Projecting What WWE's New Era Will Look Like in June 2017

The New Era is the latest buzzword floating around WWE programming in 2016, a label manufactured by management to describe a youth movement that should have been in effect years ago.

Thus far, the movement has seen Roman Reigns assume the mantle of the company's top babyface, AJ Styles and The Club become lead heels in a rivalry with franchise star John Cena, the arrival of several NXT breakout stars, the return of Seth Rollins and increased television time for competitors such as Kevin Owens, Cesaro, The Miz and Sami Zayn.

How long can the movement realistically last before Vince McMahon panics over decreasing television ratings—such as the sub-two million viewers SmackDown pulled in on June 9, per Mitch Metcalf of Show Buzz Daily (h/t Raj Giri of Wrestling Inc.)—and pulls the plug?

Do fans have reasonable expectations that this supposed New Era will exist a year from now?

The Value of Stars

JP Yim/Getty Images

John Cena and Seth Rollins recently returned from injury. Roman Reigns has ascended to the top of the WWE mountain as its world heavyweight champion. Brock Lesnar is always a wild card, and Chris Jericho is a grizzled vet with his foot constantly halfway out the door. And AJ Styles and Dean Ambrose are a stone's throw away from joining the upper echelon of WWE Superstars.

For the first time since 2010, the company has Superstars it can trust to carry the workload. All have been booked relatively strong and, more importantly, are perceived by audiences to be credible headliners, regardless of whether they like them or not.

For the company's New Era to be successful into 2017, WWE will have to lean on those men to bring other talented performers to their levels.

Kevin Owens, Cesaro, Sami Zayn, The Miz, Rusev and even Neville are a few of the Superstars teetering on the fine line between the midcard and main event. They need the boost from WWE Creative to get them over the hump. With a brand extension upcoming and distinct rosters for Raw and SmackDown, expect those elevations sooner than later.

At this time next year, Rollins, Cena, Reigns and Styles will dominate WWE headlines, but the Superstars a step below them will have their chances to main event on Raw and SmackDown, their stars enhanced by fewer roadblocks and more opportunities.

The NXT Factor

Credit: WWE.com

The New Era has been defined by the call-ups of Baron Corbin, Enzo Amore, Colin Cassady, Dana Brooke, Apollo Crews and The Vaudevillains. As WWE ventures on another journey through a brand split, the NXT brand is almost certain to have its talent raided to help fill out rosters.

Competitors such as Finn Balor, Samoa Joe, Austin Aries, Shinsuke Nakamura, Bayley and Asuka will show up on Raw or SmackDown sooner or later, leaving fans of those two shows with a plethora of new talent to acquaint themselves with.

More importantly, the implementation of the New Era will leave the future of NXT in question, with stars called away from the brand and only so many to step up and take their places.

The brand has proved its ability to withstand major defections, including Neville, Bo Dallas, Zayn and Owens. The question is whether it can excel with a constantly changing roster that forces stories to wrap up quicker or, in some cases, not at all.

Regardless, the presence of NXT alumni will be strong well into the next year as WWE tries to build two equal rosters capable of carrying individual brands and, at the same time, spark the elevation of fresh and exciting young stars.

The Brand Extension

JP Yim/Getty Images

It has been referenced repeatedly above, but the upcoming brand extension, in which Raw and SmackDown will have their own unique rosters in the name of creating competition within, will be the most effective tool WWE has in ensuring the success of the New Era.

With a roster spread thinner than it currently is, stars just outside the main event will have the opportunity to step up and thrive in the biggest spots of their careers.

The original brand split opened doors for John Cena, Batista, John "Bradshaw" Layfield, Edge, Eddie Guerrero and Chris Benoit, all of whom would not have been able to navigate their ways through the muddled main event mess that included Triple H, The Undertaker, The Rock, Chris Jericho, Ric Flair and Shawn Michaels.

The upcoming extension, which will be in effect in time for SmackDown going live on July 19, will provide the opportunities that have eluded talented competitors looking for one shot to prove themselves in an expanded role.

There will be greater experimentation with different Superstars. The tag team and women's divisions should enjoy increased television time, even if the first extension proved no better for them than during the joint roster days.

All in all, every Superstar, from Owens and Cesaro to The Social Outcasts and Sin Cara, should find themselves the recipients of more attention than they enjoy under the current circumstances. Who emerges from the pack to break through the proverbial glass ceiling and succeed at unprecedented levels is the real question.