AJ Styles, the Next Great WWE Superstar and More from the Torch-Passing Mailbag

After a grand rollout of its biggest storyline last week, the Brock Lesnar-Goldberg angle took a nosedive this past week on Raw. Despite his best efforts, ineffective heel and beloved manager Paul Heyman couldn't get Lesnar's hometown fans to chant for Goldberg. Vince McMahon reportedly ended the segment early, per F4WOnline (h/t WrestlingInc.com), and now the promotion could be faced with a similar nightmare scenario of Goldberg getting booed out of Canada.

Although I think this program will deliver, there is a very real chance Goldberg-Lesnar falls flat. Then what?

The Great Wait

"

Can someone make WWE great again? https://t.co/BpbDZ1YDFW

— Kareem Mathias (@KareemMathias1) October 26, 2016"

Yes. It just takes time. WWE is very cyclical in that it goes through lean periods as it flushes out generational stars. Just like The New Generation was waiting for "Stone Cold" Steve Austin and the Ruthless Aggression era was waiting for John Cena, The New Era is still waiting for...someone. Anyone.

Maybe it's an unheralded WWE Superstar currently on the main roster. Maybe it's someone in developmental or NXT. Maybe the person hasn't even signed yet. But given WWE's history, I wouldn't be worried about the promotion's ability to create its next transcendent star who will make WWE must-watch TV.

Cena is slowly, but surely, transitioning away from WWE. He has once again taken a sabbatical to work on outside projects. Hopefully, this will force WWE to work harder at building a new star as opposed to relying on part-timers from past eras to carry the main come WrestleMania season.

The process of creating a new star has become increasingly difficult with the current landscape. The abundance of information has stifled this process, as fans have become more jaded and entitled than ever. No matter how popular a WWE Superstar is, once online rumors begin surfacing that one particular WWE Superstar has become a "front-office favorite," backlash is imminent, and the process resets itself.

It's something Cena had to overcome. Roman Reigns is still battling it. Big Cass is likely next.

Internet Wrestling Conspiracy?

There is no conspiracy theory here, just reality. WWE has gone out of its way to feature talents who appeal to the hardcore demographic to the point of saturation. I feel like fans are now numb to the largely one-dimensional wrestlers who lack a balance between personality and work rate.

At its finest, WWE is an escape. There's a certain guilty pleasure, suspension of disbelief and thirst for entertainment when one turns on Raw or SmackDown Live. WWE needs to embrace that aspect of escapism. When it goes overboard and features too many highly athletic performers with crowd-pleasing stunts, it goes from being a testosterone-filled soap opera to Cirque du Soleil.

The potency of the live-action soap opera is a universal one. Donald Trump didn't hijack ubiquitous media attention in the 2016 presidential race because of domestic or foreign policy. His meteoric rise to the top of the Republican ticket came on the back of drama and scandal.

It's no coincidence Trump helped WrestleMania 23 draw the highest buyrate in WWE history at the time, per the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t WrestlingInc.com). WWE has the luxury of being a hybrid "sport" that can contrive the very drama viewers can't turn away from. Wild storylines and polarizing characters are the answer. A Tope con Hilo is not.

Who's Next (For AJ Styles)?

I'm bored with Dean Ambrose, and I think WWE is, too. Not only did Ambrose lose to AJ Styles on Tuesday, thereby disqualifying him from being a No. 1 Contender, but the match was centered around James Ellsworth's involvement.

With two victories over Styles and very few inspiring babyface choices, WWE needs to double down on its underdog story and give Ellsworth another world title shot at Survivor Series. Momentum is on his side. His merchandise is a top seller on WWEShop.com. He's already a fixture in the main event. Why not give the underdog a proper run where he actually defeats other WWE Superstars via a fluky Battle Royal win and/or a series of upsets over established names.

Now could be a good time to turn a frustrated Ambrose heel by having him attack Ellsworth, which could lead to a future match down the road and a possible upset.

SmackDown Live has done a good job rebuilding Dolph Ziggler, but he has already reached his ceiling as the current intercontinental champion. From there, few babyfaces, if any, are ready to step up and pose an intriguing challenge to Styles. Thank goodness for Ellsworth.

Sami Zayn getting drafted to Raw seems like a bigger blunder with every passing week.

Alfred Konuwa is a Featured Columnist and on-air host for Bleacher Report and Forbes. Like him on Facebook.