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Jey Uso has been considered one of WWE’s few shiny spots en path to WrestleMania. (Credit score: WWE/WWE through Getty … Extra Photos)
WWE through Getty Photos
WWE WrestleMania 41 is constructed closely round one of many greatest matches in professional wrestling historical past: John Cena vs. Cody Rhodes. However the remainder of the cardboard is struggling on account of WWE’s laser deal with its blockbuster WWE Championship match.
Over the previous two-plus years, WWE has excelled with robust storytelling throughout Uncooked and SmackDown. Nevertheless, the corporate’s inventive mojo has been noticeably absent all through 2025, when SmackDown particularly has did not constantly create compelling programming.
The timing of WWE’s reserving stoop couldn’t be worse, both. WrestleMania 41 is lower than one month away, and a variety of key stars are both utterly directionless or wrapped up in underwhelming storylines. There have, in fact, been some shiny spots, just like the rise of Jey Uso, Iyo Sky’s ascension and the drama involving Jade Cargill and Naomi.
However by and huge, the lead-up to WrestleMania 41 isn’t delivering the products the best way it ought to. Listed here are 5 methods WWE is dropping the ball with its reserving forward of WrestleMania 41 in Las Vegas.
Drew McIntyre Vs. Damian Priest
Even Drew McIntyre himself has expressed disappointment in his WrestleMania storyline, and certainly, it’s laborious to explain a title-less midcard match towards Damian Priest as something lower than a monumental letdown.
Although this match hasn’t formally been confirmed for WrestleMania 41, it’s blatantly apparent that’s the place it’s headed, simply because it’s clear that McIntyre deserves higher. The Scottish famous person has been arguably WWE’s greatest all-around performers over the previous few years, and but, he finds himself in a rehashed feud en path to WrestleMania 41.
McIntyre and Priest have been crossing paths right here and there since even earlier than WrestleMania 40 final yr, and although that will seemingly create a heated and intense rivalry, it actually hasn’t felt like one. McIntyre, maybe WWE’s No. 1 full-time heel, must be showcased in a extra high-profile bout than one with Priest, who’s been over-pushed for the previous yr.
Very similar to AJ Types vs. Logan Paul on Uncooked, there isn’t a lot of a purpose to care about McIntyre vs. Priest, with no actual warmth constructed up or purpose for followers to be emotionally invested.
The Midcard Championship Mess
WWE simply flip-flopped america title again onto LA Knight on SmackDown. In the meantime, Uncooked’s Bron Breakker seemed to be feuding with Types earlier than transitioning to a quick rivalry with Finn Balor after which being known as out by Penta on final week’s Uncooked.
Translation: WWE’s midcard title scene is a multitude. Given the frequent changes to Breakker’s course, plainly WWE has been making adjustments on the fly and solely lately settled on Penta as Breakker’s likeliest WrestleMania opponent. The great factor is, Breakker and Penta are massively over with the group and may ship a really entertaining IC title match, so the state of affairs may actually be worse.
Actually, the ladies’s midcard title image is undoubtedly simply that. Lyra Valkyria has by no means gotten an opportunity to shine because the Ladies’s Intercontinental Champion whereas Ladies’s US Champion Chelsea Inexperienced, regardless of constantly nice performances, hasn’t actually gotten a good shake, both. That was an apparent concern when the ladies’s midcard titles have been first created, and followers’ worst fears are coming to fruition.
The ladies’s midcard belts are held by two nice performers, as are the lads’s. However in all circumstances, the 4 titleholders are heading into WrestleMania 41 both and not using a storyline or with one which has been thrown collectively on the final minute.
WWE’s Two Forgotten Tag Crew Divisions
WWE has three foremost roster tag workforce divisions, and the one one with even a modicum of momentum is the SmackDown tag workforce division.
The blue model has a deep and proficient tag workforce division that’s often highlighted on Friday nights, which is why it was such a head-scratcher when WWE delivered such a giant title change on SmackDown two weeks in the past as an alternative of holding off till WrestleMania 41. It was simply 9 days in the past that The Avenue Earnings defeated DIY in what was a memorable second that would have been saved for “The Grandest Stage of Them All.”
As a substitute, it’s now unclear the place SmackDown’s tag workforce division is headed, however at the very least that’s greater than WWE can say about Uncooked’s division. On Monday nights, the World Tag Crew Champions The Warfare Raiders aren’t getting a lot in the best way of long-term storytelling whereas the Ladies’s Tag Crew Championship is just about all the time forgotten about.
Even with Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez holding the titles, the main target within the girls’s division is anyplace and all over the place however on build up official tag groups.
Roman Reigns, Rhea Ripley And The Overreliance On Triple Threats
Typically talking, singles feuds are rather more intriguing than three-way rivalries, particularly come WrestleMania 41.
For no matter purpose, although, WWE has determined to construct towards not one however two triple menace matches for a few of the greatest names within the firm: CM Punk vs. Seth Rollins vs. Roman Reigns in addition to Sky vs. Rhea Ripley vs. Bianca Belair. WWE WrestleMania 41 takes place over the course of two nights, seemingly giving WWE ample alternative to create intriguing singles feuds.
As a substitute, the inventive workforce is shoehorning a 3rd occasion into what had beforehand been singles rivalries. Had WWE simply went with Rollins vs. Punk or Rollins vs. Reigns, it could result in a extra centered card that would have shifted the odd man out right into a compelling singles rivalry of his personal. Say, for instance, if WWE went with Punk vs. Rollins once more, it may have transitioned Reigns right into a feud with somebody like Jacob Fatu.
The identical can also be true of the trio of Belair, Sky and Ripley, which may gain advantage drastically from extra intentional reserving. Belair vs. Ripley or Ripley vs. Sky would make extra sense, particularly provided that the latter would enable Belair to present her consideration to her extra urgent storyline with Naomi and Cargill.
It’s as if WWE didn’t take into consideration Belair’s storyline with Naomi and Cargill when she received the Royal Rumble and is now attempting to make up for it. However the unlucky result’s that Belair feels misplaced, additional proving why triple menace matches simply aren’t as interesting as singles bout.
Sami Zayn Absent From WrestleMania Card
The place on the earth is Sami Zayn?
In-storyline, he was written off TV following a heinous assault by Kevin Owens at Elimination Chamber. In actuality, nonetheless, he’s heading towards WrestleMania 41 and not using a clear match on the present, which is mind-boggling contemplating that Zayn has been considered one of WWE’s most essential on-screen performers for the previous few years.
Think about what he’s accomplished on the previous two WrestleManias. At WrestleMania 40, he ended Gunther’s historic Intercontinental reign and undefeated streak. At WrestleMania 39, he and Owens defeated the Usos to develop into tag workforce champions in arguably the best WrestleMania foremost occasion of all-time.
Now? Zayn’s greatest guess at getting on the WrestleMania card may be a non-wrestling function within the grudge match between Owens and Randy Orton. An alternative choice could be a wildly disappointing singles match with Karrion Kross. Except WWE pulls one thing particular out of its pocket, Zayn, who denied reports that he requested for day without work, has no clear WrestleMania 41 match ready.
And that’s a large disappointment given what Zayn has meant and continues to imply to WWE to today.
