5 Things That Need To Happen At MITB

MITB is coming next week and the outcome of the event will set the tone for the summer season in the WWE. Victories & losses at the PPV will undoubtedly shape up the outlines of the second biggest event in the year – Summer Slam. Let’s see what booking decision at MITB would have the most positive impact on the talent’s future!

  1. AJ Styles Must Not Lose

It doesn’t matter if he’ll win clean, cheat his way out, or simply end the match with a DQ, AJ Styles must not lose to John Cena.

After having been fed to Roman Reigns as a face, Styles turned heel and put everything on rebuilding the already damaged image of The Club in the WWE. The worst thing that could possibly happen to the Phenomenal One and his stable is to have him look weak because of John Cena.

All the talk about shovels and burying talent might be strategically placed but it’s very much real. I don’t think that AJ Styles and the Club can take another huge hit to their credibility so soon after the Reigns issue. The damage this time might be unrepairable.

It might be too much to ask to have AJ win clean but dragging out the feud with Cena would lead to the exact same issue at the next PPV. Cena is a curse to people like AJ Styles. Once involved with him, there’s no way out, at least not one that will benefit them.

Expecting Cena’s character to change and start losing from time to time like a normal human being is beyond impossible. Therefore, the only way out I see is to have Finn Balor engage with AJ Styles or John Cena. The Demon hasn’t been discredited yet. He could interrupt the match, leave everyone in shock and then take Cena out, or even both Cena and AJ.

Everyone would start wondering whether Finn was there in connection with the Club, or he was there for his own sake. His character is mad enough to be the type to pull off a surprise victory over Cena but AJ Styles should stay involved in the story. So in the end, it could move to AJ vs. Finn.

There are plenty of ways Finn Balor could take this feud and he should be used to do so.

  1. Sasha Banks Must Join The Title Hunt

Let’s face it, this tag team situation won’t create a title feud. Natty’s already blown her shot and Becky’s character has been discredited so many times that even Dana Brooke, turning on Charlotte for the title and actually succeeding, sounds far more plausible than seeing Becky as the new champion.

Sasha Banks has been off TV for a while, partially because of her odd, referee-caused injury. However, she’s now cleared to compete and she’s needed to boost the popularity of the Women’s Championship. The crowd loves Sasha. She’ll get a huge pop and with her involvement in the title feud, the atmosphere will become rather heated.

Most probably, Charlotte and Dana will win at MITB by cheating and that would be the time for The Boss to show up and ambush them, laying waste to the champ and her sidekick.  Sasha, standing tall over, Charlotte’s broken body with the title in hand is an image that would send a strong message.

So I say, come MITB, Enter Boss! Summer Slam awaits!

  1. NXT Talent Must Make a Mark

MITB will probably feature another Corbin vs. Ziggler match and also the first Sheamus vs. Apollo Crews match. Both of those are very much at the bottom of the card but both will be very important to the NXT talent involved.

Ziggler vs. Corbin should have ended long time ago. The feud was never thoroughly developed and the fans got bored months ago. It should have been resolved but it hasn’t, so now Baron Corbin must put an end to this once and for all. His character is a classic heel – nothing new but still very effective. Corbin still has a chance of becoming an important villain in the WWE ranks but he must destroy Ziggler spectacularly at the end of this feud.

Apollo Crews is in the same boat as most NXT talent on the main roster – lost. He got a call-up but there was seemingly no plan for him once he arrived. He’s been more obscure than Neville and that says a lot. This feud with Sheamus is his chance to stay above the water. Apollo needs to convince the fans that this rivalry is worth watching, otherwise he has no chance of ever getting out of the bottom card.

Both Crews and Corbin could do with a shot at a midcard title. However, at the moment, they both first need to leave a lasting impression and what better place to do that than MITB!

  1. Rollins/Reigns and the Face Turn

We all know how the WWE Universe feels about these two and the current booking isn’t supportive of the fans’ position at all. Despite Rollins, being absolutely capable of turning the crowd in a promo, we know that he can’t turn Reigns face. As delusional as the WWE seems to be about the Reigns problem, it most probably isn’t the case. The WWE must be aware of what’s going on.

There’s a reason why the MITB promo packages for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship match were filmed to tell two very different stories. Reigns was his typical dry self, attracting minimum sympathy. Rollins’ story, however, was so emotional, it completely annihilated the animosity he might have created towards himself with his trolling heel behaviour. This footage didn’t help the Reigns – face, Rollins – heel scenario, at all and the WWE must be aware of that.

The perfect situation would be to have a double turn at MITB. The fans would love to hate Reigns and they would love to see Rollins as a white knight. This would elevate both of them. It’s a win-win situation but it would contradict the WWE’s fixation of making Roman a top face.

However, there is another option that might be coming about at MITB. The WWE might just have figured a way to keep both Reigns and Rollins face. How I’ll explain below.

  1. Dean Ambrose – WWE World Heavyweight Champion

The MITB briefcase belongs to a heel. No matter how you look at it, it’s a tool that can’t be effectively used by a face. Ask John Cena for reference. MITB will be the perfect place to crown Ambrose the winner and turn him heel.

If Rollins beats Reigns and as the crowd erupts in cheers, Ambrose swoops in and cashes his MITB briefcase, this will leave the viewers in shock. Reigns can remain himself, as the WWE wants him. Rollins will definitely be a babyface, robbed of his title once again and Ambrose would become the cutthroat, maniacal heel he portrays so well. And on top of that, you’ll get a full-on Shield feud – every man for himself.

We’re not there yet but my guess is that the Ambrose Asylum next week on RAW, featuring Reigns and Rollins will end with the three of them fighting one another, setting up for the turn of events I described earlier. The rivalry that could come out of this would be one to remember. Never underestimate the storytelling pull of the Shield and the chemistry Ambrose and Rollins have in the ring!

 

What do you think? Comment below with your thoughts, opinions, feedback and anything else that was raised