The post-WrestleMania funk has been something that WWE has struggled with for decades, but in his first couple of years, booking the company Triple H handled it very well. WrestleMania 39 and 40 were followed by some interesting developments in the main event scene, with champions like Roman Reigns, Cody Rhodes, and Gunther being able to lead the charge for the year ahead.
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However, this year has been different as WWE has struggled to continue its main event momentum in the wake of WrestleMania 41, where John Cena and Jey Uso became world champions. The choice of world titleholders is no doubt affecting the promotion in a negative way, as Triple H’s creative hot-streak has experienced a pronounced dip in recent months.
WWE’s New World Champions Are Subpar
Jey Uso And John Cena Are Too Flawed To Be Top Guys
- John Cena and Jey Uso are both ineffective wrestlers inside the ring when tasked with being a top champion.
- This has been brought into focus even more with them having to follow Gunther and Cody Rodes as champions.
- The usual melodrama that exists in WWE’s main event only works if the in-ring element is at least competent.
Triple H may think that his main event plans remain solid within WWE, as he is essentially still booking the company in the same way he always has at the top level. With The Bloodline and Cody Rhodes’ chase for the world title dominating his creative reign, ‘The Game’ has often relied on melodrama to sell big matches, which has worked to great effect.
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The other key element to a main event scene being successful is (surprisingly) a baseline-competent in-ring element that neither John Cena nor Jey Uso have been able to produce. Their shortcomings inside the ring are even more pronounced by having to follow Gunther and Cody Rhodes as world champions, who are arguably the two best wrestlers in WWE right now.
For all of his faults, John Cena at least had the star power for years to be a successful main event talent, even if his prime did coincide with WWE’s worst creative period. However, Cena’s understandable physical limitations are more apparent than ever during his record-breaking 17th world title reign, which has dramatically hampered how exciting his retirement tour has been.
Meanwhile, Jey Uso continues to be a streaky in-ring performer at best, making his already hard-to-believe world title reign even more difficult to enjoy. His character remains one of the most over in the company, but ‘Main Event’ Jey Uso feels far from that in reality.
The Main Event In WWE Has Lost Excitement
John Cena’s Reign Has Been Especially Disappointing
- Both John Cena and Jey Uso’s world title reigns have felt too lightweight following WrestleMania 41.
- A proposed tag match involving both men, Logan Paul, and Cody Rhodes furthers this concerning trend.
- WWE must pivot away from its main event scene’s recent tone if it hopes to recapture its best form.
To underscore how lacking WWE’s main event scene has been since WrestleMania 41, it would appear that the company is setting up a tag team match involving both world champions at Money in the Bank. WWE Champion John Cena decided to involve himself with World Heavyweight Champion Jey Uso at Saturday Night’s Main Event, inciting a melee also involving Logan Paul and Cody Rhodes.
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Cody’s big return was immediately undermined by having him be involved with John Cena once more, as he has already had one big match against the retiring star that completely stunk. Logan Paul and Jey Uso’s world title battle looks likely to continue as well, which has made an already struggling main event scene feel even more turgid.
A tag team match at Money in the Bank might be okay on the night, as Jey Uso and Cody Rhodes have had tremendous chemistry before, while Cena and Paul will not have to work a full match on their own. Still, it feels as if WWE continues to tread water in its most important area, as neither John Cena or Jey Uso inspire hope of a great world title reign yet to reveal itself.
Some WWE Storylines And Wrestlers Are Working Well
WWE Still Has A Strong On-Screen Product At Times
- WWE still has some exciting storylines developing outside its men’s main event scene.
- Paul Heyman’s alliance with Seth Rollins, Bron Breakker, and now Bronson Reed, continues to impress.
- The women’s division is also in good health, with the second Evolution Premium Live Event announced for July.
Despite WWE’s clear struggles recently in the main event scene, there are still things to be excited about as a fan of the company. The most obvious development that has been positively received since WrestleMania 41 has been Paul Heyman and Seth Rollins’ alignment and further recruitment of Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed to their ranks.
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It has been refreshing to see WWE create something completely new in Rollins’ and Heyman’s relationship, as well as the higher profile given to Breakker. Reed’s recent addition to the faction only makes it feel like more of a threat that will clearly be the most important aspect of Raw for months to come.
WWE’s women’s division is continuing to look strong with Iyo Sky and Tiffany Stratton as its champions, and the likes of Jade Cargill, Guilia, and Roxanne Perez being profiled as future challengers. The announcement of a second Evolution event in July is a testament to how strong the women’s division has become, as much as it is an obvious ploy to steal attention away from AEW’s biggest show of the year at All In.
A few months of sub-par main event action will not be enough to derail Triple H’s creative regime, but it is a concern that WWE has to try and amend before too long. When standards slip within a wrestling company, it can be a quick descent back into mediocrity that can take years, if not decades, to get out of.
