Ahead of tonight’s main event between Seth Rollins and Kevin Owens on Monday Night Raw, I wonder how long it will be before Vince McMahon finally sees the error of his ways. When will the owner of WWE finally concede that he made a mistake the past four years (four grueling years) with the Roman Reigns push and decide to make the current Intercontinental Champion, Rollins, the man who he throws his support towards?
And when will the company determine a solo run by Owens, potentially as a babyface, is more beneficial to the former Universal Champion than the current storyline with his BFF, Sami Zayn?
“Seth Rollins’ Intercontinental Championship world tour will roll on in London on Monday’s WWE Raw,” writes Ryan Dilbert of Bleacher Report.
“The Kingslayer has defended his crown in Canada, Spain, Ireland and Saudi Arabia. This time, he’s headed to the United Kingdom, where the merciless Kevin Owens will await him.
“Recent history says that Rollins and Owens will tear down the house in the O2 Arena.”
It’s the kind of match WWE needs and it’s also the kind of 5-star performance that Vince McMahon must watch with an open mind. Reigns isn’t gaining more fan support while Rollins is everything the company needs in a babyface champion.
As I wrote in a recent column on thechairshot.com, “Rollins has taken his place as the ringleader of a show needing a shot of adrenaline. After the Superstar Shakeup, one could argue the McMahons were looking for someone to take the lead since Reigns is still not the fan favorite Vinnie Mac had hoped for and Brock Lesnar’s on again, off again scene life has become an issue with the fans and the Universal Title he still owns.”
Reigns could only hope to have the kind of support his “brother” and former Shield member has. It would be best for WWE to finally swallow its pride and turn Reigns heel, garnering the heat from the fan base where it would mean something. Now, it’s just a bunch of hot air with no change in sight.
If I may make the thinnest of parallels here, what would have happened had Vince McMahon put all his eggs in Jimmy Snuka’s basket as the leader of the new era of sports entertainment? Would fans have gotten as excited about “Snukamania” as they were about the canary yellow and red of the Hulk Hogan era? What would have happened if Arn Anderson had filled Ric Flair’s shoes in the NWA? Would fans have given Marty Lunde the same kind of adoration that they did to the 16-time world champion?
I still think Vince McMahon is making a huge mistake here.
While the majority of Monday night’s show will focus on the upcoming Money in the Bank pay-per-view, with superstars vying for a spot in ladder matches, Vince McMahon has a marquee match that could headline any pay-per-view on the calendar. And he does not have to worry about fans walking out or chanting how boring it is.
This is a feud that sells. That’s all McMahon needs to know. And with that knowledge, he should act accordingly.