The WWE has relied heavily on the stars of yesteryear to draw fans and raise ratings, but just as NFL teams injury reports create openings for new stars, the WWE injury report has opened the door for the development of all new stars.
The first game-changing loss was that of Seth Rollins to a knee injury. Rollins sustained it while at a house show and left the WWE without it’s world champion, necessitating the tournament that culminated at Survivor Series and like it or not, brought a new name into the title picture. Sheamus may not have been everyone’s first choice, but as the Money in the Bank winner, this was not far in the offing. Set to become a more notable name once the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ movie releases due to his playing the role of Rocksteady, Sheamus has a unique look and has not held the title in a span of time that is long enough to make this fresh. A heel champion should inspire derision and vitriol from the fans; that’s how babyfaces are made. Sheamus’s legitimate heat will garner Roman Reigns that much more support. It was an unpopular move because people truly dislike the Celtic warrior. Had WWE chosen Reigns now or had John Cena returned early, they would have missed the boat on allowing support for Roman to be a true groundswell caused by the desire to see Sheamus get what is coming to him. Last Word on Sport Pro Wrestling’s own Adam Contant touched on the strength of the new Authority union of Sheamus, Rusev and King Barrett as a faction ready made to protect the champion in his article just the other day, an opportunity that only arose due to injury, not the creativity of the writing staff.
Two stalwarts of the company are currently injured or away, creating that much more room for new stars to be forged. Randy Orton is dealing with a shoulder injury that has been reported to be more serious than previously thought. He may in fact be out of the picture for the next four months and that is a great thing. Orton has become stale, despite always putting on a workman-like performance show in and show out. His character has been missing an edge to it and his wins and losses do nothing to further his development in any feud that he has been plopped into. Some time away can see him return with a fresh character that can truly gain some steam and be viewed as a credible challenger for the title. Randy isn’t the only veteran who has stepped away though, as even the mighty John Cena has been absent from Monday Night Raw. Granted, he is not injured, but he is filming “American Grit” for the Fox network. Reports have him filming until the end of December/beginning of January, effectively acting as an injury. He has been out of the WWE title picture for a while, carrying the United States title to new heights instead and this should continue as he returns. Keeping him away from the top title allows for merchandise sales to continue while other stars are built to prepare for the day when he does finally step away from, the squared circle.
The WWE’s injury report is not all good news though. Cesaro’s body of work has spoken for him, consistently showing himself to be one of the best pure wrestlers on the roster. Recently, he asserted himself as a character, one aspect of his game that had been under scrutiny. Unfortunately his shoulder injury will keep him on the shelf for about 6 months, at a time when the WWE desperately needs a face like him to develop into the star of tomorrow. Cesaro is 34 and not getting any younger. If he does not begin to make his mark as a title contender soon, the opportunity might be lost, despite his conditioning, which one could argue still could not avoid his current injury. This time away, with perhaps the addition of a mouthpiece upon his return, can allow for him to gain momentum into a feud with Sheamus for the world title when he does heal up and return to the roster.
The roster openings have also allowed for some other stars to make a name for themselves, albeit not in the world title picture. Kevin Owens has stepped in and out of the title picture, while carrying the Intercontinental title himself. The extra airtime created will hopefully allow for he and Dean Ambrose to work a memorable and meaningful program for the secondary strap, propelling the two into the upper mid-card permanently, a step away from getting their own runs for the world championship. Ambrose can move forward as a face and down the line he can work as a heel as well, something the WWE Universe has not seen him do on his own just yet. Tyler Breeze, who recently made his debut on the main roster, should get more time to show the main roster what he is all about. Working with Dolph Ziggler will give Prince Pretty time to shine with longer matches that he should get during this shift in starting roster. On the horizon is also Sami Zayn who had begun getting his feet wet just before he suffered an injury of his own. He will be returning to the NXT roster first, but look for him to work his way onto the main roster in an attempt to gain a measure of revenge against Kevin Owens.
Instead of looking at this as a down period for the company, this is a chance for new stars to become major players in the future of the company. It will allow for the next breakout star and prepare the company for the time that the part-timers it has relied on will no longer be able to draw fans back in times of need. If this is done correctly, the WWE can go a long way to correcting that all time low RAW rating. The last time WWE created stars was out of necessity, when a mass exodus of big name talent went south to WCW. With no real competition, the rash of injuries listed on the WWE injury report has once again created a need for the WWE to cultivate the talent it does have, in the hopes that these men can carry the ball. Barring a fumble by the creative team, the roster changes that have occurred should lead to a winning formula, just as replacements in the NFL rise to the challenge and assert themselves when given the chance to crack the starting roster.
