What Happens If Nikki Bella Returns?

Nikki Bella, the last eye-candy centerpiece of the diva era, hasn't wrestled since last year due to serious injury issues. With her out, the WWE has been working on developing Charlotte as a star. That is usually how the WWE operates. When a star drops out, they work on making a new one, or possibly more. This is also a new era. This is an era where the WWE is supposedly going to treat women's wrestling with more respect.

Despite her injury issues, Nikki Bella never officially retired. Her sister did. I wouldn't be surprised to see Brie back again in the WWE ring one day. As for Nikki, she seems to want to come back. She is also going to change up her in-ring work a bit to avoid further aggravating her injury.

What happens if Nikki Bella does come back? I am not talking about Total Divas or Total Bellas. Total whatever. What impact will it have in the division? This isn't some low-tier credible jobber coming back. This is a former centerpiece coming back. She is still in a good relationship with the WWE. I don't need to bring up who her boyfriend is. There are reasons why she will likely be treated well, if she comes back.

First thing to consider, will she get her centerpiece spot back? Will this be the end of Charlotte at the top? Neither woman really knocks it out of the park when it comes to connecting with the fans. Some fans say Charlotte has gotten over as a heel. I wonder how much of that is her being a great heel and how much is her being someone fans just don't like. Whatever the case, there definitely are women that could do better with the push Charlotte is getting. But does that mean Nikki gets it back? The WWE might be hesitant with her injury issues. Moreover, she is not a great representative for what the new era in the women's division should be. That's the kind of thing I have said about Roman Reigns and why he shouldn't be the top star of the entire company. He's just not a good fit. Same thing with Nikki Bella.

Of course, the brand split is coming back. I could see Charlotte staying on Raw with the title and Nikki Bella going to Smackdown to be the top star there. No title necessary. This could be like the good old days of the diva division. People praise that golden age for women's wrestling, but the division on Smackdown during this time revolved mostly around the periphery. It was Torrie Wilson pushed as the top star there. Sable, a former centerpiece, came back and was pushed there. Even Stephanie McMahon was involved in a few angles and matches during this era on Smackdown. I don't know exactly how the WWE would choose to push Nikki on Smackdown. Smackdown GM? Probably not. Embrace her relationship with Cena and have the two involved in storylines together? Probably not. They could just have her get light feuds against women like Maryse and Lana. Have her get some non-title wrestling feuds with whatever female wrestlers end up on the same brand as her. There are possibilities.

Last thing to consider, does she even deserve to come back and be featured as a star? Smarks dislike The Bellas. I don't think they are that bad. I am not going to watch whatever reality show they are on. I am not a big fan of either of them. They have been part of some bad segments. I know they are not the greatest workers. But they are good to look at and can be fun characters at times. Nikki Bella would be good for the periphery. Besides, the WWE has invested a lot into Nikki Bella and it would be kind of bad to throw it all away. She isn't as bad as Roman Reigns. Depending on how they push her, she can connect better with the fans.

Cena Vs. Styles Rolls On

Not surprisingly, the feud between John Cena and AJ Styles continues. This week, the WWE teased that both men could possibly be added to the WWE Championship match at Battleground. All they had to do was win their respective matches. They screwed each other and the title match remains a triple threat.

Some fans were hoping for Cena and Styles to be added to the match. I even noticed some people talking on Twitter about adding a sixth man into the match and having an Elimination Chamber match. The WWE has weeks to kill before Battleground. Last night's Raw was just them killing time in an interesting way that might get fans talking. It put interest in both the title feud and Cena/Styles.

As far as The Club goes, this group continues to look very mediocre. Yeah, they distracted Cena to cost him his match and proved they can leave him laying. A lot of people have done that. Anderson and Gallows just don't look that interesting. They look like pure henchmen. The guy they are henchmen for, AJ Styles, also never really broke out big in the WWE. The WWE is treating him like he's already a big deal. The WWE is coasting on what AJ Styles was before the WWE and what The Club was in Japan and wherever else. In the WWE, they just look watered down. Nexus looked better than them. The Shield looked better than them. The Social Outcasts look better than them! Okay, maybe not. Nevertheless, this is a top-tier stable that doesn't look like it. If wrestling fans could forget about their pre-WWE stuff while looking at them now, they might feel the same way.

What could the WWE have done differently? Maybe they shouldn't have bothered teasing that AJ Styles didn't want to fully embrace Anderson and Gallows and go heel. The WWE didn't really handle that angle well. Styles said he wanted to go on his own, then he quickly ends up turning heel and teaming with the other two. There were ways to handle that heel turn that could have made the group seem more impactful. In comparison to what could have been, the storyline was just flat.

The WWE also could have let Anderson and Gallows get the tag titles. The WWE will probably let New Day break the record with the tag titles at this point, but there were so many other teams and angles that could have benefited from the tag titles. The Club is one of them. While New Day goofs around with The Wyatts, the titles could have been used to help The Club look a little more credible. Does New Day really need the titles for what they are doing now? Both Nexus and The Shield destroyed people and held titles. The Club may have attacked some people here and there, but they have not looked as dominant as those two groups. And they also have yet to hold titles. If the WWE can't let them go on a real rampage right now, the least they can do is give them some titles.

Let me do an aside on the feud that crossed paths with Cena/Styles this week. Roman Reigns is obviously not around to help further the title feud. The WWE had Seth Rollins go out there and bring up the drug suspension. That's the kind of thing you would expect from Edge or CM Punk. Rollins seems to be the guy following in their path. Not surprising that they would have him do it. Might help him connect with fans more as that type of character.

But I'm not looking at what Seth Rollins is saying. I'm looking at the WWE having Seth Rollins say it. I don't think the WWE should let that be a part of the storyline. I am not a Roman Reigns fan, but you shouldn't make it even more clear to people that he took drugs. Yes, Reigns handled it professionally and the WWE might lean on that to try to help his character, but this isn't the kind of thing that should be brought up like this. Of course, this is a company that frequently exploits death for the sake of making storylines more edgy, so it is no real shock that they would do this. Moreover, they put themselves in this position by not writing Roman Reigns off in a smoother manner.

Some fans still accuse the WWE of being too kiddie. Is admitting in a storyline that the new face of your company took drugs something directed towards kids? Isn't the WWE afraid kids might Google this stuff and read some other interesting stories of drugs in pro wrestling? This seems more like the Reality Era. The Reality Era and the PG Era just do not mix. The WWE does things at times that fans hate because it seems catered to little kids. The WWE then turns around and does something that seems like it might be too edgy for little kids. This kind of atmosphere is just going to be sour to one group or the other. It isn't having mass appeal and drawing big. Numbers support that. More than likely, the WWE's inability to develop a proper tone that they want is one of the reasons numbers are so bad, along with lack of stars, bad writing, and whatever else.

Hypocrisy In The Roman Reigns Controversy?

I want to revisit the Roman Reigns controversy over his suspension. I have been looking at how a lot of fans are reacting to it. I also want to compare it to another controversial situation.

A lot of vocal wrestling fans obviously hate Roman Reigns. Looking around, a lot of these fans don't even think Roman Reigns should be allowed to wrestle at Battleground for the title after his suspension. They are groaning at the idea of him possibly winning the title back at Battleground.

I don't really have a big problem over him wrestling at the event. But I may be a little tougher than these fans. I think Roman Reigns should no longer be the centerpiece of the company at all. Regardless of whether or not he wrestles at Battleground, the WWE will likely still push him as the centerpiece. Regardless of whether or not he wins the title at Battleground, he will likely still be the centerpiece. But as far as him wrestling at this event, I do not think it is so terrible to let him wrestle. He would have already served his time. You can say the he doesn't deserve it because he wasn't around to help further the feud, but there have been feuds in the past where one person pretty much had to carry the feud because his opponent was a part-timer or was recovering from an injury. Not only does the person that was not around still get the match, you might often see them win the match.

Overall, the popular opinion with a lot of these fans is that Roman Reigns deserves more than a suspension. Whether they want to see him not get a rematch so soon after his suspension, not get the title back, or whatever, they seem to want him to get a punishment that goes beyond what someone breaking the wellness policy usually gets. I even saw one person say that Roman Reigns should have just been fired years ago to avoid all this.

Looking at how a lot of these fans were reacting to the Reigns controversy made me think back to how these same fans reacted during another controversy. Remember AJ Lee? There was a controversy there, as well.

AJ was pushed better than any female wrestler since Lita. She became the longest-reigning Diva's Champion, is addition to holding the title two more times after that. The WWE allowed her to remain undefeated at Wrestlemania, including one win in which she retained the title against everyone else in the division. I am not even going to mention all the big angles she got in the periphery. The WWE definitely pushed her very well.

AJ Lee did have issues, however. She did things here and there that left people speculating that she might lose her big push and not be allowed to have all the things the WWE was giving her. One of the things she did was calling out Stephanie McMahon on Twitter during #GiveDivasAChance. The WWE still allowed her to return from her hiatus, get booked in a Wrestlemania match, and even win that match. The WWE also seemed to be developing some kind of storyline for her beyond that. But she retired soon after Wrestlemania.

What did the WWE do? They eventually had Nikki Bella break AJ's record as the longest-reigning Diva's Champion. I remember how a lot of fans reacted to that. They acted like the WWE was being petty towards AJ. Some treated it like Nikki Bella getting the record because of her relationship with John Cena. The popular belief was not that AJ Lee deserved to have her record broken after everything she got away with in the WWE.

If I believe Roman Reigns should lose his centerpiece spot given all his issues, I think I would be a hypocrite to say AJ Lee did not deserve some kind of punishment for what she did. If nothing else, Roman Reigns has handled his suspension professionally and isn't showing signs like he wants to leave. AJ Lee was unprofessional, still got treated pretty well, and then just walked out. She didn't do it exactly like CM Punk, but the abruptness by which she retired is pretty much the same as walking out. The WWE couldn't really punish AJ Lee directly once she retired. Should a worker that did the things she did still be rewarded by being allowed to hold a record? I don't think so.

Both Roman Reigns and AJ Lee are similar. Both were pushed to be top stars. This isn't Zack Ryder getting over on his own out of nowhere and the WWE not wanting to give him even a proper midcard push. This isn't Mickie James getting over off of filler and jobber pushes and the WWE rewarding her with more filler and jobber push. Bother Roman Reigns and AJ Lee got big pushes to be stars. AJ Lee obviously worked out better than Reigns. But both had issues that should make you wonder if they deserved what they were getting. Roman Reigns has issues connecting with the fans. I have brought up that he does not seem like the best representative of the new era the WWE seemed to be heading toward. And now this suspension pretty much adds another reason why he should not be centerpiece. AJ Lee was unprofessional at times. I have brought up before that I do not believe she was connecting with fans as well as someone pushed at her level should be, although she isn't as bad as Roman Reigns. And then she just ends up leaving the company. The WWE never depushed her, even though reasons arose that could have led to at least a depush, if no other punishment. There are just some situations where you might feel someone is biting the hand that feeds them.

From the standpoint of how fans reacted to these two controversies, there seems to be some hypocrisy here. Roman Reigns suffers a suspension for doing something that numerous people have been suspended for and still went on to be pushed relatively well, but a lot of fans think he should be punished more. AJ Lee does things that might result in her losing her push, continues to be pushed well, ends up pulling the rug out from under the WWE to some degree by retiring suddenly, and most people think her losing her record is a tragedy. It comes down to favoritism. But if you look at things a little more objectively, the two situations aren't really that different. A top star has issues and is giving you a reason to depush them and possibly punish them more than that. But those vocal wrestling fans didn't seem to react the same way to these two situations.

I believe the WWE should have put their foot down in both situations. Suspending Roman Reigns was obviously necessary. But I would also stop pushing him as centerpiece. He isn't right for the job. Keep him in the main-event rotation or as an upper-midcarder, but he should not be the top guy. As for AJ Lee, I would have made the same decision to have her lose the record. Had she not retired, I would have depushed her a a few months. No need to fire her. She is very good at playing a character. She can be a great asset, but the WWE needed to let her know she can't do some of the things she was doing and still expect to be pushed at a high level.

Sasha Banks Back Against Charlotte

When I previewed the women's match at Money in the Bank recently, I said the only reason to have Charlotte and Dana Brooke win would be to write off Becky Lynch and Natalya as immediate contenders and move on to someone else. Well, the WWE had the heel team win. And they have moved on. Back to Sasha Banks.

This is not the decision I would have made. It is really unfair to Becky Lynch. I said since Wrestlemania season this year that there was potential for a great storyline between Becky Lynch and Charlotte. They debuted on the main roster on the same night. They were a part of the same stable. Even after Paige turned on them, they stuck together a little while longer. The WWE inserted Sasha Banks into that feud. The storyline that followed wasn't really that amazing. It was not much more than a title feud. The WWE debuted the new Women's Championship. Fans were hyped for this match because of who was in it. The ladies had the best match of the night. But the storyline was lacking. Charlotte retained. And both Sasha Banks and Becky Lynch had been depushed since then. The WWE will probably never be able to recapture the potential a feud between Charlotte and Becky Lynch had.

Look at the break up of The Shield. Specifically, look at the feud between Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins. That was a hot feud. It became the hottest feud the WWE had at one time. It was so hot, they had to stick John Cena into it, but he didn't really bury it. And these two guys have been at it regularly since then. Dean Ambrose just beat Seth Rollins for the WWE Championship. This has been a rivalry that has been developed well and still has potential to lead to more great things.

PCB is not The Shield. I am not going to compare Becky Lynch to Dean Ambrose. But would it really have been that horrible for the WWE to run that kind of rivalry here for the women? Have Becky Lynch be that determined to get back at Charlotte as Dean Ambrose was to get back at Seth Rollins. And Sasha Banks would just not fit in that much in this storyline. She would be like John Cena being inserted into Ambrose vs. Rollins. Do it if you want, but don't destroy the core rivalry. Fans groaned when Cena was inserted into that feud back then. Because so many wrestling fans love Sasha Banks, there was less groaning for how she has been pushed against Charlotte this year.

On the other hand, the WWE probably should just get this push out of the way for Sasha Banks. That includes letting her have a title reign. She is not as over as some fans think, but she is very over with vocal wrestling fans. And if the WWE toys with pushing her, that will just make the situation worse. You can have another Zack Ryder here. And if Sasha finds a way to step up her game and connect with more than just wrestling fans, she can become another Daniel Bryan. Giving Sasha Banks a proper push will avoid a lot of drama. If the WWE makes her out to be some kind of rebel that the establishment does not want to succeed, she will become an instant legend.

What about Becky Lynch while Charlotte continues to get the spotlight and Sasha Banks gets her push? With Dean Ambrose, he was able to have multiple big feuds even without being involved with Seth Rollins. He feuded with Bray Wyatt. He feuded with Brock Lesnar. He won the Intercontinental Championship. The men's division is open. There are multiple possibilities. The women's division is more closed. Less possibilities. Dean Ambrose did not need to be feuding with Seth Rollins to be relevant. Becky Lynch has not been too relevant without feuding against Charlotte. Even when she does get other minor feuds, they aren't exactly big deals. Creative depth is good to give fans more things to talk about and more women things to do, but Becky Lynch could be pushed better than she is. You have to worry if her rivalry with Natalya will even get a proper finish. In the end, Becky Lynch will likely not look as good away from the main spotlight as Dean Ambrose looked away from his heated feud with Seth Rollins.

Roman Reigns Suspended

Roman Reigns has been suspended for failing a drug test. As of right now, the main event of Battleground next month remains the triple threat between Reigns, Seth Rollins, and Dean Ambrose.

This is really crazy news. It is not unheard of for main-eventers to get suspended for wellness violations. Edge was suspended. Jeff Hardy has his history with drug use. But the centerpiece of the company has never been in this situation. John Cena has not been suspended during his centerpiece run. Same with Triple H. Same with Steve Austin. The WWE just started pushing Roman Reigns as the new centerpiece less than a year ago. And he's now suspended.

I have questioned before whether it makes sense to push Roman Reigns as the centerpiece of this era the WWE is entering. They are starting to be a little more friendly to wrestling. They have not completely changed their ways, but they have made some decisions to please wrestling fans and a lot of the things they do seem to be directed to those vocal fans. A guy like Roman Reigns is just not a good representative for this new direction.

This recent suspension just makes me further believe that this guy should not be the centerpiece. It is only his first suspension, but this is a very PR-friendly era for the WWE, in addition to embracing wrestling a little more. They got rid of Hulk Hogan for racist comments he made in private years ago. Jerry Lawler is suspended  for a recent domestic violence incident. The WWE did the right thing by suspending Reigns, and it is probably unlikely he does it again, but he really is not a great representative for the company. He gets a terrible reaction a lot of the time. There are arguments made that he is not a draw. And now this. You can blame the WWE for some of his issues connecting with smarks and drawing, but the recent suspension is on him. The WWE just cannot keep going in the same direction with this guy.

I am not saying he should be fired. That would be overreacting. I am also not saying he should be depushed to jobbing to Zack Ryder on Superstars. They can keep him in their main-event rotation. Instead of pushing him as an A+ player, just push him as an A player. I think a lot of the people that dislike him so much actually cooled a little last year when he was depushed out of the title picture for a while. It might be for the best.

The WWE is expecting him back in time for the Battleground main event. There is a lot of speculation about when the WWE found out that he failed the drug test. I am not going to speculate. I will say, however, if the WWE knew before Raw this week that he had failed it, they did not handle things very well. They made a main event for their PPV next month and then one of the guys in that match is just not going to show up for a month? Reading Smackdown spoilers, nothing was done to address why Reigns would not be around. It is just awkward. They should have run an injury angle. Are they going to just say that Reigns is suspended for doing drugs? That is terrible from a creative standpoint. Moreover, they are just going to make Roman Reigns look absolutely terrible. There have been main-eventers more popular than Reigns to get suspended and the WWE did not do that to them. The WWE is more realistic these days, but they can't admit the real reason Reigns isn't around. The WWE is in a terrible position. Roman Reigns deserves most of the blame for violating the wellness policy, but the WWE's handling of things may not have made it smoother.

Natalya Turns Heel

The heel team won at Money in the Bank. But the story did not end there. Natalya turned heel and attacked Becky Lynch.

The big question is, did they really need to turn Natalya heel? The WWE has been known to do turns all over the place with their women's division. Does this fall into that category? Is it one of those heel turns that should leave you scratching your head?

I do not think so. There is a lack of heels in the women's division. Emma got injured. Dana Brooke was paired with Charlotte, but Dana is not that great in the ring. Naomi and Tamina are injured. Maryse and Lana are eye-candy periphery divas. They won't be pushed seriously in the ring. Yes, Maryse is a former Diva's Champion and Lana has gotten in the ring recently, but they do not have the credibility to be pushed seriously and are better off in the periphery.

There is Summer Rae. She may not be great in the ring, but I don't really see anyone bashing her as hard as Eva Marie gets bashed. I think Summer Rae is underutilized. She should be getting a secondary women's feud. While Charlotte feuds with whichever women over the title, let another face have a minor feud with Summer Rae.

All things considered, I can understand the heel turn for Natalya and will not bash it. It is a little creative depth in the women's division. That is something they need. It will probably not go far for Natalya. She will probably just be used to put over Becky Lynch. But it is still something for her to do and something else to talk about in the women's division.

Dean Ambrose Wins It All

Dean Ambrose won Money in the Bank. Seth Rollins would win the WWE Championship back later in the night. Dean Ambrose would then follow up by taking the title from Rollins. All three members of The Shield held the title in one night.

I usually criticize the WWE for taking too long to pull the trigger on certain things. This is obviously not one of those situations. If anything, I would have waited a little while. Build it up and tease it a little more. They had that one segment last week on Raw, but it might have meant more if they had those kind of segments after Dean Ambrose had won the briefcase. I am not saying they should drag it on all the way to Wrestlemania next year. I am definitely not saying take it beyond Wrestlemania. But they could have had Dean Ambrose cash in and win next month. That would still leave time to have The Shield triple threat for Summerslam. And even before he won the title, they would have been building up the this feud the whole time for Summerslam.

The Money in the Bank briefcase is one of the most interesting angles the WWE runs every year. When will the guy with the briefcase cash it in? Will he be successful? There is potential there for some drama and anticipation. No drama right now. Ambrose won it and successfully cashed it in the same night.

It is true that Kane won the briefcase and successfully used it that same night in 2010. Thing is, they had two winners of a briefcase that night. Miz still held on to his for a few more months. There was only one briefcase on the line last night.

In the end, it is no big deal. All three members of The Shield have won the WWE Championship. Fans will soon see the triple threat they want so bad. All these guys will be inducted into the Hall of Fame. They might even be inducted again as a stable. But how long until Roman Reigns gets the title back?

Final Money In The Bank 2016 Preview

The WWE is hyping up this year's Money in the Bank like it has a few big matches worthy of headlining Wrestlemania. Most of it really is more hype than anything else, but that is what you would expect from a pro wrestling promotion.

Let me start with the Money in the Bank match. Not much more has happened since the last time I talked about this match. They did tease what Dean Ambrose being added to Seth Rollins vs. Roman Reigns might look like on Raw this week. Many fans have been wanting to see this match for years now. Besides that, it is obvious that the WWE can use the briefcase to develop a new star for the coming brand split. That means it is unlikely Chris Jericho or Alberto Del Rio wins it. Both have held World Championships before and both are not young guys any more.

Taking all that into consideration, who wins? I still think Ambrose would be a good choice. There is a lot of storyline value there. It can help him get to the next level. Everyone is still saying Kevin Owens. I must have missed the dirtsheet report guaranteeing him the win. I don't spend my days reading every item those sites put out. Owens just doesn't feel like he is ready to be a main-eventer yet. If he wins it, he might end up like Sandow or Sheamus. He should just remain as an upper-midcarder right now. I will stick with Ambrose.

No titles are on the line, but the WWE is hyping AJ Styles vs. John Cena as a match 15 years in the making. Really? Where was John Cena 15 years ago? Where was AJ Styles 15 years ago? Neither of them were anything to get too hyped over back then. They talk about this like it is a dream match. Undertaker vs. Sting is a dream match I have seen fans really eager to see for many years. The WWE may never be able to give fans that match now. AJ Styles vs. John Cena? I am sure some fans were looking forward to it, but it isn't one of the top matches I see pop up often. It is the face of TNA going against the face of the WWE. First of all, AJ Styles was never the true face of TNA. He should have been, but TNA never pushed him as the true face. But if fans want to view him as the face, okay. Second, the WWE isn't even giving TNA proper respect. They have been taking a lot of their guys recently, but how often does the WWE actually mention their closest competition? Aren't they afraid fans might Google "AJ Styles" and see TNA pop up? Wrestling fans are viewing it as TNA vs. WWE, but the WWE not embracing the existence of TNA more might be hurting the potential of the feud.

There is the kind of vibe here that you had between CM Punk and John Cena. That is to say, that is what the WWE is going for. AJ Styles is not CM Punk. He might be more amazing in the ring that Punk. But he does not have his mic skills and he has not broken out like Punk eventually did. The WWE is treating AJ Styles like he is already there. They are trying too hard with him. They are trying to add some reality to the story of this feud, but it is really just pandering to smarks. Why should AJ Styles really have an issue with John Cena? Styles just debuted earlier this year. He traded wins with Chris Jericho. He became #1 contender. He has had a few title shots. He is not being held down. He is being pushed too fast. Yes, even without winning the title, I would say he is being pushed too fast. This feud is overrated. The WWE is talking about how great the feud is. They are putting over AJ Styles as something so amazing. But the WWE is just trying to make something happen here that only wrestling fans will appreciate. The wider audience will not be that into it.

Who wins this encounter? Because I am sure these two will be facing each other more down the line. If the WWE wants to cause some shock, leave the crowd with a stunned impression on their face, and have a sea of Internet fans celebrating like Cena's reign of terror is over and AJ Styles is the new face of the company, they will have AJ Styles win. They might also let him win clean. I have seen fans overreact before to Cena losing. Of course, it is likely AJ's buddies help him. Even a cheap win would get many fans excited. I will say AJ Styles wins this encounter.

Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins for the WWE Championship is also a match the WWE is hyping as worthy of headlining Wrestlemania. It was just last year at Wrestlemania when these two men were involved in the main event, along with Brock Lesnar. It would be easy to say that Reigns vs. Rollins can headline Wrestlemania. They have the credibility. Problem is, neither of these two guys have really broken out and reached their full potential. The issues with Roman Reigns have been talked about for years now. Seth Rollins has also not broken out. Contrary to what smarks might think, and they can make all the noise for Seth Rollins they want, he isn't an A+ player. Yeah, the WWE can put this match as the main event of a Wrestlemania, but they will still be leaning on The Undertaker to draw for them, as well as the hype usually surrounding Wrestlemania and probably once again pretending control of the WWE is on the line somewhere on the card.

Will Seth Rollins regain the title he never really lost? I am sure it will happen one day. But this Sunday? I don't feel like this feud has been built up properly yet. I will say Roman Reigns retains here and the feud continues on. I would be be more surprised to see Rollins win it back now than to see someone cash in this Sunday and win the title.

Previewing The Money In The Bank 2016 Undercard Matches

Titus O'Neil gets a shot at the United States Championship. Some people might question whether or not he even deserves this push against Rusev. It is likely he is just being used as fodder for Rusev. Nevertheless, it is nice to see Titus still getting something meaningful to do on TV after that incident a few months ago. Rusev retains here.

The tag titles match seems interesting. New Day defends against The Club, The Vaudevillains, and Enzo & Cass. But this should really boil down to two teams. It will either be New Day retaining or The Club getting the titles. If New Day retains here, the WWE might as well head towards these guys breaking the record for longest reign with the tag titles, or at least make an angle out of them possibly doing it. The Club, however, can really use that credibility from winning the titles. The commentators keep on putting over how dominant these guys are and whatever else. Show it, don't just say it. So far, these guys have not looked as impactful as Nexus, The Shield, and other such groups. They don't really take over the show like the NWO did in WCW. Honestly, it is pretty lame. Wrestling fans are eating these guys up because they are familiar with their work prior to the WWE. I would like to see more from them in the WWE, and I think there are a lot of other viewers that share that same belief. I would give them the titles.

I am going to lump Apollo Crews vs. Sheamus and Baron Corbin vs. Dolph Ziggler together. The new guys should be beating the veterans. Neither of the two new guys have been too stellar so far, but they have potential and bad feud development could hurt them. At least they are getting feuds. It is better than the WWE just giving a new debut a random win streak without an actual feud. Crews and Corbin win their respective matches.

Previewing The Money In The Bank 2016 Women's Match

 

The women's match for this year's Money in the Bank PPV is probably not much to talk about, but I'll still talk about. It will be Natalya and Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte and Dana Brooke.

 Why is this match probably not much to talk about? It's just a tag match. Nothing is on the line. You had a tag match at Fastlane earlier this year. Difference is, you also had a separate match for the Diva's Championship, as well. The creative depth right now is terrible. That will obviously change when the brand split happens. It is not impossible for tag feuds to be exciting for the women, but this just isn't one of those exciting feuds.

Who wins? It is a tag match. Nothing is on the line. Obviously, this is a situation for the faces to win. Thing is, what happens after? Does either Natalya or Becky Lynch get the push against Charlotte? Natalya was just there, so it would probably be Becky Lynch getting the push now. It would be kind of a waste for the face team to win and neither of them to get the title feud after. But there are fans eager to see Sasha Banks get the push. I see fans questioning whether Paige should be getting a title shot. If the WWE does want to push either of those two women against Charlotte next, the heels should win this Sunday to help give Charlotte the momentum and clear the way for that fresh challenger. I will say the faces win this Sunday and Becky Lynch gets the push next.

What would fans have rather seen for Money in the Bank for the women? How about a Money in the Bank ladder match? Personally, I would not have wanted to see it. Other promotions have had ladder matches with women, but this is the WWE. The diva division may be dead, supposedly, but the WWE would still hold their women back to some degree. More over, you have a lot of injury issues for the women recently. Sasha Banks might just be crazy enough to try some crazy spot that would take her out for at least another few weeks. Maybe next year. Improve the depth in the division and hope the best workers can stay healthy.

Baron Corbin Vs. Dolph Ziggler: When Will It End?

The issues between Dolph Ziggler and Baron Corbin continue. This feud should have ended already. I have not come across anyone that is that interested in this feud. It doesn't even matter who wins this feud, it should just end.

Of course, I do have to give the WWE credit for one thing. This is a midcard feud where no title is on the line. There was a time when the WWE was pretty bad at developing feuds without any titles involved. If this was just a feud that lasted a month or two to help introduce Baron Corbin to the main roster audience, that would be fine. But they just should have moved on already. The actual story here is not that interesting. It is just a feud that won't end.

What could Baron Corbin have been doing instead? A midcard title feud would have been out of the question. Heels hold the two midcard singles titles. Or how about have both Corbin and Ziggler feud against Miz or Rusev? I don't want to see Ziggler and Corbin facing each other anymore in any way. They could have plugged Corbin into Money in the Bank. If there weren't so many guys tied into that match, one of them might be a fresh feud for Corbin. The WWE could have plugged Kalisto into Money in the Bank and have Cesaro feud with Corbin. Or have Corbin feud with Kalisto, who just lost the United States Championship not that long ago and should not be made to look irrelevant so soon. There definitely are possibilities for a new feud for Corbin.

What about Ziggler? Could the former Mr. Money in the Bank not find his way into this year's ladder match for the briefcase? The WWE could have put him there. Would fans have been more interested in Ziggler vs. Rusev than Rusev vs. Titus? There definitely is a story between Ziggler and Rusev, as well as Lana. As long as the WWE didn't push the same story they did last year, I doubt fans would hate these two guys feuding against each other again. Again, there are possibilities for Ziggler besides Corbin.

Unless the WWE has an idea to freshen this feud, it was just pointless to continue it. Corbin should be working with other guys. Ziggler has the credibility and potential to deserve better than this. These two continuing to work against each other for this long really isn't helping either of them.

Minor Slammiversary 2016 Preview

TNA is having a PPV this Sunday and one of the matches I am interested in is Gail Kim vs. Maria. These two have had issues for months. I have spoken about it a few times. The match will probably be terrible, but I am interested in seeing how TNA will handle it.

Heading into the weekend, they are handling it with an injury angle. Maria is teasing a broken hand. It adds some drama to things. I still question whether someone like Maria even deserves this push. It obviously will not be a great match, with or without the injury angles and sidekicks Maria has. At a time when the WWE is hyping improvements to their women's division to make it seem more respectable, this kind of feud for TNA does not help them maintain their image of being respectable.

Nothing is on the line in this match. This is really just Gail Kim wanting to get her hands on Maria to beat her around a little. I have said before that the stakes should be raised in this match. Not only have Gail Kim beat Maria, but take away Maria's control of the KO division. Have Gail put her career on the line. Injury angles are one way to add some drama to a feud, but I don't think this feud has reached its climax.

What do I think happens this Sunday? Gail Kim will get her hands on Maria. But there will probably be some kind of shenanigans for Maria to win. That will continue the feud to a point where it can end in a bigger way.

The KO title seems like somewhat of an afterthought in all this. All the creative interest is in Gail Kim vs. Maria. Nevertheless, Jade defends against Sienna, one of Maria's sidekicks. Putting the title on Jade wasn't enough. TNA should have done a better job with her from a creative standpoint. That is what will really help her get over. This match can go either way. I would not be surprised if Sienna won the title to bring a little more credibility to Maria's group. Better than Maria winning the title herself. But I will say Jade retains here. Maria can screw Jade out of the title later on.

Switching to a men's feud, how about Matt and Jeff? The Hardys are feuding against each other. And it certainly has been an interesting feud. Matt Hardy has gone crazy. There have been some interesting, elaborate segments to push this feud. I would say this feud is more interesting than the title feud between Lashley and Drew Galloway, which I won't even bother talking about.

Of course, many fans are ready to induct this feud into Wrestlecrap, and it probably does belong there. Nevertheless, it is getting people talking. And Impact did see its best ratings on its new network recently. It may not be a huge jump to the numbers they had five years ago, but it is a good sign. I doubt Lashley vs. Galloway is the feud that has people interested enough to watch. TNA has to do it by creating drama. For the women, Gail Kim vs. Maria is the feud that has the most drama to it, even though the match will not be respectable. For the men, Matt Hardy vs. Jeff Hardy has the drama to it, even though there is a lot of dumb things involved. I can't criticize them too much for some of the things they are doing here, even if I don't like some of it.

Who wins this match? This is one feud I would like to see end this Sunday. I don't know how much more wrestling fans can take. And I don't want to think what else TNA might try to keep this feud going. Jeff Hardy wins. I'll just leave it at that.  

The Development Of The Brand Split Angle: Now With More Teddy Long

The WWE furthered the brand split drama this week. Most notably, they had Teddy Long come back and audition to be in charge of Smackdown when it goes live. That is, he was was hoping to audition for the job. It was a funny return.

Might it be a good idea to have more former authority figures return to try to get a job running either Smackdown or Raw? It might lead to more fun segments. Vickie Guerrero could return. There's John Laurinaitis. Paul Heyman could be used for this. There is a list of men and women that could take part. I doubt it would be a big draw, but it could be fun.

Overall, however, there still doesn't feel like the WWE has really done a great job creating a true storyline off of the brand split returning and Smackdown going live. It feels like all they are doing is promoting it and using it for some segments that might have entertainment value.

Look at how the WWE has handled the WWE Network. They have frequently been promoting it. It is even mentioned now and again in segments. Kevin Owens gave a little bit of that on Raw this week in that opening segment. But they never really made a storyline revolving around the WWE Network. Why would they? It isn't really something to make a storyline out of. It was a business move by the WWE and it would be awkward to make a storyline based on it.

The brand split is something else. This should not be treated as just a business decision. Go back to the first brand split. They had Ric Flair coming into some power after The Alliance crumbled. Vince McMahon and Flair couldn't get along. The rest is history. It was more than just a business decision. It was kayfabe. It was a storyline. It was a storyline that led to changes in how the shows were being featured. And the WWE should have been able to do something like that again. They could have continued having Shane and Stephanie not get along. Just have history play out like it did with Ric Flair and Vince McMahon, with some obvious differences, of course. Instead, it seems the WWE is going about this in a business-like way that lacks some of that storyline drama.

This looks like the WWE's big summer angle. The big summer angle is usually something that causes a lot of drama and shakes things up. The brand split coming back definitely falls into that category. I just wish they handled it better. The WWE's website and news sites breaking the news of the brand split and live Smackdown isn't as impactful as it playing out in a segment on Raw. And that New Day segment last week wasn't exactly an epic way to introduce it. Even Teddy Long coming back this week doesn't change things much. Let's see how the WWE improves things.

Speaking of improvements, I have mentioned various things that have happened on Raw, but what about Smackdown? Smackdown going live will help it, but there is also the roster split to hinder it a bit. The WWE will need to be efficient with the roster and start having big things happen more frequently on the show. Have they become more efficient with Smackdown to prepare for the brand split. Looking at spoilers this week, there doesn't seem to be anything to talk about. And that will have to change. Is the WWE just being lazy now because they don't plan to put effort into the show until it goes live? You can't always flip a switch and expect magic to happen. Some of the WWE's bad habits might not go away easily.

Why No Periphery For Sasha Banks?

I have said that I would push Paige as a star in the periphery, outside of the title scene that Charlotte is dominating. I would not push Sasha Banks there. Why? There are a few reasons.

First, I don't think wrestling fans would like that. They love her for her in-ring work. I don't think these fans would appreciate the WWE pushing Sasha Banks like a Lita or an AJ Lee. These women were pushed as stars. But I still think some fans would be dumb enough to think Sasha was being buried or the WWE didn't want to push her if she got that kind of career. They want to see her wrestle and see her get the Women's Championship.

Second, I don't know how Sasha Banks would feel about this kind of career. She seems pretty one-dimensional. Fans respect her for her wrestling passion and she seems driven on that. I don't know how she would feel about big angles alongside the men. There is nothing wrong with not wanting to do Total Divas, but when it comes to how you are actually being pushed, you cannot be one-dimensional. You just will not go far in the WWE.

Last reason Sasha Banks would not be one of my top choices to push in the periphery, I personally just do not see her being that amazing in the periphery. The periphery is for unique characters, like Chyna, Lita, and AJ Lee had. Sasha has a gimmick, but it seems like more of a typical diva-like gimmick. That is rather ironic. The periphery is for women interacting with men. Sasha Banks sometimes sounds like she wouldn't mind wrestling the men, but the WWE obviously would not do that kind of thing on a regular basis today. And the periphery is for eye-candy women. Fans would probably be enraged if the WWE treated Sasha Banks like that. Yes, you can plug any woman in a periphery position, but I do not think Sasha's talents would make her a great periphery diva. She should be wrestling in the ring.

Of course, wrestling in the ring has its dangers. Sasha was injured recently. Even more of a reason for Sasha, her fans, and the WWE to want her pushed in the periphery? Injuries helped to add to Lita's mystique. But there is nothing too glamorous about getting banged up the way Sasha Banks has. It just keeps you out of the ring, gives the WWE an excuse not to push you, and takes time off your career.

There was a report recently that Vince McMahon does not want to push Sasha because of injury worries. And I would say that report is dumb. Can you call it dumb speculation on the part of certain writers and fans? Yes. Even if Vince McMahon is saying it, it is more of an excuse than a reason. The real reason they don't want to push Sasha Banks? How about because she's not a priority and is just there to be a credible jobber? You know, like the majority of women like her for almost two decades now? The WWE has never been too eager to push Sasha Banks since she debuted. A win streak without any direction is nothing. Her push a few months ago was more about putting over Charlotte for Wrestlemania. After that, Sasha became irrelevant. Compare her treatment to how other women are treated on the roster currently. Compare it to how women like her were pushed in the past. There is nothing strange going on here with Sasha. Were all these other women injured to warrant the inconsistent treatment they got? You mean to say centerpieces like Trish Stratus and Michelle McCool never got injured? And I already brought up Lita and injuries. It is an excuse, not a legitimate reason.

Nevertheless, some people might say you don't want to give the WWE an excuse not to push you. Some injuries just happen. They cannot be avoided. Some injuries happen because the person the wrestler is working with botches her end of the spot. And some injuries happen because the wrestler wrestles a style that just takes a toll on their body. They aren't necessarily botch masters, but they wrestle a style that leads to injuries. It happened to Daniel Bryan. Should Sasha Banks change her style up to eliminate the injury excuse? Maybe. In the end, if the WWE doesn't want to push her, they just won't. They'll come up with another excuse.

It would be wise for the WWE to just push her. The longer they avoid it, the more this cult following Sasha has will strengthen. They are making her look more like a hero to women's wrestling by not pushing her. Just push her as the typical jobber to the centerpiece. The ball will then be in her court to keep those fans interested. The WWE has recently become a little lazy again when it comes to maintaining respectable women's wrestling on the main roster. How will Sasha Banks handle this environment? Can she take this career to become very over like Mickie James did? Will the WWE succeed in killing her overness? Or will she just continue to ride the name she made for herself in NXT, with the occasional great match here and there on the main roster to keep fans believing? Whatever it may be, the WWE should just give Sasha Banks the push before they reach a point where they will never be able to shut her off. They will just end up screwing themselves.

Of course, the brand split is coming up. How about some kind of compromise? Send Sasha Banks to Smackdown and let her be the top star there. They don't need to make a second title for her. They don't even need to let the Women's Champion work both shows, if they don't want to. It is possible to be the top star of a show or division without a title. Gail Kim was the top woman in TNA before they had a title for her to win. Torrie Wilson was the top diva on Smackdown without ever winning the Women's Championship. The WWE can have Sasha feud with women in non-title feuds. They can have her interact with men in angles. If a periphery push is going to work for Sasha Banks, this might be the best way for it to work out. And she can eventually win the Women's Championship in an inter-brand match. The Smackdown women's division will then become the show where the title is defended, while the Raw divas get the periphery treatment. One reason this might be refreshing, there just needs to be more feuds and angles outside of the title picture. Develop some better creative depth. And featuring Sasha Banks as a top star in this system might please fans.

Should Seth Rollins Turn Face?

Some fans seem very happy to see Seth Rollins back. He has even been getting cheers. That is not surprising. He has the wrestling talent to appeal to wrestling fans. He is no longer playing the same weasel heel character he played when The Authority was supporting him. He just returned from an injury. Most importantly, he's not Roman Reigns.

And yet, he is still a heel. Some fans are saying the WWE should turn him face. They say the WWE is stupid for not turning him face. Some say they are trying to bury his overness. Do these fans have a point? Should they turn him face?

Let me bring up the example of Randy Orton. I have been an Orton fan for over a decade. I first became a fan of the guy during his Evolution days. And I wasn't the only one. As a heel, there were times when it seemed he was getting a positive reaction from the fans. What did the WWE do? They eventually gave him his first World Championship and turned him face. And any smark would say that face turn was a flop. Many fans say he was a terrible face. I would say part of the problem was how he was booked. Of course, he also had some of his own personal issues that hurt him for a while. But he eventually figured things out and regained a good connection with the fans. I remember seeing some fans say that he would never get cheered as a face. He eventually did.

Now, what would fans have said if the WWE didn't turn Randy Orton face back in 2004? Would they say the WWE is stupid? Would they say they are trying to bury him? Fact is, the WWE went with the face turn with Orton and it just didn't work out.

Taking that into consideration, what should the WWE do with Seth Rollins? A face turn is not all there is to it. He will not be the new centerpiece of the company if he turns face. It is questionable whether or not the WWE will even let him be the top guy of whatever brand he ends up on. Back in 2004, the WWE did not stop pushing Triple H as the top guy. The WWE has Roman Reigns and John Cena both active right now, not to mention AJ Styles, Dean Ambrose, and other guys fans might be interested in seeing pushed at a high level.

You also have to wonder what kind of face character they might push him with. Some face characters get stale very fast and end up getting booed. Does Seth Rollins have the ability to play a great face? Does he have the mic skills? Some fans say his in-ring style works best if he is a face. Okay, but how well will he connect with the audience that wants more than just wrestling?

Seth Rollins does not have an A+ connection with the fans, despite wrestling fans giving him that positive reaction. He is not the new Daniel Bryan. If the WWE turns him face and he flops, he's the new Randy Orton. He still needs to break out more. Going solo without The Authority is a step in the right direction. Until then, I think the WWE should keep him as a heel. It is for his own good. I can also talk about depth issues, but the WWE has enough guys on the roster to fill the void. Just turn someone else heel to fill the void face Seth Rollins might leave. That isn't as big of an issue. I am not saying the WWE never does anything stupid, but keeping Seth Rollins heel does not seem like a stupid decision, especially given what has happened to certain other heels that flopped with a face run. Let Seth Rollins play that heel character that is getting him over. Better than a face run that might kill that overness.

Split The Dudleys?

I said I wasn't going to do any mock draft, and I'm not. But I will look at certain specific scenarios. For example, the brand split has always created situations where teams were broken up. New Day brought that up on Raw this week. But I'm not going to talk about them. What about The Dudleyz? Should they split up?

Their return fizzled out rather easily. Their heel turn, which had many wrestling fans eager to see Bully Ray, has been mediocre. Maybe the next option is to actually split them up.

This might be the best way to let Bubba actually be the character he was during his best days in TNA again. Devon was obviously still his sidekick for part of that run back then, but the WWE may not be able to handle the push right if Devon was still with Bubba. When they look at these two, they probably just see a tag team. There are enough teams right now that the WWE doesn't need to push them as a tag team, but that is probably what they see when they look at them together. What would they see if they split them up? That is probably when Bubba can be his own guy again. Velvet Sky wants to come to the WWE. Maybe she can be paired with Bubba during his solo push.

Of course, you have to keep in mind that "Bully Ray" was more than just a gimmick. It was a gimmick in TNA that was pushed a certain way. This is the WWE. The WWE has an obvious hierarchy that Bubba is unlikely to reach the top of. And you always have to worry what will happen if he does gain momentum. Will they then use him to put over Roman Reigns or John Cena, then deflate him? At best, he should remain a midcard act, possibly upper-midcard. He might get a run with a midcard singles title. That's as far as I could see him going.

What about Devon? Remember when these two got split up over a decade ago and Devon was left with a reverend gimmick? I am not saying he should go back to that, but there is potential to push him with some kind of gimmick. Would he fit right in with New Day? Or be stuck with other lower-midcard veterans, like R-Truth and Goldust? I am sure he'll have something to do, although Bubba will likely be pushed better.

Would I split them up? Yes. They are not going anywhere in the tag division as it is. Fans might be excited for what happens with them when they get solo pushes. There is definitely creative potential there. And down the line, the WWE can put them back together for their true final run. And hopefully, that is when they get the tag titles.

Money In The Bank 2016

Six men are already in this year's Money in the Bank ladder match. Dean Ambrose, Cesaro, Sami Zayn, Chris Jericho, Kevin Owens, and Alberto Del Rio are all in the match. Why not do an early preview?

I see a lot of fans talking like Kevin Owens wins this. I don't see why he should. Of course, it is not unusual for someone that you would not expect to win the briefcase to end up winning it. Did Sheamus really deserve it last year? Kevin Owens can win it and continue his singles feud with Sami Zayn.

Chris Jericho was in the first Money in the Bank ladder match. He has never won one. Even though he is a part-timer, would having him win be so terrible? Imagine him winning it, taking a few months off, then returning out of nowhere to successfully cash in. I'm not saying it will work out like that, but it would be a fun idea.

Alberto Del Rio has won the briefcase before. He wouldn't be the first guy to win it twice, but I do not see him winning this.

How about Cesaro? Wrestling fans love the guy and would love to see him get pushed. Sadly, he was not able to get the Intercontinental Championship from The Miz. Having him win Money in the Bank would be huge for him. I think he is as likely as Kevin Owens to win it.

What can I say about Sami Zayn? He is the newest guy on the roster of the six men here. That is why I doubt he wins. He has his feud with Kevin Owens. He can win a midcard title after that. No need to give him this big of a push at all by having him win the briefcase.

Of the six men in this match so far, Dean Ambrose just seems like the best option. Fans are always eager to see that Shield triple threat. You can have it very easily right now. Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins are feuding for the title. That feud can last a few months. Let Dean Ambrose win the briefcase and eventually insert himself into this feud. I think Ambrose deserves it. And if it can add to the current title feud in a way fans actually want to see, why not?