Whither Goest Thou, WWE Title?

There is no sense backing into this, so I'll just come right out and say it:

The WWE title scene is in shambles.

I know I'm not the first person to notice this, but it deserves to be said. I have no clue where creative is going with the title picture on Raw and it would not surprise me if they didn't either.

This glaring problem is due to a number of things: not the least of which is the chaos brought on by the inane guest host concept, especially when said guest hosts can't even get the name of the shows correct (SummerFest, anyone?), but the biggest issue has been the obvious lack of attention that WWE has paid to building up new stars (particular on the heel side) on Raw.

Let's think about this for a bit. Who are the legitimate main event players on Raw, the guys who could step up today and compete for the title? John Cena, Triple H, Shawn Michaels, and Randy Orton. That's it.

Of those, only Orton is a heel, and given the current story lines Orton is not allowed to challenge for the title again while Cena is holding it.

This naturally presents a very serious problem. Since the WWE title is in Cena's possession, Raw is facing a serious lack of competition for a babyface champion, to the point that at last night's Survivor Series (arguably the company's second-biggest show) featured an all-face WWE title match of Cena vs. HHH vs. Michaels.

These kinds of feuds only work occasionally, really only for Wrestlemania matches. At it's heart, pro wrestling is quite simple: the good guy fights the bad guy. The fans cheer the good guy and boo the bad guy. When one side of that equation is blurry, it makes it tricky.

But where are those bad guys to boo now? Logic would have one of the three top faces (Cena, HHH, or Michaels) turn heel, but the economic side of things would balk at any kind of drastic change.

I wouldn't be surprised if someone were to tell me that those three move more merchandise than the rest of the company combined, so taking one of them and making them the recipient of the fan's wrath might not be good for business.

So with Orton out of the picture for now (currently in an excellent feud with the ever-improving Kofi Kingston), who among the heels can step up?

The Miz seems like the most logical and likely choice to step up to the plate, barring the fact that the last time he feuded with Cena, he was made to look like a chump.

But facts are facts: he has a history with Cena, he has improved, and WWE smartly booked the Miz/Morrison match at Survivor Series and put the right team over.

It seems like the company is trying to give him more of a leadership role with guys like Sheamus, and with a heavy or two in his corner, I could see The Miz as a budding main eventer.

Besides, despite his earlier semi-burial, the way the company seems to be building The Miz (lower midcarder feuds with main eventer, gets squashed, comes back as a midcard title holder) is exactly how the company built up Cena years back.

After that? It's anyone's guess. Swagger looks like an obvious choice, but I can honestly say that I have no clue what they're trying to do with him.

He comes in from ECW, looks strong, then proceeds to feud with, and lose to, Evan Bourne (another guy without any direction).

He's big, strong, is a good worker and cuts decent promos (nevermind the lisp) so you'd think he'd be the go-to guy, yet he has no direction or storyline to speak of right now.

Perhaps Rhodes and DiBiase would work to some degree, though it looks like at some point they're going to turn DiBiase face, and I could see an MVP and/or Mark Henry heel turn in the same way that I could see The Miz and Sheamus working.

Fact is, MVP is a better heel than a face, and Henry could be believable as a main eventer if only for his size and strength (as well as the fact that, like him or not, Cena has a history of making big useless lugs look credible).

So there you have it: one established main eventer who can't challenge for the title until Cena drops it, another guy who's been buried by Cena before, a potential star with no direction and a few possible heel turns. How is that a way to build your show?

Hopefully tonight's Raw will clear some things up and, possibly, shake some things up. If not, I guess it's time for Cena vs. DX: The Rematch.