Sheamus Vs. Jack Swagger At TLC 2011

Of all the things to talk about after TLC last night, I want to talk about what might have been the least important filler match on the PPV card. Why be concerned about a little thing like that? Little things can sometimes count for a lot. Little things can sometimes be an indicator of something bigger and be used to help prove a point. Little things add up to big things. You have probably heard ideas like this before.

Sheamus beat Jack Swagger. Obviously, this match was not part of a feud that was developing between these two guys. It was just filler. There were other matches that were not developed well prior to TLC, but even these got somewhat more development than Sheamus/Swagger and were for titles. The impressive thing about this match was that it featured two guys who have held World titles before, but they have been reintroduced to the midcard recently. It was even more painful for Jack Swagger.

To me, the fact that these guys have held major titles means the WWE really should have done better developing a real feud for them. Sheamus has not had a real feud since Christian. That slowly started to end around Survivor Series, then Christian got injured. I would hate to think their feud would have continued to TLC, had that injury not happened. It had gone on too long. Jack Swagger has done even worse than Sheamus. He has not had a real feud for himself in a long time. His recent usage has been to team with Dolph Ziggler. No major focus on Swagger over time. A good feud between Swagger and Sheamus could have really been refreshing for both guys. I know they faced each other less than a month ago on Raw, but that was not part of a real feud. If anything, that could have been the point a real feud started. Nope.

Realistically, I will admit that the feud probably would have been dull. I know a lot of fans of good matches might like to see these guys go, but for the general audience, it would have been nothing too interesting. I am saying that because I have no faith in the WWE to make it interesting and I see the limitation of both guys right now. Swagger is not really a draw. He is not over. I like him as a goofy heel, but the WWE does not do enough with his character right now. As a result, long feuds may not be too good for him. Pairing him with someone else is smart, but you have to let him do more in the pairing. Nevertheless, dull or not, midcard filler you could expect to see randomly pop up on Raw made it onto a PPV as filler. If the WWE put more attention into the little matches under the main event of PPVs, they just might be getting better buyrates.