Were the Real Americans split prematurely?

[Guest Matt Black]

I wonder if this is the case at the moment for two reasons, the first being the odd and confusing direction in which WWE creative has decided to take Antonio Ceasaro over the past few months. When they initiated the split it seemed that Ceasaro was destined for a face turn, but then he was repackaged as "Paul Heyman Guy", as if confidence had been lost in the turn or else someone figured out a good reason to keep him a heel that was not obvious to those unaware of the long-term plans being kept under wraps.

 

The second was that I just didn't think The Real Americans had been taken as far as they could have gone. When they first appeared it was obvious that they were more than a pair of floundering singles competitors put together for the sake of having to find two different ideas for them. I mean they were on paper, but the whole appeared to be more than the sum of the parts and the addition of Zeb Coulter was enough to make them stand out as actually having a gimmick that could go somewhere as well as the pair being sufficiently able in the ring.

 

I'm ignoring the unpleasant aspect of the xenophobia that was a part of the act to begin with, as it was pretty clear the WWE backed off on it when it didn't go down well and instead downgraded Coulter's rants to clownish levels. And that change in tone was what really made me think the tandem had longevity, the chance that they could win the fans over as a talented, if somewhat misguided pair that eventually learned the error of their ways and actually turned on more sinister and unpleasant heels such as Rusev or the Wyatts.

 

A run as tag champions didn't seem impossible before the eventual Swagger heel reversion and Ceasaro emerging as the former hater who learned to love the US and the fans.

 

Anyone agree?

 

Or am I just delusional?

[Guest Jack]

I quite liked the Real Americans but I think the problem was that you had an obvious star in the making who was being held back by his teammate, which is the same problem a lot of tag teams have. Swagger is alright but the crowd weren't buying into him anywhere near as much as Cesaro, so rather than them be seen as a proper team, it was more 'Cesaro and that other guy'. I wouldn't mind seeing Swagger get another partner though but I'd probably agree with the decision to split them up at the time, just because it was holding Cesaro back rather than enhance him.

[Omega 354]

To be honest I'd like to see them give Swagger someone who makes him look better, maybe even boost the stable to three active wrestlers and Zeb.

[Guest Matt Black]

I quite liked the Real Americans but I think the problem was that you had an obvious star in the making who was being held back by his teammate, which is the same problem a lot of tag teams have. Swagger is alright but the crowd weren't buying into him anywhere near as much as Cesaro, so rather than them be seen as a proper team, it was more 'Cesaro and that other guy'. I wouldn't mind seeing Swagger get another partner though but I'd probably agree with the decision to split them up at the time, just because it was holding Cesaro back rather than enhance him.

 

I'd still like to have seen a more slow-burn approach with Cesaro's turn, making him build into the genuine star of the team and then overcome the betrayal of his former partner and continue on to chase the world title.

[Guest Magic]

I assumed they were going to go with Cesaro getting frustrated with Heyman for always going on about Brock and not giving him much attention, so he turns fully fledged babyface against the two of them. Could still happen that way but I'm less convinced that's the route they'll take now than I was a month ago. It's now beginning to seem like they've just stuck him with Heyman without any real plan other than "He's a Heyman guy now." which is a shame, but not all that surprising given WWE's recent history of weird, stop starty pushes and their inability to forward plan particularly well.

[Guest Matt Black]

Putting him with Heyman seems like a holding pattern while they decide what to do with him. But let's face it, Cesaro has IC champ written all over him.

[Guest Edgehead]

I've never been too keen on Cesaro, I hope they haven't put him with Heyman to set up a feud with Lesnar because I personally think it would be a waste of one of Brock's 3 or 4 matches a year. I know a lot of people would disagree with that but Cesaro just doesn't do it for me.

[Guest Matt Black]

I've never been too keen on Cesaro, I hope they haven't put him with Heyman to set up a feud with Lesnar because I personally think it would be a waste of one of Brock's 3 or 4 matches a year. I know a lot of people would disagree with that but Cesaro just doesn't do it for me.

 

I have to admit to being puzzled as to what they'll do with Lesnar now that he's broken the streak, as how can you then book him to do anything other than win against the regular roster?

[Omega 354]

I'd assume he'd take over from Taker as a marquee event used sparingly. He'll never commit to touring again but he'll turn up for a six figure pay day run. I'd be happy with that in terms of getting some Brock now and again and them not running him into the ground as an attraction. He can elevate whilst beating guys if you book it right, you could still for example have Cesaro attack Lesnar and for a few weeks be "on top" with Lesnar eventually winning their pay off match and still have shined Cesaro up.

[Guest Edgehead]

I have to admit to being puzzled as to what they'll do with Lesnar now that he's broken the streak, as how can you then book him to do anything other than win against the regular roster?

 

Right now I think the only person I'd wanna see Brock lose to is Roman Reigns.

[Guest Matt Black]

Right now I think the only person I'd wanna see Brock lose to is Roman Reigns.

 

I'd imagine that he'd need some serious building up in order for a win over Lesnar to even look credible, one that looked like a fluke would do more harm than good at this stage in his career.

[Guest Matt Black]

I'd assume he'd take over from Taker as a marquee event used sparingly.

 

The Beast becoming effectively the replacement for the streak is one I've not heard before.

[Guest Ciaran The King]

Cesaro had outgrown both Swagger and Zeb, it was time