1. The Growling Underdog
Sami Zayn's rivalry with Braun Strowman is allowing a master storyteller to spin a riveting tale.
The former NXT champion is a gutsy, frustrated warrior willing to charge into a battle he likely won't win. He's stepping into the maw of a monster, despite all the warnings echoing around him.
This is just the way Zayn should be showcased.
WWE has been inconsistent in booking Zayn for so long. At times, it seems the company has understood how compelling a natural underdog he is, like when he chopped down his archenemy Kevin Owens. Other times, Zayn has been relegated to the Raw bench.
At SummerSlam, WWE slotted him in the pre-show in a meaningless tag team match. A feud with Chris Jericho never got out of the starting block. Zayn was nowhere to be see at the Hell in a Cell pay-per-view.
Against Strowman, though, Zayn has been given the opportunity to emote and engage.
Raw's resident behemoth had been tearing through the roster with minimal resistance. Strowman feasted on no-name opponents, even when two or three of them fought him at the same time.
The former member of The Wyatt Family then began to bully his peers, attacking fan favorites after the bell.
That inspired Zayn to step up to Strowman. The first confrontation didn't go well, as the big man hurled Zayn out of the ring. Backstage, when asked why he challenged Strowman, Zayn said, "Because no one else will."
There is a gallantry to that response and that mindset that fits Zayn well. Portraying him as a defender looking to chase away bigger predators makes perfect sense.
This dynamic sets up Zayn for clashes that could further his connection with the crowd, win or lose. He's fighting for justice, so even if he gets beat down, he will come out looking like a true babyface.
Zayn's other meetings with Strowman have resulted in more lopsided exchanges that have left him hurt. Strowman throttled The Underdog From The Underground on Nov. 21. Zayn emerged from the fight hobbled, surrounded by medical staff.
As a result, Raw general Mick Foley refused to let Zayn wrestle Strowman again.
Zayn has responded with seething anger. Time and again, he has demanded another shot at his towering foe, regardless of what destruction awaited him.
In this role, Zayn has poured his guts out in a series of emotional promos. His fire and desperation have been tremendous to watch.
Foley finally gave in, booking Zayn vs. Strowman at the Roadblock: End of the Line PPV on Sunday. The bout will feature a 10-minute time limit, however. Doubt lingers as to whether Zayn can simply survive for that stretch.
Raw has painted Strowman as a fearsome monster. It has cleared the way for Zayn to flourish as a man refusing to back down, a compelling hero up against a most daunting challenge.
As Ryan Satin of Pro Wrestling Sheet pointed out, this may be the best WWE has handled the former NXT champ:
The 10-minute stipulation opens up a number of options for WWE. Zayn can get a victory of sorts by lasting the time limit while still leaving Strowman's record unblemished. Otherwise, Zayn can valiantly clash with the beast only to come up just short at over nine minutes.
Either way, WWE must build on what it's doing with Zayn. As much as this is clearly designed to launch Strowman, it has to be a means to elevate the babyface, too.
He has demonstrated an ability to make us care about what becomes of him in the ring. He has been a stellar actor and a likable, memorable protagonist.
Following the climax of his personal war with Strowman, Zayn needs new high-profile stories in which to shine.
2. A Momentum-Hungry Rollins
Roadblock: End of the Line is a perfect opportunity for Seth Rollins to nab a much-needed win.
2016 hasn't been kind to The Architect when it comes to pay-per-views. According to CageMatch.net, Rollins is just 1-6 at those events. And he's suffered six straight PPV losses.
Rollins has an underwhelming .500 winning percentage in both TV and PPV bouts combined.
Should WWE want to boost Rollins ahead of his assumed showdown with Triple H, it would be wise to begin with him taking down Chris Jericho at Sunday's PPV. A win streak would do wonders for a Superstar who hasn't felt like much of a threat of late.
3. Throwback Video of the Week: Demolition
After surviving two Triple Threat matches on Monday's Raw, The New Day passed Demolition's record as WWE's longest-reigning tag team champs ever.
The New Day deserves congratulations, but the feat should also inspire reflection on what Ax and Smash accomplished. Demolition was one of the top teams in an era brimming with greatness in that division.
The menacing crew became unforgettable characters in WWE's menagerie of oddities.
It's strange to think that Demolition practiced the same artistic medium as The New Day. One team growled; the other gyrates. Demolition donned spiked leather and face paint; The New Day wears unicorn horns and tosses out cereal to the crowd.
4. Cena on SNL
John Cena continues to transition into a career outside of the squared circle.
The 15-time world champ hosted Saturday Night Live for the first time this past weekend. His duties put his goofiness to work.
Cena looked right at home alongside the likes of Leslie Jones and Mikey Day. It wasn't the greatest episode of the sketch-comedy show, but it was another boost to Cena's non-WWE resume. More and more, fans will have to turn to appearances like this to get their Cena fill.
5. NXT's Increased Rate of Turnover
NXT was once home to long, sustained title reigns, especially compared to the main roster. This year, however, the developmental brand has picked up the pace in crowning new champs.
Shinsuke Nakamura knocked off Samoa Joe to reclaim the NXT Championship on Dec. 7. The victory unseated The Samoan Submission Machine as champ after just 14 days.
The previous shortest reign had been 63 days. Joe shattered that mark.
And before 2016, there had never been a two-time NXT champion of any kind. This year, Joe and Nakamura both won their second NXT titles. The Revival also claimed its second NXT Tag Team Championship this June.
It took two years for the NXT Championship to change hands four times after WWE debuted the prize in 2012. The same title has changed owners four times since April.
Hopefully, NXT is not mirroring WWE's habit of playing hot potato with the gold. Longer stays in the throne mean more. And they lead to more significant moments when someone finally displaces the reigning king.
6. Matt Hardy's Invitations
In preparation for the chaotic circus that will be Tag Team Apocalypto at TNA's Total Nonstop Deletion on Thursday night, Matt Hardy has called out some of wrestling's biggest squads.
In a series of recent tweets, the captivating madman has welcomed everyone from The Rock 'N' Roll Express to D-Generation X to the battle at the Dome of Deletion. One of the most intriguing invitees is The Wyatt Family:
WWE isn't going to let the SmackDown tag champs work for a rival company, but the idea of the wild-eyed Hardys taking on Bray Wyatt, Randy Orton and Luke Harper is hard to shut out. That would be a tremendous meeting of out-there characters, a collision of the bizarre.
7. A Better Sense of Dorado
To propel Lince Dorado, WWE must dig into his character.
The high-flying, electric dynamo is a joy to watch in the ring but will need more than that to connect with casual fans. Like many of his fellow cruiserweights, Dorado is largely unknown to much of the audience.
He has a mask. He's from Puerto Rico. But beyond that, WWE hasn't told us much more about him.
WWE should draw inspiration from Lucha Underground, which often crafts elaborate backstories for its luchadors. That promotion presents its warriors as supernatural creatures, men carrying on ancestral lineages or martial arts masters.
Applying that kind of creativity to Dorado's presentation would boost him in a major way, allowing him to stand out in a field of other great athletes.
8. Hero's Hits
One of the independent circuit's best talents is reportedly bound for WWE.
Dave Meltzer wrote on Figure Four Online, "Barring a last minute change, Chris Hero is heading back to WWE."
Fans may remember him as Kassius Ohno when he wrestled for WWE's developmental promotions Florida Championship Wrestling and NXT. He left in 2013 before getting a real shot to succeed.
His second go-round with the company promises to be better. Hero has been on a tear on the indy circuit.
To get better acquainted with Hero's work before his WWE arrival, check out these clips of some of his best bouts:
Chris Hero vs. CM Punk: IWA-Mid-South House of Hardcore: 2nd Anniversary (TLC)
The Kings of Wrestling vs. The Young Bucks: ROH Salvation 2010
Chris Hero vs. Tommy End: PWG Don't Sweat the Technique (2015)
Chris Hero vs. Jushin Liger: PWG Battle of Los Angeles 2016
Chris Hero vs. Cody Rhodes: EVOLVE 67
Hero may well meet End again at NXT, as WWE recently signed the Dutch bruiser, as well. That's just one of several mouthwatering matches that officials could set up for Hero.
9. Bliss Killing it Thus Far
The SmackDown Women's Championship has looked mighty good on Alexa Bliss' shoulders.
The NXT draftee has been tremendous as the cowardly but cocky heel champ. WWE took a chance in elevating someone so unproven, and she's made the company look smart for doing so.
On Tuesday's SmackDown, she deftly trashed her scheduled opponent.
In Bliss' mind, a local, unsigned talent wasn't worth breaking a sweat over. Her disdain for Deonna Purrazzo popped on the screen.
But as soon as Becky Lynch showed up, Bliss was ready to bolt, just as so many heel champs before her would have been. Bliss' scurrying ways and feigned injury later on were top-notch.
This kind of comfort as a villain has been commonplace for her. She's been one of SmackDown's best assets in recent weeks. And she will only get better with experience.
It's clear that Bliss is going to have one hell of a 2017.
10. Kingston on Race
A celebration turned into an altercation in a hurry.
The New Day, Sasha Banks and Rich Swann all posed with their WWE championship titles. Big E tweeted a shot of the group:
The "Black Excellence" hashtag attached to the image stirred up online conversations and angry rants about race. Some questioned why it was okay for black Americans to be so prideful of their ethnicity, while white folks trumpeting their race unsettles so many people.
On Twit Longer, Kofi Kingston posted a stirring response to critics that included this paragraph:
Excellence is not the same as supremacy. #BlackExcellence is not meant to be divisive. For even if you do not fall into the specific category, you can still take enjoyment in our pride, because in the biggest picture, in a society that often focuses on the negative aspects of race relations, what has transpired with the 5 of us speaks positively to the progress we've made as a nation.
As much as wrestling is escapism, it can't avoid being a lightning rod for social issues at times. Big E may not have meant for his tweet to be the catalyst for a tense discussion on race in wrestling and in America, but it morphed into that.
Kingston pinpointed why this photo means so much. A wrestling company promoting this many people of color to the rank of champion isn't something to take for granted.
It is indeed something to celebrate, as it's a sign of the industry's evolution.
Championship statistics courtesy of WWE.com.