Injury Prone and Pushing 40: Is Christian on His Last Legs in WWE?
Christian made his return to the WWE after Payback, where he defeated Wade Barrett on Raw and Drew McIntyre on SmackDown. He returned from a shoulder injury that he sustained after losing the Intercontinental title to The Miz in mid-2012.
The Wrestling Observer Newsletter (via wrestlinginc.com) stated Christian is awaiting a storyline from the WWE creative team. Unfortunately, Christian’s return raises more questions than answers.
Is Christian on his last legs in the WWE? He’ll turn 40 in November and has had a career laden with injuries. Countless injuries have kept Christian back. For example, he suffered an ankle injury at Survivor Series 2011, which derailed his main event run. Another return ought to make fans wonder what’s in store for Captain Charisma.
Truthfully, Christian has done it all. He’s won virtually every title in the history of the WWE, with the exception of the WWE and United States titles. What is there left for Christian to do?
If Christian can stay healthy, then he could have one more run, which doesn’t necessarily mean holding a championship again. However, it could mean Captain Charisma’s return to title contention.
Christian is the type of wrestler who can successfully feud with marquee Superstars. He’s already been inserted into the WWE Title picture, as he’ll take part in the Money in the Bank ladder match. What happens after if he loses?
Many options are available. He can renew his rivalry with Alberto Del Rio for the world title, or he can also go after the Intercontinental title again, taking on champion Curtis Axel. Wouldn’t it be interesting to see Captain Charisma wrestle Fandango? Maybe he takes on The Shield in some capacity for the United States and/or Tag Team titles.
Can you see the possible scenarios? Christian will return with momentum, but it won’t be enough for a title run. Christian’s “peeps” will probably be disappointed, though they shouldn’t be.
The WWE needs to build the next generation. Part of that means veterans coming back to work and season the young guys. Christian is the veteran who can pull it off.
Dean Ambrose, Barrett, Axel and others need feuds. Christian is that guy who can successfully get these young wrestlers over with the crowd. The main thing for Christian to do is to stay healthy, which, in the WWE, is easier said than done.
