Logan Paul as WWE U.S. Champion, Booking Sting's Last Hurrah in AEW, More Quick Takes

Logan Paul announced his intentions on Friday's SmackDown to challenge Rey Mysterio for WWE's United States Championship at Crown Jewel 2023, and all signs point to him leaving Saudi Arabia on Nov. 4 with the star-spangled prize.

As impressive of a run as he's had so far, a title run would only work if he's able to appear more consistently. The blue brand is in solid shape for now, but having two part-time champions could pose a major problem for the program in the months ahead.

The newsworthy week in wrestling also saw Sting name AEW Revolution 2024 as his swan song from active competition. Although his desired opponent for the event was not named, it's safe to assume he'll have several more matches between now and then as his iconic career comes to a close.

Filled with countless memorable moments and matches, Sting's AEW run has been a primary example of how a legend of his caliber should be utilized as an attraction. Now it's up to the company to nail the remainder of his retirement tour as well.

This installment of Quick Takes will tackle how AEW should book Sting in his final few months, where Randy Orton fits in upon his impending return, why a major development with Judgment Day must be imminent, and more.

Logan Paul Winning U.S. Title Only Works If He Appears More Regularly

In an interview with ESPN earlier this year, Paul made it clear he re-signed with WWE because he was ready to take on more opportunities, including winning championship gold.

Winning a world title wouldn't be ideal with the vast amount of top talent the company has on SmackDown and Raw right now, making a midcard championship an obtainable goal. That's why it works that he has his sights set on Rey Mysterio's United States Championship come Crown Jewel.

Although the star-spangled prize would suit him well, it's imperative he competes more consistently as champ compared to the part-time schedule he's had so far in WWE.

Paul tends to resurface ahead of a big pay-per-view but is absent from WWE TV otherwise. Him taking the title and leaving would do a disservice to SmackDown at a time where the Undisputed WWE Universal champion Roman Reigns also appears infrequently.

Ultimately, the endgame for Paul as U.S. champion should be for him to drop it to LA Knight, who he's had quality chemistry with in the past and is bound to be on a collision course with heading into WrestleMania 40.

Randy Orton Is the Perfect Fit for a WarGames Match Against The Bloodline

Per WWE insider WrestleVotes on X, Randy Orton is expected back sooner rather than later with Survivor Series being targeted as the ideal timetable.

What the company intends to do for that show remains unknown and won't become clear until after Crown Jewel. WarGames has been teased quite a few times for months now, but there's no telling whether it would be faction warfare, a battle for brand supremacy, or something else entirely.

If The Bloodline ends up involved in WarGames for the second straight year, putting Orton on the opposing squad would only make sense given his history with the faction, along with how they were responsible for putting him on the shelf in storyline back in May 2022.

As of this writing, Roman Reigns isn't advertised for the event, but if he is added, pairing him up with Solo Sikoa, Jimmy Uso and perhaps two members of The Judgment Day to take on a team led by Cody Rhodes, Jey Uso and The Bloodline's other adversaries inside WarGames would be a perfect reintroduction for Orton.

That could also pave the way for Orton eventually challenging Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship, potentially at the Royal Rumble.

Orton's long-awaited return will be a massive moment, and if Survivor Series in Chicago won't feature CM Punk in any capacity, then The Viper would hardly be a bad consolation prize.

House of Black Will Benefit from Being Booked as Collision's Top Heel Act

House of Black haven't had much of a presence on AEW TV in what feels like ages and haven't been able to find their footing as an act as a result.

Any time they've appeared to be on the brink of breaking through and hitting their stride, they've had their television time and/or push stalled for whatever reason. Their loss of the AEW World Trios Championship at All In saw them disappear from programming entirely until Saturday's Collision where they resurfaced and laid waste to all of the brand's biggest babyfaces.

Although AEW doesn't enforce a strict roster split, there are a number of names who feel exclusive to Collision and House of Black are among them. Making them the top faction on Saturday nights and having them work with the likes of Blackpool Combat Club and FTR is certainly an effective way of heating them up again.

The key to their latest resurgence will be how Malakai Black in particular is handled as a singles star. He's long been underutilized and a storyline with Bryan Danielson could prove to be exactly what he needs to get him back on track.

The matches they can have with Blackpool Combat Club and FTR should be stellar, but booking them to be dominant, legitimate threats should be top priority.

Judgment Day Storyline Is Overdue for a Significant Development

WWE has done an exceptional job of centering Raw around The Judgment Day since the 2023 Draft and having them run rampant on the entire roster.

The biggest issue they've run into as of late is not showing much progression. We've now reached a point where a major development is needed or they'll run the risk of growing stale as a stable.

Losing their titles and quickly regaining them doesn't suffice, nor would JD McDonagh officially being welcomed into the group.

For a while, tension was being teased between Finn Bálor and Damian Priest, which ultimately amounted to nothing. Getting back to that would be a step in the right direction, along with how it pertains to Priest's Money in the Bank briefcase.

Seth Rollins has had a strong reign as World Heavyweight champion but would excel being back in chase mode if he were to lose the title to Priest via a cash-in. Another option could see Rhea Ripley branch off on her own, start a sub-stable, or turn babyface as part of her program with Nia Jax, Shayna Baszler and Zoey Stark.

Raw's quality from week to week has improved considerably in recent months, but WWE failing to turn the page with Judgment Day could have an adverse effect on the show if something isn't done in the foreseeable future.

AEW Must Maximize Sting During Retirement Tour

It was a wise decision by AEW to have Sting announce his looming retirement over four months in advance to give every one of his matches more of a must-see vibe from here on out.

His final farewell will take place at March's Revolution pay-per-view, so until then, the promotion should be maximizing the WWE Hall of Famer while they have him available by having him wrestle more frequently than he has been this year.

This includes random tag team matches alongside Darby Allin as well as actual storylines with other teams on the roster. In fact, he and Allin have gone undefeated as a duo the last three years, so it would stand to reason that he's owed an opportunity at the AEW World Tag Team Championship.

He and Allin wouldn't have to hold the gold for long, but it would raise the profile of the belts with fans knowing Sting's run isn't forever, along with the idea that he could conceivably retire as a champion. That makes the outcome of all of his matches that much more unpredictable.

With the legendary run he's had in wrestling, Sting deserves a grand retirement tour, culminating in one last marquee match that allows him to go out on top and on his terms.

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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.