The Undertaker, Heel Roman Reigns and More from the Hardcore Mailbag

With WrestleMania season approaching, some fans once again seem to be intent on trying to change the card by booing a top babyface out of the main event. WWE should have one directive when dealing with these issues: Stay strong, don't let them break you.

Good Roman, or Bad Roman?

No. At the end of the day, WWE needs to have the self-awareness to realize every top babyface will get a mixed reaction at best. Fans aren't booing Reigns as much as they are booing a mainstream wrestling product. There is a very low ceiling on the amount of money WWE can make to appease these typically single males with limited discretionary income. Besides, whoever makes it to the top of WWE as a babyface will seem "forced" because people are more cynical these days.

Even in past generations, hardcore fans eventually turned on Shawn Michaels, The Rock and even Hulk Hogan. Stone Cold Steve Austin never had that problem as a babyface, but he's the exception that proves the rule.

WWE cannot drive itself crazy listening to a segment of the audience that is impossible to please, not to mention one that will watch the product indiscriminately in the first place. Yes, Reigns will get booed at Fastlane, but that's just something WWE has to deal with.

If WWE wants to portray Reigns as a one-versus-all underdog, it needs to sneak in lines that Reigns routinely walks into hostile environments, yet he keeps fighting no matter who is against him. The man is even brave enough to walk through these crowds like an embattled biblical character walking through hellfire.

Bullet Club—Shots Fired?

The whole Bullet Club acquisition was head-scratching to me. The common denominators for WWE's current "bad luck" with injuries is either aging wrestlers in their mid-to-late thirties or wrestlers who have been taking bumps for over 10 years. Ken Anderson and Doc Gallows check both of those boxes, but I don't expect them to be featured players in NXT.

WWE Superstar	Injury	Mid-to-Late Thirties?	A Decade or More in Pro Wrestling?
John Cena	Shoulder	√	√
Randy Orton	Shoulder	√	√
Alberto Del Rio	Lower Back	√	√
Daniel Bryan	Concussion Protocol	√	√
Seth Rollins	Knee (ACL)		√
Wade Barrett	Neck	√	√
Sheamus	Tendonitis	√	√
Cesaro	Shoulder	√	√

It seems NXT is slowly moving toward a Finn Balor heel turn. In fact, I expect a rare double-turn following his NXT Championship match at NXT Takeover: Dallas. As a smaller heel with an exciting wrestling style, Balor needs a stable to really drive the point home, and that's where Gallows and Anderson can come in to be his heavies.

I don't expect an incredible tag team run from these two in the tag team division. Hopefully, NXT can play to their strengths and make them relevant by virtue of protecting the world champion. At best, they'd be a poor man's Luke Harper and Erick Rowan.

Undertaker Roulette

Figuring out who Undertaker's opponent will be at WrestleMania might end up being more exciting than the actual buildup. Braun Strowman most recently entered the discussion, per the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t WrestlingInc.com), which just sounds like it would be a disaster for both.

In his prime, Undertaker had a way of getting the best possible matches out of monster heels. But this version of The Undertaker—the slower, more fragile version—will have quite the task doing the same with a worker as raw as Strowman.

In addition to the in-ring difficulties, it would be quite the shame if a green Strowman was Undertaker's final WrestleMania opponent in what will end up being the biggest WrestleMania of all time. This has remnants of Undertaker's unforgettable handicap match at WrestleMania 19 written all over it. This isn't the way he should go out.

I have a fleeting feeling that John Cena will be ready before WrestleMania as he once again goes through a lightning-fast recovery from an otherwise long-term injury. The danger there is Cena would have to take the majority of bumps in a match against Undertaker so if he does return, hopefully it's not too soon.

 The Divas Shuffle

The Divas division remains very confusing and inconsistent. Each week brings a new face, heel, rivalry and contender. Just last week, Sasha Banks was a heel, and Brie Bella was taking losses without an entrance. Now, Banks is a sympathetic figure with Brie Bella coming out of nowhere to beat the Divas champion. 

It appears as if WWE is moving toward a Banks-Charlotte WrestleMania match in order to replicate their success in NXT. The problem is, much of that success was based on storytelling and getting fans to invest in these characters. With no consistent motivation from either of them, fans will not care about the match unless it wildly exceeds expectations in the ring, which is unfair to the performers.

One minute, Charlotte doesn't want to live in her father's shadow. The next minute, she's mimicking his every mannerism while the man stands in her corner.

One minute, Banks is preaching "unity" with Team Bad. The next minute, she breaks away from the group with no prior tease of dissension.

The argument can be made that the Divas division is in worse shape than it was before this NXT gentrification. What a mess.

Alfred Konuwa is a Featured Columnist and an on-air host for Bleacher Report. Like him on Facebook and listen to his pro wrestling podcast, PodNasty.