REVIEW CORNER: HELL IN A CELL 2013 DVD AND BLU-RAY

 

A – Excellent

B – Good

C – Mediocre

D – Avoid

Release Date: January 27th 2014

Available From: www.wwedvd.co.uk

Price:

DVD £ 12.99

Blu-ray £ 13.99

(Prices from www.wwedvd.co.uk: high street prices will vary)

Format Reviewed: DVD

(Also Available on Blu-ray)

What It’s About:

WWE’s Hell in a Cell pay-per view event held on October 27th from the American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida. Contrary to the press junket, which comes with the review discs, stating this is the second annual Hell in a Cell event, 2013’s offering is the fifth event based around one of the most popular and famous matches in wrestling history (the event was first premiered in 2009).

Featuring the return of John Cena as he challenges Alberto Del Rio for the World Heavyweight Championship; Randy Orton vs Daniel Bryan (for the WWE Championship); and C.M Punk vs Ryback and Paul Heyman inside Hell in a Cell, plus much more.

Strengths:

Cody Rhodes and Goldust vs Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns vs The Usos for the WWE Tag Team Championships is the best match of the show by far. Sadly though, it’s the opening contest which means the rest of the show goes down hill significantly in terms of in ring action. At the beginning of the match the commentators get the rules completely wrong, setting the tone for their input on the night and then Michael Cole shows himself up when he asks ‘Who?’ as JBL mentions Rocky Marciano; but happily the beginning of the match is all go with some excellent action between Goldust – has he ever been better than he is in 2014? – and Jay Uso. Unusually for The Shield, Reigns and Rollins slow the match down to a horrible pace – Roman Reigns still has some stuff to learn before he goes solo – when it could have been all action, they have the talent to do it. The Shield do absolve themselves when they perfectly execute a double pull off the apron on The Usos as Cody Rhodes goes for the tag – that looks excellent – and Cody Rhodes is a ball energy proving he belongs in the main event with every step he takes. His Reverse Victory Roll and Moonsault look simply divine. As the match wraps up there are some perfect near falls which build the tension to a pique and the Hanging Samoan Drop by Jay Uso and Tope Dive by Jimmy Uso look excellent but they are topped by the move of the night which sees Cody Rhodes Suplex Seth Rollins off of the top rope and to the outside, into the waiting arms of Goldust, Roman Reigns and The Usos. It has to be seen to be believed and deserves the ‘This is Awesome’ chants it receives. The match has a wonderful ending and Cody Rhodes couldn’t be more over. 2014 would be the perfect time to push him hard.

‘The Miz Challenges The Wyatt Family’ is a decent enough segment in which it does what it says on the tin. The Miz does a great job and sells the previous beating he took from The Wyatt’s. ‘The Awesome One’, who has been tan-tastic, does a fantastic sell job of Bray Wyatt’s words, who is creepy and unsettling on the titan tron. Miz looks geninually unsettled. But what brings down the segment is that it’s too coincidental that The Wyatt Family and Kane’s theme music is cued up when they enter. It should have been spontaneous, especially Kane’s return to the WWE. No one believes that Kane allowed The Miz to get beaten up and then told production to hit his music. Idiotically, JBL states “I’m glad Kane is back! That’s what’s best for business!” Moron.

C.M Punk vs Ryback and Paul Heyman inside Hell in a Cell is a massive improvement on their Battleground bore, but it still leaves a lot to be desired and feels overtly stagnated, as the pair trawl through the same moves we’ve seen a thousand times. Refreshingly, Ryback has moments when he resembles the monster WWE wanted him to be in 2012 and 2013 and C.M Punk tries so hard to do something special with him but it never comes off, when there should have been something remarkable. Pathetically, Paul Heyman is referred to as ‘it’ by the equally moronic Jerry Lawler and JBL. In a cringe inducing moment, Ryback crotches C.M Punk on the edge of the table in a move which will be felt by every man who witnesses it, but thankfully Punk sells the effects to the dying moments. The best parts of this match don’t happen in the ring though, instead outside of it. The pre-match promo by Heyman is air punching brilliant and C.M Punk ascension to the top of the cage to extract his revenge on Heyman with a kendo stick is satisfactory also. One can’t help feel though that had C.M Punk ejected Heyman from the top of the Cell and into a padded landing (ala Rikishi at Armageddon 2000) it would have brought the house down. But hey, that’s PG TV for you.

Los Matadores vs The Real Americans is just respectable whilst it’s. Antonio Cesaro and Jack Swagger hold the match together and the Leap Frog Stomp is excellent, whilst the Cesaro Swing is more over than some of the wrestlers on the roster. The Real Americans losing yet again is ridiculous. Los Matadores look like they’ve borrowed their costumes from Tito Santana and both El Torito’s charging bull routine and Zeb Coulters rant is pointiless.

Randy Orton vs Daniel Bryan isn’t the greatest Hell in a Cell Match in history but it isn’t totally horrible either, thanks to Orton and Bryan’s enthusiasm. It’s no secret that their pay-per view matches were somewhat of a let down but we know by now that when two awesome forces such as these collide, they tend to cancel each other out. It’s a testament to the audience that they’re still behind Bryan even after all the things that have been said about him on Raw in the lead up to Hell in a Cell – it just goes to prove that WWE don’t always have the power to make us believe what they want – and this match shows that he’s much better than the current stuff he’s been doing with The Wyatt Family. There are some fine moments to be seen here but you get the overall impression that everything that could have been done has been and maybe WWE were correct to move on with the pair and split them until at least WrestleMania XXX. The match does dip in an out of pace when it should really stick to a steady incline but Shawn Michaels does help proceedings along as Special Guest Referee, though remains distant until the end. There’s a beautiful Sunset Flip from Bryan from the top rope which lives up the bout and those are followed with the standard counters and reversals which are good, but don’t stop the feeling that this match goes too long. Towards the end of the bout HBK comes into his own and the referee bump at the death signals the Shawn Michaels turn which is done to perfection. So not all great but as I said, there are moments here which still make you believe.

As for the DVD extras, Damien Sandow vs Kofi Kingston on the Hell in a Cell Kick-off match, is mostly lively and capable because of Kingston. Damien Sandow seems stifled because of his treatment at WWE’s hands. Kofi’s Rolling Plancha off of the ring steps is great as is his Reverse Hurricanrana. Through the match the commentators lose interest and begin talking about WWE 2K14 and ribbing JBL about his character in the game, which is mostly raises a smile. Though the problem I would have with this is that as someone who has played the game, JBL cannot be unlocked until you progress to the WrestleMania 21 event in 30 Years of WrestleMania Mode. Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler are surely too busy to play through the game to that point so soon after its release, so how would they know? As for the match, it’s watchable and at least Damien Sandow gets a victory here.

Weaknesses:

Fandango and Summer Rae vs The Great Khali and Natalya is horrible and Fandango’s pre-match dance routine and promo are the funniest things on display, as he tries to sound mystifying beginning the rant in some foreign accent before reverting back to American. Though its clear Fandango is improving as a wrestler and with some more training and an opponent who wants to make stars he could be excellent, there is nothing here of any value whatsoever. Natalya and Rae are slow and very dull whilst The Great Khali should have retied years ago. The wrestling ring isn’t the place for a man of his size.

Dean Ambrose vs Big E. Langston comes straight from an episode of Wrestling Challenge, in that’s it slow, un-ambitious and only regresses both men’s careers backwards instead of advancing their standing in the company. Langston should be better than this by now, he’s been around for a while plus wrestling in NXT, you would have thought that he may have picked up one or two tips whilst under the watchful eye of Triple H. If anything, both Langston and Ryback have proven that WWE’s preference of preferring and liking wrestlers with bigger muscles than penis’ isn’t always correct. Dean Ambrose however is better than this. Of the match, Langston’s power is the only notable part as he strongly reminds of Ahmed Johnson, that’s not a good thing. To make matters worse, the match ends on a countout to save Langston from the dreaded pinfall. The match plays out to indifference.

A.J Lee vs Brie Bella is fought at a leisurely pace and only goes to add weight to the fact that WWE need more female talent, especially now Kaitlyn has left the company to pursue other options and get married. The upturn that the Divas division took in mid-2013 was obviously temporary and without a decent challenger, A.J – as talented and beautiful and desirable as she is – is stuck for anything appealing and motivated to do. She’s the best female wrestler the company has or has had since Trish Stratus and Lita, but without anyone to push her I fear she may become complacent. She can’t do anything with the tiresome Brie Bella – who doesn’t belong in the ring that much is clear – and the match is played out to silence.

Alberto Del Rio vs John Cena is the usual trawl through the usual Cena routine. On this night, John Cena seems to be riding his comeback too much, neglecting to sell anything including the arm which he’d been out of action with for two months. Judging by this, he should have stayed away longer. It’s amazing that he still hasn’t bothered to learn anything new. What did he do with that time? Alberto Del Rio would have been a better replacement at TLC and would have added an air of authority to his character had he been picked ahead of Cena to compete in the unification match. Sadly, Del Rio hardly gets a look in here only to apply some mind numbing arm bars on Cena which kill any momentum the match actually had. John Cena’s punches look weak and more ridiculously, Alberto Del Rio has to sell them like they’re devastating. The most ludicrous moment of the bout though comes when Del Rio has what should have been the match winning Cross Arm Breaker on Cena, and Cena – who has just returned from an injury from the very same arm, simply stand up like nothing has been wrong with the appendage and lifts up Del Rio’s whole weight. It’s just dumb. It’s clear that WWE don’t care about Alberto Del Rio’s career and just wanted to get John Cena back on top. Terrible!

The superstar panel says nothing of note whatsoever. When discussing what stood out from what has transpired to that point, Kaitlyn looks a total blonde bimbo when she states that The Great Khali and Natalya vs Fandango and Summer Rae stood out and that it was Summer Rae’s first match. Anyone who has seen NXT knows that’s tripe. Summer Rae has been a regular wrestler on NXT for more than a year and a half – it’s where she started before becoming Fandango’s bitch. The fans are so jaded by this that they amuse themselves with chants of ‘Let’s Go Cena, Cena Sucks!’

The opening video of the evening is a detriment to every wrestler on the roster expect for John Cena, when it clearly states that everything which follows, does so in the shadow of John Cena’s return. Like he’s the be all and end all of every show and every pay-per view! Maybe it slipped WWE’s mind that the company was ticking over nicely, even getting over one or two new stars before John Cena decided to come back early, because he couldn’t bare to sit on the sidelines anymore. It’s a ridiculous statement to make.

As for the DVD extras: ‘C.M Punk Reflects on Hell in a Cell’ and ‘Exclusive First Interview with John Cena’ are both capable but add nothing to proceedings. C.M Punk fluffs his words towards the end of his moment in the spotlight and John Cena says what John Cena has said a million times before. It’s time WWE began loading these releases with real life, behind the scenes extras which interview wrestlers out of character about how they feel their matches went. It would make such a change to hear wrestlers criticise their own outing and tell us what they hoped it would be.

DVD and Blu-ray Special Features:

Hell in a Cell Kick Off Match

Damien Sandow vs Kofi Kingston

C.M Punk reflects on Hell in a Cell

Exclusive 1st interview with John Cena since returning from injury

Blu-ray Exclusive Extras:

Monday Night Raw – October 14th 2013

Shawn Michaels promises a new WWE Champion at Hell in a Cell

WWE Tag Team Championship Match

No Disqualification Match

Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns vs Cody Rhodes and Goldust

Smackdown – October 18th 2013

C.M Punk vs Big E. Langston

Monday Night Raw – October 21st 2013

Daniel Bryan vs Randy Orton contract signing

Smackdown – October 25th 2013

Michael Cole interviews Triple H

Conclusion:

Hell in a Cell 2013 certainly isn’t the best of the Hell in a Cell events or even the best pay-per view of the year, but in most of the matches which matter, it’s more than capable and a much better watch than Battleground which came before it.

The main event for the vacant WWE Championship should have been more, as should the handicap match which saw C.M Punk get his revenge on Paul Heyman – which could have been saved for a better buy rate at WrestleMania XXX. John Cena’s return is as predicted. There are some uninteresting and lacklustre offerings on show but then what do you expect when you book matches thirty minutes before the show goes live and don’t bother to put any hard backstory to it? The highlight of the show though is the triple threat tag team match, which almost makes the whole night worth while.

In 2014, WWE need to flesh out their pay-per view events, decide what they want to achieve and set out to get just that. Every match needs to be announced at least a week before the event and pushed on television otherwise we can expect more of this and much more of what we got at Battleground. A good event but it could have been excellent.

Rating: B

Next Time in Review Corner: Live in the UK – November 2013 DVD

Onwards and upwards...

ROYAL RUMBLE 2014 - NETWORK FALIURE?

It’s an event, a match steeped in tradition. From ‘Hacksaw’ Jim Duggan in 1988 to John Cena in 2013, there have been a long list of established winners whose careers have sky rocketed due to winning the thirty man over the top rope spectacular – Duggan not included – plus many memories that we’re not soon to forget.

Ric Flair being the first ever wrestler to be crowned WWE Champion by winning the Royal Rumble Match; Bret Hart and Lex Luger going over the top rope together to both earn a WrestleMania X Championship Match. Vince McMahon and Steve Austin playing cat and mouse through the arena before the boss finally won the entire match by simply sitting at ringside. That Sweet Chin Music on Diesel before Shawn Michaels won the 1996 event, becoming the first man since Hulk Hogan to win consecutive Royal Rumble matches. Jerry Lawler hiding under the ring until some designated wrestler dragged him out and eliminated him and then there was Shawn Michaels and Chris Benoit entering number one to outlast the competition and win the event. So many majestic memories!

And now the stage is set for 2014 to produce its own memories. The chance is there, all WWE have to do is act upon it. Could we see the return of some much missed legends or a new face take the next step in their career? As the timer counts down and we wait for that infamous klaxon to sound, only the coming hours will tell.

From the CONSOL Energy Centre in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on January 26th, this is the 2014 Royal Rumble.

30 Man Royal Rumble Match

Seeing as this is written well in advance of any participants being announced, I don’t foresee this section being very long. The Royal Rumble has always been a spectacle in the wrestling calendar even if in recent years it has been very normal indeed. But no one can deny there is a certain feeling you still get when you watch the 30 man spectacular. The years of history and pageantry has seen to that. Who will soon forget Bret Hart and Lex Luger going over the top rope and touching the floor at the same time, or Ric Flair being the first ever man to win a WWE Championship by winning the match. Vince McMahon winning the match after playing cat and mouse with Steve Austin around the arena or Chris Benoit and Shawn Michaels both entering number one and lasting the distance.

Instead of talking about whose going to win the match, it should be Daniel Bryan and if it’s not and it turns out to be John Cena again – after he loses to Randy Orton – then we’re going to talk about who we can expect to return at the event. Before that though, I will say that you can always tell how much WWE are struggling for new stars at the Royal Rumble. If someone who has won it before wins it again then the company have no one they’re willing to take a chance on. If someone who doesn’t have a future in the company wins the match then its clear WWE are scratching the barrel. The winner of the Royal Rumble match has to be carefully selected. To produce the best results in the weeks following, the winner can’t be a top star and neither can it be an unknown. It has to be someone who borders the gap between the two. Someone who has been specially groomed for months.

Every year in the Royal Rumble Match there are some surprises. In 2014, I foresee more than before thanks to WWE’s lack of star power. Would anyone really care now if three WWE legends replaced 3MB, or if The Great Khali was shunned for someone such as Kevin Nash? Not really, because wrestling fans love the nostalgic feeling we get when someone returns for one night. Partly, that’s what the Royal Rumble is all about. So, who can we expect to see this year?

Almost certainly, Rob Van Dam will make his WWE return in the Royal Rumble Match after his disappearance at Battleground. Van Dam still has something to give the company and his excellent showing upon his 2013 return were miles better than those he put in when he was part of the TNA roster.

Jake ‘The Snake’ Roberts is a name which has been thrown about and even discussed by the WWE. Roberts, who is now clean of drugs and alcohol would be an ideal candidate to enter the match as long as it is for the right reasons. If the one night return would send him spiralling back off the wagon then no, he should stay away. But if it’s going to help his rehabilitation and give him some kind of closure, then we’ll all welcome him home with open arms. The same goes for Scott Hall should he make an appearance as Razor Ramon. Should both or even one of these return to the WWE at Royal Rumble then expect to see them in the WWE Hall of Fame in 2014.

Sheamus has almost completed his rehabilitation from injury and should be back in action before or at the Royal Rumble. ‘The Celtic Warrior’ has been absent from the company for what seems like an age so his return, under the right circumstances – being a heel would suit him better than a face – would be another welcome addition. WWE need Sheamus in 2014, the main event scene is sparse at best and the Irishman would now add an air of change.

Hulk Hogan is possibly the biggest name which has been touted. Hogan, who is adamant that he will make a return to the WWE would be, and I can’t believe I’m saying this, another welcome addition as long as he’s used wisely and only when needed. Hulk Hogan and the WWE have an affinity and there’s always a rise in buy rates when he appears – it’s shame that didn’t happen for TNA. WWE need someone of his calibre to sell WrestleMania XXX and seeing as The Rock doesn’t appear to want to return, who can blame him, then Hogan is the next best thing. The Hulkster shouldn’t win the match unless John Cena defeats Randy Orton in which case it would set up a mammoth John Cena vs Hulk Hogan bout at WrestleMania XXX, but he was a part of the very first WrestleMania and its only right he’s a part of the thirtieth.

Goldberg is a possibility to return at Royal Rumble. WWE have been mooting his name about the office for months. Surely, for WrestleMania, if WWE are going tribute acts this year – expect to see plenty of legends on television over the coming two months to promote the event – then Goldberg would be perfect. If all else fails then WWE could try and invigorate Ryback by pitting the pair into a feud. The question is, would he welcome back in WWE after the manner of his exit in 2004.

Batista, who has already been announced to participate in the event, should be one of the final four. ‘The Animal’ has been gone for long enough for the fans to welcome him back as they did on Monday Night Raw. Batista may have left the company on a sour note with the fans but now WWE’s main event picture is stale and barren, Batista – be he back for the long term or a short period, ala The Rock – is a welcome face even if he’s not touted for a WWE World Heavyweight Championship reign. However, a Batista vs Brock Lesnar Match at WrestleMania XXX would almost certainly draw in the masses.

With his leave of absence as good as up, expect to see Chris Jericho make his WWE return, just in time for WrestleMania. Hey, he needs to pick up a pay cheque from somewhere. Chris Jericho, despite what has been said in the past, still has something to offer the company. He’s relatively young enough in wrestling years to put someone new over, as long as he still has the passion to do so and we don’t get a repeat of the Fandango disaster of last year. If Chris Jericho wants to erase the pure selfishness of 2013 and etch his legacy in wrestling lore then what better place to start than 2014 and making a star instead of making himself the star?

The final possibility is the first inductee into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2014, The Ultimate Warrior. The Warrior, who is still an active wrestler believe it or not, won’t have just signed the Hall of Fame deal for a one off appearance. His bad blood with Vince McMahon has been washed under the bridge and whilst his Hall of Fame induction comes with a DVD / Blu-ray release deal, most likely a three disc DVD / two disc Blu-ray collection of his greatest matches and a documentary on his career – that will be interesting to say the least – in 2014, The Ultimate Warrior will want more, most probably a one or two match deal. The Royal Rumble is the perfect re-debut and of course, WrestleMania XXX. In what capacity or against whom we can only guess at this moment, but I’m sure a legends tag team match wouldn’t go amiss.

There are names galore one can mention who will either return or make a special guest appearance at the Royal Rumble, but too many to list. Other names include Rikishi, Too Cool, The New Age Outlaws and even The Rock. Right now, it’s all up in the air. And that’s what’s so special about the Royal Rumble Match. Literally anything could happen and anyone could appear. We know not everyone can appear because it would be the detriment of the current WWE stars. But a couple of those names to replace the jobbers on the current roster would make 2014’s offering unforgettable. And after so many duds and with a major event to sell in April, WWE need this year’s Royal Rumble to be just that.

Winners Prediction: Daniel Bryan

WWE World Heavyweight Championship Match

(c) Randy Orton vs John Cena

It came as a pleasant surprise when Randy Orton left TLC WWE World Heavyweight Champion (that’s both the WWE and World Heavyweight Championships unified for those who weren’t keeping up). Even though it was best for business, as John Cena is much more effective chasing the gold rather than carrying it, I wasn’t sure WWE were going to take the risk of alienating Cena’s fans by having him losing so soon after his comeback. It wouldn’t be the first time they’ve sacrificed a great story or a wrestler just so Cena can keep face.

The fact that Orton is the unified WWE World Heavyweight Champion means that the company now have several different avenues in which to take him down. The first is the obvious feud with John Cena, which simply can’t continue any further than Royal Rumble. And why does Cena get a rematch anyway? Yes, the stipulation is usually that when a Champion loses he gets a second shot at the gold he dropped, but now the Championships have been unified, for tense and purposes, the WWE World Heavyweight Championship is a completely different title to the one John Cena held going into TLC, even though Randy Orton still carries both model around – there’s no chance of a new belt though seeing as WWE forked out for one in 2013. That was just a point I wanted to get across before we moved on. As I was saying, the feud between the pair cannot continue.

The reason that WWE must split the pair after Royal Rumble is because it’s been done before. Everyone will remember the tiresome 2009 feud the pair had and everyone who saw that will expect the same outcome. That being an eventual John Cena victory to thwart Randy Orton and put an end to The Authority. It’s where we expect it to go and therefore WWE need to surprise us by doing the complete opposite. Randy Orton must prevail at Royal Rumble to stop familiarity settling in. During the Road to WrestleMania, WWE cannot afford for anyone to get bored with the product as it will affect the buy rate for the spectacular.

So where do the pair go from here? John Cena can be dumped into the upper card for a few months without anyone really caring or it having an adverse effect on business. He’ll still be there, but maybe he can make amends for what he’s done to Alberto Del Rio’s career – Cena fans can’t keep blaming Cena’s opponent for not taking their chances when they had them, to keep Cena’s reputation clear, when it’s obvious how well they were doing when he was absent and how poorly they do when he returns and is pitted against them – by reigniting his feud with Del Rio over the WWE Intercontinental Championship. Now WWE have only one major main event Championship, they can finally dedicate their time to rebuilding the Intercontinental Championship to what it was.

John Cena and Alberto Del Rio would be the perfect candidates right now. Should Alberto Del Rio win the Intercontinental Championship from Big E. Langston on Raw or Smackdown shortly after Royal Rumble, then he could attack John Cena and blame him for what he did to his career at Hell in a Cell and Survivor Series. It would be a real life feeling brought into a storyline and as we know, usually, when they’re not based on some real life illicit love affair, they’re usually better than anything WWE creative can conjure up. Should John Cena consent to drop down the card for the same amount of money until WrestleMania XXX – when he would naturally have to have a starring role seeing as he’s the prominent figure on the poster – and the company actually allow Alberto Del Rio to get pinfall victories over John Cena, regardless of whether the matches are any good or not, then should Del Rio be carrying the Intercontinental Championship it would immediately enhance both Del Rio and the Intercontinental Championship.

Of course, all of that relies on John Cena playing ball and actually selling something. We know he can do it; he did so for Daniel Bryan at SummerSlam in a selfless act. So there’s no reason he can’t do it for Alberto Del Rio. Apart from that, what else could possibly be in the pipeline for John Cena? Another feud with Brock Lesnar, maybe, but that would only work if the WE World Heavyweight Championship was on the line and that would mean Cena beating Randy Orton at Royal Rumble, which is too soon after Orton’s TLC win. This is the problem WWE have with John Cena now. He’s ruined so many people there is reluctance in the locker room to step into the ring with him. This is why WWE need new stars, because they’re running out of existing talent.

I wholly believe that Randy Orton is on one final collision course with Daniel Bryan. When you look at the course their feud took, then it’s almost indisputable as long as WWE do away with this ridiculous story about Bryan joining The Wyatt Family – if they haven’t already by the time you read this. There may not be much time in which to do so but I doubt anyone would complain if the story which is clearly going nowhere was dropped without reason. Daniel Bryan belongs in the main event.

I may be wrong, but there is unfinished business between Bryan and The Authority. Usually a feud doesn’t end until the face has his revenge. Seeing as Daniel Bryan hasn’t had that yet, it has to be on the cards. The perfect situation would be that Daniel Bryan wins the Royal Rumble Match and then reignites his feud with The Authority leading up to WrestleMania XXX. The Authority would try their best to fell Bryan on his way to the main event of the grandest stage of them all only to fall at the last hurdle. Their last desperate attempt to deny Bryan the Championship would be to once again implement Shawn Michaels as Special Guest Referee. In the weeks leading up to WrestleMania, Michaels would appear on WWE television and be treated as a lackey, ordered about by Triple H until he’d had enough. Bryan would convince The Authority to put their existence on the line – if Bryan beats Orton at WrestleMania XXX then The Authority disband – only for Shawn Michaels, at the big event, to snap and deliver Sweet Chin Music to Triple H as he tried to intervene and count the three for Bryan who would have won the match all by himself. That’s the perfect scenario which would also improve Orton’s standing as someone willing to do the job.

Whatever avenue WWE take Randy Orton and John Cena down, it has to involve something fresh. There’s no way the company will sell out the massive venue they’ve booked for WrestleMania XXX if they book the same feuds and same matches as we’ve seen time and time again. Thirty years on – in event years at least, when you count from 1985 to 2013, not in decades, you work that out – it’s the perfect time for Vince McMahon to go back to where it all started and show some of that initiative that got us to this point in time. WrestleMania XX was meant to be where it all began again. No one would complain though if that went for WrestleMania XXX as well.

Winners Prediction: Randy Orton

Brock Lesnar vs Big Show

Fingers crossed that this is only a flash in the pan. I mean, come on. Honestly. Who wants to see these two reproduce their 2002 feud in 2014? Don’t get me wrong, their match at the 2002 Survivor Series was pretty damn impressive – it all helped Survivor Series 2002 to become one of the best and most solid pay-per events of all time – but twelve years on, both men have moved on and at least one of them should no longer be wrestling.

The Big Show is well past his prime and off the back of his tangle with The Authority, WWE need to find something better to do with him or kick him out the door. Their options are limited, I agree, but if you really can’t find anything else than to feud with one of the hottest stars of the company – even if he does come and go – then its time to call it a day. WWE could have used this time and space on the Royal Rumble card to build Brock Lesnar’s WrestleMania match against C.M Punk, The Rock or The Undertaker. Instead, Big Show has once again taken the spotlight so needed by others.

So what other options do WWE have for Big Show? A couple actually! If they could convince him to drop some of that weight and turn heel again then should he regain his late 2012 form he could be a beast in the Intercontinental Championship division. WWE need someone to carry that belt for a while who has clout with the fans and who actually looks a threat. As a heel, Big Show has done some of his finest work. It’s as a face he struggles to make any impact at all. Should Big Show turn heel and then capture the Intercontinental Championship, WWE could build him as an unbeatable Godzilla. Sending every wrestler available after him, even those who usually challenge for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship would signify that once again the gold is important.

Say John Cena challenges Big Show – who wouldn’t have been defeated for six months – after the belt in a one time deal and then do the same with C.M Punk, Daniel Bryan and alternate the main event players on consecutive pay-per view events to challenge Big Show, only to lose, whilst on the sidelines Big Show is waging a war against a young and upcoming talent. After Big Show has done away with all challenger around SummerSlam time, WWE then push the young talent he’s been feuding with into their first ever singles match with Big Show. Big Show wins, but in a way that the up and comer only just loses. It would make him seem a credible threat and not only that, but the fans would be behind him for their inevitable rematch.

Round two would take place at Hell in a Cell or Battleground with Big Show only just coming out on top again in a well timed and booked finish which made the up and coming challenger look a million dollars. Finally, the challenger comes out on Raw and states that he knows he can defeat Big Show; he just needs one more chance. The chance is granted to said challenger where no one can interfere and there are no disqualifications, namely, inside a steel cage at Survivor Series. When Survivor Series rolled around and challenger had been built up they would clash and Big Show would finally lose.

When he did, after a meteoric winning streak, the man to defeat him would immediately be made as would the Intercontinental Championship. Big Show would be a monster heel again and everyone would benefit. WWE need something like this to liven up what looks like an otherwise bleak 2014. If they implement Big Show in this position then be his matches good or bad, there would be a positive outcome. Though if WWE should do this then it needs to be quick, Big Show and the Intercontinental Championship are fading fast. It worked in 2004 with the United States Championship and John Cena, it can work again.

I’m convinced that this match came about solely because WWE wanted a massive buy rate for Royal Rumble, in order to promote WrestleMania XXX, booked Brock Lesnar, thus using up one his dates on his limited contract – he more than likely won’t appear at Extreme Rules now he’s going to be at the Rumble – and then realised they had no one to put him against. It truly is a ridiculous move. Why use Brock Lesnar if there is nothing for him to do?

True, WWE could have booked the second and last instalment of Lesnar vs Punk to set both up for WrestleMania XXX and what would be separate matches. That would have sole Royal Rumble better than the hope of some legends returning. But it would have been a risk seeing as WWE is still contemplating whether or not to hold that match at WrestleMania XXX. No one in the company wants to sacrifice a massive WrestleMania buy rate when they believe the Royal Rumble is a draw enough to bring in the viewers.

WWE could have built this solely around Paul Heyman and what looks to be a 2014 face turn for Brock Lesnar, who will undoubtedly hold the WWF World Heavyweight Championship in 2014 before losing it to John Cena – naturally. A two on one handicap match pitting Ryback and Curtis Axe against Brock Lesnar in retaliation for Paul Heyman would have been preferable. Maybe Brock Lesnar could have taught Ryback a personal lesson on how it feels to be thrown around the ring like a ragdoll and maybe restored some of his star image in the making. Certainly, Curtis Axel wouldn’t have been able slack in the ring with Lesnar. He simply wouldn’t have allowed it.

Whatever WWE are planning for Brock Lesnar, it better be good. After Brock Lesnar and Triple H last year, WWE cannot afford another high level match played out to complete silence and neither can they afford a feud which is lower in stature than Triple H vs Brock Lesnar. It’s a risky business, but then again, WWE was built on risk.

Winners Prediction: Brock Lesnar

Daniel Bryan vs Bray Wyatt

Whatever people may think about the short intermittent storyline in which Daniel Bryan joined The Wyatt Family, it was best that WWE ended it early as it was clearly going nowhere. Yet at the same time, WWE are caught in catch twenty two. Yes its best it’s over but on the other hand, by having The Wyatt Family take part in such a short and unfulfilling feud only goes to devalue their image. After so much time spent pursuing the former WWE Champion, it all seems like a waste now.

Whilst WWE ponder on what to do next with The Wyatt Family heading into WrestleMania XXX and their feud with The Shield, we’re left to watch Daniel Bryan take apart Bray Wyatt in what is surely a formality in which the company have thrown together to wrap up something which should never have been given birth to in the first place. Right now, as it stands, a loss for either man would be even more detrimental than the whole story has been so far and neither mans image can afford to be placed on a downward spiral as WrestleMania approached.

It’s not yet known whether Daniel Bryan has been chosen as the winner of the Royal Rumble Match, and whilst the question of what the hell do WWE do with him at WrestleMania if he’s not going to be placed in the main event is still to be answered, I can’t image him anywhere on the card after being such a lynchpin of the company over the last year. With the WWE Network soon to launch and their monthly pay-per view schedule to be placed on the subscription only channel, WWE cannot afford to detract any buyers right now.

The network will lose a lot of money for the first few years as well as subscribers after six months and this is maybe the biggest risk Vince McMahon has ever taken. Whilst the company won’t go bust if the network goes south, they will definitely feel the pinch when the bank account beings to drain. That may have a knock on effect to talent being cut just to support the huge costs imposed by the network, so WWE need to give its fans what they want if the monthly pay-per view events are going to draw more people in than they already. WWE have begun giving people what they want by adding non-stop programming to the network, including the airing of Chris Benoit matches once again. But if they don’t listen to us in the present then it’s going to be a huge disaster.

Monthly pay-per views have been on the decline for a very long time, but still pull in the region of 150,000 plus buys in the USA on usual one night subscription. Wrestling fans aren’t going to be best pleased when they realise that they have to pay a monthly subscription fee just to watch one event per month – assuming they don’t care for everything else WWE throws onto its network to entice fans in – not including the major events WrestleMania, SummerSlam, Survivor Series and Royal Rumble, which will be available as normal one night subscription events because WWE make too much money from them to take that kind of a hit, if there’s nothing on the event to entice them in. Who is going to willingly pay that fee to see the same stuff over and over again? For the network to fly and pay-per view buy rates to soar, WWE need to change their ways and do it fast. New talent is what will sell the new enterprise whilst repetition will sink it.

Daniel Bryan is the sedated Steve Austin for the present day. Everyone loves him, his bond with the fans in near unbreakable and even when he joined The Wyatt Family the WWE Universe didn’t turn their backs on him. It’s clear what we want and if Triple H’s comments that he and Stephanie listen to the fans, is true, then Daniel Bryan will be at the top of their list. It’s high time that WWE replaced John Cena as the face of the company – and not with Batista Either. Daniel Bryan is the perfect name to do it with.

Bray Wyatt and The Wyatt Family had so much potential when they made their debut in WWE. The fans still react to them as if they’re already stars. Impressively, the damage hasn’t already been done and it’s not too late to make them untouchable. However, WWE must cease with the crap storylines and the stop / start pushes, bite their lips and forge ahead with their plans without fear they may come crashing down around them.

The Wyatt Family had something with the whole kidnap angle of Kane, Bryan, Punk and Kingston. It could have been turned into something huge – not to mention something that could have given wrestlers much needed time off. Hell, if WWE have persevered with the kidnap side of The Wyatt Family it could have carried it over to the WWE Network. How unnerving would it have been for fans to witness small promos betweens shows of the victims chained to a wall in an old deserted barn, filmed on handheld footage, with Bray Wyatt claiming that they weren’t done yet? Fans who knew what was happening would be pulled further into the plot by the company and those who will subscribe just for the nostalgia, and who stopped watching years ago will be intrigued enough to watch Raw and Smackdown to see what its all about. Whilst they’re there, you hook them back with great wrestling and solid storylines which don’t represent the dumbing down which made them turn off in the first place.

WWE have the tools to fix their own problems, but they need to begin using them. Otherwise they’re going to find more than their network beginning to crash.

Winners Prediction: Daniel Bryan

Royal Rumble 2014 Kick-Off Match

WWE Tag Team Championship Match

(c) Cody Rhodes and Goldust vs The New Age Outlaws

This match has purely been booked to promote both the WWE Network and WrestleMania XXX, with the nostalgic feel everyone loves so much. WWE have wheeled it out in droves over the past few weeks with Jake Roberts, The New Age Outlaws and the announcement that The Ultimate Warrior be the major inductee into the Hall of Fame Class of 2014 – I guess hell has finally frozen over.

However, those who believe this is a mistake to have two past it wrestlers in a match with the WWE Tag Team Champions, you’re wrong. You see, with ample experience behind them, the Outlaws know how to get a team over and build the importance of the Championships. Also, the fact that two over the hill wrestlers have reformed to go after the gold, make it seem important once again. Which is always a plus, when WWE could make their doubles division special in a heartbeat but seem to refuse to at every corner.

We all know that this match could have gone on the main card and Cody Rhodes and Goldust are headed for better things than this, but right now, they have a part to play in the build up to WrestleMania XXX. If they play it correctly then they will be rewarded after the grandest stage of them all has passed. If they mess it up, one of the most popular tag teams in the WWE today may just find themselves back on the scrap heap where Cody Rhodes languished before his reimagining.

Winners Prediction: Cody Rhodes and Goldust

2014’s Royal Rumble offering could be more vital to WWE’s future than anyone believes. Every eye there is to spare is on WrestleMania XXX, but to make that a success, WWE must get the Royal Rumble correct first. A lot rides on who wins the Royal Rumble Match and what the company do with them afterwards. If new blood does prevail for the first time in a long time, then WWE must overlook the treatment they gave Damien Sandow after his Money in the Bank victory and push their Royal Rumble winner until WrestleMania XXX becomes the most successful event in history.

It can and will happen if the company look past nostalgia acts and concentrates on their current roster. A new star cannot be made between Royal Rumble and WrestleMania XXX, but WWE can at least look like they’re trying. If they appear to be making an effort to produce new stars then people will tune in to see the rollercoaster ride and it may even have beneficial results on the WWE Network.

If WWE do not get the next six months right then the WWE Network will not be alive by the time we get here next year. It will be a distant memory and because of the financial loss, so too will be many of the company’s lower card stars. That won’t do anyone any good. Because the more people WWE have to cut as a result of the network failing, the worse the situation at the top and mid-card will get. If you thought the company was struggling for main event stars now, then you just wait to see how worse it gets if the network fails.

Onwards and upwards...