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There can be no denying that WWE has been in a downward trend for some time now. In fact, the argument could be made that the downturn in entertainment and uptick in predictability dates all the way back to the night Cody Rhodes finally "finished the story" and beat Roman Reigns to claim the Undisputed WWE Championship at WrestleMania 40 back in April 2024, ending the Tribal Chief's epic 1,316-day reign in the process.
In the two-and-a-bit years since then, WWE has grown more and more stale. Storylines leave a lot to be desired, while the ever-increasing number of ads within each and every broadcast is irritating for most long-time fans. Don't get us wrong; there have been bright spots, with Roman Reigns and CM Punk's epic WrestleMania 42 main event in Las Vegas back in April being one of them. But for the most part, WWE programming has been dour in recent times.
So, it begs the question: has WWE finally realized that at long last? If the current rivalries the company is building to lead them through their typically quiet fall period are anything to go by, they very well have.
Anyone who checks online betting sites before a major wrestling event may guess the result of a match before it happens. That was the case back at WrestleMania when Roman Reigns claimed the World Heavyweight Championship from CM Punk, with websites such as the popular Lucky Rebel Sportsbook making the OTC a short-priced 1/4 frontrunner to leave Sin City with the title – and the oddsmakers were quickly proven right. Since then, though, that predictability has turned into outright boredom as precisely zero WWE fans thought that either Jacob Fatu or Seth Rollins - the two men that Reigns has since defended the gold against - would actually dethrone the champ.
They didn't, and as a result, Reigns' never-ending Bloodline story has grown somewhat stale. Sure, the faction's initial run between 2020 and 2024 was epic, but this Bloodline 2.0 re-run explains exactly why the phrase "the sequel is never as good as the original" exists. But could all of that be about to change?
Solo Sikoa was the original enforcer for the Bloodline in the faction's initial run. Now, however, he has surprisingly become one of the hottest babyfaces in the company, with fans erupting every time Solo appears on screen. On the August 17th episode of Monday Night Raw, it seemed as though WWE would undo all of Solo's good work by having him rejoin the Bloodline. Instead, however, he drilled Roman Reigns with his Samoan Spike finishing move after receiving assistance from fellow top star LA Knight.
Could this unlikely duo be about to breathe some much-needed new life into the Bloodline 2.0 story? If Solo somehow shockingly defeats Reigns to become World Heavyweight Champion in the coming weeks or months, they just well might.
Over on SmackDown, the WWE Championship picture is stacked. Sami Zayn shockingly dethroned Cody Rhodes for the title at Night of Champions back in June, becoming the first man to beat the American Nightmare for silverware without outside interference or shenanigans since Rhodes returned to the company. Zayn's reign would last just nine days before being dethroned by CM Punk in Chicago, and since then, Kevin Owens has made his long-anticipated return from injury, beating Zayn, Gunther, and Finn Balor to become the number one contender.
Punk and Owens, much like Punk and Seth Rollins, have a very real beef that runs deeper than just the storylines presented on TV. The two iconic superstars had an infamous falling out back in their indie days, and that disdain has carried over for some 20 years, to the point where both of them are now cutting each other deep with a live microphone each and every week. Punk and Owens will square off for the title in the not-so-distant future, but that's not all.
Zayn was scheduled to face off with Cody Rhodes in a blockbuster main event on the August 14th episode of SmackDown, with the stipulation being that if the "Last Real Good Guy" emerged with the win, he would face the winner of Punk vs Owens for the WWE Championship. Instead, though, the match never took place, as Randy Orton also made a long-awaited return, halting the match before it got started and continuing his own feud with Rhodes.
Right now, SmackDown is currently stacked with simmering stories. CM Punk vs Kevin Owens for the title. Cody Rhodes vs Randy Orton with the baddest of blood. Sami Zayn's pursuit to recapture the WWE Championship. And all of that is without mentioning top stars such as Gunther and newly minted Women's Champion Chelsea Green.
Has WWE turned a corner? And is its traditionally quiet fall period about to deliver the company's best offering in some time? It certainly seems like the company is finally, at long last, on the rise.
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