Previewing The Summerslam 2017 Undercard Matches

A complaint I see from many fans recently is that the WWE was giving away too much of Summerslam this past week. They have had some matches that are supposed to also happen at the PPV. With the poor way a lot of the Summerslam matches have been developed, I am not too surprised that the WWE would try to shake things up in the final week before the PPV. That includes what happened to Baron Corbin on Smackdown.

New Day defend the Smackdown Tag Team Championships against The Usos. Nothing much to say here. New Day retain.

The Raw Tag Team Championships will be decided between Sheamus & Cesaro and the reunion of The Shield. Not only are the tag titles on the line, but there is a story here. I like that. I was just saying yesterday that some title feuds don't need a special story, while others can really use it. New Day vs. The Usos didn't need a special story. Just make it about the tag titles, let their gimmicks work, and then let them wrestle. With this Raw feud, there was potential for a story. Some might even say the story was necessary. Rollins betrayed The Shield years ago and Rollins and Ambrose had a heated feud. Could these two really come back together so easily? Should they win the tag titles? Some fans are already talking about the possibility of Ambrose turning on Seth. Too soon for that. Neither Rollins nor Ambrose have won a PPV match in a while, so I say they get the tag titles at Summerslam.

Akira Tozawa defends the Cruiserweight Championship against Neville. This was supposed to be Neville defending the title, but things got switched around when the WWE had the title match on Raw this week and allowed the title change. This was one of those matches that fans were scratching their heads about. This was a pretty dull feud. A lot of things about the cruiserweight division has been boring. If nothing else, having the unexpected title change shook things up. I would not be surprised at all if Neville wins it back at Summerslam. The WWE has shown they love this guy this year. They put a hold on tossing the title to random cruiserweights for his benefit. He has had a long reign. But he could very well become the first man to hold the title twice. Even though short reigns like this are rare, I will say Tozawa's reign does end.

Staying on Raw, Big Show vs. Cass. Enzo will be in a shark cage above the ring. They just did this with Jericho earlier in the year. I would say it is too soon to pull this trick out again. Prior to this year, it wasn't exactly used often in the WWE. Looking at parts of Cass's promo on Raw this week, he looks like he could be the next Edge. But he is missing something. I am not talking about his wrestling ability, even though that has not been that exciting. His promos just lack a certain intensity Edge had. And Big Show is tied into this situation. The WWE is already running a bit of an injury angle to make it look like Big Show is beatable. He should be losing this match. What will Enzo do? I think it would be for the best if he just turns heel and goes back with Cass. What else is there for Enzo to do?

Staying on the theme of Summerslam matches coming early, Bray Wyatt defeated Finn Balor on Raw this week. What happens at Summerslam? Demon Balor. This feud has been pretty dull, until this week. It started, then it got killed off. If they had done it smoothly, the match on Raw this week probably would have happened at the last Raw PPV. The WWE could then do a slower build to Balor going to his dark side to face Bray Wyatt. Things have definitely been rushed. But the WWE probably needed to do it. Balor wins here. Have to keep this gimmick looking strong.

Randy Orton vs. Rusev. This is one of those dry feuds. Not too interesting. I feel it could have been built up so much better. Even though signs point to Rusev possibly winning, I will say Orton wins. I will say why in a moment.

AJ Styles defends the United States Championship against Kevin Owens. Shane McMahon will ref. Is that really necessary? Well, it is what they are going with. These two have been feuding for a long time now. It should end here. AJ Styles retains.

Lastly, John Cena faces Baron Corbin. But the big news is that Baron Corbin cashed in the briefcase on Smackdown this week and lost. That's the end of that. This was one of those things that fans felt was wasted this week before Summerslam. Is Corbin in the doghouse? Is he suspended? No news of a suspension. And even if the WWE is not high on him, they could have still jobbed him out at Summerslam or a later date.

I was against Baron Corbin getting the briefcase in the first place. Needless to say, the WWE did not do that great of a job building him up since getting the briefcase. His feud development in the last month has been terrible. His feud against Shinsuke Nakamura should still be going on. This feud with Cena just lacked a great story. It just felt like both guys could have been doing something better. John Cena did have a small hand in Corbin failing to cash in, but the feud is still not that special. Pretty lackluster.

Who wins? I will say Baron Corbin. Unless he did do something wrong, he should get the win. John Cena has not done that well at Summerslam in recent years. Baron Corbin might even destroy Cena after the match to send him on his next hiatus. The reason I said Orton beats Rusev is because I do not see both Orton and Cena losing to midcard heels in the same night. If one of them has to bite the bullet, I will say it is Cena. Orton has not won a PPV match since Wrestlemania. Cena beat Rusev just last month.

Previewing The Great Balls Of Fire 2017 Midcard Matches

Neville defends the Cruiserweight Championship against Akira Tozawa. If Austin Aries couldn't win the title in a million tries, Neville might as well retain here.

Cass takes on Enzo. This was an elaborate storyline. That is a good thing. But they broke up one of the best face teams they had on Raw. That is a bad thing. Cass should be winning this feud, but how long will the feud last? Will the WWE take this to Summerslam? I will say Cass wins this Sunday.

The Hardys get a rematch for the tag titles against Sheamus & Cesaro. This time, it will be a 30-minute Ironman Match. The WWE has really forced this rivalry by extending it like they have and including so many gimmick matches. Have to kill time. Not too many tag teams, especially if the WWE keeps killing them off. Are we really supposed to eventually buy into Titus & Apollo as contenders for the tag titles? Rhyno & Heath Slater are not that interesting anymore. If the heels retain here, what do they move on to? If the faces regain the titles, after retaining against Sheamus & Cesaro to end the feud, they can move on to The Revival. Those guys look terrible right now. That is why I believe The Hardys should be getting the titles back, even though the idea of these two getting so many title runs in just a few months back leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

Dean Ambrose gets his rematch for the Intercontinental Championship against Miz. Why does Miz get so many title reigns? Contrary to what fans might chant, no, he does not deserve it. This is his third run with the Intercontinental Championship in the last year. Dean Ambrose doesn't exactly need the title back. And since the WWE has invested a lot in The Miz recently, he is probably keeping the title.

Seth Rollins vs. Bray Wyatt in an overrated feud. They probably would have gotten a better story out of Balor/Wyatt. Seth Rollins will win this feud against Bray Wyatt. Bray is just a jobber to the stars. The question is whether this will be an extended feud or just a 1-PPV thing. If it is extended, they might give Bray Wyatt the win here to give him momentum. If it is a short feud, Rollins wins and Bray can move on to Finn Balor. I will say Rollins wins.

The Development Of Jinder Mahal

The most surprising push of 2017 has to be Jinder Mahal going after the WWE Championship on Smackdown. This time last year, Mahal wasn't even in the company. He was released by the company. He was never a popular worker. The WWE never pushed him to be a star. He never even seemed like a great worker that had potential to become popular or deserved to be pushed as a star. The WWE bringing him back was surprising enough, but he now finds himself in a big feud with Randy Orton.

What has the WWE done to develop him? Because they needed to develop him. He lacks a ton of credibility and needs work for a lot of fans to buy into him. The WWE couldn't just dump a title shot in his lap. Thankfully, the WWE hasn't gotten lazy here and is putting some work in for the sake of this feud. They had him take the WWE Championship belt. They had him get some sidekicks. They had him screw Randy Orton in his match with Bray Wyatt. This week on Smackdown, Mahal even pinned Orton in a tag match. Yeah, I think they have done a lot for him in this push.

Let me just go back to Orton vs. Wyatt. I can agree with Wyatt winning, but I dislike Mahal getting involved there. I know they are feuding, but the WWE could have just given it a rest for one night to give Orton vs. Wyatt a finish just between them. After everything that happened in this feud, it just seemed like it got a weak finish. Was all that they did during that feud really even worth it? Am I saying Bray Wyatt should have gotten a clean win against Randy Orton? Yes. If Cena can give clean wins these days to some heels, why can't Orton lose cleanly to Bray Wyatt to help put him over? The title wasn't on the line. Just put Wyatt over as a guy that kind successfully be a supernatural monster, following in the line of The Undertaker. The WWE failed to do that.

Previewing The Payback 2017 Main Event Matches

I would consider Seth Rollins vs. Samoa Joe one of the main matches of Payback. It is an extension of that big feud you had between Rollins and Triple H. That feud had its ups and downs. Samoa Joe being inserted looked like it would revitalize the feud. Of course, the injury to Seth Rollins happened. All that is in the past, but this feud still remains.

It just feels like this feud isn't as great as it could have been. It might have been better if Triple H was still around to help it. It just feels too routine right now. Samoa Joe lacks a major feel that he should be having.

Who wins this match? I can see Seth Rollins win this in a cheap fashion, like a roll up. Samoa Joe then destroys him after. They can always run with the injury angle. That keeps the feud going for a few more weeks.

Braun Strowman and Roman Reigns continue their feud. And these last few weeks have been pretty intense. Braun Strowman has been made to look like a monster. On the one hand, I can understand if the WWE wants to be a little more edgy. On the other hand, they have to be careful of not looking crass. Moreover, they have to be careful not to look stupid.

Braun Strowman flipping the ambulance a few weeks ago was a spectacle. Many fans ate that up. It helps that they hate Roman Reigns. It just reminded me of a certain angle TNA did with Mickie James during her last run there. That was Wrestlecrap to many fans. Isn't this the same kind of thing?

If that wasn't Wrestlecrap, maybe this week is. That whole Dumpster Match between Strowman and Kalisto was garbage. The way Strowman lost was trash. Wasting so much time just for the anti-climactic short fall off the stage was junk. How many more words can I come up with to fit this Dumpster Match? It just was poorly done. It wasn't botched. What they planned was just not good. The WWE's PG attempt to do something that would have gone over better in the Attitude Era just flopped.

And after all that, how can Roman Reigns and Braun Strowman have a regular match at Payback? This feud is obviously not ending here. But are they making Strowman look strong just for Reigns? Or for Lesnar down the line? Either way, I can see this match ending without a winner. Both of them might get counted out. They might take each other out outside the ring. They might brawl to the back. In the end, this feud will continue to a gimmick match.

House of Horrors. Randy Orton faces Bray Wyatt in a match that will finally end this elaborate feud that has gone on for months. I was a fan of this feud when it first started. But then it felt like they just tried to do too much. Involving the WWE Championship was one of those things they did not need to do. Since they did, I felt Bray Wyatt should have retained it against Orton. That didn't happen. Okay, I would have said that Bray Wyatt should win it back.

Problem is, the title isn't even on the line in this match. Bray Wyatt has gone to Raw and they have decided not to work any angle to make this a title rematch. I think that is just terrible. Randy Orton did not need a title reign right now. But let's move on from the title.

On the one hand, given everything that has happened in this feud, I am glad it is a unique gimmick match. And the WWE has not been 100% clear on what fans will see in this match. That should interest some fans to see what it is all about. That should make it a draw.

On the other hand, given everything that has happened in this feud, the way they have been treating it in the last few weeks is terrible. Randy Orton has moved on to Jinder Mahal. Bray Wyatt got into the groove of things on Raw this week. That is what happens when you separate the two. This feud had so much put into it. For it to just lose momentum like this heading into the big final encounter is terrible. While the unique match type might interest some fans, the poor feud development might also disinterest some other fans.

Who wins? Bray Wyatt. If the title is not on the line, Bray Wyatt might as well win to give him a ton of momentum. This can be a step towards properly building him to be the next Undertaker. Undertaker had a couple specialty matches to his name. House of Horrors can be Bray Wyatt's match. But it would suck if he lost the first one.

Raw Gets Shook

When the WWE said they were shaking things up, they weren't kidding. A lot more people than I expected moved from Smackdown to Raw. In addition, a lot more of Smackdown's top men moved from Smackdown to Raw.

I would have just had 4 or 5 individuals/teams make the move between brands. One would be a top star. One or two would be midcarders. A female wrestler. And a tag team. Also throw in one or two bodies from NXT. The WWE did about double what I would have done, in terms of numbers.

In terms of some of the names Smackdown loses, the three big ones are Bray Wyatt, Miz (and Maryse), and Dean Ambrose (with the Intercontinental Championship). Now, what makes both of these brands different is obviously how they are run, but certain individuals also help to make the show what it is. It is understandable that not all these individuals will get to stay on the brand they have been in prior to the shake up, but Raw taking so many guys is something.

Bray Wyatt was the WWE Champion just a few weeks ago on Smackdown. I don't think he should ever have lost it to Randy Orton. It is unlikely he wins it back now. I just feel like there was more he could have done on Smackdown. I do not know how likely it is he does these things on Raw.

Miz is a guy that seemed to reinvent himself on Smackdown. He looked like he could be a serious contender for the title again. He never got that serious push for the WWE Championship. On Raw, I doubt he will be getting it anytime soon, especially with Brock Lesnar holding the top title. Even if Brock shows up and Miz is the guy he feuds with, can you imagine that feud? I can't.

Dean Ambrose? Ignore the fact that he has a title for a moment. This seems like a good move. He held the WWE Championship a few months ago, but he really has not done anything fitting of him since then. He did not need a midcard title. He could be refreshed on Raw. I am not going to complain about that. Now throw in the fact that he is Intercontinental Champion. It creates a bit of controversy to have the title switch shows, if that is the path they are going. But I think they will work things out so Smackdown does not get screwed over.

A lot of fans were expecting AJ Styles to be sent to Raw. I don't know if that was based on just speculation based on his heated feud with Shane McMahon, backstage rumors, the WWE intending to do it and changing their mind, or whatever. I say that you should judge people based on the decisions they make, not what they could have decided to do. AJ Styles going to Raw might have been good for the sake of reuniting him with The Club, but some fans also dread that Raw won't feature his character as well as Smackdown does. Either decision the WWE made would have been okay. They chose to keep him on Smackdown, for now.

Smackdown will obviously gain some bodies tonight to balance out what they lost. I will talk about the big names sent there tomorrow, and which brand I think really might benefit from the moves in the long run.

Wrestlemania 33 Preview: Part 4

It is Wrestlemania season and one of the World title matches I am talking about is Randy Orton vs. Bray Wyatt. I was a fan of this feud when it first started last year, but I never thought this would be a WWE Championship feud back then. Needless to say, this feud has had some issues.

Let me start with issues I have seen other fans bring up recently. First, Bray Wyatt and Randy Orton have not really interacted physically in the last few weeks with each other. It is obviously nothing wrong in terms of injury. Both men have had matches. The WWE has just kept them apart. Personally, it does not bother me. There are some feuds where you want to keep the guys away from each other to make their PPV encounter feel more special. I don't think this is the kind of feud that needs that, but there is that idea. Nevertheless, I can understand if some fans are irked by this. This whole feud has strayed from the norm these days, and people tend to have mixed feelings when that kind of thing happens.

Another issue I have seen some fans bring up is that the feud has become too much about Sister Abigail and not enough about the WWE Championship. And that goes back to a point I have made before, this feud did not need the WWE Championship and Royal Rumble victory involved. There was enough there to make it good. Even with the questionable storyline development it has gotten, it was still a good elaborate storyline. This is the stuff elaborate storylines are made of. Unique segments. Character development. Use of supporting players. And it has obviously been given a lot of time to develop. Again, the development could have been handled better, but it was good enough to not need a title.

Don't get me wrong, there are some good feuds that can also involve a title even when not necessary. Look at Chris Jericho vs. Kevin Owens. There is a good feud. Jericho and Owens were friends. Jericho helped Owens retain his title numerous times. But Owens turns on Jericho. Solid betrayal storyline. The United States Championship was not needed in this feud, but I am not complaining that it's there.

Go to TNA last year. Look at the feud between Matt & Jeff Hardy. I wouldn't have hated it if the TNA Championship was involved in that feud. It was the biggest thing TNA had going. The characters and segments were a success. TNA didn't really have anything else that great going on. But they chose to spread things around by letting other guys fight for the top title, and I can respect that decision. Matt vs. Jeff did not absolutely need the title.

Why do I not respect the WWE's decision to include the WWE Championship in Smackdown's most elaborate feud going right now? Because, unlike TNA last  year, there are other men and other feuds that could have used that title that the Wyatt/Orton feud does not need that badly. John Cena is stuck in a position that is beneath him. AJ Styles is stuck in a position many fans dislike. Dean Ambrose is in a midcard feud. These are all guys that were WWE Champion in the last few months that Bray/Orton has been building. They now find themselves in feuds that were thrown together in the last two months or less. Dolph Ziggler looked like he was on fire a few months ago, and is now in a battle royal on the pre-show. Miz looked like he regained his main-event form, only to be put in this feud with Cena that looks like it will do more for Nikki Bella than anyone else. The WWE very much could have put together better feuds for the Smackdown roster.

Regardless of all the issues, here we are. Who wins? The Royal Rumble winner has not been successful at Wrestlemania in recent years. Triple H won the Royal Rumble, and the title, last year and lost at Wrestlemania. Roman Reigns won the Royal Rumble and lost at Wrestlemania the year before that. The year before that was the Batista fiasco. I think the tradition continues. I don't feel Orton wins this match, even if it is so close to his birthday. Bray Wyatt retains.

Speaking of feuds that don't need a title, Goldberg defends the Universal Championship against Brock Lesnar. Letting Goldberg win the title is one thing. But did they really need to continue this feud? The guy is old and obviously cannot go like he used to. With what few matches they could get out of him, they should have built a fresh feud for him. His feud with Kevin Owens was hardly even a real feud. It was overshadowed by Goldberg/Lesnar and Owens/Jericho. The feud was really just used to develop these other feuds. Goldberg/Lesnar should have just ended for good at Survivor Series last year.

Unless some change of heart happens, it seems Brock Lesnar is winning the title. Even disregarding reports, what's the point of continuing this feud if Goldberg keeps beating Lesnar? But what has Brock Lesnar done since his last title win to deserve another? Get caught using illegal substances? Give Randy Orton a concussion? Nothing? Yeah, that's the one. And this will be the first time since the WWE started embracing part-timers so much that a top title will go from one part-timer to another. That is a terrible thing. Is this going to become a habit? I would probably be less against it if it was The Undertaker winning the title from Goldberg. I do not consider myself a fan of Taker, but it would be nice if he had gotten one more title run. But Lesnar? Not this again.

The story of this match is also an issue. Reports are claiming this will be a squash match. It seems kind of ridiculous for Lesnar to just squash Goldberg and end things there, but given that Goldberg doesn't look like he can handle a long match, I am not doubting the possibility this happens. Still, I feel like the WWE might pull some swerve to protect Goldberg. He won't just walk into an F5 and lose.

Orton Vs. Wyatt Development

Now that I'm done previewing Fastlane and talking about Beth Phoenix, I can get to the big development on Smackdown last week. I am, of course, talking about Randy Orton officially stabbing Bray Wyatt in the back, something you just knew would happen.

Let me start with something I like. The segment with Randy Orton burning Bray Wyatt's compound was nice. They need more segments where they are doing more than just talking, especially just "shooting" against each other. And they need segments that take place in different places. One of the reasons TNA had success with the Matt & Jeff Hardy drama last year was because of this kind of thing. And one of the reasons I liked the Orton/Wyatt storyline when it started last year is because it had that potential to be more than just the regular storyline you see these days.

Now that Orton stabbed Bray in the back, was all this worth it? I am talking about having Randy Orton join The Wyatts. I had pointed out numerous times how poorly it was done. It was like Orton just randomly decided to do it. Bray Wyatt had not done anything to really "break" Randy Orton to make it believable that Wyatt had won him over. And this storyline direction was where I started disliking what they were doing.

I don't think it was worth it. First of all, Bray Wyatt just looks like a big idiot. How could he have trusted Randy Orton? He knows Orton has done this kind of thing before. He did it just a few years ago to Seth Rollins.

Another thing to keep in mind is that the WWE spent the Royal Rumble victory and the WWE Championship on this feud. Was that worth it? Fans sometimes discuss whether a certain feud needs a title to be involved. Some say Lesnar vs. Goldberg going on right now does not need the title. I would say Orton vs. Wyatt needs it even less. You have a great elaborate storyline here, even with the WWE trying to get too fancy. There is fire here (no pun intended) even without the title.

That Royal Rumble victory could have gone to some other feud to help develop that. The WWE Championship could have been kept on John Cena or given back to AJ Styles, or even given to Miz, who many say has regained a lot of credibility in the last few months. It could have really helped other feuds. This feud between Randy Orton and Bray Wyatt did not need it. You now have certain individuals getting mediocre Wrestlemania feuds, while a feud that already had a lot invested in it gets the Royal Rumble winner involved and the WWE Championship.

I mentioned AJ Styles. He has to face Randy Orton to decide the #1 contender. It is obvious how this is going to end. Orton will win. This is just dumb booking. I know AJ Styles doesn't fit into this storyline, but you would usually expect in a situation like this for a triple threat to be made. And after Styles loses, what does he have left? A rumored feud against Shane McMahon? Why? Because a heel wrestler has issues with a face authority figure? This kind of thing happens all the time. You don't always get a match out of it. Even though Shane McMahon has stepped up in some matches in his years in the WWE, this is just a lackluster feud for AJ Styles for Wrestlemania season.

Another supporting player in the Orton/Wyatt drama has been Luke Harper. Many might wish he was in the spot AJ Styles is in right now. Many might also wish it was a triple threat. Luke Harper looked like he legitimately won the battle royal a few weeks ago. He might be viewed as a sympathetic character for being pushed out the stable. Some might argue he has been screwed over by the WWE. If they WWE didn't try to get fancy with Orton/Wyatt feud, they might have avoided this problem.

What's wrong with AJ Styles vs. Luke Harper for Wrestlemania? Yes, these two already faced each other not to long ago, but the same can be said for Goldberg and Lesnar. But you would have two smark favorites in this feud, so those fans should be more than content with the Wrestlemania match these two can put together. As it stands now, Luke Harper does not have a match of his own for Wrestlemania. Instead of throwing him into a battle royal or having him just interfere in Orton/Wyatt, a feud with AJ Styles might be better.

I would like to see how the Wrestlemania audience reacts to Orton/Wyatt. Randy Orton is a popular guy, but let's not ignore that there have been times smarks did not love him that much. Daniel Bryan just buried his overness a couple years ago around this time. Will the Wrestlemania crowd be more sympathetic to Bray Wyatt for how he has been made to look? Will they be chanting for Luke Harper? The WWE still has a few more weeks to develop this feud and try to make it less likely fans react in a way the WWE might not want.

Who Won The Battle Royal?

Smackdown had a battle royal to decide who will face Bray Wyatt at Wrestlemania for the WWE Championship. The match came down to AJ Styles and Luke Harper. Both men got eliminated at the same time. Things will be settled on Smackdown next week.

Or did both men really get eliminated at the same time? Fans are pointing out that it obviously looked like AJ Styles had to have gotten both feet down on the floor before Luke Harper. And judging by how the WWE were not eager to show a replay, it makes it even more likely that the ending was botched. Luke Harper should be the winner of the battle royal.

There have been some instances where a botched finish led to the WWE going in a direction they did not intend to go. A couple months ago, Bayley got added to a title match between Sasha Banks and Charlotte because of a botched finish. Of course, the idea here was for Luke Harper and AJ Styles to have a controversial finish and have a little mini-feud between the two. But if Harper obviously won the match, the WWE's plans look stupid. There is a controversy here, but it is over the fact that the WWE won't acknowledge what really happened. The kayfabe controversy is just overshadowed.

I will admit that I felt that the WWE was doing too much with the storyline between Randy Orton and Bray Wyatt. The development for what they were doing was also weak at times. But even I am starting to want to see Luke Harper stay involved in this feud to get in the title match at Wrestlemania. It looks like he legitimately won the battle royal. His character is starting to look strong. With how much smarks love him and the momentum he is getting, I wouldn't be surprised if he gets a reaction at Wrestlemania that buries both Orton and Wyatt. It would probably be a mistake to take him out of that picture. I am not saying it would be as terrible as what the WWE tried to do with Daniel Bryan years ago, but it might upset certain vocal fans.

The Wildcard In The Wyatt Storyline

Bray Wyatt won the WWE Championship at Elimination Chamber last Sunday. He retained it on Smackdown. Randy Orton won the Royal Rumble a few weeks ago. These two were feuding with each other a few months ago. The storyline then took a twist when Randy Orton just randomly decided to join The Wyatts. Everyone is waiting for that feud to finally resume, finish up, and have everyone involved just move on with their lives.

But there is a wildcard in all this. Luke Harper has been The Wyatt pushed out with Randy Orton joining the group. He is now a bit of a thorn in the side of Bray Wyatt. How will he factor in as the feud progresses?

There will be a battle royal on Smackdown next week to see who faces Bray Wyatt at Wrestlemania. People are expecting Luke Harper to win that. Whether he does or doesn't, a lot of fans are thinking about a triple-threat match at Wrestlemania. Bray Wyatt vs. Randy Orton vs. Luke Harper. The fact that Randy Orton said he doesn't want to face Bray is meaningless. It is not written in stone.

I am all for the WWE elevating talent with the brand split back. Seth Rollins just got too many title shots last year. And then Roman Reigns came in. Now a part-timer is going after Raw's top title. Elevate younger talent. Luke Harper is that kind of talent. And smarks love the guy.

Problem is, now is not the time I would be doing this kind of thing. This Wrestlemania season already feels disappointing when you think of the great feuds they could potentially have built. As I have said before, the feud between Randy Orton and Bray Wyatt did not need the Royal Rumble win and WWE Championship to be involved. But now that you are at that point, just go with that. There is enough to work with right there. Luke Harper does not need to be in this Wrestlemania match. Save his involvement in the Smackdown title matches for after Wrestlemania.

Previewing The 2017 Elimination Chamber Men's Matches

First match to talk about will be Dolph Ziggler vs. both Apollo Crews and Kalisto. This might be another instance of the WWE trying to get too fancy with a feud. This match could easily have been just Ziggler vs. Crews. It might not be too interesting, but this PPV is featuring an Elimination Chamber match. That is the big selling point right there.

Or is the WWE planning something more with this match? The odds are against the heel. They could pull a swerve and have Apollo Crews turn heel and help Ziggler win. Ziggler is no stranger to having some muscle at his side. You can also say this heel turn for him has been a bit forced or that he might be trying too hard. Maybe the WWE will give him a sidekick to help him. As for Crews, he hasn't really done anything important in the longest while. A heel turn might at least give him a chance to show a different personality, which might help him.

Who wins this? There are a lot of possibilities and a lot of things to consider. I just brought up the heel turn option. Ziggler is the one being pushed, so he should win. At the same time, two faces would look bad if they lost this match without major shenanigans, although Apollo Crews and Kalisto aren't exactly too important. I will say Ziggler wins.

Randy Orton faces Luke Harper. Forgetting the Royal Rumble win for Orton, this match was just the logical step in the storyline Orton has with Bray Wyatt. Randy Orton drives away Bray's top disciple, then the path is cleared for Orton to turn on Bray. Randy Orton seriously did not need that Royal Rumble win.

Who wins this? I don't see Luke Harper in line to get a huge push moving forward. If he was, I might say he wins this. Since that is not the case, Orton wins.

American Alpha defend the tag titles against The Usos, The Ascension, The Vaudevillains, Breezango, and Heath Slater & Rhyno. Did I miss anyone? The tag division is probably something else I should try to take time out to talk about in this hectic Wrestlemania season. A lot has been going on in the last few weeks, including title changes. Is the WWE making good booking decisions? Are they developing teams properly? Well, there are a bunch of jobbers in this match. The WWE might have done better by just building a feud between American Alpha and The Usos.

I think this match might just come down to those two teams. One of them will win. The title reign of American Alpha is still young, so they should retain here. However, the WWE has had some questionable title changes in the last few months. It's not just with the Cruiserweight Championship. It would be nice to let more of these title reigns develop more. No need for reigns of doom, but a few months and successful title defenses would be nice. I will say American Alpha retain.

And the main event will be John Cena defending the WWE Championship inside the Elimination Chamber against Bray Wyatt, AJ Styles, Miz, Dean Ambrose, and Baron Corbin. There is a lot I would have liked to have said about this match, including running down each of these guys, but I've already talked about a lot today and I'll just save time by talking about three guys. Keep in mind, the winner of this match likely faces the Royal Rumble winner, Randy Orton, unless some huge swerve happens.

If you're going by what Dave Meltzer's sources are telling him, Bray Wyatt is winning the title and facing Randy Orton. I can just end it right here and go make a sandwich. Whether the WWE does it or not, this is a terrible booking decision. It is amazing how the WWE could take what was my favorite storyline going on at one time and ruin it by just trying to do too much. I thought the way they had Randy Orton just join The Wyatts was bad enough, but this was just not a feud that needed to involve Randy Orton winning the Royal Rumble and Bray Wyatt winning the WWE Championship. I am not against Bray Wyatt finally winning a top title, but now is not the time for it.

Look at the incumbent. Look at the guy holding the title heading into the PPV. That would be John Cena. He just won the title a few short weeks ago. I wouldn't be too shocked if he lost it so soon. Moreover, Cena retaining would mean Randy Orton vs. John Cena. They just faced each other in a singles match this week. These two have never faced each other in a singles match at Wrestlemania, but I think a lot of fans can live with not seeing it. Going in this direction would also put the Orton/Wyatt angle in an interesting position. What happens there?

The last name I will bring up is AJ Styles. He held the title prior to Cena. A feud and match between Randy Orton and AJ Styles would be fresh and something I have seen some fans interested in. The main problem here is that it would ruin the Orton/Wyatt feud. I can have an easier time imagining Orton vs. Cena with Bray Wyatt hovering in the background than Orton vs. Styles with Bray Wyatt hovering in the background.

Who wins this? Because of all the crappy possibilities, I am not even going to take this seriously. I'll say Jinder Mahal beats up Baron Corbin before the match, takes his spot, and wins the title. Randy Orton just should not have won the Royal Rumble. I am a fan of Randy Orton. I don't own a lot of wrestling merchandise, but Randy Orton is one of the guys I have bought merchandise of. But it is just hard to get excited for this push for him when so many epic feuds could have been built with someone else winning the Royal Rumble. I would rather see John Cena vs. The Undertaker at Wrestlemania for the title. The feud between Bray Wyatt and Randy Orton just didn't need all this.

Randy Orton Wins 2017 Royal Rumble

I had said that this year's Royal Rumble was more unpredictable than the last few years. And Randy Orton  winning the Royal Rumble match was not something I even brought up. Yes, I saw the rumors and betting sites saying he was the likely winner. But how is something worth predicting when you are going by what sources are supposedly saying?

A lot of fans are just happy that it was not Roman Reigns, who was the big surprise entrant in the Royal Rumble. This was a really disappointing Rumble match in terms of surprise appearances. A lot of fans are also unhappy about how the match was booked overall. This will definitely not go down as one of the best Royal Rumbles.

How about Orton winning his second Royal Rumble? I am a Randy Orton fan, but even I am not too thrilled about this. I was just more excited to see other individuals get the big push that felt like they deserved it more. There were some part-timers that looked like they could use this win to create a great title feud for Wrestlemania. I am thinking about Goldberg and The Undertaker. This is one year where a part-timer main-eventing Wrestlemania might have been okay. Miz had been developing some momentum in the last few months. Winning the Royal Rumble would have been huge for him. He has his credibility back. Randy Orton just did not need it or deserve it.

There are two feud possibilities for Orton at Wrestlemania. The obvious one is him feuding against the new WWE Champion, John Cena. These two have gone at it multiple times over the years in title matches. They have never faced each other in a singles match at Wrestlemania. But how many people really care about this feud? Even though these two have been the top two guys of the company for a decade now, this isn't like Austin vs. The Rock. A lot of fans could have watched those two feud forever.

The other option is the continuation of the feud Orton has going on right now, and dirtsheets have penciled in as what will happen. Randy Orton vs. Bray Wyatt for the WWE Championship. Wyatt wins the title at Elimination Chamber. This is another option that is just not good. I was a fan of this feud at one time. That feels like a long time ago. At a time with so many sour storylines and bringing up real-life situations, this was a feud that just played off of both men's gimmicks. But then the WWE got too fancy and tried to do too much. They took a feud that could have lasted just 2 to 4 months and turned it into a storyline that will last half a year or longer. This feud doesn't deserve to be main-eventing Wrestlemania, and it likely won't. Even though these two main-evented a Smackdown PPV a few months ago, they shouldn't have. This is an upper-midcard feud.

And that is what Randy Orton winning the Royal Rumble feels like. It feels like an upper-midcarder won it. It feels the same way as when Sheamus won it years ago. When you have so many other guys with more momentum to them than Randy Orton, his win last night just doesn't feel as big. I just don't know if they can create something as epic for Randy Orton as they could have with certain other guys. As I said, his rivalry with Cena isn't as epic as Austin/Rock, and his feud with Bray Wyatt has turned into an example of the WWE trying to do too much.

As of right now, I am not too excited for this year's Wrestlemania. There is still a lot of time for feuds to fall into place, but the WWE killed a lot of epic possibilities already. And some of the other likely matches don't feel that epic. I wonder if the WWE will realize this and panic and try something big.

American Alpha Win The Titles

There was a title change on Smackdown this week. It just wasn't the titles I thought it might be. It was the tag titles. American Alpha won them.

Let's not sugarcoat it, American Alpha were flops. The WWE debuted them on Smackdown like they were just supposed to be the top team of the division. They did not connect with the audience well and Heath Slater & Rhyno just deserved to win the tag titles before them. But I have said that the WWE should go back to them and give them a proper push.

A proper push does not mean just dumping a title in someone's lap. There was no development for these guys to win the titles. Obviously, with Zack Ryder's injury, the WWE could not do what they originally would have liked to do. But doing a title change like this does not do American Alpha any favors. They need work. It reminds of Becky Lynch winning the Women's Championship a few months ago. She had no proper focus on her heading into that match to crown the inaugural titleholder. And she just won. Her fans will eat it up, but there are a lot of fans out there that might not care that much. Of the women that debuted from NXT in one night last year, Becky Lynch was the one pushed the least properly.

I am not saying the WWE should never have a title change come out of nowhere for someone that had no real build for the push. Normally, however, it should at least go to someone with prior credibility. Look at Sheamus winning the Royal Rumble out of nowhere a few years ago. There really was not much focus on Sheamus to legitimately win the big match, but he did. Of course, Sheamus had credibility from being a WWE Champion prior to that. I can also agree with creating some buzz by having someone win a title in their first match, like Paige did. The WWE obviously fumbled with Paige soon after, but that's another story.

Which category does American Alpha fall under? They didn't win the titles in their debut match to cause buzz. These are not guys that had credibility previously on the main roster to imply they have at least gotten a proper push before in front of the main audience. They are rookies that have not been pushed well and suddenly have the tag titles.

Some might think I'm crazy. Didn't I hear how some fans reacted when American Alpha got their moment? Yeah, and can you hear how all the other fans and potential viewers reacted to it? No, you can't. How about you stop and consider that? When certain wrestlers are in front of their hometown, they are likely to get a good reaction. When certain wrestlers are in front of smark crowds or wrestling-friendly crowds, they are likely to get a good reaction. Smackdown was in Chicago this week. I don't think I need to say anything else about that. No one should get fooled into thinking American Alpha are more over than they really are just because smarks like them. I pointed out in the past that these are the type of guys that wrestling fans would eat up. The WWE needs to put proper work in these guys to develop wider appeal.

How about the team that lost the tag titles? That would be The Wyatts. It was a very short title reign. Some people are unhappy about Bray Wyatt losing his title reign so fast. Face it, this title reign was more about furthering a storyline, not honoring Bray Wyatt. That should not be the issue for discussion here. What you should be talking about is whether the WWE pulled the trigger too soon on the title change. The feud between Randy Orton and Bray Wyatt has a lot of creative potential, but I have pointed out in the last few months that the WWE has made some questionable choices. Even if you can forgive or ignore all that, this recent development is questionable. The WWE just didn't get enough off the title reign, even just talking creatively. It isn't really about building a dominant stable, since that is obviously not what the story is about. It is about playing with the relationships within The Wyatts right now. They could have done more before having The Wyatts lose the tag titles.

State Of The WWE Tag Team Division: December 2016

I talked about the cruiserweights. I talked about the women. I might as well talk about the tag teams.

Over on Raw, New Day is still dominating the tag division. If they retain the tag titles against Cesaro & Sheamus and Anderson & Gallows next week, the record is theirs. Will it happen? Probably. Neither of these other two teams really feel like they deserve it. I feel like they have both lost their momentum. The WWE didn't put the titles on them when it would have been best to do it. The WWE might as well let New Day retain.

Years ago, it felt like the WWE was doing a great job in giving the tag titles to teams that had momentum on their side. The WWE then entered a stretch of putting the titles on teams that didn't really look like they were hot, became hot during the reign, but then lost it to another team that didn't look hot. That led to the reign of terror New Day has been on. As I have mentioned multiple times, so many other teams or angles could have used those tag titles, whether as a reward, to give them credibility, or create some freshness. The Dudleys could have used them. The League of Nations could have used them. There was even a time when The Club looked a lot more deserving. But the WWE never pulled the trigger. New Day did not need to hold the tag titles this long to do their act.

How long after they lose the tag titles will New Day last? Even though I just said New Day does not need the tag titles to do their act, I can picture the WWE breaking them up within a few weeks after losing the tag titles and losing their rematch. I don't think it will be such a tragedy. I will talk about it more when it happens.

The only other team I want to single out is Enzo & Cass. This is another hot face team that could have used the tag titles. New Day aren't the only popular face team on Raw. On the one hand, it is great that Enzo & Cass have still been getting storylines. Enzo has his storyline with Rusev and Lana. Cass was once a contender for the Universal Championship. On the other hand, these guys seem to lose more than they should. Not only would it be nice to see them win a meaningful feud, eventually getting the tag titles would be nice.

Switch to Smackdown. Randy Orton and Bray Wyatt won the tag titles. This is Bray Wyatt's first title reign, but it seems more like a title reign to further a storyline, not a reward. This guy should eventually be a serious contender for a World Championship. As for Randy Orton, it is only a matter of time before he breaks out of the group. If the WWE doesn't go in that direction, this storyline was just dumb. Orton doesn't really fit in The Wyatts and The Wyatts didn't really do enough to "break" him to make him joining the group believable.

The first two titleholders for Smackdown's Tag Team Championships were not traditional teams. Heath Slater and Rhyno just got paired together. Randy Orton and Bray Wyatt are only together because of this storyline. There are traditional teams on Smackdown, like The Usos and American Alpha. I am sure these teams will get the titles one day.

Overall, I do not like how traditional teams have been treated on Smackdown so far. The WWE just did not handle American Alpha well at all. This is the kind of team you would expect wrestling fans to like. But the WWE just dumped them on the main roster and acted like they expected them to be bigger deals than they were. You can't blame American Alpha not working out better so far all on them. The WWE didn't handle them right. They didn't give them a proper chance. As for The Usos, after becoming stale faces, they refreshed themselves with that heel turn. It would not have been terrible if The Usos had been the heels to get the tag titles off Rhyno & Slater.

Another issue is the WWE bringing back teams that were relevant decades ago and using them ahead of some of their full-time teams. That is not something they should be doing so soon after the brand split started. Get the ball rolling properly with what you have, then go to these other teams, if you have to. Some people are wondering if the WWE should re-sign The Headbangers or The Spirit Squad. I am going to say the same thing I said when talking about the women, no, do not bring anyone back. Not yet. It is kind of insulting to the teams you have on the roster now to just go so quickly to old teams. And these aren't even teams as legendary as The Dudleys. The Dudleys also didn't come back during the start of the brand split and get pushed ahead of guys that were just starting out on the main roster or had just been refreshed with a heel turn.

Something I have been talking about with the cruiserweights and women recently is how to follow up with workers booked to make history, like TJ Perkins and Becky Lynch. Heath Slater and Rhyno were booked to make history. They were the first Smackdown Tag Team Champions of this new brand split era. Should the WWE keep the ball rolling on them? No. That title win was more taking advantage of Heath Slater having so much momentum back then. He was arguably the hottest act in the WWE at one time. The WWE did not make a mistake in giving him that moment, but there is no need to make more of Heath Slater than they should. As for Rhyno, he is no young guy. He might be inducted in the WWE Hall of Fame one day. Whether he is or isn't, it will be okay for him to just be a midcarder until he retires.

Both tag divisions seem to have a similar problem. A lot of teams are being underutilized. On Raw, New Day's reign has just smothered a lot of teams. On Smackdown, traditional tag teams have taken a backseat to singles wrestlers being thrown together, as well as old teams not even signed getting TV time. But I have more confidence in the tag division getting better without much worry than the women's division. New Day's reign will come to an end soon. Randy Orton and Bray Wyatt will eventually break up. The tag titles will find their way to other teams on the roster and fresh feuds will start.

Previewing The TLC 2016 Undercard

Before I talk about the men's matches, let me update something I talked about yesterday. When talking about the women's matches, I said Alexa Bliss vs. Becky Lynch should have a stipulation for TLC. Later that day on Smackdown, they made it a tables match. Good move. It still feels like Smackdown needs to catch up with Raw's women's division, but this is a start.

Moving on to the men's matches, Kalisto vs. Baron Corbin is a feud I like. It is a non-title midcard feud. No former World Champions involved. It is pure midcarder vs. midcarder. I like how it has been treated these past few weeks. And it is a chairs match. The WWE could use good midcard feuds outside the title picture. As for who wins, Corbin is the one that seems to be on the rise.

Dolph Ziggler lost the Intercontinental Championship back to The Miz a few weeks ago and gets a rematch. It is a ladder match. I hate how the WWE has been tossing certain titles around recently. Remember how much emotion there was in Ziggler's title hunt these last few months. Then there was the big payoff when he finally won the Intercontinental Championship. You can't toss the title around like this and expect the fans to always be as emotionally involved. I was all for Ziggler heading into Survivor Series to defend against Sami Zayn. That did not happen. Now what? Toss the title back on Ziggler. That seems like what the WWE might do, but I don't like it. Build up your Champions to look good before losing the title. I don't mean that everyone needs to have a title reign of doom like New Day, but some of these title reigns just don't get a chance to get established before it comes to an end, and ending at the hands of the person that was just beaten for the title. I am not saying this kind of booking should never be done. You don't want to become formulaic, but this is just too much. I don't think it really adds anything to the feud or storyline. The WWE is just forcing things to be extended because of the brand split. Anyway, I would say Ziggler gets back the title and eventually drops it off to Baron Corbin.

The tag titles will be decided when Heath Slater and Rhyno defend against Bray Wyatt and Randy Orton. Bray Wyatt has been on the main roster for years and has never won a title. If he wins it here, however, it will be more about furthering a storyline than really putting him over. When will Randy Orton strike and turn on Bray Wyatt? One possibility is obviously to have Orton cost Wyatt the tag titles this Sunday. I do not think that is the way things will go. Have Orton help Wyatt win the tag titles, further proving his loyalty to him. Once Wyatt is manipulated to truly think he and Orton are partners, then Orton strikes. This storyline has not been set up as smoothly as it could have, but there is still potential to do something interesting heading forward.

Where Is Orton/Wyatt Going?

The feud between Randy Orton and Bray Wyatt has been my favorite feud going. In an era where too many feuds seem to be based on real-life drama and are way too serious, this was a feud that just played with Bray Wyatt's gimmick. It had some interesting segments to it. It was just a good story.

Recently, however, I do not like how the WWE has been handling the feud. They had Kane disappear a few weeks ago. That was fine. Mix it in with Bray's gimmick. There were some fans thinking Kane might then return as a heel. Just pretend Bray Wyatt "brainwashed" him. Caskets came into play. Kane returned as a face. Last week, Orton attacked Kane and cost him a match against Bray. What is going on? Orton is following the "If you can't beat them, join them" philosophy.

What is my issue with the direction of this feud? First of all, it just seems like they are starting to do too many things with this story. I know they have a ton of time to kill and all that, but I feel like there have already been a few things in the last few weeks that they could have built on. Kane disappearing was something they could have built on. Turn him heel. Make the storyline about Orton trying to get Kane back. Even if they didn't want to do anything like that, they introduced the casket. Okay, that can build up to a casket match. Not exactly Bray Wyatt's specialty. This would be a match for The Undertaker. But if they want to build Bray Wyatt as the next Taker, and the two have feuded before, they can use this kind of match. But then they switch to Orton turning on Kane. It just seems like they are doing too much.

I have seen one fan like this feud because it has storyline progression. I wouldn't call this storyline progression. I have seen some storylines in the WWE where the WWE does something to get fans interested, then they just sit on that one thing and don't go anywhere for a while. That is a lack of storyline progression. Look at feuds where one person attacks someone else. Then they attack them again. And again. It takes a while for an explanation or for things to go to another level. That is not the problem here. The problem here is just doing too much with this one feud. This isn't progression. This is just jumping around to various things.

Another reason I do not like what the WWE is doing here is because I would say there is potential for feuds with a few of the storyline points you have used here. Why use it all just for this one feud? Will the WWE be able to create fresh feuds for Wyatt after this? Or will they just reuse the angles they have used in this feud? After a while, it just isn't fresh anymore. The writers obviously have some ideas, but all these ideas don't need to be used here. Not only is it a question of possibly muddling the current storyline with Orton, but it is an issue of whether these ideas will still be worth doing after the feud with Orton.

Last reason I do not like recent developments for this feud, is it even justified? Orton teasing going heel, is it justified? A few years ago, Daniel Bryan joined The Wyatts to get close to Bray, then got some revenge against him. The storyline worked better then. Daniel Bryan was getting beaten up by The Wyatts. It just looked like he was broken. Now? I don't see it. Bray Wyatt has not looked that dominant. He lost to Kane just a few weeks ago when Orton could not compete. Randy Orton has not looked that broken. He has looked strong at times in this feud. And it isn't like the numbers were really that against him. He had Kane on his side against Bray Wyatt and whichever one of his lackies is available. It is just hard to buy into this new direction.

Go back to last year. Randy Orton has done this kind of thing before. He was splitting with The Authority. He then pretended like he still wanted to be a part of them just so he can get his hands on Seth Rollins at the best time. That kind of angle just fit that feud. Orton is obviously a character that utilizes mind games, which makes this feud with Wyatt even better, but using that same kind of trick again? So soon? With Bray Wyatt? Yes, it is obvious Orton isn't truly turning heel. But why should Bray Wyatt even buy into him?

Is this the angle they will stick with for this feud? They can have Bray Wyatt do things to test Orton further. They can have Orton do things on his own to try to prove he is on Bray's side. Or they can just have Bray Wyatt see through Orton, drop the angle, and go in a different direction. I wish they would just stick with one direction and build on it. That would be progression.

Let me do a slight aside. A few weeks ago, the WWE went with Orton/Wyatt as a PPV main event. No titles were on the line. Nothing was on the line. This feud just didn't belong in the main event. It looked like the WWE was just scared of the presidential debate. Last night at Hell in a Cell, Sasha Banks vs. Charlotte headlined. I am not going to say anything about match quality or who won. Just the decision to put the women on last, was it really an honor? Hell in a Cell went against a good NFL game and a World Series game where the Cleveland Indians had a chance to clinch the title. That is heavy competition. Is it really an honor? Or should it be categorized in the same place as Orton/Wyatt headlining a PPV they had no business headlining? The product definitely isn't the same now as it was a decade ago and before that. Headlining a PPV back then would have meant more.

Final No Mercy 2016 Preview

Jack Swagger jumped ship to Smackdown and finds himself in a feud with Baron Corbin. This will be the pre-show match for No Mercy. Both of these guys have potential, but Corbin really needs to look a little better in his rookie year. Let him win this.

The tag titles will be defended when Heath Slater & Rhyno face The Usos. Normally, I would say that the person or team that just won a title will obviously retain so soon after the win. But the smart thing to do would be to give the titles to The Usos. Giving the titles to Slater & Rhyno was not a mistake. That angle involving Heath Slater was the best thing going for a while. It deserved the tag titles. But the WWE should not make the same mistake here that they have made with New Day. A lot of teams that had momentum and could have used the tag titles for their own credibility and to create fresher feuds were passed up so New Day can still hold the titles. Heath Slater had his moment. Rhyno is over 40 and got to make history in the wrestling business one more time. The Usos were stale as faces for a while, but have been refreshed since turning heel. There is also the fact that American Alpha is a project the WWE is working on and a feud between them and The Usos might just be a better title feud. It's not like Slater & Rhyno just won the titles and are dropping them immediately. Not even counting house shows, they had a successful title defense on Smackdown against The Ascension. It would be no tragedy if The Usos won, especially while they still had the freshness.

Dolph Ziggler vs. Miz has everyone guessing. I have seen speculation and rumors for every possibility. Some say this feud is obviously building up to Ziggler getting his moment and winning the Intercontinental Championship. Some say Ziggler is really leaving the WWE. Some say he is just taking a break and will be repackaged when he returns. Remember when there was all this speculation and excitement for CM Punk when he got his big push? Would he win the title? Would he leave the WWE with it? That was for the WWE Championship. This is for the Intercontinental Championship. I still feel it is a waste to spend all this emotion just for a midcard title Ziggler has held multiple times. He's not breaking the glass ceiling here. But this has still become a very heated feud. Many fans might say that this is classic booking. You build a heel up to look terrible, the face gets his revenge, and everyone is happy. I would rather see Ziggler lose. I don't hate Ziggler. I don't love Miz. But I just feel Ziggler winning would be kind of dull, and for the same reason I just gave. This is just a midcard version of what they did with CM Punk. It is not as exciting. The WWE has tried to make it heated with these big segments, all the emotion, and everything else, but I just don't care for it as much as others. I would have Miz retain. The WWE, however, might have Ziggler win.

Randy Orton vs. Bray Wyatt has been one of the more enjoyable feuds for me. That is obviously not the popular smark opinion. Them fans love them some complainin'! If you are a smark and love those "Reality Era" storylines that feature all that complaining and drama based off real events, that's you. Don't mean to offend anyone, but I even joke about myself sometimes, so people should know I am not just being a jerk. I have seen some fans irritated by this feud because it doesn't make sense. They are trying too hard to read into the segments. Why does it need to make sense? The Hardys have been having success these last few months off of a gimmick leading to matches that don't always make sense. Some fans want Bray Wyatt to bring up the history he and Randy Orton have. Orton had punted Bray Wyatt back when he was still Husky Harris. Those fans seem to want this feud to just be Wyatt complaining about Orton doing that to him. I am glad the writers have not gone in that direction. Just feed off of Bray's gimmick. I love that they are having Orton play the same games. Is it possible to still have an intriguing storyline that is not tied to some real-life drama? Here's one that has been doing a pretty good job. As for who wins, Randy Orton has still not won a PPV match in a year. Bray Wyatt has also not had the best win-loss record this year, but he has been on the winning side of some PPV matches. Let Orton finally win a PPV match here. Either way, the feud might likely continue. And smarks might finally see the storyline turn more real and Bray mention getting that punt years ago. Until then, it has been my favorite current storyline.

The WWE Championship will be on the line when AJ Styles defends against John Cena and Dean Ambrose. This feud seems pretty routine. There have been some heated promos. You've seen that a lot these days. I already pointed out that these kind of storylines and segments just don't do it for me. Cena has stuff to do outside the WWE. I hear Ambrose is taking time off to make another movie for the WWE. AJ Styles just won the title a few weeks ago. No need to take it off him so soon. Just to keep talking about this match a little more, who takes the pin? A lot of people are saying Ambrose is just in the match to get pinned. It just seems like this feud will not end with AJ Styles looking so good against Cena. I would say Ambrose does take the pin, leaving Styles/Cena to eventually continue their feud. Cena might be the guy to win the title from Styles at Wrestlemania next year.

Randy Orton Vs. Bray Wyatt Gets A Little More Creepy

Randy Orton and Bray Wyatt have been feuding for the last month. Their match at Backlash was ruined due to Randy Orton's health issues. But the feud has continued. And it has taken a creepy turn recently, especially this week on Smackdown.

Bray Wyatt's gimmick has so much potential for interesting storylines and segments. A lot of the time, all you get is his cryptic babble. The cryptic babble is present for this feud with Randy Orton, but the WWE is doing a good job here with those interesting segments. Considering that Orton has been pushed as a top star for the last decade, it is not shocking that the WWE will pull out something interesting for this Wyatt feud. Prior to this, Bray Wyatt was just a supporting player in the feud between Dean Ambrose and Dolph Ziggler. They are doing something more interesting with him here.

The writers are doing work. For a lot of what you see these days, it is like there are no writers. There is no real creative effort. They are just hanging onto whatever some wrestlers were in NXT or the indies. It is often dull. What they are doing here is better. It should spread out to other feuds. Build more unique gimmicks for more workers and come up with more interesting segments. There was nothing self-righteous or bitter about these segments on Smackdown this week. It was just entertainment. The WWE could use more of that.

Previewing The Top WWE Backlash Matches

Randy Orton vs. Bray Wyatt is one of the top matches for the first Smackdown-exclusive PPV of the new era, Backlash. There was a time I would have been more hyped for this feud than I am. Even though the WWE has created some interesting segments with this feud, Bray Wyatt feuds have just become disappointing. He talks big, but has really not accomplished anything too interesting. He just floats around.

Who wins at Backlash? I don't think the feud will end at Backlash. With the brand split, they now have limited options for feuds. Ambrose and Styles will likely still be feuding past Sunday. There aren't too many other top guys to work with Wyatt or Orton in a fresh feud. I just get the impression that this will be an extended feud. Orton should win here. He should regain some momentum after being fed to Lesnar at Summerslam. Some people might say that Randy Orton should just be used to put over younger talent. Well, the guy he put over at Summerslam wasn't exactly younger than him. Give Orton a break. He has lost to a lot of guys cleanly in his career. He likely will take a loss to Bray Wyatt eventually, just don't groan at Orton getting one win at Backlash. He hasn't exactly won at a PPV in a while.

The WWE Championship will be decided between Dean Ambrose and AJ Styles. Styles has been in the WWE for less than a year. This will be his fourth PPV match for the WWE Championship in that time. He debuted in the Royal Rumble match, which was for the WWE Championship this year. He had two shots against Roman Reigns for the title. And now Dean Ambrose. Stuck in between those matches were big feuds against Chris Jericho and John Cena. No one can complain that they have underutilized AJ Styles. I think it would have been better if they did slow him down. Yes, he will be 40 next year, but if rushing him doesn't work in connecting him with the wider audience, you have to wonder if spending a few months building his character in the midcard would really have been a tragedy. They have just gone all over with his character. Debut him and treat him like he is so popular. Bring in The Club and work with that aspect of his background for a while. Take away The Club just after a few short months. Throw in a heel turn between all that. What is the wider audience supposed to make of AJ Styles? Wrestling fans already buy into this guy and love. They want to see him win the title. And they eventually will.

I just don't think it should be at Backlash. Let Ambrose retain here. Things just feel a little too rushed, given how there was not much time between Summerslam and this PPV. Give this feud more time. I am sure AJ will win it soon. And then probably back to Cena. Cena has been around, despite the WWE not featuring him on TV. They are obviously selling his loss to Styles at Summeslam. No Cena storyline can end like that. He will come back for Styles, likely when Styles has the WWE Championship. Until then, Ambrose retains here and the feud continues between him and AJ Styles.

Previewing The Summerslam 2016 Main Event Matches

Dean Ambrose defends the WWE Championship against Dolph Ziggler. This is face vs. face, but with some heelish tension involved. Who wins the title? Will anyone turn heel?

It is a little sad to see Dolph Ziggler like this. This guy used to be pretty popular at one time. I wouldn't say A+ overness. It wouldn't go away that easily if he was that over. But it does feel like some fans have just gotten tired of him. Moreover, this feud doesn't feel as great as it could have. The WWE might have overestimated Ziggler's appeal right now. Yes, the guy used to be hot, but treating him with such mediocrity over the last year or two has hurt his appeal. The WWE might have expected this feud to be something more. I have seen some fans compare it to Orton/Christian. Fans were really into Christian and people were upset when he was treated so poorly on Smackdown in that title feud. In this title feud, Ziggler is somewhat in the role of Christian. Solid worker that has never gotten a proper main-event push. Feuding against a popular face that has the title. But I don't see as many fans being as into it in the same way they were Orton/Christian. Nevertheless, that is the comparison I saw brought up elsewhere that I wanted to bring up.

Will anyone turn heel? If anyone turns, it will likely be Ziggler. If he does turn heel, like Christian did in that example I brought up, the WWE might also make this an extended feud, much like they did Christian/Orton. I don't think most wrestling fans would be excited for that. You have heel AJ Styles right there on Smackdown. I am sure fans would love to see him move on to a feud with Dean Ambrose for the WWE Championship. But the WWE might not end Cena vs. Styles at Summerslam. Bray Wyatt might feud with Orton. Alberto Del Rio won't be seen for a while. I doubt Kane gets a title shot. When you run through the likely possibilities, it just seems like the WWE will continue the feud between Ziggler and Ambrose. And if that happens, someone will pretty much eventually be turning heel. And that would be Ziggler.

Who wins at Summerslam? Dean Ambrose's title reign is still young. The fact that he is still holding it surprises me. I doubt he loses it to Ziggler here, unless they have Ziggler cheat to win to sell the heel turn and Ambrose eventually gets it back. More than likely, Ambrose wins and Ziggler snaps and turns heel. I will say Ambrose retains.

Raw created their own title, the Universal Championship, and Seth Rollins and Finn Balor will be fighting for it. To make things more interesting here, the WWE introduced the "Demon King" gimmick for Balor this week.

This gimmick for Balor is supposed to be nearly unstoppable. It has a creepy vibe to it. Can this be an attempt by the WWE to create another Undertaker? That was supposedly going to be Bray Wyatt, but he is just a jobber to the stars. He is looking like Mick Foley, not like The Undertaker. The only problem with Balor is that he is not a young guy. He might not last decades in the WWE like The Undertaker did. To me, that only means you have to get going with pushing him well now. Build him up to be an attraction.

The worst thing they could do for Balor is go through the motions with him like I have seen them do other workers recently. They shouldn't feature Demon Balor for just a few months, then move on to a "Bullet Club" angle for another few months. The WWE should think about what has the most worth and get the most out of that. And I would say the "Demon King" gimmick has the most worth.

The outcome of this match will come down to which Balor shows up. If mild-mannered Clark Kent shows up, Seth Rollins will likely win. If he changes to his alter ego, which has been treated as tough as Superman, Balor will win the Universal Championship. Why would they debut this new gimmick and just have it job right away? Moreover, why would they debut it on the Raw before Summerslam and not use it for Summerslam? I will say Demon Balor wins the title at Summerslam. That might go against the momentum rule, but it just seems like the best decision and the most logical decision. Take advantage of the potential of this gimmick.

The success of the WWE Network for this period is going to rest on Brock Lesnar vs. Randy Orton. All the other feuds don't have mass appeal. Ziggler/Ambrose definitely isn't going to draw. Cena/Styles will appeal more to smarks, who are likely already subscribing for other things, like NXT. Finn Balor has potential to be something big, but he just debuted on the main roster a few weeks ago and his "Demon King" gimmick just debuted on the main roster this week. The WWE has built the most hype around Lesnar vs. Orton. Aside from that, the only thing that can help the WWE meet their high subscriber estimates is Mick Foley's hot daughter.

Randy Orton vs. Brock Lesnar was a feud I would have loved to see a few years ago. Right now? Not so much. They just push Brock to be too dominant. And the story of this match has just been so obvious for weeks now. It has been all about the RKO. They are talking like all Orton has to do is hit the RKO. Many people have kicked out of the RKO over years. Lesnar is definitely one of those guys capable of doing it. And then there will be a whole bunch of shock when he does kick out, Orton won't believe it, eventually get F5ed, and the match will be over. People are also anticipating Lesnar going for the F5 and it getting countered into the RKO. Outside of these big spots and a bunch of suplexes, this match is not interesting.

Throw in a wild card? The WWE teased that Orton and Bray Wyatt might be feuding next. Does that mean Bray interferes here? He also has a history with Lesnar that never got put to rest, so he could attack either guy in this match. I would rather he attacked nobody. This match already looks like it will be pretty predictable, but throwing in Bray Wyatt will just kill the feel of this match just being between Orton and Lesnar. Save starting the feud between Orton and Wyatt for Smackdown next week.

As for the winner of this match, Lesnar.

How Has Smackdown Been For Bray Wyatt So Far?

Bray Wyatt, the guy that seemed like the likely heel to feud against Dean Ambrose for the WWE Championship prior to Dolph Ziggler, is still involved in the title picture on Smackdown. With Ambrose and Ziggler, two faces, going at it, it makes sense that they would need some heel supporting players to work with. That would be Wyatt and Rowan.

Bray Wyatt won his feud against New Day last month, giving him some momentum, but now it looks like wasted momentum. The WWE has failed to follow up with him. That seems to be a theme for Bray throughout his career. And he does deserve better than that.

Because he is tied into the feud between Ziggler and Ambrose, he has not been able to develop his own feud for Summerslam. Does that mean he's left off the card? Will he still be pushed into the title match? I don't see that happening. If they wanted to do it, next week is pretty much their last shot to put him in. Just seems too late to do it now. They will likely keep the match and main story between Ambrose and Ziggler. Does Wyatt just interfere in the match at Summerslam? Seems like the only thing left for him, but I want to see where the story between Ziggler and Ambrose is going. Having Wyatt interfere will only prolong things, and possibly lead it to an obvious triple-threat match. And if they wanted to do that kind of match so badly, why not have it for Summerslam in the first place?

If he isn't tied into that match in some way at Summerslam, what is left for him? A throwaway match with Kane? Can't forget that he's still around. It is a shame to see certain individuals that are being underutilized after the brand split. Kane is one of those individuals. If nothing else, the least they could do is a filler match between Kane and Wyatt. Gives Wyatt another PPV win.