By gawd, we made it! We rang in the New Year. And, now there is more optimism than ever that that 2021 is going to be better than 2020 (although it wasn’t ALL bad). The machine that is WWE is always pushing forward, and with the new year, they have some very big decisions to make. Here is where I think they should start!
A More Fleshed Out Tag Team Division
It’s no secret that WWE has never really put a premium on tag team wrestling. By and large, tag teams are relegated to the mid-card. However, there is nothing else like it; the pace, the energy, the excitement. However, the unceremonious dissolution of Heavy Machinery and The IIconics, and injuries to The Vikings Raiders and The Usos, has left the tag team division for RAW, SmackDown, NXT, and the women’s division embarrassingly thin. In fact, the current Women’s Tag Team Champions only had their first match together at TLC on December 20th. Conversely, it seems that the mid-card and main event scene is bloated with superstars unable to get quality air time. In 2021, I’d like to see WWE try to create some legitimate and cohesive tag teams forged from their singles talent. As for who might make a nice team pairing …
Sami Zayn and KO Reconcile
Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens have been tethered together since before their time in NXT and WWE. Their relationship has most been mostly adversarial. Kevin Owens has always been the relentless and ominous heel for the Underdog from the Underground, Sami Zayn. However, in late 2017 something unique happened: Kevin Owens was able to convince Sami Zayn to side with him due to Shane McMahon’s poor treatment of the duo. Together, they were delightfully annoying heels teetering on the edge of being right in their motives, but going about it all wrong. Their storyline came to a climax when KO and Zayn lost to Daniel Bryan and Shane McMahon at WrestleMania 34.
They have spent nearly two years apart on separate brands. While Zayn has continued on as a slimy heel, KO has found more success as a babyface. Owens’ character has been blazing a path of redemption, which would seem to lead right back to Zayn. Since turning heel and siding with KO three years ago, he’s lost his love of wrestling. His move set stripped bare. His enjoyment of the crowd turned to total and utter resentment. With both men struggling to find meaning after their respective title losses last week, it would be amazing to see these frequent enemies once again team up only this time the dichotomy has shifted as KO helps his friend find his passion for wrestling. The dynamics of a heel/face tag team and the talent of both wrestlers will give the tag team division some legitimacy and interest.
The Rock vs Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 37
Roman Reigns has had arguably the best run of his career since returning to WWE at SummerSlam back in August. Since then, he has gone on to win the Universal Title by pinning Braun Strowman in a Triple-Threat match that included The Fiend at Payback. Everything he does now is for the good of his family and to solidify his legacy. With a new attitude and a new manager, Roman Reigns has taken his rightful place as the head of the table. However, a certain member of WWE’s Samoan dynasty might take issue with Reigns’ claim.
Insert The Rock. The People’s Champ. The Most Electrifying Man In Sports Entertainment. I think that it’s safe to say that a match between The Rock and Roman Reigns is undoubtedly a WrestleMania 37 main event match, and maybe the biggest one in the last five years. For WWE and, more importantly, the fans, it’s a win-win. However, there is one downside that may make The Rock and WWE hesitant to book it. Which leads me to the top things we’d like to see from WWE in 2021 …
The (Safe) Return of a Live Audience
Before I continue, I want to be clear, right now, it would be dangerous and irresponsible for any sports team to have large crowds in attendance for fear of spreading the virus. I commend WWE for doing everything possible to put on an entertaining wrestling show without a live audience. They created the WWE Thunderdome, reintroduced pyro, improved on the 3D entrance graphics, and have featured more cinematic matches all in the name of cultivating viewership in the face of the worst pandemic of my lifetime. However, personally, I think all of these improvements pale in comparison to a live crowd.However, with the development of multiple COVID-19 vaccines, it may be possible that we see fans in attendance at some point this year.
What would you like to see in 2021?
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