Charlotte Vs. Natalya At Payback 2016: Family Feud

Charlotte and Natalya have been feuding for the Women's Championship. Ric Flair has helped his daughter retain the title against Natalya already. Natalya is utilizing one of her relatives for their next match coming up at Payback. Bret Hart will be in her corner this Sunday.

I have seen some fans say that the WWE's recent development of this feud shows a lack of confidence in the women. Does the WWE feel they need two legendary men to keep the fans interested in this women's feud? Well, I'm sure smarks would be more interested if Sasha Banks was in the match. That aside, I wouldn't have much confidence in this feud. Charlotte just debuted less than a year ago and has not really broken out on her own very well, even before she was paired with her dad. She also has not shown the charisma that will help her get over with fans that aren't going to be sold on her just for her athleticism. Natalya has been around for years and inconsistently pushed. I actually think she's starting to really connect better with the audience, but it's hard for some fans to care about someone that was completely lost in the shuffle not too long ago.

Back in the diva era, the WWE never created a truly successful star without some rubs from the men. Could Trish Stratus have been able to get over without interacting with the men? How about Lita? AJ Lee? Regardless of the answer, these women did have some big angles in the periphery that had a hand in their development.

Whether you want to think the diva era is over or not, the WWE is still relying on men in their women's matters. It probably is bad timing to do this so soon after they dropped the "diva" from their division and are trying to make it more respectable. The first feud should be purely between two solid workers. I would not say the WWE has made this too much about Ric Flair and Bret Hart, which is something some fans were dreading, but it is still not a great thing to do. This isn't your traditional periphery usage. You don't have a woman managing a man, involved in a romance angle with a man, or a woman even wrestling a man. This is two legendary men being in the corner of the women. It does seem a little more respectable than what the diva division is usually about, but it is still the WWE relying on men to help the women get over. And most likely, it is Charlotte they really care about getting over.

What happens in this match? Bret Hart will probably knock out Ric Flair, but I would expect Charlotte to retain. She just got the new title earlier this month. If anyone should beat her for it, it should be Becky Lynch or Sasha Banks. But I will say that Natalya does deserve to eventually get another title run. I would say she deserves it even more now than she did back when she won the Diva's Championship. She seems to have just broken out into her own more since then. Thank Total Divas for that? She just seems like a performer that is about more than just wrestling ability. That has helped her overness. Even if the WWE does not give her the title this Sunday, it would be nice for them to remain consistent with her with a periphery angle or a secondary women's feud outside the title picture. As for Charlotte, she can move on to Becky or Sasha.

Making Charlotte Vs. Becky Lynch More Elaborate

Before I go into what I do want to talk about, a little aside. I compared the angle between Ric Flair and Charlotte to what you had between Santino and Beth Phoenix. I said that the angle ended up benefiting the man more than the diva, and that is something to look out for currently. Let me just bring up an example that is a little more recent. A few years ago, the WWE paired Paul Heyman with Cesaro. Many fans have pointed out that the pairing looked like it was more of an opportunity to give Heyman a stage to still promote Brock Lesnar beating The Undertaker at Wrestlemania than an opportunity for Cesaro to be pushed better. The WWE certainly did not book him as an A-tier player. A depush also followed. Could Ric Flair coming out with Charlotte be more of an opportunity for him to still be featured? Does the WWE want to feature the legendary Ric Flair for Wrestlemania season? There are examples out there where the WWE features someone better in a pairing that you would expect does not need the focus as much as the other person. So far, I do not see enough to convince me the WWE wants this to be more about Ric Flair or his daughter. Let's see if they even know what they want.

Onto Charlotte vs. Becky Lynch. Charlotte, not surprisingly, retained her title on Smackdown last week against her former friend. I think the ending was a little flat. Charlotte cheated to win. She's obviously heel. But I think the WWE could have used this match to really punch in a strong heel character. Have her cut a harsh promo on Becky. Have her really beat Becky down. Add some real fuel to the fire to build up to an even bigger match at the Royal Rumble. There is still time to build up to something, but I think they could have done more with that match on Smackdown.

How about this feud goes even beyond the Royal Rumble? How about taking it all the way to Wrestlemania? I didn't think about it until recently, but this can be a really great feud, if handled right. These two were friends. They were in NXT together. They debuted on the same night to team with Paige. Even after Paige turned on them, they stayed together. Next thing you know, Charlotte turns on her friend. There is definitely a story there and some emotion. Throw in Ric Flair and you have something that just might be worthy of Wrestlemania.

A lot of betrayal storylines for the divas in recent years have just been horrible. The feud between AJ Lee and Paige was just sloppy and hard to buy into. The WWE was even inconsistent with Paige turning on Becky Lynch and Charlotte. This storyline right now is better. It is more linear. They developed to Charlotte turning, but they didn't pull the trigger and go back like they didn't like they have in certain other angles similar to this. Could they have done even more to sell the friendship between Charlotte and Becky Lynch? Of course, but the relationship there is at least easier to buy into than the whole "frenemies" thing.

How do you make this feud elaborate? Extending it to Wrestlemania is only part of it. The WWE needs more big segments. It has to go beyond just wrestling. That is one of the reasons I think the WWE could have done more with that title match on Smackdown. Or they can save it for the Royal Rumble. They also need to make good use of supporting players. Ric Flair is obviously involved. They have used some other divas here and there, but more can be done with them.

One thing the WWE could do is having someone else, like Sasha Banks, get a title shot at Fast Lane. That doesn't mean Becky Lynch gets buried while that feud happens. Keep her in the story. I would suggest a triple-threat match, but they probably should not give Becky Lynch too many title shots. Make it look like Charlotte is a top heel diva by being the first to defeat Sasha Banks.

I have seen many fans thinking the WWE will do Sasha Banks vs. Charlotte for Wrestlemania. I do not see how that is worthy for the big PPV. Sasha Banks has her undefeated streak on the main roster, but she is not pushed as dominant. By the time the WWE does move on to that feud, there would not be much time to develop it to be worthy of Wrestlemania. Meanwhile, the feud they have between Charlotte and Becky Lynch right now does have the potential and the WWE can continue to build on that.

The outcome at Wrestlemania would be obvious. Months after her friend turned on her and screwed her out of the title, Becky Lynch overcomes Charlotte and her legendary father to win the Diva's Championship. It would be a great Wrestlemania moment for Becky.

Of course, the WWE is not likely to do this. This is just me playing creative writer. Ever since Trish Stratus retired, the WWE has pushed quantity over quality for Wrestlemania. You have tag matches, battle royals, lumberjills, celebrities getting involved, and even some Wrestlemanias where it seems Santino gets more focus than the women. Why would this year be different? Because Ric Flair is there? We'll see if that matters, but the WWE obviously should not make the Wrestlamania diva angle too much about him. Ideally, he should just be an obstacle for a diva to overcome in taking the title from Charlotte. This would just be a great situation to stop this decade of mediocrity at Wrestlemania.

Trish Stratus vs. Mickie James was the last great Wrestlemania diva feud. Many still consider that match the greatest women's match at Wrestlemania. And this was an elaborate diva storyline. I do not know if the WWE can build Charlotte/Becky to be as good, but I think there is potential to make something great. Trish/Mickie never even got a proper finish due to Trish getting injured and soon retiring after that. It is possible to surpass that storyline. But the WWE actually has to follow through.

State Of The WWE Diva Division: January 2016

Has the diva division gotten worse than a year ago? It certainly has not improved. One major problem is that there are really no stars in the diva division right now. AJ Lee, who did not have the perfect connection with the fans, left in 2015. Nikki Bella, the diva that looked like the new centerpiece of the diva division, has been out for months due to serious injury issues. Lana, who looked like she would be the best eye-candy periphery diva in years, is not featured as well as she was when she got over. The WWE never got where they should with any of these women, and then issues happened to mess things up further.

What does the WWE have to work with now? They are running with Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte. I have seen some people confused by how they have been pushing Charlotte in the last few months. It is a prolonged heel turn. Call it pushing her as a tweener. They did this same kind of thing for Michelle McCool. Handling a heel turn like this is better than some heel turns I have seen in the diva division in recent years. I have seen a diva do something that just made it clear that she had turned on her face pals, then the WWE backtracks on the heel turn, and then they pull the trigger again. The development of this turn has better than what I have seen in recent years.

That is probably the only good thing I can say about it. Problems? First, is Becky Lynch going to be your only face featured on a regular basis in the diva division? Everyone else will end up being heels. Even with the grey area the WWE pushes in the diva division these days, having some heels play tweeners and feud against other heels, this whole situation is just not going to work. Will they turn Paige back to being a face? Will they use Natalya better? Time to turn Sasha Banks face? I doubt Bayley will debut anytime soon. Regardless of what the WWE does, they have created a messy roster.

How would this strategy the WWE is now using have worked at another time when roster depth was a problem? I am thinking back to when Mickie James was the only face credible jobber in some situations. The WWE ended up pushing her more than they would have liked, especially with centerpieces not working out left and right. Difference is, there are more women with wrestling credibility in the division these days than there were back then. The roster split is one reason why you had this issue back then. And the WWE was not as comfortable pushing eye-candy divas as credible jobbers as they are now. The diva roster on Smackdown was even more horrible for a while in 2008 and early 2009. This strategy actually makes better sense now than it would have back then. There are plenty of women with at least decent wrestling ability and there is no roster split to limit possibilities.

Back to issues with the current diva feud. One reason why fans might have been confused by what the WWE was doing with Charlotte is that they started building her heel turn while she was still feuding with Paige. The WWE had Paige say things that caused a bit of controversy. Definitely heelish statements. You would think that would make fans sympathetic towards Charlotte and want to see her crush Paige. Before that feud can be ended, the WWE starts having Charlotte act like a heel. How are fans supposed to feel about Charlotte? In terms of her character, it is hard to now feel sympathetic towards her. In terms of Charlotte as a performer, she is not great enough to get over through her talents alone. She needs booking to go her way.

And she has her legendary father to help her. That is an unfair advantage. There are two directions the WWE can go with Ric Flair being involved in this.

First, I am thinking back once again to the diva division in 2008 and early 2009. Raw had Santino Marella and Beth Phoenix as a couple. And yet, the whole thing felt like it was more about giving Santino a storyline to do his comedy act. Beth Phoenix did not really benefit from working with Santino. She got lost in the shuffle again soon after that angle. She was always a credible jobber. This was back when Candice Michelle was flopping as the centerpiece. What better time to let Santino run wild?

At a time when the diva division lacks real stars, Ric Flair might be biggest star involved in the division. Is the WWE just using the situation to feature Ric Flair? Is giving Charlotte a rub and building her to be a star not the real priority? I have seen some fans loving Ric Flair in this storyline. Flair is one of the greats. The greats in pro wrestling usually find a way to stand out. Regardless, is it fair to the diva division to have him involved?

The other possibility here is that Ric Flair really is here to give his daughter a rub. The WWE has never built a star in the diva division through regular diva feuds. Stars are made in the periphery. Chyna got over from angles alongside men. Lita got over from angles alongside men. That is where AJ Lee got her big push. Trish Stratus got rubs in the men's division prior to being pushed as the centerpiece. You have your other eye-candy periphery divas. The angle with Charlotte and Ric Flair is not your typical periphery angle. It is still another instance of a man being used to get a woman over, if the WWE is aiming for that.

I would not put too much effort into Charlotte. She reminds me of Michelle McCool. McCool did not fail as centerpiece because she regressed in her wrestling ability or injuries ruined her. She is the second longest-lasting centerpiece the diva division has ever had, behind Trish Stratus. She just could not get over. And the WWE was just overbearing with how they pushed her. I said that the heel turn Charlotte is getting reminds me of what the WWE did with Michelle McCool. They also look similar. I would say McCool was hotter. They are both solid in the ring, just not amazing enough to get over through that alone. In terms of charisma, I would give Charlotte the edge. Even then, she is just not great enough to get over. If she cannot get over as a face, as a heel, and even with her legendary dad helping her, she does not deserve a million more chances.

One of the main reasons the Charlotte is even getting the focus she is now is most likely Nikki Bella not being around. When the centerpiece is not around, that is when the WWE will either push filler or start building new stars. The first dark age led to the rise of Trish and Lita. The WWE started developing both AJ Lee and Eve Torres at a time when it looked like they were moving away from Kelly Kelly. AJ Lee, even though I do not consider her being pushed as the centerpiece during her years with the title, took a break in 2014. The WWE wasted no time in starting to push The Bellas better, in the periphery. If Nikki Bella was not seriously injured, the WWE would likely just treat her hiatus as a time to feature filler. A more serious injury would lead to them thinking about developing a new star. The diva division would definitely look different if Nikki Bella was around.

The rest of Team Bella are lost in the shuffle. The WWE should consider pushing Brie Bella better.  Or are they worried about fans associating Brie with Daniel Bryan? Even if Brie Bella is not amazing in the ring, she has to have some value in the periphery.

Sasha Banks and her two pals are only in a slightly better position than Brie and Alicia Fox. Sasha Banks has her win streak. It is pointless. I already talked about her matches on Raw not living up to the high expectations many had for her. If the WWE ever does decide to move away from Charlotte, give the spotlight to Sasha Banks for a while.

How about Paige? When she debuted a few years ago, I felt she had potential to do what Mickie James did. The WWE definitely has been pushing her the same way they did Mickie James, as a credible jobber. Paige just has not broken out. She is over, just not over enough. Her push is also over. Becky Lynch has been rotated into the spot Paige held. Because depth in the diva division is better than it was when Mickie James was there, and combined with the WWE's strategy of pushing tweeners and constant turns, Paige does not have to be pushed again for a very long time, unless the WWE has a change of heart. If they do not, expect mediocrity or nothing at all.

Becky Lynch is the credible jobber currently getting pushed. She will get a title shot on Smackdown. Good of the WWE to have some title matches on the first Smackdown of the year. This should be the match where Charlotte cements her heel turn. There will likely be a rematch at the Royal Rumble. Becky Lynch is someone else I would like to see pushed better than this. I do not feel she has the potential to overcome being pushed as a credible jobber to get very over. She might prove me wrong.

Lastly, how about the diva revolution? I would say the reaction that match between Sasha Banks and Becky Lynch on Raw last month got shows the direction it is going. The WWE really should just phase out talking about it. Give the divas a respectable amount of time to work. Just do not give them more time than they need. That is not a shot at the women. Even some men have matches that seem to last too long. The whole thing was a mess. It was more hype than substance. Have the fans on Twitter learned their lesson? The next time the WWE has a Raw diva match last under a minute, will there be another protest? I hope not.

More Thoughts On Charlotte/Paige

Roman Reigns won the title. Sheamus cashed in and won. He has aligned with The Authority. I brought that up as a possibility, although not one I thought they would follow through with. Since nothing that shocking happened with the main event of Survivor Series, I won't spend too much time on that. Wait to see how the WWE develops things on Raw tonight.

Back to that controversial segment on Raw last week involving Paige and Charlotte. Charlotte retained the title at Survivor Series, but that is not worth talking about now. When I talked about the segment previously, it was more about the decision to place it at the end of the show and the quality of the segment. I did not focus too much on the big issue that caused the controversy. Since it is still being talked about, I might as well do it. This is about the WWE allowing Reid Flair to be brought up.

I was hoping it wouldn't cause that much of an issue, but it did. I do not think the WWE should have done it. It was unnecessary and it was stupid. Let me explain why I feel that way.

First, why was it unnecessary? Because you already had a direction they could have taken this. Paige's first promo that started her heel turn had her bashing the other divas and the supposed revolution that was going on. All they had to do was stick with that. Would Paige calling out the diva revolution leave her sounding like a face, since the whole thing has been poor? Thing is, all the WWE had to do was have Paige sound self-centered. Have her sound like the only reason she wanted change was to benefit herself. Smarks would love her, but she would be a heel. Instead of keeping the focus on the diva revolution, they bring up Charlotte's dead brother. Horrible development. I think they could have kept fans interested just by having this be about the diva revolution.

Why was it stupid? What is the WWE thinking? How can they allow something like this to be brought up? Someone dies of a drug overdose and you bring that up in a storyline? That wasn't kayfabe. As I have brought up before, I do not like the WWE acting like they are family-friendly entertainment, then doing things that are just pushing the limits. The WWE just comes off as hypocrites. What do they think they are doing to their audience when they do these things? Fans want the Attitude Era back because it was entertaining. It was edgy in an entertaining way. The WWE is not pleasing these fans by being edgy in this way. Moreover, for those fans that think they are watching family-friendly entertainment, this crap is the kind of thing that might turn them off the product.

One of the reasons Chyna is supposedly not in the WWE Hall of Fame is that fear that fans might Google her and find some stuff that is not PG. I'll admit it, I had forgotten the circumstances around Reid Flair's death and had to Google it. That isn't PG. That isn't entertainment. That is crass. Why would the WWE not worry about children looking that up?

The segment was also upsetting to the Flair family. Again, it is obvious Charlotte is in the WWE in the first place because her father is a legend, but it would really be great if the WWE stops treating Charlotte as a Flair and just treats her as a performer trying to break out on her own. I do not think there is a worse way to utilize the fact that Charlotte is part of the Flair family. Ric Flair has been involved in some antics of his own, but bringing up Reid Flair like they did was the bottom of the barrel.

The WWE has done things like this before since turning PG. They had CM Punk take advantage of Paul Bearer's death while he was feuding with The Undertaker. That just didn't feel as terrible as what the WWE did recently. Was it that Paul Bearer did not die in a controversial fashion? Was it that fans were just expecting it to happen, while what the WWE had Paige do was out of nowhere? Was it an age thing? Whatever the reason, the WWE needs to learn when to draw the line.

How does this compare to that controversial angle between Mickie James and Michelle McCool? The WWE was obviously burying someone they did want over, while trying to make someone they did want over look amazing. It was the typical feud you see between a credible jobber and a centerpiece, just more heated. The WWE had pretty much lost control of their diva division, failing to make stars and a woman they were not pushing as a star becoming more over than the attempts to create a new Trish Stratus. How does Paige and Charlotte compare to that? The jury is still out on whether either of these two women are being developed as stars. Paige has been pushed as a credible jobber since debuting. Is her current push just about being built up for Charlotte to knock down? Charlotte does not have the look the WWE likes to push as their centerpiece. And she has not really shown that she deserves to be a star. And you have to keep in mind that Nikki Bella, the woman that they were pushing very well for over a year now, is currently out with an injury. If the WWE is not focused on developing a new star out of either Paige or Charlotte, that makes what they did even more unnecessary. At least what they did to Mickie James in 2009 and 2010 had a clear purpose. What they have done recently might just be nothing more than a stunt gone wrong. The aren't burying a woman they do not want over and this angle may not do much to help a woman they do want over.

Whom should you blame for all this? I am reading that the blame might go to Charlotte. I do not think it should. The WWE needs to take responsibility. Whoever suggested it is not the one that should be blamed. Whoever allowed it should be blamed. I was pulling for the Mets in the recent World Series. In their final game of the series, Matt Harvey was playing well. They had the lead heading into the 9th inning and the coaches were going to pull him out of the game. Matt Harvey protested and wanted to finish the game. Terry Collins, the manager, allowed it. Harvey threw the game away and the Mets went on to lose the game and the series in extra innings. Terry Collins took responsibility for what happened. He was the guy that made the decision. That is how this current situation in the WWE should work. It doesn't matter who suggested Paige bring up Charlotte's brother. The people that allowed it should be blamed. They have to be smarter than that.

What the WWE did was simply horrible. I do not know if it would have been okay even if the WWE wasn't PG and this was the Attitude Era or Ruthless Aggression Era. It wasn't entertaining or exciting. It wasn't outrageous in a fun way. As I have said, it wasn't even necessary. It was crass. Vince McMahon might have supposedly thought what Mickie James did at Wrestlemania 22 was crass, but I never saw it get a negative reaction like what the WWE deliberately allowed to happen last week. The WWE is relying on crass angles to be edgy. Problem is, this is neither entertaining nor something that can draw. It is more likely to disgust fans and turn them off. Not smart.

So Many Legends, So Little Impact

The WWE has been bringing in legends on a regular basis this year. Seems to be a monthly thing. You have Hulk Hogan always plugging the WWE Network. You have guys like Ric Flair and Mick Foley coming back for no other reason than to give a promo and prediction for an upcoming PPV match. It usually isn't anything major. Just an isolated appearance.

I like old people. I like Ric Flair and Mick Foley. They are two of my favorites. But I just see this trend as a waste of time. If you are going to incorporate these guys in the show, incorporate them in a more meaningful, long-term manner or don't bother doing it at all. What is the WWE hoping for? A ratings spike? As I have said before, the WWE will not be able to stop the bleeding enough to see Raw's annual ratings average not drop below a 3.0. You can say that these legends come back to give a rub to stars currently being developed. I think the best way of doing that is to have those guys be treated as stars or work with stars you have now in a proper manner. You can talk about it being meant to add more to some of these feuds, like when Hogan, Flair, and Shawn Michaels returned to talk about Cena vs. Lesnar, but that feud already seems to be dragging on. These prediction promos just seem like filler.

What can you be doing with this time? How about giving it to your midcarders? Treat a few more of those lower-midcarders as legitimate midcarders. Tyson Kidd is getting a push now, but it seems like nothing more than filler. Kofi Kingston should be pushed again. R-Truth is still there. You can even use that time to treat other upper-midcarders better. The WWE has done fine in previous years without having these monthly legend visits, so why can't they make things work with guys on the main roster? Even with all the injuries and issues, they have a lot of talent.

The Shield Vs. Evolution At Payback

Not surprisingly, the feud between The Shield and Evolution will continue to another PPV. They definitely put on a great match at Extreme Rules. Many fans were also happy that the young team won. WWE building stars. And this feud definitely had a fresh feel to it when Evolution came back together and it first started. That is pretty much all the good stuff I can say about it.

It has gotten pretty dry. They just attack each other every week. The Authority sent out a bunch of heels to attack The Shield last week, but they had done that kind of thing before. The development has just gotten very boring.

And Evolution does not feel like Evolution. It isn't just because Ric Flair isn't with them. I'll get to that in a moment. When Evolution was first formed, they just gave off this vibe like they were elites. They held so many titles. They had Ric Flair to give them a rub. They went out there like they were the top guys. Now, this is just like gang warfare. It is like a bunch of thugs fighting a bunch of thugs. That elite feel isn't in the group anymore. I know this isn't about making Evolution look good. The Shield deserve to look good. Nevertheless, I feel making Evolution look more like the top dogs they once were would make this feud more interesting and give The Shield something better to work against.

What could the WWE possibly do to make this feud better? Let me give one idea. Go back to Ric Flair. Get him more involved. Make him a wildcard in this feud. He came back before Extreme Rules for a meaningless vote of confidence for The Shield. A lot of fans were anticipating Ric Flair getting more involved in this feud. It hasn't happened. They can still make it happen for Payback. How can you have Flair come back that night, get slightly involved, and not follow up at all on that point? It really does make his part in that segment seem trivial. I would like to have confidence that the WWE will not leave that storyline thread hanging like that. Potential right there to make this interesting again.

Let me change topics. The WWE stock had a huge drop at the end of last week. There were a few factors why. Let me just focus on one interesting development. The WWE Network is hurting the company right now. They will need at least 1.3 million subscribers now to compensate for losses.You can read an article about it here. The goal everyone was talking about was originally a million by the end of the year. That will still lead to a loss for the company. People are saying that the WWE will get 1.3 million in this country or that country alone. Okay. But what if the WWE was already anticipating those results? The WWE was thinking 1 million by the end of this year. Even if they do get that, they still lost money. When they go international, they will definitely get more subscribers. But what if they were anticipating a certain amount and the real number comes in lower than expectations or unexpected obstacles pop up? That is what has spelled doom for the WWE so far. And you still have to wonder how many will drop their subscription when 6 months end. To put it simply, recent developments are showing the WWE Network was not a great move. Will the WWE be able to take these short-term losses and turn them into long-term profit?

How Do You Fix Randy Orton Vs. Batista?

The title match for Wrestlemania XXX seems to be set as Randy Orton vs. Batista. The fans are really not liking it. This could end up being worse than Cena facing Miz a couple years ago. Forgetting The Rock and the hype he brought, that feud between Cena and Miz was really not great. They pushed Miz hard to develop him to put over Cena, then his career slid back down after that. No shocker. Miz really was not an epic opponent. Batista and Orton are multi-time World Champions, have been in multiple World title matches at Wrestlemania, have so much more credibility than Miz, and yet, this match still feels even worse. Beyond that, I have been saying ever since they unified the World titles that they should put great focus on it. As of right now, I would not say with great confidence that the title match between Orton and Batista deserves to be the final match on the card. How can you fix this match to make it feel more epic and to make it into something fans will be less likely to rip to shreds at Wrestlemania?

How about a double-turn? The fans are booing Batista. Randy Orton isn't exactly getting the cheers Daniel Bryan gets. The storyline probably would have led to a double-turn at Wrestlemania, with The Authority siding with Batista over Orton, but recent developments may ruin plans. Batista is already showing signs of going heel. Where does that leave Orton? The WWE should stop pushing him as this guy always struggling to live up to the expectations of The Authority. He can connect better with the fans right now if he turned tougher and stood up to The Authority. I remember a time when some people said Randy Orton would never be over. He was too boring. I then saw some of these same people shocked when Orton eventually was getting great reactions. Times have changed. This is a bad character they are having Randy Orton play right now. He can work as a face, but it has to be the right face.

Injury angle? You can have Batista slip on a banana peel while he is trying to get in the ring and pretend to break his neck. No, they are probably saving that for John Cena when he feuds with Jinder Mahal at next year's Wrestlemania. Injury angles can cause a buzz and get people wondering what will happen. You saw an injury angle in Batista's recent feud with Alberto Del Rio. I don't think an injury angle would work here. You could try one with Batista in the hopes fans feel sympathy for him, but it is probably too late for that. And there is even less reason to make Orton look weak with an injury angle. An injured face that has to overcome the odds? As I said before, Orton can work as a face, but as the right face. If he turns face, he doesn't need an injury angle. As far as the possibility of keeping him heel and running an injury angle to sell the story that he is trying to back out of facing Batista, that would be too much like what happened with Del Rio.

What if they put in a special guest referee? That can add some hype to this match and give it a bigger feel. How about Hulk Hogan? Would the WWE be willing to get him more involved at Wrestlemania like that? What about Ric Flair? This Wrestlemania feud between Orton and Batista is something many fans would have been looking forward to at one time. Not only are both of these guys top stars, they were both members of Evolution. Both have already faced Triple H at Wrestlemania. The fourth member of that group was Ric Flair. It would make sense to bring him in and the fans would love him. If the response to Batista's return was not so negative, you probably would have seen Flair enter for at least a segment during the feud. Right now, the story has become more about Batista being hated. If Flair was the referee, he would be the only one cheered in that match. That sounds similar to a certain other Wrestlemania match.

Toss all those ideas out the window. Only one thing will please those fans. They don't want Daniel Bryan vs. Triple H. They want Daniel Bryan getting the title. With Daniel Bryan entering that feud with Triple H, that title match may seem impossible. Some fans have pointed out that they could make a stipulation in Triple H vs. Daniel Bryan that Bryan will be inserted into the title match should he beat Triple H. If Bryan loses, he never gets another title shot, is fired, or whatever else like that. Obviously, Daniel Bryan would then beat Triple H. My initial reaction to that would be that it is overkill. Beating Triple H and possibly winning the title in the main event later on? Seems like too much. Of course, Brock Lesnar's road to Wrestlemania to take the title from Kurt Angle was not easy. I cannot imagine the WWE letting all that happen for the sake of Daniel Bryan, even if he is crazy over. Nevertheless, this is pretty much the best option. It makes the fans happy and it makes the match better.

Injured Cena Wins, Then Wins Again

John Cena returned at Hell in a Cell and took the World's Heavyweight Championship from Alberto Del Rio. The story was the typical Cena match. Could injured Cena overcome a vicious foe? Yep.

The fun didn't stop there. On Raw, the first 30 minutes were devoted to Cena. After his return promo, Damien Sandow cashed in on him, after brutalizing Cena's injury even further. Could a hurting, one-armed Cena possibly overcome a fresh and unexpected threat to his title? Yep.

This is the kind of thing that might make you want to change the channel to the World Series or Monday Night Football. There were also some horror movies on, if you like that kind of thing. The only reason I had to look forward to seeing Cena return was a fresh player coming into the major storylines. Instead of getting some of that, you get Cena overcoming the odds. If they do have him wrestling on a regular basis, I hope all his matches aren't focused on his opponents exploiting the injury, then Cena pulling off the win in the end.

What does this mean for Sandow? He is the second man to cash in and fail to walk away with the title. But look at the first man to fail and the match in which he failed. It was John Cena, who had held World titles multiple times prior to getting the briefcase and went on to win the title again after that failure to cash in and win. And Cena wasn't even pinned or submitted in that match. Big Show interfered. Sandow is actually the first man to get beaten when he tried to cash in. Couldn't have happened to a better guy? Sandow could have been the first brand-new World Champion in almost 2 years. They weren't developing him very well for it, so it is not shocking to see him not get the title. Many might say that he didn't deserve it. Fact is, if they had developed him better, not as many people would be saying that. Do I think Sandow will eventually get the proper build to be a World Champion and get the title run? Personally, I don't see it happening. Still, would be nice if they eventually gave this guy some kind of midcard title run.

Cena comes one step closer to tying and breaking Ric Flair's record for most major World title wins. Ric Flair's official record is at 16. It doesn't seem likely that Cena is going to retire in a few months. It doesn't seem like the WWE is souring on him in the main-event scene. He will definitely take the record. That has a lot of fans talking about whether he deserves it. Some say he is not as good as Ric Flair. Some say he deserves it because he is the top guy. Some say it doesn't matter because title reigns are meaningless. Pro wrestling is a funny business. Wrestlers typically "make history" by having it booked for them. There is a slim chance that an injury or botched finished can screw them out of what they were booked to get, but it happens not that frequently. So should you make too much out of these records? Is it all trivial? Let me say this, if a wrestler goes out there and accomplishes something for the company or industry that sets him apart from his peers in a major, positive way, he deserves to be booked to make history. Is he a top draw? Is he amazingly over? Has he introduced a style that is revolutionizing the industry? Is he truly paving the way for future stars that are influenced by what he did? If you are only getting booked to make history because the bookers want people to think you are that great, then it really isn't an honor. It is a tool to get you over. Moreover, I don't think people should be booked to break major records just because they are a solid worker or just because they were a loyal worker. Hand them a midcard title, but save the better treatment for those who earned it by excelling. Getting right to the point, do I think Cena deserves to break Ric Flair's record? Going by what I just said, whether you like him or not, Cena is a top star in the company. One of those little kids that love him so much may grow up to be the next big star in pro wrestling. I am not going to be upset if Cena breaks the record. This is coming from a true Ric Flair fan. Cena breaking that record won't make me prefer Cena over Flair, but Cena is definitely someone who has earned making history.

Raw's 20th Anniversary

I was so busy talking about the divas this week, I did not get much of a chance to talk about this week's Raw. This week's Raw was hyped as their 20th Anniversary show. They had a milestone show just less than a year ago, so it was understandable if this show wasn't as packed as that one.

That being said, I still found this week's episode to be disappointing. I wasn't expecting much in terms of returns of big legends. It was great seeing Flair again. Mick Foley was there. The Rock was there to further his feud with CM Punk. I was expecting more in terms of big segments. Miz and Flair had a segment. Rock was in the main-event segment. The Shield did their usual thing, which is starting to get stale, but that is a topic for another day. Kaitlyn won the title, but I cannot consider that a big deal for someone who is not yet an established star. She did have her hometown on her side. There was a cage match between Cena and Ziggler, but I wasn't feeling hyped up for that. It was between being an average Raw and the kind of Raw you would expect for a milestone show.

This milestone Raw brought a 3.19. Last year's milestone Raw, which was the highest-rated Raw that year, got a 3.86. If it was not for that episode of Raw, last year's average rating would have been a lot worse than it was. What could the WWE possibly put together to avoid further slipping this year? The year has started solidly, staying above a 3.0 so far, but what happens when The Rock leaves and Wrestlemania season ends? Those 3-hour Raws will hurt again. And if the product becomes even more stale, you can expect even worse numbers than last year. What will end up bringing the best ratings for Raw this year? What will bring those results near a 3.86? It doesn't look like it will be their 20th Anniversary show.

Changing directions. A while ago, I remember hearing that Rikishi said on Twitter that he was glad to see Tamina getting time on Smackdown and getting the win. Yeah? And where's Tamina now? I mean no disrespect to either Rikishi or Tamina. Now that Eve is gone and the title is on a face, Tamina will most likely get pushed to put over Kaitlyn eventually, whether the WWE decides to develop Kaitlyn as centerpiece or treats her as interim centerpiece. It just goes to show that you cannot say what kind of career a diva is getting just off one match, one month, or even one push. Yes, Tamina got a televised win recently. But it was not connected to anything at all. Why should I make too big of a deal out of it? If Rikishi can get excited for Tamina getting treatment like that, that's fine. I don't think that's a fair opportunity at all and it will not lead to improvement in the diva division.

Nature Boy Makes It A Win

On this week's TNA Impact, Ric Flair got a win over Jay Lethal. Before these two first faced off a few weeks ago, I was saying that they should let Flair get a win over Lethal. Lethal could always get another win against Flair at the following PPV with more hype to it. Something like that happened, but somewhat the opposite. Lethal got the big win. Weeks later, in a less-hyped match, but one with still a good stipulation to make it interesting, Flair got the win.

Going back, my rationale for letting Flair get a win was mainly based on the fact that he was trying to make a stable of winners. How would it look if the leader of the group could never win a match himself in TNA? Is Flair's history all the momentum he needs? It would be a mistake to make the man a complete jobber, always going to the well, yet not having it refilled. You have to give people momentum, even the jobbers you want to give someone a credible rub with.

Moving forward to the recent match, it was not like Lethal looked too weak out there. Flair needed help to win. Lethal is still protected and has a new man to feud with. Moreover, the match had some entertaining spots to it. It is always funny to see a heel like Flair get humiliated. He knows this. He does it for the fans.

This feud having been finished for Flair, he does not need one for a while. No reason to push him too much. Just have him be used well to build his faction. Give the young guys the rub. Things can still go well.

Bret With Another Match?

John Cena and Bret Hart will face Chris Jericho and Edge next week. It is the same old annoyance, but it just gets on my nerves more and more each time the WWE does it. Bret cannot wrestle anymore. This is not some fake odds to overcome like when Shawn Michaels was really recovered enough to make a return many years ago, but the WWE pushed it like something from a storybook. If Bret really could wrestle well, he would have done it against McMahon or Miz. He is beyond painful to look at for me.

Is the WWE that desperate to find a legend to fill HBK's shoes on Raw? Are they happy that they alienated Ric Flair to the point that he would rather go to TNA than wait for the WWE? Even for his age, Ric Flair can still do more soundly in the ring than Bret Hart can right now. Flair does not need the joke of a gang wrestling a match for him, just for him to come in with one move in the end to win. Flair can take real punishment. If nothing else, he still has more charisma in his fingernail than Bret has in his entire body. I do not care if Canada goes wild when Bret comes out. I do not give a damn when someone from New York shows up unless I actually find the guy entertaining. How stupid does the WWE think the fans are? At least just admit that Bret Hart is no longer that great in the ring. Screw his stupid catchphrase. He is ruining his legacy. If the WWE really wants a legend that badly, go back in the phonebook and find someone better than Bret. He had his return and revenge against McMahon. Everything since then has been stupid.

The WWE is doing this angle in the Raw/Nexus feud in which Team Cena is falling apart. I hope they write Bret out somehow next week. I don't want to see the guy hurt. I also do not want to see him wasting time that could be going to something really entertaining. If the WWE does somehow take him out of the team, they can still pull some swerve in which the whole team still comes back together for the match at the last second. If that happens, it happens. Until then, I am rolling my eyes at next week's match.

Can Ric Flair Get One Win Over Lethal?

Ric Flair has a big match coming up against Jay Lethal. Their feud has been going on for well over a month now. It originally featured Flair sending his guys to take care of Lethal. Lethal has usually been successful in getting the win when it counted the most. He finally gets the shot to face Flair himself.

It is obvious that a lot of these "fossils" in TNA are here to give the younger guys a rub. That is a good thing. It is also clear at times that Flair's team usually ends up losing a lot of matches that count. That has been very true in the past few months. It helps to build and protect faces, although protection is sometimes overvalued and there are many ways to build someone.

All that aside, can Ric Flair please win his PPV match against Lethal? Many would say that Ric Flair doesn't need the win. Maybe not. But does that mean that TNA should drain the well and invest back into it? Never give Flair a win again? I am not saying Flair should squash Lethal, but pull off a dirty finish. Lethal would still look strong, while Flair looks good. How would it look if the other members of Flair's stable win their matches at the PPV, but Flair loses? Pathetic. If TNA is serious about finally giving this group momentum, don't leave the mentor out of the mix. It may even lead to another PPV match between Lethal and Flair, with some kind of gimmick even. Lethal can then go over Flair there. Might even be a bigger win for him than just bulldozing over the entire group, including Flair.

Bischoff Should Have Stayed Heel

Many people are feeling that TNA is sliding into ruin before it even won a big battle against the WWE. Knockouts division is going down. TNA is giving away great matches on free TV, yet they cannot get great ratings. There are a lot of things I can talk about. All of that aside for now, I want to talk about one of the problems that deal more with storyline.

Flair's group is pretty lame. When was the last time any member won a really big match at a PPV? They get a few mediocre wins on Impact here and there, and sometimes not even enough of that. They are booked poorly. Moreover, how can these guys really compete against Hogan and the rest of management, who are all faces? They faces can try to be fair and all that, but "fair" to heels is usually what is "fair" to them.

They needed leverage. TNA teased having Eric Bischoff be heel and align with Flair months ago. That would have been so great for the group. What happens? Bischoff realigns with Hogan. Was that really necessary? Bischoff does not even come off as that believable a face a lot of the time. Hogan is way more popular than him.

Flair's group still needs that leverage. Can they still get it? Why not? Make this great battle really heat up. Make it seem like it will be more of a war. I think that will draw viewers' interests.

Ric Flair And Jay Lethal

That Ric Flair segment on TNA tonight was the most entertaining wrestling segment I have seen in I do not know how long that did not have someone getting beaten up. Some shoes and clothes may have taken a bump here and there, but you do not have to wreck everything at ringside or beat up everyone to entertain me.

Ric Flair was his usual energetic self. I found the idea of creating "Fortune" interesting, although I do not like the name. That is another issue. Things went crazy when Jay Lethal came out. He continued his act of pretending to be Flair. Just seeing them play off each other was great. This was a great comedy segment, but also had heart, intensity, and real purpose to it. I do not like outsiders, like guest hosts, doing it so often. Real wrestlers can do it too, and for reasons I like. I do not need a complete comic wrestler, like a Santino, creating just a joke segment or match almost every week. Wrestlers showing a little more seriousness or respect can do just a good a job. I know Jay Lethal is somewhat of a comic guy, but there is that element of respect to his character. He is not a complete joke. You are still supposed to take him somewhat seriously. I respected this more than most of the comedy segments the WWE attempts these days.

Ric Flair will face Jay Lethal. I know Flair is old, cannot go as well as he is used to, and all that, but I am still looking forward to this match. This goes back to what I said about not minding old people in TNA. I think Flair can really do something good for Lethal. Lethal gets to work with a real legend. That is something to tell the grandchildren about in years to come. By then, Jay Lethal may be something of a legend himself. Who knows? And these days are what helped to build that.

I Like Old People

One constant criticism I see coming up against TNA these days is that they push fossils and overlook the younger talent. I disagree.

Look at what TNA is trying to do. They are actually trying to compete with the WWE. There is nothing wrong with that. Problem is, how should they go about it? Frankly, if all they feature is good wrestling among names that are not very popular in the mainstream, they may never make it at all. Even I, a wrestling fan for so long, would have rather watched WWE over TNA in any given week at one time. Kurt Angle did not draw me. Knockout hype did not actually make me tune in. Mick Foley, one of my first favorite wrestlers, could not break my habit with the WWE. If anything, I would just read spoilers and watch what I wanted on Youtube. I occasionally would watch a segment or two of Impact, but I never stuck around for long.

I fell for the Hogan hype. On the day he was to make his big return, the WWE planned on the return of Bret Hart. Like it or not, fossils still seem to be a draw. But I actually was more interested for Hogan than Bret. I was never a huge fan of Hogan. I never gave him that much thought at all. I prefered Ric Flair. For some reason beyond me, it was still Hogan I was interested in at first, not even Flair. Back on WWE, I knew what to expect from Bret Hart. He was coming back to end what started a decade ago. I did not know what exactly to expect from Hogan and his crew. I only knew they would be sticking around. I actually felt the hype over on TNA. On Raw, what happened that night was a big disappointment for me. No huge swerves. Nothing really exciting. One kick, show's over. I did not like how the rest of the feud was developed, not to mention Bret's matches against Vince McMahon and equipment.

Am I happy that almost every impact seems to end with Hogan now in some way? No. Am I glad that Ric Flair refuses to leave the memories alone. Honestly, I would have respected him more if he did stay out, but I have not lost respect for him since he did return. He may not be exactly what he used to be, but I like to know he is still a part of the show, if he truly feels that is what he wants.

Last time I checked, the fossils have not been winning the TNA title since they came back a few months ago. They are not here for that. And new guys are being built up. I see it. I never knew what to think of AJ Styles, but after seeing Impact for a few weeks, I am liking this guy. I used to think Desmond Wolfe was completely overrated. After seeing him, some people may still overrate him, but I am liking him too. These are guys who never made a name for themselves in WWE and went to TNA. These are guys who made it in TNA. That is what TNA is going for. Draw the casual fans with big names like Hogan and Flair, but push the younger talent in a good way to create the hype in the next generations.

It is not like the WWE lacks fossils as well. Maybe not as old as Hogan and Flair, but the shows are built around the same draws. Cena? Triple H? Rey Mysterio attracts the Hispanic audience. And I am not even liking how they are pushing the younger talent in the WWE. They seem so generic so often. Many times, they just do not seem built properly. But the idea is still the same. The idea behind NXT was that top guys like Jericho and Christian would be involved, so the fans can think some star power would be there. You tune in for the draws, but also fall in love with the rookies. Last time I checked, NXT is not doing so well.

Impact may not be doing so well either, but the WWE had a huge head start over them. Will they ever catch up? I do not know. Whether they do or not, I do not latch on to the flavor of the week. I am a fan of what I enjoy. I am enjoying TNA. I will still watch parts of Raw out of habit. I am going to ignore Smackdown entirely from now on. No draw there for me. I can just read spoilers. Nevertheless, I am still waiting on something more refreshing. I think it is possible.