Is Roman Reigns Ready Now?

Roman Reigns has been getting groomed to be a top star for a while now. It looked like the WWE would pull the trigger at this year's Wrestlemania, but heavy fan negativity towards him came up. Even though the WWE has not given him the title, they obviously have not given up on him.

One of the problems is definitely that they were trying to build him up to be the next centerpiece. Some people still say that no one could have seen fans turning on Roman Reigns coming. How could you not? Have you learned nothing from the story of John Cena? John Cena was a popular midcarder with a rap gimmick. I never liked him, but he was popular. But then the WWE took him and pushed him as the top guy. They changed his character and have not really changed it since. People have criticized him for his wrestling ability and a lot of his promos are overbearing. Roman Reigns is a guy that people liked back when The Shield was still around. But what happens when you push him to be the top guy? The WWE has not even denied that they are trying to do that. People criticize him for his in-ring work and his mic skills. The WWE took him and just started making another Cena. How would those fans chanting "Cena sucks!" react to a guy like Roman Reigns?

The backlash around the Royal Rumble was worse than I expected, but fan reaction to Roman Reigns recently has not been that awful. That being said, is he ready now to get the title? He will still likely get booed in smark cities, but that is not representative of all fans. He has put on some good matches. They are not having him do promos he cannot handle anymore. They are doing things to build his character. They put him back with Dean Ambrose, another popular former member of The Shield that doesn't have a problem connecting with smarks. They are still grooming him.

Problem is, they are currently having him feud with Bray Wyatt. They could have had him win the briefcase. The storyline with Wyatt might help Reigns better connect with fans. They have made it personal by bringing up his daughter. If TNA did a storyline like this, fans would automatically assume the worst. I am not even going to suggest what that might be. The WWE could also do a lot worse with this storyline. They have sometimes tried to push the limits of family-friendly entertainment. Regardless of all that, this is a feud for Roman Reigns to win.

Seeing as how he is connecting well with fans, Summerslam might have been the perfect time to get the title on him. Why wait? Don't risk another Royal Rumble fiasco. But how likely is it that his feud with Bray Wyatt lasts for only a month? The WWE might not be planning on putting the title on Reigns now. Waiting until he is ready is one thing, but if you have too much time on your hands, you might end up botching his development again.

Summer Rae Gets Added To The Love Triangle

Even with Rusev injured, the WWE has continued to develop the storyline involving him, Lana, and Dolph Ziggler. That is a good thing. Ziggler and Lana simply making out all the time is nice, but it can get stale. Summer Rae is now joining up with Rusev.

Summer Rae has just bounced from one periphery angle to another since debuting. Earlier this year, she was involved in the drama with Miz and Sandow. She faked turning face and ended up helping Miz. It was a nice storyline. Problem is, the WWE did not follow through. Miz went to make a movie. That left Summer Rae with nothing. Miz is back, but the angle is dead. Handling things like that isn't fair to Summer Rae. Even if some divas these days can still get by with their looks alone, how can they when they are not featured on a consistent basis? Character development also helps.

I would hope this current angle leads to something consistent for Summer Rae. This adds some creative depth to the diva division. Not counting this storyline, what else is going on outside of the main diva angle involving The Bellas? NXT does not count. Nothing else is really going on. This storyline helps to make the diva division more interesting.

One fear I had for a while was that the WWE would just end up pairing Lana and Rusev back up. They would just turn back the clock and go back to what they had before. Problem is, Rusev is no longer featured as well as he once was. That would hurt the pairing. But with Summer Rae in the picture, I am more hopeful that the WWE isn't just building back to put Lana back with Rusev. He does not need Lana back. If the WWE wants him to have a manager so much, use Summer Rae. As for Lana, she has options. She can stick with Ziggler. She can move on to another guy. She can one day be an authority figure. And she may one day go back to Rusev. I am just glad that might not be anytime too soon.

How Goes Things For Neville?

Neville debuted a few months ago on the main roster. He has picked up some wins. He has looked impressive in a match against John Cena. He has had some minor feuds here and there. He is what you would expect a midcarder in the WWE to be.

I will say they could do better. He had a very minor feud against Bo Dallas a few weeks ago. That could have been so much more. There was a little history there. They gave it a little build, but this is a feud that should have lasted longer. Non-title midcard feuds like this can help things be more interesting. When they only give a few weeks for a feud like this and do not properly follow up, it just comes off as filler. And Neville just seems to be bouncing around.

Should he win a title? Should he be pushed in the place of Daniel Bryan or possibly Dolph Ziggler? I am not even suggesting any of that. Just develop these feuds better. They are putting him against guys that can lead to some interesting feuds. They just need to open up these feuds more and let them last longer. A year from now, then I might start talking about him winning titles and whether he should move up the card. Right now, he can be a great midcarder.

Dolph Ziggler: Should He Stay Or Should He Go?

 

A topic of discussion recently has been Dolph Ziggler likely not staying with the WWE. Not only might he leave, but he might head down to TNA. How will this decision impact all the parties involved?

First, Dolph Ziggler. He has had a pretty good career in the WWE. He has won a lot of titles, including some World titles. Some may say he has been lost in the shuffle recently. He has a romance angle with Lana where he gets to make out with her every week. And if Rusev was not injured, he would be having a legitimate feud right now. He is in a better position right now than a lot of guys. And yet, he could be pushed better. His situation is similar to CM Punk's a few years ago. Punk was getting a pretty good career. He had won a lot of titles, including some World titles. He was consistently pushed. He was definetely in a good spot. Of course, he could have been pushed better. And he was. I do not think the WWE will do that for Ziggler. Things are just too congested right now. CM Punk benefited from Edge retiring, hurting the main-event scene at the time. If Dolph Ziggler wants to be pushed better and work for a company that does not have the issues the WWE has, he should leave.

How about the WWE? Should they want to keep Dolph Ziggler or let him go? As I have said before, the WWE just has too many guys right now and they cannot utilize them all properly. And if no one leaves, it will only get worse when more guys debut from NXT and the WWE even continues to sign more guys. Ziggler leaving can open up a spot for some other guy to be pushed well in his place. That is the way the WWE should view it. I would not go out of my way to keep Ziggler.

And TNA? They sign a lot of former WWE talent. Ziggler seems to like the product. This seems like an easy decision to make. Yes, they should sign him. But I would not expect too much in terms of what Ziggler can do for TNA. I have seen some fans talk like Ziggler will be a great draw for TNA. If guys even more legendary than Ziggler could not help TNA get close to the WWE's numbers, what can Ziggler do? Help them get back to a million viewers? If nothing else, it will be refreshing to see Ziggler somewhere else.

Putting it all together, I think the possibility of Ziggler leaving the WWE and going to TNA will help everyone involved. Ziggler gets a chance to be utilized better elsewhere. The WWE can have room to push someone else better. TNA signs a great worker. It can lead to some fresh, exciting things, hopefully.

Brock Lesnar Gets Destroyed

It looks like Brock Lesnar will play the face in this feud against Seth Rollins for the title. The Authority laid him out to end Raw.

It is good to see Brock get physical. What is the point of having this guy show up if all he does is hop around and do really nothing else, while Heyman does the talking? That is a waste. That segment he had the night after Wrestlemania was exciting. That is the kind of stuff fans want to see.

Of course, there is a bad side to all this. Jamie Noble suffered an injury last night. It came at the hands of Lesnar. Wish the best for Noble. Lesnar can be brutal. It is one of the main reasons many fans get excited when he is around, but it can result in injuries.

Back to the feud. Last week, it seemed like The Authority was putting Seth Rollins in a position where he would have to prove himself. It looked like they may finally be taking the training wheels off  to see how this guy stands on his own. One week after all that, Rollins has his henchmen back to help him. That is disappointing. The WWE flip-flopping once again. Rollins obviously does not look credible standing against a guy like Brock Lesnar, but the way they are handling the storyline is inconsistent. What's new?

Four Years After The Pipe Bomb

It has been about 4 years since CM Punk started that storyline that made him a legend. How are things today? CM Punk still has not returned to the WWE. Daniel Bryan, another guy that emerged as a hero against the unfair status quo the WWE upholds, has injury issues that might put an end to his career. AJ Lee, the bride of Punk, left the company. It might seem like everything is sad.

The WWE has signed more wrestlers that fans eager for change love. You got Samoa Joe popping up recently. Kevin Owens is being featured on the main roster. Seth Rollins is holding the WWE Championship. Of course, just having these guys is not enough. It is about how they are featured and how well they are getting over. Despite all this, the WWE has shown signs of wanting to develop Roman Reigns, a guy that is not a favorite of these rabid fans, as the new centerpiece. The diva division has remained inefficient. The entire product remains inefficient. Well, aside from NXT.

Aside from the WWE being eager to welcome more talent that wrestling fans love, fans seem to be more vocal. CM Punk was supposed to be the voice of the voiceless. He certainly motivated these rabid fans to be even more vocal. It isn't that they never protested anything. Fans voiced their displeasure at Matt Hardy being fired many years ago. Fans were unhappy when Mickie James got released as a part of spring cleaning the year prior to CM Punk's pipe bomb. Fans wanted Daniel Bryan back after he was fired a few months after that.

Problem is, these fans can be too demanding and sometimes unfair. I have pointed out the unwillingness of many to even give Eva Marie a chance to show whether she has genuinely improved. Some of them got unruly the night Roman Reigns won the Royal Rumble. And you can sometimes get lost in the noise they are making and start believing some wrestlers are more over than they really are or less over than they really are. A guy like Seth Rollins is great. He can one day break out like CM Punk did. But as of right now, does he really have the overness to be an A+ player?

Should the WWE regret ever having CM Punk do those promos? It didn't lead to a ratings boost. It helped to make CM Punk huge, but then he walked out on the company. They are left with rabid fans that can sometimes be too demanding. They are signing all these guys that have not really gotten too over prior to the WWE. Great wrestlers, but how well can they connect with the wider audience? They are still very inefficient with how you handle the main product. A lot of things have only gotten worse and the fact that fans are more critical of them makes it worse. If CM Punk had never energized them, things might be different right now. Better? Maybe not. But possibly a little smoother.

John Cena Vs. Kevin Owens: Part 3

I have seen fans say that the Battleground card is shaping up to look like what you would want the Summerslam card to be. I can agree with that. One of those matches that might make you feel that way is John Cena vs. Kevin Owens. This time around, the United States Championship looks like it will be on the line.

Go back a step. Kevin Owens won the first encounter, but Cena took the last match they just had. You can say Cena won the match, but Owens won the night. They did an injury angle for Cena.

There was some talk that Owens should not lose so soon. Well, he did. It does not have to be that big of a deal. What will really determine if the WWE made the right decision is how they handle the next match. If Owens is the guy they want to take the title off Cena, then that loss he just took is no big deal. Owens would win the next encounter and likely the rematch after. No harm in letting Cena get one win in that kind of feud. If Cena retains the title, then the WWE could have handled things better, in my opinion. They could have let Owens win the previous match to make it seem like Cena really had met his match. It's just a better story. It builds up to a title match where the odds look against Cena. Even though he did win last Sunday, the odds might still look against him with the injury angle, depending on how they handle it. I just think putting the odds against him by having him take two consecutive clean losses to Kevin Owens would have been better than the typical injury storyline.

Winning the United States Championship might also make it easier for Kevin Owens to stay relevant on the main roster, especially after losing the NXT Championship. Something else that might save him from getting lost in the shuffle is possibly joining The Authority. If the WWE does follow through with separating Seth Rollins from the stable, that will create space for someone else to be in the group. I have seen some fans bring up the idea of Owens joining the group. But that is an issue for another day.

Looks Like Paige Needs A Friend

Through all the storyline sloppiness and questionable turns you have had in the diva division recently, the current situation has Paige waging a one-diva war against The Bellas. That will obviously lead to a debut from NXT. Most likely Charlotte. On the one hand, I don't want the WWE to drag this on. Just get to the debut. They easily could have done it this week. On the other hand, there is a lot of time until the next PPV, so I can understand dragging this out a little.

Since debuting on the main roster, Paige has not really had any competition. I am not talking in the sense of succeeding and earning a better career. That does not really define what the WWE does. I mean more in the sense of overness. She has connected well with wrestling fans since she debuted. With AJ Lee gone, she is pretty much the top diva for those type of fans. But what happens when someone like Charlotte debuts? This will test just how over Paige is. Charlotte has also become a very good in-ring performer. Her father is also a legend. Paige also comes from a wrestling family, but not one that was a part of the WWE, so I usually do not group her with someone like Natalya or Charlotte. In any case, it will be interesting to see whom wrestling fans will prefer.

There is also competition when it comes to getting time. Paige has been the only C+ player in the diva division since debuting. She is the only top-tier credible jobber. There are a lot of divas with wrestling credibility that can be featured more in the type of pushes Paige has been getting, but they are frequently overlooked. Natalya and Naomi have had short pushes here and there, but nothing consistent. Paige has only experienced short periods of not getting anything to do at all, and part of that was due to her taking time off to make a movie. There is a good chance Charlotte will be pushed as a credible jobber. And I don't think she will be a low-tier or mid-tier credible jobber. She will eventually be getting pushed like Paige. Paige has benefited from weak depth for the last year. What will happen to her when more divas debut to be given the type of pushes she is used to?

It is a shame that it takes debuting someone new to keep this division fresh when the WWE does have women on the main roster they could do better with. Last year, you could say the WWE pretty much buried the entire diva roster at Wrestlemania. They had AJ Lee go over all of them. That led to the debut of a new diva to take the title off AJ. Is the WWE doing that kind of thing again with the storyline they are running? How are they making these other divas look? None of them are willing to step up and it will take an NXT diva to once again make things fresh and save the day. They are really inefficient with the current roster.

Lesnar Vs. Rollins At Battleground

Seth Rollins has moved on from Dean Ambrose and now must give Brock Lesnar his rematch for the WWE Championship. This match will happen at Battleground next month.

A few years ago, you had the "A+ player" and "B+ player" metaphors being used. Triple H brought up a new one on Raw. What happens when coal faces extreme pressure? Will it be crushed into dust? Or turn into a diamond? I like that one. Will I start discussing whether certain wrestlers have turned to dust or a diamond or might turn into either one if the pressure increases on them? I don't know. I might. It's the idea that you can't tell the worth of someone only in situations where things are going their way. How do they react to adversity? How about extreme adversity?

I have brought up this idea with Rollins before. He just doesn't seem like he is ready to stand on his own. Even after he won the WWE Championship at Wrestlemania, he didn't seem to feel like a true top star. The WWE has taken away his sidekicks recently and made it look like he has to do things on his own. The usual tension within The Authority is back. I hate that angle. I didn't like it when they did it with Randy Orton so soon after the stable was formed. But at least the WWE is trying something to make Seth look like he can stand on his own.

Brock is back. Is this the big summer angle the WWE will do? Brock Lesnar once again gunning for the title? I would hope they do more than that. Regardless of the outcome at Battleground, Brock will likely still be around for Summerslam. I cannot imagine them developing anything too great for him this summer. Ratings were mediocre during Wrestlemania season this year. Will they be just as poor around Summerslam? Or will Lesnar actually provide a boost?

Sheamus Wins The Briefcase

If you were to list all the current top guys in the WWE or guys currently being groomed to be top guys in the WWE, you probably would not list Sheamus. And yet, he was the one that won the Money in the Bank ladder match for the briefcase.

I do not like the decision. It's one thing to give Sheamus a midcard title run. A briefcase that guarantees you a World title shot whenever you want is something else. That is something they should have given to someone they were grooming to be a star or someone that could win it and have it be interesting from a storyline standpoint. Roman Reigns was the favorite to win it because they have been grooming him to be a star. How about if Kane had won it? He has had some storyline tension with Seth Rollins. Sheamus winning it just does not make sense. He is not being groomed to be a top star. He is not being pushed as a top star. He was not involved in any big storyline that winning this will add to it. This just seems like a wasted opportunity.

It is too early to say whether or not Sheamus should win the title. He obviously didn't cash it in the same night he won it. This better be a part of actually raising Sheamus back up to the main-event scene. If they just push him as a midcarder, I can picture his briefcase run ending up like Damien Sandow's. I don't like him winning, but if they are going to give it to him, they might as well do this right.

Roman Reigns, the guy I figured would win, looks to be feuding with Bray Wyatt. That would have been a nice feud to start like 2 months ago. It would have been over by now. I do not think they have given up on grooming him to be a top star. But they are really going about things in a sloppy way. They might just be hurting themselves.

Previewing Money In The Bank 2015: Part 2

There hasn't been much time since the last encounter between John Cena and Kevin Owens. No big deal. The feud is still fine. The United States Championship is also once again not on the line. I do not see that as a problem. I felt forcing these title defenses might not be practical. What's the point of Cena holding the title if he doesn't defend it at PPVs? Relax, it isn't as bad as Lesnar holding the WWE Championship a few months ago. This feud between Cena and Owens isn't about winning titles.

But is it about developing Owens to be a star? That is what some fans are thinking. Others are saying he will end up like Rusev and Bray Wyatt. There is talk about some in the WWE not wanting Owens to lose so soon to Cena. Regardless of whether he wins or loses this feud, how will you follow up with the guy? If you can't follow up with him properly, it doesn't really matter who wins this feud. Cena will definitely continue to be featured well. Owens still has his NXT Championship. But people should not jump to the conclusion that he is being groomed to be a main-eventer right now. The main-event scene is full. You have guys being groomed to be top stars. You have former World Champions that could potentially find their way back in the title picture, if only to put over someone else. Cena isn't done in the main-event scene. Daniel Bryan will one day return. Will fans want to see him back as a top star? Yes? At best, Kevin Owens will be an upper-midcarder. He might get some undercard matches against other great wrestlers, but don't expect too much.

Who wins this match? Regardless of the winner of this encounter, this feud is likely to continue. If Cena wins, you need the rubber match. If Cena loses, the odds are even more against Cena. Can Cena beat Kevin Owens? I would have Cena lose this one. Have him lose cleanly. If fans were legitimately stunned by Cena losing clean before, build on that further. If they bought that, maybe they will buy Cena really has lost his touch or Owens is that great. Either way, it will build to the third encounter.

Onto a match that does involve someone the WWE is building to be a star. The Money in the Bank ladder match features Roman Reigns, Randy Orton, Kane, Sheamus, Dolph Ziggler, Kofi Kingston, and Neville. You have a nice array to put on a great match. You have a few guys that have won it before. But the guy being developed to be a star is Roman Reigns. The WWE has put much of this story on him. He had to overcome the odds just to get in the match. He is the one likely to win.

The WWE Championship will be defended in a ladder match between Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose. Some fans complain when you see the same guys feuding against each other. Rollins and Ambrose were feuding less than a year ago. I see no one complaining about them feuding again. Having Ambrose steal the title is also a nice touch. You can complain about how you had title theft with the Intercontinental Championship for Wrestlemania. Once again, I do not see anyone complaining. It is a good feud.

There are a few different scenarios you can have, especially when you bring in Roman Reigns likely winning the briefcase. The main one is Dean Ambrose winning the title in a grueling match, then Roman Reigns cashing in on his friend right after. That can then lead to a heel turn for somebody.

Problem is, Brock Lesnar is looming. He never got his rematch. Keeping the title on Rollins might make the best sense. Have Roman Reigns cash in during or after that match. Get some payback on Rollins for doing that to him at Wrestlemania. Dean Ambrose winning the title might just make the whole storyline messy. The Shield vs. Brock Lesnar? All of them would have a reason to be in the title picture.

What scenario will I go with? I think Rollins retains through some shady means and Roman Reigns does not cash in yet. No need to rush it.

Previewing Money In The Bank 2015: Part 1

The New Day defend the tag titles against The Prime Time Players. There was a time I felt The Prime Time Players definitely should win the tag titles. They have since split up, gotten back together, and are once again in the title scene. The WWE has started putting the titles on teams that lack a strong build to really deserve them. That might make a title change a strong possibility. But I am going to say New Day retains.

The Intercontinental Championship match is just between Ryback and Big Show. Miz has been involved in the storyline, but he is not in the match. They probably should put him in the match to make it more interesting. That is not to say he should win it. Same thing with Big Show. I do not picture him winning it. Ryback just won it. He should be retaining it.

The diva feud is just between Nikki Bella and Paige. The storyline has been all about #GiveDivasAChance, again. The WWE really just should stop it. They are not bringing in any legitimate change. They have even regressed to short matches. Fans are complaining on Twitter again, although I do not believe they have gotten #GiveDivasAChance trending again. The WWE is just taking advantage of it for storyline purposes. It is what many should have expected. I find it horrible when the WWE does this kind of thing. They mistreat their own workers, and even their fans at times, make storylines out of it, and don't bring about any real change. Zack Ryder's storyline led to nothing lasting for him. He was used in a bigger storyline involving Cena, then dumped. CM Punk did these promos about change. Nothing actually changed from the WWE. And they are doing it again with the divas. People have said that Total Divas makes it difficult to create storylines. I never bought that. You now have the entire diva division blanketed in a storyline that can last forever. Just bring up #GiveDivasAChance in every promo. Point to some face as a hero fighting for fair opportunities. Point to some heel as the one holding the diva division back. It would be nice if someone actually did a promo admitting it is the bosses in the back that are really holding back the diva division. Then again, a promo is all it would be. CM Punk knows all about that.

Paige is the face hero in this feud. She gave a promo about change. Nothing to take too seriously. I do notice some fans rolling their eyes at Paige frequently being in the title picture. I also feel the WWE should develop some fresh feuds, but I do not think #GiveDivasBesidesPaigeAChance is too fair. I prefer using #GiveOtherDivasAChance. Thing is, Paige isn't really getting a chance. She has been pushed as a credible jobber since debuting. I am not convinced that the WWE is developing her to be the next AJ Lee. They are not doing it until they are doing it. How they push Paige after this title feud will be telling. As for the diva that is next pushed in Paige's spot, she will likely just be used as a credible jobber, as well.

Some fans seem to want every diva to get an opportunity at the title. The WWE obviously does not operate like that. They like developing a centerpiece. But I actually think they should break the division down. Enter the preseason. I have said that TNA is always stuck in the preseason. They rotate everyone, give everyone pushes all over, but never commit to whom they want their top stars to be. The WWE should rotate their women, but to assess who is their best and give these women a chance to get very over. Once they pick the absolute best of the best, push that woman as centerpiece. Periphery divas and credible jobbers will fall into place around her. Not only is doing this a fair way to rebuild, it might please those fans that want to see Paige and The Bellas out of the title scene.

As for this match at Money in the Bank, I would say Nikki retains. If Paige wins, that would just prolong this feud longer. I do not think fans would like that. I also think the WWE wants Nikki to hold the title for about 300 days. I would say the title stays where it is and the WWE starts going in a new direction.

Has Seth Rollins Finally Come Into His Own?

For about a year now, the WWE has been grooming Seth Rollins to be a star. Probably not the centerpiece, but still pushing him to be a top star. They pulled the trigger on giving him the title, but the journey does not end there. Is he ready to stand on his own? That is something I have been waiting for. I have never felt he has reached that point.

Recently, you see Seth Rollins developing issues with members of The Authority. I am not going to read too much into it and say he is splitting from the group, but are they finally at least developing him as a heel within the group that can stand on his own? I still do not know if he has reached that point where he is ready, but they do eventually have to take the training wheels off.

Fans point out that Seth is a cowardly heel. Okay. Is that supposed to be some kind of excuse? Edge was a cowardly heel for a large portion of his main-event run. But I bought him as a guy that had come into his own and could stand out. He felt like a leader. Seth Rollins feels like just a member of a top heel stable. He does not have the injury issues Edge had and I would say he is more amazing in the ring than Edge, but that does not mean he has the connection with the fans and position on the roster Edge had.

The way he is booked is obviously part of it, but I think the type of performer Seth is might also be the other part of it. Does he really have the look? Does his ring gear make him look stupid? Is his voice annoying? Whatever the issue, he needs to do something to break out. Aside from Edge, you can also compare this guy to CM Punk. CM Punk was a great wrestler and great on the mic even before signing with the WWE. But it wasn't until his big push in 2011 that he really broke out and became a legend. Seth has the look to be the next CM Punk. But he doesn't stand out. This is something he is going to need to do to be genuinely like these other guys and be on their level. The WWE can try to do it, but it will be artificial. Besides that, the WWE has not been flawless in creating stars.

On Bray Wyatt & The Mickie James "Death" Angle

I have mentioned that I would like to see Ryback eventually feud with Bray Wyatt over the Intercontinental Championship, but what is Wyatt doing right now? It does not look like much.

Bray Wyatt seems to be lost in the shuffle right now. They have put a ton of credibility into him and can now use him as a jobber to the stars. And that is what they are doing. This guy is not a top star. Because the WWE is so inefficient these days, they cannot develop a proper feud for him. If they do not want to put him in the Money in the Bank ladder match, that's one thing. But they cannot develop some kind of proper feud for him? One of the issues might be the short amount of time you have between events. It does not make it easy to develop proper storylines for everyone. Then again, Bray Wyatt storylines seem to disappoint even when the WWE has time to develop them.

How often do you see someone win a feud and then the WWE not be able to follow up? I am not talking about part-timers that can win a feud, then go back to whatever it is they do outside the WWE. I am talking about a full-time performer winning a feud and "Creative" not having anything for him. I remember when Wyatt won his feud against Chris Jericho. The WWE did not really follow up properly. They did these vignettes to hype The Wyatts splitting up. They protected Wyatt for a while. He was eventually used to put over The Undertaker at Wrestlemania. Everything since then has been mediocre. There are guys better than Ryback for him to have feuded with. Now that Ryback is holding a title, however, you would hope that feud gets revisited. Something would be on the line now.

What else can the WWE do to make Wyatt look like he matters again? You saw his henchmen reunite. Why not reunite the whole stable? It will not automatically give them direction, but it could make things more interesting and maybe make it easier for them to be pushed as something strong. That is, if the WWE is even willing to do that.  

TNA ran this segment last week where James Storm pushed Mickie James into train tracks after she  refused to join his group. I see a lot of fans criticizing it. They read it as a "death" angle. Would I have handled this storyline differently? Yes. But I do not find it offensive and I do not see it as a "death" angle. The segment was not graphic. They did not imply a train was speeding in to crush Mickie James. They did not show a gruesome shot of her laid out. Pushing someone into tracks is not instant death. Why are people jumping to the conclusion that TNA implied Mickie James "died" in this segment? They are making stupid assumptions. The say when you make assumptions, you often make an ass of yourself and the person you are making assumptions about. I would say this is one of those situations.

TNA has done things like this before. When Mickie James suffered a real injury in 2011, they ran an angle where Tara and Madison Rayne tried to run her down on a motorcycle to provide a kayfabe reason for the injury. I do not remember fans getting upset about that. I do not remember TNA "killing" Mickie James with that segment. Have people died getting run down by motorcycles? Yes. Did TNA do anything in that segment to imply this was a "death" angle? No. Did TNA "kill" Mickie James with that angle? No. Have people died getting pushed into train tracks? Yes. Did TNA do anything in that segment to imply this was a "death" angle? No. TNA should not even have to update the storyline on their website for people to realize this is not a "death" angle. If no one read that motorcycle angle as a "death" angle and no one saw a controversy there, why are people reacting like this now?

The WWE has done things that are more graphic than this and where it was even more likely that the victim had to have "died" in the segment, in terms of kayfabe. They have run people over, thrown them off bridges, burned them, blew them up, had a miscarriage storyline, and so on. Remember when Austin dropped Triple H from a forklift? I would say that stunt was a lot more graphic than what TNA did. If you want to look at that like it's real, how many people can survive that or even walk away without being paralyzed? Triple H was my favorite at the that time. I had no problem with that segment. I didn't think he really died. I didn't think this was even a "death" angle. I didn't complain about it. This is the kind of thing that made wrestling so much fun back then. All these stunts were exciting. The WWE has done things that make what TNA did with Mickie James and James Storm look like a finger poke, which I understand can win you a World Championship in some promotions.

There are fans that complain about the WWE being PG. They talk about how great the Attitude Era was. They would love to see that again. That is, that's the impression they give. Do those fans understand that they would be in for some stunts even worse than what TNA just did? Will they be up for it? If they couldn't handle what TNA did, I don't think they can handle a second coming of the Attitude Era. I do not know if most of this criticism is coming from blind TNA haters or fans that have developed a "PG Mind" in recent years, but I think it is stupid to read this as a "death" angle and criticize TNA for this when they have done segments like this before without much uproar and the WWE has done even worse and has succeeded in drawing interest for it.

They say you are supposed to suspend your disbelief as a wrestling fan. What ever happened to that? As a horror movie fan, I follow that belief. I know it isn't real, but just sit back and enjoy the show. Things are going to happen that just don't make sense. It's even worse than pro wrestling. But it is still entertaining. Does that mean you should accept everything these wrestling promotions do? No. But why are you taking things so seriously? I think workers not being given fair opportunities is a bigger problem than one segment.

One last thing I want to bring up. Many years ago, there was this "stupid news" report on the radio. A woman had called the police because she said she saw some guy getting killed. It turns out she was watching pro wrestling. I guess she forgot to suspend her disbelief. Will we eventually be getting more fans like that, only a lot more snarky? It seems some fans are trying too hard to be smart and are just not looking at something for what it is. And that is going to hurt what these promotions do.

On Ryback And Eva Marie

When Daniel Bryan and John Cena won the midcard singles titles at Wrestlemania, a lot of fans got excited for what might happen in the midcard. As far as Daniel Bryan goes, his injury made things a little depressing. He didn't really get a chance to do anything with the title. Ryback has now won it.

I think Ryback is a good representative of the midcard. He is a good choice to be Intercontinental Champion. His current feud is said to between both Big Show and Miz. They have already shown some interaction. I am not excited for this feud. I would like to see midcarders feuding for these titles. Let these former World Champions do something else.

Not that I expect Ryback to drop the belt so soon, but what good would either of those two heels winning it do? Miz gets too many needless title reigns whenever he comes back from doing a movie. Big Show certainly does not need it. I remember when Kane won his first Intercontinental Championship. It didn't feel like Kane was being demoted to the midcard. It felt like the Intercontinental Championship was in a good place. Nowadays when a former World Champion wins a midcard title, it does feel like he has been demoted to the midcard in most situations. The current title reign for Cena is obviously an exception. But most of these guys feel like they are taking the spot of guys that have not had the kind of title success they have had. As I said, I would expect Ryback to retain the title. I would still rather see a title feud between him and Bray Wyatt.

Eva Marie has been training. But NXT fans gave her a horrible reaction recently. Is that fair? Is that #GiveDivasAChance? I have seen what some fans had to say about it on message boards and Twitter. There is a mixed reaction. Did a wall-of-tweets for about an hour. First time I did that in a while. I really did intend to do it more often. The motivation just is not there. When people don't seem to care, that can ruin your motivation. And I know I might end up looking stupid or crazy with what I am saying. I'm not ignorant. Why even bother speaking out?

Eva Marie does seem to have motivation. There are clips of her training. Of course, as I have seen some fans point out, she needs to prove it in the ring in front of the audience. I remember when the WWE showed some clips of Maryse training and tossing around some guy. It was stupid. This was around the end of her centerpiece run in 2010. Nice to know she knows how to defend herself, but you need to put on quality matches in front of those wrestling fans to get their respect. Eva Marie has not put on quality matches in the past. But how many opportunities has she had since #GiveDivasAChance started? How many has she had since training seriously? And very negative reactions can screw her up early.

When #GiveDivasAChance started, I felt fans would, or should, wipe the slate clean and actually give these divas a fair shot to prove themselves with an open mind. One of the reasons the diva division, and the company in general, is in bad shape is that they have all these people on the roster that they do not utilize properly. Because of that, it often feels like they have no one fresh to push and you see stale feuds and matches. The WWE has pretty much made up their mind on certain individuals, like Emma, and they are stuck where they are. Fans were complaining about these other women not getting featured. They are essentially asking for the WWE to wipe the slate clean and approach these women with an open mind. Give them a chance to be pushed. Thing is, how can you demand that of the WWE when you are not willing to do it yourself? Yes, Eva Marie has been bad in the past. But you start complaining about the WWE treating their divas unfairly, then you don't let a diva that has been training to improve get a fair shot. It seems hypocritical.

As a fan, I can like Eva Marie because she's hot. As a writer, I would push her as an eye-candy periphery diva (valet, romance angle, etc). As an analyst, I understand how dangerous the situation can be. If she is horrible, then the quality of the diva division will suffer and a lot of fans will complain. If she is very good, that might motivate the WWE to continue this division that shows favoritism to eye-candy performers over legitimate female wrestlers. If she is just average, which might be the best scenario, things just continue regularly. As a critic, I'll approach her with an open mind. I know she has a history of being bad, but she's been training seriously and if you are going to talk about giving divas a chance, I think it is the right thing to do. Wipe the slate clean. Give them all a second chance. Start proving yourself now.

The Bellas Are Heels Again?

Nikki Bella faced Paige on Raw with her Diva's Championship on the line. She cheated to win. They did the old twin switch. How does that work when Nikki and Brie aren't that identical anymore? That is a stupid move by the WWE.

The Bellas are heels again? They had just turned face a few weeks ago after AJ Lee left, Paige took time off to make a movie, and the face depth in the division was horrible. With Paige back, I guess the WWE decided to turn The Bellas again. That is sloppy. It just shows that a lot of turns in the diva division are not done for the good of character development. It is done to cover depth issues.

I would have kept The Bellas as faces. I think they were doing a good job connecting with the fans. What will a sudden, needless heel turn do to that? This is not a situation where a diva not being pushed to be a star gets over and the WWE does something to try to hurt her overness. This is a situation where a diva being pushed to be a star might be unintentionally screwed by the WWE's sloppiness. Nikki Bella is someone they want to be a star. They are already hyping how long she's held the title. But overness is more important than how long you hold a title. This is not even a issue of depushing her. This is bad character development.

What would I be doing right now in the diva division? There are only two weeks between Elimination Chamber and Money in the Bank. No need to run with heel Nikki vs. face Paige. Let Naomi vs. Paige get strong closure. Look back at 2008. While Mickie James held the Women's Championship, Melina and Beth Phoenix had a minor feud going on. No title involved. It led to an I Quit match. Mickie James did not have a feud for those few weeks. She had an angle with John Cena, which never went anywhere. Point is, all three divas had something to do. And none of them were even pushed as the centerpiece. The centerpiece was injured at the time. The WWE should do that kind of thing now. While Naomi vs. Paige gets the attention for Money in the Bank, The Bellas can have a periphery angle, start building up their next feud, or just be on the backburner for two weeks. It is just two weeks. For the sake of more creative depth, it would have been nice.

The WWE needs to debut someone. I am not talking about debuting another Emma. I am talking about debuting a diva they are willing to push properly. There are women on the roster Nikki can feud with, regardless of whether she is heel or face. But because the WWE does not utilize their roster efficiently, it feels like they have no one and Paige is the only option. If that is the way they are going to play it, debut someone new. I cannot imagine them continuing like this for the rest of the year. Someone has to debut.

Assorted Thoughts

The big news in wrestling outside the WWE might be ROH coming to Destination America on Wednesdays. TNA is going to have some company. I think this is a great thing. There are a lot of interesting things TNA and ROH can do together. This is also a step in ROH growing. I know a lot of wrestling fans hold ROH in high regard. A lot of great workers have wrestled there. But the company has never felt like competition to take that #2 spot, until now.

Ryback won the Intercontinental Championship. It's about time he won something. I think it is a good move. He is liked. Maybe the WWE can soon pick back up that feud against Bray Wyatt and one day let Wyatt hold a title.

Someone you did not see in an Elimination Chamber match last Sunday was Damien Sandow. He has been teaming with Curtis Axel. Did they have a chance of getting in the match for the tag titles? No, they're not worth it. Considering some of the teams that were in this match, that's saying something. They are a comedy team. The thing about Sandow, he was very over a little while ago. He had so much momentum, they could have given him a great singles push and even put him in the Elimination Chamber match for the Intercontinental Championship. And yet, he gets nothing.

This is something you see a lot. A worker the WWE wants to feature well is given a sidekick. No partnership seems to last forever. When the split happens, you usually see the sidekick get lost in the shuffle and the other continue in a good position. Sandow was paired with Miz. Sandow got very over. The WWE has not properly followed up. You need a proper midcard to help draw for you. Just running an efficient system is half of it. The other half is having workers that are over. There are a lot of guys that are over, or were over, that could help the midcard. The WWE cannot take things like that for granted. They cannot think that they got those guys over through how they pushed them and they can do the exact same thing for everyone. Once some fans get connected to a wrestler they like, they might not just sit there and watch their favorites always get demoted like this. There is plenty of space that you don't have to see Roman Reigns so much on a 3-hour show. Treat guys like Sandow, Cody Rhodes, Jack Swagger, and Zack Ryder better.

Cena And Owens Will Do It Again

Kevin Owens defeated John Cena at Elimination Chamber. It was a good match and an outcome many fans loved seeing.

They will do it again at Money in the Bank. The way some fans reacted to Owens beating Cena, it was like they saw it as a changing of the guard. They talked about it like this was officially the end of Cena. What does it mean that you will have a rematch again so soon? Will they have Cena lose twice in a row to this guy? Will Cena get his win back? I am thinking the latter is more likely.

Was this loss really that shocking and devastating? I would say Cena's destruction at the hands of Brock Lesnar last year was much worse. That did not stop Cena. I do not think fans should read too much into this one match outcome last night. Is the WWE starting to groom new stars? Yes. They were doing that even before Owens beat Cena.

I felt this feud could be the start of a bigger storyline. They are extending the feud. That is a good sign. But I still feel this thing can be more elaborate. Get more people involved. Make this seem like a bigger deal. Going by fan reactions on the Internet and in the crowd, it seems like this is already a big deal to them. I still feel they can do more. Do something to draw in more than just the regular marks and smarks. I think is is the feud that has the potential to lead to that.