Royal Rumble 2015 Aftermath

Brock Lesnar retained the WWE Championship. Roman Reigns won the Royal Rumble. Put those two things together, you have your Wrestlemania main event, as of now.

Of course, there is a lot more to the story than that. Daniel Bryan was eliminated early in the Royal Rumble. Fans did not like that. Roman Reigns was treated like a bad guy. The Rock made a special appearance to help Roman Reigns and give him a little rub. Even that could not appease the fans.

To start with, the WWE made a terrible mistake by eliminating Daniel Bryan as early as they did. That just soured the fans for the rest of the match. If you are not going to have Daniel Bryan win for whatever reason, that's one thing. To eliminate him so early and not even let him be part of the final four is something else.

Roman Reigns, a man that supposedly had more fan support just one month ago than Daniel Bryan to win the "Superstar of the Year" Slammy, did not get a very good reaction last night. He is looking like the new Batista. Time will tell whether or not they turn him heel. The crowd was obviously killer last night and smark-minded. Other crowds are less likely to be like that, but things are still not looking good for Roman Reigns.

The Rock returned to help Roman Reigns. The Rock! And he still got booed. That goes back to what I was talking about with rubs. When certain wrestlers get over, some fans like to look back and see who gave them a rub. It doesn't always work like that. Some wrestlers get over because they simply went out there and did a great enough job being something the fans enjoyed seeing. There are few wrestlers alive more over than The Rock. And even he could not save Roman Reigns last night. That moment, that rub, could have helped Roman Reigns to elevate a bit to The Rock's level or at least nullify some of that negative reaction. In theory, that is how it is supposed to work. In reality, good luck with that.

As it stands, it is Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar. Lesnar will likely hold the title into Wrestlemania. Will Reigns hold onto his title shot? Will Daniel Bryan be added, again? I do not think the WWE can do the same thing they did last year. And Roman Reigns really is not deserving of this big push. Maybe next year, but not now. The WWE has really worked themselves into a hole. Luckily, they can just lean on other matches on the card. Triple H vs. Sting should be a good feud. Cena will likely be left out of the title scene. Tossing him into Reigns vs. Lesnar will not make fans happy.

Let me go back a decade. Remember this gem?

Talk about forcing something? That was back when they were starting to really push Batista hard. They were turning him face, in addition to building up his credibility. He would win the Royal Rumble, win the title, and mow over Triple H a few times. He did get over. He does have the credibility. Back then, many fans would say this Batista push was a success. Go back to last year. What went wrong? Batista was a product of the WWE. He did not have a natural connection with the fans when he was first being pushed hard a decade ago. When he returned last year, there was another guy on the roster that was a lot hotter than him and had a natural connection with the fans. That would be Daniel Bryan. And he is still hot.

Roman Reigns is following in the path of Batista. They are forcing him. And he might not even get that period of success connecting with the fans during this big push that Batista got back then. I have seen some fans point out that Roman Reigns actually got a good reaction at the Royal Rumble last year. Yeah, it was either him or Batista. But as the WWE has continued to force him, while mistreating certain others, his connection with the fans will be hurt. Just like the WWE ultimately deserves blame for the issues with John Cena, I blame them for the 2015 Royal Rumble fiasco, not Roman Reigns.

Corporate Evolution

I have been complaining for months that The Authority did not have a legitimate stable surrounding them. The Shield looked like they would break up at times, and they have now officially turned face. Randy Orton and Triple H looked like they were always an inch away from starting a feud between themselves. The New Age Outlaws, who had not been relevant in the WWE for over 10 years, came back to support The Authority for a while. They forced Big Show to work for them. It just looked shaky for too long.

Things have changed. It seems like Randy Orton and Batista have gotten on the same page as Triple H. And Kane is still a member of the group. That is pretty much Evolution right there. With more of a corporate twist with The Authority. And I like that direction. Makes a strong heel front.

What do I have to complain about? I would not be an Internet wrestling fan unless I complained, right? First, this is kind of a change of direction from what you saw from the last few weeks. Randy Orton, Batista, and Triple H looked like they were all against each other. They wanted the title. Triple H had enough of their complaining. Randy Orton wasn't measuring up. Batista was insulting Stephanie McMahon. All of a sudden, you have a solid stable. That is, for a week, anyway. Can't tell whether WWE's inconsistency will hurt that new direction. And there is a second thing I did not like. When Batista and Orton went out there together, they just seemed like Triple H's mindless brutes. Triple H is the top heel and Orton and Batista are just his henchmen, along with Kane. Their individuality just seems killed. How long will that last. Right now, I don't think any of this is a big deal. They can always revisit the issues between Triple H, Randy Orton, and Batista down the line. When that happens, Randy Orton and Batista will step out of Triple H's shadow and be more interesting. Overall, I think having them join forces will be good and it negates all the complaints I have.

Should Randy Orton and Batista win the tag titles? They had a chance to do it last week. The WWE could book them to do it. The only other heel team that really has a good chance to get the titles is The Wyatts. If Orton and Batista do win the titles, that can lead to The Shield eventually regaining it from them. Now that The Shield have been rejuvenated as faces, another run with the titles may not be a bad idea. And winning them from Batista and Orton would be big. It isn't like the WWE is likely to do too much more with The Usos. With the tag division still being so mediocre, The Usos have pretty much run through everything. Only thing left is to develop the team they will eventually lose to. Orton and Batista would not be bad. It would help this heel stable look even better.

Wrestlemania XXX Preview: Triple H Vs. Daniel Bryan & The World Title Match

This has been the best storyline for this year's Wrestlemania season. And it doesn't seem like it would have even happened if things had gone just as the WWE had originally hoped. This isn't just a feud between Triple H and Daniel Bryan over Triple H not believing in Daniel Bryan and always screwing him. This isn't just a feud between former Evolution members for the WWE Championship. It's all that combined.

Let me talk a little about why I like this feud. What I have found disappointing about certain other feuds heading into Wrestlemania is that they seem to be pretty simple. War of words and a few physical altercations here and there. And based on what happened on Raw for those feuds, it is easy to predict what is likely to happen. This storyline involving The Authority is not like that. It is more elaborate. They have had some good segments that go beyond just hyping a match. Yes, I did find some of these segments to be a little much, but the creative investment in this is much better than anything else. It's a storyline that actually makes sense. And it isn't as predictable as other matches. There is room for some swerves. And it's great that Stephanie McMahon is involved.

Triple H vs. Daniel Bryan is a feud they should have wanted to have since Summerslam last year. It would have been a feud 7 months in the making. Triple H vs. CM Punk has happened before and the issues between them were not really that strong in the last 7 months in comparison to the issues between Triple H and Daniel Bryan. As much as fans want to see Daniel Bryan in the title match, his match with Triple H is also big.

Who wins? It would make sense for Daniel Bryan to win this match. The winner gets inserted into the main event. Two heels are already in the main event. No face? Daniel Bryan does have the momentum heading into Wrestlemania. Moreover, I can't imagine Triple H just rolling over and dying. Many fans have pointed out that there could be some kind of finish to make this a 4-way match. I could really see that happening. If not, Daniel Bryan gets the win against Triple H to advance to the main event.

Does Daniel Bryan win the title? After screwing him out of a legitimate run as WWE Champion for 7 months, the perfect place for him to get his big moment would be Wrestlemania. Some people talk like they have read Batista's contract and that he is guaranteed the title. Aside from those two, I would not mind Triple H winning it. How much bigger would Daniel Bryan's moment be if Triple H was the guy he beat to win the title? It would mean he would not win the title at Wrestlemania, but the moment might be even more gratifying for Daniel Bryan fans. What about Randy Orton? Even though I am a Randy Orton fan, I would be amazed if he retained the title this Sunday. Whom do I think is likely to win the title? I haven't read anyone's contract, but I will go with Batista. Daniel Bryan has the momentum. Not a good sign. If this is a match between just Daniel Bryan, Batista, and Randy Orton, it would be likely that Batista wins.

How about the mother of all swerves? What if CM Punk returns to get involved in the title match? Was the whole thing a work? Did they give in to his demands in time to bring him back for Wrestlemania? Whatever the case may be, CM Punk getting involved would make things even more interesting. Does he return to screw Triple H and help Daniel Bryan? The more interesting scenario would be him returning to screw Daniel Bryan. Why? He sold out? He got mad at Daniel Bryan becoming so successful? I had said before this year's Royal Rumble that it might be a good idea to one day have Punk get a corporate makeover. I didn't say it should be now. Too much going on now. And yet, there is that possibility. A lot of those fans that want to see Daniel Bryan win the title also want to see CM Punk back. What if CM Punk comes back to screw Daniel Bryan out of the title? That one will be hurting for days after Wrestlemania.

The Wrestlemania XXX Triple Threat

There will be a triple-threat match at Wrestlemania XXX. The winner of the match between Triple H and Daniel Bryan will enter the main event for the WWE title. That made things a little more interesting. But not a lot more interesting. Why? The outcome is still pretty obvious. They are not going to have Randy Orton vs. Batista vs. Triple H. That would be heel vs. heel. vs. heel. And screwing over Daniel Bryan like that would probably cause a riot. Will there be some kind of finish to Triple H vs. Daniel Bryan that leads to both men heading into the title match? That is a better possibility than Triple H just winning.

The really interesting thing about handling things like this is all the tension it causes between the heels. You saw it on Raw this week. Orton and Batista are attacking each other. Triple H has had enough with both of them. The Shield turning face is just another issue following the same theme. The Authority have not really developed a great faction to support them. Tension is always there. Who do they have left in terms of wrestlers on their side? The New Age Outlaws are still around. You also have Kane. Triple H and Stephanie McMahon are in charge and have Kane, Billy Gunn, and Jesse James as henchmen. This sounds like something out of 2000.

Out of Randy Orton, Batista, and Triple H, it would be nice if someone finally turned face and broke away from this mess. It obviously won't be Batista. People hate him. Triple H turning face and feuding with Stephanie might be interesting, but I do not think they will go there now. Will they finally turn Randy Orton back into a face? All these guys just cannot coexist as heels.

Grading Batista's Return

Is it time to say Batista's return has flopped? Does he deserve the push he has gotten? He certainly did not return to be treated like some B+ player. He is pretty much an A player. No A+? I don't think he is back to really steal Cena's spot as centerpiece. If they wanted to develop a new centerpiece, I think it would be someone younger. And I don't see Batista as a major legend from the past that you can consider a true A+ player, like The Rock or Undertaker. He isn't getting that kind of push. And the bad reaction his return has gotten does not seem to have helped how well the WWE has decided to push him now. Triple H vs. Daniel Bryan is more important than Batista.

Let me start by critiquing Batista. If Batista was truly a great worker, you might feel some sympathy for him and say he still deserves better than this. Speaking honestly, I never liked Batista. I always thought he was a big idiot. In terms of wrestling ability, he is the typical big guy. His moves don't really stand out to me. Some say his best work was his heel work before leaving the WWE. Okay. He was a jerk. It does not seem to be a hard thing for him to do. I didn't really find him that entertaining. Since his return, he has not really done too much to impress me. He is a heel again, but his character isn't like it was back then. I pretty much don't like anything about him. I should probably try to think of something nice to say about him. Umm...skinny jeans? No, I should probably take off a few more points for that. I say he is worth a C. Why don't I give him worse? He is still pretty solid in some regards. He is not great, but I would just be a blind hater to give him a D or F.

Big question is, how has Batista's return connected with the fans? I think the answer is obvious. "Bootista" chants? Those didn't come about because Batista was doing such a great job as a heel. He hadn't yet officially turned when the fans were souring on him. Definitely cannot give the results he has brought with his return an A+. If he only came back to a mild and mediocre reaction, that might get him a C. But to come back and have the fans react the way they have, his return has to be considered a true flop. D or F? Is it worse to have the fans be so negative towards you or worse to have them completely dead. They hate Batista for all the wrong reasons. His return flopping is a combination of bad booking on the part of the WWE and Batista just not being a guy people like. As I pointed out before, if he was someone people did like, his reaction would not be so bad. I would say he is bringing D results. If nothing else, he has given the fans something to talk about and they are talking about him. Problem is, the fans aren't doing what the WWE would like.

Batista is a product of the WWE. I do not simply mean that he became a success in the WWE. I mean he became a success because the WWE took him and developed him to be a success. Had he not gotten injured so much, he might have been developed to be a true A+ player as Smackdown's centerpiece. There are guys that come into the WWE, don't get the type of treatment that Batista and Cena get, and still manage to bring the results in connecting with those fans that you would want from someone being pushed like Batista or Cena. Daniel Bryan is an example of that. As you can see, the WWE may have a lot of confidence in those stars they produce, but that does not mean they bring top-tier results, even with the heavy support from the WWE. So far, Batista's return has flopped. For the WWE's sake, they might want to find a way to help him become more likeable.

How Do You Fix Randy Orton Vs. Batista?

The title match for Wrestlemania XXX seems to be set as Randy Orton vs. Batista. The fans are really not liking it. This could end up being worse than Cena facing Miz a couple years ago. Forgetting The Rock and the hype he brought, that feud between Cena and Miz was really not great. They pushed Miz hard to develop him to put over Cena, then his career slid back down after that. No shocker. Miz really was not an epic opponent. Batista and Orton are multi-time World Champions, have been in multiple World title matches at Wrestlemania, have so much more credibility than Miz, and yet, this match still feels even worse. Beyond that, I have been saying ever since they unified the World titles that they should put great focus on it. As of right now, I would not say with great confidence that the title match between Orton and Batista deserves to be the final match on the card. How can you fix this match to make it feel more epic and to make it into something fans will be less likely to rip to shreds at Wrestlemania?

How about a double-turn? The fans are booing Batista. Randy Orton isn't exactly getting the cheers Daniel Bryan gets. The storyline probably would have led to a double-turn at Wrestlemania, with The Authority siding with Batista over Orton, but recent developments may ruin plans. Batista is already showing signs of going heel. Where does that leave Orton? The WWE should stop pushing him as this guy always struggling to live up to the expectations of The Authority. He can connect better with the fans right now if he turned tougher and stood up to The Authority. I remember a time when some people said Randy Orton would never be over. He was too boring. I then saw some of these same people shocked when Orton eventually was getting great reactions. Times have changed. This is a bad character they are having Randy Orton play right now. He can work as a face, but it has to be the right face.

Injury angle? You can have Batista slip on a banana peel while he is trying to get in the ring and pretend to break his neck. No, they are probably saving that for John Cena when he feuds with Jinder Mahal at next year's Wrestlemania. Injury angles can cause a buzz and get people wondering what will happen. You saw an injury angle in Batista's recent feud with Alberto Del Rio. I don't think an injury angle would work here. You could try one with Batista in the hopes fans feel sympathy for him, but it is probably too late for that. And there is even less reason to make Orton look weak with an injury angle. An injured face that has to overcome the odds? As I said before, Orton can work as a face, but as the right face. If he turns face, he doesn't need an injury angle. As far as the possibility of keeping him heel and running an injury angle to sell the story that he is trying to back out of facing Batista, that would be too much like what happened with Del Rio.

What if they put in a special guest referee? That can add some hype to this match and give it a bigger feel. How about Hulk Hogan? Would the WWE be willing to get him more involved at Wrestlemania like that? What about Ric Flair? This Wrestlemania feud between Orton and Batista is something many fans would have been looking forward to at one time. Not only are both of these guys top stars, they were both members of Evolution. Both have already faced Triple H at Wrestlemania. The fourth member of that group was Ric Flair. It would make sense to bring him in and the fans would love him. If the response to Batista's return was not so negative, you probably would have seen Flair enter for at least a segment during the feud. Right now, the story has become more about Batista being hated. If Flair was the referee, he would be the only one cheered in that match. That sounds similar to a certain other Wrestlemania match.

Toss all those ideas out the window. Only one thing will please those fans. They don't want Daniel Bryan vs. Triple H. They want Daniel Bryan getting the title. With Daniel Bryan entering that feud with Triple H, that title match may seem impossible. Some fans have pointed out that they could make a stipulation in Triple H vs. Daniel Bryan that Bryan will be inserted into the title match should he beat Triple H. If Bryan loses, he never gets another title shot, is fired, or whatever else like that. Obviously, Daniel Bryan would then beat Triple H. My initial reaction to that would be that it is overkill. Beating Triple H and possibly winning the title in the main event later on? Seems like too much. Of course, Brock Lesnar's road to Wrestlemania to take the title from Kurt Angle was not easy. I cannot imagine the WWE letting all that happen for the sake of Daniel Bryan, even if he is crazy over. Nevertheless, this is pretty much the best option. It makes the fans happy and it makes the match better.

Elimination Chamber 2014 WWE Title Match Preview

Six men will enter the Chamber to decide who will be WWE Champion. The WWE has done a decent job of passing credibility around over the last few weeks. Not great, but decent. Nevertheless, I am still not too hyped for this match. I was really looking forward to Brock Lesnar getting in the title hunt in some way. Few things get me excited in pro wrestling anymore. Hyping up Lesnar going after the title was something I was starting to look forward to. You can complain about part-timers stealing the spotlight, but this is Wrestlemania season, so cut the WWE a little bit of slack. Besides, Brock Lesnar has the credibility. And it wasn't like he had to win the title or get a long reign. No point complaining about that any longer. Let's just run through the six guys in this match at Elimination Chamber.

In terms of title reigns, Cesaro has the least credibility of the six. But he has beaten Randy Orton. He is still not likely to win this match. How many times will he swing someone inside the Chamber? He can make for some good spots. After that, it is back to working with Jack Swagger, whether to team with him again or follow up with that angle about the team splitting up. Whatever the WWE has planned, Cesaro has the biggest push of his career right now.

In terms of just plain momentum, Christian is at the bottom of the list. Randy Orton did beat him. In terms of creative interest, Christian has turned heel for this match at Elimination Chamber. That might refresh his character a little. He is not going to win the title, but at least there is something to still talk about with him. How about beyond the PPV and into Wrestlemania? Can they develop a true feud between him and Sheamus?

Speaking of Sheamus, he just seems to be there. He is not at the top of the momentum ladder, but neither is he at the bottom. He has more title success than Cesaro, but not as much as guys like Cena and Orton. Creative interest? What creative interest? No interesting character development for him. They are not going to give him the title. What is he likely to do after the PPV? Seeing as he has nothing to really do, I say that feud with Christian would be best. Or another random match against The Shield, if they are still a team by then. There was talk that Sheamus would feud with Daniel Bryan. How could they have made that interesting?

I would say John Cena has the most momentum of the guys in this match. But will he win the title? John Cena vs. Batista at Wrestlemania. I believe they did that before. It is not unheard of to repeat matches at Wrestlemania, but I don't think this is a match fans want to see again. John Cena is not likely to win the title. If he is not in the title hunt or facing The Rock, what is John Cena left with for Wrestlemania? Ever since he became the centerpiece, that is all the guy has ever done at Wrestlemania. Will they follow through with that feud against The Wyatts? Or will they come up with better?

After the fans were so upset at what happened at the Royal Rumble, it became a legitimate possibility that Daniel Bryan might find his way into the title match for Wrestlemania. Problem is, that also happened to coincide with the CM Punk issue. Daniel Bryan now has two angles going for him heading into Elimination Chamber. Not only is he in the title match, he has issues with Kane, which was CM Punk's feud. If he is getting CM Punk's push, that means a match against Triple H is likely in his future. I wouldn't be surprised if he won the title, just to have Kane somehow screw him out of it. Or Triple H, himself. That would really propel this feud to another level. I really cannot imagine Daniel Bryan having a feud with Sheamus into Wrestlemania, even before what happened at the Royal Rumble. Such a waste of Daniel Bryan. Regardless of the outcome, a feud with Triple H is better.

That leaves Randy Orton. He is still likely to head into Wrestlemania as Champion. Looking at all the other guys, they either do not have the credibility or seem to have something else developing for them at Wrestlemania. Randy Orton vs. Batista. You go back to 2004 and you might think that a feud between these two in ten years would be epic. Right now, it really doesn't have that feel to it. And yet, that is your likely option.

Batista Vs. Alberto Del Rio At Elimination Chamber 2014

Let's start backwards. Who wins this match between Batista and Alberto Del Rio? The obvious answer would be Batista. Keep his momentum up for Wrestlemania. It isn't like Alberto Del Rio needs momentum for anything.

Now that the speculating part is out of the way, how about critiquing the development of this feud? When Batista destroyed Alberto Del Rio by putting him through a table, I didn't think they would bother having this match. Alberto Del Rio even appeared in a neck brace this week to sell the injury. Batista even shoved him and made him look like an even bigger wimp. With all the momentum on Batista's side, you might typically believe Del Rio would win. Unless the match ends in some kind of DQ, there is no reason to let Del Rio win. Batista can get disqualified for destroying Del Rio.

Is Batista acting like a bully for a heel turn or just to make him look interesting? A heel turn was already a possibility. Have him replace Randy Orton as The Authority's face of the company. But do you really need to start foreshadowing it so hard from now? Yes, developing things is great, but there is such a time as spending to much time developing. Moreover, a little surprise here and there with no development can be great.

The other possibility as to why they are having Batista look so tough at Alberto Del Rio's expense is to keep him looking interesting. His return hasn't exactly gone over very well with the fans, including his win at the Royal Rumble. After those issues, how do you keep him looking interesting? I think an interesting, well-developed feud between Alberto Del Rio and Batista would be the best option. Instead, you get a one-sided feud where the outcome will likely not benefit the guy looking weakest right now. And I don't think Batista's dominance will really help him get certain fans on his side. A lot of fans point out that Batista has just been used more and more mediocrely as the weeks have gone by. Just a quick backstage appearance on Raw this week. Business with him will really pick up after Elimination Chamber. Until then, they have struggled to keep him in great focus.

Yesterday, I raised the question of whether or not Wrestlemania XXX will get over a million buys. A wildcard in all that will obviously be the WWE Network. How successful will that endeavor be? I am not talking in relation to Wrestlemania. Will it get a lot of fans signing up? Or will it last as long as the XFL? One thing to note is that cable and satellite providers are not too supportive of the move. Fans can get PPVs along with the other programming and at a cheaper price through the WWE Network. Besides that, how many subscribers does the WWE really think they will get? Raw is back to averaging over 4 million viewers. Will all those viewers sign up? I think it is obvious that the WWE cannot be imagining that. Only real wrestling fans will be interested in those match archives and a lot of the other programming. Offering PPVs might help to draw in a few more fans. But it seems like the WWE is really relying on support from the type of fans that have been screaming for Daniel Bryan. I have seen some say that these fans are just a minority. No matter how loud they are, they are not representative of the whole WWE fanbase. Regardless of that, this is the group that will likely be subscribing to the WWE Network. The WWE dances around giving these fans what they really want, but these fans still end up spending money on the WWE. As CM Punk once said, these fans are just going to keep pouring money into the company. Do I think the WWE Network will be successful? I don't think there are enough diehard fans willing to spend the money every month on this to make it a huge success. It is somewhat funny how the WWE has sometimes appeared to be distancing itself from wrestling over the years recently, but now they are expecting wrestling content and fans to deliver for them.

Will I subscribe to it? No. I have not ordered a WWE PPV since 2010, so the PPVs do not entice me. As far as all the old matches, I care more about being entertained by the current product than watching old matches. If I needed to, I would just watch stuff on Youtube. If I cannot find what I am looking for anywhere for free, I'll live. And there is nothing else on the WWE Network that makes me want to get it. I am not representative of a lot of fans out there, but the WWE is not getting my money on this one.

The Messy Road To Elimination Chamber 2014

To say that things are "messy" might be a bit of an understatement. The WWE did some sloppy development last week, and things might get worse. You can understand that CM Punk walking away and Daniel Bryan's continued insane overness might lead to some changes, but was what the WWE has done so far good for Elimination Chamber and beyond?

Let's start with CM Punk walking out. At this point, it doesn't really matter whether or not this is a work or whether or not they can get him back quickly. What has gone down will definitely change his storyline. He was being developed to go against Kane. If CM Punk came back now, that feud with Kane would just seem so irrelevant against all the hype created around CM Punk walking out. So far, the WWE has not developed anything else for Kane. Another feud between him and Big Show coming up?

Of course, the CM Punk drama does not warrant the WWE's crazy decisions outside that feud with Kane and The Authority. Specifically, I am talking about the title matters. The issue of Daniel Bryan getting so over does provide a good reason for the WWE to rethink things. They hyped that Brock Lesnar was hovering around the title picture. They even mentioned it in promos. All of a sudden, not happening. What is happening? An Elimination Chamber match for the title.

Randy Orton will defend the title against John Cena, Daniel Bryan, Sheamus, Christian, and Antonio Cesaro. The former three won the right last week on Raw in a tag match, while the latter two won singles matches on Smackdown. That match on Raw ended in a DQ when The Wyatts attacked Cena. That is how Daniel Bryan, the hottest guy right now, earns himself a title match? That was poor. Christian's back. He is no replacement for CM Punk, but it is good that they have someone to involve in big matches. And Cesaro? It is good to give midcarders these pushes, but I was hoping they would continue the hype over unifying the titles by making some big matches the first few months after TLC. Not happening. Would have been better if a former World Champion got that spot Cesaro has. In general, if they had to defend the title inside the Chamber, it would have been better if they spread out the qualifying matches better. You have time until the PPV. Why rush things so horrible? Because of the horrible week they just had? Okay, that's an excuse, but showing more calm would have been nice. Spreading out the qualifying matches would have made things more interesting by developing a few guys that have shots to get in the match. More importantly, I think it would have led to a better moment for Daniel Bryan when he got his spot.

The Shield are not happy with The Wyatts. You have a feud between them now. Heel vs. heel. And you couldn't go with Randy Orton vs. Brock Lesnar for the title? Of course, this tag match could be where The Shield splits. That is an issue for another day. Is this feud the best decision for this time? Obviously, I would have The Wyatts continue with John Cena now, then have Cena move onto better things for Wrestlemania. Where would that leave The Shield? You can't come up with another way to tease their breakup? You can't find 3 top faces for them to feud against? You can't develop a title feud for the U.S. Championship? There were other options.

What about Brock Lesnar and Batista? Are they going to face each other now? I would have rather Batista feud with Alberto Del Rio, since that feud was already there. Batista will probably just go over Del Rio on Raw somewhere between now and Elimination Chamber. As for Lesnar, I would rather he gets a 1-on-1 title shot. Save the Elimination Chamber match to decide a third contender for the title match at Wrestlemania.

And the misery does not end there for the WWE. John Cena suffered an eye injury recently. How much will that change plans for Elimination Chamber? Cena was booked to be in the title match. If he really cannot go for that match, he will have to be replaced. Can Brock Lesnar get in there? They can always still do Batista vs. Del Rio for the PPV. You also have other former World Champions hovering around. If the WWE is not afraid to put in midcarders like Cesaro, that opens up even more options. Kofi Kingston got a win over Randy Orton a few weeks ago. He can get in the title picture easily. Regardless, Cena's injury will lead to some changes in how Raw is developed for a while, even if he does still work at the PPV.

A very bad week for the WWE has ended. A top star walks away, another top star has fans very upset about his misuse, and another top star gets injured. As bad as things were developed last week and what the current card is shaping up to be, I would expect the WWE to change things and not follow through with everything as it is. It just seems bad and they still have a lot of time to make changes. Will making these changes make things look even worse? Probably. But if a better PPV card is developed, it might be worth it.

2014 Royal Rumble Preview

That time of year again. 30 men in one match. Surprise returns? Chris Jericho wouldn't miss this. You might also expect Sheamus. But the most important thing to speculate is which one of these 30 will win the match and get that title shot for Wrestlemania. I'll talk about which I think are the top 3 choices.

Batista just came back this week. He has already made it clear that he wants a title shot. Randy Orton is facing a line of challengers. Batista feuding with Randy Orton definitely seems like a good feud. That does not mean it has to happen at Wrestlemania. Besides that, Batista has already won the Royal Rumble. Is this a guy that deserves to win more than one?

CM Punk has the worst number in the Royal Rumble. He will be #1. It is not unheard of that the WWE develops an angle where a face has his back to the wall at the Royal Rumble and finds a way to still win. CM Punk can win the match and The Authority then starts trying to screw him out of his title shot. Whether they are successful or not is a different story. If they are successful, that could leave CM Punk to go after Triple H, while someone else gets the title shot for Wrestlemania. I don't think that would be a bad way to go.

Daniel Bryan is hot right now. He already has a match against Bray Wyatt, but should he find his way into the Rumble match somehow, he would be a popular choice to win. I have said before that a guy like him should be having something big to do for Wrestlemania. A title shot would be big. I cannot picture him feuding with Bray Wyatt into Wrestlemania. If they don't go with a title match, I would like to see what else they bring up for him.

Out of these three choices, which do I think will win? Even though I like the idea of CM Punk winning it and getting screwed out of his title shot to help set up a big match at Wrestlemania between him and Triple H, I think Batista will win. I don't think the WWE managed to get Batista back because they promised him mediocrity. Rob Van Dam did not win his first PPV match back when he returned last year, but Batista might be a different story. I am not saying he deserves the win, but I would have to guess that Batista will win, if I had to guess.

Batista Officially Returns

Batista made his return to Raw last night. He made it clear that he wanted Randy Orton's title. He also came back later in the night to get some of Alberto Del Rio. I am not going to talk about whether or not he should win the Rumble today. I'll save the Rumble talk for Friday. But there are other topics to discuss as far as Batista goes.

First, should he have come back as a face? He obviously is a face. They could have had him return as a heel and join The Authority. Why not? Too similar to Evolution? The New Age Outlaws coming back and helping out Triple H don't bring back memories of DX? I am always saying that the WWE should be trying to develop a proper heel stable. They haven't done a good job with that, especially with Randy Orton. Since they haven't gone in that direction, I am not surprised that they didn't bring Batista back as a heel. Is there still a chance he takes Randy Orton's spot as The Authority's chosen one? We'll see.

Batista returns and gets right in Randy Orton's face. Coming back as a face is one thing, but making it clear that you are coming after the title? A lot of guys in the title chase. And they are selling it like everyone is gunning for Randy Orton. It makes me believe Orton may be retaining against Cena. The WWE seems to be liking this angle of Randy Orton needing to prove himself for The Authority. Why not keep it going after Cena? Congratulations, Randy, you just beat John Cena! Now, beat Brock Lesnar, beat Batista, and beat all these other guys. Sooner or later, doing this with Randy Orton will have to lead to something. Someone will have to turn on someone.

Batista vs. Alberto Del Rio. Whether Batista wins the Rumble or not, this is a feud you can imagine happening after the PPV. It's not exactly an epic feud, but it is something for Alberto Del Rio to do. Obviously, it will just be meant to make Batista look good. It would be similar to Big Show's feud with Brock Lesnar. Big Show looks strong now, but it is likely that Lesnar will win their match to put him over before his title shot. Why kill his momentum for the sake of Big Show? It could be the best feud Del Rio has had in a while. As for Batista, it is a worthy opponent.

Brock Lesnar Vs. Big Show At The Royal Rumble

I remember watching the PPV where Big Show beat Brock Lesnar for the WWE Championship. That was over 10 years ago. In 2014, these two are once again facing each other at a PPV.

This seems like a basic feud to put Brock over prior to his title match. Nothing to get excited over. Then again, these two did break the ring once. I wouldn't expect anything like that again. But Big Show is a good choice to really put over Brock before he moves on to even more important things. Should you expect Big Show somehow winning? How about Paul Heyman turning on Brock and joining Big Show? Again, this seems like just a basic feud to put Brock over. I would not expect anything tricky. No need to kill his momentum or separate him from Heyman.

I would have been more excited for a feud between Brock and Mark Henry, even if Mark Henry would just put Brock over in the end. Mark Henry coming out over the last few weeks to stand up to Brock was something I liked. Mark Henry is at a place right now that he was not at 10 years ago. I think they could have developed him as a worthy foe for Brock Lesnar. It would have also been fresher than restarting the feud between Brock Lesnar and Big Show. There are some feuds that were so great in the past and you want to see revisited. Lesnar and Show had their moments in the past, but this is not a feud you need to revisit that badly. Oh well, Mark Henry was used as a stepping stone to set up the feud between Brock and Big Show.

Something else to talk about for the Royal Rumble, Batista is returning and is in the Rumble match. A lot of things to talk about on that subject, but let me just start with one. On the scale of how much of an impact a returning former World Champion can make, where does Batista fit? I have said that getting Brock Lesnar to come back now and then is big. I have also said that a guy like Sheamus returning would not be that big of a deal. No offense to Sheamus fans, but he just isn't that big of a deal as Brock Lesnar or The Rock. Batista would be in between there. He has dabbled in some of the activities that Brock Lesnar and The Rock have also done outside of wrestling, but I don't think he's made that much of an impact. We will have to see how much he really draws. A feud with Alberto Del Rio is also not a sign that the WWE is making too much with his return. It matters, but not as much buzz as you would get for Brock Lesnar.

Batista Is Gone

How could I not talk about Batista leaving the WWE? I was talking about the new GM? The U.S. title? Bret Hart? The Great Khali? What about Batista? Mr. Spotlight! Quite possibly the biggest ass in the WWE for a long time! How can I not pay tribute to him?

I thought Batista was an idiot since they really started pushing him. Before that, while he was Devon's sidekick, I did not care about him at all. He got on the right peoples' sides and became a star. He became huge. I cannot deny that. After reading a lot of reports, I also cannot deny that this guy has been an ass to many, both men and women, both fans and wrestlers. I do not really want to hear what story he has to tell about the tough life he has had, that does not give him a right to be a jerk.

Most people will find Batista funny for the little awkward moments he has had. Basketballs don't hold grudges? Always asking for rematches? Yes, he created fads for many Internet fans. In how stupid they were, even I got some amusement from them. And I have to admit that I did find his final run as a heel funny, especially when they had him become a total ass to get heat. He was not really getting it before he took his character there. However, part of me believes that it was really not that hard for him to pretend to be a jerk and ass. For Dave Batista, it seems to just come natural.

With the way he went out, part of me does not think this is over. He may just return one day for something. I doubt he will go to TNA. They probably could not afford him. If he wants to do MMA, fine. Acting? Go ahead. I do not really care. I will not be tuning in to check up on him.

The WWE is not crippled with the less of Dave Batista. Raw was stacked with heels. Both Jericho and Edge, who turned heel on his first night back on Raw, were sent over from Smackdown. Sheamus is still being pushed hard. A guy like Miz practically has one foot in the main event. Smackdown has Swagger, Punk, and can build new stars, such as Drew McIntyre. With Batista gone, there may actually be more freshness in the WWE. Well, depending on how fresh you think John Cena vs. Sheamus or John Cena vs. Edge or John Cena vs. Orton can be. Just toss all four in the same ring. That is your next PPV.