Credit: WWE.com

Reacting to B/R Wrestling Community Takes on Eva Marie, Kenny Omega and More

The Doctor Chris Mueller

Welcome to the Bleacher Report WWE and All Elite Wrestling mailbag.

The B/R community has always been outspoken, especially when it comes to opinions on pro wrestling and its biggest stars.

We will answer your questions and react to your hot takes about WWE, AEW and the world of pro wrestling.

A wide variety of questions about everything from specific Superstars to broader topics have been submitted. Check out what was on the minds of the B/R community this week.

                            

If you'd like to have your question or hot take included in a future article, be on the lookout each Tuesday afternoon for the crowdsourcing thread on the WWE and AEW streams in the B/R app.

Eva Marie's Return

"Eva's return and the so-called match was horrible." (@Heat4LIFE)

"Eva Marie as a heel is smart, to be honest since everyone hates her anyway." (@kingking94)

Eva Marie's return was exactly what I expected it to be, and by that I mean she didn't wrestle and immediately started playing the heel.

Her video packages made it look like WWE might try to push her as a babyface, but it became clear that wasn't the plan when she had Piper Niven take her spot against Naomi.

While it sucks to see Naomi being used like this, she's one of the few women on Raw who isn't in a feud right now and there weren't a lot of options other than using a jobber from the Performance Center.

Honestly, this was the best possible scenario. Marie using her immense heat from the fans as a manager to help get Niven over is 100 times better than the alternative.

For those who do not keep up with NXT UK, Niven is a talented performer who will add some variety to the Raw roster. She was a good choice for this role because she can physically dominate almost anyone who gets in Eva's face.

As much as I would rather have back Zelina Vega or Ruby Riott, we have to work with what we have. Marie is back and the best we can do is hope WWE finds the best way to use her. 

Also, why would WWE act like Niven is some mystery character when she has been with the company for some time in the UK? If WWE treats its other brands like nobody watches, it gives the impression that they aren't worth watching. 

Does Kenny Omega Need Better Challengers?

"If AEW wants to make Kenny Omega the best champion in the industry, stop booking him against shlubs." (@joncobo)

I have to assume this is referring to Orange Cassidy since nobody in their right mind would call PAC a shlub in any way, shape or form. 

AEW might not be a brand-new company anymore but it is still in its infancy. It needs time to build up its own stars, and that requires testing the waters to see who works as a main event talent and who doesn't.

Cassidy is not everyone's cup of tea but denying the popularity he has amassed since joining AEW would be foolish. He is over with the fans, and management is right to push him in response.

We all complain about WWE not having enough variety in the title scene, but it also seems like a lot of people think there might be a little too much variety in the AEW Championship hunt. We can't have it both ways.

I think Cassidy is better suited to the TNT title picture. There is more room for his style of wrestling and comedy in the midcard scene than there is at the top.

For anyone who thinks Cassidy is not a good wrestler, look up some of his work as Fire Ant with The Colony. He was tag team partners with Drew Gulak and worked a much different style than what we see today. 

Should Roman Reigns Send Rey Mysterio Packing?

"Roman Reigns should retire Rey Mysterio to keep his dominance going." (@Dcollie)

If Rey Mysterio was ready to retire at this point, having Roman Reigns be the one to send him packing would be an awesome way to keep building heel heat for the universal champion.

However, Rey isn't going anywhere because he appears to be having the time of his life teaming up with Dominik and working as a tag team.

Mysterio is not the spring chicken he once was, but he can still put on an awesome match. We shouldn't want him to leave while he is still healthy enough to keep going at the rate he has been.

Dom, on the other hand, needs to put in some time in NXT. If he went solo right now, he would flounder because his promo ability needs work and he could benefit from continuing to learn from the coaches.

WWE could always do something like have Reigns kick the Mysterios off of SmackDown, but it might not carry the same weight as if he retired a legend like The Master of the 619. 

How Should Roman Reigns Turn Babyface?

"With rumors being that the endgame with Roman Reigns is to make him the company's face, how do you think he will eventually turn babyface?" (@DanetheMan82)

At some point, Reigns and The Usos are going to split from each other. When that happens, The Tribal Chief needs to spend some time purely as a solo act before WWE even thinks about turning him face again.

Once he is ready, the best thing would be for him to take a brief hiatus and then return to save his cousins from an attack of some sort. 

This would allow him to win back the admiration of the crowd by helping the family he once saw as nothing more than pawns. He would have to apologize but once that is done, Reigns would be cheered again.

The problem WWE may run into before it has that chance is the crowd choosing to cheer for The Big Dog regardless of his alignment. Some popular heels can't get booed to save their life, so they usually end up turning face as a result.

Reigns is more popular than ever these days because he has been so much fun to watch. When live crowds come back, it will be interesting to see how they react to him after a few weeks of being back on the road. 

All of this is way down the line, though. Reigns is better than ever, and WWE risks killing his momentum by changing him back to being a babyface too soon. I can't see it happening in 2021. 

'Hangman' Adam Page Needs a Push

"After Hangman Page won at Double or Nothing, I think he should start to push back into the No. 1 contender's spot." (@DougieDoug92)

"Hangman" Adam Page has been booked in an odd and inconsistent way for about a year. When AEW first started up, he seemed like a lock to be one of the first world champions, but that has changed.

There were hints of a heel turn that never happened and a feud with The Elite that fizzled out before it got started. Honestly, it's weird that he hasn't been used in a more significant way.

Page is an outstanding performer who can make just about anything fun to watch. He should be in the main event scene on a regular basis instead of having drinks with The Dark Order every week.

The comedy stuff has been fun, but I agree with Dougie that it's time for AEW to pull the trigger and give him the big push toward the title. If he isn't the one to dethrone Omega at some point, there's no telling when he might reach the top. 

Bobby Lashley and Drew McIntyre Need to End This

"I feel like I am the only one who is excited for Drew McIntyre vs. Bobby Lashley." (@RobertRobert)

As much as I have enjoyed Bobby Lashley and Drew McIntyre's feud, it is reaching the tipping point. This upcoming Hell in a Cell bout needs to be the last match they have for a while.

The biggest issue is WWE has not done a great job building up anyone else as a credible threat. Braun Strowman would have been the next logical choice but he was released, so that's out of the question.

There is no doubt that Lashley vs. McIntyre on Sunday will be a physical and entertaining chapter in this storyline, but it's also understandable why so many people are souring on this feud. It has been dragging on for months.

If WWE didn't feel the need to put rivals together in the same segments every week, this storyline might have some life left in it. While Robert probably isn't the only one looking forward to this match, there are a lot more people who are growing impatient with the company's creative team. 

Should Charlotte Go to AEW?

"Charlotte Flair needs to quit and make her AEW debut." (@djones139)

Nope. Charlotte is not going anywhere for the foreseeable future. Honestly, she shouldn't.

In WWE, she is already booked as one of the top stars whether she has the title or not. There is nowhere she could go where she would be booked as a bigger deal than she is now.

I understand the desire to see couples working together, but Andrade and Charlotte do not need to be in the same company to be happy or successful. 

AEW loyalists may not accept The Queen coming in and dominating another women's division, and WWE fans who do not like AEW probably wouldn't start watching Dynamite just to see her. There would be almost no benefit to her leaving WWE, especially from a financial perspective.

If anyone should consider AEW, it's Asuka. She would be treated like a huge deal there and given more creative freedom to be who she wants instead of what WWE thinks is marketable. 

   

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