When
one of the most memorable match types in wrestling history was given its own
pay-per view event, it became the standard-bearer for events with one common
theme running through them. Elimination Chamber, Money in the Bank and others
followed. All different matches but without their own event until Hell a Cell
showed that it could be done. When people spoke out against the event citing
that it would be overkill, having two Hell in a Cell Matches on the same card,
WWE representatives ignored its public and went ahead with the plan anyway.
Nearly
seven years after its inception, Hell in a Cell is a staple of WWE pay-per view
calendar and even after events have been axed and their names changed because
they haven’t flown, October’s event stands above the rest boasting some of the
most memorable matches in the past decade. With the promise of redemption
against Seth Rollins and Brock Lesnar WWE World Heavyweight Championship
defence against a brand new challenger, 2014’s offering looks to be one of the
best yet.
On
October 26th 2014 from the American Airlines Centre in Dallas, Texas this is
WWE Hell in a Cell 2014.
Hell in a Cell Match
Seth Rollins vs Dean
Ambrose
It
all looked so good for Seth Rollins when he nailed Dean Ambrose and Roman
Reigns with a steel chair and joined forces with Triple H. He won Money in the
Bank and was entered into a gripping feud with Dean Ambrose which yielded
several rewarding results. It seemed like he had the world at his feet. That
however was before he met John Cena and things began to crumble around his
feet.
Now,
for those of you who think that I’m once again on the Cena bashing bang wagon
then you can hang on and listen to what I have to say. John Cena is the
figurehead of WWE and therefore it is his job to make stars who can be placed
in a position to eventually surpass him. Yet, over the last few months John
Cena has constantly embarrassed Seth Rollins making him look like a jobber. As
Triple H’s right hand man and apparent future WWE World Heavyweight Champion,
Seth Rollins should have been given preferential treatment to Bray Wyatt and
other John Cena has just run through without any though. He should have been
placed in a position which made sure no matter what happened, he always looked
a star.
John
Cena’s treatment of him has been shoddy, even the biggest John Cena fan can’t
deny that. If they do then it makes me wonder why they’re a wrestling fan.
Because even they can’t believe its okay to ruin future stars because it only
harms the future of the company. The course action which should have been taken
was to protect Seth Rollins by making him look unbeatable. When Seth Rollins
was battling Dean Ambrose, he looked like a star because Dean Ambrose gave him
a certain percentage of the spotlight. Had WWE booked Seth Rollins to
constantly outwit John Cena and get the upper hand on him then Hell in a Cell
wouldn’t have been a foregone conclusion.
If
John Cena does indeed defeat Dean Ambrose to reach this second Hell in a Cell
Match then most will expect him to do away with Seth Rollins without any real
effort and why wouldn’t they? It’s what’s happened up to this point. What WWE
don’t realise is that more than anyone else, this could have benefitted John
Cena who stands to have two excellent matches in one night. Seth Rollins vs
John Cena is the feud which many expect to carry Rollins through into 2015. But
it has to be correct. Seth Rollins cannot constantly go over John Cena by fluke
or with help. He needs to do so clean and believably otherwise who is going to
believe he’s WWE World Heavyweight Championship material?
Ideally,
Seth Rollins will come out of Hell in a Cell with an unbeatable aura. He’ll
captain a team at Survivor Series which defeats one lead by John Cena or Dean
Ambrose and then he’ll overcome John Cena at TLC before cashing in and
defeating Brock Lesnar for the title. Yes, John Cena will have to have a shot
at the Royal Rumble but that can be dealt with when we come to it. Right now,
the preservation of Seth Rollins has to be number one priority. John Cena faces
losing nothing by looking at the lights here should he advance and therefore I
think it’s time he willingly refuses to win for the good of the company which
made him a star.
Fans
want something new and if you’ve been keeping an eye on WWE.Com lately then
you’ll know Dean Ambrose has overtaken Roman Reigns in the popularity stakes. I
never saw it coming, I’ll be honest. This time last year, when The Shield were
a cohesive unit and Roman Reigns was the most popular member, it appeared as if
Dean Ambrose would be the last of the trio to get a break. This was heightened
when Seth Rollins turned heel on his compatriots and Roman Reigns was
positioned as a main event player. I truly believed that Dean Ambrose would be
shunted back into the United States Championship division and left to rot. No
one can blame me. WWE aren’t renound for making three stars at once but now
Reigns has gone onto the injured list, Dean Ambrose has come into his own.
I
have heard the question asked of why Dean Ambrose is so popular, after all he
beat John Cena and everyone else in a poll of who the public wanted to
challenge Brock Lesnar for the gold. I believe the answer to why Dean Ambrose
is this popular only months after The Shield split and let’s not forget his
hideous United States Championship reign which could have sunk his career
completely, is because he’s different. And that’s the key. Whilst John Cena
keeps the promotion ticking over and Brock Lesnar is a welcome relief on top,
Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins for that matter are a different flavour. We’ve
had enough of powerhouses getting the pushes even when they don’t deserve it
and I believe that the mentality of fans is reverting back to 1992 when the
smaller man was far more popular than someone like Hulk Hogan.
Dean
Ambrose could be you, or me, or the guy we pass on the street. That is what is
so attractive about him. He’s an ordinary man. His body isn’t toned to god-like
proportions but he’s grafted for his success when many haven’t and hasn’t like
CM Punk hasn’t conformed to Vince McMahon’s idea of a wrestler. Dean Ambrose is
wild, refreshing and it seems even WWE have caught onto the craze. Recently on
WWE.Com there was an article about what Raw would look like in 2019. The
wrestler formerly known as Kenta was Intercontinental Champion, John Cena was
its general manager and Dean Ambrose was the WWE World Heavyweight Champion.
Whilst we don’t want to wait that long for him to claim the gold, it’s got to
be a good sign. I truly believe that when Seth Rollins cashes in his Money in the
Bank contract he’ll go on to face Dean Ambrose at WrestleMania. As far as I’m
concerned, Roman Reigns will have to wait for his shot. Dean Ambrose has been
on fire since Reigns was shelved and has earned a WrestleMania main event. Dean
Ambrose vs Seth Rollins at WrestleMania for the WWE World Heavyweight
Championship won’t just cement both men as stars but also help WWE get over
their commitment to a new generation.
There
are countless opportunities for WWE to take with Dean Ambrose as WWE World
Heavyweight Champion. A little more hype and push and who knows, he could be an
alternative to John Cena who would finally be able to turn heel. Losing to John
Cena at Hell in a Cell could be the break Dean Ambrose has waited for. As long
as WWE are committed to his future and don’t put him second to everyone else
including Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns then even a loss could make Ambrose a
star. This is it my minions, the new generation is on its way to the top.
Winners Prediction:
Dean Ambrose
Hell in a Cell Match
John Cena vs Randy
Orton
If
you listen really carefully and I mean turn down every sound in your house and
listen with everything in your being, you can hear the sound of WWE scraping
the bottom of the barrel. I mean come on people; it was only at the conclusion
of 2013 that John Cena and Randy Orton began their last feud and concluded it
at Royal Rumble much to everyone’s relief. Unlike their previous coming
togethers, the pair’s 2013 / 2014 rivalry was dull and nothing special. Both
men were jeered at the January spectacle because fans had seen it all before
and realized that what they were seeing was a result of WWE having nothing else
to offer. Quite simply, John Cena and Randy Orton have done everything they can
to make a feud interesting.
In
2007 when the pair clashed in their first rivalry, it was a novelty because
both men were up and coming stars. They hadn’t yet discovered the peak of their
talent and had something fresh to offer an audience who believed they had seen
it all before in the Attitude Era. It worked then and it worked to a degree in
2009 when audiences had already had enough of John Cena and made Randy Orton a
mega star by cheering him over John Cena in their pairing. The majority of
their bouts in 2009 were either good or decent with occasions such as
SummerSlam, Hell in a Cell and Breaking Point being particularly fine but took
a drastic down turn when the pair met again last year.
There
was nothing novel or interesting about their feud when it came time to crown
the so called first ever WWE World Heavyweight Champion and it make me wonder
if WWE are so hard up that they actually have ran out of ideas. Because anyone
with a half a brain can see that both men needed something new as we look
towards 2015. Which is why WWE should have either kept proceedings as they were
with John Cena battling Dean Ambrose, who he could have had a great match with
because to John Cena Dean Ambrose poses no threat to his spot on the card, with
the winner facing Seth Rollins later in the show inside a second Hell in a Cell
Match. Either that, or have John Cena battle Seth Rollins whilst Dean Ambrose
took on Randy Orton.
Having
gone through this all before, I’m at a loss as to where to start so let’s go
straight to the top and begin with John Cena. I was surprised by the outcome of
Night of Champions. In fact I was shocked. I really did expect John Cena to
leave WWE World Heavyweight Champion by hook or by crook, the later we know
wouldn’t have happened. Everyone knows that the WWE Network is on the verge of
failing. Its numbers still haven’t improved greatly and unless they do WWE are
on course for a massive loss by Christmas 2014. I mean so big that they’re
going to have to cull even more talent and whilst it’s their fault, let’s be
honest, a network dedicated purely to wrestling was always going to be tricky
to sell even to wrestling fans as The Wrestling Channel in the UK proved when
it went out of business and that had a variety of different wrestling available
from different promotions, no one can really fault them for being adventurous.
As
I stated last month, WWE don’t have the money to keep paying Brock Lesnar to
appear as WWE World Heavyweight Champion which explains why he’s absent from
Raw most weeks and why The Rock returned to fill his space. Which begs the
question, why are WWE keeping the title on him? And the answer is that they
really don’t have anyone else to take over. As much as they like to think fans
want John Cena as champion, most need something fresh to stimulate them. After
all, the whole John Cena vs Brock Lesnar situation was purely created to
attract more subscribers to the network. So what now?
It’s
hard to know what to say about John Cena. Is he good for the company? Yes of
course he is. He ships millions of dollars worth of merchandise every year and
without his revenue it’s unthinkable as to where WWE would be by now especially
with the losses being incurred by the WWE Network. You may choose not to
believe me when I say this, but I really do want to like John Cena. I just
can’t do it right now though. Is it his smugness? No, that can be overlooked if
other parts of his game are improved. Is it the fact that he’s always pushed
above everyone else regardless of the damage done to their image? No, because
likewise that could be overlooked. After all, Hulk Hogan was in this position
nearly thirty years ago and look where that put wrestling. What stops me liking
John Cena is that he preaches all this stuff about loving professional
wrestling and then makes no effort whatsoever to improve his game.
If
you think I’m wrong then that’s your opinion, we’re all entitled to one. But
just look at the evidence and we’ll use other wrestlers who were in his
position to get this across. John Cena is WWE’s figurehead regardless of
whomever WWE want you to believe it is. It makes no difference whether Brock
Lesnar, Randy Orton, Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins or anyone else is carrying the
main title; John Cena is always going to be the company’s main star until the
day he retires. When a non wrestling fan picks up a WWE product or switches on
a WWE show it’s likely John Cena will either be the first face they see or the
lasting impression they receive. Just take WWE2K15 for example. Cena’s mug is
plastered over the front. Surely, as the main man who receives more money than
anyone else around him for what he does, John Cena would want people to think
the best of him even if he says he doesn’t care what others think.
A
non wrestling fan could pick apart John Cena’s performance in minutes, let
alone a wrestling stalwart. If John Cena had the company’s best interests at
heart then why wouldn’t he up his game, voluntarily take six months off and go
back to learn what he’s doing wrong? Six months of hard, intense training would
make him one of the greatest wrestlers to ever lace up a pair of boots. Not to
mention it could also draw more subscribers to the WWE Network. People watch
wrestling to see good in ring action. You can argue this point all you like,
but that isn’t what John Cena does. There is a difference between a great
showman and a great wrestler. Would all this matter if John Cena was heel?
Probably not! Fans could boo him without others questioning why. But he’s not
and has no intention of turning, which means he must do something to make
others see him in a different light. The person he’s hurting is the industry
and it could be so easily avoided.
What’s
even more worrying than the fact he’s plainly refused to do this on television,
is that John Cena, Triple H and Vince McMahon know how bad John Cena is. Every
one of the, have admitted it on camera. Hell, even Vince McMahon himself has
said that if John Cena wasn’t such a draw he’d have been fired years ago. John
Cena isn’t in denial about his wrestling ability, so the only other logical
solution to this is that he clearly doesn’t care. If you know you’re horrendous
at something you want to be good at then you practice. An actor doesn’t find
out he’s crap and then continue going with no success. It’s the same in every
other industry. And if John Cena won’t do this for his fans then Triple H
should make him.
John
Cena could be so good. Hell, even Hulk Hogan had a well worked routine which
carried him through the hard times and it looked better than Cena’s does. And
for those of you who know how much I hate Hulk Hogan will know how much that
pains me to admit it. WWE needs John Cena, that is simple and maybe the most
obvious thing anyone will ever say. But even more, they need a John Cena people
can get behind. They need a John Cena who can wrestle and children need a hero
who works hard to get better. If a hero comes out and says that he knows he’s
rubbish but won’t do anything about it then what type of image does that send
to children?
What
can you say about Randy Orton that hasn’t already been said? The third
generation superstar has done literally everything in WWE and I’m finding it
hard to imagine what else there is left for him. He’s been WWE Champion, World
Heavyweight Champion, Tag Team Champion, Intercontinental Champion and WWE
World Heavyweight Champion. What else can there be for him to accomplish? He’s
won the Royal Rumble match, headlined WrestleMania several times and been part
of at least one of the most memorable groups of all time. Randy Orton has
literally filled his boots and now needs a brand new challenge.
We’ve
been through his lack of effort when carrying the WWE World Heavyweight
Championship at the beginning of the year but recently, even without a title
around his waist or draped over his shoulder I’ve found Randy Orton’s recent
performances lacking in ingenuity or charm. Usually, there’s something about
him that makes your eyes glue to the screen but as of October 2014 that’s
disappeared. If we’re being honest then Randy Orton looks tired and almost as
if he no longer wants to step into the ring every week. If that is true then
who could blame him? WWE haven’t exactly given him the greatest material
recently and with Roman Reigns out of the picture, he’s struggling for
inspiration.
So
what can WWE do to make Randy Orton the spectacle he once was? I’ve opined this
before but a possibility would be giving him six months away from the ring. WWE
now have more main event potential talent than they have in the last five years
so they could afford to lose him for a predetermined amount of time as long as
he came back better and more enthusiastic than he currently is now. A fresh
Randy Orton could be just what he needs to revitalize his career now its
stalled so hideously, either that or WWE must find some way to get his head
back in the game and that usually comes with a fresh feud against an up and
coming talent.
WWE
have taken Randy Orton down this route in the past few months with Roman Reigns
but he didn’t come out of that too well with the majority of WWE management and
backstage staff giving him immense heat about not building Reigns the way WWE
wanted him to be built and just filling their bouts with mediocre submission
holds which could have had an adverse effect on Roman Reigns career. When that
as all sorted with an entertaining grappled at SummerSlam and both went their
own way with Reigns heading to the injury list, Randy Orton seemed lost and
that’s how he arrived at his destination at Hell in a Cell.
If
WWE don’t have anything exciting or respectable to do with a wrestler then surely
it would be much better to leave him out altogether than risk damaging him
anymore than they have already done. If Randy Orton loses to John Cena at Hell
in a Cell then he’s going to take a further career dip, but if he wins then
John Cena will want revenge, which means this feud will carry over to Survivor
Series and possibly TLC where it began in 2013. No one wants that, we want
Randy Orton at his best because that is what fans are used to. With stars like
Adrian Neville and Sami Zayne on the up, then Randy Orton would be a perfect
opponent for them. I for one would pay to see Neville vs Orton at WrestleMania.
Maybe
this is all a time wasting exercise. With The Rock set to return to the company
yet again for his final wrestling match at WrestleMania XXXI, it’s possible
that Randy Orton will be his final opponent and not Brock Lesnar who looks set
for a showdown with either Seth Rollins or Dean Ambrose. As we approach the
Royal Rumble look for Randy Orton’s next move because there has to be one.
Otherwise what’s the point of him sticking around?
Will
Randy Orton defeat John Cena at Hell in a Cell? It’s possible I suppose but not
likely. With limited success at SummerSlam and Night of Champions, John Cena is
due by WWE standards a pay-per view victory and my money is on it coming here
after what should at least be an entertaining bout if it can live up to five
years ago. Right now, with the WWE Network hanging in the balance and new stars
breaking through, WWE must think about what they’re doing. These are uncertain
times; everything must be done to ensure they’re enjoyable ones as well.
Winners Prediction:
John Cena
WWE United States
Championship Match
(c) Sheamus vs The Miz
The
Miz’s treatment over the past few months has been shoddy and diabolical to say
the least. I remember a time when it seemed The Miz would be WWE’s next major
star and seemingly so did Vince McMahon when he gave him the WWE Championship
and planted him in a feud with John Cena who at the time was seen as the man
all must pass through if they were to establish a headline career and not sink
back into the doldrums of professional wrestling. Many people believed The Miz
had garnered the tools needed to whether the storm of John Cena but as it
turned out; he was a victim of circumstance.
To
this very day, some still wonder what would have happened at WrestleMania XXVII
had The Rock not been brought back to host the show and hype his match with
John Cena one year early by delivering the Rock Bottom to John Cena at the
conclusion of his main event match with The Miz. Many people have fought John
Cena and had their careers ruined but there are those exceptions who have
managed to come out of with something still in tact. If not their reputation or
image then certainly enough left in the fuel tank to begin rebuilding their
careers after the damage was done. The Miz could have been one of these people
had The Rock not been interjected into the equation, but with three men to
focus on and two of them legendary stars, what chance did The Miz have?
I
know you’re reading this and thinking that I’m going back a long way here, but
to trace back where everything went wrong for The Miz then we have to go back
that far because it began there. Leaving The Rock out of the situation then it
could have been a different story. The Miz could and should have pinned John
Cena clean in the middle of the ring before losing the gold to him the next
month at Extreme Rules in an entertaining triple threat match which also
featured John Morrison. Had The Miz lost to a willing John Cena who wasn’t
afraid his spot was going to be taken then it would have been damage limitation
and The Miz could have carried on in a high profile role until his next reign
came about. But because of The Rock, something and someone had to be sacrificed
and he was the easiest option.
After
his WWE Championship reign, The Miz sunk faster than a fat woman in a swimming
pool full of doughnuts and contested feuds with the diabolical Alex Riley and
Kofi Kingston before departing the company to star in The Marine 3. A movie
which he did such a good job in that he’s been cast as the same character in
The Marine 4 which should hit your cinemas or at least your local DVD and
Blu-ray retailer not long after Christmas. He returned and for a while it seemed
like The Miz would reclaim his place at the top of the mountain only to be
thwarted again by WWE’s management who lost all interest in him. Since then,
The Miz has been on a downward spiral which looked like it would halt at
Battleground.
The
Miz wasn’t my first choice to win the vacant WWE Intercontinental Championship
battle royal at Battleground; in fact he wasn’t even in the top ten. But it is
what it is and we have to deal the hand we’re dealt. We chose to overlook the
fact that someone whose star fell so far was favoured over new talent such as
Cesaro or Bo Dallas and decided that we would wait and see where his most
recent reign took him. After all, wrestlers have been known to fail hideously
before grabbing the last remaining spotlight and making a success of it. There
was no reason The Miz couldn’t do the same.
After
losing the WWE Intercontinental Championship to Dolph Ziggler at SummerSlam,
winning it back at Night of Champions and then dropping the gold yet again in
several short weeks made The Miz look like a laughing stock and certainly not
someone upon whom WWE could build the future of its second most important
division. So why this? As if Sheamus isn’t sinking enough without having to put
up with The Miz and his career rollercoaster. I’m afraid to break this news to
any Miz fans reading this but even if he does lift the United States
Championship at Hell in a Cell, then so what?
We
don’t care about The Miz anymore and the saddest thing is that it isn’t even
his fault. WWE have ground him into the dirt so much that he may as be an
enhancement talent, the next Barry Horowitz for all anyone truly cares about
him. WWE need a solid talent and The Miz is taking up the space and pay packet
which one could fit into. I hate to say this, when the next crop of talent
culls come around then it would be the kindest thing to do to sack him and
allow him to seek out employment elsewhere. Though they haven’t really got the
funds to hire him, The Miz would fit well with TNA or ROH. His character and skill
would be able to help carry one of those promotions. In WWE, he’s treading
water and very soon he’s going to drown.
Where
did it go wrong for Sheamus? He was the apple of Triple H’s eye a few years ago
and then he fell from the tree and couldn’t buy a career highlight even if he’d
have been a millionaire. Granted, it didn’t help that his career was
interrupted by an injury which shelved him for nearly ten months but since his
return at the Royal Rumble, you’d have been forgiven for thinking that Sheamus
was still on the injury list. The WWE United States Champion has been an
insignificant cog in the machine which wouldn’t have noticed had he not turned
up for work each week. In fact he’s been so pointless that WWE could have told
us he racked up a victory each week without him turning up and we’d have
believed them, because in October 2014, you don’t notice Sheamus even when he’s
in the ring.
I
know that’s a harsh statement to say about a wrestler but its true. When was
the last time you talked about a Sheamus match or a Sheamus act which truly
took you back so much that you couldn’t get it out of your mind? When was the
last time you look at Sheamus and thought that he was really going somewhere in
this industry other than through the next floor underneath him? There’s nothing
notable or spectacular about Sheamus anymore and therein lies his main problem.
When he first came to WWE, he was a novelty. Someone who didn’t look like or
resemble other wrestlers and someone who could throw down with the best of them
once he was taught the basics of how WWE like it done.
When
he defeated John Cena for the WWE Championship twice in 2009 and 2010 it was a
sign of the times were changing, a new generation of stars taking over. But it
didn’t quite work out like that for Sheamus who was going places when he put
Triple H out of action and had a mammoth run with the World Heavyweight
Championship a few years ago. The avenues open to WWE upon Sheamus’ return were
plentiful but none walked because someone in the office was afraid that he may
be better than other stars that existed at the time. So what did WWE do? They
saddled him with a dead Championship which he couldn’t do anything with except
for a few excellent bouts with Cesaro and even more infuriating they refused to
turn him heel despite the Irishman hearing the jeers in almost every bout.
Fans
loved Sheamus when he was a heel because of the stigma attached to Irish people.
They believed he was a match for John Cena, Triple H and anyone else who
stepped in the ring with him and now his face character has outstayed his
welcome people are bored of him, just as much as they’re bored of The Miz.
Considering both men have become as weary as the other then this bout should be
an absolute cracker (insert sarcastic tone when needed), though even if it is
what hope has either man got of benefitting from it?
Right
now, I’m pretty sure WWE are pushing Sheamus towards the longest U.S
Championship reign in history which WWE will then turn around and say was
longer than Lex Luger, Ric Flair, Sting and all the other WCW greats who were
much more popular than Sheamus even when they were heels. The problem being
that WWE still refuse to acknowledge that their titles which have the same name
as those WCW once possessed are in no way connected by history and stand alone.
I
can’t predict what will happen to Sheamus next. He needs an injection of life
and a heel turn badly. But unless WWE care enough to put some effort into his
career then we could be here against this time next year saying the same thing
about Sheamus. Either that, or WWE will make him the next casualty of the WWE
Network as they look for someone substantial to cut in order to balance the
money their ill-advised network has cost.
Winners Prediction: The
Miz
Big Show vs Rusev
I
won’t lie to you; I got my hopes up when Big Show disappeared from WWE for a
decent amount of time. I really hoped that Paul Wight had come to his senses
and decided to leave wrestling for another job altogether. I could sit here and
pretend these reasons were for his own good but when it comes down to it, I’m
just sick and tired of seeing him lug his massive frame to the ring and occupy
a spot which someone from NXT or lower down the roster needs. Big Show isn’t
interesting or necessary in professional wrestling anymore. He’s a dinosaur
which should by now become extinct. That WWE don’t see this and continue to
push Big Show in a prominent role says everything you need to know about stuck
in their ways WWE are.
Let’s
look at this objectively. When was the last time Big Show had a truly stunning
bout which will be talked about years after he’s retired? And even if he
managed to have one with Rusev, what could he possibly do next? Another stint
in the main event, battling Brock Lesnar for the WWE World Heavyweight
Championship which will ultimately go nowhere which at this very moment WWE are
probably hard at work planning for Royal Rumble so they can work this year’s
result between the pair into the storyline. I thought WWE were taking the piss
last year when they booked Big Show to battle Randy Orton for the gold, but one
more stupid act like that would surely turn more fans away than it’s going to
garner.
You
have to give Big Show credit. He’s stuck around all these years despite calls
for him to leave and hasn’t budged an inch. In fact, I can’t remember the last
time Big Show had a serious injury and considering his height and weight that
is an achievement on its own. Big Show will be inducted into the WWE Hall of
Fame one day and yes he has deserved it, but please will someone make him wake
up and see that this is young man’s game now. Can you imagine the damage it
would do if Big Show was to defeat Rusev at Hell in a Cell? I don’t believe
that will happen, but WWE want us to believe so otherwise they wouldn’t have
booked this match.
Rusev
has gone from strength to strength over the past few months. His matches
against people like Big E. and Mark Henry haven’t been as bad as people thought
thanks to Rusev’s ingenuity in the ring and Lana never hurts to watch either.
The main problem I have with Rusev now is that he still looks completely bored
when battling wrestlers who don’t have the same amount of talent as him and it
shows in the ring. I really hoped it would get better for Rusev after his sterling
matches with Big E. in mid-2014. WWE have wrestlers on its roster who don’t
need to win to be elevated and could have given the Bulgarian a run for his
money and now for the record, Mark Henry and Big Show aren’t amongst them.
It’s
quite obvious that the train of thought by pitting Rusev against bigger and
supposedly more fearsome opponents is to make him, in turn, look like a
dominant brute who can’t be toppled. That’s why Mark Henry and Big Show have
been on the list of opponents recently, so I guess we should be thankful that
WWE fired The Great Khali early this year otherwise he’d have been on the list
of victims also and no one needed to see him in a wrestling ring every again.
Of course, we all know why WWE are using Rusev as the pig you feed up until
Christmas just to kill it for the festive season and that’s to help restore
some faith in John Cena once he fails to regain the WWE World Heavyweight
Championship from Brock Lesnar. John Cena needs a victim for WrestleMania XXXI
and is eyeing up Rusev like a very appetising meal.
It’s
a shame WWE are going to sacrifice Rusev to John Cena in 2015 because with a
Goldberg like storyline behind him, Rusev could have gone far even if WWE don’t
see him as Championship material. Rusev vs Brock Lesnar had legs as did Rusev
vs The Undertaker, just imagine how much of a boost it would have given his
career had he been the man to end The Undertaker’s WrestleMania streak. Whilst
Rusev’s career won’t be over when he loses to John Cena, it will certainly need
something special to get him back on track and stop him becoming another face
in the crowd. Right now, Rusev’s hook is that he’s undefeated and as of yet no
one has been able to break his Accolade. When you strip that away from him,
something must take its place.
People
have been reading too much into Rusev’s participation with The Rock on a recent
Raw episode. I’ve reads theories which range from The Rock vs Rusev at Survivor
Series to The Rock coming back to WWE, turning heel on John Cena, allowing
Rusev to defeat him and then challenging Cena to a third and final bout at
WrestleMania 31 or 32. The truth is, when The Rock beat on Rusev it was
probably nothing more than wrong place wrong time and nothing will come of it.
I could be wrong and WWE certainly could have found someone else for The Rock
to embarrass, but I can’t see anything happening between the pair.
So
Rusev vs Big Show at Hell in a Cell isn’t going to be an excellent outing, in
fact I doubt it will even capture most people’s imaginations. But it should be
another feather in the cap of Rusev which takes him one step further to John
Cena. I’d hate to think a promising talent and a promising career have been
crafted purposely to aid someone who no longer needs a boost, but then this is
WWE. It’s usually best not to think about what they have planned next.
Winners Prediction:
Rusev
Loser Has to Become the
Other’s Personal Slave
Nikki Bella vs Brie
Bella
For
those who missed it, this all began when Daniel Bryan was forced to vacate the
WWE World Heavyweight Championship amidst his injury and rivalry with The
Authority. We all sat through Stephanie McMahon and Brie Bella’s woeful
confrontations and without Daniel Bryan to fill a spot on their card, WWE need
everything they could to remind fans that he was still a part of the company
even though it looks doubtful that he’ll return to the ring before the onset of
2015. Brie Bella was meant to be gone from the company, many predicted that
she’d fallen pregnant and could no longer put herself in harms way but that all
proved to be just a theory because WWE were holding her back to fill her
husband’s position on the card as she feuded with The Authority in his place.
I
wasn’t completely shocked when Nikki Bella turned on her sister at SummerSlam.
Looking at it objectively, the promotion needed something to occur after Brie
and Stephanie had locked horns, there was no way we’d sit through that three
months running. So another factor had to be inserted and since Nikki and Brie
had yet to clash, the smart money was on a Bella heel turn which we’re now
suffering the consequences of with this bout which states whichever sister
loses, must become the other’s personal servant. A completely unoriginal
stipulation which we’ve seen a thousand times before.
There
really isn’t much more I can say about this bout or either woman in it. This is
going to be the worst match on the card and I can say that with some degree of
certainty. In the end, predictability will win out. Either Brie Bella will win
this feud or it’ll drag on and on until Daniel Bryan returns and takes over
from his wife who then may be able to go away, with her husband of course, and
conceive their first child. Either way, this has to be taken with a pinch of
salt. It’s going nowhere fast and there will be better things to do with your
time rather than ponder the ins and outs of such a worthless rivalry.
Winners Prediction:
Nikki Bella
WWE Tag Team
Championship Match
(c) Goldust and
Stardust vs The Usos
As
those of you who read my upcoming Review Corner on Night of Champions 2014 will
know, I don’t agree with Goldust and Stardust turning heel. Though WWE have a
severe lack of heel teams on its roster, I just can’t take the Rhodes brothers seriously
in their new role and WWE should have looked for a better answer than this to
solve their problems. Don’t get me wrong, Stardust does exude heel qualities
with his speaking in riddles and attitude but Goldust is the lovable babyface
who fans want to cheer. That’s what Dustin Rhodes has been since his return to
wrestling and what he should remain.
For
those of you reading this old enough to remember his first days as Goldust in
WWE, you’ll remember a laughable character that was pretending to be something
he wasn’t and it looked kind of stupid. When Goldust first burst onto the scene
he was young, full of energy but failed to translate that to his in-ring
output. This gave him an aura of a man past his time who couldn’t be bothered
to put the effort in to hang with the stars of his time. In fact Goldust only
had good matches with wrestlers who were better than him in the likes of Razor
Ramon. His bouts against people such as Ahmed Johnson were truly terrible
indeed.
When
Goldust returned to the WWE to team with his brother Cody Rhodes, it was a
different man that stepped back through curtains. A man not bothered about
holding back what he truly could do in the ring because he knew that the odds
were this would be his final shot at stardom. Dusty Rhodes isn’t get any
younger and at forty five years old he’s in better physical shape and wrestling
condition than he’s ever been. For my money, Goldust has never been better and
that includes his 1990’s stint in WCW which was hideously bad for most of its
run.
Since
coming home Dustin Rhodes has been at the peak of his career, pulling out moves
and matches which we’d expect from newcomers such as Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose
and Roman Reigns to name just three. It’s as if Goldust has been told that he’ll
be receiving a push to the WWE World Heavyweight Championship picture and
decided to impress as many people as possible. But with his new found
enthusiasm, Goldust has also provided WWE with a massive problem and that’s his
move set currently doesn’t favour a heel personality. It’s designed to pop a
crowd and get them behind him. Instead, now the Rhodes brothers have turned
heel it would be advisable for Goldust to change up his act to suit his new
role.
Of
course this means it could also have an adverse affect on his career and send
him spiralling back to where he was in 1996. No one wants that and his efforts
over the past year have warranted better treatment than this. Though can we say
the same about Cody Rhodes? I’m convinced that his Stardust gimmick isn’t
working. Just look at the evidence. It’s true that Cody Rhodes wasn’t going
anywhere as himself and WWE missed a massive trick in not pushing him into the
main event after they defeated The Shield to regain their career’s in
wrestling. The possibilities were endless and included giving him a main event
feud with Triple H which would have put him on the correct career path, but
that didn’t happen and gradually the sibling team continued to go down hill in
WWE’s eyes.
I
grant you that some type of change had to happen. But copying his brother? It
wasn’t the answer Cody Rhodes was looking for. Ingenuity is what was called for
but instead we got a cast iron copy of Goldust but one which talks in riddles
to his opponents and in interviews. This is made even more maddening by the
fact that since a transformation which was meant to reignite his career, Cody
Rhodes hasn’t gotten any further up that that slippery ladder so it’s all been
a waste of time and only succeeded for WWE on the level that it’s given them
another character to flog merchandise for. What is most bizarre however is that
Cody Rhodes was fine one week and whacky the next without any major reason for
his personality transplant. But hey, this is WWE. The land where things don’t
have to make sense.
Believe
it or not, Cody Rhodes’ main event career isn’t over. I know looking at him
right now it’s hard to believe this but should he turn on his brother after
inevitable lose the titles back to The Usos in 2015 and come back as his old
self with the excuse that his transformation was just a ruse to lure his
brother into a false sense of security before he broke his heart, then Cody
Rhodes could still be a massive heel and get himself in with The Authority.
However we shouldn’t count on this happening as WWE believe the brothers are
best suited to their current roles which saw them dethrone The Usos at Night of
Champions in a bout which had a stunning finale.
For
your Wrestling God, it was the wrong conclusion. Jimmy and Jey were flying high
as champions and carrying the division on their backs as a result. They’d had
stunning bouts with almost every team on the roster and that included Rybaxel
and the now forgotten Los Matadores. Hell, the brothers even managed to pull
decent contests out of 3MB who were a lost cause before forming a trio. It may
have seemed like the Samoan siblings were treading water in WWE but nothing
could have been further from the truth. In fact their success was only just
beginning.
I
believed that The Usos were on course to match Demolition’s historic reign but
alas that never happened. But I wasn’t worried because as far as I was
concerned when a heel turn was brought up, it should have been Jimmy and Jey.
They rock as babyfaces but as heels they could go even further. WWE were wrong
to turn Goldust and Stardust heel and the role should have gone to Jimmy and
Jey who could have broadened their horizons with such a storyline. WWE could
have used the loss of the tag titles to facilitate this and it’s almost a given
that they’d have been the most popular heel team in WWE for years. All this
stuff takes is a little bit of thought and you have something truly brilliant.
I
can’t see what use Goldust and Stardust will be as WWE Tag Team Champions. They
certainly don’t have the appeal to carry the division because everyone watching
knows how quickly WWE lost interest in the pair the last time around. If this
is going to be a long term situation then something interesting has to happen
and it must do so fast. Because The Usos did so well and elevated the gold so
much that anything less than a watertight reign and a killer storyline will
once again begin to sink the doubles gold. I hope WWE know what they’re doing
because otherwise what they’re basically telling us is that their storylines
and the last few months have been all for nothing.
Winners Prediction: Goldust
and Stardust
WWE Divas Championship
Match
(c) A.J Lee vs Paige
Despite
what critics have been saying about this feud, I have thoroughly enjoyed it.
A.J Lee and Paige have been the shining lights of WWE’s product over the past
year and the latter has only been a main roster player for six months. It just
goes to show what is possible when you really back a new star and push them all
the way. For those who read this blog last year then you’ll have heard me rave
about what Paige was capable of down in NXT and how WWE should bring her up to
the big time as a result. Well that happened the night after WrestleMania XXX
and what a vote of confidence it was for the Norwich born Paige that she was
called up to replace WWE’s leading female when she hadn’t even proved herself
on a main stage.
Paige’s
was the type of risk that WWE should be taking more of. Vince McMahon had no
idea that Paige would be able to cope with the pressure put on her but he
shoved her into the mix anyway and look at the result. It yielded a new era for
women’s wrestling which has been very good every since. WWE have held back the
lesser divas and hopefully making them retrain their in ring talents to
challenge in 2015. It would appear that ever since Paige and A.J dominated the
wrestling scene with their rivalry the other females have been forced to
evaluate their place on WWE’s roster.
I
will grant you that their rivalry has been a little samey but with a twist. Yes
it evokes memories of Trish Stratus vs Mickie James in 2006 but hey, anything
is welcome from what we were given and that was bare threads when WWE could be
bothered to put effort into the division. Now new and better talent is
emerging, WWE have been provoked to pull something better out of the bag and
that is what we have. I have been impressed by both women during the duration
of this feud and even though the title has changed hands more times than it
should have giving off the message neither can hold onto the gold for long
periods any more, it does add a question mark over the results which have been
less than predictable.
I
don’t want to go into too much detail about this because I have the feeling
that as the best WWE have in their division; both women will clash again at
Survivor Series so I want to leave something for that. As far as Hell in a Cell
goes, well I wouldn’t bet against another Paige victory though I for a change I
would have liked to see the pair battle inside Hell in a Cell which would have
been a giant leap forward for professional wrestling and at least something
drastically different to what WWE have presented in 2014.
Winners Prediction:
Paige
Hell in a Cell Kickoff
Midow TV with The Miz
I
don’t think I’m alone when I say that Damien Sandow’s time in WWE is numbered.
Since cashing in his Money in the Bank contract against John Cena last year and
losing like everyone predicted he would, Sandow has been buried so far down the
roster that it’s impossible to think that he’ll ever get out of the hole he
currently occupies. In fact something so drastic would have to happen for
Sandow to regain his position that it’s feasibly never going to happen. For
Damien Sandow to become the star that he once looked like being then John Cena,
Brock Lesnar, Triple H, The Undertaker, Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns, Dean
Ambrose, Cesaro, Dolph Ziggler and practically everyone who WWE would ever push
ahead of Sandow and use as a substitute for the top stars would have to be
injured at the same time for WWE to even consider pushing him again.
Over
the past few months, we’ve seen Damien Sandow come to the ring for matches
dressed as numerous characters from history. Recently however, he’s taken up
the mantle of Miz stuntman which is a new low even for him. You must know when
you’re career has hit the rocks when you’re forced to imitate a wrestler who is
also going nowhere. But Damien Sandown still puts up with his treatment because
let’s face it, what are the other options? He can’t go to WWE management and
complain because he has no standing in the company and no friends in a high
enough position to back him up. If Damien Sandow were to go to WWE and demand
he be pushed to a higher echelon or he leaves then he’d be shown the exit door
because WWE don’t need him anymore and are happy to keep him on as a talent for
comedy value only.
The
only other option for Damien Sandow is a career in TNA or Ring of Honor, in
2014 and with the current state of independent wrestling promotions, that isn’t
an attractive option. I’ve seen how TNA treat new talent when they can afford
to hire it and its not pretty viewing. Damien Sandow would have to work twice
as hard for less money just to regain the aura that he lost and then there is
no guarantee it will work for him because of what WWE have done to him in past
year. For Damien Sandow, its better the devil you know than the devil you don’t.
He’s happy to put up with such treatment because the money is fine and he doesn’t
have to work extra hard to get his career back on track.
I
guess in 2014, Damien Sandow is happy to carve out a niche for himself as a
comedy character rather than a serious wrestler because when it comes to
opportunities and a legacy, it’s better to be remembered for something rather
than nothing. No wrestler wants to say that their career was a total flop and
no one remembers them after all of that hard work. That’s why Damien Sandow
stays with WWE and that’s why he’s happy to play whipping boy when WWE need to
interject some humour into their product.
WWE
Hell in a Cell 2014 promises much but I have a feeling it will deliver very
little. When you look down the card, what else can the company possible do with
the matches and feuds on show? John Cena vs Randy Orton, Dean Ambrose vs Seth
Rollins, Paige vs A.J Lee, Goldust and Stardust vs The Usos, Rusev’s battle
against America and The Miz’s quest for glory are all samey elements which can
surely provide no more surprises.
Instead
of booking Hell in a Cell as a new talent only card, WWE have played it safe
once again and gone with what they know best. I would have liked to see Dolph
Ziggler defend the Intercontinental Championship in a gauntlet match against
the very best on the mid-card as to display his talents. Paige and A.J clash in
a Hell in a Cell Match to push the boundaries and John Cena left off of the
card altogether selling some beat down which Brock Lesnar could have given him
the night after Night of Champions had WWE been bothered to book him to appear.
No
one would have complained had this event been filled with new and undercard
talent because that is exactly what we want. Instead, WWE are booking themselves
into a hole once again because judging this card, no one is willingly going to
subscribe to the WWE Network to see it and the same goes for Survivor Series unless
WWE do something drastic. Quite literally, WWE are going to pay the devil a
visit sooner rather than later. With their Network crumbling around their ears
everything should be done to attract subscribers. Instead, it seems the company
are hell bent on turning people away so it can then blame us when it fails.
Onwards
and upwards...
