The Wrestlemania 2016 Intercontinental Championship Match

Sami Zayn debuted not too long ago on the main roster and continued his rivalry with Kevin Owens, the Intercontinental Champion. It seemed you had a Wrestlemania match right there. A title was on the line. These two had a history together. Don't forget both are good in the ring. The WWE does not seem to be content with just that. They have tossed in a few more bodies. And a ladder. Kevin Owens must defend against Zayn, Dolph Ziggler, Zack Ryder, Sin Cara, The Miz, and Stardust in a ladder match.

I do not like this. They have just tossed in a bunch of random bodies. Even though the personal feud between Owens and Zayn can continue after Wrestlemania, the WWE is ruining a chance to have the rivalry lead to a big match at Wrestlemania on its own. A lot of these guys could have been shoved into the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal. If the WWE wasn't happy with that, the United States Championship match could have been made into the multi-challenger midcard title match. A yearly multi-man Intercontinental Championship ladder match at Wrestlemania does not need to become a tradition. Moreover, I would question if you need this gimmick match this year at all. There is a Hell in a Cell match on the card. Ladders might come into play there, as well as chairs, tables, steel steps, kendo sticks, fire, and whatever else.

Zack Ryder is relevant again on the main roster. Are they serious? Or is he just an extra body? If they wanted to push him, they could just put him in the battle royal. Have him cut a promo on Raw about turning his career around by winning it. Whether they book him to win or not, he would still look relevant heading into Wrestlemania. I would say he would be more likely to win that battle royal than win the Intercontinental Championship.

Dolph Ziggler is also in this match. I was just talking about him yesterday. He was involved in this storyline about Stephanie McMahon trying to make life miserable for him. He goes from failing to defeat Triple H on Raw last week to earn any Wrestlemania match he wanted to ending up in a Wrestlemania title match this week. The WWE dropped the ball here. They could have gone somewhere with this storyline, even if the payoff didn't happen at Wrestlemania. Ziggler could have overcome Stephanie's obstacles and put himself in a match at Wrestlemania. I mentioned two unlikely possibilities yesterday, but there were still other ones that were possible. Or how about he didn't overcome the obstacles? No Ziggler for Wrestlemania? No, he would still get involved. He could interfere to help Shane win. He could interfere to screw Triple H. Or how about he turns heel and aligns with The Authority by screwing Shane or helping Triple H win? That would definitely be part of a huge push for him. As it stands right now, even though he is in a title match, this seems more mediocre than what potentially could have been with the storyline he had going.

I am not saying every match at Wrestlemania needs to be a singles match. The battle royal is fine. New Day vs. League of Nations is a good feud. Considering neither Sasha nor Becky looked more deserving than the other, both going after Charlotte for the title is an obvious choice. I even suggested Tag Team Turmoil to feature all these tag teams they have right now. But I do not feel this multi-man ladder match for the Intercontinental Championship was a good move. Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn could have been good enough. If they want a ladder match so much, make that feud lead to a ladder match at Wrestlemania. Those two are no strangers to ladders.

Summerslam 2015 Preview: Part 1

The Lucha Dragons, New Day, Los Matadores, and Prime Time Players will meet for the tag titles. The tag division continues to feel like a playground for lower-midcarders. It is hard to really care for these teams when it is likely they will soon get lost in the shuffle again. As for which team wins, the Prime Time Players already had a successful title defense, so that must mean they will drop it. No team has held the title for too long this year. The New Day seems like a good choice to win it back. I do not think any of the other two teams matter too much. Not saying that wouldn't stop the WWE from putting the titles on them.

There will be a celebrity match at Summerslam. Neville teams up with Stephen Amell to face Stardust and King Barrett. It is likely the faces will win and it seems just as likely Barrett will take the pin. I understand the drama between Stardust and that actor. Stardust has had a little feud with Neville recently. Barrett being there just seems like something done out of necessity. Well, at least he's on the card.

Dolph Ziggler returned this week on Raw and he will face Rusev at Summerslam. Would it have been better to wait until after Summerslam? That would give the WWE plenty of time to develop things for the next PPV. I do not think that is necessary. Things are developed enough. These two have had a storyline going on for months now. Through injuries and not even being there, the storyline has been progressing. No need to drag it on. Have a singles match at Summerslam. I doubt it ends at Summerslam. Dolph Ziggler just returned. The right thing to do might be to let him win. I'll go with him winning.

Wrestlemania 31 Preview: Part 2

The feud development between Randy Orton and Seth Rollins could have been better. I can picture this feud going beyond Wrestlemania. I can also picture Orton beating Seth and Seth going on to cash in his briefcase to win the title. I know no dirtsheets are reporting that, but if the WWE is starting to realize that the main event is horrible, they might pull some kind of swerve to create some drama.

The Undertaker lost his streak last year, but he is still coming back for more. Bray Wyatt has been pestering him with promos for weeks and weeks. Match quality will most likely not be amazing here, but you have a legend fans love seeing and two guys with unique gimmicks. It would have been better if Taker was around to help push the feud. I will say The Undertaker wins.

You have a 7-man ladder match for the Intercontinental Championship. This is the match many predict will steal the show. Barrett vs. R-Truth vs. Ambrose vs. Ziggler vs. Harper vs. Stardust vs. Bryan. I wouldn't mind Ambrose winning the title from Barrett, but then they added in all these other guys. I think it will be either Ziggler or Bryan.

There is a chance a main-eventer might also be winning the other midcard title. John Cena vs. Rusev for the United Stated Championship. Rusev has the momentum. He already beat Cena last month. This one seems obvious. Cena regains the title. 

Tag Division Developments

There are a few things going on in the tag division. That is good. First, the Tag Team Champions, Miz and Sandow, are feuding against The Usos. There also happens to be a storyline there. Second, you actually have a feud developing outside of the title scene in the tag division. That is between The Dust Brothers and New Day.

They had a match on Raw to determine new contenders for the tag titles. When The Usos won, I anticipated that this would just be a dull jobber push for them. They would be developed just to put over Miz and Sandow. And you might get a little tired seeing so much of The Usos in the title scene. However, they are actually developing a little bit of a storyline with this feud that goes beyond the titles. Jimmy Uso is married to Naomi. They are running a little jealousy storyline with Miz involved. You can just chalk it up to a heel playing mind games with a face, but it is still good to put some creative interest in these tag feuds. Would these kind of storylines be going on right now if Total Divas was not around? Would this creative interest be here if Miz was not involved? He is someone the WWE wants to push as a star. That's fine. I just do not think he needs to be handed so many titles. His overall overness may not be great, but he can make for some interesting storylines. And the fact that Naomi is involved shows how divas can make men's feuds interesting. You have to improve that periphery.

The other feud being developed is between Stardust & Goldust and New Day, the new faction consisting of Kofi Kingston, Big E, and Xavier Woods. When New Day did not win that #1 contenders match on Raw, I was thinking the WWE would drop the ball with them. No, it looks like they will develop a feud for them. It is obvious the faces will win this feud. They just debuted the new gimmick. Stardust & Goldust are not top priorities now. New Day will still likely be facing the Tag Team Champions down the line. This can just build some momentum for them. Smart development.

Which of these two feuds should involve the tag titles? Let's say you had the option of undoing the title change that happened a few weeks ago and everything else stays the same. The feud between The Usos and Miz and Sandow is just a grudge feud over Naomi. The feud between The Dust Brothers and New Day is for the tag titles. Would you make the switch? Obviously, you do not want to rush the titles on New Day. On the other side of that, if you are going to put the titles on them, you don't want to wait too long until they lose that momentum. That is the mistake they made with Stardust and Goldust. Reading about the kind of promo that happens on this week's Smackdown, I just got the feeling like this is a feud between good and evil with New Day and Stardust & Goldust. You can say every face vs. heel feud is like that, but this really feels like it is just the good, righteous guys against the bad guys. Would that feud mean more if the tag titles were involved? I think it also would have been a defining feud for The Dust Brothers recent title reign. That title reign was very brief and lackluster as it was. They could have kept the titles on them and this feud right now would have been a step back in the right direction. Where does that leave Miz, Sandow, The Usos, and Naomi? A lot of great storylines have been over women, without any real title focus. Remember the triangle you had between Test, Scott Steiner, and Stacy Keibler? That story wasn't focused around a title at all. They could have had a non-title tag feud right now that put great focus on Naomi. As it stands, she might end up just being a pawn Miz is using to help him retain the tag titles. Nice story, but you could have told it without the tag titles. And the story might have ended up being even better. As it stands, I think either way of doing it would be good. This is a step in the right direction for the tag division.

How about the diva division? You are seeing a little right now how divas can be utilized in the periphery to help make storylines more interesting. This is a dark age. The first dark age remained interesting primarily because of periphery divas. It is about time they start doing more with these women, outside of AJ Lee and The Bellas. What more can the WWE do? More mixed-tag matches. Trish and Lita wrestled a ton of those during the first dark age. Lita was paired with Matt and Jeff Hardy. Trish was with Test & Albert. They also teamed with multiple other guys, including main-eventers. Naomi is unlikely to get into any mixed-tag matches with the current storyline she has, but a feud against Tyson Kidd and Natalya might happen. Tyson Kidd might have Cesaro as a partner for that. Outside of the tag division, you can pair some of these women with midcarders you are willing to push. And I don't just mean Lana with Rusev. Pair some of the other divas without anything to do with guys. Ivory was a part of Right To Censor during the first dark age. Why not add a diva to some kind of midcard or upper-midcard stable? Could a diva have fit in with New Day? As for your A-tier periphery divas, now might not be the good time to pair a diva with a top star. The Authority is gone, a lot of main-eventers are still out, the depth at the top is bad, and it just might not be smooth to do right now. But these are the kind of things they need to do to make this dark age as interesting as the first. You are not going to have women parade around in their thongs and expose their breasts like you did back then, but you can be more efficient in how you utilize them.

Let me go back to what I was talking about yesterday. I was talking about how having an ego can be a problem, but can also be good to some extent. I want to bring up one last example to consider.

I have been following my alma mater's football team regularly since last year. They have a quarterback that is very good and has helped them reach the FCS playoffs two years in a row. As the story goes, this quarterback was actually at a college in Connecticut. The coaches there would not let him be the starter on the football team. What does he do? Does he put up with being a backup? He transfers to my school in New York City. I cannot imagine making a decision like that hinged primarily on whether I can be a starter on a football team. Of course, I never played sports in college. Students make decisions based on sports every year. Would you say that quarterback must have had a somewhat high opinion of himself? Did he make a little bit of an ego decision right there? Thing is, he actually went out there and proved himself. He has won awards. He has broken records. If he ever gets a Wikipedia page, there will be a lot of positive stuff on there that might not have been there if he had chosen to stay in Connecticut. He thought he was worth more than staying in someone else's shadow and he happened to be right. Instead of waiting around for an opportunity to possibly come to him, he made a decision and moved on. You have to know your worth. Don't sell yourself short. That is how you are often able to go out there and do great things.

Now, let's look at a different scenario. Let's say some other quarterback in the same situation turns out a little different. He doesn't get to be a starter on the school's team. He thinks he's better than that and transfers to a different school just because he feels he is good enough to be a starter. What happens? He sucks. He gets benched. He switched schools just to get benched. What would you think of a guy that thinks so highly of himself, makes a big decision like that, and then fails miserably? He's a big doofus? Well, you might say that. As I said last time, having an ego can be a problem when you have this high opinion of yourself and you are really not that good. Knowing your own worth does not mean thinking you are better than you really are.

Back to Vince McMahon. Whether you believe his problem rests in he thinks he knows what the fans want, thinks he is some kind of genius, thinks he can make a star out of anybody, or whatever, that problem is magnified due to his ego. If he didn't have such a belief in what he was doing, he might be more open to doing things differently or stepping aside to let someone else do it. You look at what Vince McMahon is ultimately responsible for. I don't want to blame him for everything, but some major blame has to fall in his lap. Does the quality of that product look like it is the work of a man that believes in himself and his ability to know what the fans want, believes in his intelligence, and believes in his ability to make stars? Or does it look like the work of someone that has that high opinion of himself and really isn't that great? Is Vince McMahon essentially just a big doofus?

The Dust Brothers Have The Tag Titles

Goldust and Stardust took the tag titles from The Usos. It was about time The Usos lost it. Nothing against them, but they had lost so much momentum and were getting stale. Of course, the team they lost it to didn't exactly feel very fresh. Having Goldust and Stardust win the titles closer to when Cody picked up this new gimmick might have been smarter.

And what has been going on since Goldust and Stardust won the titles? The feud with The Usos is dragging on. It is a dull feud. You have guys that can go in the ring and the heels have a weird gimmick, but there is only so much you can do with these guys every week before it gets boring. Push some fresh guys.

Of course, there really aren't too many credible teams to push. You have some lower-midcard teams that you could imagine them pushing. Problem is, those feuds would probably be mediocre. The best option might be to either call up a tag team from NXT or create some random pairing with guys already on the roster they are willing to push. I am usually against the latter option, but the WWE has not had that kind of team win the titles in a while, so I won't complain about it. You have the team of Miz and Sandow. They could get into a title feud eventually. Of course, they are currently heels. If there was not the possibility of Big Show and Mark Henry breaking up and feuding with each other, I would say they could chase after the titles. Point is, there are other people to push against the Tag Champions.

The tag division had shown improvement in recent years. It was not as amazing as it was over a decade ago, but it was better than when Otunga and McGillicutty were holding it. It feels like the division has taken a step back. It is not as bad as it was back then, but it is still in a drier place than it has been in recent years. If things do not pick up, I can easily imagine it turning back to being as bad as it was back then. You don't need to have TLC matches for the tag titles and develop those kind of epic feuds like you had back in the day, but I think it is possible to build a few good tag teams and develop some fresh feuds. Get back to doing a good job of developing momentum and dropping the tag titles to those teams that are hot. That can help keep the division fresh.

Night Of Champions 2014: Previewing The Tag Titles Match

Aside from the Diva's Championship match, none of the title matches at Night of Champions features multiple challengers going for the title. I think that is disappointing. You could make some of these title feuds and matches seem more interesting by making it look like a number of challengers stand a chance to win a title. The tag title feud heading into Night of Champions easily could have led up to a match with multiple challengers. I thought it would. Wrong about that. Instead, it is just between The Usos and The Rhodes.

Let me start by talking about some of these other teams. Specifically, how about Big Show & Mark Henry and The Wyatts? That is still going on. Why? This is the most annoying thing for me since Miz vs. Fandango last year. It seems pointless. Mark Henry has something else going for him. Big Show could easily have something else going for him. Porcupine Pete and Aardvark Dan don't need a feud. They can just be an extension of whatever Bray Wyatt is doing. Have Wyatt feud with Big Show. And if you are going to feature these two teams so regularly, why not put them into the tag title feud? Because Mark Henry would not be able to feud with Rusev? I already brought up the depth issue right now, but I am sure they could have thought of another angle for Rusev.

The Rhodes get the title shot. I am not surprised they would get a title shot. I just figured it would be The Wyatts winning the titles and feuding against The Rhodes. You would have had two eccentric tag teams feuding with each other. Could have been pretty good. Instead, The Rhodes turned heel to feud with The Usos. I don't think this feud is as entertaining as you could have had with a multi-team feud or a feud between just The Wyatts and The Rhodes. When Cody got this new gimmick, he was fresh back then. Now, some of the freshness has faded. The WWE waited too long to push him and Goldust.

Who wins? For a while now, the WWE has been pretty good in handing the tag titles off to teams that had good momentum. That is not The Rhodes. Not now. And yet, The Usos have held the titles for a long time now. Tough one. I don't feel either team should be holding it. It just feels like a filler period right now. Give it to The Rhodes.

Stardust

You sometimes have a gimmick debut that causes some buzz. Brodus Clay debuting his dancing gimmick is an example of that. You had another example of that this week. Cody Rhodes got himself a makeover.

Stardust is getting some mixed reactions. Some fans say this is horrible for Cody, while some are saying this gimmick can take him far. Speaking for myself, I like this gimmick. I hate Fandango's gimmick, but I like this? This just seems more entertaining. Besides, Cody Rhodes is a better performer. He has had a variety of gimmicks over the years. I didn't care too much for the others, but this one stands out.

Where will this go? Is this just a short thing to further develop the eventual split between Cody and Goldust? Or will this stick for a while? I hope it sticks. The Rhodes could regain some momentum with this. Don't break them up yet. There are so few legitimate tag teams, and especially legitimate tag teams with credibility. The Rhodes have been stuck facing the same team for too long. That shows that lack of depth.

I wasn't enthusiastic before about The Wyatts winning the tag titles. That was back when The Usos were just supporting players in the feud between John Cena and Bray Wyatt. Now that the feud between Cena and Wyatt is over, a title match between The Wyatts and The Usos would not be just a side matter. The heel team might as well win it. Not a lot of other options around. Once The Wyatts win the title, that can soon transition to a feud between The Rhodes and The Wyatts.

One Night Sums Up The WWE Tag Division

This week's Raw featured a match between The Usos and The Rhodes. Ryback and Curtis Axel were on commentary. They are being developed for a title feud. Looking at that, you can just get the feeling that things might be picking up for the tag division. They are actually developing a feud for the tag teams.

That feeling just doesn't last. That same night, the WWE teased friction between The Rhodes. Cody Rhodes and Goldust will likely be splitting up soon. I wouldn't have minded seeing them split up a few months ago for a match at Wrestlemania. It could have been a great midcard match. Goldust is a legend and Cody Rhodes is very good in the ring. And there could be a good story there. Regardless, a split will happen. That means one less tag team in the division. And this is a tag team that looked so hot a few months ago.

What happened in that segment on Raw pretty much sums up the tag division these days. They can show promise in how they are treating the teams here and there, but they are never consistent. Aside from chasing after the tag titles, the only thing most teams can look forward to is splitting up. The Shield and The Wyatts are special teams. You can argue that they are above the tag division. They are busy working with main-eventers. Being stuck in the tag title chase would be a demotion for them. These other teams, however, are pushed very inconsistently.

Should Ryback and Curtis Axel win the tag titles? In my opinion, this would be the worst team to hold it in quite some time. The Usos won it when they were hot. The New Age Outlaws are legends and got a good reaction from those fans nostalgic about the Attitude Era. The Rhodes won it when they were hot and in the midst of a big storyline. The Shield were being booked strong when they won it. Daniel Bryan and Kane were definitely a top team to win it. That is over a year of good decisions in passing the titles around. I am not saying it was great. It was good. The New Age Outlaws are old and all that other negative stuff you can say about them, but they didn't hold the titles long. But Ryback and Curtis Axel? I won't even call them by their team name. They are not that hot. The WWE can develop them to have momentum in this feud, but that does not mean that momentum is translating well in connecting with the fans. I do not think they should win the titles. And I don't think they will. This is most likely a filler title defense for The Usos.

How about The Usos? I talked about Cody Rhodes and Goldust looking so great a few months ago. The Usos also felt so great a while ago. They are still being featured pretty consistently, but they just don't seem as hot as they were. They feel stale. I am not criticizing them. I am criticizing how the WWE is featuring them. The issue is a lack of good creative investment. Creative investment helped Cody Rhodes and Goldust look so amazing a while back. A lack of it has killed them and gotten some fans to say the WWE messed up with them. And it looks like the WWE will mess up again with The Usos.

Grading Kofi Kingston

Kofi Kingston is a solid B. He is a B player. He is a midcarder. He is the king of the midcard. Even during this age of the midcard in the WWE being such a mess, the WWE's treatment of Kofi Kingston pretty much exemplifies what it means to be a midcarder these days. You get pushed well for a period of time, get lost in the shuffle, job to bigger stars, and you just wait around to be pushed well again. It wasn't that long ago that Kofi Kingston beat Randy Orton. Big moment for Kofi Kingston. And how has the WWE followed up? They haven't. That is what it's like in the midcard these days.

I always say Kofi Kingston deserves to be raised up to better pushes. But how would I actually grade him? As a wrestler, Kofi Kingston is definitely fun to watch. What stunt Kofi Kingston will pull off at the Royal Rumble is something I see some fans speculating on every year now. But he's not just good for a few good spots. He can put on great matches. His mic skills? He doesn't exactly get much of a chance to talk. His feud with Randy Orton allowed him to show an impressive side. He definitely has potential. But how high can you really grade him? The common criticism I see fans bring up for Kofi Kingston is his overall character. He is a generic face midcarder. That isn't his fault, but it's hard to say he is demonstrating A+ talent. I honestly believe he has the potential to do a lot better. A+ potential? I wouldn't say that. I wouldn't even say he has shown enough to be a regular main-eventer and be pushed as an A player. I would give him a B+.

How is he doing in terms of overness? Kofi Kingston is a likeable guy. He has definitely impressed a lot of wrestling fans. He has a fun character that kids can like. He can get a reaction and get fans going in his matches. All that being said, he isn't exactly bringing the results Daniel Bryan brings. Although people like him, how strongly do they feel about him? The WWE constantly depushes Kofi Kingston. I don't see fans chanting for Kofi when he isn't even in the ring. I can imagine Kofi Kingston eventually being let go quietly, fans being a little surprised they didn't re-sign him, but no huge plans for riots and protests starting. Definitely can't say he has an A+ connection with the fans. At the same time, he has not failed to make a positive connection with the fans. I would say he is getting a respectable face reaction. He is getting the kind of reaction from those fans that you would want a midcard face to get. He is not really going above the call of duty. I believe he has the potential to, but he doesn't have the connection with the fans that would help to argue for him getting pushed as an upper-midcarder.

Let me switch to the diva division for a moment. I sometimes might make it sound like credible jobbers never get over at all. That is a generalization some fans make about this wrestler or that wrestler all the time. Alberto Del Rio is not over. The Bellas are not over. Nobody likes Miz. He's not over with wrestling fans. He's not over with casual fans. He's not over with his hometown fans. He's not over with his family. His goldfish hate him. He may not be very over, but is it fair to say no one likes him at all? That is why I like grading the overness these wrestlers have like I have been doing recently. You are not stuck with either saying they are over or they are not over. A+ overness? F? Somewhere in between? The thing with credible jobbers, they can definitely connect with actual wrestling fans easily. A lot of times, they can get that respectable face reaction that I mentioned before with Kofi Kingston. I have seen some of these women get that level of a reaction as faces, like Ivory and Natalya. Do these women become the most over diva on the roster? Well, they are not supposed to. Mickie James did. I will talk more about the diva division when I grade AJ Lee next week.

I am going to end it with one more example of what I mean about saying that someone is not over not meaning no one likes them. And it is an extreme example. Back when he first debuted, Cody Rhodes was pretty generic and dull. Not a lot of people cared too much about him. He wasn't too over.  Here is a classic gif of his entrance.



One fan cared. Is it fair to say no one cared about Cody Rhodes at all? He had a fan. Would that fan be enough to drown out the fan support Daniel Bryan gets today? No. Cody has obviously become more over since then, as you would expect that he would. Obviously, this was an exaggerated example. Point is, just because someone is not bringing A-level results, or even B-level results, that doesn't automatically mean they have failed to connect with any fans to some degree. It takes time for some wrestlers to grow on the fans. And there are different types of fans with different types of tastes. Those fans may not always make as much of an impact as the majority or a vocal minority, but they still count. Don't get me wrong, I would definitely give Cody Rhodes a D or an F back then, but that is because he had not connected with enough fans in a strong manner, not because he failed to connect with anybody. Getting one question right out of a hundred on a test does not mean you passed.

Tag Teams Splitting Up

You have had some teams either splitting up or on the verge of splitting up recently. Why not talk about those teams a little?

The Prime Time Players are no more. Titus O'Neil turned on Darren Young. There is a little bit of a push there for Titus, as well as Darren Young. But I would not expect too much to come of this. These guys are still just lower-midcarders. Remember when Brodus Clay turned heel and broke up Tons of Funk? Where's Tensai now? I would expect pretty much the same thing to happen with Titus O'Neil and Darren Young.

The Real Americans may not have much time left as a team. They teased friction a while ago between Swagger and Zeb. Cesaro may end up sticking with Zeb Colter and Swagger will be left on his own. It would have been better if they had developed these two better as a team. They could have been a good choice to win the tag titles at one time.

Friction is being teased even more in The Shield. The WWE is developing Roman Reigns to be the breakout star. Dean Ambrose seems to be starting some issues. Seth Rollins is trying to keep the peace. The end seems pretty much near. You don't see internal tension being a story for The Wyatts, who will face The Shield at Extreme Rules. Will The Shield become a 2-man group? That is another issue.

The Rhodes have not split up and are not on the verge of doing that, but if you think about it, it is only a matter of time. They are not feuding against The Authority anymore, they are no longer in the hunt for the tag titles, and what else is there for them? People sometimes bring up Cody Rhodes facing Goldust for Wrestlemania. I don't know if the WWE is thinking that as a big enough match for the PPV, but Wrestlemania is coming up. Splitting them up around now can lead up to that match.

You have a bit of a downgrade in the tag division. People can list all the teams that are still in the division, but how relevant are all these teams? How likely is it that Los Matadores get a serious push? And with more legitimate teams breaking up, that will hurt things even more. Another issue for these teams on the verge of splitting is doing it at a good pace. Do not take too long to do it. It might get as annoying as the friction between Randy Orton and The Authority. Either decide to do it and follow through or decide not to and keep the team together. Don't get fans excited about something happening and then not do it. And to replace some of these teams, a few more teams might need to be created or debut.

State Of The WWE Tag Team Division: January 2014

I talked about the current situation of the diva division a while ago. Why not do the same for the WWE tag team division? The tag division in this company used to be very hot at one time. You had teams becoming legends in TLC matches. You had two sets of titles when the brands were split. On the other side of that, there was a time when Otunga and McGillicutty held the titles, did nothing great with them, and were buried. The WWE hyped a revival of the division, but that didn't go far. In terms of the overall status quo of the tag division right now, it is still a playground for midcarders and upper-midcarders. You might rarely get some lower-midcarders or main-eventers winning the titles, but the division typically revolves around guys you would expect to be getting good singles pushes or guys that eventually will get those singles pushes. Legitimate 2-man teams typically do not get featured enough. Consistent feuds and storylines are not there for those kinds of teams. But what about the specific situation the division is currently in?

Starting right at the top, The Rhodes are still Tag Champions. I saw someone mention recently how Cody and Goldust looked so great a few months ago and the WWE dropped the ball so badly with them. What does that make me think of? People that complain about the Nexus angle being buried so badly a few years ago. Some people blame Cena. Even though I do not like John Cena, I would say the guy gets blamed for things that are not his fault. Some people act like those rookies would have had such bright futures if things had gone differently in that Summerslam match. Is that the argument people make with The Rhodes? Cody Rhodes and Goldust got a big win against The Shield. They won the tag titles. They have been retaining the tag titles. And yet, their momentum has definitely taken a hit. You want to argue that John Cena buried them? You want to argue that The Shield buried them? Is it failure to connect with the fans that is to blame? It really isn't any of that. They have simply lost momentum. Blame the WWE for that. They have not developed proper tag-team feuds and storylines for them. The storyline they are currently running with them could be the one that leads to them losing the titles and splitting up. What does that do for the tag division? You had to have expected them breaking up soon. That is just the typical tag division these days.

The New Age Outlaws are back! And this might actually be the team that wins the titles off The Rhodes? Why not? Who else is there? Swagger & Cesaro? The NAO are a legendary tag team. They were there when the tag division was so hot. Their return does not actually make things like they used to be. Only the WWE's development of the feuds and storylines can make that happen. Another example of the WWE relying on past stars to help them now, but I'm not going to complain.

How about The Shield? Why don't I think they are the likely options to get back the tag titles? I don't see why the WWE would need to shoot the titles back to them. They have moved on. They have their issues with CM Punk. They are developing Roman Reigns to most likely be the breakout star of the group. They are still henchmen for The Authority. Even though this team still has momentum, I don't think it is momentum to get them another run with the titles.

The last team I will mention are The Usos. They got a big win on Raw last week. Of course, it was one of those matches where more attention was put on the loser for the sake of the storyline than the winner. The feud between Daniel Bryan and Bray Wyatt kind of overshadowed The Usos win. Nevertheless, this is a team I would like to believe will win the tag titles this year. The first step would be to transition it to a heel team. I cannot picture The Usos beating The Rhodes for the titles themselves. The Usos are great in the ring, they are over, and I would like to believe the WWE will run out of makeshift teams they want to give the titles to sooner or later.

I am not going to mention much about teams like The Wyatts, Real Americans, Los Matadores, and whomever else I am forgetting right now. Right now, these teams are just supporting cast in the tag division. Yes, The Wyatts are getting a huge angle right now, but that angle is really just a feud against Daniel Bryan. From the time they have come on the scene, they have targeted really just one wrestler at a time, not tag teams. The only exception was their feud against CM Punk and Daniel Bryan, but those two aren't exactly a legitimate team in the tag division. These teams are not major players in actual tag division at the moment.

Let me say a little about the diva division. And it does relate to tag teams. The Bellas have stated that they would like tag titles for the diva division. Do I like that idea? No. The WWE can't even properly keep two diva angles going at the same time these days. You can even say they have enough trouble keeping up one good diva angle around the Diva's Championship. The priority should be to get that momentum to keep more than one diva angle going properly. If they cannot motivate themselves to do that, how can you believe they will suddenly force themselves to run things better with another set of titles in the diva division? The WWE is not above tossing a title on someone and not have them do anything with it. Is Dean Ambrose still US Champion? If the WWE created tag titles for the diva division at this time, it would die faster than TNA's KO tag titles died on ODB and Eric Young.

Curtis Axel And Ryback To Go After The Tag Titles?

Last week, I mentioned some teams I would like to see feud against The Rhodes for the tag titles. I did not mention Curtis Axel and Ryback. It did cross my mind to mention them. They are heels. They aren't exactly lower-midcarders. Why didn't I mention them? To put it simply, this was not a team I wanted to see The Rhodes go against. Since it looks like the WWE is going in this direction, I should talk about them.

Why exactly did I not care about seeing these two get a title shot? For one thing, in comparison to Swagger & Cesaro and The Wyatts, this team has barely been around for long. Curtis Axel was aligned with Paul Heyman. A few months ago, Ryback joined Heyman and a partnership was formed. This is still a pretty new tag team. But it is more than just this idea of seniority, if you want to consider it that. Ryback and Curtis Axel have no real gimmick together. The Real Americans have a clear gimmick that links them. The Wyatts have a clear gimmick that links them. Curtis Axel and Ryback's bond is based on the fact that they used to be aligned with Paul Heyman. Heyman is gone now. They have no common gimmick. This is pretty much two midcarders that they still want to feature for a while and a tag team is a convenient way to do it. More teams are deserving.

Should this team win the tag titles? I don't think they will, but should they? I am not against Ryback winning a title. Curtis Axel has already held some titles in the WWE. But why would this team need the tag titles? To drop it off to another deserving face team? It would be a waste of time. There are more deserving heel teams that could be used for that. I would say that this feud will just amount to The Rhodes getting a successful title defense, then moving on to better things.

Even though I do not like this tag team, I am not saying that Ryback and Curtis Axel should have nothing to do. Why not have them feud against each other? Their current angle might lead to that. Turn one of them face. I would pick Curtis Axel for that. Ryback makes for a very good heel. Many might say that Curtis Axel would never make it as a face. Well, he isn't exactly becoming a major star as a heel, is he? Try something different with him. If it does not work, start depushing him. But having these two feud against each other could make for a good non-title midcard feud.

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.

Wyatt Developments

The main event of Smackdown last week was Cody Rhodes and Goldust vs. Bray Wyatt's two henchmen, The Captain and Tennille, or whatever they are called. The bald one is Tennille. This was a main event. I do not agree with booking it in that position.

First of all, I like that the WWE is developing midcarders right now and getting them involved with the big corporate storyline. However, that does not mean you need to shoot them to the main event. I understand The Rhodes are over and are most likely getting built for the tag titles, but does that mean you have to book them in the main event in a match that really doesn't call for that kind of attention? I don't think so.

What should be getting the main-event attention on Smackdown? How about the World's Heavyweight Champion, who also happens to be getting a storyline with the centerpiece of the company? I could understand not giving Del Rio much of the spotlight when you were pushing him boringly and having him overshadowed by Daniel Bryan, Randy Orton, and The Shield, but if there was ever a time to give him back major focus, a feud against John Cena would be it. Whether or not the WWE pulls some kind of swerve, they should at least build up Del Rio in better focus to sell to the fans that this is something major. One way you hype that up is by giving it the main-event spotlight.

Let me now turn to just The Wyatts. One of the reasons this tag match didn't call for as much focus as it got was because The Wyatts don't have that much credibility and momentum. I am talking more about Bray Wyatt's henchmen than Wyatt himself. And yet, this was their first loss. That's the big reason that this deserved to be in the main event. The Shield losing for the first time was something that deserved to be in a main event or on a PPV. Wyatt's henchmen losing? Not so much. They don't have the credibility that The Shield had, and still have. I cannot remember The Wyatts beating a strong team since their debut. Their biggest win was Bray Wyatt beating Kane, but in terms of tag action and his henchmen, nothing. And these two facing The Rhodes was supposed to be a big deal? Maybe if they had been developed as well as The Shield. Critics, analysts, and neckbeards will one day look back at this Wyatt angle to think about whether it was a success or a flop. Handling the stable's first loss like this is going to definitely tilt things in the wrong direction.

Here is something I did not expect to talk about when I first planned to discuss this match. Bray Wyatt is injured? He suffered some sort of injury over the weekend. Of all the individuals in this stable to get injured, it had to be the leader? Even if the injury is serious enough to keep him out of wrestling, the good thing about this angle is that he usually just sits there. He can still do his creepy promos backstage. The WWE can definitely make this work without him having to wrestle. You also have Kane coming back sooner rather than later. Will the injury change plans? The best thing to happen would be for Kane to come back as a member of the group. After the team just suffered a loss, that can lead to some storyline reason to debut a brainwashed Kane. If the WWE was planning to bring Kane back to seek revenge on Wyatt, the injury will spoil that.

What Do You Do With The Tag Division?: The Rhodes & Los Matadores

The Rhodes were indeed victorious at Battleground. They got that "feel good" moment by overcoming The Shield. The tag titles were not on the line. Some fans are saying it was the match of the night. Given the story heading into the match and the fact that the guys in this match are good, that is not surprising at all.

I would hope that this is not the end of the issues between The Rhodes and The Shield. That can be an even better feud than it has been. The tag titles should be on the line. Let me play writer for a moment and tell you how I would have handled this feud. First of all, I don't like The Usos just being overshadowed recently, even if it is briefly. I don't think they are the team to win the tag titles at this point, but better continuity in their feud with The Shield would have been nice. Booking The Rhodes vs. The Shield at Battleground with only the careers on the line is fine. But I would have The Usos get their title shot on the Raw or Smackdown prior to the PPV. A successful title defense builds up The Shield's momentum. As for the PPV itself, I would have it end in a way that makes that "feel good" moment not feel so good. Either have The Rhodes win by DQ or win and still get destroyed by The Shield. They get their jobs back, but still have a clear reason to still want to go after The Shield. That sets up a rematch at the next PPV where the tag titles would be on the line. Just for the sake of being evil, you can even have Triple H and Stephanie force The Rhodes to once again put their jobs on the line. Careers vs. Titles. When The Rhodes win this one, then you have something to really feel good about.

What else is going on in the tag division? Los Matadores debuted. And they have a midget in a bull costume. That can make for some great comedy segments. Comedy. What are the odds the WWE will put the tag titles on a team like this? I can imagine Primo and Epico, or whatever they call themselves these days, going the path of Tons of Funk, while their midget amigo ends up getting a better career than they end up with. It would be really nice if the WWE started transitioning the tag titles back down the card so teams like this might have a legitimate chance to win it. I can understand not wanting a lower-midcard team knocking off The Shield for the tag titles after how strong they have been made to look in roughly a year, but you have all these tag teams just revolving around and not doing anything major. If the WWE treated these teams better, I would have better hopes for Los Matadores. Until then, they are just here for comedy.

The Usos Or The Rhodes: Who Should Get The Tag Titles?

It was either talk about the tag titles or Jinder Mahal and his fancy flute. At the risk of starting a riot among rabid Jinder Mahal fans, I'll go with the tag titles.

The Shield have The Usos in the title hunt. However, they also have some storyline issues with The Rhodes, Cody and Goldust. The corporate regime has been tormenting Cody and his family. How likely is it that The Rhodes win the tag titles? But what about The Usos? Which team should end the title reign of The Shield out of these two?

The Usos have been pushed very well in the last few months. They have gotten over and are obviously exciting to watch. They have also already faced The Shield for the tag titles. Does this mean that they are closing in on the tag titles? Or that the WWE never plans to give it to them and are just using them to build up The Shield's momentum with some successful title defenses? How many times did Damien Sandow and Cody Rhodes fail to win the tag titles from Kane and Daniel Bryan?

The big thing The Rhodes have on their side is that this storyline just seems made for them to win the tag titles. They can be seen as greater storyline enemies to the corporate regime than The Usos. They have been bullied more than The Usos. What better "feel good" moment than to have them get the tag titles?

Which team do I think will win the titles? Which team do I want to win the titles? The answer to both questions is the same, The Rhodes. If either of these two teams will do it, it should be them. The storyline just makes you want to see them do it and it might make more sense for a team with their credibility to knock off The Shield, not The Usos. That is not to take anything away from The Usos. Down the line, when the tag titles aren't tied into a major storyline like now, they should get the titles. I usually want to see real teams like The Usos get the titles instead of these teams of guys who should be getting singles pushes getting it, like Kane and Daniel Bryan, but this storyline could really lead to a great moment with The Rhodes.

Midcard Mix In The Corporate Regime Angle

Two things stick out for me concerning the big storyline they are pushing with the corporate heels. Both have to do somewhat with the midcard. One is good and one is bad. One involves incorporating midcarders into the storyline, while the other involves the failure to incorporate wrestlers properly.

First, the good. Good to see Goldust back. The way they have incorporated Cody Rhodes into this storyline has been very good. After his feud with Damien Sandow, it would have been easy for them to do nothing with Cody Rhodes. He is just a midcarder, after all. Nevertheless, having him get fired like they did and having Goldust come back to stand up for him and face Randy Orton was great development in the story. It makes Cody Rhodes look more interesting and does not take Randy Orton out of the bigger picture. He still came out to confront Daniel Bryan at the end of the show and he is being made to look like a true heel. It also raises the question, will Cody Rhodes turn heel and side with the heel regime to get back his job? It would be similar to what happened with Big Show and John Laurinaitis a year ago, but the WWE could come up with a way to make it a little more unique. I think they have already done that by bringing in Goldust like they did. Moreover, you have a conflicted Big Show that some people might believe will crack to save his job and turn heel. Big Show refuses to sell out, but Cody Rhodes does sell out. That can then make for a good feud between Cody Rhodes and Big Show. I know they feuded before over the Intercontinental Championship, but the storyline here would be so much better.

Now, the bad. Miz and Fandango are still feuding? Really? Really? Really? That is to say, what is the point? A few weeks ago, they made it look like Miz might serve a bigger purpose in the main storyline going on, as he should. At the very least, he should be feuding over the tag titles with The Shield. At best, The Shield is going to end up defending the titles against some midcard team at Night of Champions. They have been right in the thick of this corporate heel storyline as the main henchmen since after Summerslam. They have been facing Daniel Bryan and attacking top faces, but they are in line for such a mediocre title defense? I know injuries have damaged the depth of top faces, but Miz is still there and they could have run an angle where he gets to choose his own partner to face The Shield for the tag titles. Or just pair him randomly with Kofi Kingston. And Fandango? First of all, while the angle with Cody Rhodes is a great way to elevate a midcarder into a bigger storyline, this feud between Fandango and Miz is not really elevating Fandango into anything bigger. It is taking Miz out of something that he should be a part of. This feud is looking similar to Fandango's feud with Jericho. That was his first real feud. Big feud. But that is not what is connecting him with the fans. The theme song is what makes him interesting. And the WWE failed to really follow through with him since then. I know he got injured, but he does not need a feud with Miz to prepare him for a midcard title run. Have him feud with R-Truth until a midcard title ends up on a face, then have him feud with that face. Last thing that I don't like about this feud between Miz and Fandango, it doesn't even have an interesting storyline to it. Miz beating Fandango should have ended it. Fandango costs Miz a match, and then? Fandango just says his name. That is just needlessly prolonging something that does not need to continue. Both Miz and Fandango can move on to other things.

Assorted Thoughts On Summerslam 2013

Christian gets one more match. Will he win the World Championship from Alberto Del Rio? If you look at how the WWE has developed this feud, Christian looks way too strong over Del Rio. Momentum is on his side. What does that mean? You usually see the person with so much momentum lose. Or is the WWE developing Christian's credibility so he can be a credible Champion when he wins the title? He didn't look too credible against Randy Orton a few years ago when they feuded over the title. Is the WWE trying to make up for that now? With the way they have been treating Christian, I wouldn't be surprised if he does win the title.

And what about Damien Sandow? His match against Cody Rhodes is just a grudge match. The briefcase will not be on the line. Will Sandow cash in and win the title, regardless of who wins between Christian and Alberto Del Rio? I don't think so. I just talked about how much the WWE is developing Christian's credibility recently, but the same cannot exactly be said for Damien Sandow. You go back to when Dolph Ziggler had the briefcase last year. They developed his credibility by having him feud with the likes of Chris Jericho and John Cena. Who has Sandow been feuding with since getting the briefcase? Just Cody Rhodes. Sandow had that feud against Sheamus prior to Money in the Bank, but I only remember him beating Sheamus in a 2-on-1 handicap match. Not too impressive. I can't imagine him cashing in at Summerslam. He may attempt to, but Cody Rhodes might spoil it again. I can't picture Sandow beating either Alberto Del Rio or Christian just yet. He is still being treated too much as a gimmick and a midcarder. The WWE will probably groom him better prior to cashing in. And having him cash in just to lose at Summerslam would be a waste.

Let me talk about something that may not be happening at Summerslam. No Kofi Kingston vs. Ryback? Kofi would have a reason to want to face Ryback, the man who took him out in terms of kayfabe. In terms of just booking, it isn't like either guy is doing anything right now. It is very stupid to not develop a feud between them. Ryback has been featured regularly at PPVs now for a long time. And he has had some big matches. A match with Kofi may be seen as a drop back into the midcard, but it is still better than no feud at all. Kofi Kingston would not have had to win this match, but a feud would help to make things interesting in the midcard. What are the odds it gets added during the show as a filler match?

Just a general note on the divas that doesn't even have too much to do with Summerslam. It seems they are developing Natalya. AJ is going to need a fresh challenger for Night of Champions. They are phasing Kaitlyn out and rotating in Natalya. It really isn't hard imagining that. What other faces are there in the diva division? Even though it is too early to say anything, should Natalya win the title? As I said, not a lot of face options. AJ dropping the title back to Kaitlyn is an option, but would they have a reason to do that? Natalya is fresher. Besides, that can potentially then lead to Natalya transitioning the title to one of The Bellas.

And one last thing that doesn't really have to do with the WWE at all. Recently, I brought up analyzing TNA's KO division in terms of what is getting primary focus, secondary focus, and minor focus. A while before that, I mentioned that TNA's agenda for the division may be forced to change if they don't bring in more women. How can they feature those women so much if they are so few of them? Bring those two ideas together. Pretty soon, if things don't change, you won't be talking about primary, secondary, and minor. You will only have major and minor. What is the top focus of the KO division and what is the other feud? They really need to integrate more women into the division. Integrate? What do I mean? Don't just debut them, use them scarcely over a few months, then release them. Bring them in and actually make them a part of the division. That is the only way to properly keep up the division you have had for so many years. And no matter how you choose to read the KO division, never forget the golden rule. They are always going to rotate everyone. What is in the major focus and minor focus will always be changing. But how well will it work with so few women?

Damien Sandow Vs. Cody Rhodes At Summerslam

I like midcard feuds. In recent times, the WWE does not give you good ones unless a title is involved. This feud you have between Damien Sandow and Cody Rhodes is a midcard feud with a good storyline and it has produced some good segments. Even though the briefcase is involved, this is not a real title feud. For all these reasons, I really like this feud.

Now, what do I not like about this feud? The Money in the Bank briefcase has become kind of a comedy prop in this feud. Not only is the storyline about the heel duo breaking up, but Cody is messing around with Sandow's briefcase, which represents that title shot. That is what has really made this feud interesting and led to some of those good segments from these two recently. And yet, is it really helping to build Sandow's credibility? I am a believer that some guys can have good careers in the midcard. For that, you don't need too much credibility and development. Just feature them to entertain. However, the WWE pulled the trigger on giving Sandow the briefcase. So many other heels could have used a push, since the main-event scene lacks fresh top heels. The briefcase could have been the first step in developing Sandow. I didn't like him winning it in the first place. It's hard to buy into him as anything more than a midcarder. His current storyline isn't helping.

I am not saying the briefcase needs to be held sacred. The fact is, after Summerslam, it would be nice if they did develop Sandow. I'll give them credit for a good midcard feud between Sandow and Rhodes, but how about actually developing a new heel out of the midcard? If they just keep treating this guy as a gimmick and give him these comedy segments, I find it hard to believe they will give him a successful cash in. That might end up being a waste of the briefcase. Who should he feud with? I won't say Sheamus. You have already seen that recently. I won't say Kofi Kingston, who has just returned. That would be another midcard feud. Kane is usually the easy answer in these situations, but I think his issues with Bray Wyatt should last after Summerslam. If Miz ever gets around to wrestling again, he should feud with Sandow. That would be a feud a little higher up the card than Sandow currently has.

Sandow Has A Briefcase

I have thought for a long time that Damien Sandow should have a midcard title run. The WWE took it a step further. They had him win the World's Heavyweight Championship contract briefcase. I wouldn't have gone that far with him. Not yet. He doesn't really have the credibility for a big push with a World title. If they are serious about following through with him, they will most likely be injecting a lot into him. They didn't start on Raw. And he really didn't look amazing in his feud against Sheamus. Aside from that, I can't think of a good feud with stars above him in which he really looked good. He feuded for the tag titles against Kane and Daniel Bryan. I don't think he really gained much ground there. Almost none of the guys involved in that Money in the Bank ladder match had amazing credibility, but there were guys deserving it more than Damien Sandow.

Sandow is now officially split from Cody Rhodes. They had been teasing it prior to the PPV. Cody Rhodes then attacked Sandow on Raw. Cody Rhodes going face? Should Cody Rhodes take the briefcase away from Sandow or just be used to put over Sandow? There is also the possibility that Cody could win the feud and not take the briefcase. Cody Rhodes is one of those guys I feel deserved the briefcase more than Sandow. He has more credibility than him. He has beaten main-eventers before. He has won titles in the WWE. Is the WWE trying to develop Cody Rhodes to be a top star? Not having him win the briefcase at the PPV could be a roundabout way of developing him to be a top star and eventually give him the briefcase from Sandow. And yet, I wouldn't do it. The WWE is short on top heels. With Mark Henry potentially turning face, that is one less top heel. If Sandow is the heel they handed the briefcase, they need to run with him. Again, he's not the guy I would have chosen, but they need to develop new heels and he is in that position right now.