We already know what will happen if Team Cena stumbles in the main event of WWE’s fall classic. Big Show will be a marked man, Dolph Ziggler will be held below the proverbial glass ceiling for the rest of his days, and Ryback will never be allowed to reach his full potential. The Authority clued the WWE Universe in to as much on Monday, and the connecting thread among these threats (perhaps the only silver lining of Sheamus’ serious injurywas that it saved him from Triple H and Stephanie McMahon’s plan to deport him a la Angelo the Tailor) rang perfectly clear: There will be no mercy.
But what if they lose? What if the combined efforts of Big Show, Ziggler, Ryback, Erick Rowan (still awesome) and Cena himself prevail and The Authority finds itself out of a job? Apart from the proverbial mass hysteria — cats and dogs living together and so forth — it’d be an opportunity for some big, big changes from what’s become The Authority’s aggressive M.O. for the last year. For instance …
Seeing The King of Kings compete outside of an episode of Rivalriesis something of a rarity in today’s WWE: The future Hall of Famer and current COO only laces ‘em up for big occasionsor if someone forces him into a corner. But with his cushy office job out of play, The Game might have to — depending who’s calling the shots — sing for his supper and return to regular competition as a Superstar if he wants to stay a part of the company he described as his life’s work. This means the WWE Universe will once again get a glimpse of Stephanie as his underhanded No. 2, or perhaps even an AJ-McMahon bout for the Divas Titledepending how far she decides to take it. Of course, with the seat of power vacated, someone will have to be making these decisions. We have one idea …
With his daughter and son-in-law ousted by the very stipulation he helped create(oh, the irony), The Chairman will be forced to return from his retreat in Boca and once again haunt the halls of Raw and SmackDown. It’s been a while since Vinnie Mac was allowed to stretch his machination muscles, and a few weeks of seeing him back in charge could provide an interesting shakeup plus a revival of sports-entertainment’s most unique management skills. Of course, Mr. McMahon has long since earned his retirement, so it’s unlikely the former Royal Rumble Match winnerwill stay in the captain’s chair after he steadies the ship. Which brings us to our next prediction …
We hope somebody still has Big Johnny’s number on speed-dial, because without an overarching power structure to run WWE’s two flagship shows, General Managers will need to be appointed to WWE’s two chief brands. Apart from giving unexpected personalities a chance to shine, this could provide an interesting way for the two shows to establish their identities: While The Authority ruled over both red and blue like an iron-gated gulag, separate GMs could bring their own unique flavor to the rosters and allow for some unlikely heroes to emerge, perhaps even leading to a revival of the brand-split rivalry of the 2000s. Come to think of it, Paul Heyman might want to consider a power grab, since our next point concerns him …
"WWE Countdown":Greatest GMs ever!
It ain’t easy being WWE World Heavyweight Champion, especially if The Authority doesn’t want you to hold that position. Daniel Bryan couldn’t defend his title, so The Authority evoked the 30-day defense rule, stripped him of the hardwareand put it up for grabs in a Money in the Bank Ladder Match. When John Cena came away with the goods, they maneuvered Brock Lesnar into the pictureand basically served Cena on a plateto The Beast Incarnate at SummerSlam. Since positioning Brock to become champion, The Authority has shown him more benevolence than most, leaving him in relative peace and freedom to come and go (and destroy) as he pleases. A newly appointed GM might be less convinced that rare title defenses are best for business, and confront Lesnar with management that’s less favorable for The Beast. And as for The Authority’s self-appointed heir apparent, well, we haven’t forgotten about him either …
The former Architect of The Shield has been making enemies left and right since blasting Roman Reigns in the backwith that fateful steel chair, largely free of consequence thanks to his protection under The Authority’s umbrella. Without a corporate backer to save him from termination, though, it’ll be open season on Mr. Money in the Bank. Dean Ambrose might get to administer that definitive beating on his old buddy, to say nothing of a humiliated Jack Swagger. Roman Reigns has already vowed revengewhen he comes back from injury, and we’re pretty sure a certain fellow Authority member might show up outta nowhere and repay Rollins for injuring him a few weeks back. In other words, J&J Securitymight want to ask for a raise, or at least some hazard pay.
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