WWE Stomping Grounds: 5 Things That Would Save The PPV

Ticket sales for WWE’s upcoming Stomping Grounds pay-per-view are proving to be hitting an all-time low for the company. Fans have very little reason to care about the product at the moment, and with a card that’s lacking in original feuds or intriguing match-ups, this event is going to go down in history as one of the most poorly received. With Baron Corbin taking up the main event spot and very minor rivalries — ones that could be solved on an episode of Raw or SmackDown Live — filling up the three to four hour show, it’s hard to find an excuse to tune into the WWE Network this Sunday.

But if Vince McMahon has proven anything to his WWE Universe, it’s that when the chips are down, he can really knock it out of the park with a game-changing storyline. Everyone’s familiar with how quickly things turned around for WWE when Steve Austin was allowed to embrace his inner attitude, so perhaps we’re on the precipice of the industry once again going through a total overhaul. But who exactly could be the face of such movement? Is there even anything fascinating enough to hook the audience and bring them back to weekly programming? If there is, then they need to pull it out of the bag this weekend.

We’re going to take a look through 5 things that, if executed well, could save Stomping Grounds and potentially pull WWE out of this everlasting slump.

 

1. An Undisputed Debut

The Undisputed Era are arguably the biggest thing in NXT right now. Not only is Adam Cole our NXT Champion, but the rest of the gang have quickly become the standard-bearers for the brand, consistently performing at a level that few on the main roster have ever reached. Vince’s quick-fix solution to poor ratings seems to be to raid the NXT locker room and pluck any popular names out for an airing on either Raw or SmackDown Live. So far, Cole et al have managed to escape such misfortune, but perhaps it’s time for them to finally give WWE what it’s been needing for a whole now – a shock to the system.

Bringing Cole up to the main roster while holding onto the NXT Championship would instantly establish him as a key player, much like it did for Kevin Owens when he debuted and feuded with John Cena. Imagine the sheer force that would be sent through the fanbase if their iconic entrance theme was to interrupt the Universal title match, or even if they inserted themselves into any of the other ongoing feuds in dire need of resuscitation.

Personally, I’d love to see The Undisputed Era target all divisions in the space of one evening; each member being given their own debut, prolonging the inevitable hype of seeing Adam Cole on the main roster for the first time. Roddy Strong could target the Cruiserweight Champion, and follow up on his brief appearances on 205 Live. Fish and O’Reilly would be a natural fit into either of the tag divisions, while Cole would of course vie for one of the mid-card or main event titles.

The collective faction are one of the hottest things in wider WWE right now, best take advantage of that before they lose their steam.

 

2. Brock Lesnar fails his cash-in

‘The Brock Party’ has taken a back seat since his foiled cash-in attempt at WWE Super Showdown. Frankly, nobody wants to see Lesnar with the Universal or WWE Championship again, and it’s probably the last thing that would help with the ratings and ticket sales. So why not use this as an opportunity to give someone that almighty rub of having defeated ‘The Beast Incarnate’ in his supposed crowning moment.

Seth Rollins already has a victory over Lesnar. Should WWE have as much confidence in the other brand’s champion as they seem, then why not grant Kofi Kingston the biggest win of his career after retaining against Dolph Ziggler moments prior? Setting up this blockbuster feud with a huge upset victory would be a huge way to bring a few fans back with vested intrigue. Kingston’s WrestleMania storyline was one of the more successful narratives as of late, with the result actually pleasing fans, which is a rare feat for the company these days. Learn from this and ride the wave of KofiMania all the way through to greener pastures.

I don’t expect Kofi to kick-start any new eras of wrestling, but if WWE want to rocket-strap someone to the moon then it needs to be someone that they actually care about. Outside of Becky Lynch, Kofi is the next best option. Giving him the surprise win over Brock would go a long way in proving to the fans that they care about Kofi as much as they do. Maybe it’ll be the temptation we all need.

 

3. Bray Wyatt Returns

The Firefly Funhouse segments have consistently been a highlight of Monday Night Raw. The buzz surrounding Bray Wyatt’s return is palpable and fans are ready to explode as soon as ‘The Fiend’ makes his first appearance in a WWE ring. This week’s segment ended with a very ominous message from the masked Wyatt, suggesting that his cult-like ways are going to be seeping back into WWE television. It seems as if we’re being geared up for his eventual comeback, which could potentially happen at Stomping Grounds.

Seeing Bray Wyatt return would instantly take the pay-per-view from being a debacle to a huge hit, depending on the timing of his appearance. I’m not saying that if he were to show up in the middle of the SmackDown Live Tag Title match and hit a Sister Abigail on Tucker Knight would suddenly fix all of WWE’s problems. He needs to be utilised properly and not be allowed to have such an anti-climactic return.

Maybe if Wyatt were to emerge during the Universal Title match and stake his claim at Rollins’ championship, then that would be a good enough reason for WWE fans to let go of their grudges and be more inclined to stick around for SummerSlam.

Either way, Bray Wyatt is WWE’s ace in the hole right now, use him wisely.

 

4. EC3’s Pipebomb

As of writing, I’m not exactly sure if EC3 is going to be involved in the main event of Stomping Grounds. He was announced as the specially chosen guest referee for Sunday’s main event between Baron Corbin and Seth Rollins, which ended in him being attacked backstage and jiggled around by The New Day. Needless to say, things aren’t looking good for the former star of NXT and fans are utterly furious with his treatment on the main roster.

EC3 has been very vocal on social media about his lack of passion and freedom of creativity on Raw. Perhaps it’s time for ‘The Top 1 Percent’ to forge his own path and air some grievances on live TV. For CM Punk, it was the biggest thing to ever happen to his career, it took him from having cult-status to being the face of the new era.

One things fan seem to love is the wrestlers being granted freedom of expression, the ability to shoot on backstage politics and kayfabe-breaking issues on the mic. Imagine if on Sunday, EC3 was to ruin the main event and have to be escorted backstage after running wild on the microphone. EC3 is one of the most charismatic and talented superstars on the roster, if anyone could pull off the disgruntled employee and make magic with it, it’s him. This could be this decade’s pipebomb.

 

5. Vince steps down

Believe it or not, this is something that I really don’t want to see happen. Vince McMahon is an absolute genius, an inspiration, but he’s not the same man he once was. His decisions are getting sloppy and although they might be justified by history, he shouldn’t be relied upon to steer the ship anymore. The argument of Triple H and Stephanie taking over the reins is thrown about a little haphazardly, but at this point, it might be the only thing that saves WWE from total failure.

Stomping Grounds could become a huge cornerstone of WWE history, should the chairman relinquish power and enjoy a well-earned retirement. Fans have been begging for a time where Triple H’s sensible booking and star-building tendencies become ingrained into the main roster, perhaps now a new potential rival is stepping up against WWE, it’s the best time for Hunter to show the fanbase what he can do.

I absolutely adore Vince, but enough is enough.