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...