Swagger's All Wet?

I did not like what happened to Swagger on Smackdown this week that much. In terms of comedy, it was what it was. Nothing entirely original to happen to a heel. The audience gets a good laugh. In terms of developing Swagger, it took two steps back for the one step they have tried to take in developing him as a serious main-eventer.

Swagger was just used as fodder in the feud between Kane and Mysterio. If there was some other angle for Swagger to still travel down, I would not be complaining. But there does not seem to be one. It is the same thing I complained about before. There is no one else for him to face. If his daddy was still actively around, they might be able to push a comedy angle with that at least. It would not be serious development for Swagger, but it would be an angle for his benefit and to get his character out there.

Cashing out the momentum invested in him and not giving him seemingly anything better to do. The WWE frequently kills momentum of some wrestlers on the verge of big wins, but I do not see how that can happen for Swagger right now.

Nexus Wants Khali?

A few weeks ago, I talked about how I did not like how the WWE went from talking about The Great Khali leaving to refocus, then returning as an even bigger joke as he was before. Last week, when he was announced as a member of Team Cena, that was a step in the direction that can at least make him look credible again.

The plot thickens. Not only is Khali the obvious powerhouse on Cena's team, not only have they had him tease friction with Edge, but now they are teasing the idea that Nexus wants Khali on their side. Without spoiling what happens next week, you can also say that Nexus is just scared of having to deal with him. This is definitely an interesting element in this whole mess.

There is also the issue of what Ranjin Singh will do in all this. He turned slightly against Khali in the backstage segment that first really tied Khali to this feud many weeks ago. The WWE jas not really developed on that, until now. I know Khali is a joke in the ring, but I think it is clear that even the giant joke can be treated seriously to help further a storyline like this. It is definitely easier for me to handle than the WWE pretending Bret can still wrestle.

What Does DiBiase Do For Summerslam?

In a backstage segment, Edge teased tension within Team Cena by saying he would rather not have Khali on their side. Who would he rather have? Ted DiBiase? Obviously, this segment really was meant to just form tension. However, DiBiase also went on to defeat a member of Team Cena in a match. Could the WWE have plans for DiBiase in Nexus vs. Team Cena?

There are two reasons why Ted being on the team all of a sudden may not work. First, all the current members either have a reason to be on the team or have some credibility. Even the minor exceptions like R-Truth and Khali had segments in which they spoke on Nexus. They have been built into this match now. Who gets the bullet? And why? And replace them with DiBiase? That brings me to the second thing. He has been even less involved with this feud than Khali or R-Truth. Of all the people to put in all of a sudden, him? What about Bourne or Mark Henry? And Khali can provide at least power to the team. What does Ted DiBiase supply that is unique? Money?

The WWE definitely wants to push DiBiase, but he is definitely lost at the moment. Summerslam is a big PPV. Do they just leave him off? There really does not seem to be anything for him to do. I can think of no great opponents for him to work against at the PPV. Maybe a rushed feud with Bourne? The WWE is high on Bourne too. Just does not seem like a big enough match. At least DiBiase is still walking around with that shiny belt and Maryse.

Speaking of Maryse, a diva I despised during her push in the ring, I do not mind her as much now that she is a valet for Ted DiBiase. Without her ruining match quality, I can relax with her. I still do not find her to be the most beautiful woman alive. I still find her charisma not that great. But just showing cleavage and doing her act is how she will get over with the fans, definitely not by wrestling. But when the time is right, they will push her again in the ring. I want to see how she does. Would this be her third shot in my book? Three strikes...

Kane's Gain Is Swagger's Loss?

Jack Swagger became World Champion via Money in the Bank. Two World Champions later, Kane is now holder of the title, and once again, thanks to Money in the Bank. Swagger's title win was what really started his push as a credible main-eventer. Sure, he was ECW Champion and top heel there, but ECW was used as a small stage to build stars. Many of those stars have not even been given anything good since leaving ECW. Swagger was one of the lucky ones.

Has that luck ran out? Ever since The Undertaker was injured, Kane has been getting a lot of attention. Who took Taker out? That has been the main question. It has even slightly overshadowed the World Championship feuds at times. Not anymore. Kane, the one seeking justice and the likely culprit at the same time, is now World Champion. Although he is not officially heel yet, this slow build could be the good way to go about it.

Once Kane does fully turn heel, Jack Swagger will obviously not be top heel for a while. I have already said that Kane's storyline has been more interesting than the title matters. I have already said that Kane now even has the title. The only thing stopping Kane from being top heel on Smackdown is that he is not yet heel. What do you do with Jack Swagger? Much like Sheamus, I imagine Swagger's time in the backseat will be short. Had Taker not gotten injured, it might have been Swagger and Taker facing each other at Summerslam. When Taker does eventually regain the title, which this storyline is probably leading to, I am sure Taker and Swagger will still face each other for it.

What do you do with Swagger until then? Mysterio vs. Kane is set. Would it be a good idea to insert Swagger? Technically, he already got his rematch, plus a shot to get another one before Rey could utilize his rematch clause. Besides, Having Tweener Kane face a solid face in Mysterio could help turn Kane slowly into a heel. So Swagger faces who? Big Show? Tied up in SES matters. I cannot think of any other healthy faces who are both credible enough and free. This sucks. Summerslam is one of the big PPVs of the year. No Swagger match? If the WWE cares about pushing this guy, he needs something. Simple interference in the main event? Could be good, but it depends on how they build his involvement in the feud and how he interferes.

If the WWE does leave Swagger off from meaningful involvement, he could be getting the short end of the stick. Understatement. That is what happens with circumstance sometimes. None of this would have happened if Taker had not gotten injured. But if Swagger's push does lose heavy momentum, and possibly gets buried, it was done as a cost for Kane's gain. Considering how long it had been since Kane held a World title, you have to wonder who to feel sorry for.

ECW Reborn In TNA

The closing segment on Impact this week involved Dixie Carter talking with the ECW guys that caused some trouble last week. Mick Foley and Tommy Dreamer were the main players for the group tonight, but Raven, Rhyno, and Stevie Richards were there too. The main message was that these ECW guys just wanted one more chance to go out respectably.

This was a good segment. It had heart to it. This was not an invasion or attack, like Nexus is doing. However, it would be interesting to have the TNA guys play the heel role. In any case, this ECW angle should see some former ECW talent make appearances, beyond those we have seen already. The fans want Sabu. Depending on how TNA does this, it may be done with more class than the WWE's ECW return.

The Other Great Superhero

Other than Bret Hart, the interesting pick for Team Cena is The Great Khali. I had said that it was pathetic how they hyped him as taking a break to refocus back when he was on Smackdown, but then turn him into a joke on Raw. But going from that to getting involved in the Nexus angle so quickly? Nexus never attacked him. The closest Khali ever came when it comes to getting involved in this angle in a personal way was when his manager said he would be the first one to run if Nexus attacked.

What can Khali offer to this angle? Well, he is a powerhouse. Team Cena can benefit from that in a way. He can also be showing that he is not a coward. This may lead to Ranjin turning heel. This may also be the start of using Khali as a main-event jobber again. Sounds terrible? Well, how awkward does it look to have a former World Champion playing with Doink? I hope it plays out well for Khali.

Bret Back On Raw...Again

Why do they keep bringing this guy back? Bret Hart was named as a member of Team Cena for the Summerslam match. The last few months have proven that Bret is a joke in the ring now. He was not a very good GM either. He got his revenge against Vince and even got a gold watch he did not need (U.S. Championship). He keeps coming back!

If this is his last run, fine. I would say he could stick around with a non-wrestling role, but he already tried that. Who could they have chosen instead? How about Vince? How about the Hart Dynasty instead of Bret and one other team member? They could represent Bret, and they are tag champs too. What is done is done. I just hope they do not have him do too much before the PPV.

Smackdown's Top Guy: Kane

I have been a Kane fan for many years. I was glad when he won his first World title over a decade ago. Not so much when it lasted only a day. Many have been waiting for him to win a real World title again, and the ECW title does not count for many. I've heard people say that Kane does not care about titles, but only putting over the younger talent. What do these people say now? Kane won Smackdown's Money in the Bank. He cashed in and WON the World's Heavyweight Championship. Kane has won the WWE Championship, WWE ECW Championship, and now the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. How many guys can say that? Keep in mind that Big Show has won the WCW Championship, WWE Championship, and ECW Championship (in WWE), but he never actually won the WWE World Heavyweight Championship since the WWE took the belt from WCW. Even if you do not want to make the distinction, Kane is in a very elite club.

Sadly, the WWE did not give Kane the title because they felt he earned it or anything like that. This is part of the storyline going around The Undertaker. When Taker returns, he will most likely feud with Kane for the title. WWE will see it as a money feud. This is similar to Edge/Jericho from a few months ago. Jericho only won the title so Edge, who won the Royal Rumble, could have a return feud against him for the title. Jack Swagger ended up being inserted into the picture, but Jericho did not really get the title as much as an reward as for storyline purposes. In any case, enjoy the Kane reign while it lasts.

Swerve At Money In The Bank?

Nexus has been the wild card on Raw for over a month now, especially in the main event. It is pretty much a lock that they will get involved in the main event at the PPV somehow. Will it be during or after the match?

The predictable "shocker" would be for Nexus to beat up Cena, should he defeat Sheamus, and allow whoever won Raw's Money in the Bank to cash it in right there. They can also do a similar thing with Sheamus, but I cannot picture Cena losing again.

Then there is the real shocker. Rumors say WWE might have a face like Cena or Triple H be revealed as the one behind Nexus. Yes, Cena would have had the group attack him to throw everyone off. Picture the cage match. Both Cena and Sheamus down. Nexus enter. They walk right by Cena and attack Sheamus only. Cena simply walks out. Cena turns heel? Would that be a bad thing? Randy Orton has been getting great pops lately. They can now attempt turning Sheamus face. Triple H will return in a few months to lend another top face to Raw. It could work out.

Rosa Jumps Rope

I am going to say the little bit I have to say everytime I talk about Rosa Mendes. I liked this woman! She was hot during the Diva Search. I was looking forward to her getting used in the WWE. What followed was a disaster.

The new chapter in the story? She jumps rope. She is Smackdown's answer to Jillian Hall. Just like Jillian has a joke gimmick, Rosa has one now too. I don't think Rosa deserves anything to keep her interesting in front of the fans. Some will say that the fact that she is a jobber is her punishment. Not good enough for me. Not giving her wins in the ring only means that a push will not get her over. If you have not noticed, pushes and wins do not always make a wrestler automatically over. They do not make them interesting by themselves. Even if she is a jobber, and it is not like her wrestling ability will get her over either, she has a gimmick to get fans to notice her. She can get segment time. She does not deserve this at all.

ECW Meets TNA

All he had to do was stand there to distract Abyss, but it was great to see Mick Foley back in TNA. I figured he was pretty much done as far as storyline went. Mick Foley was a part of ECW. That is the major angle going on for TNA now.

Dreamer, Rhino, Raven, and Stevie Richards attacked Abyss. Other wrestlers and officials then joined into the mix. Some sided with the attackers, who are all from ECW fame, and others tried to fight them off. The segment ended with Dixie Carter saying she was the one who asked the ECW guys to come. Not too horrible. It still leaves the question, "Why would you do that, Dixie?"

I have read some people compare this to the Nexus attack, saying it was better than what WWE did. I watched the attack with that in mind. I will say that the attack is somewhat in the same class, but I would not say it is better. The Nexus attack was a lot more intense. Moreover, Taz was ruining the ECW attack a bit by not acting completely shocked by it. He is an ECW guy himself, so that may play into the future, but it ruined the moment a bit. The way the WWE commentators acted sent a better message. The TNA attack seemed too much like a common brawl. The Nexus attack was a destruction. When they did brawl with WWE guys, those segments lacked the appeal of what made the angle great, the intensity. You pretty much just have Nexus getting beaten down in the brawl segments and running when things get tough. That is not what their destructions have, and it is their destructions that draw viewers. To that person who thought TNA did a better job, I say not yet.

Even though I am saying that the TNA angle is lacking things that made the WWE angle great, I am not putting it down. TNA should not be trying to copy WWE exact move by exact move. They have to do their own thing. If they want to play the WWE's own game and outdo them, that is something else. That does not mean they are copying them to the letter. For what they are doing, I like it. WWE took 7 (8 if you count Daniel Bryan) rookies and made them look like a big deal in one night. That is not what TNA is doing. TNA is pulling on the history of ECW, on already established stars. This is more comparable to ECW return angles in WWE, not to Nexus. Still, I am hoping TNA can make it their own. Judging by the spoilers I read for next week, they take a good step in that direction.

A Little Bit Of Attention For Mark Henry

R-Truth's loss is Mark Henry's gain. Mark gets R-Truth's spot in Money in the Bank. Were there really a lot of options more credible than Mark Henry? The Great Khali? He's a lower-midcarder now. William Regal? What exciting spots could he really do in a ladder match? At least Mark Henry can bring his strength into play.

Do not think for a second that Mark Henry actually stands a good chance of winning. Why would he? He has no real momentum. The WWE does not seem interested to really push him. He is pretty much a jobber used to build the credibility of the talent the WWE does want to push. Using the same term I did when talking about divas, Mark Henry is simply just a tool. He is only getting this spot because someone else was taken out. Because Mark Henry is not in a closed division like the divas are, and because he is not insanely over or does not HAVE to be be pushed for any other reason, the WWE can afford to just shuffle him around.

Nevertheless, speaking as someone who does respect this guy, I am glad he is getting some time. NXT is not good enough a stage. But how will it last? Using him well in the feud against Nexus is an option, but time will tell.

Edge Hears Voices In His Head

I am sure the council him. I am sure they understand. I am also sure they talk to him. Basically, Edge's promo on Raw must have been inspired by Randy Orton's theme song. In the end, it is all hype for what Edge will do in Money in the Bank in a few days.

I talked about this last week, but Edge's new way of getting the message across was interesting enough to make me go there again. This is psycho Edge. If the WWE really has Edge do things to match the character in his promos, which they have still been failing to do for months now, this can really be an interesting Edge to see. However, sticking to the idea that it is hype for this Sunday, I am expecting to be let down. I am not saying Edge will not do some cool spots. I am sure he will spear someone is midair. I am sure all the guys will get some great spots here and there. Thing is, I do not expect to be surprised by Edge. Also, I am expecting the "fun" or "voices" to die down again after this Sunday. Where does Edge go? I do not know. I just doubt the WWE will have it be anywhere really fresh and interesting. Michael Cole has been more fresh this year than Edge has. Am I that wrong?

Jericho Still Friends With Barrett

Very trivial matter, but I was waiting for some kind of interaction between Chris Jericho and Wade Barrett ever since Nexus stepped up. Jericho mentored Barrett on NXT. There were never any real issues during the two. I do not recall Jericho ever being on the receiving end of a Nexus attack. I also do not recall Jericho ever trying to stop Nexus. Put it all together, does that mean Jericho has something to do with the group. Does not have to be the case, but finally seeing an interaction between these two men is good for looking at the issue. Then again, all that really happened tonight between the two was a simple, trivial backstage segment. Cannot make too much out of those too fast.

And on the other hand, with how the WWE has been doing it, Jericho may end up getting the crap beaten out of him next week by Nexus. Whatever the case, if Jericho does not win this Sunday, I think he could use a fresh angle. Whether against Nexus or with them, there are possibilities there. Not like Cena can do it all himself.

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.

End Of SES Near?

While CM Punk is unable to compete, the WWE still gives his stable an interesting storyline, and with Punk very much in the center. Last week, they teased the end of Serena's membership. This week, Punk passed sentence. Serena is still in. However, Luke Gallows did not look too happy.

They are doing an angle about the potential break up of SES. I do not think now is the time to start breaking the entire group up. Punk has hardly really propelled the careers of his minion. They have just been his lackeys. Pretty much the point in a way, but even Orton won the WWE title a few times when he had his stable last year. SES has hardly accomplished anything great for Punk. Luke Gallows would die without being near Punk.

On the other hand, I would not have cried if Serena was let go from the group last week. Seeing her actually start wrestling would have been worth it. She can still wrestle while in SES, true, but the WWE is not doing that either.

In the end, SES is not going to die in a day. They are going to develop this angle a bit. I hope it leads to something more for the members than just them going their separate ways, and with Punk probably being the only one with a bright future.

Dreamer's Value To TNA Runs Deep?

They say Tommy Dreamer now has some influence in the booking of TNA. Dixie Carter is high on him. Tommy is supposedly using his influence to try to limit joke workers, like Orlando Jordan, trying to bring in good workers from indies and former WWE stars, and improve stars still in TNA.

Assuming this is all true, this is great. Tommy's use just in terms of kayfabe would have been limited anyway. He is not a huge draw by himself. Even an ECW reunion would not be a massive draw by itself. It would depend on what they did. Nexus has probably been more extreme over the last few weeks than WWE ECW had been in the final months. Point it, it is good news that Tommy Dreamer may have a say in the direction of TNA. He knows what wrestling fans want and has been in the business a long time. I wish him luck.

Yoshi Tatsu: Another ECW Talent Down The Drain

Yoshi Tatsu was used very well on ECW. He had a string of wins. He was a contender for the ECW Championship. I believe he won the battle royal dark match before Wrestlemania. He even had multiple attempts to hype him as an exciting, big deal. They were making him seem like something great. I may be mistaken, but I do believe some fans even bought into it.

He goes to Raw. Do you even see him that much anymore? Yeah, when they need a few extra faces to run of Nexus. Other than that, Superstars seems to be his real new home. Hype for him from the WWE is diminished. I almost want to say that this was all a waste of time, but ECW was such a minor show, you had to hype even the jobbers. When will this guy get his chance? Well, Evan Bourne is enjoying his push now. Evan and Yoshi are not the same, I know, but things may happen. If not, Yoshi Tatsu is a new Akio. He will be released without really ever accomplishing anything.

Edge Calls This Fun?

I have been watching Edge since he returned to Raw as a heel. First, he promises controversy. Recently, he promised "fun" would start. In all honesty, TOO MANY LIES! TOO MANY LIES!

The controversy thing started out a bit interestingly with how they used Edge to bring up the issue of getting a new Raw GM. Teasing that it would be Vickie Guerrero was also good. Since then, however, I have seen no controversy coming from Edge. Obviously, the "fun" he had in mind was meant to be hype for Money in the Bank. Fine. But I see no fun. I would have preferred if it meant Edge torturing Randy Orton every week, which would make their feud more interesting, add a new story to the Money in the Bank match, and lead to a big gimmick match to cap their feud. Nope. If it was really just hype for a ladder match Edge was teasing, I would have liked to see more ladder play from Edge, not just him spearing Jericho cause the two can't get along. I don't find this fun.

Obviously, the blame should not go to Edge. He is doing what the WWE is having him do. The WWE is just overhyping things. There is no real substance there. I am sure there will be "fun" at the PPV. Problem is, since I don't see any good shades of that in the build, I am not even interested in seeing the PPV.

Cena Goes Nexus On Nexus

First, Wade Barrett is back. No sweat about him being out for long. Besides that, the main development in this Nexus story is that they now got a taste of their own medicine.

Wade and Cena were supposed to shake hands. Of course, Cena plays the guy who has to get revenge for what Nexus did. He goes for the Additude Adjustment, Nexus attacks, Raw faces save him, but Young is left in the ring.Cena goes on to destroy Young. The GM had made a match putting Cena against all of Nexus because of this attack, but Cena still went wild.

Not a bad way to progress the story. Things may have gotten old with Nexus always doing the same thing every week. Give the faces some momentum. There are still mysteries to be solved with Nexus to keep them interesting. The angle is not dead because Cena gains momentum. No. And I doubt the WWE will do something stupid like have him squash all of Nexus by himself, either in one match or one by one.

Time For Christian To Go Heel?

How many heels do you really have on Smackdown? Sure, certain ones who are injured will heal. Certain ones with immigration issues will get it settled. However, then you have some whom the WWE does not seem that big on really giving a big push to at all. Jack Swagger, the top heel right now, has his rightful place in the main event. What about the midcard? More specifically, the scene for Money in the Bank?

Cody Rhodes has enough credibility from being around Orton and his new gimmick, which brings some freshness to him, to not seem out of place as a guy who can win a major title just from cashing in a briefcase. Other than him, did you notice Christian acting a bit heelish? Sign of things to come? I think he should turn heel. Why not? Smackdown lost Jericho and Edge, both current heels on Raw. Big Show went from being a heel on Raw to face on Smackdown. Smackdown needs more top heels. Christian would be perfect. He has been top dog on ECW before. WWE will never acknowledge TNA until they own it, but he had success there too. If nothing else, Christian could provide a new feud for Matt Hardy until Drew McIntyre is fully ready to return and Money in the Bank is over. Christian can then also feud with Mysterio. How many more times can Rey feud with Swagger and Punk? Or even Ziggler again? Christian would be something fresh.

Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat Hospitalized

Following the attacks on Monday, Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat was hospitalized. Brain aneurysm. This sounds like something that is part of a storyline, but it is not. Steamboat initially went on with his business after the attacks, but had to be taken to the hospital yesterday.

This is where I sound like a bit of a hypocrite by saying that maybe the WWE did go a bit too far. I loved how non-PG this Nexus angle was at first, but I do not want to see anyone get really hurt in this. Steamboat, especially, should not have to suffer over this. I thought that the fact that he agreed to go through this may have meant he could handle it, but you can never tell when something will go wrong, whether young or old. That is the risk they take. However, the WWE does sometimes get stupid. PG or not, entertaining or not, promises or not, Mae Young should not been given one last match a few years ago. Just stupid. Steamboat looked impressive in his return against Jericho last year, but it is not hard to see that the Nexus attack was probably more extreme than what he had to do with Jericho. More tense. Another year had went by.

Many will use this to criticize the Nexus angle. Honestly, I will have a tough time saying they are absolutely wrong. As I said before, what I liked was how non-PG this stuff was. It was just way too violent for something kids should be seeing. If someone is getting put in the hospital for serious reasons, however, and considering the reasons given for why Daniel Bryan was released, maybe the WWE should watch it now.

Steamboat is in stable condition. Hope he makes it okay.