WWE is to Blame for Lack of Starpower on Road to WrestleMania
WWE is on the road to WrestleMania and many fans are likely wondering just exactly how it's going to get there. Let's face it; the company is still in the same spot on main event talent it's been in for a while now, which is to say, it really has none.
Roman Reigns, Brock Lesnar, Triple H, Chris Jericho and The Undertaker are the top guys that will certainly be booked on April 3. As far as top level main event guys are concerned, that's about it.
Following closely behind are Dean Ambrose, Kevin Owens, Dolph Ziggler, Alberto Del Rio, Sheamus and everyone else. Besides the newly arrived AJ Styles, there has been very little buzz on the card and right now the debates are raging as to who will be paired with who.
It's not exactly what you might call a pulse-pounding card so far.
In the past, just the amount of star power was enough to prime the fans and make them giddy with anticipation. But considering that Daniel Bryan is still on the shelf, John Cena is out, Sting is likely a no-go and Seth Rollins probably won't be back in time, fan expectation has not really been all that impressive.
The Rock will be in Dallas on April 3 of course but so far his role has not been announced. The company needs him to wrestle a match but that may not happen, which is a big deal indeed.
How can one of WWE's most legendary performers of all time not be available on the biggest event of the year, especially when he's needed the most? Fans have his obligations in Hollywood to thank for that and while the positive and negative of that issue are weighed, the fact remains he's probably not working Mania in the ring.
After Rocky, the possibilities are slim. Stone Cold Steve Austin often teases a desire to get back in the ring for one more match but when cornered on the subject, he reiterates that he's done.
Shawn Michaels is still retired but he's been on record before that no amount of money would be enough to coax him back into the ring. Edge is of course physically unable to wrestle again and Goldberg walked away from the business years ago.
Stars outside the company like Kurt Angle and Jeff Hardy, seem content to stay where they are. Meanwhile, NXT continues to fill up with young and world-traveled talent that are likely nowhere close to getting the main roster call-up.
So the veterans, competition and developmental are not being utilized. That leaves the current roster to somehow convince fans and critics alike that WrestleMania will be worth the price of admission. But is that enough?
Is the draw of Mania itself enough to not only load AT&T Stadium and make them happy but also to make fans at home happy as well? Doesn't the card itself need to reflect the starpower that WWE is capable of presenting, the starpower that keeps them on top?
The problem of course is that WWE has not built any new stars since The Shield. The Shield was a great success and all three guys have done great business but other than them, no one has really rose up in the company.
Some are quick to blame the talent themselves. After all, if a guy really wants it then he should go get it. That notion is the most logical and has proven true the past. But with it comes the realization that unless guys are given the opportunity to shine and a clear direction given, then no one will be able to rise at all.
That is where WWE is right now and it's only getting worse.
Fans applaud WWE for NXT and they should. Fans love Triple H for his dedication to NXT and it's understandable. But NXT is being kept right where it is and the belt those guys should be working for is now around Triple H's waist.
Ziggler is no closer to main event stardom than he ever was and fans could even argue that he's never been more irrelevant than he is now. Owens is doing a fine job but he continues to lose big matches and there don't seem to be very many exciting choices for him to work at Mania.
No one is poised to make a big impact other than Reigns, Ambrose and Rollins. No other star even comes close. WWE's penchant for always handing the ball to Cena has come back to haunt them and the only weapons at their disposal are The Shield alumni.
They're up for the task but it likely will not be enough.
WWE could still find a way to really pull this one out, to do something new or to book the card in such a way that anticipation would take over for fans. But no matter what is done, there's just not enough time to create a main event contender, to build a star, to be ready.
Until that change is made then every card staring down a long disabled list will face this exact problem. Only WWE has the power to change it but the desire to change it must exist in the first place.
