Unless you've been away from your phone, computer, Twitter etc. in the last few hours, you probably know by now that Jack Swagger was arrested last night after the Smackdown taping in Mississippi. He was arrested for DUI and marijuana possession. It should be noted that Swagger was under the influence of marijuana, not alcohol. That doesn't change the fact that what Swagger did was absolutely stupid for somebody in his position.
Swagger was put in possibly the biggest position of his WWE career. He had just won the Elimination Chamber match on Sunday to earn a World Title shot at Wrestlemania. To me, that is bigger than him winning the World Title in 2010. Swagger gets the chance to be in a Title match at Wrestlemania. If you would have told me Jack Swagger was going to be in a Title match at Mania two months ago, I would've assumed you were talking about the United States Title. I would have never guessed that Swagger was going to receive the push that he did.
Showing posts with label Jack Swagger. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jack Swagger. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Monday, December 3, 2012
The WWE Needs To Change Its Booking Philosophy
For the most part, I enjoyed RAW this past Monday. Anytime there are a couple of good wrestling matches on the show, I feel like it is a decent one. How often do you see two long matches like Cena/Ziggler and Sheamus/Cesaro, to go along with Mysterio/Bryan and Punk/Kane. Those are four very solid matches that each delivered, for the most part, in their own way. And actually, out of all those matches, I enjoyed Antonio Cesaro vs Sheamus the most. Cesaro did not look a step out of place in his match against Sheamus. The guy is definitely a future star for the WWE. I love the way he delivers his upper cut. Cesaro definitely has a lot of potential.
But the key word in that whole paragraph is the one I finished it with: potential. There are a handful of guys on the current WWE roster that have so much potential to be future stars. Antonio Cesaro is just one of them. You also have Dolph Ziggler, Wade Barrett, Damien Sandow, Kofi Kingston, Cody Rhodes and you can even include Ryback in that mix if you really want to. Obviously he doesn't have the in ring talent the others have but his character has at least some potential. A lot of those guys are heels, and that is a problem down the line. But there is no reason a face turn isn't possible for someone in that group. Wade Barrett would be my first choice. I think he could pull off a face turn. But what that list of wrestlers says is that there is some talent on the WWE roster that, if given a true opportunity, could turn into future stars.
But the key word in that whole paragraph is the one I finished it with: potential. There are a handful of guys on the current WWE roster that have so much potential to be future stars. Antonio Cesaro is just one of them. You also have Dolph Ziggler, Wade Barrett, Damien Sandow, Kofi Kingston, Cody Rhodes and you can even include Ryback in that mix if you really want to. Obviously he doesn't have the in ring talent the others have but his character has at least some potential. A lot of those guys are heels, and that is a problem down the line. But there is no reason a face turn isn't possible for someone in that group. Wade Barrett would be my first choice. I think he could pull off a face turn. But what that list of wrestlers says is that there is some talent on the WWE roster that, if given a true opportunity, could turn into future stars.
Saturday, September 10, 2011
If I Booked the WWE This Fall
I'll tell you something. I was struggling to come up with ideas for this week's article. I had a couple things pop into my head late this week, but they would need more time and research. They weren't something I could write in a day or two. So in a way, having writer's block this week was a blessing in disguise.
So what was my idea for this week? There are four months left in the calendar year. The WWE, in my opinion, has done a great job of rebounding from an off 2009 and 2010. Especially during the summer, the WWE has churned out some great TV. The storylines for the most part have been good, and the match quality, especially on TV, has been up from the last two years. But of course, there are always certain things that you as an individual want to see. There are things that I'd like to see that probably haven't even crossed the mind of some people in the WWE. Everyone has a different opinion on every wrestler and storyline, so I figured I would give my take.
Here, for your consideration, are 10 Things I Would Do If I Booked the WWE This Fall:
1. An Extended Mark Henry World Title Reign
Two months ago, six months ago, a year ago I would have laughed at this idea. But somehow, the universes have aligned perfectly and Mark Henry has become the best thing going on Smackdown, and one of the best things the WWE has done in quite some time. It's a shame it only took the WWE ten years to figure out how to book Mark Henry. Henry has had so many face and heel turns over his career that I've lost count. I never liked Henry as a babyface. He just never appealed to me.
Henry as a heel has also been up and down. He was never booked properly or encountered an injury that stopped his push. But Henry has remained healthy all of this summer and has been booked how he should have been booked a long time ago: As an unstoppable monster. Henry has taken out Kane and Big Show, he put Sheamus through the ringside barrier, and he hasn't backed down from anyone. Henry finally has his World Title shot. For some reason, I smell a countout or DQ finish in his match with Randy Orton at Night of Champions. With another PPV in two weeks, I wouldn't expect a clean win. But at Hell in A Cell, I would expect Henry to walk out World Champion. His push has more than warranted it. Henry seems to be in the best shape of his career. As long as he can put on a decent 15 minute match he should have no problem as Champion. His matches won't be on the level of Orton/Christian, but they can still be good.
Now how long should the reign last? As long as the WWE doesn't screw it up, I would keep it going until the Royal Rumble or Elimination Chamber. While I wouldn't mind Henry as World Champ, even I probably wouldn't want him main eventing Wrestlemania. I'm sure Daniel Bryan could get a decent match out of him, but Bryan/Henry doesn't exactly scream "Wrestlemania World Title Match." Plus, that would leave almost nothing for Randy Orton to do. But a properly booked Mark Henry five month title reign should be good. The wrestler who takes the Title away from him would have instant credibility.
2. Establish Daniel Bryan As A Credible Threat
Daniel Bryan is Smackdown's Mr. Money in the Bank. I was shocked to see him win the match. I had him #4 on the list of people to win that match. But what has Bryan done since then? Pretty much nothing. He had a good match with Wade Barrett at SummerSlam and lost. I would have liked to see an extended feud between those two. Have them trade jabs at each other for a few weeks, then at Night of Champions Bryan could have put his MITB Briefcase on the line. But that was a lost opportunity. Since SummerSlam Bryan has had some good matches with Alberto del Rio and Christian, but has came out on the losing end of both.
Bryan has shown that he can hang with the main eventers in the ring, but now he needs to pick up a few wins. A program with the heel Sin Cara appears on the horizon. Hopefully Bryan picks up a win there. I would explore the feud with Wade Barrett again. Even though it looks like Christian may be moving on to Sheamus, I would book a Christian/Bryan program as well. Daniel Bryan also needs to appear on the RAW SuperShow to help him get over to the entire WWE Universe. Bryan ahs already put on great matches with Dolph Ziggler. Why not give us that treat again?
There's one "Out There" idea that would take some balls for the WWE to do. First, Daniel Bryan loses the MITB briefcase to someone. Lets say Wade Barrett. Late in the year, Barrett cashes in the contract and becomes the World Champion. Bryan, hell bent on revenge, wins the Royal Rumble and faces Barrett at Wrestlemania. Now again, Daniel Bryan vs Wade Barrett doesn't scream "Wrestlemania World Title Match," but a great build could change that. But both Bryan and Barrett appear to be going nowhere, so this scenario seems highly unlikely.
3. Turn Jack Swagger Face
I brought this idea up in my Fall Fantasy Outlook. Jack Swagger and Dolph Ziggler apparently can't both have Vickie Guerrero as their manager. It doesn't look like they can get along. A feud between the two seems more than likely. But who to turn face? To me the answer is easy: Jack Swagger. Dolph Ziggler just doesn't have the look or appeal that a face should have. I think the WWE dropped the ball with Swagger when he was with Michael Cole this spring. Had Swagger turned on Cole, he would have gotten instant face heat. The crowd would have popped huge for Swagger putting Cole in the ankle lock.
John Cena and C.M. Punk are 1A and 1B on RAW, but somebody needs to step up and take the reigns as the next face on the card. John Morrison's time has come and gone. Alex Riley's push is on standby. Kofi Kingston and Evan Bourne are now a tag team. Swagger is the next best option. If Swagger dropped the goof ball persona and got serious, the fans could become accepting of his new attitude. I would let Swagger win the U.S. Title and feud with Ziggler a bit before moving on to maybe Miz.
4. A Traditional Survivor Series PPV
This is a minor thing. I know the WWE has had trouble selling this PPV in recent years. But with the brand split apparently over for the time being, there's no reason the WWE can't mix and match there superstars to make for some compelling 4-on-4 match ups. Plus, with The Rock already advertised to appear on the show, they can take a risk on the rest of the card. Especially if The Rock doesn't appear at all on WWE TV before then. The Rock, a WWE Title Match, a World Title Match, and 4 traditional Survivor Series matches would make for a great PPV in my opinion.
5. Start the Build for Rock/Cena
Building off my last point, the build for Rock vs Cena at Wrestlemania needs to start at Survivor Series. Just the match alone will be enough to sell the PPV and sell out the arena in Miami, but the WWE needs to start hyping up the back story more. The audience needs to be reminded why these two are facing each other. No matter how the WWE tries to spin it, John Cena is going to be heavily booed anytime he's out there with The Rock. The Rock could come out and rip on every person in the audience, and the second John Cena opens his mouth the crowd will just boo him again.
At Survivor Series, the back story needs to be re-established between these two. Give them another talking segment in the ring together. Hell, don't even book John Cena in match. But I doubt that happens. But if John Cena is the WWE Champion at this point, they also need to throw out the idea of their match at Wresltmania being for the WWE Championship. I still wouldn't make that match for the WWE Title. Rock/Cena is going to be the main event, so why not give the WWE Title Match to two guys who can use it to elevate their careers. The Rock won't be around every week to build the match, so they need to re-establish the Rock/Cena back story and foreshadow an array of possibilities that can hype the match even more.
6. Bring Back Chris Jericho
This one is a bit tricky. Chris Jericho's band Fozzy has a tour set up all through November. Plus, I wouldn't want to bring Jericho back until the Wrestlemania build. But there is no reason the WWE can't get the ball rolling on a possible return. Throw out a handful of scenarios for Jericho to consider. What if he won the World Title and faced Daniel Bryan at Wrestlemania. The idea of a 20 minute Chris Jericho/Daniel Bryan match is very appealing, and you know Jericho would be more than willing to put Bryan over. On RAW, there is the possibility of a great program with Alberto del Rio. There's also the possibility of a feud with C.M. Punk. The two exchange verbal insults on Twitter. I'm sure they could transition to a great program in the ring.
But if it was up to me, the guy I would bring Chris Jericho back against would be Randy Orton. It already has the back story. Orton punted Jericho in the head on RAW last year, and that is the last we saw of him. Plus, this could be the one match Randy Orton could have at Wrestlemania that doesn't involve the World Title and would be a legitimate could match. Jericho is the established veteran that the WWE has been missing for some time now. Jericho's presence on WWE TV brings star power back to either show. He would be more valuable on Smackdown, as there are many more young guys on that show that could use the rub of working with Jericho. While I wouldn't bring Jericho back until 2012, there's no reason you can't give him a call and start negotiations soon.
7. Turn HHH Heel; Form the New Corporation
The problem with the whole HHH/C.M. Punk story right now is that there is no clearly defined heel. Fans right now are suppose to choose who they want to cheer for. They haven't been told who the heel is in this situation. A lot of the story has been rushed. I'm surprised the WWE has gone ahead and book the match for Night of Champions. With two PPVs in October, you have to wonder what the WWE has in store for the rest of this program. They shouldn't rush through this story. If Nash would have been medically cleared, he obviously would have been the opponent here. I would have had Punk beat Nash. Have a rematch at Hell in A Cell with Punk winning again. Then HHH finally puts C.M. Punk in the WWE Title Match at Vengeance in a Triple Threat Match, and THEN have HHH turn heel, and have Punk/HHH at Survivor Series. That's how I would have booked this.
But alas, the WWE has decided not to do that. So therefore, HHH needs to turn heel sooner rather than later if the WWE wants to keep the story interesting. An effective stable has been lacking in the WWE for some time. Nexus was only relevant for about two months. HHH loves stables. He was in one of the better ones during the Evolution days. A new corporation lead by HHH could be interesting. With HHH as the leader and Kevin Nash as the bodyguard, you can easily build around that. And with RAW now a SuperShow, it's easier to get some Smackdown guys involved. Alberto del Rio can be the top guy as WWE Champ. I would throw Wade Barrett into the new Corporation. How about Dolph Ziggler and Vickie too. And the last piece of the puzzle: Miz. The guy doesn't really have too much going for him right now. And for some reason, I could see him turning on R-Truth. So here's your Corporation 2.0: HHH, Nash, Alberto del Rio, Wade Barrett, and Miz. A piece or two could be added along the way. But that would be my starting point.
8. End the Anonymous RAW GM Storyline
One way or another, the RAW GM storyline has to come to an end. When was the last time an e-mail was even sent? I don't think one has since before the Money in the Bank PPV. The podium has just been sitting there for no reason, probably obstructing some poor fan's view at ringside. It is stupid to just not address it at some point. If there's nothing planned, then just dump the podium and scrap it from existence. A creative way to bring the RAW GM storyline back would be to have some e-mails start popping up if HHH loses at Night of Champions. HHH loses at NOC, relinquishes COO duties, but all along he was also the RAW GM. Triple H is back on TV and the HHH/Punk feud continues. That's my suggestion.
9. Turn R-Truth Face
R-Truth has been one of the more entertaining characters in the last few months in WWE. I loved his main event run in June. Sure the match with John Cena at Capitol Punishment was disappointing, but it gave Truth a chance to shine in the spotlight. R-Truth's in ring work has also improved in the last few months. He's still not one of the best out there, but he's been better.
Now of course, how could you turn Truth face after all of this? After all, he despises all of you Little Jimmys. And there is also a giant conspiracy out there. How do you add to the conspiracy? By having your new tag team partner join it. Miz and R-Truth can become Tag Champs, but after they lose the belts, have Miz start to become frustrated with Truth. Then, Miz turns on Truth and joins the newly formed Corporation. It'd be a risk turning R-Truth face after all of this, but his gimmick is just so far out there and hilarious that I think fans would take to it if given the chance.
10. Make C.M. Punk the Focus of WWE TV
Slowly but surely, I think the WWE is starting to move towards this. With John Cena becoming more focused with The Rock as Wrestlemania approaches, someone will have to take the reigns of RAW and be focused with the actual wrestlers that are on that show. Who else would you rather have in that role than C.M. Punk? Punk has been money in recent months and can more than easily handle a permanent role at the top. If the new Corporation were to form, you can have Punk go up against all of them one by one. Then at Wrestlemania, you can have Punk take on WWE Champion Alberto del Rio. Or maybe a Punk/HHH match with more on the line this time.
Making Punk your top face also throws out the possibility of turning John Cena full on heel during the build to Wrestlemania. Turning Cena heel is thrown out constantly, but until you can have someone replace Cena's popularity and merchandise sales, then it can't be done. If Punk is given the opportunity, he could be that next top guy. Especially if he is turned into the anti-authority figure that Stone Cold Steve Austin was. I don't think this will ever happen, but now might be the best time to turn Cena heel with C.M. Punk's popularity growing by the day. If it was up to me, I would slowly transition more TV time to Punk, and let him have the opportunity to be the next guy at the top.
That's all from me this week. I will have my Week 1 Picks up later today, and my Week 1 Review as well as my RAW Review up on Tuesday.
Until next time,
Justin C
Follow Me on Twitter @JCWonka
So what was my idea for this week? There are four months left in the calendar year. The WWE, in my opinion, has done a great job of rebounding from an off 2009 and 2010. Especially during the summer, the WWE has churned out some great TV. The storylines for the most part have been good, and the match quality, especially on TV, has been up from the last two years. But of course, there are always certain things that you as an individual want to see. There are things that I'd like to see that probably haven't even crossed the mind of some people in the WWE. Everyone has a different opinion on every wrestler and storyline, so I figured I would give my take.
Here, for your consideration, are 10 Things I Would Do If I Booked the WWE This Fall:
1. An Extended Mark Henry World Title Reign
Two months ago, six months ago, a year ago I would have laughed at this idea. But somehow, the universes have aligned perfectly and Mark Henry has become the best thing going on Smackdown, and one of the best things the WWE has done in quite some time. It's a shame it only took the WWE ten years to figure out how to book Mark Henry. Henry has had so many face and heel turns over his career that I've lost count. I never liked Henry as a babyface. He just never appealed to me.
Henry as a heel has also been up and down. He was never booked properly or encountered an injury that stopped his push. But Henry has remained healthy all of this summer and has been booked how he should have been booked a long time ago: As an unstoppable monster. Henry has taken out Kane and Big Show, he put Sheamus through the ringside barrier, and he hasn't backed down from anyone. Henry finally has his World Title shot. For some reason, I smell a countout or DQ finish in his match with Randy Orton at Night of Champions. With another PPV in two weeks, I wouldn't expect a clean win. But at Hell in A Cell, I would expect Henry to walk out World Champion. His push has more than warranted it. Henry seems to be in the best shape of his career. As long as he can put on a decent 15 minute match he should have no problem as Champion. His matches won't be on the level of Orton/Christian, but they can still be good.
Now how long should the reign last? As long as the WWE doesn't screw it up, I would keep it going until the Royal Rumble or Elimination Chamber. While I wouldn't mind Henry as World Champ, even I probably wouldn't want him main eventing Wrestlemania. I'm sure Daniel Bryan could get a decent match out of him, but Bryan/Henry doesn't exactly scream "Wrestlemania World Title Match." Plus, that would leave almost nothing for Randy Orton to do. But a properly booked Mark Henry five month title reign should be good. The wrestler who takes the Title away from him would have instant credibility.
2. Establish Daniel Bryan As A Credible Threat
Daniel Bryan is Smackdown's Mr. Money in the Bank. I was shocked to see him win the match. I had him #4 on the list of people to win that match. But what has Bryan done since then? Pretty much nothing. He had a good match with Wade Barrett at SummerSlam and lost. I would have liked to see an extended feud between those two. Have them trade jabs at each other for a few weeks, then at Night of Champions Bryan could have put his MITB Briefcase on the line. But that was a lost opportunity. Since SummerSlam Bryan has had some good matches with Alberto del Rio and Christian, but has came out on the losing end of both.
Bryan has shown that he can hang with the main eventers in the ring, but now he needs to pick up a few wins. A program with the heel Sin Cara appears on the horizon. Hopefully Bryan picks up a win there. I would explore the feud with Wade Barrett again. Even though it looks like Christian may be moving on to Sheamus, I would book a Christian/Bryan program as well. Daniel Bryan also needs to appear on the RAW SuperShow to help him get over to the entire WWE Universe. Bryan ahs already put on great matches with Dolph Ziggler. Why not give us that treat again?
There's one "Out There" idea that would take some balls for the WWE to do. First, Daniel Bryan loses the MITB briefcase to someone. Lets say Wade Barrett. Late in the year, Barrett cashes in the contract and becomes the World Champion. Bryan, hell bent on revenge, wins the Royal Rumble and faces Barrett at Wrestlemania. Now again, Daniel Bryan vs Wade Barrett doesn't scream "Wrestlemania World Title Match," but a great build could change that. But both Bryan and Barrett appear to be going nowhere, so this scenario seems highly unlikely.
3. Turn Jack Swagger Face
I brought this idea up in my Fall Fantasy Outlook. Jack Swagger and Dolph Ziggler apparently can't both have Vickie Guerrero as their manager. It doesn't look like they can get along. A feud between the two seems more than likely. But who to turn face? To me the answer is easy: Jack Swagger. Dolph Ziggler just doesn't have the look or appeal that a face should have. I think the WWE dropped the ball with Swagger when he was with Michael Cole this spring. Had Swagger turned on Cole, he would have gotten instant face heat. The crowd would have popped huge for Swagger putting Cole in the ankle lock.
John Cena and C.M. Punk are 1A and 1B on RAW, but somebody needs to step up and take the reigns as the next face on the card. John Morrison's time has come and gone. Alex Riley's push is on standby. Kofi Kingston and Evan Bourne are now a tag team. Swagger is the next best option. If Swagger dropped the goof ball persona and got serious, the fans could become accepting of his new attitude. I would let Swagger win the U.S. Title and feud with Ziggler a bit before moving on to maybe Miz.
4. A Traditional Survivor Series PPV
This is a minor thing. I know the WWE has had trouble selling this PPV in recent years. But with the brand split apparently over for the time being, there's no reason the WWE can't mix and match there superstars to make for some compelling 4-on-4 match ups. Plus, with The Rock already advertised to appear on the show, they can take a risk on the rest of the card. Especially if The Rock doesn't appear at all on WWE TV before then. The Rock, a WWE Title Match, a World Title Match, and 4 traditional Survivor Series matches would make for a great PPV in my opinion.
5. Start the Build for Rock/Cena
Building off my last point, the build for Rock vs Cena at Wrestlemania needs to start at Survivor Series. Just the match alone will be enough to sell the PPV and sell out the arena in Miami, but the WWE needs to start hyping up the back story more. The audience needs to be reminded why these two are facing each other. No matter how the WWE tries to spin it, John Cena is going to be heavily booed anytime he's out there with The Rock. The Rock could come out and rip on every person in the audience, and the second John Cena opens his mouth the crowd will just boo him again.
At Survivor Series, the back story needs to be re-established between these two. Give them another talking segment in the ring together. Hell, don't even book John Cena in match. But I doubt that happens. But if John Cena is the WWE Champion at this point, they also need to throw out the idea of their match at Wresltmania being for the WWE Championship. I still wouldn't make that match for the WWE Title. Rock/Cena is going to be the main event, so why not give the WWE Title Match to two guys who can use it to elevate their careers. The Rock won't be around every week to build the match, so they need to re-establish the Rock/Cena back story and foreshadow an array of possibilities that can hype the match even more.
6. Bring Back Chris Jericho
This one is a bit tricky. Chris Jericho's band Fozzy has a tour set up all through November. Plus, I wouldn't want to bring Jericho back until the Wrestlemania build. But there is no reason the WWE can't get the ball rolling on a possible return. Throw out a handful of scenarios for Jericho to consider. What if he won the World Title and faced Daniel Bryan at Wrestlemania. The idea of a 20 minute Chris Jericho/Daniel Bryan match is very appealing, and you know Jericho would be more than willing to put Bryan over. On RAW, there is the possibility of a great program with Alberto del Rio. There's also the possibility of a feud with C.M. Punk. The two exchange verbal insults on Twitter. I'm sure they could transition to a great program in the ring.
But if it was up to me, the guy I would bring Chris Jericho back against would be Randy Orton. It already has the back story. Orton punted Jericho in the head on RAW last year, and that is the last we saw of him. Plus, this could be the one match Randy Orton could have at Wrestlemania that doesn't involve the World Title and would be a legitimate could match. Jericho is the established veteran that the WWE has been missing for some time now. Jericho's presence on WWE TV brings star power back to either show. He would be more valuable on Smackdown, as there are many more young guys on that show that could use the rub of working with Jericho. While I wouldn't bring Jericho back until 2012, there's no reason you can't give him a call and start negotiations soon.
7. Turn HHH Heel; Form the New Corporation
The problem with the whole HHH/C.M. Punk story right now is that there is no clearly defined heel. Fans right now are suppose to choose who they want to cheer for. They haven't been told who the heel is in this situation. A lot of the story has been rushed. I'm surprised the WWE has gone ahead and book the match for Night of Champions. With two PPVs in October, you have to wonder what the WWE has in store for the rest of this program. They shouldn't rush through this story. If Nash would have been medically cleared, he obviously would have been the opponent here. I would have had Punk beat Nash. Have a rematch at Hell in A Cell with Punk winning again. Then HHH finally puts C.M. Punk in the WWE Title Match at Vengeance in a Triple Threat Match, and THEN have HHH turn heel, and have Punk/HHH at Survivor Series. That's how I would have booked this.
But alas, the WWE has decided not to do that. So therefore, HHH needs to turn heel sooner rather than later if the WWE wants to keep the story interesting. An effective stable has been lacking in the WWE for some time. Nexus was only relevant for about two months. HHH loves stables. He was in one of the better ones during the Evolution days. A new corporation lead by HHH could be interesting. With HHH as the leader and Kevin Nash as the bodyguard, you can easily build around that. And with RAW now a SuperShow, it's easier to get some Smackdown guys involved. Alberto del Rio can be the top guy as WWE Champ. I would throw Wade Barrett into the new Corporation. How about Dolph Ziggler and Vickie too. And the last piece of the puzzle: Miz. The guy doesn't really have too much going for him right now. And for some reason, I could see him turning on R-Truth. So here's your Corporation 2.0: HHH, Nash, Alberto del Rio, Wade Barrett, and Miz. A piece or two could be added along the way. But that would be my starting point.
8. End the Anonymous RAW GM Storyline
One way or another, the RAW GM storyline has to come to an end. When was the last time an e-mail was even sent? I don't think one has since before the Money in the Bank PPV. The podium has just been sitting there for no reason, probably obstructing some poor fan's view at ringside. It is stupid to just not address it at some point. If there's nothing planned, then just dump the podium and scrap it from existence. A creative way to bring the RAW GM storyline back would be to have some e-mails start popping up if HHH loses at Night of Champions. HHH loses at NOC, relinquishes COO duties, but all along he was also the RAW GM. Triple H is back on TV and the HHH/Punk feud continues. That's my suggestion.
9. Turn R-Truth Face
R-Truth has been one of the more entertaining characters in the last few months in WWE. I loved his main event run in June. Sure the match with John Cena at Capitol Punishment was disappointing, but it gave Truth a chance to shine in the spotlight. R-Truth's in ring work has also improved in the last few months. He's still not one of the best out there, but he's been better.
Now of course, how could you turn Truth face after all of this? After all, he despises all of you Little Jimmys. And there is also a giant conspiracy out there. How do you add to the conspiracy? By having your new tag team partner join it. Miz and R-Truth can become Tag Champs, but after they lose the belts, have Miz start to become frustrated with Truth. Then, Miz turns on Truth and joins the newly formed Corporation. It'd be a risk turning R-Truth face after all of this, but his gimmick is just so far out there and hilarious that I think fans would take to it if given the chance.
10. Make C.M. Punk the Focus of WWE TV
Slowly but surely, I think the WWE is starting to move towards this. With John Cena becoming more focused with The Rock as Wrestlemania approaches, someone will have to take the reigns of RAW and be focused with the actual wrestlers that are on that show. Who else would you rather have in that role than C.M. Punk? Punk has been money in recent months and can more than easily handle a permanent role at the top. If the new Corporation were to form, you can have Punk go up against all of them one by one. Then at Wrestlemania, you can have Punk take on WWE Champion Alberto del Rio. Or maybe a Punk/HHH match with more on the line this time.
Making Punk your top face also throws out the possibility of turning John Cena full on heel during the build to Wrestlemania. Turning Cena heel is thrown out constantly, but until you can have someone replace Cena's popularity and merchandise sales, then it can't be done. If Punk is given the opportunity, he could be that next top guy. Especially if he is turned into the anti-authority figure that Stone Cold Steve Austin was. I don't think this will ever happen, but now might be the best time to turn Cena heel with C.M. Punk's popularity growing by the day. If it was up to me, I would slowly transition more TV time to Punk, and let him have the opportunity to be the next guy at the top.
That's all from me this week. I will have my Week 1 Picks up later today, and my Week 1 Review as well as my RAW Review up on Tuesday.
Until next time,
Justin C
Follow Me on Twitter @JCWonka
Monday, September 5, 2011
RAW Thoughts for 9/5/11
OH NO IT'S SUPER SHREDDER
The show opened with a video package recapping the C.M. Punk/Triple H/Kevin Nash saga.
RAW started with C.M. Punk. He said he was different. Punk said he's the best and that he can back up what he says in the ring. He said being different has also made him a target. Punk said he's scheduled to face R-Truth tonight, but would rather kick Kevin Nash's face in. Punk called Nash the soul-crushing status quo. He's had the same music since 1996 and same hair-dye since the early 90s. He said Nash shoving HHH doesn't mean anything and that he still thinks they are buddies. Punk wanted Nash to fight him like a man, which would be different for Nash. Punk looked at his wrist and told him to hurry up.
Kevin Nash came out. Nash said he doesn't listen to Punk and does what he wants. Punk ran through Nash's old nicknames like Vinnie Vegas, Oz, and SUPER SHREDDER! Punk said he likes "Big Complainer" best. Nash said every time he comes to the ring, he KO's Punk. Nash said HHH did Punk a favor. Punk said Nash hasn't been relevant since 1994. Nash started to walk to the ring.
Out came Triple H. Nash said he's tired of Punk and that he needs to be gone. Triple H said normally he would do that, but this week he found out the truth. He said the Staples Center had security footage of someone coming out of his office at SummerSlam. Triple H said the footage showed that the guy that sent the text to Triple H's phone was Nash. Nash said yeah it was him. Nash said the WWE Universe isn't big enough for him and Punk. HHH said he doesn't have a problem with that, but he has a problem with Nash. HHH said Nash has done nothing but lie to him since he came back, while Punk hasn't. Nash couldn't believe it. Nash and HHH are friends. Nash asked if it was about him pushing HHH down last week. Nash began pushing HHH and asked what he was going to do about it. HHH punched Nash, then fired him. Punk pointed and laughed at Nash and said "Best of luck in your future endeavors." OK start to the show. The text reveal seemed like way too much of a letdown with HHH not showing the footage. Which means it probably wasn't true. Survey Says: 3/5
Backstage Kevin Nash was shown leaving. John Laurinaitis got into the car with him.
It's Air Boom vs Can't Move
A non-title match next. Kofi Kingston/Evan Bourne vs Jinder Mahal/Great Khali. Mahal worked over Bourne early. Great Khali did the same thing then tagged Mahal back in. Bourne kicked Mahal in the face then tagged in Kingston. Mahal grabbed Kingston and told Khali to chop him, but Kingston ducked and Khali got Mahal. Kingston tagged in Bourne who hit Air Bourne for the win. Strong way to get over the tag champs by beating two bigger guys. Match was ok. Survey Says: 2.5/5
Alberto del Rio was shown arriving backstage with Ricardo Rodriguez.
Can Beth & Natalya Just Go By One Name?
Kelly Kelly came out before the break to be at the announce table for the Eve vs Beth Phoenix #1 Contender's Match. Natalya also joined in on commentary. Beth threw Eve into the ring post. Beth worked over Eve's left arm. Eve fought back with a clothesline and a front flip for two. Beth regained control and hit an ugly looking GlamSlam for the win. Well, the right Diva won. But there were some sloppy spots in there. Survey Says: 1.5/5
Backstage Drew McIntyre talked to Christian. Christian said he still deserves one more shot at the World Title. Alberto del Rio came by. ADR said it was John Cena's fault that Christian is not World Champ. Christian said I guess this is the part where ADR asks him to do his dirty work. ADR said Christian ate an AA last week, then 24 hours later had to wrestle in a cage match.ADR told Christian to think about it then walked off.
A video aired promoting Triple H's new movie Inside Out.
As JR Would Say: "Business Is Picking Up!"
R-Truth came out for his match with C.M. Punk. Truth said just when he thinks he's heard it all, he hasn't. Truth said C.M. Punk said he's different, which he isn't. Truth said he's been telling the Truth his whole life. Truth said he will go to Night of Champions and buy a ticket to sit in the audience just like Little Jimmy. Miz came out and said he had an epiphany. Miz said he knows there's a conspiracy and that HHH is in over his head. Miz said him and Truth will face Kofi Kingston and Evan Bourne at NOC for the Tag Titles. Truth said Air Boom is as bad as a sneaky fart. Truth said he had an epiphany, and C.M. Punk is going to get got. Punk came out for the match as the show went to commercial.
Truth worked over Punk with a head lock early on. Punk drop kicked Truth taking him to the outside. Miz was checking on Truth when Punk hit a suicide dive on Truth to the outside. Truth worked over Punk again in the ring. Truth threw Miz to the outside where Miz chop-blocked Punk. Truth worked over Punk's left leg. Punk snuck in a roll-up and backslide for two before Truth went back to the left leg. Truth went to the top but Punk crotched him and hit a SuperPlex. Punk hit a knee then a dive from the ropes. Punk went for the GTS but his leg gave out. Truth hit a seated front slam for 2. Miz grabbed Punk's leg which caused the ref to throw him out. Truth tried to take advantage but Punk hit the GTS for the win.
HHH came out after. Punk said he still doesn't buy HHH punching Nash. HHH said he didn't care. HHH said he insulted his wife and that just pinning him won't be enough. HHH said their match at Night of Champions is now No DQ. Punk said he agrees if HHH agrees to Punk's stipulation: If HHH Loses he resigns as COO. HHH agreed and walked off. Decent match. Things just picked up for NOC. Survey Says: 3/5
ADR tried to convince Wade Barrett to take out Cena. Barrett said he doesn't need to listen to him.
WOO WOO WOO!
A recap aired of the David Otunga/Michael McGillicutty/Jerry Lawler program from last week. Lawler came out and said that he never said they weren't good athletes, just that he's seem more personality in a cadaver. Lawler introduced his partner Zack Ryder. A video package of his Internet show played. Otunga/McGillicutty worked over Ryder before tagging in Lawler. Lawler worked over the two before tagging in Ryder who hit the Rough Ryder for the win. Alright stuff. Survey Says: 2/5
ADR talked to Dolph. He said there's a rumor going around about Dolph after losing to Randy Orton last week that Vickie is looking to dump Dolph. Dolph said there's a rumor going around that ADR is scared of Cena. The Bellas showed up and ADR told them to give him 5 minutes. ADR said there's a reason Vickie is looking for a new business partner, she wants someone better to fight for her.
Because When I Think RAW Super Show, I Think Heath Slater
Randy Orton flew back from Paris early to face Heath Slater. Slater got a handful of moves in before Orton regained control, hit his usual stuff, then an RKO for the win. That served zero purpose in my opinion. Survey Says: 1.5/5
Backstage, John Cena was with Zack Ryder. Cena asked who wears sunglasses indoors, a jab at The Rock, then apparently started walking towards the ring.
IT'S A BIRD, IT'S A PLANE! NO, IT'S SUPER CENA!
John Cena came out to his normal reaction. He said he's been waiting for Alberto del Rio. Cena predicted Ricardo would come out and introduce ADR, and he did. ADR said he is trying to give Cena a fighting chance at NOC. ADR said he wasn't there last week because he was trying to protect Cena. But ADR said he couldn't say the same for these guys. Out came Wade Barrett, Dolph Ziggler, Christian and Jack Swagger to attack Cena. Alex Riley, Sheamus, and John Morrison made the save. Teddy Long made an 8 man tag elimination match. Where's the RAW GM?
Back from break Wade Barrett and Alex Riley were already going at it. Barrett hit a Black Hole Slam. He went for a kick in the corner and missed. Riley tagged in Morrison while Barrett tagged Ziggler. Morrison hit some flashy offense on everyone. Swagger tagged himself in and applied the ankle lock on Morrison, forcing Morrison to tap out and become eliminated. Vickie Guerrero came out as the show went to commercial. Back from break, the heels worked over Riley. Riley fought back. Swagger tagged in and hit a Vader Bomb then applied the ankle lock, eliminating Riley. Barrett worked over Sheamus with some nice kicks. Sheamus regained control. Sheamus hit a flying shoulder tackle. Sheamus went for the Brogue kick and missed. Barrett went for the pump handle slam but Sheamus countered with a Brogue Kick, eliminating Barrett. Christian tagged in. He slapped Sheamus which pissed off Sheamus. Sheamus chased him around the arena. Both men were counted out. Swagger worked over Cena before SUPER CENA fought back. He hit a double Five Knuckle Shuffle. Swagger hit the Vader Bomb, but Dolph tagged himself in and hit the AA on Dolph, eliminating him. Swagger applied the Ankle Lock, but Cena countered into the STF, which caused Jack to tap out. Del Rio tried a sneak attack but ate an AA. Survey Says: 2.5/5
OVERALL
Not a very good show. The wrestling was just ok. The whole HHH/Punk/Nash storyline seems to have taken a bit of a wacky turn. It really seems like Punk is losing at NOC. There's no way that HHH is getting off of TV this quickly. Unless there is some huge swerve coming, HHH seems like he is winning. Cena overcame the odds again, which is nothing new. No real advancement in the Del Rio/Cena story either. Miz & Truth were entertaining, as was Punk. The wrestling was ok at best. I'm giving the show a 4.
STORYLINE TRACKER
John Cena/Alberto del Rio: No real advancement here. Del Rio got the better of Cena two weeks ago, this week Cena gets the upper hand. I still think Del Rio goes over at NOC. Not having Del Rio WWE Champ going into Mexico would just be stupid. But there's no back story here and it seems like the same old John Cena/WWE Title Feud.
C.M. Punk/HHH/Kevin Nash: There's definitely some more intrigue added into this now. Nash is fired, or will Johnny Ace hire him back? The No DQ stipulation will probably make the match quality better, but the "If HHH loses he's done as COO" stip kind of points toward HHH winning. Unless there is something bigger planned, it seems like Punk may be losing a lot of steam at NOC. Unless this is some sort of master plan for Punk to take over the WWE, it seems like it's going nowhere good.
Dolph Ziggler/Jack Swagger/Vickie Guerrero: The one positive of the main event was that Jack Swagger looked rather strong. I would like to see him get over enough that he decides he doesn't need Vickie Guerrero and turns on her and Dolph. Swagger would make a good face if given the opportunity in my opinion, and there would be no better way to get him over than to turn on Ziggler. But sadly, that probably isn't happening.
Miz/R-Truth: These two were probably the best part of the show. They work well off of each other. I'm thinking they win the Tag Titles at NOC and continue to build on their Conspiracy Theory. Hopefully, it leads to these two being the ones who reveal something big down the line, because if it doesn't then there's no point to this.
That's all from me this week. I'll have my NFC Preview up by Wednesday night.
Until next time,
Justin C
Follow me on Twitter @JCWonka
The show opened with a video package recapping the C.M. Punk/Triple H/Kevin Nash saga.
RAW started with C.M. Punk. He said he was different. Punk said he's the best and that he can back up what he says in the ring. He said being different has also made him a target. Punk said he's scheduled to face R-Truth tonight, but would rather kick Kevin Nash's face in. Punk called Nash the soul-crushing status quo. He's had the same music since 1996 and same hair-dye since the early 90s. He said Nash shoving HHH doesn't mean anything and that he still thinks they are buddies. Punk wanted Nash to fight him like a man, which would be different for Nash. Punk looked at his wrist and told him to hurry up.
Kevin Nash came out. Nash said he doesn't listen to Punk and does what he wants. Punk ran through Nash's old nicknames like Vinnie Vegas, Oz, and SUPER SHREDDER! Punk said he likes "Big Complainer" best. Nash said every time he comes to the ring, he KO's Punk. Nash said HHH did Punk a favor. Punk said Nash hasn't been relevant since 1994. Nash started to walk to the ring.
Out came Triple H. Nash said he's tired of Punk and that he needs to be gone. Triple H said normally he would do that, but this week he found out the truth. He said the Staples Center had security footage of someone coming out of his office at SummerSlam. Triple H said the footage showed that the guy that sent the text to Triple H's phone was Nash. Nash said yeah it was him. Nash said the WWE Universe isn't big enough for him and Punk. HHH said he doesn't have a problem with that, but he has a problem with Nash. HHH said Nash has done nothing but lie to him since he came back, while Punk hasn't. Nash couldn't believe it. Nash and HHH are friends. Nash asked if it was about him pushing HHH down last week. Nash began pushing HHH and asked what he was going to do about it. HHH punched Nash, then fired him. Punk pointed and laughed at Nash and said "Best of luck in your future endeavors." OK start to the show. The text reveal seemed like way too much of a letdown with HHH not showing the footage. Which means it probably wasn't true. Survey Says: 3/5
Backstage Kevin Nash was shown leaving. John Laurinaitis got into the car with him.
It's Air Boom vs Can't Move
A non-title match next. Kofi Kingston/Evan Bourne vs Jinder Mahal/Great Khali. Mahal worked over Bourne early. Great Khali did the same thing then tagged Mahal back in. Bourne kicked Mahal in the face then tagged in Kingston. Mahal grabbed Kingston and told Khali to chop him, but Kingston ducked and Khali got Mahal. Kingston tagged in Bourne who hit Air Bourne for the win. Strong way to get over the tag champs by beating two bigger guys. Match was ok. Survey Says: 2.5/5
Alberto del Rio was shown arriving backstage with Ricardo Rodriguez.
Can Beth & Natalya Just Go By One Name?
Kelly Kelly came out before the break to be at the announce table for the Eve vs Beth Phoenix #1 Contender's Match. Natalya also joined in on commentary. Beth threw Eve into the ring post. Beth worked over Eve's left arm. Eve fought back with a clothesline and a front flip for two. Beth regained control and hit an ugly looking GlamSlam for the win. Well, the right Diva won. But there were some sloppy spots in there. Survey Says: 1.5/5
Backstage Drew McIntyre talked to Christian. Christian said he still deserves one more shot at the World Title. Alberto del Rio came by. ADR said it was John Cena's fault that Christian is not World Champ. Christian said I guess this is the part where ADR asks him to do his dirty work. ADR said Christian ate an AA last week, then 24 hours later had to wrestle in a cage match.ADR told Christian to think about it then walked off.
A video aired promoting Triple H's new movie Inside Out.
As JR Would Say: "Business Is Picking Up!"
R-Truth came out for his match with C.M. Punk. Truth said just when he thinks he's heard it all, he hasn't. Truth said C.M. Punk said he's different, which he isn't. Truth said he's been telling the Truth his whole life. Truth said he will go to Night of Champions and buy a ticket to sit in the audience just like Little Jimmy. Miz came out and said he had an epiphany. Miz said he knows there's a conspiracy and that HHH is in over his head. Miz said him and Truth will face Kofi Kingston and Evan Bourne at NOC for the Tag Titles. Truth said Air Boom is as bad as a sneaky fart. Truth said he had an epiphany, and C.M. Punk is going to get got. Punk came out for the match as the show went to commercial.
Truth worked over Punk with a head lock early on. Punk drop kicked Truth taking him to the outside. Miz was checking on Truth when Punk hit a suicide dive on Truth to the outside. Truth worked over Punk again in the ring. Truth threw Miz to the outside where Miz chop-blocked Punk. Truth worked over Punk's left leg. Punk snuck in a roll-up and backslide for two before Truth went back to the left leg. Truth went to the top but Punk crotched him and hit a SuperPlex. Punk hit a knee then a dive from the ropes. Punk went for the GTS but his leg gave out. Truth hit a seated front slam for 2. Miz grabbed Punk's leg which caused the ref to throw him out. Truth tried to take advantage but Punk hit the GTS for the win.
HHH came out after. Punk said he still doesn't buy HHH punching Nash. HHH said he didn't care. HHH said he insulted his wife and that just pinning him won't be enough. HHH said their match at Night of Champions is now No DQ. Punk said he agrees if HHH agrees to Punk's stipulation: If HHH Loses he resigns as COO. HHH agreed and walked off. Decent match. Things just picked up for NOC. Survey Says: 3/5
ADR tried to convince Wade Barrett to take out Cena. Barrett said he doesn't need to listen to him.
WOO WOO WOO!
A recap aired of the David Otunga/Michael McGillicutty/Jerry Lawler program from last week. Lawler came out and said that he never said they weren't good athletes, just that he's seem more personality in a cadaver. Lawler introduced his partner Zack Ryder. A video package of his Internet show played. Otunga/McGillicutty worked over Ryder before tagging in Lawler. Lawler worked over the two before tagging in Ryder who hit the Rough Ryder for the win. Alright stuff. Survey Says: 2/5
ADR talked to Dolph. He said there's a rumor going around about Dolph after losing to Randy Orton last week that Vickie is looking to dump Dolph. Dolph said there's a rumor going around that ADR is scared of Cena. The Bellas showed up and ADR told them to give him 5 minutes. ADR said there's a reason Vickie is looking for a new business partner, she wants someone better to fight for her.
Because When I Think RAW Super Show, I Think Heath Slater
Randy Orton flew back from Paris early to face Heath Slater. Slater got a handful of moves in before Orton regained control, hit his usual stuff, then an RKO for the win. That served zero purpose in my opinion. Survey Says: 1.5/5
Backstage, John Cena was with Zack Ryder. Cena asked who wears sunglasses indoors, a jab at The Rock, then apparently started walking towards the ring.
IT'S A BIRD, IT'S A PLANE! NO, IT'S SUPER CENA!
John Cena came out to his normal reaction. He said he's been waiting for Alberto del Rio. Cena predicted Ricardo would come out and introduce ADR, and he did. ADR said he is trying to give Cena a fighting chance at NOC. ADR said he wasn't there last week because he was trying to protect Cena. But ADR said he couldn't say the same for these guys. Out came Wade Barrett, Dolph Ziggler, Christian and Jack Swagger to attack Cena. Alex Riley, Sheamus, and John Morrison made the save. Teddy Long made an 8 man tag elimination match. Where's the RAW GM?
Back from break Wade Barrett and Alex Riley were already going at it. Barrett hit a Black Hole Slam. He went for a kick in the corner and missed. Riley tagged in Morrison while Barrett tagged Ziggler. Morrison hit some flashy offense on everyone. Swagger tagged himself in and applied the ankle lock on Morrison, forcing Morrison to tap out and become eliminated. Vickie Guerrero came out as the show went to commercial. Back from break, the heels worked over Riley. Riley fought back. Swagger tagged in and hit a Vader Bomb then applied the ankle lock, eliminating Riley. Barrett worked over Sheamus with some nice kicks. Sheamus regained control. Sheamus hit a flying shoulder tackle. Sheamus went for the Brogue kick and missed. Barrett went for the pump handle slam but Sheamus countered with a Brogue Kick, eliminating Barrett. Christian tagged in. He slapped Sheamus which pissed off Sheamus. Sheamus chased him around the arena. Both men were counted out. Swagger worked over Cena before SUPER CENA fought back. He hit a double Five Knuckle Shuffle. Swagger hit the Vader Bomb, but Dolph tagged himself in and hit the AA on Dolph, eliminating him. Swagger applied the Ankle Lock, but Cena countered into the STF, which caused Jack to tap out. Del Rio tried a sneak attack but ate an AA. Survey Says: 2.5/5
OVERALL
Not a very good show. The wrestling was just ok. The whole HHH/Punk/Nash storyline seems to have taken a bit of a wacky turn. It really seems like Punk is losing at NOC. There's no way that HHH is getting off of TV this quickly. Unless there is some huge swerve coming, HHH seems like he is winning. Cena overcame the odds again, which is nothing new. No real advancement in the Del Rio/Cena story either. Miz & Truth were entertaining, as was Punk. The wrestling was ok at best. I'm giving the show a 4.
STORYLINE TRACKER
John Cena/Alberto del Rio: No real advancement here. Del Rio got the better of Cena two weeks ago, this week Cena gets the upper hand. I still think Del Rio goes over at NOC. Not having Del Rio WWE Champ going into Mexico would just be stupid. But there's no back story here and it seems like the same old John Cena/WWE Title Feud.
C.M. Punk/HHH/Kevin Nash: There's definitely some more intrigue added into this now. Nash is fired, or will Johnny Ace hire him back? The No DQ stipulation will probably make the match quality better, but the "If HHH loses he's done as COO" stip kind of points toward HHH winning. Unless there is something bigger planned, it seems like Punk may be losing a lot of steam at NOC. Unless this is some sort of master plan for Punk to take over the WWE, it seems like it's going nowhere good.
Dolph Ziggler/Jack Swagger/Vickie Guerrero: The one positive of the main event was that Jack Swagger looked rather strong. I would like to see him get over enough that he decides he doesn't need Vickie Guerrero and turns on her and Dolph. Swagger would make a good face if given the opportunity in my opinion, and there would be no better way to get him over than to turn on Ziggler. But sadly, that probably isn't happening.
Miz/R-Truth: These two were probably the best part of the show. They work well off of each other. I'm thinking they win the Tag Titles at NOC and continue to build on their Conspiracy Theory. Hopefully, it leads to these two being the ones who reveal something big down the line, because if it doesn't then there's no point to this.
That's all from me this week. I'll have my NFC Preview up by Wednesday night.
Until next time,
Justin C
Follow me on Twitter @JCWonka
Friday, August 26, 2011
The WWE Fall Fantasy Outlook
The end of August is fast approaching. That means the end of summer. While most people don't like that, it also means the start of football season. And for someone like me, it also means fantasy football time. I don't know how many people take part in fantasy football leagues. I'm assuming it's in the millions. I take part in 4 money leagues myself. It's addicting. This week of the year is usually when the most fantasy drafts take place. I have two on Sunday myself. Everybody is studying up on players, looking at schedules, and checking on injury statuses before drafting certain players. It's more work than some people think. You have to put some time into it if you want to succeed and win some money in the end.
So what does all of this have to do with my column this week? Well, I decided to look at the WWE's current roster and use fantasy football terms to identify certain superstars. Now I won't be doing a whole draft because doing a draft with one person isn't fun. Basically, what I will be doing is this: Looking at guys I would take with the top overall pick, breakthrough stars, sleepers, busts, etc. I'll be judging these wrestlers with predictions about how they will perform between the September-December time period. By the end of this time period, you can usually tell who is in line to get a big push come Wrestlemania time. I will also be looking at RAW and Smackdown separately, not as one big WWE Universe. It's more fun that way.
So what does all of this have to do with my column this week? Well, I decided to look at the WWE's current roster and use fantasy football terms to identify certain superstars. Now I won't be doing a whole draft because doing a draft with one person isn't fun. Basically, what I will be doing is this: Looking at guys I would take with the top overall pick, breakthrough stars, sleepers, busts, etc. I'll be judging these wrestlers with predictions about how they will perform between the September-December time period. By the end of this time period, you can usually tell who is in line to get a big push come Wrestlemania time. I will also be looking at RAW and Smackdown separately, not as one big WWE Universe. It's more fun that way.
RAW
#1 Overall Pick: C.M. Punk
I'm sure there could be some debate with this pick. But my Smackdown one will probably cause more of a debate. No C.M. Punk is not the WWE Champion. He's also lost a bit of steam since his hot streak in July. He's also not John Cena, the WWE's Top Dog. But he's not suppose to be. Despite all of this, Punk is still the best thing going right now on WWE TV. He has the most potential going for him out of anybody on the roster. If handled properly, he could be on the verge of becoming the next big mega-star. Punk has had all of this potential his whole career. It's just a shame that the WWE has taken so long to tap all of this potential.
Even if he stays away from the WWE Championship picture, Punk will more than likely continue to be the main focus of RAW. His mic work continues to be the best the WWE has seen in years. He can rip anybody he wants to shreds. His in ring work is also great. His two matches with John Cena at Money in the Bank and SummerSlam were top notch. Everything seems to be pointing towards a C.M. Punk/Triple H match down the line. Punk is the anti-authority figure the WWE has been sorely missing since the days of Stone Cold, and Punk and HHH have a unique dynamic between them. There match should be great and the slow build to it should be even better. C.M. Punk is easily the best thing going in the WWE right now and is worthy of RAW's #1 Overall Pick, and the #1 pick in any type of full WWE Roster Draft.
Sleeper Pick: Jack Swagger
I had a tough time coming up with someone for this post. There's just very few things to like about RAW's mid-card nowadays. At least there was some storyline developments this week. I'm curious to see where Creative plans on going with the Jack Swagger/Dolph Ziggler/Vickie Guerrero dynamic. It seems like the two will refuse to get along. I like the idea of a heel stable lead by Vickie Guerrero, something similar to the Heenan Family from the 80s/90s. But I don't think that is happening. At this point, I would much rather see a program between Jack Swagger and Dolph Ziggler than Dolph Ziggler and Alex Riley. I think all the momentum from Alex Riley's program with the Miz is down the drain. He's still a bit too green inside the ring as well.
I was very high on Swagger during the whole Michael Cole/Jerry Lawler/Jim Ross angle. WWE, in my opinion, dropped the ball on a potential Swagger face turn. Cole had so much heat that had Swagger turned on Cole and put him in the ankle lock it could have gotten a very good pop. The WWE is lacking a third quality face on RAW behind John Cena and C.M. Punk. Why not give Swagger a try? Having him turn or snap on Vickie may get even more heat than he could have gotten from doing the same thing to Cole. This scenario seems unlikely but it's something I would give the WWE credit for if they tried.
Bust: John Morrison
Now I said RAW was lacking a #3 face behind Punk and Cena. If you would have asked me about John Morrison at the beginning of this year, I would have told you he'd be a main eventer by now and on the cusp of winning his first WWE or World Title. There was so much untapped potential in Morrison. He's very athletic and could perform in the ring. I thought for sure he was going to fight Miz for the WWE Championship at the Royal Rumble. I nice month long main event program would have done wonders for Morrison. Especially main eventing a PPV where he wouldn't be the main focus. His mic work wasn't great, but that's something that can always be worked on.
Fast forward to present day, and oh how so much has changed. First there was the "Wrestlemania Debacle," where Morrison apparently cold-shouldered Trish Stratus and thought she stole Melina's Wrestlemania spot. Then Morrison was hurt and missed a couple months of action. I would have loved to see a return match been built up between him and R-Truth at SummerSlam, but instead all of their matches took place on RAW. Morrison was pretty much jobbed out the first month of his return. It didn't help that his girlfriend Melina was apparently a pain in the ass backstage. Now Morrison is stuck with nothing on RAW. He can still be the #3 face on RAW, and he kind of is now by default, but I don't see that lasting. Even a run with the United States Championship wouldn't do too much for Morrison at this point. No matter how you cut it, Morrison's outlook doesn't look great and I can't see it changing anytime soon.
Breakout Star: R-Truth
Even though his character isn't as hot as it was at the beginning of the summer, there's still something to like about R-Truth. His heel turn has made Truth the most relevant he's been his whole career. While his program with John Cena ended up being a disappointment in the end, it still helped elevate him a bit. His matches recently have been better. He had a good match with Rey Mysterio in the WWE Title Tournament, and he's had two good matches with John Morrison.
Now R-Truth is teamed together with the Miz, and they are both out to find the "conspiracy" in the WWE. These are two guys who were main eventing PPVs in the Spring, now they're stuck in the mid-card. They're buried underneath Punk, Cena, and now Alberto del Rio. Truth can learn a lot from Miz. He was WWE Champion for 6 months. Miz learned how to handle himself in the main event scene, and I would say right now is still better than R-Truth. This should motivate Truth to work a little harder to get on the same level as Miz on the mic and in the ring. If their promo on RAW is any indication, then Truth and Miz should make for a good team. And if they win the Tag Titles and can appear on both shows, they should be even more entertaining. I hope R-Truth continues to be his entertaining, out of whack self but improves in other areas to bring his game to the next level.
Smackdown
#1 Overall Pick: Mark Henry
Whats that you say? Surprised by this pick? Well let me explain it to you. First of all, I can't say it enough: Mark Henry's current push he is getting has been absolutely awesome. It's something that should have been done years ago. The WWE has lacked a monster heel like Mark Henry for ages. It's part of the reason people have lacked interest in the current WWE product. The heels aren't a serious threat anymore. But Mark Henry is being portrayed as one, which is a good thing.
As I've said, Henry's push has been handled perfectly. He's looked like a badass the entire time. Whether it'd be spearing Big Show off the ramp or putting him through the cage, shoving Sheamus through the ringside barrier at SummerSlam, or destroying everyone eliminated in the Battle Royal last week, Henry has made an impact. He's standing out in the eyes of everyone. Even people who have criticized Henry his entire career are enjoying his recent run. It's mostly because his actual matches are being kept short and to the point. Henry hasn't been forced to work a long match in the ring. Now that's going to have to change if he is going to be in the World Title picture. He will need to be able to work a 15 minute match.
Now why take Henry first overall? It's simple: this megapush will end in a World Title run for Mark Henry. Anything else would be considered a major disappointment. Sooner rather than later, Mark Henry will be the World Champion. The guy's been with the WWE for 15 years and has never had a World Title run. Last year the WWE rewarded Kane for being a company man, and there's no reason I can't see the WWE doing the same thing with Henry. Mark Henry will be World Champion by the end of the fall, and that's why he's the #1 pick on Smackdown.
Sleeper: Wade Barrett
Some may question this pick to, but I still have some hope with Wade Barrett. He just showed so much last year as the leader of Nexus that I can't think that will go over looked. Barrett can handle himself on the mic and with the right guy can put on an entertaining match. Barrett picked up a nice win at SummerSlam over Daniel Bryan in a very good match. I wish the WWE would have kept with a program between the two. Maybe have Barrett challenge Bryan for the Smackdown MITB Briefcase at Night of Champions. The contract surrounds the World Title. It would fit in the theme of the PPV.
This past Friday on Smackdown Barrett refused to wrestle a local jobber on Smackdown and walked off, saying he was better than that. He talked about how he was the leader of a group that took out John Cena, Vince McMahon, and various WWE Legends. I'm interested to see if this maybe leads to something. As much as I love Christian, his time in the main event seems like it is coming to the end. Mark Henry's time is coming, but Wade Barrett may be next in line after that. With Rock/Cena already main eventing Wrestlemania next year, and the potential of a very hot C.M. Punk/HHH match, the WWE can take some risks with their Title matches. Maybe Barrett is involved in the World Title match, such as a Triple Threat with Daniel Bryan and Randy Orton. How do you do that? Win the Royal Rumble. Or maybe Taker, if healthy, takes on The Undertaker. I'll continue to say it: Wade Barrett has worlds of potential in him, the WWE just needs to find a way to utilize it.
Bust: Christian
Let me start off by saying that Christian's extended main event run has been good. I enjoyed finally seeing Christian at the top. His matches with Randy Orton ranged from good to very great. Their last two matches at Money in the Bank and SummerSlam were both main event quality and had it not been for a red hot Cena/Punk program they could have easily ended both shows. Christian showed that he is more than capable of stepping up his game to the main event level and that he can handle himself perfectly fine at the top.
Now, having said all of this, I find it hard to believe Christian will keep up this momentum once he's done with Randy Orton. I think after this Tuesday's live Smackdown, unless something changes, Christian will be done with Randy Orton. Where he goes from there remains a mystery. But the fact of the matter is that any program Christian goes into next will be a step down from Randy Orton and the World Title. Sure potential matches with Sheamus and Daniel Bryan could be good, but they will be a notch down from Randy Orton. While I'm sure Christian will continue to be entertaining as both a character and in ring performer, I think his time in the main event is coming to an end for now.
Breakout Star: Cody Rhodes
I'm torn here. I just talked about the world's of potential Wade Barrett has. But watching Smackdown, the same could be said about Cody Rhodes. It's nice to see him finally walking around with the Intercontinental Championship. It's much better than seeing Ezekiel Jackson with it. Cody talked about elevating the IC Title now that he has it, and I would love to see Cody do that. Cody Rhodes has been fantastic since taking his character to a whole new darker level. Cody's mic work is top notch. He gets his points across in a short, effective matter.
Even though Cody is stuck behind Mark Henry just like Wade Barrett, the potential is there for him to get to the next level. If Cody really wants to elevate the Intercontinental Title, he can do it with good matches against the likes of Daniel Bryan, Sheamus, hell maybe even Wade Barrett. Cody just like Wade could be in the World Title match at Wrestlemania. Cody Rhodes interaction with Randy Orton the last two weeks is a good starting point for him. There's plenty of back story between Rhodes and Orton to play off of. It's really a toss up between Barrett and Rhodes for me, but if I'm "drafting" Smackdown guys, I'm probably taking Rhodes ahead of Barrett. Having the IC Title around his waste gives him more opportunities in the coming months compared to Barrett. Plus it guarantees him a PPV match at Night of Champions, something Barrett does not have.
That's all from me this week. Hope you guys enjoyed my Fantasy Football spin on the WWE.
Until next time,
Justin C
JC's Top Rope Report
Follow Me on Twitter @JCWonka
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