A Hypothetical Closed Division

This is just a hypothetical situation I am throwing out there. I know this is not how things are exactly. Why do this? I hope to come back to this topic in the far future. By laying down a foundation here, I hope it would be easier to understand then than if I just jumped in out of nowhere.

What if Raw's main event was a "closed division". What do I mean? What if the people who become a part of this group can never be moved to any other division? What if people in other divisions on Raw could not become a part of this division at all? The only way to be in this division is to already be in it or be placed there upon being called up to Raw. The only title they could ever compete for is Raw's World title. Sometimes you may see "mixed tag" matches, which would feature someone from this division and another division facing a similar team. In rare instances, you may even see one from the Raw main event division face someone lower down in the card. However, these would be exceptions to the rule, not the norm. Typically, people in this division will only face each other.

Who could we include in this division? How about John Cena, Randy Orton, Triple H, Batista, Sheamus, Chris Jericho, Edge, and The Great Khali. Not much different from how things actually are, assume John Cena is the centerpiece of this division. That does not mean he is necessarily getting the best cheers than everybody else, everywhere he goes, every single time. It does mean, on the other hand, that the WWE is building the division around him.

Now introduce a new element. You cannot keep the same people in a division forever. They cannot always trade the title among each other forever. They cannot only fight each other forever. You would need to build credibility of other individuals, but at the expense of people already in the division. You will need to build fresh enemies for Cena to overcome. For argument's sake, say the WWE brings in Christian straight from TNA to Raw's main event. Christian was in the main event of TNA. He held the World title there. He would fit in.

Christian is both a good worker and a popular guy. Knowing this, the WWE has him be a face. His role would mainly be to act as a sidekick to the higher-ups in the division, such as Cena and Triple H, and be a credible jobber to the heels they plan on pushing, while also getting that credibility by beating the heels below him. He is not actually being buried, and may even hold the World title now and then, but he is not meant to be the centerpiece of the division.

Disaster strikes. John Cena is injured. Triple H was already out from injury and is not ready to return. The Great Khali is The Great Khali. Orton gets injured. Batista is involved in a retirement storyline with Edge. Who steps up as the top face? Christian. The WWE has Christian feud over the title with Sheamus, the heel they are currently most high on. What if Christian not only won the belt from Sheamus, but is able to get even more over in the time Cena is gone?

Cena returns in a few months. WWE takes the title off Christian and gives it back to Sheamus, with the intent of handing it back to Cena. What if those fans are still more high on Christian than Cena? What if Christian is doing too good a job, keeping him more over than anyone else in this division? What if the other people are not only not as over, but now frequently missing time due to injury and getting difficulty getting that overness back?

Does the WWE suddenly give up on pushing Cena, a man they made to be their centerpiece? Did I forget to mention that the WWE did not intend for Christian to get as over as he did? He was just meant to hold things down when Cena was gone, then go back to his old role as a sidekick. But how awkward would it look if the sidekick is getting more of a big reaction than the person they want to be a centerpiece?

What if, through not having credible enough contenders, having injured workers you would rather push, and just wanting to use him to give other workers a credible rub, Christian gets up to 15 World title reigns (including TNA)? How do you tell Triple H that he will not be beating Ric Flair's 16 before some other guy does, and right under his nose? How do you tell him that the guy reaching the record, and possibly beating it, before him is someone that the WWE only really pushed because they had to and only wanted to use him to get other guys looking interesting?

What do you do with Christian? Just start treating him as the centerpiece? I doubt Triple H will sleep through that. I doubt the WWE will just let the investment they made in John Cena go to waste. I doubt they will change their overall view of Christian. What do you do to get Christian out of the way? Depush him to feuding with the lesser heels in the division? What if the WWE rarely has time or resources to push more than one main-event storyline/feud without one getting the short end of the stick? Besides, the WWE would not really want to keep this guy over anyway. His overness is one thing which is making it difficult to push the men you would rather push and depush him. Christian was only supposed to be support staff. If you cannot use him to put people over without him meeting and breaking an important record in wrestling, what do you do? He has too much credibility to be buried successfully. He is obviously in the way and has become something the WWE did not intend. What do you do? Fire him. Go back to pushing Cena and Triple H in his place. If done correctly, the WWE can make the fans move on.

Again, just a hypothetical situation. Was it really so out of place that I used Christian? Back when he first came to ECW from TNA, wrestling news sites ran rumors that Vince didn't like Christian, just because they did not hand Christian the ECW title from Jack Swagger right away. Christian went on to hold that title longer than anyone else in its run in the WWE. I have said it before, but anyone could look good on ECW, just to become nothing on one of the major shows. With all the momentum and credibility Christian should have had from being the centerpiece of ECW for so long, and knowing that he can work well and is over, would it really have been hard to see him stepping right into some kind of main-event angle shortly after ECW? Did not happen on Raw. Not happening on Smackdown. That is okay. Christian is not in some closed division. The WWE does not only have to push him in World title matters to keep him truly relevant. He can have feuds and storylines in the midcard. No title has to even be involved. Fans can still be entertained by him. Christian can still be content with being used. He is not in anyone's way. If he was in someone's way in the midcard, which would be unlikely, they can just hook him up with a tag partner and have them go after tag gold. When that gets old, they can just push him somewhere else. Nevertheless, even though I would not say Vince dislikes Christian, the WWE just does not view him the same way they view a John Cena. If Christian really was in a position like that I just spoke of, it would be interesting to see what they did do to him.

To close it up, this was all just a hypothetical situation. The main event is not a closed division. The tag division is not even a closed division. The WWE frequently splits teams up to give one member, or sometimes both, big singles pushes, which may frequently fail for either or both. The WWE frequently brings together two guys who should be getting singles pushes to form a tag team. Even the cruiserweight division was not a totally closed division. Guys like Big Show may have been unable to compete for the title, but men already in the division were free to have feuds against any other man, and even go for tag gold. There is no more cruiserweight division. Cruiserweights are still around. Rey Mysterio, king of the division, has been World HEAVYWEIGHT Champion twice already. There is only one division in the WWE that really does have the rigid barriers that I talked about here. It is obvious what I am talking about. As I said before, in the future, I will bring this idea up again in something else I argue. Hopefully, I will not feel the need into going into a huge tangent to explain what I mean. I already did that here.

900th Raw Episode Thoughts

Videos to hype past moments. Expected that. Even expected the lame statistics. That has become a norm for the current WWE era. Instead of really showing how epic they are, they like to give numbers.

Bret Hart. Most annoying thing for me. Once again, the WWE continues to play that this man can have matches like any other wrestler. They put him against Undertaker? Of course, the match never happened. Nexus saved the day. Michael Cole is a poor replacement for JR? Well, he handles that job better than Bret Hart being treated as some kind of replacement for Shawn Michaels.

Nexus attacked Undertaker. Kane helped too. Honestly, after losing one member recently by injury, the five of them seem less intimidating. Why are people still scared of them? Why did no members of Team Cena save Taker? They weren't supposed to, I know, but it all seems a little pathetic now. The Nexus angle needs freshening up or it is heading to the toilet.

The greatest disappointment was no surprise legends. Bret Hart does not count. Maybe that was why WWE did not push hard for 3 hours. An extra hour of what? Yoshi Tatsu vs. Zack Ryder? This show was very disappointing.

Kofi Vs. Dolph: The Series

Kofi Kingston and Dolph Ziggler seem to be caught in a never-ending series of matches for the Intercontinental Championship. Nothing wrong with that. Booker T and Chris Benoit had a real series in WCW. Booker T and John Cena have faced off many times in the same way. I need not mention what TNA had in their tag division.

What is lacking in this current Smackdown feud? How about actually making it a series? TNA and WWE sometimes try to outdo each other, so why not let Kofi and Dolph give a few good matches? Both are good workers. Moreover, the WWE has given both men time to be impressive in the ring. Orton and Kofi put on a great feud. Ziggler and Rey Mysterio did as well. Both men are capable. How do you go about it? Simple. Have one man simply say they are sick of the shady finishes. Settle it once and for all. Best of 5 series? Maybe 3? Depends on how the WWE develops the feud from here. They can choose to have both men compete against each other on Superstars and Smackdown some weeks. They can choose not to have the finals at Night of Champions, although the build would make sense. I think it could be interesting.

Raw Is Turning Into A Gimmick Show

I noticed last week that Raw had a theme to it. It was all about Nexus being put in "Do-or-Die" matches. This week, the theme that seemed to dominate the show was Sheamus sitting on a throne and watching contenders compete.

I hope this does not become a regular thing. Guest hosts are bad enough, and I did not even pay attention to who the last hosts were or what they really accomplished. But for the last two weeks, only one main idea was stressed for the whole show. Diva angles and jokes like Santino got their time outside the mix, but the midcard and other fresh storylines are being hurt. Yes, Miz and Daniel Bryan are still being allowed to develop their feud, but must it really be done under the banner of either Nexus or WWE title matters? Where are the good storylines and character development outside all this?

Next week will be another special Raw. Expect a lot of hype for the WWE's past success and moments. Grant them that. After, however, I hope the WWE can pick up some scraps here. The Nexus angle has definitely become boring. Ted DiBiase and Maryse are being dragged along to nowhere together. The only tag feud going on is a joke and in the lower-midcard. The real Tag Champions have nothing to do. It is just too dull.

Young Out

On Raw, Darren Young was the only member of Nexus to lose a match. His loss to Cena led to him being destroyed and kicked out of Nexus by the 6 still in the group.

By my count, that is two days in a row that Nexus is weakened. They lose to Team Cena at Summerslam. The way it was being treated in some promos, this match was for the good of the WWE and the WWE Universe. Livelihoods and family was on the line. Overhype, I know. Why? The good guys won. The bad guys did not go away. The bad guys were not really even taken back that much at all from what happened at the PPV. They all still had their jobs. Barrett had lost to Cena before the match. Nothing was put up to limit Nexus from further attacks. Aside from the return of Daniel Bryan and making Cena look like a hero, it was pretty much useless. It did not hurt Nexus that much at all. The fans can chant that Barrett tapped out all they want. Big deal! That doesn't hurt the group.

What does hurt the group? How about losing members? Darren Young may not have been a centerpiece in the faction, but he was a member still. Now they are down to six. They can easily replace him with someone who just lost NXT2, but how does that really bring the group to a new level? It was a group of rookies who made a name by attacking those with credibility and anything else they wanted. None of these guys had any great hook to them. The closest thing was Daniel Bryan, who the internet loved before he even debuted in the WWE, but was struggling to get that monster overness, despite the WWE singling him out, until the release made him look like a martyr. Nexus needs to be taken to another level through associating with an established star. Losing rookies is a trivial loss, but still a step in the wrong direction.

Nexus Does Not Shine At Summerslam

Daniel Bryan is back. Either a repeat of what went down with Matt Hardy years ago or some kind of interesting piece of work here, but I do not really care right now.

Who won? Cena. Cena defeats the remaining members of Nexus. What does this prove really? I would have preferred if the WWE did something like they did with the WCW/ECW invasion in 2001. Have Nexus win the match due to some kind of swerve. Have Cena turn heel. Have Daniel Bryan turn heel. I understand that this would mean Cena losing three PPVs in a row, but Stone Cold Steve Austin did not exactly win every PPV in 2001 during the invasion angle. Obviously, Nexus will not die just because they lost the main event of Summerslam. That was not a stipulation of the match. To me, that is even more reason why they should have won here. When the stakes are higher, and they have even more credibility, they could have lost a match in a few months that would force to group to disband if they lost. The WWE side could put up control of Raw or something if Nexus should win. Of course, they wouldn't be winning.

Barrett still gets his title shot. The fact that a heel still holds the title on Raw makes me believe that there will be more developing going on between both the Nexus angle and the WWE title feud. WWE can still do a good job of building Nexus up to be vanquished in a more big money match, but tonight was not that.

Orton Next WWE Champ?

Randy Orton has had virtually all the momentum going into his title match against Sheamus. Never a good sign if you want him to win. However, Sheamus did lay waste to some NXT guys on Raw, giving him back some momentum as he heads into the match himself. It can go either way.

Should Orton win it? Obviously, you have to consider Wade Barrett. Nexus cannot get title shots for a while, but Wade has a guaranteed title shot at any PPV of his choice. Why would he not choose to go after the WWE title when the time is right? Seeing him go after the title with Sheamus holding it would not be the same as seeing Barrett go after a face over it. Considering all his issues with Cena, John Cena would be a good choice for regaining the title to feud against Barrett. Orton has had his few issues with Nexus as well, but he is not really deep in the storyline.

With the way this feud has been treated, I would expect some kind of shady finish. Miz is definitely involved in this mess. I do not think things will end at Summerslam. It would make more sense for Orton to not win the title here, but then win it at the next PPV. I think Orton should get it to lend some credibility to his new face run. If you do not count John Cena, the last face to hold the WWE Championship was Batista last year. Wow. Any doubts that John Cena is the centerpiece of Raw's main event? I even expect Nexus vs. Team Cena to either be the main event of Summerslam or at least trump Orton vs. Sheamus, but that is another issue.

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.

Kozlov/Santino: Where Are They Now?

The WWE bothered to turn Vladimer Kozlov face. They bothered to even do it properly, which is surprising. Kozlov was dancing like a fool and getting a better pop than Santino, his partner, at one time. Where is this team now?

Obviously, Nexus matters make lower-midcard matters like Santino/Kozlov squashing William Regal and has heel partner(s) look so trivial. In the end, it is trivial. But why invest in this to just drop it? Do they not have any further creative ideas for the team? Only one joke tough guy at a time? Khali is no longer the joke, so time for it to be Kozlov? Whatever happens in the next few weeks, the may be screwing the comedy relief....Why am I complaining then?

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.

Four Members And The Group Still Goes Nowhere

Joey Mercury, surprise surprise, is the other guy in CM Punk's Straight Edge Society. Most internet fans probably knew this. Only little kids who did not watch WWE years ago may have no idea who this guy is. I could say I am glad to see him back, but I would not be telling the truth. I could say I hate it, but that isn't true either. I'm indifferent. Joey Mercury? Why? The guy was part of a well-treated team/stable years ago. He was not incredibly over. Of all the people to rehire, him? I would rather see Cryme Tyme reunite and get a title run. Instead, it looks like that team can end up released by this time next year. That is another topic.

As for the whole stable, they have a feud going with Big Show. What other top face really had free time to feud with Punk? Months ago, I talked about how I did not like how the members under Punk were being built. Before that, I talked about how it was good that Serena was getting involved in a stable like this. Punk was a main-eventer. He was feuding against DX and Rey Mysterio. He was doing awesomely. He could give Serena and Luke a good rub! Nope. More than 6 months after her debut on Smackdown, Serena has yet to have an official diva match. Even Rosa Mendes didn't have to wait this long. Luke Gallows seems to be just there. A while back, they teased some friction in the group. Just like when they teased Gail Kim turning heel last year, nothing has really come of that friction. Now they add another sidekick? All these two guys can do is beat jobbers? I doubt they will have these two really get one over on Big Show himself. If anyone, Punk will get that benefit. I am not saying Punk does not deserve it, but enough is enough. The WWE is not investing in the other members. Punk is the kind of guy who can invest in himself, but they are not having him really invest in his followers well enough. All he really does is push his own superiority over them.

What can be done to really spread the wealth? Have attention shift to at least Luke Gallows better. Instead of having him get a win over a jobber, have him, the biggest guy in the stable, really be the one to shine against Big Show, the largest man on Smackdown. If the IC title was on a face, I would say that either Luke or Joey could start feuding for that. Nope. And Serena? How about having her trying to recruit some of the face divas to the SES? Have McCool and Layla play with the toy that the Women's Championship has become. And Punk? Have him oversee all this. Give him something to be proud of. It does not have to turn into the SES show, much like ECW was somewhat the CM Punk show for a while, but it can be more entertaining and do more for the members.