The Survivor Series offers up the potential for the WWE to change their landscape, which is much needed considering the current ratings situation. The WWE needs to set off a big angle that captures hardcore and casual fans alike and holds their attention for many months. The belief is that Roman Reigns or Dean Ambrose will turn heel and win the WWE title at Survivor Series. If the WWE really looks at it only turning Roman can gain them anything.
Dean is the accepted fan favorite. He’s the one fans want to root for, but doesn’t exactly fit what the WWE is looking for in a top star. Roman on the other hand is everything they want, but crowd isn’t buying in as much or as fast they would hope. Although turning Dean is logical, it will probably only further make fans resentful towards Roman. That won’t help the current ratings situation in WWE.
The answer for the WWE is executing a Roman Reigns turn. They cannot just turn Roman and float him on island by himself. He won’t have enough heat behind him because he won’t be perceived to wield any true power. Pairing him with the Authority would seem like a reasonable solution, but what Authority Champion has been a huge success? The Authority is a stale angle that the WWE needs to end because it castes a negative shadow over the current product.
What WWE needs to do is something fresh with Roman that makes him the heel Champion and at the same time a viable player with some power behind him. They also need to give him some logical cronies to do his dirty work and protect him. Here are the steps to best execute this angle.
At Survivor Series Roman should win his match with Alberto Del Rio, but in doing so resort to some questionable tactics that are heelish. This needs to be done to protect Alberto who the WWE need to invest in as well. Backstage Dean can question Roman on some of his behavior, but nothing major comes of their conversation although than Roman stating how much the title would mean to him. He would also suggest that he hopes that it's Dean he gets to take on in the final.
During the Ambrose Owens match Dean would reinjure his shoulder. This would put him in a position to lose the match, but Roman would come down to ringside. He would attack Owens behind the refs back and cause Dean to win by count out.
This would again protect Owens who the WWE needs as a strong and viable heel going forward. After the match Dean should be a little upset with Roman. They would have a verbal confrontation in the ring where Roman tries to convince Dean that he’s just looking out for him. As Dean goes to leave the ring Roman would attack him further injuring Dean's shoulder and completing the Roman heel turn. He would leave Dean well injured and the fans in slight shock.
Many would probably assume Roman should turn to end the show winning the title, but doing it during the course of the show tells a richer and more thought provoking story. Now the WWE has a main event where we fans know who the heel and the villain are. It would also get social media buzzing and build a greater level of anticipation for the final match. Dean will still take the match with a heavily injured shoulder and be endeared to the crowd.
Before the match the USO’s would confront Roman in the back. Telling him that his actions are deplorable and they will not support him and he's embarrasing their family. Roman would explain that he’s going to do anything to get the WWE title and that they best not get in his way.
The title match would go almost 90% Roman’s way as he would dominate due to Ambrose’s injury. As Roman looks to finish off Dean, he would get hit with a Dirty Deeds out of nowhere and then another. It would seem that Roman might actually get beat. The ref would take a bump and Roman would regain the advantage. He would go to the outside to get a chair, but as he's getting back in the ring Dean would slam the chair into him.
Roman would be laid out. Suddenly the crowd and Dean would realize that the upset could be happening. Roman would stammer to his feet, but again get hit with Dirty Deeds. Dean would make his way to wake the ref, but the lights would go out.
When the lights come back on the USO's would be standing with kendo sticks dressed in Shield garb. They would attack Dean beating him down. They would then stir the ref as Roman hits a spear on a completely finished Dean and then gets the pin for the win. Post match Roman would maul Dean with a chair while the USO's fight anyone trying to stop him with their kendo sticks. The show would end with Roman standing over Dean with his newly one title.
The ending really gives Roman more heat and builds Ambrose as a sympathetic babyface who got screwed by his drinking buddy and his family. The USO’s were Roman’s insurance policy and they will now be his front men in the Roman Empire. The new look for the USO's would change the perception of them from being funloving to being very serious heels with a mean streak looking to defend their family.
The next night on Raw the show would open with Stephanie and HHH cutting a promo congratulating Roman on his big win. They would state that later on they would look to form an alliance with the newly founded Roman Empire faction. That would be setup as the show close.
During the final segment Roman and HHH would exchange a few words. HHH would compliment Roman on showing that he could put his own desires above a friendship with Ambrose. He would applaud the USO’s for finally stepping out and showing they have some determination. HHH would then put Roman to a question. Is he now ready to join forces with the Authority to rule the WWE?
HHH would extend his hand and Roman would eventually take it, but as HHH goes to pull away Roman would not let go. The USO’s would then pounce on HHH. One of the USO’s would hold back Stephanie as Roman unloads on HHH with chair shots and the other USO with a kendo stick. It’s an ugly scene as HHH is dismantled in the middle of the ring with Stephanie screaming in horror.
Help would come from the back to hold off Roman and the USO’s so HHH could get medical attention. Roman would then grab a mic. He would talk directly to Stephanie. He would acknowledge how Stephanie had run down every top talent in WWE the past few years and he would also note that she wields a great deal of power, or at least she did until now. Roman would state that he could never join the Authority after the way he saw them treat others in the past.
Roman would then let her in on a secret that he has a backer that will insure the success of the Roman Empire for years to come. Vince McMahon’s music would then hit. A very happy Vince would hit the ring and embrace Roman.
As HHH is helped to the back with Stephanie in tears, Roman, the USO’s and Vince McMahon would stand tall in the ring arms raised high. The next week on Raw Vince would explain that he’s had his eye on Roman for a long time and that he konws that Roman is the future of the WWE. He’s Vince handpicked Champion for all the reasons both hardcore and casual fans hate. Vince can toss back every stereotype and perception fans have of him right back in their face to build even more heat. He could also claim that Stephanie and HHH have clearly been trying to push him out of the way.
They have tried to raise NXT to be the future of the company and Stephanie started the Divas revolution all in a power play to convince the board to get rid of an out of touch Vince and replace him with the Authority. This again would play to the stereotype that Vince is out of touch. Vince would inform the crowd that HHH and Stephanie have been reassigned to office jobs and have been stripped of the power they had in the Authority.
This would change the landscape of the WWE. It would embrace all the things that make Roman so easily hateable and give the WWE a monster heel who’s not going to run like Seth Rollins. It would end the Authority angle and by inserting Vince in an on screen role it would give Roman teeth as a viable Champion with major support.
Dean Ambrose would be positioned to come back as a major babyface and Vince could keep him away from Roman as long as he wants to build the anticaption for a match. Ambrose would then be built over months to possibly take out Roman at WM32 or possibly even as late as Summerslam. Perhaps a good direction might be Dean and Roman at WM32 followed up by a much sought after Shield Triple Threat at Summerslam.
At the end of the day this entire angle will come down to execution. The best angles have a good well thought out flow and don’t seem forced. The WWE certainly needs a shakeup and something along these lines could provide it.