I can see many of the more obnoxious hardcore types labeling Cena-Reigns the most "we-don't-give-a-shit-what-you-think" main event ever and rejecting the match outright. The Cena hate seems to have softened a lot, so maybe not. Prediction: The match will be awesome and get nowhere near the credit it deserves.

I see the exact opposite : Cena will get cheered like crazy by the hardcores, the match will be your typical Mania self-conscious epic with tons of finisher spamming/kick outs but people will rave about it anyway, lamenting that this won't get enough credit compared to the latest NJ Dome show main event.

as I mentioned earlier this certainly makes things a lot easier creative wise for WWE. Now they don't have to have Roman win the Rumble again or have him win another multi man contenders match. The Cena/Reigns story tells itself. The established guy going against the new guy, Cena going for the title record, both splitting the crowds, etc. Glad they changed plans here

 

now Roman has the title every week on Raw. Most likely defending against the Balor, Rollins, Wyatt types, probably Braun as well

There's also that if they do the title change at Summerslam, there are ways they can keep Joe involved in the top mix doing programs with both Reigns and Lesnar, and Joe-Lesnar doesn't have to be a one-and-done.

Is the best case scenario something along the lines of...

 

Cena vs Roman

Brock vs Samoa Joe (Prefer this over Braun)

AJ vs Nakamura

If you just go to some of the more umm unsightly parts of the wrestling internet such as wrestling forum or reddit you get a lot of whining about roman headlining again or that if they do that match is should be done on a lesser show. What other show would you do a match that huge. Why would wwe put up a first time match between two of their top stars and the two that everyone knows are the top guy and the heir to that position, why would they put that match on fastlane as some twit on reddit sugested. Of course it should main event the biggest show of the year. Do they really think that while awsome nakamura vs aj would be a bigger match? God it is annoying.

 

 

But on a more positive note lesnar vs roman we have less of a wait and if roman wins we can get a title reign with him vs braun and matches with joe who beat him to set up the gbof match. I guess a seth match and a dean match. I think that there could be a brock rematch at some point. That is of course sugessting that roman wins.

I don't see how they can leave the belt on Brock post Summer Slam with Monday Night Football coming back. They need the champ on tv every week.

The main reason the hardcores softened on Cena was him no longer being the main focus, which had the added benefit of allowing his matches to be booked more logically instead of "Super Cena wins again" that annoyed them.

I don't see how they can leave the belt on Brock post Summer Slam with Monday Night Football coming back. They need the champ on tv every week.

The band aid that will fail:

 

So what's the current talk? Is it still Brock/Braun, Cena/Reigns, AJ/Nak?

Brock/Braun will be done next PPV already, so I'm not sure if they would do that at WM34.

 

I would like to see Cena/Joe at WM, to be honest. Or Cena/Braun.

 

AJ/Roode for the WWE Title doesn't seem like a bad idea either.

I am still sort of hoping for Joe vs Brock and Nak vs Styles at Mania. The latter seems possible still, but the former doesn't seem as likely after the SS hump.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=QfH3qwe6MiM

Lesnar vs. Reigns

Cena vs. Strowman

Styles vs. Nakamura

Ambrose vs. Rollins

 

Goldberg and Joe would be wild cards. I firmly unbelievers HHH will have a program with Shane or Owens, stemming from their current program.

Under what circumstances would you say that Triple H could have a program with Kevin Owens? I understand the logic behind Shane, but KO?

Under what circumstances would you say that Triple H could have a program with Kevin Owens? I understand the logic behind Shane, but KO?

Triple H won him the belt a year ago and that was never paid off?

Well, we never had the explanation as to why Triple H helped Owens win the title but why all of a sudden, would he be against KO? Because he dropped the title to Goldberg in record time at Fastlane?

However unlikely, these are the creative scenarios I'd see for HHH vs. Owens:

 

Owens ends up going TOO FAR with his pummeling of Shane, causing the entire McMahon family to hate him like Orton in early 2009. Compared to the other scenario, this seems much less likely since it means the McMahon family turns face, while the crowd would still cheer for Owens in the program.

 

HHH asks Owens to remember who brought him to WWE, wanting Owens to sabotage Team SmackDown against Team Raw at Survivor Series. Owens refuses to kick off a gradual babyface turn, and doesn't allow the Authority to use Shane as a common enemy to thwart him. Owens has a history of storyline continuity, so perhaps he even tells the Authority to kiss his ass for never allowing him a rematch for the Universal Title.

 

The real reason for HHH vs. Owens: HHH wants a name opponent and Owens always manages to stay over.

Maybe we'll get HHH/Angle since it was a rumor at one point for Summerslam. If they are gonna have Angle do anything in the ring, I feel like it would be against HHH.

However unlikely, these are the creative scenarios I'd see for HHH vs. Owens:

 

Owens ends up going TOO FAR with his pummeling of Shane, causing the entire McMahon family to hate him like Orton in early 2009. Compared to the other scenario, this seems much less likely since it means the McMahon family turns face, while the crowd would still cheer for Owens in the program.

 

HHH asks Owens to remember who brought him to WWE, wanting Owens to sabotage Team SmackDown against Team Raw at Survivor Series. Owens refuses to kick off a gradual babyface turn, and doesn't allow the Authority to use Shane as a common enemy to thwart him. Owens has a history of storyline continuity, so perhaps he even tells the Authority to kiss his ass for never allowing him a rematch for the Universal Title.

 

The real reason for HHH vs. Owens: HHH wants a name opponent and Owens always manages to stay over.

 

That second option would actually make sense.

Cena vs Reigns announced for No Mercy. They could obviously face again at Mania but lol at them not being able to save their first time matchup for their biggest show.

Just saw the announcement and came here to say pretty much the same thing. I really thought they were gonna play the long game with Cena vs. Reigns as a big money match, but I guess not. Bizarre booking to just toss it out there on such a second-tier show this way.

Straight up TNA booking lol.

This all serves to make me less excited to be headed to New Orleans.

I don't understand why they're rushing into it, but I'll reserve judgment before I bash the decision altogether. It just seems like a strange path to take though, especially considering that they've really strengthened the Raw main event scene in the last 8 months. It feels like they could have delayed the big money match almost effortlessly - just by having Reigns and Cena derailed into other programs with the likes of Joe, Brock, Braun, etc. over the next several months.

 

When they first announced Braun/Brock for next month, I honestly figured Strowman would get the belt for the usual fall/winter month reign - then drop it to Roman to ultimately end their feud (for now), before moving into Cena/Roman as the headline for Mania. They could still go that route, I guess. It'd just seem a whole lot less special as a rematch from No Mercy. So I don't know.