Triple H over Sting, Reigns Silent on Raw and More from the Mailbag After Mania

WrestleMania weekend was a good one. WrestleMania 31 exceeded low expectations and will be talked about as one of the best WWE pay-per-views of all time. But not everybody can be happy all the time. Namely those who love Sting.  

Why Did Triple H Beat Sting?

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@ThisIsNasty Simple one, why did Triple H go over?

— Lachie Brown (@LBrownTweet) April 1, 2015"

Triple H going over Sting was a surprise to many, but based on the one-sided booking leading up to the match, it shouldn't be too much of a surprise.

Sting dominated Triple H during all of their showdowns on pay-per-view and television. Triple H would've looked like a chump had he lost to Sting, and he would've served no purpose being in the ring for the segment with The Rock.

As I mentioned on the latest episode of the PodNasty wrestling podcast, If Triple H beating Sting was a sacrifice necessary for a segment with The Rock and Ronda Rousey, it was worthwhile.

Date	Event	Opponent	Win/Loss
March 29, 2015	WrestleMania 31	Sting	Win
April 6, 2014	WrestleMania 30	Daniel Bryan	Loss
April 7, 2013	WrestleMania 29	Brock Lesnar	Win
April 1, 2012	WrestleMania 28	The Undertaker	Loss
April 3, 2011	WrestleMania 27	The Undertaker	Loss
March 28, 2010	WrestleMania 26	Sheamus	Win
April 5, 2009	WrestleMania 25	Randy Orton	Win
March 30, 2008	WrestleMania 24	Randy Orton and John Cena (Triple Threat)	Loss
April 1, 2007	WrestleMania 22	John Cena	Loss
April 2, 2006	WrestleMania 21	Batista	Loss

Triple H needed the win in order to effectively cut that heel promo, claiming he owns WWE. Although Sting claimed he didn't come back to fight for WCW, the story of their WrestleMania match was WWE vs. WCW. The commentary was heavily focused on the Monday Night Wars, and the match's climax saw a brawl between Degeneration X and the New World Order.

 There's no way Vince McMahon was going to book WCW to prevail under those pretenses.

According to PWInsider.com (h/t WrestlingInc.com), "angry feelings" were rehashed toward WCW among top WWE officials, including Vince McMahon, following Kevin Nash's Hall of Fame speech.

Maybe that speech caused McMahon to call an audible. I can just picture him waking up in a cold sweat from a nightmare where he had just attended the WCW Hall of Fame the night before Starrcade 31.

Ryback: Feed Him More Opportunities?

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@ThisIsNasty Solid support for Ryback on Raw, can he get back to the main event? Lesnar perhaps?

— Lachie Brown (@LBrownTweet) April 1, 2015"

I attended Raw live and was surprised at how much support Ryback received. There were audible "feed me more" chants during a main event that fans quickly devoured.

In the Reality Era, it's easy to dismiss Ryback as one of McMahon's muscle-bound pet projects who can't wrestle. But Ryback is a lifelong wrestling fan who works harder than just about anybody. His WrestleMania workout video is very inspirational and adds more depth to a character who's more than just a monster.

Big Show should only be used to put new talent over at this point in his career. Ryback could largely benefit from a successful feud against the Big Show.

If Cena continues his open challenge for the United States Championship, a few competitive matches with Ryback will at least condition fans to take him more seriously. Once upon a time, Ryback was well on his way to supplanting Cena, but he was a victim of bad timing and even worse booking when WWE turned him heel out of the blue.

More motivated than ever and sporting a great look, Ryback still has loads of potential.

Will AxelMania Still Run Wild?

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@ThisIsNasty what's next for AxelMania? I find him hilarious and it'd be nice to see him pick up a win in any way at Axtreme Rules

— Matt LaFemina (@MLaFem) April 1, 2015"

AxelMania was a great storyline leading up to the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal. It made sense for every WWE Superstar to target Axel in that match.

From here on out, he'll continue to be an enhancement talent, but one who resonates with fans. Axel has an entire year to talk about how he was never eliminated from the Royal Rumble if he wants to go that route. He received a huge ovation during an unaired entrance on Raw and can still get over beyond the outlying Raw after WrestleMania crowd.

Axel's potential is as a niche performer. If WWE truly had plans for this gimmick, the writers wouldn't have fed him to the crowd-pleasing Neville, who extinguished any babyface heat Axel was getting.

With Santino Marella gone, however, Axel can carve out his niche in midcard comedy, where losses aren't really held against his character.  

Early 2016 Hall of Fame Predictions

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@ThisIsNasty Sid, Freebirds, or Magnum TA which one or ones get into the HOF next year? #WWEmailbag

— T.J. McAloon (@tjmcaloon) April 1, 2015"

The Fabulous Freebirds are one of the most overdue acts for the WWE Hall of Fame, especially considering their most famous member is a top WWE official.

I'd be shocked if WWE waited yet another year to induct the Freebirds next year. WrestleMania 32 will emanate from Texas, where the Freebirds made their name against the Von Erichs.

Between Sid, the Freebirds and Magnum T.A., the Freebirds are the only potential Hall of Famers who would hold up even if the WWE Hall of Fame had a legitimate ballot system among sportswriters. They innovated tag team wrestling and sports entertainment through the Freebird Rule, theme music and flashier characters.

In the Texas "wrassling" territory of WCCW, which was ahead of its time, the Freebirds knew how to stand out and became huge stars because of it. The Freebirds are already in multiple wrestling Hall of Fames. WWE would just be icing on the cake.

Question of the Week: Was Roman Reigns misused on Raw after WrestleMania?

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@ThisIsNasty Was Roman utilized correctly on #RAWAfterMania, or should he have been featured beyond just the man event?

— James Coty (@JamesCoty1) April 1, 2015"

After coming off like a major star at WrestleMania 31, WWE neutered Reigns on Raw. The key to getting Reigns—or any true babyface—over in the Reality Era is manipulation. Criticized as a goldenboy being forced on fans, WWE manipulated the main event to make Reigns a sympathetic, resilient warrior.

Paul Heyman even gave Reigns a shout-out at the beginning of the show, which drew applause for the challenger from the hostile crowd.  

Reigns should have had a segment to express anger with Seth Rollins for his actions and promise revenge. People who support Reigns need something to believe in, and those who resent him need a reason to believe him.

WWE can't take any week for granted with Reigns because WWE's restless fanbase won't give him a pass. Just like Rollins reinstated The Authority, Reigns should have a hand in reinstating Lesnar from his suspension. People will admire the courage Reigns has for wanting another opportunity to slay the beast, even if it's in a Triple Threat match.

WWE needs to be constantly thinking of ways to make Reigns not only its biggest star but also a digestible babyface.

Alfred Konuwa is a Featured Columnist and on-air host for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter @ThisIsNasty and listen to his weekly wrestling podcast.