The Drama With Alberto Del Rio And Paige

There have been a few disgruntled workers in the WWE this year that have just had enough and left. Cody Rhodes is gone. Ryback left. The Dudleys recently left. You might include Wade Barrett as someone that didn't want to stay. It seems you can now add Alberto Del Rio to the list.

Alberto Del Rio returned last year after being fired rather unfairly. He started off with a bang, winning the United States Championship against John Cena cleanly. Things just went downhill for him from the time he lost the title. The League of Nations just flopped and Del Rio was not treated right since. I am not saying it would have made all the difference in the world for Del Rio, but the WWE should have treated that stable better, including giving them the tag titles. New Day does not need them that badly. Those goofballs sell merchandise, I know, but they will sell items as long as they are entertaining. They'll sell shirts, cereal, unicorn horns, bellybutton lint, and everything else they can cut a promo on. Meanwhile, other teams could have used the credibility of holding the titles.

Anything major of value lost? Not really. I like Alberto Del Rio. He had potential. Things just never came together for him. But the WWE does lose a heel with some main-event credibility and who is a solid enough worker in the ring. Alberto Del Rio can be replaced, but the WWE will have to get to work on that. Is Kevin Owens being groomed to take that spot? Meanwhile, Smackdown's roster takes a hit. Bringing back lower-midcarders and midcarders will not take Alberto Del Rio's spot on Smackdown. The WWE will probably maintain a solid push for Baron Corbin.

Something I really don't like about this situation is that Alberto Del Rio supposedly expected to be treated a certain way by the WWE during this run and they did not follow through. He is not the most over guy in the WWE, and so is not entitled to much, but if the WWE made him believe he would get something if he returned and they failed to live up to their end of the bargain, I do not blame Del Rio for wanting out. It is the same kind of thing with The Dudleys. You just take guys with potential and fizzle out on how you push them. The WWE cannot keep on hiring all these guys and show the kind of ego issues that they sometimes have in the past. You have to give them fair opportunities, use them efficiently, and if you make promises to them, it would be nice if you saw them through.

Alberto Del Rio was in a relationship with Paige. Perhaps not coincidentally, she also looks like she might not be in the WWE much longer. She was dealing with some injury issues. She got suspended the same time Del Rio did for a wellness violation. And now there are these rumors that the WWE threatened to fire her if she did not break up with Del Rio.

First, let me just look at that report about the WWE threatening to fire Paige. If they actually did threaten to fire Paige over that, it comes down to whether they did it for a professional reason or some petty reason. If they did it for a professional reason, the WWE would not have anything to worry about and just acknowledge it. Just say that they felt the relationship was having a negative influence on the careers of the two involved or the professional atmosphere backstage. Something like that. The WWE pointed the finger of blame on Del Rio the first time they fired him. If Paige is causing a problem backstage due to this relationship or the WWE feels the relationship is negatively impacting her career, they can just come out and say that. The WWE has denied the reports. That makes me think journalists are exaggerating the situation or the WWE did it for reasons that go beyond what is truly best for their workers and the backstage environment.

Now, let me just look at Paige. She is a credible jobber. She was a credible jobber in 2014. She was a credible jobber in 2015. And her career was not improving in 2016. Some fans say the WWE handed Paige the world when they handed her the Diva's Championship on her first night on the main roster. No, they handed her the Diva's Championship. That's all. Looking at how they pushed her during that first reign, it was very mediocre. There was often a lack of proper feud development and often better creative focus on the women Paige was feuding against than Paige. Paige was not being pushed as a star. Things started to improve when she started to feud against AJ Lee again, but that was because Paige was being used to put her over. Paige's second title run was short and possibly even worse than her first one. The Bellas and AJ overshadowed her. She jobbed a ton during the start of the diva revolution last year. She was supposedly the leader of her trio, but Charlotte was the one groomed for a push in that group. And her career since putting over Charlotte has been an afterthought.

I do not blame Paige for the current situation she might be in. The WWE does not like her being immature? How about when AJ Lee was being immature? This is an example of why I don't like the WWE letting certain individuals get away with things they stomp other workers for doing. The WWE just ends up looking like hypocrites. Paige was there in the WWE when AJ Lee was acting up. She watched as AJ did things that could have made the WWE look bad and could have gotten AJ in serious trouble. Instead, AJ was allowed to be the longest-reigning Diva's Champion during her time in the company, won the belt two more times after that, remained undefeated at Wrestlemania, and got to retire when she wanted. I never read reports of the WWE threatening to fire AJ Lee or forcing her to retire. They just pushed her better than they should have.

Some people might say that AJ was treated that way because she is a big star. Problem is, she didn't exactly earn it by starting off with the credible jobber pushes most female wrestlers get, got over off that, and then moved on to a legendary career. The WWE groomed her in the periphery. Why wasn't Paige given the opportunity to earn that spot for herself, especially after AJ retired? I have said many times before that she should have. People say the WWE was making money off AJ Lee. Well, they were also making money off Paige. They should have done more to push her as a star and try to make even more money off her. That has been one of the WWE's problems in the past. They try to make money off of things that they want to make money off of and make stars out of people they want to be stars. If the WWE viewed Paige the same way they viewed AJ Lee, they would push her better on a consistent basis, make even more merchandise for her, and let her get away with some supposed backstage immaturity.

Some might say it is an age thing. Paige is so young and people at that age are sometimes not professional and might take things for granted, like their career. I would say it is more about being misled, which the WWE has done to certain other workers, regardless of age and gender. The WWE has not pushed Paige even decently in a long while. If she sees things are not going her way, why shouldn't she lose interest? It happens. Some might say Paige should still remain professional. Easier said than done at times. And if the WWE has made Paige believe that she was ever on top of the world or they were giving her a chance to be on top of the world, the mistreatment she has endured for most of her career on the main roster is going to hurt. Paige knows she has gotten great reactions. She knows she has made money for the WWE. To be put through the motions that the WWE has done to many female wrestlers for almost two decades now is annoying. It does have an emotional and psychological impact on people. I have brought up a few men that had enough and don't want to be a part of the WWE anymore from just this year. How often do you have women become disgruntled with the WWE to the point that they leave? Gail Kim is one of the best examples of this decade. But how many since her? AJ Lee? Not as many as the men, although I would say many women have more of a reason to walk away.

Should Paige leave the WWE and be allowed to work elsewhere, what will become of her? She has a few options. She comes from a wrestling family in England and can easily go back there. She can work in the independent scene in the United States. Having gained some notoriety from being in the WWE, TNA would love to have Paige. With Gail Kim reaching that age where she might finally retire, TNA might look for a new centerpiece for their KO division. Why not Paige? She has a lot of great qualities on her side. It might be a good fit for her.

What would losing Paige mean for the WWE? Honestly, I would say the WWE needs Paige more than she needs them. I already pointed out that she has various options. The WWE has a depth problem with their women's division, especially on Raw. Is Bayley the only face currently on Raw? No, but Raw misuses the roster so much, it feels like she is. Things will get a little better when Sasha Banks returns. Problem is, Sasha has shown that she can be very sloppy at times, particularly when doing dangerous spots. That makes Raw's depth questionable whether she is there or not. And these other NXT women need to stay healthy or things can collapse very easily. With a healthy Paige there, however, that helps the depth a little. NXT can't build women down there fast enough to help the situation on Raw.

You also have to keep in mind that Paige was on the main roster about 2 years before her injury issue, suspension, and the rest of the drama. The other top-tier NXT women have only been around a year. Bayley debuted a few weeks ago. I would like to see how the WWE keeps the ball rolling with these other women, if they even try to keep it rolling. Charlotte might be the centerpiece of Raw, but what about the rest? If they go through the same demotion Paige went through, how would they react? What stories will dirtsheet writers come up with? How will fans react? What happened with Paige could happen again.

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?

The End Of The League Of Nations

Alberto Del Rio had said in an interview recently that The League of Nations was finished. They didn't look like a unit on Raw this week. On Smackdown this week, without spoiling too much, it looks like another nail is being put into the coffin.

This is a group that could have been a lot better than they were. Even with Barrett being taken out, the trio of Sheamus, Alberto Del Rio, and Rusev could have made an impact. Personally, I prefer seeing Rusev with Lana than Rusev with The League of Nations, but that's another issue. The stable still could have been good.

What about that feud with The Wyatts? Bray Wyatt's recent injury has ruined it. I think recent developments just further support that the feud really was out of lack of creative direction. If The League of Nations can't have that feud, they can't have any feud? Breaking them up is the only thing you can think of? With The Wyatts, it is no big deal. When Bray Wyatt returns, he can just jump to any feud. The WWE frequently has him just move all over the place. But it really feels like The League of Nations was the group that the WWE really didn't have any direction for.

Roman Reigns didn't bury the group. They still stayed together after Sheamus lost the title and eventually regained some of their momentum back. John Cena, the guy many fans say buries people, certainly didn't ruin them. I wouldn't even say New Day ruined them, although the WWE should have let two members of The League of Nations win the tag titles while they still had some momentum and were looking like a strong heel stable. New Day doesn't need them anymore. I would say that was the point the WWE really missed a chance to go somewhere with this group. The feud against The Wyatts likely would not have been as good as The Wyatts vs. The Shield.

Is there any hope for these three guys? Or are they all jobbers to the stars even as singles wrestlers? Even with the injury issues, I think the WWE had enough heels to work with Roman Reigns and AJ Styles. There's no need to turn anyone or free up people to serve that purpose. But I do not have confidence in how they will be handled. The WWE just debuted a bunch of guys. Cesaro returned from injury. Cena will return soon. Sheamus, Rusev, and Del Rio stood a better chance of being featured well as a group than they likely will on their own.

The Wyatts Vs. The League Of Nations: Really?

The League of Nations won their Wrestlemania match against New Day. They got a title shot the very next night on Raw. I would have had them win the titles. The WWE had other plans. New Day retained and Barrett was kicked out of the group.

The Wyatts had an eventful Wrestlemania. Despite not having an official match heading into Sunday, they were used to put over The Rock and John Cena. The next night on Raw, they attacked the remains of The League of Nations.

Is the WWE really going with this feud? I talked about how Roman Reigns vs. AJ Styles seemed like a suspicious feud to create right now. Should I have the same feeling for this heel stable vs. heel stable feud? This just feels like lazy booking. With the WWE running with Reigns vs. Styles, for whatever reason they might have, that takes away two top faces. Ambrose looks like he is going in another direction. And even if the WWE had pushed one of these other top faces against one of the heel stables, they would likely need a few partners to even things out. Even if one stable is able to get a proper feud, what about the other? Having the two groups feud is just an easy answer.

There were still other options. How about continuing New Day vs. The League of Nations for one more PPV? Or how about having The Wyatts feud with New Day? Have Roman Reigns feud against The League of Nations. Have him feud against one member, two members, or possibly all three guys left in the group in a four-way match for the title.

Some people might wonder if the WWE is thinking face turn for one of these groups. I don't think that is necessary. The Shield vs. The Wyatts happened when both teams were heels. The Shield would eventually turn face, but it did not happen immediately with that feud. Besides that, the WWE just officially turned New Day face not too long ago. Do they really need to turn another team face? If a team does turn, the WWE will probably turn The Wyatts. The League of Nations just seem less likeable right now.

I honestly do not remember any fans being excited for a feud between these two groups prior to last week. Even since then, I don't feel the hype. Go back to The Shield vs. The Wyatts. Even before that feud got started, I remember fans wanting it. The Shield is the best 3-man group in recent WWE history. The Wyatts were hot back then. Many fans consider the 2014 Elimination Chamber match between these two groups the match of the year back then. Those expectations are not here. Sheamus and his crew are not The Shield. The Wyatts have been broken down and built back up a few times since that feud against The Shield. They have lost their edge. Moreover, Braun Strowman is not Luke Harper. Wrestling fans love Luke Harper. They are not so crazy about Braun Strowman. I do not expect this heel stable vs. heel stable feud you have right now to be as good as The Shield vs. The Wyatts. And I would be shocked if a 3 vs. 3 match between The League of Nations and The Wyatts gets match of the year for 2016.  

Previewing Wrestlemania 2016: The Undercard

The Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal has never led to a serious push for either of the first two winners. Big Show, last year's winner, certainly already has his career made. He's going to be in the WWE Hall of Fame. Cesaro, the first winner, has had his career go up and down. He has gotten a number of titles and accolades in between depushes. I know about the rumors about Braun Strowman winning and getting a big push later on. Since that might hinge on what the WWE does with Roman Reigns and injury issues, I am not picking him to win. I could imagine someone in The Social Outcasts winning. Would that be an insult to Andre? A jobber winning this? Well, is putting this match on the pre-show insulting? The WWE might do some funny things with someone from the group winning. And I do not think anyone else currently in the match can really benefit from this. I'll go with Heath Slater.

The Dudley Boys face The Usos. This match does not feel big enough for Wrestlemania, but at least there are some feuds going on in the tag division that go beyond the tag titles. Since The Dudleys turned heel just a few weeks ago, logic might say they win this match and continue their push. I am going to go against logic and say The Usos win. The WWE has not pushed The Dudleys well since they returned. At the same time, The Usos have not won anything major since they reunited. I'll go with them.

Kalisto defends the United States Championship against Ryback. Ryback went a few years without ever winning a title. There was a time when he seemed credible enough to win the WWE Championship. That never happened, bu he did win the Intercontinental Championship last year. I would say he does not really need another title reign again so soon. On the other hand, how serious is the WWE in pushing Kalisto as the new Mysterio? Having him bring this up in interviews and talking about him like he is the next Mysterio doesn't mean as much as booking him consistently. If his title reign ends this Sunday and he gets sent back to the tag division with Sin Cara, I doubt he will end up as the new Mysterio. I will say he retains the title.

Another multi-man ladder match for the Intercontinental Championship. Kevin Owens faces Sami Zayn, Dolph Ziggler, Zack Ryder, Sin Cara, Miz, and Stardust. Some of these guys are just extra bodies. This match should have just been between Owens and Zayn. I would say those are the two favorites to win. I would have Owens retain and lose the title later to Zayn in a singles feud.

The New Day take on The League of Nations in a handicap match. Just a few weeks ago, The League of Nations destroyed New Day and actually looked like great heels. They actually looked like a group the WWE was serious in pushing again. Since then, it feels like they have lost some of that intensity. I still hope the group ends up winning the tag titles. Until then, I will say they beat New Day. They should. 

AJ Styles vs. Chris Jericho is a match that I do not think needed to happen again. This is the fourth match in a rivalry that is only two months old. This is a rivalry that featured them teaming up and eventually becoming contenders for the tag titles. This is a rivalry that featured the team splitting and one guy turning on the other. All in two months. You would think this kind of story takes a lot longer than this to develop. And yet, here we are.

I want to say a few things about how this feud has been developed since Chris Jericho turned heel. I have seen some fans criticize the WWE for taking so long to make this match official. They waited until the final Raw before Wrestlemania. I do not have a problem with that. The story is that Jericho was trying to avoid facing Styles again. Styles had to get Jericho to agree to it. This isn't bad storyline development.

The other part of this storyline that I want to bring up is the WWE bringing up "AJ Styles" chants. That supposedly annoyed Jericho. The issue I have isn't really the fact that Jericho is pretty over in his own right, even as a heel.This is about Styles. They obviously want the guy over. They are not burying his popularity. But how about they stop pointing out that fans like him and actually take advantage of what makes him phenomenal and develop his character better. Push him better. Fact is, I am not impressed by those chants. Maybe my memory is going bad, but I am sure I remember times when fans have reacted to wrestlers better. Those "AJ Styles" chants can be better. The WWE needs to put more work into AJ Styles. Smarks will cheer for him because he is great wrestler. Marks will cheer for him because he is pushed as a face. Beyond those fans that are either always criticizing the product or buying into it rather easily, how about the general audience? AJ needs to win those fans over. The WWE needs to do more than run a storyline about people chanting for him. He's not Daniel Bryan.

As far as the winner, it has to be Styles. Jericho is a jobber to the stars.

Dean Ambrose vs. Brock Lesnar is a big match, but not one of the likely two candidates to close the show, despite the presence of Brock Lesnar. Not to knock Ambrose, but this feels like the weakest Wrestlemania opponent Lesnar has had yet. It is a great push for Ambrose and will help elevate him, but Lesnar has faced guys with more star power or where there was something on the line in his other Wrestlemania matches. This is still a match many wrestling fans will look forward to.

And it is going to be a street fight. On the one hand, I like that the WWE has really made a storyline out of the match type. Hardcore legends have been utilized to push this feud. On the other hand, I think the WWE could have told a better story. Brock got mad at Ambrose for getting in the way of Brock getting a title shot. He attacked Ambrose in the parking lot the night after that. Just build on that intensity that was there. I feel how the WWE has handled the story these last few weeks has highlighted the match type more than the intense emotion that was there. Either way, should be a fun match.

The wildcard in this match will be The Wyatts. Dean Ambrose obviously has a history with Bray Wyatt. Brock Lesnar, moreover, was supposed to have a mini-feud with Bray. Bray was injured and that match got ruined. I doubt the WWE will have it end like that. They will go at it down the road. Will the WWE use this match at Wrestlemania to build up to that future match? The Wyatts don't have anything else going for them right now. Because there will be no disqualifications in this match, you can definitely imagine The Wyatts getting involved. Will it be a poor way for Dean Ambrose's feud with Brock Lesnar to end to just use this match as a stepping stone for another feud for Lesnar? That's another issue. Let's see how the WWE actually handles the match and what comes after.

Who wins? How often does Lesnar lose? Network specials aside, Brock Lesnar has not had a PPV win in a while. He lost at Fast Lane. He lost at the Royal Rumble. Is Vince McMahon going to be worried about Lesnar possibly starting to look weak? Some fans say that they cannot imagine Ambrose beating Lesnar cleanly. Well, can you imagine it with weapons involved? An extreme spot? It could happen. Of course, as I said, interference is likely. Cleanly or not, Lesnar has not won a big match in a while and I think he will win one here.

The Tag Division Heading Into Wrestlemania 2016

There was a time a few years ago when the WWE was good with handing the tag titles off to teams that had momentum and actually looked like they deserved them. That changed within the last year or so. The WWE would shoot the titles to a team that lacked momentum, then have a title change just when it started to look like that team was really starting to look good. That booking practice came to an end when the WWE allowed New Day to put a stranglehold on the division.

In my opinion, the tag division recently has been pretty poor. It's been, well, booty. During this time when New Day has been holding the titles for months and months, there were several teams that had some freshness or momentum to them that were not booked to get the tag titles. The Dudleys returned and looked hot. They have lost all their feuds so far. The Usos came back together again and could have been a choice to get the tag titles. Nope. The Lucha Dragons looked like they might go somewhere. Injuries led to a solo push for Kalisto. If the WWE had put the tag titles on a face team, that would have opened up the possibility for some fresh feuds with other heel teams. The League of Nations could have used the tag titles. The Wyatts could have used the tag titles, especially with Bray Wyatt not wrestling right now. Simply sticking so long with New Day all these months is not fair to other teams. This has not been a situation where depth was poor. I know New Day sells merchandise, but you should be able to push people well without titles. Titles are not just accolades. They are used to tell stories and add to feuds. And there are other stories and feuds that can use those tag titles that do not need New Day involved.

At Wrestlemania, all three members of New Day will face all four members of The League of Nations. The League of Nations have already had two shots to win the titles and failed. Backing up for a second, this started out as a heel vs. heel feud. After that beating on Raw New Day received, they seem to be the ones going face. I can very well imagine the WWE having New Day retain again and continuing their run as faces. They are pushed too much. This should be the feud where they lose the tag titles. The League of Nations have been built up again to look strong. There was a time not too long ago where they just looked pathetic. Injuries played a role in that. Don't just hand them this momentum to feed them to New Day.

There is another tag feud being developed for Wrestlemania. The Usos will face The Dudleys. It is not unusual to sometimes see things get lost in the shuffle around Wrestlemania season. And this would have been a feud you might expect to see get lost in the shuffle. The Dudleys have been pretty mediocre heels. After a lot of initial excitement and dirtsheets stirring the pot with reports saying the WWE saw the great heel potential in Bubba, this whole feud with The Usos and storyline about no more tables is just not that great. If the WWE wasn't so ravaged by injuries, this feud probably would be lost in the shuffle. The only good thing I can say about this feud is that it shows you can have some kind of feud in the tag division away from the tag titles. And it did have potential to be better than it is. The WWE just is not going in that direction.

What would I rather see for Wrestlemania this year from the tag division? I think they should have gone with a multi-team match for the tag titles. The main problem with that is that the WWE might struggle to create enough matches with the limited roster. Let's say injuries were not an issue. You can have New Day defend the tag titles against The League of Nations, The Usos, and The Dudleyz. Throw in The Wyatts? Make this the match R-Truth and Goldust officially become a team? Social Outcasts? You might have a gauntlet match here. Tag Team Turmoil. There are a lot of angles going on in the tag division. More of them need to be featured better. And New Day cannot continue to be featured so much better than the rest of them. I don't care how many unicorn horns and boxes of cereal they sell.

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 Royal Rumble 2016 Undercard Title Matches

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

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

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

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

Alberto Del Rio Loses Title, Then Gets It Back

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

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

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

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

Too Many Injuries To Start 2016

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What Do You Do With Ziggler?

Dolph Ziggler moved on from his feud with Tyler Breeze and found himself a part of the feud between Dean Ambrose and Kevin Owens. It is a title feud. The Intercontinental Championship is involved. But it is unlikely Dolph Ziggler will win the belt from Ambrose, who just won the title himself.

It just feels like the WWE really didn't have anything for Ziggler and plugged him with Ambrose and Owens. Should they have continued his feud with Tyler Breeze? I don't think so. It just doesn't feel like that feud was going anywhere interesting. A feud with Alberto Del Rio? I think that would have been a good option. That would have been a title feud. These two have a history. Ziggler would also be feuding with a member of a top stable right now. That would elevate him better than this Intercontinental Championship feud. Even if it is leading to main events on Smackdown, it is still just a midcard feud. A feud with Alberto Del Rio and the rest of his buddies would have been bigger, if done right.

Look ahead a month. The Royal Rumble is coming up. Is Ziggler a favorite to win there? At the 2015 Royal Rumble, some fans said that the mess wasn't just about Daniel Bryan losing and Roman Reigns winning. Ziggler was supposedly a guy they were pulling for and it was upsetting when he lost. I doubt fans will be in too much of an uproar if Ziggler loses again. If the WWE does want to give the win to someone with some credibility that no one really expects to win, it might be Ziggler. It can be an underdog win. I doubt it happens. It will be interesting to see what they do choose to do with Ziggler for Wrestlemania season. He had the opportunity to leave the company this year. He stuck around. Was it just for the money? Or is some kind of big push in his future? Better than he is getting recently would be nice.

I will probably skip blogging for Christmas. If you regularly read my blog, don't expect anything. Merry Christmas!

John Cena Will Be Coming Back

John Cena took some time off from the WWE for an outside project. The WWE would be hypocrites if they still had him give self-righteous speeches about always being there and the company being his life. I'm sure he'll be singing that tune again one day. Regardless, what might happen once he does return?

The last time he was seen in the WWE, he had just lost his United States Championship to Alberto Del Rio. The obvious push for Cena when he returns would be to give him his rematch. But would he regain the title? I doubt it. It is probably time for him to move on. There might not even be an actual feud here. Just have Cena vs. Del Rio on an episode of Raw. Have Del Rio's new friends help him retain.

Would that lead to John Cena feuding with The League of Nations? He has had feuds with the members of the stable already. If he is going to feud with the group, he would need allies. Would he be siding with Roman Reigns, who has issues with Sheamus? Regardless of who stands by him, I can picture Cena feuding with the stable, especially if the WWE is not ready to put him in a WWE Championship feud again.

What if they are looking for Cena to get into the title mix? He is advertised for the Royal Rumble. He has won the Rumble match twice already. John Cena vs. Roman Reigns at Wrestlemania is definitely a match you can see happening. There is still a lot of time for the WWE to decide and more names that can be in the Royal Rumble that could legitimately win, but John Cena is an early favorite.

Previewing The TLC 2015 Undercard Title Matches

All the titles will be on the line at TLC this Sunday. I will talk about the WWE Championship match next time. Right now, I will look at the matches for the Intercontinental, United States, Tag Team, and Diva's Championships.

A common theme in the matches I am about to talk about will be multiple angles going on for some of these wrestlers possibly holding back the potential of the title feuds. I talked about that recently. The League of Nations was just formed, with some of those guys already having something going on prior to the stable becoming official. Then The Usos and Dean Ambrose came out to help Roman Reigns, bringing up the possibility of a stable there. The diva division is a mess, as usual.

Let me start with the Intercontinental Championship match. Dean Ambrose goes against Kevin Owens. I said that this was a feud that did not really need a fancy storyline to it. I did not imagine when I said that that things would work out like they have. Owens was not able to get involved as best as he could for a while. Dean Ambrose got involved with Roman Reigns against The League of Nations. The feud just became an afterthought. They will have a contract signing on Smackdown this week. My initial reaction was that this feud does not really need that, but it is probably a good way to give this match some hype prior to TLC. I still feel Owens retains. Given how things have worked out, extending the feud a few more weeks after TLC would not be too horrible.

Jack Swagger goes after the United States Championship held by Alberto Del Rio. Del Rio retains, but it is really a shame what has happened to this feud. This was the midcard title feud that had potential for a good story. But putting Del Rio into The League of Nations has ruined the storyline they could have had here. It will be a chairs match, but the feud could have been better.

The tag titles will be decided in a triple-threat ladder match. Considering the men involved, it should be a great match and give the main event some competition for match of the night. The New Day defend against The Usos and Lucha Dragons. The Lucha Dragons are probably just there to make the match more exciting. It is unlikely they win. But it is a shame that they have not been featured better in the feud. Winning a match here and there isn't enough. It is all about how you are actually featured. The New Day have been associating with Sheamus and his group. The Usos have obviously sided with Roman Reigns. If Sin Cara & Kalisto were not involved in this title match, there would be no problem. As it stands, it feels like they are getting the short end of the stick. It seems like a lot of these title feuds have gotten the short end of the stick for a while for the benefit of furthering Reigns vs. Sheamus. Do The Usos win the titles here? It is only a matter of time before they do. I will say they do win them.

The diva division is a mess. The feud between Charlotte and Paige has been horrible. I have said that they probably should have ended it already. Move on to something else. They have continued it and only seem to make it worse. Already teasing friction between Charlotte and Becky Lynch before the feud between Paige and Charlotte is done just takes away from the feud. If Paige was the one forcing the wedge, that would be one thing. She's not. Even Team Bella has stirred the pot.

And the WWE brings back Ric Flair to get involved even more regularly. I do not think that is fair. How many wrestlers have a legendary father at the level of Ric Flair to give them a rub? It wouldn't be right for The Rock to carry a certain family member of his that has issues connecting with the fans, so I do not think the WWE should do too much with Ric Flair for Charlotte's benefit. She needs to do it on her own. If they wanted to bring Ric Flair in to work with Charlotte in a certain storyline that really deserved it, that would be great. That is not what they are doing here. This is just trying to give Charlotte a rub. I am still not convinced they really want to make her a star or are just pushing filler right now and creating the impression they really want her over. Either way, Charlotte has still not proven that she should be pushed as a top star.

As for Paige, I have brought up before that this push she has been getting may not necessarily be to make her into the new AJ Lee. It could be more similar to what happened to Melina when she turned heel for the last time to feud with Natalya over the title. The feud got treated poorly. Melina was not built up well, she lost to Natalya, and the WWE just moved on. I read Paige loses to Becky Lynch on Smackdown this week. The last show before the PPV and she loses. It has happened before that credible jobbers lose like that and go on to lose when they get their title shot soon after.

I would expect Paige to lose at TLC. The WWE has already started to tease Becky vs. Charlotte. Unless Becky is the one that costs Charlotte the title, the title will still be involved for the storyline between Becky and Charlotte. Why put the title on Paige? She is a heel. Sasha Banks is a heel. Nikki Bella, whenever she returns, will likely be a heel. Are there any faces that Paige can genuinely feud with? I doubt the WWE would dig Natalya back up to go against Paige. No, I say the title stays on Charlotte as she goes against Becky Lynch.

The League Of Nations

Sheamus has had an affiliation with Barrett and Rusev for a few weeks now. It was nothing too official. The WWE made it official on Raw this week, and tossed in Alberto Del Rio. The League of Nations is formed.

Sheamus needed this. I have been saying for a while now that Sheamus just did not look credible. I did not believe he deserved to successfully cash in because he had looked so poor. How would fans buy into him? And with Seth Rollins out and no great top heels around, fans would need to buy into him. Having him get a rub from Triple H would not be enough. The Authority is hardly a stable anymore. Giving someone some lackeys is probably one of the oldest tricks in the book. They did it with Michelle McCool during her centerpiece run. It can help someone seem more interesting or make them look more important. And this stable can help Sheamus look more important. He has some thugs to help him.

But what about the other three men in this stable? Sheamus will likely be the chief benefactor of this new stable, but what does this mean for each of the other three heels?

Alberto Del Rio is still the United States Champion. He had this gimmick going on with Zeb Colter that I talked about recently. There was potential for the WWE to do something with him in that position. On the one hand, it is a shame that gimmick didn't get played out better. On the other hand, this is a better position for him. He is a part of a top stable now.

Rusev just got back his Lana on Raw. Again, there was creative potential there. At one point, I would have said it would be a shame if the WWE just went backwards and put Lana and Rusev back together. Given everything that has happened, it now seemed like the best decision to make. What does Rusev now joining this stable do to his angle with Lana? I feel there might be more wasted potential here than with Del Rio joining the group.

There is not debate when it comes to Barrett joining this group. It is good for him. It gives him something meaningful to do. He had no real direction. This is a step up for him.

Alberto Del Rio Goes Back To Jack Swagger

Alberto Del Rio had a feud brewing with Jack Swagger. They have feuded before, but with Del Rio as the face and Swagger as the heel. Also with Zeb Colter on Jack Swagger's side. Del Rio is now the heel and has Zeb on his side. The United States Championship is also in the mix this time. The feud was put on hold due to the WWE Championship tournament, but they are going back to it.

The outcome of this feud seems obvious. Alberto Del Rio wins. Jack Swagger was doing nothing prior to this push. All of a sudden, the WWE starts investing in him again. But obviously to put over Del Rio. The WWE did this same thing last year to use Swagger to put over Rusev. Jack Swagger did such a great job, I wondered if he should be the one to hand Rusev his first real loss. It was also disappointing when the WWE just deflated him after that. I expect a repeat of last year.

Could the WWE do more? There is this Mexican-American angle going on. The WWE could build a stable out of this. If nothing else, a tag team with a manager. Jack Swagger and Zeb are no strangers to that, having a group with Cesaro in the past. Jack Swagger would be a great choice to partner with Zeb and Del Rio. Del Rio represents Mexico and Swagger represents the United States. It would keep Jack Swagger relevant. It would add to this angle they have going on. And even after Del Rio does lose the United States Championship, he can go after the tag titles down the line. If the WWE does not find a good way to keep this angle fresh, it could fizzle out fast.

Alberto Del Rio Returns At Hell In A Cell 2015

John Cena had his open challenge at Hell in a Cell. It was answered by the returning Alberto Del Rio, who is now aligned with Zeb. Not only did Del Rio win the United States title, he did it cleanly.

On the one hand, justice is served. Alberto Del Rio was fired last year while standing up for himself against a racist WWE employee. If he had to be punished for that, fining him or suspending him would have been one thing. They fired him. He has continued to wrestle since then. The racism issue in the WWE was brought up with this whole situation. They bring him back, immediately give him a title, and even have him go over John Cena, the top star of the company. Pretty good return.

On the other hand, I would not have brought him back, yet. I like Alberto Del Rio. I think he's entertaining. But the WWE has an issue right now. They are not releasing workers on a consistent basis and they keep on hiring and bringing back all this talent, both for the main product and NXT. They are not efficient with the roster they have and they keep bringing in more guys. That is not a smart thing to do. The priority right now should be developing the stars they already have and becoming efficient again. Alberto Del Rio definitely deserved a return to the WWE. I would have just waited another year or so. He would have been about 40 by then, but he wouldn't exactly be a rookie. He has already held multiple World titles, as well as other accolades.

I have said that the only people the WWE should bring back are those sure to create a spark and draw for them. Seeing as how so many big part-timers cannot get the job done for them, I am starting to believe they shouldn't bring anyone else back for a while. As I said before, get efficient with the roster you have now first.

As far as bringing back people that can create a spark, I would say Alberto Del Rio does not fit in that category. I like the guy, but I cannot deny he didn't get as over as he should have with the way the WWE was pushing him in his previous run. A lot of fans are buzzing about what happened last night, but that will wear off. And what will you be left with? Another former World Champion in the midcard? He is there to draw in the Latino audience? There were guys already on the roster that could have done that. Instead of treating some of them better, the WWE brings in someone else. It will only be a matter of time before the WWE starts messing up with how they push Del Rio. That will not help them improve their numbers and energize those fans on a consistent basis.

Lucha Underground

TNA is still arguably the closest wrestling competition the WWE has, but there are these other feds popping up that are picking up stars and might one day make some noise. Lucha Underground is one of those. It started just last year.

It is something different. It has that lucha twist to it. But it does not showcase only Latino wrestlers. It does have some former WWE guys, including Alberto Del Rio (Alberto El Patron) and John Morrison (Johnny Mundo). El Patron is a guy I can imagine being pushed as the top star of that company. He is no spring chicken, but this is not a guy that needs to be groomed to be a star, like Roman Reigns in the WWE. He is a good in-ring performer, he can talk, and he has charisma. With more freedom in Lucha Underground and a target audience that will be drawn to him and his story, he should be great. As for Johnny Mundo, he is obviously amazing in the ring and can help appeal to an even wider audience.

As far as women's wrestling goes, they do not really have a women's division. That does not stop them from having some women on the roster and utilizing them. They have Karlee Perez, who was Maxine in WWE. I liked her. But the true star for their women is Sexy Star, a Mexican talent. Lucha Underground actually has their women wrestle the men. I think that is a great idea. They are not in a position to just feature women's wrestling like TNA does. And they do not need to build top stars at the expense of people they do not want to be top stars like the WWE does. One day? Maybe. Right now? Just make do with what you have. And they are doing that. They have valets and they have women wrestling the men, which I previously mentioned. Although Sexy Star is not the only one that does that, I feel she would be the best choice to really feature as a top star. They have Ivelisse Velez, who was in the WWE briefly, but Sexy Star has been around longer and has had more success.

It seems the promotion does not want to keep their women's division that small. There were reports as recently as last month that Torrie Wilson and Victoria were in talks to join the company. Jim Ross even brought this up. Let's say these two women were to join Lucha Underground. I mentioned that Alberto Del Rio is not a young guy right now. Both Torrie Wilson and Victoria are older than him. Torrie Wilson will turn 40 this year and Victoria turned 44 last month. And yet, signing either one would be great. They have been around mainstream wrestling in the United States longer than any of the other women already on the roster. Torrie Wilson is still beautiful and can be a great manager/valet. I can imagine Victoria being useful in how the company utilizes female wrestlers. She can mix it up with the men.

Can Lucha Underground ever be real competition for the WWE? Or is it just an alternative? Some people might say that it will only appeal to a Latino audience. Keep in mind that it is also pro wrestling and features some mainstream names and good action. That would make it a draw even to wrestling fans. This promotion is not just trying to aim at one demographic. They still have a lot of growing to do, but they can be an exciting promotion that does one day makes some noise. If nothing else, I can buy them eventually taking TNA's spot as the WWE's closest competition.

Assorted Topics

The Alberto Del Rio situation messed up what I originally had planned to talk about in the final days heading into Summerslam. Because of that, I will talk about a few different things today.

I was including the "$9.99" thing in my titles for a while. I would have done it more had Alberto Del Rio not been fired. I would have done it on Friday and again today. Of course, it is a reference to what the WWE did last week on Raw. Triple H playing with it in his promo was one thing. I could enjoy that. Matches the character he is playing. But continuing to run with the gag after that? That is when it started to get lame. Including "$9.99" in my blog entry title once may have been okay. But continuing to force it? That is when the whole thing might just get stupid. That was the idea I was going for. Kind of doesn't work when I only got to do it twice. And, yes, I am not afraid to make myself look bad to make a point. It is just this kind of thing that makes the quality of the product not seem as entertaining.

The WWE Network is obviously on the company's mind. They are now making it available internationally. Okay, that's good. If I understand it correctly, however, that million-subscriber benchmark was a goal they were aiming for before even releasing internationally. They were aiming for that many subscribers domestically. When they make it available to more countries, that is when you would expect a higher benchmark. The numbers released recently showed that the WWE Network is not a big hit. It lost a lot of subscribers, but still gained a lot to remain on the plus side of things. Still, not a big gain since they last released numbers. There are a lot of fans worldwide that are hungry for the WWE Network. But will the WWE be able to keep them? That is the issue they are facing domestically, in addition to getting new subscribers. I don't think this one venture will run them out of business if it is not successful, but it is a headache.

Dean Ambrose won the right to decide what type of match he will have with Seth Rollins at Summerslam. What did he choose? What type of match will fit the intensity of this feud? What type of match will stop Seth Rollins from always running away? What type of match will excite these fans? A Lumberjack match? Really? Well, I guess it can stop Seth from escaping. But it is such a dull choice. A lot of fans are unhappy with this. After everything these guys have done to each other, I was expecting some kind of hardcore-style match. What would I personally have gone with? Strap match. It would stop Seth from escaping and have some brutality to it. The kind of match they are having this Sunday, I cannot picture this feud ending at Summerslam. I can imagine it going over into Night of Champions. They might even have Seth put the briefcase on the line there.

What about the third former member of The Shield? He has his feud with Randy Orton. This is a match I think should also have some kind of gimmick to it. Roman Reigns faced Kane in a Last Man Standing match last week on Raw. They are overdoing it with that match type. Point is, I feel his match with Randy Orton should also be taken to another level. It has lost some of that heat to it. It felt more personal a few months ago when The Shield first broke up and Orton attacked Reigns like he did. This is another feud that might spill over to Night of Champions. I would rather it didn't, but it likely will. They probably can't come up with anything else for either guy to do.

Let me revisit the Del Rio situation. I did not bring up the possibility that this could all be a work. When CM Punk walked out on the WWE, part of me was wondering whether this was some stunt. I didn't have that feeling for this current situation. Why? There are some signs that it might be some angle. Del Rio is a victim of racism and was just standing up for himself. That is the idea that could make fans feel sympathetic towards him and support him. It could be a big work, like CM Punk's pipe bombs were. Thing is, why bother doing this with Del Rio? He has been pushed hard to be a star and not gotten it done. Moreover, you have other guys that already seem to be getting groomed to be stars. I am talking about guys like Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, and Dean Ambrose. A huge angle with Del Rio could take away the attention from these guys. Back when the WWE ran with CM Punk, Edge had just retired, Randy Orton was moved to Smackdown, John Cena was his usual self, and you really lacked other stars. It made sense to let Punk do what he did to make him into a megastar. With Punk gone, Daniel Bryan injured, and John Cena still his usual self, you can say that the situation is perfect for the WWE to pull another big angle to make someone into a star. But with these other guys being groomed to be stars, I don't think the WWE would try it. I don't think this is a work.

But for the sake of discussion, let's say this is a work. This is all an elaborate plan to make Alberto Del Rio into a star due to the current lack of stars. It would be similar to what you had with CM Punk. Could what the WWE is doing be viewed as insulting to CM Punk? What do I mean? That angle in 2011 was what made CM Punk into a top star. He became a legend after that. Does the WWE honestly think that they could make a star out of anyone simply by giving them a big, controversial storyline? I am not saying they are purposely trying to take a shot at CM Punk. I am asking whether this might cheapen what CM Punk did. If you can take a guy that cannot connect with fans very well like Alberto Del Rio and make him into a big star so easily, was there anything really unique about what CM Punk did? Just like controversy the WWE created would lead to Del Rio becoming a star now, controversy the WWE created back then was what led to CM Punk becoming a star. He is a WWE guy. Does that still make CM Punk such an "anti-status quo" guy? Or was what he did all just the WWE's plan to make him into a star, and they would like to cause the same buzz again to make another star?

Alberto Del Rio Fired

Alberto Del Rio has been let go by the company. Although there has been a flood of releases over the last few weeks to cut costs, this release does not appear to be one of those. The WWE rarely just releases former World Champions. Will that become more frequent in this age? That is another issue. With Alberto Del Rio, there seems to have been a backstage altercation. If they really wanted to get rid of Alberto Del Rio for budget reasons, I doubt they would make up that story.

Alberto Del Rio was one of my favorites. Most fans, whether marks or smarks, did not care too much for him. Now that he is gone, whom should you blame for his inability to get over. I have always said that the WWE was not pushing him right. They pushed him hard, but not properly. Less hype, more creative investment. That is what he needed. In the end, however, Alberto Del Rio was pushed amazingly well for years. He should be the one that ultimately gets blamed for not maintaining a high level of overness. Honestly, I think he did try. It just didn't work.

Will the WWE bring him back? Alberto Del Rio does not have a strong connection with the fans that you would expect them to threaten to riot or sign petitions to try to get him back. I doubt the WWE would want to bring him back. They don't need him. They already have more main-eventers than they know what to do with. Their two midcard singles titles are currently held by former World Champions. Getting rid of Alberto Del Rio might actually make things easier for them.

TNA? I don't think so. Alberto Del Rio does not need that. He may not have gotten very over with the domestic WWE fans, but he can do great in Mexico. I would think he would go back there.

Sheamus & His US Title: What Is & What Could Have Been

Alberto Del Rio won the right to face Sheamus for the US title. Should Del Rio win? I would say the fact that Sheamus is not really doing anything interesting with the title should mean that they should pass it on to someone else. Of course, they probably wouldn't do anything interesting with Del Rio as US Champion. And there is potential for Del Rio to be an interesting US Champion. How likely is it that Del Rio will win? I think there is a chance they might book him to win it. Sheamus and Alberto Del Rio faced each other in a title match recently. They are having another one so soon. The WWE is giving away a free preview week for their WWE Network. What better way to make people believe that big things happen on the shows there than having a title change on Main Event? I think it would be smart.

But what could have been? Instead of Sheamus vs. Alberto Del Rio for the title, what could you have had? I am thinking about Sheamus vs. Bray Wyatt. It looked like they could have gone there last week. Instead, Bray is feuding with Jericho. I think a good midcard title feud between Bray Wyatt and Sheamus would have been good. While Bray Wyatt goes after that title, Jumpin' Jack Flash and Swivel Hips McGhee could chase after the tag titles. Swivel Hips McGhee? Is it any wonder I don't get more readers? Point is, all three heels in that stable could be holding titles. That would be good. Where would that leave Jericho? Would a feud against Miz have been so bad?