Curtis Axel's Slowed Momentum

I've spoken about Curtis Axel recently mainly in terms of being a possible opponent for faces to feud with. But how has the Intercontinental Champion been doing?

Things certainly have slowed for him since that big push started. No angle with Triple H. Lost to Chris Jericho. No real feud for him right now. After so much hype for the guy when he first aligned with Paul Heyman, it seems like he is not living up to the push. I don't blame him. I have my doubts about how serious the WWE was about this push to start with. Having him pick up these fluke wins would get him over? Really? People would buy into him just because certain top individuals put him over in promos. I don't think so. They didn't keep the ball rolling by having him get proper feuds with top stars. If they built up his credibility better, he might have stood a better chance of getting over. He still might not have gotten over, but he would have had a better chance. This guy isn't good enough to get over without a proper build.

Right now, he is a pawn in the issues between CM Punk and Paul Heyman. That is not a bad thing. I like how that feud is set up. I wish there were a few more Heyman guys on his side for Punk to run through before Brock Lesnar and eventually Heyman, himself. I also wish they had not wasted Curtis Axel's first loss on Chris Jericho. Save it for CM Punk on his road to Heyman. It would have meant more. I don't need to say too much about potential feuds Axel could have been getting now. RVD and Miz are two options I have already mentioned in recent days. Despite no personal feud, Curtis Axel may have lost momentum, but he's not entirely buried, yet.

RVD Has No Feud

Rob Van Dam came back a few weeks ago. The WWE knew for quite a while that he would be coming back. And who did they pick to have him work with in his first official feud since returning? Still waiting to find out.

This is a disappointment. Rob Van Dam is a former WWE Champion, is popular, is good in the ring, and probably does have several options to enter some kind of feud. And yet, just random matches. You can criticize him for his mic skills, but that is really no excuse for not developing some kind of feud for him. I am not really complaining because I personally really want to see him feud with someone in particular, but because I feel they are dropping the ball here. They hype him so much that he is going to return, then they just let things fizzle out so easily. I would expect that kind of thing from TNA.

Whom should he be feuding with? Randy Orton was originally the choice I would have made. That was before Orton's recent push. How about have RVD feud with Curtis Axel over the Intercontinental Championship? If it won't be Miz, how about RVD get a title shot for Summerslam. This can also transition to some kind of tag match down the road. Combine CM Punk's feud with Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman with RVD's title feud against Curtis Axel. RVD and Heyman definitely have a history, so RVD would fit into that story. There is also the possibility of throwing him into some type of multi-man match at Summerslam for the World's Heavyweight Championship. I won't spoil who gets the title shot. I will talk about that later on. But I will say that adding an extra body or two would not have been a bad idea. No one says RVD has to win a title, but giving him a good feud would make sense after his hyped return.

Thoughts On Miz And Randy Orton

Miz is going to "host" Summerslam. No one might agree with what I am about to say. I actually think having him do that is sadder than that losing streak he had over a year ago. Wrestlers pushed well at one time get losing streaks or angles that make them look weak. Sheamus had a losing streak after his big push ended a few years ago. Daniel Bryan just had this "weak link" storyline. Even John Cena had this angle where 2012 was the worst year in his career. It happens. But having Miz "host" Summerslam? I can't even put it without the quotation marks. It's one thing to have The Rock do this for Wrestlemania shortly after he returned in recent years. He is a major star outside of wrestling now and that gig fit into his feud with John Cena. Miz is not in The Rock's league and this doesn't appear to be a part of a bigger angle for him. They just have nothing for him.

What would I have done? Give him a wrestling feud. I usually don't like extending feuds needlessly, but they could have extended his feud with Curtis Axel for the Intercontinental Championship. Have it culminate at Summerslam in a gimmick match. That would be doing something interesting for both guys and the title.

Randy Orton took a few days off, then came back for some tapings. That means no injury angle. It looks like the situation really is just as Orton made people believe on Twitter. It was just a minor thing. Regardless, I mentioned before the possibility of the WWE taking advantage of the situation to run a bigger angle. I don't see anything wrong with that. They take advantage of deaths and heart attacks. Some people may say that kind of thing is tasteless. Taking advantage of a minor injury is not as bad. And it isn't like the WWE has never done this kind of thing before. The Undertaker came back to Smackdown a few years ago and quickly got injured. That led to an elaborate storyline involving Kane. He ended up getting one of the best main-event pushes he ever had. And it all revolved around that injury that was not scripted. They could have done something similar with Orton now.

Question is, would the WWE be willing to pay Randy Orton to stay home and wait? Technically, he would be good to go, but he would just be staying home to sell the angle. No Orton to draw at shows? Well, you do have other stars. Besides, I see it as an investment. If they ran with the angle, people would be wondering whether Orton is seriously injured or not. Depending on if they ran it in such a way that people knew it was a work, people would be interested in when Orton would strike. They didn't have to make it happen at Summerslam. Night of Champions? Somewhere in between? Shortly after? No one says Orton has to be gone a year. This is a situation that could draw interest. What if Orton drew more interest staying home than actually being on Raw and Smackdown? The whole point of Money in the Bank, in terms of drawing viewers, is that the unpredictability of when the guy with the briefcase will cash in will get people to watch. I don't feel it is working out as it should. Running that injury angle with Orton would have been a good idea to cause some excitement.

The Decline Of The KO Division

TNA recently released a number of workers. There were a few women among them, including Tara and Taeler Hendrix. You also have the fact that the KO tag titles are gone. Financial problems are obviously significant. You can't keep around a lot of workers when your company is not making enough money to pay them all, cover other costs, and still make a profit. Regardless, what is TNA doing with their KO division?

There is definitely a change going on in TNA's women's division. They have always sold this image of being respectable since the KO division really got started. They were better than the WWE diva division. Just like the diva division is about more than just that sexy, glamorous image associated with the eye-candy divas, the status quo about the KO division is about more than this theme of respectability. The division isn't simply about the company saying they are better. What makes, or made, them more respectable and better? I would say it is two things. First, they do not hold their women back in matches. There was a ladder match just a few weeks ago featuring the KOs. Second, they featured their women more and regularly by having multiple feuds and angles going.

That last point is where there is an obvious problem. They just released some of their women and there is no debuting to fill the spaces. The fact that you don't hold back your women is nice, but how interesting can your division be when you keep on featuring the same women? Currently, they are still trying to have multiple things going. Mickie James is the KO Champion, likely still feuding with Velvet Sky. Gail Kim looks to be feuding with ODB now. Not very creative right now. A lot of fans like that Mickie James is now a heel. Technically, TNA isn't really giving her a great storyline. It's up to her to make her heel character work. And Gail Kim's recent feuds also show a lack of creativity. She just lost a title match against Mickie James. She now looks to be entering a feud with the ref of the match, ODB. Go back a few months. Gail Kim lost a title match to Velvet Sky, then went on to feud with the ref of the match, Taryn. They obviously put on some respectable matches, but in terms of the quality of the actual feuds and angles, TNA is not delivering.

They should have kept the tag titles. Of course, that only works if they brought in more women to feature. But if they kept the tag titles, that would make for more feuds with more on the line. They are currently heading in a direction where everything is either a title feud for the KO Championship or a grudge match that will most likely lead into one of those women getting a title feud for the KO Championship. There are no intriguing storyline ideas, stables to feature multiple women, and development of women outside of this cycle. They had Tara involved as the valet as a tag team. If they had kept her, that would not have been a bad use for her. If there was ever a tag team or stable who got another KO member, you could have a 6-person feud and match. But keeping the tag titles would have been a great move. Getting rid of that was a sign that things really are heading in the wrong direction.

They need fresh workers, workers that can connect with the fans, and workers with unique looks and gimmicks. They can't keep pushing the same women in these cycles. At the same time, releasing a generic blond and hiring a generic blond that looks basically the same isn't really bringing anything unique. I think they should have done more with Taeler Hendrix. She is sexy and she has a unique look. TNA has redheads still employed, but they don't wrestle. Give the fans some variety in who they are seeing wrestle.

Respectability can only take you so far. Not holding your women back is fine, but if you are not featuring a wide variety of women and interesting angles on a regular basis, things will get boring. And that is the problem. They lack depth. They cannot afford Mickie James or Gail Kim getting injured. Who will be your other heels? If TNA does not plan to change things, the status quo of the KO division could really change. Their agenda is no longer about featuring their women prominently in terms of letting them go at it in the ring and having multiple fresh storylines and feuds going. It is about making do with what you have. That's not aiming for greatness. Pretty soon, the KO division might just become more hype than substance.

Where Is Big Show? Et Al?

Where is Big Show? I could have sworn he was supposed to be coming back this week. When they announced that Daniel Bryan would run the gauntlet, it seemed obvious that Big Show would be in there somewhere. Even after Ryback put Daniel Bryan through a table, I expected Brad Maddox to still force Daniel Bryan to face one more wrestler, which would be Big Show. Nothing. If you are running a storyline where Daniel Bryan is not big enough and strong enough to be WWE Champion, bringing Big Show in as a supporting player would be a good idea. He has held the WWE Championship before, and he's definitely big and strong. He would be better than Ryback.

Where is Randy Orton? The WWE has been suspicious in their lack of mentioning him. Leads me to believe that this really is all just an angle. If he was really seriously injured, they would definitely make a bigger deal out of that. If it is just an angle, Randy Orton going on Twitter after WWE.com reported his injury and downplaying it by saying not to believe everything you read on the Internet really becomes funny. The company is trying to make people believe you are injured to set up a surprise cash in, but you just shrug it off like that? Should he have gotten on the same page as the WWE and played it up better? If the WWE is planning a swerve, would it have been better if they just took Orton out of everything after last week's Smackdown without any explanation at all? The whole injury thing led many fans to immediately suspect what can be coming for Summerslam. Not saying anything at all might have made people wonder a little longer. It might sound stupid that Orton could disappear like that and the commentators would not mention it, but you can also say it is stupid for them to say Orton suffered a serious injury and not make a bigger deal out of it to get people to buy it.

You don't need to ask where Kane is anymore. He is coming back. Technically, because Raw has already been taped for next week, he is already back. The Wyatts had taken him out when they debuted. Is Kane coming back for revenge? No, he's coming back to face Daniel Bryan. I don't like that. It is true that Kane and Daniel Bryan have a history together. The fact that Kane is a big man also makes him a good choice to face Daniel Bryan in the current storyline. I still say Big Show was the best choice. Kane should be coming back with focus on Bray Wyatt and his stable. Whether he is coming back as a brainwashed member of the stable or to call them out for revenge, they should be his target when he returns. I already get the feeling that the WWE will mess up with Bray Wyatt.

AJ Lee: Climbing Down The Periphery Ladder Of Success

Lita started off with a cruiserweight at a time when he was getting pushed and won a title. She moved on to being a member of a stable with a popular tag team that won multiple tag titles. After an injury, it was only a matter of time before she found herself paired with a monster that once held the WWE Championship. That transitioned to her being involved with a man who has held multiple World titles and is currently in the Hall of Fame. When she did retire, she was part of a group with that individual and another man who has held numerous World titles and will likely be in the Hall of Fame. Lita spent the majority of her WWE career getting angles with the guys. She spent it in the periphery. That is what I would call climbing the ladder of success in the periphery.

And then, there was AJ Lee. After AJ Lee officially debuted on Smackdown, the WWE really started developing her alongside Daniel Bryan, who was World Champion at the time. Not bad. That soon moved into her being involved in a feud between Daniel Bryan, CM Punk, and Kane over the WWE Championship. That's a step up. They made her Raw GM. How many female wrestlers can say they were Raw GM for all those months? She then had a storyline with John Cena, the centerpiece of the company. Things started to go downhill since then. She was involved in a stable with Dolph Ziggler and Big E Langston. Ziggler did eventually win the World title, but his injury ruined the chances of AJ getting a good rub from that. Ziggler has since been depushed. With those two breaking up, AJ is left with Big E, who is now feuding with Ziggler. AJ Lee is a periphery diva, much like Lita, but her career hasn't taken that steady rise to the top as Lita's did. That's not her fault, of course. The WWE developed her hard to make her a success. They just couldn't keep the ball rolling properly.

Of course, no need to feel bad for AJ. Not only does she still have a spot in the periphery, she is holding the Diva's Championship still. In time, they will come up with something better for her. They didn't put all that effort into her to drop it just like that. She has never been pushed as a jobber to the centerpiece, so none of her development has been for that. But which direction will show go on that ladder in the coming months alongside Big E Langston?

What about the WWE diva division in general? What is the landscape currently like? Everything seems to be in the periphery. What do I mean by that? All the diva angles seem to be on the sidelines of the title matters. AJ Lee, the Diva's Champion, has her angle against Ziggler currently going on. Those divas involved in that reality show, which I don't care to watch, don't have a proper wrestling feud going on. And Mrs. Fandango, Summer Rae, is still out there with Mr. Fandango, who has been depushed. She is still a likely candidate to one day be centerpiece. In terms of actual wrestling, there are no good feuds going on. Periphery divas are getting featured a lot. There are once again rumors that Kharma might be returning. Why not? This is the time in the diva division that would make the most sense and when she is likely to be treated as more than just a tool to put over a centerpiece. The WWE does not seem to be ready to develop a new one yet.

Oh Look, It's Vickie

A new Smackdown GM has been named. Teddy Long? Brad Maddox? Booker T kept his spot? None of the above. It is Vickie Guerrero.

That is not the person I would have chosen, but now that she does have the position back, I hope they do something different with her. She was getting stale as Raw GM and not really contributing anything of value for a while at one time. The fact that she draws so much heat was her only redeeming quality, but they were not even featuring her properly to let that do anything. Besides, do people really tune in just to see Vickie screaming over being booed? Let her be a true heel GM now. Don't let her be one of those GMs that pander to the fans and bosses to try to do a good job. You have Brad Maddox to do that. If you are going to make Vickie a GM again, have her get a storyline where she wants revenge against the fans that had her fired, in kayfabe. They are already teasing that direction, but run with it. Have her make life miserable for faces on Smackdown. Develop her as something the fans would really like to see fired even more than she just was on Raw. Make her more intriguing. Fans might tune in just to see what Vickie would do next and who will finally stop her reign of terror. Even though fans didn't like her during her recent run as Raw GM, she really didn't have that strong of a reign of terror, especially in the last few months.

How would I like to have seen the Smackdown GM situation handled? Very simple answer to that. Let Booker T and Teddy Long finish their feud. There was tension between the two before Booker T left. There's more than one way to get rid of one GM and name another. Having it done by authority figures above the GM is one way. That already happened recently on Raw. You can also have it settled in some kind of match. John Laurinaitis knows about that. Why not have a representative for Booker T face a representative for Teddy Long? If the WWE is not going to settle the issues between Vince McMahon and Triple H at Summerslam, a Smackdown power struggle culminating at the big summer PPV would not have been bad. Booker T can even represent himself by competing. In the end, my point is simply that it would have been nice if they mixed things up a little better with recent GM changes.

If I would not have had Vickie be a GM again so fast, where would I have put her if she still wanted to stick around? Make her a manager of a wrestler again. Vickie's career would just be going through this cycle of manager and authority figure, but what else is there for her? Who would she manage? I have seen some people mention Vickie teaming with Ryback. I like that idea. He's a heel that they are currently interested in featuring. Giving him Vickie as a manager might have made him look more interesting after he's lost so much credibility.

John Cena Gives Daniel Bryan A Title Shot

It was only a matter of time before John Cena stole my gimmick of randomly mentioning Jinder Mahal. He'll do anything to be over with his haters.

Speaking of being over, Daniel Bryan is probably the most over guy on the active roster right now. When the WWE ran this idea that Cena could choose his own opponent for Summerslam and Cena left it up to the fans, it was obvious Daniel Bryan was going to get picked. That segment on Raw once again puts over Cena's character. He cares about the fans and is willing to give other people opportunities.

One thing I notice is some people talking like Daniel Bryan has waited such a long time for this opportunity. They make it sound like he never gets opportunities and has been mistreated for so long. I am not going to deny his overness and what he is capable of doing in the ring, which is reason enough to give him a shot at the WWE Championship, but I don't feel the story for Daniel Bryan right now is that he is a guy who never got the golden opportunity and John Cena finally gave it to him. Go back to 2012. That would be last year. Daniel Bryan got more than one opportunity at the WWE Championship, not to mention holding the World's Heavyweight Championship that year and later winning the tag titles and having a lengthy reign with it that just ended a few months ago. When it comes to getting shots at the WWE Championship, I believe there are some credible individuals who have had longer droughts than Daniel Bryan. When was the last time Christian had a shot at the WWE Championship? Has Kofi Kingston ever had a singles match for the WWE Championship? People might want to say he blew it when he was feuding with Orton, but I really doubt they were grooming Kofi Kingston for a 1-on-1 title shot back then. When was the last time The Great Khali had any kind of title shot? The Great Khali? Okay, forget that one. Point is, there are guys who have been getting less than Daniel Bryan who have been around a long time, are loyal, are good in the ring, and are over. Again, I am not saying Daniel Bryan doesn't deserve a title shot, but I am not going to say that this is a guy who never gets opportunities to be a success.

Randy Orton: Win Briefcase, Get Injured

I was originally going to talk about John Cena and Daniel Bryan today. With recent developments, I changed my mind to talking about TNA's KO division. After even more recent developments, I am going to talk about Randy Orton. Time will tell when I get to the other two topics.

Randy Orton, the guy who won the briefcase for the WWE Championship title shot just this week, has been injured. WWE.com is reporting that he was injured during Smackdown tapings on Tuesday. How bad is he hurt? That is the question. Orton himself is downplaying it, so it may not be a big deal. The fact that the WWE themselves already reported it kind of makes it possible that they will work it into an angle, regardless of how hurt he is. They could play it as Orton being unable to compete, then he strikes with a cash-in when the time is right.

Of course, it's more interesting to consider what happens if things are really bad. Worst-case scenario, it is a serious injury. That does not mean the WWE has to take the briefcase away from Orton now. He just won it. The briefcase is good for a year. There is a lot of time for him to heal. Unless he's retiring due to the injury, which is doubtful, there is no need to kill his current push.

For the sake of discussion, what if they do decide to give the briefcase to someone else? Who gets it? If he was still around, you would send in Edge in a situation like this. He has taken the briefcase away from an injured wrestler before. How about Big Show? Ryback? It would make sense for a heel to take it away from Orton. You can list the faces who could take the briefcase, but I think a heel needs some big attention right now.

If the WWE is losing Orton for a while, top faces is probably the one position in which they have great depth. They have guys like Sheamus, Christian, and Rob Van Dam around, in addition to Cena, Daniel Bryan, CM Punk, and whoever else I am missing that are currently in a real feuds. They have a lot of potential. No need to panic in terms of face stars. The real issue is what happens to the briefcase.

Sandow Has A Briefcase

I have thought for a long time that Damien Sandow should have a midcard title run. The WWE took it a step further. They had him win the World's Heavyweight Championship contract briefcase. I wouldn't have gone that far with him. Not yet. He doesn't really have the credibility for a big push with a World title. If they are serious about following through with him, they will most likely be injecting a lot into him. They didn't start on Raw. And he really didn't look amazing in his feud against Sheamus. Aside from that, I can't think of a good feud with stars above him in which he really looked good. He feuded for the tag titles against Kane and Daniel Bryan. I don't think he really gained much ground there. Almost none of the guys involved in that Money in the Bank ladder match had amazing credibility, but there were guys deserving it more than Damien Sandow.

Sandow is now officially split from Cody Rhodes. They had been teasing it prior to the PPV. Cody Rhodes then attacked Sandow on Raw. Cody Rhodes going face? Should Cody Rhodes take the briefcase away from Sandow or just be used to put over Sandow? There is also the possibility that Cody could win the feud and not take the briefcase. Cody Rhodes is one of those guys I feel deserved the briefcase more than Sandow. He has more credibility than him. He has beaten main-eventers before. He has won titles in the WWE. Is the WWE trying to develop Cody Rhodes to be a top star? Not having him win the briefcase at the PPV could be a roundabout way of developing him to be a top star and eventually give him the briefcase from Sandow. And yet, I wouldn't do it. The WWE is short on top heels. With Mark Henry potentially turning face, that is one less top heel. If Sandow is the heel they handed the briefcase, they need to run with him. Again, he's not the guy I would have chosen, but they need to develop new heels and he is in that position right now.

Validating A Career

John Cena retained his WWE Championship against Mark Henry. One of the ideas in that feud was that Mark Henry wanted that title to kind of validate his career. He had been there so long and won titles here and there, but he was willing to do anything to win the WWE Championship.

I sometimes hear wrestlers say that they would love to be a World Champion or main-eventer in interviews. I can't tell how many of them really mean it or are just saying that to make it seem like they are shooting for more in their careers. Whatever the case may be, it is the same idea that getting a big title reign validates your career. Without that, you aren't at the same level as certain others. I sometimes think it means more to the fans than most of these wrestlers.

How does that translate to the diva division? A guy who is stuck winning midcard titles for years and years is at another level once he wins a World title. In the diva division, all there really has been is the Diva's/Women's Championship. Even when the two titles existed at the same time, they really weren't pushing it as one being a midcard-level title and the other being a main-event-level title. Both were meant for centerpieces of their respective shows. Does winning a title in the diva division really validate a career? I guess it depends on how the woman views it, but should it really be given as much worth as a World title win for a man? The title in the diva division goes to both centerpieces and credible jobbers, as well as some periphery divas. And those credible jobbers almost always end up being rotated out and treated badly. Being the WWE Champion really is something more elite than that. Some former WWE Champions still get treated badly and moved down the card, like Miz, but he is still pushed regularly. That is more than you can say for credible jobbers in the diva division. Some of them get treated poorly even while they are holding the title.

Since winning a title in the diva division doesn't necessarily put a woman in a special group in the same way winning a World title might do for a man, what should really validate a career for a diva? You spend your career being loyal to the company and you get the job done by connecting with the fans well. What should your reward be? A title reign? The same thing you give to credible jobbers who may not connect with the fans as well as you just did? How about giving that person a career of success? Push them as either the centerpiece or periphery diva. Being pushed as someone who can get the job done and be a star should validate your career. Once you get that, you really have arrived. You are being acknowledged as something more. Of course, it's easier to see a title belt than a type of career someone is getting.

Money In The Bank 2013 Ladder Matches Preview

The WWE has had a few weeks to develop the two briefcase ladder matches since I first talked about it. My main complaint was the imbalance of star power, as well as a face/heel alignment imbalance. I understand they were going for "All Stars" and "Rising Stars" themes, but have they developed things well enough to really showcase those themes? I don't think so. They have just had some random matches here and there featuring the wrestlers in these two matches. The few promos have not really pushed the themes very well. You gave the matches themes and don't really do much to play on those themes. I would have had the WWE mix things up. Don't separate things like they did. How do you decide who would end up in which match? Have the General Managers have qualifying matches. You might not have enough talent for that, but how about making things easier by having 6 guys in each match? What about RVD? He obviously wouldn't be in a qualifying match. Have Vickie give him a guaranteed spot to please one of the McMahons. It would have worked in with that storyline. And it could have all even culminated on Smackdown with a battle royal to find the final participant in that Money in the Bank ladder match for the World's Heavyweight Championship contract. It would have mixed things up, made things intriguing throughout all the weeks building up to the PPV, and it wouldn't be as lackluster as just naming the participants and having them wrestle each other after.

All that out of the way, I am not even going to bother predicting who will win the two matches. I am just going to talk about the storylines involved in each match and talk about who I would like to win.

The match for the World's Heavyweight Championship contract has all those heels involved. It also features two sets of teams. You have Antonio Cesaro & Jack Swagger and Rhodes Scholars. A split isn't likely in the former duo, but it is in the latter. They have been teasing issues between Sandow and Rhodes. That will definitely play into this match. And that will eventually lead to the split. Who turns face? Most likely Cody Rhodes. Swagger and Cesaro may trade a few blows in the match, but there is no reason to split them up before they really got to do anything as a team. Having Dean Ambrose, the U.S. Champion, win the briefcase would be unnecessary. He already has something going for him and hasn't really connected with the fans amazingly, yet. There will be time for him. I would personally like Wade Barrett to win this one. Of all the guys in this match, he is really the one with nothing right now. Cesaro and Swagger are starting a team and have a gimmick. Rhodes and Sandow have a break up coming. Ambrose has a title. Fandango has his gimmick. What does Barrett have? Give him a briefcase.

The match for the WWE Championship contract has so many former World Champions in it, it deserves to be the true main event of the PPV. I know they sold the idea that someone could win that briefcase and cash it in later in the night against Cena, meaning Cena vs. Henry would be the main event, but it would make sense for all the stars to get the main event. Last year's Money in the Bank ended with the ladder match. Then again, it also ended with Cena. The return of Rob Van Dam is obviously a big storyline for this match. Would they hand him the briefcase right away? I don't think so. Then again, he probably has a better chance than Christian. As far as CM Punk goes, everyone can picture CM Punk about to win the match, then Brock Lesnar comes out to screw him. That sets up the match for Summeslam. They have really been pushing Daniel Bryan hard in recent weeks. Building him for the win? He has won it before. He really doesn't need it again to enter a feud with John Cena. If he still had that "weak link" angle going, then it would make sense for him to win this. Not there, so why bother? And it's not like he's in the midst of a title drought. He held the tag titles just a few months ago. Randy Orton has also been getting a bit of the attention lately. That is who I would like to see win. He has not held a title in a long time. He has never won a briefcase. He obviously doesn't need it, but John Cena needed it even less than him. It would be a good way to make Orton relevant again.

Should Mark Henry Win The WWE Championship?

A lot of fans sometimes say that certain loyal workers who have been in the company for years deserve a "thank you" title run before they retire. It's like a "gold watch" win. I usually don't like title runs like that. Give a person a major title run because they have really done a great job, not simply because they've been around for years and been loyal. A lot of people might have thought that Mark Henry's World's Heavyweight Championship win was his "thank you" title win. His career didn't end there. He now has an opportunity to get the WWE Championship. To me, this isn't even a question of whether Mark Henry deserves the title for a "thank you" run or just moment.

Mark Henry does deserve to be WWE Champion. Ever since his whole "Hall of Pain" angle started prior to beating Randy Orton for the World's Heavyweight Championship, Mark Henry has been doing his best work of his career. Injuries have still been a factor, but it hasn't ruined him that much. He has a lot of credibility. His promos have been great. His whole character has been great. If the WWE feels he has been doing a good job in recent weeks, he should win the title. I think he has. The reign does not have to be long, but I feel it would be giving the title to someone who deserves it for delivering, not simply for being around a long time.

Are they likely to give him the title? On the one hand, there is the fact that Mark Henry has the momentum going into Money in the Bank and the odds seem stacked again Cena. Typical Cena feud. On the other hand, they have been pushing the idea of how much the title means to Mark Henry's career and doing these video packages to hype his career. It is like they are building up to the win. It could go either way.

Even if he does win the title, how long would the WWE have Mark Henry hold it? Randy Orton mentioned the possibility of winning that briefcase and cashing in on a vulnerable Champion later in the night. Mark Henry's "thank you" reign would really turn into a "thank you" moment. Rey Mysterio's one run with that title didn't last long. I don't think they should do that. Let him hold it until Summerslam. No one says that they have to groom Mark Henry to be the next centerpiece or have him hold the title as long as CM Punk. Just give him a good reign.

New Raw GM: Brad Maddox

Well, there was change. Vickie is out and Brad Maddox is in. In terms of the storyline happenings, he was the likely choice for GM. He was Vickie's sidekick. No swerve there.

What direction may they be going with this? They already sold him as someone incapable of holding down the job of running Raw. Many fans viewed Mike Adamle as an incompetent choice to be GM. Imagine that as a gimmick. That is the kind of gimmick they may be pushing with Brad Maddox. And when he starts messing up, that will further the issues between Vince McMahon and Triple H. They were at opposite ends of each other last night. Vince McMahon is definitely starting to act more like a clear heel again, so the signs of a feud are coming up.

Do I personally like the choice of Brad Maddox? Not really that exciting to me. Not even worth talking about much. But considering how they might handle his run as GM, that might make things interesting. Vince said that the fans deserved Brad Maddox. How will they push Maddox as GM to sell that point? Could make for some good moments.

Vickie's Performance Evaluation

Another instance of the WWE trying to hype Raw up better these days. Not only is Bray Wyatt coming, but Vickie Guerrero is going to have a performance review on Raw tonight.

What direction should the WWE go with this? Will she be promoted to be the regular GM? Will she be relieved of the duties she does have? This could very well turn into the kind of situation when the WWE teased having Triple H get rid of John Laurinaitis over a year ago. That ended up getting interrupted. Who would interrupt Vickie's possible termination? The Shield? If they had not lost so much relevance in recent weeks, they would be a good option. The McMahons definitely do not seem to like the job Vickie is doing, in terms of the storyline they are running, so a change in the kayfabe status quo of Raw may not be surprising. Who takes over? The McMahons try to run things themselves? That could further a storyline of tension between all three even more. That would be a good idea. It would be better than just tossing in a new GM and nothing being taken to another level.

Does Vickie deserve to be replaced? I'm not talking in terms of the storyline right now. Just in terms of quality of the show, should she not be an authority figure? I think they should move on. I know she gets a ton of heat, but I know a lot of fans who have said that Vickie makes them want to change the channel. And Vickie does not really serve a unique role in the position she is in. What do I mean by that? Go back to when John Laurinaitis was running things. He was an executive. His issues with CM Punk made perfect sense with the storyline they were running at that time. What does Vickie really bring right now? They should find someone to be the GM that could actually add something more to the show. Get someone that can help them run some unique storylines for a while. Get someone popular that the fans would want to see. Get someone controversial that will make the fans want to tune in to see what happens next. Bring back Laurinaitis so the fans can see him get beaten up again. Right now, Vickie Guerrero doesn't offer any of these things. Personally, I just find her annoying at the moment.

The Wyatt Clan Is Coming

Husky sure has moved up in the world. That is to say, Bray Wyatt. The WWE has been hyping the debut of The Wyatts for weeks now with these creepy vignettes. Giving my honest first impression when I saw the first vignette on Raw, I was getting a vibe like I was watching something from one of the Wrong Turn movies. That is a series of horror movies about backwoods cannibals. To put it simply, it didn't look very PG, but it was interesting.

Will this gimmick work? They look very interesting with the background and fancy rocking chair in those debut videos, but how well will it work once they are caught in the shuffle of the main roster? I am not saying people will stop caring in a week. There are some people who will be hooked to these guys forever just off of those vignettes or their NXT work. Fine, but what about everyone else? The gimmick has potential, but will they get buried away under bigger stars in a matter of time? Remember Brodus Clay? Just look at the kind of gimmick Kane had when he returned with the mask. That was a scary gimmick. He was a monster again. That got people excited. And where is Kane now? He's not that monster anymore. I am really doubting that the WWE will be able to execute this well. What do I have in mind as executing it well? Having them get some good midcard feuds. Don't let them just squash jobbers or be built up to put over Sheamus. Give them actual feuds and let them showcase the gimmick.

Would it help if the WWE brought back the brand split? That is a big issue. You have The Wyatts, The Shield, Fandango, the returning RVD, and a whole list of guys who deserve to be featured regularly, but that might be a problem right now. Raw has that extra hour, but is it really leading to more talent being featured better? They have not really been managing the time that well. They have guys who are being featured on both shows regularly, like Randy Orton, Daniel Bryan, and Sheamus. If they brought back the brand split, you can have a set of top guys on both shows and a few midcarders being featured on either show. They might even consider bringing back a second set of tag titles. And Raw vs. Smackdown feuds would mean something again. Eventually, they will probably do it.

On Swagger/Cesaro and Cryback

I'm going to lay off on the talk about percentages and statistics and go back to the usual critiquing and personal opinions on what the WWE is currently doing. Will I also lay off on mentioning Jinder Mahal for no good reason? No guarantees.

First, Jack Swagger returned and the duo of Swagger and Antonio is now official. Zeb is the manager of both heels. For Jack Swagger, some might say this is a step back for him. Wasn't he a part of a team with Dolph Ziggler for a while? You can argue that Swagger was in Ziggler's shadow back then. With this current team, Swagger is the one with a better list of title reigns than Cesaro. Hopefully, this team will help Swagger shine more. Cesaro won't exactly be lost in the shuffle. He actually seems more interesting with this current gimmick he now has. He has potential to connect better with the fans now than he did during that long title run he had. You can book someone very well, but that does not mean he is entertaining. Cesaro was being booked well before his mistreatment started. That didn't get him over. Now, he has a good chance of getting over. It would be nice to see these two eventually get the tag titles.

Ryback seems to be going in the opposite direction of the two heels I just mentioned. A depush was obvious for him after being used to put over Cena, but the storyline they are running with him is a little much. They actually had him give up during a match with The Miz. After that, Jericho once again had the last word. Ryback had beaten The Great Khali on Raw just last week. I know Khali is a jobber, but they were still having Ryback look good up to last week. They have really made his character look bad. Crying? If Ryback was having trouble connecting with the fans, I can understand trying something different to get fans interested. If this storyline was actually intriguing character development, then it would be worth it. So far, it's just breaking him down. They need to do something good to have Ryback turn things around against Jericho. Jericho was getting kicked around by Fandango just a few months ago, and now he's owning Ryback like this?

Mid-2013 Ratings Review

Do you know one of the interesting things about Nielsen ratings? They have been based on a sample of a couple thousand households for decades. There are millions and millions and millions of households with at least one TV set, but so much is put on the value of a sample size that represents less than 1% of that number. All of a sudden, I actually don't feel too bad about that whole "(not provided)" thing I was talking about yesterday. That only creates a black hole for less than 10% of my search keyword data. My analysis was still based on more than 90% of data that was there. Last time I checked, 90 is bigger than 1. In the end, those Nielsen ratings still count. With the first 6 months of the year over, how have the three major shows been doing?

Raw has had a rough last few weeks. I get my numbers from here. Since the start of May, Raw has only gotten ratings above a 3.0 twice. The McMahons have been involved regularly in angles in the last few weeks. That isn't going to end anytime soon. The WWE has also had a few returns and some good storylines here and there. They have really been trying. They have also been hyping the debut of The Wyatts, which I will talk about later this week. Despite it all, the numbers don't seem to be showing an impressive bump. I would give it some time. The mid-year ratings average for 2013 is about the same as it was last year. It is a 3.14 for the first 6 months. The main difference has been that 2012 didn't have that string of ratings below a 3.0 that the last two months have had. That is not a good sign. If that trend continues, the annual average will be worse this year than last year. Of course, Twitter will save the day, right?

Smackdown's ratings has started to sink in the last three weeks. Smackdown was actually doing pretty good before that. It was doing better than it did last year. Last year's mid-year average was around a 1.91. Things have been better. Who do you attribute that to? The Shield? Alberto Del Rio? Big Show? How about just spreading things around better? Or were there just no good baseball games on this year? Going back a few years, ratings sank for Smackdown soon after Randy Orton won the title from Christian. Was it because Orton could not draw viewers? Or was it just something that happens that time of year? Ratings may not have had that sudden dip at the same time as it did back then, but a sudden dip has still eventually happened this year. Just like some fans like to blame Randy Orton for that ratings drop back then, will the WWE having The Shield lose on Smackdown be blamed for ratings sinking recently?

And TNA? They are regularly scoring below a 1.0 again. The mid-year average in 2012 was almost a 1.05. It is a 1.02 this year. They have been engaging in their little stable wars and trying to have swerves here and there, but nothing seems to give them a good boost. They haven't gotten even to a 1.2 all year. And things will not get better for them in the second half of the year. There are football games on Thursday nights. With their mid-year average already lower than last year's, it is not hard to imagine that the 2013 annual average will end up being horrible. It was an 1.01 last year. It could very well drop under a 1.0 this year. That would be ugly.

2013 World's Heavyweight Championship Money In The Bank Ladder Match

Wade Barrett, Jack Swagger, Antonio Cesaro, Fandango, Cody Rhodes, Damien Sandow, and Dean Ambrose will compete for the briefcase for that World's Heavyweight Championship title shot. No Jinder Mahal? How do they expect to sell PPVs?

Should this match be considered underkill? That isn't even a word. Everyone in this match is a heel at the moment. But that isn't the real issue. Aside from Jack Swagger, none of these guys have ever held a World title in the WWE. And even Swagger is arguably an upper-midcarder at best these days. Everyone else are midcarders. That briefcase is going to lead to a huge push for someone, but the match is still lacking great stars. Then again, this match will probably not be the biggest draw of the PPV, anyway.

Would it have been better if they mixed up things a bit? Have Christian and Sheamus get involved in this match, and put Wade Barrett and Jack Swagger in the other ladder match? Or any other combination like that? Unless they are planning something unique with this huge imbalance in star power and face/heel alignment between the two matches, I think they should have mixed things up better.

Who wins? How likely is it that Jack Swagger wins a briefcase again? I don't think so. It would be a huge push for Dean Ambrose to get the briefcase. He doesn't need it. Getting to it, I am thinking they will have Wade Barrett win it. He had a ton of momentum over a year ago. An injury killed that. Many thought he was closing in on Money in the Bank back then. Will they follow through now? I think there is a chance.

Let me change gears completely. I rarely ever reread and edit my blog after I post anything. If I see a dumb spelling or grammatical mistake, I might fix that. But this is something more than that. A few weeks ago, I talked about the search engine data for my blog off of Google Analytics ( link here). I realized that I did not explain something that might confuse some people and does have an impact on the data. Just for the sake of trying to do a better job analyzing, let me mention that now. If you look at the keyword data I provided, the term "(not provided)" appears a lot. Google started doing that in 2011. People logged onto a Google account while searching get their searches blocked for their own privacy from people using Analytics. I can't tell you with any real certainty what those people were searching. Does this mean that the analysis I gave back then is completely null and void? No. The "(not provided)" term has only accounted for about 8% of my search traffic since Google started doing this. All it really means is that more people are visiting for various wrestlers and topics than the numbers are showing, which is another reason why it was the right thing to do to give an estimate of that information. Moreover, I really don't think that there is going to be that disproportionate a number of visits within that 8% than from the results I can see for any particular wrestler. For example, I have about 1,460 visits off of people searching for something having to do with Mickie James and about 30 for Jinder Mahal through all my years on this blog. I sincerely doubt that 8% I am unsure about is all searches for Jinder Mahal and none at all for Mickie James. It is going to be a mix. Lastly, the keyword data is what it is. That is an exact number of the top 10 search terms, including the number of ones that I could not see. I knew I was going to botch something when I wrote that analysis up. I don't think it really makes a big difference, but I'll just let you decide for yourself whether or not the data is still relevant to you. Just wanted to go back and explain myself on that.