4 promising recent WWE storylines that suddenly cooled off
WWE's Road to Summerslam 2024 is heating up nicely, with multiple red-hot storylines set to take center stage in Cleveland, Ohio. From Drew McIntyre's unrelenting blood feud with CM Punk to Liv Morgan's cerebral rivalry against Rhea Ripley, there will be plenty of fireworks at The Biggest Party of the Summer. That's without mentioning the other intense championship rivalries across the card.
While the path to the iconic premium live event is littered with compelling angles, some other previously promising ones have recently fallen to the wayside. These programs have cooled off in a rather sudden manner due to a wide range of circumstances, leaving fans bewildered. As a result, certain superstars have lost momentum or the golden opportunity to build some.
Here are four WWE storylines that have suddenly cooled off in recent weeks.
#4: AJ Styles' desperate chase for one final world title has tailed off since Clash at the Castle
![The phenomenal one has not been seen since his acclaimed duology with Cody Rhodes [Image from WWE.com]](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2024/07/60d9a-17216285069907-1920.jpg?w=500)
AJ Styles came out of his WrestleMania XL loss to LA Knight a reinvigorated man, relentlessly pursuing Cody Rhodes' Undisputed WWE Championship. The Phenomenal One pushed The American Nightmare to one of the best matches of his career at Backlash: France but ultimately came up short. He then upped the ante with a fake retirement, leading to an "I Quit" match at Clash at the Castle.
The two-time world champion emerged from that feud with renewed momentum, and fans were intrigued to learn what was next. However, he has barely featured since, instead going on an expedition to Pro Wrestling NOAH to face Naomichi Marufuji. While it's always amazing to witness such cross-promotional bouts, that move arguably wasted a chance to further Styles' current momentum in WWE.
The desperate veteran scrambling to enter the Money in the Bank ladder match for a golden ticket to one last title could have been a very compelling story. It remains to be seen if Triple H and co. can maintain his pre-Clash momentum whenever he does return.
#3: The Pride vs. The Bloodline ended before it started when Bobby Lashley got injured
When the first-round matches of the 2024 WWE King of the Ring tournament matches were announced, fans were ecstatic. The tournament featured a number of intriguing matches, with one of them being Bobby Lashley vs. Tama Tonga. This clash seemed to signal a looming feud between The Pride and The Bloodline, creating a considerable amount of excitement.
Fans were chuffed at the prospect of Lashley and The Street Profits facing off with Solo Sikoa and his band of misfits, but it never took off. The All Mighty reportedly suffered a legitimate injury before the qualifying match and was replaced by Angelo Dawkins, who lost. The Profits have since barely interacted with Sikoa and co., generally lacking direction in the two-time world champion's absence.
Lashley's injury came at a time when The Pride was finally beginning to "take off," and the chance to build momentum may be gone by the time he returns.
#2: Various storylines in the WWE women's division have lost momentum in recent weeks
The WWE women's division is arguably the deepest and strongest it has ever been. The women's roster is overrun with world class talent from the main event to the lower card to the tag division and even in NXT. More female competitors than ever have become must-see stars, which has inadvertently given Triple H and co. the headache of balancing them all at the same time.
The Game and his creative team have done an admirable job with dozens of women featuring prominently every week, but some storylines have slipped through the cracks. Some examples include The Unholy Union, who are yet to defend their tag team titles a month after winning them, only making it to backstage segments.
Elsewhere, Kiana James has "disappeared" on WWE RAW after a solid introduction to the main roster, while Candice LeRae's vicious heel turn has turned into something of a damp squib. Will their momentum pick back up after SummerSlam? We'll have to wait and see!
#1: Chad Gable's breakup with The Alpha Academy was undercut by the Wyatt Sicks at peak momentum
Chad Gable had one of the most compelling WWE heel turns of the year when he attacked Sami Zayn in front of the latter's wife on RAW. The Alpha Academy leader took his new-found villainy to another level by constantly bullying his stablemates to the brink of tears. This made fans desperate to see them retaliate, with Otis especially garnering a huge wave of sympathy.
Triple H and his creative team seemed to be building up to a massive breakup angle, with multiple teases of The Number One Guy's retaliation eliciting huge reactions. This was thought to be leading up to Gable joining forces with The Creed Brothers in a move that would benefit both his former and new groups.
However, the Wyatt Sicks' debut swept all that anticipation away, with Otis and co. now involved in The Final Testament's feud with The New Day. The former Olympian, meanwhile, has allied himself with The Creeds, and is now fully engaged with the Wyatt Sicks. These two directions may well work out, but the breakup of The Alpha Academy currently feels like it was mishandled.