SUMMERSLAM 2014 - THE BEAST WITHIN

I remember a time when SummerSlam was one of WWE’s big four pay-per view events. Anticipated by millions and talked about for months after its occurrence. The British Bulldog defeating Bret Hart in 1992 for the Intercontinental Championship in Wembley Stadium, Shawn Michaels vs Razor Ramon in their second ladder match in 1995, Shawn Michaels first match back in four years in street fight with Triple H in 2002 and Randy Orton’s first ever World Heavyweight Championship victory over Chris Benoit in 2004 to name just a few. Of course, that was when SummerSlam stood alone and not jumbled in a packed schedule where it struggled to form an identity of its own.

This year though, with the promise of Brock Lesnar lifting the WWE World Heavyweight Championship for the first time in over a decade, the promise to revert SummerSlam back to the spectacle it once was rises from the ashes again. It’s going to take a lot of work and risks along the way but it’s not an impossible task if WWE are willing to put the work in and they need to for the sake of the Network.

From the Staples Centre in Los Angeles, California on August 17th this is WWE SummerSlam 2014.

WWE World Heavyweight Championship

(c) John Cena vs Brock Lesnar

I should stop reading things on the internet, it only makes me angry. Not like, walk away from the computer, have a drink and then come back calm type of angry. I mean punch a hole through the wall and break all my knuckles angry. I’m not a violent person; I’ve never hit anyone in my entire life even though there had been candidates over the years that would have deserved it. I’ve given people a tongue lashing on more than one occasion but you’ve known me long enough now to know that I cannot abide idiots and I think that I’ve been doing this blog for long enough to at least hope we’ve weeded out the intellectually baron.

I don’t usually read what turns out to be bollocks on the internet because quite frankly I’m too busy and the people who write it are quite often sad little mummy’s boys sitting their bedroom who like to believe they’re masters on the subject they broach yet who in reality have no idea. I don’t profess to be a wrestling encyclopaedia. Even after all of this time there are still things I don’t know or have forgotten. Recently, you’ll all know that I’ve opened a Twitter account which you can contact me on and those who don’t know the address need to look no further than the left of your screen where the link to the account is. Twitter is a marvellous invention don’t get me wrong and yes, I am getting onto the subject of why we’re all here it just so happens this leads into it so humour me, but every so often you receive a tweet someone has randomly put up and this past week I had the ‘privilege’ of reading a few tweets I never wanted to know existed. It was the type of privilege one feels when they get hit by lightening or fall down a flight of stairs and break both of their legs.

I love to read tweets from followers of this blog and minions, that’s why I set it up in first place so you could contact me with your thoughts on wrestling, the blog, questions you’d like answered and autograph requests and I could dispense with the morons who think it funny to leave abusive messages. You scamps. What I don’t like about Twitter is receiving tweets from strangers who don’t know me but they seem to appear on my timeline so I can’t get rid of the bloody things. The ones I speak about are those which read ‘OMG Brock Lesnar has returned’, ‘Can’t believe Lesnar is back. #completeshock’ and every one which was based on the same subject.

I look at those types of tweets and despair. Brock Lesnar’s return has been in the pipeline since WrestleMania and if these complete douche bags knew the tiniest thing about wrestling they would have known that this match at SummerSlam is WWE’s ace in the hole. The match and feud they hope will draw more viewers to the WWE Network is which beginning to cost the company a lot of money through lack of needed subscribers. Brock Lesnar’s return wasn’t a surprise; I expected it to happen when I switched on Raw. What will be a surprise is Sting’s debut if he just turns up at SummerSlam or Raw without being advertised. If a date is given for his debut then that won’t be surprise either.

For those who don’t know anything about wrestling then let me enlighten you. After Bray Wyatt and winning the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at Money in the Bank, John Cena had run out of opponents. That much was clear at Battleground when WWE made do with a Fatal Four Way match which included Kane of all people. Putting aside the need to draw people in the States to the WWE Network for a moment, WWE needed a wrestler who John Cena couldn’t ruin. Someone John Cena, no matter how bad his selling was couldn’t hurt their image and someone who could and would carry on to bigger and better things in 2014 and 2015 when he was done with the career killer.

The Undertaker won’t be back until 2015 where he should announce his retirement at WrestleMania XXXI. Bray Wyatt desperately needs a pay-per view victory and WWE don’t yet see him as WWE World Heavyweight Championship material. Roman Reigns is thriving but cannot afford the repercussions a series with John Cena would brings this early in his career and the same goes for Seth Rollins, though that’s not to say he won’t cash in if John Cena wins here and Brock Lesnar leave him in a bloody heap. Randy Orton should never be made to wrestle John Cena again, Daniel Bryan is still out with a serious injury as is Bad News Barrett who couldn’t afford the setback of another series with John Cena whilst Triple H vs the leader of the ‘Cenation’ has been done so many times it wouldn’t sell a massive buy rate or draw more to the WWE Network.

In reality, there was only one person left who could stir up enough interest in the event and who had only stood toe to toe with John Cena in the new generation and not come out with a negative spotlight. Brock Lesnar is WWE’s non-full time biggest draw and therefore the only option left to combat John Cena at SummerSlam, though depending on his agreement to appear throughout the rest of the year he could only be a short term solution. It did surprise me at first, not that WWE is relying on this to save their venture but that Brock Lesnar agreed to another series with John Cena after the sheer show of disrespect by Cena after their Extreme Rules 2012 scorcher.

For those who have forgotten or don’t know what I’m talking about, allow me to refresh your memories. When Brock Lesnar returned to the company after an eight year hiatus in 2012 and targeted John Cena, it was clear the pair would meet at some point and they did so at Extreme Rules 2012 where Brock Lesnar carried John Cena to his finest match in many years. There was blood, drama, tension and a very happy audience at the end of the night with the exception of a John Cena victory. Those not in the know may not be wise the fact of the conditions Brock Lesnar laid down should he lose to Cena on the night. Brock Lesnar agreed to the loss on the conditions that John Cena feign injury and be carried from the ring by referees in order to preserve Lesnar’s monster aura.

On the night, John Cena willingly disobeyed those orders, relayed to him by Vince McMahon and instead of allowing referees to help him to the back, sprung up after pinning Brock Lesnar, grabbed the microphone and cut a confusing promo about that moment being the last time the WWE Universe may see him before walking from the ring of his own accord. By the content of the promo, it was obvious John Cena had no intention of following orders even though Brock Lesnar did so for him and expected to be reprimanded for his actions with a suspension. Rightly so. Brock Lesnar, the man WWE had gone to great lengths and expense to sign was so angry with John Cena he threatened to walk out of the company again with their money, citing breach of contract. Once he was clamed down and promised a feud with Triple H which he would win to restore his image, Lesnar agreed but promised Vince McMahon he’d never work with John Cena again, understandably. And what reprimand did John Cena receive? Nothing! He got away with it because he was the main star and Vince didn’t want to upset him. Ridiculous!

I don’t know what WWE had to promise Brock Lesnar in 2014 or how much extra money they had to throw his way to step back into the ring with John Cena but it was obviously enough and this time around, WWE hadn’t better be protecting the image of John Cena. The way the world sees it now, John Cena owes Brock Lesnar and SummerSlam will be ‘The Beast’s’ payback. Or at least it should be. Brock Lesnar as WWE World Heavyweight Champion would be healthy for the company. Much more so than John Cena. There are more options with Lesnar on top and even though he wouldn’t appear every week like Cena, something John Cena would undoubtedly make known in promos, WWE could pay him to appear on every pay-per view until WrestleMania if it’s in the interest of the Network.

Right now, with Daniel Bryan out, WWE need a man like Brock Lesnar. Someone so talented yet so short tempered that he won’t take any rubbish or politics from John Cena in the ring or WWE behind the scenes. Triple H talks about what is best for business and this is it. Brock Lesnar vs Daniel Bryan or even Cesaro at WrestleMania XXXI for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship would be astronomical for buy rates and usher in the new generation fully. Plus, look at it this way. If Brock Lesnar loses to John Cena after beating The Undertaker at WrestleMania, just imagine how weak that will make The Undertaker look. That Lesnar had no trouble beating ‘The Deadman’ where he was the most difficult to put down but is just beaten by Cena on what has become a regular pay-per view.

The best way for WWE to go with the main event at SummerSlam is one they won’t even consider but would favour everyone involved, especially the future of the company. John Cena has been a goliath amongst stars for so long that it’s about time for him to give back. This we’ve discussed. WWE could do no better at SummerSlam than if Brock Lesnar was to completely brutalize John Cena in a fifteen minute slaughter which the current WWE World Heavyweight Champion had no offense whatsoever and sold like near death. It would prove that Cena has the promotions best intentions at heart and that he is willing to do the job effectively for others who have been designed to replace him. This course of action would make Brock Lesnar look like a pure, unbeatable monster and the person who dethroned him would be immediately made as a star.

The pressure is on WWE at SummerSlam to get it right. It’s never been more important in a decade the right decision was made. The heat really is on and the wrong one could sink the WWE Network and the rest of the year’s pay-per view buy rates as well. Vince McMahon has to swallow his pride now and do what’s best for the company and not for John Cena and his fans. For once, a John Cena victory isn’t best for business and that’s why I’m plumping for a Brock Lesnar victory.

Winners Prediction: Brock Lesnar

Lumberjack Match

Dean Ambrose vs Seth Rollins

I know that I don’t say this very often, but at Battleground, WWE got it right. For those of you who read the Battleground Preview and it has come to my attention that the previews are the most read blogs along with the Review Corners, you will have read that I doubted Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose could come out of this feud both with their dignity in tact. I was wrong, plain and simple. What I believe I said was that for the person that loses, that being Dean Ambrose, their star would automatically fall and WWE had booked themselves into an inescapable corner.

Whilst I stand by the latter assertion, I do believe that if booked correctly, both Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins can come out of this smelling with roses and it has everything to do with what WWE did correct. At Battleground, it would have been easy for the company to come out fighting and have the pair contest a heated, if thrilling bout with one victor. It would have been the sensible thing to do in order to elevate Seth Rollins to where he needs to be whilst cross their fingers that Dean Ambrose would leave Battleground with enough reputation left in tact that they could do something immense with him when the feud had ended.

Seeing that Dean Ambrose would need more pushing that Seth Rollins, WWE fought against their own machine and instead of booking a proper bout which would have diminished the losing competitor regardless of how good a performance they wheeled out on the night, went with a non-ruling of sorts which favoured Seth Rollins but also added instead of detracted from Dean Ambrose’s character. Some will have looked upon this match at Battleground as a copout. Whilst the more in tune of us will know it was the only way WWE could have continued this feud and helped both men flourish. Instead of a loser, Dean Ambrose looked like a determined maniac who would stop at nothing to get his revenge on his former partner. Seth Rollins resembled a man who was ready to scale the summit of the industry and achieve its highest prize.

Even more impressive was the way WWE kept the ball rolling into SummerSlam. Dean Ambrose was on a high after Battleground. It would have been easy to dump in him in the mid-card and allow him to fester into Superstar’s biggest talent. But WWE didn’t. They obviously have so much in mind for Ambrose that they’re not willing to allow him to fail just yet. At first I didn’t see it. What everyone else was going on about. They said that when his feud with Seth Rollins is over, there will be many avenues which Ambrose could walk. All I saw was a man headed for the lower card. Now I do see it. That drive and determination he displayed at Battleground is what will carry him to better heights in wrestling even if this feud doesn’t end well for him.

There have been mutterings of a headline programme with Triple H after he’s finished with Seth Rollins. That would be huge for Dean Ambrose who was regularly seen as the weak link of The Shield. The only problem I can envisage with a feud like that is whether Triple H would be willing to put a man like Dean Ambrose over. ‘The Lunatic Fringe’ isn’t the type of wrestler WWE usually push, but then we’ve seen their parameters alter recently with the likes of Daniel Bryan and Seth Rollins. Though Dean Ambrose will never hold the WWE World Heavyweight Championship in his career, unless WWE have a serious drought of other contenders, a win over Triple H at Survivor Series or even WrestleMania XXX and then a WWE Intercontinental Championship victory could do wonders for him and the division.

You can read my thoughts on the current Intercontinental Championship scene below, but just image how great it could be and the heights it could once again reach if a man who defeated Triple H on a huge stage then captures the Intercontinental Championship and does something amazing with it. WWE have missed an opportunity here. Instead of putting the gold up in a meaningless Battle Royal at Battleground once Bad News Barrett went down injured, how much better would it have been had Triple H awarded the title to Seth Rollins only to have Dean Ambrose steal the gold in a thorough beat down of Rollins and then secure the victory via pinfall? Only to then have this feud with the title on the line and then Ambrose defend against Triple H who would also fail to dethrone the former Shield member. To have such important names state their intention for the gold would automatically give it back some prestige. But I guess that’s for another day.

As much as Dean Ambrose is set to shine, Seth Rollins has the potential to be bigger than Roman Reigns and that isn’t a statement which will sit well amongst WWE staff that see Reigns as the next Brock Lesnar. The Money in the Bank briefcase can be a blessing or a curse, just ask Damien ‘Someone Please Fire Me’ Sandow. The only difference between he and Seth Rollins is that the latter has the complete backing of Triple H and Vince McMahon behind the scenes. WWE never saw Damien Sandow as a genuine contender to the title which begs the question of why bother to book him to win it in the first place.

With his excellent performances and union with The Authority, Seth Rollins has brought prestige back to the briefcase. Everything WWE undid last year, Rollins and sewn up and kicked down the park. It’s not beyond belief to see Seth Rollins as WWE World Heavyweight Champion in 2015; it would be a hell of a way to round of WrestleMania XXXI and have the new generation take hold once and for all. Like Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins has so much potential that WWE must put in him a feud which benefits him when he and Dean Ambrose have finished contesting their warfare. John Cena will be busy with Brock Lesnar and Rusev; the best possible option would be for Seth Rollins to commence a feud with either Roman Reigns or a returning Batista who is due back at the end of the year.

Seth Rollins and a babyface Batista could do big business in 2015. It’s certainly a role which Batista would be greeted back to play, just to wipe the smug look from Rollins face. But then we can never judge how a crowd is going to react to a returning wrestler, especially Batista. The other option is The Undertaker. He’s contemplating retirement even though there is no official word on his status at time of writing. Whilst many agree that Brock Lesnar was the wrong man to end the Streak this year, I concur that a talent like Seth Rollins could have benefitted more had The Undertaker defeated Brock Lesnar at WM XXX and then lost his retirement match at 31 to someone like Rollins. It would have been seen as a passing of the torch and giving back to the industry which gave him so much.

I have no idea where WWE will push the pair after SummerSlam or how much longer they’re scheduled to tangle with each other. But whatever the outcome, both men have to be put in a strong position in order to flourish. WWE have a rare opportunity with this feud to make two stars which they really need in the future. I hope for once, they don’t blow it.

Winners Prediction: Dean Ambrose

Roman Reigns vs Randy Orton

This SummerSlam match has an interesting story for anyone following WWE news in the last few weeks. Handpicked to elevate Roman Reigns to a main event position, Randy Orton has been having the opposite effect by all accounts. You may have missed this gem from the WWE archives in weeks gone past but as I write this piece, news has broken that Randy Orton isn’t in the good books of WWE management and there is tremendous backstage heat on Orton for his antics in the ring with Reigns on house shows and television events.

Whether Randy Orton either can’t be bothered or is genuinely trying to hinder Roman Reigns’ development is yet to be seen. But the backstage heat he’s getting is a direct result of shoddy and downright boring performances ‘The Viper’ is putting in against Roman Reigns on house shows. Specifically ordered to make Reigns shine and educate him in what a thrilling, fast paced bout should be, it has been mooted that Randy Orton is purposely making the bouts slow and methodical featuring rest holds and lagging action. WWE are rightly annoyed with Orton for this. Before he can be pushed as a threat to the WWE World Heavyweight Championship and Brock Lesnar, should Lesnar defeat John Cena, Roman Reigns needs to know this stuff. It was the whole point in pairing him with a stalwart like Randy Orton in the first place.

Should Roman Reigns get to face Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 31, it’s not likely Lesnar will be in the giving mood to cover any flaws Reigns may still have. WWE wanted the wrinkles ironed out as soon as possible so they could have Reigns looks the part for as long as possible before adorning him with the title. It should be a simple task for Randy Orton who has done this several times before and still has some making up to do for his terrible WWE World Heavyweight Championship reign in 2013 / 2014. He’s done this so many times before with so many different wrestlers one has to question whether Orton has the desire to make new stars who will ultimately be pushed ahead of him in future years.

Its possible Randy Orton is looking to the future and seeing everyone under him ahead of him when the time comes, but is that really a good enough excuse for Orton to use when giving his argument as to why he can’t make Reigns a star? I mean, if Orton is no longer willing then who the hell can WWE rely on to do this job? Certainly not John Cena or any of their other so called legends and assuming they survive the upcoming cuts can you really see Kane or Big Show making stars like Roman Reigns and preparing them for a main event run at the top of the card? Randy Orton is the only man who can possibly fill this role in 2014; even Chris Jericho had failed where he should have succeeded.

I would have thought that by now, Randy Orton saw the advantage of helping to make stars that could carry the future of the business. Maybe he’s seen how selfish the industry is getting and becoming one of those wrestlers who have decided to hold onto the spotlight for himself for as long as possible. We will find out at SummerSlam, but considering Randy Orton is on his final warning with WWE because of previous drug offences and there are cuts coming up, not that Randy Orton will be one of them, he needs to do everything possible to appear as if he’s helping those who need it, instead of hindering them.

With that in mind, this match should be a thriller. Randy Orton cannot risk irking WWE management any further than he already has and at SummerSlam as well. Roman Reigns has to shine when all is said and done and considering he’s the star WWE are backing to carry them into new sunlit uplands, if this match fails then so does Roman Reigns. It’s that simple. However I will state that after losing high profile matches at Battleground and Money in the Bank, Roman Reigns needs a victory desperately at SummerSlam before people begin to look upon him as a failure. That is a tag WWE cannot afford for Reigns to have.

Undoubtedly, Roman Reigns is the future of this industry but right now I’m still not convinced of his credentials when I should be. I don’t want Roman Reigns to be one of these wrestlers pushed before his time. Another six months in The Shield would have been the best course of action for Roman Reigns whilst he learnt from the best. Event Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose could have taught him something about handling himself in big time situations. Believe it or not, SummerSlam could be the make or break night in Roman Reigns’ career. I just hope he’s not bit by a viper along the way.

Winners Prediction: Roman Reigns

Chris Jericho vs Bray Wyatt

From what I’ve heard and been talking to people about on Twitter, I think we can all agree that Chris Jericho triumphing over Bray Wyatt at Battleground was completely the wrong decision by WWE. After his demoralizing losses to John Cena during their war throughout WrestleMania, Extreme Rules and Payback, Windham Rotunda and his character were significantly diminished and as most agree, The Wyatt Family have had their edge shaved away and are no longer scary. Now, the base of everything the trio were built on has been rocked. WWE must do everything in their power to place it back where it belongs.

Chris Jericho should have been the cement with which WWE held The Wyatt Family firmly back in place. As a legend of the business, he had the power to drastically alter Bray Wyatt’s image from roll over to dangerous star yet at Battleground, WWE thought it wise for Y2J to go over ‘The Man of a Thousand Truths’ in a victory which did Jericho no good at all and only served to further diminish Bray Wyatt and The Wyatt Family’s aura. After weeks of promises and hype Bray Wyatt failed to come up with the good yet again. It’s simply not good enough treatment for a man who WWE see as a star of the future.

In order to replace Bray Wyatt’s excellent and disturbing demeanour, the company should have had Wyatt go over Chris Jericho in convincing fashion at Battleground, preferably with Y2J getting absolutely no offence in to advance the belief that Wyatt was more dangerous and ready than ever after his predictable losses to John Cena before the pair stepped onto the SummerSlam stage for a similar victory where Jericho would have been permitted some time on the offensive before being comprehensively beaten clean in the middle of the ring. That is the way to erase WWE’s previous treatment of Bray Wyatt and build him for the future. Chris Jericho isn’t the long term solution but he could be a major help if WWE use him not just to his full potential, but the correct way.

The problem with WWE isn’t just that they got the wrong decision at Battleground, as they did months previous, but they don’t seem bothered anymore about Bray Wyatt or Luke Harper and Eric Rowan. It’s almost as if they’ve gotten what they need from the three by losing to John Cena and have now lost interest in the trio as they do every other upper card talent who look so promising when placed in a high profile role. The losses can’t just be pinpointed for diminishing The Wyatt Family’s aura however, the current schedule WWE have got them working is just ridiculous.

For those who saw the Twitter pictures, The Wyatt Family have been on a maddening schedule being sent around children’s charities and have their pictures taken with unfortunate children. Is that what we want from a group who WWE have pitched to us as uncaring souls who just want to rule the wrestling world and spread their message? Obviously not! If The Wyatt Family were faces then it would be understandable, just. It wouldn’t be acceptable because its not who they are but if they went around giving children shirts and masks and recorded teaching them to sing “He’s got the whole world in his hands” then that would be within the realms of believability and their characters. But that isn’t what WWE are doing.

For those who saw the pictures of The Wyatt Family seated behind children on their visit, the trio looked completely uncomfortable and I’d go as far too even say that they themselves knew the moment wasn’t right. What would have been awesome is if WWE have had Chris Jericho visit the charity and then set up and angle where a child boots Chris Jericho in the happy sacks only for Bray Wyatt to emerge from a previously hidden arena, dump Jericho with Sister Abigail, put a mask on the offending child and then lead the whole group of children in a chorus of “He’s got the whole world in his hands.” That would have something to witness and been a reasonable act for the character to perpetrate.

That though, is seemingly too hard for WWE to grasp and they’re more bothered about public image than that of one of their most promising stars. It’s simply not acceptable. There is a train of thought that WWE are handing Bray Wyatt constant losses in order turn the trio face at some point before Christmas. A reasonable anchor for the switch would be that The Wyatt Family aren’t seeing the results they seek as heels and therefore attempt to spread the message as faces which would garner WWE a whole new merchandise machine and surely elevate The Wyatt Family to the point they need to be. If that is WWE’s intended method then I can see why they have taken that route. Though constant losses will inevitably damage the trio’s image as wrestlers who cannot win when it matters most.

Until we see which way WWE goes with this feud, no one can be sure if there is a method to their madness. What we can be sure of though is that if Bray Wyatt falls to Chris Jericho at SummerSlam, one of the biggest events on the wrestling calendar then hope will be all but lost for The Wyatt Family. After three pay-per view losses in a row, Bray Wyatt must win on August 17th. Anything else would be completely unacceptable.

Winners Prediction: Bray Wyatt

WWE Intercontinental Championship Match

(c) The Miz vs Dolph Ziggler

It’s just never ending isn’t it? Just when it appeared that WWE were doing something in order to replace the prestige the Intercontinental Championship once held, they go and pull and plug and lose all interest once again. Bad News Barrett was doing wonders with the title ever since he defeated Big E. for the gold at Extreme Rules and would have been nearing the main event spot right now had he not gone down injured with a very nasty wound. It was all going swimmingly and then the man WWE were banking on goes down and so does the hopes of the title he was holding.

Is it really that much of a problem for the company to come up with a quick fix solution and give the title and push Barrett was receiving to someone who can actually make a difference? That is what I believed the company were going to do at Battleground. Even though the battle royal was never going to make a star it could have gone a long way to showing the WWE Universe that those who make the decisions in the promotion are bothered about the gold and doing everything they can to help it back to the pedestal upon it once sat.

Names like Cesaro, Bo Dallas, Alberto Del Rio plus a few more could have made a real difference to the title and any of these would have been able to pick up where Wade Barrett left off. WWE could have remade Alberto Del Rio with an Intercontinental Championship reign if they’re at all bothered about him anymore. Just imagine what something like this could have done for the Bo Dallas character as he smarmed and preached his way around the company. Under Cesaro and Paul Heyman, the title could have been given meaning again. Heyman knows how to make a title mean something and in his ranks, it could have been the second biggest piece of gold once again.

But no! That’s not the way WWE work or ever has; they see an opportunity to make a real difference and they ignore it completely. I find it extremely hard to believe that they looked down their roster of talent and handpicked The Miz to once again take the title. Those in the arena knew it was going nowhere, you watching at home knew it was going nowhere as did The Miz himself. So why do it? Because we demanded someone who could make a difference so WWE decided to ignore us again and do what they wanted? Or do they really believe The Miz; with his new character alteration stands a chance of making it back to the main event of the card?

If that is what WWE believe, they’re horribly misguided. After everything the company have done to The Miz, after all the burials they put him through and dropping him right back to the bottom of the card if they believe this will get him back to where he should be then maybe someone in the office needs an attitude adjustment. Even more worrying is that fact that should what I’ve said be true, these people are overseeing the future of the business. No wonder it’s looked so bleak for so long. The person who believes they can take someone who has been at the bottom of the pile for so long and propel him to the top without any build should be fired immediately.

I’m not saying that The Miz can’t be brought back to the level required of him, what I’m saying is that it’s going to take at least two years and more than a Championship and an image change to make him the star he should have been. Dedication is the name of the game and without it, The Miz is going nowhere fast. All of this right now is just papering over the cracks; they’ll begin to show again in another few weeks and worst still, I can almost guarantee you that WWE have nothing planned for The Miz once he loses the title.

I’m not going to predict where The Miz will end up one year from now because there is always a chance I could be wrong. Though history teaches us otherwise. It would be a great shame should The Miz be once again be a caretaker champion and then cast back into the abyss until his next push comes around when WWE cast him their next ‘blockbuster’.

What can you say about Dolph Ziggler? The future looked so bright for him one year ago and yet now, he may as well be released from his contract when the next round of talent culling comes around. WWE aren’t doing anything meaningful with him and therefore he may as well not be on the roster. We all know that more wrestlers will be released soon, something I told the world on Twitter when it broke after Ricardo Rodriguez was released from his contract. The WWE Network is costing WWE more money than they originally estimated and to break even they’re going to have to cut more talent.

I love Dolph Ziggler but can’t see him keeping a job at this rate. He’s worked hard, done everything required of him and complied with WWE’s burial over the last year which has seen him land on the bottom of the card, looking up at the rest of the roster. What more does he have to do in order to attain a push from WWE? The support is there, fans are rallying behind him but the message just isn’t getting through. Maybe the company have stopped listening to us after they believe we were wrong about Daniel Bryan, which we weren’t. If that is the case, then they need to stop being petulant. Can they afford more losses in merchandise and buy rates? I think not.

At SummerSlam, Dolph Ziggler needs a victory or he may as well be pencilled in for unemployment right now. Already on the list are Heath Slater, Zach Ryder, Los Matadores, Ryback, Curtis Axel, Zeb Coulter, Alberto Del Rio, Kofi Kingston, The Great Khali, R-Truth, Xavier Woods, Fandango, Sin Cara, Stardust, Goldust, Hornswoggle, El Torito, Summer Rae, Big Show, Rey Mysterio, Darren Young and Titus O’Neil. I’m quite amazed Jerry Lawler isn’t on that list also. Whilst none of the names listed will be missed at present because they’re not high on WWE’s list of priorities, I would hate for Dolph Ziggler to be added to that list. Maybe once WWE have cut their losses and gotten rid of the dead wood there will be room for Dolph Ziggler to shine.

Once WWE have cut away the rubbish then they’re going to need to talent like Ziggler to carry them through. He could be a very productive member of the roster once WWE have no dead wood to fall back on. Either that or the upcoming talent cull will have a reverse effect and Dolph Ziggler will be used in the position these wrestlers were used in before and degenerate into a jobber for the stars.

Like I said, Dolph Ziggler needs a victory at SummerSlam to boost him up the ladder. But seeing as The Miz has just won the Intercontinental Championship the chances of that happening are slim to none. Something has to happen for Dolph Ziggler and soon. Time is running out for one of WWE’s most talented performers and if WWE are going to sell their network around the world, they need to base these things on the brightest and youngest stars available.

Winners Prediction: The Miz

WWE Divas Championship Match

(c) A.J Lee vs Paige

Oh Paige, Paige, Paige, Paige, beautiful, stunning, sexy Paige. What have they done to you? When she pinned A.J Lee the night after WrestleMania to lift the Divas Championship it was one of the most sudden and dominant impacts any female had ever made on the company and her future looked bright. Even through her reign when she was given the able and worst to defend against, Paige always delivered and looked sure to shine as the babyface in her feud with A.J once the marvel diva had returned from her honeymoon and rest. It was written in the stars. What wasn’t was the TNA style turn WWE pulled on its audience with Paige because it had no other ideas for her left.

For me, even though it was clearly signposted, Paige’s heel turn came way too soon and could have done with another six months hype minimum. It’s something WWE don’t usually do and though it’s possible it was brought on by the reaction to A.J’s return before Battleground and the reception Paige received when she refused to defend the gold upon A.J’s return, WWE surely had to have this in the pipeline for some time which make the whole thing even more ludicrous. Why fix something if it isn’t broken? A.J and Paige could have contested the gold as friends before a six month hype and then Paige’s eventual turn. WWE didn’t have to do it now and did so because ideas were already running short as mentioned.

The sad fact of this is that Paige had so much more to do as a face. Had WWE implemented what I originally opined and that was to have A.J employ foreign female wrestlers to soften Paige up before her return, then this could have been avoided. A.J would have been seen as the heel in the situation, trying any way she could to take back her gold because she was afraid of the challenge Paige posed. That would have rocked and given Paige a base on which to do the old double switch maybe at WrestleMania 31. It would have been a much better and more organic story, instead of the thrown together one we’re being presented with.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not condemning either woman here; they’ve both breezed through this with perfection and a flawless nature which comes with professionals. Paige has handled the turn with aplomb and her slow burning performance was masterful but just imagine what could have been accomplished had it been done for a longer period of time. And there’s the question of whether A.J can carry on as a face when the current crop of Divas outnumber the heels two to one. What can she do after her feud with Paige ends? The rest of the roster certainly holds no intrigue for her after she’s beaten almost every one of them.

The next possibility for A.J after she’s finished with Paige is current NXT Women’s Champion, Charlotte. The daughter of Ric Flair! Anyone who has seen the matches the NXT divas put on will know she’s by far the best and has learnt well from her father between the ropes. The NXT divas seem more finely tuned than the main roster WWE divas do simply because they’re given fifteen minutes or more to flesh out a bout and make it matter. Unlike WWE, who give their main roster divas three minutes and no care or attention.

With Charlotte, A.J could create something wonderful in ring given time. If WWE were to give the pair fifteen minutes on a pay-per view event they could contest the match of the year and show up the men. Then, that’s one of the reasons why WWE don’t give the current divas that much time. They don’t want them showing up the male species that, in some cases, are inferior to their female betters. A.J has the world at her feet if fed opponents from the NXT roster. She could go down as a better wrestler than both Trish Stratus and Lita combined but it’s all down to WWE and their treatment of C.M Punk’s spouse. If they want to keep Punk sweet in the hope that he’ll return to be with his beloved then WWE will push her into the stratosphere. If they want to prove a point, which is the usual case with WWE, then expect A.J to be on punishment detail for the foreseeable future.

I do worry about Paige. Not lease because as mentioned above, if WWE have already run dry on ideas for her then what’s to stop them burying her as a failed experiment? She’s so much better than that which is why I’ve done WWE’s work for them again and come up with a solution. If you’re reading this Vince then grab a pen and paper and get ready to take credit for someone else’s idea yet again. Now Paige is a heel, WWE could began tease Sister Abigail’s appearance for The Wyatt Family and have Bray Wyatt come out every week and drops hints that she’s alive and she’s already nestled in WWE’s house working her message from the inside.

WWE could then tease Sister Abigail to be A.J before Bray Wyatt storms the ring in a match which pits Paige vs A.J Lee, and nails A.J with his Sister Abigail finisher to reveal Paige as Sister Abigail herself. Paige has the skill and the look and the acting ability to carry something like this off. It would be killer when it happened and a great moment in wrestling history. With The Wyatt Family, Paige’s outlook is much better than it is without the Divas Championship. When her feud with A.J is over, what then? They can’t both have the gold and the one who doesn’t is going to find it hard to grab a hold of any opportunity in the division with no bright outlook.

As Sister Abigail, Paige has so many options available to her. It’s the best thing all around. Her war with A.J could continue and it could even be a way for WWE to bring C.M Punk back even though he’s announced his retirement from wrestling and has no intentions to step back into the ring. The point I’m trying to make, is that there are many options open to WWE if they even care about their divas division. They just have to open their eyes and see them. A risk can have beneficial results given time, WWE just need to find the patience it once had to build new stars.

Winners Prediction: A.J Lee

Flag Match

Jack Swagger vs Rusev

I wasn’t that impressed with Jack Swagger vs Rusev at Battleground. Maybe my opinion will change a second time around when I review the release for public consumption but I doubt that’s likely to happen. For those who saw the Battleground match, the end was an insult but one WWE believed had to occur to keep both men’s images intact. Had Rusev won the match by submission with his Accolade then Jack Swagger would have been seen as nothing but a jobber. On the other hand, had Jack Swagger ended Rusev’s pinfall and submission undefeated streak, all the intrigue which surrounded the Bulgarian would have instantly disappeared.

There’s mileage in this bout even though it’s not clear who the heel and face is. I would normally state that Jack Swagger being American and all that, he would be the face in this situation but Zeb Coulter puts pay to that fact. No one can support a racist bigot who demeans off half of the population with his rants, which to be fair, are often quite amusing. Likewise, a wrestler who has a manager who accepts the actions of Vladimir Putin and advertises them cannot be pushed as a face either. It’s a very tricky situation WWE find themselves in but this is what happens when you throw something together and expect it to work.

Undeniably, this feud will end with Rusev coming out on top. Be it here or at Survivor Series, if WWE can keep the feud rolling that long. His aura is that of a wrecking machine who is slated to oppose John Cena some time in 2015 or at TLC in December. His image would significantly diminish if he was proven to be someone who couldn’t defeat a man who has lost to everyone on the WWE roster over the last five years. It would be career suicide for WWE to implement upon Rusev and take away from the upcoming John Cena feud where the current WWE World Heavyweight Champion will be the first man to break Rusev’s Accolade. You can bank on that.

Despite its drawbacks, this could have a positive effect on both men’s careers. Even though the majority cheer Jack Swagger he’s yet to make a fully fledged face turn and when placed against another face he’ll be roundly booed. If WWE can use this to advance Swagger as well as get Rusev into a position in which he can ably handle John Cena, even though he probably won’t win when fed to the career killer, then we can look upon this feud as a successful one even if it doesn’t produce in the ring. The Flag Match is a side. A stipulation to keep the carry the feud on and though the pair will do battle at Night of Champions and probably Hell in a Cell in stipulation matches such as this, if they mask the bad and bring out the positive, I’m all for them.

Let’s face it. Right now, WWE have nothing else for either man to do. Its better they’re featured in some capacity than left out altogether which would harm their image even more. Both men are capable of great things in the ring and WWE must exploit that to get the best out of them. When all is said and done, Rusev will be known as the man who defeated a former WWE World Heavyweight Champion and it can only do wonders for both him and those following him from NXT to WWE’s main stage.

Winners Prediction: Rusev

Brie Bella vs Stephanie McMahon

I knew this was coming. Right from the moment Brie Bella came back to Raw and made it her person mission to take down Stephanie McMahon. No one can this was a surprise. Brie Bella was never going to sit by on the sidelines and be the faithful housewife whilst Daniel Bryan travelled the towns and countries plying his trade. The pair obviously plan to have children in the future so Brie wanted to grow her legacy whilst she still had the chance. Even though she’s not the greatest wrestler ever created, I won’t deny that her final few appearances were better than the standard dross we had come to expect.

Even though Brie Bella’s final few appearances were better than almost all matches she’d fought throughout her long and dismal career, did that really warrant a return to the ring and high profile match at SummerSlam? I’m not so sure. I know Daniel Bryan is months away from returning to the ring because of nerve damage and may not return until after the 2015 Royal Rumble, but surely there were other ways for WWE to carry on the Daniel Bryan vs The Authority storyline without involving his other half who no one wanted to see in a ring again. And even if this is meant to reignite the war between the Bryans and the McMahon’s has anyone bothered to question how long Stephanie and Brie can keep it going?

For my money, this has to be as quick and as painless as possible so as to not lose interest in the war Triple H is currently warring with Daniel Bryan, verbally. If these two were to fight for ten minutes can you imagine the damage it will do to the overall image of the feud? With that in mind, are WWE really expecting this bout to carry the rivalry at Hell in Cell, Night of Champions and Survivor Series? No one is interested in this match, let alone three more meetings between the pair just to keep something alive. Which brings me to the best possible course this feud could take from now on, and believe me, anything is better than this.

Had Daniel Bryan been fit for action, this would have been him and Triple H filling this spot or Daniel Bryan vs John Cena vs Brock Lesnar for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, and Brock Lesnar working for Triple H to get the title from Daniel Bryan. That is what WWE had planned from the moment Bryan won the gold at WrestleMania XXX. Though Daniel Bryan cannot compete for many more months, it doesn’t mean he can’t appear in some capacity and could rally a team at Survivor Series to represent him which would of course be led by John Cena. Like Steve Austin and Eric Bischoff did at Survivor Series 2003, in which Shawn Michaels put in the career performance of a lifetime, Daniel Bryan and Triple H could captain two spate teams without getting into the ring with each other. The stipulation could be for Daniel Bryan’s job or control of the company which would be a perfect role for Bryan whilst he recovers.

Alternatively, this could be the story which leads to The Wyatt Family’s face turn when Daniel Bryan recruits them to fight The Authority or their representatives. There are so many routes this feud could take that if WWE play it correctly then they’ll profit from the outcome of this bout whatever it may be. It should lead to Daniel Bryan reclaiming the gold in 2015 or even a Roman Reigns heel turn when Triple H recruits him and Dean Ambrose to The Authority to put The Shield back together again in order to battle The Wyatt Family. The possibilities are endless.

One fact remains clear though. Against Stephanie McMahon at SummerSlam, this is the biggest moment of Brie Bella’s career by far. She’ll never get a bigger chance than this to shine and should a great performance come out of what looks to be the worst match on the SummerSlam card, it could lead to better things for the wife of WWE’s most popular star. Either that, or WWE will use this as a chance to bury Brie and Daniel Bryan yet again as another shot at the fans who told WWE their product wasn’t good enough and proved we could think for ourselves.

Winners Prediction: Brie Bella

So here it comes. The 2014 SummerSlam is looking to make history as many of you would have guessed. I am convinced that Brock Lesnar will defeat John Cena for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship to being a reign of complete dominance. It has to end this way if WWE want the WWE Network to thrive. People are bored of John Cena and now its time to do something about it. If Brock Lesnar does prove to be the answer, then for Vince McMahon, it will be a necessary evil.

Whilst there is more to be said about the SummerSlam card, I would like to take this time to deviate from the summation and concentrate on more departures and incomings. For those who stick rigidly to my Twitter feed (come on people and follow me, I know there is more than two of you out there and I don’t do it to amuse myself) or WWE.Com will know that in recent weeks the company have released both Alberto Del Rio and Ricardo Rodriguez. The latter won’t be missed whilst the former was expected to be shunted from the roster as soon as possible.

For Alberto Del Rio, his time was up long ago. WWE have used him as a comedy character ever since losing the World Heavyweight Championship to John Cena in 2013. I believe that Del Rio will be better without WWE for the time being even if the reason for his release was rubbish. An apparent scuffle with a member of staff backstage is normal in WWE, it just made the whole thing seem as if WWE looking for any excuse to bin him instead of turning around and saying we can no longer afford to carry dead weight we have made ourselves. Alberto Del Rio’s departure is a direct result of the WWE Network. He’s collateral damage.

As for WWE’s recent influx of stars, Kenta, Fergal Devitt and Kevin Steen have a great future ahead of them in the company as long as WWE see fit to push them all to their full potential. I fear though that only Kevin Steen will make it as a member of The Wyatt Family whilst Kenta is used as the next Sin Cara and Devitt the next Sheamus. I hope WWE doesn’t waste this opportunity.

Onwards and upwards...