Nikki Bella, Charlotte, John Cena and More from the Nepotism Mailbag

Wrestling fans sure know how to pick their battles. Following a report by Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer (h/t WrestlingInc.com), Nikki Bella is once again being portrayed as somebody who is only a Divas champion because of her boyfriend.

As silly and hypocritical as it is to take such a stance against Bella, it makes her even more of a heel heading into her big match against Charlotte at Night of Champions.

Triple H is no stranger to the type of backstage politics that have created the Bella minicontroversy. But his politics in front of the camera may lead to an inevitable feud against Seth Rollins.

Seth Rollins vs. Triple H?

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@ThisIsNasty could the expected rivalry between Rollins & HHH lead to a HHH face turn ? As long as Rollins stays heel, no Shield reunion

— Ross (@RossByNight) September 17, 2015 

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If and when Triple H and Rollins begin feuding, it would be a mistake to make Triple H the babyface. It would be much more consistent with Triple H's persona if he cut down Rollins once he is viewed as a threat, the same way he turned on Randy Orton in 2004.

I could see a Rollins face turn coming once Sheamus cashes in Money in the Bank, likely at Triple H's bidding. In a hypothetical feud between Rollins and Sheamus, fans would take Rollins every time.

As good as Rollins has been as a heel, his in-ring style screams babyface. That transition would be much easier and less awkward than suit-wearing authority figure Triple H.

Of course, Rollins turning face opens the floodgates for a possible Shield reunion, which I fear WWE would waste no time in teasing at the very least.

Braun Strowman Variety Show?

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@ThisIsNasty Best and worst case scenario for booking Braun Strowman long term?

— James Coty (@JamesCoty1) September 17, 2015 

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The best-case scenario is Braun Strowman as a WWE World Heavyweight champion. If WWE continues taking its time and coddling the giant through a series of impressive wins, he'd be believable as a world champion.

Wrestling snobs love calling Strowman green because he's over 6'5" and he doesn't do a shooting-star press. But the casual fans, the ones who matter, will look at a monster like that and question how the incumbent WWE World Heavyweight champion is half his size.

The worst-case scenario is the obvious bastardization of the Strowman character. It's almost inevitable that Strowman will eventually be clapping it up with The New Day. No big man ever escapes the midcard-comedy treatment in WWE. Not Rusev, not Big Show, not King Kong Bundy, not Andre the Giant, not Kane, not even The Undertaker.  

Longer-Reigning WWE Champion of the Modern Era?

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@ThisIsNasty Now that AJ Lee tittle record is gone... can we see the same happen with Cm Punk 434 record?

— Melanie Gomes (@Melitxix) September 16, 2015 

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Rollins has had the WWE World Heavyweight Championship for a while now, but I don't see him eclipsing CM Punk's reign.

Keep in mind, Punk's 434 days as WWE champion is not a record. Not even close. Being the "longest reigning WWE champion of the modern era" is just a promotional tool WWE used to put over Punk.

Now that he's gone, it simply won't be acknowledged, and people will forget. As impressive as Punk's reign was, he was rarely in the main event unless he worked with bigger stars. It will be easy to take his run for granted as long as WWE doesn't talk about it.

In fact, if WWE were to book Rollins to exceed the 434-day record, it would only make fans remember and appreciate CM Punk more. At this point, that's not part of the WWE agenda.

Who is the Third Man?

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@ThisIsNasty Who do you think will partner Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns at Night Of Champions? My prediction is Rey Mysterio!

— Lewis James Miller (@lewis_miller12) September 16, 2015 

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Reigns certainly seemed to be planning something big by not revealing who the partner was on Raw. For the longest time I thought it was going to be Cesaro, but now that seems like a disappointment given the buildup. To be honest, I see Reigns and Ambrose bringing back Erick Rowan. 

According to PWInsider.com (h/t WrestlingInc.com), Rowan is close to being cleared to wrestle. He wouldn't have to do much in a six-man tag team match, so this would be a good way to ease him in.

The choice of Rowan wouldn't be much of a payoff on paper, but in the context of kayfabe, it makes sense as a shocking alliance given the history he has with The Wyatt Family.

Bella Politics?

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@ThisIsNasty WILL @MsCharlotteWWE go over?!?!?! If she doesn't, will Cena run-in to prevent it?

— howardwrites (@howardwrites) September 16, 2015

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All signs point to Charlotte defeating Bella. The Bellas have shined anytime they are given the opportunity to play a heel, and they receive a heel reaction that no Diva in WWE or NXT comes close to. With wrestling fans more entitled than ever, many feel like heels need to be "cool," which is ridiculous.

The Bellas elicit a legit angry, visceral response from emotional fans who think Cena is pulling the strings backstage to keep the title on her. This actually gives her an edge as a bad guy, leading to easier, less-ambiguous storytelling that will make Charlotte an even bigger fan favorite. It's the one way that dirt sheets actually serve a purpose, to wind up the hardcore fans, reducing them to the heel-hating marks that enhance live events.

A lot of filth floats around on the Internet, and fans will only choose to believe the stories that fit a certain narrative. Nikki is an attractive woman dating WWE's biggest star, so any notion of her working hard to improving her craft will be scoffed at in favor of mindless chatter about backstage politics.

No wrestler has ever stayed on top in WWE without politics. You don't think Charlotte being Ric Flair's daughter helped her get to where she is today?

But since Charlotte came from NXT, she is somehow viewed as the underdog to the "grand politicking" of Bella. But it works. It fits a narrative and tells a story that prevents even jaded fans from killing the angle by cheering for a heel.

Dance, puppets, dance.

Alfred Konuwa is a featured columnist and on-air host for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter @ThisIsNasty and subscribe to his weekly wrestling podcast.