Rusev Chasing After The United States Championship

This is one of those feuds for Rusev that just seems obvious. Jack Swagger had a gimmick that pretty much begged for him to feud against Rusev. That happened. You have seen a few other feuds developed for Rusev with that pro-USA angle. How about having him go after the United States Championship? Sheamus isn't exactly a "Mr. USA" character, but he's a face and he's holding the title.

Unless something notable happens, this will probably be the only preview I give for this feud. It is a feud that pretty much writes itself. They can treat it as a basic title feud and it would still be interesting because of the gimmick Rusev has. Will he bring the United States Championship to the Russian side? Should Rusev win the title? I think so. Sheamus has held it long enough. There is no better heel to drop it to right now. Is Rusev likely to win it? I think so. It would take him to a new level. They were pretty much running out of credible faces to represent America. They can do some interesting things with a guy like Rusev holding a title like the United States Championship.

Of course, there is also the possibility they have Sheamus retain the title by some cheap manner and never have Rusev get it. I cannot imagine Sheamus being the guy to actually pin Rusev. If they do go the route of keeping Rusev without the title, what happens to him next? Feud with Cena? That means he would be taking his first real defeat. That would be typical. The possibility of Rusev winning the title, doing something interesting with it, which has not been done in years, and getting some good midcard feuds is better than just moving him on to Cena.

Who Replaces Orton In The Authority?

 

Randy Orton gave Seth Rollins an RKO on Raw. Orton is definitely going face. That means The Authority is losing a member. I am going to talk about 3 possible new members to the stable.

First thing to consider, why bother putting someone else in the group? Right now, the group only consists of Seth Rollins and Kane, in addition to Triple H and Stephanie McMahon, who rarely wrestle these days. The Authority can always send out some heel mercenaries to do their bidding now and then, but adding in a new member might just make things easier heading into the future. This is not a stable that is likely to collapse too soon, and the loss of Orton should not lead to it collapsing now.

How about Miz? I have brought up this possibility before. Let me do a bit of self-analysis. I may sound like I sometimes flip-flop on Miz. Sometimes, I sound like the WWE should be doing better with him. Other times, I may seem to be saying he should not be getting pushed at all. Miz does not deserve to be stuck in these endless title hunts. There are so many other guys in the midcard that deserve those kind of pushes. He also does not deserve another run as WWE Champion. But he does have main-event credibility. That credibility can make him useful. He would fit right in with The Authority.

Mark Henry has turned heel. He has a feud going on with Big Show. How about taking things a step further with him and having him join The Authority. He can bring some muscle to the group. You can say they have Kane for that, but a little more muscle won't hurt. Mark Henry also has the credibility of being a former World Champion. He can be a more intimidating option than Miz.

Ryback has returned. It is true that he has returned as a face, but there is no reason he cannot do a surprise heel turn by siding with The Authority. I can easily picture Ryback losing momentum quickly. I can picture him getting lost in the shuffle easily. Why would The Authority want him? He can be some muscle. Unlike Mark Henry and Miz, Ryback does not have the credibility from holding a World title. But he is still someone they can take and groom as a star, much like they are doing with Seth Rollins. It would be an actual direction for him.

Let me bring up a bonus new member. How about Nikki Bella? Obviously, she won't be filling the void Randy Orton has left in the group. Not counting Stephanie McMahon, this group lacks a diva. When Triple H and Stephanie were running a main-event stable over a decade ago, Tori was a part of that. Stephanie McMahon already made Nikki look like her chosen one in a promo a while back. Nikki will soon be feuding for the Diva's title, but how about actually making her an official member of The Authority? It might make for some interesting mixed-tag matches. The Bellas were pushed in the main-event spotlight a few months ago. They are still being pushed well, but the WWE did not have to let them slip like they have. Nikki should stay at Stephanie McMahon's side. While Triple H grooms his guy to be a star, Stephanie grooms her diva to be a star. It would be great for the stable and the diva division.

TNA's Rebel

Rebel (Tanea Brooks) is a new KO that debuted this year. She just started wrestling on Impact in recent weeks. I read up a little on her recently and was interested by what I found out.

First of all, she's an eye-candy KO. She didn't get into the company because she was a wrestler on the independent circuit. She wasn't even a valet on the independent circuit. She was a model/cheerleader for years. She is friends with Christy Hemme. That is what led to her getting in the company. She is obviously hot. Since then, she has been training to be a wrestler. Sounds like the typical story of a WWE eye-candy diva.

The other thing that stood out was her age. She is currently 36. I don't want to put her down for her age. Shakira, my favorite singer and a woman I find one of the sexiest in the world, is 37. But that is a late age to get started in pro wrestling, especially for someone that wants to wrestle and not just be a valet/manager. Can you imagine the WWE hiring an eye-candy diva at that age? And it's not like she's coming from a rival promotion where she has already gained some experience in the business. I cannot imagine the WWE doing that. Kudos to TNA for not discriminating based on age? Yeah, I think it is good of them to give Rebel a chance.

A while ago, I talked about how TNA could make a diva-style women's division. They have women they could push as an eye-candy centerpiece. They have a lot of women that know how to wrestle. They maintain a tone of respectability by not holding their women back and are efficient in that sense. They are good at featuring women's wrestling. Where they can improve is making stars and featuring them. Aside from centerpieces and credible jobbers, one thing that has made the diva division great in the past is a great periphery. Lita was a periphery diva. You had eye-candy divas like Stacy Keibler and Torrie Wilson doing things in the periphery.

Could someone like Rebel help TNA run a better diva-style women's division than the WWE? I think so. She is already in a periphery position. TNA just needs to feature her interestingly and consistently. And another thing I find interesting about Rebel in TNA, she is an eye-candy performer that isn't really pushed with a generic, glamorous character. Most eye-candy divas in the WWE will have that type of simple character. It works because they are so hot and they have cute characters. Rebel doesn't dress like a generic, glamorous eye-candy performer. She is part of a unique stable. I couldn't even tell she had a model background and no history in pro wrestling whatsoever when I first saw her, which is why I found it interesting when I found that out.

TNA really is in a better position to beat the WWE at their own game. They have Taryn Terrell, who can be pushed as the centerpiece. They have women on the roster they can push as credible jobbers or can easily bring in to add depth there. Someone like Rebel can be an interesting character in the periphery. All they have to do is maintain their respectability and give all their workers fair opportunities to get over and earn those better pushes. The WWE has no centerpiece right now. Their depth when it comes to credible jobbers is poor. They have a lot of periphery divas being misused. They are not respectable. They are inefficient. Not giving their workers fair shots to get over and move on to the better positions is one of the main reasons things have slowly collapsed to where we are today. Yeah, I would say TNA is easily in a position to beat the WWE at their own game right now. They just need to learn to be consistent.

Right now, I feel Rebel is connecting well with the fans. She is connecting with the fans the way an eye-candy performer should. A lot of the men love her booty, and her gimmick can help her connect with other fans. But would it annoy some fans to see an eye-candy performer like her get pushed? Some fans shake their heads at what is going on with The Bellas now. They look down on them and their wrestling ability. Rebel is still in the process of improving. These fans praise Trish and Lita and how things were back then in the golden age. Keep in mind that Trish was an eye-candy diva. Keep in mind that there were other eye-candy divas even during the golden age. Playboy pushes were leading to matches at Wrestlemania. The Diva Search started during the golden age. Torrie Wilson and Dawn Marie had a storyline on Smackdown back then that some fans might view as bad as what you have with The Bellas. Some fans seem to have a selective memory. Things weren't all about respectable women's wrestling back then as some fans make it sound. But the WWE ran a great division back then. And TNA can run that type of division now. I would not criticize TNA for giving time to Rebel and possibly pushing her better in the future. Things like this made the WWE diva division great at one time. And TNA might be able to do it better.

Bray Wyatt Returns At Hell In A Cell 2014

Bray Wyatt made his return last night. He attacked Dean Ambrose. While Ambrose focuses on him, that will free up Seth Rollins for that possible feud against Randy Orton.

Nothing has changed. Bray Wyatt randomly attacking people? Yeah, that sounds familiar. Sounds like the kind of thing he's been doing for over a year now. They spent all these weeks with these cryptic promos. I wasn't expecting anything spectacular, but taking The Wyatts in a different direction than just starting random feuds like this would have been nice. Obviously, the WWE just didn't have anything for Wyatt to do for a while. Looking at the positive, this feud will feature a lunatic against a lunatic. It could be good. But it would be nice if they did something else with Bray Wyatt.

What about the feud between Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose? Some fans are unhappy with how their Hell in a Cell match ended. R-E-L-A-X. Just channeling my inner Aaron Rodgers. You are very likely to see those two guys feuding against each other again in the future. It might even be over the WWE title. The WWE loves repeating feuds and matches. Unhappy that this does not make Seth look too credible? He will still be getting other feuds to help him look credible. A burial isn't coming up for him. And Ambrose will still be pushed well right now. There are a lot of things in the WWE you should worry about and complain about, but no one got screwed with what they did last night. I may criticize them for what they are doing with Bray Wyatt, but they are not screwing him. And Rollins and Ambrose are not getting screwed, either. 

Orton, Cena, Rollins, And Ambrose Head To Hell In A Cell

A lot to talk about for the two Hell in a Cell matches at the PPV this Sunday. First, you had a bit of an unofficial Hell in a Cell match on Raw this week. It was Randy Orton, Kane, and Seth Rollins going against John Cena and Dean Ambrose. Near the end of the match, the cage that was hanging above the ring lowered. A little bit of hell in that cell broke loose. I think it was a good idea. It gives fans a taste of what they can expect at the PPV. This was actually the match I felt they should have had at the PPV. Do I still think that? No. There was another development on Raw that makes the matches they do have set more interesting.

Before I get to that, let me preview Seth Rollins vs. Dean Ambrose. This has been a heated feud. It has been the best thing going for months now in the eyes of many fans. This thing should end inside Hell in a Cell. It might trickle on a little bit after this Sunday. Survivor Series is coming up. There might be some big tag match putting Seth and Dean on opposite teams. But Hell in a Cell should be the true end of this feud. If it doesn't end there, when will it end? Who wins? I can imagine Dean Ambrose going absolutely crazy, but Seth Rollins finding a way to win. Dean Ambrose does not need wins to connect with those fans. His character is helping him to get over. Seth Rollins can use that credibility.

Speaking of Seth Rollins, he attacked Randy Orton at the end of Raw. That is another reason I feel Rollins/Ambrose might be coming to an end. They could be moving on to Rollins/Orton. They have been teasing that friction between the two heels recently. I didn't think they would actually pull the trigger on anything. But what happened at the end of Raw has to lead to something. Orton is the likely one to turn face, not Seth Rollins. A face turn for Randy Orton should be great. Break him away from The Authority.

As for his match with John Cena at Hell in a Cell, the stakes have been raised. It is now a #1 contenders match. The winner gets Brock Lesnar. That made this match more interesting. Prior to that, it was just a meaningless match tossed in two weeks before the PPV. It pretty much ruined the storyline they were having of Cena being so determined to get Seth Rollins. It was a perfect example of inconsistency being a problem. But the WWE made this match mean more and now fans can start talking about which of these two guys Brock Lesnar will feud with next. Will it be John Cena or Randy Orton?

I think this match can go either way. When Randy Orton gave Paul Heyman an RKO on Raw, that could have been viewed as the seeds being planted for a feud between Orton and Heyman's client, Brock Lesnar. Besides that, Orton is the fresher option to push than John Cena against Lesnar. However, Raw ended in a way that might make you think that Randy Orton will be feuding with Seth Rollins, while John Cena finishes his feud with Brock Lesnar. Their last encounter did not have a decisive finish. Of course, Cena can always lose on Sunday and continue chasing after Seth Rollins, while Orton feuds with Lesnar. Then why bother having Seth attack Orton? How about to develop Orton as a tweener for his feud against Lesnar and set up an eventual face turn? I can imagine the WWE going in either direction. Either way, they will be doing something interesting with Randy Orton. I will say Cena wins.

But it isn't that easy. There are reports that Randy Orton might have been injured on Raw. Nothing really confirmed. With a match like this, if Orton was too injured to compete, I think they would have said something on their official website. I am not thinking this is a big deal. If it is, just toss Kane in there. He has nothing else to do.

Big Show Vs. Rusev At Hell In A Cell 2014: Final Preview

The feud between Big Show and Rusev is definitely one of the top feuds heading into Hell in a Cell. They have faced each other a few times in recent weeks. All those matches ended indecisively. It is not shocking that they would have a PPV encounter.

Rusev should be winning this one. But does Big Show deserve to beat Rusev? With the job Jack Swagger was doing with his feud against Rusev, I felt it should at least be considered that he should be allowed to hand Rusev his first real loss. Even Mark Henry's feud against Rusev was pretty good. How does Big Show stack up? Big Show is definitely over. He was over before even entering this feud. He is a good performer. He is good on the mic. All that being said, this feud just doesn't grab me like Rusev's last two feuds. Is it that this kind of storyline is getting old? Is it that they were a little bit inconsistent with this feud, including bringing in The Rock for that one appearance? If they didn't let Swagger or Mark Henry beat Rusev, I don't think there is a good reason to give this to Big Show. He doesn't even need it.

There will be some kind of storyline coming out of this match with Rusev at Hell in a Cell. I felt the WWE had to have had something more planned when they scheduled that match between Rusev and Big Show on Raw. Mark Henry came out to support Big Show. No heel turn happened, but I feel the seeds have pretty much been planted for someone to turn. Does Mark Henry cost Big Show the match? Does Big Show lose cleanly and snap and take out Mark Henry? Another possibility I was thinking of was both Big Show and Mark Henry remain a team and someone debuts to join Rusev or someone on the main roster teams with him. That would help extend focus on Rusev. He has to be running out of credible opponents. But I don't think the WWE will go that route. A heel turn is more likely. After having Mark Henry look so bad against Bo Dallas, I would expect Mark Henry to turn. I am more interested to see what happens between Big Show and Mark Henry than the actual feud between Rusev and Big Show.

State Of The WWE Diva Division: October 2014

This is still a diva division. There are a lot of model-type performers around the roster. I read a while ago that the WWE signed two new ones, Zahra Schreiber and Gionna Daddio. Zahra has a bunch of tattoos on her. It will be interesting to see what they do with her, if she ever gets on the main roster. I cannot remember the last time I have read that the WWE signed a female wrestler to a developmental contract. Aside from that, you still have Total Divas going on. And there is still a diva atmosphere in this women's division.

What is the current landscape in the diva division? It is still not efficient and not respectable. This is still a dark age. And they still have not really done a great job utilizing all the women they have even in periphery roles, as they did during the first dark age. They are doing a better job by having The Bellas feud while AJ Lee and Paige finish their feud, but they could do better. Obviously, there is still no centerpiece. Staleness is also hanging over the division. It is also an issue in the men's division. How can they fix that? Either push fresh women or come up with better ways to prolong some of these feuds.

Total Divas is not only still around, it is growing. Paige and Alicia Fox are joining in. It is an extracurricular activity for them. Remember when a lot of wrestling fans were excited about Paige having some kind of "anti-diva" character and possibly bringing a little bit of something different to the diva division? It looks more like she is being assimilated. You can say that getting on this show will get her more exposure and help her get over. Keep in mind that only a fraction of the WWE's general viewership that tunes in for Raw on a regular basis actually watches Total Divas. Moreover, being on Total Divas does not mean you will be pushed well on the main shows. Natalya is on Total Divas. She is still a credible jobber. Eva Marie is on Total Divas. She is a periphery diva that is not getting used right at all. Whatever overness you see in The Bellas, it has come mainly from how they have been pushed this year, not so much from Total Divas. For Paige fans, a lot of them might be happy with her getting this. I would rather she be pushed right in the actual division. Extracurricular activities are not what count the most.

Speaking of Paige, her feud with AJ Lee continues. I am not going to do any analysis of that storyline. I have done that enough and the WWE has not really done anything since then worth talking about. Who wins at Hell in a Cell? They have already traded the title enough between these two this year. Unless there are some backstage shenanigans, AJ Lee retains and that should be the end of that feud.

Why don't I say that AJ Lee is the centerpiece? I have probably brought this up before, but it is worth bringing up again. There are a few reasons. First, the WWE has been developing women like Sable, Trish Stratus, and Candice Michelle as the centerpiece since 1998. They are very rigid when it comes to trying to maintain the status quo. Just look at the men's division. John Cena, a centerpiece that gets a questionable reaction from the fans, continues to be pushed as the top guy. Second, if they want AJ Lee as the centerpiece, why are they not going the next step and actually rebuilding the division around her. Start hiring more female wrestlers. Start developing those better feuds. Not only is a centerpiece pushed a certain way, other women are pushed a certain way around the centerpiece. I do not see them doing that with AJ Lee. Her first title reign did not feature great feud development. They were just running through the division. Her second and third title reigns were just shot to her quickly the night she returned from her hiatus and a few weeks after dropping it back to Paige, respectively. The storyline was not developed properly and that feud was getting overshadowed for a while by The Bellas. Another thing to keep in mind, the woman pushed to be the centerpiece is hyped to the best in the division. Hype is the most important ingredient in a centerpiece, while creative interest is the main ingredient for periphery divas. And AJ Lee has still been getting mostly a lot of creative interest. Her matches and feuds recently seem to be more about telling stories than actually developing a credible jobber to be overcome by a centerpiece like you have seen in years past. And the last reason I am not ready to say AJ Lee is the woman they want as centerpiece, they have so many eye-candy divas floating around on the main roster, in NXT, and are still hiring more. And they are developing these women to be wrestlers. The majority of them are not pushed well in the periphery, they don't make the best credible jobbers, and it is likely that one of them might be the next centerpiece.

I have seen some fans talk like either AJ Lee or Paige will be beating Trish's record for most women's title reigns in the WWE. AJ Lee has won 3 in about 2 years. Paige has won 2 in less than a year and is very young. Let me bring up Ivory. She won 3 title reigns in about 2 years during the first dark age. Her WWE career lasted a few more years, but she never won 4. That would have tied her with Moolah. One more after that would have broken that record. Trish ended up doing it. I wouldn't be so quick to say that either AJ or Paige will get it done. Paige is a credible jobber. They will likely phase her down, just like Ivory. And AJ? If the WWE does eventually start pushing another woman as centerpiece, AJ will be back in the periphery. Or back in Chicago. Who knows how that will work out?

I said earlier that there is still a "diva atmosphere" in the division. What did I mean by that? The feud between The Bellas is a great example of what I mean. A few weeks ago, it seemed like Brie and Nikki would be feuding over the "Bella" name. That just seemed so stupid. Now, you have a "slave" stipulation in the match. Oh, that's so much better! No, not really. There have been these kind of storylines before. Remember when Shawn Michaels and JBL had this kind of storyline? A face is forced to do what a heel wants. Nothing wrong with that kind of storyline, but the whole drama between Brie and Nikki has gotten kind of stupid. In terms of feud development, it is better than a lot of other things going on. In terms of the actual tone of this storyline, it is tacky and not connecting well with certain fans. Of course, Brie Bella using her husbands "Yes" chant is helping her to get over. Who wins this match? You can imagine all the fun segments you can have with Brie Bella getting revenge on her sister. For the sake of developing this storyline further, however, I think it would make sense for the heel to win.

You have AJ retaining and Nikki Bella winning the services of her sister. Can you imagine what would come next? Nikki gets into the title hunt and tries to force her sister to help her win. Will Brie help Nikki? I may be thinking too far ahead for a feud that may not happen, but I would not have Brie screw her sister in that title match. Aside from screwing her own sister, why would Brie want to help someone like AJ. With the kind of character AJ has, AJ is a loner. AJ and Brie are not friends. I doubt AJ will be coming to Brie's defense. It would go against her character. Shawn Michaels and John Cena have been in this position before where a heel was forcing them to do something they did not want to do. With the kind of character AJ has, would Brie really be conflicted in costing her the title? Again, screwing her sister would be the only reason to help AJ. But if Nikki wins the title, that can set up the title feud between Nikki and Brie.

Last thing I want to bring up, would it be possible to run a great women's division with The Bellas and AJ Lee as the top stars? Sure, why not? You can build a centerpiece with any one of these three women. You can rotate them around center stage and have a three-centerpiece diva division. You don't have to go the traditional route of one The Bellas being the centerpiece and AJ being top star in the periphery. And yet, is the WWE running a great women's division with these three? No. You need more female wrestlers to help this division look respectable and make it easier to be efficient. You need to actually utilize these other women better. You have too much dead weight in this diva division that is only relevant on Total Divas. And even with The Bellas and AJ, you need to develop feuds and storylines for them better. That is how you run a great women's division.

Cesaro And Miz Switch Foes

Cesaro was feuding with Sheamus over the United States Championship. Miz was feuding with Dolph Ziggler over the Intercontinental Championship. That feud featured a few title changes. The heel challengers have now switched targets. Miz has a feud going with Sheamus, while Cesaro seems to want the Intercontinental Championship.

That is lazy booking. Putting someone in a basic midcard title feud is just so dry. It is even worse when they prolong it like they are doing now. Three of the guys I mentioned are former World Champions. Why should they be stuck in this cycle? Give them good upper-midcard feuds. Give them feuds with better development and better storylines.

Should either Miz or Cesaro be winning the titles they are currently chasing after? I cannot think of a good reason why Miz should get another title run right now. On the other side of that, Sheamus is stale, so that is a reason to want him to drop it to someone. Cesaro isn't that fresh right now, but he would have been a good choice to win that U.S. title. Instead, he is going after a title that Dolph Ziggler just regained a few weeks ago. Dolph Ziggler should not lose the Intercontinental title so soon. To answer my own question, no, I do not think either Miz or Cesaro should be winning the titles they are currently going after.

Hopefully, the midcard title feuds going on right now do not last long. There are other guys that have never held those titles that can freshen up the midcard scene by chasing after them. Rusev might benefit from a title reign. Bray Wyatt has not held a title. You can even argue that one of his henchmen might win a midcard title. How about Ryback? He has been out with an injury, but he will come back. He has never held a title. He had enough momentum and credibility at one time to possibly deserve the WWE Championship. He has not exactly flopped since then. I wouldn't mind him feuding against Sheamus or Ziggler for a title. There are some options for fresh feuds. How many more weeks of the same two heels going after the midcard titles?

Randy Orton Vs. John Cena At Hell In A Cell 2014

I talked about the tension between Randy Orton and Seth Rollins they had on Raw this week, but that is not the only topic to talk about involving that convoluted feud also involving John Cena and Dean Ambrose. Randy Orton will face John Cena inside Hell in a Cell once again.

I understand these two are the top two guys. They have held that spot for years. I understand it is natural for them to feud regularly. I understand the depth issues and other problems they have going on now. Despite all that, I do not like this match. They faced each other last year and earlier this year. They were a part of some multi-man title matches a few months ago. They even faced each other inside Hell in a Cell before. These guys may be rivals, but there are some rivalries that are just forced. A lot of fans rolled their eyes at Alberto Del Rio and Sheamus facing each other so much. The rivalry between Trish and Lita was quite possibly the greatest diva rivalry in the history of the diva division. They didn't force a ton of matches, had them switch face/heel alignment, and some of that rivalry early on was an extension of the periphery positions they had. What you have with Orton/Cena is leaning more towards Sheamus/Del Rio than Trish/Lita.

Aside from the rivalry, the storyline here is just bad. Cena wanting revenge on Seth Rollins made storyline sense. Dean Ambrose wanting Seth also made storyline sense. Tension between the two faces as they go after Seth made sense. Nice storyline. The only criticism I could really make was this being treated as the main feud, but that is because Brock Lesnar is not around. What does the WWE do on Raw? They settle that Seth will face Dean Ambrose and Cena gets Orton. They create this tension out of nowhere between Orton and Seth. Randy Orton had been just a supporting player alongside Seth Rollins recently. All of a sudden, they put this creative interest on him seemingly just to create this match with Cena. Is Cena just supposed to change focus away from Seth Rollins and act like this match with Randy Orton really means something major to him? With the storyline they have going, it means more to Randy Orton to prove his own worth in relation to Seth Rollins.

There is not much more time left until the PPV, so they don't have to do much more for this storyline. How would I have done things? Have Cena and Ambrose have their match at Hell in a Cell. You need to kill time on the card. There are so few good feuds going. But have that match end indecisively. The Authority attacks both men, Seth Rollins pulls down the contract, and a match is created putting Cena/Ambrose against Rollins/Orton/Kane. And that would be inside Hell in a Cell. It would not be the first time you have had a handicap match inside Hell in a Cell. And the odds will actually be against the faces in this match. How will they overcome? With the current Seth/Ambrose match, Seth has nowhere to run. He has no help. Advantage goes to Ambrose. Of course, the WWE could just have The Authority attack Ambrose on Raw next week to give Seth the momentum and make it look more exciting. But a 3-on-2 match would have gotten all these guys involved. The story in that match might have also been better. Once the faces take out Orton and Kane, it once again comes down to both Cena and Ambrose wanting Seth Rollins. They have been having all these tag matches to sell the idea that Cena and Ambrose cannot coexist, so why not sell that story inside Hell in a Cell? One of the faces would get the win on Seth Rollins, then the other will continue the feud against Rollins after the PPV. It would be fresher than another Cena/Orton match.

The Dust Brothers Have The Tag Titles

Goldust and Stardust took the tag titles from The Usos. It was about time The Usos lost it. Nothing against them, but they had lost so much momentum and were getting stale. Of course, the team they lost it to didn't exactly feel very fresh. Having Goldust and Stardust win the titles closer to when Cody picked up this new gimmick might have been smarter.

And what has been going on since Goldust and Stardust won the titles? The feud with The Usos is dragging on. It is a dull feud. You have guys that can go in the ring and the heels have a weird gimmick, but there is only so much you can do with these guys every week before it gets boring. Push some fresh guys.

Of course, there really aren't too many credible teams to push. You have some lower-midcard teams that you could imagine them pushing. Problem is, those feuds would probably be mediocre. The best option might be to either call up a tag team from NXT or create some random pairing with guys already on the roster they are willing to push. I am usually against the latter option, but the WWE has not had that kind of team win the titles in a while, so I won't complain about it. You have the team of Miz and Sandow. They could get into a title feud eventually. Of course, they are currently heels. If there was not the possibility of Big Show and Mark Henry breaking up and feuding with each other, I would say they could chase after the titles. Point is, there are other people to push against the Tag Champions.

The tag division had shown improvement in recent years. It was not as amazing as it was over a decade ago, but it was better than when Otunga and McGillicutty were holding it. It feels like the division has taken a step back. It is not as bad as it was back then, but it is still in a drier place than it has been in recent years. If things do not pick up, I can easily imagine it turning back to being as bad as it was back then. You don't need to have TLC matches for the tag titles and develop those kind of epic feuds like you had back in the day, but I think it is possible to build a few good tag teams and develop some fresh feuds. Get back to doing a good job of developing momentum and dropping the tag titles to those teams that are hot. That can help keep the division fresh.

Teasing Tension Between Seth Rollins And Randy Orton

One thing from last year that really annoyed me was this tension between Randy Orton and The Authority that they would inconsistently tease. Instead of developing a strong heel faction, they kept it looking weak during the early days. They have done better since then. Obviously, that tension would have played out in the feud between Batista and Orton that got killed off due to Daniel Bryan's insane popularity.

The WWE is once again teasing some tension. Seth Rollins and Randy Orton had a little bit of tension on Raw last night. Nothing major. They did not come to blows. They even looked to be back on the same page by the end of the night. It looked like just a means to set up Randy Orton's match for Hell in a Cell. He will face John Cena, once again, while Dean Ambrose gets Rollins. Orton and Cena have fought inside a Hell in a Cell before.

Did they have to do things the way they did? Couldn't they just have Randy Orton go out there and do a promo about wanting to get his hands on the loser of the Cena/Ambrose match just to make sure The Authority never has to deal with either Cena or Ambrose again? Did they really need to tease this competitive tension? I don't think they did. Then again, Randy Orton did look like such an afterthought for a few weeks now. He didn't look like a top star. He looked like a sidekick for Seth Rollins. Doing things the way they did creates some interest in Randy Orton.

Will this lead to Orton breaking away from The Authority and turning face? Probably not. I did bring up that idea a few weeks ago. Randy Orton has just lost so much momentum recently. He should be pushed better. They could always upgrade another current heel to his spot. I would go with Miz. Who gets his spot? How about his sidekick? Push Sandow better in the midcard. You also have Bray Wyatt being refreshed for another good run. Have him take Miz's current spot as an upper-midcarder and promote Miz to The Authority. Face Orton can then feud with The Authority, Wyatt, possibly Rusev, and whomever else is available. I like the idea, but I don't think the WWE actually wants to pull the trigger.

Big Show And Rusev Will Try It Again

The Rock made a surprise return last week and had a segment with Rusev and Lana. You don't need me telling you that. That means the match that was advertised between Big Show and Rusev on Raw last week did not happen. They will supposedly have it this week.

That little interruption from The Rock did not really hurt this feud between Rusev and Big Show. As I pointed out last week, there is plenty of time to build up this feud between Rusev and Big Show. I was wondering why they were so eager to have another match between the two. Save it for Hell in a Cell. They had to have had something more planned with this feud. I doubt it was an appearance from The Rock. Nevertheless, they had that extra time available there to have The Rock come back and have a great moment. More surprise moments like that might help ratings in the long run. As far as Rusev/Big Show goes, the WWE can go back to developing that and there is still time to do it well.

Should The Rock be the man to beat Rusev? The only full-time performer I can imagine beating Rusev is John Cena. It would also be nice if Jack Swagger was considered to still do it, since his gimmick fits so well against Rusev and he has done a good job in getting over. I do not think that one is likely. The Rock is a part-timer. Would it be a waste of all they have put into Rusev to have The Rock beat him? Should that go to a full-timer? The Rock obviously does not need the win. And I doubt that confrontation last week needs to lead to a feud. You also have the issue of how much longer the WWE can keep Rusev undefeated before he runs out of credible opponents. I am definitely not saying they should feed him The Rock just to make him look good. I do not think there is any need to follow up on that confrontation from last week at all. The WWE will definitely be mentioning it to create interest that The Rock might come back, but I doubt he will for a feud against Rusev.

Reintroducing The Wyatts

The WWE has been airing these creepy segments over the last few weeks that seem to be reintroducing The Wyatts. They had creepy vignettes when they debuted that got fans very interested in them, so it is not shocking the WWE would go back to that. These vignettes seem to be putting the focus on Harper and Rowan, leading to the possibility of solo pushes for Bray's henchmen.

The WWE obviously has no direction for The Wyatts. Bray Wyatt's feud with Chris Jericho was disappointing. I was expecting better. Jericho put over Bray, which was not shocking. After that, not surprisingly, Bray Wyatt is left with no direction. This was the kind of thing that made me dread this feud between those two. It just seems like a waste and a disappointment. They are keeping The Wyatts hyped and keeping their characters relevant by these segments they are airing, but what do you actually do with them?

The WWE isn't actually breaking the group up, obviously, but I do not think they really need to be doing what they are doing right now. These guys should be treated as priorities. They should be pushed as upper-midcarders (A- players). It seems like they are being demoted back down to midcard status. You should have kept the ball rolling on these guys. Have Bray chase after a title. Have his guys get the tag titles. Debut a new member. Brainwash someone and run another storyline off of that. Have Bray actually "ruin" the career of someone he sets out to destroy. It seems like they may only be refreshing them to go through the same cycle they went through for a year now. That is a waste of their creative potential.

I mentioned that The Wyatts got demoted recently. Who got promoted to take their spot? I would say that would be Rusev. That kind of A- focus is on him now. He is still undefeated. Once he does suffer that first defeat, you can imagine him losing momentum, much like Bray Wyatt has. Who will get rotated into that spot then? I would not be surprised if the WWE debuted someone in the coming months and pushed that person at the same level they did Bray Wyatt last year and Rusev this year. Will it likely be one of those three big signings that a lot of wrestling fans are excited over? Probably. They will debut with a good measure of creative interest and hype, just like The Wyatts and Rusev did. They will have to have some kind of unique character to stand out. That will be something to watch out for.

Which TNA Knockout Would Make A Good Diva Division Centerpiece?

Last week when I was talking about Taryn Terrell, I mentioned that she would be a good centerpiece for the type of women's division the WWE likes to run. Aside from her, there is at least one other woman in TNA I think fits what the WWE is looking for in a diva division centerpiece. These two women also happened to be in the WWE diva division before. Let me talk about these two women and compare the two.

Taryn Terrell has finally won the KO title. What does she have going for her that qualifies her for centerpiece of the diva division? She has become a very solid performer in the ring. Her series of matches with Gail Kim last year helped to put her on the map with wrestling fans. Those fans now view her as more than just a pretty face. And her in-ring ability has not declined since her return this year. Aside from that, she has the classic look that the WWE likes in the diva centerpiece. Not every centerpiece has been blonde, but the majority have been.

Brooke Tessmacher has won a few titles since coming to TNA. She wasn't known for being a wrestler in the WWE at all. She just danced around with Kelly Kelly and Layla on ECW. She has developed her skills in TNA. She is also sexy. She isn't blonde, but that does not matter. Candice Michelle wasn't a blonde and the WWE attempted to push her as centerpiece. What does Brooke have going for her that separates her from Taryn? Some fans might say that a blonde in the diva division is just generic. Brooke does not have that generic look. Aside from that, I just think Brooke does a better job showing character and can play with the fans better.

Which of those two should be centerpiece in a diva division? I would go with Brooke. She just seems like the more charismatic of the two. Charisma is going to help connect you with the fans. I am not saying the WWE is likely to hire back either of these two and give them a big push, but for the sake of wanting to run that kind of women's division, these two would be good choices to build the division around. And I would personally go with Brooke over Taryn.

Should TNA start developing a diva-style division? They don't need to turn all the way towards glamor as their driving theme. They can still aim for running a respectable women's division. Right now, Taryn would be a good choice to build around. TNA never builds around anyone. They rotate. If they would stick with certain women that are getting the job done or have the potential to do it, their women's division would be even better. It would help them be more productive. And should a female wrestler come into the division and start connecting better with the fans than Taryn, that is when you start pushing that woman as centerpiece. Until then, however, TNA could try beating the WWE at their own game. Run a diva-style division and have someone like Taryn Terrell be the true top star.

Look at the current diva division. Look at the women likely to be developed as the new centerpiece. Let me list them in order of likelihood. You have Brie Bella, Nikki Bella, and Summer Rae. Face it, none of these women are knocking it out of the park. Again, I am not saying either Brooke or Taryn is likely to return to the WWE, but if either did, I think they would be more deserving of a good push. They probably would not get it. If TNA did start running a more efficient women's division that built around one woman as centerpiece, and started running with someone like Taryn as their top star, they would automatically be in a better place than the WWE is now with their women's division. And even if the WWE should continue with what they have a history of doing and run with a Bella or Summer Rae as their centerpiece, TNA would have a better choice as their top star. To put it simply, I would say TNA is closer to entering a diva golden age for their KO division than the WWE is exiting this dark age with their diva division.

One last thing to consider, would you say Taryn and Brooke are system gals? Are they just products of this respectable women's division TNA likes to maintain? If they came back to the WWE, would they start sucking? It might not necessarily be their fault. They will be working with women that might be less talented. They will be working in a division without high expectations. They might be misused. If The Bellas went to TNA, would they look like respectable women's wrestlers on a consistent basis? I think Taryn and Brooke have become solid performers. It isn't all just smoke & mirrors or them being carried to look good. Are either of them A+ in the ring? I wouldn't go that far, but I wouldn't say they are horrible. In this system TNA runs, they can look good while being pushed. In the system the WWE runs, and especially during this dark age, they might not look so good.

Brock Lesnar Vs. Nobody At Hell In A Cell 2014

It is disappointing that Brock Lesnar will not be defending the WWE Championship at Hell in a Cell. When he first got in the title hunt, I was looking forward to a variety of title feuds being developed for Lesnar against guys that were not John Cena. Since winning the title at Summerslam, John Cena is the only guy to feud with him. And their match at Night of Champions ended in a manner that might make you believe that Cena will be back in the picture against Lesnar soon. I understand he is a part-time guy. I was hoping they would work something out that Brock would actually defend his title more often than it will end up being. No one says he has to work house shows. No one says he has to appear every Raw. But is defending the title every PPV too much to ask for?

Let's do some armchair booking. What could Lesnar be doing now? Obviously, his match against Cena last month ended in a manner that could lead to Cena vs. Lesnar at Hell in a Cell. Put them inside the Cell. They had Seth attack both guys at Night of Champions. Put him in the match, if they want to make things a little more interesting. Speaking for myself, I am tired of Cena vs. Brock. I would have moved on to different challengers. Lesnar was destroying Mark Henry earlier in the year. That went nowhere. How about giving Mark Henry a title shot against Lesnar? You can even add in Big Show. Big Show has history with Brock Lesnar. Where would that leave Rusev? I am sure they can come up with something to keep him busy. Developing title feuds for Brock would be a bigger priority.

The absence of Brock Lesnar does not only mean that there is no title feud going on and no title match at Hell in a Cell. It means even less things going on and one less possible match at Hell in a Cell. You can say the WWE is covering for that by having Cena/Ambrose pull double-duty at the PPV. Okay, but what about the rest of the card? Aside from Big Show vs. Rusev and the diva feuds, I don't feel any real development for any of the other feuds. They are not building up to matches at Hell in a Cell that I am looking forward to.

How is the time being spent on the weekly shows? As I said, none of that time is being used to develop a title feud involving Brock Lesnar. You have to combine that with a lack of other stars, like Daniel Bryan and Roman Reigns. I think it is obvious that the WWE is featuring a lot of filler. Instead of just regular filler, however, they do seem to be trying to make it look like there is some kind of story or rivalry to what they are doing. It is flavored filler, but it is still filler. It is obvious some of these guys are not being pushed because the WWE is developing them to be stars or featuring them as stars. They will be depushed very easily. And I see this as a sign that the WWE is really not in a great place right now. You know they are in trouble when they have to push Tyson Kidd on the main roster.

Brock Lesnar getting a feud right now would not fix everything. Nevertheless, I think it can make things more interesting. Give fans more to be interested in than just whatever Cena is involved with and whatever Rusev is doing these days. Brock Lesnar winning the title was supposed to inject some hype and momentum into the product. It does not feel like it. I do not blame Lesnar. How can the guy deliver for you when he isn't doing anything for so so many weeks? They should have worked out a better deal with him.

What Do You Do With Swagger Now?

Jack Swagger had a great feud with Rusev a few months ago. He turned face and the fans were liking him. I was hoping the WWE would continue to push him even after that feud with Rusev, which was obviously meant to put Rusev over. That feud transitioned into a minor feud with Bo Dallas. Better than nothing. But what do you do with Swagger now? He seems to have no clear direction.

I understand the issues the WWE have now. They lack stars. Guys have gotten injured. Depth is bad. On the one hand, it feels like they have no one. On the other hand, they do have people. Problem is, they are not using them right. And Jack Swagger is a guy I think they should use better. He has connected well with the fans, he is very good in the ring, and there is a lot of potential with his gimmick. I am not saying he needs to be pushed alongside John Cena and Randy Orton. I am not even saying he needs to be in line to face Brock Lesnar for the title. Might be a good match, but there are guys above Swagger for that kind of push.

Against whom should he feud? Aside from the tag titles, all the midcard titles are held by faces. Does that mean you should turn Sheamus heel so he can feud with Swagger? No. How about pairing someone with Swagger and having them go after the tag titles? That could be an interesting idea. I just cannot think of anyone to pair with Swagger. There are also other heels that can go against Swagger. The patriot gimmick does not even need to be a part of it. How about Miz vs. Swagger? Miz should be moving away from Dolph Ziggler. Have a new heel step up against Ziggler. How about one of The Wyatts? While that feud happens, Miz and Swagger can feud in a non-title feud. I could suggest Swagger feuding with a Wyatt, but I am not feeling that. Let The Wyatts go after titles right now. Let Swagger feud with another former World Champion. That will be moving him up from that midcard feud with Bo Dallas.

Your New Knockout's Champion...

Were you expecting someone else? Havok won the KO title on this week's Impact Wrestling airing, but because TNA tapes so many weeks in advance, you might as well start talking about the woman who is really holding the title right now. I think it is just ridiculous that they tape so many weeks ahead. Taping for 2 weeks' worth of shows in one week is one thing. We just entered October and TNA has already taped into November.

I shook my head a few days ago at the WWE shooting around titles so much. TNA just did the same thing. A lot of the title changes they do are questionable, but what they just did is just bad booking. It is not shocking that Havok would be a transitional champion. And it had been a long time since TNA had a brand new KO Champion, but they didn't really develop up to it well. And they did an even worse job by just shooting it to Taryn Terrell after what will end up being a little over a month. It has not aired yet, but I doubt TNA will develop things properly.

I am not against Taryn winning the title. I think she should have won it a long time ago. She was out for a while due to her pregnancy. She came back months ago and could have won it earlier. She proved last year that she has become a solid performer in the ring. She is beautiful. If this was the WWE diva division, I would say she should be centerpiece. She has what they would want to fill that position. Will TNA stick with her and develop her in that spot? I doubt it. They never do. But for now, I hope she has a good reign. I hope it is better than what Havok got.

Paige Has A New Friend

Paige has a sidekick as her feud with AJ Lee progresses. That would be Alicia Fox. The pairing became official on Raw this week.

This is a good move. This feud between AJ Lee and Paige probably should have been over by now. How can you keep it going another few weeks? Inserting another supporting player would help. And that is what they did. It isn't great creative development, but it can help to extend things.

Do not make too much of this new duo. Will they end up like Layla and Michelle McCool? Probably not. Layla was a periphery diva being paired with a centerpiece struggling to get over. Alicia Fox is a credible jobber these days that is being paired with another credible jobber. Alicia Fox was actually the top heel credible jobber a few months ago prior to turning Paige heel. Go back to heel Beth Phoenix and Natalya teaming up a couple years ago. They treated it like it would be some real angle at first, but soon deflated it. The pairing seemed to be getting phased down even before Beth Phoenix suffered an injury during that title run. That is the kind of thing I would expect with Paige and Alicia Fox.

Overall, how is the feud between Paige and AJ Lee going? Even with the addition of Alicia Fox, this still feels like a dry feud. I do not feel there is anywhere else to really go with this story. I have said before that I never really bought Paige and AJ as friends, but I will move on from that. Is there potential to keep that story interesting with the addition of Alicia Fox? Yeah. Do I think the WWE will build on that story? No. The best creative interest in this feud seems to have been in the last few months. This is pretty much the point where they need to just wrap this feud up.