Win And You're In?

A few months ago, I talked about the NFL preseason. I compared that to the way TNA runs their company, always rotating around their stars, never settling on whom to be consistent with. This is another unique point in the football season. This is the final week of regular season games. Why not compare that to something?

Sunday will feature the last games of the regular season. And nothing is absolutely settled. There are still wildcard spots to be had, division winners to be decided, and even the top seeds have not been decided. How is all this settled? All a team has to do is win and they're in? Only in some cases. The Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles are in a "win-and-you're-in" game to decide the winner of their division and which of the two goes to the playoffs. The same for the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears. Things are very simple in those two sets of games. Whichever team wins the game gets the division title and goes to the playoffs, while the loser is eliminated.

Things are not that simple for other teams. The San Fransisco 49ers can only win their division if they win their game against the Arizona Cardinals and the Seattle Seahawks, the current division leader, loses to the St. Louis Rams. The 49ers and Seahawks will both have 12-4 records, but tiebreakers would give the 49ers the division. And that is the kind of thing you have for a few games this Sunday. The only hope some teams have to make the playoffs is if another team loses. Their destiny is not in their own hands. Winning does not automatically get them in.

Switch to pro wrestling. There is this idea many fans have that all a wrestler has to do to get pushed better is get over. That's it. It is like one of those "win-and-you're-in" situations in football. Obviously, it isn't that easy. Zack Ryder got over and the WWE did not want to push him. Mickie James got over and continued to be pushed the same way she would have been pushed had she not gotten over. The Dallas Cowboys may control their own destiny this Sunday in terms of only needing to win to make the playoffs, but wrestlers in the WWE do not control their own destiny in the same way in terms of just needing to get over. You need other things to work your way. Even then, it is still not guaranteed that you will get the career you earn. Meanwhile, some individuals can fail to make it and still get treated very well. Michelle McCool is an example of that. She was pushed as the centerpiece of the diva division. She never got over enough to match how she was pushed. The diva division is very unfair. Of course, the same thing happens in the men's division, but the fact that you have so much more space to push the men makes it less of an issue, usually.

Recently, Jericho and Edge discussed the Nexus angle. They talked about how Nexus should have won that match at Summerslam. To them, the loss hurt the careers of those rookies and Wade Barrett's career has flopped. I disagree with them about the outcome of that one match really mattering that much. Yeah, you can complain about Cena winning and how he won. And the members have all mostly not gone too far, except for Daniel Bryan, but he was out of the group almost immediately. And Wade Barrett is not in a great place now. But one match outcome could have changed all that? Really? With all due respect to Edge and Jericho, that just sounds ridiculous. Would the rookie heels winning that match automatically have gotten them over with the fans? I doubt it. Would that match outcome mean that the WWE would have to continue pushing them well until they did get over? I don't see why. And is this really an "over-and-you're-in" situation? I don't think they were giving these guys an opportunity to get over and earn better careers for themselves. The main point was to create a situation that would put John Cena, the centerpiece, over. As for Wade Barrett, he was not immediately buried after Nexus. He has had some title success. I think he was showing signs of getting over. What really screwed him over was that injury a few years ago when he had a ton of momentum. But even if he had returned very over, there are still other guys the WWE wants to push well. This is like a situation where a football team needs to win and for another team to lose to get into the playoffs. Not only does Barrett need to get over, he needs other guys ahead of him to not work out so that the WWE can finally decide to push him better. To put it simply, I don't think that one match outcome really changed the outcome of much. If the WWE was really serious about giving these guys fair chances to get over or develop any of them to be over, like Barrett, one match outcome would not have changed anything. It isn't like Nexus performed horribly in that match to screw themselves.

Look back at Survivor Series last month. The Shield looked good in their match. Specifically, Roman Reigns looked great. And how has the WWE followed up with them since? After that big win, they have pretty much gone back to doing what they were doing before. They are henchmen for The Authority. That was not the start of some huge push for them. Especially Roman Reigns. Even I wondered if this was the start of a big solo push for him. Nope. Giving someone a great match outcome is not a guarantee that they will be followed up with immediately after. What happened with The Shield at Survivor Series is an example of that. And that example makes me further believe that the match outcome for that Summerslam match with Nexus would have also not been a guarantee of anything. As I frequently say, never make too much out of one moment.

Making too much out of one match outcome is like making too much out of one football game's outcome in a situation where you need one or two other teams to also lose. Yeah, it is great that you won your game, but you are not in the playoffs yet. Yeah, it is great that the WWE gave you a nice moment, but that does not mean you are someone they want to be a star. I am not taking anything away from stars that put over younger talent and want to see them succeed, but that one match outcome is not a guarantee that the company will treat them well. Some things are not within your control. Some fans really need to stop believing that all a wrestler has to do to get treated better is get over and an over wrestler still being treated poorly had to have done something wrong. The WWE has too many individuals to push and they will often go with their own favorites, not the fans' favorites.  

Christian Or Del Rio?

Alberto Del Rio and Christian will battle for the World Championship Edge will no longer be defending due to his retirement. These two guys are good workers. It being a ladder match, which Christian has some experience in, can only make it better. Point is, I am not too worried about how good the match will be. It will deliver.

But who should win? Who should walk out of the next PPV with the title? If you ask me, it doesn't matter. BOTH men should eventually be World Champion. Christian was one in TNA, and whether you count the ECW title or not, he has never held either of the two World Championships still in the WWE today. Alberto is a new guy who has received a huge push since his debut. Christian is definitely over. I believe Del Rio has what it takes.

I am not saying both should win it simply because I think both guys are good. Smackdown, and even Raw should either get traded, needs top guys. Edge is gone. You need a top face. Who are your top heels? Swagger, a former World Champion, is back in the midcard. Wade Barrett is slowly being built up. Whether you want to admit it or not, Alberto Del Rio is currently the top heel on Smackdown. Aside from the Royal Rumble, he hasn't really won anything huge. Giving him the title should help to cement him as a top heel. Back to needing a top face. Why not Christian? He has been close to Edge for so long in their WWE run. It is true that you have guys like Mysterio, Big Show, and Kane around, but you can use someone fresh to take Edge's spot. Christian may not be as young and fresh as a Miz or Del Rio, but he can bring a change of scenery to the main-event picture.

If someone forced me to choose who I think should win the ladder match, I would say Christian. Coming off Edge's retirement, it could make for a nice moment. A little while after the win, Christian can drop it to Del Rio.

Edge Announces Retirement

Due to health reasons, Edge announced tonight on Raw that he will retire. Obviously, this is a huge shock. Edge was definitely a great performer. He came back from multiple injuries and never lost his step. He competed with the best. He entertained like the best. He was a true fan of the business. Hopefully, this will not be the complete end of him. Respect to him.

Elimination Chamber 2011 Thoughts

Starting with the tag titles, Corre now has some gold. Justin Gabriel and Heath Slater regained the tag titles. I have been wanting this for a while now, so I hope the WWE does not drop the ball with it. Don't just job them out to random teams. If nothing else, just have them stand around with the titles near Barrett and look cool.

The Raw title match is set. John Cena pulled it out to earn another title match at Wrestlemania. Miz is walking in with the title. Had to be Cena? Why not? That is the face of the company. At least Morrison looked good.

Smackdown. Edge retained. But the real wild card was the return of Christian. It would be great if he was added to the title match at Wrestlemania between Alberto Del Rio and Edge. Makes things more interesting. Del Rio defeated Kofi Kingston. I feel bad for Kofi. He still has his IC title, but what is it doing for him? Making him a credible target for other people to go over? Such an honor! In any case, Del Rio gets more momentum. I don't think he even needed the win. Just make it a DQ and have Del Rio still lay out Kofi in the end. Del Rio still looks strong and Kofi does not look like a straight loser. I doubt Wrestlemania will have a great moment for Kofi, but I do hope the rest of the year is good.

The Devil's Luckiest Demon

The Undertaker getting injured many months ago had a heavy hand in the WWE's decision to end the big push of Jack Swagger and give the World Heavyweight Championship to Kane. More recently, Taker once again getting injured and requiring some time off has benefited Kane once again. Kane retained his title against his brother in three consecutive PPVs, which included two gimmick matches. If you count that Kane even got the better of Taker at Summerslam, where Taker returned, Kane has owned him four PPVs in a row. How many wrestlers can come up and say that?

Obviously, had Taker not been injured again, the story being told right now would be different. Aside from this being the second time this year the WWE has had to write off Taker due to injury, he also took a semi-hiatus after Wrestlemania. The reason I do not say it is a full hiatus is because they did have to call him up at least once when they needed him. This has not been a good year for him when it comes to amount of time being used on TV. As I have said before, this is working for Kane's benefit.

Now Edge is going for the title. I do not want to see Kane's reign end yet. I do not say this because Kane is one of my favorites, but I think they can still do more to make this title reign rich. Kane and Edge can feud for Survivor Series and TLC. Both Kane and Edge have won TLC matches, so there can be a good build there. After that, have him feud with Big Show. Elimination Chamber will come after that. Just pull together a few names. Easy. The WWE can also substitute a midcarder on the rise instead of Big Show. Kofi Kingston? They can also choose Rey Mysterio again. Fact is, after Elimination Chamber, Wrestlemania comes. If Taker is good to go by then, Undertaker vs. Kane III, and for the title and with Paul Bearer there, could be epic. If Taker's recovery hits a snag, the WWE can take the belt from Kane at Royal Rumble or Elimination Chamber. I cannot picture anyone else who could take the title from Kane in a great build for Wrestlemania. They can just give Kane a midcard match. I do not feel they should keep the title on Kane for what might be 8 months or more. They screwed Swagger once already. Edge has been the face of Smackdown before and should get it back eventually. They just cannot keep the title on Kane in hopes of having him drop it to Taker. I just feel now is not the time to kill Kane's fun.

CM Punk On Raw

CM Punk made his return to the Raw roster tonight. They are treating it as part of the trade for Edge to Smackdown. Punk had been working Raw house shows recently, so that kind of gave away any surprise a bit. Then again, why would the WWE really be interested in making it too much of a surprise?

There are two points I want to make here. First, it is becoming obvious to me, although I can be as wrong as the average wrestling news site writer, that the WWE does not appreciate Punk that much. They appreciate him about as much as a certain other person Punk had worked with before in other promotions. Should I be more specific? Yes, I should. Sadly, I won't. Edge got the hype as he left Raw. Upon his return to Smackdown, he just seemed more in place than he did for most of the time since his return this year. What's even more impressive, he's doing it as a face. CM Punk, on the other hand, was pretty much not involved in anything except losing to either Big Show or Undertaker, and also helping WWE kill off his stable. WWE had been building it for months, which makes me doubt rumors that Serena was released for drinking problem even more. Party girl? And this is so different from many other wrestlers because...I go off topic. Point is, Punk goes from poor use on Smackdown to being the trade for Edge and ends up on Raw, where he gets tossed on the same team as midcarders, main-eventers, and a jobber. He also helps out the WWE by "injuring" Evan Bourne, who needed the time for surgery anyway. I do not think Punk will be doing too much in terms of pushes are concerned for a while. Of course, his fans will be easily intoxicated by how good he is in the ring and on the mic, especially with his gimmick and being a heel. Punk is great, don't get me wrong, but the WWE can afford not doing much with him and still keep him around. He never has to touch the WWE title in the near future. He's not in a closed division. He does not even have to touch Daniel Bryan's U.S. title. As WWE proved on Smackdown and how they treated his move to Raw, they can push him however and wherever they want. He's in no one's way.

Second point, I think WWE may have made a mediocre move by switching Punk and Edge. Everyone can agree that Smackdown needs star power and all that. Sending Edge to Smackdown was good for that. But taking CM Punk off? That is trading one top worker for another. Many can say that Edge was getting stale on Raw, but his character was finally starting to get great again as he feuded with that computer. What does the WWE do? Kill that feud off and have the machine send the wrestler to Smackdown. Edge can still do good there, but he had more potential on Raw. Who stands up to the GM now? On the other side, people can say Punk was getting stale on Smackdown. Considering the WWE was killing his stable, having him lose to top stars so often recently, and not investing in him properly, is it really hard to figure out why Punk was losing momentum? They weren't giving him momentum! A move to Raw will not fix that unless the WWE hands him direction and focus. They need to give him the momentum. Time will tell if they do, but I think they should have left both Edge and CM Punk on Smackdown. Send The Dudebusters to Raw. If the WWE is really so upset about losing two top heels in Edge and Jericho for Raw, send over McIntyre and Rhodes as official Raw members. Aside from the gold they hold, being treated like top heels on Raw may have helped develop them a lot. If they did not want to do that, just stall a little more until Triple H returns and turn him heel, after he squashes Sheamus of course. Nexus is a stable full of heels getting main-event rubs. Developing them better singularly could have also solved the problem. If nothing else, Cena is supposedly the top guy on Raw anyway. No matter how stale the show is because of the lack of heels, which is only one reason the show is not as great anyway, Cena will keep some fans tuning in. Raw also has that luxury of having hype on its side more than Smackdown. Smackdown is missing these things. Undertaker and Rey Mysterio are top guys on Smackdown, but Smackdown is still getting mediocre ratings. If the WWE really cared about the show, they might have tried keeping Punk on and treating him better. They didn't. I do not have a good feeling for Punk's chances in this respect on Raw either.

What Does DiBiase Do For Summerslam?

In a backstage segment, Edge teased tension within Team Cena by saying he would rather not have Khali on their side. Who would he rather have? Ted DiBiase? Obviously, this segment really was meant to just form tension. However, DiBiase also went on to defeat a member of Team Cena in a match. Could the WWE have plans for DiBiase in Nexus vs. Team Cena?

There are two reasons why Ted being on the team all of a sudden may not work. First, all the current members either have a reason to be on the team or have some credibility. Even the minor exceptions like R-Truth and Khali had segments in which they spoke on Nexus. They have been built into this match now. Who gets the bullet? And why? And replace them with DiBiase? That brings me to the second thing. He has been even less involved with this feud than Khali or R-Truth. Of all the people to put in all of a sudden, him? What about Bourne or Mark Henry? And Khali can provide at least power to the team. What does Ted DiBiase supply that is unique? Money?

The WWE definitely wants to push DiBiase, but he is definitely lost at the moment. Summerslam is a big PPV. Do they just leave him off? There really does not seem to be anything for him to do. I can think of no great opponents for him to work against at the PPV. Maybe a rushed feud with Bourne? The WWE is high on Bourne too. Just does not seem like a big enough match. At least DiBiase is still walking around with that shiny belt and Maryse.

Speaking of Maryse, a diva I despised during her push in the ring, I do not mind her as much now that she is a valet for Ted DiBiase. Without her ruining match quality, I can relax with her. I still do not find her to be the most beautiful woman alive. I still find her charisma not that great. But just showing cleavage and doing her act is how she will get over with the fans, definitely not by wrestling. But when the time is right, they will push her again in the ring. I want to see how she does. Would this be her third shot in my book? Three strikes...

Edge Hears Voices In His Head

I am sure the council him. I am sure they understand. I am also sure they talk to him. Basically, Edge's promo on Raw must have been inspired by Randy Orton's theme song. In the end, it is all hype for what Edge will do in Money in the Bank in a few days.

I talked about this last week, but Edge's new way of getting the message across was interesting enough to make me go there again. This is psycho Edge. If the WWE really has Edge do things to match the character in his promos, which they have still been failing to do for months now, this can really be an interesting Edge to see. However, sticking to the idea that it is hype for this Sunday, I am expecting to be let down. I am not saying Edge will not do some cool spots. I am sure he will spear someone is midair. I am sure all the guys will get some great spots here and there. Thing is, I do not expect to be surprised by Edge. Also, I am expecting the "fun" or "voices" to die down again after this Sunday. Where does Edge go? I do not know. I just doubt the WWE will have it be anywhere really fresh and interesting. Michael Cole has been more fresh this year than Edge has. Am I that wrong?

Edge Calls This Fun?

I have been watching Edge since he returned to Raw as a heel. First, he promises controversy. Recently, he promised "fun" would start. In all honesty, TOO MANY LIES! TOO MANY LIES!

The controversy thing started out a bit interestingly with how they used Edge to bring up the issue of getting a new Raw GM. Teasing that it would be Vickie Guerrero was also good. Since then, however, I have seen no controversy coming from Edge. Obviously, the "fun" he had in mind was meant to be hype for Money in the Bank. Fine. But I see no fun. I would have preferred if it meant Edge torturing Randy Orton every week, which would make their feud more interesting, add a new story to the Money in the Bank match, and lead to a big gimmick match to cap their feud. Nope. If it was really just hype for a ladder match Edge was teasing, I would have liked to see more ladder play from Edge, not just him spearing Jericho cause the two can't get along. I don't find this fun.

Obviously, the blame should not go to Edge. He is doing what the WWE is having him do. The WWE is just overhyping things. There is no real substance there. I am sure there will be "fun" at the PPV. Problem is, since I don't see any good shades of that in the build, I am not even interested in seeing the PPV.

A Midcard Hero

Miz regains the U.S. Championship. After disposing of R-Truth as a threat to his title, what does he do now? Pretty much forget that the U.S. Championship is something to be defended, not a prop to hold. Excuse me, that is the WWE's booking really, not necessarily Miz's choice.

He interrupted Randy Orton, who was giving a promo about winning the WWE Championship down the road. Miz mentioned that no man has held both the WWE Championship and U.S. Championship at the same time. Anyone who knows Miz knows that he thinks the U.S. title is only good to hold along with another title to make history. Other midcarders can mess around with Jericho. I cannot say that I am upset that Miz is being elevated a bit by associating with Orton and Edge. I did have a feeling that they would do something like this for him after his alliance with Jericho would end. However, I am not happy that they had to bring the U.S. title back into the picture. Miz really does not need it for this.

So will Miz stand a chance of winning Money in the Bank? Could be a good way to really push him into the main event. Even should he fail, getting involved with Randy Orton and Edge cannot hurt. What if Edge and Miz team up? Win some tag gold? This will be another top heel giving Miz a rub by tagging with him. Big Show did it before. Edge can do something similar. Problem is, once again, the U.S. title does not need to be involved here. They are not building Miz to be a great Champion. Just holding the title for a long time does not make you great by itself. Some fans may be stupid enough to believe otherwise, but it is not true.

F4W Predictions

Diva Match: Eve is losing the title. Not only does she have the momentum going in, but did you notice that tag match on Raw? No Gail Kim needed at all for Eve to win it. That is a "gold watch" victory right there. Looks like they are ready to put the title on Maryse again and have her feud with someone. Anyone returning soon? If this is true, it is obvious Eve was used as filler. She did not really work with any other women in real title feuds. I can compare this with what happened to Mickie James and her Diva's Championship reign, in which the WWE did not build any great opponents for her and just had her pass through opponents who gained title opportunities without much more story to it, but I do not write a diva blog anymore. Prediction: Maryse wins.

U.S. Title Match: Simple. Miz just won it a few days ago. Why would he lose it so fast? It would be stupid booking. R-Truth does not need two U.S. title reigns so fast. Prediction: Miz wins.

Intercontinental Title Match: Kofi won the title from Drew McIntyre in a singles match. If I remember correctly, Drew already had a rematch. However, Kofi has not been booked to really work with any other midcarders. Do you see a theme here? In all the title matches I have mentioned so far, the Champions (or former Champion in R-Truth's case) have not really had the opportunity to build there reign by going against a variety of opponents, who are built well, and in well-developed feuds. The main story with Drew is really his issues with Matt Hardy. I can see Drew regain the title so he can feud with Matt over it. However, if he does not win the title, Drew will probably lose due to some Matt Hardy action. That prolongs their feud, but it is the same thing we have been seeing for weeks now. I hope the PPV match offers something more special than that. Prediction: Drew wins.


Smackdown's World Title Match: Big Show probably has the least chance of winning. The WWE would put a World title on him now? He seems to just be there to give Swagger a good rub and to add his unique size and strength to the match. Rey Mysterio? Well, he does deserve another run. Does not mean he will get it. If he does, it can lead to an interesting turn if he feuds with CM Punk again. I can see them putting the title on CM Punk at this PPV. The guy gave up his hair. You owe him. If he wins, this can also lead to a good turn in his feud with Rey. Swagger. This is the man they want to build as a main-eventer. He did not defeat Big Show at the last PPV. Letting him win now would be a safe choice. Prediction: Swagger wins.

Raw's World Title Match: I doubt Sheamus will win. The WWE has the Irish fans hooked in, so I doubt they need to give it to Sheamus again for a while. Or is he still best friends with Triple H? I can see Orton win it. The story is that he was injured, has the odds against him going into this match, but battles through to win it. Edge is the top heel in this match. He holds seniority over Sheamus. If any heel is going to win it, it may be him. Cena always wins, right? Aside from Batista, he has not really had any successful title feuds in his current reign. He does not need them, especially if you look at how he traded the belt with Orton last year, but I do not think his reign will end like this. Prediction: Cena wins.

Five matches? Not like I was planning to buy it anyway, but the number of matches is not the only thing that bothers me. I mentioned how Drew and Kofi have faced each other before, and having Matt Hardy run out is not exactly new and exciting. Miz and R-Truth have faced each other in a good match recently, but I doubt they can really pull out something more epic at the PPV. The diva match will be a diva match with a few good spots here and there, but not enough to save it. All these matches have pretty much poor build. In almost all, the story is that of a basic title feud. Even in Drew/Kofi, the one possible exception, it is still a basic title feud within the larger story between Drew and Matt. The World title matches have more build to them, but even they have been somewhat overshadowed and made dull a bit. Kane is where it is at for Smackdown. NXT is the real hype on Raw. How will these things influence the PPV? That is what interests me. I would not mind Wade Barrett walking out with Cena's title.

Randy Orton Injured At Over The Limit

Hilarity on a pole! Randy Orton injured himself at Over The Limit while doing his act before trying for an RKO. Some kind of arm injury. Kofi Kingston should be asking Randy Orton who is stupid now. I have always said I like Orton's taunts, but the guy can go overboard sometimes. I will admit this. If he really got upset about Kofi Kingston not giving him enough time for his act a few months ago, I hope he enjoyed having all the time in the world tonight to get injured. Besides, getting injured like that is just too funny. Vintage Orton!

Of course, I am hoping he recovers soon. I am still an Orton fan. If he is on the shelf for a while, his feud with Edge will have to take a break. The match ended in a double countout. Nothing can be settled like that. We will see what Orton comes back with next. He should just stick to the Orton pose.

Guest Host Power Lessens?...Maybe?...Almost?

I am sure many were ready to thank Edge, in terms of kayfabe anyway. He gave a little promo about celebrities having power on Raw. He said that was over now. He introduced the new Raw Gm, Vickie Guerrero. That is right, Vickie was in power tonight. However, it did not last.

Even while they were hyping the new GM, they were also hyping that there was still a guest host that night and there would be one for next week. I probably should have seen that as the hint that some swerve was coming. I still believe that the WWE could try having both a regular GM and having celebrities appear regularly to hype their own projects and get involved in a limited amount of segments. No need to give them power to make matches or have them wrestle so much. If they want to take RKOs, fine. I would just rather see someone who may show up the following week to get payback get it instead. Besides, a permanent GM on Raw means a permanent authority figure to get involved in lasting storylines. A lot of storylines and superstars can benefit from that.

The night ended with Randy Orton scaring Vickie into quitting. What was accomplished? Orton looks more like a hero, as if this guy needed help getting pops. Edge continues in his promise to bring controversy back. Better job tonight than he has last few weeks. Edge solidifies himself more as a heel by once again siding with Vickie. This just shines of his old heel character.

Was something else accomplished? Could this be the scattering of the seeds? Is this the first part in finding a new permanent GM? I already said that guest hosts and a GM can both exist on Raw. May they even be laying the foundation for the end of the guest hosts entirely? It depends a lot if the WWE will continue to push Edge's dislike for the guest hosts. Will they just treat it as no one else being willing to take the job after Vickie left? That would be kind of cheap. I think it would be so easy to just bring someone else in as GM right next week. I would like to see it.

The Controversial Edge Meets PG

The closing segment of this week's Raw is full of a lot of things I found interesting. Of course, it also ties back to what happened with Edge and Orton last week and Edge's brief backstage segment before his segment with Orton this week.

Let me start with that backstage segment. Edge was running down some of the controversial and fallacious things he had done before the PG reign. It seems he will not be able to have that good stuff anymore. Edge actually mocks the PG change. Sound familiar? I know tons of fans who are always doing that. They are sick of it. The WWE is once again pandering to those fans. They are picking up the idea and bringing it into kayfabe. Trust me, they are not using Edge to punish whoever came up with the idea to target a younger audience. I doubt this is a sign that they are actually ending things in that direction. Why do I even bring this up? Pandering to the views of internet fans was one of the themes I brought up in an old blog of mine. This is just another example that it does exist. Yes, the WWE does still get some ideas from you guys out there.

Edge made some promises to bring some controversy back. The Cutting Edge returned. Did Edge really shake things up? In all honesty, based just on where things have gone so far, it has been more hype than substance. Is Edge supposed to be an enemy to the PG-rating? If he is, I do not know exactly what he did that was so controversial. He speared Randy Orton simply because he was frustrated that he was drafted? That was supposed to be controversial? Batista's heel turn last year was more epic. Edge then expected Orton to join him once again? I would have been shocked if Orton had agreed, but he did not. A feud is here.

Is the controversy supposed to be found in that Orton gave Wayne Brady an RKO? Is that supposed to be against PG? Would not be the first time Orton, not to mention any other superstar, got some of one of these guest hosts. I would not say Wayne Brady killed the mood. It helped to push that Orton is your anti-hero. He strikes whoever he wants. The fans are crazy for that. I did like how Edge talked about the face who supposedly "played by the rules" to try to get the fans behind him and win the title. However, not something that really tests the limit of PG.

When Edge started talking about PG, I had hopes right there that something great would eventually happen. I want a good swerve. I want some real controversy, not fans booing John Cena and Vince forcing the commentators to call him one of the most controversial wrestlers of all time. I hope things really pick up with Edge.