January 2016 Raw Ratings

Stop me if you've heard this story before. Football season is over and the ratings bump isn't really there for WWE Raw. That is what happened last year. And the WWE never really recovered from that poor start. It led to a very poor year in the ratings for the WWE's main show.

The first Raw of the year got a 2.49. The second got a 2.36. Then a 2.45. And the Raw after the Royal Rumble got a 2.93, averaging over four million viewers for the first time since June of last year. The average for January 2016 is 2.56.

To put things in context a little, the annual ratings average for 2015 was 2.64. This year is already starting off lower than that. And that is a terrible indicator. What can the WWE realistically do to turn things around during Wrestlemania season? They do not have a consistent draw. Every Raw will not feature the fallout from the Royal Rumble and an appearance from The Rock. After Wrestlemania, the WWE will have to deal with NBA playoffs. A few months after that, another NFL season starts. Unless the WWE can come up with something big, this year will be worse than last year.

 There might be some years where the WWE still manages to put up solid numbers against NFL action. They may not beat them in the ratings, but they do okay. In those situations, it is no disaster if there is no ratings boost when football ends. That is not the case here. Raw did poorly at the end of last year, dropping below three million viewers once. The ratings average for December 2015 was 2.4. If it wasn't for the boost that came after the Royal Rumble, the average for this month would have dropped from a 2.56 to a 2.43. In other words, Raw was doing just as mediocre in the weeks before the Royal Rumble as they were during what is usually one of their worst months of the year.

Impact has been doing okay for TNA. That is to say, it is at least heading in the right direction. They debuted on their new network with 255,000 viewers. That went up to a 288,000, then 321,000, and 339,000 for the last episode of January. They aren't going to keep increasing until they overcome Raw, but it is good to see them go in the right direction to start the year. While the WWE starts the year poorly in terms of Raw's ratings, TNA has a little something to be proud of.

Let me do an aside based on this Twitter exchange. A fan was upset about Naomi not getting an actual storyline. Road Dogg informed him that she was injured, as well as taking a little jab at the fan for not knowing the facts. It doesn't seem like a real serious injury issue, so that is not what I want to talk about.

First, even if the injury excuse was the reason Naomi is not getting pushed, has she been injured her entire career? She has been on the main roster for years. Aside from never winning the Diva's Championship, she has never gotten a big periphery push. Dancing alongside Brodus Clay may have been a fun use to get her over with some fans, but it was not a big push. And I sincerely doubt Naomi only needs to get healthy for the WWE to want to push her at the level many of her fans want to see.

Second, if you actually look at the tweet the fan made, he's not asking to see Naomi wrestle. He's asking for her to get a storyline. If she's healthy enough to travel, she very well could be used better for a storyline. There are examples all over the place of people that get injured and still get utilized. Look at Rusev last year. He suffered a real injury while he was involved in a storyline. He couldn't wrestle for a few weeks. He was still showing up, in crutches, to do what he could. That storyline also involving Lana, Summer Rae, and Dolph Ziggler ended up being voted the worst angle of 2015 in many circles, but you have to give Rusev credit for showing up injured and trying to keep the story going. Naomi does not sound like she is that crippled. If the WWE really wanted to feature her better, her recent health issues would not be an excuse.

Third, I really hate when certain wrestlers take on a certain snarky or condescending tone. Yes, they are in a position to know certain things others would not know. But fans are not dumb. They are not geniuses just because they read dirtsheets, but they are not dumb. Anyone can see that Naomi has never gotten a big push or storyline for herself. An injury excuse isn't going to cut it. People can also see the WWE has issues when it comes to giving all their workers fair opportunities. Is it because all those men and women are injured?

If one of the wrestlers or anyone else in the business wants to make this kind of response to a fan, they better pay attention to what the fan is saying and better be sure their response is on target. It's one thing to take a shot at someone for being completely wrong or annoying. It's another thing to fail to pay attention to what they are saying and respond with something that does not actually refute what they are saying. Road Dogg didn't give any proper excuse for how Naomi has been underutilized throughout her career. And when one of these wrestlers does talk like that, making a fan feel like he doesn't know what he's talking about, when in reality it is the wrestler that isn't saying anything that changes what the fan said, I think the fan might have every right at times to shove that wrestler's words back down his throat. Figuratively speaking, of course. Stand up for yourself. When you know something wrong is going on, don't accept stupid explanations why and let it continue to happen.

Last thing I want to say, I like that the fan didn't just ask why Naomi isn't wrestling more. He asked why she's not getting a storyline. When #GiveDivasAChance started last year, it seemed like all anyone was asking for was more match time and giving these women a chance to wrestle. All they cared about was match quality. I did not feel they were asking for enough. How about asking for these women to get fair opportunities? How about asking for these women to get the chance to earn better careers for themselves? That never seemed to be the issue. Because no one went to the heart of the issue, I feel that is one of the reasons things have failed to improve. More fans need to demand better for these women beyond just match time. Demand that they get real opportunities. Demand that the best get the type of careers that they earn. Fans did it for Zack Ryder and Daniel Bryan. Do they think this is not an issue for the divas?

Sasha Banks Gets Added Back Into The Mix

Charlotte retained the Diva's Championship at the Royal Rumble. The WWE wasted no time in transitioning to the next program for Charlotte. Sasha Banks made her presence felt. At the same time, it does not feel like Becky Lynch is entirely out of the picture.

I said a while ago that the WWE could develop an elaborate storyline between Becky and Charlotte. One of the things they would need to do is get more people involved. I even suggested Sasha Banks get a title shot prior to Becky eventually winning the title at Wrestlemania. Can the WWE be building towards that? I doubt it. I have no confidence in the WWE to do this right.

Sasha Banks is getting more focus, and wrestling fans will love that. She has not actually turned face. She is just being featured better. Some people have said that being a part of a stable has held her back. If the WWE wants to hold Sasha back, she doesn't need to be in a stable. Will her current push be about building her to be a star? Or will she be a supporting player in a storyline meant to eventually put over Becky Lynch? Or are both just there to put over Charlotte in the end? Is everything just filler until Nikki Bella returns or the WWE  finds her replacement as centerpiece?

I said I had no confidence in the WWE to develop a great elaborate storyline here. I have a feeling this is just more quantity over quality. This is the WWE just trying to feature a lot of divas and not being able to do it efficiently. Everyone remembers the 3-way stable war from last year. That was a mess. Even before Charlotte, Sasha Banks, and Becky Lynch debuted on that Raw, the WWE was building a 3-way feud. Naomi had turned heel on Paige and started feuding against The Bellas. The Bellas turned face for a while. When Paige returned, she didn't exactly act all friendly towards Nikki Bella. And adding more bodies just made things messier. You then had Paige turning on everyone and going solo. Natalya popped back up. Charlotte turned on Becky. Team Bella is still around, going from heel to face whenever the WWE decides it. The WWE just cannot push all these women well. It doesn't even feel like some women are being pushed. Natalya and Paige are just there. Their feud against Team Bella is filler.

What can the WWE do to clean things up? Either do a better job with these secondary feuds or push some of these women better in the periphery. The WWE has never really been good with secondary diva feuds. When you see two divas feuding with each other away from the main feud, it is usually just filler. None of those divas are going anywhere. One of them sometimes ends up being the next woman rotated into the primary feud. Natalya and Naomi had a feud last year. Naomi eventually went on to get that push I had just mentioned after AJ Lee retired. Nothing much from her since. Team B.A.D. could have gotten a good periphery angle by teaming them with New Day. Some might say that would be a waste of Sasha's wrestling talent. Getting over is more important that wrestling every night. Sasha Banks being over with smarks does not mean she has A-tier overness. Besides, an angle with New Day does not mean Sasha cannot eventually win the Diva's Championship.

Instead, Sasha is involved in a messy diva division. The WWE has a few divas on their hands that they might want to be pushing right now. How will they clean this picture up?

AJ Styles Makes Raw Debut

AJ Styles made his official Raw debut last night, one night after his Royal Rumble appearance. It was a win against Chris Jericho. Chris Jericho being the first guy to lose to AJ Styles was probably a safer bet than Triple H winning the Rumble.

Overall, I would say it was a lackluster debut for AJ Styles. I am not saying the match wasn't solid. But there is no big hype or angle with his debut. He just debuted at the Royal Rumble and is now just a member of the WWE roster.

The WWE cannot be dumb enough to think that their entire audience knows AJ Styles and got hyped over him just because of talk on the Internet. The commentators did a good job of putting Styles over, but the WWE cannot get lazy from the standpoint of how they actually push him. This guy is not a huge star. He is a talented wrestler that never got to work for a company that ever became a serious threat to the WWE. A lot of viewers will not care. You can say the WWE has The Rock and Brock Lesnar to draw in those fans, but is the WWE doing a good job creating the next generation of stars? AJ Styles only has a small window to be developed to be a star. He is no "kid" in the business anymore.

Let me look at AJ Styles himself from Raw. He obviously knows how to wrestle. But he needs to show more personality. I am sure it will eventually come. I remember when Paige debuted a few years ago. She seemed a little awkward at first. But she's definitely found her confidence since then. I am sure that happens to a lot of people. I would always be awkward when I started a new job. Once I got into the groove of things, I was fine. For AJ Styles, it really isn't about nervousness causing sloppy matches. He needs to show some charisma. I have seen some of his TNA stuff. I know he has a personality. A dry face role is not going to help him get over with the wider audience.

Let me go back to Jericho. Look back at his debut. That was a great debut. The WWE hyped up to it. He debuted by interrupting The Rock. He gave a great promo. He even refers to himself as a "charismatic showman" in that promo. He just looked like a guy ready to be a real star with that debut. I was not even a fan of Jericho at that time, but I can say in retrospect that it was a great debut. The WWE handled it well and Jericho handled his end very well.

Some people have said AJ Styles is not that great on the mic. Regardless, I think the WWE could have handled his debut much better. He needs some kind of real angle and purpose to make him stand out. Without that, he will flounder. If reports of AJ Styles being paid a lot by the WWE are true, they are not going to get the most out of their investment if they do not step it up with him.

This just reminds me of the diva revolution. Internet fans caused this uproar over the state of the diva division. That led to longer matches and eventually three NXT female wrestlers debuting on one night. And what followed was a flop. Match quality really did not improve that much. None of these women became very over through their work on the main roster. And it has even been irritating to some fans at times. Just because some fans were screaming for this on Twitter does not mean all the fans are equally as sold on it. The WWE had to have done more to make those meaningless matches back then mean more. It was more hype than substance. That is what I feel right now with AJ Styles. Just because wrestling fans and Internet fans are so excited about this guy does not mean he is already sold to the wider audience. The WWE has to put more work into him or he will flop.

Triple H Wins Royal Rumble 2016

Triple H won his second Royal Rumble last night. In the process, he won his 14th World Championship. It came down to him and Dean Ambrose, who had retained his Intercontinental Championship earlier in the night. Since Triple H was one of the likely candidates to win this match, this outcome is not shocking, even though he was not announced for the match prior to Sunday. People just saw it coming.

The feud they will be going with for Wrestlemania is obvious. Triple H and Roman Reigns have had issues for a while now. That branched into Vince McMahon specifically targeting Roman Reigns. His son-in-law is the man that takes the title off him. You can talk about the WWE being predictable, but would you want an obvious feud to sit right there and for them not to do it? The only other feud that was there for Roman Reigns was Brock Lesnar, and that one is not going to happen. Any other option would likely not have had the seeds already planted like Triple H vs. Roman Reigns.

I have seen some mixed reactions from fans about Triple H winning. It's 2016 and this guy is WWE Champion again? On the other side of that, there are fans glad that it was anyone but Roman Reigns. The WWE is going to use other top stars to work with Roman Reigns at Wrestlemania as they continue his centerpiece push. You are going to see him work with the likes of Triple H, John Cena, and Brock Lesnar. Cena is injured. Reigns worked with Lesnar last year and will likely do it again down the line. Triple H is the guy this year. If you dislike Triple H winning the title, just realize that it is mainly for the benefit of Roman Reigns in the end. Not much of a comfort for some fans.

How about Roman Reigns in the Royal Rumble? Something I brought up when previewing the Royal Rumble match last week was how the WWE might handle Roman Reigns during this long match. He wasn't the last guy tossed out of the ring, but he was just as close to being the last guy. How did he handle being in the match that long? Well, he didn't. They ran an injury angle to take him out for much of the match and had him return later. It is not surprising that they would take him out for a while.

I do not think they handled the situation right. I said that I might go the route of Reigns doing something like chasing after Vince to the back. It would still serve the same purpose, but it would be handled differently. This guy won over his haters last month by being violent and intense and attacking authority figures fans disliked. He's not the guy that overcomes odds. Reigns obviously has not solidified an A+ connection with the fans. And a trick like what the WWE pulled last night will not help. Casual fans might buy that Roman Reigns is a fighter for being taken out of the match and refusing to quit. But smarks are going to read it as a lame attempt to keep Roman Reigns fresh because he can't handle being out there for the entire match. I am not saying my way of doing it would have won fans over, but it would at least fit what first got him cheered by those that were against him. Luckily, he didn't actually win. If he had, this Royal Rumble might have been another mess, despite a certain someone making his WWE debut last night.

Previewing The 2016 Royal Rumble Match

The last two Royal Rumbles have been terrible. The Royal Rumble isn't supposed to be a popularity contest, but the WWE just made decisions that were definitely not popular with the vocal fans. And those vocal fans let the WWE hear it and definitely made things look bad.

Will that happen again this year? I do not think so. First of all, Daniel Bryan, the man many fans wanted to see possibly win the Rumble match in the last two years, has not been cleared to compete. I doubt fans will be going crazy in anticipation of him. Moreover, there is no one as hot as he was right now, so you don't have to worry about fans rebelling if that person gets tossed out to soon. You also have the fact that this is an intriguing Royal Rumble match this year with the WWE Championship on the line. With the odds so against Roman Reigns, who is still in the process of winning over his haters, it is likely he will lose. That should make angry smarks happy.

Moving on to the possible candidates to win the title, let's at least look at Roman Reigns to start out. He is the guy currently holding the title and he is the new centerpiece. But that does not mean he will retain here. He won the Royal Rumble just last year. It is unlikely he wins two in a row. He will also be the #1 entrant. The odds are just too against him. I have seen some fans groan that Reigns will retain. I think they are just being pessimistic. Austin and Cena, two other centerpieces, were put in certain situations where their back was to the wall and did not overcome. They would eventually usually still get the title back, and that is what you can expect with Reigns. He will lose the title and win it back at Wrestlemania as part of his first successful Wrestlemania moment as the centerpiece. And those groaning fans need to realize that Roman Reigns will still be the centerpiece regardless of who wins this Sunday.

Looking at the list of potential new WWE Champions, should the title change happen, Brock Lesnar has to be at the top. It isn't just because he is pushed as such a dominant guy. The WWE went with Reigns vs. Lesnar last year for Wrestlemania. That got spoiled and the WWE continued to work on Roman Reigns. They have since pulled the trigger on Reigns as the new top star. They would definitely want to revisit this feud now. The Rock beat John Cena at Wrestlemania in a match that was supposed to be once in a lifetime. The WWE ended up doing it again one year later. Cena won the rematch, which also happened to be for the WWE Championship that time around. I would not be surprised to see Roman Reigns overcome the beast he did not beat at Wrestlemania last year at this year's Wrestlemania, and get his title back in doing so.

There is Triple H. He is on no one's radar, officially. He is not in the Royal Rumble. The WWE has not teased that he will be in the match. And yet, it would not be shocking to see him get involved. Roman Reigns attacked him a few weeks ago and he has been out since. He will want revenge. Triple H being in the Royal Rumble would be a shocker many fans probably expected would happen. At the very least, you might see him run out and try to screw Reigns out of the match. The WWE would definitely want to have some kind of feud between Roman Reigns and Triple H. Whether that is for Fast Lane or Wrestlemania is the question.

How about The Wyatts? Specifically, Bray Wyatt. He has looked strong the week heading into the PPV. Is that just a red herring to get fans thinking he stands more of a chance than he does? Are they actually building up to Brock Lesnar vs. The Wyatts? Or is this just to make the group look strong heading into the match and have Lesnar have his revenge there by decimating them? I'm expecting the last option. History shows The Wyatts only look strong to usually put over someone else. When I said the WWE should push them better, I meant separate to the main angle going on. That is how you create creative depth. They deserve their own top angle. A feud with Ryback isn't it. Let's see what happens with them after Sunday, but I am not expecting Bray Wyatt to win the title. I also doubt his henchmen do it.

Let's look a little more at some unlikely possibilities. AJ Styles is looming. Many anticipate his debut to come after the Royal Rumble. If he should debut at the PPV, should he win the Royal Rumble? That would be a big way to debut. Not only does he win the Royal Rumble, he wins the WWE Championship. I do not think he is likely to start so high. There are too many other priorities, even with the injuries right now. Roman Reigns potentially could be feuding against either Brock Lesnar or Triple in the coming months, possibly both. And the title will be involved in that story. To just insert AJ Styles in that would ruin the potential storylines already there. AJ Styles is likely to get a feud against someone like Jericho.

The most unlikely possibility of all that fans would love to see is Daniel Bryan in this match. He may not be cleared by the WWE, but he thinks he's ready to go. Will the WWE have a change of heart and put him in this match? Will they go so far as to put the title on him and give him that Rumble win he's never had? I do not think that would be the end of Roman Reigns being pushed as the centerpiece, but it might go a long way in pleasing smarks. There is a lot to be said about this possibility, but why bother if it is not likely?

Consider how the match should play out. Specifically, if Roman Reigns is #1 and not likely to win, when should he be tossed out? Stamina in a match like this matters. If the WWE exposes Roman Reigns too much and he irritates fans with his performance, that can be a setback in his getting over. He got cheered by just destroying people. It is unlikely the WWE just has him beat everyone up the entire Rumble match. They can run some angle where he is out of the match unofficially for a good portion of it. For example, have him chase after Vince McMahon ten minutes into the match and not show up again until the final minutes. It would be a cheap trick, but something they might do if they want him in there that long. Or they can just have him eliminated in the middle of the match. Would it ruin the story? It might create suspense that the fans are guaranteed a new WWE Champion. Just as good.

One more thing I want to say about this whole situation. This is how The Authority should have been for years. Vince and Stephanie are just evil. They are out to screw Roman Reigns. That is their main focus. The Authority with Triple H and Stephanie has just not been a strong heel group. They would regularly play with tension within the group. Most of the time, it would not even go anywhere. If the WWE was writing the current storyline the same way they have in recent years, Vince and Stephanie probably would have started turning on each other last week. It is just inconsistent storytelling. It can be confusing to fans. Moving forward, Triple H and Stephanie should be that focused on screwing their face enemies or helping their heel allies.

Previewing Royal Rumble 2016 Undercard Title Matches

There was a title change at TLC last month. I feel like there will be another one at the Royal Rumble this year. And I don't mean just the WWE Championship. Every title is on the line this Sunday. I already talked about the Diva's Championship match. I will talk about the Rumble match, where the WWE Championship will be on the line, on Friday. How about those other titles?

The Usos get another shot at the tag titles. They were my pick to win the titles from New Day at TLC. That didn't happen. I will stick with them. New Day has held the tag titles for a long time now. It looked like Sin Cara and Kalisto would have gotten the push The Usos are getting. Sin Cara got injured. Kalisto recently ended up winning the United States Championship briefly. How likely is it that the original plan would have been for him to get his hands on the tag titles? Circumstances led to him getting a different push. If the WWE still feels it is time to get the titles off New Day, The Usos are right there.

Speaking of Kalisto and the United States Championship, he gets a rematch against Alberto Del Rio. Would the title really go from Alberto Del Rio to Kalisto to Alberto Del Rio to Kalisto in the span of a few weeks? You don't see that kind of booking often. I do not expect to see it here. If the WWE wants to groom Kalisto to be the new Rey Mysterio, like many fans believe, they need to treat him as a better priority than they have. It goes beyond title reigns. I will say Alberto Del Rio retains.

And then there's Dean Ambrose vs. Kevin Owens. Dean Ambrose was the one that ended up winning a title at TLC last month. He won the Intercontinental Championship. The fact that this match is "Last Man Standing" rules just makes it better. These two can go. This seems like the type of match that can bring out the best in them. As for the winner, I did not expect them to end the title run of Kevin Owens so soon. Will they end the title run of Dean Ambrose so soon? If you are a believer of the "momentum rule" of the WWE, the person looking good heading into a PPV usually ends up losing. Dean Ambrose has the momentum after what you will see happen on Smackdown. I do not feel the WWE follows that rule as much as they used to. Dean Ambrose should retain here.

Becky Lynch Vs. Charlotte For Royal Rumble 2016

Not surprisingly, the WWE is having a rematch between Becky Lynch and Charlotte for the Diva's Championship at the Royal Rumble. Tension started even while Charlotte was still feuding with Paige. Charlotte officially turned heel by turning on Becky. Ric Flair officially sided with his daughter as her manager. He was the one that agreed to the rematch on Raw this week. Will that be the start of the breakup of the father-daughter pairing? Let's see if the WWE is ready to go in that direction.

Who wins this Sunday? I have said before that the WWE should make this into an elaborate feud. That would mean extending it to Wrestlemania and letting Becky win there. It is not likely that the WWE would develop something great like that for the divas. Either way, Charlotte is my pick to win at the Royal Rumble.

What reason would the WWE have for giving Becky Lynch the title? Obviously, title reigns aren't always simply awards for a job well done. Some people win them because the company wants to build them to be stars. Some people win them so they can drop it off to the person being built to be a star. Some people win them more as a "placeholder" or filler role. If the WWE did decide to give Becky the title now, I think it would be just to drop it to a heel they eventually want to put over. Becky Lynch is not someone I believe they would groom as a star. But would that heel she would put over be Nikki Bella or Charlotte?

Another issue in the diva division recently was the lack of face divas. Becky Lynch was pretty much it. The WWE has some divas playing tweener roles. Natalya popped back up as a face on Raw this week. And Paige was with her, as a face. That is just dumb. Paige had taken Natalya out a few months ago. Paige had said harsh things about various divas. Do you want to make her look like a hated heel? Do you even know what you are doing? Sudden turns is a tactic the WWE has used in the diva division in recent years, so it is not surprising that they would do it here. Nevertheless, it is poor character development.

I have said, if the WWE wanted to run an elaborate storyline with Becky Lynch and Charlotte, Paige would be a supporting player to utilize. She was part of a group with them. Have her return as a heel. She would be a bit of a tweener in this role. She would be against both Becky Lynch, a face, and Charlotte, a heel. Have her criticize and put down both. But build the story so she gradually sides with Becky and eventually turns face like that. Do a face turn that actually makes sense. Not "Total Divas" sense. I am talking about kayfabe sense. That is character development that would also further a storyline heading towards Wrestlemania. Obviously, the WWE is doing nothing like that.

What Do You Do With The Wyatts?

The WWE is a game of priorities. Some wrestlers are treated as more of a priority than other wrestlers. To make things worse, the WWE does not give all their workers fair opportunities to earn being pushed as more of a priority. It is not unusual to see someone getting a great push that does not seem to be connecting well with the fans, while someone that seems to be connecting better with the fans is not pushed as a top priority.

There is not enough space to push a dozen full-time top priorities. It takes resources. They need quality segment time every week. Writers have to spend time thinking about what to do with them. Other workers will be developed to put them over. Some people will have to always eventually be depushed, but top priorities will consistently be featured at a high level. That is why there are so few of them. There is just not an unlimited amount of space and resources to push everyone at a high level.

The current situation in the WWE has been talked about a lot. There are a ton of injuries. It isn't just midcarders that are injured. Some of the WWE's top priorities are out. John Cena is out. Randy Orton is out. Daniel Bryan has not been cleared. Seth Rollins, a guy being groomed to be a top priority, is out.

Roman Reigns has been given the biggest push of his career. His run as the centerpiece has started. Outside of him, how many top priorities do you have being featured on a full-time basis? How many proper feuds do you even have going on? Dean Ambrose and Kevin Owens have their title feud. There is the diva feud between Becky Lynch and Charlotte. Outside of that, there are not a lot of strong feuds going on. Everything seems to be messy. Part of the problem is obviously injuries popping up. Outside of Roman Reigns, there feels like there is no top priority being pushed. You can usually accept this kind of thing leading up to the Royal Rumble, where everyone has their sights set on winning that, but this year feels worse than previous years.

What are they doing with The Wyatts? These guys are not A-tier players, even though Bray Wyatt has had some big feuds. Most of those feuds have been about using him to put over someone else. Outside of that, it is not unusual to see Bray Wyatt win a feud and get lost in the shuffle right after. That is what has happened once again. It seemed The Wyatts won their feud against Team ECW. But have they had any clear direction since? Could they have gotten a feud against Big Show? Are they back with The Dudleyz? Are they henchmen for Vince McMahon against Roman Reigns?

These are guys that should be made to be top priorities right now. Even if it is just until bigger stars return, this is a group that should be pushed better. It is wrong to just put so much of the main focus on Roman Reigns and weaker midcard title feuds. All it would take is one serious injury to Roman Reigns and the WWE is in serious trouble. That is an understatement. Bray Wyatt, despite never holding a title, has credibility. There is a gimmick there with great potential. This is a guy and this is a group that should be given top focus outside of the saga involving Roman Reigns and Vince McMahon.

How do you do it? There are plenty of guys without clear focus. The Wyatts do not need to go back to their feud against ECW. A feud against Big Show would not have been too horrible. Have Bray act like he actually accomplished something with his feuds against The Undertaker and Kane and is looking to take out another monster. Give Big Show a few partners, or even have him do this feud against the group by himself. Dolph Ziggler is also around. He would definitely need a team to feud with The Wyatts. Point is, the WWE can start something now, have it go through the Royal Rumble, and finish it at Fast Lane. If they are really able to create a big feud, they might take it all the way to Wrestlemania.

At a time when there are so many injuries and the WWE is very sloppy with the roster they do have, it might be a good idea to start pushing others at a high level. This is not a situation where they need an interim centerpiece. This is a situation where they need filler for the top spots around the centerpiece. There are not enough A players. They need better creative depth. And The Wyatts might be the answer until roster depth improves.

Alberto Del Rio Loses Title, Then Gets It Back

The United States Championship has gotten a lot of attention this week. Kalisto won the title from Alberto Del Rio on Raw. On Smackdown, Del Rio won the title back from Kalisto.

Looking at how some fans reacted after Kalisto won the title, I think they overreacted. They jumped to conclusions. They expected this to be the start of some big push for Kalisto. I didn't immediately jump in to give my thoughts on Kalisto's title win. Wait a while to see what direction the WWE is going. This is a company that has not been good with the midcard in a while. It is true that a lot of stars are out. I would say the WWE isn't using this as an opportunity to build new stars all across the board. Roman Reigns is obviously being developed as a new star. On the other side of that, there are just some people that are getting pushed that feel like filler. If the WWE wants someone as a star, they do not just dump a title in their lap. Kalisto was not being pushed too well until a few months ago. His partner, Sin Cara, got injured. Winning the United States Championship will likely be the highlight of his push. It turns out he held that title for even less time than Zack Ryder.

I have seen some fans suggest that Del Rio might just drop the title back to Kalisto. I see no point in that. It appears the WWE's plan was just to create some drama with a title change. Have the title even change hands on Smackdown. It is rare to see a title change on Smackdown. Del Rio is no stranger to winning a title on Smackdown. With the WWE switching networks for Smackdown, they have to start doing more exciting things to help their numbers. And they did just that. Title changes fall in that category.

Think back at some other short title reigns. Daniel Bryan had some short runs with the WWE Championship that fans were not satisfied with. Christian won the World's Heavyweight Championship and dropped it on a Smackdown to Randy Orton a few days later. That left a sour taste in the mouths of many fans. This booking decision by the WWE will likely not be criticized as harshly. I see some fans upset about it. Kalisto was not a veteran of the business or too popular, so I do not expect too much backlash. The whole situation was just meant to create some drama with some title changes. Nothing suggests that the WWE "screwed" Kalisto.

Too Many Injuries To Start 2016

Last month, the Raw before TLC ended with a big brawl between Roman Reigns and Sheamus. I said the WWE should be careful with things like that because of injuries. Some people might have thought I was just dumb for being so cautious. Maybe.

A few weeks later, John Cena was added to the list of performers currently having injury issues. He is a top star, so losing him has to hurt for Wrestlemania season. It even made me start feeling that the WWE should debut some new guys, like AJ Styles.

But the list just seems to keep growing. There seems to be new reports every week of some wrestler at least supposedly injured. You know the WWE is in trouble when they have to start pushing Heath Slater. I have seen people say that you could probably make a PPV card just with those wrestlers currently injured. I would go as far as to say that the PPV you make with those names will likely be a bigger draw than the PPV you can make with the healthy full-time performers the WWE currently has. Let me look at just some of these injuries.

The League of Nations is ravaged. Everyone knows Barrett has injury issues keeping him out of the ring, but at least he still shows up now and then to sell he is still with the group. There are now reports that Rusev is injured. Whatever it is, it has just been Alberto Del Rio and Sheamus in matches for the stable this week. This group just looks pathetic. Sheamus doesn't look like a great top heel. Vince McMahon is the only A+ heel in the company right now. All the other major heels are looking like his minion in his war against Roman Reigns. Would things be better if Seth Rollins was healthy? I would think so. He was not a solidified top star, but the WWE would probably feature him better than Sheamus. Even with a group, Sheamus does not look strong enough. It does not help when the members aren't all healthy.

Paige also has a minor concussion. She was already getting depushed anyway. She last wrestled at house shows at the end of December. She had not wrestled on Raw since November. I was on Twitter a while ago and saw someone asking why Paige has not been on Raw. I told him she has been getting filler and jobber pushes, like Mickie James. Next thing I know, Mickie James takes a shot at me because she thought I was insulting her. I'm not insulting her. I am just talking about how she was pushed. And that happened on my birthday. Not great getting burned by your favorite diva on your birthday. As for Paige, there is an obvious depush here, and not just because of injury. She lost more than she won during her big push a few months ago. Usually when you see that kind of thing, don't expect too much better when the push does end. Paige has been a credible jobber her entire career. There are no signs that is changing.

Regardless of her minor injury, the WWE could still do more with her. I said recently that the WWE can develop an elaborate storyline with Becky Lynch and Charlotte. One of the things that makes an elaborate stroyline what it is is the use of supporting players. These aren't just jobbers to give the two people pushed momentum. These are workers that actually add to the story. Paige has a history with Becky and Charlotte. She is someone that can be used in this story. If she's healthy enough to travel and talk about her injury in interviews, she is healthy enough to get involved. Of course, there is still plenty of time for that, if the WWE wants to build an elaborate storyline.

What should the WWE do with the injury issue they now face? First of all, I would say the problem is worse in the men's division than the women's division. Becky Lynch and Charlotte are the women being pushed. There are still many other women in the division to utilize. As for the men, the WWE is pushing men they would normally not push and bringing in more talent. They are doing what you would expect to fill up the gaps. Longer matches also mean more time is taken up and less performers have to be featured.

In terms of long-term solutions, I have seen some people suggest a brand split. I do not agree. A brand split is something you consider when you have a bunch of people on your roster and you cannot feature them properly. When your roster is limited, that is not the right situation for a brand split. A limited roster during a brand split was a problem in the diva division for a while. It created terrible depth issues. It is no surprise that they unified the titles when they did. There just were not enough credible challengers. And these same kind of issues can exist in the men's division. People talk about all the injuries in 2007 and how that influenced decisions the WWE made for the men's division back then. If they went back to a brand split now, they would only set themselves up for much worse than 2007.

Even with a brand split, these workers still have to go through a heavy schedule, including house shows. I know house shows are a major source of income for the WWE, but I would consider easing the schedule a bit. In many major sports, you usually get some kind of bye week or break, and that is in addition to the off-season. Some fans have suggested an off-season. The WWE will probably not go that far, but even giving it a rest for a week or two might mean so much. How about around the end of the year? For Christmas? Give the workers some time off. Run some "best of" specials during this time. It is funny how so many injuries would seem to happen in December at one time. Injuries around this time of year are just the worst. Or how about an "off-season" that consists of no house shows for a month but the WWE still does Raws and Smackdowns? The WWE should sacrifice a little bit of the money they make from live events for the sake of giving their stars a break and extending their years being active. If they do not, it can hurt the overall quality of the product, which will still end up costing them money.

Brock Lesnar's 2016 Return

Brock Lesnar returned to Raw this week. He wants the WWE Championship back. The title is currently held by Roman Reigns, a man Lesnar has faced before. Reigns is currently being put through hell by the McMahons. He had to face a legion of heels on Raw. That deteriorated into an assault. Out came Lesnar. He tossed around those heels, then turned his attention to Roman Reigns. One F5 later, it looks like Brock Lesnar will be one of the 29 men looking to win the WWE Championship in the Royal Rumble match.

Even before the title was put on the line in the Rumble match, you had to consider the WWE would want to do Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar again for Wrestlemania. And Brock Lesnar winning the Rumble seemed like a possible way to make it happen. Roman Reigns is the guy the WWE is grooming as their new centerpiece. If the fans weren't so negative towards him last year, he probably would have gotten a huge Wrestlemania moment by defeating Brock Lesnar to win his first WWE Championship. Would the WWE now put the belt back on Lesnar so Reigns can finally win it off him at Wrestlemania this year? Yeah, that is a likely possibility.

When Lesnar came out at the end of Raw, was anyone thinking he might take out the heels and actually stand tall with Reigns? Brock Lesnar is a mercenary. He just attacks anyone, regardless of whether they are face or heel. Nevertheless, the WWE could have gone that direction. Why? How about to take some of the weight off the shoulders of Roman Reigns. It really looks like it is Roman Reigns going against the world. He has his little buddy, Dean Ambrose, around, but that isn't enough. Bring up another adversary for The Authority to deal with that actually has some strong credibility. Making it seem like the odds are too against Roman Reigns might sour fans on him. He hasn't exactly solidified an A+ connection with the fans. He is not really close to that. He would still get a rub from it looking like Lesnar respects him, but the feud would not look so one-sided. I think that is more important. Roman Reigns got that great reaction in recent weeks because he went out there and attacked authority figures fans did not like. He did not do it because he overcame "insurmountable" odds, like John Cena. Don't start giving him the character Cena has. Reigns will be ruined. 

Making Charlotte Vs. Becky Lynch More Elaborate

Before I go into what I do want to talk about, a little aside. I compared the angle between Ric Flair and Charlotte to what you had between Santino and Beth Phoenix. I said that the angle ended up benefiting the man more than the diva, and that is something to look out for currently. Let me just bring up an example that is a little more recent. A few years ago, the WWE paired Paul Heyman with Cesaro. Many fans have pointed out that the pairing looked like it was more of an opportunity to give Heyman a stage to still promote Brock Lesnar beating The Undertaker at Wrestlemania than an opportunity for Cesaro to be pushed better. The WWE certainly did not book him as an A-tier player. A depush also followed. Could Ric Flair coming out with Charlotte be more of an opportunity for him to still be featured? Does the WWE want to feature the legendary Ric Flair for Wrestlemania season? There are examples out there where the WWE features someone better in a pairing that you would expect does not need the focus as much as the other person. So far, I do not see enough to convince me the WWE wants this to be more about Ric Flair or his daughter. Let's see if they even know what they want.

Onto Charlotte vs. Becky Lynch. Charlotte, not surprisingly, retained her title on Smackdown last week against her former friend. I think the ending was a little flat. Charlotte cheated to win. She's obviously heel. But I think the WWE could have used this match to really punch in a strong heel character. Have her cut a harsh promo on Becky. Have her really beat Becky down. Add some real fuel to the fire to build up to an even bigger match at the Royal Rumble. There is still time to build up to something, but I think they could have done more with that match on Smackdown.

How about this feud goes even beyond the Royal Rumble? How about taking it all the way to Wrestlemania? I didn't think about it until recently, but this can be a really great feud, if handled right. These two were friends. They were in NXT together. They debuted on the same night to team with Paige. Even after Paige turned on them, they stayed together. Next thing you know, Charlotte turns on her friend. There is definitely a story there and some emotion. Throw in Ric Flair and you have something that just might be worthy of Wrestlemania.

A lot of betrayal storylines for the divas in recent years have just been horrible. The feud between AJ Lee and Paige was just sloppy and hard to buy into. The WWE was even inconsistent with Paige turning on Becky Lynch and Charlotte. This storyline right now is better. It is more linear. They developed to Charlotte turning, but they didn't pull the trigger and go back like they didn't like they have in certain other angles similar to this. Could they have done even more to sell the friendship between Charlotte and Becky Lynch? Of course, but the relationship there is at least easier to buy into than the whole "frenemies" thing.

How do you make this feud elaborate? Extending it to Wrestlemania is only part of it. The WWE needs more big segments. It has to go beyond just wrestling. That is one of the reasons I think the WWE could have done more with that title match on Smackdown. Or they can save it for the Royal Rumble. They also need to make good use of supporting players. Ric Flair is obviously involved. They have used some other divas here and there, but more can be done with them.

One thing the WWE could do is having someone else, like Sasha Banks, get a title shot at Fast Lane. That doesn't mean Becky Lynch gets buried while that feud happens. Keep her in the story. I would suggest a triple-threat match, but they probably should not give Becky Lynch too many title shots. Make it look like Charlotte is a top heel diva by being the first to defeat Sasha Banks.

I have seen many fans thinking the WWE will do Sasha Banks vs. Charlotte for Wrestlemania. I do not see how that is worthy for the big PPV. Sasha Banks has her undefeated streak on the main roster, but she is not pushed as dominant. By the time the WWE does move on to that feud, there would not be much time to develop it to be worthy of Wrestlemania. Meanwhile, the feud they have between Charlotte and Becky Lynch right now does have the potential and the WWE can continue to build on that.

The outcome at Wrestlemania would be obvious. Months after her friend turned on her and screwed her out of the title, Becky Lynch overcomes Charlotte and her legendary father to win the Diva's Championship. It would be a great Wrestlemania moment for Becky.

Of course, the WWE is not likely to do this. This is just me playing creative writer. Ever since Trish Stratus retired, the WWE has pushed quantity over quality for Wrestlemania. You have tag matches, battle royals, lumberjills, celebrities getting involved, and even some Wrestlemanias where it seems Santino gets more focus than the women. Why would this year be different? Because Ric Flair is there? We'll see if that matters, but the WWE obviously should not make the Wrestlamania diva angle too much about him. Ideally, he should just be an obstacle for a diva to overcome in taking the title from Charlotte. This would just be a great situation to stop this decade of mediocrity at Wrestlemania.

Trish Stratus vs. Mickie James was the last great Wrestlemania diva feud. Many still consider that match the greatest women's match at Wrestlemania. And this was an elaborate diva storyline. I do not know if the WWE can build Charlotte/Becky to be as good, but I think there is potential to make something great. Trish/Mickie never even got a proper finish due to Trish getting injured and soon retiring after that. It is possible to surpass that storyline. But the WWE actually has to follow through.

John Cena Injured & AJ Styles Incoming

I was originally going to talk about AJ Styles coming to the WWE today. News of John Cena getting injured then broke out. Not only is that arguably bigger news, but it has an impact on my opinion of AJ Styles coming to the WWE. That is why I'll be talking about both subjects today.

First, Cena's injury. Cena had just returned after a hiatus. He was not yet involved in anything too major, but the WWE would obviously want him around for Wrestlemania season. The WWE has obviously began pushing Roman Reigns as the new centerpiece, but John Cena is still one of the WWE's top guys. And there is a shortage of top guys right now. Randy Orton is out. Seth Rollins is out. The WWE is hesitant with Daniel Bryan. Is this another Wrestlemania season where the WWE will have to lean heavily on their top-tier part-timers, The Rock and Undertaker and Brock Lesnar?

What does this mean for Wrestlemania? I have seen the rumors about Cena taking on The Undertaker. I wasn't even ready to pencil that in to talk about it. The WWE has been very volatile recently. Part of it is obviously injuries ruining plans. Seth Rollins getting injured while holding the WWE Championship was the biggest injury of the last few months. Another thing that you sometimes see lead to the WWE changing plans is fan reactions. Roman Reigns seemingly winning over his haters recently seemed to motivate the WWE to change some things. When you put it all together, I would have waited to see how things played out. It doesn't matter too much what matches are suggested. What really matters are the matches they end up doing. There are plenty of part-timers and regulars still available to still build some great feuds.

How will Cena being out impact ratings? Ratings were not booming back up even with Cena back. They are not going to jump back up to over 4 million viewers and a 3.0 in the ratings just because football season ended. Raw got a 2.49 this week. That is around the same area as the week before. I know some people were expecting some kind of 10% increase. Numbers were disappointing. Considering January 2015 was disappointing, as well as the rest of the year, you really count not expect too much for the start of 2016. The WWE is in such a bad position, it seems no one man can really save them.

Onto AJ Styles. As I said, Cena getting injured changes what I originally had planned to say about AJ Styles and a few others coming to the WWE. Let me start by still saying what I had originally had planned.

I have said many times that the WWE needs to slow down with signing so many people. They are not doing a good job with the workers they have and many of these new guys they sign or are bringing back end up not being used right, either. They need to improve the quality of the product. Trying to create hype with all these signings, returns, repacking workers with new gimmicks, and other things like that is just not working. The only exception are those workers that really stand to energize the product and draw for you. The WWE can obviously use some of that.

AJ Styles does not fall into that category. I am not saying he isn't talented. I have said before that this is the guy TNA should have developed as their centerpiece. They never did. I don't care what he did in Japan. He doesn't have the star power to actually be a big boost for the struggling WWE main product. He will get a huge ovation from smarks, but the general audience will not care that much. Gail Kim made a big name for herself in TNA during her first run. The WWE brought her back. Her overness didn't carry over. Tensai/Albert made a name for himself in Japan. His return to the WWE was a flop. I am not saying AJ Styles will connect with the fans as poorly as that, but he is not someone that will draw for the WWE. He appeals to wrestling fans, fans already watching consistently for the sake of guys like Kevin Owens and Dean Ambrose. If he had developed some actual star power in TNA, it would be different.

And then Cena got injured. It isn't just him. There are a lot of men injured. The WWE has to be worried about any kind of injury for the few full-time top stars they have left. You also have to keep in mind that they like to make Wrestlemania a spectacle these days. It doesn't last just three hours. How will they fill all that time? Long matches and a lot of segments? Some people say Wrestlemania will still sell out. That is not the only issue. How about events in the months leading up to Wrestlemania? How about ratings? How about keeping fans interested even after Wrestlemania?

Because of the precarious position the WWE is in, I think bringing in AJ Styles, and the other names from Japan, is a good decision. They might be able to create something fresh very easily here. The WWE has not shown they are great with giving all their workers fair opportunities, and AJ Styles is unlikely to challenge Roman Reigns for his top spot, but the WWE has to be able to utilize AJ's potential better than TNA did. He might be able to develop some legitimate star power. The WWE cannot only treat him as some B+ player that is only good for appealing to wrestling fans. At the same time, they cannot foolishly buy into smarks getting excited and think this guy is more over than he really is. He will not save the WWE, but he can help the thinning roster.

Roman Reigns Vs. The World At Royal Rumble 2016

Roman Reigns found a way to overcome the odds on Raw this week. But Vince McMahon had another trick up his sleeve. Roman Reigns must now defend the WWE Championship at the Royal Rumble. And he'll be defending against 29 other men in the Royal Rumble match.

Even John Cena has never been put in this position. These are some huge odds to overcome. And I do not think Roman Reigns will be overcoming them. It is not just because he just won the Royal Rumble last year. This is about building to a bigger feud for Wrestlemania. Roman Reigns will lose the title at the Royal Rumble, have to run through some obstacles in the weeks after, and regain it at Wrestlemania.

Some fans might be hesitant to buy into this scenario. Why would they have him drop the title so soon? His first reign lasted a few minutes. His second one is now only going to last a few weeks? As the centerpiece, Roman Reigns will get a lot of title reigns sent his way. I have seen fans say that Triple H, John Cena, and Trish Stratus had a stranglehold on the main titles available to them. That is what it means to be pushed as the centerpiece. The company wants to push certain individuals more often in the title scene than others. It isn't really so much about backstage politics. But something else that also matters is Wrestlemania moments. Reigns was on his way to getting that last year, when he could have beaten Brock Lesnar for the WWE Championship at Wrestlemania, but the WWE went in a different direction. Reigns climbing back up to the top at Wrestlemania this year is a story the WWE might very well like to tell. And if you are looking for a title reign that will last a few months for Roman Reigns, it might start there. Triple H, John Cena, and Trish Stratus all had at least one title reign that lasted at least close to a year. Numerous title reigns. Lengthy title reigns. Wrestlemania moments. As long as Roman Reigns is the centerpiece, these are the kind of things that will come his way.

Overall, I like the decision to have the Royal Rumble match be for the title this year. That shakes things up. That makes things more interesting. I will not speculate now on the winner, but it does feel likely that there will be a title change. Who wins? Brock Lesnar? John Cena? Triple H? You can imagine the WWE thinking about Roman Reigns going against any of those guys as worthy of Wrestlemania. And Reigns will get a big rub from beating any of those three for the title at Wrestlemania. You also have to consider scenarios of how Vince McMahon might try to screw Reigns to make sure he loses. What obstacles will Reigns have to face leading up to Wrestlemania. The WWE has the potential to do things that might actually draw for them in the coming weeks and months.

State Of The WWE Diva Division: January 2016

Has the diva division gotten worse than a year ago? It certainly has not improved. One major problem is that there are really no stars in the diva division right now. AJ Lee, who did not have the perfect connection with the fans, left in 2015. Nikki Bella, the diva that looked like the new centerpiece of the diva division, has been out for months due to serious injury issues. Lana, who looked like she would be the best eye-candy periphery diva in years, is not featured as well as she was when she got over. The WWE never got where they should with any of these women, and then issues happened to mess things up further.

What does the WWE have to work with now? They are running with Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte. I have seen some people confused by how they have been pushing Charlotte in the last few months. It is a prolonged heel turn. Call it pushing her as a tweener. They did this same kind of thing for Michelle McCool. Handling a heel turn like this is better than some heel turns I have seen in the diva division in recent years. I have seen a diva do something that just made it clear that she had turned on her face pals, then the WWE backtracks on the heel turn, and then they pull the trigger again. The development of this turn has better than what I have seen in recent years.

That is probably the only good thing I can say about it. Problems? First, is Becky Lynch going to be your only face featured on a regular basis in the diva division? Everyone else will end up being heels. Even with the grey area the WWE pushes in the diva division these days, having some heels play tweeners and feud against other heels, this whole situation is just not going to work. Will they turn Paige back to being a face? Will they use Natalya better? Time to turn Sasha Banks face? I doubt Bayley will debut anytime soon. Regardless of what the WWE does, they have created a messy roster.

How would this strategy the WWE is now using have worked at another time when roster depth was a problem? I am thinking back to when Mickie James was the only face credible jobber in some situations. The WWE ended up pushing her more than they would have liked, especially with centerpieces not working out left and right. Difference is, there are more women with wrestling credibility in the division these days than there were back then. The roster split is one reason why you had this issue back then. And the WWE was not as comfortable pushing eye-candy divas as credible jobbers as they are now. The diva roster on Smackdown was even more horrible for a while in 2008 and early 2009. This strategy actually makes better sense now than it would have back then. There are plenty of women with at least decent wrestling ability and there is no roster split to limit possibilities.

Back to issues with the current diva feud. One reason why fans might have been confused by what the WWE was doing with Charlotte is that they started building her heel turn while she was still feuding with Paige. The WWE had Paige say things that caused a bit of controversy. Definitely heelish statements. You would think that would make fans sympathetic towards Charlotte and want to see her crush Paige. Before that feud can be ended, the WWE starts having Charlotte act like a heel. How are fans supposed to feel about Charlotte? In terms of her character, it is hard to now feel sympathetic towards her. In terms of Charlotte as a performer, she is not great enough to get over through her talents alone. She needs booking to go her way.

And she has her legendary father to help her. That is an unfair advantage. There are two directions the WWE can go with Ric Flair being involved in this.

First, I am thinking back once again to the diva division in 2008 and early 2009. Raw had Santino Marella and Beth Phoenix as a couple. And yet, the whole thing felt like it was more about giving Santino a storyline to do his comedy act. Beth Phoenix did not really benefit from working with Santino. She got lost in the shuffle again soon after that angle. She was always a credible jobber. This was back when Candice Michelle was flopping as the centerpiece. What better time to let Santino run wild?

At a time when the diva division lacks real stars, Ric Flair might be biggest star involved in the division. Is the WWE just using the situation to feature Ric Flair? Is giving Charlotte a rub and building her to be a star not the real priority? I have seen some fans loving Ric Flair in this storyline. Flair is one of the greats. The greats in pro wrestling usually find a way to stand out. Regardless, is it fair to the diva division to have him involved?

The other possibility here is that Ric Flair really is here to give his daughter a rub. The WWE has never built a star in the diva division through regular diva feuds. Stars are made in the periphery. Chyna got over from angles alongside men. Lita got over from angles alongside men. That is where AJ Lee got her big push. Trish Stratus got rubs in the men's division prior to being pushed as the centerpiece. You have your other eye-candy periphery divas. The angle with Charlotte and Ric Flair is not your typical periphery angle. It is still another instance of a man being used to get a woman over, if the WWE is aiming for that.

I would not put too much effort into Charlotte. She reminds me of Michelle McCool. McCool did not fail as centerpiece because she regressed in her wrestling ability or injuries ruined her. She is the second longest-lasting centerpiece the diva division has ever had, behind Trish Stratus. She just could not get over. And the WWE was just overbearing with how they pushed her. I said that the heel turn Charlotte is getting reminds me of what the WWE did with Michelle McCool. They also look similar. I would say McCool was hotter. They are both solid in the ring, just not amazing enough to get over through that alone. In terms of charisma, I would give Charlotte the edge. Even then, she is just not great enough to get over. If she cannot get over as a face, as a heel, and even with her legendary dad helping her, she does not deserve a million more chances.

One of the main reasons the Charlotte is even getting the focus she is now is most likely Nikki Bella not being around. When the centerpiece is not around, that is when the WWE will either push filler or start building new stars. The first dark age led to the rise of Trish and Lita. The WWE started developing both AJ Lee and Eve Torres at a time when it looked like they were moving away from Kelly Kelly. AJ Lee, even though I do not consider her being pushed as the centerpiece during her years with the title, took a break in 2014. The WWE wasted no time in starting to push The Bellas better, in the periphery. If Nikki Bella was not seriously injured, the WWE would likely just treat her hiatus as a time to feature filler. A more serious injury would lead to them thinking about developing a new star. The diva division would definitely look different if Nikki Bella was around.

The rest of Team Bella are lost in the shuffle. The WWE should consider pushing Brie Bella better.  Or are they worried about fans associating Brie with Daniel Bryan? Even if Brie Bella is not amazing in the ring, she has to have some value in the periphery.

Sasha Banks and her two pals are only in a slightly better position than Brie and Alicia Fox. Sasha Banks has her win streak. It is pointless. I already talked about her matches on Raw not living up to the high expectations many had for her. If the WWE ever does decide to move away from Charlotte, give the spotlight to Sasha Banks for a while.

How about Paige? When she debuted a few years ago, I felt she had potential to do what Mickie James did. The WWE definitely has been pushing her the same way they did Mickie James, as a credible jobber. Paige just has not broken out. She is over, just not over enough. Her push is also over. Becky Lynch has been rotated into the spot Paige held. Because depth in the diva division is better than it was when Mickie James was there, and combined with the WWE's strategy of pushing tweeners and constant turns, Paige does not have to be pushed again for a very long time, unless the WWE has a change of heart. If they do not, expect mediocrity or nothing at all.

Becky Lynch is the credible jobber currently getting pushed. She will get a title shot on Smackdown. Good of the WWE to have some title matches on the first Smackdown of the year. This should be the match where Charlotte cements her heel turn. There will likely be a rematch at the Royal Rumble. Becky Lynch is someone else I would like to see pushed better than this. I do not feel she has the potential to overcome being pushed as a credible jobber to get very over. She might prove me wrong.

Lastly, how about the diva revolution? I would say the reaction that match between Sasha Banks and Becky Lynch on Raw last month got shows the direction it is going. The WWE really should just phase out talking about it. Give the divas a respectable amount of time to work. Just do not give them more time than they need. That is not a shot at the women. Even some men have matches that seem to last too long. The whole thing was a mess. It was more hype than substance. Have the fans on Twitter learned their lesson? The next time the WWE has a Raw diva match last under a minute, will there be another protest? I hope not.

2015 Ratings Review

2015 has not been a good year when it comes to ratings. In some cases, there will be changes in 2016. For the better? I get my numbers from here and here.

Let me start with TNA. They did not even last a full year on Destination America. But they are not dead. They will be moving to Pop, another network I had never heard of that it turns out I do have. TNA didn't get anywhere near a million viewers for any episode of Impact last year. Will a switch to Tuesdays help them? I do not expect them to do too much worse on their new network. They just have to promote themselves properly and bring in some more star power. They are not very good at creating stars, so they definitely need to bring people in to help draw for them and give a rub to people they do try to build to be stars.

Moving on to the WWE, Smackdown is also changing networks. It is moving to USA. It will remain on Thursdays, which means it will still be taped. That will always hurt numbers. And numbers were terrible in 2015. Smackdown averaged 1.7. That is down from 1.89 from the previous year. You can just look at how the WWE has handled Smackdown in 2015 and see the problem. Rarely do important things happen on Smackdown. Moreover, the main event for Smackdown often just features a rotation of midcarders. If the WWE was actually building these guys to be stars or it was helping them to get more over and become draws, there would be no problem with handling the show like this. The way the WWE handles Smackdown does not really seem to be helping anyone. And it shows in the ratings. The show even dropped below 2 million viewers twice in 2015. Even if you want to put the blame on holidays and football, which will still be an issue in 2016, the WWE cannot like seeing their second most important show dropping like this.

How has the WWE's #1 show done in 2015? It averaged a 2.64 for the year. It averaged 2.95 the year prior. That is a pretty terrible drop. Football season obviously ravaged the WWE, but part of the problem was that there was no real spike during the weeks leading up to Wrestlemania. They may have gotten over 5 million viewers for the Raw after Wrestlemania, but that would not be enough to balance out the rest of the year. And there was no real big summer angle after all that to draw a big number. The Undertaker coming back for a few matches after his usual Wrestlemania appearance was nice, but it didn't do too much.

How do I think Raw will do in 2016? Last year around this time of year, the WWE was playing with pretty much their full deck, having their regular stars available and their part-timers. That still led to mediocre numbers for Wrestlemania season. I do not think the roster has improved that much, even if Vince McMahon is more active now. The angle he is involved in does have potential to draw, but you have to worry if some fans won't bother tuning in because they have seen this story before. Many people have compared this current angle between Vince and Roman Reigns to Austin vs. Vince. How the WWE does in January could tell the story of how they do for the rest of the year. A mediocre start last year in January led to a terrible finish. I doubt the WWE can get back to over 3.0 so fast, even with football season over. Nevertheless, this will be an important month to keep your eye on from a ratings standpoint and I will probably talk about January ratings again.

2015 Ends Poorly For One Couple

I did not have much faith in how the WWE would handle Tyler Breeze and Summer Rae, but even I did not expect it to end as mediocre as it has. Tyler Breeze got a win against Goldust on Smackdown this week. That was followed by Summer Rae and Tyler Breeze just announcing that they were done. That's it. That's all.

I will say that it is a little refreshing to have some kind of breakup that doesn't end with hostilities. You rarely see that. Cody Rhodes and Damien Sandow were a team. They broke up amicably. They then got back together soon after and their second breakup led to a feud. Will that kind of thing happen with Summer Rae and Tyler Breeze? Time will tell. As of right now, it feels somewhat refreshing.

Of course, it also feels like the WWE dropped the ball. It feels pointless. Summer Rae and Tyler Breeze never got to really do much together. This whole thing feels like it could have been handled much better. Is that segment they had on Smackdown meant to lead to another storyline? Or was it just meant to kill the angle?

Assuming the worst, what does this mean for Tyler Breeze? It was obvious this guy would not go too far. His gimmick does not necessarily require a diva, but how likely is it that he continues his fall now? I will not even run through the roster to suggest another diva to pair with him. Not a lot of options that would fit. I do not think this is a big loss, however. There are plenty of men on the roster. More guys will be debuting from NXT this year. Did Tyler Breeze get a real shot to succeed? Not really. But the men's division is full with guys that deserve to be pushed well and that number will only increase when guys return from injuries and new workers debut.

Not surprisingly, I think this is a bigger loss for Summer Rae. I have said for a while that she has never been pushed properly. They have just moved her from one periphery angle to another. There are less women in the company than men. Moreover, there are fewer women really connecting well with fans as you have men connecting with fans. One of the reasons for that is inconsistency. How many divas right now have been pushed consistently well? Nikki Bella is out with an injury. Lana came back from one a few weeks ago. The WWE has been inconsistent with Paige. I can run through the entire division, but the issue is not being able to be consistent with how any of these women are being pushed. Fans just cannot connect with any of these women. All of the blame cannot go to the WWE. They do not injure their divas. But they have to do better with those divas that are regularly there. I still do not believe Summer Rae is as great a periphery diva as Lana, but if they just stuck with Summer Rae with a meaningful angle, she might actually get a proper connection with the fans and get over. The diva division can benefit from someone getting really over.