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WWE has an excellent upper midcard...now, here's how to capitalize

By Kyle Decker
WWE.com

For some time, it's seemed like the only stories that WWE gave any time or care to were the ones for the main event scene.  But recently while watching SmackDown, it's come to my attention that that's no longer the case.  In fact, WWE has a really stacked upper midcard.  And it's something that WWE can really build on.

The wrestlers I refer to are Roman Reigns, Cesaro, Kevin Owens, Dean Ambrose, Rusev, and Bray Wyatt.  These are six guys who who have .   Here are a few things that make these guys exciting:

They are young.

Asides from Cesaro, who is 34, everyone else is between 28 and 31.  And 34 is by no means too old.  All these guys can feasibly have 10 good years in WWE.  It gives ample time for each guy to find his footing in WWE and connect with the crowd before being pushed to the top.  Or gives Reigns plenty of time after that failed.

They are relatively new to the WWE fans.

It may feel like Cesaro has been around for much longer than the rest of these guys, but in actuality, both he and the Shield (meaning Ambrose and Reigns on this list) all debuted in 2012.  Wyatt debuted in 2013, Rusev in 2014, and Owens in 2015.  These are all still guys who are fresh in the company.

That's in comparison to some like say Dolph Ziggler, who has been in WWE since 2008.  Sure he could fit on this list for other aspects.  But it's tougher to sell Ziggler as a top midcard threat after he's been languishing in the company for so long.  Not that I can't be done, but he doesn't have that shine the rest of the guys on the list do.

They've never been to the top of the mountain.

There's something truly enjoyable about watching wrestlers climb up the card instead of fall back.  Sure Reigns main evented WrestleMania last year, but he didn't win and his push was soon delayed indefinitely.  So now the chance is there again for fans to naturally connect with Reigns and enjoy his ascent along with the rest of these guys.

Some of my favorite moments in the Attitude Era were the the battles in the upper midcard and then Intercontinental Title scene.  The Triple H and Rock feuds before they were main event guys are some of my favorite memories.  The potential is here to have the same thing here now with these six guys.

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WWE has a golden opportunity here with the table they've set and they should continue the way they are.  Take these guys and feud them in the different combinations through this year and well into the next.  Drop the "Protect Everyone" booking that involves smoz finishes to make both guys look strong and just let them go at it.

All these guys are on the same level so it is OK if these guys trade wins and losses.  As long as they put on good matches and tell good stories, losses won't hurt.  They can always pick up some wins against some standard midcard guys to remind us they are a league above the rest.  (I would put guys like Stardust, Neville, Barrett, the Miz in the midcard.  I'd have Ryback and Ziggler kind of straddle midcard and upper midcard.)

These guys do need a prize though.  Kevin Owens isn't just going to fight for the hell of it.  The WWE should take the intercontinental championship, take it to a priest or a Shaman, have it blessed or exorcised, and then drop it between these six to fight for it.  Re-establish the Intercontinental Title as the upper midcard title and use these guys who are already established as a pretty bid deal to do so.  (As for the US title, after it's done with the Cena run, I'd drop it down to the midcard.  Keep it among guys like Neville who can put on a show each time he defends it.)

After about a year of these men stealing the show either fighting for the Intercontinental Championship or in personal feuds, then they can start slowly being added to that main event scene.  If all goes well, WWE has six guys who can believably hold that WWE World Heavyweight Championship.  Personally, I'd start by having one of these six win the Royal Rumble, either in 2016 or 2017 to start the ascension.

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The current top guys aren't going to be around forever.  John Cena and Brock Lesnar are both 38.  Cena will be around for a bit longer, but i have a feeling he's not going to be around as much as Hollywood starts calling.  Brock Lesnar is limited by the amount of dates in his contract.  Sheamus himself is 37.  He has some time left, but he's not their next decade of main eventing.  Randy Orton is only 35 and while I believe he has another title run or two left in him, he's been around for so long that he's not a fresh face.  Daniel Bryan's health is a huge question mark.  That just leaves Seth Rollins, who I didn't add to this list just because he's already WWE Champion.

Luckily, WWE has a crop of young guys preparing to take that spot when the time comes.  The future of the main event may be bright for WWE.

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