Welcome to another edition of Triple Threat from Smark Out Moment, where three of us get together to discuss three questions based on one big topic going down in the week of professional wrestling.
This week, Dallas Allsopp, Jerad Harris and Martin Dickinson predict what will go down for WWE in 2021.
WWE has an opportunity to reinvent the wheel in 2021, especially as COVID-19 continues to impact on how the company operates. Which contest will headline WrestleMania 37? Who will win their first World Championship in 2021? And just who would benefit from defecting to AEW?
Question 1: Which match will headline WrestleMania 37?
ALLSOPP: I am struggling to pin down which World Championship will headline WrestleMania 37, primarily because a two day format allows for two different main events, should WWE decide to repeat last year's format. As for the match that actually closes out the show, I'll go out on a limb and say Roman Reigns will defend his WWE Universal Championship against Daniel Bryan. This is a match that would not only capture the interest of fans, but would also be an in ring masterpiece. There is already a built in storyline for this feud, therefore all that is required to set this up is a brief push for Bryan over the next few months.
HARRIS: Big E vs Roman Reigns is the match that I see headlining WrestleMania 37. Big E has been on another level for a couple years now, whilst Reigns with his fresh heel persona has been hitting his stride from the jump. Putting him against the big man would be a fantastic clash.
DICKINSON: Drew McIntyre vs Brock Lesner II is my pick to headline WrestleMania 37. I don't think the company will have seen McIntyre’s inauguration as a top champion at last year's WrestleMania as legitimate since it was in front of an empty arena, so in my opinion, they will just do the match again, this time with fans in the building.
Question 2: Which superstar is most likely to win their first World Championship this year? Will their initial reign be a success or a failure?
HARRIS: Judging from how things have been going for him, I would guess this year is the year Big E wins his first World Championship. They have already set the tone by giving him the Intercontinental Championship. I don’t think he will have that belt for very long, as I feel it is a transition into his singles career. I also feel that it will be a success as he is the type of athlete to run with an opportunity that presents itself to him. I just don’t see him letting it slip away, but then again, anything is possible in WWE. I stand with my decision though that Big E gets a successful World Championship this year.
DICKINSON: It’s a tough one, as of now, two names come to mind in Big E and Keith Lee, but I think I am leaning towards Big E. With the resounding success of KofiMania, I can see WWE trying to recreate that magic with Big E. Since he is the Intercontinental Champion right now, maybe they will hold off on Big E’s rise until 2022, with him being built up as a strong contender in 2021, possibly winning the Royal Rumble in 2022. However, I don't think Big E needs that much build, and in my opinion, Big E will be the one to dethrone Roman Reigns, potentially at SummerSlam. I think he has the potential to be successful as well. I think Vince McMahon will see him as more of a main eventer than they did with Kofi Kingston, so he will hopefully fare better than his New Day teammate did.
ALLSOPP: Last year, I failed by suggesting Andrade would achieve this feat. I am not making that mistake this year, which is why I am selecting Keith Lee. He came so close to winning the WWE Championship this week, which only suggested he would be believable as the face of the company. He has a unique look, which could be a great way to market how anyone can eventually be WWE Champion if they have the same level of dedication as Lee. As long as he is presented strongly, there is no reason why he cannot succeed. His in ring talent is amazing, however, his microphone skills could be improved. But with the right support, he could be a huge commodity.
Question 3: Which current superstar could you see leaving WWE to make an impact with AEW?
DICKINSON: Mustafa Ali is the one who I think will make the jump to AEW. He clearly isn’t happy in WWE, from doing nothing of note for years and then being stuck with a weak gimmick in RETRIBUTION. I can see AEW picking him up and building him up to be a big deal. Whilst he has been with WWE for a while, he hasn’t really done that much overall, so I think he can be successful in AEW without having that stink of WWE on him.
ALLSOPP: Sami Zayn springs to mind, as he could be presented so much better in AEW. I don't feel as though he has much more to do within WWE, as I can't see him being entrusted with a World Championship at this stage of his career. If he was to leave WWE, likely in acrimonious circumstances, he could immediately become a huge deal in AEW. If he resurrected his El Generico character, I am certain he would be adored by both the AEW fans and indy faithful that loved his character in Ring of Honor and beyond. He deserves a chance to be trusted by a major company, and leaving WWE for AEW seems to be his best opportunity to achieve this.
HARRIS: After looking over the roster that WWE has currently, many names stuck out to me. Due to unknown contract circumstances though, this is the hardest prediction for me to make. However, I am going to say Ricochet takes his talents to AEW this year. The reason for this choice should come as no shock and really explain itself. He has been underutilized for a significant chunk of time now. His frustration was absolutely no secret either, therefore he stands the highest possibility of making the jump this year.
Those are our thoughts on the issue, but where do you stand?
Let us know your answers to these questions in the comments below!
Subscribe to Smark Out Moment on YouTube, iTunes, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and more!
0 comments: