Rollins' Reign Is Hampered By Bad Booking

[DichEvans]

Its the same copy and paste face title reign that Kofi, Big E, Lashley, and every other face has had. Random heel of the week attacks the face a few times, sets up match, face moves on and starts the same basic storyline with another person. 

There is just no long term building of any challengers for Seth. The Roman story arch has set a new standard for storytelling and just doing the same thing face champs have done for the last 20 years is lazy and uninspired.

I just don't get why they can't build a heel for a few months before he feuds with the world champion. 

Gunther is probably the heel with the most momentum right now on RAW and it does not seem like they are putting him in the world title chase any time soon. Is looking ahead 2-3 months really that hard?

Why not have Drew turn heel now and just destroy everyone for the next few months before his feud with Seth? Is that really that hard? 

Instead, he'll randomly attack Seth, and just come off as mindless and uninteresting Bond Villain #4 

[Lizuka #BLM]

Everything with Seth right now is just blatantly, "He's going to bulldoze everyone until Mania and then lose the belt to Gunther," because Triple H doesn't know how to book singles titles to make them even slightly interesting past one title change every couple of years.

[Xxcjb01xX [PIECE OF: SH-]]

I for one, am shocked that the consolation prize belt they made because Roman has a stranglehold on the other two world title belts that exist, is being hampered by bad booking...

[theironyuppie]

'Fighting Champion' is just a boring story template unless there's something more there.

[Legion]

It's hampered by the fact he's an irritant playing a heel character with face reactions.

The laugh, the arrogance, the smarm - everything about him winds me up.

Which would be great for a heel, but as a face, I dont like him and dont want to support him.

The fact he is them booked as being able to also be a fighting champion and stepping up doesnt then mesh with the characteristics of that character he's playing.

It's just jarring nonsense.

[King Devitt and the Woke Mob]

whaddyatalkinabout??

Not only did Nakamura attack Rollins, but he ALSO whispered something in Seth'e ear!!

That's TWO THINGS.

There's even a thread about the whisper. That means it's compelling.

[Nosnorb]

Aug 15, 2023 4:16:12 GMT -5 Legion said:

It's hampered by the fact he's an irritant playing a heel character with face reactions.

The laugh, the arrogance, the smarm - everything about him winds me up.

Which would be great for a heel, but as a face, I dont like him and dont want to support him.

The fact he is them booked as being able to also be a fighting champion and stepping up doesnt then mesh with the characteristics of that character he's playing.

It's just jarring nonsense.

Rollins being a natural heel with his mannerisms and character work, but having a face moveset and doing his best work as one is a problem he has had for almost all his career, and at this stage of his career it doesn't look like that is going to change.

Dude is pretty much cemented as an upper midcarder/main eventer in WWE and crowds are still generally hot for him and sing his entrance music, so what incentive does he have to solve that problem?

[UN PLOMBIER NIGHTMARE #blm]

it could also be the booking but I simply don’t really think he works as a face champion

[XIII]

HHH isn’t a great booker. He’s good at running with something that’s hot and not trying to shut it down like Vince would do, but he’s always been more of a “sign an all star team and then hope for the best” type of booker. IF the Bloodline story ever ends he’s going to have to come up with something compelling.

All of that said Rollins is a natural heel, but given the reactions that he gets I understand why he’s presented as a face.

[El Cokehead del Knife Fight]

I can't believe that the "I can't beat Roman, he's too strong" title is poorly booked.

[EoE: Well There's Your Problem]

Aug 15, 2023 6:00:13 GMT -5 XIII said:

HHH isn’t a great booker. He’s good at running with something that’s hot and not trying to shut it down like Vince would do, but he’s always been more of a “sign an all star team and then hope for the best” type of booker. IF the Bloodline story ever ends he’s going to have to come up with something compelling.

All of that said Rollins is a natural heel, but given the reactions that he gets I understand why he’s presented as a face.

Which, you know, given that we’d just come off of nearly four decades of the most hands-on, micro-managing head booker we may ever see, a somewhat more passive approach was such a breath of fresh air. Like, even here in this thread, the biggest complaint is that it’s a dull, paint-by-numbers babyface title run. Yet that is still so much better than it could be under Vince.

But does he still not have the staff underneath him for that to be effective like it was in NXT? Sure, you may have thrown out the ringmaster of the circus, but you’re still in charge of all his clowns.

["Evil Brood" Jackson Vanik]

It's just hard to book a reign when you are obviously keeping the top guys away from the champion for a very long time.

[clifford]

Western wrestling companies are just incapable of booking strong face world title reigns. I think there's been about 3 or 4 good ones since the Attitude era ended.

It's all about the chase and never about the follow-up.

[Friday Night SmackOwn]

Aug 15, 2023 8:46:27 GMT -5 clifford said:

Western wrestling companies are just incapable of booking strong face world title reigns. I think there's been about 3 or 4 good ones since the Attitude era ended.

It's all about the chase and never about the follow-up.

wonder who these exceptions were/are.

[Denny Zen is Cooking™]

For my money, the reign was dead from the jump because no one has been given any reason to give one single, solitary f*** about the "WWE World Heavyweight Championship." As others have said, it's a fake consolation prize and despite its best efforts, WWE can't gaslight people into just accepting at face value that it's actually a world championship. Having two "world titles" because of the brand split is bad enough, but at least it has some basis in the kayfabe world. Having a third world title for no other reason than "the actual world champion is too strong, the rest of the plebs need something to compete for" is one of the absolute worst storylines in the entire history of wrestling.

So, basically, what we have is the same copy and paste face title reign that Kofi, Big E, Lashley, and every other face has had, except for a title that is basically a re-skinned Intercontinental title.

[Hurbster]

Seems fine to me.

[clc]

Aug 15, 2023 8:53:36 GMT -5 Denny Zen is Cooking™ said:

For my money, the reign was dead from the jump because no one has been given any reason to give one single, solitary f*** about the "WWE World Heavyweight Championship." As others have said, it's a fake consolation prize and despite its best efforts, WWE can't gaslight people into just accepting at face value that it's actually a world championship. Having two "world titles" because of the brand split is bad enough, but at least it has some basis in the kayfabe world. Having a third world title for no other reason than "the actual world champion is too strong, the rest of the plebs need something to compete for" is one of the absolute worst storylines in the entire history of wrestling.

So, basically, what we have is the same copy and paste face title reign that Kofi, Big E, Lashley, and every other face has had, except for a title that is basically a re-skinned Intercontinental title.

If they had to have this consolation prize belt, putting on Rollins was the right start. Rollins is the only man to have a singles victory over Reigns during his 3 year title run.

To make Rollin's belt seem important, they needed to undermine Reigns on TV. That thread about how Roman is a paper champ. They should have let Rollins say all that in promo form when he won the belt. Just let him have one epic mic drop moment on why his belt is the real deal was needed to give it some credibility.

Also let Rollins close shows on occasion. Not every show, but balance it out. If Roman is on a PLE not defending the belt, but Rollins is, Rollins should close, Roman can open (the women champs could and should also get some opportunities to close shows)

[Finish Uncle Muffin’s Story]

Maybe I'm just conditioned from the old WHT days but I don't think it's been *that* bad? It's serving the purpose of filling the gap between the IC Title and the Universal Title.

It also feels like this is the opposite of Seth's last reign where it feels like the fans are connecting with him and don't appear to be turning on him any time soon.

[Denny Zen is Cooking™]

Aug 15, 2023 10:07:12 GMT -5 clc said:

Aug 15, 2023 8:53:36 GMT -5 Denny Zen is Cooking™ said:

For my money, the reign was dead from the jump because no one has been given any reason to give one single, solitary f*** about the "WWE World Heavyweight Championship." As others have said, it's a fake consolation prize and despite its best efforts, WWE can't gaslight people into just accepting at face value that it's actually a world championship. Having two "world titles" because of the brand split is bad enough, but at least it has some basis in the kayfabe world. Having a third world title for no other reason than "the actual world champion is too strong, the rest of the plebs need something to compete for" is one of the absolute worst storylines in the entire history of wrestling.

So, basically, what we have is the same copy and paste face title reign that Kofi, Big E, Lashley, and every other face has had, except for a title that is basically a re-skinned Intercontinental title.

If they had to have this consolation prize belt, putting on Rollins was the right start. Rollins is the only man to have a singles victory over Reigns during his 3 year title run.

To make Rollin's belt seem important, they needed to undermine Reigns on TV. That thread about how Roman is a paper champ. They should have let Rollins say all that in promo form when he won the belt. Just let him have one epic mic drop moment on why his belt is the real deal was needed to give it some credibility.

Also let Rollins close shows on occasion. Not every show, but balance it out. If Roman is on a PLE not defending the belt, but Rollins is, Rollins should close, Roman can open (the women champs could and should also get some opportunities to close shows)

100% agree with that. I don't have any issue with Rollins holding the championship at all and in a vacuum I don't even have an issue with it serving as the sort of de facto "Raw World Championship." It's just that the circumstances under which it came into existence really started it on incredibly shaky ground for me, personally, from the jump and that hasn't gotten better over the last 3 months, in large part due to the issues being discussed in this thread. 

The belt looks great though, I'll give it that. 

[clifford]

Aug 15, 2023 8:50:34 GMT -5 Friday Night SmackOwn said:

Aug 15, 2023 8:46:27 GMT -5 clifford said:

Western wrestling companies are just incapable of booking strong face world title reigns. I think there's been about 3 or 4 good ones since the Attitude era ended.

It's all about the chase and never about the follow-up.

wonder who these exceptions were/are.

Batista's first world title run in 2005- literally perfectly booked, smart, top face world champ
Cena's year long reign 2006-2007 (and even that one ran its course but for me its the best 'top face year plus long reign' of the last 20 years
Ambrose as WWE champ in 2016, even though it was a brief one
Moxley in AEW 2020- his pandemic run (guess he's just good at being a face world champ)

Those are the ones that spring to mind