Where Is Orton/Wyatt Going?

The feud between Randy Orton and Bray Wyatt has been my favorite feud going. In an era where too many feuds seem to be based on real-life drama and are way too serious, this was a feud that just played with Bray Wyatt's gimmick. It had some interesting segments to it. It was just a good story.

Recently, however, I do not like how the WWE has been handling the feud. They had Kane disappear a few weeks ago. That was fine. Mix it in with Bray's gimmick. There were some fans thinking Kane might then return as a heel. Just pretend Bray Wyatt "brainwashed" him. Caskets came into play. Kane returned as a face. Last week, Orton attacked Kane and cost him a match against Bray. What is going on? Orton is following the "If you can't beat them, join them" philosophy.

What is my issue with the direction of this feud? First of all, it just seems like they are starting to do too many things with this story. I know they have a ton of time to kill and all that, but I feel like there have already been a few things in the last few weeks that they could have built on. Kane disappearing was something they could have built on. Turn him heel. Make the storyline about Orton trying to get Kane back. Even if they didn't want to do anything like that, they introduced the casket. Okay, that can build up to a casket match. Not exactly Bray Wyatt's specialty. This would be a match for The Undertaker. But if they want to build Bray Wyatt as the next Taker, and the two have feuded before, they can use this kind of match. But then they switch to Orton turning on Kane. It just seems like they are doing too much.

I have seen one fan like this feud because it has storyline progression. I wouldn't call this storyline progression. I have seen some storylines in the WWE where the WWE does something to get fans interested, then they just sit on that one thing and don't go anywhere for a while. That is a lack of storyline progression. Look at feuds where one person attacks someone else. Then they attack them again. And again. It takes a while for an explanation or for things to go to another level. That is not the problem here. The problem here is just doing too much with this one feud. This isn't progression. This is just jumping around to various things.

Another reason I do not like what the WWE is doing here is because I would say there is potential for feuds with a few of the storyline points you have used here. Why use it all just for this one feud? Will the WWE be able to create fresh feuds for Wyatt after this? Or will they just reuse the angles they have used in this feud? After a while, it just isn't fresh anymore. The writers obviously have some ideas, but all these ideas don't need to be used here. Not only is it a question of possibly muddling the current storyline with Orton, but it is an issue of whether these ideas will still be worth doing after the feud with Orton.

Last reason I do not like recent developments for this feud, is it even justified? Orton teasing going heel, is it justified? A few years ago, Daniel Bryan joined The Wyatts to get close to Bray, then got some revenge against him. The storyline worked better then. Daniel Bryan was getting beaten up by The Wyatts. It just looked like he was broken. Now? I don't see it. Bray Wyatt has not looked that dominant. He lost to Kane just a few weeks ago when Orton could not compete. Randy Orton has not looked that broken. He has looked strong at times in this feud. And it isn't like the numbers were really that against him. He had Kane on his side against Bray Wyatt and whichever one of his lackies is available. It is just hard to buy into this new direction.

Go back to last year. Randy Orton has done this kind of thing before. He was splitting with The Authority. He then pretended like he still wanted to be a part of them just so he can get his hands on Seth Rollins at the best time. That kind of angle just fit that feud. Orton is obviously a character that utilizes mind games, which makes this feud with Wyatt even better, but using that same kind of trick again? So soon? With Bray Wyatt? Yes, it is obvious Orton isn't truly turning heel. But why should Bray Wyatt even buy into him?

Is this the angle they will stick with for this feud? They can have Bray Wyatt do things to test Orton further. They can have Orton do things on his own to try to prove he is on Bray's side. Or they can just have Bray Wyatt see through Orton, drop the angle, and go in a different direction. I wish they would just stick with one direction and build on it. That would be progression.

Let me do a slight aside. A few weeks ago, the WWE went with Orton/Wyatt as a PPV main event. No titles were on the line. Nothing was on the line. This feud just didn't belong in the main event. It looked like the WWE was just scared of the presidential debate. Last night at Hell in a Cell, Sasha Banks vs. Charlotte headlined. I am not going to say anything about match quality or who won. Just the decision to put the women on last, was it really an honor? Hell in a Cell went against a good NFL game and a World Series game where the Cleveland Indians had a chance to clinch the title. That is heavy competition. Is it really an honor? Or should it be categorized in the same place as Orton/Wyatt headlining a PPV they had no business headlining? The product definitely isn't the same now as it was a decade ago and before that. Headlining a PPV back then would have meant more.

How Has Smackdown Been For Bray Wyatt So Far?

Bray Wyatt, the guy that seemed like the likely heel to feud against Dean Ambrose for the WWE Championship prior to Dolph Ziggler, is still involved in the title picture on Smackdown. With Ambrose and Ziggler, two faces, going at it, it makes sense that they would need some heel supporting players to work with. That would be Wyatt and Rowan.

Bray Wyatt won his feud against New Day last month, giving him some momentum, but now it looks like wasted momentum. The WWE has failed to follow up with him. That seems to be a theme for Bray throughout his career. And he does deserve better than that.

Because he is tied into the feud between Ziggler and Ambrose, he has not been able to develop his own feud for Summerslam. Does that mean he's left off the card? Will he still be pushed into the title match? I don't see that happening. If they wanted to do it, next week is pretty much their last shot to put him in. Just seems too late to do it now. They will likely keep the match and main story between Ambrose and Ziggler. Does Wyatt just interfere in the match at Summerslam? Seems like the only thing left for him, but I want to see where the story between Ziggler and Ambrose is going. Having Wyatt interfere will only prolong things, and possibly lead it to an obvious triple-threat match. And if they wanted to do that kind of match so badly, why not have it for Summerslam in the first place?

If he isn't tied into that match in some way at Summerslam, what is left for him? A throwaway match with Kane? Can't forget that he's still around. It is a shame to see certain individuals that are being underutilized after the brand split. Kane is one of those individuals. If nothing else, the least they could do is a filler match between Kane and Wyatt. Gives Wyatt another PPV win.

The Wyatts Lose At Fastlane 2016

No title changes at Fastlane last night. The main event didn't feature any swerves. Nothing too exciting happened at all. What I want to talk about is a match I did not preview last week, The Wyatts vs. Big Show, Kane, and Ryback. If the heels had won, there would be nothing to talk about. They lost.

I have said before that the WWE should push The Wyatts better now that many top stars are out and they do not have many great top feuds going. Having them lose to three jobbers to the stars isn't going to do it. The feud wasn't that amazing to start with, but the heels should have won and gone on to something better. They did not get involved with Lesnar later in the night. Bray Wyatt didn't job, but this booking still slows down the group's momentum. Are they building these guys up for something big at Wrestlemania? Recent booking might not suggest that.

Think back a few months to when The Wyatts feuded against four guys from ECW. The Wyatts won that feud and The Dudleys soon became jobbers. The faces winning there might have been a nice gesture. The Dudleys have not won a feud since coming back. Would that loss have ruined the group's momentum? I do not think it would have been worse than the needless loss they took last night. The Dudleys were fresher. Let's just see how the WWE follows up.

The Undertaker & Kane Vs. The Wyatts

The Wyatts attacked The Undertaker after his loss to Brock Lesnar a few weeks ago. Kane was next after that. Bray Wyatt then appeared to "absorb" their powers. That didn't last long. The Brothers of Destruction returned last week to take out the entire Wyatt stable. A match is now set up between Undertaker & Kane and two of The Wyatts.

There are a lot of things here that I have seen fans complaining about. Let me start with some fans rolling their eyes at Bray Wyatt supposedly taking the supernatural powers of Taker and Kane. Is this the Reality Era? Nevertheless, extraordinary gimmicks are what made wrestling fun back in the day. I have also said Bray Wyatt has a gimmick with a lot of storyline potential. The WWE is taking advantage of it here.

Fans also dislike Taker and Kane popping back up so soon. Ideally, you might have at least one feud before their return where Bray Wyatt actually uses his new "powers" to accomplish something. Build him up like a threat before Taker and Kane come back for revenge. What the WWE has done is similar to John Cena getting fired during the Nexus angle and never actually being gone. It is similar to The Authority being taken out of power last year and coming back in a few weeks. I have seen fans unhappy with those situations. Seeing as how The Undertaker was advertised for Survivor Series, it was obvious he would be involved. I would let this go.

Undertaker and Kane come back and took out everyone in the stable. No signs of weakness. I have seen fans say The Wyatts have been buried. Well, they didn't exactly look too good. Survivor Series is in less than a week. Can the WWE build The Wyatts to actually look like a threat after what happened last week?

Another thing to keep in mind, it is only 2 members of The Wyatts that are facing The Undertaker and Kane. These two legends took out the entire stable, but now fans are supposed to be intrigued by a match with just two Wyatts going against them? This is where discussions of credibility might matter. The Wyatts have lost some of their credibility after last week. A simple tag match does not seem like an appealing match, even if it does involve someone like The Undertaker. I was expecting something more compelling.

There was a time when you might have expected a 4 vs. 4 Survivor Series match. With all the injuries and the tournament going on, you can understand not going that route. However, how about a 2 vs. 4 Survivor Series match? That would be something. Against a dominant stable, you might think this kind of match is stupid. However, The Undertaker & Kane did take out the group last week. They can credibly win a match like this. There is something for them to overcome. The Wyatts would also have more credibility in a situation like this. The commentators can play up the possibility of The Wyatts eliminating one of their opponents early and having a 4-on-1 advantage. It might not come down to that, but the possibility makes The Wyatts a threat. In this regular tag match, all the credibility is on the side of the faces.

I would expect Bray Wyatt and Braun Strowman to be the two Wyatts in the match. They are the most credible. Even then, it would make sense for the faces to win because this is The Undertaker's anniversary match. He debuted at Survivor Series. If they win, however, it would feel like a burial. The WWE needs to do something for The Wyatts before Survivor Series. I doubt the heels win here and the feud is extended until the faces win. If this was not a special match for The Undertaker, that is the way this feud should go. Bray Wyatt is no stranger to being built up for some face to knock down, but this feud should balance out better.

The Wyatts Keep Making Enemies

Bray Wyatt is a guy that can lose a feud and transition to something else like nothing happened. He is also a guy that has won feuds and transitioned to nothing immediately right after. His feud against Roman Reigns ended last Sunday. Reigns won. But Bray Wyatt's night wasn't over yet.

The Wyatts got involved with The Undertaker after his loss to Brock Lesnar. Bray Wyatt and The Undertaker did have a feud earlier this year. The Undertaker won. I think most people expected that to be the end of that. I did. Bray was used to put over The Undertaker at Wrestlemania and he got a little rub out of it. Whether the WWE intended to do this the whole time or not, the feud has been resurrected. I did not immediately like the idea of these two going at it again, but given Survivor Series is where The Undertaker debuted and the loss of certain stars right now, it is probably good to revisit this feud. This time around, Bray Wyatt has henchmen to help him.

The Undertaker is not completely alone. Demon Kane tried to get some of The Wyatts. That did not work out for him. Dean Ambrose still has issues with the group. Randy Orton will have unfinished business with The Wyatts when he returns. There are a lot of other random faces floating around that can be put into a match against The Wyatts. The WWE should have no problem creating a 4 vs. 4 match for Survivor Series. Considering some of the names involved, this should be a good feud.

Seth Rollins Vs. Kane At Hell In A Cell 2015: Final Preview

Seth Rollins will defend the WWE Championship against Kane at Hell in a Cell. That is not the only thing that is on the line. If Kane loses, he loses his authority position.

The outcome of this match seems obvious. Seth Rollins finds some way to retain and Kane leaves the group. The WWE just cannot have Kane and Seth Rollins coexist in The Authority after all the issues they have had. They might be stupid enough to try it, given how they love to tease endless friction within the stable, but I will still say Seth retains. Face Kane will also be needed now that certain top faces are likely to not be around for a while. I will also say it is too soon to discuss Seth Rollins possibly breaking CM Punk's record with the WWE title.

Does Sheamus cash in here? He still has a ton of time to do so. I wouldn't have him do it. I do not expect him to do it, although it might once again be teased. Sheamus still needs better treatment.  I would not have had him win the briefcase in the first place, but they made the decision and should be following through better than they have, especially recently.

Back to the storyline you have between Seth Rollins and Kane. You have Kane with the mask on and Kane in the suit. You have Demon Kane and Corporate Kane. I would expect a lot of  fans to say this is cheesy. I see a little of that, but I see mostly positive comments about it. They like it. One criticism is that it is just a copy of TNA's angle with Abyss and Joseph Parks. TNA never did it the way the WWE is doing now. Moreover, before TNA did that angle, the WWE ran the creepy angle with Kane and Fake Kane. That was a flop, but this angle the WWE is running now is working out better than that angle did. It is one of the better Kane storylines he has had in his career.

Should someone take Kane's spot in The Authority? I think so. It would be a great position to have. Besides, The Authority is struggling to look like a legitimate stable. I have frequently brought up Lana as someone that should join The Authority or be given authority powers. Given recent developments with her and Rusev, I do not know what the WWE will do with her. Back to being a heel? If so, put her and Rusev in The Authority. I do not think it should be Brad Maddox. Big Show has been treated as an unofficial member of the group the last few months. Kevin Owens? I am thinking someone that could play an authority figure, as well. The great thing about Kane for the last few years is that he could be an authority figure and wrestler. Replacing him as a wrestler and authority figure in the group would be nice. It does not have to be one person serving both roles. Get a non-wrestler to be the authority figure and find some brute to be the muscle of the group.

Seth Rollins Retains Against Sting, Then Meets His Next Challenger

Night of Champions for Seth Rollins went pretty much how I thought the WWE would handle it. He dropped the United States Championship back to Cena. He retained against Sting. Sheamus cashing in was teased, but that did not go anywhere. Masked Kane returned to break it up, making Seth Rollins his main target. The return of Kane was the only thing I did not bring up.

If they had just brought Kane back and had him act like nothing happened after Seth attacked him, I probably would have given up right there. That is not what they are doing, but what they are doing is interesting. It is better than just a regular title/revenge feud. They are showing some creative interest here. Rollins will likely retain, since Kane hardly ever wins World titles, but it is still an interesting storyline.

I have seen fans complain about Kane. They say no one cares about him, whether he has the mask on or not. But he has a gimmick that allows for some interesting storylines and feuds, and also segments. It does cause a stir, whether some fans realize it or not. I am not saying it will draw, but it will get fans already watching interested more. There was a time when a lot of people came to this blog because they were searching for Kane. This was around the time he came back with that metal mask. And I think the storyline they are running now once again has potential to get fans talking.

What about Sting? It was not a good night for him at Night of Champions. I am sure many fans would still love to see him face The Undertaker. I do not think Sting is done. Even after Lesnar, The Undertaker will not be done just yet. But what will the feud look like when Sting has not won one feud in his first year in the WWE? In that span, The Undertaker has at least beaten Bray Wyatt and Brock Lesnar. There are some individuals that do not need to win a lot to be over and have credibility, but Sting should look better than this before facing The Undertaker. And the longer they wait, the less likely the match will be great. I know Sting won that tag match on Raw recently, but I am thinking he should win a major match, and not by some DQ finish. Hopefully what they do with him next helps him a lot more than his first two feuds.

Dean Ambrose Lost In The Shuffle?

Should it even be surprising that Dean Ambrose has nothing really important to do right now? It is a sign of the times. Facing Bo Dallas is nothing. Dean Ambrose is a popular guy. He has been involved in some big matches. He was just feuding against Seth Rollins for the WWE Championship a few weeks ago. How can they just drop the ball with him so easily?

Dean Ambrose is pretty much a face version of Bray Wyatt. Bray Wyatt will win feuds against guys under him, but that has usually been to build him up to feed him to guys the WWE wants to feature as stars. And there definitely has been some occasions where the WWE just had nothing for Wyatt. Dean Ambrose can at least still get featured in filler matches. Wyatt does not always get even that. Bray Wyatt has won feuds and the WWE has had nothing for him to follow up.

Some people have said that the answer to Dean Ambrose being treated like this is to turn him heel. I do not see how that will be an automatic fix. Yes, the heel turn will freshen him up a little and he'll likely get an initial push from it. And then? They are not likely to promote him just by turning him heel. He'll still be that guy that beats guys below him and is used to put over others. He would just be doing it as a heel. Look at Bray Wyatt. Pushing him as a heel isn't saving him. Pushing Dean Ambrose as a heel would likely not save him.

I just believe it would be so easy for Dean Ambrose not to be featured so poorly right now. He was just feuding against The Authority. Seth Rollins is busy. Kane isn't. Those two should be feuding right now. It would be a feud Ambrose would obviously win. I am a little surprised they are not even giving him that. If they supposedly want to feature this guy as a star, they need to do a lot better than this.

Previewing Money In The Bank 2015: Part 2

There hasn't been much time since the last encounter between John Cena and Kevin Owens. No big deal. The feud is still fine. The United States Championship is also once again not on the line. I do not see that as a problem. I felt forcing these title defenses might not be practical. What's the point of Cena holding the title if he doesn't defend it at PPVs? Relax, it isn't as bad as Lesnar holding the WWE Championship a few months ago. This feud between Cena and Owens isn't about winning titles.

But is it about developing Owens to be a star? That is what some fans are thinking. Others are saying he will end up like Rusev and Bray Wyatt. There is talk about some in the WWE not wanting Owens to lose so soon to Cena. Regardless of whether he wins or loses this feud, how will you follow up with the guy? If you can't follow up with him properly, it doesn't really matter who wins this feud. Cena will definitely continue to be featured well. Owens still has his NXT Championship. But people should not jump to the conclusion that he is being groomed to be a main-eventer right now. The main-event scene is full. You have guys being groomed to be top stars. You have former World Champions that could potentially find their way back in the title picture, if only to put over someone else. Cena isn't done in the main-event scene. Daniel Bryan will one day return. Will fans want to see him back as a top star? Yes? At best, Kevin Owens will be an upper-midcarder. He might get some undercard matches against other great wrestlers, but don't expect too much.

Who wins this match? Regardless of the winner of this encounter, this feud is likely to continue. If Cena wins, you need the rubber match. If Cena loses, the odds are even more against Cena. Can Cena beat Kevin Owens? I would have Cena lose this one. Have him lose cleanly. If fans were legitimately stunned by Cena losing clean before, build on that further. If they bought that, maybe they will buy Cena really has lost his touch or Owens is that great. Either way, it will build to the third encounter.

Onto a match that does involve someone the WWE is building to be a star. The Money in the Bank ladder match features Roman Reigns, Randy Orton, Kane, Sheamus, Dolph Ziggler, Kofi Kingston, and Neville. You have a nice array to put on a great match. You have a few guys that have won it before. But the guy being developed to be a star is Roman Reigns. The WWE has put much of this story on him. He had to overcome the odds just to get in the match. He is the one likely to win.

The WWE Championship will be defended in a ladder match between Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose. Some fans complain when you see the same guys feuding against each other. Rollins and Ambrose were feuding less than a year ago. I see no one complaining about them feuding again. Having Ambrose steal the title is also a nice touch. You can complain about how you had title theft with the Intercontinental Championship for Wrestlemania. Once again, I do not see anyone complaining. It is a good feud.

There are a few different scenarios you can have, especially when you bring in Roman Reigns likely winning the briefcase. The main one is Dean Ambrose winning the title in a grueling match, then Roman Reigns cashing in on his friend right after. That can then lead to a heel turn for somebody.

Problem is, Brock Lesnar is looming. He never got his rematch. Keeping the title on Rollins might make the best sense. Have Roman Reigns cash in during or after that match. Get some payback on Rollins for doing that to him at Wrestlemania. Dean Ambrose winning the title might just make the whole storyline messy. The Shield vs. Brock Lesnar? All of them would have a reason to be in the title picture.

What scenario will I go with? I think Rollins retains through some shady means and Roman Reigns does not cash in yet. No need to rush it.

WWE Payback 2015: Final Preview

I am not going to talk about every match on the card. A lot of it is just filler. The outcome is just not too important or interesting. I will say that the WWE has done a better job developing the build for these matches than some PPV matches you have seen in the last 5 years. I have talked about most of the feuds going on already. I just want to go back over two of them.

There have been no real changes in the feud between Cena and Rusev since I last talked about it. But how the match ends and how the WWE handles Lana's story with Rusev are interesting. Putting those two things together, there is a great way to end the I Quit match. Have Lana throw in the towel to lead to Rusev losing. It is not really a matter of protecting Rusev by not having him actually quit. It is a creative way to further the storyline. That will be the breaking point for Rusev and Lana. If they do decide to do something like that, I just hope the beating Cena gives Rusev warrants Lana throwing in the towel. Nothing mediocre. It would be similar to a segment they had a few months ago on Raw where Cena was destroying Rusev and Lana gave Cena a title shot to convince Cena to stop the attack. This time, it will be a match where this happens. And this time, there will be no turning back. As far as a swerve goes, I am not expecting Lana to screw Cena and stick with Rusev.

The main event has gotten some development since I last talked about it. They have tweaked this match a lot. Kane has been involved in the story for a while now. But if Seth Rollins does not retain at Payback, Kane loses his position as Director of Operations. On the one hand, this is the perfect way to break Kane away from The Authority and have him feud with Rollins. On the other hand, would the WWE really have the reign end so soon? If they don't, then this tension between Kane and Rollins will likely continue. And that can be painful.

Who wins? Ambrose? Orton? Reigns? If the title is going to change hands, Reigns might be the obvious choice. They have been grooming him for that big win. He didn't get it at Wrestlemania. Will he get it a few weeks later? I would have thought they would wait until Summerslam. Wait for a big PPV. I would expect the WWE to keep the title on Seth Rollins and continue teasing that tension with Kane. They love doing that kind of thing.

Fatal Fourway At Payback 2015

Seth Rollins must defend the WWE Championship against Randy Orton, Roman Reigns, and Dean Ambrose at Payback. This match and feud seems like it is overbooked. Given the short amount of time you now have left until the PPV, that makes the decision to add Ambrose even more questionable. You also have them teasing tension between Kane and Rollins. Without even bringing up Kane just yet, let me just talk about the other guys in this match. If Rollins had to defend the title in a singles match at Payback, which of these three faces should get the shot?

Roman Reigns would be at the bottom of the list. He does not need to be put back in the title picture so soon. Don't rush. Save it for Summerslam. If the WWE had booked other things differently, there would be options for Roman Reigns. He could have been the guy feuding with Bray Wyatt right now. If the WWE had ended the feud between Rusev and Cena, which is something I thought they should have done, Rusev could now feud with Reigns. Even Kane vs. Reigns is an option, if they still want to keep Reigns near the Authority.

Randy Orton just had a title shot at Extreme Rules. I would have ended the feud right there. Move Seth Rollins on to something else. Randy Orton could feud with Wyatt or Kane. Kane was involved in the match at Extreme Rules. It would not have been hard to transition to a feud between the two.

Dean Ambrose vs. Seth Rollins for the WWE Championship. Yeah, I think that would have been the best singles match. These two had a big feud last year. It was pretty likely they would meet again down the line. Now is a good time to develop a feud between them. It might have even been a 2-month feud. Ambrose is in the picture now, but I think a singles match would be better.

Now, let's talk triple threat. A lot of fans have been dreaming about a Shield triple threat. This is it, just with Randy Orton also involved. Kind of kills the mood. Take Orton out. Is now the time for Seth Rollins vs. Dean Ambrose vs. Roman Reigns? I would have saved it for a bigger PPV. If they wanted to do a triple threat now, I would go with the match that made storyline sense. You have Seth Rollins feuding with Randy Orton. Kane is also involved, playing a tweener character. This should be your triple threat. Will Kane finally snap in this match and turn against The Authority? Will he help Rollins win? This could even transition to a singles feud between Rollins and Kane. You do not want to drag on this tension between Kane and Rollins too long. It might get annoying.

Instead of a singles match or triple threat, you have a messy storyline that involves everything I talked about. Kane has tension with Rollins. The Shield members are facing each other. Randy Orton is still in the picture. They are just doing too much. And it has not all been developed very well. There is also not a lot of time left to try to make it better. Then again, the WWE probably would have messed this up more if they had more time.

Kane: The Keeper Of The Gate

Kane will be involved in the steel cage match at Extreme Rules between Seth Rollins and Randy Orton for the WWE Championship. He will be the keeper of the gate. I have no problem with that. I said a while ago that the WWE should have had Kane get involved somehow as the stipulation Rollins chose for this match. Put the odds against Orton that way. The WWE is also teasing friction between Kane and Rollins.

I have not been a fan of the WWE teasing friction within The Authority. They started doing it not too long after the group formed. I don't know how they could think it is a good idea. Yes, you are creating something that can get fans wondering what would happen, but you are also making your top heel stable look bad before it even gets solidified. The Authority has solidified since then. It wouldn't be so bad now to lose Kane. Regardless, I think the writers should come up with better ways to keep The Authority interesting. I usually do not like blaming the writers for things. Most of the problems I talk about are about whom the WWE chooses to push as their stars. The writers are not responsible for that. They are there to come up with creative ideas. They need to do better than this and their bosses need to want to go in that fresher direction. Is it time The Authority angle just end altogether? That is another issue.

Kane can split from The Authority and feud with Rollins for the title after Extreme Rules. I have seen rumors of a supposed triple threat in the works between Rollins, Orton, and Reigns. If the WWE is serious about that, they can do it later. If you are going to do a feud between Kane and Rollins, do it while it is fresh. If this drags on, it might get painful.

If Kane does leave the group, he should be replaced. The person to replace him that immediately came to mind was Rusev. He can fit into Kane's role as a henchman perfectly. How about Kane's role as Director of Operations? Does that even need to be there? I think it makes things more interesting. How about Lana? She would be perfect for it. If the two do not get this spot or Rusev does not regain the United States title, I cannot picture great things for them as time goes on.

Even with this little change in the match, I still expect Seth Rollins to retain. Will they pull some kind of swerve and reveal Kane and Rollins were on the same page the whole time? I do not think they will. I think they will continue to push the issues between the two. Rollins will still retain somehow, but Kane will eventually turn face and leave the heel stable.

Tag Division Developments

Daniel Bryan and Roman Reigns ran through a portion of the tag division on Smackdown this week. I will use that as an excuse to discuss the division. The Usos are still Tag Team Champions. I am just going to look at three heel teams that could be taking the titles off them.

First, the team they are actually feuding against. That would be Kidd & Cesaro. These are obviously two jobbers. The WWE has paired them up and given them a push. Should they win the titles? I don't think so. This would be a step down. They need more momentum I just do not think the WWE is willing to give them. Even should they win the titles, I cannot imagine the WWE doing anything great with them. Right now, Kidd & Cesaro seem to be there just so The Usos can go over them in this feud. There are more legitimate and credible teams deserving of the titles.

How about The Ascension? This is a legitimate tag team. This is not two guys in the midcard with nothing to do being tossed together. As far as credibility goes, the WWE is still protecting them. It might not really mean anything. Most guys that debut from developmental or guys on the main roster that get repackaged with a new gimmick get a little win streak. The WWE usually fails to develop proper feuds or runs out of guys for them to beat in a lot of these situations. The Ascension has still not had one great feud since debuting. And yet, they are undefeated. Are they being protected to eventually feud for the tag titles? Or to be fed to Cena next year as the undefeated act used to put him over? No, probably not that. With a team like this hanging around, it makes me believe even more that The Usos will keep the tag titles to eventually feud against them. I don't think they will win the titles, but it should be a fresh feud.

The last team Daniel Bryan and Roman Reigns had to face on Smackdown was Big Show and Kane. Tension was teased between the two heels, which led to their downfall. I do not think this was a sign of a split coming anytime soon. This was just for the sake of the story of this one match. Regardless, Big Show and Kane should not be forced against Bryan and Reigns so much. I'll get into that more next week. And I also hate even teasing tension between Big Show and Kane like this. I didn't complain about it at the Royal Rumble. I can let that go. But again? So soon? They did this with Randy Orton and The Authority back when the stable was being formed. They just had this on-and-off relationship that didn't lead to that split they were teasing until what happened in 2014 with Orton and Seth Rollins. After a while, it just gets annoying. Instead of keeping your heel stable strong and feuding against all these faces out to run them out of power, the heel stable is having trouble from within. How can you strengthen the group? How about give them more titles? How about give Big Show and Kane the tag titles? Back in the day, The Corporation held a lot of titles. It wasn't just their main guy holding the World title. Present day, The Authority just does not compare. Outside of hounding after the World title at times, the group has not done a good job trying to get titles for their other members. It is like all those guys around Seth Rollins are there just for his benefit and he is the only one meant to be pushed in the group. That is probably the point, but for the sake of making the group look better and creating better feuds, you cannot be that limited. Big Show and Kane have held the tag titles before. I know a lot of fans despise seeing these guys these days, but putting the titles on them could be good. Not only does it help the stable look better, but it can really put over the team that beats them. It is the same idea as The Rhodes beating The Shield for the tag titles. It leads to a big moment. I am not saying it is likely to happen, but I think it would be a better option than what you have going on currently.

Seth Rollins Gets Added Into The Mix

Seth Rollins has been placed into the Royal Rumble WWE Championship match between John Cena and Brock Lesnar. Fans are already speculating that Seth is only in there to get pinned by Cena so he can win back the title without beating Lesnar. I am not going to talk about match outcome today. Plenty of time left until I should give my final preview for that match. Right now, I just want to talk about the decision to make it a triple-threat match and adding in Seth Rollins.

Since winning the title from John Cena, Brock Lesnar has not feuded against anyone but John Cena. And these two had feuded against each other even before 2014. This is definitely a waste of Lesnar. Cena had already won a match to get another shot at Lesnar and retained his right to face Lesnar recently in a match against Seth Rollins. He is definitely facing Lesnar. That being the case, I think it was a great decision to make this a triple-threat match. Even if Cena has to be in the title hunt, get another fresh body in there. It might even help to make this match more competitive than the previous two encounters between Cena and Lesnar. In those matches, the story they were trying to tell ruined match quality. Most fans loved Cena getting squashed in the first encounter, but many disliked the cheap finish in the second. The match at the Royal Rumble should be a better match. Adding in a third guy might help that.

But did it have to be Seth Rollins? This guy has a briefcase that guarantees him a title match whenever he wants it. He is unofficially a part of every WWE Championship match as long as he has the briefcase and it is still valid. He already tried to cash in the last time Cena and Lesnar went at it. And now, while still having Money in the Bank, he is officially a part of a WWE Championship match. Seems like a waste. They could have given that spot to someone else. Not only is there no shortage of men, but there is no shortage of men with the credibility to be put in this kind of match. No one says you have to force a lower-midcarder into this situation.

Let's look at some of the pros to Seth Rollins being in this match. First, his style will obviously add to the quality of the match. Second, there is a good storyline reason for him to be in there. Beyond that, if he was not in the match, what would he have to do at the Royal Rumble? Enter the Royal Rumble match? There is obviously no rule against that, but it would be a waste. Of course, he could demand to be entered with the intent of making sure Roman Reigns does not win, or some similar reason. He could "have the night off" and just do backstage segments and tease whether or not he would cash in on the winner of Cena/Brock. I think it is better to have him wrestle. And even this match is a good idea. I sometimes point out that putting someone in World title feuds is a good way of developing their credibility. Regardless of whether they win or lose, they get elevated to that level. All that remains is whether or not the WWE will be consistent with them after that point. For some guys, it is obvious they are just jobbers to the centerpiece. In the case of Seth Rollins, this is a star they are developing. This kind of match will help him.

Even though I just defended the decision to put Seth Rollins in this match, who are some other guys that might have been added in? First of all, heel or face? The Authority is back and doing their usual thing. They are being vindictive towards the faces that took them out of power. Why would they reward one of their enemies? Moreover, they would try to screw Cena further. It would only make sense to add a heel in this match. The Authority does have other henchmen than Seth Rollins. Doing a little reshuffling, they could have added Big Show. Reward him for defecting. Kane is still around. If you really want to screw John Cena and make sure he does not regain the title, it might be more believable to add in a big brute than someone like Seth Rollins. Regardless, just making it a triple-threat match is good. And Seth Rollins is still a choice I can understand.

What Happens When Randy Orton Returns?

Instead of speculating what might happen should someone the WWE wants to be a star does not return, let's speculate what might happen when someone the WWE wants to be a top star does return. I am not talking about AJ Lee. I mean Randy Orton.

The last time Orton was on Raw, he was in the midst of turning face and was getting taken out by the The Authority. You might have an obvious return feud right there, but The Authority has disbanded. Another reason I feel they should not have broken up the group when they did, in addition to the impact it has had on the development of Seth Rollins. Face Orton vs. The Authority would have been great. It wouldn't be the first time Randy Orton broke off from a stable led by Triple H and feuded against them, but Randy Orton now is better than Randy Orton in 2004.

You still have some remnants of the stable. Orton can come back for the Royal Rumble and start a feud with Kane. After going over him in February, they start a feud between Randy Orton and Seth Rollins. That will lead to a match between the two at Wrestlemania. I just think these feuds would mean more if Triple H was also involved. That is not going to happen.

There is another option that is not likely to happen. How about Orton vs. Brock Lesnar for Fast Lane? If Brock Lesnar retains and the WWE decides to have someone else get a title shot other than Cena, Orton vs. Lesnar would be good. Lesnar would obviously win, but this is about creating some fresh matches against other top stars for Lesnar. Orton could still move on to a feud with Seth Rollins after. I just think the WWE is more likely to go with Kane as Orton's return feud. Build him up to Seth Rollins. But a feud against Lesnar might have been more exciting.

What Do You Do With Kane Now?

Kane has been pretty relevant for most of 2014. That is because he was aligned with The Authority and had a corporate gimmick. In between wearing the suit, they brought back the mask for a while and let him play his horror character again. That also involved him going after the WWE Championship. Pretty good, consistent treatment.

I have mentioned before how the demise of The Authority might hurt the development of Seth Rollins. Not really a question of development, but how does the demise of The Authority impact Kane? He has definitely taken a demotion, and I don't just mean in terms of kayfabe (storyline). He is not featured with the same attention. He had his feud with Ryback, a midcarder. He has been messing around with Adam Rose and The Bunny. Yeah, that's definitely a demotion.

Does Kane deserve better? I think they are doing fine with him for the moment. I am not saying that because I have this attitude that the WWE needs to bury old stars for the sake of new stars. Kane has had a good year. He is frequently used and can switch characters by just putting on or taking off a mask. Let him be used to put over other talent right now. It won't be long before he is relevant again. His character can take these ups and downs. It can take being treated as a jobber to the stars. I can see him in the Royal Rumble match, looking good for a while, then getting tossed out by Roman Reigns. And that's fine for Kane right now.

All Eyes On Ryback

The WWE continues to put good focus on various superstars as they develop the main event for Survivor Series. Focus was on Ryback on Raw this week. He started off as a member of Team Authority. Tension between him and Kane led to Ryback attacking the heel team by the end of the night. Although it was not made official right there, Ryback is now obviously joining Team Cena.

Whose side should Ryback be on? To put it another way, should he be face or heel? He can get a great reaction from the fans. That is a reason for him to be a face. The Authority can always use someone like him as some added muscle. That is reason for him to be a heel. If he does join The Authority, he is guaranteed to be featured well for as long as he is in the group. If he stays face, how long until he is lost in the shuffle again? Even though logic says being a heel in The Authority might be the best option for Ryback, he has momentum as a face right now. I would have him join Team Cena and continue to be pushed as a face.

Will there be a swerve at Survivor Series? You have already had a swerve once with Ryback. Will he turn his back on the faces at Survivor Series and help the heels win? Although I am thinking some kind of betrayal is likely at the PPV, I don't think it is likely to be Ryback turning. You are more likely to see him enter a feud with Kane.

Who Replaces Orton In The Authority?

 

Randy Orton gave Seth Rollins an RKO on Raw. Orton is definitely going face. That means The Authority is losing a member. I am going to talk about 3 possible new members to the stable.

First thing to consider, why bother putting someone else in the group? Right now, the group only consists of Seth Rollins and Kane, in addition to Triple H and Stephanie McMahon, who rarely wrestle these days. The Authority can always send out some heel mercenaries to do their bidding now and then, but adding in a new member might just make things easier heading into the future. This is not a stable that is likely to collapse too soon, and the loss of Orton should not lead to it collapsing now.

How about Miz? I have brought up this possibility before. Let me do a bit of self-analysis. I may sound like I sometimes flip-flop on Miz. Sometimes, I sound like the WWE should be doing better with him. Other times, I may seem to be saying he should not be getting pushed at all. Miz does not deserve to be stuck in these endless title hunts. There are so many other guys in the midcard that deserve those kind of pushes. He also does not deserve another run as WWE Champion. But he does have main-event credibility. That credibility can make him useful. He would fit right in with The Authority.

Mark Henry has turned heel. He has a feud going on with Big Show. How about taking things a step further with him and having him join The Authority. He can bring some muscle to the group. You can say they have Kane for that, but a little more muscle won't hurt. Mark Henry also has the credibility of being a former World Champion. He can be a more intimidating option than Miz.

Ryback has returned. It is true that he has returned as a face, but there is no reason he cannot do a surprise heel turn by siding with The Authority. I can easily picture Ryback losing momentum quickly. I can picture him getting lost in the shuffle easily. Why would The Authority want him? He can be some muscle. Unlike Mark Henry and Miz, Ryback does not have the credibility from holding a World title. But he is still someone they can take and groom as a star, much like they are doing with Seth Rollins. It would be an actual direction for him.

Let me bring up a bonus new member. How about Nikki Bella? Obviously, she won't be filling the void Randy Orton has left in the group. Not counting Stephanie McMahon, this group lacks a diva. When Triple H and Stephanie were running a main-event stable over a decade ago, Tori was a part of that. Stephanie McMahon already made Nikki look like her chosen one in a promo a while back. Nikki will soon be feuding for the Diva's title, but how about actually making her an official member of The Authority? It might make for some interesting mixed-tag matches. The Bellas were pushed in the main-event spotlight a few months ago. They are still being pushed well, but the WWE did not have to let them slip like they have. Nikki should stay at Stephanie McMahon's side. While Triple H grooms his guy to be a star, Stephanie grooms her diva to be a star. It would be great for the stable and the diva division.

Everything Tossed Into One Smackdown Ring

When I was reading the Smackdown spoilers last week, I took a few minutes to just stare at the main event they had made. I was trying to make sense of it. Okay, this guy is feuding with this guy. Those guys are feuding with those guys. Wait, isn't this guy also feuding with that other guy? Does that guy over there even have a feud? Where's Jinder Mahal? It was a little messy.

Let me fill in some names to make this picture clearer. The match was John Cena, Chris Jericho, Roman Reigns, Big Show, and Mark Henry vs. Seth Rollins, Kane, Bray Wyatt, and Wyatt's henchmen. John Cena is feuding against Brock Lesnar, which is an extension of his feud with The Authority, which makes the involvement of Seth and Kane make sense. Cena also obviously has his history with Bray Wyatt. Chris Jericho has been feuding with Bray Wyatt recently. Roman Reigns is involved with The Authority, specifically Randy Orton. Recent developments have him setting his sights on Seth Rollins, who was feuding with Dean Ambrose. Big Show and Mark Henry have been feuding with The Wyatts, specifically Harper and Rowan. Mark Henry also has a feud going on with Rusev. Does Kane really have anything specific for him? Not really.

Speaking for myself, all these feuds are bad. People say that the WWE usually stops trying when football season starts. That may be true, but not only was that Smackdown main event lazy booking, but these feuds all seem lacking. John Cena is feuding against a guy that is not even there every week. That's fine, but I am sure they could have developed things better with Cena in recent weeks. Those other guys in that match? That is almost all the top stars you have right now. Some of these feuds seem like they should have just ended already, like Jericho vs. Wyatt. There is no point in dragging that feud on much further. Big Show and Mark Henry vs. The Wyatts does not even feel like a feud. They call it a rivalry. I see it as a bunch of filler matches every week. The storyline for the feud between Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns just feels weak. Roman Reigns has not exactly been written to care too much about Seth betraying him and Dean Ambrose. He was supposed to be pissed at Randy Orton a few months ago. That soon turned into him caring more about becoming World Champion. It took some of the edge out of his feud with Orton when focus did turn to that. And where was he all those times Dean Ambrose was getting killed by Seth Rollins? Now he cares? Again, some of the edge has been lost there.

None of these feuds and storylines seem very good. I want to say that Brie vs. Nikki is better than any of the main feuds going on for the men. This is a feud that still has that edge to it. It is fresh. The storyline has been getting big development. I am not saying the performers in that storyline are amazing or that the type of storyline it is is my favorite. I am saying that the way it has been developed is better than anything going on with the top stars in the men's division. Those feuds for the men just seem stale or poorly developed.

What's more, it seems you might have some guys left with nothing to do for Night of Champions. Cena obviously has Brock. Seth and Reigns can feud against each other. Where does that leave Randy Orton? I wouldn't be surprised with leaving Kane off the card, but Orton? Have him feud with Jericho? I don't feel that feud. Don't care. Mark Henry has Rusev. Big Show? Wyatt also has nothing to do. Pair those two together? Once again, I don't feel that feud. These options are just not developed properly. What about Wyatt's henchmen? I feel they should have been involved in the title hunt for the tag titles. They might end up without a match. If this was Survivor Series coming up, you could just lump all these guys together for some kind of match that would make sense.

A few months ago, I gave the WWE credit for looking good. And this was after Wrestlemania. They had some great feuds going on and things felt fresh. This was without CM Punk. Even after Daniel Bryan needed surgery, things did not collapse right away. The WWE just could not remain consistent with that. They need to rotate around their main-eventers better. Don't just treat certain guys as jobbers to the stars or guys being developed to be stars. That can help them maintain some freshness.

Randy Orton Vs. Roman Reigns Or Randy Orton Vs. Kane?

It seems the WWE will run with Randy Orton vs. Roman Reigns for Summerslam. The word a few months ago was that Roman Reigns would face Triple H at Summerslam. I have an easier time buying that than I do the idea the WWE was ever serious about Cesaro vs. Brock Lesnar at Summerslam. Cesaro has been demoted from that level, if he ever really was at that level. Reigns has also taken a slight demotion from facing Triple H, but facing Randy Orton is not bad. They should have had this match at Battleground. Save Summerslam for a rematch or moving Reigns up to Triple H. Still a lot of time to develop this feud, but I feel it had more momentum to it when The Shield first broke up and it looked like Ambrose would go after Rollins and Reigns would target Orton. All of a sudden, Reigns cared more about the title than getting Orton. And now, back to Reigns vs. Orton. The feud has lost some of that heat. But no big complaint here.

You have also seen some tension between Randy Orton and Kane recently. They could have easily have ran a singles feud between those two. Of course, they have feuded before and this option is not as fresh as Reigns vs. Orton. But it would feature a different story than what you had with the last time Kane and Orton feuded. The story here would involve friction in The Authority. Is it time for the group to break up and Stephanie and Triple H to be taken off TV for a while? Probably not. Just because they have that bit of friction between Orton and Kane, that does not mean Kane has to turn face. But what do you do with him? Another feud with Big Show? In the end, I am still glad they are going with Reigns as Orton's opponent over Kane for Summerslam.