Rusev, Lana, TMZ and More from the Reality Era Mailbag

The Reality Era struck again on Monday's Raw, as WWE used a TMZ headline to abruptly end the Rusev-Summer Rae relationship. While the end of this relationship may be best for Rusev moving forward, getting there was quite sloppy.

Summertime Madness?

I have mixed feelings about this issue. On one hand, I'm happy that WWE looks to be moving forward with a Rusev-Lana reunion, because these two characters should be together. Both Rusev and Lana were silly caricatures without one another, as opposed to the threatening power couple that earned Rusev a WrestleMania match against John Cena.

On the other hand, WWE's using a real-life TMZ headline to further its storylines is just more of the same Reality Era booking that continues to be synonymous with record-low ratings.

WWE's failure to embrace professional wrestling as a staged art form that pits hero against villain makes it difficult for fans to fully dive in and invest in storylines.

The Rusev-Summer Rae storyline was actually beginning to gain steam, as Rusev vowed to marry her only if he won a title. This could have begun a build toward Rusev going on a long win streak before winning a championship which would, at the very least, lead to an intriguing wedding ceremony.

As long as WWE continues to commit only halfway to its premise of being sports entertainment, as opposed to reality television, the ratings will continue to suffer.

I'm Cool, I'm Cocky, I'm Bound?

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@ThisIsNasty should WWE put guys next year hall of fame like honky tonkman or sychosid?

— RaheemMansaray(@johnnymansaray) October 15, 2015

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The Honky Tonk Man belongs in the Hall of Fame; it just comes down to whether or not both sides can work out a deal. In an interview with Bleacher Report's Donald Wood, Honky Tonk discussed turning down the WWE Hall of Fame in the past because he had a pre-existing contract with Wizard World Conventions.

Hall of Fame inductions are traditionally associated with longevity and a vast body of work. And while Honky Tonk isn't remembered for much in WWE outside of his historic run as intercontinental champion, he deserves to get into the hall by WWE's standards. The Honky Tonk man was a huge star in the '80s as an upper-midcard heel and really owned that character.

As far as Sycho Sid is concerned, despite reaching larger heights—as a two-time former WWE champion—Sid never had a long, dominant run in WWE. He was always a transitional world champion and is associated with one of the least memorable WrestleMania main events in history.

It always felt like Sid underachieved with countless opportunities throughout his career, whereas few WWE Superstars in history did more with less than the Honky Tonk Man.

"Let's Go Cena/Cena's Successor"

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@ThisIsNasty who would u like to see take the us title off john?

— Amar Hilal(@theamar36) October 15, 2015

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The New Day would be the best candidate to take the United States Championship off John Cena. After two weeks of The New Day's feud with Cena, WWE seems to have moved on, as the two sides did not interact on Monday.

If this is true, it's a mistake. As hot as The New Day is, and with Cena preparing to take time off, according to F4WOnline (h/t Wrestling Inc), WWE has a golden opportunity to launch The New Day to the next level.

Keeping the United States Championship interesting past Cena's run will be a challenge. The New Day can do just that if all three members claimed ownership of the title. Instead of Cena's open challenge, a potential New Day open challenge could revolve around which member will defend the title on any given night.

Cruising to the Main Roster?

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@ThisIsNasty How high is Vince's ceiling for Apollo Crews? #WWE

— Chris Mcleod(@cemchargers) October 15, 2015

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I'm not sure what Vince McMahon thinks about Apollo Crews, but Crews definitely has the physique that McMahon has been known to like. Triple H has been quoted several times as being a "huge fan" of Crews, most recently during a conference call leading up to NXT TakeOver: Respect, transcribed by F4WOnline.

Crews needs to work on his character to increase his ceiling. Although he seems to have an inherent charisma, he really hasn't done much from an entertainment standpoint outside of his dazzling move set. If all he brings to the table is an arsenal of impressive moves, there will be a spot on the WWE roster for him, but he'll be no better than Neville or Cesaro.

Storming to the Main Roster?

James Storm's arrival seems to be part of a paradigm shift in WWE, as it is allowing former TNA talents to keep their names. A near-20-year veteran, Storm's NXT arrival likely won't lead to a long-term run in WWE, but he'll be a good hand for younger talents and can eventually make the transition to a coach at the WWE Performance Center.

Storm definitely fits in NXT based on his prolific career wrestling outside of WWE and has always been just as entertaining on the microphone as he is in the ring.

I'd like to see Storm utilized in a potential tag team with a promising young talent. Storm is a Hall of Fame-caliber tag team performer, and NXT's tag team division is currently on fire.

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.