Mr. McMahon Is NOT Dead!

Just a week after I asked how long it would take Mr. McMahon to get directly involved in Bret Hart's angle as Raw GM, Vince McMahon returned to Raw tonight. I enjoyed seeing him back. Did anyone actually believe those reports that his character was done?

He definitely did plant some seeds of still wanting to screw Bret Hart. It is not too clear what his plan is, but he was his usual energetic self with his promo. It is not like he has to answer to and please those creative writers. He can do pretty much whatever he wants. But what does he have planned for Bret? It seems like he wants Bret to fold under the pressure of being GM. He wants to kill Bret's enjoyment in his job. So far, nothing has really materialized to push Bret in that direction. Will Mr. McMahon have a heavy hand in creating these problems? That question is what will keep the storyline interest going.

Vacation Over For Taker

The Undertaker is officially back. It may have been hard to tell that he ever left, since he did pop up on occasion when the WWE needed him since Wrestlemania. Last year, Taker took a hiatus after Wrestlemania too. That lasted until Summerslam in August. His 2010 post-Wrestlemania vacation lasted until roughly the end of May. Short.

What do you do with him? Yes, he is obviously back in the title hunt again. There is also talk of him taking on Swagger at Summerslam. It would do Swagger good to go at it with a guy like The Undertaker. I know that they did it before on Raw, but it will be for the title this time. It will be a real feud this time. I really do not think Taker will regain the title. I do not think he should so fast. His first few title reigns had been spaced out horribly and did not last long, but his most recent reign made up for that. He defended the title a lot. He defended against a lot of top guys.

If Taker should not get the title back, what do I think the WWE should do with him? Obviously, just using him to put over Jack Swagger in a straight title feud is not enough. Taker is worth more than that. I think the WWE needs to design another epic feud for him. It can be with jack Swagger, but I do not feel the title needs to be involved. Taker has had epic feuds with the likes of Big Show, Edge, and Randy Orton. There is always a series of matches, including some gimmick matches. Like caskets? Burying people? Do I even need to mention Hell in a Cell? These are the kind of feuds that the fans will love to see Taker involved in. Problem is, who should he feud with? I already said that it need not be Jack Swagger. How about the other heel setting his sights on gold? CM Punk. They had a slightly epic feud last year, but I think more can be done. I know many fans were disappointed by the Hell in a Cell match they had last year. Give them another chance? Other than Punk and Swagger, the only other heel really on the rise is Drew McIntyre. Too soon for him? I remember Kennedy feuding with Taker in a series of matches a few years ago. Kennedy was not a main-eventer at the time. He had never held a World Championship. He still has never held one. Nevertheless, feuds like that helped build him. Does McIntyre deserve this? It is an option.

The Undertaker is the legend of Smackdown. With Shawn Michaels gone, Taker may be arguably the greatest legend left in the WWE. Imagine how he can help build the younger stars. Imagine the creative feuds you can have with his gimmick and legacy. I hope the WWE does not waste too much time in planning something good.

Victoria Back To WWE?

Victoria (Tara) is gone from TNA. That is old news. The talk about her possibly returning to the WWE must now come up. I am sure diva fans are clapping their hands and are all giddy at Victoria possibly returning. If I still cared about women's wrestling as much as I used to, I am sure many would be expecting me to have a big smile on my face and give false hope to all the great things that will happen with her potential return. Even if I was writing a pro-diva blog, I would still feel that it would be hypocritically stupid of both parties involved if this deal went through.


Why would the WWE be so specifically eager to get Victoria back? I understand that their recent stupidity has left them with a division needing a little more credible women wrestlers. However, I am sure they can remedy that by finally pushing Serena, Natalya, and Gail Kim better. Repeating what I just said, why specifically Victoria? She did not really reach the level Gail Kim did in TNA. Taking Victoria will not really cripple TNA that much. Let me rephrase the question. Why NOT Victoria? Why should the WWE not want her back? How about how she left the company? She gave off the impression that she wanted to retire. The WWE did not hand her a title in her final match, but they let her give a farewell in the WWE ring. There is a bit of respect to her in that. Victoria goes on to jump to TNA. At least when Ric Flair retired years ago, he initially intended to actually never wrestle again. When Victoria "retired" last year, she knew exactly what she intended to do next, and it was not to retire from wrestling. Fine, maybe she meant "retire" from the WWE. Fine. But now she wants to come back? Why should the WWE respect that? Victoria played with the WWE before. I do not feel that is something they should overlook in deciding whether they want her back.


Was the grass not greener, Victoria? It is not hard to see why Victoria wanted to "retire" from the WWE when she did. She was not being respected. Last time I checked, things are getting worse, not better. Is Victoria that desperate for money? The fact that she was not enjoying her treatment before is obviously a main reason in her decision to jump ship. The treatment will not improve. Does she not remember being left off of a commercial for the Smackdown women that included everyone else but her and Natalya? I remember her complaining a few months ago about the WWE not showing proper appreciation to her when they left her off a list of influential women in the WWE. Really, Victoria? The WWE dropped both Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair from their intro since they went to TNA, but you expect them to include someone they saw as a tool like you on a list honoring women, none of whom were in TNA at the time but you? I do not feel Victoria may properly appreciate working in the WWE. Then again, maybe the fact that she left TNA may have opened her eyes. The WWE does treat their women like crap. But if you want to return their, you better be prepared for it.


Victoria played with the WWE. The WWE mistreated her. Why would either of them want to enter this again? Victoria has not gotten any younger. She has not done anything to really warrant the WWE to take her back. The WWE has been putting titles more and more on the eye-candy women. That is a sign of the direction they are headed. If Victoria actually wants back in the WWE, and gets it, I hope she gets exactly what she deserves.

McIntyre Still Going Strong

You can have the best of both worlds sometimes. I wanted Kofi Kingston to win the Intercontinental Championship, and that happened. However, Drew McIntyre was not exactly kicked to the curb. Right after the loss a few days ago, McIntyre got some segment time to still show his character. On Smackdown, he proved that he still has Mr. McMahon on his team. He still has his angle going for him. In the end, that will count for so much.

What does the future hold for Kofi and McIntyre? The WWE booked Kofi's last title reign very well in one way. He got a lot of title defenses. What it lacked was storyline creativity. Will that happen to Kofi again? It depends whether he even gets through McIntyre, who has a rematch coming. I would hate to see them give the title back to Drew so fast, but you never can tell with the way they book him. I would rather see Drew continue his feud with Teddy Long without the title. It may do a lot in sending Drew to the main event. That is where they want him, right? Just like Sheamus?

Mr. Anderson Has The Mic

The angle between Jeff Hardy and Mr. Anderson is pretty good. Mr. Anderson, Kennedy to the WWE Universe, delivered pretty well with his promos on Impact this week. Whoever said this guy lacked charisma and mic skills? But I really did like it especially this week. Jeff Hardy did his thing too.

The angle revolves around Kennedy trying to turn face. A lot of examples of this in pro wrestling history. In recent memory, and since I used to write about divas, the WWE had Maryse play respectable and good for a few weeks with Gail Kim. Maryse ended up only faking the turn to have fun at Gail's expense. TNA is not throwing things clearly into one direction to make you think that Anderson is either face for no hidden reason or heel in sheep's clothing. That added element of uncertainty is not the only reason I like this story more than what the WWE pulled a few months ago. As I said before, Kennedy is delivering with his character. Maryse did not do that. I do not care if Maryse wants to play evil in French. Anderson does not need to bust out a different language every five minutes to keep me interested. I do not care about any homosexual tension between him and Jeff. I say that because I recall some fans seeing lesbian tension between Gail and Maryse. Wow! I do not need that. Lastly, I am liking this angle more because I do not think it will get a lackluster finish or development like the WWE diva angle got. Gail reveals she speaks and understands French. Then? Done. Stupid. Maryse gets the title. This TNA angle can possibly be what I wanted to see from the WWE diva angle.

I am not going to try to predict what TNA has planned for Kennedy. Is this all part of a cunning heel plan? Will he try to be face, but then some issue with another face forces him to snap and go heel again? Will Jeff turn heel? I have my doubts on that last one. I am just going to sit back and enjoy it. This is something I actually can enjoy.

Batista Is Gone

How could I not talk about Batista leaving the WWE? I was talking about the new GM? The U.S. title? Bret Hart? The Great Khali? What about Batista? Mr. Spotlight! Quite possibly the biggest ass in the WWE for a long time! How can I not pay tribute to him?

I thought Batista was an idiot since they really started pushing him. Before that, while he was Devon's sidekick, I did not care about him at all. He got on the right peoples' sides and became a star. He became huge. I cannot deny that. After reading a lot of reports, I also cannot deny that this guy has been an ass to many, both men and women, both fans and wrestlers. I do not really want to hear what story he has to tell about the tough life he has had, that does not give him a right to be a jerk.

Most people will find Batista funny for the little awkward moments he has had. Basketballs don't hold grudges? Always asking for rematches? Yes, he created fads for many Internet fans. In how stupid they were, even I got some amusement from them. And I have to admit that I did find his final run as a heel funny, especially when they had him become a total ass to get heat. He was not really getting it before he took his character there. However, part of me believes that it was really not that hard for him to pretend to be a jerk and ass. For Dave Batista, it seems to just come natural.

With the way he went out, part of me does not think this is over. He may just return one day for something. I doubt he will go to TNA. They probably could not afford him. If he wants to do MMA, fine. Acting? Go ahead. I do not really care. I will not be tuning in to check up on him.

The WWE is not crippled with the less of Dave Batista. Raw was stacked with heels. Both Jericho and Edge, who turned heel on his first night back on Raw, were sent over from Smackdown. Sheamus is still being pushed hard. A guy like Miz practically has one foot in the main event. Smackdown has Swagger, Punk, and can build new stars, such as Drew McIntyre. With Batista gone, there may actually be more freshness in the WWE. Well, depending on how fresh you think John Cena vs. Sheamus or John Cena vs. Edge or John Cena vs. Orton can be. Just toss all four in the same ring. That is your next PPV.

New Raw GM? Bret Hart!

Not only is Bret Hart not going away, he has been made the new GM of Raw. Well, there are a few good things from that. First, guest host crap should be less worse now. Second, Bret Hart will probably not be "wrestling" as much now. He should not have been in matches in the first place, but at least now he has a role that will see him facing people less. Third, he vacated the U.S. Championship.

R-Truth defeated Miz to win the vacated title. About time R-Truth won a title since coming back to the WWE. He is popular and entertaining in the ring. The WWE seemed interested to push him for a while now, but giving him the title will make that easier. I do feel bad for Miz. Loss after loss. They had built him up so well a long time ago. I am not saying they are undoing him. He lost in a good match and had promo time before the match. I just hope they find something for him. As for the title itself, I think it would have been more creative to prolong a feud until the PPV to crown a new Champion. Do something like they did for the Diva's Championship, only not kill the hype in favor of Smackdown's Trish Stratus.

Back to Bret Hart. Vince McMahon does still run things, right? All the reports about them killing his character off aside, even if it was possible to wipe him out of history without faking another death, he is still the figurehead. Just like the WWE continues to bring up Trish Stratus's name as some kind of diva goddess every other woman must strive to be like, Vince is still being brought up. Sooner or later, he will return. I am anticipating some kind of good swerve. In terms of storyline, what evil motivation led to Vince allowing Bret to be GM? This may not come to fruition for a while, if at all, but I guess that is what will keep viewers tuning in.

Randy Orton Injured At Over The Limit

Hilarity on a pole! Randy Orton injured himself at Over The Limit while doing his act before trying for an RKO. Some kind of arm injury. Kofi Kingston should be asking Randy Orton who is stupid now. I have always said I like Orton's taunts, but the guy can go overboard sometimes. I will admit this. If he really got upset about Kofi Kingston not giving him enough time for his act a few months ago, I hope he enjoyed having all the time in the world tonight to get injured. Besides, getting injured like that is just too funny. Vintage Orton!

Of course, I am hoping he recovers soon. I am still an Orton fan. If he is on the shelf for a while, his feud with Edge will have to take a break. The match ended in a double countout. Nothing can be settled like that. We will see what Orton comes back with next. He should just stick to the Orton pose.

Carlito Released

Carlito has been released by the WWE for apparently something related to their wellness policy. So much for The Colons. The WWE is not in too tough a spot, since it looked like they were going to get used, but not get a real great push anyway. Regal and Kozlov can fill in as a heel tag team on Raw.

I can keep this simple. No real sorrow for Carlito being released. On some occasions, it was clear that he was not enthusiastic about working for the WWE, and I am not talking about just complaints he made on TV in kayfabe. He seemed to just want his release at times. He got it. I am not putting full blame on Carlito. If he was not happy in the WWE, if he feels the WWE was overlooking him, if he is upset about his treatment, I can understand that it is sometimes hard to put your heart in your work. He is a good worker deep down inside. Some people can absorb mistreatment and still give it their all. Others have a bit of self-respect that demands they take only so much. It is not always easy to condemn either of these type of people. Carlito has wrestling in his name. I am sure this is not the end of him.

Big Show Has A Chance?

A few weeks ago, I said that Big Show pretty much had no chance of winning the title with Jack Swagger. Time has gone by. The WWE had a chance to develop this feud further. The PPV is this Sunday. How have things changed?

It is still pretty obvious that Jack Swagger will probably walk away with his title. Nothing wrong with that, since he has really only had one successful title defense at a PPV so far. If they really care about him becoming a big deal, they really got to build him up against stronger main-eventers. That is why Big Show is a giant tool.

For the sake of making things more interesting, I do wish they shifted momentum throughout the weeks better. And I am a little disappointed that Big Show was not featured at all last Monday. Swagger was. They flew in Taker. Vickie was there for a segment. Big Show may not mind, and maybe many of his fans may not either, but that does not seem totally respectful to me. Big Show is in the Smackdown main event right now. If you are going to have a special Raw, and one right before a PPV, and one that will feature Big Show's opponent anyway, why not have him do commentary or something?

The way Big Show has been built, how can you not feel that he is something of a big bully? Some may actually want to see Swagger win. Maybe that is what the WWE wants. Don't just expect it, want it. And since things look so bad for Swagger going into his big match, I am expecting a successful defense. Again, I am not saying I do not want it, but where does Big Show go after?

Michael Cole Finally Getting His Push?

Do you remember Coach? He started off as just an interviewer. Most would have easily looked over him in many interactions, except maybe when The Rock was humiliating him. He turned heel. He started wrestling. He was even undefeated at PPVs for a while. He ran Raw a bit. He became a big deal. From humble beginnings.

A lot of people like to poke fun at Michael Cole. Over the past year or so, he has really been even mocking himself. He has been showing a bit more character here and there. He even turned into something of a heel for NXT. His issues with Bryan Danielson will not end that easy. Is it time for Cole to be more than just a commentator? Does he want to be? What can he do? A minor feud with Danielson? They will never have to wrestle a real match, but they can just follow the path of Bret Hart. How about Cole becomes his manager? Either he learns to respect Danielson or Danielson turns heel. The WWE just seems to really be pushing that Cole is more than a guy who calls matches now. I would expect something more to come from that.

What will happen to the Raw announce team if Cole got involved in angles? Should he stop announcing, would this not free up a spot for Jim Ross to return? I am sure Raw is where he would want to be anyway. Problem is, does the WWE want him back? Does the WWE really want to even start down this path? All speculation.

Where Does Miz Go After Jericho?

Over the last few weeks, Miz has gone from holding two different titles to only hoping he can get some of that back. Assuming Miz and Jericho never win the tag titles in the weeks to come, what happens to Miz? I cannot picture this duo sticking around for long if they do not win the gold. Why am I not asking this question about Jericho? I do not think I really need to. Chris Jericho can step into a main-event feud and no one would wonder why. He can go after a midcard title and it would just be business as usual. He can step into a feud with Randy Orton. He can do a lot of things. There are tons of options for this man. What about Miz?

The past few months have been used to build Miz's main-event credibility. Big Show was supposed to give him a rub by being his partner. Miz definitely was in the main event a few times. I am not surprised that the WWE now placed Miz with Jericho. Jericho can help make Miz look like his equal as well. I do not think it is too hard to picture that and even see it working. Arguably, Miz did not need Jericho to start a feud with Bret Hart and his gang. On the other hand, does it make it a little easier to buy that a guy like the Miz is worthy of this feud?

Honestly, I would have Miz regain the United States Championship after Bret Hart. Disregarding the tag titles for a moment, Jericho may still have reason to be in the picture if Miz is still on Bret's back.

Forget all the belts now. Assume Miz does not get the U.S. Championship back in the near future and does not regain the tag gold either. Assume the Harts move on. I am having a tough time thinking about what Miz and Jericho can do together on Raw. I can say they can use Miz as Jericho's sidekick, much like Lance Cade was under Jericho years ago. Problem is, as I said before, that is not really what they have been trying with Miz. They have been trying to make the fans buy that this guy fits in the main event. They are not doing an angle about a veteran pulling Miz up from the midcard, but that is what they are subtlety trying to accomplish. Looking at the other side, I can say they can use Jericho as Miz's lackey......the day that happens will be the day I actually start finding Michelle McCool's attempts at being charismatic entertaining. Who would Miz and Jericho feud with? If they cannot be pushed as equals against another team, and assuming pushing both against one person will not be easy, will it be time to split up?

There will be two options for Miz after Jericho. First, and most obvious, a singles push. Will John Cena have finished up with Sheamus by this time? Will Miz move on to Randy Orton? This will test how well Miz handles a main-event feud by himself. The WWE booked his previous feud with Cena rather poorly. Second option, and following the path Miz has been on for a while, find him another tag-team partner to give him a rub in the main event. Who is really left? Edge? I cannot picture Miz teaming with Sheamus.

If the WWE does not follow anything close to these two paths, he may be stuck in the midcard on Raw. He may get lost in the shuffle. For some reason, I do not think they want to do that to Miz. They will give him something good. I am just waiting for the day they let him stand on his own in the main event.

DiBiase Gets His Virgil

Tony Atlas is gone, but the WWE decides to utilize the original Virgil? I am not complaining. Unlike Bret Hart, it does not look like Virgil will pretend he is 100% able to wrestle, having a bunch of guys do the brunt of the work for him, and then win titles. His time has gone by, but he can still be useful in the current storyline involving Ted DiBiase Jr.

When I said that this thing going on with DiBiase had potential to be very interesting, having the original Virgil himself be his valet was not something I thought about. I think this can be good. Show how Virgil's character has grown, if at all. Will he still put up with this kind of crap? He did not look very pleased about things on Raw. Will DiBiase keep a strong hold on him? This can lead to R-Truth potentially fighting to "free" Virgil. Storylines like that have been done before, I know, but this current thing with DiBiase may be calling for it.

For those of you who did not like the WWE poking fun at weight, how do you like the WWE basically playing with slavery? There is nothing racist going on here, right? Whether I am going too far or not, I understand that they are trying to tell a story here. Sooner or later, DiBiase will get what he has coming and Virgil will surely leave with some respect....Then get released.

Even after all that is done, do not forget that DiBiase still has his dad's title belt and the trust fund. The angle involving Virgil may end, but there will still be possibilities for Ted DiBiase Jr. Time will tell where he goes next.

Bret, Just Leave

Bret Hart's "match" at Wrestlemania was bad enough. I could let that go as something needed for a storyline that was overdue by a decade. I could even stomach him hanging around after that if it meant helping the Hart Dynasty out a bit in their face turn and finally getting over. Those two missions were accomplished. I was looking forward to this being the end of Bret tonight.

The best there is, the best there was, and the best there ever will be. Is that not hype some people would love living on? Why would they want to ruin it? That is what Bret Hart has done. Bret Hart defeated The Miz to win the United States Championship. Once again, the "match" was pathetic. It was a glorified segment, not a real match. I hope Canada enjoyed it.

WWE does not need Bret Hart the same way TNA needs these old guys who will not quit. TNA is trying to draw with big names to be able to compete. WWE is already the powerhouse. They have built Cena extraordinarily, not to mention others. Can Bret Hart really draw that well on his own? And at least guys like Flair can get beaten up in a match and get in to some fights without it looking too PG. All Bret can do is his Sharpshooter? Oh, and summon people to do everything else for him? This is how he wants to go out?

I am not upset about Miz losing the title. He held it for a long time. Like many people who hold a title for a long time in the WWE, he was not defending it much. I can even understand a heel like Miz taking a humiliating loss. It happens. But I do not think Miz should have lost it to Bret Hart. What happens to all those fans who thought Bryan Danielson would take Bret's place and take the title? Did not happen. For months, many fans wanted this guy's first WWE win to be taking the title off Miz. Will not happen now. His first win was a tag match on Raw before he got eliminated. Miz can still regain the title and lose it to Danielson, but the long reign has already ended. Some of the fuel is lost.

What is done is done. Moolah got a final joke reign, so why not Bret? I am not saying these legends do not deserve to be honored, but handing them wrestling titles after there time is done is not always the way. In my mind, it is more of a disappointment with Bret Hart. So much hype over his wrestling ability. He talks about guys who will not quit when they should. If Bret Hart cannot do anything in that ring to really grab the fans' respect anymore, I do not want to see him.

Who Likes The Champ?

WWE finally decided to let Swagger be a little fun again. Good move. Not every guy in the main event needs to turn into serious Orton. If they really care about Swagger getting over, having his character be somewhat likable will help. Overpush + Dry Charisma =/= Sure Recipe For Success. When the average fan really does latch on to Jack Swagger, the WWE can then decide again whether they want a very serious heel running things.

Swagger likes to brag? Well, it is better to let him hype himself as a big deal than waste time with videos overrating him. Let him overrate himself. Give that to the fans to hate. I know some fans will do the opposite and just fall in love with Swagger even more. Point is, I like this direction for Swagger.

Things still look too much in favor of Big Show. Still seems like Swagger will be retaining against him. Too obvious? Wish the WWE would spread the momentum around better? They still may. I honestly do not think a guy like Big Show even needs a huge injection of momentum just to lose to Jack Swagger to try to get him over. I think Swagger really does have what it takes to get himself over. Knowing the WWE, they will probably still do something to have Show save face anyway. Impossible for Jack Swagger to get a clean victory over Big Show, right? Fans already know Swagger can wrestle. They know he can be goofy. He just needs that main-event credibility.

How About Teddy For Raw GM?

Combine the angle Edge started about getting a new permanent Raw GM with Teddy Long's angle in which he has his role as Smackdown GM hanging by a single string. Teddy Long for new Raw GM?

Why Teddy? It may bring some closure to his troubles on Smackdown. It can clear the way for Vickie Guerrero to take full control of Smackdown, unless they have someone else in mind. On Raw, Long can call the shots without guest host crap getting attention for the booking. He can remain somewhat neutral and fair. The celebrities can push whose side they are on. And most people do not recall Teddy ever having power on Raw at all. He has been the main GM on ECW and Smackdown. Time for Raw?

Few holes in the idea. First, is the WWE still really interested in finding a new permanent GM? Even if they are only interested in shifting bodies around until a final decision is made, which may be a good idea, let Teddy Long be one of the bodies who is in charge for one night. Have something happen to make it so that he cannot be permanent GM, or so they would want fans to think. After another few weeks of having other "permanent GMs" run the show, but only to get bumped off at the end of the night, have a final decision made by naming one of the people who ran it for a night or swerve everyone with a totally different choice. However, there is another hole here. Vince does not seem pleased with Teddy Long in this angle. Why would Vince seemingly reward him by naming him Raw GM? The WWE can dance around this issue by saying "The Board of Directors" chose Long. In the end, would it still not be easy for Vince to make life miserable for Teddy?

Teddy has been on probation for months now. Is this angle going to last longer than MVP's losing streak? I have to admit, they are at least still keeping it fresh a bit.

Drew Stays Golden Without Even Having To Fight A Match

When Teddy Long demolished Drew McIntyre's career last week, I was looking forward to one of the most intriguing storylines going on for Smackdown right now. Who would win the Intercontinental Championship? How would Mr. McMahon get involved? Would there be some kind of unification match when Drew returned? Would he go to Raw? So much could have come from this.

The WWE took a cheap way out. One week after the shocker, Drew returns. Kofi Kingston had won the Intercontinental Championship. All Drew did was show up with his support from Mr. McMahon and get back his job and title. I do not mind this gimmick of Drew having Mr. McMahon protecting him, but they got to do more than this.

Kofi will probably enter a feud with McIntyre. He will probably win the title. They cannot screw Kofi like this. Smackdown was supposed to be his fresh start. Then again, they could choose to keep the title on McIntyre until Matt Hardy returns in the picture. With all due respect to Matt, I would rather see Kofi get the title back. The main event does not have space for Kofi yet. What else is he supposed to do to build him up? Feud with CM Punk and his minion? Hmmm....they did hold tag gold together before. That is another issue.

What about the larger picture involving Drew being Vince's pet? This thing really looked good last week. It is not starting to look like the same old crap again. Drew loses a match, Vince wipes it off the record. Drew cannot qualify for Money in the Bank, Vince keeps giving him shots. Drew gets fired, Vince rehires him. Drew gets his title taken away from him, Vince gives it back. I think we get the picture. They need to really escalate this thing now. Either lead to it getting Teddy fired, bring Vince directly into the picture, or do something that either elevates Drew's character further or breaks him. I do not care which. I like Drew. The WWE just seems to be dropping the ball.

Abyss Framed!

Part of me wants to bash the current angle going on about Abyss as being stupid and not the most original. Then again, what is the most original these days? I like it. It has a small amount of intrigue to it. More importantly, it actually adds more of a story to the issues between Abyss and Desmond Wolfe. You can just have this be a straight feud between a guy who was on Team Hogan and guy on Team Flair. Lack of creativity.

I also like that it plays in somewhat with the gimmick Abyss still has. So many gimmicks just turn so generic and lose some creativity after a while. Undertaker can rant about taking souls all he wants, but what does that really amount to these days? A Tombstone? Lightning or some other fancy effect? Setting the standard for how slow one should walk to the ring? On Impact, I heard the commentators play into the fact that Abyss's demented nature may possibly make him a suspect. Of course, he is just being messed with. It is still nice to have these kind of angles where the monster is the victim. Again, that is not totally original, but when I see an angle I like, I have to give it credit.

Of course, the mystery and intrigue did not last for weeks. We know Wolfe set Abyss up. Would a bigger swerve have been nice? Yes, but TNA may have other plans for both guys after the PPV. They may not want to tie them into anything too epic. Nevertheless, the small bit of suspense and heart (and I do not want to argue about how small it was) in this night was worth more than the typical night you get of guest host comedy crap.

Go Toss Me A Salad, Maryse

Instead of featuring any diva matches on the Raw broadcast this week, we had short vignettes featuring Eve and Maryse. There is your main face and heel of Raw. The segments basically pushed the same idea, which is that these women know how to fight. Wow. Usually, I would say how great it is to let the divas get time to show character. However, when that "character" is that they know how to fight, I do not want to see that crap in segments. I want to see it in the ring.

Eve is the Diva's Champion. I like Eve. I think she has potential. It is just too obvious that they pushed this woman too fast. They failed to get her over properly. Now they want to hype how great of a fighter she is? I get disgusted when I read that whatever wrestler, whether male or female, has trained in MMA or some other fancy fighting style. When it comes time to get in the wrestling ring, many of them are either not doing anything that special at all or are doing things I have seen before, but still might be a bit impressive. I do not care if Mike Tyson can kill me in three seconds, in a wrestling match, he may just end up stumbling around like an idiot. Now the WWE wants to tell me that Eve can wrestle? Show, don't tell. Actions speak louder than words. Let me put it another way. Don't hype it, let her do it. Give Eve the time and the nod to put on the match of the night, if she can. Do not hold her back. If she fails, she fails. The WWE cannot take all the blame. They would have given her the chance to really prove herself.

Don't even get me started on Maryse. I will say that her segment had a little more worth to it than just showing she can fight, or toss a guy around. It once again pushed a bit of comedy. More importantly, it pushed her arrogant character. I will give them credit for that. That is something I would rather see pushed more in segments, not used so much in matches to kill the competitive feel. However, much like Eve, they want to push that Maryse is a woman who knows how to fight? Maryse is a lot worse than Eve. I will admit that she looked very impressive just tossing that guy around. Sadly, that is not a wrestling match that the WWE will promote. That does not prove that Maryse is still able to keep up in good matches. That does not save your diva division. I am not stupid enough to buy the hype.

The WWE continues to invest so much in their eye-candy women, and at the expense of their real wrestlers. They will be damned if the woman who takes Trish's place is not homegrown like Trish was. They will push their eye-candy until they repeat success. So many women are getting screwed in the process. And until McCool, Maryse, or now possibly Eve, get the overness, this is not the division that ran since Lita won her first title to a year or two after she retired. This is garbage.

Heel Colons

You lose one tag team in Cryme Tyme over on Smackdown, but you gain a team in Primo and Carlito getting back together. Even trade? The Colons are on Raw. More importantly, it seems they are heels.

Their match last week resulted in them getting back together. If there was any doubt whether they were back as face or heel, they answered that on Raw this week. DiBiase paid them off to do his bidding. One time deal? A stable forming here? Carlito and Primo now mercenaries? I do not think it would be too difficult to have DiBiase lead a stable with these two guys. The Colons are part of their own wrestling family. Then again, it seems like the current mission for DiBiase is to find a slave to carry his bags. They do not seem to be pushing the stable angle well enough yet for him. When they do, there may be some names in FCW to join him, not Primo and Carlito. Nevertheless, I would not mind seeing a new variation of Legacy with the three guys I just mentioned. Too soon?

Just like I did not mind about Cryme Tyme splitting up, I am liking that Primo and Carlito are on the same team again. We have never really seen Primo as a heel in the WWE. Both of them have been jobbers for a long time. There have been spans in which you were lucky to even see one or the other. Now they are getting pushed again. More importantly, that is another tag team in the division. A real team. A team with a good reason to be together. I like seeing those in the WWE. If their push goes well, they may even get back those tag titles. I would not mind.

Guest Host Power Lessens?...Maybe?...Almost?

I am sure many were ready to thank Edge, in terms of kayfabe anyway. He gave a little promo about celebrities having power on Raw. He said that was over now. He introduced the new Raw Gm, Vickie Guerrero. That is right, Vickie was in power tonight. However, it did not last.

Even while they were hyping the new GM, they were also hyping that there was still a guest host that night and there would be one for next week. I probably should have seen that as the hint that some swerve was coming. I still believe that the WWE could try having both a regular GM and having celebrities appear regularly to hype their own projects and get involved in a limited amount of segments. No need to give them power to make matches or have them wrestle so much. If they want to take RKOs, fine. I would just rather see someone who may show up the following week to get payback get it instead. Besides, a permanent GM on Raw means a permanent authority figure to get involved in lasting storylines. A lot of storylines and superstars can benefit from that.

The night ended with Randy Orton scaring Vickie into quitting. What was accomplished? Orton looks more like a hero, as if this guy needed help getting pops. Edge continues in his promise to bring controversy back. Better job tonight than he has last few weeks. Edge solidifies himself more as a heel by once again siding with Vickie. This just shines of his old heel character.

Was something else accomplished? Could this be the scattering of the seeds? Is this the first part in finding a new permanent GM? I already said that guest hosts and a GM can both exist on Raw. May they even be laying the foundation for the end of the guest hosts entirely? It depends a lot if the WWE will continue to push Edge's dislike for the guest hosts. Will they just treat it as no one else being willing to take the job after Vickie left? That would be kind of cheap. I think it would be so easy to just bring someone else in as GM right next week. I would like to see it.

Pour You Another, Punk?

CM Punk's stable, Straight-Edge Society, has been doing pretty well for the few months that they have officially been in existence on Smackdown. It also seems to be still growing. Luke Gallows, Serena, the masked guy, and maybe Rey Mysterio. Lose your hair or gain a new member?

How many members does still stable need? One of the things you have to realize about this group's "success" in terms of either wins or straight entertainment value, it is tied to Punk. Punk is definitely the center of attention here. That gives the other members a rub, true, but how much longer can they continue across this path?

Compare it to Legacy. Randy Orton had two henchmen. Initially, the group was pretty much just messing around with what Orton wanted after they were officially formed. Rhodes and DiBiase looked pathetic at times. That is not happening to Gallows and Serena yet, but something is also not happening for them yet. Rhodes and DiBiase went on to get some real attention back on them when they feuded against DX. That was huge. I believe there was at least one event where the feud between these two teams trumped Orton's own feud on a card. This was great for Rhodes and DiBiase. They were no longer in Orton's direct shadow for those few months.

Again, Gallows and Serena are not exactly being brought to tears or humiliation being in the shadow of CM Punk, but when are they going to get that period in which they really branch on their own? Obviously, they will not be going for the tag titles with each other. Serena can go for diva feuds. Anti-Diva? Is that supposed to be an excuse to keep her out of matches? Doubt it. Gallows can team with the new member to go for tag gold, but I doubt this team will look as good as Rhodes and DiBiase when they feuded against DX.

Is four enough? Punk can compete for the World title. Two guys for tag gold. One woman for diva gold. One of the guys can try for the Intercontinental Championship. They may also add another member to take that belt. Seriously, I do not want to see this stable with ALL the gold. Even Evolution never had all the gold. In case you have forgotten, no one in that stable held the Women's Championship.

I guess I am just waiting for when they stop trying to add members to the group, but start actually building the members under Punk better. One of the arguments against this is that it will turn into the "Straight-Edge Show". If each member had a unique storyline going on, other midcarders and divas may be getting shafted. Adding more members to the group will not exactly lead down a path in the opposite direction. It may make things worse. I would like to see less angles that involve CM Punk as the main star and the rest of his minion as straight sidekicks. I want to start seeing less storylines that revolve around spreading the same straight-edge message. I will admit that there are a lot of creative possibilities there, but why play them all out now? I would rather see more angles building up people who are not CM Punk.

Cryme Tyme's Solo

Shad turned on JTG a few weeks ago. The two had a little pay-per-view match. They seem to still be passing by each other lightly. Point is, Cryme Tyme, as a tag-team unit, is definitely done for now.

First, the criticism. This was the most popular tag team for years. Matt and Jeff became singles wrestlers. DX faded in and out of existance, and were also arguably stale for a while. I am having a tough time thinking of any other tag team which could have possibly been as popular as Cryme Tyme. Shad and JTG never won any tag gold in the WWE. That is stupid. DX did. Hardy Boys did. It is stupid to even attempt to compare the success of these other two teams to what the WWE did with Cryme Tyme. Matt Hardy, Jeff Hardy, Triple H, and Shawn Michaels all won a ton of singles titles. For all their popularity, Cryme Tyme got shafted when it came to titles.

Now, the hope. These guys definitely have charisma. That counts for a lot. They are not exactly lost in the ring. JTG can do some fast-paced action. Shad may not be a Kurt Angle, but he can play the role of a big man. I believe they can make it in their respective solo careers. The WWE just really has to give the ball to one, the other, or both. While we are still on the subject of hope, I would really like to see a reunion down the line. This is where they can win the tag titles, finally. I am glad that they may now be potentially getting to shine on their own, but I hope the team still gets something before it is all said, done, and impossible to unite them again at all.

Finally, time to be realistic. The WWE is going to mess up and end up releasing at least one of them within a year. The other will probably follow not too long after. I have seen too many tag teams ruined like this. I said that these two have the potential. I do believe that. But what is the WWE going to do with that potential? Will they invest well in it? How? Whatever was blocking Cryme Tyme from winning tag gold, who is to say that will not hold them back individually? I do not have that much faith in the WWE.

Shad and JTG have the potential to be entertaining. They know how to put their heart into their work. Before the WWE either kills that or releases them, I simply want to see something good from them and for them.

Walking A Generic Mile

I spoke about Ted DiBiase Jr. recently, but what about his partner from the days of Legacy and Priceless? That would be Cody Rhodes. He is also going down a singles path, having been drafted to Smackdown. He has had some good matches recently. So the move was good for him?

Do not forget that this is not Cody's first run by himself. Before he teamed up with Hardcore Holly, he was a simple face getting exposure on Raw. Nothing really to say. Generic. Difference is, he was a face then. This time, he is now a generic heel. Other than that, what has really changed for Cody? He now has some titles on his resume. He has the fact that he was aligned with Randy Orton. He has beaten some main-eventers. He still has his daddy.

Great things seem to be going on for Ted DiBiase. I cannot see the same for Cody right now. Down the line, he may win the Intercontinental Championship. But how about a storyline? Let him show some character. I already said how that is doing wonders for his partner on Raw. Cody can use some kind of gimmick, and not just that his daddy is a legend. But what?

Knockouts Work For Peanuts

You are always hearing that TNA's women sometimes want to leave because of pay issues. I am sure Gail Kim would have really loved to have stayed in TNA, but you sometimes have to sacrifice wrestling pride for a paycheck. Is that the way of the world? Victoria (Tara) is not happy. Awesome Kong is gone. It is really an issue.

Now more light has been shed on this issue. Reports say that TNA's Knockouts usually make between $200 and $400 per appearance. Considering that these wrestlers get attention worldwide, would you not expect a lot more than that? Of course, TNA does not seem to put too huge of a chokehold on what their talent can do wrestling-wise outside of their company. Even then, I still do not think all the other sources of income can make up for paying wrestlers getting such attention so little. This division used to be the biggest draw of the company. Are they really doing as good of a job in attracting that talent?

One argument as to why TNA does this to their women that I came across is that they view the women as interchangeable. I am not going to waste time knocking the validity source, but just looking at that argument straight on, TNA would have to be idiots to think like that. You want interchangeable? Hire a model, gymnast, dancer, or some other woman with no wrestling experience whatsoever. Teach these beauties how to wrestle. In my eyes, that is interchangeable. I do not believe I am wrong in saying that the possible pool of talent trying to make it in the Unites States pro wrestling scene holds more men who know how to wrestle awesomely than women who know how to wrestle awesomely. How can you see these women as interchangeable? All you may end up changing is mediocrity for mediocrity. Paying them so little is one thing, but when you find you have one who knows how to wrestle an awesome match and is getting over with the fans, reward that woman to keep her. I am not talking about title wins. Raise that pay! There are more important things in this world than titles. Being practical, money is worth more. How is TNA rewarding these type of women? $10 raises?

TNA has some heavy issues. Is it worse than that other big wrestling company in the United States? Your call. If you do not show better appreciation for what you have, you may not have it for long.

Lesson From Your Father

I do not absolutely hate when the WWE does a remake of a previous gimmick. It is possible to bring back good angles, or even bad ones, in fresh ways to really make something to get wrestlers over or get the fans interested.

Ted DiBiase Jr. is carrying around his dad's old title. He is looking for a lackey.You can call the WWE lame for just reworking what worked for the older DiBiase, but there are distinctions. You have the idea here that the SON of the WWE legend wants to follow in his father's footsteps. There is the bit of freshness. Will the son be able to be like his father? Who will be his lackey? Will he soon lose his title? Will the WWE really use this to give him his own stable? Fortunate Sons? Point is, this is not the same exact story that the older DiBiase had over a decade ago. There are subtle differences.

I honestly believe this thing has the potential to really make Ted DiBiase Jr. shine. Legacy did not really do that for him. Rushing him to win gold as soon as he did with Cody Rhodes did not really do that for him. He is finally being allowed to let his own character shine better than it has since his WWE debut. If the WWE continues with this by either treating his belt as a real title or push to find him a lackey, you can have some great storylines and feuds out of that. Run with both ideas. Bring back his dad and push another angle using them. Make a stable. There are so many possibilities. HOWEVER, I would not like to see the WWE spam all the possibilities. Do not explore all the routes. Why not? Why invest so much in one guy? A lot can be done with just one focus. There is no way I can picture the WWE turning Raw into Ted DiBiase's Variety Show. Pick a story and tell it.

If all goes well, I would not be shocked to see Ted DiBiase one day be a World Champion. I would not be surprised to see him become a great heel. He is definitely one of the most interesting things on Raw right now. How will the WWE keep the ball rolling?

The Controversial Edge Meets PG

The closing segment of this week's Raw is full of a lot of things I found interesting. Of course, it also ties back to what happened with Edge and Orton last week and Edge's brief backstage segment before his segment with Orton this week.

Let me start with that backstage segment. Edge was running down some of the controversial and fallacious things he had done before the PG reign. It seems he will not be able to have that good stuff anymore. Edge actually mocks the PG change. Sound familiar? I know tons of fans who are always doing that. They are sick of it. The WWE is once again pandering to those fans. They are picking up the idea and bringing it into kayfabe. Trust me, they are not using Edge to punish whoever came up with the idea to target a younger audience. I doubt this is a sign that they are actually ending things in that direction. Why do I even bring this up? Pandering to the views of internet fans was one of the themes I brought up in an old blog of mine. This is just another example that it does exist. Yes, the WWE does still get some ideas from you guys out there.

Edge made some promises to bring some controversy back. The Cutting Edge returned. Did Edge really shake things up? In all honesty, based just on where things have gone so far, it has been more hype than substance. Is Edge supposed to be an enemy to the PG-rating? If he is, I do not know exactly what he did that was so controversial. He speared Randy Orton simply because he was frustrated that he was drafted? That was supposed to be controversial? Batista's heel turn last year was more epic. Edge then expected Orton to join him once again? I would have been shocked if Orton had agreed, but he did not. A feud is here.

Is the controversy supposed to be found in that Orton gave Wayne Brady an RKO? Is that supposed to be against PG? Would not be the first time Orton, not to mention any other superstar, got some of one of these guest hosts. I would not say Wayne Brady killed the mood. It helped to push that Orton is your anti-hero. He strikes whoever he wants. The fans are crazy for that. I did like how Edge talked about the face who supposedly "played by the rules" to try to get the fans behind him and win the title. However, not something that really tests the limit of PG.

When Edge started talking about PG, I had hopes right there that something great would eventually happen. I want a good swerve. I want some real controversy, not fans booing John Cena and Vince forcing the commentators to call him one of the most controversial wrestlers of all time. I hope things really pick up with Edge.

He's Single, Ladies!

Rosa Mendes is gone from Raw. That leaves Zack Ryder a free man on Raw. I feel so bad for him. Not so much due to the fact that he lost Rosa, but that this is another step in his destruction.

"Woo Woo Woo" really came into being on ECW. You know it? I will assume so. He actually challenged for the ECW Championship. To be honest, a lot of guys have. What really made me think for a second that they would do something with him is that he was involved in the last main event of ECW. He did that minor run in. In retrospect, why? William Regal was there to mess up the match enough for Christian. The more interference, the more epic the match may seem. That is true. But you also have the fact that Zack Ryder ended up on the same show as Christian. They really could have had some kind of final feud to settle things. That never happened.

Raw tonight was sad for Zack Ryder. He was out there trying to impress Alicia Fox and Gail Kim. Modified Jamie Noble on our hands here? Mark Henry killed him and left with the hookers....oh! I mean, the two female wrestlers. Yes, the WWE treats their women right. He has been treated as unimportant since coming to Raw, but he just seems to be going down further. His romance angle with Rosa is killed off without much hype. He is being treated as your typical small heel going against a big face, and loses. And is just being humiliated for the sake of comedy. Yes, at least he is still getting an angle, but this angle has been done before. I am not a huge fan of it. I cannot see it doing anything great for him. They have gone from setting him up to succeed to setting him up to fail.

Does Zack Ryder deserve better. He seemed impressive on ECW. On Raw, he seems so much more simple. I can spend time talking about where the WWE might go next for this. What diva, if any, may feel pity for him? Will this lead to a face turn? I am not going to go there. I want to see where the WWE goes with it next time. It would be funny if this would be the start of something good.

Silence Is Golden

Am I the only one who is glad that the crowd is usually dead quiet for Drew McIntyre's entrance? You get to enjoy his theme song more that way. Yeah, I am sure that is exactly why the crowd is usually not too enthusiastic too. I am sure those are the broken dreams coming from the WWE too.

Maybe it is because the WWE is having this guy be so similar to how Orton has been, but I think he does have potential to be in the main event one day. He is young, has the look, and I like hid finisher. I must be a DDT nut. I also like the arrogance. I just feel the WWE is pushing him generically horribly.

This guy has been your typical arrogant, young heel so far. Thinks he is better than everyone. I like that they threw in the added bit of Mr. McMahon personally choosing him, but that aspect has lost some steam. Attacks certain faces whenever he wants. You could see the same thing from Sheamus. Runs away and plays scared for Kane. Of course, he has already beaten Kane anyway. Kane is the jobber to the men on the way up, squasher of the men on their way down. I think Drew needs something more unique. A good storyline. Giving him the Intercontinental Championship is not enough. The belt is just decaying on him, especially if they do plan to keep it on him for a long time.

I am not saying that he should lose the title and immediately be tossed into the main event. No. Too many men are overpushed too soon like that. Randy Orton may have won the World title after losing the IC title, but remember that he did not win the World title on his first shot ever and had some epic battles with the likes of Mick Foley and Shawn Michaels before this. What epic feuds has Drew McIntyre had? What epic battles did Sheamus and Jack Swagger have before their big title wins? You can probably list some of Swagger's ECW matches for him, but Matt Hardy is not exactly the kind of guy to give Swagger the kind of rub that a Mick Foley could give Randy Orton. I will not even mention the best feud Sheamus had pre-Raw possibly being with Goldust. This stuff is pathetic. And I do not want to see Drew just wrestle one match against Undertaker then return to Matt Hardy. If he is going to feud with a guy like Taker, I want it to be a good feud. Do something to show that Drew is on that level, and not just because he is endorsed by Mr. McMahon. I understand that this little bit can be used to get him heat (spoiled child), but they can take it to another level.

If they are serious about pushing this guy to the main level, they need to do it better. If they are not, stop with the overhype for now and let him really work the midcard better. Give him better feuds and storylines there. Have him feud with both the men who have held gold before and the hungry young guys clawing for a singles title. I am thinking back to how Orton was booked as IC Champion. It was something like that which I now want to see again. Drew McIntyre is not one of my huge favorites, but I think there can be something a lot more interesting going on here.

Can Orton And Cena Coexist On Raw?

This is nothing about backstage issues between John Cena and Randy Orton. It is just that I am kind of surprised that Randy Orton was not sent to Smackdown last week. Orton is now a face. The kind of face that doesn't seem to take crap from anybody. I will not waste time comparing him to a certain other face who did not seem to trust anybody, or at least so his motto implied. Have you heard Orton's pops? Monster! John Cena, as far as I know, is still the WWE's main superhero. They will still continue to push him big time. Without even bringing Triple H into this equation, how can you have a title scene with both Orton and Cena as faces on the same show?

I know very well that Austin and The Rock were sometimes both faces on the same show. They did not really stick around long together for this era of two brands. Just brief moments here and there. Is it really so far off to compare those two to Cena and Orton? In the WWE's eyes, that is what they want.

Even with Orton's character being so untrustworthy, these guys are pretty much still on the same side. A feud between the two can be epic. However, the Orton fan in me wants to see Orton with the title eventually. I want to see him defend against the likes of Sheamus and heel Triple H. I do not want to see him under John Cena for who knows how long. I want to see him treated as a main-eventer without Cena involved. For certain periods in which Cena did not even have the World title, he was still taking the main event, not the man with the title. I do not see any good reason to treat Orton like that. It is only a matter of time before he should be given the ball.

What would have really changed if Orton was sent to Smackdown? Edge could have taken his face spot on Raw. Aside from Undertaker, who works a limited schedule, is it wrong to say that Smackdown lacks a face of Orton's level or higher? Question is, do they need one? Cena could have been the superpower on Raw and Orton could have been that on Smackdown. In the end, Orton seems still stuck under Cena for now.

How Can Big Show Possibly Overcome Jack Swagger?

Maybe I should have turned that around? How can Jack Swagger possibly overcome Big Show? Maybe if I was a WWE commentator, I would indeed be screaming that with fake emotion.

As much as I have grown to believe Big Show does deserve a good run, and while I am also a growing fan of Swagger, it seems like Jack Swagger may retain against Big Show. If the WWE is serious about pushing him as the next big wrestling thing, not to even talk about being the next Angle, they have to book him to overcome some huge challenges. He had a good triple-threat defense and a match against Orton recently. But is it enough to make the fans take him seriously as a main-eventer. People know he can wrestle. People know he can be serious or goofy. He can get heat. I just believe the WWE is still in the process of building his fit in the main event.

Am I writing of Big Show too soon? He has been a jobber to the stars at times. Maybe not as bad as Kane, but not as huge a star as Cena, is he? I would not mind seeing him get the title, but I am still thinking about where the WWE will go from there. Swagger has a lot of other fresh feuds before him. Smackdown is looking promising.