What happens when most mainevent feud possibilities are exhausted?

[AegonTargaryen]

Take Roman Reigns for example.

He's already feuded with Strowman in a series of 5-6 matches including various Specialty matches.

Already wrestled Seth Rollins multiple times, including the WWE WHC, though never the Universal title, so perhaps that is still a possibility.

Already feuded with Kevin Owens in 2016 for the Universal Title.

Just wrestled Bobby Lashley twice.

Done with the legends/parttimers Undertaker, John Cena, and HHH.

Wrestled and feuded with Bray Wyatt multiple times.

He'll be taking on Lesnar for the 4th time at Summerslam and probably beat him, in their final match.

From Smackdown, he's already had multiple matches/feud with AJ Styles, Randy Orton(although he wasn't a maineventer back then), Samoa Joe, Rusev, and Sheamus.

So basically,
1)A possibility of re-feuds includes with Styles, Orton, Rollins, and MAY BE Kevin Owens.
2)His fresh mainevent feuds have very few possibilities from both Raw and Smackdown live wrestlers-Sami Zayn, Drew McIntyre, Shinsuke Nakamura, Jeff Hardy, and Daniel Bryan who he wrestled just once at Fastlane in 2015.

Also, I have left out various midcarders he may have or haven't wrestled such as Dean Ambrose, Finn Balor, Bobby Roode, Jinder Mahal, Ellias, and others.

So that basically leaves us with 1) and 2) and that's that. I personally can't wait to see his novel feuds against Sami Zayn, Shinsuke Nakamura, and Jeff Hardy!

And a face vs heel feud against a psychotic Randy Orton. Remember back in 2014, 2015 Reigns wasn't established as a mainevent, solid performer and Randy Orton was just "meh".

But that brings me to the main question,

What happens when most mainevent feuds are exhausted? Everyone has feuded with everyone in the mainevent scene?

Would we have to rely on NXT stars, import stars from NJPW like Kenny Omega?

After all, there's only so many times AJ Styles can wrestle KO, Joe, Roman, or Roman and Seth can wrestle Dean, and so on.

Also most "greats" have either retired or won't be very active- including John Cena and Brock Lesnar.

Randy Orton is the only "legend" now from the 2002 era and perhaps Jeff Hardy as well.

 

[Dave]

The wheel continues to turn in the WWE, so I wouldn't worry too much about them exhausting all of their main event feuds. The fact is, wrestling fans have a short memory, so they don't really care if people cross paths on more than one occasion. The WWE tend to keep top level talents feuding for a while too - see Dolph Ziggler and Seth Rollins right now. So by the time Seth Rollins and Dolph Ziggler come back together a year or two down the line, people will have forgot about this lengthy run but will be informed that they have "history".

But the WWE will continue to bring people in and push them when they need them. Rusev was a good example on Smackdown lately. AJ has been through most people on Smackdown but Rusev is exactly the type of person you can believe would challenge, even though he'd spent a lot of time in the mid card. One little push and he's challenging the WWE Champion - it's a really simple equation.

Of course we'd all like to see better stars coming to the WWE, like Kenny Omega. The reality is though, they have a massive roster that they don't even scratch the surface of yet. It gets boring sometimes, I totally get it. But they shake it up from time to time and it refreshes things for a bit. And with NXT being absolutely incredible lately, they have talent waiting to break through and refresh things further.

 

[d_henderson1810]

Take Roman Reigns for example.

He's already feuded with Strowman in a series of 5-6 matches including various Specialty matches.

Already wrestled Seth Rollins multiple times, including the WWE WHC, though never the Universal title, so perhaps that is still a possibility.

Already feuded with Kevin Owens in 2016 for the Universal Title.

Just wrestled Bobby Lashley twice.

Done with the legends/parttimers Undertaker, John Cena, and HHH.

Wrestled and feuded with Bray Wyatt multiple times.

He'll be taking on Lesnar for the 4th time at Summerslam and probably beat him, in their final match.

From Smackdown, he's already had multiple matches/feud with AJ Styles, Randy Orton(although he wasn't a maineventer back then), Samoa Joe, Rusev, and Sheamus.

So basically,
1)A possibility of re-feuds includes with Styles, Orton, Rollins, and MAY BE Kevin Owens.
2)His fresh mainevent feuds have very few possibilities from both Raw and Smackdown live wrestlers-Sami Zayn, Drew McIntyre, Shinsuke Nakamura, Jeff Hardy, and Daniel Bryan who he wrestled just once at Fastlane in 2015.

Also, I have left out various midcarders he may have or haven't wrestled such as Dean Ambrose, Finn Balor, Bobby Roode, Jinder Mahal, Ellias, and others.

So that basically leaves us with 1) and 2) and that's that. I personally can't wait to see his novel feuds against Sami Zayn, Shinsuke Nakamura, and Jeff Hardy!

And a face vs heel feud against a psychotic Randy Orton. Remember back in 2014, 2015 Reigns wasn't established as a mainevent, solid performer and Randy Orton was just "meh".

But that brings me to the main question,

What happens when most mainevent feuds are exhausted? Everyone has feuded with everyone in the mainevent scene?

Would we have to rely on NXT stars, import stars from NJPW like Kenny Omega?

After all, there's only so many times AJ Styles can wrestle KO, Joe, Roman, or Roman and Seth can wrestle Dean, and so on.

Also most "greats" have either retired or won't be very active- including John Cena and Brock Lesnar.

Randy Orton is the only "legend" now from the 2002 era and perhaps Jeff Hardy as well.

I would love to see him feud with Dean Ambrose.

The history, the fact that they haven't really ever had a proper match against each other (rather than a throwaway one at SS' 15). I think that could be a feud I would like to see.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

I don't think it's likely to happen. WWE's biggest problem isn't the danger of running out of main event feuds, it's really more along the lines of what Dave mentioned in that they have a massive roster that's had only a small percentage of its potential tapped.

Guys like Omega and Okada are king of the hill in New Japan and/or Ring of Honor but we've all heard the stories about how generally unimpressed Vince is, or claims to be, in regards to how big of a star someone is outside of WWE. Vince essentially gives edicts, especially to commentators, that nothing else outside of WWE exists and wants them to behave as such no matter how moronic the fans think such a concept is; it's just further actions confirming that it's all about Vince, keeping Vince happy and sort of subtly telling the fans that he knows what's best for the WWE fans more than they do. At any rate, Omega and Okada are two people who, allegedly, New Japan let's do whatever they want creatively, including how much match time they want while, in WWE, unless you're one of a very select handful who've been with the company for many years and been a top tier player, you do what Vince let's you do and you get as much time as he allows for you to do it in and that's about all there is to it.

 

[Really?]

To be honest, until it main events Wrestlemania, the WWE isn't going to consider a feud as a done deal, and even then, they rinse and repeat. So, Roman has a ways to go before he is 'finished' with all main event feuds. Every time a guy gets in the ring with another guy, it's almost a test drive to see if they can work on the biggest stage.

 

[JoeMallard]

Why should those midcarders not deserve a chance, are they not credible enough because Vince likes to stroke Roman Reigns dick?

 

[Greg4WWE]

Back in the day, wrestling wasn't on so much and they had jobbers to wrestle on TV while the big matches were for PPV's only. I kind of miss those days actually, cause now days PPV's are just flashier Raw's and Smackdowns. You basically get the same matches. Back in the old days, feuds lasted for years, now generally they go a month or 2 and that is about it.

Things just go too fast now. We recycle feuds because you pretty much have too.

 

[AegonTargaryen]

Why should those midcarders not deserve a chance, are they not credible enough because Vince likes to stroke Roman Reigns dick?

Sure why not, let's just waste mainevent talent like Roman Reigns on frequent midcard feuds such as the Jinder Mahal one-off match from MITB. Let's further waste Roman Reigns in feuds with Ellias, Bobby Roode, Bray Wyatt(I never got the hype about him, sure he was a unique character but nowhere near as awesome or original as Mankind and Taker from the 90s), Finn Balor(who's essentially a cruiserweight, sounds yawnsome on the Mic, has no character or personality unlike TOMASSO CIAMPA, what else can I say?).

Just like back in June 2011 WWE had reached a nadir where R-freakin-Truth challenged Cena for the WWE title, after which they had exhausted all possibilities for the contendership(Orton, John Morrison, Miz, Sheamus) on RAW and thankfully, the summer of Punk happened.

Imagine if Punk wasn't there, was injured, or that promo never happened and Punk weren't elevated. You'd have loved to see John Cena vs midcarders month after month wouldn't you?

There's a difference between wasting a mainevent talent(Cena/Reigns) against a midcarder with no mainevent potential(R-truth/Jinder) versus elevating a potential maineventer.

And btw, Reigns already did elevate an unproven big guy in the form of Braun Strowman. As good as Sami Zayn was, a programme with Zayn didn't catapult Strowman into what he went on to become in 2017-present. It's a programme with Roman Reigns that did it, to the point where Roman got beaten up, bloodied, thrown off of stages and the audience cheered on(since Roman Reigns sucks and is "shoved down our throats")while the bully/heel stood tall.

That's the power of Roman Reigns.

 

[Psykohurricane55]

I think, especially on Raw, that pretty much every main event feud are already exhausted. The think the top of the card hasn't change a lot since the brand split and it hurting the product as a whole. Reigns feuded with pretty much everybody, so did Rollins, balor, Owens and strowman. So they did brought new guys in but lashley isn't going anywhere, Corbin isn't getting over as they want him to, jinder is going down faster then he got up last year, roode isn't catching fire as a face, ziggler is pretty much a dead character so the only guy left is McIntyre and even that doesn't feel like a hot act.

So now I feel they need to use those guys to elevate newer guys in the main event picture kinda like they did with strowman last year when they put him with reigns. That's the only way you will get fresh feud in the main event level.

 

[Sexcellence of Sexecution]

This is what you call the Randy Orton problem.

Orton got elevated into the main event scene when he was 24-25 years old, and burned through msot of his matches. Yes, there is always a constant influx of new talent, and therefore new main eventers for the top guys to work with, but there are no guarantees. Having a slower burn when it comes to elevating guys not only protects them from running through all the big feuds too quickly, it also creates more competitiveness and added importance around the Intercontinental Title.

Sometimes, the IC Title (or the US Title) can also serve a valuable function in giving an already established main event guy a break from the World Title scene. This was done to great effect with John Cena and the US Title a few years back, and New Japan has also done this with their IC Title. When doing this, it's important that you make it a specific storyline point that a former World Champion is on a mission pursuing a different belt (see: Tetsuya Naito/Hiroshi Tanahashi feud, or John Cena US Open Challenge).

The other obvious answer is tag teams. WWE turns to this from time to time, and actually used to do it a lot more often. Fans are tired of seeing a guy wrestle in main event singles matches, let's pair him with another big name and form a super team. Gives them a clear story and purpose on the show, but keeps them out of the World Title picture. Can also be used to elevate the importance of your tag team belts.

The last option is another strategy adopted by New Japan (and formerly by the WWF in the "In Your House" era). Space out the big matches. Now that everyone who subscribes to the WWE Network gets every PPV, you don't need two big stars going at it on B-level PPVs. Treat those shows like In Your House events. Your World Champion should absolutely always be your top guy: either your best babyface or best heel. But you can rotate in some upper midcard level challengers more often to get the rub. Save the big name main eventer vs. big name main eventer World Title showdowns for the major PPVs. And when you've got a feud like that don't burn through it by doing it three or four PPVs in a row, back-to-back-to-back. This keeps the product more interesting, because you don't feel like you're just seeing the same thing over and over, and gives more vitality to those major feuds. It makes them a bigger attraction because you didn't just see it last month with a different stip. Okada vs. Tanahashi, Okada vs. Omega, Tanahashi vs. Naito. New Japan has 4 guys basically, and they're able to run off of big matches between exlcusively those guys for years because they pace the feuds well.

 

[enviousdominous]

WWE creative wrote themselves into a corner, and the only option then have at this point is to give us something "paint by numbers" predictable.

I don't hate Roman Reigns, but most fans seem too. Maybe he's dealing with an unfair series of verdicts handed down from the court of public (smark) opinion, but we're still at a point where some fans chant "WE WANT ROMAN!" and an equally vocal section of fans chant "NO WE DON'T!" The WWE had apparently wanted Roman to be their IT guy long ago, but couldn't put as many butts in seats pretending like the boos of the crowd weren't overwhelming the editor's attempts to shush them out. The WWE loves Roman, some fans will never love Roman, and the WWE is dealing with a sunk costs fallacy of sorts in that for better or worse Roman pretty much has to look strong at Summerslam.

Everyone has already imagined the potential scenarios, from the most brainwashed marks to the smarks with insider sources.

In the spoiler are all the possibilities that I can imagine:

Spoiler

Scenario 1: Roman beats Brock clean, and is at least allowed to revel in perhaps half the crowd's adulation for his accomplishment.

Scenario 2a: Roman beats Brock dirty, and is unaware of the shenanigans that took place and thus assumes that he won fair and square.

Scenario 2b: Roman beats Brock dirty, and either explains that he did whatever it took to get the belt from him or just does the entire universe a fucking favor and goes heel.

Scenario 3a: Roman wins, and Braun cashes in his MITB briefcase. The crowd leaves a little happier than they would regarding the above scenarios in that Roman's fans got to see him win, and Roman's haters got to see him get obliterated by Braun.

Scenario 3b: Brock wins, and Braun cashes in his MITB briefcase. This is my most ideal scenario, in that Roman can lose while giving 110% and perhaps only lose due to a double-double-cross on part of Paul Heyman. Roman's haters get to see him lose, Roman's fans get to preach that the loss was only due to cheating, and Braun vs Brock can be a whole other match where Braun barely eeks out a win. Brock leaves as he would in any of these scenarios, but leaves looking like a superhero. Braun and Roman feud for the title afterward.

Scenario 4a: Braun cashes in making it a triple threat, and pins Roman. Brock maintains his image, Roman's haters get to see him lose, and Roman's fans are somewhat placated in that Braun and Brock could double-team him.

Scenario 4b: Braun cashes in making it a triple threat, and Roman pins him. You get the idea.

Scenario 4c: Braun cashes in making it a triple threat, and either he or Roman pin Brock. Goldberg gave up a win to HHH in a similarly booked match, so Brock can do the same.

Scenario 5: Just for random shits and giggles; wouldn't it be neat if at Summerslam Brock is playing up his diva character in the dressing room and Braun cashes in at the dressing room? It's offbeat as fuck, I know, but hear me out. Brock is skimming through his magazine while Paul desperately tries to get back on his good side, Brock chastises him and tells him that he better go get him steak and a beer or something. Paul swears that he will go and do that and that from now on Brock can trust him for anything. Other matches occur, and there's a knock on Brock's door. He says "Come in" but the knocking continues. Paul can be heard saying "Hey Brock, the door won't open for me, I don't know what's wrong with this stupid knob." Brock angrily stands up and tries to turn the doorknob, but is unable to as it seems to be held on the other side. Suddenly the door whips open hitting Brock, and Braun storms in with Paul and a referee. Braun gives Brock and ass-whooping on the level that he gave Roman way back when, and takes him to the ring where he formally cashes in his MITB briefcase. Brock is off-guard, but eventually finds his second wind and manages to eek out a win against Braun. Roman's music hits, and Roman picks up the scraps.

At this point; the best thing the WWE could do for themselves is invest their creative energy in a few other people. On the RAW side they seem focused on Roman, Finn, Seth, Bobby, Dolph and Drew. For my money, they all play the same character. Someone needs to behave like a piece of shit or something, because at the moment everyone is delivering the same "I'm the best" promos which are countered by "No, I'm the best" promos from everyone else.

Smackdown has Shinsuke Nakamura, Jeff Hardy, Daniel Bryan, and AJ Styles. A few of them need to go to RAW, because those are the only people in the WWE who can generate genuine heat for someone else. If you had any one of those four men come to RAW, get attacked by Braun or Brock just because, and then get saved by Roman, I think more fans would change their tune regarding Roman. Maybe have Seth come out and cut a promo where he's so sick of AJ, Daniel, Shinsuke, or Jeff and then have Roman come out and shut Seth down by extolling the virtues and accomplishments of any of those four men. Trying to make Roman look sympathetic won't work unless you involve someone that the crowd actually has genuine sympathy toward.

When feuds and most possibilities are exhausted (and the OP pointed out, they clearly are now), the WWE needs to learn to MOVE THE FUCK ON.

 

[Vintage Punk]

Per Vince, I heard he'll feud with the women's roster in order to gain the Women's title in the main event at Evolution

 

[AegonTargaryen]

Per Vince, I heard he'll feud with the women's roster in order to gain the Women's title in the main event at Evolution

Or better yet, give Roman both Raw and Smackdown's women's championships which he'll win and unify in a Roman(with Vince McMahon in Spirit)vs the entire women's divisions in a gauntlet match(also featuring Ronda Rousey as the final contestant).

Followed by a gauntlet win over the entire 205 Live division and cruiserweight championship victory.

Followed by the 4 men's world, universal, IC, and US titles: ).

We'll spare the tag titles. Unless if Vince wants to at least agree to be Roman's partner on PAPER, in Spirit.

Vince and Roman in that case would be the new unified tag team champions!

But seriously though, Imagine Roman as the Universal, IC, US, AND tag team champion! All at once!

 

[d_henderson1810]

This is what you call the Randy Orton problem.

Orton got elevated into the main event scene when he was 24-25 years old, and burned through msot of his matches. Yes, there is always a constant influx of new talent, and therefore new main eventers for the top guys to work with, but there are no guarantees. Having a slower burn when it comes to elevating guys not only protects them from running through all the big feuds too quickly, it also creates more competitiveness and added importance around the Intercontinental Title.

Sometimes, the IC Title (or the US Title) can also serve a valuable function in giving an already established main event guy a break from the World Title scene. This was done to great effect with John Cena and the US Title a few years back, and New Japan has also done this with their IC Title. When doing this, it's important that you make it a specific storyline point that a former World Champion is on a mission pursuing a different belt (see: Tetsuya Naito/Hiroshi Tanahashi feud, or John Cena US Open Challenge).

The other obvious answer is tag teams. WWE turns to this from time to time, and actually used to do it a lot more often. Fans are tired of seeing a guy wrestle in main event singles matches, let's pair him with another big name and form a super team. Gives them a clear story and purpose on the show, but keeps them out of the World Title picture. Can also be used to elevate the importance of your tag team belts.

The last option is another strategy adopted by New Japan (and formerly by the WWF in the "In Your House" era). Space out the big matches. Now that everyone who subscribes to the WWE Network gets every PPV, you don't need two big stars going at it on B-level PPVs. Treat those shows like In Your House events. Your World Champion should absolutely always be your top guy: either your best babyface or best heel. But you can rotate in some upper midcard level challengers more often to get the rub. Save the big name main eventer vs. big name main eventer World Title showdowns for the major PPVs. And when you've got a feud like that don't burn through it by doing it three or four PPVs in a row, back-to-back-to-back. This keeps the product more interesting, because you don't feel like you're just seeing the same thing over and over, and gives more vitality to those major feuds. It makes them a bigger attraction because you didn't just see it last month with a different stip. Okada vs. Tanahashi, Okada vs. Omega, Tanahashi vs. Naito. New Japan has 4 guys basically, and they're able to run off of big matches between exlcusively those guys for years because they pace the feuds well.

I am a fair man, and when someone makes a post full of holes, I am more than willing to poke holes in it.

Alternatively, when someone writes a post like yours, where they make a lot of valid points, I am just as quick to commend that you have made a lot of good and thought provoking points, and some I want to expand on.

I agree with what you call "the Randy Orton" problem, and that is what I have been saying about Shinsuke Nakamura. Nakamura was thrust into the main event spotlight too soon, and has burnt through all the top guys on SD Live, so now he is going after the U.S. belt instead.

I think new guys should have to "climb" the ladder, and let them emerge slowly i.e. the slow burn. "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, the Rock and Triple H all held the WWF IC belt for long periods before being put in the main event picture. I think that the IC belt or U.S. belt are like "training wheels", to test if a guy can produce the matches, and maintain the hype of a "champion". Those who do can be pushed to the next rung, those who can't stay in mid-card.

This would have helped Jinder Mahal be more credible, if he had had a U.S. or IC Title run first, as people wouldn't see him as a jobber with a belt.

I also agree about keeping the "big guys" apart for the main PPVs, and this used to happen in the 80's and 90's. You mention how they have the same matches over multiple PPVs. The problem is worse than that, because they will then have them fight multiple times on RAW or SD as well. I think A.J. and Shinsuke fought at 4 PPVs in a row (WM34, GGR, BL and MITB, but they fought twice on SD live as well, and a match which never quite planned out to be the dream match we all wanted (I didn't think any of the matches met anywhere near the standard of their Japan one), was then shoved down our throats again and again. I don't mind multiple matches if the two competitors have classics against each other, and each match brings in new elements and storytelling, but few do. There is too much WWE TV time to fill, so they fill it with repeats.

I miss the old days where the main event on RAW was two guys teaming up to fight their respective PPV opponents, which created a lot of interesting match ups, and fresh matches. This allowed them to highlight their talent, without giving away the match before the PPV.