CM Punk Returns At Payback

Payback, the next WWE PPV, will be in Chicago. That is CM Punk's town. On Raw this week, they had Chris Jericho challenge CM Punk to a match through Paul Heyman. Heyman accepted.

The possibilities fans are discussing are already running wild. Before I talk about that, is it a good idea to handle CM Punk's probable return like this? You have Jericho issue a challenge and CM Punk will most likely not show up until the actual PPV. Will that make the build for this feud bad? I don't think so. They have done this kind of thing before. Go back to John Cena vs. Chris Jericho in 2008 after Cena was injured late in the year. This would be similar to that. Moreover, I think hyping it like this builds the intrigue and can help draw for the PPV.

Now, what interesting possibilities can this lead to? I mentioned before that this could be CM Punk's probable return. Probable? What if they pull a swerve and CM Punk does not show up. Chicago would hate that. But the point would not be just to annoy the fans. Heyman pulls a switch and has Curtis Axel face Jericho instead. That guy can use a real feud against an established star sooner or later. I don't like that idea and I don't think they will run with it. Have CM Punk return. Then what? He beats Jericho? How about Paul Heyman screws Punk by having Brock Lesnar interfere? Turn Punk face. He is guaranteed to get a face reaction in Chicago, anyway. Returning him at that time could be the perfect time to turn him back to a face, if they want to go there. Why would Heyman do this? Unhappy that Punk walked out? Unhappy Punk lost to The Rock and The Undertaker? They could have Curtis Axel cost Punk the match, but Punk vs. Lesnar would be bigger. I just finished saying Axel needs a big feud and I deny him CM Punk. Hypocrite? Yeah, guess I am. The fact is, Punk might be too much of a top star for this younger talent to work with. Jericho would be a better fit for Axel to feud with, in my opinion. Leave Punk to feud with Lesnar. Lesnar needs more variety in his opponents.

Speaking of Jericho, feuding with CM Punk again sure is a step up from the dark days he spent with Fandango. I agree with ending the feud between those two, but having Jericho enter the Intercontinental title feud still might have been a good option. Nevertheless, this is a bigger feud Jericho is in now and I don't think anyone really gets hurt by the WWE going in this direction. Fandango is not lost in the shuffle yet.

Swagger And Colter Lost At The Moment

Not a hair out of place. Except for the ones that are.

It is interesting how Jack Swagger and Zeb Colter seem to have nothing to do at the moment. When Jack Swagger returned with a manager and a new direction for his character, I was hoping this time would be different for him. The quick answer for many would be that his arrest screwed him over. The fact is, he still continued to get pushed. They continued having him win matches here and there even after Wrestlemania. The problem is that they won't run with the gimmick. If they are only going to have him be relevant when chasing the title, he is not going to stay relevant for long. He can't chase the title forever. If you are going to keep him relevant through the gimmick he has with Colter, then you have more possibilities. But they have to be willing to start those feuds and storylines against those faces who would not fit in Jack Swagger's America. They're not. And that's the problem.

Given the fact that Alberto Del Rio and Big E Langston are facing each other way too much recently, I would bring Swagger back into that picture. I know Swagger and Del Rio feuded for a while, but seeing Del Rio wrestle the same guy is getting more stale than the possibility of putting Swagger back in there to at least freshen up potential promos. You are not even getting any real development for Del Rio right now. That can make him stale.

They still mention that Jack Swagger was the one who put Ziggler out of action. That leads to some hope that Swagger may be relevant again when Ziggler does return. But after? Swagger might go back to being a jobber. Of course, he will have Colter this time. Should Swagger win the title? I don't think it's time for Ziggler's reign to end, even though the fact that he is injured is hurting it. Nevertheless, if there was ever going to be a heel vs. heel feud for the World's Heavyweight Championship, I wouldn't mind it being between those two heels. I'm not saying it is likely. Having Del Rio feud with Ziggler was the likely choice. But it could be a good feud, especially if they continue to mention that Swagger was the one who took out Ziggler.

Cena Vs. Ryback At Payback: Three Stages Of Hell

Time to bust out my new favorite word. Is the WWE once again doing a bit of overkill? The rematch between John Cena and Ryback for the WWE Championship at Payback was announced as an Ambulance match. That is, that is what they had Ryback go and challenge Cena to. Cena raised the bar on Raw this week. Three Stages of Hell.

It is true that Cena faced Kane in an Ambulance match just last year. Too soon for another? I think there are other match types that have been spammed a lot more. I don't complain about how many times we have had Last Man Standing matches. I think they could have developed a good storyline around the theme of an ambulance. Of course, it would have to involve Cena selling the injuries he has sustained over the last few weeks a little more. That would have been a story you did not have between Kane and Cena last year. You could even have Ryback continue to destroy other people and put them in the ambulance.

What do I not like about making it Three Stages of Hell? Is that really necessary for this feud? If you look at the men who have been involved in these matches in the past, all are legends and have been pushed to be stars. This is a type of match that should cap off a heated feud. People used to say that kind of thing about Hell in a Cell. That has lost some of that luster. And now another match type will lose some luster. This feud between Ryback and Cena does not need this much. Hyping the return of CM Punk should be a good draw for the PPV. Besides, it wasn't like Cena was not going to be in a match at all. You had good stuff already.

Last thing I want to mention, the feud between Cena and Ryback once again shows very well what it means to be a jobber to the centerpiece. When this feud first started, I didn't really see anything for Cena to overcome. Since then, the WWE has obviously done a great job in developing Ryback to be something for a centerpiece to overcome. A jobber to the centerpiece doesn't just lose to a centerpiece. They are developed to put them over. They help to create situations for the centerpiece to showcase his character. It's not all about the centerpiece owning the jobber to the centerpiece 24/7. How many times has Ryback left Cena laying or cost him matches? And yet, Cena will overcome. He always overcomes.

Did I say that was the last thing I wanted to mention? Let me go for overkill. This doesn't really have to do with Cena and Ryback, but it does relate to the idea I just mentioned of not seeing anything for Cena to overcome when this feud got started. Have you ever watched someone drawing a picture? I'm talking about those situations where they don't tell you what they are drawing beforehand. You are either playing one of those drawing games or you pass by someone drawing something. When they first get started, when they make that first dot, line, or even shape, you can't really tell exactly what they are drawing. You have to wait a while for the picture to take shape. After that, you can figure it out without being told, unless the person is a very horrible artist. Now, if you know more about the artist before he starts drawing, that can help you figure things out more easily. If you know the artist only draws waterlilies or portraits of Jinder Mahal, that can help you narrow down what it can be even before he starts drawing. If you know the artist has a pattern of drawing a certain thing on a certain day of the week and another certain thing on another day of the week, you might be able to tell what he is going to do before he even starts, assuming he does not break that pattern. You can think about analyzing what the WWE is doing in the same way. Don't jump to conclusions right away. Wait to see how things develop. Keep in mind the kind of things the WWE likes to do. Look for patterns. It really isn't that hard to analyze.   

Friends Til The End?

Now that Kane and Daniel Bryan have lost the tag titles, it is only a matter of time before the team officially breaks up. They started with some issues getting along, got on the same page when they faced The Shield, started bickering again when they lacked any other real feud, and had gotten back on the same page after that. Since they have lost the titles, the seeds for the eventual split are being planted again.

It was bound to happen, but how should it happen? One of them turns heel? Or amicable split? Cody Rhodes and Damien Sandow had a friendly parting. Of course, that did not last long. They got back together. Kane and Daniel Bryan are just two guys that the WWE will not lose in the midcard shuffle. Whether as a team or solo, they will get featured.

All that being said, I hope they do turn one of them heel. You have too many top faces and not enough top heels. They have to use Ryback as a top heel right now. CM Punk and Dolph Ziggler are out. Brock Lesnar has only been feuding with one guy for a year. In addition to Kane and Daniel Bryan, you have guys like John Cena, Sheamus, Randy Orton, and Alberto Del Rio as top faces. Jack Swagger looks like he's losing momentum. I can go down the list, but the point is, you can use a fresh top heel with some credibility. I am glad they are utilizing Ryback, but you need more depth there.

I would turn Daniel Bryan heel. Kane seems to be the more "friendly" one in this storyline. It would make sense for Daniel Bryan to go heel. I know they had that feud last year, but a 1-month revisit should be enough to end their partnership. Maybe even make it a gimmick match.

Like Moving Pieces Across A Board

I typically come up with analogies to explain the diva division. This time, I want to talk about a way you can think about what the WWE is doing in general.

Chess. It's been a long time since I had a good game of chess. In any case, there are different pieces with different moves. Everyone who has played the game knows how important the king is. That is what you have to protect. Checkmate ends the game. You know how powerful the queen is. And the bishops, knights, and rooks can come in very handy, to say the least. Lastly, pawns are pawns.

In the WWE, you have various wrestlers in various positions. John Cena is obviously the centerpiece. He is like the king in the chess comparison. The diva division currently lacks a centerpiece, but that is the queen. Besides the centerpieces, the WWE also pushes other individuals as stars. These are your bishops, knights, and rooks. And you have jobbers to those stars. Those are your pawns. Moreover, I sometimes use the term "pawns" to refer to supporting players of storylines mainly involving two others.

I think it is a relatively simple comparison, but let me go a little further and explain why I like the analogy. First, those chess pieces don't move themselves, do they? The player has to come up with his strategy and execute that strategy. The same logic holds true in the WWE. These wrestlers don't push themselves. Even those who have creative control only have it because the company allows it. Look at John Cena, the centerpiece. So many say Cena will never turn heel. If the person with the power to control that company wants it to happen, he can make it happen. Moving that king when you are playing chess is always something you have to think about before doing it. You don't want to put yourself in position for an easy trap in a few moves. That is the same kind of thinking that makes it hard for the WWE to pull the trigger on turning Cena heel. And yet, if you ask me, doing something like that might be a shocking move that can actually make things more intriguing. I don't hate John Cena for not turning heel. It isn't fair for anyone to hate Cena for that reason. Hate the person moving the pieces across the board who refuses to make that certain move. If you want to hate Cena for how he actually performs, that is a different story. Does he deserve hate for being an annoyingly stale face performer?

Michelle McCool said in some interviews a few months ago that the WWE would sometimes be unhappy with her for trying to wrestle good matches. First of all, that never stopped them from pushing her as the centerpiece. How you are being pushed over time determines what kind of career you are getting, and they were pushing her as centerpiece from 2008 to the night she left. But does all this pretty much imply that the WWE was trying to groom her into what they wanted her to be? Shocking! No, not really. They want her to be the centerpiece, but they want her to be the centerpiece they want her to be. That queen on the chessboard, despite how powerful she is, is still moved around by the player. In the end, I don't think not holding Michelle McCool back, as she says they were, would have done much with getting her over. I see some divas during this era of holding them back that actually wrestle an entertaining style. Your job is not to just appeal to those fans who want to rate your performances out of ten. I believe Michelle McCool was very solid in the ring, but not good enough to get over on that ability alone. If wrestling ability alone will not keep Antonio Cesaro getting pushed, why should it with Michelle McCool? Now that I think about it, compare Antonio Cesaro yodeling to Michelle McCool doing push ups when she first turned heel after her centerpiece push started. How do you make boring people seem interesting? They really should have done with Michelle McCool what they did with Cesaro. Depush her. She had a lot more opportunities than Cesaro.

Last remark I want to make about this chess analogy, who are you playing against? Who ever plays chess against themselves? I learned the game by playing against myself. Got bored during winter recess when I was around 10, had a chess set I never opened, and just read the instructions and taught myself the game. Of course, it's not the same unless you are playing against someone else, whether an actual person or a computer. Who is sitting across that chessboard from the WWE? Their closest competition is TNA. In theory, TNA can have a centerpiece of their entire company, centerpiece of their women's division, other top stars, and jobbers. In practice, what they have does not compare to the WWE. They have all the pieces, I honestly believe that, or at least the potential to make the pieces, but their execution sucks. They don't seem to know how to play the game. People say that the WWE would be doing better right now if they had some legitimate competition to light a fire under them. Without any proper competition to keep you on your toes, your ability might worsen over time. You still know how to play the game, but you don't do it as well as you used to. I haven't had a good chess game in so long, I definitely feel rusty. Beyond rusty. Better competition would lead to the WWE utilizing their workers better.

Your New Heyman Guy: Curtis Axel

Over the last two days, I have been saying that I don't like overkill. Giving one person too much more than they may need at a time when many other people are not getting anything great can get annoying. It's okay to do it in moderation, especially in those situations where you would like to cause a shot of controversy to draw or honor someone that has really earned it. But if you do it too much, it might start losing value and not even be effective, in addition to leaving others with scraps. I talked about this with Dean Ambrose winning the U.S. Championship and AJ Lee likely getting the Diva's Championship. I don't hate Dean Ambrose. I don't think AJ Lee should be getting nothing to do at all. Right now, I feel what they are doing with Curtis Axel (former Michael McGillicutty) will become overkill.

Recently, there was a dirtsheet report that the reason Antonio Cesaro was depushed was because he was boring. That is believable. I even said that depushing someone if they are not connecting well with the fans is understandable. Funny thing is, I seem to remember the WWE burying Michael McGillicutty a few years ago for not being exciting. This was back when he was teaming with Otunga. And this was no rumor or something being reported by those sites. The WWE actually ran an angle with it. What exactly has this guy done since then to deserve what he is getting now? Right now, I don't consider myself a fan of either Antonio Cesaro or Curtis Axel. However, I would say that Cesaro actually deserves a better push right now out of the two.

Who can forget Chris Jericho's epic return in 2012? There was this aura of mystery around it. Why was he acting like that? Did he have a scheme to win the Royal Rumble? Would he win the WWE Championship? And nothing happened. All that hype, and nothing happened. To me, this week's Raw felt the same way.

With all that out of the way, let's go to the issue itself. The WWE hyped that Paul Heyman had signed a new client. When I heard that, I got excited about who it could be. A lot of people were thinking that it could be the return of Rob Van Dam or Batista. I didn't think it would be Batista. Would it be a midcard heel? Would it be Randy Orton turning heel? Zack Ryder getting that big push after all this time complaining? Jinder Mahal? No one ever expects Jinder Mahal. Heyman hyped it up so well, which is nothing unusual for him. And then, Michael McGillicutty comes up on the tron. I thought that it had to be some kind of swerve. Somebody bigger than that had to be coming out later in the night to save Heyman from Triple H. Nope. And I did not see anything special in his match against Triple H. Of course, it was Triple H he was going against and the story of the match was more about Triple H not being able to continue the match.

Does Curtis Axel deserve the rub of aligning with Paul Heyman and the debut match against Triple H? I am not against this guy getting an opportunity. How about repackaging him and bringing him back as a midcarder? Obviously, he stands a better chance of possibly succeeding with this kind of push he is getting now than a regular midcard push, but there are other individuals who are showing better potential who are already featured more regularly who can use the kind of push he is getting. And to repeat the three ideas I mentioned previously, this can end up being overkill, they are giving a big push to a guy they themselves buried for being boring, and all this hype may not lead to success. If this guy is going to succeed, I am going to hope it is going to be up to him, not Paul Heyman and the WWE carrying him. I will not like this guy just because Paul Heyman and whoever else praises him. I am not that kind of fan. For me, it doesn't really matter how good this guy is on the mic. Heyman will be his mouthpiece. But he does need to show a good character and step up in the ring. Of course, if people do buy into him without any real improvement from him and he gets over, then he has earned his spot. You don't earn a spot by impressing me.

Fandango Dances To Defeat

I would much rather be watching that than Fandangoing.

Fandango has suffered defeat. He lost to Chris Jericho at Extreme Rules. Nothing wrong with that. Chris Jericho should get back the win he gave Fandango. Jericho shouldn't just be enhancement talent. Fandango also lost a tag match on Raw. It seemed, however, that he was more interested in dancing during that tag match than actually trying to win.

Does this have to mean the end of Fandango? Not at all. He obviously still has his gimmick and is being allowed to run with it. Summer Rae seems to be the dancer he will be using for now on. She will most likely one day be the centerpiece of the diva division. Much too early to say that, but the division lacks a centerpiece and they just debuted a woman who is the kind of diva they would develop to be centerpiece. As for what Summer Rae means for Fandango, the pairing allows him to do more interesting things with his feuds and segments. Summer Rae helped Fandango trick Jericho recently. Fandango left Summer Rae and ran this week. She can help make him look more interesting. And the fact that he still has the gimmick will also keep him interesting.

Where should Fandango go now? It would be nice if they did not prolong the singles feud between Jericho and Fandango. No need for that. But having these guys involved in a 4-way feud with Barrett and Miz over the Intercontinental Championship would not be horrible. It looks like Barrett would have reason to not like Fandango, so run with that.

Let me talk a little more about the diva division. I already mentioned what is likely to happen to Summer Rae in time. Until then, she is being developed in the periphery during this dark age, much like Trish Stratus was when she debuted. What about what else is going on in the diva division? They are developing storylines and feuds for their other periphery divas and credible jobbers, although these storylines are mostly weakly featured. A few weeks ago, there was a feud between Brie & Nikki and Naomi & Cameron. Naomi and Cameron have been phased down. The Bellas have become supporting players in the storyline involving Kaitlyn. Natalya is also involved in that. This really is very similar to the first dark age. This secret admirer of Kaitlyn will eventually be revealed. After that, the WWE will most likely rotate in a new storyline involving different periphery divas and credible jobbers. There is also an actual title feud going on. Problem is, it's AJ Lee getting the title shot. I'm not going to pretend liking that decision. She already has a good position and gimmick. She is featured better than all the divas and it is guaranteed that she will be featured better in the future. The WWE didn't invest so much in her to be over just to walk away now. Just like Lita won her first Women's Championship during the first dark age while also being aligned with Team Xtreme, it looks like AJ will further follow in her path. Difference between that dark age and this one, they did a better job with utilizing more divas back then. The weak treatment many are getting now will not help them or the quality of the division. If the WWE was actually doing a better job of developing more stars right now, I wouldn't mind AJ's title push. Other women could use some better focus.

The Shield Wins Gold, Too Much Gold?

The Shield did indeed win their matches at Extreme Rules. They hold the tag titles and the U.S. Championship. That is definitely a burst of credibility for them.

Is it too much? I am not against them winning the tag titles. They could have rotated which two members defended it. But throwing in the U.S. title? That is what might be too much. I don't feel bad for Kofi Kingston losing the title. He'll probably win 9 or 10 more midcard titles before the year is up. No, not really. But he will win gold again. I feel this is a bad decision in regards to the other midcard heels. You have a lot of guys who are getting pushed that could use a title reign, or at least a title feud. Wade Barrett holding the other midcard singles title doesn't make it easy for other heels to feud against him over that. Dean Ambrose did not need a singles title right now. He has a guaranteed spot right now. And it is a great spot. Guys like Fandango and Sandow can use something to fight for. The Shield holding the tag titles also makes it unlikely that Rhodes and Sandow will be winning them anytime soon. They need to get some midcard titles back on some faces, who should then be booked in feuds against these other midcard heels who are not getting the kind of focus as The Shield. That would keep things fresh.

Alberto Del Rio Vs. Jack Swagger At Extreme Rules

Dolph Ziggler is indeed out for Extreme Rules. How does the WWE fix the situation? Jack Swagger and Alberto Del Rio will now face each other in an I Quit match for the #1 contendership at the PPV. This should be a good match. Both of these guys have submission finishers. Combine that with the possibility of some hardcore spots. This could potentially be one of the best matches of the night, regardless of the outcome.

Is handling things this way the best option? Technically, both of these guys were getting title shots at Extreme Rules, but now only one will get the shot at Ziggler's title. I am not implying that either of the two should be bitter about this. I'm just thinking about good booking, not necessarily hurt feelings. It would be good to see the triple threat still happen down the road. I may not have been too enthusiastic about this 3-way feud in comparison to other options for 3-way feuds, but proper closure would be nice.

Some people might have been thinking about putting Big E Langston to substitute for Ziggler in the triple-threat match. If Big E wins, Ziggler retains. I don't like that idea. This would be a huge match and win for a guy who is still a rookie. Judging by the fact that they have not vacated the title and made Sunday's match to crown a new Champion, Ziggler would most likely have been booked to still be Champion after the PPV if they had inserted Big E. That means Big E would go over two former World Champions. That is a big win to not even be able to properly follow up on. Big E would just go back to being Ziggler's muscle. They could start a feud between the two, but it is too soon for that. If they are going to keep the title on Ziggler, I think it is the right choice to make the PPV match a #1 contender's match. Having Big E retain it for him would most likely be pointless in the end.

Who wins? The logical choice would be Alberto Del Rio. Face vs. heel. Swagger winning would mean heel vs. heel. Swagger could still interfere in the title match, which would finally lead to the triple threat to end the feud for good between the three.

Triple H And Brock Lesnar In A Cage

Hopefully, this will be the final encounter between Triple H and Brock Lesnar. They have each won a match against each other. Which guy will break the tie? Who will survive the cage? Given Brock's activities during his years away from the WWE, I feel like this cage match should have a story to it that just isn't there. Instead, they have had Brock destroy Triple H's office and Heyman do the usual promo about Triple H being unable to get the job done and letting people down. To put it simply, this feud has been pretty basic. They should just end it.

Who wins? Triple H already saved his part-time career at Wrestlemania. Nothing has been put on the line for the Extreme Rules match. They might as well let Brock win this one. If Brock is going to hang around, it would help if he had some momentum. Triple H does not need this win. He even looked strong to end Raw, which is usually a sign that the other guy will win. Assume Triple H does win, then what? I don't think the WWE will be using him that frequently in the ring in the months to come. The odds are better that Lesnar would be featured more regularly than him. That being the case, let Brock Lesnar look strong again.

Can Ryback Defeat A Reinjured Super Cena?

Ryback wasn't enough of a challenge for John Cena. The whole feud hasn't been developed well enough to deserve to be the true main event of Extreme Rules. It looks like Triple H vs. Brock Lesnar might have that spot. Nevertheless, the WWE inserted this injury angle into the feud between Ryback and Cena to make it look like Cena might actually be in danger. Recently, they had Cena just seem to shrug off the injury. They did the right thing on Raw this week. They had Ryback reinjure Cena. That should get people wondering whether Cena will be able to overcome. That is, unless they are tired of this same old thing happening again and again.

Who wins? This one seems obvious. Cena wins. Ryback has the momentum and it looks like this is just an obstacle developed for Cena to overcome.

Another interesting thing from Raw concerning Cena was his win over The Shield. It was an elimination tag match. Even though The Shield lost a tag match involving all three members, two were eliminated by DQ, including Dean Ambrose in the end. I know a lot of fans are hating what happened last night. It was Cena against all three members and Cena wins. That is pretty annoying, but I don't have too much of a problem with it. Going back a few weeks to when The Undertaker was teaming with Kane and Daniel Bryan to face The Shield, I was saying The Shield taking the loss by DQ might have been a possibility to keep their momentum up while not making Taker look bad. Even though they lost this week, it wasn't exactly a decisive defeat and they did lay Cena out after. They are still looking strong.

What Will Become Of Ziggler Vs. Swagger Vs. Del Rio Now?

Dolph Ziggler suffered an injury last week. From what people are saying about it, it sounds serious. Should the WWE take the title off him?

Before I talk about that, let me say what I was going to say about this triple-threat match before recent developments. Dolph Ziggler was going to defend it against both Alberto Del Rio and Jack Swagger. After Wrestlemania, there were a few 3-way feuds that they could have developed. This is the one I thought was least necessary. John Cena could have feuded against both Mark Henry and Ryback, which would give him something more to overcome than just Ryback. Randy Orton, Sheamus, and Big Show could have feuded over the #1 contendership to the World's Heavyweight Championship, which would also have had the story coming off of what Big Show did at Wrestlemania. Looking at the triple-threat match they are having, the feud between Alberto Del Rio and Jack Swagger really did not have to continue. Jack Swagger could argue that he did the damage on Del Rio that helped Ziggler win the title, but Swagger even lost to Del Rio again the night after Wrestlemania. A match between just Ziggler and Del Rio would have been fine for Extreme Rules. Where does that leave Swagger? A bitter Jack Swagger could set his sights on Kofi Kingston's U.S. title. It would have been an easy feud.

Turning to Ziggler's injury, if he has to drop the title, who wins it? The convenient thing about this match being originally booked as a triple-threat match is that there are two possibilities right there. Does Swagger or Del Rio win? Jack Swagger has not held a World title in so long, you might want to give him a run just for that. Besides that, if Ziggler will be gone for a while, putting the belt on Swagger might be smart so that another heel can still be pushed in that position as the WWE originally had planned. If they had planned to do Dolph Ziggler vs. Randy Orton for the title after Extreme Rules, they could just make it Jack Swagger vs. Randy Orton. They would not have to alter too much. On the other hand, I think Alberto Del Rio was having a good run with the title. He has connected very well with the fans. And if Ziggler is not going to be gone for too long, having Del Rio hold it until Ziggler comes back may be more convenient than heel Ziggler vs. heel Swagger down the road. Speaking for myself, I would choose to put it back on Del Rio.

Randy Orton Vs. Big Show and Sheamus Vs. Mark Henry

The issues between Sheamus, Randy Orton, and Big Show were changed drastically when Mark Henry started randomly attacking Sheamus. Since then, the feuds heading into Extreme Rules are Sheamus vs. Mark Henry and Big Show vs. Randy Orton. That's not how I would have handled the situation, but I'll talk about that another time.

I like the feud between Sheamus and Mark Henry. Over a year ago, both Sheamus and Mark Henry had a ton of momentum. A feud between them would have been great back then, especially over the World's Heavyweight Championship. A proper feud didn't happen. It may not be a title feud now, but it is good. They have had some good segments. This is actually a feud I wouldn't mind extending after Extreme Rules.

The feud between Randy Orton and Big Show is a different story. It is kind of boring. Big Show turned on Randy Orton and Sheamus at Wrestlemania. Who was really to blame? It really isn't that intriguing. And the development has not been too exciting. Big Show destroys. Yeah, and? It feels like both of these guys should be doing something else right now. Randy Orton should be back in the title hunt or at least getting a better storyline than this. They turned Big Show face, then turned him back to a heel. Would keeping Big Show face have freshened things back up for him? I think it was worth a shot. Unlike Sheamus vs. Mark Henry, I hope this is a feud that ends soon.

Should Kofi Kingston Drop The Title To Dean Ambrose?

Is the WWE thinking of starting a feud between Kofi Kingston and Dean Ambrose over the United States Championship? Dean Ambrose is the member of The Shield who has been seeing some singles action as of late. It wouldn't be surprising for him to get a solo push, while the other two members of the group chase after the tag titles.

I wouldn't like the idea. The Shield seems like the best group to get the tag titles off Kane and Daniel Bryan. But to load them up with titles? Having all three members hold the tag titles and rotate who defends them is one thing, but holding the tag titles and the U.S. Championship is something else. I think that would be unnecessary overkill. Another possibility would be for Ziggler's group to be holding a whole lot of titles. I think that would be overkill, as well. A midcard heel like Damien Sandow has never held a title in the WWE yet. Why not have him feud with Kofi and possibly win the title? Dean Ambrose does not need that title. The Shield as a unit can use the tag titles to further their own credibility.

Ryback Vs. Injured Super Cena: Last Man Standing

The feud between John Cena and Ryback continues to go down the path of the typical Cena feud. The injury angle already put things in that direction, but recent developments solidified it. At Extreme Rules, the WWE Championship match will be a Last Man Standing match. Will John Cena be healthy enough to answer a 10 count? It would help if they had Ryback target Cena's injury. Cena is just going to heal up and it would be stupid to try to make people believe that a Cena sprinting around is still in trouble. Ryback was left standing on Raw this week, but they still need to develop this better.

They also took the opportunity once again to sell just how much of a great guy Cena is. Even though he was injured, he came out to help Daniel Bryan with The Shield when Ryback would not. Ryback's actions are solidifying his heel status, but that isn't too big of a deal. Will it really help make him into a star? I don't think they are going in that direction. Still seems to be more about featuring Cena's old character than developing Ryback. 

TNA Stuck In The Preseason

I sometimes make comparisons between the WWE diva division and football. The centerpiece is like the quarterback, you sometimes have to have a backup step in, and so on. What about TNA's KO division? Following the football analogy, what would I say about their women's division?

To me, TNA's women's division is stuck in the preseason. The NFL has this preseason where all the teams get a few weeks to play other teams in games where nothing is really on the line. This is the time to shake off some rust, decide who the starters are going to be, decide who will fill other positions in the depth chart, and decide who will get cut. A lot of players get an opportunity on the field in the preseason that may not even be on the team when the regular season starts. At the end of the day, the coaches have to decide what they want and run with that.

TNA rotates the centerpiece of their women's division. Velvet Sky is currently in that position. What happened to Tara, the former centerpiece? What is going to happen to Taryn, who is being developed right now and may eventually win the title? And Gail Kim? Brooke Tessmacher? Mickie James? Some people might say that it is good to pass the ball around like this, but this system is not leading to growth. It is not even leading to the maintenance of high-quality results. I would even go as far as to say they are losing ground. People deserve opportunities, but I don't think everyone should be treated like they can all bring the same results. It's just not true.

A head coach cannot act like a poor quarterback is just as good as an elite quarterback. He has to pick the best individuals for the proper positions. TNA is not doing that with their KO division. They are giving everyone opportunities like this is the preseason and they don't have to be pushing their best to get the job done. Not only that, but the storylines are dry and boring. They need something big. Brooke Hogan should not be the one getting it. This is comparable to a head coach not committing to who is starting quarterback is going to be and coming up with strategies that are mediocre at best and not working. A guy like that should be fired.

A lot of people are talking once again about Mickie James turning heel. She said in a recent interview that it is not really her teasing a heel turn, but actually being frustrated with how she is used. I don't blame her. A heel turn will fix nothing. Even if they do turn her heel and let her beat Velvet for the title, unless they change their game plan, they will eventually rotate her back out. And her heel run will be at the mercy of TNA's booking. I don't think they will do it right. The last top heel was Tara, who had Jesse with her. Before that, Madison Rayne had Earl Hebner. Gail Kim had Madison Rayne as a sidekick. Winter had Angelina Love. Madison Rayne had Tara. TNA likes to give their heels sidekick or someone to help them win. I don't think they should try that with a heel Mickie. I would have loved for Mickie to have a sidekick, or even lead a stable, but when that is the norm, I don't want it. Mickie James is good enough to play a heel without that. But I don't have confidence that they will let her be that kind of heel.

Dancing With Fandango

I still don't get this Fandango fad. Jack Swagger's new theme is so much better.

The feud between Fandango and Chris Jericho has really picked up on the dancing storyline as of late. That actually makes the feud so much more interesting. Before, when things first started, the two were basically feuding because Fandango was mad Jericho made fun of him. Now, the WWE is able to feature more interesting segments with the two. Those are the kind of feuds that you should be getting in the midcard. It shouldn't simply be about building the credibility of a future main-eventer. Utilize the gimmicks of your midcarders to create entertaining feuds. It is also interesting that the feud is good even with Jericho not being there every week. The only thing left, will Jericho get to avenge that loss to Fandango he took at Wrestlemania?

The Shield Looking More Than Impressive

The Shield once again defeated a team consisting of the centerpiece, John Cena. This time, however, they actually got to pin Cena. That is probably the cleanest pinfall loss Cena has taken against a heel in a long time. There was no outside interference, use of illegal objects, or hook of the tights or use of the ropes for leverage during the pin. Cena's only excuse was that he was injured. Considering he was not 100% and Ryback tricked Cena into that position, you can still argue that it wasn't completely clean. Nevertheless, that was a big win for The Shield. Sooner or later, Cena will be avenging that loss.

It is also interesting that the WWE is letting the group have the main-event spotlight on Smackdown. You would hope that would go to Dolph Ziggler and World's Heavyweight Championship matters. It's still good that the WWE is passing spotlight around on the show that no longer has one consistent centerpiece.

They were teasing the possibility of a fourth member a while back. I know I brought up the possibility of adding a new member back around Wrestlemania. As of now, that is not necessary at all. The Shield has a ton of momentum to keep them fresh right now. They are likely even closing in on the tag titles. As long as the WWE keeps booking them well, it really doesn't matter if the gimmick aspect or anything like that still doesn't work too well. Every time they do a promo about injustice, I just have no idea what they are talking about. What do their current actions really have to do with injustice in the WWE? As long as they are so dominant, you can let those storyline issues go.