Reigns still has a lot of learning to do; his in ring timing sometimes leaves something to be desired and unless he is doing one of his "signature moves" it seems like he is lost at times.  Also, his work on the microphone is somewhat effective he always keeps in short and sweet, because he has to, he will need to start stepping out of his comfort zone to prepare for when he is the top guy and has to carry programs with his promos.  The foundation is there with Roman Reigns it is just a matter of how well they can fine tune him before they place him in a top position.  There is a big difference between Goldberg and Stone Cold; right now Reigns is Goldberg but that can change and hopefully will.
On the subject of The Shield breaking up SummerSlam, this Sunday, will do great things to propel Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose' names into the upper echelon of sports entertainment.  These two men are much more polished then Roman Reigns in every aspect of wrestling, be it in the ring, on the mic, or controlling a crowd; the two guys have "it" to be big time stars in WWE.  The only thing Rollins and Ambrose have going against them is that they are not Roman Reigns, who is WWE's pick, but as Daniel Bryan has show the wrestling universe you don't have to be WWE's pick to become the top guy.  I believe that Seth Rollins is settling into his heel character very nicely, he is so technically sound inside the ring and he has that look about him that you want to boo, that smarky jerk look, he has it and it works.  I see him very much in the same light as CM Punk, a natural heel, and if Rollins can emulate Punk's rise within the WWE that would be a major success; minus the leaving of course.  But, the true diamond is Dean Ambrose!  Ambrose has that "it factor" charisma pouring out of him and the fans are really rallying behind him.  His in ring style, his promo methods, his voice, his attitude it all makes him seem different from anyone else.  Different in a very very good way.  I could see Dean Ambrose stealing away the Daniel Bryan crowd reactions and adopting a Stone Cold type of following.  I AM NOT SAYING HE IS STONE COLD! Steve Austin was a once in a life time phenomenon, but Ambrose has all the characteristics to catch lightning in a bottle and I feel the only that could slow him down is the WWE machine but I really hope they give him the opportunity.

Ladies and gentlemen the future... It's here.  Bray Wyatt is the most unique character created since The Undertaker or Mankind and the man playing him has it all almost figured out.  There is not a misused minute of television time for Bray Wyatt and the Wyatt family, every movement, stare, laugh, gesture they are all perfectly executed.  Bray Wyatt turned 27 years old in May.  Did you read that?  What were you doing when you were 26 years old?  Were you in a headlining match with John Cena at Wrestlemania?  Bray Wyatt is 5 years away from his prime and he is this far ahead of the game and that is pretty unbelievable in my mind.  He has been able to more than hold up his end of the bargain in feuds with Daniel Bryan, The Shield, John Cena and Chris Jericho while also mesmerizing crowds with his promos and vignettes and wrestling history says the best is still yet to come.  This third generation star is in a league all by himself as far as potential is concerned and as a fan of wrestling for 30 years I am excited to see where he goes, if his current success is any indication then we are watching a legend in the making.  Just to put things into perspective to how ahead Bray Wyatt is; Roman Reigns is 29 and has a lot of learning to do.  Wyatt is the future.

See this guy doing the giant swing to an essentially immobile 450 pound man using no momentum and only his own strength?  That is Cesaro, he has been awesome on the independent wrestling circuit for the last almost 10 years; amazingly, coming into the wwe he is also awesome. Cesaro is such a technically sound grappler with the ability to be an effective heel or face that he demands any fans attention.  Not to mention he is probably the pound for pound strongest wrestler on the roster, a roster that includes Big Show, Mark Henry and Brock Lesnar.  Cesaro wrestles with such fluidity and grace that you almost forget how powerful he is and then he dead lifts a guy over the rope in a suplex or swings gigantic man for 30 rotations and you are reminded that Cesaro will be a major player in wwe as soon as they allow him.  The ability to do anything in the ring with any opponent is a skill that not many possess and that trait will be what separates Cesaro from every other superstar on the roster.  Cesaro is one of the few guys, as he is now, that would have been a star in any era of wrestling and will help lead wwe into it's next era for sure.

There are also a number of future stars just arriving from or about to break out from wwe's  developmental division NXT.  If you have the wwe network you should be tuning in Thursday nights to watch this show.  It is one hour long and easy watching and has featured the likes of Bo Dallas, Rusev, Wade Barrett, Sami Zayn, Big E, Aaron Neville, Tyler Breeze and so many more that are being molded to be on Raw and Smackdown very soon.  And, they deserve it because there are some excellent performers there honing their craft.  Wait, wait a minute, what is that smell?...

Oh that is the internet wrestling community collectively crapping itself with excitement.  This is Triple H officially signing Prince Devitt, Kenta and Kevin Steen and if this is a sign of things to come and how wwe is going to recruit talent then as far as the future of wwe is concerned we have nothing to worry about.  If you don't know them you will, and you will be very entertained.  But that is just this marks remarks.