Those who missed the Attitude era possibly get sick and tired of hearing how good of an era it was in the WWE, and even living through it sometimes I feel that the PG era is unfairly compared to it, when it has become a completely different style of wrestling. But what made the era so great was the fact you had numerous superstars who were classed as main event stars, The Rock, Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Undertaker, Triple H, Shawn Michaels, Mankind, Chris Jericho, Brock Lesnar and Kurt Angle. That is 9 superstars who could carry the major WWE championship and none of them ever felt like they are just holding it for someone else.
What, having 9 main event superstars also did in the attitude era, was the ability to give us 4 to 5 star matches that didn’t have to have a major title as a goal. I personal feel this is where The Undertaker is missed in the WWE. The Undertaker made any match he was in feel like a big deal, which is why his statistics in major championships won is not as good as the likes of Triple H, The Rock or Stone Cold Steve Austin, he was used to add quality to PPV cards, prior to the main event match.
Fast forward 10-15 years and with the retirement of CM Punk we now have 3 current superstars on the WWE roster who can fall under the main event superstar category. John Cena, Randy Orton and Daniel Bryan are the current main event superstars, and now with the injury and no-specific return date for Daniel Bryan the main superstars list shrinks even more. And after the last Cena vs. Orton feud/run, no-one wishes to see these two battle it out again for a while. The likes of Alberto Del Rio and Sheamus, can hang with the big three, but do not seem to be able to break the ceiling to main event superstar status. We have the likes of Kane, Christian Mark Henry and The Big Show with injuries and heading to the end of their careers and the likes of Triple H, Brock Lesnar, Chris Jericho, Batista and The Rock as part timers only used for major PPV events.
But now with The Shield breaking up, and the way that they were built up over the past 2 years, we could have 3 more names added to the main event picture, Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins, adding some much needed variety to the WWE World Heavyweight Championship picture, but adding main event feel to other matches on PPV cards.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWLU0MWMR-w[/youtube]
If we were to look at the WWE Battleground PPV on the 20th July we see Roman Reigns in the WWE World Heavyweight Championship match (along with Cena, Orton and Kane), which many feel is a big test to see if he can handle a main event match without the likes of his ex-team mates Ambrose and Rollins. Many wrestling opinionist, and fans have predicted that Roman Reigns will be the next ‘face’ of the WWE, and I can already see this happening with my kids (all in the core PG demographic for the WWE of 9-14) now preferring Roman Reigns compared to John Cena.
Ambrose and Rollins are to face off in another match at the Battleground PPV, with again many people saying this is the second main event match of the night. This is the match I am looking forward to seeing the most, as the intensity and enthusiasm these two will bring to the match already has possible match of the year feeling about it!
Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins all have the qualities needed to become long term main event superstars. These qualities include:
- Good solid wrestling background.
- Can produce high quality matches.
- Already have a strong fan base.
- Can hold their own delivering promos backstage or in the ring.
- Each have the ability to be a top baby face, or top ranked heel.
- Each have a great move set.
- And each have managed to keep out of trouble away from the WWE ring.
Now while each of the 3 ex Shields are at different levels of the specific qualities listed above, those qualities which still need a little improvement (such as Roman Reigns on the mic) are being worked on by the individual superstar, again a quality the WWE wants in their main event superstars.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzeaH5dJDTE[/youtube]
If everything goes to plan at Battleground, then heading into Summer Slam, the WWE will have 3 more superstars on the upper level of the main event scene, and along with the likes of Brock Lesnar, Chris Jericho and Triple H all with predicted matches at the WWE second biggest PPV of the year, the major event of the summer is looking like must see viewing.
Hooroo and see you next week.
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