Previewing The Roadblock: End Of The Line Midcard Matches

Can Sami Zayn survive 10 minutes against Braun Strowman? If nothing else, this feud has taken an interesting turn. How often do you get a match like this? But how good will the match really be? Will it just be Sami Zayn trying to avoid Strowman for most of the match? Will he actually take the fight to the big guy? Zayn will obviously have some kind of impressive showing. And even if he lasts 10 minutes, Strowman does not necessarily have to take a pinfall loss. Or will Zayn look weak and eventually end up on Smackdown? That is another issue, but I will say he does survive this Sunday.

There has been an interesting story playing out with Rusev, Lana, Enzo, and Cass. This Sunday, it is Cass facing Rusev. This feud won't end that easily. And this just seems like a feud where the faces should come out on top. Until then, however, Rusev should look strong. He should be beating Cass at Roadblock: End of the Line.

The Cruiserweight Championship will be on the line. Rich Swann defends against Brian Kendrick and TJ Perkins, the only other two people to have held the new title. I have said before that I don't think Rich Swann is really a long-term Champion. The WWE has not put proper work into him. But does the title go back to Kendrick or Perkins? I say Kendrick wins it back.

New Day have their record. Does that mean the reign of terror ends? Cesaro & Sheamus will get another shot at the titles this Sunday. On one hand, New Day really does not need the titles anymore. On the other hand, Cesaro & Sheamus don't feel like they really deserve it right now. Cesaro has held a title or accolade every year he has been on the main roster. He won the United States Championship in 2012 and held it into 2013. He won the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal in 2014. He won the tag titles in 2015. Will 2016 be a dead year for him, as far as titles and accolades go? And Sheamus is Sheamus. The WWE loves giving him title pushes you would not think he actually deserves. I will say these two win the titles.

State Of The WWE Cruiserweight Division: December 2016

The cruiserweight division is getting some momentum. 205 Live has kicked off. And it has kicked off with a title change. Rich Swann defeated Brian Kendrick for the Cruiserweight Championship.

Let me start off with this title change. I just feel like it is going to be one of those short title reigns. Kendrick will likely win it back this week or the next Raw PPV. The title change only really happened to create some buzz for the new show.

Onto the new show. 205 Live. They had it after Smackdown last week. And it may not have worked out the way the WWE would have hoped. A lot of fans left after Smackdown ended. They did not stick around for the cruiserweights. One of my favorite tweets from someone that was there that night mentioned the fans leaving, but also mentioned a lot of fans still there around him being drunk. Yeah, that's how I picture a lot of wrestling neckbeards. You can say that all the WWE has to do is schedule things better, but the problem may be deeper than that.

I mentioned that the cruiserweight division is getting some momentum, but is it organic? Or is the WWE kind of forcing this? Wrestling fans tend to love this style of wrestling. But has the WWE really done enough to get this thing over with the wider audience. A show on the WWE Network is not going to do it. The WWE is just preaching to the choir. Wrestling fans that have been subscribing already saw the Cruiserweight Classic. They are already invested. What does the WWE gain from 205 Live? This will likely not be a long-term show. It will be like Mick Foley's recent show on the WWE Network. It will be around for a few episodes, then get rotated out for something else.

This show is just not likely to draw in new subscribers for the WWE. Fans that would be interested in these cruiserweights are the same ones that are hooked on NXT. They are the ones that would want to be watching the main roster PPVs to see guys like AJ Styles and Kevin Owens. The WWE already has their $9.99. How much more are they really gaining? If someone is paying the WWE $9.99 to subscribe for a month, the WWE has their money whether they watch just the brand PPVs or everything else on it. They have their money whether they use the WWE Network once a month or several times a week. It is really just fan service.

I do not think the WWE even knows what a fair opportunity looks like. This is a company that is guilty of not giving their own workers fair opportunities in the past. There is no denying it. Workers have gotten over and found themselves in the same position they were in as if they never succeeded. Meanwhile, workers that were not connecting well with the audience have been forced down throats to make them look great. You sometimes see failing agendas continue to get pushed, not just individuals. To top it all off, you have had people that got over organically and not get the better push for themselves be used to put over the WWE-backed individuals not getting over. It is just a terrible situation that led to failure.

The WWE is taking things that smarks like and just treating them like they are big successes. I am not just talking about certain individuals, like AJ Styles. I mean agendas, like the women's revolution and the cruiserweight resurgence. Giving these things a chance doesn't just mean you treat it like it is established already. You have to give these cruiserweights a chance to get over with more than just smarks. If they do that, then you give them 205 Live. That way, they are more likely to draw in a wider audience for the WWE Network. It isn't about just rewarding them. It is about properly creating and utilizing draws.

The WWE needs to stop treating these cruiserweights like they are something different. Stop with the purple stuff. Yeah, it is great that the division is back, but just incorporate it into the show. Treat them in a more organic manner. They might have an easier time working out that way.

Let me close by just focusing on one specific cruiserweight. Where's TJ Perkins? This is the first Cruiserweight Champion of the new title. I have said in the past that having someone make history like this should be justified. Perkins was not a big name prior to the title win. He wasn't extraordinarily over. The only way you can justify his big moment is if the WWE legitimately put an effort in to get him over and make him into something great. I don't think they did a great job of that during his title reign. And they have not followed up with him properly since he lost the title. Would it have been so terrible if he was the one that got the title shot last week and won the title back. Since he is the first man to hold this title, he should be treated as the centerpiece of the division, until he flops, something better comes along, he does something terrible, or he leaves the company. The WWE just did not give him a good opportunity so far. He might be a good centerpiece. But the WWE isn't helping him.

Survivor Series 2016 Preview: Part 1

With the exception of Goldberg vs. Lesnar, Survivor Series is all about Raw vs. Smackdown. The multi-person tag matches revolve around that theme. Even the two title matches revolve around that theme. I will talk about those two title matches today. I will also get into a side effect of this Raw vs. Smackdown theme.

With all this inter-brand fighting that is supposed to be happening, that has impacted the feuds going on for each brand. Or has it? You have still seen those issues the last few weeks. In a lot of cases, people on the same team have been fighting each other these last few weeks. These personal issues will obviously boil over at Survivor Series, but it seems to be a bigger issue at times than the actual Raw vs. Smackdown rivalry.

I do not like what is going on. Of course, it is somewhat unavoidable. The Raw and Smackdown superstars have not been appearing on both brands to help push these matches properly. So what are you supposed to do to kill time? If all these wrestlers acted like they really were on the same page as their team members, would there even be any matches? Certainly not many.

It just makes it hard to buy into the Raw vs. Smackdown rivalry. Both brands just look dysfunctional. Dysfunctional behavior was one of the irritating things about The Authority. They just looked terrible and hard to get into with how there would be this inconsistent unofficial feud within the group. Hopefully, this will just end this Sunday and everyone can move on.

What is something the WWE could have done to keep things fresh while still protecting what the common goal of these teams should be? Aside from having some guys from the other brand show up for singles matches or traditional 2-on-2 tag matches, they could have done some feuds exclusive to just Raw and Smackdown. Have some feuds that don't revolve around Raw vs. Smackdown. I am not talking about Lesnar vs. Goldberg. Those two part-timers aren't going to help since they don't wrestle on Raw. And I am not talking about lower-midcard filler with the likes of Bo Dallas. I mean meaningful feuds that would lead to a match at Survivor Series. The focus of these feuds would be clear. There would still be some infighting with some of these teams, but it wouldn't permeate the shows like I feel it has.

Onto the matches. Brian Kendrick defends the Cruiserweight Championship against Kalisto and Dolph Ziggler defends the Intercontinental Championship against Sami Zayn. Not only can titles change hands, they can change brands.

If one title changes hands, it just seems obvious that the other will change hands. I cannot imagine Smackdown ending up with two titles. They don't have space for it. They also are getting all those cruiserweights. Moreover, that just leaves Raw at a huge disadvantage. The whole point of having the cruiserweight division on Raw is that they had that extra hour they needed to fill. The cruiserweight division just made it easier, although they were doing okay in the few weeks prior to the division being born. I also cannot see Raw ending up with two titles. That would be unfair to Smackdown.

The titles will either stay where they are or switch shows. I think there is a good chance the switch happens. People have been talking about unifying certain titles. I will talk about that if the titles actually switch brands and Raw ends up with the two midcard singles titles. Until then, Zayn wins the Intercontinental Championship and Kalisto wins the Cruiserweight Championship.

Brian Kendrick Vs. Kalisto For The Cruiserweight Championship At Survivor Series

Ziggler/Zayn won't be the only inter-brand match for a title at Survivor Series. Brian Kendrick will defend his Cruiserweight Championship against Smackdown's Kalisto. To sweeten the pot, if Kalisto wins, the division goes over to Smackdown.

There is a very real chance this move can happen. Tuesday is becoming a cruiserweight night. It would help if the cruiserweights were on Smackdown. I don't like how these guys in this division are treated like they are chained to it, but that's another issue. It is still a big shake up.

If this title changes shows, I think there is a good chance the Intercontinental Championship changes shows to balance things out. Sami Zayn can win it and actually take it to Raw, instead of coming over to Smackdown. There is still some time to see how things progress and to put more speculation into all the possibilities. I would say the WWE has created an intriguing situation here.

Previewing The Hell In A Cell 2016 Undercard

Enzo & Cass take on Gallows & Anderson. If the WWE had made a smart booking decision months ago, Gallows & Anderson would have won the tag titles back when they looked like they deserved it. This match would then be for the tag titles and Enzo & Cass would finally win some gold. Instead, this is just a filler match. Enzo & Cass are a popular team that should be winning more big matches than they have been. I would say they win here.

Speaking of the tag titles, New Day defend against Cesaro and Sheamus. This comes down to whether this Cesaro/Sheamus angle has really gotten hot. If it has, those two have a better chance of being booked to win the titles. If it has not, New Day continues to hold the tag titles hostage and every record known to mankind will fall at their feet. Cesaro and Sheamus have not looked that interesting. They will likely lose here. And what will the payoff of this storyline end up being? It might just end up being a feud the WWE tried too hard with.

TJ Perkins defends the Cruiserweight Championship against Brian Kendrick. This feud has been rather enjoyable. I might usually say that the WWE needs to stop taking advantage of real-life drama for storylines. But Kendrick acting like this is his last chance in the WWE and that he needs to win the title has led to a good midcard feud. I think he should win it. If he loses, I can imagine a face turn, but does that really seem necessary? Keep him heel and give him the title.

Even though it has not been made official, I can imagine Sami Zayn vs. Braun Strowman getting put somewhere on Sunday. I doubt Sami is being pushed to overcome Strowman. If this match happens, Strowman wins.

For a match that is supposed to be one of the main events of Hell in a Cell, Roman Reigns vs. Rusev is least likely to close the show. But you can never tell in this era. Roman Reigns just won the title a few weeks ago. Has the WWE gotten what they wanted out of this title reign for Reigns? And if Rusev does regain the title, it will likely be by some shenanigans. I can't imagine Reigns losing cleanly here. Will Lana get involved? I can't really see Rusev winning. The WWE might have someone else interfere to screw Reigns, which would then mean Reigns can move on to feuding with that person and the feud with Rusev would not have to drag on. But I don't see anyone on the horizon that would want to interfere to screw Reigns that he could feud with after Hell in a Cell. I'll say he retains.

Previewing The Clash Of Champions 2016 Undercard Matches

There was a time for a while in the WWE where they just did a poor job building up their PPV cards. They would just put most of their focus on a handful of major matches. Everything else got mediocre development. You would even see random filler matches on these PPVs. The WWE then improved themselves a little bit. But it looks like they might be going back to their old ways with the brand split back. I can hardly believe Clash of Champions is already here, but it is.

Chris Jericho faces Sami Zayn. This is a feud they just threw together in recent weeks. You can say that the injury to Finn Balor shook things up. Chris Jericho cannot continue his tag-team run with Kevin Owens in the manner the WWE might have wanted to. Owens has Seth Rollins, so Jericho is left with Sami Zayn, who had been without direction for a few weeks before that. But this is a feud for Sami Zayn to win. Jericho doesn't need this win. Yes, I said the same kind of thing before Summerslam, where Jericho and Owens beat Enzo & Cass, but I am sure that feud would have continued to give the face team the win later on. I do not think Zayn/Jericho should be an extended feud, so let Zayn win here and move on.

Sheamus vs. Cesaro has been flavored filler. These guys will have the grand finale of their "Best of Seven" series at Clash of Champions. The winner gets a title shot, but it has still been a long feud. Even wrestling fans have been giving this feud mixed reviews. Some love it because these guys can go in the ring. Others hate it because of how stale it is. And I just hate the booking of these matches. Sheamus won 3 straight. The odds were against Cesaro. There was even an injury angle involved. And Cesaro bounces back to win 3 straight. Is Cesaro going to come out to John Cena's theme song this Sunday? The Swiss Cena probably should. That's how this feud is making him look, especially if he wins. I think Sheamus should win this just so he doesn't look pathetic. But I will say the WWE will have Cesaro win.

New Day vs. Anderson & Gallows is another feud that has been going on for a long time. The issue with this feud isn't really staleness. It is just terrible segments and the WWE not knowing what to do with Anderson & Gallows. Are they destructive monsters? Or are they comedians? Destructive monsters that moonlight as comedians? Whatever it is, it hasn't worked out very well. I have talked about them and this feud a lot in recent weeks. The WWE missed their chance to put the titles on these heels when the timing was better. But they will probably win it here. If Jericho/Owens was still a force in the tag division, I would say have New Day retain this Sunday and lose the titles to them. Not going to happen. No other great heel teams on the horizon. Give the titles to Anderson and Gallows. 

The Cruiserweight Championship will be defended at Clash of Champions. TJ Perkins defends against Brian Kendrick. And this just feels like something thrown together. Yes, there was hype for the cruiserweights for months, but this actual match just popped up the week before the PPV. People criticize the WWE for how they handled the debut of the division on Raw this week. Where's TJ Perkins? Where are all the other guys that will be in the division? Where is proper development for the guys that were there? It is like the WWE just tossed them out there to be wrestlers and is not putting in the work to make them stars. The WWE is obviously not planning to sell the PPV on this feud, but the cruiserweight division could have gotten off to a better start. As for the winner of this match, TJ Perkins. Why would they have him lose the title so soon after getting it?

Roman Reigns vs. Rusev for the United States Championship is the only undercard match to get great development. That is because it involves Roman Reigns. This match could be considered one of the top matches for Clash of Champions. It has gotten some main-event focus on Raw. I could have talked about it Friday. But I'll just talk about it here. The only flaw in the development of this feud was Rusev taking some time off. He just got married to Lana a few weeks ago, so I am not going to criticize him for taking time off. I am just saying that there was some time where the feud kind of got lost in the shuffle. That left time for Roman Reigns to be involved in the drama over the Universal Championship. Maybe that added a little to the feud. Rusev ran out last week to screw Roman Reigns out of a match that would have given him another shot at the Universal Championship. Overall, one of the better feuds on the card this Sunday.

Who wins? Rusev seems to have momentum. He attacked Roman Reigns after that cage match this week on Raw. Rollins ran out for the save, mostly to also take out Kevin Owens, not save Roman Reigns. The only way I can picture Reigns losing this match is so he can get involved with Kevin Owens for the Universal Championship after Clash of Champions. A main-eventer like Roman Reigns does not necessarily need a midcard title. He's not at that stage of his career that John Cena was when he won the United States Championship twice last year. And Reigns doesn't feel like one of those former World Champions that gets demoted back to the midcard to win titles there, like Miz. I know it looked like he would get demoted after his suspension and getting pinned cleanly a few times, but the WWE seems to be back to pushing him as a major player. If he does lose to Rusev, it won't be cleanly. And it would have to be in a way that still ends the feud to free him up to face Owens, if they want to go in that direction. I will just say Reigns wins this Sunday.