The last person to pin Roman Reigns challenges for his Undisputed WWE Title? 4 possible directions for 'The Lone Wolf' Baron Corbin
WWE NXT is beginning to follow the trend of the rest of the company. RAW and SmackDown's audiences have been growing on television despite the decline of overall viewership affecting nearly every other program available. Beyond that, their attendance has been growing too.
NXT was the only show that wasn't bucking the trend and growing in weekly viewers, but that has been changing as of late. This is likely in part thanks to stars such as Seth Rollins, Dana Brooke, Mustafa Ali, Los Lotharios, and Baron Corbin appearing on the developmental brand.
Baron Corbin's time on the White & Gold brand has helped revitalize his career. While he's still rich, he's leaned back into being The Lone Wolf version of Baron Corbin that many fans have been dying to see. He also had a phenomenal bout on the most recent show.
Despite a makeover and an excellent match, however, Corbin ultimately lost to Carmelo Hayes. Now that he's returned to his old Lone Wolf persona, what might be next? Where could this return to form lead him?
Below are four possible directions for Baron Corbin in WWE as The Lone Wolf.
#4. Baron Corbin could remain on WWE NXT
The Lone Wolf is back.
@BaronCorbinWWE is ready to become #WWENXT Champion.
#NXTGoldRush https://t.co/7NsTSBmAFo
Baron Corbin as a member of NXT has already been better than as a part of WWE's main roster, at least for quite some time. His promo exchange with Carmelo Hayes last week was excellent. The two stars' bout on the most recent program was well received, too.
Given how being on the brand has immediately breathed new life into his career, perhaps a long-term run in NXT could be good. Baron wouldn't have to remain with the brand forever, but a six-month or year-long run as The Lone Wolf could lead to him making a serious splash on WWE's main roster.
The White & Gold brand is loaded with talent, so there are plenty of wrestlers he could fight. Ilja Dragunov, Mustafa Ali, Tyler Bate, Axiom, Nathan Frazer, Dragon Lee, and Wes Lee are just a handful of incredible names he could clash with for the next six months or so. This could then lead to a fresh main roster run in 2024.
#3. He could challenge for the World Heavyweight Championship
Seth Rollins has had an incredible few months. He defeated Logan Paul at WrestleMania and proceeded to defeat Omos at a big-time premium live event. Since then, he has won the World Heavyweight Championship and defended it several times.
As the new top champion on WWE RAW, The Visionary is aiming to make a statement. He's successfully defended the belt against both Damian Priest and Bron Breakker in fantastic television matches. He's set to fight Finn Balor next at WWE Money in the Bank. He wants all of the smoke.
If Rollins wins in London and aims to continue being the fighting champion that fans know and love, he could defend the coveted belt against The Lone Wolf next. If Finn wins the World Heavyweight Title, a revamped Baron Corbin could be an intriguing first challenger for The Prince. Regardless, Corbin certainly has his eyes on gold.
#2. The Lone Wolf could reignite his feud with Roman Reigns
Roman Reigns continues to be the top star in WWE. The Tribal Chief is the reigning and defending Undisputed WWE Universal Champion and has held a world title of some kind for over 1,000 days straight now.
While The Head Of The Table is seemingly unbeatable, he has been defeated in the past. In fact, the last person to pin him was Baron Corbin. This took place around four years ago, back in 2019. Roman has been dominant ever since.
Given the recent change to the more serious Lone Wolf persona, could Baron Corbin return to the main event scene and once again feud with The Tribal Chief? While Corbin lost to Roman more often than he won, there's a chance that he could be the one to finally dethrone the seemingly unbeatable champion.
#1. He could form a stable with The Dyad
LOSER LEAVES NXT?!
Could The #CreedBrothers or #TheDyad be on their way out of #WWENXT? 😱😱😱
#NXTGoldRush https://t.co/gPhpsNWHTJ
The Dyad is a team comprised of Rip Fowler and Jagger Reid. The two are part of The Schism alongside Ava and Joe Gacy. There have been issues within the faction as of late, however, despite the stable's motto being "four roots, one tree." In fact, they're set to compete in Loser Leaves NXT Match against The Creed Brothers next week, a controversial move made by Joe himself.
The duo were once known as the Grizzled Young Veterans, and GYV are clearly unhappy in WWE. They publicly asked for their release earlier this year and have since noted their contracts are set to expire in October. Still, there's always a chance that the company has worked things out with the two British stars, and they won't necessarily lose.
WWE may be teasing that the two are leaving, but instead, they may revert back to being the Grizzled Young Veterans. From there, they may align themselves with Baron Corbin. The stable would feature three men who are sick of being mistreated when they're far more talented than most others. A bitter trio out to destroy NXT could make for a fun story.