Dean Ambrose Gets Brock Lesnar

Prior to the Royal Rumble this year, the WWE had Bray Wyatt look strong against Brock Lesnar. It seemed a feud might be likely for the two of them for Wrestlemania. Since then, Brock Lesnar was a part of a feud with Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose to find out the challenger for Triple H's WWE Championship at Wrestlemania. Roman Reigns was the favorite to win that match. He did. But many fans were starting to warm up to the idea of Brock Lesnar vs. Dean Ambrose. And it looks like they will get their wish. These two will be going at it for Wrestlemania.

I think this is the better feud for Wrestlemania. They started it in an interesting way last week before Raw even started. There was that assault on Ambrose by Lesnar. Can the scrappy Dean Ambrose conquer the unstoppable Lesnar? It just seems like a better story than you could have gotten with Lesnar and Bray Wyatt. Nothing too complicated. Easy for the audience to get behind. Can still lead to some big segments, like what they had last week.

What about Bray Wyatt? Is he left out in the cold? There aren't many great opponents around, especially with all the injuries. He has gotten to feud with John Cena and The Undertaker at Wrestlemania these last two years, putting over both. This will be the first year in which he does not have a big opponent. Will this be the year he finally gets a win?

Sasha Vs. Becky For A Shot At Charlotte

Charlotte got through Brie Bella. Sasha Banks and Becky Lynch have handled Naomi and Tamina. Time to build to Wrestlemania. Is this the first time the Diva's Championship will be defended in a singles match at the big event? It looks like it might come down to either Sasha or Becky.

Ideally, it will be both of them heading to Wrestlemania to face Charlotte for the title. It wouldn't be that hard to do. Just have Naomi and Tamina interfere in the #1 contender's match. They are still involved, as seen this week. Or have Charlotte be the one that interferes in the match, thinking that screwing up the match means she doesn't have to defend the title at Wrestlemania, only to then learn she will have to defend the title against both. That kind of thing has happened before.

If I had to choose only one of the two divas to get the title shot, I would not be able to. It is not so much a matter of favoritism or deciding which of the two is more talented. Which feud would tell the best story? Neither Sasha Banks vs. Charlotte nor Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte would be that amazing to be worthy of Wrestlemania. I am not talking about the match that will happen at the big event. I am talking about the story and the build. Becky vs. Charlotte had potential to be big, but the WWE has killed the emotion that was there. Sasha Banks has her win streak, so title vs. streak might be appealing, but that personal feel isn't there for a feud against Charlotte. How would you be able to fill all those weeks until Wrestlemania? The best option really is to keep both Sasha and Becky in there for a triple-threat match at Wrestlemania.

Let me do a little aside on Raw's ratings. Raw did pretty good this week. It got 3,884,000 viewers. The reason why I would not say it did amazing is because they have done better this Wrestlemania season. The Raw after the Royal Rumble did 4,098,000 viewers. I know the Royal Rumble is a bigger deal than Fastlane and that Raw featured an appearance from The Rock, but what happened on Raw this week had more of a big impact on storylines than The Rock's appearance. Short of Donald Trump coming back, what will it take to get ratings back up to at least a 3.0? If this week's Raw did a good job of generating hype, it will show in next week's numbers. If the WWE cannot at least maintain solid numbers, they are pretty much screwed. If a huge angle like what happened on Raw this week can't turn things around, they need to seriously overhaul things.

Roman Reigns Takes A Huge Step Back

At TLC a few months ago, Roman Reigns was screwed out of regaining the WWE Championship. But what happened after seemed to matter more for his success. He went on a rampage. One of the guys he attacked, and destroyed, was Triple H. And that got a great reaction from the fans. These weren't fans that were already cheering Roman Reigns. These were fans that were negative towards him. Roman Reigns seemed to win over his haters. The WWE wasted no time in getting the title back on Reigns. It seemed like things might start working out the way the WWE wanted.

Not so fast. Triple H, the very man Roman Reigns attacked and got cheered for attacking, returned to win the WWE Championship. And he got cheered for it. You cannot consider that a one-night fluke. On Raw this week, Triple H was the one that destroyed Roman Reigns. Once again, he got cheered for it. The heel is getting cheered over the face. The man being used to put over the centerpiece is getting cheered over the centerpiece.

This is an example of why you cannot jump to the conclusion that someone has A+ overness just because of the reaction he got one night. Roman Reigns is being pushed to be an A+ player and seemed to get a great reaction for a while, but that was not enough. He did not really solidify his connection with the fans.

Part of the blame has to go to the WWE. They knew what got Roman Reigns cheered. It was being aggressive and attacking a heel authority figure. Even though some fans are cheering Triple H now, he still gets booed now and then for being a part of The Authority. Even after TLC, they kept that aggression going for a while, but it obviously would not last forever. Roman Reigns was going to get booed at the Royal Rumble anyway, but how they handled him there was not smart. I felt that they would have him be absent from the match for a while. They did. I felt they should come up with some reason that makes him look aggressive. They didn't. They ran an injury angle. And he ran back out later in the match. There are a lot of wrestlers that can do this kind of thing and get cheered for it, like Dean Ambrose. Roman Reigns isn't Dean Ambrose.

The WWE obviously has a story to develop. They cannot have Roman Reigns just destroy Triple H and every obstacle The Authority puts in front of him every week. It is not even surprising that the WWE would have Triple H destroy Roman Reigns like he did, payback from TLC. That kind of thing happens a lot. But it would seem the WWE needs to protect Roman Reigns more than they are. Once he truly solidifies A+ overness, if he ever does, then he can be pushed like he is now.

Shane McMahon Returns

I have said for a while that the WWE needed to create more big storylines. They weren't doing it with Bray Wyatt. They weren't doing it with AJ Styles. They finally did something big last night on Raw.

Shane McMahon returned to Raw to confront his father and sister. He is a face. He brought up the issues the WWE is facing. And he now wants to run Raw. Vince McMahon is giving him that opportunity. All Shane has to do is defeat The Undertaker at Wrestlemania. To make it even more interesting, it will be inside Hell in a Cell.

This is obviously not a match fans expected to see for The Undertaker in the final years of his career. But it is part of a huge storyline. You might also scratch your head at the willingness of The Undertaker, a face, to do the dirty work of Vince McMahon, a heel. We'll just have to see how that plays out. With such a thin roster, Taker might have ended up continuing his feud with The Wyatts. That would just have been dull.

People have said that The Authority is stale. They get blamed for low ratings. Will a change really help things? There are other issues, like the thin roster and sloppy storylines. But it might be refreshing for something different to happen.

This felt like the first big Raw in a long while. It started out in a big way. It will be interesting to see how ratings do for last night and next week. Raw will probably not jump back up to a 4.0, but you would expect it to do very good. If not, the WWE really has no easy answers left. What stunt can they come up with to help their numbers? The only answer is to push talent better and come up with more intriguing storylines for them. Part-timers aren't carrying the WWE to new heights.

The Wyatts Lose At Fastlane 2016

No title changes at Fastlane last night. The main event didn't feature any swerves. Nothing too exciting happened at all. What I want to talk about is a match I did not preview last week, The Wyatts vs. Big Show, Kane, and Ryback. If the heels had won, there would be nothing to talk about. They lost.

I have said before that the WWE should push The Wyatts better now that many top stars are out and they do not have many great top feuds going. Having them lose to three jobbers to the stars isn't going to do it. The feud wasn't that amazing to start with, but the heels should have won and gone on to something better. They did not get involved with Lesnar later in the night. Bray Wyatt didn't job, but this booking still slows down the group's momentum. Are they building these guys up for something big at Wrestlemania? Recent booking might not suggest that.

Think back a few months to when The Wyatts feuded against four guys from ECW. The Wyatts won that feud and The Dudleys soon became jobbers. The faces winning there might have been a nice gesture. The Dudleys have not won a feud since coming back. Would that loss have ruined the group's momentum? I do not think it would have been worse than the needless loss they took last night. The Dudleys were fresher. Let's just see how the WWE follows up.

Previewing The Fastlane 2016 Main Event

For the second year in a row, the WWE Championship will not be on the line at Fastlane. Instead, once again, the main event will decide the #1 contender for the title at Wrestlemania. Roman Reigns was in this same position last year and won, defeating Daniel Bryan. This time, it is a triple-threat match with Dean Ambrose and Brock Lesnar also involved. Who wins? I'll go from least likely to most likely.

How often is Brock Lesnar the least likely to win anything? And yet, he seems to be in this situation. The story just doesn't fit him winning. Moreover, there are seeds there for him to face The Wyatts. Many fans have gotten excited over the interactions between Lesnar and Dean Ambrose in recent weeks. The WWE might decide to continue that as a singles feud for Wrestlemania. Last thing to keep in mind, Triple H and Brock Lesnar already faced each other at Wrestlemania a few years ago. No match is necessarily once in a lifetime, even those promoted as being once in a lifetime, but I just don't feel the hype is truly there to do that feud again.

How about Dean Ambrose? He was the last man eliminated in the Royal Rumble. He was that close to winning the WWE Championship. He is the only member of The Shield not to win it. And he just lost his Intercontinental Championship. Holding that title was one of the reasons it didn't seem likely he would win this match. Well, he lost it. With another debacle over Roman Reigns possible, the WWE might want to go with an opponent for Triple H that rowdy smarks might actually like. Would that leave Roman Reigns out in the cold? He could feud with Lesnar in a rematch from last year's Wrestlemania.

Roman Reigns is still the favorite to win. Some people have said that it would have been stupid for the WWE not to want to go with Daniel Bryan conquering The Authority at Wrestlemania a few years ago because they had been building that story for months. Well, here is another storyline that has been developed for months. Roman Reigns finally wins the WWE Championship. Triple H screws him out of it. Reigns eventually snaps and attacks Triple H. He regains the title again, but it is Triple H, the man he attacked and took out for a few weeks, that returns to take the title from Reigns in a match where the odds were against him from the start. It would make storyline sense for Roman Reigns to win the title back from Triple H, especially since he is the new centerpiece. If the WWE shrugged off angry fans last year to have Roman Reigns go over Daniel Bryan, I would imagine they would have no problem having Roman Reigns win this match. Despite Roman Reigns still having some fans that dislike him,  I do not feel things are as bad as last year.

How about this triple-threat match leads to a triple-threat match at Wrestlemania? Some fans have suggested that two of the wrestlers involved in this match can pin the third and both move on to Wrestlemania against Triple H. The popular outcome would be Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose both pinning Lesnar. I do not expect that to happen. I would hope it does not happen. You ended up with a triple-threat match last year, even though it was not advertised as one, when Seth Rollins cashed in to put himself in the match between Lesnar and Reigns. Before that, it was the Daniel Bryan saga. How about a singles match that stays a singles match for this year's Wrestlemania title match? I have nothing against multiple challengers in a title match, but there just seems to be too many triple-threat main events at Wrestlemania recently.

Any heel turns expected? I am not talking about Lesnar. It doesn't really matter whether he is feel or face. He just beats people up. The WWE has teased that tension between Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose. The fact that they are facing each other does not mean a heel turn has to happen. They faced each other at Survivor Series last year and no heel turn happened off of that. The storyline here seems rather simple. No heel turn is necessary. Roman Reigns is trying to get revenge on Triple H and get his title back. A heel turn from either Reigns or Ambrose might make things complicated. You can say the WWE might make the predictable decision and be bored with that, but can they create a good storyline if they do decide to do something different?

Any other shenanigans expected? Specifically, interference? If the WWE is still set on Lesnar feuding with The Wyatts, you can expect them to cost him the match. How about Triple H or Vince McMahon doing something to screw Roman Reigns? I do not expect that. This seems like a situation where the heels can just sit back and watch some of their enemies kill each other. No need to make it seem like the odds are that stacked against Roman Reigns.

Putting it all together, I would say Roman Reigns does win. No heel turns from anybody. I would say the WWE could go either way with Brock Lesnar when it comes to him entering a feud with The Wyatts or Dean Ambrose for Wrestlemania. If he gets The Wyatts, they will likely interfere in this match. If the WWE does do that, however, what is left for Dean Ambrose? It would be a shame for him to be stuck in some multi-man match for a midcard title, again. As for fan reactions, I would hope some of them just relax. I don't think the situation right now is as terrible as it was in recent years for Wrestlemania, in terms of the WWE not being eager to push someone more over at the proper level. Let Roman Reigns get this push.

Previewing The Other Fastlane 2016 Undercard Matches

The Intercontinental Championship changed hands on Raw this week. Dean Ambrose lost it to Kevin Owens. That might make it more likely that Dean Ambrose wins his own match this Sunday, but that is a subject for next time. How about Kevin Owens getting the title back? For a guy that lacks the look and was having some people write his career eulogy after he lost his first feud against John Cena, he has done pretty well for himself in his first year on the main roster. He won a feud against Cesaro after moving on from Cena. He won the Intercontinental Championship soon after that. He entered a feud against Dean Ambrose. He lost the title to him, but has now gotten it back. In between that, he was getting a mediocre feud with Dolph Ziggler. I am not talking about match quality. I am talking about feud development. Well, a title is now on the line. These two will go at it again at Fastlane for the title. Since Owens just won it, I say he retains.

Did the title have to go back to Kevin Owens? He did just hold it a couple months ago. There were a few other guys in that match on Raw. There are other guys on the roster, despite all the injury problems. Dolph Ziggler hasn't held a title in a while. As I said, I doubt he wins it this Sunday. They could have taken the opportunity to kickstart a push for Tyler Breeze. I have seen some people say that Chris Jericho should have gotten it so AJ Styles could eventually win the Intercontinental Championship off him in their feud. Not a bad idea. There's always Miz. Kevin Owens is definitely not a horrible choice, but I don't think he really needed to be the guy to win it back. The WWE will probably not continue to feature him this well throughout his career, but fans shouldn't be complaining about how they push him for a while.

Onto the United States Championship. It will once again be Alberto Del Rio and Kalisto. This is a 2 out of 3 falls match. There is a pretty good rivalry developing here. They have already traded the title between themselves. Something to keep in mind is that Kalisto's partner, Sin Cara, is back. I am expecting Del Rio to get the title back. If the WWE wants to continue to push the Lucha Dragons as a team, it will be awkward with one guy holding a singles title. The New Day seem to be lacking a true direction at the moment. Could the WWE be saving them to continue that feud with Sin Cara and Kalisto? I think it is a possibility. I do not know how much further Kalisto can go in a singles push. The League of Nations will probably get involved here, helping Del Rio get the title back. There is another group without much direction. Four members and only one real feud for them recently. And it's against a midcarder for the United States Championship.

The last match I will talk about is AJ Styles vs. Chris Jericho. This match was made official on Smackdown this week. This will be the third encounter between these two. It will likely be the last in this feud. Styles will hopefully move on to something better for Wrestlemania. Might these two continue the rivalry down the line? That is another issue. Styles took the first encounter and Jericho took the second. It would make sense for the third encounter to be the end. And it will likely go to AJ Styles. He's the new star that just debuted. Jericho is a part-time jobber to the stars.

Some fans might be expecting a heel turn. Jericho snaps at his inability to beat Styles this Sunday and that continues the feud to Wrestlemania. If they were going to do something like that, they wouldn't have let Jericho beat Styles on Smackdown recently. Jericho has already proven he can beat Styles. Snapping at losing to him again would not make sense. I say this stays a face vs. face feud.

Even though I doubt this feud continues to Wrestlemania, I believe they could have developed it to be worthy of Wrestlemania. Have Styles vs. Jericho I on any Raw or Smackdown before Fastlane. Styles wins there. Have Styles vs. Jericho II at Fastlane. Jericho wins this one. That leaves Styles vs. Jericho III for Wrestlemania. And Styles would win that one. Build up to the matches better. It wouldn't have made AJ Styles' debut as amazing as it should have been, but it might have let a a feud that was developed a little better. This feud might end up just being a few weeks long. It could have gone all the way to Wrestlemania and led to a big match there.

Let me go back to talking about past debuts. I talked about Kevin Owens and his first feud against John Cena. Even though he lost that feud, his career did not take a hit. Moreover, that debut feud felt better than what you have with AJ Styles and Chris Jericho. I doubt it is only because a title was involved. They didn't just rush through their series of matches. It started with a promo between Owens and Cena. Owens can hold his own on the mic. That set up the first match, where Owens beat Cena clean. Owens, the top star of NXT at the time, beat the face of the WWE cleanly in his first match on the main roster. Again, things soon went downhill for him from there, but it was still a good debut and he has done well since.

AJ Styles is likely to win his debut feud, but this feud does not feel the same way as Owens vs. Cena. There was never that same in-ring segment to set up Styles vs. Jericho. AJ Styles debuted in the Royal Rumble match and was wrestling Chris Jericho the next night. And beating Chris Jericho cleanly really is not that impressive. Fans weren't reacting the same way to that as Owens beating Cena. There really was no big storyline or debut vignettes for Kevin Owens, but his debut was still better than what the WWE did with AJ Styles. 

Previewing The Diva Matches For Fastlane 2016

This is one of those rare times where there will be 2 diva matches at a WWE PPV. Becky Lynch and Sasha Banks team up to take on Naomi and Tamina, while Charlotte defends the Diva's Championship against Brie Bella.

The tag match is pretty straightforward. Sasha Banks turned face and split from her stable. This is the customary feud you would expect to see. Faces win.

Some people were ready to say Becky Lynch was buried after the Royal Rumble. She lost to Charlotte, then Sasha Banks popped up and made her intentions clear that she wanted the title. What followed was Sasha turning face and eventually finding an ally in Becky. I have said before that the WWE could develop an elaborate storyline for Becky Lynch against Charlotte. They aren't doing it. Even if they do go back to that feud, it has lost some of its heat. Instead of Becky being that determined to prove herself and get revenge on her former friend, she's teaming with Sasha Banks while Charlotte is busy with something else. If they wanted to make this elaborate, they would have Becky still remain on the fringes of Charlotte's current feud, not plug her into Sasha's feud against Naomi and Tamina. Regardless, I would not say she is buried. There are some women in the division that don't even have as much to do as Becky currently has.

Onto Charlotte. She has Brie Bella. This is another feud that isn't too intriguing, in terms of how it has been built. But there are those rumors going around that Brie Bella will retire. That might make the winner of this title match obvious. Charlotte retains. Of course, The Bellas are no strangers to getting a short title reign prior to leaving the WWE. It happened with Nikki years ago. Moreover, there were rumors of AJ Lee leaving the WWE back in 2014. She went on to still get another title reign, take more time off, come back for another Wrestlemania win, and then seemed to pull the rug out from under the WWE by retiring soon after that. There certainly would have been some angle if the WWE knew she was retiring in advance. Point is, a lot of things can happen, despite these rumors. I will say Charlotte retains, but a title change here would not be shocking.

Let's assume Brie Bella is leaving. Nikki Bella has been out with an injury and her in-ring career may be done. The WWE really has no stars in the diva division. Before anyone bites my head off, I am not saying there are no women with talent. I am not saying they have no fans. I am saying no one really has A-tier overness. I am saying there is no centerpiece right now. I am saying AJ Lee, the WWE's top periphery diva, retired last year and the WWE never got around to replacing her. I am saying the eye-candy periphery divas that are around aren't featured very well. I am saying that what you are pretty much left with are a bunch of credible jobbers that made a lot of noise in NXT, and some of that overness is carrying over in some cases, but none of them are really stealing the show. Moreover, the WWE cannot make the mistake of thinking that these women are really over just because of NXT fans or fans complaining on Twitter for better matches. Even if both Bellas were here and good to go, that would not fix the WWE's problems.

I do not think the WWE needs to immediately debut anyone from NXT to fill the void Brie Bella might leave. Keep in mind that the WWE debuted three women in one night a few months ago. That left them with more women than they could properly handle. It's probably a good thing to let some women go to become more efficient with the women they do have. After they do that, then worry about debuting more women.

How about that centerpiece position? Charlotte is definitely not a good long-term option. I doubt the WWE is ready to put an end to the status quo of the diva division. You can look at how they have stuck with Roman Reigns to get the idea that they will not give up easily on something they want to work. The status quo of the diva division has existed before Roman Reigns even joined the WWE. Some might say it has flopped even worse than Roman Reigns, but the WWE will probably still be just as stubborn with it. If the WWE is moving on from Nikki Bella and still want an eye-candy centerpiece, I can imagine them either going to Summer Rae, going to NXT for someone like Alexa Bliss, or try to bring back a former eye-candy diva, like Eve Torres.

How About Three Centerpieces?

The WWE is a company that likes to have one guy that will be pushed as the top star of the company. You'll have other main-eventers around him, but it is always obvious who that one top guy is. You might also have former top guys pushed at a very high level once their run as the centerpiece is over, like Shawn Michaels was during his final years with the WWE and how Triple H has been pushed during John Cena's years at the top and even now. You also have part-time big names, like Brock Lesnar. Regardless of all that, it is always clear whom the WWE wants to be that full-time top star.

The new centerpiece, Roman Reigns, has obvious issues. The WWE might have thought they overcame their dilemma of getting his haters to love him a few months ago. They could not get it to stick. With all the injury issues and everything else, the WWE has enough worries on their mind.

Roman Reigns was part of a successful stable. I don't mean just in terms of accolades. The Shield got over. Ever since the group broke up, all three members have had title success. Dean Ambrose is holding the Intercontinental Championship. Roman Reigns just lost the WWE Championship a few weeks ago, and is likely to win it again. Seth Rollins was getting a long run with that title prior to getting injured. In terms of overness, I don't think Roman Reigns was the only one that took a hit. Seth Rollins never really broke out on his own as a heel. Dean Ambrose is over, but frequently gets used as Roman's sidekick. He could go further than he is.

How about pushing all three of these guys as centerpiece? How about rotating the spotlight between them? I don't mean every main-event feud will feature all three in some way. I mean the majority of top feuds will feature at least one. You will still get a Brock Lesnar or Triple H or John Cena feud get the main spotlight on some nights, but the centerpiece of the company would be the former members of The Shield.

That is the way it has kind of been for a while now. Roman Reigns has been involved in the WWE title matches at recent PPVs. Seth Rollins was holding the title for months before that. Before that, Brock Lesnar held it. He wasn't always around during his reign. You frequently saw Reigns, Ambrose, and Rollins getting main-event focus while he was away. Of course, the WWE's ultimate goal has been to develop Reigns as the new centerpiece. And if they are going to have a 3-man rotation at the top spot, Ambrose will have to be featured better.

One thing that is going to have to happen is smarks will have to ease off the hatred towards Roman Reigns. This is a compromise. Just because Roman Reigns isn't appealing to them doesn't mean he isn't appealing to other fans. And wrestlers that they may want to see instead, like Rollins or Ambrose, might not be appealing to other fans. There is no one as hot as Daniel Bryan used to be. If there was, there would be an obvious answer to push. Given the WWE's current issues with injuries and poor ratings, give them a chance to get Roman Reigns solidified as a top star. He may not deserve to be pushed as the top star, but he can fill the void of someone that is injured or close to retirement.

In terms of talent, there aren't many A+ players out there. And there shouldn't be. This is elite talent. This is the cream of the crop. If you took the best qualities of each guy in The Shield, you would have an A+ player. Seth Rollins is great in the ring and has some high-risk spots. Dean Ambrose is great on the mic and has charisma. Roman Reigns has the look and strength. They each have their weaknesses that might hold them back from getting A+ overness in their solo careers, but all their strengths combined might just create the perfect superstar. Can pushing all three as the new centerpiece do the job that just pushing one cannot?

AJ Styles Tastes Defeat In The WWE

Who says nothing important ever happens on Smackdown? Smackdown this week revolved heavily around AJ Styles vs. Chris Jericho. At the end of the night, it was Chris Jericho handing AJ Styles his first loss in the WWE.

No one ever said AJ Styles should get a Goldberg-like undefeated streak. But having him lose in less than a month after he just debuted? I have been saying every week since he debuted that how they have been handling him does not feel special. He made a surprise debut at the Royal Rumble. How they have booked him since then has just felt bland. It's like he's just automatically in the mix. It feels like he's been there for years. One of  the reasons it feels like that is because there was no big debut storyline to work off of. And the storyline that is there will not generate a ton of excitement.

Whenever I have discussed AJ Styles since his debut, I have tried to bring up another WWE debut to compare it to. I am not going to get into that this time because there is a lengthy aside I will get to. But the point is that the WWE has been able to create some big debut storylines and segments. Having AJ Styles just debut at the Royal Rumble doesn't exactly take a lot of work on the part of the writers. It was a surprise for many, but it wasn't that creative. Just have him show up and wrestle. And the storyline since then has not blown anyone away. The WWE might have hyped the reaction AJ Styles got at the Royal Rumble as one of the best ever, but does how the WWE has actually handled his debut belong on any list of the greatest WWE debuts ever?

The feud against Jericho will obviously not end like that. Time for the rubber match, which Styles will likely win. Some fans have defended the booking by saying they needed to do it to develop the rivalry better. That is not what this is about. This is not about creating a feud that people will say at the end of the year was booked better than any other in wrestling. This is about creating a situation to create buzz and draw. Ratings are terrible. For Wrestlemania season, that is not good. Could the WWE have created some kind of bigger and better angle with AJ Styles to help create some buzz? I believe they could have. But they just haven't done it. This is a wasted opportunity.

Let me get to that aside. Titus O'Neil was suspended for 60 days (originally 90) for grabbing Vince McMahon on Raw during the retirement segment for Daniel Bryan. He was just goofing around, nothing malicious. When I saw it, that's how I and most other fans I saw read it. Nevertheless, if I had read that he was fined for what he did, I would not have been shocked. I probably wouldn't have even discussed it. Okay, Titus goofed off at the wrong time. He got punished for it. Nothing more to see here. Move on. But suspended for 90 days? It doesn't seem like the punishment fits the crime. Even if they lowered it to 60 days, it still does not seem fair. Chris Jericho once got suspended for kicking a flag, upsetting many fans, and making the WWE look bad. What Titus did does not seem to have been that upsetting to fans and didn't really make the WWE look bad. Regardless, it could be viewed as unprofessional conduct, so a fine would not have been shocking.

Will this hurt Titus O'Neil's push? He wasn't really getting pushed. A bunch of wins here and there without any direction does not constitute a push. You don't need to chase a title to be pushed, but you do need to be going somewhere. What Titus has gotten feels more like filler. It might have led to a push later on, but that's not for certain. As for Titus losing what standing in the company he does have, there are men that have been suspended for worse and still continued to be featured very well.

Titus O'Neil is not a bad guy. I see fans bringing up the good deeds he has done. And as I said before, what he did on Raw was obviously not meant to be malicious. I remember thinking he had potential during his solo heel run a while ago. It's no shocker the WWE didn't do more with that. He seems like a good person and a solid performer. Amazing in the ring? No, but good enough to keep around. If he had a history of being a jerk, then you might say he deserved to be punished.

You want to talk about unprofessional conduct? Let me bring up a different AJ. AJ Lee. During her time in the WWE, especially those last few years where she was pushed as a top star, there were some incidents that popped up that could definitely be viewed as unprofessional conduct. And these weren't instances where she was just goofing around. These were instances of showing a poor attitude. The biggest instance of this was arguably calling out Stephanie McMahon on Twitter during the #GiveDivasAChance drama. That wasn't part of a storyline.

How did the WWE punish her? They didn't. There was speculation that they would take the title away from her before she could beat the record for longest Diva's Championship reign. They didn't. They followed up with having her go over all the other divas at Wrestlemania. She would go on to get two more runs with the title. Even after the incident on Twitter, the WWE gave her another Wrestlemania win, leaving her undefeated at Wrestlemania. And she was the one that retired just a few days after that. They didn't fire her.

I have said before that I would have made the same decision to have Nikki Bella break AJ's record. It's not because Nikki is so amazing. It's not to be petty towards AJ Lee. It's about doing something to put your foot down with AJ Lee. A little too late for that? She probably isn't too upset about losing the record. Nevertheless, send a message to the roster that a worker cannot act like she did and get rewarded for it.

The WWE just seems like hypocrites at times. Unprofessional conduct with no malicious intent leads to a guy being suspended. On the other side of that, unprofessional conduct where it doesn't seem like just joking around leads to a woman continuing to be booked to make history. I don't care to read one day that AJ says management was unhappy with what she did and yelled at her backstage. For everything she did and continued to do, the WWE should have done more to put her in her place. They definitely should not have continued to book her so well. Some fans have said that the WWE should have just told Titus O'Neil off backstage and left it at that. Yeah, I think that punishment might be closer to the crime.Or, as I said before, fine him. I read that the WWE wants to send a message to workers to watch their behavior. You do that by picking on a guy so down the ladder as Titus O'Neil? Next time, suspend a top star for doing something like what he did.

There are some people that would say no one should be above the rules. Some coaches are respected for being just as tough on star players as they are with rookies and everyone else on the team. I am a little bit more loose than that. I would allow certain individuals that just bring amazing results or are so crucial to what you do that you would be doomed without them to get away with things here and there. Let them get away with murder? No, I won't go that far. Some talk about the power LeBron James has. He has the power to get coaches fired, supposedly. Considering how great he has been, you can understand why he has that power. I don't feel anyone in the WWE should have that power. No one is that great. Titus O'Neil is not above the law. AJ Lee certainly was not bringing A+ results. John Cena, with his mixed reactions and decade at the top while ratings have been going in the wrong direction, does not deserve to be above the rules. The WWE can lose anyone and still be in the same mess they are in. They need better management of their product. And if the WWE continues to treat individuals they want to be so great better than individuals that really are great, they will continue to be in trouble.

The Dudley Boys Turn Heel

The Dudley Boys returned to the WWE a few months ago and it did not take long for them to fizzle out. In recent weeks, they were jobbing to teams far below them in dark matches. This week, they came back with a vengeance. And they turned heel.

Is this what it will take to get the tag titles on these guys? Problem with that, New Day are still holding the titles and they are heels. The WWE also seems to love that trio. I have said before that the WWE should be able to push these guys well even when they are not holding the tag titles. Are they just going to run them into the ground until they lose all their freshness, then take the titles off them?

The WWE used to be good with giving the tag titles to teams that had momentum. I think there were a few teams over the last few months that had it and could have gotten the tag titles from New Day. The WWE never pulled the trigger. There will be some new freshness and momentum to The Dudley Boys now that they have turned heel, but will the WWE pull the trigger now?

Was this decision to turn them heel done to fix depth issues in the tag division? Are there too many face teams and too few heel teams? Aside from New Day, The Wyatts are also still a group. The WWE could utilize them more in the tag title hunt. The WWE could also do better with The Ascension. The League of Nations is not likely to be a true threat in the tag division with their members banged up like they are. Overall, this heel turn could lead to a fresh feud for when New Day eventually does lose the titles and their push. Just rotate in The Dudley Boys in that spot as top heels in the tag division.

It also seems the "Bully Ray" character is coming back. It was praised very well in TNA. Of course, a lot of things look great in TNA and do not carry over very well in the WWE. Gail Kim is an example of that. The WWE did not try very well with her. She was just there to be a credible jobber. I would expect to see the WWE do better with Bubba. But how far will he go? To the tag titles and beyond? He went all the way to the World Championship in TNA. I doubt he goes that far here. Too many younger guys ahead of him. I just hope this does not turn into another instance of the WWE believing something that worked out well in a smaller company will automatically work for them now.

Daniel Bryan Retires

Daniel Bryan, who has been dealing with serious injuries the last two years, officially retired yesterday. The WWE allowed him to close Raw in his home state with a farewell speech.

Daniel Bryan had been giving the impression that he could still go and wanted to return to the ring. The WWE's medical staff would not clear him. You obviously cannot compare injuries, but there are a lot of guys that have suffered more injuries in their WWE career than Daniel Bryan, but the WWE keeps bringing them back. I know very well concussions are a serious thing. Given the recent bad luck of Daniel Bryan these last two years and his wrestling style, I can understand the WWE not wanting to risk it.

I still would have brought him back for one more chance. His last chance. If he suffered another major injury within a few months of his return, the WWE would have every right to never let him wrestle again. And if he refused to settle for a non-wrestling role with the company, they would have every right to let him go. Some fans might be upset about that, but what other option would there be?

Something Daniel Bryan would have to do on his end, if they brought him back, was tone down his style. He doesn't just bring energy and enthusiasm with the "Yes!" and "No!" chants. He wrestles with that energy and enthusiasm. And there is a price to pay for it. I remember watching a Daniel Bryan match last year and one specific spot sticking with me. It was a missed diving headbutt. That just looked like something that could eventually injure him again. Injuries aren't something you can easily predict, but it was just going to be a matter of time before Bryan got injured again, especially given his style. And if he did not change, that last chance I would have liked him to have, and many fans would have loved him to have, would only end in another injury.

I see many fans saying that the WWE pushed him into retiring because they do not want him back to get in the way of Roman Reigns. I would not say that. It is no secret that this is not someone the WWE wanted to push as an A+ player. Even after giving in and letting him win the WWE Championship at Wrestlemania a few years ago, it was no guarantee that he would be pushed as the new centerpiece. CM Punk held the title for 434 days. And he was never pushed as the centerpiece of the company. That was still John Cena. Despite all that, I do not think the WWE refused to bring Daniel Bryan back because he would be a distraction.

Go back to last year. Did Daniel Bryan coming back really ruin the push Roman Reigns was getting? No. The WWE had Roman Reigns go over Daniel Bryan to retain his title shot at Wrestlemania. Daniel Bryan was still arguably the most over guy in the company. He got a nice consolation prize, winning the Intercontinental Championship in a ladder match at Wrestlemania. But the WWE did not let Daniel Bryan fans get exactly what they wanted. Daniel Bryan had said he would have liked to face Brock Lesnar. I am sure many fans would have loved to see that for Wrestlemania last year. But the WWE did not give in. If the WWE did bring Daniel Bryan back this year and it seemed like his overness might be an issue again, they could just hold an iron fist like they did last year. That's the beauty of the men's division. There is still plenty of space to build and feature stars outside of the centerpiece position.

Another thing to realize, it is not Daniel Bryan's fault that Roman Reigns has issues connecting with smarks. Those issues will be there even without Daniel Bryan. Roman Reigns is not a great in-ring performer. He has a character many fans criticize. And he's the guy the WWE wants to push better than every other full-time performer. That's a recipe for trouble. It is the same story as John Cena. John Cena has not gotten a mixed reaction during his decade as the centerpiece because there is any one specific performer fans would rather see get his spot. A lot of vocal fans just do not like Cena and how he has been pushed. Same thing with Roman Reigns. And that is just the way it is going to be with or without Daniel Bryan. The WWE might have less pressure now without Daniel Bryan, but having him around really did not stop them from doing what they wanted and he is not to blame for Roman Reigns not working out properly.

Who takes Daniel Bryan's spot? I think the WWE has already prepared for that. They have some talented wrestlers that would appeal to the type of fans Daniel Bryan was appealing to even before his debut. Specifically, they have AJ Styles. He is a talented in-ring performer. They already seem to be trying to push him to fill the void Daniel Bryan has left.

In terms of overness, who replaces Daniel Bryan? In terms of position, anyone and everyone can be replaced. In terms of the results someone can bring from that position, some people are not easy to replace. Daniel Bryan was the only A+ player in terms of overness that comes to mind on the full-time roster. And what makes his story great is that he did it without being pushed as an A+ player. Roman Reigns definitely isn't that loved. AJ Styles is not there, yet. If he is ever going to get there, he needs to eventually step up and come into his own. He has all the tools to connect with wrestling fans. He needs to go that extra mile and get over with the wider audience, like Daniel Bryan did. Will this end up being an example of the WWE taking something for granted and never being able to properly recapture that level of success?

Awesome Kong Gone From TNA, Again

Awesome Kong had some backstage issues recently. They have led to her being released by TNA. This would not be the first time TNA has let her go following physical altercations. It is the right decision.

What does this mean for the KO division? I feel it is for the best. TNA had some other women leave the company recently. Even then, it seems the same women are always being prominently featured. The company needs to add some fresh women to their primary rotation. And I don't mean Maria Kanellis. There are so many female wrestlers not getting featured well all over the world. Simply signing them is not enough. What are you going to do with them? A lot of these women in TNA never get pushed very well, frequently taking a backseat to women like Gail Kim, Velvet Sky, and Awesome Kong. Assuming TNA does not bring Kong back anytime soon, now would be a good time to start featuring another woman better. It would be nice if it was one with wrestling talent. Jade might be a good option.

Should Awesome Kong go back to the WWE? As for as the main roster goes, I do not think they should bring her back. The periphery was her only real option the first time she was there. They would not push her as the centerpiece. She lacks the look. She would not be a good credible jobber. She stands out too much. The periphery is all that was left. Her only match in the WWE was even in the Royal Rumble match. These days, however, the WWE is pretty terrible with the periphery. There aren't really any divas featured with unique gimmicks. There are no women being featured prominently alongside a top star. The main goal for the WWE these days for the diva division is actual wrestling. And Awesome Kong just cannot go in the ring like she used to. Many fans might love to see her come back to destroy The Bellas. Then what? Not many options for her. I do not think she is worth bringing back.

How about sending her to NXT? If I do not feel she can go in the ring well enough to fit the main roster, I definitely do not think bringing her in for NXT will be wise. There are even higher standards down there. It just wouldn't work out. Should they sign her as some kind of trainer? That's another issue. Given her age and health, it might be time to just retire.

I have seen some fans suggest Lucha Underground. Yeah, she might fit what they do over there. Character means a lot there and she definitely can play a character that stands out. Point is, she still has some options out there. But she has to watch her temper. Most fans were willing to side with her for that first incident years ago. This time around, things do not look good for her. There are stories all the time of backstage fights. Guys don't always get fired over it, but you cannot develop a reputation for this kind of thing.

R-Truth & Goldust

R-Truth and Goldust have a lot in common. They both have unique goofy characters. They have both been a part of some interesting tag teams in the past. And both are no longer seriously pushed these days.

The WWE has been having these segments where Goldust is trying to form a team with R-Truth. If nothing else, the segments at least have some comedic worth. It gives these guys something to do at a time when injuries have hurt the product.

What if the WWE does pull the trigger on these two as a team? They probably will do it. But will they go far? There are a few teams with comedy gimmicks. New Day have a comedy gimmick. Social Outcasts aren't exactly serious heels. I doubt R-Truth and Goldust will take the tag titles. They might be one of those teams that fade out very easily, like The Dudley Boys. They might end up like Curtis Axel's push last year where he was imitating Hulk Hogan. He was getting depushed even before the Hogan controversy popped up. Nevertheless, a bit of creative interest with these two is better than nothing.

Sasha Banks Turning Face

A few weeks ago, Sasha Banks attacked both Charlotte and Becky Lynch after Charlotte had retained her title against her former friend. The WWE started to tease tension between Sasha and her two friends, Naomi and Tamina. This week on Raw, it looked like Sasha officially broke away from those two and is turning face.

Sasha Banks wants the title. Becky Lynch obviously still has her issues with Charlotte. Just to add more ingredients to the pot, Brie Bella got a win over Charlotte. Charlotte isn't exactly friends with Team Bella. Brie Bella, who plays a tweener role these days, just made an argument as to why she should get a shot at the Diva's Championship.

Where can the WWE be going for here? Will there be a multi-diva match in the coming weeks to decide the next challenger for Charlotte at Fast Lane? Or will there be a multi-diva match at the PPV for the title? The WWE can go either way. I would personally want to see Charlotte defend against Sasha Banks, Becky Lynch, and Brie Bella.

What does recent events mean for the face/heel balance? Charlotte, Tamina, and Naomi are obviously pure heels. But they are not heels you would consider to be on the same side. The WWE might want to have them bury the hatchet. Don't officially make a new stable with these three. Enough of that garbage. Just have them team up here and there and stop having them feud against each other.

I would say there are too many faces. Becky Lynch is a pure face. Sasha is turning face. Team Bella are looking like faces right now. Paige and Natalya are faces. They are the least relevant divas right now. They were just feuding against Team Bella a while ago. It was a very minor feud. Just call it filler. But there seems to be double the number of faces than heels. Not too long ago, there seemed like there was only one face in the division. The WWE sure remedied that situation. Maybe a bit too much?

I think this whole situation is messy. There are too many angles and feuds all over the place. The WWE cannot do them all justice. And even with all these angles, some divas are still lost in the shuffle. Of course, adding them to whatever is going on would probably make things even more messy. Charlotte is feuding with Becky Lynch. Sasha Banks is now coming after her title. Sasha Banks also has issues with Naomi and Tamina. Charlotte also has to deal with Team Bella. Brie and Alicia Fox will probably look like heels again if they match up against Paige and Natalya. Those two have nothing major to do. Trying to make sense of the mess, the WWE will likely go with Charlotte vs. Brie as a filler feud, while Sasha and Becky Lynch handle Naomi and Tamina. Even then, this conglomerated mess will continue. It has been there ever since last year.

Look at the men's division. You might see Randy Orton feuding with Sheamus and Cesaro feuding with Kevin Owens. It would not be unusual to see these two feuds cross paths. You might see Orton and Cesaro vs. Sheamus and Owens as part of the build of these separate feuds. But you still know who is feuding with whom. This happens all the time. It is the kind of booking you would expect.

That is not what is going on in the diva division. You have feuds that are more intertwined than that. Charlotte is the target of multiple divas right now. Sasha Banks wants the title and she has her feud with her former friends going on. This is not an elaborate storyline. In an elaborate storyline, the protagonist, antagonist, and supporting characters are all clear. It is not unusual to see a turn during this kind of storyline, but the WWE is just ridiculous with the diva division right now. Paige turned heel. Charlotte turned heel soon after. Paige turned back to a face. Sasha Banks just turned face. Team Bella go both ways. The character development is not great. Charlotte is obviously the top heel, but who is the face that is supposed to be the star of this? Or is this just filler because Nikki Bella is out?

I think back to that Naomi fan I talked about recently. He was unhappy that she was not getting a storyline. Well, she's getting a storyline now. But is this what he had in mind? It is obvious this storyline is more about putting over Sasha Banks than Naomi. And there is no way a Naomi fan should settle for that. When will Naomi get some legitimate focus for herself?

And Paige? Here is another diva with some fans that sometimes get annoyed when she is not on Raw. She just popped back up as a face a while ago. And she now seems to be on the weak end of the current storylines in the diva division. That is nothing new. She has had periods of being featured poorly like that throughout her few years on the main roster. Even with the WWE having multiple angles going on, they cannot find something for her. She really could benefit from a periphery push.

AJ Styles Continues His Lackluster Debut

Hard to believe she just turned 39.

But this is about someone else that will be turning 39 this year. AJ Styles made his WWE debut at the Royal Rumble. He has had matches on Raw and Smackdown last week. He had a segment with Miz on Raw this week, which will lead to a match on Smackdown. Some fans are still amazed AJ Styles is in the WWE. I am amazed AJ Styles is getting such a mediocre debut in the WWE.

I have said before that the WWE needs more creative depth right now. The big storyline is obvious. Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose, and Brock Lesnar all want a shot at Triple H for the title at Wrestlemania. Two top faces are tied into this, including one holding the Intercontinental Championship. The two heels don't wrestle on Raw. That means other heels will have to be utilized to work with Reigns and Ambrose. The WWE has used New Day, The Wyatts, and the crippled remains of The League of Nations to serve this role. That means feuds for these heel groups may not get the proper focus every show that they deserve.

Outside of that, what big storylines do you have? Kevin Owens vs. Dolph Ziggler? There is no big storyline there. It is just two guys with nothing really to do that the WWE just tossed together. Big Show vs. The Wyatts? Again, there does not feel like there is a big storyline here.

The debut of AJ Styles is it. The WWE is in a tough spot with so many top stars out. It is no surprise that they are hyping this guy up to be phenomenal. And that's the problem. Too much hype.

What is the actual storyline? Great wrestler debuts and has to prove himself to Chris Jericho? That is boring. This guy should not get some rookie storyline. He'll be 40 next year. He has been in the business for a long time. He has shown what he can do. This is a guy I felt can make an immediate impact, but the WWE isn't pushing him like that. The hype is there, but the way they are pushing him is lackluster.

He has not really had quality mic time. Miz wouldn't let him say anything on Raw last night. I understand that was the point and it was part of the storyline, but it is dumb. The comparison to Daniel Bryan is there. Miz, who was paired with Daniel Bryan on NXT, brought it up.

The WWE cannot think that they can build AJ Styles into a star by treating him like Daniel Bryan. Daniel Bryan got A+ overness organically. He had the wrestling ability to get over with wrestling fans before he even signed with the WWE. But what got him over with the wider audience was his energy. The "Yes!" and "No!" chants were things all fans could enjoy getting behind. And the WWE just shot themselves in the foot with that storyline about Daniel Bryan not being good enough. That got fans to side with Daniel Bryan even more. The WWE wasn't trying to create a big star here.

What is going on with AJ Styles right now isn't organic. Wrestling fans love him and will chant for him. But what impact will simply hyping this guy up without proper creative investment do? Will the wider audience just find him overrated? They should have come up with some kind of debut angle that let Styles debut with some kind of character. Putting over how great of a wrestler he is will not do anything new for fans that are already into this guy. For the casual fans that care more about the entertainment aspect of the WWE, there might be nothing there to say that AJ Styles is really that big of a deal.

I brought up the debut of Chris Jericho last week. Let me bring up another debut for the sake of comparison. Look at how Nexus debuted on the main roster. These guys were a bunch of true rookies. Daniel Bryan was initially with the group, but he only lasted about as long as one of his runs with the WWE Championship. These guys debuted by just attacking everyone. That was great. It came out of nowhere. It got people buzzing. Why were they doing it? Who was behind it? Who would be attacked next? That was a summer angle that actually led to a bit of a ratings boost. Look at what the WWE was able to accomplish with guys less known in the wrestling business than AJ Styles. It all came down to the storyline that they ran with them. It wasn't all hype. It was destruction and a storyline that left fans wondering what was going on.

The debut of AJ Styles has been nothing like that. The WWE has been hyping this guy a lot. They put videos up of him arriving at the arena. They list his debut pop at the Royal Rumble as one of the loudest ever. But this is really a mediocre debut. There is nothing big going on with him. There is no intriguing storyline. I feel the WWE has just wasted an opportunity at a time they really could have used a boost.

I am not saying AJ Styles won't be eventually winning titles, including the WWE Championship. This isn't about that. This isn't about whether he's getting a big paycheck. This isn't about whether the WWE will give him the career that will solidify his spot in their Hall of Fame. Unless something horrible happens, all that will happen. This is about utilizing talent properly to deliver for you. At a time when ratings are not great, there are a ton of injuries, the company is struggling to create a new centerpiece, and they have issues all over, the WWE needs to create new stars and they need more big storylines to draw for them. Putting everything on Roman Reigns and whatever he's involved with will not do. They seem to want AJ Styles to look like a big deal. But they need to cut down the hype and be more creative with him.

Roman Reigns Vs. Dean Ambrose Vs. Brock Lesnar For Fast Lane 2016

The WWE didn't waste any time in making the main event for their next PPV this month. It will be Brock Lesnar going against Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns in a triple-threat match at Fast Lane.

Some fans immediately rolled their eyes at The Authority giving Roman Reigns this opportunity. Don't they hate the guy? Why would they do this? I don't think this is so bad. I've seen worse. Ever since The Authority was created, they have consistently teased tension within their own group. And not always to set up an angle where someone was leaving the group. It was just dumb. It made the group look bad and it took away from feud development at times. What are fans supposed to make of this inconsistency with the group? I found that more annoying than recent developments.

Can you make sense of what the heel authority figures want to do? Could they be trying to drive a wedge between Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns? The two are as close as brothers. Can the opportunity to headline Wrestlemania cause a split? Don't forget Brock Lesnar is in there. Could they want the mercenary to destroy both Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose in one match? And don't forget, it isn't like The Authority is just handing Roman Reigns his rematch. They are forcing him to win this match if he wants a shot at Triple H for the title.

Will Roman Reigns even win this match? In terms of the storyline, it would be obvious to have Roman Reigns win here and face Triple H at Wrestlemania. Lesnar can move on to something else, like The Wyatts. Dean Ambrose has the Intercontinental Championship. Roman Reigns would be the one left with no real direction if he does not get to continue his feud with Triple H. But fans still do not like him as much as the WWE would like. Roman Reigns was in a similar position last year, where he faced Daniel Bryan with a shot at headlining Wrestlemania on the line. Reigns won that match at Fast Lane. Is the WWE ready to give up on Roman Reigns? Or will he get the likely win? Time will tell.

Let me do an aside. The WWE took some heat last week for certain angles involving the divas. Ric Flair kissed Becky Lynch and The Rock made some comments towards Lana in his return segment that have led some to say the WWE is sexist towards their women.

I did not have a problem with anything that happened last week. Did Ric Flair do anything that crossed the line? This kind of thing happens all the time. Chris Jericho kissed Stephanie McMahon. Jeff Hardy kissed Stacy Keibler. Brie Bella kissed AJ Lee. You have instances of men spanking women in wrestling. There are a lot of interactions of women being handled like this. Happens all the time.

As for what The Rock said to Lana, implying she cheated on Rusev with him, that was also no big deal. I know dirtsheets tried to spin things like Lana is in the doghouse. The Rock referred to Lana as a "Russian Streetwalker" during his first segment with Lana and Rusev a few years ago. Any reports of Lana in trouble back then? The Rock is walking backstage, verbally owning people along the way. He owned Miz. He owned Big Show. He left Lana and Rusev in a sticky situation. His whole return segment on Raw was filled with things that probably pushed the limits of what the WWE would normally allow. His exchange with Lana was the least of it.

Is it all sexist? You can make the argument that it is. Thing is, is it really worth condemning to the point that the WWE has to issue a statement about it? I don't think so. I am a fan of horror movies. There are definitely sexist things that happen in a lot of horror movies I have seen. You get gratuitous nude shots of women. You sometimes see the "airhead" slut character. You see some girls portrayed like sex, drugs, and other such things are all they have on their mind. I am sure there are a lot of people that dislike this stuff, but I have never come across anyone in the horror business have to justify what they do. These kind of things are still featured in these kind of movies. One of the tricks is to make sure that is not all you feature. Also feature women with different characters.

I have talked about the Sleepaway Camp movies before. Angela, the killer in these movies, is not portrayed as the women I just talked about. And what draws me towards Pamela Springsteen's version of the character is that she is just entertaining. I found her cute. She was never slutty. She was never nude. And she was the main character in some of these movies. And there are a lot of other horror movies where I am more drawn to other female characters, like the serious heroine, than to one of the other female characters portrayed in a sexier manner. I sometimes like that strong female character. I try to watch Friday The 13th: Part 3 whenever I can because I like the character of Chris, played by Dana Kimmell. Cute, but with a strong character. Never nude. Never too slutty.

Back to wrestling, as long as there is variety, I do not see a problem. You will get sexist segments and characters here and there, but you will also get other things going on. I do not think the WWE pushes things too far. I would say they need to give their women fair opportunities to succeed. I would say they need more unique gimmicks for their women. I would say they need better character development. Of the many problems I see in the diva division, I do not see a problem with what they did last week.

In the end, I think the WWE has pretty much asked for this. They are running a family-friendly product. Their television shows are PG. They do not hide that they target kids. When you do these things, you have to watch what you do. I have said many times that the WWE pushes the limits. I do not think what they did last week with Becky Lynch and Lana was even the worst of it. They are asking for trouble. Horror movies are not PG. If they tried to draw in little kids, then they would face heavy criticism.

The WWE needs to find an identity. They cannot please everyone. They cannot be family entertainment to draw in kids and still be edgy to please fans complaining for the Attitude Era to come back. No matter what, someone will complain. Even with the WWE being edgy here and there, fans still complain about them being PG. Even though they do try to be a family-friendly product, people still call them out for certain angles. Sitting on the fence is not going to protect the WWE from criticism. They will be criticized from both sides. They may think they are producing a product that appeals to all kinds of fans, but they might just be producing a product that gives all types of fans reasons to stop watching.