Edge had a busy week in WWE after winning the Men’s Royal Rumble on Sunday, January 31. The Rated-R Superstar confronted WWE champion Drew McIntyre on Monday, NXT champion Finn Bálor on Wednesday and Universal champion Roman Reigns on Friday.
With each appearance, Edge had the opportunity to announce which titleholder he would face at WrestleMania 37. But he has yet to make a decision, leaving many fans to wonder what will happen next.
What began as a typical situation became anything but typical. Ordinarily, the Royal Rumble winner would tease which champion would be in his sights. But most of the time, there was almost always an obvious choice and the WWE faithful could usually see it coming.
But this time is different. This time, all three brands’ championships are truly up for grabs. At least, that’s the scenario that WWE has presented. So when each possibility is fully explored, which one makes the most sense?
The Three Kings
Drew McIntyre has been elevated as the top babyface in Vince McMahon’s company. That rise began before the pandemic struck in 2020, but it was fully realized afterward. McIntyre achieved top star status, becoming one of the most popular stars on the roster.
So why would WWE take their new top face and pit him against a legendary top face in a can’t win situation at WrestleMania? The company has already pulled a bizarre twist by booking Drew against Goldberg at the Royal Rumble. McIntyre retained the title that night, but many fans are still wondering why the match happened in the first place.
Those same fans are probably wondering why Edge couldn’t logically defeat Finn Bálor for the NXT Championship at Mania. The truth is that he could, which brings a whole new light to the storyline. But while Bálor would surely have no issue dropping the NXT title to Edge, the question is what happens to the Prince afterward? Is he back to doing nothing once again?
Roman Reigns is doing the best work of his career right now. He’s come a long way from the days of being hated for booking that was out of his hands. Roman is at the top of his game and facing a strong babyface like Edge would definitely shape up to be a great story. If anyone could take the belt from Reigns and make it look good, it’s Edge. But why do that at all?
Which Way is Up?
In each case, there’s a very good reason for Edge to go over. But in each case, there’s also a very good reason for Edge not to go over. Yes, each title is up for grabs and there’s no doubt that if done the right way, Edge would come out of any match as the conquering hero. He would bring respect to the championship around his waist, despite which championship it is.
But what if he’s not winning at WrestleMania 37? What if his real purpose is not to win a title on March 28, but to simply give back to the company? If that’s the case, then losing to Finn Bálor is the most sensible move. Finn would come out looking better than he has in a very long time, thanks to the legend that gave him a great match and took the three-count in the end.
There seems to be no better move, which likely means it won’t happen. In a storyline where anything is possible, with scenarios that seem to have no satisfying conclusions, fans should expect WWE to find the one outcome that makes the least amount of sense and do exactly that.
This means that either Drew McIntyre or Roman Reigns is going down. Neither man really needs to lose, but that may not matter in the end. WWE has brought back a legend with no mission other than to win again. The one foe that he needed to get even with was Randy Orton and that angle has already come to an end. So what else is happening here?
Sleight of Hand
What if Edge’s Royal Rumble victory was a pointless move? What if his overtures toward all three champions is nothing but a smokescreen to cover something else that may be hidden at the moment? WrestleMania’s top three title matches could be Drew McIntyre versus Sheamus, Finn Bálor versus Karrion Kross and Roman Reigns versus Brock Lesnar.
Sheamus may not be the strongest challenger WWE could find, but that may not matter. Kross is on his way to the top and he’s practically a sure bet to go over at Mania. Lesnar versus Reigns is likely a match that fans want nothing to do with.
The WWE faithful should expect any of these potential outcomes moving forward. The company has given no true indication of what’s coming next and that’s the curious part.
What about Edge? He will, or won’t, leave WrestleMania 37 with a championship, or he may not be involved at all. At this point, any of the three scenarios are entirely possible. Only time will tell.
Tom Clark brings more than 10 years of experience as an online writer, including Featured Columnist stints at Bleacher Report, Pro Wrestling, Daily DDT and Wrestling Rumors. His podcasts, Tom Clark’s Main Event and Tom Clark’s 6M Podcast, are available on Apple Pods, Google Pods, Stitcher, Amazon Music, Audible, Spotify and YouTube
