After months of hype and build up, the MetLife Stadium was rocked by WrestleMania 29 as WWE and a whole host of new future generation superstars strived to make WrestleMania moments for themselves that would last a lifetime. Whether they and indeed the event lived up to the hype or not is another question entirely and one we shall now delve into as we devour all the goings on from the biggest event of the year. Do though note that the majority of this was written before the happenings on Monday Night Raw on April 8th.
‘Greatness vs Redemption’, ‘The Streak vs Respect’, ‘The Mexican vs The All American – American’ plus a whole host of other matches that will have an impact on the WWE for the rest of the year to come. As we take a look at what could lie in store for the WWE in the near future, ladies and Gentlemen, from the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey on April 7th 2013. This was WrestleMania 29.
WWE Championship Match
John Cena defeated (c) The Rock
We could have hoped and we could have theorised all day long about how this one was going to pan out, but in the end, looking back on the inevitable, there was only ever going to be one way this panned out and it was always going to be John Cena walking away from WrestleMania 29 as the new WWE Champion. The clues were there, starting with the way WWE billed the match; ‘Greatness vs Redemption’. With Cena’s challenge to the Rock described by WWE as redemption there was never any way Vince McMahon and company were going have their biggest star fail to regain redemption on the grandest stage of them all.
To their credit, WWE teased and tantalised us all the way to the final bell and despite what some may say the match did boast some very good near falls. The teasing began at the WrestleMania 29 press conference. If you didn’t see it then John Cena, for the first time since 2005 began to drop hints that he may actually turn heel on the WWE Universe. His manor and demeanour shouted heel and I wasn’t the only one who could see it as several websites wrongly began to report that Cena had actually made the full turn.
This time around I will hold off of bashing Cena for the usual and instead we’re going to praise him. Whether you believe his in ring actions on April 7th were becoming of a WWE Champion or not the fact remains, Cena soaked up the hostility inside the MetLife Stadium with aplomb. It’s not the match that we’re going to look at however and instead we will honour tradition and look to where the competitors go from here heading into the rest of the year.
Learning French and Chinese so he could address his fans and journalists heading into the press conference, Cena deserves a whole heap of credit for making the effort and not relying on WWE to simply provide a translator. From there Cena went on to call the Rock a “movie star who poses as an inadequate object” whilst totally ignoring the fact that he was describing himself in the ring and then took a cheap shot at C.M Punk labelling him “an average looking pedestrian!” Whilst both comments were designed to draw heat and possibly initiate another Cena vs Punk feud going forward, one couldn’t help but take the comments as an offensive remark to two men who helped carry the company he now headlines forward. Without C.M Punk as WWE Champion for 434 days, WWE would have been in a real mess. The Championship couldn’t have switched to Cena because that would have dented the impact of him defeating the Rock at Mania 29. To speak of the man who helped elevate the business through his in ring talent in 2012, with such distain, John Cena proved he doesn’t care about anyone in the company but himself.
The remarks had ‘Heel’ plastered all over them as did his next comment. Speaking of his match against the Rock, John Cena told the watching journalists that he was prepared to deal with what happens if he loses the match and that he would do anything to defeat the Rock and take back the WWE Championship. This was dynamite. WWE had the perfect opportunity to turn John Cena at WrestleMania 29 for maximum impact and use these comments as the catalyst. You see, had John Cena been unable to defeat the Rock with the STF, Attitude Adjustment and everything else he threw at the then current WWE Champion, WWE could have had John Cena simply look at the audience, take in their jeers and then level the Rock with a chair or the WWE Championship several times in the style of Stone Cold Steve Austin at WrestleMania 17 to score the victory. It would have been a great ending to the night.
Instead WWE lost the nerve and all the prowess Cena showed in press conference evaporated into the ether. The pair shook hands after the match. Again, another opportunity wasted. If they wanted Cena to go over clean then WWE could have turned him at the conclusion of the match. Instead of shaking the Rock’s hand, Cena could have nailed him with the WWE Championship, given the ‘You can’t see me’ sign to the audience and walked up the aisle with his back turned to the capacity crowd. Again, dynamite. Not only would it have been such a great ending, WWE could have proven to its fans that it’s not a one trick pony and more importantly that the longevity of its product is more important than its already ample bank balance. Instead, the only thing to come out of the match was that John Cena has yet another hideous line of merchandise. Yellow with black writing, which so closely resembles C.M Punk’s last ‘Straight Edge’ shirt I’m beginning to believe that WWE merchandise people simple copied the design and letter style.
Could WWE have done better with this match? Of course they could. But they couldn’t have done anything had the Rock refused to lose to Jon Cena, so a huge amount of credit goes to ‘The Great One’ for doing what he said he was going to do and give back to the business that gave him so much. Dropping the Championship to John Cena, the Rock has accomplished that. John Cena now goes into the rest of the year with a mightily impressive advantage and even a new outlook.
What next for the pair? Well, the Rock’s future is all but decided. He’ll wrestle at Extreme Rules but after that ‘The Brahma Bull’ departs the WWE with our thanks to film ‘Hercules’. After that, there has been talk that he will return to wrestle at SummerSlam in August, possibly against a heel Randy Orton which would be huge. If the Rock doesn’t make it back in time for SummerSlam there’s a chance we won’t see him until WrestleMania 30 or at least the build up.
Extreme Rules looks set to either be The Rock vs Brock Lesnar to allow the pair to set up a match for WrestleMania 30 or a triple threat match for the WWE Championship pitting the Rock vs John Cena vs C.M Punk. Sensibly, the Rock has to have a rematch for the title he dropped to Cena but losing clean to Cena twice in a row would do Rock more harm than good. With Undertaker out of the picture, C.M Punk I fear will be demoted to the expendable role to allow Cena to pin him to win the match leaving the Rock unscathed. Whatever the Rock’s plans between the conclusion of filming Hercules and WrestleMania 30, I cannot wait to see him again in a wrestling ring after Extreme Rules.
John Cena has been given a huge lifeline. Defeating the Rock has now set up several roads for him to walk down, the next of which appears to be Ryback. Turning heel on the WWE Champion twenty four hours after WrestleMania 29, Ryback nailed Cena with a Shell Shock and now we can expect their feud to take us all the way to ‘Payback’ you can read more about elsewhere in this blog. Either way, John Cena is in for a dazzling 2013 and if both he and WWE can capitalize on WrestleMania 29 the outlook for the leader of the ‘Cenation’ may not be too bad after all. After Ryback has been cast aside then I would look for Brock Lesnar to come gunning for Cena. Though knowing how angry and enraged Brock was about Cena blatantly disobeying their agreement last year, I cannot see Brock Lesnar losing to Cena again without a guarantee that history wouldn’t repeat itself.
For as much as WrestleMania 29 was John Cena’s night, we cannot forget the Rock’s sacrifice to make it all happen. You see, to lose to man many and yourself cannot stand clean in the middle of the ring, by pinfall, shows a hell of a respect for Cena and the WWE. The Rock could have just as easily refused to lose and then dropped the WWE Championship at Extreme Rules without being involved in the deciding fall. But he didn’t. He repaid what was given to him one year previous and for that he deserves all of our thanks. But make no mistake about it. No matter how much respect was given out at WrestleMania 29, to lose to John Cena was maybe the Rock’s greatest sacrifice.
The Undertaker defeated C.M Punk
Predictable, a foregone conclusion. Both words that could be used to describe this match. Like the main event, there was only going to be one winner and that was Undertaker. The Streak, whilst the pair did everything they could to make us believe was in jeopardy, was always safe. The Undertaker and WWE knows the value and the lineage of the streak and will always protect it. Which is why I believe WrestleMania 30 should be the Undertaker’s final hurrah.
There are only so many times someone can take on the Undertaker at WrestleMania and WWE bill it as jeopardy to the streak, whilst we know in truth there is only one outcome. It demeans our intelligence and renders the whole feud pointless. Should WWE bill WrestleMania 30 as the Undertaker’s final match then it would pull in more viewers and more pay-per view buys than just another match with the streak on the line. WWE pride themselves in topping one million buys per year for WrestleMania, I predict that with a strong story behind it, a credible opponent and a willingness from Undertaker to come back in January to hype his final ever match, then WrestleMania 30 could top one and a half million or even two million pay-per view buys. Not only would today’s current crop of fans buy the event as they do per year, but also, WWE would be able to draw back those fans who became bored with wrestling in 90’s and haven’t come back since. By drawing back old fans to the industry, WWE have a chance to keep them hooked and keep them viewing. In short, the Undertaker’s final match could not only bring the most successful WrestleMania of all time, but could also bring a huge boom for WWE in the WrestleMania hangover period.
That though, is a year away. Building this feud on the death of Paul Bearer, WWE wasted no time in almost mocking Bearer and his passing just to get some cheap heat for Punk, who right now, must be looked upon as the most disrespectful man in wrestling. Which, behind the curtain, he isn’t! It may have been sustainable and watchable had Bearer been alive and well and Punk and Heyman simply kidnapped him and held him to ransom. Okay, it would have been a weak storyline but anything was better than the shameful behaviour WWE displayed after William Moody passed away. Also, to revolve a feud of this magnitude around trying to recapture an urn is slightly pants.
The Undertaker will once again depart WWE now WrestleMania is finished and done with. He’s broken, injured and can’t take the schedule of a full time performer. This coupled with the fact that he and real life wife Michelle McCool are more than happy outside the world of wrestling with their new baby. The Undertaker at this point in his career doesn’t need WWE and has given us everything he could possibly have had. A real life millionaire who has projects and investments which see him live the life of a king until the day he dies and will keep his children wealthy when they grow up, Mark Calloway has triumphed over adversity in wrestling and should be applauded for it.
The Undertaker may be staying around WWE for a while to come yet. Entering into a feud with the Shield the night after WrestleMania 29 could be both huge and star making for the faction. However, should Undertaker feel he can have one more match then it’s conceivable that he and Punk could clash again at Extreme Rules. This could be a very shrewd move should it happen. Wit no reason to defeat Punk again, Undertaker could return the favour in a Last Man Standing Match which would have an explosive ending and put Undertaker out of the WWE until WrestleMania 30. Should he decide to carry on and not retire next year, WWE could then book a rematch between the pair as is custom with Undertaker at WrestleMania now. Ric Flair, Triple H and Shawn Michaels have all had two or more shots so why shouldn’t Punk? Pushing Punk through 2013 with the backing of a story dictating he put Undertaker away for good would do Punk wonders and as long as he stayed strong in 2013, Punk vs Undertaker at WrestleMania 30 would do huge business. As far as the WWE Universe are concerned, Punk would have put Undertaker down once, there would no reason that he couldn’t it again.
That though, once again, is fantasy booking. I doubt the Undertaker will compete again until WrestleMania 30 or house shows leading up to the event as he did this year. Which leaves C.M Punk with a feud which in his eyes, he couldn’t have possibly finished with yet. As stated before there is a huge chance as I write this that Punk will be used as cannon fodder at Extreme Rules in a triple threat match with the Rock and John Cena. After that though, the future is a mystery.
C.M Punk will not regain the WWE Championship again this year. WWE see his 434 day reign as more than ample to keep him satisfied and are now concentrated on John Cena going forward. Yet another headline feud with Cena would have very little legs and wouldn’t interest the WWE Universe going forward. Other than a one time only deal at Extreme Rules, C.M Punk would have to take a break from the main event scene in WWE to allow creative time to think up something better. The best option WWE and Punk have right now is to have Punk depart WWE and take some well deserved time off from the company. Punk certainly is building up a catalogue of injuries which he needs to rest from, he’s no good to anyone injured and out of action for a whole year. I would rather have Punk absent for three months than incapacitated for 365 days or possibly more.
The second option WWE have is the Miz. Now that Miz has captured the Intercontinental Championship again and is supposedly a face, WWE could use this opportunity to elevate both Miz and the Intercontinental Championship by booking him in what would be a hot feud with C.M Punk. I’m sure Punk would be willing to drop down the card and compete for a lesser Championship. By doing this it not only helps Miz but it also dictates that Punk wouldn’t have to put in such an effort that a headline spot demands. He could take it easy for a while whilst his injuries heel themselves. The Miz vs C.M Punk has a future as long as WWE refrains from throwing it onto the pre-show at every given opportunity. As a high mid card feud WWE could see the Miz elevated and put back into the main event picture whilst whoever defeated Miz for the WWE Intercontinental Championship would be the better for it.
WrestleMania 29 ended for Undertaker and the WWE Universe on a poignant note. The Undertaker regained the urn that belonged to Paul Bearer and the final salute at the end of the match was obviously for ‘Taker’s fallen manager. It was a nice touch to have the urn in front of him when he did the old Undertaker salute and now finally, a month after William Moody tragically passed away far too soon, maybe the WWE will allow Paul Bearer’s memory to finally rest in peace.
World Heavyweight Championship Match
(c) Alberto Del Rio defeated Jack Swagger
It was the wrong decision. That was the phrase going through my mind when Alberto Del Rio retained the World Heavyweight Championship against Jack Swagger. As a face, Del Rio has been all but awful. I don’t buy into his Mr. Nice Guy routing and he wrestles more like a heel. Many believe that Del Rio’s last chance to shine in WWE would be if he had lost the gold to Swagger and then chased it for a month or two. That didn’t happen and whilst the pair will square off again at Extreme Rules, I believe that once Del Rio does drop the strap his star will fall further than it did in 2012.
We’re still waiting for WWE to deal with Jack Swagger’s arrest in February and it’s a possibility that Swagger didn’t win the big one because WWE are taking action to suspend him after Extreme Rules. Certainly the company cannot allow Swagger to walk out of this smelling of roses for the message that would send to the rest of the locker room. After suspending Rey Mysterio and Randy Orton in 2012 for use of illegal drugs including the same thing Swagger was arrested for, WWE would effectively be telling its wrestlers that its fine to be arrested because no action will be taken against them. I suspect and expect Swagger to leave the company after Extreme Rules to serve at least a thirty day suspension if not a sixty day one.
It’s a blow to Swagger and his main event surge, but one he only has himself to blame for. The smart money would have been, had WWE not wanted Swagger to walk out with the World Heavyweight Championship, for him and Zeb Coulter to beat down Del Rio and Ricardo Rodriguez after the match and then have Dolph Ziggler cash in the Money in the Bank contract and walk out with the Championship. That would have made this match much better and the night would have been lifted somewhat. Del Rio could then have chased Ziggler and tried desperately to get himself over as a babyface. Because what he’s done so far just isn’t working.
Alberto Del Rio needs to drop the World Heavyweight Championship and fall into the role of the underdog. Someone the fans can get behind. When one holds a Championship as huge as the one sitting around Del Rio’s waist it can bring a lot of hostility from the audience. Del Rio’s aristocratic millionaire character isn’t doing him any favours either. We want to see someone who represents us fight for something they have earned. Del Rio doesn’t relate to us and whilst he’s being passed off with the millionaire character he never will.
Whilst Jack Swagger is expected to leave WWE to serve a suspension after Extreme Rules, Alberto Del Rio has to stay and face the music. The Championship change has to happen at Extreme Rules and it has to go to Ziggler. A resultant Alberto Del Rio vs Dolph Ziggler feud for the World Heavyweight Championship would shed a new light on both men and result in some excellent matches. Whilst the feud may not have the legs to run past June it would at least give WWE time to come up with something fresh for both Champion and Challenger.
In the WrestleMania 29 preview, I touched upon an idea I had to make the World Heavyweight Championship important again. It won’t be a popular idea with some people reading this and I’m sure it will never be implemented by WWE, but allow me to elaborate.
Since both brands have been merged, the emphasis has been on the WWE Championship and often, the World Heavyweight Championship has fallen into the shadow to its determent. Instead of pushing the Championship hard WWE have all but ignored it on television week in and week out. It’s obvious to all that the brand merger hasn’t worked so I propose that simply, WWE split the brands again and not only the brands, but also the pay-per view events.
Anyone who is in doubt only need to look at how well it worked at the beginning of 2003. The Raw pay-per view events were very good as were the Smackdown ones. This necessitates that each brand is given their own time to develop and the Championship at the helm of each brand is given its own show and therefore made more important. Smackdown wouldn’t see the WWE Championship yet again take the spotlight of the World Heavyweight Championship and WWE would need to create new stars to fill out the rosters. More people would get over, more fans could believe in the lesser talent and WWE wins either way. It’s fail proof.
Alberto Del Rio and the Championship he carries have been made inconsequential because of John Cena and C.M Punk and WWE concentrating on those type of wrestlers. Another brand split has the potential to make sure no one is overshadowed again. The likes of Jack Swagger, Dolph Ziggler and Alberto Del Rio could all become bigger stars without having to worry about being pushed back for John Cena. It would almost be a carefree roster on Smackdown and WWE could once again implement the Draft once a year or once every two years to shake things up and keep them interesting.
Of course, this won’t happen. WWE likes to think that its fans are getting a treat when then come to see Raw and Smackdown by seeing all the major wrestlers. The problem with that is that the fans would rather pay to see two shows which wrestlers can shine on instead of one where most of the talent get overshadowed purposely. I know I would. I know many other people who would as well.
As it stands, Alberto Del Rio is standing on rocky ground. We now all have to wonder how much longer it will be before those rocks begin to crumble under him and he comes back down to the earth with a bang. Because once he starts falling this time, I fear there may be no more obstacles left to catch him.
No Holds Barred Match
Triple H defeated Brock Lesnar
With Shawn Michaels in his corner, it was good to see him again, Triple H entered WrestleMania 29 with a different attitude. The hair has been gone since August and whilst I’ve seen Triple H numerous times since, I don’t think it ever struck me how different he looked until WrestleMania 29. Had I been a fan who had been away from the business for a few years and chosen WrestleMania 29 as the point to jump back on, I may not have even recognised him. This of course is a good thing. Every wrestler needs a change and Triple H has taken the steps to reinvigorate a character that was becoming stale.
Once again, like the Undertaker vs C.M Punk and John Cena vs The Rock, this was another match which was wholly predictable. Whilst some people took to the internet forums, professionals included and spelled the end for Triple H, people who know how Wrestling works were confident that Triple H was going nowhere. You see, adding the stipulation that if he lost he would have to retire was a clever stroke by WWE as previously stated. But the architects of their own downfall, the stipulation combined with the fact that everyone knew Triple H had no intention of retiring made sure there could only be one winner. I heard it described as WWE’s biggest bad ass against UFC’s biggest bad ass and of course as is tradition in WWE, WWE’s man has to come out on top.
That’s not to say the match wasn’t good because I’m sure it will be the first inclusion on the ‘Best pay-per view matches of 2013’ DVD and Blu-ray release next year. It could though have done without being so predictable. Paul Heyman did a great job working double duty and is a constant source of genius at ringside, however on this night it wouldn’t have mattered if he and Shawn Michaels were there or not. The match was all about revenge.
Of course, the other factor that almost dictated the outcome was that Triple H was forced to tap out to the Kimura Lock at SummerSlam, so revenge was always on the card. It was perhaps the best moment of the night then when Triple H applied the Kimura Lock, the move that supposedly broke his and Shawn Michaels arm, to Brock Lesnar in a true measure of justice. Didn’t the pedigree on the steel steps look divine? But, like everyone else on the card and everyone who wasn’t even though advertised, we now have to turn out attention to the future and what it holds for Triple H and Brock Lesnar.
Like the Rock and Undertaker, Triple H will now presumably take a break from WWE unless he decided that another match is needed to settle the score as it is tied at the moment. If that happens then Extreme Rules or Payback will be the setting and most likely inside Hell in a Cell as its the only logical feud ender for something this big. Certainly, should WWE announce a Cell match for Extreme Rules it would make sure the buy rate wouldn’t fall as far in the hangover period as it may without one. Personally, I think that WWE should leave this feud as it is. It hasn’t been over hyped or gotten boring and the space between matches and appearances for Lesnar and Triple H has been just right.
In peak physical condition, Triple H could sensibly come back to the ring full time in a quest to make some more stars as he did Sheamus a few years back. Another WWE or World Heavyweight Championship reign could be huge for WWE and whoever Triple H handpicked to feud with over the gold, as long as it’s someone who needs a helping hand into the main event and not someone who is already there, such as John Cena. This would be looked upon as an act of paying back the company which he took so much from and will rule over in another few years. For a man who was once so selfish in the ring and with new talent to make a future star would be the ultimate ending for Triple H as an active wrestler.
If no rematch is planned for Extreme Rules or Payback then don’t expect to see Triple H on WWE Television, at least in an in ring role until SummerSlam when he will compete again. His opponent? Well that is a mystery at this present time.
Brock Lesnar’s contract extension which will see him stay in WWE until 2015 may or may not have come with the added requirement that he must wrestle more dates than he currently has been. A part timer in WWE in 2012 and the beginning of 2013, Lesnar must take the ring more often to help elevate other wrestlers and sell pay-per view events. That is what WWE have hired him for and that is what they are keeping him in the company for. I can only shudder at the amount of money they have had to pay Brock not to jump back to UFC as he previously planned so value for money is what WWE are after.
Stated above, another feud with John Cena is on the cards which we can expect to see as soon as Payback. The only problem is that if Lesnar dethrones Cena and doesn’t have it written in his contract that he will perform more dates, then we’re going to see either the WWE Championship disappear from television for a good while, which I can’t ever see allowing to happen or worse still Lesnar won’t get his revenge on John Cena and the feud will be incomplete. After John Cena, presuming the story goes ahead, Brock Lesnar is going to be left in shallow water. There are two, maybe three wrestlers who could feasibly take him on and look like they might be able to defeat him. Randy Orton and C.M Punk. The third is the Undertaker but that is a WrestleMania calibre match and would be treated as such by WWE.
6 Man Tag Team Match
The Shield defeated Randy Orton, Sheamus and Big Show
Yet again, WWE missed an ample opportunity to do the one thing they have been talking about for too long. Turning Randy Orton heel. By the time you read this, WWE may have done so on Raw or Smackdown but if so the they have missed the best opportunity they will have. An Orton heel turn at WrestleMania would have been a moment to remember. Instead, WWE lost the nerve and even though the approval and want from the audience in attendance was present, WWE ignored us yet again. I’m beginning to think if we’re becoming invisible. The more of us there are in an arena the less WWE can see or hear us.
In truth, this was always going to be a risky match to book. With so many factors than needed a victory and a good showing, it was inconceivable how all six men would come out looking good. Many predicted that the Shield would lose their first televised match in WWE, they have been doing disqualification jobs on house shows for months now, to allow Sheamus, Orton and Big Show to step into the spotlight whilst other rightly said that Orton, Sheamus and Big Show have had enough spotlight and should be made to do the job for the Shield. Those people were correct.
On a stage of this size, three men who have had so little time to shine but have miraculously done so in the two pay-per view bouts before WrestleMania 29 deserve the time to put on a show and more than that, get over big time with the audience. Many predicted that by now that WWE would have lost interest in the Shield and demoted them to jobber material or Superstars, though the two are one in the same. It was feared that they were to suffer the ‘Tensai effect’. Hence no, WWE have to be hugely credited with keeping on the right track with Ambrose, Reigns and Rollins and should they continue along this path then they could be main event material as soon as SummerSlam.
In booking the Shield, WWE have been shrewd. Refraining from piling them onto every card which would dilute their appeal, WWE have made them sparse in their appearances which has added to the mystery and appeal of them. However, as WrestleMania 29 rolled around and with three such egos opposing them, the fear was that Big Show and Sheamus would lose in the fight with their egos and persuade Vince McMahon to allow them to bury the Shield. Randy Orton however has shown a tremendous lack of bother for his own ego and preferred to put over younger talent.
By allowing the Shield to pin Randy Orton in the middle of the ring, they elevated the trio more than they could have if the match had have ended via disqualification or count out. Looking strong and unbeatable, Ambrose, Rollins and Reigns have a platform on which to build the rest of their careers. But what next?
The Shield are done with Sheamus, Orton and Big Show and seeing as Big Show knocked both of his partners out after the match was over, it’s safe to say that he won’t be opposing the team again any time soon as part of the face team. WWE have now move them along to another challenge, the Undertaker. The amount of notoriety the Shield could gain from however this lasts would be groundbreaking and almost ensure the trio stay in the spotlight and head towards the main event spot on WWE television.
Randy Orton has to be turned soon. The fans in the MetLife Stadium wanted it to happen at WrestleMania 29 and were despondent when it materialised that WWE were either going to scrap the change or save it for a later date. Like me and you, the paying audience knew the perfect opportunity had passed and any change on any card or television will not have as much impact as it would have had if Orton had have turned on Sheamus and RKO’d him in a fit of rage for not helping him when he needed it the most.
The change has to be coming and maybe we will see it at Extreme Rules when presumably Randy Orton and Sheamus take on the Shield in a three on two handicap match, maybe inside the steel cage. Either way, a heel Orton heel turn is better for the man and the company. Maybe Randy Orton can be the man to elevate a face Alberto Del Rio before the time has passed.
Sheamus was and could still be heading for a feud with a heel Orton should the turn come at Extreme Rules, the problem is that WWE have done that feud before even though both were heels. When Dolph Ziggler captures the World Heavyweight Championship, Sheamus has a ready made feud to step into as long as WWE focus on pushing Ziggler and not allow Triple H to have an ego boost and book his protégé to demolish Dolph and ruin everything that has been worked for.
What can I say about the Big Show? It’s over. It has to be. If you take a look at WWE’s roster then there is no one left for him to feud with. Mark Henry and Big Show put the entire world in a coma in 2011 during their monotonous feud and whilst a Big Show vs Ryback feud would be different, I fail to see how the both men could possibly entertain the WWE Universe seeing as they are both limited and do not possess the capacity to carry each other. WWE need to ask themselves what is next for Big Show if and when a feud with Ryback flops as it inevitably will. Another run at a Championship? No, all his other Championship reigns, except the one against Sheamus have been a good cause to gouge ones own eyes out.
I don’t see a future for Big Show in WWE. In 2013, the giant has done everything he can do in wrestling. Maybe, before WWE begin cutting talent in the annual clear out it should first look to people like Mark Henry and Big Show. Instead of binning new and promising talent, Vince should look to his long term employees and see which aren’t cutting the mustard so to speak and which WWE just can’t possibly do anything else with.
WWE Tag Team Championship Match
(c) Team Hell No defeated Dolph Ziggler and Big E. Langston
WWE have finally acted upon their promise for a big push for Dolph Ziggler after WrestleMania 29 and on the April 8th Monday Night Raw, Dolph Ziggler cashed in the Money in the Bank contract to become the new World Heavyweight Champion. It hasn’t come before time and it is certainly overdue. The question as to why WWE make this happen the previous night at WrestleMania 29 and waited until a free television taping to take the next step in Ziggler’s career is beyond even me.
Let’s not bitch and moan though, because finally Dolph Ziggler is the new World Heavyweight Champion. It’s true that Dolph is still recovering from the burial he received at the hands of John Cena in December and January, but they say there’s a silver lining to most things and hopefully, the silver lining to Dolph’s burial will be his World Heavyweight Championship reign. Winning the WWE Tag Team Championships was never going to suit a talent as big as Dolph Ziggler. Whilst it may have done Langston some good to hold a piece of silverware, there was a huge chance that the tag straps would have dragged Dolph Ziggler down to depths where it would have been impossible for him to keep his head above water.
Team Hell No have outstayed their welcome. They’re not funny, they’re not original and they’re not relevant anymore. It looks like two men who have nothing else to do, who believe they still have a lot to offer the division they’re in. News flash: they don’t! Thanks to dwindling storylines and WWE’s constant burial of the tag team division, Team Hell No have found themselves without serious challengers and therefore haven’t been able to maintain the level of interest they first had. On a weekly basis, Daniel Bryan seems like he knows the role he currently plays is pulling him down and Kane is just turning up to cash the cheques. There’s no sparkle, no pizzazz and I am bored of seeing them as a tandem.
The future for Team Hell No cannot be bright. With no challengers and the creative all but given up on a storyline for the pair, Daniel Bryan must be allowed to work his way back into the main event. It desperately needs him and his skills. Kane though can take a year off, in fact, don’t come back at all. Thanks for your time and your years but you are no longer required. It’s not that I don’t respect Kane for all that he’s given over the years, because I do. But he has no claim on any role in WWE anymore. There are other, more talented wrestlers who are twiddling their thumbs waiting for half the chance Kane has had time and time again.
If WWE insist that Team Hell No should stay together though then what lies ahead for them? Team Rhodes Scholars? Not after their demotion to jobbers and their eight person clash teaming with The Bella Twins against Tons of Funk and the Funkadactyls was axed from the WrestleMania 29 card altogether. If there was ever a sign that WWE had no plans for a team then that was it and the same goes for Tons of Funk. Neither at this point in the careers could effectively carry the WWE Tag Team Championship. So who? WWE don’t have anyone else. Literally. Which is why it may be better to scrap the doubles titles all together until WWE can create a tag team division that matters.
Dolph Ziggler is heading for heartbreak. The team with Langston and relationship with the unstable and devious A.J Lee, at some point this year will deteriorate when Ziggler uncovers that Lee is sleeping with Langston behind his back. Expect this revelation to come during his World Heavyweight Championship reign and eventually contribute to a face turn. I believe Dolph Ziggler has potential as a face. Whilst his cocky and arrogant nature has made him an excellent heel, if he can turn that into drive and knock that smile off of his face, Ziggler could be a face akin to Randy Orton or even Stone Cold Steve Austin. A wild statement, but hey, the potential is there.
The briefcase had been weighing heavy in his hand for far too long and even though he’s the World Heavyweight Champion, the one albatross that could fell his charge at the top of the mountain are ironically the two people who he is currently carrying. As a singles star Dolph Ziggler would have looked mighty and strong in his challenge, but carrying Lee and more over Langston could see the WWE Universe begin to lose faith in him and see him merely as a faction performer. Remember, Dolph has rarely been allowed to venture out on his own since he graduated from the Spirit Squad and was saddled with the overtly annoying, even as a face, Vickie Guerrero which did him no favours.
For Dolph Ziggler to succeed, WWE need to invest in him. He needs to go over some top flight talent, clean, as champion in the middle of the ring, without help from Langston. Dolph Ziggler needs to be built as a real contender and WWE must shed Lee and Langston from his side. A bird can only be caged for so long before its wings begin to spread and it yearns to take flight on its own.
Mark Henry defeated Ryback
Before this match went to the ring, WWE.Com, that famous source for all the honesty in the world of wrestling described this match and I quote as, “The encounter that the WWE Universe were hungry for!” Interesting. You see, the crowd in the MetLife Stadium couldn’t have been more indifferent towards not only the match but both men competing in it. Should this be how WWE perceives the word ‘hungry’ or even enthusiastic, then going forward into the rest of the year, WWE have some major problems.
That though, is what this WrestleMania review has been all about both this year and last, the immediate future and look at what it holds after the big event has come and gone. I didn’t hold great hope out for this match and whilst I will let you decide whether or not it was worth the wait, personally I don’t think it was, there is no doubt that WWE have big plans for both Ryback and Mark Henry for the remainder of 2013. You can insert your own sighs here.
The news that this match will be fought again at Extreme Rules possibly under Last Man Standing or Falls Count Anywhere rules makes one shudder with the thought of having to sit through it again and whilst it was mercifully short the first time around, WWE must know by now that the pair cannot put something meaningful together on their own which limits the possibility of them doing so in a tandem. I believe the only thing stopping WWE scrapping both of their characters is that Vince has invested so much money in them that he’s going to wring every ounce of fan enthusiasm out of the characters until there’s nothing left.
I was hoping that WWE would see sense and add a stipulation to this match to make it watchable, hence no, it never materialized. There is no doubt that when the pair meet at Extreme Rules under a stipulation match all the stops will be pulled out to make sure that match isn’t as dull as their WrestleMania 29 match. Fingers crossed they should be able to do something of note with weapons and distractions at their disposal and WWE will be hoping so as well. You see something tells me that WWE have plans to push Ryback yet again in the main event and should he flop at Extreme Rules and the WrestleMania rematch be disaster WWE know that any chance of fans accepting Ryback back into the main event picture are slim to none.
So what next for Ryback? Oh yes, a heel turn, which he can’t do any worse in than his face run and battle with John Cena for the WWE Championship. Which leaves WWE with a dilemma. A feud between the pair is no doubt going to be a box office flop. But when has that ever stopped WWE from booking a feud? Neither man possess the ability to carry the other or a decent feud with someone who can’t even help themselves in the ring. Whilst WWE are hoping this will be the huge feud which carries them through the hangover period and sees the pay-per view buy rates stay at a steady number, it is going to take a willingness from Cena to put Ryback over and put in a hell of an effort for this to go anywhere. Batista vs John Cena comes to mind when thinking of where this feud is going.
Mark Henry is on a slow path to nowhere. After receiving numerous pushes during his unbelievably dull seventeen year career, time has to have finally ran out on the former Worlds Strongest Man. There is surely nothing else WWE can do with Henry following the Ryback feud as there is no one in the locker room who wants to work with him. Mark Henry has no market value in WWE or in the wrestling world and his inability to do the simplest thing in the ring is painful to witness on a weekly occurrence. WrestleMania 29 had to have been Mark Henry’s final chance in WWE and he failed to perform.
There can only be so many chances that one receives before WWE realise there are other wrestlers more than capable to fill Henry’s spot. He’s an overweight lump who should have been fired years ago and therefore I will not grace this blog or make you sit through fantasy booking for him. Mark Henry has no place in WWE in 2013 and anyone who thinks he does, is either dead wrong or doesn’t know what they’re talking about.
Before I wrap this one up, I will concede defeat on one thing. Ryback did prove that he could get Mark Henry up for the shell Shocked. Credit goes to him for that at least.
Fandango defeated Chris Jericho
Well, at least he didn’t walk out of the biggest match of his entire career. That has to be something right? At WrestleMania 29, Fandango wrestled his first match against Chris Jericho and whilst he wasn’t totally spectacular I suppose he put in an amicable performance. However, I’m still not convinced that Fandango has legs as a character. Whilst WWE may be moving even more towards a child friendly product by hiring writers with experience in children’s T.V and creating characters such as Fandango who belong in the early 90’s, it would appear that big wigs in Titan Towers are rather keen on the former WWE developmental star.
Fandango may not be the first or even one of the top ten choices we’d have picked to receive a push in WWE or moreover, WrestleMania but I suppose we can’t complain as WWE are finally pushing a younger talent and it is what we have been waiting for, for a long time. Fandango though. Dressed in attire that he could have well borrowed from Chris Jericho himself, Fandango didn’t look like a star. Yes, he held himself together on the grandest stage in his debut match but still, there are cracks beginning to show in his repertoire and character already. How long before they become too fragile to patch over?
Chris Jericho did the ring thing at WrestleMania 29. Something he should have done for Dolph Ziggler at SummerSlam 2012. In willingly looking at the lights for Fandango, Jericho gave back to the company and effectively made sure that the man who opposed him got the best star he possibly could. Had Jericho won this match by submission then Fandango would have been dead in the water before he even began in WWE. Not only does this now prolong the feud which will extend into Extreme Rules but also allows Chris Jericho to elevate Fandango further.
The future for Jericho is bleak if we’re honest. He’s been thrown into any old match since his return at the Royal Rumble and his feud with Fandango, whilst great for the rookie, is doing him no favours in his own career. There are other younger talent with better standing and prospects in WWE that Chris Jericho could have had a mutually beneficial feud with. Maybe though this is WWE’s way of telling him that he should have signed over his band when he had the chance. Or, I may be jumping the gun and this could be WWE actually thinking of its future talent and requesting its legends do the job to give them a chance.
I have heard rumblings that Chris Jericho is leaving WWE again to tour with Fozzy this year which means the feud with Fandango will more than likely stretch to ‘Payback’ where Fandango will win the feud deciding match. Whilst it may be tiresome to watch, it is the right thing to do for business. Maybe it is better for Chris Jericho to take an extended vacation from WWE after his feud with Fandango, constantly coming and going is having an adverse effect on his career and by leaving so often he’s really starting to look like he doesn’t care about the business at all. Should Chris Jericho stay in WWE a little longer, say until after SummerSlam, then I would like to see him enter into a feud with Wade Barrett and try to do for him what he’s doing for Fandango.
Fandango, I’m getting the feeling, is WWE’s trump card. As bad as that sounds. The company are hoping that he becomes another Shawn Michaels without actually realising the amount of years it took for Shawn Michaels to get noticed and loved by the fans. The victory at WrestleMania 29 has set him on the right path but from what I’ve seen of the man who plays the character in developmental, he’s going nowhere fast. When he’s finished with Chris Jericho, Fandango needs an opponent the calibre of Y2J to help carry him and hide his flaws. Otherwise, he can book a first class ticket to ‘Superstars’.
Starting from the bottom, there is a chance that Fandango can help the WWE United States Championship division once Antonio Cesaro has been moved up to the next level. If his standing in the company is correct and he’s gone over the right names in the right way, Fandango will be looked upon as a challenger, ignoring his faults in the ring. Sadly though, I don’t see Fandango breaking the glass ceiling that resides over the Unites States Championship and I believe that is where he’s going to stay.
Interactive Pre-Show
WWE Intercontinental Championship Match
The Miz defeated (c) Wade Barrett
A disservice, is the word that comes to mind when talking about this match. To put the importance on the WWE Intercontinental Championship and both challenger and champion, WWE should have left this match where it belonged, on the main card. To throw the Miz and Wade Barrett onto the pre-show which is Miz’s second pre-show match in three pay-per view events, is just plain dumb. Wrestlers don’t get over on the pre-show because the arena isn’t full yet and those who want to see the match or have brought into it often miss the pre-show encounter either because their internet connection is poor or they’re still working their way to their seats via the merchandise stands, food stands and toilets.
I didn’t expect the Miz to come out on top here. If anything I thought this may be the beginning of a feud which made Miz a star by having him chase the gold instead of winning it first time out and having him as the defending champion. There’s an apathy that lies with a champion if he hasn’t first chased the gold for at least two or three months and come up short every time whilst giving a gallant effort. People see those kind of champions as unworthy and in the Miz’s current situation, he doesn’t need anything to hold him back.
Now WWE have booked the title change on the pre-show and back again on Raw, there is a slim chance anyone will be bothered about the Championship or whatever resultant feud may come out of it. On the April 8th Raw, Wade Barrett defeated the Miz in a non title match. If anyone can tell me how this is productive to the Miz as Champion then I will gladly concede. Miz should have defeated Barrett on Raw to make sure no one saw his Intercontinental Championship as a fluke and then been moved forward to a feud which made him a star, again. To make matters worse and put the full stop on the ‘fluke’ sentence on his Championship victory, Miz lost the Intercontinental Championship back to Wade Barrett twenty fours hours later.
Wade Barrett needs a miracle. Simple as that. For as good as he may be in the ring, his skills are not going to save him now. The only thing that could possibly help Wade Barrett is a high profile feud with someone like Triple or C.M Punk. Period. The Englishman has been booked too often as the weaker party and no one believes in him any longer. I predict that the feud with the Miz over the Intercontinental Championship will last until Payback but after that, WWE need to re-juggle their priorities. I don’t see anyone high enough in stature to elevate Wade Barrett now. Randy Orton has tried and came so close only to have all of his hard work undone by some awful booking and the rest of the headline stars have better things to do other than unravel the maze that WWE have sent Barrett into knowing there’s no exit.
The Miz on the other hand hangs precariously by a thread in WWE. After another epic burial in 2013 and the beginning of 2012 has made sure all enthusiasm for him is beginning to dissipate and constant on and off stop stars have hampered him greatly. Miz should still be Intercontinental Champion and challenging higher up the card for a better spot. As it is, I’m not going to predict the future for the Miz because the way WWE have gone about booking him, it may very well be impossible.
Whether you class it is a success or failure, predictable or exciting, there were several huge moments to come out of WrestleMania 29 and the resultant Raw the night after. Trish Stratus lifted the whole mood of the WrestleMania weekend when she announced she was pregnant at the Hall of Fame ceremony and due to give birth in September. All of our best wishes go out to Trish for a very happy future. WWE showed how huge it truly was getting a mention on Match of the Day 2 in the UK and there are rumours abound that Rob Van Dam is heading back to WWE shores.
John Cena is WWE Champion again, authentically, his reign from Money in the Bank to SummerSlam 2011 was no a proper reign as it was not the proper WWE Championship and therefore shall not be counted even if WWE wish to do so. It may not be the best news but it could yield something bigger as we head forward in the remainder of 2013. John Cena made a sacrifice to his ego last year by losing to the Rock and WrestleMania 29 will more than make up for it.
The Rock though, is the one who has made the biggest sacrifice. Now, the Rock, to give back to the business, has to live with the fact that in the history books it will be noted down that on April 7th 2013, John Cena defeated the Rock to become the new WWE Champion. That is a sacrifice that most would find too big to make.
The weekend though, once again, belongs to Dolph Ziggler. Finally he is World Heavyweight Champion and let’s hope that WWE treat his reign better than they did Jack Swagger’s in 2010. Dolph Ziggler has made a lot of sacrifices to get to the WWE and put up with more than most would in his position. Credit to him for that. The future looks bright again in WWE let’s just hope the forecast can stay positive and the black clouds don’t find themselves gathering once again.
Onwards and upwards...
