Four Years After The Pipe Bomb

It has been about 4 years since CM Punk started that storyline that made him a legend. How are things today? CM Punk still has not returned to the WWE. Daniel Bryan, another guy that emerged as a hero against the unfair status quo the WWE upholds, has injury issues that might put an end to his career. AJ Lee, the bride of Punk, left the company. It might seem like everything is sad.

The WWE has signed more wrestlers that fans eager for change love. You got Samoa Joe popping up recently. Kevin Owens is being featured on the main roster. Seth Rollins is holding the WWE Championship. Of course, just having these guys is not enough. It is about how they are featured and how well they are getting over. Despite all this, the WWE has shown signs of wanting to develop Roman Reigns, a guy that is not a favorite of these rabid fans, as the new centerpiece. The diva division has remained inefficient. The entire product remains inefficient. Well, aside from NXT.

Aside from the WWE being eager to welcome more talent that wrestling fans love, fans seem to be more vocal. CM Punk was supposed to be the voice of the voiceless. He certainly motivated these rabid fans to be even more vocal. It isn't that they never protested anything. Fans voiced their displeasure at Matt Hardy being fired many years ago. Fans were unhappy when Mickie James got released as a part of spring cleaning the year prior to CM Punk's pipe bomb. Fans wanted Daniel Bryan back after he was fired a few months after that.

Problem is, these fans can be too demanding and sometimes unfair. I have pointed out the unwillingness of many to even give Eva Marie a chance to show whether she has genuinely improved. Some of them got unruly the night Roman Reigns won the Royal Rumble. And you can sometimes get lost in the noise they are making and start believing some wrestlers are more over than they really are or less over than they really are. A guy like Seth Rollins is great. He can one day break out like CM Punk did. But as of right now, does he really have the overness to be an A+ player?

Should the WWE regret ever having CM Punk do those promos? It didn't lead to a ratings boost. It helped to make CM Punk huge, but then he walked out on the company. They are left with rabid fans that can sometimes be too demanding. They are signing all these guys that have not really gotten too over prior to the WWE. Great wrestlers, but how well can they connect with the wider audience? They are still very inefficient with how you handle the main product. A lot of things have only gotten worse and the fact that fans are more critical of them makes it worse. If CM Punk had never energized them, things might be different right now. Better? Maybe not. But possibly a little smoother.

Wildcat Centerpiece In The Men's Division

I talked about how a "wildcat" centerpiece would work in the diva division yesterday. Today belongs to the men's division. Why might this be appealing? You have had a centerpiece for almost a decade now that has trouble properly connecting with the fans. Instead of the WWE addressing the problem in a manner to try to please their fans and run an efficient product, they have taken advantage of that hate John Cena gets for the sake of storylines, which often fail to do too much. On the other side of that, you have some guys that the fans want to see get pushed that often get buried or used to put over Cena, then get buried. If the WWE utilized some sort of wildcat strategy, that might give Cena more of a rest, have a variety of other guys pushed well, and create storylines and feuds that can really excite the fans. The WWE does rest John Cena from the title scene and main-event scene at times, but not enough to please fans. So more must be done.

Wildcat. Bray Wyatt. He was the first guy that came to mind when I thought about talking about this. Does he have a "wildcat" gimmick? Deranged cult leader? Yeah, I think that counts. He had a shot at winning the World title a few months ago. I remember thinking back then how interesting a title reign with him would have been. Don't just let him have the title, but push him as the top guy for a few months. Don't just use him as a jobber to the centerpiece, but develop a few successful title defenses for him against other guys. I felt like TNA would be more likely to do that kind of thing, not the WWE. With a creepy guy like that as the top star for a while, things would surely be shaken up.

A lot of fans say the WWE botched the Nexus angle a few years ago. They really didn't. They weren't trying to create stars out of all those guys. It was a storyline designed to put over Cena. It did that. They then moved on, slowly letting the air out of the angle. But the WWE could have done better. Wade Barrett could have legitimately won the WWE title back then. But what would the WWE likely have done? Probably have him drop it to Cena. Let's say they gave Barrett the title and actually let him run with it. Have him defend against both faces and heels, since his group was attacking both sides. Keep Cena away from Barrett, at least for a while. Have Cena feud with the other members of the group. How much better would that storyline have been if the leader of these rookie rebels was pushed as top guy in the company for a while? That would be a wildcat centerpiece. And I think a lot of fans unhappy with how the WWE handled the storyline would be more content with this.

CM Punk held the WWE Championship for over a year. For most of that time, however, he was still being overshadowed by John Cena. CM Punk was never the centerpiece. Could they have done a better job with him? I think so. They could have pushed him as the wildcat centerpiece. You have a controversial figure that drops pipe bombs and stands up to those trying to maintain the status quo so many fans are sick of. Unlike the previous two examples I gave, you could have CM Punk as wildcat centerpiece without having him be heel. Fans loved him and what he was doing could work well as a face. He should have been the guy that put John Laurinaitis out of business. And aside from that, I am sure there are other ways to keep his anti-establishment character going for a few more months in the main spotlight. John Cena doing these things is not fresh. Besides, CM Punk could have brought more edge to these type of storylines.

Just to reiterate a main point, why is it important that the wildcat centerpiece have some type of wild gimmick? I talked about a deranged cult leader, a leader of a rebel group, and quite possibly the most controversial superstar the WWE has had this decade. You are not just replacing John Cena with a guy that is going to do exactly what he does in the main spotlight. You are replacing John Cena with a guy that can really shake things up. You look at Randy Orton. You can say they have pushed him in Cena's spot for a while over the years, but he doesn't really bring a change in the title feuds and the main-event scene like certain guys with unique characters could bring. The wildcat centerpiece is supposed to shake things up when he gets pushed in that position. That's why you bother doing it. Eliminate some of that staleness from too much Cena.

Kharma In The Periphery & System Guys

There would not have been many options for Kharma. If they had kept her, she would not have been pushed as the centerpiece, most likely would not have been pushed as a credible jobber, since she is just too intimidating and was being featured as dominant while there, and that would leave only featuring her as a periphery diva. If they had kept her, what kind of periphery diva could she have been?

She only had one match after debuting. That was taking part in the Royal Rumble. Two other women did that. That would be Chyna and Beth Phoenix. Beth Phoenix mixed it up with the men a little, but not enough to be considered a periphery diva. She got pushed mostly to put over the centerpieces and got some filler title reigns in between the WWE moving from centerpiece to centerpiece. She was a credible jobber. Chyna was a periphery diva. She was pushed as a star. She became famous for what she did in the men's division. Could Kharma have followed the path of Chyna? I have seen some people talk like Kharma would have had a chance to become the first woman to win the World's Heavyweight Championship. I don't know about that. Fact is, you don't see many matches between men and women in the PG era, so I doubt she really would have become a regular in the men's division in the same way Chyna was, without even bringing up the possibility of going further than Chyna did.

Just like I talked about Gail Kim being an enforcer, I think Kharma could have had some kind of enforcer/bodyguard role. Wouldn't be too different from Chyna early in her WWE career. Kharma could be an enforcer for both male superstars and divas. Imagine if Michelle McCool stayed and Kharma debuted as her new sidekick. Michelle McCool had Alicia Fox and Layla at her side for a while during her career, but how much did any of that help her get over? Kharma may not have helped her get over, but an intimidating bodyguard like that might have led to the fans viewing McCool differently. It would have been trying something new, if nothing else. And as Kharma connected with the fans through her own abilities, McCool would have gotten a rub from that. You would probably eventually have a time when the two split and have their feud, which typically happens. What do you do with Kharma then? Have her be the enforcer for someone else, possibly a man this time. You could keep this rolling for a while. This idea may sound stupid, but remember The Acolytes Protection Agency?  Create a gimmick like that for Kharma. She would be a one-woman APA. It could make for some interesting storylines and segments. And in between moving between protecting these various men and women, Kharma could have some rare matches here and there with the divas, and possibly the men. Face it, they were not going to have her wrestle divas on a regular basis. At least this way, she is getting used in a creative manner that could still connect with the fans.

Let me change topics slightly. When I talked about Gail Kim in the periphery, I referenced the role she played in TNA and talked about how the WWE could have used that to push her well. When I talked about Mickie James in the periphery, why did I not bring up her angle with Raven from TNA? That was not the kind of periphery diva I had in mind for her in the WWE. She was more of a lackey in that group in TNA, in my opinion, than an actual enforcer/bodyguard. Back when Lord Tensai first debuted and was relevant, he had a lackey. I don't think Mickie James should be a follower to someone. Push her as an arrogant valet/manager type. Let her be more of an equal to the man she is supporting or in the stable she is a part of.

Changing topics again, a while ago, I talked about how certain plays in football might just have a higher rate of success than others, regardless of who the players are involved in the play. I related that back to how certain types of careers in wrestling also have a a great rate of success, regardless of the individual being pushed in this great manner. I realized an even better way of explaining it.

I was lurking around a football message board and I noticed someone use the term "system quarterback" to describe Johnny Manziel. That means that he only had that success he had in college because the system they had there benefited him. It was based on the quarterback now starting for his old college putting up great numbers last week. It was the system that was great, not necessarily the player. This "system" label applies to various positions and even other sports. Some people can say some NBA players are only good in certain systems. When they change teams, they play poorly. If you have been watching sports for decades and already knew all this, forgive me for coming late to the game.

It can also apply to pro wrestling. Why shouldn't it? You can have some men and women that seem to thrive when they are in a position of success in a certain system, but when they go somewhere else, they flop. Is that because they are not that great? Is the new system just flawed? When I talk about the status quo, I am usually talking about the status quo of the system and how it is impacting the performers and quality of the product. You talk about Paul Heyman guys, Triple H guys, and Vince McMahon guys. Typically, these are guys that have the support of someone with swing to help them get a good push. Some of this seems to be losing value lately. The WWE thinks they can just toss guys on Paul Heyman and they are automatically Paul Heyman guys.

There are so many different things I can talk about in a discussion about system guys (or gals). Let me just run through a few people and talk about whether I think they are system guys. What do you look for? For those individuals that succeeded, was it because the system was in their favor? If the system was not in their favor, they are not system guys. If the system was in their favor, did they have the potential and talent to succeed even if they were not a part of that system? If they did, you can argue they were not system guys and could succeed on their own or in another system.

Let me start with Kharma. She did not last in the WWE long. But she was connecting well with the fans. And it definitely was through how she was being pushed. They had her destroy other divas. Just like Nexus excited people by destroying other guys, so was Kharma. And I already said, they likely would have continued to push her in the periphery, if they had kept her. Is Kharma therefor a system gal? I would say not. She was making a name for herself even before the WWE. That is what made her signing exciting for many fans. She definitely has the ability to connect with fans.

John Cena. He is a system guy. He has been pushed as the centerpiece for almost a decade, despite connecting poorly with the overall fanbase. Even back when he was hot with his rapper gimmick, the WWE allowed him to have that gimmick and ran with it. He is not that great of a wrestler. You can talk about his mic skills and charisma, but I don't think he is good enough to stand out if he had not gotten the kind of career he had gotten in the WWE. Just to save space, I would also say Batista is a system guy and for the same reasons I give for John Cena.

You should know the story of CM Punk by now. No one in the WWE wanted to give him a shot. Paul Heyman saved him and helped him become a star. Fact is, there was someone in the system that believed in him and helped him get a good career. CM Punk was featured well in ECW. He eventually won the ECW title. After debuting on Raw, he started to be treated even better. He won a World title almost right away. Soon won the tag titles. Won the Intercontinental title. Won another briefcase. He was frequently involved in elaborate storylines. A+ player? No. I would say A-. He dropped his pipe bomb and moved up a little in the company. He really wasn't pushed that awfully prior to that pipe bomb. He did deserve the better career, but the career he was getting was not that bad. Nevertheless, he is not a system guy. Not only does he seem to hate the system, but he has the talent and potential to succeed without the WWE.

What about Zack Ryder? He was not being pushed at all. He got over on his own through Youtube. And after he got over, they still did not want to run with him. He is definitely not a system guy. The system did not create him.

Mickie James is not a product of the diva system. They pushed her so much! So many title reigns! Yeah, but if you actually look at how they were pushing her and look at how over other women pushed like that typically become, she is more over than any of them. She got over while being pushed as a credible jobber, being used to put over the centerpiece and being used as interim centerpiece when the star was not around. She got over through her own abilities as a performer. The system was not in her favor.

To say that a quarterback is a product of the system is taking something away from him just like calling him a game manager is taking something away from him. When I say that a certain wrestler is a system guy, I don't mean to insult him. It just goes back to the idea of understanding whether a performer is having such great success because he is really that great or it is the play/system that is so great. That might help you separate the A+ players from the B+ players. Separate the system performers in the WWE from those that are truly the greats.

Assorted Topics

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What Impact Has Daniel Bryan Had On The Status Quo?

We are nearing the anniversary of CM Punk dropping a pipe bomb on the status quo. It was just three years ago that he shook things up. He doesn't seem to be around at the moment. Even if he was, I want to talk about another guy that has had an impact on the status quo of the company.

Daniel Bryan's story isn't really one of a guy that complained about how he was being treated in front of the whole world. Nevertheless, he was a guy that was not getting that A+ career. They wouldn't even give him a legitimate run with the WWE Championship. And it didn't look like they would have given him anything major for Wrestlemania. What happened? The fans stepped in. Utilizing the "Yes!" and "No!" chants that Daniel Bryan was doing, they made their voices heard. The WWE was forced to change plans. CM Punk walking out also had a hand in things. Daniel Bryan not only got his Wrestlemania moment, but he is getting a title reign that they can't seem to take away from him.

Comparing the Summer of Punk 2011 to the "Yes" Movement, I would say what happened with Daniel Bryan had more of an impact against the status quo than what Punk did three years ago. What CM Punk did was a controlled protest. What do I mean by that? Yes, he went out there and was brutally honest, but the WWE allowed him to do it and was running with it. They were in control. Not surprisingly, the WWE didn't really change their ways. What happened with Daniel Bryan was not something the WWE expected. The WWE could not have expected Daniel Bryan to become so over that fans would react like they did to their mistreatment of him. They eventually did turn it into a storyline, but that was a real shot to the people that control the status quo.

Is Daniel Bryan's success leading to legitimate change in the status quo? CM Punk's pipe bombs didn't. It does seem like the WWE is showing more interest in the talent from the independent circuit. But how about how the talent is being utilized on the main roster? That is what defines what the status quo is really about, not who is signed or not. Is the WWE more open to really giving the fans what they want to see? I would love to see another Zack Ryder. I would love to see another guy just get really over out of nowhere and put that pressure on the WWE to push him. Will the WWE give him the push he deserves? Or play more games and dance around it? I don't see how irritating your fans is a smart business practice. You are just asking for something bad to happen.

Daniel Bryan is still holding his title. He "retained" it at Payback and Stephanie McMahon once again did not just strip it from him on Raw this week. Do I think this is because the WWE is afraid the fans will overreact again? No. Fans did get crazy a few months ago, but I think most of them would realize that taking the title off Daniel Bryan would not be screwing him. He is recovering from surgery and cannot defend it. It looks like this ends at Money in the Bank. He either returns to defend it or they crown a new Champion. For someone that is supposed to be an evil heel, Stephanie's character has been kind of fair to Daniel Bryan. No matter what happens with the title, this won't be the end of Daniel Bryan.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Chicago Fire

What has pro wrestling become that you get more excited for what fans might do than for the actual product? With the whole CM Punk drama, Raw in Chicago tonight looked to be very interesting. There was talk about fans pretty much taking over the show. Of course, the reports of CM Punk returning tonight pretty much kills all the enthusiasm I had for talking about this topic.

I have said before that the WWE is playing with fire. They play with giving the fans what they want, knew how over Daniel Bryan was, and just continue going down the road of what they would rather the fans want. Remember how crazy some Mickie James fans got after the WWE released her. Dirtsheets made it look like she screwed herself out of the WWE, but fans still really wanted her back. You have heard stories of how Daniel Bryan fans have reacted to his mistreatment in recent months. How crazy would Chicago have gotten tonight?

If CM Punk is really coming back, it might be wise to bring him back in the opening segment. You would normally save something like this for last, but you probably don't want to play with these fans too much. And what if these reports were spread just to ease some of the tension building? If CM Punk does not appear, that will make fans even more pissed off. If they sit through the whole show and don't get what they want, then they might really react badly. It would be like this year's Royal Rumble. Fans waited in hopes of seeing Daniel Bryan coming out in the Rumble match. Never happened. And fans can definitely react worse than they did then.

If CM Punk does return, should he be tossed into the title match at Wrestlemania? That match lacks a solid face. Being in the main event of Wrestlemania is something CM Punk would want. Of course, this should have been Daniel Bryan's match. And that feud against Triple H should have been Punk's. I doubt they will switch things back around. If CM Punk does return, he will need a match for Wrestlemania, and it will likely be that title match. I doubt they toss him back against Kane.

The Pipes Got Clogged

This is something I would have brought up in a few months for the 3-year anniversary of CM Punk's big angle. Due to recent events, it would make better sense to talk about it now. The issue is not even whether or not they botched. At this point, it is obvious they did. That "pipe bomb" storyline brought no legitimate change. What has gone wrong to get us where we are right now?

What went wrong as far as CM Punk goes? Assuming his departure from the WWE is completely real, something had to have gone wrong. There are a ton of reasons floating around as to why he left. Rather than speculating on all that, did he really bring the change that he talked a few years ago? Or did those pipe bombs just make more noise than cause damage? He got a lengthy run with the title, but was never pushed as centerpiece. He was still being pushed very well in recent months. If he was told he would lose to Triple H at Wrestlemania, a feud which it would be nice if CM Punk won, that might agitate him. Whether he has a right to walk out solely on that is another issue. Not only is Triple H taking a lot of attention, you still have John Cena being pushed hard. CM Punk criticized Cena being pushed so hard in his pipe bombs. That didn't change. Add Randy Orton into the mix. Orton may not have been a top target in those promos, but he might as well have been. He is someone the WWE has regularly pushed very well. And the cherry on top of all that might just be Batista. CM Punk criticized the WWE bringing back The Rock and shooting him into the spotlight at Wrestlemania. Batista has been gone for years, comes back, is booked to win the Rumble, and is getting a title shot at Wrestlemania. Batista is not The Rock. You can understand The Rock getting featured prominently because he can draw big. Batista is not that. Triple H, John Cena, Randy Orton, and Batista dominate much of the spotlight. This is the kind of thing you had for years even before CM Punk's pipe bombs. No real change.

What about Daniel Bryan? He may not have dropped a pipe bomb, but he is still a part of this issue. He is someone who has gotten over and is still being pushed under some of the other guys the WWE has relied on for years. None of those guys get the reaction Daniel Bryan gets. Daniel Bryan might as well do the kind of promo CM Punk did. And it does not look like Daniel Bryan will find his way into the title match at Wrestlemania. His feud with Kane is a sign that he will end up getting the push meant for CM Punk. That is not too bad, but the fans wanted more for him. They wanted him to win the Rumble. The WWE will not be swayed by those vocal fans. Part of CM Punk's promos a few years ago was about not accepting what is going on and letting your voices be heard. What is the point of these fans being so vocal about things if things never change for the better? Daniel Bryan is an example of that.

AJ Lee dropped her own pipe bomb last year. A fan recently asked her about that. She said she said the things she did because she wanted to make things happen for the division and get them more TV time, but the other divas did not take what she said well, so it was dropped. I went back and read what I had previously said about her promo, as well as reading a transcript of her promo. Let me talk about that promo again.

Honestly, she did misfire with that promo. I am not talking about her delivery of the promo. I am not talking about her mic skills. I am talking about her actual message. All she did with that promo was put herself over and completely rip apart all those other women. Go back to CM Punk's first pipe bomb. There was one thing he said that I found very interesting. He said he liked John Cena. You can talk about whether or not he meant it or was just being sarcastic, but the point is, he did not spend that whole promo just calling himself the best and shredding John Cena. He bashed Vince McMahon and how the company is being run. He was unhappy that he was not getting treated better. That was the message of that promo, and Cena was not the primary target. AJ Lee never really criticized the company for how these women are being mistreated. You don't even have to bash Vince McMahon. Just criticizing the company itself for the handling of the division would have been fine and better. You can say that AJ would have gone there if the storyline continued, but her initial pipe bomb wasn't like CM Punk's. I don't have too much hope that it would have gotten better.

You know what is really funny about all this? AJ Lee says she was trying to make things happen for the diva division and get these women more TV time, but these women actually were getting treated better prior to getting involved with AJ Lee. While AJ Lee was working with Kaitlyn, the divas on Total Divas were getting separate things to do. Ever since AJ Lee started feuding with these women, creative depth has gotten worse. I don't like that genre of television, but it was giving those women something to do. None of them have ever been pushed as well as AJ Lee. Even though I do not like CM Punk, based on his pipe bombs, I can buy his character of standing up for better treatment for himself and against the authority. Based on AJ Lee's pipe bomb, all I see is someone putting down women not being pushed as well as her. She puts herself over as the savior of the diva division, but it has only gotten worse.

 It isn't like there is one set definition for what a "pipe bomb" promo is. To me, these promos aren't supposed to be just about putting yourself over as the best and shredding your foes. Being edgy is definitely a part of it. But you are supposed to be laying down cold, hard reality. In between the bitterness of CM Punk's message, he was bashing a status quo that does have real issues. Instead of bashing the status quo of the diva division, all AJ did was bash those other women.

I am not implying the WWE was aiming for this, but if AJ Lee had focused her pipe bomb less on the divas and more on the diva division, you could have had a "reality vs. reality" storyline. You have reality TV crossing paths with the reality of the diva division. It could have been interesting. Maybe a bit much. Once again, I don't think the WWE would have been willing to do it. CM Punk dropped a bomb on the status quo, not just John Cena. AJ Lee dropped a bomb on the divas, and the status quo was never really challenged. Even if it was, no real change would have come. But for the sake of a diva storyline as epic as what you had with CM Punk a few years ago, talking more about the reality of the diva division would have been nice. You shouldn't be digging so hard into women not getting the same great opportunities as you. That promo was just more venom than reality.

Some fans are saying that those people still chanting for CM Punk should just stop. He was the one that walked out on the WWE. If he cared so much, he would not have turned his back on the fans. I am not going to say which side of the fence I am with that. Point is, there is this idea that someone that walks out on you should not be so respected. Turn that idea towards the diva division. Doesn't it look like the WWE has walked out on its divas? I believe I have compared what has become of the diva division to a head coach walking out on his team when things are not going his way. If people want to side with the WWE in the issue with CM Punk because Punk walked out on them and did not handle things professionally, that is one thing. How about the WWE letting their own diva division collapse when they can't get their way? Is that the professional thing to do? Figuratively speaking, the WWE walked out on them and will not come back until they get their way. Sounds like a spoiled brat? That is what some people accuse CM Punk of being right now. Contrary to what you might hear in an AJ Lee promo, that division has not been saved. It would be nice if someone brought that up in a legitimate diva "pipe bomb" promo.

Austin Vs. McMahon & Bryan/Punk Vs. The Authority

Wrestlers feuding against authority figures is nothing new. One of the biggest feuds of this type was "Stone Cold" Steve Austin feuding against Vince McMahon during the Attitude Era. In recent times, you have Daniel Bryan and CM Punk feuding with The Authority. Needless to say, what you have going on right now does not have the same feel to it as what you had over a decade ago. Why not compare the two situations?

When Austin feuded against Vince McMahon, the first thing you have to realize is that Austin was the centerpiece. They didn't just toy with the idea of whether he was or wasn't or should be or shouldn't be. He got very over, they gave him the title, and they ran with him. A lot has been said about that feud between Austin and McMahon. It was the common worker standing up to his boss and getting the better of him. Austin frequently got the better of Vince McMahon, and his family. There was even that segment where Austin laid out the whole family. It was fun and the fans enjoyed it.

What you have had recently is CM Punk and Daniel Bryan having issues with authority figures, and all of it does not seem to be just a pure storyline. While Austin became the top star of the company during his time, neither CM Punk nor Daniel Bryan have been pushed as the centerpiece. That has still been mostly John Cena. Both of these guys have gotten very over, have had some title reigns here and there, but the WWE has not been running with either one well enough to please the fans, especially in the case of Daniel Bryan. And are these two really owning the authority figures as much as Austin did Vince McMahon. Not really. Go back to when John Cena was the one that ended John Laurinaitis as GM. That should have been CM Punk's storyline. He fit better in that based on the big angle he had the summer prior to that. And what about The Authority? I am not going to say they are untouchable, but they are when compared to how much abuse Vince McMahon took back in the day. You have fans going crazy for Daniel Bryan and CM Punk, while John Cena, the centerpiece for all these years, and Randy Orton, the storyline "face" of the company, are not connecting with the fans like that. And while the fans are so hot over what is happening, it is not because they are so entertained. They are pissed off.

Let me just focus on Daniel Bryan for a moment. He has gotten extremely over. The WWE's mistreatment of him is what has really agitated these fans. If they had just given Daniel Bryan a legitimate run with the WWE title for 2 or 3 months at the end of last year, I don't think the fans would be so upset. Yes, a lot of these fans seem crazy and demanding, but if the WWE had not toyed with them as they have, I don't think they would be like this. The fans want to see Daniel Bryan succeed, the WWE screws him out of title reigns, they run this storyline where they say he is not good enough, they have him lose the feud to Randy Orton, send him down to a feud against The Wyatts, then have him lose even that feud, and how much are the fans supposed to put up with? Not only is the WWE not treating Daniel Bryan properly, they are pretty much telling those fans crazy for him that what they want doesn't matter. And this isn't a storyline about authority figures screwing someone over. This is the company actually mistreating an over worker. They can blend it into the storyline to make it seem more trivial, but they are playing with fire.

Back when Austin was the top guy, my favorite wrestlers were actually Kane and Mankind. Kane won the World title and held it for a day. Mankind also had a 1-day reign, as well as some other short reigns before he retired from the WWE. Did I get upset over this? No. I didn't cry. I didn't rage. It didn't bother me so much. Short title reigns are nothing unheard of. But could you imagine if Austin was struggling to connect properly with the fans and it was Kane or Mick Foley that were doing it? And what if the WWE continued to shove Austin down the fans' throats, while mistreating Kane and Mick Foley? That is pretty much what you have going on recently. The centerpiece is not working out. The fans are crazy about guys that the company wants to be stars, but doesn't want to push better. The company would rather rely on their own favorites. When the company's favorites matches the fans' favorites, things go smoothly. When they don't, you have the current failure of the status quo.

Randy Orton Faces Everyone

Nothing too major changed on Raw. No CM Punk or John Cena. Daniel Bryan is there to fill the void. Aside from him, who else do they have as a top face? Batista? A few issues there, but let me just say that he has not even had a match on Raw or Smackdown yet. Daniel Bryan is carrying things well.

As for Randy Orton, the WWE World's Heavyweight Champion, he has to face all the challengers for his title in the coming weeks in singles matches. I like that idea. Randy Orton and the title get some major attention. That is something I have been complaining about for a while. The title has not been getting enough of the main focus. Of course, Randy Orton lost to Daniel Bryan on Raw. It was a good match. It also featured some interference from Kane, which I will talk about more later. The odds are just stacked against Orton. Usually in these situations, the person with his back to the wall overcomes. The WWE still has time to take this title feud in whatever direction they want. Doing a good job developing the other challengers would be nice. I am not saying Cesaro needs to beat Randy Orton, but make him look credible by doing something other than standing around while Jack Swagger wrestles.

Another story in all this is The Authority once again exhibiting that lack of faith in Randy Orton. Does someone in the WWE really think that dragging this on for so long is a good storyline? They planted the seeds of tension months ago, have gone back and forth, and it just needs to finally go somewhere. I find it annoying. They are having Randy Orton go out there and complain and play the heel. The Authority comes off as tweeners. If there is an eventual split, isn't it likely that Orton will go face? It would be nice if they developed Orton more as a face or tweener. I understand insincerity is part of The Authority's character, but I don't like how they are developing Randy Orton's character, especially if he is the one that turns face in this whole thing eventually.

Back to Kane. As I said, he came out to help Randy Orton. Kane was involved against CM Punk. With Punk out of the picture, that left Kane with nothing to do. Has the WWE found something for him to do? Developing a feud between him and Daniel Bryan? Having him always helping Randy Orton against his 5 challengers? Doing whatever The Authority tells him to do? It doesn't look like he has a strong purpose right now, but at least he gets to do something. In terms of people that were screwed out of things with what happened last week, Kane is definitely on that list. His feud with CM Punk most likely would have ended with CM Punk overcoming him, but it was still a feud for Kane. There is still time for the WWE to develop some kind of feud for Kane for Elimination Chamber.

The Messy Road To Elimination Chamber 2014

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

AJ Lee Vs. Naomi

Everything seems so irrelevant to talk about in relation to CM Punk most likely walking out on the WWE. I am not going to pretend I was ever a fan of the guy, but this is really shaking things up. It is bringing the WWE attention. The kind of attention they want? That is not the topic today. I'll try moving on to talking about something else.

Since I am going to talk about AJ Lee, I'll start with her connection to CM Punk. They were dating. A lot of fans are asking how long it is going to take before the WWE buries AJ for what CM Punk just did. I think most fans saying that kind of thing are just joking. Will the WWE punish AJ for this? It would be stupid if they did. AJ Lee is someone the WWE has actually developed to be a star. I don't think they will mistreat her as badly as someone they didn't want over. If she was in that category, then the WWE might use what has happened as some kind of excuse. Then again, does the WWE even need an excuse to bury someone they don't want over?

Moving on, AJ Lee has been feuding with Naomi for a few weeks now. It is a simple feud of developing momentum for Naomi, who will then most likely be used to put over AJ Lee. Nothing interesting. Why is this even worth mentioning then? This is continuing in the string of nothing too interesting as far as diva feuds go. This is filler. Even if Naomi does win the title, her reign will most likely be just as mediocre as AJ Lee's has become. It'll probably be even worse. Look around that diva division. AJ Lee is still being pushed better than any other diva. She is pushed with the best consistency. And yet, it is still so dry. That should tell you how horribly the other women are being used. No great hype or creative interest for anyone. This is a feud that could have ended at the Royal Rumble, if they tried to squeeze a match in there. This feud obviously won't be taken all the way to Wrestlemania. It is too mediocre for that and I doubt the WWE will inject anymore hype into it. Assuming AJ does retain, she would have gone through The Bellas, Natalya, and Naomi. How many more credible face challengers does she have left in the current diva division?

Should either AJ or Naomi be developed as the centerpiece. Being the centerpiece of the diva division isn't the same as being centerpiece of the entire company. Things regularly revolve around the men's matters more than it does the divas' matters. Nevertheless, the centerpiece of the diva division should still have the wrestling credibility and overness to deserve the spot. AJ Lee is not currently being pushed as the centerpiece. I am not basing that simply on the WWE's history of developing eye-candy divas to hold that position. If she was the woman they wanted as their centerpiece, they would be pushing her with better attention and rebuilding the division around her. Instead, they are just going through filler pushes. How about Naomi? Not to sound racist or accuse the WWE of being racist, but they have not developed women of  various races to be the centerpiece over the years. Will that all change if the right woman came along? We'll see. I will say that it would have been better if they kept Naomi in some kind of periphery angle to keep her interesting. I could say the same for AJ Lee. As far as Naomi goes, she wasn't getting much in terms of character and storyline development alongside Brodus Clay, but they could have kept her somewhere to still let her entertain. Right now, she will most likely get lost in the shuffle once her filler push is finished. Should either of these women be the centerpiece? Obviously, neither are as over as Daniel Bryan, the guy I brought up as a potential new centerpiece earlier in the week, but it is unfair to hold them by that standard. As I said, being centerpiece of the whole company is a more important position than being centerpiece of just a division. AJ Lee has wrestling credibility and Naomi is improving. A lot of fans have connected with Naomi, but I would still say AJ Lee is more over. Nevertheless, I don't think either has really solidified their overness to deserve the spot. How over is AJ Lee outside of vocal wrestling fans? Is she still over with that general audience? That is what matters. It would help if the WWE pushed her better.

Let me go back to CM Punk and Daniel Bryan for a moment. With their popularity, they have certain leverage. Neither guy is pushed as the centerpiece, but they now have overness that makes the WWE want them around. That makes them important. How about the diva division? How does leverage work there? Mickie James became the most over diva off of being pushed as a credible jobber, being used to put over the centerpiece and used as interim centerpiece when the true centerpiece was not there. Why did her popularity not give her that kind of leverage? Look at that diva division. Look at what has become of it. Look at how mediocrely the WWE is pushing AJ Lee, someone they have developed to be over. When the WWE is not afraid to let things collapse like that, getting over just does not give you any leverage. They are not afraid to lose you. You might sometimes see in movies where the bad guy holds someone hostage to try to get the hero to do what the villain wants. That hostage gives him leverage. You might also see some movies where doing that does not work. In a Bond movie, I believe it was Goldeneye, the bad guys held a girl hostage, but James Bond called their bluff and pretended he didn't care anything about her. Later on, the tables were turned and it was the girl that does that to Bond, pretending she didn't care about him. Point is, if the WWE doesn't care about the diva division unless it can get its way, someone they never wanted over getting over will not force them to treat that woman better. Why are things different in the men's division? As I said before, things revolve more around the men's matters than the divas' matters. A collapsed diva division is not stopping the WWE from still having overall success with their male stars.

Finally, let me end things with a tangent on Daniel Bryan. Let's go back to what happened at the Royal Rumble. Did the fans overreact? Technically, the WWE never hyped Daniel Bryan would be in the Rumble match. They were hyping his feud with Bray Wyatt. That feud had been getting developed for months. I am not saying Daniel Bryan should be mistreated. I even said a few weeks ago that I would have put him in the title match at the Royal Rumble. I have been saying that he deserved better around this time of year than a feud with Bray Wyatt. Nevertheless, I think fans did overreact. And it doesn't help that certain individuals stirred the pot with what they said prior to the PPV. So what if he wasn't in the Rumble match? Do those fans want him to come out just so Batista can eventually toss him out? I know he did not win the feud, but his storyline with Bray Wyatt received more attention in weeks prior to the Royal Rumble than most of those guys in the Rumble match were getting. Daniel Bryan does deserve better, but fans just reacted too strongly to what was going on. Did anyone say that Daniel Bryan was booked to win the Rumble, then the WWE ended up screwing him out of it? Is it written somewhere that the most over guy when January comes around automatically wins the Rumble? If there are rules like that, then the fans might have reason to be so angry. As it stands, fans got way worked up for something I don't think was that horrible. The WWE still had time to develop a good feud for Daniel Bryan heading into Wrestlemania. With all these negative things happening this week, he might end up with something even better than originally planned.    

CM Punk Walks Out On WWE?

I usually do not like talking about every rumor that causes a stir. But this rumor seems to have become a hot topic. I usually sometimes even avoid the hot topic and just talk about what I would rather talk about. But this current hot topic is more interesting than what I was going to talk about today. Has CM Punk walked out on the WWE?

This could all come down to people jumping to conclusions. They see CM Punk taken down from events, not being involved in things since the Royal Rumble, and they say that he has just walked out. Is he injured? Is this part of some angle? Is this similar to the epic "pipe bomb" angle he had?

CM Punk has become a top star in the WWE. Contrary to what some people might think, including CM Punk, the WWE was pushing him well prior to that epic summer storyline. He had held the World title before, in addition to other titles. Of course, it was that storyline that took him to new heights that he had not had before. And he deserved the better treatment. Has he been treated horribly in recent months? Has the WWE gone back to underutilizing him? I wouldn't say that. He has been getting a well-developed feud against The Authority. He has gone from feuding with The Shield to feuding with Kane. The next logical step would have been Triple H, the boss of the corporate heels. Prior to all that, he did get that crappy "feud" against The Wyatts that went nowhere for him. But that did not last long. Before that, he got a big storyline against Paul Heyman, which included him getting to face Brock Lesnar. Punk did not win that match, but he did win the feud against Heyman. Point is, I don't think the issue is that CM Punk has been mistreated recently in terms of how he is being pushed.

What would it mean for CM Punk to actually leave? The WWE still has Daniel Bryan and John Cena, in addition to other guys. If they could survive without Austin, they could survive without Punk. I doubt CM Punk will be going back to TNA. They cannot utilize talent properly and I doubt they can offer Punk what he would want.

Of course, this can all be people blowing things out of proportion. If it is, how likely is it that the WWE will take advantage of it to add fuel to the storyline between Punk and The Authority? Were they somehow planning this the whole time to cause a stir? I don't see why it is even necessary. They were already developing a solid storyline with him. Doing this just creates a stir that could ruin the attention other feuds are getting right now. All of a sudden, Daniel Bryan not being in the Royal Rumble doesn't seem like that big a deal. Brock Lesnar wants a title shot? Who cares? CM Punk wants to leave! If this really is a work, they probably should have pulled it at a time when you don't have anything else major going on. It just draws attention away from everything else. And is that best for Wrestlemania season?

2014 Royal Rumble Preview

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

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

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

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

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

Corporate Kane Is Angry

CM Punk still has his issues with The Authority. Things have slightly shifted away from him just having to deal with The Shield. He has now angered Kane. That has gotten him the #1 spot in the Royal Rumble match.

Without even speculating yet on whether or not CM Punk wins the Rumble, how likely is it that he will face Kane after this Sunday and before Wrestlemania? If this all culminates with CM Punk facing Triple H at Wrestlemania, what better opponent in between all that than Kane? Kane has not had an actual feud since his corporate makeover. No need to waste him by needlessly teaming with The Shield for tag matches. This current storyline has him as an authority figure. They don't get in the ring too often. But finally having him put on the wrestling gear again to face CM Punk will be good development.

Just to bring up the possible storyline for way down the road, what would it mean for CM Punk to one day become a corporate guy? He is currently taking shots at this guy and that guy for selling out. Would having a storyline where CM Punk does that really be a stunner? I think it could be interesting. You had Austin turn heel and join Vince McMahon. CM Punk is an anti-corporate guy, much like Austin was sold as back then. It wouldn't be unheard of. And I'm not talking about a storyline where CM Punk fakes joining the corporate side just to get his hands on Triple H or Vince McMahon. You have just seen that with Daniel Bryan and Bray Wyatt. I mean really turning him heel and giving him a makeover. Have him follow the path of Kane. I don't think they should do it now. You have too much going on now. But down the road, it might shake things up a little.

CM Punk Vs. The Shield At TLC

Even though I do not like The Rhodes always facing The Shield so much in recent weeks, I never said CM Punk had to face The Shield alone. Regardless, CM Punk will face The Shield at TLC. No partners for Punk.

CM Punk is now officially feuding with The Authority. What I really do not like about how they handled this is that it wasn't really CM Punk jumping right in to stand up against the corporate heels. In terms of the storyline, this all seemingly started off of Punk saying something bad about The Authority. They then sent The Shield to take Punk out. CM Punk is supposed to be this guy that is against the status quo and the establishment. It would have been so much better if he took the fight to them. I am not implying his character has become that of a sellout. I just find it weak that it took The Authority targeting Punk for Punk to really start being against the establishment again.

You have CM Punk in a match against three guys. The Shield has been booked to look so strong as a team. What would it mean for one CM Punk to beat them all at TLC? The only way it can properly happen is to have The Shield tease friction again and have that lead to their downfall. To have CM Punk simply overcome them all as a united front by himself would be unbelievable. Go back a few months to when CM Punk feuded against Paul Heyman and his minion. I brought up the point that they would either have to take Curtis Axel out of the picture or get CM Punk a friend to help him even the odds. To have CM Punk go through both Curtis Axel and Ryback by himself to knock off Heyman might have been too much. Having CM Punk go through all three members off The Shield by himself would be even more unbelievable than that.

You have CM Punk getting involved in a good storyline where he is not chasing after a World title. You have Daniel Bryan involved in a good storyline where he is not chasing after a World title. Not surprisingly, John Cena, the centerpiece, is involved in a storyline involving the World titles. This is just another great example of what it means for the men's division to be an open division. You do not need to be the centerpiece or in a major title feud to get a good feud. You have three big faces all getting separate feuds and storylines. So much space to still feature the guys well. The diva division is not like that.The diva division is a closed division. If you are not getting pushed as the centerpiece or a major periphery diva, you are likely being wasted or just being used to serve a purpose and will eventually be wasted. The men's division still has some issues, like developing good midcard storylines and developing better tag-team feuds, but it is better than how things are in the diva division.

Let me switch gears. On last Sunday night's NFL game between the Washington Redskins and New York Giants, you had a controversial finish. During the final drive of the game for the Redskins, the refs signaled that the Redskins had gotten enough yards for a first down. A "down" in football is an opportunity for the offense to make a play. You have 4 downs to get enough yardage to get a new set of downs or score, or the ball automatically goes back over to the other team's offense. Thing is, after the Redskins made their next play, believing they had a new set of downs, the refs changed their minds about them getting the first down before and signaled that it was now 4th down. The Redskins go from thinking they will have at least a few more shots to being told this is their last shot. Personally, I don't think it was a big deal. The Redskins still had a chance, almost still kept the drive alive, and it was a turnover that caused them to lose. Of course, I'm no football expert. And you cannot deny that this confusion by the refs might have had a mental impact on the Redskins players and coaches as they tried to prepare for what ended up being the last play of the game. And the commentators mentioned the fact the plays the coaches are going to call when it is first down are not necessarily going to be the same in this situation if it is 3rd down or 4th down. They have to know how many chances they have left to help plan what to do. What does all this have to do with anything? It goes back to the idea I talked about just a few weeks ago on playbooks in football. The coach is going to have different plays planned and different strategies for different situations in the game. The commentators pretty much said the same thing. How is that relevant to what I talk about? When you are analyzing the diva division, you have to understand the situation, or landscape, the division is currently in. That can help you better understand why the WWE is pushing this diva that way and that diva this way. You cannot take things out of context. Just like the situation in a football game influence the plays that might be called, the situation in the diva division influences the decisions the WWE will make. What happened on Sunday just reminded me of what I was talking about before, so that's why I wanted to bring it up again to mention it alongside the controversial finish.

Who Should Get A Feud For The Tag Titles Against The Rhodes?

Cody Rhodes and Goldust entered a feud against The Shield a few months ago. They got some big wins over them, including winning the tag titles off them. Months later, these two teams are still feuding against each other. You have other heel teams and it would be nice if they eventually got legitimate feuds against The Rhodes for the tag titles. The Shield can serve other purposes as The Authority's henchmen. They do not also need to always be stuck against the Tag Team Champions.

How about The Rhodes feud against Swagger and Cesaro? I know they started a feud a few weeks ago, but it was never properly developed. Keep them chasing after the titles. This can be a strong heel team and they are the ones I would want to see get the titles.

Bray Wyatt's group is also in the mix. As it seems CM Punk is moving on to feud with The Shield, that leaves The Wyatts with only whatever they end up doing with Daniel Bryan. If they are going to have him join the family, what better way to do it than have him return when they are getting a shot at the tag titles to screw The Rhodes out of the titles? Aside from The Shield, The Wyatts are your top heel tag team. They have been getting some development in the main-event scene. I don't think you need to have that kind of credibility to get these titles, but the WWE has been building them well, so a title reign is not out of the question.

Whichever team gets chosen for a legitimate feud for the tag titles, just don't let it be The Shield. I know they have put on great matches with The Rhodes, but this is getting really stale and there is no reason for it. You have other options to push. The Shield feuding with CM Punk is not a burial. Have CM Punk team with The Usos or Rey Mysterio and Mark Henry. Leave The Rhodes to something else.

CM Punk & Daniel Bryan Vs. The Wyatts At Survivor Series

A tag-team match has been made for Survivor Series. No, not one of those large elimination-style matches that you would expect from this PPV. It involves CM Punk and Daniel Bryan teaming up. Their opponents? The United Plumbers Association of Greater Downtown Burbank. That is to say, Rowan and Harper. I wrote their names on the back of my hand so I would remember. No, not really.

If you saw the end of Raw, you would have thought a huge tag match was about to be made. The Shield & The Wyatts would team up to face, Punk, Bryan, The Usos, and The Rhodes. Let me just give my opinion on that possible match. On the one hand, I hate the idea of just tossing The Wyatts together with The Shield. Just like that? And I would rather see The Rhodes feuding with Swagger and Cesaro over the titles. As for The Usos, they have been moving in and out of relevance for a while now, which is better treatment for them than I would have expected from the WWE. They deserve the tag titles down the road, but I just don't like them involved in this, either, despite the fact that they have feuded with The Shield in recent weeks. It just all seemed tossed together. On the other hand, the idea of having 6 guys on each team was interesting.

What do I think about the match that has been announced? Even more disappointing than the other option of the large tag match. This is a major PPV. Daniel Bryan and CM Punk are top faces. Their opponents are not even top heels. This match is barely worthy of being on one of the lesser PPV events. This match should be happening on a Raw or Smackdown. Bray Wyatt, the leader of the group, should be wrestling at PPV events.

There is the possibility that this match gets upgraded back to the 6-on-6 elimination match you would expect, but why handle things the way the did? Raw ended with them teasing the idea of a big tag match at Survivor Series, you instead announce a simple tag match, then switch back to what you already were getting fans to expect? Sloppy. They also got very sloppy last year around Survivor Series. And even if they do run with the larger tag match, it still seems like a mismatch. Punk and Bryan have so much credibility. Rowan and Harper really do not. The Shield have been losing a lot lately. Bray Wyatt is the only one protected as far as not losing goes. The build for this match, whatever it ends up being, has just been sloppy and tossed together. I can't think of an upgrade that could make it better in such a short time until the PPV.

Big E Langston: Big Face Jobbber To The Stars

One of the bad things about not following through with Team Heyman vs. Team Punk at Survivor Series is that guys that could have benefited from being supporting players in that feud are left with nothing important to do. One of these individuals is Big E Langston. He turned face during this storyline. He looked like he would enter a feud with Curtis Axel over the Intercontinental Championship. That didn't work out.

What has he been doing? Pretty much being used as a jobber to the stars. He wins here and there against guys at his level and under him, but he also got used to put over Randy Orton recently. No storylines or legitimate feuds. That is what it means to be a midcarder these days. It was obvious that this would eventually happen to Big E Langston after his face turn, but having him actually remain involved in the feud between CM Punk and Paul Heyman would have made him look more interesting for a little while longer.

What about the other supporting players in that feud? Some of them are in an even worse position than Big E Langston. Both Kofi Kingston and R-Truth feuded against Curtis Axel in recent months, and both would have been obvious choices to keep in the storyline. Nothing from them now. Ryback is lost in the shuffle just like Big E, while also being used as a jobber to the stars. And then there is Curtis Axel. He still has his title. Many are left wondering why. He is also not doing anything major. In the end, all this was to be expected. Would have been better if they booked Heyman/Punk better.

Big Show Gets What He Wants, Then Gets Beaten Up

I like how Raw ended. Big Show got rehired, pressured Triple H and Stephanie McMahon to also give him a title shot, and then still got destroyed by the heels. The reason why I like this segment, besides seeing Kane getting used in a new way, is that all members of the heel stable actually stood strong at the end of the show. The Shield put Big Show through a table. Randy Orton gave him an RKO. The Director of Furniture tossed around some chairs. That is to say, Kane showed his support for the heels. After saying for a while now that they were not developing a strong heel stable for this storyline, the stable looked solid last night.

One thing I do not agree with is the storyline progression for Big Show. I think they could have done better than simply rehiring him and giving in to him. Would a match between Triple H and Big Show have been so bad for Survivor Series? It is one of the top PPVs of the year. Then again, it might still eventually come after Big Show feuds with Randy Orton. Back to rehiring Big Show. What if they had settled this with a Survivor Series elimination match. A bunch of faces standing up for Big Show step up to face Triple H's guys. If Big Show's team wins, he gets rehired. If the heel team wins, Big Show must walk away. I don't agree with this whole lawsuit angle. As some fans might have already pointed out, Big Show did all this to get rehired, then he gets attacked right after? Why wouldn't he just refuse to put up with Triple H and Stephanie's games and follow through with the lawsuit? Survivor Series is approaching. I have been speculating on a few big tag matches they could have done, including Team Punk vs. Team Heyman and Team Orton vs. Team Cena, but it looks like they are not doing any of that. I think they are passing up on great opportunities to make a great tag match.

Back to Kane. They obviously had no problem repackaging him. Question is, should they have followed through with doing it with The Wyatts? Make Kane a member of that group? The Wyatts aren't exactly left out in the cold. They are feuding against two former World Champions, CM Punk and Daniel Bryan. The WWE definitely could have switched things around. Have Kane remain in the storyline involving The Wyatts, whether as a friend or foe. If he is feuding against the group, keep Miz in there to team with him. If he is joining the group, keep Miz in there for The Wyatts to finish their feud against him. Where does that leave Daniel Bryan and CM Punk? Keep Daniel Bryan in the corporate storyline. Finally bring CM Punk into the corporate storyline. Despite that being an option, I like how they have handled the situation. Kane in the corporate heel stable seems to make it a little more stable. This is a member they are not forcing to attack people he does not want to attack, screwing out of title reigns because they are not aggressive enough, and putting into crazy matches. Well, so far. Kane can make this interesting. Aside from the lack of continuity in regards to killing off his feud against The Wyatts so easily, I like what they are doing with Kane.