Credit: WWE.com

Braun Strowman and 4 Superstars in Need of a Reboot After WrestleMania 35 Season

Erik Beaston

With WrestleMania in the rearview mirror, WWE turns its attention to the post-Showcase of the Immortals season and hugely significant Superstar Shake-up that will alter the rosters of Raw and SmackDown for the foreseeable future.

In doing so, it has the opportunity to reboot several Superstars whose WrestleMania seasons were either underwhelming or did not feature the outcomes one would have hoped for them.

From former world champions to Superstars with the potential to reach that pinnacle, they are competitors who can serve the company in high-profile positions with the right boost from the creative team.

Before the Superstar Shake-up takes place on Monday and Tuesday to change the face of WWE's premier brands, these are the Superstars who would most benefit from reboots.

Braun Strowman

Braun Strowman was once a legitimate contender to the take the Universal Championship from Brock Lesnar. Sunday at WrestleMania, he was not even on the main card, instead feuding with Saturday Night Live stars Colin Jost and Michael Che in the afterthought that is the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal.

Sure, he predictably won the match, but it was a massive step down for someone once considered the heir apparent to Roman Reigns when The Big Dog took a leave of absence because of his leukemia diagnosis.

Strowman has been treading water in WWE since his loss to Lesnar at Crown Jewel in November and desperately needs a reboot to salvage whatever star power and credibility he has left. Fans got a taste of what The Monster Among Men would look like on SmackDown during Tuesday's episode, when he rushed the ring and physically confronted Samoa Joe.

Whether that is a hint at things to come or a meaningless tease for the Superstar Shake-up remains to be seen.

What must happen, though, is a reversal of fortunes for Strowman before he becomes this generation's version of Big Show.

Randy Orton

Last fall, Randy Orton underwent a gimmick revamp in which he turned heel and began taking out fan favorites just because. He was sickening and diabolical as he tortured the likes of Tye Dillinger and Jeff Hardy. His performance inside Hell in a Cell against The Charismatic Enigma was simply outstanding.

Unfortunately, in the months following that win over Hardy, Orton has been involved in high-profile rivalries but almost always lost.

Case in point: His WrestleMania program with AJ Styles.

The Viper cut some outstanding promos ahead of the match, hammering home the idea that Styles was a glorified indy darling who did not belong in WWE.

His performance in said match was as solid and typical of the future Hall of Famer as fans have come to expect. Unfortunately for him and any momentum he may have built ahead of the bout, he lost.

Again.

Orton needs less of a reboot in the wake of WrestleMania and more of a tune-up. The Viper needs to build some momentum for himself with some quality wins so fans take what has been a thoroughly entertaining heel act seriously again.

If not, he is essentially a glorified jobber to the stars, and he deserves a hell of a lot better than that.

Drew McIntyre

Drew McIntyre had momentum entering WrestleMania.

He has scored wins over Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose in the weeks leading up to his showdown with Roman Reigns and was prominently featured on Raw. The Scottish Psychopath looked to be ascending to the role of lead heel many predicted he would fill when he made the jump to the main roster a year earlier.

Then at WrestleMania, he lost to Reigns in a straightforward match that never felt like he had a chance to win.

His lack of presence on the post-WrestleMania episode of Raw and his disappearance from the main event of SmackDown did not help matters.

With the Superstar Shake-up upon us, the former NXT champion needs to build momentum and join the top Superstars of whichever brand he lands on in the main event scene. He needs a consistent push, quality wins and maybe a championship to go along with it.

He is too talented to continue being wasted in any other role.

The Bar

Since 2016, Sheamus and Cesaro have been the foundation of the tag team division in WWE. Whether on Raw or SmackDown, they have been workhorses who were—and still are—responsible for some of the best tag team action in the entire company.

At the risk of offending fans of The Revival, an argument can be made that they have been the real best tag team in wrestling.

After WrestleMania 35, though, it is becoming more and more apparent that there is nothing left for them to do as a tandem.

Both Cesaro and Sheamus are world-class performers. They have experienced success in singles competition, with the latter winning the WWE Championship on three occasions. Cesaro is perhaps the most talented Superstar of his generation not to have won the top prize in the company.

With the Superstar Shake-up taking place this Monday and Tuesday, it is time to reboot the performers by breaking up The Bar and letting them thrive on their own in high-level competition, giving them the significant opportunities they have earned.

   

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