10 Major Challenges Facing WWE In 2021
8. Finding The Next Great Story
Bayley and Sasha Banks' 2020 angle was so multifariously fantastic because the wrestlers were outstanding even when the broken system threatened to undermine all of it.
After months of teases between the two and several elegantly booked matches, the story almost hit an iceberg in the form of Raw Women's Champion. Not because matches with her weren't great - some were f*cking awesome - but because the panic booking of the trio resulted in some of the worst "protective" finishes ever and made mugs of the characters in the immediate aftermath.
They all worked through it (see aforementioned "f*cking awesome"), to the point where 'The Boss' and 'The Role Model' had a world class Hell In A Cell match and a high-drawing television rematch that was almost as good. The climax to their feud arrived right as Roman Reigns returned, allowed WWE to donate the bulk of their creative energy to getting his new character established.
And now, what?
There's currently no tale across either brand so captivating that viewers need to tune in next week. 2020's (re)made stars out of Drew McIntyre, Banks and The Hurt Business, but what are any of them doing that feels particularly vital? This is never not a challenge, but it's one the company must rise to during Royal Rumble season, lest it underserve what could already be a challenging WrestleMania to plan for.