Split The Dudleys?

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Dudley Boys Turn Heel

The Dudley Boys returned to the WWE a few months ago and it did not take long for them to fizzle out. In recent weeks, they were jobbing to teams far below them in dark matches. This week, they came back with a vengeance. And they turned heel.

Is this what it will take to get the tag titles on these guys? Problem with that, New Day are still holding the titles and they are heels. The WWE also seems to love that trio. I have said before that the WWE should be able to push these guys well even when they are not holding the tag titles. Are they just going to run them into the ground until they lose all their freshness, then take the titles off them?

The WWE used to be good with giving the tag titles to teams that had momentum. I think there were a few teams over the last few months that had it and could have gotten the tag titles from New Day. The WWE never pulled the trigger. There will be some new freshness and momentum to The Dudley Boys now that they have turned heel, but will the WWE pull the trigger now?

Was this decision to turn them heel done to fix depth issues in the tag division? Are there too many face teams and too few heel teams? Aside from New Day, The Wyatts are also still a group. The WWE could utilize them more in the tag title hunt. The WWE could also do better with The Ascension. The League of Nations is not likely to be a true threat in the tag division with their members banged up like they are. Overall, this heel turn could lead to a fresh feud for when New Day eventually does lose the titles and their push. Just rotate in The Dudley Boys in that spot as top heels in the tag division.

It also seems the "Bully Ray" character is coming back. It was praised very well in TNA. Of course, a lot of things look great in TNA and do not carry over very well in the WWE. Gail Kim is an example of that. The WWE did not try very well with her. She was just there to be a credible jobber. I would expect to see the WWE do better with Bubba. But how far will he go? To the tag titles and beyond? He went all the way to the World Championship in TNA. I doubt he goes that far here. Too many younger guys ahead of him. I just hope this does not turn into another instance of the WWE believing something that worked out well in a smaller company will automatically work for them now.

The Dudley Boys Get Their Feet Wet

Coming off their surprise return last week, The Dudley Boys have wasted no time getting in the ring. They seem to be rolling through the tag division already. It seems obvious that it won't be a question of if these guys will win the tag titles. It will be a question of when will these guys win the tag titles.

How long will it take for these guys to really end up with nothing fresh to do? I have read that the WWE signed them to a long-term deal and they will be regulars, including house shows. Is that really smart? As I have said, they are already rolling through the tag division. The New Age Outlaws had an ideal push last year. Even look at the push Rob Van Dam had. The WWE hyped him up. He came back at Money in the Bank. He didn't win there. He was used to put over Alberto Del Rio. He took some time off. He came back and once again didn't do anything major. It was lame, but pushing him for a while, letting him take a break, and then bringing him again is a strategy the WWE can use with The Dudley Boys. Keep them fresh.

The only way I can imagine them staying important on a consistent basis without getting annoying is joining The Authority. That would mean they turn heel and The Authority maintains their heel identity. They can serve the purpose The Shield once served in the stable.

I have seen some people say Bubba is a possible main-eventer. TNA pushed Bully Ray as a top star for a while. He was even back there not too long ago this year as an authority figure. Would pushing him at that level be a good idea? I do not think so. There are already too many younger guys that are ahead of them. The WWE cannot even handle them properly. They do not need the possibility of splitting The Dudley Boys to push Bubba as a main-eventer.

Bully Ray: Future World Champion?

It has been over a year since Team 3D split in TNA and Bully Ray was born. A lot of people thought that nothing great would really come of it. The gimmick is so simple. Bubba turned heel and is now a bully. Nothing too grand about that. But TNA has pushed him well, despite never having him win a title during this heel run so far, and Bully Ray has handled the role well enough to win over a lot of critics.

Does he deserve to be World Champion? He is definitely a major heel in the company. How horrible a job could he possibly do? No offense to Roode at all, but Impact hasn't exactly shot up in recent months. Given how TNA is about rotating people in and out, why not give Bully Ray the shot? Let him have a run as the top heel for a while. Am I saying that the company will improve under him? No. TNA still has issues that are holding it back, but Bully Ray is a fresh option that I believe a lot of fans will be fine seeing get the push. He has a good character. He can be a refreshing change from the typical cocky heels in a suit.

Since I have an excuse to talk about TNA, how about the ratings recently? Last week, it dropped below 1.0. That's depressing. After TNA had such a good year in 2011, which definitely got my hopes up that they may follow up right, they dropped the ball. That is probably the story of TNA. It applies to so many of the pushes and storylines. The average for the first four months in 2011 was around 1.21. The average for 2012 so far is 1.09. And I don't see anything on the horizon that may improve things for TNA. They are failing to create good hype and build real stars who can draw. I don't think they will be sinking to lows never seen by human eyes, but it is a shame they have dropped so much, considering the direction they were going just last year.