Nothing Without Laurinaitis

Back when I was talking about the end of John Laurinaitis in power, I don't think I did proper justice to what would happen to his two sidekicks, Eve and Otunga. I should have. Obviously, without Mr. Excitement in that GM role, Eve and Otunga would not be featured as prominently as they were before. That is exactly what happened.

When Eve returned, she found herself without that gimmick she had alongside Laurinaitis. What has she done instead? She has been involved in the storyline with AJ, but AJ is obviously the one getting the major push right now. Eve doesn't really have that strong purpose. Pairing her with Miz regularly might be a good move. Personally, I was expecting a feud between Eve and Layla over the title. Why not? Eve is a heel and Layla is a face. Both won a Diva Search. It could be a good feud, but the WWE needs to actually go in that direction. Just making a basic title feud would be dull. There is room for potential.

Otunga doesn't have anyone to play an attorney for with Laurinaitis gone. He did have that brief minor feud with Brodus Clay, but the WWE was inconsistent with even that. Brodus Clay is back to beating jobbers, who are now putting up more of a fight. Once again, there was potential to do something good here. Didn't happen.

I still would have continued having Laurinaitis be GM for a few more months. The longer it lasted, the better the feuds and storylines for his sidekicks. The way things went down, nothing great was really developed for either Eve or Otunga before the plug was pulled, and the WWE has been inconsistent since. With a heel GM backing those two, feuds would have been risen to a whole new level. The faces who feuded with them would have something to actually overcome and the fans would love seeing the heels get it in the end. Only Laurinaitis really got it, and too soon to build up the other two properly.

Santino Is Still Champ, Right?

I was thinking about current things in the WWE that I may have been overlooking. How about that Santino? He is still United States Champion, but he really hasn't done anything relevant with the title for a while now. That is not surprising. Before him, Jack Swagger was not doing much with the title. Before him, Zack Ryder had a bad reign. Dolph Ziggler was the last well-booked U.S. Champion.

The WWE still seems to be continuing issues between Santino and Ricardo. Both are comedy characters, but both can wrestle. Why not make more of a legitimate feud out of this? For the title? Yes. Crazy? I don't think it is as crazy as putting a title on a popular worker and not doing anything relevant with him. Am I saying Ricardo should win the title? No. But this can at least make for an interesting feud in the midcard.

Getting serious, who should be the real person to actually take the title off Santino? No need for him to lose it to another comedy character, but I think he has held the title long enough. What heel could use it? Give it back to Swagger? I could only see him getting it if they wanted to transition it to another face they wanted to develop. They definitely do not care about developing Swagger, at the moment. Now that Tensai is heading into a direction that may fit him more, the midcard, I don't think it would be bad to give him a title run. Have him beat Santino. If the WWE had lost all faith in the guy, they would have just dropped him completely, especially after his loss to Cena. They didn't drop him. They had him lose to Sheamus this week. Then, Tensai beat up his buddy. He is pretty much crumbling before our very eyes. But he has to level off somewhere. Or get released. This guy isn't so horrible that he needs to go to FCW. There is also Otunga. Again, people may criticize his wresting ability, but he has never held a singles title. And he has definitely gotten a lot of good solo attention lately. Other than those two, I cannot think of a heel on Raw that really deserves a title run and is not already involved in something more. Santino definitely does not need the title to be used.

Otunga's Rise To The Top

Less than a year ago, David Otunga was a part of a heel tag team that was going nowhere and being used poorly. They held the tag titles, but they were not really being pushed. That should sound very familiar. Epico and Primo aren't exactly being pushed well right now. But that comparison is not my point right now.

Look at Otunga now. He is the top henchman for John Laurinaitis, he has some kind of gimmick going for him, and he is going to captain a team at Wrestlemania that consists of several former World Champions. He is getting major rubs here. He is being allowed to look very impressive. Am I saying a World title reign is coming his way this year? No. But I have to give the WWE credit for good development. If anyone is going to take the U.S. title off Santino, just looking at the current roster and storylines, it should be Otunga. Now, am I saying Otunga is flawless? A lot of people might still criticize Otunga's ring work. They might say is is limited and not too great. Does it even matter? As long as he is not a danger to himself or his opponent, or so sloppy that he brings down the quality of the match or makes the other guy look bad too often, just let it go. He seems solid enough to deserve this push. Besides, being at the side of Laurinaitis so often is a good excuse not to push him in the ring too often. He can get developed just through promos and backstage segments. It is almost like he is getting periphery treatment. I am not a fan of the guy, and I don't really see myself becoming a fan, but the WWE seems to be doing a good job here.

Laurinaitis Readying His Troops

When the WWE started pushing this idea that John Laurinaitis was going to try to gain control of Smackdown, I was hoping for a storyline featuring a plan from Otunga that was a little more sneaky and intriguing, culminating, of course, in some action in the ring. It seems they are just going to have the two GMs go against the each other. Not directly. Alberto Del Rio, Christian, and Mark Henry have aligned with Laurinaitis. Otunga, obviously, is with Laurinaitis. Who does Teddy Long have on his side so far? Zeke. Yep. Smackdown's screwed.

I have nothing against doing it this way. It is still reminiscent of when the GMs used to feud against each other in the past. If you are an Otunga fan, you also have to be liking how they are using him. He beat Zeke clean. If the WWE is going for Team Long vs. Team Laurinaitis at Wrestlemania, that might make it tougher to have that potential MitB match, especially with so many injuries. How would it be if Team Long vs. Team Laurinaitis was a battle royal, not a tag match? On the yearly Drafts, you usually have Team Raw vs. Team Smackdown in a battle royal, so what I am talking about isn't too unusual. Then again, with so many battle royals recently, it may be repetitive. Obviously, potential faces for Long to have on his side are not abundant right now, so it will be interesting to see if they can pull together some big names.

What I also like about doing it this way is that it does not look like Laurinaitis simply trying to overthrow Long, and Long then being on the defensive. Long is standing up and fighting back. I especially liked his short segment with Laurinaitis and Otunga on Raw. And they are selling the idea that he may be the one taking over both shows. Of course, in the end, I would rather Mr. Excitement got the win in this feud. Much more potential there.

Laurinaitis Going For Even More Power?

It was only mentioned in a brief backstage segment, but it could be the seeds for a great storyline. John Laurinaitis is back as GM of Raw. His henchman, Otunga, seems to have a plan for him to solidify that position with the Board and gain control of Smackdown too.

When was the last time the head of Raw and the head of Smackdown feuded against each other? It was fun when Eric Bischoff and Stephanie McMahon did it many years ago. Have a storyline putting John Laurinaitis against Teddy Long? Why not? If the WWE should follow through with giving Laurinaitis control of both shows, that would make a feud between John Laurinaitis and Triple H even more interesting down the road. Laurinaitis would become the most powerful heel to not be a part of the McMahon family.

I'm also interested to see what the WWE has planned. In kayfabe, it would be what Otunga has planned. I hope it is not lowly comedy skits, which simply makes the heels look like fools for some cheap laughs. Since there is so much going on around this time of year, it may get the short end of the stick. Then again, Smackdown doesn't really have a big storyline going on for it, aside from World title matters. Raw has World title matters, Cena/Kane, Cena/Rock, Triple H/Undertaker, and you can count the recent drama with Laurinaitis in that too. Smackdown can use more major creative attention. There is intrigue here, so it might work out well, but there was also intrigue over Jericho for a while. Where did that lead? Same old Jericho. Oh, but he did bring in that fancy jacket, of course.

Laurinaitis Not Done

Looking back at what I wrote the last time, I realized I did not mention the segment featuring Otunga and Sheamus. I was talking about how almost all the segments on Raw were devoted to main-event matters. Sheamus/Otunga does fit in to what I was saying. Otunga was out there to further the storyline involving John Laurinaitis with his promo. That storyline involving the GM position is a major Raw storyline. It has taken the main-event spot for some weeks recently. And Sheamus? He won the main event of the previous PPV. Unless they screw him out of his title shot, he will face a World Champion at Wrestlemania. His match with Otunga furthered his momentum. Yes, even this segment put over main-event matters.

I am going to bypass talking about a potential heel turn for Mickie James to talk about John Laurinaitis. I will be talking about Mickie James first thing next week. Why Laurinaitis now? The WWE put off announcing whether he would be fired or not, as his GM role goes in kayfabe. The verdict? He is not fired. That decision may get buried down by so many things going on recently on Raw alone, but it is big. Is it a good decision? If the WWE is not going to make Chris Jericho's return more important by bringing in an authority figure that may side with him against CM Punk, or bring in a new one for CM Punk to start a fresh feud against someone in a business suit, why not keep Laurinaitis? After Triple H is done with The Undertaker, he and Laurinaitis can work against each other on Raw. When you have two bosses working against each other on the same show, it can make things more interesting. Remember when and how Ric Flair came over to the WWE after WCW ended? He and Vince McMahon both had power. They feuded against each other. This led to the brand split. I'm not saying anything that big will happen here, but it can still be good. Technically, Triple H has more power as COO. But that just makes it even more confusing as to how Laurinaitis seemed above him in a few instances last year. Nevertheless, the WWE can still make it work. It was obviously not Triple H's decision to keep Laurinaitis, in terms of the storyline. In the end, I'm glad Laurinaitis will stick around.

Be Thankful It Isn't A Midget

The good? Otunga and McGillicutty are still being used regularly after losing the tag titles. The WWE could push some people even less worthy than these two.

The bad? They are being humiliated and jobbing. The WWE continues to have this idea pushed that they are boring. With the way they are having them job to Lawler and a mystery partner so much, this reminds me of Chavo Guerrero and his "feud" with Hornswoggle. Chavo looked like a complete joke. I am expecting Hornswoggle to be used to humiliate Otunga and McGillicutty sooner or later too. Why not? The longer this goes on, the more likely it will happen.

I was expecting a little better when it first looked like a feud would be starting between these two heels and Lawler, but there is no one to blame for my expectations not being met but me. This is the WWE. Then again, at least it is some kind of storyline. And I do like that they are at least giving them some time to talk. Too many diva feuds have I seen that were a lot more linear and boring than this. The WWE might even bring in a good surprise to be Lawler's partner eventually. A legend? That might actually make things a little more interesting. Yes, the idea of who the mystery partner of the week will be can interest some fans, but only if it is sometimes someone more than a regular WWE guy. Ryder is a jobber and Sheamus has his own thing going on right now. There is still some potential here, but I am not liking what it means for the two heels involved.

Otunga And McGillicutty Have An Angle?

Otunga and McGillicutty obviously did not win back the tag titles on Raw tonight, but I did like the aftermath to their match. They faced off against Jerry Lawler, who had been criticizing them for a few weeks now. I am glad that the WWE at least has some kind of storyline going on here, whether they see it to a good finish or not. Things like this are what might make the midcard interesting again, and without being more hype than substance.

I have complimented Otunga before. He may not be a Kurt Angle in the ring, but you really don't have to be if you are solid, in there against a good opponent, and your match and storyline is being pushed right. Fans will still be interested. More importantly, I like that he can look credible. I like how he stood up to Jerry Lawler. While McGillicutty was doing his thing on the side, Otunga was right there in the main focus. I don't know if they will continue these two as a true 50/50 partnership or have Otunga stand out the most and keep McGillicutty as his sidekick. They may just scrap the whole thing soon. Whatever the case, I really hope this angle with Otunga and Lawler goes further.

What Exactly Are Kofi And Bourne Going To Save?

If the tag titles actually meant something, I would be more excited for Evan Bourne and Kofi Kingston winning the titles. Kofi has held tag titles before in the WWE. This is Bourne's first title reign.

All through their tag match last week and the title match tonight, I heard the commentators hyping tag wrestling and talking up both teams in a way I did not find too smooth and natural. Otunga and McGillicutty are boring and need to do something? And whose fault is that? I see them trying to come out with an unique look. Do I see them getting storylines and meaningful feuds? They weren't even in a real feud when they just lost the titles. And what happened when Zack Ryder, who was getting even less TV time at one point, managed to do something on his own to get over? What was his reward for being entertaining to fans? Why should Otunga and McGillicutty even bother making Youtube accounts?

The real kicker for me is how they talk like Kofi Kingston and Evan Bourne winning the tag titles will lead to some great improvement. The wrestlers are not the deciding factor of whether a division will look good. They have to perform through what storylines and booking decisions officials backstage are making. Yes, they are two good faces. As a team, they are fairly new. They have usually been given singles pushes. They definitely had a moment tonight. Then again, I remember a certain other team who won tag titles a year ago. The Hart Dynasty won the tag titles against Miz and Big Show. This was a real tag team. Their victory was a huge moment for them and many fans too. What happened to them? Their feud with The Usos was good, but really just filler and did not build any person involved to an epic level. DH Smith is gone. Tyson Kidd is not really relevant at all. Even Natalya, the woman of the stable, did not follow a steady path of good treatment. She was the Diva's Championship, yes, but her title reign lasted about 2 months and did not do much for her. She went on to be treated mediocrely once again, like all other diva credible jobbers. Don't let her angle going on right now fool you, she will end up back where she was just a few months ago. Nowhere in particular. And that is where I feel both Kofi and Evan will end up, especially Bourne. Am I the ultimate pessimist? I am just a person who has gotten my emotions played with. I have never been the type of person whose favorite singer or movie of all time changes every week. The WWE is telling me Bourne and Kingston are the tag team to talk about right now? Really?

Really? As the sun rises on Bourne and Kingston, and sets on Otunga and McGillicutty, the sun is also rising on another fairly new pairing. The Miz and R-Truth are officially a team now. Why not? Both of these guys were used to put over John Cena this year, both went back to upper midcard mediocrity after, and both don't really have anything to do recently. They could easily get lost in the shuffle. But because they are priorities to some degree and there is still segment space to include them, you see hope for them. They gave a huge promo tonight. What really stood out for me in that promo? They were talking about being overlooked. Really? Otunga and McGillicutty were getting overlooked while they still had the tag titles. Kofi Kingston and Evan Bourne were stuck with not proper focus for weeks until they won the titles tonight. Neither Miz or R-Truth were really as bad off as the men I just mentioned recently. It is only a matter of time before Miz and R-Truth get a tag titles shot. But will that help the tag division? Another pairing of two guys who really belong in singles feuds getting put in tag matters? I know very well what is waiting to debut for the tag division, but I am not expecting much for them.

The WWE can have their commentators say whatever during tag matches, fact is, I don't see anything improving or really changing yet. The names may change, but I still see filler reigns with no proper hype and booking, filler pushes for midcarders that have nothing fresh to do, and what will probably be good reigns for upper midcarders who have some real main-event credibility to them. What do I want to see then? Tag teams consisting of guys who naturally go together. They don't have to be brothers. I want to see tag feuds and storylines that involved good promo time. I want to see these real teams get storylines and good rubs in the main event, not just drop the titles to whoever the WWE Champion is, then win it back a short while after. I want to see the kind of things they did for Edge & Christian, The Dudleys, The Hardys, The World's Greatest Tag Team, and some other teams like that. I even remember Lance Cade & Trevor Murdoch being treated slightly better than some of the tag teams I see today. Lance Who? Murdoch? Am I talking about the guy from A-Team? In time, people will even forget that McGillicutty held the tag titles. Do people even remember Drew McIntyre and Cody Rhodes were tag champs too?

How Much Lower Can Nexus Sink?

Assuming no swerve occurs, it looks like Nexus will be broken down even further. After the WWE used Wade Barrett and his stable to put over John Cena at the end of last year, things have just gone the wrong way for the group. The Smackdown version is pretty much over. Raw's version was always a little weaker than the original. That seemed to only serve the major purpose of giving Randy Orton something to overcome. They put the tag titles on the stable, but what are they doing? Feuding with Santino and Kozlov? There are not exactly a lot of good teams in the entire WWE, let alone just Raw. New Nexus having the gold doesn't fix anything.

Question is, what happens when Punk is gone? Even with him here, as I just said, the group seems weak. Given that, it seems the WWE doesn't even want to bother that much. This group is no longer a priority. Nevertheless, I just want to offer one idea I would have liked to see. Make Otunga the leader. He's still there. He is the only original member left in the stable. It would make sense. Have them fill up the ranks with two or three other NXT alums. That could freshen up the midcard. Push them well. Otunga is not the greatest, I know, but he has some potential to be bought as the leader. Once he is knocked off, I will agree that Nexus has officially run its course. In the process of overcoming Otunga's Nexus, a midcarder could get a pretty strong rub. Why should these angles be wasted solely on putting over Cena and Orton?

Finally, I have seen people talking about hoping the WWE does not "botch" the CM Punk storyline going on now. They do not want it ruined like Nexus. First of all, a "botch" is a mistake. Second, the WWE knows pretty much what it is doing. As I just pointed out, they did not "botch" the Nexus storyline. What they were doing with it simply did not match up with what certain fans may have been hoping for and expecting. The same thing will hold true for CM Punk's storyline with Cena. It seems likely that they are just creating another situation for Cena to overcome, just like Nexus. Once again, assuming no swerve and CM Punk stays, how else could this thing really end? Cena "fired" and CM Punk back in ROH as WWE Champion? Even then, they may be entering a Cena/McMahon feud. Considering that have The Rock and Cena going on next year, I think it would be a waste to push Vince against Cena now, unless to spice up Rock/Cena more. Don't think that's necessary. Point is, Cena will still be treated as the top guy. I know people will be hating that. Just keep in mind, that would not be a "botch" by the WWE. It would simply be the promoting of a centerpiece. See how I just completely left CM Punk out of the last bit of speculation? Yes, he'll be gone, but he's also just still a tool while he's still here.

John Cena Returns With A Vengeance

John Cena returns with a vengeance? Really? That was the description for tonight's Raw that I got from my TV service provider. The guy wasn't even in the arena. He was still injured this week. Promo via satellite. He is supposed to compete next week. If that happens, his injury would not have been that big of a deal. On the other side of the coin, when was the last time Punk had a televised match? You can just feel that some swerve will occur.

While I was checking the description for Raw, I had to make sure this was still the PG era. A man stood still to get whipped by other men? That was the most disgusting thing I have seen from the WWE since a certain diva angle one year ago. I enjoy good hardcore action. Diva strap matches are usually fun in that one diva gets humiliated. But what happened to Husky Harris was not about humiliation. It was not a match. Get whipped to prove you want to stay in the group. I can appreciate what they are trying to do, but this is definitely not PG. Even if this was not the PG era, this kind of thing is not why I am a wrestling fan.

In a less important matter. I do not like that CM Punk is sole leader like this. Otunga looked credible when he was calling the shots for Nexus to attack Cena a few weeks ago. I would rather see co-leaders. Punk, however, gets all the power. Then you have the fact that Punk sacrifice anything to prove he wanted to stay in Nexus himself. The remaining members just seemed to shrug that off and still accept him. What happened to the Nexus that told Wade Barrett, the former leader, that he had to prove himself or he would be kicked out of the group? Remember that Raw? Otunga was always the one who stood up. The fact that it is all Punk now just makes this storyline less interesting. Let the newer talent step up more.

Which NXT "Reject" Should Return?

Wade won the whole thing. Kind of anticlimactic, but I am sure many are happy. What happens to the "losers"? Just like the Diva Search, it is not over for some of these men just yet.

The obvious name to bring up would be the man that beat Miz on Raw this week. It is so obvious, I am not even going to bring him up.

There is a lot of good talent, but I have my eye on what the WWE will do with Otunga. They invested a bit in him. He is somewhat of a celebrity. I have to believe the WWE will not write him off too fast. But where do you send him?

So many men will be released before they officially debut on either Raw or Smackdown. It has to happen. The WWE is already starting the next season. Talent will be shifted back to FCW. Not all of these men can be on the same roster without some people being cut. I do not feel like predicting cuts now, but it will happen again.