Booking Some Heat in WWE

The WWE is currently in a bad spot creatively.  Their writing path has put them in a position of not really having any top heels.  Without tops heels it’s difficult to get over any strong baby faces.  The WWE has used the attraction match to deal with this problem, but they are running out of options in that area.  I believe the WWE needs to build a strong heel and here is what I would do with their current situation to execute an angle that could generate some strong interest in their product.

If you look at the current WWE roster on Smackdown you would have to say that Jinder Mahal is the top heel.  Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn would be a close second, but their angle seems to be headed away from the top title and is a little confusing to say the least.  Owens and Zayn were on course to have some major heat, but WWE has derailed them and made them look silly since they turned.  Jinder has done a good job making his character relevant, but the WWE rushed his push and ruined any chance of people taking him seriously on top.

On Raw the Miz would have been the top heel with Braun Strauman, but recent events have lead Braun to turn face and the Miz to leave for a time to film a movie.  That leaves Kane, Samoa Joe, and the Bar as the top heel acts.  Here’s the problem with that.  Kane is a tired act.  Samoa Joe is cheered because of the disdain people have for Roman, and the Bar don't really have major heat with anyone.  There’s no real heat on any of these guys.

With this being the case what are fans supposed to tune in for?  The WWE is usually always pretty good at having the good versus evil dynamic, but in recent years they have been lean on heels or have made the heels look toothless.  A lot of this has to do with the fact that the WWE has pushed Roman Reigns so hard.  In doing so they have the problem of every time someone takes on Roman they get over as a babyface.  This hurts the heat that any heel character has generated for themselves and when they lose to Roman it puts them in a bad situation. 

So, what can be done to build a top heel and get the creative going in a more intriguing direction?  The most obvious answer is to turn Roman Reigns heel.  That’s been a suggestion from many over the past few years.  In most cases because people feel that Roman needs the turn so that he doesn’t become John Cena junior with the way he is treated by audiences.  I’ve always viewed it a bit differently. 

I think that Roman should turn because he can get over on the Shield who as a unit are currently the biggest babyfaces on Raw.  If you want to get over you must make the audience upset by hurting the biggest faces on the show.  I think the timing is pretty solid and I think it could lead to a long-term angle that would greatly benefit WWE.

This is how I would execute it.  The WWE is currently positioning the Bar and Samoa Joe against the Shield on Raw.  It’s likely with the Rumble approaching those angles will play out on Raw over the next few weeks.  I’m not basing any of the following on rumors spread by the dirt sheets and sites.  Instead I’m just playing it out in a way that makes sense and would connect the story over time to where we need it to be.

For the sake of this all let’s assume that Sheamus is ok and can continue in the Bar. 

I would build towards a match during the holidays between Roman and Joe for the IC belt.  Because we don’t need the belt on Roman and it gives Joe something to set him apart.  The Bar would help Joe win the belt off Roman with Seth and Dean failing to stop this from happening.  Also, in the following weeks Seth and Dean would win back the tag titles from the Bar.  There have been a lot of comments from the Shield about Dean and Seth getting their gold back and it didn’t happen this past week on Raw.  The idea the trio keeps talking about is all three having gold.  I think that’s a good place to build some tension within the group.  Now Roman has no gold, and the buzz is on Seth and Dean.

In the Rumble we get down to a final four of Nakamura, Joe, Roman, and Finn.  Joe gets knocked out by Finn setting up their future feud for the IC belt.  Roman dumps out Finn.  Then Nakamura takes out Roman.  The announcers play up the bad luck Roman has had the past three years in the Rumble since his win in 2015.  As Nakamura celebrates Roman does his super angry routine that he pulled on HHH a few years back and enters the ring to lay out Nakamura.

This creates a buzz for 24 hours of people thinking the WWE has finally turned Roman.  Raw opens the next night with Roman coming out to his usual boos.  He gets on the mic and explains that he lost his cool and he apologizes to Nakamura.  That being said he then demands a match with Brock Lesnar on the basis that he’s the guy and reminds us of all the things he’s done the last few years.

He’s interrupted by Kurt Angle who says that while he respects what Roman has done that title shots are not given they are earned and he thinks that Braun and Roman should match up at the next PPV to determine the #1 contender taking all things into consideration.  Before Roman can respond Joe and the Bar come out.  Joe is upset that he’s not in that match given the fact that he recently beat Roman.  He and the Bar surround Roman, but before they can act Seth and Dean come out and a brawl ensues.

Angle makes a match between all of them for the main event later that night.  Over the summer Roman viciously attacked Braun after a match in which Roman lost.  The next night the WWE treated this as no big deal.  They would treat the Nakamura situation the same way, which misleads the audience to what is going to happen.  The general audience is fooled into believing Roman is still a good guy.

During the match Dean and Seth both take turns getting isolated and beat down until Roman is hot tagged in and is able to clean house eventually getting the pin on Joe to settle the feud between the two.  Seth and Dean are hobbled after the matches as the heels scurry off.  As the Shield is celebrating Roman attacks both Seth and Dean.  The big Roman turn is finally official.

The next week on Raw Roman explains that while he respects Seth and Dean last week was just another example of him carrying the team and he’s tired of carrying the team.  Seth and Dean he feels were riding his coattails.  He’s tired of trying to appease everyone and be kosher.  He’s now going to be himself.  It’s his yard.  He’s the guy.  He then takes the time to remind everyone of all the accomplishments he has achieved the last few years, which only serve to needle the audience even further.

Out of the crowd comes Seth and Dean ready to get some revenge, but security intervenes to keep the show from breaking down by order of Kurt Angle.  Seth and Dean attack security, which causes Kurt to ban them from the building for the rest of the night.  This is stoking the tension between Roman and his former team members.

The next week on Raw Kurt Angles confronts Seth and Dean and says while he understands their frustration with Roman he's firm with them about the fact that they cannot attack WWE officials.  During this interaction the Bar attacks Seth and Dean leading to a match at the PPV for the titles to finally end the feud.  Angle takes measures over the next few weeks to keep Roman, Seth, and Dean apart, but a few minor altercations occur.

At the PPV Seth and Dean cut a promo talking about once they finish with the Bar they are going to wreak havoc on the main event later that night.  After successfully defending their titles Dean and Seth cut another promo in back where angle interjects and warns them that he will take actions if they should interfere later that night.  Dean and Seth seem to not care.

Later in the show we cut to scene in the back where we find Seth and Dean laid out bad.  So bad that they must be taken away in an ambulance.  We have no idea who attacked them.

In the Main Event Roman and Braun meet for the title shot at WM34 against Lesnar.  Braun and Roman have an even back and forth.  By this point Roman is the clear heel and Braun is a monster face.  Braun is looking like he might win and get the shot, but the lights go out.  When they come back on Roman is surrounded by the Authors of Pain.  They attack Braun and gain the advantage for Roman.  Roman hits the spear and gets the win.  He is now in aligned with the AOP.

The next night on Raw Roman talks about the AOP and Precious Paul their manager.  He introduces them as his new Shield.  Guys that will really look out for him and not try to break off and be individual stars like Seth and Dean.  He reveals that it was the AOP that attacked Seth and Dean and it will be the AOP that win the tag titles at WM34.  Kurt Angle comes out.  There is some belief that Kurt had the AOP attack Seth and Dean, which he squashes. 

Kurt declares that the AOP will not get a tag shot until he decides they do and that Roman doesn’t call the shots around here.  Roman threatens to take Kurt out and the AOP and Roman surround Kurt, but Seth and Dean storm the ring and a melee ensues.  Kurt makes a match for later that night.  Kurt, Seth and Dean versus Roman and the AOP.

During that match Kurt secures the ankle lock on Roman and appears to have Roman in a bad spot when out of nowhere HHH arrives and attacks Kurt saving Roman.  Kurt, Seth, and Dean take a beat down as HHH, Roman, and the AOP stand tall to end the show.

The next week HHH returns and explains that it was he who ordered the AOP to strike at the previous PPV.  He wanted to ensure the main event between Braun and Roman was fair, but he did not realize that the AOP were joining together with Roman, whoops.  HHH has a new found respect for Roman after their match in overseas (which WWE promoted on their social media) and he now sees that Roman is best for business.  He declares the AOP from his NXT will get a shot at Seth and Dean at WM34 for the tag belts.

Kurt and HHH now have a reason to really feud and have a match at WM34.  They set the stakes of that match as if HHH wins Angle is gone as GM.  If Angle wins he’s safe in his job until after WM35.  Angle goes on to win the match so that we can push away from HHH and Steph and let the focus solely stay on Roman after WM34.

Roman then goes on to WM34 to face Lesnar.  They have an epic match with minor interference from the AOP, that helps protect Brock a little, but Roman for the most part wins clean.  Roman is now set as a mega heel with a variety of different directions for WWE to go.  Angle is a counterweight being in control of Raw to police Roman for the next year.  He can set the opponents and keep Roman somewhat in check.

I think I would build to a Cena match at Summerslam that can be easily built around the idea that Roman constantly brings up the fact that he has replaced Cena as the top guy in the company.  I think that match would have people questioning a winner if WWE positioned it as a final stand for Cena.  Also, Cena has almost always gotten his win back.  I would then have Roman win because I would think that builds the heat on him to a fever pitch. 

I think the key to a good run for Roman is a new opponent every month that he beats, and he never loses the title until WM35 and it’s anyone’s guess who he drops it too, but whoever that is should start being built up in the summer and should get the jetpack push as the WWE likes to say.  The person that topples Roman will be over like rover.  I can’t say who that is now, but I think the story kind of writes itself.

In an ideal world it would be Daniel Bryan, but it’s impossible to know if he will be coming back or not.  I think Bryan could further his legend by beating Roman and it would really feel like the correct payoff for what fans feel about Roman and how the WWE pushed him the last few years.  Again, it depends on what happens with Bryan and I don’t want to be a dreamer, but it would be ideal.

The Roman turn works so well because it plays into that natural hatred the fans have for Roman’s character at the moment.  Even in losing to Roman any that faces him over his run would get more over because fans would be clamoring to see Roman beat.  Right now he’s weakening the status of the heels because he’s baby facing them due to his own heat.  That dynamic is not good for business in the long term.