Big Cass Is Injured

Is the injury bug becoming an issue again? Bayley suffered an injury, killing her push against Alexa Bliss. The Revival once again have to deal with an injury hurting them from going anywhere on the main roster. Recently, Asuka suffered an injury that will hold her back for at least a few weeks. But the injury I want to talk about today is to Big Cass.

On Raw this week, Big Cass took on Enzo in a match that likely would have ended that feud. And it seemed like this was a match for Cass to win. But he suffered a nasty fall that led to a leg injury. He tried to continue the match and finish off Enzo, but his leg gave out. The ref had to call off the match and give Enzo the win.

What does this mean for Big Cass? I had said this guy reminds me of Edge. Injuries were a theme for Edge, although it did not stop the WWE from giving him an amazing career in terms of titles and accolades. Big Cass has hardly gotten anywhere. And the WWE seems very interested these days to push new talent, so it would not be surprising if the WWE just moved on and someone else just got the spot Cass will lose out on. He doesn't really look like someone that genuinely broke out. He might have been a solid midcarder, but the WWE has a lot of guys to push, especially in the midcard.

And Enzo? This is a good example of circumstances impacting someone. The majority of decisions are predetermined. But little things might happen now and then that just influence the story. Enzo probably should have been destroyed in that match to let Cass look strong. Instead, the story is that Enzo outlasted his former friend. He's still standing. Cass is not. He actually won the feud. That is probably not what the WWE had in mind at all.

Enzo is taking that momentum to 205 Live. Is it a demotion? To get him out of the hair of people on Raw? I have heard that, but it really makes no sense. The cruiserweights also wrestle on Raw. They travel to Smackdown. Moreover, he looks to be starting a feud with Neville, who regained the Cruiserweight Championship. He likely would have floundered on Raw or Smackdown by himself. Maybe they will use him in an entertaining way on 205 Live, while still keeping him available for Raw. Right now, he certainly does not look like someone being punished. Getting a legitimate feud is better than some guys that are really not doing anything right now.

Previewing The Summerslam 2017 Undercard Matches

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

How Goes The Enzo/Cass Drama?

One of the big storylines going on in recent months involves Big Cass turning on Enzo. I already gave reasons why splitting these two was a bad idea. The WWE did it. The storyline is still continuing. Big Show is involved. Let's take it from there.

It has not been a good storyline. And the WWE insists on giving it main-event attention. I know being in the main event these days is really not special. The WWE are cowards when football season comes along and are showing cowardice even when it isn't football season these days. The third hour always has that massive drop, so they don't put what deserves to be closing the show in the final slot. And this storyline with these three guys just does not deserve the attention. You can say Enzo & Cass earned it by becoming a popular act, but not every act that gets popular needs to be main-eventing. Not every good pitcher in baseball is going to be a starter. Some are just best as relievers. Some wrestling acts are just best in the midcard. When you try to take them and turn them into something bigger, you ruin them. The WWE spoiled John Cena in a lot of ways. He was a popular midcard act that is now a polarizing main-eventer. It looks like the WWE is spoiling a popular tag team with this split and storyline.

Big Cass was supposed to be the breakout star in this storyline. He is not that great in the ring. You can say he has a decent look. And his mic skills are not that great. Yes, he gave a very good promo when he first turned on Enzo a couple weeks ago. But he can't just be that guy all the time. There are some situations that just don't call for it. Moreover, it would be nice if he could be entertaining on the mic. Passionate and serious is nice, but there is more to it than that. Cass lacks depth. He lacks that range of emotion. If he has it, he hasn't shown it. Someone like Mickie James has that depth. A lot of fans remember her as the bouncy, happy face diva. But she could also cry when a storyline called for it. She could do serious promos. She can get nasty as a heel. Some of her range doesn't even get appreciated. Cass needs to improve himself, or he might lose this push and just be a jobber to the stars. That is already a possibility for him.

How about Enzo? There are all these rumors about huge backstage heat. I don't care. I am just talking in terms of how he is used creatively and his potential. He is not great in the ring. But he can certainly do a better job on the mic than Cass. And yet, what can they possibly do for him after this storyline with Cass ends? You can speculate on sending him to 205 Live or NXT, but he is not great in the ring. So what does he do there? He needs to be paired with someone, whether as a manager or tag team.

And Big Show? He is in the last stage of his in-ring career. It is kind of sad for him to go out with this kind of storyline. Putting over young talent is admirable and all that, but putting over talent that is being misused and likely not going anywhere is a waste of time. I am not saying Big Show deserves a "Thank You" title run. I am not even saying he should win his final WWE match. But using him better than this would be nice.

Overall, this whole storyline just does not look like it was worth it. It hurt the tag division. It isn't leading to anything too great for anyone involved. It just feels like a waste of time. It might be best for Enzo and Cass to just get back together.

Previewing The Great Balls Of Fire 2017 Midcard Matches

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

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

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

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

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

Cass Turns On Enzo

For a while now, the WWE has been running a mystery angle over who was attacking Enzo, and then supposedly attacking Cass. I gave my thoughts on the angle a few weeks ago. I said that it should not be Cass as the attacker, which would also mean the end of the team. I gave various reasons why I did not like the idea. It would be the end of a popular team before they ever won any tag titles. Individually, these guys might not go far. And most importantly, the tag division just needs them.

The WWE had the big reveal on Raw this week. It was Cass all along. He faked those attacks on himself. He has turned heel and officially turned on Enzo. The WWE didn't have to follow through with the angle. The Revival were right there. I also saw some fans hoping it was American Alpha, hoping that a heel turn and change of scenery might help them. Instead of doing any of those options that might add some creative depth to the tag division, the WWE kills a popular tag team.

It was a nice segment. Cass gave a good promo. But did it deserve to be in the main-event slot? Roman Reigns vs. Samoa Joe should have closed the show. Give Joe some main-event credibility. And the return of Braun Strowman was also a pretty big deal. It's not like Raw went against heavy sports competition this week. When they go against football, they typically turn chicken and don't put segments that deserve to close the show in the final slot. Just makes you wonder if it really is an honor to be in the main event of Raw these days.

Back to my original fear about this hurting the tag division. Has the WWE really done anything in the last few weeks to make the loss of Enzo & Cass be less detrimental to the tag division? I don't think so. There aren't many face tag teams. Rhyno & Heath Slater don't have that magic anymore and they are not pushed well. It is unfair to expect Matt & Jeff Hardy to be the top face team in a tag division in the WWE in 2017 for much longer. But that is where we are. Not only that, but what face teams are there for these other heels teams to feud with? The Revival just returned and I did notice the lack of reaction they had. That happens to a lot of people these days, but dropping the ball with these guys by not giving them a proper feud is not putting them in a position to succeed. The depth in the tag division is not good right now.

The End Of Enzo & Cass?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Previewing The Payback 2017 Undercard Matches

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

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

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

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

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

Hardys Return And Win Raw's Tag Titles

Wrestlemania featured a big return. The Hardys returned and ended up winning Raw's Tag Team Championships. They successfully retained the titles on Raw last night.

Of course, I have to compare this to The Dudleys returning a few years ago. Not only did they not win the tag titles in their first night back, not only did they not win the tag titles at all, but they were made to look like pathetic jobbers. They turned heel and started to look pathetic again shortly after that. It is no wonder they no longer wished to wrestle for the company, although their leaving was amicable and Devon still works for the company.

The Hardys seemed to be featured better by the WWE in their previous runs than The Dudleys, particularly when it comes to singles pushes. Both Matt & Jeff won multiple singles titles. It is not too shocking that the WWE might treat them better than The Dudleys with their return. Nevertheless, I would not have given them the tag titles like this.

This is just really unfair to the other teams. Enzo & Cass have been on the main roster for a year now, have become a pretty popular team, but have never won the tag titles. They seem to be on the edge of greatness. They have feuded against Chris Jericho & Kevin Owens. Cass was in a match to crown a new Universal Champion when Finn Balor got injured. They teamed with John Cena to face The Club. Around there would have been a good time to give them the tag titles. They got a storyline involving Rusev and Lana not too long ago. They got title shots after that. But they have never been given the tag titles.

You can say that they just have to wait. Problem is, will they still be fresh by then? Moreover, more teams are always going to be coming in. You saw that on Raw last night. You got teams coming in from NXT, potentially other teams from the past coming back together, and don't forget teams randomly being created, like Sheamus & Cesaro. Realistically, the time may never come for Enzo & Cass. Don't forget that most teams also eventually split. That could definitely happen with Enzo & Cass without them ever getting the tag titles.

Am I a hypocrite for not saying the same thing about The Dudleys back in 2015? I don't think so. Look at what was going on in the tag division at the time. New Day was on their second run and still heels at the time. How many other good face tag teams were there that deserved a title run? Prime Time Players had just gotten a title run. I think The Usos were still dealing with injury issues at the time. Besides that, they really didn't need the tag titles back then. Lucha Dragons had not really gotten into a big groove yet. There were really no great face options. When The Dudleys came back, they had momentum and freshness on their side. They should have gotten the tag titles. They could have dropped it to The Wyatts or The League of Nations in a proper feud. Instead, they became jobbers and everything went through New Day for over a year. A lot of teams got screwed over back then.

Right now, I would say there was another face team worthy of a title run that were passed over for the sake of the returning Hardys. That would be Enzo & Cass. That is why I think this situation is different from what you had with The Dudleyz in 2015. I am not saying Matt & Jeff had to return as jobbers. Anderson & Gallows could have lost the tag titles to Enzo & Cass, lost the rematch the next night on Raw, and then The Hardys could return to confront them and start a non-title feud. The Hardys don't need the tag titles to be relevant. Bringing them back is one thing, but having them go over like this just isn't good.

Wrestlemania 33 Preview: Part 2

I will be talking about the Raw matches today. Goldberg vs. Lesnar will be saved for Friday.

Neville defends the Cruiserweight Championship against Austin Aries. Austin Aries can be seen as TNA's answer to CM Punk. He was definitely a poor man's CM Punk. He knows how to wrestle. In the WWE, he currently finds himself in the cruiserweight division. Even though I dislike too many multi-man matches, I wouldn't have minded a few more cruiserweights in this match. It just seems too soon to push Austin Aries. And yet, the WWE has shown that they will push men in this division too quickly, then pull the rug out from under them. Let's say the tradition continues. I'll say Austin Aries wins.

There will be a multi-man match for the tag titles. Anderson & Gallows defend against Sheamus & Cesaro and Enzo & Cass. Enzo & Cass should have won the titles since last year. This is the stage for them to do it. I will say they win.

The United States Championship match will not be a multi-man match. This is a personal feud. Chris Jericho vs. Kevin Owens has arguably been developed better than any other feud. It does not feel rushed. The development has not been inconsistent. Injuries have not screwed it over. This is what I had hoped for with the Jericho vs. Styles feud from last year. Owens and Jericho were friends for a good while. They both held titles at the same time, although not the tag titles. There were a few great elaborate segments. They just developed things well, building up to the obvious split and match coming up.

Who wins? It just seems obvious that Kevin Owens will win. Jericho doesn't need the title anymore. Moreover, he already got a Wrestlemania win he did not need last year against AJ Styles. No need for two in a row. I have seen some fans say Jericho will retain here and lose it to Samoa Joe after Wrestlemania, likely due to Owens interference. There is also the point of Owens eventually going back after the Universal Championship. But that will probably happen down the line. Right now, let Owens get his Wrestlemania moment. This feud is fit for a title change.

Roman Reigns vs. The Undertaker was another feud that just felt thrown together in the weeks leading up to Wrestlemania. That might be because it was just thrown together in the weeks leading up to Wrestlemania. And it has been a pretty lame feud. The WWE is once again selling it like this can be Taker's last Wrestlemania. They did the same thing last year to try to draw in more fans. There are also dirtsheet rumors about it. As I have seen other fans point out, if this is Undertaker's last Wrestlemania, the WWE has done a terrible job making this feud feel more special. I do not think The Undertaker's career ends here. The WWE has been pretty mediocre with a ton of things these days, but I doubt they treat the end of The Undertaker's career with such mediocrity. A feud over whose yard it is? Passing the torch to Roman Reigns? No, I would expect something bigger. Then again, that feud leading to Lesnar ending Taker's Wrestlemania streak was also pretty mediocre.

Who wins? Reigns winning this could very well make him hated. Would they then turn him heel? I don't know if he can even carry beating The Undertaker, and possibly retiring him, like Lesnar could carry ending The Streak. I don't know how much that rub would do for him. But I will still say he wins. This can build up to Undertaker's last match next year.

Triple H faces Seth Rollins in an unsanctioned match. On paper, this should have been the best feud this Wrestlemania season. You can say it was years in the making. Triple H chooses Seth Rollins to be the next big star. Seth Rollins fails to deliver. Triple H betrays him. Wrestlemania match. But the WWE just did such a terrible job after Triple H screwed Seth Rollins last year. Triple H never showed up. Seth Rollins lost his edge. There was even a span where it seemed Seth Rollins had forgotten Triple H. What was the story? Triple H didn't want to fight Seth Rollins? If you don't want to fight him, why screw him out of the title? Because you don't want him as Champion? Okay, so why didn't you try to screw him those other times he got title shots? And you are still going to fight him now? They just took what could have been an amazing feud and ruined it, and for lame reasons. Seth Rollins getting injured also hurt things, but you can argue that it added some value back into the feud.

What can you expect in this match? Samoa Joe will likely get involved. He doesn't have anything else to do. Stephanie McMahon will also likely be around. She might take a bump, like she has at Wrestlemania recently. Mick Foley might even show up to stick a sock in her mouth. As for the winner, part of me believes Triple H should win here and this feud should continue to Summerslam, where Seth defeats his former mentor. But I'll go against that and say the WWE has Seth Rollins overcome the odds to win it.

Previewing The Fastlane 2017 Undercard Matches

The Raw Tag Team Championships will be decided between Anderson & Gallows and Enzo & Cass. Enzo & Cass deserve an eventual title win. Last year might have been a good time for it, but New Day happened. Anderson & Gallows just won the titles not too long ago, however, so they should win here. Build up the feud to make the eventual title change mean something more.

Neville defends the Cruiserweight Championship against Jack Gallagher. This is another title where they have just been tossing it around in recent months. I will say Neville manages to hold onto it for a little longer.

Samoa Joe faces Sami Zayn. This is obviously not the first feud the WWE would have liked for Samoa Joe on the main roster. He had a feud with Seth Rollins right in front of him. That would have been a bigger deal than this feud with Sami Zayn. No offense to Sami Zayn. These two can put on a great match, unless the WWE just wants to sell Samoa Joe as a destroyer and have him wreck Zayn. Either way, Joe is going to look strong. I will say he wins.

The feud between Roman Reigns and Braun Strowman is the top Raw feud outside of the Universal Championship feud. Some might say it has been treated even better than that feud. The contract signing for this match closed Raw this week, the last Raw before Fastlane. And it's not like this is football season, where they sometimes do some questionable booking. They could have ended the show with an angle to hype Goldberg/Owens. Even Seth Rollins could have closed Raw. There was a nice brawl between Reigns and Strowman that saw a bit of destruction, but I don't think that meant the segment had to go on last.

It seems like it is a sign that Reigns is still the centerpiece. John Cena frequently went on last even when he was not involved with the main title matters, and sometimes at the expense of CM Punk. But I don't think the WWE should be doing this with Reigns right now. His push has obviously hit multiple snags. Even Cena's rise to the top was smoother than what has been going on with Reigns. I would keep him in the midcard, especially when he is only feuding with Braun Strowman. Wait until he has a bigger feud, like what might be coming for Wrestlemania.

Some fans are dreading that Braun Strowman will lose to Reigns and get buried. They point to Rusev, who has lost to the likes of Cena and Reigns and suffered depushes after. He has now been stuck with Jinder Mahal, a fate worse than being fired. Some guys only get great pushes because they are being built to put someone else over. And after that push, they typically will get some kind of depush. It is just the way things are. It happens all the time in the women's division. It is one of the reasons most female wrestlers did not become very over in the diva era. Once they were done being pushed to serve whatever purpose, they got depushed and lost their momentum. There is more space for men to be featured, so don't cry too much for a depush that Strowman will eventually be getting one day. He can at least get something to do elsewhere.

Who wins this match? Let it be Reigns. If Strowman gets this big win, where would he go after? Would he be the one feuding against The Undertaker? Will he be added to Lesnar vs. Goldberg? Does he have any great possibilities? If not, what's the point in giving him this kind of win? He would have all that momentum and nothing to do with it. Let Strowman just be a jobber to the stars in this feud. If there was a good storyline reason for Reigns losing, then I would say he would lose. I just can't picture it. Reigns wins.

State Of The WWE Tag Team Division: December 2016

I talked about the cruiserweights. I talked about the women. I might as well talk about the tag teams.

Over on Raw, New Day is still dominating the tag division. If they retain the tag titles against Cesaro & Sheamus and Anderson & Gallows next week, the record is theirs. Will it happen? Probably. Neither of these other two teams really feel like they deserve it. I feel like they have both lost their momentum. The WWE didn't put the titles on them when it would have been best to do it. The WWE might as well let New Day retain.

Years ago, it felt like the WWE was doing a great job in giving the tag titles to teams that had momentum on their side. The WWE then entered a stretch of putting the titles on teams that didn't really look like they were hot, became hot during the reign, but then lost it to another team that didn't look hot. That led to the reign of terror New Day has been on. As I have mentioned multiple times, so many other teams or angles could have used those tag titles, whether as a reward, to give them credibility, or create some freshness. The Dudleys could have used them. The League of Nations could have used them. There was even a time when The Club looked a lot more deserving. But the WWE never pulled the trigger. New Day did not need to hold the tag titles this long to do their act.

How long after they lose the tag titles will New Day last? Even though I just said New Day does not need the tag titles to do their act, I can picture the WWE breaking them up within a few weeks after losing the tag titles and losing their rematch. I don't think it will be such a tragedy. I will talk about it more when it happens.

The only other team I want to single out is Enzo & Cass. This is another hot face team that could have used the tag titles. New Day aren't the only popular face team on Raw. On the one hand, it is great that Enzo & Cass have still been getting storylines. Enzo has his storyline with Rusev and Lana. Cass was once a contender for the Universal Championship. On the other hand, these guys seem to lose more than they should. Not only would it be nice to see them win a meaningful feud, eventually getting the tag titles would be nice.

Switch to Smackdown. Randy Orton and Bray Wyatt won the tag titles. This is Bray Wyatt's first title reign, but it seems more like a title reign to further a storyline, not a reward. This guy should eventually be a serious contender for a World Championship. As for Randy Orton, it is only a matter of time before he breaks out of the group. If the WWE doesn't go in that direction, this storyline was just dumb. Orton doesn't really fit in The Wyatts and The Wyatts didn't really do enough to "break" him to make him joining the group believable.

The first two titleholders for Smackdown's Tag Team Championships were not traditional teams. Heath Slater and Rhyno just got paired together. Randy Orton and Bray Wyatt are only together because of this storyline. There are traditional teams on Smackdown, like The Usos and American Alpha. I am sure these teams will get the titles one day.

Overall, I do not like how traditional teams have been treated on Smackdown so far. The WWE just did not handle American Alpha well at all. This is the kind of team you would expect wrestling fans to like. But the WWE just dumped them on the main roster and acted like they expected them to be bigger deals than they were. You can't blame American Alpha not working out better so far all on them. The WWE didn't handle them right. They didn't give them a proper chance. As for The Usos, after becoming stale faces, they refreshed themselves with that heel turn. It would not have been terrible if The Usos had been the heels to get the tag titles off Rhyno & Slater.

Another issue is the WWE bringing back teams that were relevant decades ago and using them ahead of some of their full-time teams. That is not something they should be doing so soon after the brand split started. Get the ball rolling properly with what you have, then go to these other teams, if you have to. Some people are wondering if the WWE should re-sign The Headbangers or The Spirit Squad. I am going to say the same thing I said when talking about the women, no, do not bring anyone back. Not yet. It is kind of insulting to the teams you have on the roster now to just go so quickly to old teams. And these aren't even teams as legendary as The Dudleys. The Dudleys also didn't come back during the start of the brand split and get pushed ahead of guys that were just starting out on the main roster or had just been refreshed with a heel turn.

Something I have been talking about with the cruiserweights and women recently is how to follow up with workers booked to make history, like TJ Perkins and Becky Lynch. Heath Slater and Rhyno were booked to make history. They were the first Smackdown Tag Team Champions of this new brand split era. Should the WWE keep the ball rolling on them? No. That title win was more taking advantage of Heath Slater having so much momentum back then. He was arguably the hottest act in the WWE at one time. The WWE did not make a mistake in giving him that moment, but there is no need to make more of Heath Slater than they should. As for Rhyno, he is no young guy. He might be inducted in the WWE Hall of Fame one day. Whether he is or isn't, it will be okay for him to just be a midcarder until he retires.

Both tag divisions seem to have a similar problem. A lot of teams are being underutilized. On Raw, New Day's reign has just smothered a lot of teams. On Smackdown, traditional tag teams have taken a backseat to singles wrestlers being thrown together, as well as old teams not even signed getting TV time. But I have more confidence in the tag division getting better without much worry than the women's division. New Day's reign will come to an end soon. Randy Orton and Bray Wyatt will eventually break up. The tag titles will find their way to other teams on the roster and fresh feuds will start.

Previewing The Hell In A Cell 2016 Undercard

Enzo & Cass take on Gallows & Anderson. If the WWE had made a smart booking decision months ago, Gallows & Anderson would have won the tag titles back when they looked like they deserved it. This match would then be for the tag titles and Enzo & Cass would finally win some gold. Instead, this is just a filler match. Enzo & Cass are a popular team that should be winning more big matches than they have been. I would say they win here.

Speaking of the tag titles, New Day defend against Cesaro and Sheamus. This comes down to whether this Cesaro/Sheamus angle has really gotten hot. If it has, those two have a better chance of being booked to win the titles. If it has not, New Day continues to hold the tag titles hostage and every record known to mankind will fall at their feet. Cesaro and Sheamus have not looked that interesting. They will likely lose here. And what will the payoff of this storyline end up being? It might just end up being a feud the WWE tried too hard with.

TJ Perkins defends the Cruiserweight Championship against Brian Kendrick. This feud has been rather enjoyable. I might usually say that the WWE needs to stop taking advantage of real-life drama for storylines. But Kendrick acting like this is his last chance in the WWE and that he needs to win the title has led to a good midcard feud. I think he should win it. If he loses, I can imagine a face turn, but does that really seem necessary? Keep him heel and give him the title.

Even though it has not been made official, I can imagine Sami Zayn vs. Braun Strowman getting put somewhere on Sunday. I doubt Sami is being pushed to overcome Strowman. If this match happens, Strowman wins.

For a match that is supposed to be one of the main events of Hell in a Cell, Roman Reigns vs. Rusev is least likely to close the show. But you can never tell in this era. Roman Reigns just won the title a few weeks ago. Has the WWE gotten what they wanted out of this title reign for Reigns? And if Rusev does regain the title, it will likely be by some shenanigans. I can't imagine Reigns losing cleanly here. Will Lana get involved? I can't really see Rusev winning. The WWE might have someone else interfere to screw Reigns, which would then mean Reigns can move on to feuding with that person and the feud with Rusev would not have to drag on. But I don't see anyone on the horizon that would want to interfere to screw Reigns that he could feud with after Hell in a Cell. I'll say he retains.

New WWE Universal Champion: Kevin Owens

Around this time last year, many people seemed to be writing the career eulogy of Kevin Owens. He lost a feud to John Cena and some people acted like he was buried. He went on to win a feud against Cesaro and get a few midcard title runs. He has been featured consistently. He lost his feud against Sami Zayn, but has ended up being featured better than Zayn since then. And to top it all off, he won the Universal Championship on Raw last night.

He did have a lot of help. Not from Chris Jericho, his partner. Nor from Rusev, who had issues with Roman Reigns recently. Enzo Amore didn't do anything. Triple H made his return and screwed Roman Reigns. It then came down to Seth Rollins and Owens. Triple H teased helping Rollins, then screwed him, handing the title to Kevin Owens.

It is probably for the best that Finn Balor got injured, as for as creating excitement goes. The WWE created an exciting moment last night and now have people wondering why Triple H did what he did and what will happen to the various people involved in this drama, including Reigns, Rollins, and even Jericho. The "Demon King" gimmick had potential, but the WWE didn't handle it well. They didn't treat it dominantly enough. If Finn was around now, they probably would have had a very mediocre angle going for him.

Some might say that the reason they cannot book Demon Balor as something dominant is because they will book themselves into a corner. Why wouldn't Finn just use it all the time? Just have him explain in an interview that it takes a lot out of him or that he's afraid of what he might do when he goes into that zone. By doing something like that, the WWE provides a reason for Balor not going into his dominant side more often and makes that side look more intriguing. It's not like the WWE is afraid of dominant characters. Look at Brock Lesnar.

Back to Kevin Owens. I would say giving him the title is a good choice, beyond just creating drama. He can wrestle. He is charismatic. He has credibility. His only real negative is his look. They say Vince McMahon likes big men. They don't mean guys like Kevin Owens. It's not like Vince McMahon has never allowed a top title to go to a fat guy. Mick Foley held it a few times. But one hasn't held it in a while. Of course, this is a new era. Vince McMahon is more open to giving big pushes to men that would usually only get it if the fans complained heavily on their behalf or there was a whole bunch of backstage complaining.

Is he the centerpiece? Holding the top title does not always automatically make you the top star of a company, brand, or division. Let's face it, Finn Balor was supposed to be holding the title right now. If that was the case, I would be asking if he was the centerpiece. Is Kevin Owens the centerpiece? Is he interim centerpiece? Is it Seth Rollins, who will likely be turning face? Is it still meant to be Roman Reigns, who was dominating last night when Triple H came out and screwed him? Despite his title win, I would say there are too many other top guys ahead of Owens to say right away that he is the centerpiece. Nevertheless, he is going to be the longest-reigning Universal Champion so far. He is going to get some credibility. His son is going to have a new title belt to play with.

What about Seth Rollins? This will be his first face run since going solo. More importantly, he now officially gets separated from The Authority. That will be good for his development. Making him look like a weasel for so long just hurt his character. More importantly, he can finally drop the Pedigree as his finisher. A guy that talented should be able to come up with his own finisher, and hopefully one that isn't too dangerous.

And Roman Reigns? As I said, he was starting to look dominant in that match before Triple H cut him off. And it wasn't Rusev that screwed Reigns? A lot of fans were expecting that. What happens to that feud? Both Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns have a reason to want some of Triple H. Both have an argument that they were screwed out of the title. There are a couple possibilities for Roman Reigns. You can say the WWE has overbooked things, but that's what they chose to do off Finn Balor's injury. A lot of angles they had planned will have to get changed.

I am not going to leave out Big Cass. I noticed he was getting a pretty good reaction. Should the WWE accelerate his push? Should he be a WWE/Universal Champion by this time next year? No. Slow down. I remember when John Cena was getting a pretty good reaction as a midcarder and the WWE eventually gave him a big push. The fans turned on him. The WWE turned him into something that the fans hated. I can picture that happening to Cass. He is not really that great on the mic. His wrestling ability is not that amazing. Take away his gimmick, he is pretty much exposed. Start by giving Enzo & Cass the tag titles. If it wasn't for Owens winning the Universal Championship, I would say New Day should retain the tag titles against The Club, drop them to Jericho and Owens, and have them eventually drop them to Enzo & Cass. I am sure they will be holding titles one day. The wait will make the moment mean more. But as far as Cass getting a big solo push, not yet.