You probably think that it's a bit early to be writing something like this as we haven't even reached Fastlane yet and that there are no official matches booked for Wrestlemania but you can already see that WWE has the potential to create some interesting dynamics coming out of Wrestlemania.
Lets start off by assuming that these people will walk out of NXT Takeover: Dallas and Wrestlemania as champions.
Roman Reigns - WWE WHC Finn Balor - NXT Champion
Sasha Banks - Divas Champion Asuka - NXT Women's Champion
Dean Ambrose - Intercontinental Champion American Alpha - NXT Tag Team Champions
Kalisto - United States Champion
New Day - Tag Team Champions
If you're a betting man/woman then all of these guys are a pretty safe bet for being champion at the end of the weekend in Dallas, Texas.
First off lets start with the WWE Championship. Roman Reigns vs Triple H is the touted main event for Wrestlemania 32 and the result of that match is fairly likely to be Reigns going over The game. This is fine but WWE need to make sure they continue going in the right direction with Reigns. Enter, Kevin Owens. Whomever KO faces at Wrestlemania is bound to be in for a good match and Owens should be victorious as it can lead to him going into the WWE title picture. Owens is the best Heel on the roster right now. He works great as a Heel both in the ring, on the microphone and even on Social Media. Casual fans see him as a good Heel and hardcore pro wrestling fans see him as one of the best in ring workers on the roster. Having a feud with KO would be a great way for Roman to start as not only do both of them have potential to put on great matches (Just watch the fatal 4 Way on the October 26th episode of RAW) but Reigns needs to work against a legitimately great Heel in order to properly get over with the fans and Kevin Owens is the best that WWE have right now.
Charlotte has done better in her role as the cheat to win Heel but Sasha Banks is who fans are crying out for and it's probably going to happen at Wrestlemania, whether it be in a triple threat match involving Becky Lynch (Personally that's what i'd go for) or whether it's one on one against Charlotte. Charlotte and Becky's feud doesn't need the title to be entertaining so after Wrestlemania that could potentially continue of into itself where as Sasha could face someone different. Natalya would be a very good option but there's a better option, Bayley. Bayley's been the face of the Women's division in NXT for a while now but with the emergence of Asuka and Nia Jax as well as the improvements in the ring by Carmella and Alexa Bliss, after Wrestlemania would be the perfect time for Bayley to move on. Sasha Banks and Bayley put on, in my opinion, two of the three best PPV matches of 2015 and allowing them to continue that on the main roster would be gold for WWE. Just think about it, Banks could be parading around on RAW declaring how she is the best of all time and out comes the ultimate babyface herself, Bayley.
Originally I felt like Dean Ambrose turning Heel against Roman Reigns would be a great option coming out of Wrestlemania but I think KO would be a better option so I've gone with Dean retaining the IC title, most likely in a match vs Chris Jericho. After Wrestlemania I think there are two people who should be inserted into the IC title picture, the first being AJ Styles. Styles will get a run with at least one title in WWE that much is pretty certain and IC is the most likely so this is probably the place to start it. The other person is Samoa Joe. Samoa Joe has been another name linked with a call up to RAW in recent weeks and sticking him straight in with AJ would be a great move considering their history. Ambrose vs Styles vs Joe has so much potential, especially at a PPV such as Extreme Rules. Ambrose could potentially come out and declare some sort of challenge for the IC title, not too dissimilar to John Cena's open challenge, out comes Samoa Joe. Before they can get started however, out comes AJ Styles and says he has more right to a title shot that Joe does. From there, WWE can go whichever way they want.
Kalisto can be a great US champion. Most recently he put on a great match with Neville on Smackdown and he looks like he's going to be able to thrive in that underdog role that he's been given. The US title looks to be potentially the title being defended in the Wrestlemania Ladder match which gives Kalisto the chance to show off some high flying offense personally I think he should come out of Wrestlemania as the champ. My personal choice for him would be Rusev. He's had a beef with Alberto Del Rio in the league of nations so why not the Bulgarian Brute next. It would fit him perfectly as well as giving Rusev something meaningful to do. This might not happen due to backstage heat for Lana and Rusev but WWE need to get their heads out their asses and get over it. Yes, Lana and Rusev ruined an ongoing storyline by announcing their engagement but lets be honest, it was god awful feud anyway. Be glad we don't have to see anymore of that Ru-Ru garbage. Rusev is a monster Heel and should be booked as such. If they didn't go with Rusev another person who could fill that role effectively would be Baron Corbin. It's likely that Corbin will get a callup soon so putting him in a role like this would be good for him, although some people may not be happy with someone like Corbin going straight into the title picture.
New Day should be champions walking out of Wrestlemania. That is certain. They haven't really got any great competition right now. Yes, they have The Usos but it just feels like it's being dragged out and we're just hitting the repeat button on this. New Day can face anyone they like at Wrestlemania s long as they come out as Champions. On the RAW after WM there is the perfect opportunity to promote some Tag Teams. Enzo and Cass or The Hype Bro's would be the most likely candidates. Enzo and Cass have stellar charisma skills and could easily go toe-to-toe on the mic with New Day and The Hype bro's don't really have anything much to do on NXT so testing them on RAW could be an option. If these guys were to come up however, WWE would need to be careful not to screw it up like they did with the Diva's Revolution. The Tag Team scene on RAW desperately needs some fresh blood and NXT is the place to go for that. American Alpha (Gable and Jordan) would probably be another popular but with them Facing Dash and Dawson at NXT Takeover:Dallas it's a pretty safe bet they will be the next NXT Tag Team champions before they reach the main roster. Hey, Dash and Dawson are great in the ring, why not give them a shot.
What do you think? Anybody I've missed? Tell me if you could do it better!
Friday 29 January 2016
Thursday 28 January 2016
Wrestlemania is in danger of being overshadowed by NXT Takeover: Dallas
Let me just say first that when I say that Wrestlemania is in danger of being overshadowed by Takeover: Dallas I mean in an in-ring capacity. Obviously Wrestlemania is one of the biggest events of the year and is not going to be overshadowed by a WWE Network special. Having said that, as a wrestling fan you can't help but get more excited about the next NXT Takeover special.
WWE are struggling to fill Wrestlemania with an amazing match card. While a lot of this can be put down to crap storytelling the blame doesn't completely lie with this due to all the injuries they are suffering at this point in time. Having said that, with HHH vs Roman Reigns looking like the main event at what is supposed be one of the biggest Wrestlemanias of all time, it's not exactly enticing fans to get ready for the big showcase. There is still plenty to look forward to such as AJ Styles Wrestlemania debut as well as Dean Ambrose finally get a big singles match on the grandest stage of them all as well as a large focus on the Women. Despite this, WWE still don't really have a great opponent for arguably their greatest performer of all time, The Undertaker. Braun Strowman has been touted as the most likely person to fill that role but lets be honest, none of us really want to see that.
Then we switch to NXT and look at the card which is already filled for that event and it just makes you drool all over your keyboard. Finn Balor vs Samoa Joe, yes we've seen it already but it was absolutely awesome and you can guarantee it will be again. Asuka vs Bayley for Women's championship. The two most legitimate female competitors in the WWE going up against each other. Gable and Jordan vs Dash and Dawson, two great in ring tag-teams. Baron Corbin vs Austin Aries. Even though there's nothing on the line here it just feels like it's going to be a great match along with Shinsuke Nakamura vs Sami Zayn.
The fact that NXT can fill a 2 hour show with 5 matches that all have the potential to be 5 star thrillers whereas the main roster are struggling to fill 3 hours of their biggest show all year has to be a huge worry for Vince McMahon. What makes this look even worse for WWE is that NXT have an abundance of talent to spare who aren't on the Takeover Special. Enzo and Cass, Emma, Apollo Crews and The Vaudevillians have all feature prominently on recent Takeover Specials but there is no place for them in Dallas.
After Wrestlemania WWE will need to nab some talent from NXT there is no doubt about it. This isn't just going there and taking one big name like Samoa Joe. They need to go and raid NXT for 6/7 of their big names. The way that NXT works will make it easy for them to create more stars out of their talent but WWE are struggling right now and need to do something to stop this. In terms of the event itself obviously NXT Takeover Dallas comes nowhere near Wrestlemania but you get the feeling that at the end of the weekend when people look back and ask themselves which event they preferred, you can probably place a good amount of money that NXT will take that vote.
WWE are struggling to fill Wrestlemania with an amazing match card. While a lot of this can be put down to crap storytelling the blame doesn't completely lie with this due to all the injuries they are suffering at this point in time. Having said that, with HHH vs Roman Reigns looking like the main event at what is supposed be one of the biggest Wrestlemanias of all time, it's not exactly enticing fans to get ready for the big showcase. There is still plenty to look forward to such as AJ Styles Wrestlemania debut as well as Dean Ambrose finally get a big singles match on the grandest stage of them all as well as a large focus on the Women. Despite this, WWE still don't really have a great opponent for arguably their greatest performer of all time, The Undertaker. Braun Strowman has been touted as the most likely person to fill that role but lets be honest, none of us really want to see that.
Then we switch to NXT and look at the card which is already filled for that event and it just makes you drool all over your keyboard. Finn Balor vs Samoa Joe, yes we've seen it already but it was absolutely awesome and you can guarantee it will be again. Asuka vs Bayley for Women's championship. The two most legitimate female competitors in the WWE going up against each other. Gable and Jordan vs Dash and Dawson, two great in ring tag-teams. Baron Corbin vs Austin Aries. Even though there's nothing on the line here it just feels like it's going to be a great match along with Shinsuke Nakamura vs Sami Zayn.
The fact that NXT can fill a 2 hour show with 5 matches that all have the potential to be 5 star thrillers whereas the main roster are struggling to fill 3 hours of their biggest show all year has to be a huge worry for Vince McMahon. What makes this look even worse for WWE is that NXT have an abundance of talent to spare who aren't on the Takeover Special. Enzo and Cass, Emma, Apollo Crews and The Vaudevillians have all feature prominently on recent Takeover Specials but there is no place for them in Dallas.
After Wrestlemania WWE will need to nab some talent from NXT there is no doubt about it. This isn't just going there and taking one big name like Samoa Joe. They need to go and raid NXT for 6/7 of their big names. The way that NXT works will make it easy for them to create more stars out of their talent but WWE are struggling right now and need to do something to stop this. In terms of the event itself obviously NXT Takeover Dallas comes nowhere near Wrestlemania but you get the feeling that at the end of the weekend when people look back and ask themselves which event they preferred, you can probably place a good amount of money that NXT will take that vote.
Tuesday 26 January 2016
5 talking points from this weeks RAW
Last night was the RAW after the best Royal Rumble in recent memory. This gave the WWE an opportunity to continue heading strongly in the right direction on the road to Wrestlemania. These are the five biggest talking points I took from the show.
The Authority are what's best for business
So Triple H won the Rumble! Not really a surprise there. This isn't me saying it's the wrong decision, rather that everyone and their mums could see it coming. RAW opened this week with a lengthy opening segment from The Authority. Now a couple of months ago we would've all moaned and groaned about it but this week it was an excellent opening to RAW. Vince and Steph made the segment a little weak but to his credit, HHH came out and showed why putting the title was, unfortunately, the only way to go. He preached about how Roman's arrogance was the downfall of his championship reign. It was a good promo from Hunter and he looked like he believed every bit of what he was saying. Surprisingly there was no Roman involvement in this segment, as a matter of fact he turned up to RAW about half an hour late. No wonder he isn't WWE champion anymore.
AJ shows off his Style against Y2J
AJ Styles got the loudest pop of the lot last night when he made his debut in the Rumble and he continued in the right way on RAW. The way AJ is being treated by WWE so far shows that they view him as a big deal which is great because, lets face it he is a big deal. Going into Wrestlemania it looks like he will be invested in a feud with someone like Kevin Owens which is perfect because they seem like they'll work well in the ring together. On RAW however he faced the perfect first opponent in Chris Jericho. Jericho mainly works now to put other guys over which makes him perfect for this role. They put on a very good showing and despite Jericho being a little loud when calling certain spots he showed good work with AJ. There are two big things with Styles going around at the moment. The first is that people seem to think that his trademark "Styles Clash" has been banned for being too unsafe. Unlikely. If this was the case then he wouldn't be trying to do in regularly and the commentary team certainly wouldn't be referencing it. Second is that the WWE need to handle him carefully. For the more hardcore fans he will need to be booked in good feuds and good matches but they also need to make sure he is given free reign in the ring so that he can quickly win over the casual audience who may not have heard of him. Once he has won over them he will become a huge draw for the WWE and should be inserted into the WWE Championship picture.
Women going in the right direction
Becky Lynch and Charlotte put on a great match at Royal Rumble and despite the finish being a bit iffy it was a step in the right direction. Involving Sasha Banks was also good because fans have been pining for her for a while now. Sasha Banks and Becky Lynch faced each other last night on RAW and while the match didn't get enough time the creative was put in the right direction. Sasha Banks needs to be in the title picture because, well she's Sasha Banks but Becky Lynch doesn't deserve to be shunted off into the background like an afterthought because she has been doing some of the best work on RAW recently. Perhaps a triple threat is on the horizon at Fastlane or a No.1 contenders match between Banks and Lynch. Either way it's certainly moving well towards Wrestlemania.
Rock comes home
Before RAW even started WWE broke news on their Twitter that there would be a major star returning on RAW that night and within about 15 minutes pretty much everyone knew who it was. Obviously it was going to be The Rock and he received a thunderous reception from his home crowd. The Rock did his whole thing on the mic until New Day came out and just made things even better if that was even possible. They more than held their own against Rock on the microphone but the segment ended with them getting put down by Rock and Usos. It made for good entertainment but New Day have sort become that group that exist outside that Face/Heel dynamic. They're just fun guys to watch.
Main Event at Fastlane announcement
At the beginning of the night Stephanie McMahon announced that at the end of the night The Authority would announce the No.1 contenders match at Fastlane to see who will face HHH at Wrestlemania. The main event consisted of an OK match between Reigns and Ambrose vs Sheamus and Rusev. After Reigns and Ambrose got the win Steph came out to announce that it would be Reigns vs Ambrose vs LESNAR at Fastlane. Now call me cynical but I have a major issue with this. Not with the match itself because the match is actually going to be great to watch. What I have a huge problem with is the creative. It's just pure laziness and the result of this match is predictable to everybody. Ambrose is simply in the match to take the pin and Brock will be eliminated by the Wyatts in some way. The major beefs I have with this are
- Stephanie said they would judge what happened THAT NIGHT on RAW to decide the main event but Brock was not even there. Interesting
- Dean being is means that the Intercontinental Title is playing second fiddle, just as both it and the US title did in the championship tournament leading to Survivor Series.
- The whole idea is that The Authority hate Roman. So why on earth would you just give him a chance at a title match at Fastlane?
- Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns have been Allies forever so you're going to put them in a match together. Seems a bit strange to be honest.
I've said in other posts that the main thing holding WWE back right now is poor creative decisions and this is just another example to add to the long list. With crowd reactions for Reigns being what they are right now they need an interesting story line to help the whole thing develop and this is just not it.
What do you think? Did I miss anything out? Tweet me @baileybishop165!
The Authority are what's best for business
So Triple H won the Rumble! Not really a surprise there. This isn't me saying it's the wrong decision, rather that everyone and their mums could see it coming. RAW opened this week with a lengthy opening segment from The Authority. Now a couple of months ago we would've all moaned and groaned about it but this week it was an excellent opening to RAW. Vince and Steph made the segment a little weak but to his credit, HHH came out and showed why putting the title was, unfortunately, the only way to go. He preached about how Roman's arrogance was the downfall of his championship reign. It was a good promo from Hunter and he looked like he believed every bit of what he was saying. Surprisingly there was no Roman involvement in this segment, as a matter of fact he turned up to RAW about half an hour late. No wonder he isn't WWE champion anymore.
AJ shows off his Style against Y2J
AJ Styles got the loudest pop of the lot last night when he made his debut in the Rumble and he continued in the right way on RAW. The way AJ is being treated by WWE so far shows that they view him as a big deal which is great because, lets face it he is a big deal. Going into Wrestlemania it looks like he will be invested in a feud with someone like Kevin Owens which is perfect because they seem like they'll work well in the ring together. On RAW however he faced the perfect first opponent in Chris Jericho. Jericho mainly works now to put other guys over which makes him perfect for this role. They put on a very good showing and despite Jericho being a little loud when calling certain spots he showed good work with AJ. There are two big things with Styles going around at the moment. The first is that people seem to think that his trademark "Styles Clash" has been banned for being too unsafe. Unlikely. If this was the case then he wouldn't be trying to do in regularly and the commentary team certainly wouldn't be referencing it. Second is that the WWE need to handle him carefully. For the more hardcore fans he will need to be booked in good feuds and good matches but they also need to make sure he is given free reign in the ring so that he can quickly win over the casual audience who may not have heard of him. Once he has won over them he will become a huge draw for the WWE and should be inserted into the WWE Championship picture.
Women going in the right direction
Becky Lynch and Charlotte put on a great match at Royal Rumble and despite the finish being a bit iffy it was a step in the right direction. Involving Sasha Banks was also good because fans have been pining for her for a while now. Sasha Banks and Becky Lynch faced each other last night on RAW and while the match didn't get enough time the creative was put in the right direction. Sasha Banks needs to be in the title picture because, well she's Sasha Banks but Becky Lynch doesn't deserve to be shunted off into the background like an afterthought because she has been doing some of the best work on RAW recently. Perhaps a triple threat is on the horizon at Fastlane or a No.1 contenders match between Banks and Lynch. Either way it's certainly moving well towards Wrestlemania.
Rock comes home
Before RAW even started WWE broke news on their Twitter that there would be a major star returning on RAW that night and within about 15 minutes pretty much everyone knew who it was. Obviously it was going to be The Rock and he received a thunderous reception from his home crowd. The Rock did his whole thing on the mic until New Day came out and just made things even better if that was even possible. They more than held their own against Rock on the microphone but the segment ended with them getting put down by Rock and Usos. It made for good entertainment but New Day have sort become that group that exist outside that Face/Heel dynamic. They're just fun guys to watch.
Main Event at Fastlane announcement
At the beginning of the night Stephanie McMahon announced that at the end of the night The Authority would announce the No.1 contenders match at Fastlane to see who will face HHH at Wrestlemania. The main event consisted of an OK match between Reigns and Ambrose vs Sheamus and Rusev. After Reigns and Ambrose got the win Steph came out to announce that it would be Reigns vs Ambrose vs LESNAR at Fastlane. Now call me cynical but I have a major issue with this. Not with the match itself because the match is actually going to be great to watch. What I have a huge problem with is the creative. It's just pure laziness and the result of this match is predictable to everybody. Ambrose is simply in the match to take the pin and Brock will be eliminated by the Wyatts in some way. The major beefs I have with this are
- Stephanie said they would judge what happened THAT NIGHT on RAW to decide the main event but Brock was not even there. Interesting
- Dean being is means that the Intercontinental Title is playing second fiddle, just as both it and the US title did in the championship tournament leading to Survivor Series.
- The whole idea is that The Authority hate Roman. So why on earth would you just give him a chance at a title match at Fastlane?
- Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns have been Allies forever so you're going to put them in a match together. Seems a bit strange to be honest.
I've said in other posts that the main thing holding WWE back right now is poor creative decisions and this is just another example to add to the long list. With crowd reactions for Reigns being what they are right now they need an interesting story line to help the whole thing develop and this is just not it.
What do you think? Did I miss anything out? Tweet me @baileybishop165!
Monday 25 January 2016
Royal Rumble Review - Great Way To Start Off 2016
So the Royal Rumble was good. Really good. Most people's expectations of the Royal Rumble PPV and match itself have fallen in recent years but in 2016 WWE managed to get everything right. They went in the right direction for setting up plenty of Wrestlemania feuds and gave fans many reasons to be hopeful in the coming weeks and months.
The PPV opened with the Last Man Standing match between Kevin Owens and defending champion, Dean Ambrose. This was risky call as everyone knew this match was going to be great which meant that there was a big chance that it would overshadow everything else. While it didn't do that, the match itself was excellent. There were plenty of awesome spots including Ambrose taking a fisherman suplex off the top rope through a table and a KO Cannonball through the timekeepers area. The majority knew that this was going to be more than a brawl than a wrestling match and we were OK with that because we all knew that's what needed to happen in this feud. Both men came out of this match looking very strong and the Intercontinental Championship looks like a more worthwhile prize at the same time. Both men deserve massive credit for this match and their involvement in it and it really got the crowd going for the rest of the night.
Next up was The Usos taking on the New Day for the Tag Team titles. The New Day won clean as everyone probably expected they would but the match itself was pretty good. I must admit, personally I didn't have a huge amount of hope going into this match as it felt like i'd seen it too many times on RAW already but it was a very good match nonetheless. Keeping the titles on New Day was definitely the right decision but the next step is unclear. New Day need some new competition and that is painfully obvious. They just have no one fresh to feud with on the roster and that is part of the reason why the have become a tiny bit stale in recent weeks. Whether the WWE put together an interesting dynamic team on RAW or surprise us with a call-up from NXT they definitely need to give the New Day something to do.
Kalisto vs Del Rio for the United States Championship and Kalisto actually won! With Kalisto being forced to tap on SmackDown two weeks ago and then taking the pin on Monday's go home RAW before the Rumble the smart money was on Del Rio retaining the title going into Wrestlemania season. However, Kalisto, like the underdog that he is, used Del Rio's tactic of exposing the metal turnbuckle and won the match. This was probably the better result looking at things but now the WWE have a dilemma on their hands. Being the underdog it's realistic to think that Kalisto won't hold onto the belt for a long period of time but this runs the risk of the title becoming a parcel at a children's party. The WWE have to be careful how they book Kalisto coming out of this otherwise the US title will continue to lose it's credibility.
The penultimate match was Becky Lynch vs Charlotte for the Diva's Championship (seriously, why is that still a thing? why do we not have the Women's Championship back yet? This was arguably the best Women's match on RAW in recent memory as it had everything it needed to be good. Unlike the majority of Women's bouts in recent times it had a good backstory as well as two talented in-ring wrestlers. Charlotte retained which is pretty much what most people expected to happen but Becky more than held her own in the ring and proved she deserved to be around the title picture. After the match Sasha Banks came out and did her whole thing of being a 'Legit Boss' and hit Charlotte with the Bank Statement. It looks like Charlotte vs Banks will be the feud going into Wrestlemania which, while it will be exciting, lacks a face in that partnership. Banks has a natural ability to play a Heel and turning Charlotte face now would just be, well, idiotic. I feel for Becky because it looks like she might just get pushed off to the side now which she proved she doesn't deserve in the match at the Royal Rumble.
And now the Rumble itself. The Rumble itself was interesting because there are always tons of talking points. This year was no different. I'll try to cover the in the order they happened and the first big talking point, was obviously, AJ GODDAMN STYLES. Everyone pretty much knew that Styles was backstage during the Rumble PPV but whether he was going to participate was a different story. We got our answer early on as AJ came out at number 3 to an unbelievably monstrous pop which was by far the loudest of the night. WWE apparently had reservations about Styles debuting in the Rumble because they weren't sure if people would know about him all that much. Well that idea went out the window straight away and AJ was the most over guy in the match with fans continually chanting for him. Eventually he was eliminated by Kevin Owens which garnered him some proper heat. Give the Creative team booking however because it was excellent booking to bring out Sami Zayn of all people after Styles got eliminated. People were obviously very unhappy when Styles went out but having Zayn make a surprise entrance in the Rumble helped calm them down. Elsewhere Mark Henry and Jack Swagger, or as I've heard them be referred to as 'Swagsual Chocolate' won the Pre-show match to be involved in the Rumble and they were both eliminated swiftly. What was the point of that? R-Truth did his whole thing of not understanding where the hell he actually is. It was funny the first time but now it just feels like the WWE are trying to force a laugh out of us. Lesnar vs the Wyatt's was good. Lesnar eliminated 3 of the Wyatt family who then got back in the ring and eliminated him. It was good because it made him look strong and it allowed Lesnar to be eliminated in a believable way. Then the big one. TRIPLE H returned at the Rumble at number 30 to win the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. I think most of us saw it happening but it was the smart booking decision nonetheless. Before this happened Roman was dragged out under the bottom rope by the league of nations, put through a table and went to the back. Bad move. Roman needs to be booked like a badass dude who doesn't care about anyone. Having him escorted to the back for more than half the match just makes him look pitiful and weak and is just not helping him in the slightest.
On the go home RAW episode Reigns was noticeably booed by the crowd during the Highlight Reel Segment and it was even worse during the Rumble. It was evident that Roman is no where near over yet and that he still faces an uphill task to do so. This is going to make Wrestlemania very difficult for WWE. Reigns vs HHH is the touted main event at this point with HHH being the evil authority Heel and Reigns being the underdog character. No. On current evidence that is not going to work and judging on how Wrestlemania crowds can react, HHH may well end up being cheered by 100,000 people in Dallas. WWE need to figure out what to do with Reigns fast as people are still not warming to him. I've said many times that I struggle to believe that Reigns will be as over as he has been the past few weeks when people such as Cena, Orton, Cesaro, Rollins and even potentially Bryan start returning from Injury. If it comes to it the WWE may have to even pull the plug on Reigns altogether because it just doesn't seem to be working for them.
Let's keep away from that though because the Royal Rumble was a great way to start off 2016. Last year was a pretty bum year for WWE but the Royal Rumble is a sign of good things to come this year. Eliminations in the Royal Rumble were clever because they allowed seeds for potential 'Mania story lines to be sown. Overall it was a great PPV to watch and every result was the right one.
The PPV opened with the Last Man Standing match between Kevin Owens and defending champion, Dean Ambrose. This was risky call as everyone knew this match was going to be great which meant that there was a big chance that it would overshadow everything else. While it didn't do that, the match itself was excellent. There were plenty of awesome spots including Ambrose taking a fisherman suplex off the top rope through a table and a KO Cannonball through the timekeepers area. The majority knew that this was going to be more than a brawl than a wrestling match and we were OK with that because we all knew that's what needed to happen in this feud. Both men came out of this match looking very strong and the Intercontinental Championship looks like a more worthwhile prize at the same time. Both men deserve massive credit for this match and their involvement in it and it really got the crowd going for the rest of the night.
Next up was The Usos taking on the New Day for the Tag Team titles. The New Day won clean as everyone probably expected they would but the match itself was pretty good. I must admit, personally I didn't have a huge amount of hope going into this match as it felt like i'd seen it too many times on RAW already but it was a very good match nonetheless. Keeping the titles on New Day was definitely the right decision but the next step is unclear. New Day need some new competition and that is painfully obvious. They just have no one fresh to feud with on the roster and that is part of the reason why the have become a tiny bit stale in recent weeks. Whether the WWE put together an interesting dynamic team on RAW or surprise us with a call-up from NXT they definitely need to give the New Day something to do.
Kalisto vs Del Rio for the United States Championship and Kalisto actually won! With Kalisto being forced to tap on SmackDown two weeks ago and then taking the pin on Monday's go home RAW before the Rumble the smart money was on Del Rio retaining the title going into Wrestlemania season. However, Kalisto, like the underdog that he is, used Del Rio's tactic of exposing the metal turnbuckle and won the match. This was probably the better result looking at things but now the WWE have a dilemma on their hands. Being the underdog it's realistic to think that Kalisto won't hold onto the belt for a long period of time but this runs the risk of the title becoming a parcel at a children's party. The WWE have to be careful how they book Kalisto coming out of this otherwise the US title will continue to lose it's credibility.
The penultimate match was Becky Lynch vs Charlotte for the Diva's Championship (seriously, why is that still a thing? why do we not have the Women's Championship back yet? This was arguably the best Women's match on RAW in recent memory as it had everything it needed to be good. Unlike the majority of Women's bouts in recent times it had a good backstory as well as two talented in-ring wrestlers. Charlotte retained which is pretty much what most people expected to happen but Becky more than held her own in the ring and proved she deserved to be around the title picture. After the match Sasha Banks came out and did her whole thing of being a 'Legit Boss' and hit Charlotte with the Bank Statement. It looks like Charlotte vs Banks will be the feud going into Wrestlemania which, while it will be exciting, lacks a face in that partnership. Banks has a natural ability to play a Heel and turning Charlotte face now would just be, well, idiotic. I feel for Becky because it looks like she might just get pushed off to the side now which she proved she doesn't deserve in the match at the Royal Rumble.
And now the Rumble itself. The Rumble itself was interesting because there are always tons of talking points. This year was no different. I'll try to cover the in the order they happened and the first big talking point, was obviously, AJ GODDAMN STYLES. Everyone pretty much knew that Styles was backstage during the Rumble PPV but whether he was going to participate was a different story. We got our answer early on as AJ came out at number 3 to an unbelievably monstrous pop which was by far the loudest of the night. WWE apparently had reservations about Styles debuting in the Rumble because they weren't sure if people would know about him all that much. Well that idea went out the window straight away and AJ was the most over guy in the match with fans continually chanting for him. Eventually he was eliminated by Kevin Owens which garnered him some proper heat. Give the Creative team booking however because it was excellent booking to bring out Sami Zayn of all people after Styles got eliminated. People were obviously very unhappy when Styles went out but having Zayn make a surprise entrance in the Rumble helped calm them down. Elsewhere Mark Henry and Jack Swagger, or as I've heard them be referred to as 'Swagsual Chocolate' won the Pre-show match to be involved in the Rumble and they were both eliminated swiftly. What was the point of that? R-Truth did his whole thing of not understanding where the hell he actually is. It was funny the first time but now it just feels like the WWE are trying to force a laugh out of us. Lesnar vs the Wyatt's was good. Lesnar eliminated 3 of the Wyatt family who then got back in the ring and eliminated him. It was good because it made him look strong and it allowed Lesnar to be eliminated in a believable way. Then the big one. TRIPLE H returned at the Rumble at number 30 to win the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. I think most of us saw it happening but it was the smart booking decision nonetheless. Before this happened Roman was dragged out under the bottom rope by the league of nations, put through a table and went to the back. Bad move. Roman needs to be booked like a badass dude who doesn't care about anyone. Having him escorted to the back for more than half the match just makes him look pitiful and weak and is just not helping him in the slightest.
On the go home RAW episode Reigns was noticeably booed by the crowd during the Highlight Reel Segment and it was even worse during the Rumble. It was evident that Roman is no where near over yet and that he still faces an uphill task to do so. This is going to make Wrestlemania very difficult for WWE. Reigns vs HHH is the touted main event at this point with HHH being the evil authority Heel and Reigns being the underdog character. No. On current evidence that is not going to work and judging on how Wrestlemania crowds can react, HHH may well end up being cheered by 100,000 people in Dallas. WWE need to figure out what to do with Reigns fast as people are still not warming to him. I've said many times that I struggle to believe that Reigns will be as over as he has been the past few weeks when people such as Cena, Orton, Cesaro, Rollins and even potentially Bryan start returning from Injury. If it comes to it the WWE may have to even pull the plug on Reigns altogether because it just doesn't seem to be working for them.
Let's keep away from that though because the Royal Rumble was a great way to start off 2016. Last year was a pretty bum year for WWE but the Royal Rumble is a sign of good things to come this year. Eliminations in the Royal Rumble were clever because they allowed seeds for potential 'Mania story lines to be sown. Overall it was a great PPV to watch and every result was the right one.
Saturday 23 January 2016
2016 Royal Rumble Predictions
The Royal Rumble is a few days away and for the first time the WWE World Heavyweight Championship will be defended in the Royal Rumble match itself. Honestly this decision has caused mixed reviews as some people see it as that now there are only two or three obvious choices to win the Rumble whereas some people see it as a welcome surprise. Thankfully for once the under card for the Rumble is actually populated with some matches that have some potential. These are my predictions for the Royal Rumble on Sunday, January 24th.
The Usos VS The New Day (c)
The New Day were one of the best things about WWE in 2015, no doubt about it, however this year they have started a little slow and become a bit stale. Jericho has got involved in this feud to try and heat things up but it hasn't really worked. I think the problem is people have seen this match too much over the past couple of months. The Tag Team Division in WWE is lacking and the New Day don't really have any worthy competition. There are a few teams on NXT that deserve a callup such as American Alpha (Gable and Jordan) as well as Enzo and Cass. No doubt in the next couple of months we'll see The Bullet/Balor club eventually on RAW as well. For now however the WWE's best bet is to keep the straps on New Day.
New Day to win.
Kalisto VS Alberto Del Rio (c)
Ah yes, the rubber match between these two. In all seriousness Alberto Del Rio hasn't really got going since re-joining WWE. Del Rio had done some solid work outside of WWE the past year but his return has just been a bit, meh. This match is frustrating for me because I feel Kalisto should be coming into this match as the Champion. Really, what was the point in putting the belt back on Del Rio just a day after him losing it. Kalisto had some good momentum after TLC and WWE have been looking for someone like the lucha dragon to push in recent times. With Kalisto momentum being shunted in the past week or so it's pretty likely that will continue at the Royal Rumble.
Alberto Del Rio to win.
Becky Lynch VS Charlotte (c)
While the "Diva's revolution" has been pretty much a huge failure, Becky Lynch and Charlotte's feud has arguably been one of the more interesting things to watch on WWE TV recently which is saying something. It's a pretty common story with the gullible best friend being stabbed in the back by her former friend but with these two it works. Becky Lynch has put passion and fire into everything she has done in the past couple of weeks which has made this even more enjoyable to watch. Whatever the result of this match it allows the feud to continue. If Lynch wins then Charlotte can cut loose her father, blaming him for the match and allowing her to get more into her Heel role, while if a cheating Charlotte wins this enjoyable feud can continue into Fastlane with Becky deserving another shot. As much as I think the feud would be allowed to develop more if the title changed hands, it feels like WWE are hesitant to put the belt on her.
Charlotte to win.
Kevin Owens VS Dean Ambrose (c)
Give credit to WWE Creative on the occasions that they deserve it, a Last Man Standing match is the best match for these two as it makes both men look strong no matter who wins. Kevin Owens is the top Heel in WWE right now and keeping him strong going into Wrestlemania has to be a priority, however with him rumored to be a potential opponent for the Undertaker having the Intercontinental title isn't the best thing for him. Dean Ambrose has done some good work since he's held the gold so him retaining is probably the most likely option this Sunday.
Dean Ambrose to win.
30 Man Royal Rumble for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship
This match has to potential to swing many different ways. It extremely unlikely that WWE will take a gamble on this match which pretty much rules 95% of people out, including any surprised debutantes such as AJ Styles and Finn Balor. Realistically there are only three guys who are likely to walk out with the title. The first is current champion, Roman Reigns. Roman Reigns has been booked as a bad ass dude in the past couple of weeks and it has worked wonders and he looks more comfortable in that role. On the other hand WWE may be cautious on having him win a second Rumble in a row, especially considering the backlash from last year. The second option is Brock Lesnar. It's a pretty understandable option to put the belt on the biggest draw you have going into the biggest event of the year but again it doesn't look that way. The Wyatt Family beat down Lesnar on the go home RAW. What's surprising is that Lesnar didn't get any offense in so it looks like WWE are looking towards a Wyatt/Lesnar feud for Wrestlemania meaning he is probably the least likely candidate. The third is Triple H and this is because it's just what makes most sense. We haven't seen him since Reigns beat him down at TLC last month and WWE are apparently building to a Reigns/HHH main event at Wrestlemania as well as a big match at Fastlane. Personally the way I see it happening is HHH enters at 30. Eliminates Reigns and Reigns faces Lesnar at Fastlane for No. 1 contender spot at Fastlane with possible interference from Bray. Reigns then faces HHH at Wrestlemania. This may not be what happens but, despite this, HHH is still favourite to walk out with the belt at the Royal Rumble this Sunday.
Triple H to win.
The Usos VS The New Day (c)
The New Day were one of the best things about WWE in 2015, no doubt about it, however this year they have started a little slow and become a bit stale. Jericho has got involved in this feud to try and heat things up but it hasn't really worked. I think the problem is people have seen this match too much over the past couple of months. The Tag Team Division in WWE is lacking and the New Day don't really have any worthy competition. There are a few teams on NXT that deserve a callup such as American Alpha (Gable and Jordan) as well as Enzo and Cass. No doubt in the next couple of months we'll see The Bullet/Balor club eventually on RAW as well. For now however the WWE's best bet is to keep the straps on New Day.
New Day to win.
Kalisto VS Alberto Del Rio (c)
Ah yes, the rubber match between these two. In all seriousness Alberto Del Rio hasn't really got going since re-joining WWE. Del Rio had done some solid work outside of WWE the past year but his return has just been a bit, meh. This match is frustrating for me because I feel Kalisto should be coming into this match as the Champion. Really, what was the point in putting the belt back on Del Rio just a day after him losing it. Kalisto had some good momentum after TLC and WWE have been looking for someone like the lucha dragon to push in recent times. With Kalisto momentum being shunted in the past week or so it's pretty likely that will continue at the Royal Rumble.
Alberto Del Rio to win.
Becky Lynch VS Charlotte (c)
While the "Diva's revolution" has been pretty much a huge failure, Becky Lynch and Charlotte's feud has arguably been one of the more interesting things to watch on WWE TV recently which is saying something. It's a pretty common story with the gullible best friend being stabbed in the back by her former friend but with these two it works. Becky Lynch has put passion and fire into everything she has done in the past couple of weeks which has made this even more enjoyable to watch. Whatever the result of this match it allows the feud to continue. If Lynch wins then Charlotte can cut loose her father, blaming him for the match and allowing her to get more into her Heel role, while if a cheating Charlotte wins this enjoyable feud can continue into Fastlane with Becky deserving another shot. As much as I think the feud would be allowed to develop more if the title changed hands, it feels like WWE are hesitant to put the belt on her.
Charlotte to win.
Kevin Owens VS Dean Ambrose (c)
Give credit to WWE Creative on the occasions that they deserve it, a Last Man Standing match is the best match for these two as it makes both men look strong no matter who wins. Kevin Owens is the top Heel in WWE right now and keeping him strong going into Wrestlemania has to be a priority, however with him rumored to be a potential opponent for the Undertaker having the Intercontinental title isn't the best thing for him. Dean Ambrose has done some good work since he's held the gold so him retaining is probably the most likely option this Sunday.
Dean Ambrose to win.
30 Man Royal Rumble for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship
This match has to potential to swing many different ways. It extremely unlikely that WWE will take a gamble on this match which pretty much rules 95% of people out, including any surprised debutantes such as AJ Styles and Finn Balor. Realistically there are only three guys who are likely to walk out with the title. The first is current champion, Roman Reigns. Roman Reigns has been booked as a bad ass dude in the past couple of weeks and it has worked wonders and he looks more comfortable in that role. On the other hand WWE may be cautious on having him win a second Rumble in a row, especially considering the backlash from last year. The second option is Brock Lesnar. It's a pretty understandable option to put the belt on the biggest draw you have going into the biggest event of the year but again it doesn't look that way. The Wyatt Family beat down Lesnar on the go home RAW. What's surprising is that Lesnar didn't get any offense in so it looks like WWE are looking towards a Wyatt/Lesnar feud for Wrestlemania meaning he is probably the least likely candidate. The third is Triple H and this is because it's just what makes most sense. We haven't seen him since Reigns beat him down at TLC last month and WWE are apparently building to a Reigns/HHH main event at Wrestlemania as well as a big match at Fastlane. Personally the way I see it happening is HHH enters at 30. Eliminates Reigns and Reigns faces Lesnar at Fastlane for No. 1 contender spot at Fastlane with possible interference from Bray. Reigns then faces HHH at Wrestlemania. This may not be what happens but, despite this, HHH is still favourite to walk out with the belt at the Royal Rumble this Sunday.
Triple H to win.
Tuesday 19 January 2016
WWE Creative continue to be the root of all problems
If you're a WWE fan and you're complaining about the lack of stars in the company right now it's understandable. If you work for WWE Creative and are doing the same thing then you need a slap round the back of the head because the only people who are to blame for this problem is you.
RAW is lacking big name players right now, that much is obvious. The biggest people right now are Brock Lesnar, Chris Jericho and Roman Reigns. Two of those are only part time workers and the other is still not completely over with the majority of the crowd. The main reason RAW is lacking top stars right now is obviously because of injuries. Bad injuries to Cena, Rollins, Bryan and Orton have severely damaged the companies roster, however the simple fact of the matter is they have the power to make their own stars.
WWE has an array of talented young guys on their main roster. Just to name a few are Bray Wyatt, Neville, Dean Ambrose, Kalisto and Rusev and Stardust/Cody Rhodes. All of these guys have the potential to be a big name in the WWE but they aren't. Why aren't they do you ask? because not one of them has been booked correctly.
Bray Wyatt is the biggest example of this. WWE have lacked a top tier Heel for a while now. Seth Rollins did some great work as a cowardly Heel for the authority but it just feels like he is a natural babyface. Bray Wyatt just has that Aura about him that would make him an awesome Heel. He's an excellent talker and is good in the ring as well but he has become a victim of the dreaded 50/50 curse.
WWE's 50/50 booking is like children trading Pokemon cards. It is completely ridiculous and the main reason why they are unable to create any top stars. No one is booked to be more dominant that anyone else. Dolph Ziggler is one of the most talented in ring workers the WWE have got but he's has been booked so poorly that he's never been able to reach the top. Would he have been able to thrive as a top star in the WWE? Well we'll never know because Creative never gave him that chance.
As long as WWE Creative continue to refuse to push certain people and keep everyone on the same level they will suffer, regardless of the effect that the return of injured stars have. Want another example? take Tyler Breeze. If we're being honest to ourselves I think we all know that Breeze never really had the potential to be more than an upper-mid carder at most. But his treatment from Creative and Vince McMahon especially is completely appalling. The rumours are that to begin with, Vince McMahon was behind Triple H's idea to push Tyler Breeze as a top Heel but then he sort of just lost faith in him. Seriously? Most recently Tyler Breeze jobbed to BOTH Prime Time Players in SEPERATE matches at a live event in India. Yes. Tyler Breeze lost two matches in one night. On the January 18th episode of RAW he was part of a 4 man team with The Ascension and Stardust who jobbed to Titus O'Neil, Mark Henry, Neville and R-Truth. Wow. That sentence....
WWE will continue to flounder until their sort out their booking problems. Get rid of the pointless matches, I mean seriously. What is the point? I am fine with booking people to lose as long as it eventually goes somewhere. Also on the January 18th episode of RAW, Big Show beat down all four members of the Social Outcasts. Why? Obviously WWE need Big Show to look strong heading into the Rumble but he's the Big Show for crying out loud. Look at the size of him. He doesn't need to be beating down four guys have it tough as it is.
Anyone at WWE who complains that the ratings are low or that the roster is depleted of top talent needs to stop and take a good long look in the mirror and realise who the blame actually lies with. Then maybe they can stop complaining and do something about it.
RAW is lacking big name players right now, that much is obvious. The biggest people right now are Brock Lesnar, Chris Jericho and Roman Reigns. Two of those are only part time workers and the other is still not completely over with the majority of the crowd. The main reason RAW is lacking top stars right now is obviously because of injuries. Bad injuries to Cena, Rollins, Bryan and Orton have severely damaged the companies roster, however the simple fact of the matter is they have the power to make their own stars.
WWE has an array of talented young guys on their main roster. Just to name a few are Bray Wyatt, Neville, Dean Ambrose, Kalisto and Rusev and Stardust/Cody Rhodes. All of these guys have the potential to be a big name in the WWE but they aren't. Why aren't they do you ask? because not one of them has been booked correctly.
Bray Wyatt is the biggest example of this. WWE have lacked a top tier Heel for a while now. Seth Rollins did some great work as a cowardly Heel for the authority but it just feels like he is a natural babyface. Bray Wyatt just has that Aura about him that would make him an awesome Heel. He's an excellent talker and is good in the ring as well but he has become a victim of the dreaded 50/50 curse.
WWE's 50/50 booking is like children trading Pokemon cards. It is completely ridiculous and the main reason why they are unable to create any top stars. No one is booked to be more dominant that anyone else. Dolph Ziggler is one of the most talented in ring workers the WWE have got but he's has been booked so poorly that he's never been able to reach the top. Would he have been able to thrive as a top star in the WWE? Well we'll never know because Creative never gave him that chance.
As long as WWE Creative continue to refuse to push certain people and keep everyone on the same level they will suffer, regardless of the effect that the return of injured stars have. Want another example? take Tyler Breeze. If we're being honest to ourselves I think we all know that Breeze never really had the potential to be more than an upper-mid carder at most. But his treatment from Creative and Vince McMahon especially is completely appalling. The rumours are that to begin with, Vince McMahon was behind Triple H's idea to push Tyler Breeze as a top Heel but then he sort of just lost faith in him. Seriously? Most recently Tyler Breeze jobbed to BOTH Prime Time Players in SEPERATE matches at a live event in India. Yes. Tyler Breeze lost two matches in one night. On the January 18th episode of RAW he was part of a 4 man team with The Ascension and Stardust who jobbed to Titus O'Neil, Mark Henry, Neville and R-Truth. Wow. That sentence....
WWE will continue to flounder until their sort out their booking problems. Get rid of the pointless matches, I mean seriously. What is the point? I am fine with booking people to lose as long as it eventually goes somewhere. Also on the January 18th episode of RAW, Big Show beat down all four members of the Social Outcasts. Why? Obviously WWE need Big Show to look strong heading into the Rumble but he's the Big Show for crying out loud. Look at the size of him. He doesn't need to be beating down four guys have it tough as it is.
Anyone at WWE who complains that the ratings are low or that the roster is depleted of top talent needs to stop and take a good long look in the mirror and realise who the blame actually lies with. Then maybe they can stop complaining and do something about it.
Friday 15 January 2016
Becky Lynch/Charlotte feud presents WWE with a unique opportunity
This past week on RAW we didn't see a women's match. Considering the push that the women's division has been getting recently this could've been a bad thing, but it was far from that. What we got instead was a glimpse at a women who has her eyes set on the top prize in the game.
When Becky Lynch first came up to RAW she was shunted to one side in favour of Nikki Bella, Charlotte and Paige. This was until about a month ago when Charlotte started teasing a heel turn which has eventually culminated in her turning on her former best friend. The storytelling in this feud has been the best it's been in the women's division in a while and it's refreshing to see it play out.
There has been increasing pressure on WWE from all sides to put more focus on the women in WWE and this feud could be the beginning of that. Originally Lynch was seen by most as a stepping stone for bigger things for everyone else but Becky is proving that she's way more than that. Due to the injuries to Nikki Bella, Paige and, depending on who you want to believe, Sasha Banks, the WWE have put Becky in the title picture and she has thrived, putting passion and fire into everything she does, from her promos to her in ring action and even her entrance.
Right now WWE are lacking both top Heels and Babyfaces. Cena, Rollins, Bryan and Orton are all out for the foreseeable future so this gives WWE an opening to push one of the women to the top. Becky has the potential to be a top Babyface in the company with her personality and her looks while Charlotte has all the ability to be like her father and be a top despicable Heel.
Personally I would turn Charlotte full on Heel at the Royal Rumble. They could do that by either having her blatantly cheat to win against Becky (WITHOUT the help of her father as his presence simply takes away from Charlotte's ability to stand on her own two feet) or, my preferred choice, have Becky win the title and have Charlotte completely destroy her afterwards. Doing it this way means that everybody wins. Becky gains momentum as a face, Charlotte gains a ton more heat and this can all help to build towards a massive match at Wrestlemania 32.
Injuries are something you would never wish on a company but the WWE can use this opportunity to their advantage. People won't stop calling for a push in the women's division and with the card looking lacklustre to say the least at Wrestlemania 32, having a huge feud between Becky Lynch and Charlotte that culminates at Wrestlemania could be gold for everyone.
When Becky Lynch first came up to RAW she was shunted to one side in favour of Nikki Bella, Charlotte and Paige. This was until about a month ago when Charlotte started teasing a heel turn which has eventually culminated in her turning on her former best friend. The storytelling in this feud has been the best it's been in the women's division in a while and it's refreshing to see it play out.
There has been increasing pressure on WWE from all sides to put more focus on the women in WWE and this feud could be the beginning of that. Originally Lynch was seen by most as a stepping stone for bigger things for everyone else but Becky is proving that she's way more than that. Due to the injuries to Nikki Bella, Paige and, depending on who you want to believe, Sasha Banks, the WWE have put Becky in the title picture and she has thrived, putting passion and fire into everything she does, from her promos to her in ring action and even her entrance.
Right now WWE are lacking both top Heels and Babyfaces. Cena, Rollins, Bryan and Orton are all out for the foreseeable future so this gives WWE an opening to push one of the women to the top. Becky has the potential to be a top Babyface in the company with her personality and her looks while Charlotte has all the ability to be like her father and be a top despicable Heel.
Personally I would turn Charlotte full on Heel at the Royal Rumble. They could do that by either having her blatantly cheat to win against Becky (WITHOUT the help of her father as his presence simply takes away from Charlotte's ability to stand on her own two feet) or, my preferred choice, have Becky win the title and have Charlotte completely destroy her afterwards. Doing it this way means that everybody wins. Becky gains momentum as a face, Charlotte gains a ton more heat and this can all help to build towards a massive match at Wrestlemania 32.
Injuries are something you would never wish on a company but the WWE can use this opportunity to their advantage. People won't stop calling for a push in the women's division and with the card looking lacklustre to say the least at Wrestlemania 32, having a huge feud between Becky Lynch and Charlotte that culminates at Wrestlemania could be gold for everyone.
Thursday 14 January 2016
The United States title must not become like the Diva's Championship
The title is probably a bit confusing for you so i'll explain what I mean by it. From February 2010 to to January 2013 the Diva's championship was passed around like a hot potato at an Irish weight watchers convention. Seriously though, there were 14 different champions over a period of 3 years which is way too much.
Thankfully recently the Diva's championship (why is it still even a thing and why haven't they brought back the women's championship) has become more of an important title to hold rather than just a toy but if the WWE aren't careful then the United States Championship may go the same way as the Diva's title once did. Recently US title reigns didn't really mean anything. Dean Ambrose's time with the strap was completely pointless and didn't feel like anything important, similarly with Sheamus' run with the belt. However when Rusev took the strap off of Sheamus it started to become more relevant, mostly because he was booked like a colossal heel and did great work with it. Even when Cena beat Rusev clean at Wrestlemania 31 it didn't lose any momentum as Cena would defend it regularly on RAW in 5* matches against the likes of Cesaro, Sami Zayn, Neville and there's probably a load more. The belt became more important than the Intercontinental title and at some points was right up there with the WWE World Heavyweight championship.
Cue, Alberto Del Rio. Alberto Del Rio beat John Cena clean at Hell In A Cell in October 2015 to win his first United States title. Cena then went away to film him reality show despite their being no explanation on RAW as to why he was gone, seriously why would you just expect casual fans to know where Cena's buggered off to? Since Del Rio beat Cena clean he barely defended the title and it started to become just another fashion accessory. Now in the past 3 months the title has changed hands 3 times. Kalisto beat Del Rio on RAW to win the title but Del Rio then immediately beat Kalisto on Smackdown to win it back. To me, that makes no sense. Why would you immediately take the belt off of Kalisto before he has a chance to gain any momentum. The WWE surely would want to capitalise on the momentum of Kalisto after that insane Salida Del Sol spot at TLC.
This is probably just me picking whatever holes I can find but it kind of irks me that after barely defending the title since winning it and not really making a big deal over it, Alberto Del Rio suddenly has a huge beef over losing it. I say give Kalisto a proper run with the belt. He can do well in a mid-card role with the title and it means that Del Rio can move on to something else. With the large amount of injuries that WWE are suffering right now and the lacklustre product that they are producing they need to make the most out of everything they can and having the title change hands every week is not a good way to go about things.
Thankfully recently the Diva's championship (why is it still even a thing and why haven't they brought back the women's championship) has become more of an important title to hold rather than just a toy but if the WWE aren't careful then the United States Championship may go the same way as the Diva's title once did. Recently US title reigns didn't really mean anything. Dean Ambrose's time with the strap was completely pointless and didn't feel like anything important, similarly with Sheamus' run with the belt. However when Rusev took the strap off of Sheamus it started to become more relevant, mostly because he was booked like a colossal heel and did great work with it. Even when Cena beat Rusev clean at Wrestlemania 31 it didn't lose any momentum as Cena would defend it regularly on RAW in 5* matches against the likes of Cesaro, Sami Zayn, Neville and there's probably a load more. The belt became more important than the Intercontinental title and at some points was right up there with the WWE World Heavyweight championship.
Cue, Alberto Del Rio. Alberto Del Rio beat John Cena clean at Hell In A Cell in October 2015 to win his first United States title. Cena then went away to film him reality show despite their being no explanation on RAW as to why he was gone, seriously why would you just expect casual fans to know where Cena's buggered off to? Since Del Rio beat Cena clean he barely defended the title and it started to become just another fashion accessory. Now in the past 3 months the title has changed hands 3 times. Kalisto beat Del Rio on RAW to win the title but Del Rio then immediately beat Kalisto on Smackdown to win it back. To me, that makes no sense. Why would you immediately take the belt off of Kalisto before he has a chance to gain any momentum. The WWE surely would want to capitalise on the momentum of Kalisto after that insane Salida Del Sol spot at TLC.
This is probably just me picking whatever holes I can find but it kind of irks me that after barely defending the title since winning it and not really making a big deal over it, Alberto Del Rio suddenly has a huge beef over losing it. I say give Kalisto a proper run with the belt. He can do well in a mid-card role with the title and it means that Del Rio can move on to something else. With the large amount of injuries that WWE are suffering right now and the lacklustre product that they are producing they need to make the most out of everything they can and having the title change hands every week is not a good way to go about things.
Wednesday 13 January 2016
WWE's signings from NJPW can breathe new life into the company
Unless you've been living under a rock for the past couple of weeks you will know that WWE have pretty much signed Bullet Club members Machine Gun Karl Anderson, Doc Gallows as well as AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura. The WWE is in a bit of a mess itself right now with a stagnated product and a long list of injuries so this news could not have come at a better time.
First off, signing the Bullet Club members is an excellent move. Not only is Doc Gallows way more of a rounded character than his previous WWE carnations, Festus.... and Luke Gallows, but as part of the Bullet Club stable with Karl Anderson they are probably one of the best "big men" tag teams there is. Their signing also gives Finn Balor more meaning. NXT's poster boy created the "Balor Club" a while ago but him being in that club by himself is a little strange so having those guys join Balor on NXT will be great. IT also means that they have time to adapt to WWE before they all move up and challenge New Day (seriously, who wouldn't want to see that?)
AJ Styles is arguably the biggest signing of the lot. Most people thought that Mr. TNA would never wrestle for WWE but low and behold, here we are. It looks like Styles will go straight to the main roster which is awesome because I can't remember the last time the main roster was in this type of state. He could debut at the Royal Rumble which would most likely result in an insane pop but he could also be left until after Wrestlemania as the crowd is always hot on that RAW. Either way, AJ Styles will be able to put on fantastic matches in the WWE and can become a major player in the company if he is booked right. Personally AJ Styles vs Seth Rollins would be one of my dream matches.
Shinsuke Nakamura is an interesting one. Supremely charismatic and talented in the ring he has all the makings of a top star in the WWE, but we all know what can happen to foreign talent when put in the WWE. Nakamura worries me because of his style. he's named "King of Strong Style" for a very good reason. Rumour is that he's been signed for the main roster but personally I think that would be far too much of a rush to stick him straight on RAW. It's not because I think that he won't be able to put on a good match, because he will, but rather because I think if they throw him into the mosh pit that is the main roster right now he will get lost in the pack and be reduced to a mid-card role which he is does not deserve, he should be at the top of the card wrestling guys like Roman Reigns. My idea would be to put him on NXT for at least 3-4 months. This gives him time to adapt to the different style of WWE and learn a good amount of English. Once all that's been done he's pretty much equipped to handle the main roster.
No doubt about it, WWE is struggling right now. RAW is consistently being overshadowed by a much better product on NXT. Every now and again we are getting some good episodes of RAW but there's not really any consistency going on. If all four of their new signings are booked properly then WWE will have some great new talent to work with and they can take in different directions.
First off, signing the Bullet Club members is an excellent move. Not only is Doc Gallows way more of a rounded character than his previous WWE carnations, Festus.... and Luke Gallows, but as part of the Bullet Club stable with Karl Anderson they are probably one of the best "big men" tag teams there is. Their signing also gives Finn Balor more meaning. NXT's poster boy created the "Balor Club" a while ago but him being in that club by himself is a little strange so having those guys join Balor on NXT will be great. IT also means that they have time to adapt to WWE before they all move up and challenge New Day (seriously, who wouldn't want to see that?)
AJ Styles is arguably the biggest signing of the lot. Most people thought that Mr. TNA would never wrestle for WWE but low and behold, here we are. It looks like Styles will go straight to the main roster which is awesome because I can't remember the last time the main roster was in this type of state. He could debut at the Royal Rumble which would most likely result in an insane pop but he could also be left until after Wrestlemania as the crowd is always hot on that RAW. Either way, AJ Styles will be able to put on fantastic matches in the WWE and can become a major player in the company if he is booked right. Personally AJ Styles vs Seth Rollins would be one of my dream matches.
Shinsuke Nakamura is an interesting one. Supremely charismatic and talented in the ring he has all the makings of a top star in the WWE, but we all know what can happen to foreign talent when put in the WWE. Nakamura worries me because of his style. he's named "King of Strong Style" for a very good reason. Rumour is that he's been signed for the main roster but personally I think that would be far too much of a rush to stick him straight on RAW. It's not because I think that he won't be able to put on a good match, because he will, but rather because I think if they throw him into the mosh pit that is the main roster right now he will get lost in the pack and be reduced to a mid-card role which he is does not deserve, he should be at the top of the card wrestling guys like Roman Reigns. My idea would be to put him on NXT for at least 3-4 months. This gives him time to adapt to the different style of WWE and learn a good amount of English. Once all that's been done he's pretty much equipped to handle the main roster.
No doubt about it, WWE is struggling right now. RAW is consistently being overshadowed by a much better product on NXT. Every now and again we are getting some good episodes of RAW but there's not really any consistency going on. If all four of their new signings are booked properly then WWE will have some great new talent to work with and they can take in different directions.
Sunday 10 January 2016
WWE should view John Cena's injury as a positive instead of a negative
So John Cena is out. You know that sound you sometimes hear in the back of your head that makes you think you're crazy? That's actually the WWE Creative team scrambling to rewrite everything they've done over the past couple of months. With Cena being injured for anywhere from 6-9 months it's truly devastating for WWE. But instead of seeing this as a daunting prospect to try and fill Cena's void they should be seeing it as an opportunity to move into a new era.
No jokes, Cena's injury is absolutely devastating. Not only have they lost their franchise star, who they have only just got back after a two month hiatus, but it comes at possibly the worst time, with top stars such as Seth Rollins, Cesaro, Daniel Bryan and Randy Orton all on the shelf for what looks to be a long time. With RAW's topsy turvy ratings right now this isn't exactly going to be much help to the company. Despite this however, they can use their current predicament to their advantage.
The main reason I say this is because of Cena's age. By the time Cena returns he will be 39 (he may still be 38 if he activates his mutant powers of regeneration, seriously he should've tried out for a role in X-Men) and Cena has stated that he has no desire to wrestle long into his forties. This means that the WWE is already trying to create their next "franchise star" in Roman Reigns. It may take some time but it seems like that Reigns is starting to click with the audience and starting to take some off the weight off of Cena's shoulders.
John Cena has been the WWE's big name for over a decade now and it has undoubtedly taken its toll on his body. The man never takes a day off and his early recoveries from injuries can't have actually been good for him. His current layoff gives the WWE the time necessary to put other plans in place for when he eventually switches gears and changes to a part-time schedule similar to Chris Jericho.
As much as some people would like to believe otherwise, the WWE actually have what they need. Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose, Kevin Owens, Rusev, Bray Wyatt, Kalisto, Neville and Seth Rollins when he returns. All of these guys have bundles of talent and are at an age where they can easily go for the next 10 years. People say that WWE are lacking top Heels right now but three of the guys I just listed are more than capable of fulfilling the role of the WWE's top Heel. The answers to many of the WWE's current problems are staring them in the face and it's as if they're to incompetent to realise it.
The point i'm trying to make is, yes, Cena's injury is a massive blow to the WWE right now, especially with Wrestlemania 32 coming up but the WWE should be looking past that. It's unlikely that they will be able to sell out Wrestlemania now that the roster is very depleted but they can use this opportunity to get into the next generation. When Cena does return he will again be the focal point as he is the biggest mainstream star they have on the roster which means that it will be difficult to then move him out of his current role and into a less exhausting one. Use this opportunity that has been given to you WWE, you may not get another one like it.
No jokes, Cena's injury is absolutely devastating. Not only have they lost their franchise star, who they have only just got back after a two month hiatus, but it comes at possibly the worst time, with top stars such as Seth Rollins, Cesaro, Daniel Bryan and Randy Orton all on the shelf for what looks to be a long time. With RAW's topsy turvy ratings right now this isn't exactly going to be much help to the company. Despite this however, they can use their current predicament to their advantage.
The main reason I say this is because of Cena's age. By the time Cena returns he will be 39 (he may still be 38 if he activates his mutant powers of regeneration, seriously he should've tried out for a role in X-Men) and Cena has stated that he has no desire to wrestle long into his forties. This means that the WWE is already trying to create their next "franchise star" in Roman Reigns. It may take some time but it seems like that Reigns is starting to click with the audience and starting to take some off the weight off of Cena's shoulders.
John Cena has been the WWE's big name for over a decade now and it has undoubtedly taken its toll on his body. The man never takes a day off and his early recoveries from injuries can't have actually been good for him. His current layoff gives the WWE the time necessary to put other plans in place for when he eventually switches gears and changes to a part-time schedule similar to Chris Jericho.
As much as some people would like to believe otherwise, the WWE actually have what they need. Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose, Kevin Owens, Rusev, Bray Wyatt, Kalisto, Neville and Seth Rollins when he returns. All of these guys have bundles of talent and are at an age where they can easily go for the next 10 years. People say that WWE are lacking top Heels right now but three of the guys I just listed are more than capable of fulfilling the role of the WWE's top Heel. The answers to many of the WWE's current problems are staring them in the face and it's as if they're to incompetent to realise it.
The point i'm trying to make is, yes, Cena's injury is a massive blow to the WWE right now, especially with Wrestlemania 32 coming up but the WWE should be looking past that. It's unlikely that they will be able to sell out Wrestlemania now that the roster is very depleted but they can use this opportunity to get into the next generation. When Cena does return he will again be the focal point as he is the biggest mainstream star they have on the roster which means that it will be difficult to then move him out of his current role and into a less exhausting one. Use this opportunity that has been given to you WWE, you may not get another one like it.
Sunday 3 January 2016
Smackdown moving to USA network could be great for WWE
So being a WWE fan and living in England is a pretty difficult thing, and I don't mean that because when people ask me what my interests are and I say wrestling they look at me like I just told them I have an elephant as a pet. Watching RAW is strenuous seeing as it is live from 1 am to 4am. Doing this means i'm knackered the next day and it puts me off watching Smackdown. Therefore for me and i'm sure a lot of other people in the UK I just watch short snippets of Smackdown from Youtube. But doing this I feel like i'm actually missing out. But now that Smackdown is moving to the USA Network on January 7th I've suddenly got an urge to start watching it at 1am like I do with RAW.
Smackdown used to be a great show. This isn't me saying that it's awful now. It's not great but it's not dreadful. However at certain points in recent history Smackdown has been more watchable than RAW. Most notably for me was 2009/10. Smackdown thrived this year with multiple interesting rivalries, most notably those which involved CM Punk. Punk did great work as a Heel against the likes of Hardy/Undertaker and as the leader of the Straight Edge Society. In 2009 I found myself regularly tuning in to Smackdown whether it be when it was broadcast in the morning or if I recorded it and watched it early in the morning.
Moving to USA Network means that the WWE have to put more effort into Smackdown. It's not a question of just fine tuning it. They have to pour a huge amount of effort into it. If they don't the USA Network will make their feelings clear. Remember, USA Network also broadcasts RAW which has been in a bit of a rating dump at the moment. Although in the past couple of weeks the ratings have started creeping up a bit. USA Network will expect the WWE to be able to replicate the success of RAW in the same way on Smackdown. This means more pressure on the Creative team. This isn't necessarily a bad thing however.
RAW is a three hour show. It shouldn't be. Anyone with half a brain knows that three hours for RAW is far too long and about half of that time is taken up by pointless segments and Advertisements. With Smackdown's move to the USA Network it means that the WWE Creative team need to focus more on WWE's "B" programme. This could result in the WWE returning RAW to two hours in order to ease the workload on the Creative team. All round this would be great. It means that not only would RAW return to two hours making everyone happy but there would be much more focused and developed content on both RAW and Smackdown.
I say all this and hope that RAW will be returned to two hours but I don't know whether WWE will see it that way. Maybe they see returning to two hours an admittance of their own shortcomings rather than an acceptance that they need to make a drastic change. No matter what happens though, Smackdown could become very interesting to watch. NXT was better than RAW in 2015. No doubt about that and will likely continue to be an excellent source of entertainment in 2016 but Smackdown may become the same. It's only a thought but it could be true. You never know with the WWE.
Smackdown used to be a great show. This isn't me saying that it's awful now. It's not great but it's not dreadful. However at certain points in recent history Smackdown has been more watchable than RAW. Most notably for me was 2009/10. Smackdown thrived this year with multiple interesting rivalries, most notably those which involved CM Punk. Punk did great work as a Heel against the likes of Hardy/Undertaker and as the leader of the Straight Edge Society. In 2009 I found myself regularly tuning in to Smackdown whether it be when it was broadcast in the morning or if I recorded it and watched it early in the morning.
Moving to USA Network means that the WWE have to put more effort into Smackdown. It's not a question of just fine tuning it. They have to pour a huge amount of effort into it. If they don't the USA Network will make their feelings clear. Remember, USA Network also broadcasts RAW which has been in a bit of a rating dump at the moment. Although in the past couple of weeks the ratings have started creeping up a bit. USA Network will expect the WWE to be able to replicate the success of RAW in the same way on Smackdown. This means more pressure on the Creative team. This isn't necessarily a bad thing however.
RAW is a three hour show. It shouldn't be. Anyone with half a brain knows that three hours for RAW is far too long and about half of that time is taken up by pointless segments and Advertisements. With Smackdown's move to the USA Network it means that the WWE Creative team need to focus more on WWE's "B" programme. This could result in the WWE returning RAW to two hours in order to ease the workload on the Creative team. All round this would be great. It means that not only would RAW return to two hours making everyone happy but there would be much more focused and developed content on both RAW and Smackdown.
I say all this and hope that RAW will be returned to two hours but I don't know whether WWE will see it that way. Maybe they see returning to two hours an admittance of their own shortcomings rather than an acceptance that they need to make a drastic change. No matter what happens though, Smackdown could become very interesting to watch. NXT was better than RAW in 2015. No doubt about that and will likely continue to be an excellent source of entertainment in 2016 but Smackdown may become the same. It's only a thought but it could be true. You never know with the WWE.
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