Roman Reigns as equipment is knocked on to him. Credit: WWE.com

Burning WWE Questions That Will Be Answered by the End of 2019

The Doctor Chris Mueller

Pro wrestling is not what most people think of when someone mentions mysteries, but WWE has often used this kind of storyline to keep fans invested.

Who ran over "Stone Cold" Steve Austin? Who is going to hatch out of the egg at Survivor Series? Who blew up Vince McMahon's limo? There were all stories the company used to keep the WWE Universe tuning in every week, even if some of them seem ridiculous now.

Unanswered questions captivate people, whether it's in a movie, play or wrestling ring. Humans have an innate desire to know the answers to everything.

Luckily, WWE usually doesn't make us wait too long to give us a resolution. Let's take a look at some burning questions the company will answer before the end of the year. 

Who Attacked Roman Reigns?

Roman Reigns was about to make a challenge for SummerSlam during Monday's Raw when he was suddenly crushed by several pieces of equipment and part of the stage.

WWE said the incident was a result of a forklift driver, but this is obviously going to lead to someone being responsible for the attack.

Drew McIntyre, Shane McMahon and Elias have already been feuding with Reigns for months, so WWE needs to come up with someone new for The Big Dog to fight.

Since SummerSlam is coming up on August 11, WWE will likely reveal who attacked Reigns on Raw to set up a match at the biggest PPV of the summer.

This is a chance for the company to push a fresh face or reignite a rivalry from Reigns' past. It's going to be interesting to see which direction management goes in with this storyline. 

What Is Daniel Bryan's Big Announcement?

Daniel Bryan has been teasing some sort of announcement for the past several weeks, but every time he gets in front of a mic, The Planet's Champion stays silent and walks away.

This has been going on ever since Bryan and Rowan lost the SmackDown Tag Team Championships to The New Day at Extreme Rules on July 14.

The loss is obviously hitting him hard, and taking this long to reveal his plans hopefully means WWE has something interesting mapped out.

A move to 205 Live, retirement and breaking up his tag team are all viable options. Unless something happens on Monday or Tuesday, Bryan will likely be left off of the SummerSlam card.

When Will Buddy Murphy Get a Shot on SmackDown?

Buddy Murphy started calling himself WWE's Best Kept Secret while he was in NXT, but it wasn't until he moved to 205 Live that he was given a chance to prove it.

His matches with Ali, Cedric Alexander, Tony Nese and many more were some of the most entertaining contests of the past year. When he was announced as a member of the SmackDown roster, it seemed like he was going to be rewarded for all of his hard work.

Instead, Murphy has been sidelined for almost his entire run. He occasionally works dark matches before SmackDown and has appeared a few times in non-wrestling segments. But that is about it.

WWE needs to capitalize on his talent and start putting him in matches with guys who can push him to his limit. Murphy could be a world title contender if management books him right.

What Will Happen When SmackDown Moves to Fox?

SmackDown's move from USA to Fox might not sound like a big deal, but this is going to change how WWE sets up its shows every week.

The brand split might end up being enforced more frequently once the rosters are expected to appear on competing networks, which is something many fans want anyway.

The way WWE presents its product may also change. Fox has a studio show planned for the blue brand, so a sports-centric focus might become more important than the wacky storylines WWE is known for.

If Fox promotes the show properly, we could see SmackDown become WWE's flagship show. Advertising is a strong tool, and it can make a big difference when it comes to ratings.

This also means another set of network executives are going to be giving WWE feedback and notes, so we might see a period of transition before the show finds its groove.

Will WWE Continue the Wil-Card Rule or Keep the Roster Split?

The move to Fox brings up another interesting question: Will WWE end the brand split so its most popular stars can appear on both networks, or will it become more important than ever?

Both Fox and USA are going to want WWE's most popular names to appear, but getting some people to be exclusive might mean compromising on the brand split.

If Raw gets Reigns, SmackDown gets Rollins. We could see a new draft take place if management wants to make it seem like the two shows are competing with each other more than ever, and it might just be the shake-up WWE needs.

With Paul Heyman and Eric Bischoff now holding a lot of power in the company, they may try to create a feud between brands to simulate the competition from the Monday Night War.

How Will WWE Compete with AEW on Wednesdays?

All Elite Wrestling's weekly show will begin airing on TNT October 2 and will continue to air every Wednesday thereafter. A lot of people expect WWE to counterprogram the show in some way.

The company airs new episodes of NXT and NXT UK each Wednesday on WWE Network, but being pre-taped means fans do not have as much incentive to watch them live if they read spoilers ahead of time.

Airing those shows live would be a big change for the developmental system, but it could be the only way WWE can attempt to steal viewers from AEW.

Of course, WWE might not do anything. AEW is a small company by comparison, and unless it tries to move its show to the same night as Raw or SmackDown, WWE might not care if it gets to own Wednesday nights.

Is Mike Kanellis the Father of Maria's Baby?

Maria Kanellis became the first pregnant champion in WWE history when she forced Mike Kanellis to let her pin him for the 24/7 title moments after he won it from R-Truth.

She has been treating Mike like garbage lately and has even implied he might not be the father of her unborn child multiple times.

Mike seems to want to please her, but a person can only take so much abuse before they decide to stand up for themselves.

It's tough to say where WWE is going with this angle, but it could lead to a love triangle with Maria, Mike and the father of her baby. 

Either way, WWE has to figure out how to have someone defeat a pregnant woman without upsetting anyone who might feel like she is being put in unnecessary danger.

               


What questions do you want to see answered by the end of 2019?

   

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