Triple H's Latest Booking Misfires, Breaking Up a WWE and AEW Faction, More Reaction
The latest spark of excitement in WWE was again followed by multiple misfires from Triple H this past week.
Seth Rollins being ousted from The Vision in the wake of Crown Jewel should have ushered in a new era for Raw and the World Heavyweight Championship picture. Instead, the vacant title will be fought for by two men who have held it in the last four months.
Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed are coming off the biggest moments of their careers to date by betraying Rollins and defeating Roman Reigns, respectively, but based on the booking, they could be cooled off considerably unless they are factored into important plans coming out of Saturday Night's Main Event.
The red brand is also being hurt by The Judgment Day continuing to spin its wheels in the absence of Liv Morgan. Although it's apparent WWE is holding off until her imminent return to do anything drastic, the group's lack of direction is causing the show to suffer in the meantime.
From the factions WWE and All Elite Wrestling need to break up soon to the next step in Jade Cargill's resurgence, these are the top takeaways from the week that was in wrestling.
Triple H's Long-Term, Slow-Burn Booking Approach Shouldn't Apply to Bron Breakker
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Triple H's emphasis on long-term storytelling has been evident since he took over as WWE head of creative three years ago, and it's often paid dividends, with Cody Rhodes "finishing his story" at WrestleMania 40 being the biggest example.
In other instances, it has proved to be more of a detriment than anything else and that has certainly been the case with the World Heavyweight Championship since Crown Jewel.
Seth Rollins suffering a serious injury in his match with Cody Rhodes in Australia was obviously never part of the plan, but it provided WWE with a great opportunity to pivot and shake up the top of the card on Raw.
The Vision's betrayal of Rollins was a welcome shocker, but the follow-up on last week's Raw left much to be desired.
Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed were nowhere to be found in the world heavyweight title No. 1 Contender's Battle Royal despite them being positioned as major stars the week prior.
Breakker in particular could and should have been the one WWE turned to with Rollins out injured to take the title and run Raw.
Although that's clearly the direction WWE is eventually headed in, holding off on it will hurt any interest current and potentially returning viewers have in the angle and the momentum Breakker has right now.
There's nothing wrong with fast-tracking certain storylines and Superstars in order to strike while the iron is hot as opposed to waiting to play the story out at a snail's pace.
Jey Uso Winning Back World Heavyweight Title Isn't the Answer to Raw Woes
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Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed being omitted from Raw's star-studded Battle Royal resulted in Jey Uso emerging victorious and setting him up for a match with CM Punk for the vacant World Heavyweight Championship.
The outcome of Saturday's contest isn't as predictable as some may believe. Per Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio, Punk was penciled in to challenge for the title prior to Seth Rollins' injury but wasn't planned to win it.
Additionally, Uso adopting more of an aggressive edge and teasing tension with Roman Reigns and his brother, Jimmy, has been a prominent storyline as of late. There is a realistic scenario in which Uso knocks off Punk to become champ again and possibly turns heel in the process.
However, where would be the interesting aftermath coming out of it? Uso running it back with Reigns or Jimmy is old hat, he's already had countless clashes with Breakker and Reed, and his repetitive rivalry with Gunther ended in June.
With Punk, there are much more appealing programs waiting for him as world champion with Gunther, Reigns, Breakker, Reed and LA Knight, regardless of how long he holds the gold for.
If Punk is intended to leave Saturday Night's Main Event with the title, Knight would have been the better opponent for him, even if there's a bigger feud coming from them at some point.
The Judgment Day's Demise Must Be Imminent
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It's been said time and time again, but The Judgment Day truly are ready to be broken up after over three-and-a-half years together in WWE.
Their longevity and the amount of impressive accolades they've racked up along the way deserve to be commended, but the only compelling part of the group these days is wondering when they'll finally split. The teases no longer pack a punch because they've largely led nowhere in the past two years.
Damian Priest and Rhea Ripley being exiled at SummerSlam 2024 was the beginning of the end for them. WWE seems to be hesitant to pull the trigger on Dominik Mysterio breaking off on his own until Liv Morgan is ready to return, and per PWInsider (h/t Randall Ortman of Cageside Seats), she's expected to be back in time for the Royal Rumble in late January.
That would mean at least another three months of The Judgment Day spinning its wheels. There's virtually nothing the stable can do in that time that would make waiting until then worthwhile, so going ahead with the breakup must be the move.
Continuing to revolve Raw around their melodrama accomplishes little if the "developments" within The Judgment Day aren't meaningful. Finn Bálor and JD McDonagh losing the World Tag Team Championship on the latest Raw should be the catalyst for their demise.
AEW's Death Riders Experiment Has Officially Run Its Course
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The Death Riders haven't lasted nearly as long in AEW as The Judgment Day in WWE, but it's high time for them for them to go their separate ways as well.
Jon Moxley losing the AEW World Championship to Adam Page at All In back in July should have been first domino to fall. They've instead regrouped by bringing back Pac, recruiting Daniel Garcia and continuing to target Darby Allin.
Allin decisively defeated Moxley in a vicious "I Quit" match at WrestleDream, the culmination of a rivalry that had lasted over a year. On the subsequent Dynamite, The Daredevil then reiterated that his business with The Death Riders will never be over as long as they're around before brawling with them later in the show.
All signs point to the face-pained babyface teaming with The Conglomeration to battle Death Riders in Blood and Guts on Nov. 12, though there's been zero indication the heel faction will be on the verge of collapse even if it loses that bout.
AEW can't move forward fully until Moxley and Co. are in the rearview. Their matches are usually enjoyable, but they've officially run their course from a booking standpoint and aren't adding to the product in an effective fashion.
There's also no reason for The Death Riders to exist now that The Don Callis Family has become the most dominant and far more decorated heel stable in AEW.
Winning WWE Women's Title Is Next Step In Jade Cargill's Resurgence
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An argument can be made for Jade Cargill's WWE run not living up to the lofty expectations set by fans upon her coming over from AEW two years ago.
She has held the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship on two occasions and became Queen of the Ring earlier this year but has fallen short in every opportunity she's had at the WWE Women's Championship since SummerSlam.
Turning heel was the only way her character could be salvaged. Winning the WWE women's title from Tiffany Stratton at Saturday Night's Main Event is the next step in her resurgence.
The turn itself on SmackDown this past Friday was well-executed with Cargill showing signs of the no-nonsense attitude that made her such a star in AEW.
Honing in on that should allow her to come into her own as a character again and finally find her footing, provided the inconsistent quality of her matches doesn't derail her momentum.
There is no other acceptable outcome than Cargill beating Stratton in their next championship clash. From there, she can rule over the SmackDown women's division before Bianca Belair ideally returns around Royal Rumble season to kick off a long-awaited rivalry between them ahead of WrestleMania 42.
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.
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