Booking Seth Rollins, Why The Usos Must Lose and More WWE, AEW Quick Takes

A majority of the Raw and SmackDown rosters have been stuck in a holding pattern ahead of the upcoming WWE draft, but no Superstar's lack of direction since WrestleMania 39 has been more inexcusable than Seth Rollins'.

The Visionary emerged victorious from his 'Mania war with Logan Paul, but he has not had meaningful television time in weeks despite maintaining his unmatched level of popularity. Instead, he's been left to spin his wheels each week on Raw.

The raft could provide a much-needed change of scenery for someone like Rollins, but it's also imperative that certain storylines aren't altered, most notably the looming downfall of The Bloodline.

The Usos regaining the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship when they receive their rematch this coming Friday on SmackDown would in no way benefit The Bloodline, the team of Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn, or the tag team division.

This installment of Quick Takes will discuss why the next step of The Bloodline's story hinges on an Usos loss, the AEW TNT Championship losing value, the bizarre booking of Austin Theory, and more.

Seth Rollins Should Be Roman Reigns' Next Challenger at Night of Champions

The rivalry with Logan Paul was the perfect use of Seth Rollins at WrestleMania 39, and it culminated correctly with The Visionary winning and giving the YouTuber his comeuppance.

It then became apparent on the post-WrestleMania Raw that WWE had no direction for Rollins from that point forward.

That was only emphasized when it was announced during Friday's SmackDown that he will face Omos one-on-one for the first time at Backlash on May 6 despite the two having no established issues with each other.

It could be a case of WWE keeping Rollins busy until after the draft, but either way, he should have an opportunity at Roman Reigns' Undisputed WWE Universal Championship waiting for him at Night of Champions on May 27.

As has been discussed ad nauseum, Rollins owns a disqualification win over Reigns from the 2022 Royal Rumble and their rivalry went unresolved. It would be fitting for them to run it back on the day The Tribal Chief reaches 1,000 days as the universal titleholder, which just so happens to coincide with the pay-per-view in Saudi Arabia.

Rollins is ready for a return to the main event scene and shouldn't been marginalized any longer.

Austin Theory Is Less Over Following Feud with John Cena

It's been over six months since Austin Theory's last suffered a pinfall loss on Raw. In that time, he has reigned as United States champion and racked up wins over John Cena, Edge, Rey Mysterio, Seth Rollins and Bobby Lashley, among others.

Despite all of that, though, the 25-year-old finds himself less over with the audience than he was even a month ago.

It seems WWE hasn't quite figured out what to do with the red brand's midcard champion, which is a problem that predates WrestleMania. Theory has largely been used as a third wheel in most storylines since the start of the year, and the one feud he did have with Cena failed to take him to the next level.

Not only did the veteran's scathing promo toward A-Town last month amount to nothing, the underwhelming fashion in which he beat Cena did nothing to convince viewers he's anywhere near the 16-time world champion's level.

The follow-up has been virtually nonexistent, which only further devalues the U.S. title he currently holds. He has a defense scheduled for Backlash, but he again feels like a background player in the ongoing issue between Bobby Lashley and Bronson Reed.

Theory is in a better spot now compared to when he was losing constantly as Mr. Money in the Bank, but his highly questionable booking has prevented him from feeling as important as he should.

Will Third Time Be the Charm for Wardlow as AEW TNT Champion?

The AEW TNT Championship has been far more of a hindrance than a help to anyone who has held it this past year, with Wardlow perhaps being the most prominent example.

Few All Elite Wrestling stars were hotter at the start of last summer than the 35-year-old, though it didn't take long for his afterthought of a reign to cool him off considerably. His second reign was much more forgettable due to it lasting a whopping three days.

Wardlow regained the belt on last Wednesday's Dynamite, ending Powerhouse Hobbs' overdue title run at just over a month. Barring a legitimate reason why Wardaddy had to take time off, trading the belt back and forth so quickly has done nobody any favors.

It's the latest in a a long line of TNT title changes dating back to November. The belt has basically become a prop to be passed around with little effort put into making it mean something.

It's in stark contrast to the AEW International Championship, which Orange Cassidy has defended consistently in excellent matches for over six months. Wardlow will have his work cut out for him heading into this third run, which needs to be uninterrupted and filled with feuds and stories fans will want to see.

These are small steps AEW must take in restoring whatever value the TNT Championship once had.

Mapping Out Becky Lynch vs. Trish Stratus Through SummerSlam

It's refreshing to finally have a storyline in the WWE women's division that doesn't involve a championship but rather two stars whose legendary resumes speaks for themselves.

Bayley vs. Becky Lynch stretching from the fall to WrestleMania 39 was a solid start, but Damage CTRL were already beyond repair at that point. However, Lynch vs. Trish Stratus has the potential to steal the summer if executed properly.

Stratus' betrayal of Lynch two weeks ago on Raw kicked off their rivalry, with the WWE Hall of Famer taking complete credit for the evolution of the women's evolution the following week. Per Fightful Select, The Man is dealing with a minor foot injury, so a bout at Backlash on May 6 is likely out of the question.

Prolonging their program is the right move, though, as it allows Lita to fill in for Lynch in her absence. The veterans can rekindle their rivalry either at Backlash or Night of Champions, with Stratus winning to keep her momentum alive.

Stratus can also challenge Bianca Belair for the Raw Women's Championship and fall short thanks to Lynch. That would set up their first match for either Money in the Bank or SummerSlam leading to the blow-off on the subsequent PPV.

Bloodline Storyline Can't Properly Progress with Usos as Tag Team Champions

All signs pointed to Roman Reigns dropping the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship to Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 39 and that being the catalyst of a Bloodline breakup.

When that didn't happen, The Usos losing the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship after a record-setting reign immediately became the top story of the stable. Unfortunately, there has been little progression on that front in recent weeks.

Paul Heyman has hinted at Jimmy and Jey Uso being in hot water with The Tribal Chief but hasn't outright confirmed they will suffer any consequences. That should change if, and when, they lose their title rematch to Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens on Friday's SmackDown.

There has been a worry among fans that the new titleholders could drop the belts before Night of Champions on May 27 due to neither Zayn nor KO traditionally working the Saudi Arabia shows.

Nothing can be accomplished by The Usos becoming champs again so soon, though. They have worked with and defeated practically every team in the division, but more importantly, how they handle this latest loss will be what keeps them interesting going forward.

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Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, has specialized in sports and entertainment writing since 2010. Visit his website, WrestleRant, and subscribe to his YouTube channel for more wrestling-related content.