Who will be the next big villain?

[MartialHorror]

If the authority dies, who will take its place? The announcers have asked this question so much that I presume something has to come out of the authorities death. Will Vince return? Will Mick Foley return as a benevolent leader? Or will it be anarchy?

I kind of like the idea of the latter, although I'm not really sure how it would work. After all, people attack each-other without consequence even when there are authority figures, so they'd have to develop a new way for it. I think Bray Wyatt would make a good top villain, maybe managing to gain some sort of control or even encouraging chaos since there is no one to keep the wrestlers in line (in story). But the Ambrose feud seems to restrict that and...is it just me or has audience reactions been rather limp? WWE is likely to pin that more on Bray than the writing team. I'm beginning to wonder whether Bray was ever main event material to begin with, but he's the only heel who could step up if the authority is destroyed.

Brock Lesnar isn't around enough. Seth Rollins is difficult to take seriously as a main eventer and much of his 'sell out' persona won't be worth much if there's no one to sell out to. Or will the Authority remain the primary villains and they just won't be able to abuse their power any more. If this is the case, then Triple H would have to wrestle a lot more.

Rusev might work, but his longevity is still in question.

 

[Its Clobberin' Time]

Not really the next big villain, but i got a sneaky feeling Paul Heyman might somehow slither his way back to the top again! With the champ by his side, he could take the show over and have a stable of 'Heyman guys' as his henchmen.

 

[TheICChampion]

That's why the Authority's going to win Sunday. There's just too much going on right now for them to just up and leave TV. Steph can take off if she wants to have her next kid, but HHH needs to keep showing up, then when the time comes he can take a few months off if he needs to. As far as the next big villain, I'm not really sure. It's too early to tell, but I'm thinking maybe Harper. He got off to a good start on his singles career, although I'm not sure how long it will last.

 

[Mustang Sally]

Or will it be anarchy?

I like that. If written and planned correctly, it could amount to the return of the "Anything can happen in WWE" days that Jerry Lawler kept trumpeting.....with unrestrained evil now ruling the day.

True, it would be a major overhaul of not only current storylines, but also the way business has been done in past years. We're talking less about concentrating on the dominance of individuals or groups as stars, but more of an "every man for himself" scenario in which the fans and performers might find themselves wishing for the day of the Authority. Even as corrupt as they were, they represented some sort of structure.....and while folks hoped for their downfall, they didn't really factor in what would take their place.

After the Authority is deposed, chaos reigns. Even the good guys become 'tweeners.

No, I'm not really thinking this will happen, but if Creative plans to disband the Authority, I don't really see any "major" heels with the power/personality to run havoc over everything.......and something has to replace the old regime.

Why not bring in a "Dark Ages of Pro Wrestling" approach?

 

[sanefan_har]

If booked right, Seth Rollins can be one of the biggest heels on the roster. I also think Tyler Breeze can be booked to be an X-pac heat generator.

 

[wrestler36]

I have a feeling Sheamus is going to come back a major heel. He recently lost his title, he's out of Survivor Series, he doesn't have a feud with anyone right now. I'd love to see him as a monster, badass heel again

 

[LionheartY2J]

I could see Rollins and Reigns teaming up again. Rollins hath not the size, Reigns not the persona to carry the role alone. Reigns was over with the fans, but not as much as WWE would have liked. Rather than burn yet another big man by cramming him down the fans' throats IE Sheamus, Big E, Ryback, they could be a new generations HBK & Diesel.

I really don't see Wyatt in the role. Wyatt always seems to get more cheers no matter who he up against, and a monster heel really shouldn't split the crowd like that.

 

[LionheartY2J]

I should add that Rusev's too "cartoon villain" to generate that kind of heat. Heck, I'm surprised he hasn't beaten the tar out of a fan favorite that only booking doesn't realise that fans really don't care about like Hacksaw Duggan or Sgt. Slaughter yet. The whole anti USA angle can only carry him so far, and most of his current heat often feels forced. He only has to lose once to have all the heat sucked out of him. And the laws of Kayfabe state that an anti-american can only go so far; sure, he can beat rent-a-main-eventers like Henry, Show, and Swagger, but the moment he's up against a "real american hero," IE Cena, The Rock, Undertaker, or even Old Man Hogan, he pretty much has to lose.

For the love of God, his angle was that he was sent by Boris Yeltsin to capture the... U.S. Title. Take a moment to wrap your head around that.

 

[L@RISANO]

Assuming that the Authority loses at Survivor Series:

I'd have Paul Heyman somehow become the new Authority figure, and remain Brock's Manager, and chaos will reign until Mania.

Post-Mania;
It would be Bray Wyatt(though the build-up for him taking over would be hinted long before then what with Kane, Harper and Rowan all being part of this current Tag story)
The Cult Leader finally 'bringing down the machine' as he has often said before... Maybe he'll get an Orton or Ambrose to join him as well before then...

 

[The Samoan Heritage]

The next big villian- future wise: Seth Rollins
If you mean storyline wise after the Authority leaves, I would like to see Paul Heyman in the GM Role (Or Maddox : ) ). Seriously though hopefully while Heyman is GM Wwe allows him to book a couple of shows every now and again. I would also like to see Heyman become a supporter of "New Day" have them become Heyman's henchman (still have woods be the manager/Spokes person) , kindof how the Shield was for the Authority for a while.
I don't think the Authority is going to lose though at Survivor Series, Lesnar is going to be gone for a while, and wwe need storylines that they can use to help with the absence of the wwe title. The Authority wrecking havok on everyone that went against them could last for the rest of the year. Save The Authority losing power for Wrestlemania. Have either Batista, Rock, or a new over face (Ryback, Ambrose, etc) beat Triple H, and the next night they can have a new GM introduced.

 

[Navi]

No please not Bray Wyatt, I can barely sit through his promo's as they are. Dean Ambrose said it best last night, when he spoke about Wyatt on the titan tron.

He said basically, Wyatt rambles on saying the same thing over and over again, never getting to the ending, just repeating himself for the sake of hearing himself talk.

I couldn't go through 3 hours of Wyatt showing up periodically to ramble on about the next match and who is going to save who. I would stop watching.

Who will be the next big villain, I have no idea, but I don't think we've seen the last of HHH or Stephanie, so there won't be a need for one.

 

[DCLXVI]

Barring an "Authority" or "Corporation" figure...

The immediate answer to that at this point would be HHH's "project" Wyatt. I could believe it earlier in the year and thought his promos were brilliant... now they have became the same old thing and it's a drag to sit through his long entrance/promos that seem to repeat themselves. I could blame his booking with Cena that fell flat, or the singing "he's got the whole world in his hands..." to death, but he may need a new direction other than "wanting to change people" and it never happening.

I can see Luke Harper in the role or a major supporting cast member if they do things right. He is still a tough guy to hate, he's great in the ring and people don't seem to want to boo him very much.

Kane is done and has been overexposed by being in every main event in some capacity this year and everyone is pretty much over him, Rusev has a pretty limited gimmick and I see them turning him face at some point not too far away once his streak is broken. Cesaro has tried the heel thing and it hasn't worked out.

May be time for some new blood to shake things up. Tough to call.

 

[BigVanChris]

Unfortunately, I think the Authority stays in power. I don't mind them being in power, but I'm afraid I'm going to be very disappointed in how it's accomplished. Based off the two recent stare downs of HHH and Ryback closing Smackdown and Raw it seems they are teasing a Ryback heel turn.

This is the most engaged the fans have been in Ryback for a really long time. I was never a big fan of the original machine Ryback, but loved him as the Big Guy/Bully. It seems they've found a great mix between the two personalities and it's working. I think if they allow him to feud with Luke Harper for the Intercontinental title and then win it he can go on a nice run defending the belt alot and continue to build to being a legit main eventer.

Unfortunately it looks like they want him to be the next big heel aligned with the authority. He's stated multiple times that he's team Ryback. He's not had two staredowns with HHH here he didn't attack him. Why would you tease a Ryback HHH match? It seems to me it's just a tactic from WWE to make you think he hates HHH only for him to turn on Team Cena and give them the win.

How else can it possibly play out? Team Cena wins? This means Luke Harper loses his momentum, Rusev may lose some of his momentum, and then where does Seth Rollins go from there? Without the Authority backing him he's not much of a heel.

What if the Authority wins? Ryback obviously won't be the last man standing. It would be Cena, so Ryback will need to go down. Then I could see Orton coming in to help Cena win, but I think Ryback will lose some of its Luster.

Perhaps Rusev and Ryback can get caught up on the outside for a double countout and then go on to feud for the US title. That would be pretty good. But I think it's more than likely Ryback turns and joins HHH.

Anyone else feel the same?

 

[Earth_2_Superman]

Authority's going to win, but then they're going to find out that half of their power has been stripped away...much like the various story lines with Vince (Ric Flair, Linda, etc.).

Just watch...

 

[peepshow]

I think it's important to note that The Authority is, at its core, just a heel stable. Obviously they are also in control of the company, but a loss at Survivor Series on Sunday would not necessarily mean that the stable disbands and no longer exists. They could still remain "The Authority," just, you know...without any actual authority. HHH and Steph could become these disgruntled heels who feel that their power was wrongfully taken from them and they could still generate some heat with some good, whiny promos. The Authority members could become excessively violent in their frustration, effectively becoming an even MORE dangerous stable than the pre-Survivor Series authority. It would need to be booked properly to ensure that The Authority is still an entity to be feared, but I think it could work.

As for who could become the new "GM" or figurehead on Raw, I really have no idea. There are obvious recycled options like Brad Maddox or unlikely nostalgic options like Mick Foley, but would either of these really be a step forward? Whatever the WWE has in store should be fresh, exciting, and something that we haven't already seen before. WWE clearly tried to re-invent the "Mr. McMahon" character by kind of haphazardly divvying up the corporate heel tactics between Steph and HHH, but I think we can all agree that most of it has fallen relatively flat. I think it's time to scrap the "Authority" storylines - at least until it's time to recycle them again - and I think the WWE knows this. It could be a great gift to all of the folks tuning in for free on the network to see the Authority lose their power. If you want to sell subscriptions, you have to sell your product. And if you want to sell your product, you have to give the people what they want.

Just ask yourself - what storyline would drive subscriptions on Monday morning: the Authority wins and continues cutting bad promos? Or the Authority loses and will be stripped of their power going forward? And who will take over? And what will become of HHH and Steph? And where does the Authority's golden boy, Seth Rollins go from here?

One ending definitely breeds more interesting questions than the other. Remember, the Authority would still remain the biggest heel stable on the roster even with a loss at Survivor Series. They can lose their power; they don't have to lose their relevance too.

 

[Mudlup50]

Here's what I'm wondering, if the Authority wins at Survivor Series..how do they end? They've been in control for 15 months now. I'm not saying it's stale or anything, everyone has their own opinion on that, but it's been a while. They couldn't keep their job and then lose it within 3 months or it would completely negate the Survivor Series tag match...so if they do win the earliest they could lose it in theory is Wrestlemania 31. So what Triple H wrestles and loses to someone? Just seems like a bad idea to have them win at this point.

 

[peepshow]

Agreed, Mudlup. If the Authority is going to lose their power anytime soon, it only makes sense to have it happen now. I don't think they would create this big stipulation just for the sole purpose of increasing viewership on the network. Having an uptick in November subscriptions is completely meaningless if they're canceled on December 1st. By the end of Survivor Series, something needs to have happened that makes those new subscribers say "Wow, I gotta see what happens in December." The Authority winning the match and remaining in power does not accomplish that goal. You need something bigger; you need the shock and surprise to gain viewership going forward in Q4.

 

[kadroan]

Agreed, Mudlup. If the Authority is going to lose their power anytime soon, it only makes sense to have it happen now. I don't think they would create this big stipulation just for the sole purpose of increasing viewership on the network. Having an uptick in November subscriptions is completely meaningless if they're canceled on December 1st. By the end of Survivor Series, something needs to have happened that makes those new subscribers say "Wow, I gotta see what happens in December." The Authority winning the match and remaining in power does not accomplish that goal. You need something bigger; you need the shock and surprise to gain viewership going forward in Q4.

I'd say Team Authority winning would bigger than Team Cena winning. The stipulation just added tonight, if anything, makes the casual fan think Team Cena is going to win because they'd believe WWE isn't bold enough to book Team Cena to lose. Most couldn't imagine WWE without Cena.

 

[Josh16]

Making The Authority lose in Survivor Series would be a poor choice!
Look at this way,
Team Cena loses because of Ryback - Yes!
Ryback turning heel would be great!
The Authority should show that as their Set up!
We've got Ziggler would go behind Harper for the IC Title!
Bigshow's feud with Mark Henry
Rowan going behind Rusev for the US title (Rusev should remain the champion until Wrestlemania)- Letting these big guys feud in Bigger matches would be interesting!
Reigns returning back to kick Seth Rollin's ***

Bringing back Paul Heyman after Survivor Series would be great!

The Authority still remaining on top + Paul Heyman and his Beast + Ryback
(turning heel) against CENA!

 

[MR K]

Ryback sould not turn heel again, turning heel totally de-railed him last time, He was mega over with the live crowds then they made the dumb decision to turn him heel. He is starting to get great reactions again in his face role at the moment. The live crowds loving the "feed me more" chants. He needs to stay face

 

[MartialHorror]

Yes, Ryback should not go heel! I was under the impression that a major reason he's being pushed was due to the mega reception he got in Vegas. We don't need any more major heels at the moment.

Rowan Vs Rusev sounds incredibly boring. Silent guy vs silenter guy...At least Lana needs someone to banter with.

Ugh, this team should be Cena, Bryan, Reigns, Show and Ambrose, as they've feuded with the authority the most...Them dismantling their power would be more effective. CURSE YOU INJURIES!

 

[LuckyLouie]

Cesaro or Ryback
Cesaro can go either way. It just depends on how you book him.
If they did a good build up, and he went over Lesnar at WM or over UNdertaker as Lesnar did. He would have credibility as a good guy, or a man who took out taker. Since they wasted it on Brock who isnt around as a champ, and seems like wants to go back to UFC.

Ryback is a good heel and I think they just need to book him like Kane in the 90's. Just a big guy who will hurt you and a little messed up in the head.
Luke Harper is perfect to replace the Undertaker. I can see him as a champion. He has the size, personality, and he can wrestle.
Neville, for some reason I think he makes a perfect cocky heel who is disliked but you cant hate on him. Kinda like Orton.
If they dont kill of Rusev, and they book like like the Iron Sheik, id love to see him as the top bad guy in the company.
Corey Graves had a perfect Razor Ramone look. I hope that if they ever let him wrestle again he can do a spin off that gimmick.
Enzo Amore screams of John Cena ( early rapper ) personality. He can get the crowd rilled up really quick and sounds good doing it.
Sandow will make a great heel who reminds me of Kurt Angle on the mic. I like him and I usually stay tuned on him. Although he NEEDS a new finisher.

 

[rbv13]

I can see it all now…..

The Authority is defeated at Survivor Series and the fans are encouraged to tune in for RAW for the reveal of the new figure head within the company.

Opening match on RAW showcases some hot in ring action but who is that making an appearance towards the finish of the match? It is Jeff Hardy! He has returned to RAW so something big must be in the works.

Flair is out 30-45 minutes in announcing his return to the company. Oh something big is on the way.

Hour two begins and now is the time for all the questions to be answered. “Real American” blast throughout the arena as Hulk Hogan and Easy E make their way to the ring. They rip the script and declare they are going to be doing things their way.

Fast Forward to WM31 w/host Brooke Hogan:

The returning Dudley Boys going over a returning Nasty Boys in a tables match

Val Venis going over Dean Ambrose

X Pac going over Seth Rollins

Nash w/Hall going over Bray Wyatt (Actually Bray could have a lot of fun playing up the demons in Hall’s past)

Hogan going over Sting

Brock going over Reigns (Reigns having the moment might take the stop light off the above match)