Kevin Owens must not win the Money in the Bank Briefcase
Let's face it - Raw is in a disastrous state post-WrestleMania 34. I know it, you know it, and apparently WWE knows it too because Rupert Murdoch of Fox told them that NBC Universal was embarrassed by their product. It's easy to see why.
SummerSlam brings the possibility of a reset in many ways. Most importantly, it offers the possibility of finally concluding the Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns feud which has loomed over WWE for the past four years and has completely strangled the red brand for the past year and a half.
That comes with its risks however, as Vince McMahon and co are reportedly well aware of the reception the fourth Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns match will get in Brooklyn. That apparently didn't stop them from booking the match.
Since Money in the Bank, there appears to be a safety valve. Braun Strowman, one of the most popular superstars in the company, won the men's briefcase. His cashing in on the parade would not only send the fans home happy, but it would be poetic justice because last year's SummerSlam was his star-making moment, where he was the glue that held that fantastic fatal four-way main event together.
But now Braun Strowman needs to defend that briefcase against Kevin Owens, and while this would ordinarily be a filler feud to give him something to do in Brooklyn, there's reason for concern. Strowman has gotten the better of Owens at every turn in their feud and more ominously, matches between the latter and Roman Reigns are being advertised. Cards are subject to change, but advertisements are generally accurate. See the start of AJ Styles vs. Samoa Joe.
A fast-rising theory now goes that Kevin Owens will win the briefcase and cash in instead of Braun Strowman. It would indeed send the Brooklyn crowd home happy, but if there were ever a way to make Raw even worse, that would be it. Here's why.
#1 His last two main event runs were awful
Lest we forget, let's take a trip down memory lane.
Kevin Owens won the Universal Championship after Finn Balor went down to an injury. His run as a cowardly heel champion was made of the same stuff that rendered Seth Rollins' run at the top just the year before the weakest point of his career. Were it not for Chris Jericho holding the act together, it would have been a complete failure. And this time, Y2J wouldn't be there.
Things improved with the Festival of Friendship, but by that point, it was too late. Goldberg would mercifully end the reign weeks afterward, and though it was and still is controversial, it was the right decision.
Afterward, Kevin Owens went to SmackDown where, after a lackluster feud with AJ Styles, he found himself embroiled with Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan alongside Sami Zayn. The feud started hot in the first month. Then it dragged on and on, leading SmackDown into a period arguably even worse than when Jinder Mahal was champion. The malaise was only ended by Daniel Bryan's miraculous return to the ring.
Now Owens threatens to make his presence felt in the main event again. It's at that point when I wonder if Brock Lesnar lounging around in the middle of nowhere with the title is such a bad thing.