Path Cleared For Mark Henry And Average August 2011 Raw Rating

Randy Orton defeated Christian inside a cage to retain his title. That is not surprising. Christian had a rematch coming, they utilized it for this special Smackdown, and I hope that really is the end of this Orton/Christian thing for a while. Mark Henry came out after the match for some of Orton, which is also not surprising. Not to sound harsh, but I don't want to see Christian in Mark Henry's main-event push for the next few weeks. I don't believe that is what the WWE is going for, but I just want Mark Henry to get a fair chance with what is coming, not be used again if the WWE still plans on going on with Orton/Christian is some other elaborate, indirect way. They are building Henry so strong, I doubt it is not for his benefit against centerpiece Orton. I would not be surprised if he did win the title eventually from Orton.

This week's Raw, which is the final Raw of the month, scored a 3.15. Ever since this CM Punk thing got a heavy push and Triple H took control, I have been very interested in how pathetic the ratings for Raw have been. The average Raw rating for August 2011 is around a 3.15. Little bit above that. "The Summer of Punk 2011", to be fair, should include ratings from July too, but if you actually take a look at some of those ratings, those numbers would not help increase things. Raw was unlucky enough to fall on Independence Day this year. "The Summer of Nexus", on the other hand, did much stronger in the ratings. Average Raw rating for August 2010 was 3.32. July of that year brought even slightly higher ratings, which would increase the average if I did want to discuss July/August. Just looking at August, which features one of the WWE's biggest PPVs, Summerslam, and also features the seeds of football season being planted, you would expect things to be hot before some heavy competition on Monday nights arrive. 3.15 is hot? Last year's 3.32 was nothing like the 4.0+ the WWE used to get for Raw, but it seems a bunch of rookies getting a mega storyline brought better ratings than the walking pipe bomb. Ratings typically slip after this month. The WWE should be very concerned if things are going to slip below a 3.15. Is it that the overall product is weakening or that what they are specifically pushing now is weak? The weeks around Wrestlemania this year were actually higher in ratings than that of 2010. Thank The Rock. Things have been slipping since then to where we are now. 2010, on the other hand, seemed to have received a saving boost from Nexus. If the WWE's plan was that CM Punk would work the same kind of magic, it flopped. Then again, I'm sure everyone is buying that shirt of his.

Otunga And McGillicutty Have An Angle?

Otunga and McGillicutty obviously did not win back the tag titles on Raw tonight, but I did like the aftermath to their match. They faced off against Jerry Lawler, who had been criticizing them for a few weeks now. I am glad that the WWE at least has some kind of storyline going on here, whether they see it to a good finish or not. Things like this are what might make the midcard interesting again, and without being more hype than substance.

I have complimented Otunga before. He may not be a Kurt Angle in the ring, but you really don't have to be if you are solid, in there against a good opponent, and your match and storyline is being pushed right. Fans will still be interested. More importantly, I like that he can look credible. I like how he stood up to Jerry Lawler. While McGillicutty was doing his thing on the side, Otunga was right there in the main focus. I don't know if they will continue these two as a true 50/50 partnership or have Otunga stand out the most and keep McGillicutty as his sidekick. They may just scrap the whole thing soon. Whatever the case, I really hope this angle with Otunga and Lawler goes further.

NXT Diva Action - Maxine & AJ

Before I get into what I really want to talk about, there is one thing I would like to add about what I talked about last time. CM Punk has been depushed. Whether fans will find his current storyline more entertaining than what is going on with Cena and Del Rio or not, Punk is no longer working directly against the centerpiece and no longer in the direct title hunt. He has started to change direction away from that. What I would like to add is something I have brought up many times, yet it is one of the most important things to remember. What if this was going on in the diva division? What if a centerpiece lost to a credible jobber twice at PPVs, then beat that jobber on Raw/Smackdown, and the two went there separate ways, with the centerpiece staying in the title hunt? I left one thing out. The centerpiece goes after the title, but where does the jobber, who had been built up well, go after the feud? Look at the history of the diva division. In the vast majority of cases, the person who was being used to put over the centerpiece gets a depush even worse than what CM Punk is now getting. That is an understatement. They are really getting dehyped. One clear exception was when Lita and Trish feuded back in 2004. Trish went on to be the regular in title matters, thus making her the centerpiece, but Lita faded out of that, but still had an awesome position through storylines with the guys. In other words, she fell back on what the WWE typically had her do even before 2004. Lita was always treated differently from most women. She was a periphery diva, not a jobber. Most women do not have that to fall back on. Why? Because the WWE just cannot treat all the women that well. They also need jobbers and sidekicks. If the diva division was not a closed division, and that is my whole point of bringing this up, they could still be given a fair chance to get proper hype and interest invested into them, much like CM Punk is still benefiting from now. I have seen people ponder why the WWE ended the psycho gimmick Mickie James had. For one thing, where was she supposed to do it? Where on the card? There are rarely two or more true diva storylines going on at the same time on one show, and one usually ends up getting the shorter end of the stick sooner or later and the jobbers involved will always get what little attention they were given taken away from them. The difference between CM Punk's current gimmick and Mickie's psycho gimmick? There is still plenty of space on the card and major players for CM Punk to run with his gimmick. Back in 2006, the need for a face credible jobber led to Mickie losing the gimmick and turning. There was no space for her gimmick to be a priority. As time went on, and despite her overness, it was also obvious that there was no space for a jobber like her to stay as long as she wanted. Closed division. That is why CM Punk can still be treated well and the diva division is the way it is.

Speaking of diva division, NXT has a little diva feud going on. AJ Lee is feuding with Maxine. Keep one very important thing in mind. Before Maryse needed to take time off, this was her storyline on NXT. Not that NXT matters, but it is where they can treat unimportant people like royalty. Keep something else in mind. Before Layla got injured herself and needed time off, it looked like she would have been centerpiece of Smackdown. AJ debuted soon after Layla left. In other words, it is taking injuries for the WWE to call some of these women up. Moreover, I will not expect the WWE to treat either of these two women very well. Being pushed well only on NXT and debuting right after other women need time off are not two good signs to me. I will give WWE some credit. It is a storyline. Women are being given time to work. Coming back down to Earth now. On NXT? I just can't get over that element of it.

Assuming the hurricane does not wipe me out when it comes to New York, hope to be back Monday.

The Chicago Botch: The End

If a tree falls in the forest, but no one is there to hear it, does it make a sound? I don't really care. I have a better question. Does CM Punk officially getting beat by John Cena and sent back down to upper-midcard matters mark the end of what I call "The Chicago Botch", or is this the crucial moment that actually makes the "botch" what it is?

So much hype just two months ago. All these internet rumors about CM Punk leaving the WWE culminated in a storyline that teased the possibility of him winning the title in Chicago, or an arena close enough to Chicago, and leaving the company with the WWE Championship. The WWE pulled the trigger and gave Punk the belt. He was gone for about a week. He pops back up, causing another controversy after John Cena had just won the WWE Championship. Punk vs. Cena at Summerslam. Punk still in the main event. Throughout all of this, fans did not want this angle to end like the Nexus angle did last year. They called that a "botch". Go back to Summerslam. Kevin Nash attacks Punk, which allows Alberto Del Rio to win the WWE (Undisputed) Championship. Nash was the one who distracted Punk and cost him his recent match with Cena. Kevin Nash is feuding with CM Punk, and the storyline also involves Triple H and Stephanie McMahon. But after the main event, Alberto Del Rio attacks Cena brutally. That is the last image on Raw. Cena, the centerpiece, is still in the main focus. Punk's changing directions and heading back south. This does not surprise me at all.

Did the WWE mess up the angle they started with Punk leading up to his match in Chicago? It definitely did not last as long as the elaborate Nexus feud against Cena. Punk still has something to do, and it is obviously an elaborate storyline, but it is definitely not in the same direction as things were going for Punk before. I remember 2008. Chris Jericho and Shawn Michaels had a very elaborate storyline that lasted months and months. Aside from Jericho winning the World Championship near the end of it, it did not really involve the main-event titles. John Cena was still around on Raw. Even after he was briefly injured, Batista was still there too. Point is, it is possible to have a great storyline without it being in the main event. Question is, for CM Punk fans, is he the "Chris Jericho" in this situation or the "Shawn Michaels"? Both men looked great in the feud, but Jericho went on to be pushed all over the card, which is usual for him. Shawn Michaels never lost the hype. Forget Kevin Nash, he is just a pawn in the storyline. The main player for Punk, aside from whoever sent the text, is Triple H. This is a storyline for COO Triple H do be a part of too. He is definitely not the "Chris Jericho" in this. You look at how CM Punk was being pushed in the months and year prior to this big hype he is getting now. All over the place, just without winning as many midcard or tag titles as Jericho and probably losing more big matches overall. And that is where I think Punk will go when this is all said and done. John Cena will still exist as centerpiece. Triple H will most likely be around to hold some kind of legendary status, much like Shawn Michaels did. And CM Punk? He would be lucky if he gets sent over to Smackdown to cover the lack of stars over there. I don't see much hope for him on Raw.

I did not answer my own question. Did the WWE mess up CM Punk's angle? Well, it definitely gave him major hype and a new gimmick, which he still has going on for him. Thing is, the Nexus angle gave no less than 7 men hype and a gimmick that was intriguing. That fizzled out. People can also say that the WWE messed up the angle by having Punk come back too soon or unifying the titles too soon. Inserting Del Rio might not have made a lot of people happy either. In other words, you can say that the WWE was doing things that were hurting the angle for a while now, not necessarily intentionally, but the angle is definitely over. CM Punk is no longer WWE Champion, he was never really true top dog of the company for more than a few moments here and there, especially right after both times he beat Cena recently, and he now moves on to other matters while Cena closes in on another eventual title reign. There were definitely a series of "botches" along the way, but is what happened on Raw this week what finally ends the overall feeling of displeasure some fans may have had, or is this the ultimate "botch" that really ruined it? Depends on how you look at it. Are more fans upset that CM Punk's main-event push is over or that it was not being as developed and executed as well as it could have been? In one case, the depush is the "botch". In another, the depush simply ends the WWE from "botching" it further. CM Punk may be better off with his upper-midcard storyline. In any case, it doesn't even matter.

What does matter? Ratings. 3.0 this week. Yes, football is starting back up, but it can only get worse when the season really heats up. Also, for the sake of comparison, Raw ratings never did this low last year until September. Ratings have already dropped below 3.0 this year even before this week. The WWE has no good excuses. They invested all this in CM Punk. They are still having him speak his mind. They are still having him involved in controversy and mystery. They are trying to bring reality into the show and be edgier. They are starting to show a small amount of more interest in the midcard. Most importantly, John Cena, their centerpiece, is still there. Problem is, they are failing to create that major hype to really hook. Of course, Raw ratings were high last week, right after Summerslam. People tuned in for the fallout of the PPV. While the fans are there, they are baited, and the WWE has to follow through and hook them for the next show. Ratings dropping from last week to this week is not shocking, but dropping as much as they did is not a good sign. One last question. If Kevin Nash receives a text message, but many fans don't really give a damn about that or anything else the WWE is offering to tune in every week, do the ratings go up? No, not really.

What Exactly Are Kofi And Bourne Going To Save?

If the tag titles actually meant something, I would be more excited for Evan Bourne and Kofi Kingston winning the titles. Kofi has held tag titles before in the WWE. This is Bourne's first title reign.

All through their tag match last week and the title match tonight, I heard the commentators hyping tag wrestling and talking up both teams in a way I did not find too smooth and natural. Otunga and McGillicutty are boring and need to do something? And whose fault is that? I see them trying to come out with an unique look. Do I see them getting storylines and meaningful feuds? They weren't even in a real feud when they just lost the titles. And what happened when Zack Ryder, who was getting even less TV time at one point, managed to do something on his own to get over? What was his reward for being entertaining to fans? Why should Otunga and McGillicutty even bother making Youtube accounts?

The real kicker for me is how they talk like Kofi Kingston and Evan Bourne winning the tag titles will lead to some great improvement. The wrestlers are not the deciding factor of whether a division will look good. They have to perform through what storylines and booking decisions officials backstage are making. Yes, they are two good faces. As a team, they are fairly new. They have usually been given singles pushes. They definitely had a moment tonight. Then again, I remember a certain other team who won tag titles a year ago. The Hart Dynasty won the tag titles against Miz and Big Show. This was a real tag team. Their victory was a huge moment for them and many fans too. What happened to them? Their feud with The Usos was good, but really just filler and did not build any person involved to an epic level. DH Smith is gone. Tyson Kidd is not really relevant at all. Even Natalya, the woman of the stable, did not follow a steady path of good treatment. She was the Diva's Championship, yes, but her title reign lasted about 2 months and did not do much for her. She went on to be treated mediocrely once again, like all other diva credible jobbers. Don't let her angle going on right now fool you, she will end up back where she was just a few months ago. Nowhere in particular. And that is where I feel both Kofi and Evan will end up, especially Bourne. Am I the ultimate pessimist? I am just a person who has gotten my emotions played with. I have never been the type of person whose favorite singer or movie of all time changes every week. The WWE is telling me Bourne and Kingston are the tag team to talk about right now? Really?

Really? As the sun rises on Bourne and Kingston, and sets on Otunga and McGillicutty, the sun is also rising on another fairly new pairing. The Miz and R-Truth are officially a team now. Why not? Both of these guys were used to put over John Cena this year, both went back to upper midcard mediocrity after, and both don't really have anything to do recently. They could easily get lost in the shuffle. But because they are priorities to some degree and there is still segment space to include them, you see hope for them. They gave a huge promo tonight. What really stood out for me in that promo? They were talking about being overlooked. Really? Otunga and McGillicutty were getting overlooked while they still had the tag titles. Kofi Kingston and Evan Bourne were stuck with not proper focus for weeks until they won the titles tonight. Neither Miz or R-Truth were really as bad off as the men I just mentioned recently. It is only a matter of time before Miz and R-Truth get a tag titles shot. But will that help the tag division? Another pairing of two guys who really belong in singles feuds getting put in tag matters? I know very well what is waiting to debut for the tag division, but I am not expecting much for them.

The WWE can have their commentators say whatever during tag matches, fact is, I don't see anything improving or really changing yet. The names may change, but I still see filler reigns with no proper hype and booking, filler pushes for midcarders that have nothing fresh to do, and what will probably be good reigns for upper midcarders who have some real main-event credibility to them. What do I want to see then? Tag teams consisting of guys who naturally go together. They don't have to be brothers. I want to see tag feuds and storylines that involved good promo time. I want to see these real teams get storylines and good rubs in the main event, not just drop the titles to whoever the WWE Champion is, then win it back a short while after. I want to see the kind of things they did for Edge & Christian, The Dudleys, The Hardys, The World's Greatest Tag Team, and some other teams like that. I even remember Lance Cade & Trevor Murdoch being treated slightly better than some of the tag teams I see today. Lance Who? Murdoch? Am I talking about the guy from A-Team? In time, people will even forget that McGillicutty held the tag titles. Do people even remember Drew McIntyre and Cody Rhodes were tag champs too?

Major Push For Mark Henry

They have been putting great attention on Mark Henry for months now. Not surprisingly, this seems to be culminating in him getting a title shot against Randy Orton. Excellent decision, in my opinion. Henry may not be one of the young guys, but he is easy to buy as a credible threat and can make for a good feud when going for the World title. I am not saying they need to put the title on him, but just treat the push good.

What about Christian? Speaking honestly, after so many months of Orton and Christian, I welcome a change. I hope they do not screw over Mark Henry for the benefit of furthering this feud between Orton and Christian any longer. If they are finally going to focus on pushing Christian as a strong heel, fine, but wait until Orton and Mark Henry get some build for their feud. Make it a real feud.

How You Feel, Christian Fans? Good?

Christian's second World title reign in the WWE is over. When you compare this reign to his previous one, you might think it was heaven on Earth. Are Christian fans happy now?

He lost the title back to the same man he "defeated" to win it, Randy Orton, centerpiece of Smackdown. Looking at it another way, Randy Orton just gained two title reigns at the expense of Christian alone in the span of a few months. Honestly, I don't think Randy Orton really looked too weak at all throughout the entire feud. He may have gotten pinned here or there, but when it came to major matches, he always looked better than Christian, in terms of booking, not necessarily match quality. In terms of match quality, both of these guys put on some great work. But go back to that match where Orton lost the title last month. He was not pinned and he destroyed Christian after.

What followed for Christian after that? A mediocre title reign. There was some big talk at times, but it went nowhere. Christian does not look like a top heel. He looks like a creepy little bastard who got put into a main-event feud, put over someone the WWE values more than him, and now he can follow the path of Kane.

Honestly, there is no shock value in what the WWE just pulled. After the way the WWE put the title back on Christian, you could tell Orton was the one who really mattered in this whole thing. I simply shrug my shoulders at his reign and recent title loss. What could you expect? Christian fans, what is really going through your minds? Rhetorical question. Christian's fans, even casual fans, were very upset at his first title reign. There was a lot of protest and bitterness. Do you really think that led to Christian regaining the title? Does the 2nd crap reign appease you? The WWE did a good job of damaging Christian's character and not making the 2nd win seem that much for him, as well as the reign. I keep hearing that Christian is the kind of heel who doesn't win cleanly and isn't meant to look too credible. Two problems with that idea. First, taking all that as the truth, why couldn't the WWE just have Christian defeat Orton at Summerslam by interference? Christian would not look too credible and Orton would not lose cleanly. Second, what makes Christian the kind of heel that is not meant to look too credible? The WWE. It is their writing and booking that really makes the role Christian must play. And this is not a great role to play.

Christian fans cannot really take credit for Christian regaining the title. The WWE did it on their terms and Orton seems to be the main benefactor. What did Christian do wrong to get treated like this? Nothing. What did CM Punk do wrong for his recent epic push to slowly start turning back southward? Nothing. What did Zack Ryder do wrong for his recent glimpse of attention on both shows to start to fizzle out? Nothing. All of these guys have fan support, but it does not really matter. Let me go back to 2010. Mickie James, another person with fan support, gets released. What did she do wrong to get treated like she did? Honestly, nothing. I have analyzed her entire WWE career multiple times. In a diva division, there was no good way for her career to end. Fan support did not bring her back. Why would it? She was released to ensure that same fan support would no longer be in the way and that she could never touch the record in the WWE made by the WWE for a former diva centerpiece. But assume that fan support did lead to her coming back. Tie this in to what the WWE just pulled with Christian. The WWE would bring back a person with strong fan support who they really only intended to be used to put over centerpieces. Is it hard to imagine that the WWE would try to do what they did with Christian with Mickie James? Except, they would not hand her another title reign. They will neither book nor acknowledge 7 title reigns for her. They would turn her heel. They would make her a weak heel. They will push a strong diva face, assuming they have one, against her. When it is all said and done, the goal would be to turn Mickie James into Melina. Do you remember how that story ended?

Christian, CM Punk, Zack Ryder, and Mickie James, among others. Is this some kind of cult of personality? Nope, just people who are not centerpieces, yet they all managed to connect with fans. And that is exactly why you see the problems coming up. The WWE has their own agenda, and it is not to simply treat what the fans like in the best way possible. Fans have to take their wins as they get them, but the WWE still controls what's going on.

The Chicago Botch: Enter Del Rio

I am very glad Alberto Del Rio finally won the title. Yes, it has not been years and years in the making like a Christian or Benoit, but I like the guy. The main-event scene can always use some fresh faces anyway. While Miz is selling sandwiches, Cena has a new heel to work with and go over. Del Rio gets some major attention on him. The fans get to see a fresh feud. Who really loses out?

For one, CM Punk. The benefactor of "The Chicago Botch", as I like to call it, but I don't matter anyway, defeated John Cena at Summerslam in slightly controversial fashion. Cena's foot was on the ropes. Nevertheless, Punk won. Kevin Nash attacked him. And then? Enter Alberto Del Rio and his briefcase. That is the end of the title reign. Alberto Del Rio successfully defended it against Rey Mysterio on Raw. Cena comes down to save Raw from a beating and confront Del Rio. Going back, CM Punk was involved in a promo with Kevin Nash and a brief backstage segment with Stephanie McMahon.

Title matters do not always trump all other storylines on a brand. The Nexus storyline last year frequently took higher billing than WWE title matters at some PPVs. Question is, will this be another one of those times? CM Punk is not officially out of title matters just yet, but it seems his storyline with this whole Nash controversy is more important than his role in the title scene. But is his angle more important than the overall feud Alberto Del Rio will be entering? In case what I am saying seems confusing, let me put it simply. Is a true depush coming for CM Punk right now? You don't need to be in the title scene all the time to still be in the major feud going on. Was all this controversy the WWE just created with CM Punk, and which they are now furthering with all these supporting characters like Nash and Stephanie, really just another storyline in the same pattern as Nexus?

As I have said before, the WWE did not botch the Nexus storyline. They created it to serve a purpose. Once it served that purpose, Nexus was slowly broken down and John Cena continued as the centerpiece. Specifically, Cena transitioned to a feud with Miz. After Miz, WWE sent in R-Truth for a while. After that, CM Punk. CM Punk is still in the picture, but Alberto Del Rio just busted into the scene too. I have no doubt that CM Punk will end up like Miz in time, especially if John Cena remains as centerpiece. But did the WWE "botch" the storyline they had with Punk. Yeah, probably. This whole thing is turning into something from TNA. Punk's "pipe bomb" is already becoming a little predictable. He's saying things I see my fellow Internet fans say a lot. He isn't really that electrifying. Not everyone can be The Rock, but Punk will only remain fresh as long as he has new targets with which he can find fresh material. While all that is going on, the WWE still owes something to guys like Morrison, Miz, Ziggler, and don't forget the man who now holds the WWE Championship. They will move on from Punk. They are already heading in that direction. Was it a fun 2 or 3 months? They may drag it on further, but the botch has already been planted.

New Intercontinental Champion and General Pre-Summerslam Thoughts

Cody Rhodes defeated Zeke to win the Intercontinental Championship. Great? Before I talk about Cody, let me just say a bit about Zeke. What did the WWE actually have him do as Intercontinental Champion? I'll be honest, in between his feud with Wade Barrett and his feud with Cody, the only thing I recall Zeke doing during his reign is have a match with Christian. That is the biggest thing he did. So what hope am I to have for Cody's reign? If the midcard actually meant more these days, I would be more excited about Cody winning the title. However, this guy has had brushes with main-eventers for years now. He beat Rey Mysterio just a few months ago. There was a time where I could buy him competing for a World title. Instead, he now holds a midcard title. It is till better than sharing the tag titles with DiBiase. I just hope they give Cody plenty of promo time and well-developed feuds where he successfully retains the title, before eventually having him drop it to another strong performer. In my opinion, he deserves a good reign more than Zeke did. Zeke's wasn't that great, and I can only wait to see what they do with Cody.

This is one of those times where someone can call me out as a hypocrite. I am not too psyched about Cody Rhodes winning a midcard title, but I'm excited about Alex Riley feuding over one? What's the difference? Aren't both guys still stuck in the midcard, where I am complaining there is a lack of development? I also recall comparing Riley to Kofi. What do I see in Riley's situation that I do not see in Kofi and Cody's? Alex Riley is fresh. Because it seems he is growing on the fans, the WWE may wish to take advantage of that freshness by trying to develop him further. By developing him while he is in the midcard, that should make Raw's midcard more interesting, if they do it right. A lot of Kofi's title feuds, back when he was holding titles, were basic title feuds. I can't say what they have planned for Cody, but I just don't have high hopes that they will do anything too elaborate with him. So far, they seem to be consistent with Riley since breaking him from Miz, and that is why I am not going to complain about his midcard situation. As for Cody, all I can do is hope.

Summerslam is tonight. Pretty crappy card. Should I say more? Before recently, there were only 4 matches advertised. Those would be the two World title matches, the diva match, and Sheamus vs. Mark Henry. They have added Daniel Bryan vs. Wade Barrett. Sheamus vs. Mark Henry is actually a good match to advertise. Mark Henry has been built to look strong, Sheamus has turned face and is fresh again, so these two colliding sounds good. We'll see how the match itself turns out, but it should be good. Daniel Bryan facing Wade Barrett is a match that easily could have been for Wade Barrett's IC title, assuming they did this match earlier or Wade still had the title. Basic title feuds without more of a grudge storyline to it get boring. Nevertheless, still a good match. Diva match? Beth has never lost at Summerslam. Whether she wins the title tonight or not, this is the kind of woman a centerpiece diva trades the title with. I'm not excited for this match at all. Christian vs. Orton? Put me out of my misery? Will it ever end? This feud is just dragging on. They should have kept the title on face Christian and built up feuds with him and the other top heels, then bring on this feud with Orton, have him drop the title to him, and turn heel out of some bitterness reasoning. CM Punk vs. John Cena. This is the big draw they are hoping for. It sure wasn't going to be Cee Lo Green. I feel they have been rushing things too much and not putting enough emphasis on the title controversy. They keep talking about it and hyping it, but they should be able to do more with this in segments and booking. Two Champions are facing each other to find out who will walk away as the true WWE Champion. What do they do on the Raw before this match? Talk trash about each other's characters, play self-righteous, and talk about other stuff that did not do a very good job to put over the biggest element of this match, the title controversy. I would have had them continue this angle of both guys holding the title for a few more months, until Survivor Series. Really get things to a boiling point. Create real hype, not just talk about it, hold polls, and have both guys hold their title belts up to see who the fans in the arena like more. Can they not do more to create intrigue and entertainment? I am supposed to be entertained by commentators hyping something, polls, and other people cheering? I'm not. Whatever else they add to the card, it will be trivial. Just from what I see, the WWE did not do very well building up Summerslam.

How You Know TNA Cares More About Mickie James

Winter may have won the KO title from Mickie James, but that does not mean Mickie James will now be buried. Compare Mickie's treatment in WWE to how TNA will treat her now. After Mickie James would lose a title in the WWE, she would frequently be depushed right after to give some other woman on the show the chance to either put over the centerpiece or give the centerpiece, who may have been returning from an injury, the spot the WWE always wanted that woman to have. Whatever the exact circumstances, it was obvious Mickie James was never a true centerpiece in the WWE diva division. Again, pay attention to how TNA does things for Mickie now. She won a match on Impact this week. It was for a title shot, which it would have only made sense for TNA to have given her automatically after she just lost the title, but TNA does crazy stuff like that. In general, TNA is better than the WWE in trying to give their women something going on. That is why you frequently do not see one single KO angle continued every single week. Can't fit all every single week. Another issue is always some storylines and feuds ending with no strong conclusion. Stepping away from the negatives and back to the positives, my point is that I am confident TNA will definitely treat Mickie James better in her post-reign days to come than the WWE would. TNA will show whether Mickie James is a true centerpiece of the KO division or not, and I believe I will like how things turn out.

Let me just say a little more about Mickie's match on Impact this week itself. I saw the fun and entertaining Mickie James there. Aside from some of her work in the last few months in AAA, I have not really seen that recently. And how could I? TNA was having her getting beaten up by people before and after matches, getting attacked illegally by people during matches, and if there was any other possible circumstance for Mickie James to get attacked by heels, they probably tried that too. Mickie James had to play a more serious, respectful character. That's not what made her the most over diva in the WWE. With no one attacking her before, during, or after her match with Madison Rayne, as well as the fact that the match tilted more to the comedy side to hide Madison's shortcomings, Mickie James got to show some of that character. I would rather Mickie James get storylines that let her show that, rather than title reigns where her back is always to the wall and she has to play a respectful character. I think it would help the TNA product. When title matters and other matches and feuds get more serious again, Mickie James will have to change to match that seriousness. You would look pretty stupid if you are trying to look cute and end up getting laid out while you are doing it, and then come back with the same exact pattern the following week. When you have to get serious, you have to get serious. I can understand that. I just wished TNA took better advantage of Mickie's charisma.

Since I am on the subject of women's wrestling, I just want to say something related to what I say about the diva division. No one has ever asked me this question, but I know some of my few regular readers may have thought about it before or will one of these days. I'm saying things about the diva division that I have never seen anyone else ever put together. It is likely that some of the people reading my words right now have not seen anyone else say things like I am prior to when I started blogging years ago. I've looked at the history of the diva division and have developed, and am still developing, a theory of what the WWE is doing. Yes, there is a method to the madness. They are not just treating women badly and releasing them for the sake of doing it. Question is, if I care so much to actually devote time to thinking about this and talking about it again and again every few days, why am I not doing more? Why am I not trying to get people who don't read my blog to get it? Why am I not trying to make some kind of change? Do I not think it is worth it? Am I bluffing about everything I am saying? Am I afraid to be proven wrong? Am I afraid of the WWE? Thing is, I have tried on some occasions to discuss this with some individuals. They don't get it. They don't take it seriously. They think I am a blind diva fan, blind Mickie James fan, or I am trying to take something away from women like Trish Stratus. If I can't get people to understand and really care about this in one-on-one discussions, what chance will I have if I jump into a den of lions? I would get torn to shreds. It is not really a matter of being afraid I am wrong. No one I have spoken to has ever broken my theory enough to make me believe it is wrong, and I have never come across any other discussion that disproves my theory or offers a theory stronger than what I'm saying. It is a matter of figuring out how to argue what I believe in well enough against the most stubborn, ignorant, elitist, and opinionated the Internet has to offer. My kind of crowd. And should I ever meet someone who can prove everything I say wrong, I can accept that. I would welcome being set on the right path. Until then, I am going to continue to try to call it like I see it.

Average WWE Raw Rating For August So Far- 3.2

Last week's Raw had a 3.3 rating overall. That is good. That is the highest rating in months. WWE could be proud of that. This week's Raw, on the other hand, had a 3.1. What do I love about all this the most? This means the average Raw rating for August so far is still a 3.2. That's the number of doom Raw was revolving around after the WWE really pulled the trigger on this CM Punk angle last month, and ratings were even worse prior to that.

3.2 is not great at all, especially when football season is not yet in full force. To be fair, this week's Raw was lacking. They already brought CM Punk back, got rid of Vince McMahon, brought in Triple H to run things, put the title on Cena, and set the match for Summerslam. What reason would people really have for tuning in this week? Nothing really surprising or controversial was advertised. No mysteries were teased last week which would be answered this week. This Raw was not very well hyped at all, in my opinion. Yes, they had the contract signing in the main-event slot, but I already talked about that and even gave a lengthy, confusing example of why I did not enjoy the segment. Even then, I wouldn't be surprised if the segment still did well in the ratings. It lasted long and might have led fans to think that this whole debate between the men was actually leading to something. I think it went nowhere.

As always, there is also an undercard to think about. Ratings do not revolve around the main event alone. As usual, the other matches and segments were pretty dry. That is how things usually are these days, with a few exceptions. I remember when they had the tournament to crown a new WWE Champion after Punk left. That was an example of putting heavy focus throughout the card, but the WWE does not make that the norm. The WWE used Miz, Del Rio, Kofi Kingston, Alex Riley, and a ton of other hot talent. They used guys with main-event credibility, such as Swagger, who looks like a jobber these days, but is still a former World Champion. Fact is, the talent is being hyped, pushed well, having credibility invested in them, but not entertaining enough to help ratings. The WWE really needs to start giving them storylines. Not just feuds, whether a title is involved or not, but real storylines. Let them show some character. They are trying a bit with what is going on with Ziggler, Vickie, and Riley, but it can go further than what I see them doing. It is obvious CM Punk and John Cena cannot carry the ratings for Raw to where they should be, even with the whole point being to pander to the fans and bringing controversial reality to the storyline world. You want better ratings, try building the midcard up.

State Of The WWE Diva Division - August 2011

Melina is released and Gail Kim wants out. Look at their careers, you can see why this is happening. I had forgotten that I had wrote something back in February of this year where I said Melina's release might be likely. As for Gail Kim, she had just faded in and out of being an afterthought and getting mediocre filler feuds and angles. If she doesn't want to be in the WWE, they might as well not try to stop her. What can they do? Change the whole division for her benefit? Give her the Lita treatment? Give her a short push then bury her again?

Where does that leave the diva division? Beth Phoenix recently turned heel on Raw. Coincidence that heel Melina gets released? The Bellas are still heel over there. Maryse as well, but I do not think you can count on her for much when it comes to serious pushes unless she can get it together in the ring and stops getting injured. Your faces are Kelly Kelly, the centerpiece, and Eve, the top sidekick. Gail Kim was your low-level credible jobber. Picture a face version of Jillian. Over on Smackdown, Natalya just turned heel to add to the storyline Beth is now getting as she feuds with Kelly Kelly. Tamina is also heel. I can picture her getting the title eventually, once Beth and Natalya may have had a chance to put over Kelly Kelly. Thing is, Tamina is not over. WWE does not want her over. She was placed with Santino for a while, which may have helped her look cute and get a friendly reaction, but the WWE pulled the plug on that easily and she is back to mediocrity. That is how the overness with women like this is supposed to work. WWE gives and takes. Make and break. Alicia Fox is another heel on Smackdown I could see feuding with Kelly Kelly in time. Rosa. Rosa? She should have been released. Do you really need her as a low jobber on Smackdown? With Natalya going heel, they could have pushed Alicia down for at least a while to jobber status. Kaitlyn seems irrelevant to me. AJ got called up after Layla was injured. AJ has not been booked to do anything too vital on Smackdown since she came. NXT is irrelevant. And has anyone forgotten that she has prior wrestling experience before the WWE? Put it all together, she will follow in the steps of Melina and Gail Kim. I am not saying she will be released this year or next, but as long as diva rules apply in the WWE women's division, there really is little hope for her. Her managing to make herself the most over diva will not save her. WWE wants that to be Kelly Kelly. Layla may not be back yet, but it seems she may regain her spot as Smackdown's centerpiece, which she shared with McCool for over a year and held on her own for a short period before her hiatus. And what does Kharma have to look forward to? I don't think it will be as nice as what Kelly Kelly is getting.

What is on the horizon as far as future divas go? NXT losers. None of these women look like they will really make the division too much better, especially not how I think the WWE will use them. What is happening with the winner of that season, Kaitlyn? Again, nothing. What about the woman many thought would be the savior of women's wrestling, AJ? She's hanging out with Hornswoggle? Even worse, on NXT? That is where the bulk of her relevance lies right now? WWE does not care about her. Enough with NXT, the WWE needs women who can really follow in the line of Melina or Beth Phoenix. They have Tamina, but they need to start prepping for the next generation more. Problem is, with the dissatisfaction of women like Gail Kim and mistreatment of women like Melina, what can the WWE possibly do to make a ton of good women's wrestlers in the indies believe they will not just be treated like crap?

Do a little more foretelling. What happens if Kelly Kelly suffers a serious injury, flops, or decides to leave the company for some other reason? She's the centerpiece. Unlike what has happened in recent years when a centerpiece was gone for the reasons I just mentioned, there is no good replacement readily at hand at the moment. Layla is still injured, and time will tell how she is in the ring or whether she may be more prone to injury. I am not sure the WWE is serious about treating Eve as a centerpiece. Best thing that can happen, or worse is some sense, is that they can bring back McCool, the former centerpiece who still has obvious WWE connections. Forget what I said about best thing. Prepare for more overpushes and overhype if McCool returns. The WWE diva division is definitely fragile right now. This is more than karma paying them back. This is the WWE's own stupidity in handling the division putting them in a position that is quite simply horrible.

WWE Releases Melina And Gail Kim

The WWE has released Gail Kim and Melina. I'm not surprised. It still is depressing. After what the WWE did what they did to Mickie James last year, I promised I would never be surprised like that again. I put thought and analysis into that diva division even more than I had done prior to that year. I could see that Melina and Gail were just like Mickie James. They were always the type of diva who gets released by the WWE or seek release on their own. Just look at how they were being pushed. Look at why they were being pushed. I really don't want to use this day to rub it in and sound smart. You ever lost an elderly loved one? You know their time is near, but it still hurts when you lose them. That is kind of what I am feeling now. The WWE once again proves that these type of women are not as valued as the eye-candy divas.

I'm not providing good analysis right now. More like I am rambling. Out of respect to the two women, I will leave it at that. Another night, I will definitely revisit the diva division.

Alex Riley Feuds With Dolph Ziggler

I am not much of a fan of Daniel Bryan or Zack Ryder, but there is one guy getting some attention recently who I do like. Alex Riley reminds me a little of a younger Randy Orton. Randy Orton has gone in so many different directions over the years, but that is another topic.

Dolph Ziggler, the United States Champion, comes out to cut a promo. Alex Riley comes out to start the development of the feud. I like that. I take it as a good sign that they may actually make this feud something good and that they do care about Riley. How hard would it have been to start the feud by having Riley pin Ziggler in a tag match? Riley could have then won a #1 contenders match, get attacked by Ziggler after, and things continue on from there. Some diva feuds follow some kind of variation of this, especially when the feud may lack a centerpiece. If you are not getting the mic and time to show your character, the WWE may not care that much about you.

To me, Alex Riley is still fresh. He turned face a few months ago, feuded with Miz, looked very impressive, and did not get buried when he eventually did lose to Miz on Raw. He may not be competing for the right to face one of the WWE Champions or teaming with John Cena, but getting good attention in the midcard may be worth more than being overshadowed against main-eventers. I was thinking the WWE would downplay him like they did Kofi Kingston after his feud with Randy Orton many years ago. After Kofi lost to Orton at TLC in 2009, Kofi started to be pushed back down to the midcard. People can say that the whole "Stupid! Stupid!" thing with Orton and Kofi is what cost him the push, but Orton was already booked to go into a feud with Sheamus over the title before that incident, John Cena was still around, and then toss in Triple H and Shawn Michaels still being around at that time. Where could Kofi had possibly have gone? He went on to win multiple midcard titles. And what has happened with Riley is not too different. Although he beat Miz, Miz is the one in matches against Rey Mysterio and the one getting upper-midcard hype. Alex Riley is the one feuding over a midcard title. Pretty much the same as Kofi back then. Major difference is, Riley is still pretty new. This would be his first title in the WWE. That is, if and when he wins it. That is why giving him the title would be something fresh rather than handing Kofi more and more midcard titles. Kofi simply was not really being pushed to break into the main event in 2009. And Alex Riley was not being given that same push a few months ago with Miz. Develop him in the midcard. I like that.

Beth Phoenix Will Face Kelly Kelly

You are about to see a standard diva title feud. When the diva division is operating how it is supposed to, this is what you will most likely see going on for centerpiece booking. Beth Phoenix won the right to face Kelly Kelly for the Diva's Championship, and then turned heel right after.

Kelly Kelly is your centerpiece. She is following in the line of Sable, Trish Stratus, Michelle McCool, and the failures that came in between. Beth Phoenix is your credible jobber. She is following in the line of Jackie, Jazz, Molly Holly, Victoria, Mickie James, and so on. Beth Phoenix has already had a few tastes of being a credible jobber. Her first title win in the WWE was against Candice Michelle. Despite being sidelined with an injury twice, Candice Michelle returned and was thrust back into a feud against Beth Phoenix both times, and both times at the expense of Mickie James, who had received a filler push in Candice's absence. After Candice flopped in the ring, the WWE gave up on pushing her as centerpiece. Had Candice not flopped, she would have been winning the title back from Beth Phoenix. Why else push her so hard both times she returned? And that is classic centerpiece booking in the diva division. The centerpiece trades wins and titles with the credible jobbers, but one woman always gets the continuous booking and hype and another woman falls back into the pool so the WWE can push another to put over the one still standing.

Look at The Bella Twins. Yeah, these two heels outlasted all the other heels in the match tonight, but with Beth Phoenix going heel, how can Brie and/or Nikki still be in the same position in the Raw diva hierarchy as they were just a month or two ago? They can't. And that is why they were simply jobbers being used to put over Kelly Kelly. They do not have as much wrestling credibility as Beth Phoenix, but that is why the WWE had planned to spice up the story with Kharma. You can say the twins are getting the depush because they suck, they were not working out, or whatever else may cross your mind or you might find on a dirtsheet article, but it does not even matter. The depush would have still came for them. Their purpose was never to be centerpiece. Just look at Mickie James.

Beth Phoenix wins a title shot and turns heel. That sounds familiar to me. Just a few months ago, Melina won a title shot and turned heel to face Natalya. I want to compare the current feud to Melina/Natalya from earlier this year. Melina/Natalya lacked a centerpiece. Raw, in general, lacked a diva centerpiece. Smackdown's Michelle McCool and Layla were still the duo centerpiece of the whole division, which is why the WWE frequently had them show up on Raw even after they lost the Diva's Championship. Melina/Natalya was not meant to make either woman look too amazing, yet it was more than just a filler title defense. Jillian had just left. The WWE needed a new low-level heel jobber. It is no coincidence that they turned Melina heel. Look at her now. If she had a stupid gimmick, it would be even more obvious that she is Jillian's replacement. Melina was the first one out in the battle royal tonight. And Natalya? What has she done lately? Beth/Kelly does contain a centerpiece. Moreover, this match is about more than just turning Beth Phoenix into a heel jobber. It is about putting over Kelly Kelly by having her stand her own against Beth. These two have traded wins before, but now the WWE will use Beth Phoenix to make Kelly Kelly look good as a Champion, and most likely up her title reign count. Who else is Kelly supposed to drop the title to? Rosa? She's even lower than Melina.