Some places have power rankings. Here at Cageside we do a stock report.
In this weekly series, we identify three Superstars (or groups of Superstars) that are on their way, and three that are moving in the opposite direction. After a busy week, too Elimination Chamber 2021 and all its consequences, many fortunes were changed.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at whose supply has declined the most this week:
Stock down # 3: Randy Orton
Randy Orton’s gossip about turning the other five men in the Elimination Chamber match into his victims looked rather silly when he became the first man to be eliminated in the match. The following night (February 22) on Raw, Blamed Orton that his early room exit was distracted by Alexa Bliss, even though she wasn’t near the room game. Then he vomited some black liquid. This was very stupid.
Stock # 2: Kevin Owens
Kevin Owens’ time in the spotlight of the main event SmackDown has seemingly come to an end. After months of feuds with Roman Reigns, Owens was quickly put down by Jey Uso in the Elimination Chamber match, and his pursuit to the Universal Championship ended with a wail. Now Daniel Bryan and Edge look like the best bets for challenging Reigns Fastlane and WrestleManiaIt is not clear, respectively, what awaits Owens at the biggest event of the year.
Owens does not fit well with Seth Rollins, since they fought at last year WrestleMania 36 with the same Messiah storyline, and Rollins currently has his hands full with Cesaro. The next level of masculine heels SmackDown includes Apollo Crews, Jey Uso, Sami Zayn, King Corbin, Otis and Dolph Ziggler. It’s not clear that a one-on-one match between Owens and one of these wrestlers is a big enough attraction to be booked for WrestleManiaThat means there is currently a fair amount of uncertainty about Owens’ place in the WrestleMania card if he drops out of the main event scene.
Stock Down # 1: Riott Squad
Tamina pinned Ruby Riott a week ago, and this week (Feb. 26) it was Liv Morgan’s turn to do the work. Billie Kay wasn’t even around this time to provide a distracting excuse for the loss. Winning Tamina matches is something WWE creatives are heading towards WrestleMania in the year 2021, and it comes at the expense of the Riott Squad.
Now let’s see whose stock has increased the most this week:
Stock # 3: Alpha Academy
Chad Gable’s Alpha Academy is finally showing positive results for Otis. The big man is guided by Gable’s teachings and it helped them win the tag team over the Mysterios. SmackDownLinking Gable and Otis looks like a win-win situation. Gable gets to show off his personality and charm, while Otis smashes Rey Mysterio with splashes from the middle rope. Maybe Tucker should consider enrolling in Alpha Academy next.
Stock # 2: Apollo Crews
Apollo’s heel turn also comes with a gimmick change. Crews has embraced his Nigerian royalty legacy and is now an example of wealth, dominance and power. He beat Shinsuke Nakamura on SmackDown and has set his sights on the Big E Intercontinental Championship.
Stock # 1: The Miz & Bobby Lashley
The Miz and Bobby Lashley have successfully conspired to win Drew McIntyre’s WWE Championship Elimination Chamber 2021Miz is now the champion, and Lashley will get a title recording on next week’s (March 1) episode of Raw
This corner looks like it was designed to push Bobby Lashley to the WWE Championship game WrestleMania 37Lashley even joined the list of the few men who ever pinned Braun Strowman when he knocked out the Monster Among Men in the main event of Raw
There you have it, Cagesiders. Whose share do you think has changed the most this week?