WWE Roadblock 2016: Biggest Unanswered Questions Going into Event
Just hours until WWE presents Roadblock: End of the Line on its revolutionary streaming network, the eyes of wrestling fans are on some of the top stars, matches and the unanswered questions surrounding them.
The disintegrating friendship between Kevin Owens and Chris Jericho is the most intriguing situation as the show approaches. Can Owens successfully retain his Universal Championship without Jericho interfering on his behalf?
If not, is Roman Reigns the best option for Raw's top champion?
What about Seth Rollins and his floundering babyface run?
Those are just the questions surrounding the red brand's elite stars.
Which questions must the brand answer Sunday night during the pay-per-view extravaganza?
Let's take a look.
Why Is Rusev Being Relegated to the Kickoff Show?
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Is there any more quietly consistent, dependably entertaining villain than Rusev in all of WWE?
The Bulgarian Brute repeatedly proves his worth—both as a worker and talker—but Sunday night, he will ply his craft in a meaningless pre-show match against Big Cass.
Meaningless may be the wrong word, especially given the television time that has been devoted to the budding rivalry and Enzo Amore's infatuation with Lana, but in the grand scheme of things, it doesn't matter much to the two men involved.
Why WWE Creative repeatedly takes a guy as talented as Rusev and utilizes him in the most menial of ways is a mystery.
Now That History Has Been Made, Is It Time to Pull the Plug on New Day's Reign?
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There is no denying how integral The New Day's reign as tag team champions was to reinvigorating a division that had routinely been underutilized and flat-out neglected by WWE management. It got over on its own accord, stayed over and became a bona fide merchandising juggernaut.
After 400-plus days of holding the gold, Big E, Xavier Woods and Kofi Kingston are now the longest-reigning tag team champions in WWE history.
Now that their names are attached with greatness, it is time for them to freshen their act up by dropping the gold, and there is no better place to do it than at Roadblock to the blossoming tandem of Cesaro and Sheamus.
The rivals-turned-partners have developed their chemistry and are one of the most entertaining tandems in the sport. Giving them the opportunity to run with the gold and work with Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows—maybe even Chris Jericho and Kevin Owens—would only strengthen what is becoming a nice crop of teams on the red brand.
Can Jeri-KO Survive One More Show?
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As the Dec. 12 episode of Raw went off the USA Network airwaves, it appeared as though a schism had formed in the relationship between Chris Jericho and WWE universal champion Kevin Owens.
The best friends, known collectively as Jeri-KO, bickered and argued before Roman Reigns exploded across the squared circle and speared Owens while Jericho walked out on his partner.
The dysfunction that exists between them threatens Owens' title reign. To this point, the champion hasn't won a major title defense without the assistance of Jericho.
He has relied on the veteran, who he has also manipulated over the last three months into doing his dirty work. Owens now enters Roadblock for a showdown with Roman Reigns unaware of whether he can rely on Y2J to help him emerge victorious.
It is a storyline that bears watching and one that could have a huge affect on the night's marquee match.
Will Seth Rollins Ever Realize His Potential as a Babyface?
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To say Seth Rollins' babyface push has been sloppy would be an understatement the size of his Roadblock opponent's List of Jericho.
He has been wholly mismanaged to this point. He is nondescript and has no discernible character to speak of. If anything, he is the same exact guy he was as a heel, minus the obnoxious laugh that made him look more like a cartoon character than a believable human being.
Rollins has the people behind him more because of his in-ring ability and placement against the villainous Jeri-KO than anything he has accomplished from a character standpoint. At some point, though, he must go through some sort of character evolution.
If not, he faces the possibility of facing the same major issues as Sami Zayn and Neville, both of whom are extraordinary in-ring competitors but who feature a lack of personality and character.
Is Roman Reigns Raw's Most Effective Universal Champion?
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For all of the criticism and scrutiny that faces Roman Reigns, he has proved himself to be one of the steadiest and most consistent workers in professional wrestling. With a resume that touts great matches with everyone from AJ Styles to Sheamus, The Guy has established himself as a Superstar deserving of his place at the top of the card.
Regardless of what his detractors will tell you.
Sunday night, he will battle Kevin Owens for the Universal Championship in a main event that would seem to favor the titleholder. But should it?
With Owens and Chris Jericho's friendship descending into dysfunction and Seth Rollins prepping for a feud with Triple H, Reigns is the greatest option to be universal champion. He can carry the main event, elevate any opponent put in front of him and probably even deliver a strong main event with Braun Strowman if that opportunity ever arose.
How a championship victory would affect his status as United States champion remains to be seen, but that title could probably garner some heat from a tournament.
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