Previewing The Summerslam 2017 Undercard Matches

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Previewing The Great Balls Of Fire 2017 Midcard Matches

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

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

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

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

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

The End Of Enzo & Cass?

The WWE likes to have Enzo get beaten up. And there is a bit of a mystery over this one. There is a good chance the attacker might be revealed to be Big Cass, Enzo's own partner. That will spell the end of that team.

I will give the WWE some credit for creating a storyline like this. Keeps the fans guessing and trying to figure out who did it. Problem is, the WWE did this same kind of thing just a few months ago. Someone attacked Nikki Bella. Was it Carmella? Was it Natalya? Was it Mickie James? We all know how that turned out. I know there are not an infinite number of storyline ideas out there, and I am not saying the WWE can never redo storylines, but it does seem too early to redo a "Whodunnit?" storyline like this.

Onto the bigger issue, breaking up this team. The WWE can definitely go in another direction, but the heel turn for Cass and end of the team is a strong possibility. I am against this direction for a variety of reasons.

First, it is pretty sad that this team never won the tag titles. They are a popular team that had momentum at times. If it wasn't for New Day last year, they should have gotten the titles back then. If it wasn't for The Hardys this year, they should have gotten the tag titles at Wrestlemania. If they break up, there is always a chance they come back together down the road and get the tag titles, but that is no guarantee.

Second, how will they work out as singles wrestlers in the midcard? Enzo is not a great in-ring performer. Cass is not really that charismatic. Cass will probably thrive better between the two of them. But the midcard is terrible these days. You cannot say there is no one to push in the midcard. The WWE just does not push a lot of these guys right. Main-eventers continue to dominate the midcard title scene. That doesn't help. Miz just won back the Intercontinental Championship. Guys that could be solid midcarders get treated poorly, which hurts their chances to develop. How about that match between Apollo Crews and Kalisto just getting tossed on the preshow last night? I see a lot of fans just rolling their eyes at these guys. Most of the blame should go to the WWE. How far will Cass go in this environment? And what will become of Enzo?

Lastly, the tag division just needs them. There are no good face teams on Raw to build for the future. The Hardys, who are old and could very well split themselves in the near future for solo pushes, just lost the tag titles to Sheamus & Cesaro. Was that a good idea? If the heel team holds onto the tag titles in the rematch against The Hardys, who is left for them to feud with? Goldust & R-Truth, who were a jobber team, have broken up. Enzo & Cass might be breaking up. The only other true face team on Raw is Rhyno & Heath Slater, and Slater has lost that magic he had last year. There are no good options. If the WWE does not give the titles back to The Hardys, I can only imagine a Shield reunion and Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins getting the titles. Once again, that would be main-eventers being pushed in a scene where they do not need to be pushed.

Let the attackers be The Revival. Seems boring, but it is a safe choice that can save a lot of trouble. I would also give the tag titles back to The Hardys so they can eventually drop it to The Revival. Sheamus & Cesaro holding the tag titles is just unnecessary. I don't like the idea of The Hardys getting another title run, but it just seems awkward for Sheamus & Cesaro to hold the tag titles right now. A face team should be holding them. And if that is not going to be Enzo & Cass, what other options do you have?

Previewing The Extreme Rules 2017 Undercard Matches

This will be the third try for Austin Aries against Neville for the Cruiserweight Championship. There are some feuds where a great chase to the title would be nice. I felt AJ Styles should have had a chase to his first WWE Championship. TNA had Mickie James take three tries to finally win her first KO title, and her hair was on the line in that match. They raised the bar and made it interesting there, although I wouldn't have waited so long in that situation. Austin Aries is not someone I feel should be chasing after the title like he has. The WWE has shot the Cruiserweight title all over the place since last year. Having Neville hold it for so long is an improvement, but he should be feuding with fresh people, if Austin Aries is not meant to get the title right now.

Who wins this submissions match? I have seen some fans scratching their heads at the cruiserweights doing submissions. Even before this match, a lot of them were busting out submissions. That is not what cruiserweights are known for. High-flying moves are what they are known for. If they are going to wrestle like a lot of other guys on the regular roster, there is nothing special about them. I hear everyone talking about 205 Live not doing well and the cruiserweights frequently getting poor reactions. If they are just normal guys that have not been properly introduced to the main audience, they are going to get poor reactions. I digress. I'll say Austin Aries finally wins the title.

The tag team titles will be defended in a match that is a little more extreme. The Hardys vs. Sheamus & Cesaro inside a steel cage. How have The Hardys been doing? Like a lot of things, they are losing some of their luster. They pretty much need the "Broken" gimmick to appease certain fans. I see fans pointing out Matt Hardy just does not look good in the ring. To them, the "Broken" gimmick at least gives an excuse for his sloppiness that some fans are critical of.

I doubt the title reign ends here for The Hardys. Sheamus and Cesaro are a team that can do fine even if they break up. They do not need another run with the tag titles. They are likely just killing time until The Revival is good to go. I will say The Hardys retain.

I had said that some matches on this card are a little lackluster if you are looking forward to "extreme" matches. For the Intercontinental Championship match, if Dean Ambrose is disqualified, he loses the title to Miz. Not too impressive. Moreover, these two were feuding on Smackdown over the title just a few months ago. They come to Raw and are still feuding for the title. Fresh matches would be nice. And it would be nice if actual midcarders might get in the picture.

Who wins? It seems like a situation where it would be easy for Miz to win. A lot of smarks loved him on Smackdown. But he has lost his luster on Raw. Is there a reason to give him back the title, again? I will say Ambrose retains.

Cesaro & Sheamus Turn Heel

The big development for the tag division this past week is Sheamus & Cesaro turning heel. That continues their feud with The Hardys.

I would say that this team has lasted long enough. It might have been time to just break them up. Problem is, injury issues ruined one heel team that recently got called up, The Revival. Just due to poor depth, the WWE probably had to do this heel turn. If nothing else, it at least refreshes these two. Sheamus & Cesaro were getting a little stale.

It is amazing when you stop and think about it. In April, you had a legendary tag team return and a promising tag team from NXT debut. The roster moves in April didn't really destroy Raw's tag division. But all it took was one injury to one member of these tag teams and the WWE is in a tough spot.

Could the WWE have done something different? Push Anderson & Gallows against The Hardys? Those two are also stale. Of course, the WWE should have pushed another face team against The Hardys. Enzo & Cass could have gotten title shots. Or they could have done multiple teams going after the tag titles moving forward. They also could have thrown together two other guys and create a new team. They definitely could have killed time until Dash Wilder returned. But I won't criticize the WWE too much for the choice they made.

Previewing The Payback 2017 Undercard Matches

Even though this Raw PPV is missing the Universal Championship, there are still a lot of big matches on it. I am going to talk about the undercard today.

Enzo & Cass will take on Anderson & Gallows. Ideally, the tag titles would have been involved in this feud, whether it was Enzo & Cass defending the titles or finally winning them here. That isn't happening. The faces should at least win this match. Throw them a bone.

The tag titles will be defended when The Hardys face Sheamus & Cesaro. The Hardys just won the tag titles earlier this month. Is there a good reason for Sheamus & Cesaro to get another run? It might just be time for those two to split. The Hardys retain.

Moving out of the tag division, let's go to the cruiserweight division. Neville once again defends against Austin Aries. The WWE has been tossing this title all over the place since it was created last year. Austin Aries seems like someone likely to get it. Might as well happen here.

Chris Jericho vs. Kevin Owens is an interesting match. Not only is the United States Championship on the line, but these two will be switching brands if the title change happens. Will it? Probably not. Owens has a feud brewing with AJ Styles already. Jericho won't be here much longer. Owens wins.

Previewing The Royal Rumble 2017 Undercard Matches

I talked about Raw's women's matches yesterday. Smackdown has since added a women's tag match, but it is really just filler, lumping together the various feuds they are developing there, so I'm not going to go back to talk about that. Today is about the men's matches at the Royal Rumble, outside of the actual Royal Rumble match. I will get to that on Friday.

Sheamus & Cesaro defend the Raw Tag Team Titles against Gallows & Anderson. And the WWE is highlighting that there will be two refs for this match. There are just times when the WWE tries to get too fancy. It is nice that they are trying to develop a storyline for a title feud that goes beyond just the titles, but this is a pretty dumb story. It is based on a story of clumsy officiating. You had an awkward ending to a match a few weeks ago between these two teams, and that has led to this rematch with two refs. The awkward ending you had to Brock Lesnar vs. Undertaker at Summerslam a few years ago was one thing. But the WWE needs to realize that they didn't strike gold with angles like this.

If you can ignore the ref drama, there are two teams fighting for the tag titles. Sheamus and Cesaro just really got the reign started. Anderson & Gallows still don't feel like they deserve a title run. I will say the titles stay with Cesaro and Sheamus.

Not everyone that gets a title reign is being groomed to be a star. Some people are given title reigns so they can drop the belt to the person the WWE intends to be a star. Some people are given title reigns just for the sake of filler, such as when a star is injured and the WWE is just killing time until they return. When I look at the cruiserweight division, I don't think the WWE is trying to make stars at all. None of the three men that have held the title so far look like stars. It looks like the WWE is just going through the motions with everyone. I won't say too much about that here. Maybe another day.

The Cruiserweight Championship will be on the line between Rich Swann and Neville. Neville turned heel and is getting the best push he has gotten on the main roster. He was on the main roster before the cruiserweight division returned. He has had his ups and downs, including an injury and coming back to not much of a response from the fans. But he is at least refreshed by this heel turn. Given what I just said about the WWE not developing stars in this division, I don't think they will have a problem taking the title off Rich Swann and putting it on Neville. But will it happen here? I will say the title change happens.



Onto the World Championship matches. For Roman Reigns vs. Kevin Owens, the match will be No DQ. Oh, and Chris Jericho will be locked in a shark cage above the ring. Here is the WWE just going too goofy again. I'm surprised they are not forcing Chris Jericho to also dress up as La Luchadora. Why not? He wore a mask a couple months ago to screw Seth Rollins. I am sure they can work the angle in there somehow. The WWE definitely should do more to make the atmosphere more fun, but there are just some ideas that are really stupid. They can ruin a storyline or hurt the performers themselves. There was a serious, strong storyline with Seth Rollins for a while, and that was good. But then the WWE couldn't sustain it and Seth started acting goofy at points, losing his edge. That storyline between Seth Rollins and Triple H, which I will talk about another day, has definitely lost value. As for individuals not working out when they get a goofy angle, remember Gallows & Anderson trying to be comedians? That flopped.


Chris Jericho being locked in a cage is bad enough. And then suspending it above the ring? I know this kind of thing is not unheard of, but it still seems dumb. Why not just say Jericho will get fired if he gets involved in any way? He has a title now. Why not say he will be stripped of the title? Why not say Kevin Owens will be stripped of HIS title if Chris Jericho even thinks about getting involved? Face it, Jericho is still likely to find a way to get involved anyway. They just wanted to come up with a goofy angle for this feud. In some cases, it could be a distraction.




If people watching this Sunday can direct their attention a few feet below Chris Jericho, they might see a match going on for Raw's top title. I cannot picture Kevin Owens heading into Wrestlemania as Universal Champion. I can picture him facing Chris Jericho for the United States Championship, which will be a feud featuring their friendship finally coming to an end. For that to happen, Owens must lose the Universal Championship. Losing it to Reigns at the Royal Rumble just makes sense. They can have their rematch next month, where Jericho will inadvertently screw Owens and set their feud up. Roman Reigns then moves on to a bigger opponent for Wrestlemania.

John Cena faces AJ Styles for the WWE Championship. Cena needs one more World title win to tie Ric Flair's record. He has had multiple opportunities to do it over the last few years. It is going to happen sooner or later.

Before considering the match, look at the feud between AJ Styles and John Cena. It has been the same complaining and self-righteousness you have seen a lot over the years with John Cena. It caused some buzz when CM Punk did it. It didn't draw, but it created buzz with smarks. And smarks are once again eating this stuff up. They have done it multiple times now. It isn't fresh anymore. It isn't entertaining. It isn't helping the WWE's numbers. If anything, I am getting to the point where I am ready to say that all this is laziness on the part of the WWE. They cannot come up with entertaining storylines, so they just look at smarks and base their promos and storylines off of what they want to hear. And they keep rehashing the same thing. There might be a different variation here and there, but it is all pretty much the same thing. There is a reason the Nexus angle led to a better ratings bump than the summer angle of CM Punk dropping pipebombs and walking out on the company. The Nexus angle did not even lead to any of the members becoming as big a star as CM Punk ended up, ignoring Daniel Bryan, who was kicked out of the group early. The Nexus angle was pure kayfabe, rookies going crazy and trying to take over. CM Punk's angle was based on reality, his issues with not being pushed better. AJ Styles is definitely following in the path of CM Punk and Daniel Bryan, another guy that got a big push involving real issues of the company not wanting to push him better. But the whole storyline just doesn't work as well here. AJ Styles has not been held back like other guys have been for years in the WWE. John Cena has not been pushed as annoyingly as he has in the past. A lot of these promos with Styles and Cena is just beating a dead horse. They are not really saying anything new to spark interest.

As for the match, the outcome might not matter. Smackdown has already announced an Elimination Chamber match for the WWE Championship. I don't think John Cena will have to wait much longer for his next title run. But I think AJ Styles will retain at the Royal Rumble. Cena can then win it inside the Elimination Chamber.

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.

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.

Sheamus And Cesaro Team Up

When I was previewing the final match in the series between Sheamus and Cesaro for Clash of Champions, I said that there were a few ways the WWE could get fancy with this angle. I felt they should not have done anything like that. Just let one guy win the title shot and go for a title on Raw. I went with Cesaro going for the Universal Championship.

The WWE decided to get fancy. The match at Clash of Champions ended up a draw. Both men complained about it on Raw. Mick Foley said they will now be teaming together and going after the tag titles.

I think this is just a terrible turn of events. It is not the first time this kind of angle has happened. A face and a heel have a rivalry, they end up teaming together, and they eventually get the tag titles. Problem is, this rivalry between Sheamus and Cesaro was never that great to begin with. Some loved seeing two hard-hitting guys going at it, but there were also some that found this feud stale. They had faced each other numerous times before the "Best of Seven" series started. There is no real rich story between these guys. This whole feud has just been forced. And now the angle continues with them teaming up.

Should they win the tag titles? New Day's reign of terror continues. If there are any records left in the tag division, the WWE might just hand it to them. I feel like the WWE is wishing that Sheamus/Cesaro captures some of that same magic Rhyno/Heath Slater has. There are not a lot of great true tag teams around. The WWE is just throwing together two guys getting singles pushes and trying to run on their momentum. It would be nice to try to do a better job building the true tag teams. As for whether Sheamus and Cesaro will win the tag titles, let's wait and see if they do capture some of that magic. If not, if they are viewed as flops, New Day will hold it for another few weeks. Anderson & Gallows are flops. The WWE still could have forced the tag titles on them. They didn't. I think the WWE will hold those same standards for Sheamus and Cesaro. If they do fail, they will just go back to feuding with each other.

Previewing The Clash Of Champions 2016 Main Event

This match seems pretty straightforward. The winner seems obvious. But I will also take this time to look ahead to what the WWE should do with the Raw main-eventers after Clash of Champions.

First, you have Seth Rollins. He obviously has his drama with Triple H. Rollins is slowly turning into a full face. What some people might not be thinking about is the fact that Seth Rollins has been in every World title PPV match for about a year and a half now that he could possibly be in, not counting the time off he took for being injured and the recent Smackdown-only PPV. It made sense when he was WWE Champion last year, but he has just gotten title shot after title shot this year. He has even gotten some non-PPV title matches in recent months. It is just too much Seth Rollins. Even if they have decided to groom him as the centerpiece over Roman Reigns, it is too much.

In the other corner, you have the Universal Champion, Kevin Owens. He just won the title a few weeks ago. He won it in a cheap way, Triple H pretty much handing him the title. Kayfabe aside, he has not been built up for this big push like certain other guys are prior to a World title win, like Rollins and Reigns. But there is nothing wrong with that. There is nothing wrong with a surprise big title win like this. The WWE shouldn't telegraph everything they are going to do. Fans will complain about them being predictable.

When these two come together this Sunday, who wins? It makes sense for it to be Kevin Owens. If Triple H screwed Rollins on Raw a few weeks ago, he's not going to let him get the title at Clash of Champions. The WWE should keep the angle going of Rollins being screwed. But will Triple H show up and do the same thing he did on Raw a few weeks ago? Will he Pedigree Rollins and hand Owens the title? Some variation of that? Will Stephanie McMahon be the one to screw Rollins? He has been taking out his anger verbally on her. Whether the story is about Stephanie legitimately not knowing her husband would screw Rollins or not, Rollins is giving her a reason to screw him herself. No matter how exactly it goes down, Kevin Owens will end up retaining the title thanks to shenanigans.

What happens after that? Seth Rollins really should move on from the title for now. He would want to get revenge on Triple H, or Triple H and Stephanie, depending on how the WWE handles the story. The WWE might try to drag this all the way to Wrestlemania, so don't expect Triple H vs. Seth Rollins for Survivor Series. What does Seth do in the meantime? What about Roman Reigns? He was also screwed by Triple H a few weeks ago out of the title. Moreover, he just beat Kevin Owens in a cage match on Raw this week. Does that create an argument for him getting a shot at the Universal Championship?

Let me start with Roman Reigns. Let him win the United States Championship from Rusev and continue that feud for a little while longer. No need to put him in a feud for the Universal Championship. Wrestling fans would dislike that even more than the endless title shots Rollins has been getting.

Speaking of Rollins, he should not be getting another shot at Kevin Owens so soon after Clash of Champions. Enough of Seth Rollins in the title scene. But if you cross that out and are not giving him Triple H immediately, what's left? How about a feud with Chris Jericho? He is friends with Owens. He might even be the one to screw Rollins this Sunday, which would make that feud even more obvious. Even if he doesn't screw Rollins, he can come out and rub it in that Rollins lost to Owens. He can mock Rollins for getting screwed. There is no real stable around Triple H and Stephanie McMahon anymore. If there was, Seth Rollins could just feud with their henchmen. He's not going to wrestle Mick Foley. The next best thing is feuding with another top heel outside the title picture. That's Chris Jericho.

Where does that leave Kevin Owens? Roman Reigns is busy with Rusev. Seth Rollins is busy with Chris Jericho. Have Owens face Cesaro. Remember him? He should be winning that series against Sheamus, and the winner gets a title shot. I have seen fans come up with some interesting scenarios with that Sheamus/Cesaro match. The WWE has been a little vague with what "title shot" actually means. Which title? I have seen one fan bring up that Cesaro will take his title shot and use it for Smackdown's World title. I have seen some fans talk about one of the two men winning the series, then being informed by Mick Foley that the title opportunity that he won was for the tag titles and his partner will be the guy he just beat at Clash of Champions. There is some room to get fancy with this angle, but I don't think there is any need for that. Give Cesaro a shot at Kevin Owens for the Universal Championship.

Wrestling fans have been wanting Cesaro to get that big push for years. I am not against him winning the series and getting this big push. I just hate the booking of the series. I can understand a face overcoming the odds, but the odds were just annoyingly against Cesaro in the series. And I would say this is the perfect time to give someone like Cesaro the push. It obviously wouldn't be the biggest story going on Raw. That would still involve Seth Rollins, but he does not need to be involved in the title chase for that story. Even Roman Reigns might still be featured better than Cesaro, but people would be happy that Reigns is out of the Universal Championship hunt. There is enough going on to still keep things going. And with the WWE Network, it's not like the WWE really needs to work hard to sell each individual PPV. For $9.99, just in terms of PPVs, you get one for Raw and one for Smackdown in a given month. The WWE's success in October does not have to hang entirely on Cesaro. But this will be a push wrestling fans can enjoy. And the WWE does seem to be interested in feeding those fans these days. 

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.

Previewing The Sumerslam 2016 Undercard Matches

Cesaro and Sheamus are going to have a "Best of Seven" series, the first match happening at Summerslam. These two have already faced each other multiple times. This is a boring feud that did not need to be extended this long. I would have expected this feud to end at Summerslam and both men to move on to other things. This was not even a feud that felt heated enough to need a gimmick to it, like I have said about certain other feuds, like Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn. There is a feud where a "Best of Seven" might have been more appealing. In any case, who wins this Sunday? Doesn't matter. I will say Sheamus. Let Cesaro have to come from behind. This is flavored filler for a few weeks, I'll give the WWE that.

Enzo & Cass take on Chris Jericho and Kevin Owens. I am not going to call the heels by their team name. These kind of teams never last long and there is no point getting hooked. Enzo & Cass are a hot act and I will say they win here. The heels have the momentum heading into Sunday. I will also say that the feud continues past Summerslam. There is more potential for good promos here than with Cesaro vs.Sheamus, one of the things that makes extended feuds more bearable and even enjoyable.

New Day defend the tag titles against The Club. No Big E in this match. New Day already has the record, so the WWE might as well take the titles off them. I just don't think Anderson & Gallows look that great right now. I have talked about it before. Are they destructive badasses, which helped groups like The Shield be successful? Or are they a new kind of DX? I see some fans a little unhappy with how they are now being featured. Other fans like the humor. Either way, most wrestling fans would probably like them getting the titles, and they probably will.

Miz defends the Intercontinental Championship against Apollo Crews. I just don't feel like Crews has really broken out yet. He probably will win the Intercontinental Championship one day, which won't help him break out, but I will say Miz retains here. Make it a journey for Apollo Crews. Maybe that will help fans buy into him more.

Outside of the title feud between Dean Ambrose and Dolph Ziggler, Smackdown's big feud is AJ Styles vs. John Cena. And it has been pretty routine. It feels like a weaker version of Cena vs. CM Punk. Styles is following in the path of workers like Punk and Daniel Bryan. But those two workers just had pushes that helped them to break out, whether the WWE wanted it or not. AJ Styles just feels like a guy that has gone with the flow of wherever the WWE had taken him this year. Although they have treated him pretty well, Styles does not look like an A+ player. As for who wins this match, AJ seems likely to win. Cena destroyed him on Smackdown this week. Besides that, Cena will eventually take time off again. Will Styles be the one to write him off eventually? If that is the case, maybe they will let Cena win at Summerslam and let AJ Styles look even more impressive down the line against Cena when they do give him time off. For now, I will stick with AJ Styles winning at Summerslam.

Raw's big match, outside of Seth Rollins vs. Finn Balor, is Roman Reigns vs. Rusev for the United States Championship. It has even gotten the main-event slot the last two weeks. Is that because the WWE still wants Roman Reigns as the centerpiece? Or do they just realize the third hour is doing poorly most of the time and will stick their #2 feud there? Whatever the case, Roman Reigns is still being pushed better than some fans might have expected.

He might even be getting pushed better than some fans actually want. I see some fans talking about how it would send a terrible message if they let him win the United States Championship. What do some fans want? Reigns fired? He served his time for what he did. He did not win back the WWE Championship. He is not in the main event of Summerslam. William Regal screwed up when he got suspended in 2008, but they still gave him a run with the Intercontinental Championship a few months later. Some fans are just not being fair. Yes, a lot of fans hate Roman Reigns, but that doesn't mean the WWE needs to punish him even more than they have.

Back to the feud with Rusev, the WWE had them go at it on Raw this week. That match will probably be better than PPV match this Sunday. And they had Reigns win on Raw. Does that mean he loses at Summerslam? It might. Prior to this week, it just seemed like giving him a midcard title run might be likely. Cena gained some points with smarks last year when he was depushed and defending the United States Champion. A depush has eased the hatred towards Reigns in the past. It just made sense that a depush and a solid run with the U.S. title would do him some good.

The other story the WWE might want to tell is that Roman Reigns is having the worst year of his life. Remember when Cena lost to The Rock at Wrestlemania and the year he had that followed? The WWE sold it like Cena needed to redeem himself, and he obviously did it when he beat The Rock one year later for the WWE Championship. Roman Reigns lost the WWE Championship. He got suspended, something the WWE acknowledged even in kayfabe, and has been moving downwards ever since. Failing to win the title this Sunday would just further drive that point. Will they keep holding him down for a whole year? Or just until Wrestlemania next year where he might regain the the top title, likely the Universal Championship, and be the top guy again? The WWE might hope fans are sympathetic towards Reigns and it helps him get over better. Tricky plan, but the WWE might try something like that.

Which way will the WWE go? Solid midcard push? Or the redemption story? Going by how they let Reigns win the non-title match on Monday, I will say he loses to Rusev and they go with some kind of redemption story. Whether it lasts a year, a couple months, or a few weeks, the WWE might want to try the sympathy route. Let fans believe he is being punished and try to make him earn his spot back. Might not work, but they still might try it.

Money In The Bank 2016

Six men are already in this year's Money in the Bank ladder match. Dean Ambrose, Cesaro, Sami Zayn, Chris Jericho, Kevin Owens, and Alberto Del Rio are all in the match. Why not do an early preview?

I see a lot of fans talking like Kevin Owens wins this. I don't see why he should. Of course, it is not unusual for someone that you would not expect to win the briefcase to end up winning it. Did Sheamus really deserve it last year? Kevin Owens can win it and continue his singles feud with Sami Zayn.

Chris Jericho was in the first Money in the Bank ladder match. He has never won one. Even though he is a part-timer, would having him win be so terrible? Imagine him winning it, taking a few months off, then returning out of nowhere to successfully cash in. I'm not saying it will work out like that, but it would be a fun idea.

Alberto Del Rio has won the briefcase before. He wouldn't be the first guy to win it twice, but I do not see him winning this.

How about Cesaro? Wrestling fans love the guy and would love to see him get pushed. Sadly, he was not able to get the Intercontinental Championship from The Miz. Having him win Money in the Bank would be huge for him. I think he is as likely as Kevin Owens to win it.

What can I say about Sami Zayn? He is the newest guy on the roster of the six men here. That is why I doubt he wins. He has his feud with Kevin Owens. He can win a midcard title after that. No need to give him this big of a push at all by having him win the briefcase.

Of the six men in this match so far, Dean Ambrose just seems like the best option. Fans are always eager to see that Shield triple threat. You can have it very easily right now. Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins are feuding for the title. That feud can last a few months. Let Dean Ambrose win the briefcase and eventually insert himself into this feud. I think Ambrose deserves it. And if it can add to the current title feud in a way fans actually want to see, why not?

Previewing The Extreme Rules 2016 Undercard Title Matches

New Day defend the tag titles against The Vaudevillains. I have said before that New Day should have lost the titles already to other teams that had the momentum. I do not think they should lose it here. The Vaudevillains don't look like they are ready. Have New Day retain here and eventually drop it to Anderson & Gallows to give The Club some credibility. 

Kalisto defends the United States Championship against Rusev. Rusev looks monstrous again. They are even running an injury angle with Kalisto. Or is he really hurt? Can't even tell these days. Are they doing all this to make Rusev look dominant and give Kalisto a bit of an excuse when he loses the title? Or is this just to stack the odds against Kalisto so he can overcome them? Speaking of overcoming the odds, I see some fans dreading that the only reason Rusev looks strong again and might win the title is to drop it to Cena when he returns. That doesn't really make sense to me. Cena does not need a title to be pushed well. Beyond that, Alberto Del Rio was the guy that beat Cena cleanly for the title last year and retained it again against Cena prior to Cena's injury. Wouldn't it make more sense to give the title back to Alberto Del Rio so he can drop it to Cena, if the plan is for another United States Championship run for Cena? In any case, I will say Rusev wins the title at Extreme Rules.

The Intercontinental Championship will be decided in a fatal fourway. Miz defends against Cesaro, Kevin Owens, and Sami Zayn. Cesaro just felt like he had the momentum when he returned last month. It felt like he would eventually win the title from Miz. Inserting Owens and Zayn certainly confuses things. These two could have had their own gimmick match at Extreme Rules. Make it a Last Man Standing match, or something like that. Owens and Zayn do have that history together. Leave the title to be decided between Miz and Cesaro, where Cesaro would win it. The WWE can still have Cesaro win it, then feud with Miz, while Owens and Zayn go back to killing each other, but I think a lot of Cesaro's momentum is hurt. I will say Miz retains.

No title is on the line, but I want to talk about Chris Jericho vs. Dean Ambrose. This is an Asylum match. WWE must like Dean Ambrose a lot to let him have his own match. He might just be the new Mick Foley. Foley got a few runs with the WWE Championship, but he was never the centerpiece. That will be the story with Ambrose. He will eventually win the WWE Championship, but he will not take the true top spot. Until any of that happens, he has Chris Jericho. They have been murdering the other guy's favorite inanimate object. Might as well try to murder each other in an extreme environment. Logic might say that Ambrose wins this match since it is his match, but he seems to have too much of the momentum. I can see Jericho winning this to make the rivalry more interesting and extending it.

Is That All, Shane?

Shane McMahon jumping off the top of the Hell in a Cell and crashing into the announce table was one of the most memorable moments of this year's Wrestlemania. But he ended up losing the match to The Undertaker. That was a disappointing outcome. A lot of changes could have taken place if the WWE did decide to go in a new direction. You have had some changes with the women's division, but there could have been more.

On Raw, however, it seemed like there was still a chance for something to happen. Vince McMahon came out to start the show and gloat. He got that lock box. He's still in control of Raw. Shane McMahon came out for one last farewell. Vince decided to let Shane run Raw for that night. For a little while, it looked like something big might still happen. This was the Raw after Wrestlemania. These Raws are known for big things happening, in addition to the rowdy crowd.

More disappointment followed. It didn't feel like Shane really left his fingerprint on Raw. A 4-way match was made to decide a new #1 contender for the WWE Championship. Sami Zayn was taken out by Kevin Owens. Cesaro replaced him in the main event. Wrestling fans love Cesaro, but this isn't really a big return. Nothing big happened. Shane didn't really seem to make an impact.

What would I have done differently? Where do I start? Here's an idea, how about Shane actually wins at Wrestlemania? No? Okay. How about Shane tries to create some drama with that lock box? How about he reveals what's inside to spite his father? How about he threatens to do it unless Vince at least lets him run Raw for the night? How about a bigger return in the main event of Raw than Cesaro? How about Raw ends in a controversial way to generate some buzz? The whole situation on Raw this week just felt like a huge disappointment.

One of the reasons it felt disappointing, the way they just had Vince so easily let Shane run Raw was just so weak. These two looked like they were having a real blood feud for a month. Vince was busting out the profanity. He was acting like Shane was no longer a part of his family. I don't care if Vince showed a little bit of heart towards his son on Raw prior to letting him run the show, simply letting it be so easy is dull. I also don't care if Vince thought Shane would flop if he ran Raw. Vince still let him do it that easily. It's like the WWE just decided to cruise through Raw.

Some fans have speculated that the WWE will run an angle where Vince is happy with how Shane runs Raw and they eventually do Shane McMahon feuding with Triple H and Stephanie McMahon for control of the WWE. I would say Shane did a mediocre job on Raw. If the WWE wants to sell that as amazing, I am not going to be surprised. Nevertheless, the WWE has to really handle this better. The story is not that intriguing.

What if that is officially it for Shane McMahon and this storyline? If it is over, then the WWE really did do this just to create drama to help save Wrestlemania. They didn't intend to create a big storyline off of this that would last months or even a year. They didn't intend to create legitimate, lasting change. They didn't even handle the angle right on the Raw after Wrestlemania. It was just a stunt to save the mediocre Wrestlemania season. I hope they are happy with the results.

Aside from the mediocrity of the night, how did the night after Wrestlemania do in terms of ratings? This is a night that does tend to do great numbers. Even last year, which was a mediocre Wrestlemania season in terms of ratings, saw the Raw after Wrestlemania get over five million viewers. Not this year. Just a little over four million viewers. Only the second highest viewership of the year, trailing the night after the Royal Rumble. 2.93 in the ratings. That ties the Raw post-Royal Rumble. The excuse is the college basketball championship game. Okay. NBA playoffs are coming up very soon. Raw will be in trouble there, too. It is pretty much all downhill from here. I doubt the WWE will create a great summer angle.

Something that stands out to me about the mediocre ratings this week is that the third hour lost almost 400,000 viewers. The last hour typically loses, but this last hour should not have lost that much. Sami Zayn was taken out of the match. Weren't fans interested in seeing who would get his spot? Cesaro is no huge star, but the situation should have drawn. You also have Shane McMahon running the show. Weren't fans wondering if he would do something controversial to end the show? He didn't, but once again, the situation should have drawn. And I don't think the WWE did anything in that third hour to get more fans interested for next week. As I said, it's all downhill form here.

Owens Continues To Walk

Kevin Owens defended his Intercontinental Championship against Ryback on Smackdown. The match ended the way a few Kevin Owens matches have ended in recent months. He walked out. He took the countout loss.

Let me bring up Nikki Bella for a moment. A few months ago on Raw, she said wins and losses don't matter. I saw some fans overreact to that and people that wanted to give their opinion on things just over-analyze it. A heel just lost a match where her title wasn't even on the line. The faces are out to enjoy the moment. What is the problem with the heel coming out and trying to make them feel like they accomplished nothing? That is what you would expect a heel to do. Nikki Bella did not say anything too awful. It isn't like she buried any individual personally to get a cheap reaction or insulted a group of individuals. She didn't insult the business. I am not saying Nikki Bella is a great heel, but she said what you would expect a heel in this situation to say. And as long as she is still holding the title, why should wins and losses matter?

Back to Kevin Owens. How does what I just said about Nikki Bella relate? What is Kevin Owens basically saying through his actions? He is saying wins and losses don't matter. Last week wasn't the first time he has walked out on a match. But as long as he is getting his title shot or retaining his title, why should he care about whether he wins or loses a certain match? He is doing what you would expect a heel to do. I haven't seen any fans react to him the same way they did towards Nikki Bella. People talk like what Nikki Bella said is one of the problems of the diva revolution. I don't see people criticizing what Kevin Owens is doing as a serious problem in the midcard or Intercontinental title scene. Ryback will obviously get another shot. They are just building up to it.

Personally, I do still see having Kevin Owens walk out on matches as a problem. It isn't insulting to his opponents, the fans, the business, or anything like that. How is it making him look? I think it is different when a guy that has already been established on the main roster starts walking out on matches like this. Kevin Owens just debuted on the main roster a few months ago. He hasn't really solidified himself. Yeah, he looked impressive when he beat Cena, but they have brought him back down since then. Even though he is holding a title, this kind of heel character might not do him many favors in getting over. Kevin Owens fans will continue to like him. Walking out of matches now and then might only annoy them, but they will still like him. But many other fans might just not care too much for him. It's not just walling out on matches. His whole heel character just doesn't feel strong. If this was a WWE veteran being pushed like this, it would be different.

Kevin Owens will eventually face Ryback in a match to put an end to his feud. It is likely Owens will retain. Where does he go after? How about Cesaro? They had a feud prior to Owens facing Ryback. Cesaro has been lost in the shuffle recently. Going back to that feud would be nice. I see some fans wanting it. The feud would be even better with a title on the line.

Let me just give one more example of a heel relying on the "wins and losses don't matter" idea. And it is another recent example. A few months ago, Seth Rollins retained his title against Brock Lesnar. He was disqualified when The Undertaker came back and attacked Lesnar. When that happened, the whole match seemed irrelevant. There wasn't even an official announcement on the finish. The next night on Raw, they had a segment where Seth Rollins had Lilian Garcia announce the finish. Seth Rollins was all smiles, still holding his WWE Championship. Lilian announced that Brock had won by DQ, but that didn't take the smile off Seth's face. The only part he wanted to hear was that he was STILL WWE Champion. Again, this is how you expect a heel to react. If this was a face, like John Cena, that retained like that, he probably wouldn't be so cocky about it. Seth doesn't care that he lost. All that matters is that he still had his title, much like Nikki Bella saying wins and losses don't matter, and much like Kevin Owens simply walking out on matches. Once again, I do not see people criticizing Seth Rollins the same way they did Nikki Bella. If any other heel did that same promo she did, they probably would not be criticized by certain fans. A heel acting like wins and losses don't matter is nothing new. Just ask Kevin Owens.

Cesaro With Nothing To Do For Night Of Champions?

One thing that seems common these days in the WWE is guys you would expect to be featured well not have anything to do for PPVs. Does Cesaro fit in that category? Is he a guy you would expect to be featured well? He was just being pushed against Kevin Owens. I have seen some people say he was the hottest guy in the company not too long ago. And yet, it seems he has nothing to do for Night of Champions.

This just feels like what you had between Jack Swagger and Rusev. Jack Swagger turned face to feud with Rusev. Fans actually connected well with him. The feud was pretty good. Just one little problem. Swagger lost a lot and the WWE just deflated him after that. It was obvious the WWE was using him to put over Rusev, but it would have been nice if the WWE still followed up with him better after, since he was connecting well with the fans.

That is the same vibe I am getting with Cesaro now. They just used him to put over Kevin Owens and he has been without a proper direction since. And people were actually ready to say Kevin Owens was ruined after feuding with Cena? He wins his first feud after Cena and has another feud immediately after that. Cesaro is the one that looks to be in a worse place. Just like Swagger, Cesaro was connecting well with fans. And yet, he is lost in the shuffle.

There is still a chance for him to be relevant on Night of Champions. One option is putting him in a filler match. The card does seem like it has space on it. Long matches? Sheamus cashing in? A lot of backstage segments? How about a filler match? You might get something like Cesaro vs. Bo Dallas, with Cesaro winning. Probably not.

How about having Cesaro be the mystery partner for Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose against The Wyatts? Not likely. It will likely be someone that will cause some buzz. It will probably be a debut or a return. If the WWE uses someone that is a regular on the roster already, it might be disappointing, even if it is Cesaro.

Not too many options. In the end, I do not think Cesaro will have anything meaningful to do for the PPV. It is a shame, but nothing too personal. The WWE seems to not know what to do with Bray Wyatt and Dean Ambrose at times. I also do not think there would be loud fan support for Cesaro right now to get him pushed better. You had that for Zack Ryder and Daniel Bryan. The WWE will probably have as easy a time shuffling Cesaro around as they did Jack Swagger. Maybe those two should team up again?

A Bunch Of Charismatic Psychos

Earlier this week, I talked about Cesaro and charisma. I said that charisma can come in different forms. Cesaro does not need to act a specific way to be charismatic. I want to follow up with that by talking about some women that have played psycho roles.

And I am not just talking about female wrestlers playing psycho roles. Earlier this year, I watched Sleepaway Camp 2. I really enjoyed it. I saw the third part after. I found the original on Youtube and watched that. That was also enjoyable. The series is about this girl, Angela Baker, that goes crazy and kills people while camping. But the character is portrayed in different ways. The original has a mysterious feel to it, where you don't know who the killer is until the end, while the two sequels I watched were more comedic. There was also two different actresses that played the role of Angela between the three movies I watched. There are more movies in the franchise, but I have not seen them. Anyway, these two actresses and their psycho characters reminded me of two women in wrestling with psycho gimmicks.

The original Angela Baker was played by Felissa Rose. She played a young girl that did not talk much and just seemed completely innocent. I liked her, but I never really considered her portrayal charismatic until I read someone say that he preferred her over the other actress because she was charismatic in her own way. I stopped to think about it, and he had a point. Charisma is a quality that draws people to you. Felissa did have a certain vibe to her. The camera would often show her just staring up at someone bullying her. No real emotion. It's like being drawn to a dog with them sad eyes. And she had a mysterious element to her, which some people are drawn to. The face she makes after she is found out in the end is also epic. It was creepy. As a horror fan, I am not a hater of creepy.

Which female wrestler does she remind me of? AJ Lee. AJ obviously has the face down. Go back to when AJ first debuted and into her angle with Daniel Bryan mistreating her. There were times when she looked like a victim and you can be drawn to her for that. As time went on, she turned creepy. Even after it appeared the gimmick was done, she still retained certain elements of that creepy psycho character. The gimmick is one thing. Her portrayal of it was fine. I just think the biggest issue was pushing her in the title scene. She has a character where she often seems aloof to what is going on, ruining the feel of some of her feuds. Not that the WWE needs any help ruining feuds. AJ Lee was made for the periphery. She would be a perfect character there. She can be creepy. Her unstable character brings an element of mystery to her. And if the WWE ever did go back to having her play a victim, she had already shown she could do that.

Pamela Springsteen played Angela Baker for the next two Sleepaway Camp movies. Springsteen? Yeah, that's his sister. This Angela Baker had the kind of personality I think more people look for when talking about a charismatic individual. Pamela Springsteen's Angela Baker definitely had more confidence than Felissa Rose's Angela Baker, although it was obviously two different roles. She was peppy and witty. But she wasn't a complete clown. She could get serious. Even while killing someone, she still had a pleasant attitude. She didn't come off as completely evil. She was likable. Great character.

This Angela Baker reminded me of Mickie James. Mickie James played an energetic psycho. But she could turn it off when she had to and play whatever emotion she had to for the sake of that storyline. And the same is true for after they took the gimmick away. Her psycho run did not last as long as AJ Lee's psycho run. Mickie James was left as a generic face diva. One that would be inconsistently pushed. Not a recipe for success. One of the reasons she was able to remain as over as she was is her charisma. It wasn't tied to that psycho gimmick, although it made it more fun. She just had a pleasant, likable vibe, but wasn't a complete comedy character.

Two actresses playing the same character can portray it in different ways. Two wrestlers playing a psycho gimmick can portray it in different ways. Part of it is obviously different storylines, but part of the difference is in charisma. It is in those qualities of the character. Felissa Rose played a quiet girl with a hidden, creepy psycho side. AJ Lee started out with that innocent character, then later went crazy. Pamela Springsteen played Angela Baker with a fun spirit. Even though she was killing people, many of whom were jerks, she still was a likable character. Mickie James played an energetic psycho character. Despite a storyline that had her annoying Trish Stratus and eventually be the one to turn on her and attack her, many fans liked her better than the face.

And that takes me back to my point about Cesaro. He does not need to act one specific way to be charismatic. You can be charismatic without being flamboyant. You do not need to be too showy. Some people have a subtle charisma, like the original Angela Baker played by Felissa Rose. Some people have an energetic charisma, like Mickie James. All you can ask is that Cesaro finds his groove naturally. Forcing him to play something that is not natural might ruin him.

Kevin Owens Moving On To Ryback

Kevin Owens won his feud against Cesaro. He won at Summerslam. He won again on Raw recently. And that seems to be the end of that.

Owens is moving on to Ryback, who is still the Intercontinental Champion. Some people were ready to stick a fork in Kevin Owens after he tapped to John Cena. It looks like he's getting the Intercontinental Championship. Yes, I think he will be winning it from Ryback.

I do not like how the feud between Kevin Owens and Cesaro ended. I would have continued it a few more weeks into Night of Champions. Have Ryback defend against either Miz or Big Show for Night of Champions. I am not saying Cesaro needed to win the feud, but prolonging it a little longer might have been good. There was a time when this felt like one of the best feuds they had going. It was fresh and featured two guys that could go in the ring. This is a feud that could have lasted two PPVs.

How about Cesaro? He seems to be lost in the shuffle again. Moreover, I do not like how he's acting recently. He's trying to be a clown. It just isn't natural. It seems someone backstage told him he had no charisma and how he's acting is a response to that.

Charisma does not come in one flavor. Charisma is something about your personality that helps you to connect with people. The Rock had charisma. It especially showed when he was on the mic and doing promos. Jeff Hardy is considered a charismatic guy. It's in how he dressed and acted. His mic skills, however, were not that great. Mickie James didn't get the mic much during the majority of her WWE run. And they pretty much left her generic after the psycho gimmick. But she had an energy and wit to her that a lot of fans connected with. That was the source of her charisma. Then you have someone like Roman Reigns. As a badass, this guy has the potential to get fans to like him. But when you try to make him into the next Rock, he just cannot do it.

Cesaro is not the greatest on the mic to be on the same level as The Rock. He doesn't have the mannerisms of Jeff Hardy. Skipping around like Mickie James would be silly. He doesn't need to be a serious badass like Roman Reigns. I have said that he seems like a likable guy. He doesn't need to yodel and he doesn't need to wear JBL's hat. Just let him play a character he feels natural playing. He already has fans loving him for his wrestling ability. His swing move is something fans can get excited for. The answer for a lot of fans is to turn someone heel. I think Cesaro can play a face. He has some wit. Just don't turn him into a clown.