It's almost Wrestlemania 32 time! Yaaay! Despite the fact that some people continue to bitch and moan about Roman Reigns vs Triple H for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, WWE have started to show signs of making Wrestlemania 32 a thorougly entertaining show which is great, especially considering the injury worries they have going into potentially the biggest Wrestlemania of all time. I've been doing this whole "How I would book" thing for a few weeks now and like Vince McMahon I refuse to change my ways! I'm joking, but seriously cheer for Roman.
Back to the topic at hand, Wrestlemania weekend looks to be shaping up pretty well especially considering the potential matches at NXT Takeover: Dallas. I won't post spoilers of those matches here if people want to be surprised but if you want to know what they are, just search around somewhere on the Internet and you'll find them. Add Wrestlemania 32 to the equation and it looks to be a thrilling weekend with lots of swerves.
A Few matches such as Lesnar Vs Ambrose, Reigns Vs Triple H and Shane McMahon vs The Undertaker (Who would've thought that would happen?) have already been made but there is plenty of room for more. So this is what I think could happen at on the grandest stage of them all in 6 weeks time.
Pre-Show: Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal
Ah yes, The Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal. This match has lots of potential to elevate someone in the company but for its first two years they haven't done that. Last year The Big Show won the match. Why? Just why? Big Show had absolutely nothing to gain by winning that match and it just felt like a complete waste of time. The year before wasn't much different. Cesaro got the win after dumping Big Show over the top rope, which was freaking awesome, but he didn't get much of a push from it. He got a bit of momentum but it ultimately didn't lead anywhere. His partnership with Paul Heyman should've resulted in gold but after Lesnar beat the streak the focus was always going to be on Heyman's partnership with Lesnar and not Cesaro.
This year WWE needs to use it to create a star. They're obviously lacking in the big name department right now so this is great opportunity. The rumor is that Braun Strowman will be winning it, urgh. Honestly I urge you right now to try and find someone who wants that to happen. Instead they need someone who the fans like to win it. Neville would be a potential pick or maybe even Rusev? He deserves a better position than he has right now.
Personally I would go with a star from NXT. Last year Hideo Itami won a tournament to compete in the Battle Royal but ultimately he had little impact on the match. This year it should be different. Someone like Samoa Joe or Sami Zayn could be a surprise entrant. Both are rumored to be Main Roster bound so this would be a perfect opportunity to get them involved right off the bat.
Pre-Show: Becky Lynch and Natalya vs Naomi and Tamina
Apparently we're going to be getting TWO womens matches at Wrestlemania! TWO! This at least shows significant change over the past year from WWE but most likely one of those matches will be pushed to the Pre-Show. Having Becky Lynch in this match pretty much tells you how I think the Diva's Championship match will go.
I hated making this decision because I'm a huge fan of Becky Lynch but it feels like WWE are building towards Charlotte vs Sasha at Wrestlemania. Don't get me wrong it will be a great match but it feels a bit unfair if Becky misses out after all the great work she's put in since late December. Either way the women's division on the Main Roster actually has quite a lot of talent and Natalya and Naomi have been particularly overlooked recently. WWE will no doubt have them on the show in some capacity to please people but having this match on the Pre-Show feels a bit of a waste considering the talent that could be in the ring.
1st Match - US Title ladder match - Kalisto/Neville/Del Rio/Sandow/Bo Dallas/Dolph Ziggler
I think WWE will start Wrestlemania in the same way that they did last year, a Ladder match! These matches aren't necessarily bad but it just feels like they're here so WWE can cram as many performers onto the show as possible.
Given the right competitors this could be a great match. Neville would be an obvious one considering his high flying move-set, especially if he's not in the Battle Royal. Other than that It feels like WWE will just put people in here for the sake of putting them in here. Last year the IC title picture was a mess leading up to Wrestlemania. The title was here, there and everywhere. Hopefully this year they will actually be sensible, although if the hot potato they've been playing with the US title recently is anything to go by, don't get your hopes up.
Stardust vs Stephen Amell
So it looks like we might be going back to this again. Recently Stardust shot an angle with Arrow star Stephen Amell, who he has previously beef with, at Dallas Comic Con. This just honestly seems like a way to get a celebrity involved with WWE. No one really benefits from this whatsoever. Honestly the less we talk about this the better.
WWE Tag Team TLC match - New Day/League Of Nations/Y2AJ/Dudleyz or Usos
Hands up if you were confused by The New Day segment at Fastlane on The Cutting Edge Peep Show? If your hand Isn't up then you're a liar! The New Day are Heels. They work best as Heels when they're insulting everyone and everything they can shake a stick at, so why work a promo with League of Nations, a group that is not only no where near as popular as New Day but also, another Heel faction?
This may just be me fishing for issues but personally It didn't make sense. Rumor is that they will both be involved in a match at Wrestlemania. Chris Jericho and AJ Styles have also recently formed a Tag Team and look set on gained Tag Team gold and The Usos and Dudleyz seem to have some major issues with each other. What better way to solve this than a TLC match? I doubt both the Usos and Dudleyz will be involved. 4 tag teams is stretching it, 5 is just too much and the whole thing just becomes overbooked. Still, lots of people are expecting to see a multi Tag-Team TLC match again at Wrestlemania so why not?
Diva's Championship - Charlotte vs Sasha Banks
Come on, we all know it's time The Boss was Champion. Charlotte struggled originally with her Face role but since transitioning into a Heel she's become a lot more comfortable. Sasha Banks seems to be one of those people who exist on the outer rim of the Face/Heel spectrum. Brock Lesnar does because he's Brock Lesnar. Sasha Banks is a great Heel but people just love to cheer for her because she's so good. She'll still be the overwhelming favourite going into this match. I still maintain that this should be a Triple Threat match but I'm more than happy to settle for this quality match.
Kevin Owens vs Sami Zayn IC Title
I think most of us are still holding out for AJ Styles vs Kevin Owens at Wrestlemania. While I would absolutely love for that to happen, AJ's recent bromance with Y2J kind of makes that hard to see. The next best thing would definitely be Kevin Owens vs Sami Zayn.
Ever since Daniel Bryan was injured last year WWE have desperately needed someone to fill that underdog role that he was so good at. Dean Ambrose looks to be a good bet at transitioning into that but Sami Zayn is the next best thing behind Daniel Bryan. Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn have had a great rivalry in the past and having that spill over onto the main roster is sure to be pure gold. The only problem I see is that with only six weeks left before Wrestlemania, is there really enough time to fill the narrative for people who aren't fully invested in this rivalry?
The next three matches have already been booked so this is more of what I think will happen.
WWE WHC - Roman Reigns vs HHH
WWE would do well to put the WWE World Heavyweight Championship on as the first of three main events. No matter how well they tell the story leading into Wrestlemania fans are still going to reject Roman Reigns at Wrestlemania. Again, WWE haven't done Reigns any favours with the venues leading up to Wrestlemania but they just have to play the hand they've been dealt. Anyway, to the match...
With recent reactions to Roman Reigns you wouldn't be surprised if WWE called an audible and decided that Triple H should walk out champion but I doubt that'll happen. Roman Reigns will win. That much is pretty much nailed on. It's what happens after that will shape the rest of the year for the Big Dog. They need to keep it simple. The Rock will be involved in Wrestlemania. Have him come out and hold Reigns' hand high in the air and then have Reigns Spear him into oblivion, thus completing a Heel turn on the biggest stage of them all. Reigns can come out next night and say he doesn't need anyone, he doesn't need The Rock and he doesn't need his "Brother" Dean Ambrose, which could potentially start a feud.
Dean Ambrose vs Brock Lesnar
This is one of those matches that you had no idea you wanted it until it had been booked. Dean Ambrose vs Brock Lesnar at Wrestlemania is just going to be a War. Dean Ambrose vs Paul Heyman on the microphone leading up to Wrestlemania is going to be a War of Words. Fans will love this match and putting it on after Reigns/HHH will make them forget anything, even Roman simply going over HHH and staying face.
The great thing about this match is that no matter what happens nobody comes out a loser. If Brock Lesnar wins then he maintains his Aura as the most dominant monster in the WWE, while Dean Ambrose will have taken an extreme amount of punishment and gained even more people's respect. If Dean Ambrose wins then Brock Lesnar still maintains his dominant Aura, but Ambrose comes out of the match with superhuman momentum going into the rest of the year.
Like I said earlier, WWE need a new underdog now Daniel Bryan is gone, Dean Ambrose is the perfect fit. He's the blue collar champion, the guy you don't expect to win but are so happy when he does. Dean Ambrose Is due a massive win on PPV after having done the job for guys like Reigns and Wyatt so many times.
Shane McMahon vs Undertaker
And it all comes down to this. Shane O Mac vs The Undertaker. I don't really know how to feel about this match to be honest. On the one hand, it's SHANE O FREAKING MAC! The guy who is willing to be Suplexed through glass and jump off the titantron for our entertainment. On the other hand it's Shane McMahon. The 46 year old father of three businessman who has absolutely no reason to get back in the ring.
I think those of us still hoping that John Cena will be involved somehow may have to accept the fact that his injury was too severe for even him to recover from in time but I would love to be proved wrong. Shane's recently been posting workout videos on Twitter as well so it looks like Shane will be wrestling in Dallas. In terms of a story line however this doesn't really make sense, why would Undertaker be willing to do a job for Vince? And who do the fans cheer for? Undertaker is automatically the face at Wrestlemania but people REALLY want Shane to be in control of RAW. It just weirds me out a little. Anyway, the match...
I doubt Shane will take any seriously ridiculous spots like jumping off the Jumbotron but he'll still go as far as he can. Personally I don't think Cena will be involved but there will be some outside interference. The match will be almost over, Undertaker is about to put Shane away with a Tombstone when the lights go black...they come back again and there are three masked men in the ring. They savagely beat down Undertaker. Then one of them goes to the top rope and hits him with a double foot stomp. They take their masks off to reveal themselves to be... Finn Balor, Doc Gallows and Karl Anderson, The Bullet Club are in WWE. They drag Shane's lifeless body on top of Undertaker. 1. 2. 3. Shane McMahon has beaten The Undertaker. Shane McMahon controls RAW. Bullet Club have just cost Undertaker a match at Wrestlemania, thus setting up a future Demon VS Deadman feud.
I know this is an extremely long shot to happen but it's the only way I've been able to think of with current circumstances that allows Shane to win and Undertaker to still look strong. Perhaps in time things will become more clear, we do have six weeks left.
What do you think? Is there anything else you think should happen?
Friday 26 February 2016
Tuesday 23 February 2016
5 talking points from last nights RAW
Last night's episode of RAW was...eventful to say the least. After Sundays Fastlane PPV fans were openly, and understadably, upset at the current state of WWE. People were yet again threatening to boycott the WWE Network and Wrestlemania (Although the chances of people doing that are actually pretty slim) and just when we all thought that WWE couldn't pull it out of the bag when they needed to, they give us this. Here are 5 big talking points from last nights RAW!
Here comes the Money!
Shane McMahon is back! Monday Night RAW opened with the Vincent J McMahon Legacy Of Excellence award which was obviously just a prop to create a segment but it was the best way to go about things. A few hours before the show reddit user Falconarrow posted a teaser that something big would happen on RAW and boy did it. Shane McMahon came out to one of the biggest pops you have heard in a long time.
The segment itself was an interesting watch because it was probably a little too long for most peoples liking but there was some interesting back and forths. Shane openly mentioned WWE's stock ratings and their injury crisis and to see someone openly mention that stuff on WWE TV was excellent. By the end of the segment we were told that Shane McMahon would face The Undertaker at Wrestlemania 32 for control of RAW, Inside Hell In A Cell no less! From what I've seen, people are pretty split on this. They want Undertaker's legacy to remain intact with the only loss coming from Brock Lesnar but they also want The Authority gone so people are very much on the fence. WWE have done well to create intrigue here as the Wrestlemania card was a little underwhelming before this.
Personally I don't think Shane will actually step foot inside the Cell. He's a 46 year old business man who has absolutely no business taking dangerous spots like he used to. Couple that with the fact that he's facing The Undertaker who is no spring chicken himself and this suddenly looks a bit worrying. But what am I saying, Shane McMahon is back! Rejoice everyone!!
Lesnar wrecks the Ambrose Asylum
Before RAW started Brock Lesnar decided to take matters into his own hands and attack Dean Ambrose in the parking lot. WWE were keen to make sure that you knew this was on their Facebook page and soon after Dean Ambrose was apparently carted away in an Ambulance, only to come back and interrupt Paul Heyman. Lesnar continued his beatdown and Dean challenged him to a Street Fight at Wrestlemania to he agreed.
First off I think Dean Ambrose did an excellent job of selling his injuries from earlier in the night, Secondly, WWE have managed to give us another intriguing match. Dean Ambrose has been "the other guy" or "the nearly man" for as long as we can remember. He played second fiddle to Roman in his feud with Bray Wyatt, he was pinned by Roman at Survivor Series, He was dumped out of the Royal Rumble in the final two by Triple H and he was pinned again by Roman at Fastlane. So you would struggle to believe Ambrose is a viable contender for a monster like Brock right? wrong. Ambrose has always, and especially more recently, made it very clear that no matter what you do he will just continue to get back up and take even more punishment. His tactic just seems to be let the other guy get worn out or bored of beating him up which is awesome.
A Street Fight with the beast at Wrestlemania allows Ambrose to fully open up his "Unhinged Lunatic" persona and this could be an all out war for us to witness. Safe to say that if Dean Ambrose brings along Jon Moxley to this match instead of the cute and cuddly Ambrose attitude then Brock Lesnar will be in for a major shocker.
Y2AJ for Tag Team Champions?
Fresh of their match at Fastlane AJ Styles and Chris Jericho defeated Curtis Axel and Heath Slater in a Tag-Team match. Interesting. I've seen a lot of people say that Y2AJ would make a great tag team and they're probably right but this is 2016 and these men need to have their own thing. AJ Styles is rumored to be going into a feud with Kevin Owens at Wrestlemania which is guaranteed money for everyone involved. Chris Jericho on the other hand doesn't really have that much of a direction going into Wrestlemania.
At this point Jericho is pretty much used as a way of putting over talent. So what could he do at Wrestlemania? Well maybe an outside shot would be a match against Kalisto? Ryback maybe? It's a safe bet that Y2J will be at Wrestlemania so WWE need to find something meaningful for him to do as if they don't then it will just be a wasted opportunity.
The Boss makes a Statement
Safe to say that while the first two hours of RAW pretty much tore the house down, the third was a pretty big disappointment. The women however were probably the better part of the third hour. Sasha Banks is getting better and better every week and put on a good match with Naomi and we got to see the story line progress with Becky facing Sasha in the near future for a No 1 contenders position.
My guess is that we see that match on the WWE Network special "March to Wrestlemania". It's a pretty safe bet to say that Sasha is the fan favourite going into Wrestlemania but if you add Becky to that equation and we get a triple threat at Wrestlemania we could have an outsider for match of the night.
Charlotte's work has come a long way since she started. She's less reliant on her father which is excellent although she still sounds like she's yelling into the microphone a little. Still, going into Wrestlemania this is one of the better booked feuds which is great to see.
Roman Reigns shown no mercy by the King of Kings
Oh dear. Oh. Dear. To begin with we had Roman Reigns vs Sheamus which no one cared for and then out comes Triple H to lay the smack down to the babyface to garner sympathy from the crowd, wait...that didn't happen?! well I never! Roman Reigns was completely booed out of his skin every time he attempted offense against The Game and the show ended with the crowd chanting "One More Time!" at HHH after Pedigree'ing a bloody and beaten Roman Reigns onto the Steel Stairs.
This wasn't exactly the reaction WWE were hoping for their babyface was it? The fans seem determined to treat Triple H as the face in this feud. WWE Creative really need to pull something special out of the hat if they want fans to start siding with Reigns in this feud. Their schedule isn't exactly helping them. In the build up to Wrestlemania WWE goes to Brooklyn, Pittsburgh, Chicago and Philadelphia. Cities that are known to most as very anti-Cena cities and therefore will be very much anti-Roman cities as well.
Having Triple H end this snoozefest of a match was poor decision by WWE to begin with and It got no better as the assault continues. When we start to add up all the factors the potential for Triple H to actually retain against Roman Reigns at Wrestlemania might not actually be beyond the realms of possibility, especially if Dean Ambrose manages to overcome Brock Lesnar.
Here comes the Money!
Shane McMahon is back! Monday Night RAW opened with the Vincent J McMahon Legacy Of Excellence award which was obviously just a prop to create a segment but it was the best way to go about things. A few hours before the show reddit user Falconarrow posted a teaser that something big would happen on RAW and boy did it. Shane McMahon came out to one of the biggest pops you have heard in a long time.
The segment itself was an interesting watch because it was probably a little too long for most peoples liking but there was some interesting back and forths. Shane openly mentioned WWE's stock ratings and their injury crisis and to see someone openly mention that stuff on WWE TV was excellent. By the end of the segment we were told that Shane McMahon would face The Undertaker at Wrestlemania 32 for control of RAW, Inside Hell In A Cell no less! From what I've seen, people are pretty split on this. They want Undertaker's legacy to remain intact with the only loss coming from Brock Lesnar but they also want The Authority gone so people are very much on the fence. WWE have done well to create intrigue here as the Wrestlemania card was a little underwhelming before this.
Personally I don't think Shane will actually step foot inside the Cell. He's a 46 year old business man who has absolutely no business taking dangerous spots like he used to. Couple that with the fact that he's facing The Undertaker who is no spring chicken himself and this suddenly looks a bit worrying. But what am I saying, Shane McMahon is back! Rejoice everyone!!
Lesnar wrecks the Ambrose Asylum
Before RAW started Brock Lesnar decided to take matters into his own hands and attack Dean Ambrose in the parking lot. WWE were keen to make sure that you knew this was on their Facebook page and soon after Dean Ambrose was apparently carted away in an Ambulance, only to come back and interrupt Paul Heyman. Lesnar continued his beatdown and Dean challenged him to a Street Fight at Wrestlemania to he agreed.
First off I think Dean Ambrose did an excellent job of selling his injuries from earlier in the night, Secondly, WWE have managed to give us another intriguing match. Dean Ambrose has been "the other guy" or "the nearly man" for as long as we can remember. He played second fiddle to Roman in his feud with Bray Wyatt, he was pinned by Roman at Survivor Series, He was dumped out of the Royal Rumble in the final two by Triple H and he was pinned again by Roman at Fastlane. So you would struggle to believe Ambrose is a viable contender for a monster like Brock right? wrong. Ambrose has always, and especially more recently, made it very clear that no matter what you do he will just continue to get back up and take even more punishment. His tactic just seems to be let the other guy get worn out or bored of beating him up which is awesome.
A Street Fight with the beast at Wrestlemania allows Ambrose to fully open up his "Unhinged Lunatic" persona and this could be an all out war for us to witness. Safe to say that if Dean Ambrose brings along Jon Moxley to this match instead of the cute and cuddly Ambrose attitude then Brock Lesnar will be in for a major shocker.
Y2AJ for Tag Team Champions?
Fresh of their match at Fastlane AJ Styles and Chris Jericho defeated Curtis Axel and Heath Slater in a Tag-Team match. Interesting. I've seen a lot of people say that Y2AJ would make a great tag team and they're probably right but this is 2016 and these men need to have their own thing. AJ Styles is rumored to be going into a feud with Kevin Owens at Wrestlemania which is guaranteed money for everyone involved. Chris Jericho on the other hand doesn't really have that much of a direction going into Wrestlemania.
At this point Jericho is pretty much used as a way of putting over talent. So what could he do at Wrestlemania? Well maybe an outside shot would be a match against Kalisto? Ryback maybe? It's a safe bet that Y2J will be at Wrestlemania so WWE need to find something meaningful for him to do as if they don't then it will just be a wasted opportunity.
The Boss makes a Statement
Safe to say that while the first two hours of RAW pretty much tore the house down, the third was a pretty big disappointment. The women however were probably the better part of the third hour. Sasha Banks is getting better and better every week and put on a good match with Naomi and we got to see the story line progress with Becky facing Sasha in the near future for a No 1 contenders position.
My guess is that we see that match on the WWE Network special "March to Wrestlemania". It's a pretty safe bet to say that Sasha is the fan favourite going into Wrestlemania but if you add Becky to that equation and we get a triple threat at Wrestlemania we could have an outsider for match of the night.
Charlotte's work has come a long way since she started. She's less reliant on her father which is excellent although she still sounds like she's yelling into the microphone a little. Still, going into Wrestlemania this is one of the better booked feuds which is great to see.
Roman Reigns shown no mercy by the King of Kings
Oh dear. Oh. Dear. To begin with we had Roman Reigns vs Sheamus which no one cared for and then out comes Triple H to lay the smack down to the babyface to garner sympathy from the crowd, wait...that didn't happen?! well I never! Roman Reigns was completely booed out of his skin every time he attempted offense against The Game and the show ended with the crowd chanting "One More Time!" at HHH after Pedigree'ing a bloody and beaten Roman Reigns onto the Steel Stairs.
This wasn't exactly the reaction WWE were hoping for their babyface was it? The fans seem determined to treat Triple H as the face in this feud. WWE Creative really need to pull something special out of the hat if they want fans to start siding with Reigns in this feud. Their schedule isn't exactly helping them. In the build up to Wrestlemania WWE goes to Brooklyn, Pittsburgh, Chicago and Philadelphia. Cities that are known to most as very anti-Cena cities and therefore will be very much anti-Roman cities as well.
Having Triple H end this snoozefest of a match was poor decision by WWE to begin with and It got no better as the assault continues. When we start to add up all the factors the potential for Triple H to actually retain against Roman Reigns at Wrestlemania might not actually be beyond the realms of possibility, especially if Dean Ambrose manages to overcome Brock Lesnar.
Monday 22 February 2016
7 reasons why many fans will continue to reject Roman Reigns
Let me just start this by saying I say "many fans" In the title because there are a minority that are hardcore Roman Reigns fans and will accept him no matter what and that's fine, they have every right to. Having said that, the majority of people are still unwilling to accept Reigns as the guy at the top of the mountain. Monday's episode of RAW proved that. Triple H came out and delivered a merciless beat down to The Big Dog only to be met with a chorus of cheers at every turn. Even a brutal beating at the hands of the corporate stooge couldn't help Roman with his problem. People will continue to respond the same way towards Reigns until they change things such as...
He is stuck in the past
I maintain that if WWE really wanted Roman as their guy he should've been pushed to the top at Money In The Bank in 2014 when Daniel Bryan was forced to vacate the title. He was fresh off the implosion of the Shield and people still viewed him as the moody ass-kicker he was at the time as opposed to right now when he's just an idiot cracking poor jokes. Simply put, Roman needs to move on from his time in the Shield. He still uses the same gear, still enters from the crowd and uses basically a remixed version of the shield's theme. Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins both went off and did excellent work as their own guys while Roman seems unable to move on and until he does he won't be doing himself any favours.
His move-set is uninspiring
The move-set of a WWE Superstar is very important. People have made their feelings felt about John Cena's "Five Moves of Doom" and Reigns looks like he could be going the same way. The Superman Punch and The Spear. That's all he has. Are we supposed to believe that Roman can punch hard because he cocks his fist? The Spear is completely overused and doesn't even look remotely painful. Roman Reigns is a big guy. He needs to be doing slams and suplexes. Reigns has the physicality aspect going for him and WWE need to use that to their advantage.
He is not their guy
The WWE can't really do much about this one but it's a big problem. Reigns is not the guy WWE want. Daniel Bryan is a guy the WWE want. The company wanted Batista vs Randy Orton at Wrestlemania 30 but the WWE Universe wouldn't accept it and WWE eventually (and rightly) caved in and gave them what they want. Fans don't want Roman Reigns as their guy. They want someone like Dean Ambrose who they can relate to or Brock Lesnar that they just see as an absolute monster.
He's booked completely incorrectly
This one kind of links into the last point. Recently Reigns competed in a triple threat against Dean Ambrose and Brock Lesnar, the two most over guys in the company. Can anyone explain how WWE thought he would get a good reaction in this match. It happened last year as well against Daniel Bryan. Reigns is continually being booked incorrectly and predictably. When things become too predictable fans become bored and have to find some way to get over, which happens to be by booing the guy who they are watching.
WWE want him to be their guy instead of his own guy
If you've seen or listened to an interview with Roman Reigns then you'll know he's very different to his character. He's got sort of that hulking vibe going for him but WWE are determined for him to be viewed as a family friendly guy. That worked with Cena because he actually is that kind of guy but Roman just doesn't seem like that type of guy.
It's too soon
Simply put, some people feel that WWE have pushed Reigns too soon. He only debuted with the Shield in 2012 and he's already a main event player despite not actually doing much. On the other hand, guys like Dolph Ziggler have been around for years but have yet to be given a legitimate shot at being a main event man.
He is their vessel for criticising Vince McMahon
I've criticised Roman a lot up to this point but honestly the majority of his problems lie solely at the feet of one man and that is Vince McMahon. Vince signs off on pretty much everything and it's been made abundantly clear that Roman Reigns is Vince's guy. Fans don't neccesserily dislike Reigns, more the way that he is being booked. However, fans don't really have a clear way to get their point across to Vince McMahon apart from the Internet which he obviously doesn't pay attention to. Many people boo Roman just to get their point across to Vince saying "You've got this guy all wrong, sort it out".
WWE are going into Wrestlemania with the Heel/Face dynamics all wrong and people are more than likely going to boo Roman Reigns out of the building when he inevitably and eventually wins the World Heavyweight Championship. The return of Seth Rollins can't come soon enough because it allows for Roman Reigns to turn complete Heel which will do wonders for him and opens up so many doors for not only Reigns' future but also the WWE and their booking of him.
He is stuck in the past
I maintain that if WWE really wanted Roman as their guy he should've been pushed to the top at Money In The Bank in 2014 when Daniel Bryan was forced to vacate the title. He was fresh off the implosion of the Shield and people still viewed him as the moody ass-kicker he was at the time as opposed to right now when he's just an idiot cracking poor jokes. Simply put, Roman needs to move on from his time in the Shield. He still uses the same gear, still enters from the crowd and uses basically a remixed version of the shield's theme. Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins both went off and did excellent work as their own guys while Roman seems unable to move on and until he does he won't be doing himself any favours.
His move-set is uninspiring
The move-set of a WWE Superstar is very important. People have made their feelings felt about John Cena's "Five Moves of Doom" and Reigns looks like he could be going the same way. The Superman Punch and The Spear. That's all he has. Are we supposed to believe that Roman can punch hard because he cocks his fist? The Spear is completely overused and doesn't even look remotely painful. Roman Reigns is a big guy. He needs to be doing slams and suplexes. Reigns has the physicality aspect going for him and WWE need to use that to their advantage.
He is not their guy
The WWE can't really do much about this one but it's a big problem. Reigns is not the guy WWE want. Daniel Bryan is a guy the WWE want. The company wanted Batista vs Randy Orton at Wrestlemania 30 but the WWE Universe wouldn't accept it and WWE eventually (and rightly) caved in and gave them what they want. Fans don't want Roman Reigns as their guy. They want someone like Dean Ambrose who they can relate to or Brock Lesnar that they just see as an absolute monster.
He's booked completely incorrectly
This one kind of links into the last point. Recently Reigns competed in a triple threat against Dean Ambrose and Brock Lesnar, the two most over guys in the company. Can anyone explain how WWE thought he would get a good reaction in this match. It happened last year as well against Daniel Bryan. Reigns is continually being booked incorrectly and predictably. When things become too predictable fans become bored and have to find some way to get over, which happens to be by booing the guy who they are watching.
WWE want him to be their guy instead of his own guy
If you've seen or listened to an interview with Roman Reigns then you'll know he's very different to his character. He's got sort of that hulking vibe going for him but WWE are determined for him to be viewed as a family friendly guy. That worked with Cena because he actually is that kind of guy but Roman just doesn't seem like that type of guy.
It's too soon
Simply put, some people feel that WWE have pushed Reigns too soon. He only debuted with the Shield in 2012 and he's already a main event player despite not actually doing much. On the other hand, guys like Dolph Ziggler have been around for years but have yet to be given a legitimate shot at being a main event man.
He is their vessel for criticising Vince McMahon
I've criticised Roman a lot up to this point but honestly the majority of his problems lie solely at the feet of one man and that is Vince McMahon. Vince signs off on pretty much everything and it's been made abundantly clear that Roman Reigns is Vince's guy. Fans don't neccesserily dislike Reigns, more the way that he is being booked. However, fans don't really have a clear way to get their point across to Vince McMahon apart from the Internet which he obviously doesn't pay attention to. Many people boo Roman just to get their point across to Vince saying "You've got this guy all wrong, sort it out".
WWE are going into Wrestlemania with the Heel/Face dynamics all wrong and people are more than likely going to boo Roman Reigns out of the building when he inevitably and eventually wins the World Heavyweight Championship. The return of Seth Rollins can't come soon enough because it allows for Roman Reigns to turn complete Heel which will do wonders for him and opens up so many doors for not only Reigns' future but also the WWE and their booking of him.
WWE Fastlane 2016 Review: Lackluster and Uninspiring To Say The Least
Wow. That was...Interesting. Actually scratch that. It really wasn't. WWE yet again proved why Fastlane is completely pointless as a PPV and that they should really do away with the concept. First lets start off with some simple stuff. These are the best and worst matches of the night as well as the best performer.
Best Match of The Night: Kevin Owens vs Dolph Ziggler
Despite the fact that we have seen these two many times before that doesn't change the fact that they work extremely well together. Had this been the first or second match between them it would have been way more enjoyable. Nevertheless it was still an excellent match.
Worst Match of The Night: Curtis Axel vs R-Truth
I was originally going to go with Charlotte vs Brie Bella but then I saw this match and it was just all kinds of bad. First of all this shouldn't have even been on the card and Alberto Del Rio vs Kalisto should've taken this spot. Secondly, as this match was only here to kill time before the main event, the people involved didn't get much time to do anything of note. Seriously WWE, sort it out.
Best Performance of The Night:AJ Styles
Fastlane was AJ Styles first singles PPV and he didn't let us down. Personally I've been a fan of AJ's work for around 6 years now and seeing him in a WWE ring is still incredible. His match with Chris Jericho was a little sloppy but I think it's because Jericho may finally be showing his age and struggled a little to keep up. We did see a Styles Clash which was awesome and AJ showed WWE why people are so worked up about him.
Now. Time for the rest of the card. This may take me a while...
Kalisto (c) vs Alberto Del Rio
Why did this get moved to the Pre-Show? I personally wasn't expecting much from this but it's a title match and should be on the PPV. The only good thing that came of that decision was that Mauro Ranallo was able to call the match which made it thoroughly more enjoyable. Del Rio got himself disqualified for the first fall which was smart, making him look like the douche bag Heel. Del Rio is still using that ridiculous corner stomp finisher for some reason, in certain situations it can work, in most situations, it doesn't. Eventually Kalisto retained as he should've done. Alberto Del Rio's second run in WWE has been a bit underwhelming and they really need to sort his character out. Kalisto on the other hand gained some good momentum going int Wrestlemania.
Overall rating: ***
Becky Lynch and Sasha Banks vs Naomi and Tamina
The women opened the PPV! I don't even know if that's happened before but good for them! This match was pretty good. Sasha Banks was very over and Naomi and Tamina did well in their role as the Heels. I feel a bit for Becky Lynch because she's still taking a back seat to the whole Sasha Banks push which is understandable because it's Sasha Banks and she's one of the hottest acts going in WWE right now. A triple threat at Wrestlemania with Charlotte/Becky Lynch/Sasha Banks would be potentially an outside candidate to be match of the night if they're given a good 15-20 minutes to work with. It is Wrestlemania however so don't be surprised if they don't get anywhere near that.
Overall rating: ***
Kevin Owens (c) vs Dolph Ziggler
WWE pretty much ignored the fact that this was Dolph Ziggler's hometown here. We've seen these two at least 10 times over the last month and a half but they still put on the best match of the night. There were some excellent spots like Ziggler countering an Apron Powerbomb and throwing KO into the stairs as well as the men trading Superkicks. Eventually KO came away with the win as he should've done and he can go into Wrestlemania as the champ. Afterwards on Twitter Owens teased a potential match with Styles at 'mania which would definitely be a potential Show stealing match, Dolph Ziggler needs a change, most likely a Heel turn. He's been OK in his face role but he more naturally shines as a cocky Heel that acts like he's better than everyone.
Overall rating: ****
The Wyatt Family vs Big Show, Ryback and Kane
This match was just, urgh all kinds of suck. Firstly Ryback kind of botched the ending (surprised?) and it looks like Luke Harper may have suffered a legit injury. Secondly, why on earth did this happen? What do Big Show, Ryback and Kane gain from this match? Is one of them suddenly going to use this momentum to go for a push towards a title? God I hope not. You must feel bad for The Wyatt Family, they make Dolph Ziggler's booking issues over the past years look tame. Bray Wyatt has so much potential as a top Heel. He could create a whole faction of 9/10 people with his Family and could be the monster Heel WWE need to finally get Reigns over. But No, apparently WWE doesn't see any potential in him or the rest of his brethren apart from Strowman because he's big.... No one can take them seriously if they are winning WWE. You should know this by now.
Overall rating: **1/2
Brie Bella vs Charlotte (c)
This wasn't great. It was by no means awful but it didn't set the world alight. It kind of feels like Brie was sort of nudged into this position due to extenuating circumstances. She's been taking losses for months and suddenly she gets a title shot at Fastlane? I don't really understand the logic in that decision. To her credit, Brie did pretty well and she has improved tenfold since she first started in the WWE. I feel like this was one of those matches where the two people involved just aren't able to find any in-ring Chemistry. The whole match just felt disjointed and strange. In the end Charlotte retains and It looks like Brie may ride off into the sunset with Daniel Bryan.
Overall rating: **
AJ Styles vs Chris Jericho
This was just all sorts of awesome for me. Like I said I've been a Styles fan for a long time so seeing him go up against Y2J was the highlight of the evening for me. This probably would've been the best match of the night but there were a few missed spots here and there but nothing really that would thoroughly anger you. One thing that does irk me a little is the Styles Clash. They've been teasing it for so long and he finally hits it and Jericho kicks out? Reigns' generic Spear finisher is tame and yet it seems to put down most guys. Surely the Styles Clash, a move that some people have billed as "potentially dangerous" should be seen as a match ending move? Eventually Jericho tapped to the Calf Crusher and did a wonderful job of selling it I might add. This match was great and one of the few bright spots of the evening.
Overall rating: ***1/2
The Edge and Christian Cutting Edge Peep Show
This was OK but why was it on the PPV. And In the final hour I might add? Edge and Christian did their thing, New Day came out and they were hilarious and then they called out League of Nations. Yes, League of Nations. So what are New Day faces now? They shouldn't be. New Day do their best work when they're insulting people. You can't exactly have the faces go into a stadium saying "OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO BOOOTYHAM!!!" can you? We were all thorougly dissapointed that we didn't see Enzo and Cass come out. That would've had a much better reaction and got people a little more invested in a night that was continuously going downhill. This was just a strange segment.
Overall rating: ***
Curtis Axel vs R-Truth
My god. Just...my god. Why was this here. I'll tell you why. Because WWE royally screwed up their timing and they had way too much time left before the main event so my guess is they just found the first guys they could backstage and said "Go waste some time for us lads". This match was just dreadful. They had absolutely no time to do anything of note and it was so blatantly obvious that no one cared. Goldust came out and Interfered with R-Truth again. Is this going to be a thing or not WWE? Just get it over with. If I was Truth I would've clocked Goldust round the face by now for not leaving me alone.
Overall rating: *
Dean Ambrose vs Roman Reigns vs Brock Lesnar
And finally we reach the main event. The evidence that WWE has no idea what the people actually want. It was obvious from the moment that Roman Reigns' remixed Shield entrance music hit that people would not accept him walking out the winner, so what happened? Why he won of course! I will give the guys credit this match was thoroughly enjoyable to watch, thanks in no small part to Brock Lesnar tossing both men around like rag dolls. Still, Reigns winning here was blatantly the wrong decision. The crowd was way more into Brock Lesnar and Suplex City and Dean Ambrose had a vocal majority of support. Reigns on the other hand, struggled for any support from the crowd. Whenever he went on the offense he was roundly booed by the crowd.
Overall rating: ***1/2
Look, I don't hate Roman Reigns. I won't pretend that I'm a fan of Roman Reigns because I'm not. But I don't hate the guy and actively try to boo him at every turn. He deserves a lot of credit for the work he's done. However, WWE need to look at themselves as the root of the problem. Ever since Seth Rollins was forced to vacate the title last November, The booking has been so easy to see. Everyone knew Roman Reigns would win that Surivor Series tournament. We all knew he'd lose at TLC, we all knew that he would lose at the Royal Rumble and we all knew he would win at Fastlane, as much as we don't want to admit it. WWE just need to cool their obsession with Roman Reigns for a while. The more and more WWE tries to push the fans towards trying to accept Roman Reigns as "The Guy" the more and more likely the fans are to rebel against that Idea and say "We don't want him, we want someone else". Reigns needs be naturally liked by fans in order to get over properly and as long as WWE continue to push him as hard as they are, the less and less likely he will be liked.
Now we have a Wrestlemania main event where the Babyface will be seen as the Heel and the Heel will be seen as the Babyface. Granted, I've heard people say that It's only going to be a 40 minute match of a 4 hour show and they're right. the rest of the card may be very good. But this is going to be the main event for one of the biggest titles in the wrestling industry at one of the biggest sporting events of the year. Wrestlemania is one of the few events that hardcore WWE fans from around the world are actually able to go and see in person. Are you telling me that WWE think hardcore fans are going to accept Roman Reigns? No. They won't. Reigns' will most likely be booed out of the building by 90,000 people. WWE are now in a position where people are likely going to rebel against the main event. But this year they don't have Seth Rollins and his Money In The Bank briefcase to bail them out. If Reigns' is being booed by everyone then that's it. Game over and Wrestlemania will most likely be viewed as a failure. I'm not trying to be cynical but it's hard to get psyched over something we all see happening a month in advance.
Overall Fastlane was just not very good. There were maybe one or two bright spots but the majority of the night was just an overwhelming disappointment. This coupled with the fact that WWE Network is still suffering from connection issues and you start to understand why people are saying #CancelWWENetwork again or #Cancel Wrestlemania. Anyone saying that is just a complete moron but still, frustration is understandable.
Best Match of The Night: Kevin Owens vs Dolph Ziggler
Despite the fact that we have seen these two many times before that doesn't change the fact that they work extremely well together. Had this been the first or second match between them it would have been way more enjoyable. Nevertheless it was still an excellent match.
Worst Match of The Night: Curtis Axel vs R-Truth
I was originally going to go with Charlotte vs Brie Bella but then I saw this match and it was just all kinds of bad. First of all this shouldn't have even been on the card and Alberto Del Rio vs Kalisto should've taken this spot. Secondly, as this match was only here to kill time before the main event, the people involved didn't get much time to do anything of note. Seriously WWE, sort it out.
Best Performance of The Night:AJ Styles
Fastlane was AJ Styles first singles PPV and he didn't let us down. Personally I've been a fan of AJ's work for around 6 years now and seeing him in a WWE ring is still incredible. His match with Chris Jericho was a little sloppy but I think it's because Jericho may finally be showing his age and struggled a little to keep up. We did see a Styles Clash which was awesome and AJ showed WWE why people are so worked up about him.
Now. Time for the rest of the card. This may take me a while...
Kalisto (c) vs Alberto Del Rio
Why did this get moved to the Pre-Show? I personally wasn't expecting much from this but it's a title match and should be on the PPV. The only good thing that came of that decision was that Mauro Ranallo was able to call the match which made it thoroughly more enjoyable. Del Rio got himself disqualified for the first fall which was smart, making him look like the douche bag Heel. Del Rio is still using that ridiculous corner stomp finisher for some reason, in certain situations it can work, in most situations, it doesn't. Eventually Kalisto retained as he should've done. Alberto Del Rio's second run in WWE has been a bit underwhelming and they really need to sort his character out. Kalisto on the other hand gained some good momentum going int Wrestlemania.
Overall rating: ***
Becky Lynch and Sasha Banks vs Naomi and Tamina
The women opened the PPV! I don't even know if that's happened before but good for them! This match was pretty good. Sasha Banks was very over and Naomi and Tamina did well in their role as the Heels. I feel a bit for Becky Lynch because she's still taking a back seat to the whole Sasha Banks push which is understandable because it's Sasha Banks and she's one of the hottest acts going in WWE right now. A triple threat at Wrestlemania with Charlotte/Becky Lynch/Sasha Banks would be potentially an outside candidate to be match of the night if they're given a good 15-20 minutes to work with. It is Wrestlemania however so don't be surprised if they don't get anywhere near that.
Overall rating: ***
Kevin Owens (c) vs Dolph Ziggler
WWE pretty much ignored the fact that this was Dolph Ziggler's hometown here. We've seen these two at least 10 times over the last month and a half but they still put on the best match of the night. There were some excellent spots like Ziggler countering an Apron Powerbomb and throwing KO into the stairs as well as the men trading Superkicks. Eventually KO came away with the win as he should've done and he can go into Wrestlemania as the champ. Afterwards on Twitter Owens teased a potential match with Styles at 'mania which would definitely be a potential Show stealing match, Dolph Ziggler needs a change, most likely a Heel turn. He's been OK in his face role but he more naturally shines as a cocky Heel that acts like he's better than everyone.
Overall rating: ****
The Wyatt Family vs Big Show, Ryback and Kane
This match was just, urgh all kinds of suck. Firstly Ryback kind of botched the ending (surprised?) and it looks like Luke Harper may have suffered a legit injury. Secondly, why on earth did this happen? What do Big Show, Ryback and Kane gain from this match? Is one of them suddenly going to use this momentum to go for a push towards a title? God I hope not. You must feel bad for The Wyatt Family, they make Dolph Ziggler's booking issues over the past years look tame. Bray Wyatt has so much potential as a top Heel. He could create a whole faction of 9/10 people with his Family and could be the monster Heel WWE need to finally get Reigns over. But No, apparently WWE doesn't see any potential in him or the rest of his brethren apart from Strowman because he's big.... No one can take them seriously if they are winning WWE. You should know this by now.
Overall rating: **1/2
Brie Bella vs Charlotte (c)
This wasn't great. It was by no means awful but it didn't set the world alight. It kind of feels like Brie was sort of nudged into this position due to extenuating circumstances. She's been taking losses for months and suddenly she gets a title shot at Fastlane? I don't really understand the logic in that decision. To her credit, Brie did pretty well and she has improved tenfold since she first started in the WWE. I feel like this was one of those matches where the two people involved just aren't able to find any in-ring Chemistry. The whole match just felt disjointed and strange. In the end Charlotte retains and It looks like Brie may ride off into the sunset with Daniel Bryan.
Overall rating: **
AJ Styles vs Chris Jericho
This was just all sorts of awesome for me. Like I said I've been a Styles fan for a long time so seeing him go up against Y2J was the highlight of the evening for me. This probably would've been the best match of the night but there were a few missed spots here and there but nothing really that would thoroughly anger you. One thing that does irk me a little is the Styles Clash. They've been teasing it for so long and he finally hits it and Jericho kicks out? Reigns' generic Spear finisher is tame and yet it seems to put down most guys. Surely the Styles Clash, a move that some people have billed as "potentially dangerous" should be seen as a match ending move? Eventually Jericho tapped to the Calf Crusher and did a wonderful job of selling it I might add. This match was great and one of the few bright spots of the evening.
Overall rating: ***1/2
The Edge and Christian Cutting Edge Peep Show
This was OK but why was it on the PPV. And In the final hour I might add? Edge and Christian did their thing, New Day came out and they were hilarious and then they called out League of Nations. Yes, League of Nations. So what are New Day faces now? They shouldn't be. New Day do their best work when they're insulting people. You can't exactly have the faces go into a stadium saying "OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO BOOOTYHAM!!!" can you? We were all thorougly dissapointed that we didn't see Enzo and Cass come out. That would've had a much better reaction and got people a little more invested in a night that was continuously going downhill. This was just a strange segment.
Overall rating: ***
Curtis Axel vs R-Truth
My god. Just...my god. Why was this here. I'll tell you why. Because WWE royally screwed up their timing and they had way too much time left before the main event so my guess is they just found the first guys they could backstage and said "Go waste some time for us lads". This match was just dreadful. They had absolutely no time to do anything of note and it was so blatantly obvious that no one cared. Goldust came out and Interfered with R-Truth again. Is this going to be a thing or not WWE? Just get it over with. If I was Truth I would've clocked Goldust round the face by now for not leaving me alone.
Overall rating: *
Dean Ambrose vs Roman Reigns vs Brock Lesnar
And finally we reach the main event. The evidence that WWE has no idea what the people actually want. It was obvious from the moment that Roman Reigns' remixed Shield entrance music hit that people would not accept him walking out the winner, so what happened? Why he won of course! I will give the guys credit this match was thoroughly enjoyable to watch, thanks in no small part to Brock Lesnar tossing both men around like rag dolls. Still, Reigns winning here was blatantly the wrong decision. The crowd was way more into Brock Lesnar and Suplex City and Dean Ambrose had a vocal majority of support. Reigns on the other hand, struggled for any support from the crowd. Whenever he went on the offense he was roundly booed by the crowd.
Overall rating: ***1/2
Look, I don't hate Roman Reigns. I won't pretend that I'm a fan of Roman Reigns because I'm not. But I don't hate the guy and actively try to boo him at every turn. He deserves a lot of credit for the work he's done. However, WWE need to look at themselves as the root of the problem. Ever since Seth Rollins was forced to vacate the title last November, The booking has been so easy to see. Everyone knew Roman Reigns would win that Surivor Series tournament. We all knew he'd lose at TLC, we all knew that he would lose at the Royal Rumble and we all knew he would win at Fastlane, as much as we don't want to admit it. WWE just need to cool their obsession with Roman Reigns for a while. The more and more WWE tries to push the fans towards trying to accept Roman Reigns as "The Guy" the more and more likely the fans are to rebel against that Idea and say "We don't want him, we want someone else". Reigns needs be naturally liked by fans in order to get over properly and as long as WWE continue to push him as hard as they are, the less and less likely he will be liked.
Now we have a Wrestlemania main event where the Babyface will be seen as the Heel and the Heel will be seen as the Babyface. Granted, I've heard people say that It's only going to be a 40 minute match of a 4 hour show and they're right. the rest of the card may be very good. But this is going to be the main event for one of the biggest titles in the wrestling industry at one of the biggest sporting events of the year. Wrestlemania is one of the few events that hardcore WWE fans from around the world are actually able to go and see in person. Are you telling me that WWE think hardcore fans are going to accept Roman Reigns? No. They won't. Reigns' will most likely be booed out of the building by 90,000 people. WWE are now in a position where people are likely going to rebel against the main event. But this year they don't have Seth Rollins and his Money In The Bank briefcase to bail them out. If Reigns' is being booed by everyone then that's it. Game over and Wrestlemania will most likely be viewed as a failure. I'm not trying to be cynical but it's hard to get psyched over something we all see happening a month in advance.
Overall Fastlane was just not very good. There were maybe one or two bright spots but the majority of the night was just an overwhelming disappointment. This coupled with the fact that WWE Network is still suffering from connection issues and you start to understand why people are saying #CancelWWENetwork again or #Cancel Wrestlemania. Anyone saying that is just a complete moron but still, frustration is understandable.
Friday 19 February 2016
WWE Fastlane 2016 Predictions
It's that time of year again! Yes, the time of year where we have to deal with arguably the most pointless PPV there is. If we are being honest with ourselves Fastlane is a rubbish gimmick that is here simply just to take up time, nonetheless there is still potential for a few good matches that could be put on. So far only three championships are being defended at the PPV which is a bad move to begin as WWE have stated they want Fastlane to feel more important. If that's the case why isn't your World Heavyweight Champion on the card? Even if it is just a squash match it is still a match that keeps your champion looking strong. I think if you ever look up the world "Placeholder" online it will just say 'Triple H January 2016 - April 2016' Anyway, I'm getting off topic. Below are my predictions for Fastlane this Sunday.
Kalisto (c) vs Alberto Del Rio
To Begin we have United States Champion Kalisto defending against Alberto Del Rio in a two out of three falls match. Seriously where do I begin with this? For starters this match shouldn't be on the Pre-Show because it's a damn championship match and the Pre-Show is where The New Day with Edge and Christian should be. Secondly, we have seen this so many times already that it is just becoming a bit dreary. It feels like the WWE can't find anything noteworthy for either of these guys to do. Personally I would've had Neville vs Kalisto here as while there wouldn't be a Face/Heel dynamic they would still put on an excellent match.
The US title has become the classic Hot Potato recently, destroying most of the work done by John Cena in 2015. The WWE will want to change that so look for Kalisto to retain here with Alberto Del Rio maybe scoring a fall with the Cross Arm-breaker.
Kevin Owens (c) vs Dolph Ziggler
I don't know exactly how many times Owens and Ziggler have faced each other over the past month or so but it's safe to say it's probably a lot. The only things that have kept this even remotely interesting is their work in the ring. Kevin Owens needs to long strong going into Wrestlemania. He is the companies best Heel for crying out loud and should arguably been in the main event picture in the next six months.
I feel sorry for Ziggler because he's supremely talented but yet again falls prey to the poor booking of WWE Creative. The only outcome here should be a victory for Kevin Owens
New Day (c) with Edge and Christian Segment
I said earlier that WWE wanted Fastlane to feel more important and what is a sure fire way NOT to do that? Make sure your hottest act isn't booked in a match going into the PPV. It will be nice seeing Edge and Christian again no doubt but this is really something that should be on the Pre-Show. A lot of talk is on Enzo and Cass debuting at Fastlane which would be a great thing to see.
There are two things I think will happen here. The first is that Edge and Christian make New Day look weak and the second is they bring out their opponents. I feel it will be either Enzo and Cass, Usos or Dudley Boyz. If The Usos come out not only will we all be disappointed but I'd expect a win for New Day, however if it's the Dudleyz or Enzo and Cass, I think we may be seeing the end of New Day's run as Tag Team Champions.
Sasha Banks and Becky Lynch vs Naomi and Tamina
Rumour has it that at Wrestlemania there will be two womens matches. One for the Diva's Championship and the other so that everyone else has something to be involved in. The crowd is firmly behind Sasha Banks right now and the majority are still behind Becky Lynch as well. That being said it would create an interesting situation should Naomi and Tamina sneak away with a Win here.
Nevertheless, having a three out of the four horsewomen Triple Threat at Wrestlemania looks to be the best option so Sasha Banks and Becky Lynch walking away with the Win here is the safe bet, possibly with either Becky or Sasha scoring a submission win.
Charlotte (c) vs Brie Bella
Before I say anything let me just say, I have nothing personal against Brie Bella. I think she's improved a huge amount in the ring since she started in WWE. That being said, this match makes no sense. Firstly, how does Brie Bella gain a title opportunity for scoring one win after months of taking losses? As much as I hate to say it and I really do, it feels like Brie has just been pushed into this position due to the Daniel Bryan saga.
Charlotte is excellent In the ring and I think she'll be able to work pretty well with Brie but a Charlotte win, most likely with the figure eight, is the only logical finish here.
Ryback, Kane and Big Show vs The Wyatt Family
The WWE have recently tried to put Big Show, Kane and Ryback over as "The Titans of WWE" and it really hasn't worked. A titan is defined as "An extremely important person". Really, does anyone really consider Kane, Ryback or The Big Show to be extremely important. This feud simply feels like a way to give The Wyatt's something to do going into the final stretch of Wrestlemania season and their potential feud with Brock Lesnar.
The Wyatt Family simply have to win here as if they don't they lose any credibility they have recently regained. If the so called "Titans" of WWE win, absolutely nobody benefits from this and it has all be a colossal waste of everybody's time.
AJ Styles vs Chris Jericho
This match is the match I am most excited about. It also happens to be the only match where I am split down the middle as to who I think will win. This is because a win for either competitor works. If AJ wins he gains credibility by defeating one of WWE's top Veterans and looks strong going into Wrestlemania season, whereas if Jericho wins (with Heel antics of course) this fairly entertaining feud can continue on to Wrestlemania.
Eventually I've decided that a win for AJ is the way to go here. Styles winning means that he can potentially go into a feud with Kevin Owens and even Sami Zayn for a triple threat Wrestlemania match for the Intercontinental Championship. Tell me you don't want to see that! Seriously I dare you.
Dean Ambrose vs Roman Reigns vs Brock Lesnar
Ah yes...The main event that makes little sense in terms of Storytelling but will be a fantastic match to watch. If I was being clever, which I am, I would say that none of these men deserve to be here. Why would Triple H grant Reigns and Ambrose an opportunity at his title. Why would Stephanie potentially allow her Husband to be physically dissected by the Beast Incarnate on the biggest stage of them all? Nevertheless it's happening. And despite my reservations about the backstory, it will be a great match.
When this match was first created, 99% of people (myself included) said that Roman Reigns would walk out of this match victorious, the other 1% being hardcore Ambrose and Lesnar fans. Now however, I feel differently. Reigns has really taken a back seat to this match and Lesnar and Ambrose have really been the focal points. This could be for two reasons. The first is that WWE are trying to protect Reigns going into Fastlane and he will still win but this could set up Lesnar/Ambrose at Wrestlemania. This would be great, but Roman will still probably be booed out of the building at Fastlane in a similar fashion to the 2015 Royal Rumble. The second idea, and personally the one I think is happening, is that WWE have taken a step back and decided that maybe Roman Reigns isn't the best Idea and are beginning to push Dean Ambrose.
It's clear that Dean Ambrose is vastly more popular than Reigns, but do WWE give in yet again. They have caved twice in two years going into Wrestlemania. The first time was completely justified because it was Daniel Bryan and everyone knew that was what needed to happen. But do WWE backtrack on Roman for the second year running? You would think if this happens then WWE may have to just give up on the Big Dog as their project.
Despite all this however, Reigns is still the majority favourite to walk out winner, me on the other hand, while my head says Reigns my heart says Ambrose and I'm going with my Heart. I think Lesnar, as expected, gets taken out by the Wyatt's and Ambrose gets the win over Reigns, CLEAN. This isn't the end however because I think Roman comes out the next night on RAW and states he has a rematch clause for the title, setting up Reigns/Ambrose/HHH at Wrestlemania.
Kalisto (c) vs Alberto Del Rio
To Begin we have United States Champion Kalisto defending against Alberto Del Rio in a two out of three falls match. Seriously where do I begin with this? For starters this match shouldn't be on the Pre-Show because it's a damn championship match and the Pre-Show is where The New Day with Edge and Christian should be. Secondly, we have seen this so many times already that it is just becoming a bit dreary. It feels like the WWE can't find anything noteworthy for either of these guys to do. Personally I would've had Neville vs Kalisto here as while there wouldn't be a Face/Heel dynamic they would still put on an excellent match.
The US title has become the classic Hot Potato recently, destroying most of the work done by John Cena in 2015. The WWE will want to change that so look for Kalisto to retain here with Alberto Del Rio maybe scoring a fall with the Cross Arm-breaker.
Kevin Owens (c) vs Dolph Ziggler
I don't know exactly how many times Owens and Ziggler have faced each other over the past month or so but it's safe to say it's probably a lot. The only things that have kept this even remotely interesting is their work in the ring. Kevin Owens needs to long strong going into Wrestlemania. He is the companies best Heel for crying out loud and should arguably been in the main event picture in the next six months.
I feel sorry for Ziggler because he's supremely talented but yet again falls prey to the poor booking of WWE Creative. The only outcome here should be a victory for Kevin Owens
New Day (c) with Edge and Christian Segment
I said earlier that WWE wanted Fastlane to feel more important and what is a sure fire way NOT to do that? Make sure your hottest act isn't booked in a match going into the PPV. It will be nice seeing Edge and Christian again no doubt but this is really something that should be on the Pre-Show. A lot of talk is on Enzo and Cass debuting at Fastlane which would be a great thing to see.
There are two things I think will happen here. The first is that Edge and Christian make New Day look weak and the second is they bring out their opponents. I feel it will be either Enzo and Cass, Usos or Dudley Boyz. If The Usos come out not only will we all be disappointed but I'd expect a win for New Day, however if it's the Dudleyz or Enzo and Cass, I think we may be seeing the end of New Day's run as Tag Team Champions.
Sasha Banks and Becky Lynch vs Naomi and Tamina
Rumour has it that at Wrestlemania there will be two womens matches. One for the Diva's Championship and the other so that everyone else has something to be involved in. The crowd is firmly behind Sasha Banks right now and the majority are still behind Becky Lynch as well. That being said it would create an interesting situation should Naomi and Tamina sneak away with a Win here.
Nevertheless, having a three out of the four horsewomen Triple Threat at Wrestlemania looks to be the best option so Sasha Banks and Becky Lynch walking away with the Win here is the safe bet, possibly with either Becky or Sasha scoring a submission win.
Charlotte (c) vs Brie Bella
Before I say anything let me just say, I have nothing personal against Brie Bella. I think she's improved a huge amount in the ring since she started in WWE. That being said, this match makes no sense. Firstly, how does Brie Bella gain a title opportunity for scoring one win after months of taking losses? As much as I hate to say it and I really do, it feels like Brie has just been pushed into this position due to the Daniel Bryan saga.
Charlotte is excellent In the ring and I think she'll be able to work pretty well with Brie but a Charlotte win, most likely with the figure eight, is the only logical finish here.
Ryback, Kane and Big Show vs The Wyatt Family
The WWE have recently tried to put Big Show, Kane and Ryback over as "The Titans of WWE" and it really hasn't worked. A titan is defined as "An extremely important person". Really, does anyone really consider Kane, Ryback or The Big Show to be extremely important. This feud simply feels like a way to give The Wyatt's something to do going into the final stretch of Wrestlemania season and their potential feud with Brock Lesnar.
The Wyatt Family simply have to win here as if they don't they lose any credibility they have recently regained. If the so called "Titans" of WWE win, absolutely nobody benefits from this and it has all be a colossal waste of everybody's time.
AJ Styles vs Chris Jericho
This match is the match I am most excited about. It also happens to be the only match where I am split down the middle as to who I think will win. This is because a win for either competitor works. If AJ wins he gains credibility by defeating one of WWE's top Veterans and looks strong going into Wrestlemania season, whereas if Jericho wins (with Heel antics of course) this fairly entertaining feud can continue on to Wrestlemania.
Eventually I've decided that a win for AJ is the way to go here. Styles winning means that he can potentially go into a feud with Kevin Owens and even Sami Zayn for a triple threat Wrestlemania match for the Intercontinental Championship. Tell me you don't want to see that! Seriously I dare you.
Dean Ambrose vs Roman Reigns vs Brock Lesnar
Ah yes...The main event that makes little sense in terms of Storytelling but will be a fantastic match to watch. If I was being clever, which I am, I would say that none of these men deserve to be here. Why would Triple H grant Reigns and Ambrose an opportunity at his title. Why would Stephanie potentially allow her Husband to be physically dissected by the Beast Incarnate on the biggest stage of them all? Nevertheless it's happening. And despite my reservations about the backstory, it will be a great match.
When this match was first created, 99% of people (myself included) said that Roman Reigns would walk out of this match victorious, the other 1% being hardcore Ambrose and Lesnar fans. Now however, I feel differently. Reigns has really taken a back seat to this match and Lesnar and Ambrose have really been the focal points. This could be for two reasons. The first is that WWE are trying to protect Reigns going into Fastlane and he will still win but this could set up Lesnar/Ambrose at Wrestlemania. This would be great, but Roman will still probably be booed out of the building at Fastlane in a similar fashion to the 2015 Royal Rumble. The second idea, and personally the one I think is happening, is that WWE have taken a step back and decided that maybe Roman Reigns isn't the best Idea and are beginning to push Dean Ambrose.
It's clear that Dean Ambrose is vastly more popular than Reigns, but do WWE give in yet again. They have caved twice in two years going into Wrestlemania. The first time was completely justified because it was Daniel Bryan and everyone knew that was what needed to happen. But do WWE backtrack on Roman for the second year running? You would think if this happens then WWE may have to just give up on the Big Dog as their project.
Despite all this however, Reigns is still the majority favourite to walk out winner, me on the other hand, while my head says Reigns my heart says Ambrose and I'm going with my Heart. I think Lesnar, as expected, gets taken out by the Wyatt's and Ambrose gets the win over Reigns, CLEAN. This isn't the end however because I think Roman comes out the next night on RAW and states he has a rematch clause for the title, setting up Reigns/Ambrose/HHH at Wrestlemania.
Friday 12 February 2016
How I would book the return of Seth Rollins
I wasn't actually going to post this today but then I read an article about this happening and I thought that maybe I would. Seth Rollins has now been out for roughly 3 months and fans are yearning for his return. When he does eventually return he will fill the role of one of the biggest Babyfaces in the company because people are just so desperate for it. You could see it in his final feuds with Kane and Cena before he got injured when people were actively more supportive of him than either of his opponents. If the WWE book it right then Seth Rollins can have a huge impact no matter when he return is, so this is how I would book it.
It would start the night after Fastlane with the result that we all thought would happen having happened. Reigns would win by pinning Ambrose. Personally though, I would have Ambrose and Lesnar enter a feud for Wrestlemania because A) It elevates the Intercontinental title to a new level and B) What would you rather see, Lesnar vs Wyatt or Lesnar vs Ambrose?. The night after on RAW, Reigns would come out and cut a Promo saying something like nothing will be able to stand in his way on his journey to Wrestlemania. Then, out comes Triple H saying he's always got an ace up his sleeve and that he has appointed a Special Referee for their match at Wrestlemania. Out comes...Seth Rollins. That episode of RAW ends with The Authority and The Architect standing tall at the top of the stage while Reigns stands in the ring and realises the situation he's in.
A few weeks pass by and we are now around 2 weeks away from Wrestlemania. We have one of those typical "Big Match" Contract Signings in the ring with all parties present, meaning that HHH, Roman Reigns, and the Referee Seth Rollins. Now whether or not The Rock will be involved in Reigns' corner really doesn't bother me, if he is then great, if he isn't that is equally great as it allows Reigns to get over by himself. Rollins will visibly be siding with HHH in this encounter and a beat down to Reigns involving The Authority would be a good way to go.
Wrestlemania. Everyone's in the ring and HHH and Reigns will more than likely put on a pretty good match seeing as when the Shield went up against Evolution a couple of years ago they worked pretty well together. Eventually we get to a point where Rollins' back is turned (By accident, not because of something The Authority has done) and HHH nails Reigns with the Sledgehammer and goes for the pin. 1. 2..... and that's it. Rollins stands up and looks at HHH and then nails him with whatever new finisher he has. Seriously, giving Rollins the Pedigree is awful. Reigns then gets up, Spears HHH and gets the 1. 2. 3. Reigns is WWE Champion. Rollins is Face. All is right in the world.
The next night on RAW The Authority would be fuming. HHH would call out both Reigns and Rollins. Reigns comes out first and doesn't understand why HHH is so mad. Then out comes Rollins who instead of coming to the ring, stays at the top of the ramp. He cuts a promo saying how he felt betrayed by the fact that The Authority stripped him of the title so quickly and found their new man in Sheamus and that he always felt that HHH never showed his the respect that he deserved. Rollins states that he will go home and rest his body (Because obviously he won't be cleared to compete and this stage in time.) and when he returns he wants to go one on one with his former master to prove that he doesn't need anyone else. Rollins leaves to go and recuperate and Reigns and HHH have the chance to get their rematch out of the way.
Fast forward to the night after Battleground and Rollins will return, obviously to a thunderous reception and state that he is ready to face his former mentor at Summerslam. They go back and forth over the coming weeks until their match at Summerslam and Rollins goes over HHH clean. Rollins will then come out the next night on RAW and state to Roman Reigns (Who is still WWE Champion) that he deserves the rematch that he never got and Roman agrees to fight him at Night Of Champions.
At Night Of Champions, Rollins vs Reigns will put on a great match but the finish will be ruined by an interfering Authority who still have unfinished business with Rollins. Seth is fed up with The Authority and states that at Survivor Series they will have a match to finally rid the WWE of them once and for all Similar to the match in 2014 only this time The Authority is gone for good (Really, they need to be off TV.)
At Survivor Series it would be the Heel team of HHH, Sheamus, Alberto Del Rio, Rusev and Kevin Owens vs the Face team of AJ Styles, Cesaro, Seth Rollins and... his former Shield brothers, Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns. This is strictly a one night only thing however out of respect for each other. The Face team would win and The Authority would be off TV forever. No coming back. They are finally gone.
Fast track to the Royal Rumble. Roman Reigns would retain his title in a match earlier in the night against someone like Del Rio or a Heel Ziggler. In the Royal Rumble, we would be down to the final 3. Brock Lesnar, Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins. Brock Lesnar physically dominates the pair of them but eventually the odds are against Brock and he's out. Finally Dean and Seth go at it and Seth prevails with a Buckle Bomb into a throw over the top rope. Rollins wins the Rumble and Dean comes back into the ring looking like he will turn Heel and then nailing Rollins with a Dirty Deeds.
At Fastlane this would result in Rollins putting up his title shot against Ambrose, the finish would be strange one similair to the finish between Punk and Bryan at Over The Limit 2012. Seth would be about to force Ambrose to tap out but Ambrose gets the roll up 1. 2. 3. and it looks like it will be Ambrose vs Reigns at Wrestlemania 33. The next night on RAW footage shows that Ambrose tapped out at exactly the same time as the referee counted 3 causing confusion. The new Face GM would come out (Maybe someone like Daniel Bryan?) and announce that both men have a case as the winner and therefore it will be a Triple Threat match at Wrestlemania.
Wrestlemania 33. Brother vs Brother vs Brother. The match would be awesome. A match that everyone wants to see and eventually the finish would be everything we dreamed, or what I do anyway. Near the end, Reigns hits a Superman Punch on Dean, who reacts with a rebound Clothesline off the Ropes. Dean then hits Dirty Deeds on Roman but before he can pin him, Rollins gets back in the ring, hits him with his finisher then goes up top and nails him with a Phoenix Splash. 1. 2. 3. Rollins is Champion.
This angle also allows WWE to go the route where Roman is angry because he lost the title despite not being pinned as well as the fact that it shouldn't have been a Triple Threat in the first place. Either way. WWE have their new top Babyface who people are willing to love instead of going with the book it and hope they like it approach they're taking currently with Roman Reigns.
What do you think? Do you think Rollins could return in a better way? Let me know!
It would start the night after Fastlane with the result that we all thought would happen having happened. Reigns would win by pinning Ambrose. Personally though, I would have Ambrose and Lesnar enter a feud for Wrestlemania because A) It elevates the Intercontinental title to a new level and B) What would you rather see, Lesnar vs Wyatt or Lesnar vs Ambrose?. The night after on RAW, Reigns would come out and cut a Promo saying something like nothing will be able to stand in his way on his journey to Wrestlemania. Then, out comes Triple H saying he's always got an ace up his sleeve and that he has appointed a Special Referee for their match at Wrestlemania. Out comes...Seth Rollins. That episode of RAW ends with The Authority and The Architect standing tall at the top of the stage while Reigns stands in the ring and realises the situation he's in.
A few weeks pass by and we are now around 2 weeks away from Wrestlemania. We have one of those typical "Big Match" Contract Signings in the ring with all parties present, meaning that HHH, Roman Reigns, and the Referee Seth Rollins. Now whether or not The Rock will be involved in Reigns' corner really doesn't bother me, if he is then great, if he isn't that is equally great as it allows Reigns to get over by himself. Rollins will visibly be siding with HHH in this encounter and a beat down to Reigns involving The Authority would be a good way to go.
Wrestlemania. Everyone's in the ring and HHH and Reigns will more than likely put on a pretty good match seeing as when the Shield went up against Evolution a couple of years ago they worked pretty well together. Eventually we get to a point where Rollins' back is turned (By accident, not because of something The Authority has done) and HHH nails Reigns with the Sledgehammer and goes for the pin. 1. 2..... and that's it. Rollins stands up and looks at HHH and then nails him with whatever new finisher he has. Seriously, giving Rollins the Pedigree is awful. Reigns then gets up, Spears HHH and gets the 1. 2. 3. Reigns is WWE Champion. Rollins is Face. All is right in the world.
The next night on RAW The Authority would be fuming. HHH would call out both Reigns and Rollins. Reigns comes out first and doesn't understand why HHH is so mad. Then out comes Rollins who instead of coming to the ring, stays at the top of the ramp. He cuts a promo saying how he felt betrayed by the fact that The Authority stripped him of the title so quickly and found their new man in Sheamus and that he always felt that HHH never showed his the respect that he deserved. Rollins states that he will go home and rest his body (Because obviously he won't be cleared to compete and this stage in time.) and when he returns he wants to go one on one with his former master to prove that he doesn't need anyone else. Rollins leaves to go and recuperate and Reigns and HHH have the chance to get their rematch out of the way.
Fast forward to the night after Battleground and Rollins will return, obviously to a thunderous reception and state that he is ready to face his former mentor at Summerslam. They go back and forth over the coming weeks until their match at Summerslam and Rollins goes over HHH clean. Rollins will then come out the next night on RAW and state to Roman Reigns (Who is still WWE Champion) that he deserves the rematch that he never got and Roman agrees to fight him at Night Of Champions.
At Night Of Champions, Rollins vs Reigns will put on a great match but the finish will be ruined by an interfering Authority who still have unfinished business with Rollins. Seth is fed up with The Authority and states that at Survivor Series they will have a match to finally rid the WWE of them once and for all Similar to the match in 2014 only this time The Authority is gone for good (Really, they need to be off TV.)
At Survivor Series it would be the Heel team of HHH, Sheamus, Alberto Del Rio, Rusev and Kevin Owens vs the Face team of AJ Styles, Cesaro, Seth Rollins and... his former Shield brothers, Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns. This is strictly a one night only thing however out of respect for each other. The Face team would win and The Authority would be off TV forever. No coming back. They are finally gone.
Fast track to the Royal Rumble. Roman Reigns would retain his title in a match earlier in the night against someone like Del Rio or a Heel Ziggler. In the Royal Rumble, we would be down to the final 3. Brock Lesnar, Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins. Brock Lesnar physically dominates the pair of them but eventually the odds are against Brock and he's out. Finally Dean and Seth go at it and Seth prevails with a Buckle Bomb into a throw over the top rope. Rollins wins the Rumble and Dean comes back into the ring looking like he will turn Heel and then nailing Rollins with a Dirty Deeds.
At Fastlane this would result in Rollins putting up his title shot against Ambrose, the finish would be strange one similair to the finish between Punk and Bryan at Over The Limit 2012. Seth would be about to force Ambrose to tap out but Ambrose gets the roll up 1. 2. 3. and it looks like it will be Ambrose vs Reigns at Wrestlemania 33. The next night on RAW footage shows that Ambrose tapped out at exactly the same time as the referee counted 3 causing confusion. The new Face GM would come out (Maybe someone like Daniel Bryan?) and announce that both men have a case as the winner and therefore it will be a Triple Threat match at Wrestlemania.
Wrestlemania 33. Brother vs Brother vs Brother. The match would be awesome. A match that everyone wants to see and eventually the finish would be everything we dreamed, or what I do anyway. Near the end, Reigns hits a Superman Punch on Dean, who reacts with a rebound Clothesline off the Ropes. Dean then hits Dirty Deeds on Roman but before he can pin him, Rollins gets back in the ring, hits him with his finisher then goes up top and nails him with a Phoenix Splash. 1. 2. 3. Rollins is Champion.
This angle also allows WWE to go the route where Roman is angry because he lost the title despite not being pinned as well as the fact that it shouldn't have been a Triple Threat in the first place. Either way. WWE have their new top Babyface who people are willing to love instead of going with the book it and hope they like it approach they're taking currently with Roman Reigns.
What do you think? Do you think Rollins could return in a better way? Let me know!
Friday 5 February 2016
How I would book Reigns' ascent to the top at Wrestlemania
Last week I wrote a post about how I would book the RAW after Wrestlemania and I think you guys liked it so this week I thought I would give Roman Reigns a try. This should either be really good or really bad. Tell me what you think!
Roman Reigns is the next 'guy' in the WWE. It's clear that Vince McMahon and the guys backstage evidently want Roman as their next face of the company but the fans are not so much in the same boat. Roman has, despite a slight blip in late December, received negative reactions wherever he goes as fans refuse to buy into the Roman Empire.
At Fastlane Roman will be part of a triple threat involving Dean Ambrose and Brock Lesnar in a bout which, while it's bound to be entertaining, is pretty predictable and has pretty lame booking going into it. Most people believe that the outcome will be as simple as Brock Lesnar being taken out of the match by an interfering Bray Wyatt and that Dean Ambrose is simply in the match to take the pin and Roman will walk out the winner. Roman will be booed at Fastlane. No doubt. People just have no reason to buy into Roman Reigns' character. Ambrose is the lunatic fringe who is willing to put it all on the line. Lesnar is a brutalising Ass kicker who as paul heyman puts it is once in a generation.
I'm going to start by going back to the Royal Rumble. It was pretty well booked but if it was me I would've done it slightly differently. In the final three I would have had, Brock Lesnar, Roman Reigns and Triple H. Brock Lesnar would've dominated most of the match only to be eliminated by Roman Reigns only for HHH to then slide back in the ring after going UNDER the bottom rope and therefore winning the match. The result would be the same but the finish would make Roman into the guy who almost could.
The RAW after Royal Rumble I would keep the same apart from there being no triple threat at Fastlane. This year instead of Fastlane it would be Elimination Chamber and at the event there would be a chamber match for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Everybody loves a chamber match and having HHH in the match makes him look strong leading up to Wrestlemania. In the lead up to Elimination Chamber there would be qualifying matches for the Chamber because there should be. Being an enemy of the Authority Roman would be put in unfair matches such as Handicap and Gauntlet matches. He has to overcome these matches to win, but only just. He CANNOT look like some superhuman freak and should win with either Roll ups or other types of luck.
Fast forward to the Chamber and the match would be HHH/Reigns/Ambrose/Lesnar/Wyatt/Styles. Obviously Styles would be a bit of a push but the point would be in some way to set up a match with Ambrose at Wrestlemania for the Intercontinental Title. It also sets up the Lesnar/Wyatt angle if Wyatt was to eliminate Lesnar from the match. Again in this match I would have the odds against Reigns. make him and Lesnar numbers 1 and 2 in the match. Have him take a tremendous amount of punishment in the match only to be pinned by HHH being part of the final two.
Obviously going into Wrestlemania they need to find a way for Reigns to be in the match for the title. I would have The Authority grant Roman one more shot IF he can beat someone in a No Hold's Barred match. That man being Dean Ambrose. The Authority would force Roman to destroy his best friend in order to get a title shot. Reigns would win the match but lose his friend in the process. Going into Wrestlemania he would be booked to be beaten down continually by the League Of Nations so going into Wrestlemania he wouldn't be the favourite.
Wrestlemania. This needs to be a screwjob by The Authority. Cheating, calling out League of Nations to help them while the Referee isn't looking and using the ropes unfairly. The Usos would come out to make the save and even the odds a little bit. Eventually however, Roman would overcome the odds, Spear HHH and get the 1, 2, 3. After the match HHH would get up and Reigns would spear him again. The Usos would get in the ring and celebrate with Roman and then.... he would give them both a Superman Punch. Vince would get in the ring and hold Reigns' hand up high. Remember Stone Cold at Wrestlemania 17? Yeah that's not happening. Reigns' would then punch McMahon and be standing tall in the ring. Roman solidifies himself as the company's Heel.
The next day on RAW Roman would explain his actions and state that he is sick and tired of being disrespected by everyone. The Authority would come out and give Roman the chance to join them as their "Corporate Champion" but he would immediately refuse and Superman Punch/Spear them or whatever he sees fit to do.
Over the coming weeks and months Roman would solidify himself and a unique character. The badass ass kicking lone wolf dude who doesn't give a crap what anyone has to say about him. He's the guy who speaks with his fists rather than his mouth. Put him in matches against popular faces against the likes of Dean Ambrose/John Cena or even a returning Daniel Bryan and people would still start feeling the itch to cheer him despite being Heel because he's someone different. He's a guy who just wants to beat people up and generally just kick ass. Eventually around Summerslam time Roman would lose the title to a returning Seth Rollins who inserts himself back into the role of The Authority's champion. Having Roman's new character against a slimy corporate champion would be a great way to firmly get him over. It also gives the opportunity for Seth Rollins to eventually turn face if the Authority, accidentally or purposely cost him a match against Reigns.
So yeah, that's how I would book Roman Reigns. What about you guys? What do you think? Do you think the WWE should do it differently? Let me know if you like this kind of stuff!
Roman Reigns is the next 'guy' in the WWE. It's clear that Vince McMahon and the guys backstage evidently want Roman as their next face of the company but the fans are not so much in the same boat. Roman has, despite a slight blip in late December, received negative reactions wherever he goes as fans refuse to buy into the Roman Empire.
At Fastlane Roman will be part of a triple threat involving Dean Ambrose and Brock Lesnar in a bout which, while it's bound to be entertaining, is pretty predictable and has pretty lame booking going into it. Most people believe that the outcome will be as simple as Brock Lesnar being taken out of the match by an interfering Bray Wyatt and that Dean Ambrose is simply in the match to take the pin and Roman will walk out the winner. Roman will be booed at Fastlane. No doubt. People just have no reason to buy into Roman Reigns' character. Ambrose is the lunatic fringe who is willing to put it all on the line. Lesnar is a brutalising Ass kicker who as paul heyman puts it is once in a generation.
I'm going to start by going back to the Royal Rumble. It was pretty well booked but if it was me I would've done it slightly differently. In the final three I would have had, Brock Lesnar, Roman Reigns and Triple H. Brock Lesnar would've dominated most of the match only to be eliminated by Roman Reigns only for HHH to then slide back in the ring after going UNDER the bottom rope and therefore winning the match. The result would be the same but the finish would make Roman into the guy who almost could.
The RAW after Royal Rumble I would keep the same apart from there being no triple threat at Fastlane. This year instead of Fastlane it would be Elimination Chamber and at the event there would be a chamber match for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Everybody loves a chamber match and having HHH in the match makes him look strong leading up to Wrestlemania. In the lead up to Elimination Chamber there would be qualifying matches for the Chamber because there should be. Being an enemy of the Authority Roman would be put in unfair matches such as Handicap and Gauntlet matches. He has to overcome these matches to win, but only just. He CANNOT look like some superhuman freak and should win with either Roll ups or other types of luck.
Fast forward to the Chamber and the match would be HHH/Reigns/Ambrose/Lesnar/Wyatt/Styles. Obviously Styles would be a bit of a push but the point would be in some way to set up a match with Ambrose at Wrestlemania for the Intercontinental Title. It also sets up the Lesnar/Wyatt angle if Wyatt was to eliminate Lesnar from the match. Again in this match I would have the odds against Reigns. make him and Lesnar numbers 1 and 2 in the match. Have him take a tremendous amount of punishment in the match only to be pinned by HHH being part of the final two.
Obviously going into Wrestlemania they need to find a way for Reigns to be in the match for the title. I would have The Authority grant Roman one more shot IF he can beat someone in a No Hold's Barred match. That man being Dean Ambrose. The Authority would force Roman to destroy his best friend in order to get a title shot. Reigns would win the match but lose his friend in the process. Going into Wrestlemania he would be booked to be beaten down continually by the League Of Nations so going into Wrestlemania he wouldn't be the favourite.
Wrestlemania. This needs to be a screwjob by The Authority. Cheating, calling out League of Nations to help them while the Referee isn't looking and using the ropes unfairly. The Usos would come out to make the save and even the odds a little bit. Eventually however, Roman would overcome the odds, Spear HHH and get the 1, 2, 3. After the match HHH would get up and Reigns would spear him again. The Usos would get in the ring and celebrate with Roman and then.... he would give them both a Superman Punch. Vince would get in the ring and hold Reigns' hand up high. Remember Stone Cold at Wrestlemania 17? Yeah that's not happening. Reigns' would then punch McMahon and be standing tall in the ring. Roman solidifies himself as the company's Heel.
The next day on RAW Roman would explain his actions and state that he is sick and tired of being disrespected by everyone. The Authority would come out and give Roman the chance to join them as their "Corporate Champion" but he would immediately refuse and Superman Punch/Spear them or whatever he sees fit to do.
Over the coming weeks and months Roman would solidify himself and a unique character. The badass ass kicking lone wolf dude who doesn't give a crap what anyone has to say about him. He's the guy who speaks with his fists rather than his mouth. Put him in matches against popular faces against the likes of Dean Ambrose/John Cena or even a returning Daniel Bryan and people would still start feeling the itch to cheer him despite being Heel because he's someone different. He's a guy who just wants to beat people up and generally just kick ass. Eventually around Summerslam time Roman would lose the title to a returning Seth Rollins who inserts himself back into the role of The Authority's champion. Having Roman's new character against a slimy corporate champion would be a great way to firmly get him over. It also gives the opportunity for Seth Rollins to eventually turn face if the Authority, accidentally or purposely cost him a match against Reigns.
So yeah, that's how I would book Roman Reigns. What about you guys? What do you think? Do you think the WWE should do it differently? Let me know if you like this kind of stuff!
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