Randy Orton Finally Beats Jinder Mahal

Randy Orton defeated Jinder Mahal in a non-title match on Smackdown last week. It was in Toronto, Mahal's hometown. I see some fans unhappy with the result. They say it made Mahal look weak.

I do not see a problem with it, in terms of making Jinder Mahal look weak. Randy Orton lost to him three PPVs in a row. Jinder Mahal was going to put him over eventually. It is only fair. As for it being in his hometown, Jinder Mahal isn't exactly someone that deserves to be treated like royalty. If he wasn't getting his monster push, most people in Toronto, and even India, would not care too much for him.

I will say that I do not like that the WWE has not invested more in Jinder Mahal vs. Shinsuke Nakamura. That is the title feud. It is not the title feud I would have went with, but they went with it. If that is the way it goes, at least put better work into it. This is the last week before Summerslam.

Meanwhile, Randy Orton is feuding with Rusev. Rusev attacked Orton after his match. Once again, however, I feel like the WWE could have done more with this feud. These two could have had a proper feud, but I feel it was just tossed together the way the WWE handled it. Poor feud development just seems to be a theme for Summerslam this year.

Previewing The Battleground 2017 Men's Matches

It is sometimes amazing how the WWE can hype a crappy kickoff match like it is something special on their website. Tye Dillinger faces Aiden English. I don't care. Dillinger wins.

Climbing the ladder of relevance, Mike Kanellis vs. Sami Zayn. This is just a rematch. Nothing too special. But this is another match I just don't care about. The gimmick Mike and Maria have might have some potential, but boring feuds against a midcard jobber like Zayn won't bring that out. I will say Mike Kanellis wins.

Baron Corbin faces Shinsuke Nakamura. The fact that Corbin has the briefcase means nothing. The WWE has a history of having the person with the briefcase lose a lot. On the other hand, the WWE has a recent history of overpushing people they are grooming to be main-eventers, like Jinder Mahal. But I don't think that happens at the expense of Nakamura this Sunday. He wins.

New Day get another title shot against The Usos. The tag divisions are just so terrible on both shows. There probably won't be a Twitter movement to turn things around. The WWE might as well let New Day win the titles. If The Usos do retain, who is left to take the titles off them? They could go back to Tyler Breeze and Fandango. They have been gaining momentum. But New Day will likely get a reign before them.

Kevin Owens tries to win back the United States Championship from AJ Styles. No reason for Styles to drop the title so soon. That is, no GOOD reason to do it. The WWE might do it if they want a lame excuse to prolong this feud. Just end it either here or Summerslam. Create some fresh feuds with these midcarders many people, including myself, don't care about.

John Cena takes on Rusev in a Flag match. I'll give them credit for a gimmick match. But these two? Again? They feuded with each other before. The rivalry just isn't fresh. I am going to tell you what I would have done with both guys a little later. As for this match, Cena wins.

And inside the Punjabi Prison, Jinder Mahal defends the WWE Championship once again against Randy Orton. This feud should have been over already. And it just wasn't heated enough to deserve this gimmick match. Some people are speculating The Great Khali will return to help Mahal. We'll see. If nothing else, this match should give Jinder Mahal further credibility. He should be retaining.

How would I have done things with the last two matches I just talked about? Switch the opponents around. Jinder Mahal could have been entering a feud against John Cena. It could have been the same pro-USA feud you have in Rusev/Cena. Meanwhile, Rusev feuds with Orton. That is a fresh feud. These two have never feuded. Rusev was wanting a title match a couple months ago. Just have Randy Orton go out there after losing to Jinder Mahal at the previous Smackdown PPV and start talking about wanting another shot. Instead of getting it, however, Rusev shows up to continue his angle of wanting a title shot. Those two then feud. If the WWE wanted to put a title opportunity on the line, fine. It would have taken things in a fresh direction and not messed up the storylines that were going on too much.

What To Do With Lana

Rusev once again is out with an injury. When this happened a couple years ago, he still showed up to try to help the storyline he was involved in with Dolph Ziggler and Lana. This time around, he wasn't involved in anything too important. His partnership with Jinder Mahal is nothing worth talking about.

But what about Lana? Without her man, she serves even less of a purpose on the main roster. Yes, she is training in NXT, but I'm talking about the main roster right now. Last year, there was a span where she was pretty much an afterthought. She gained relevance again when Rusev feuded with Roman Reigns, and then the storyline with Enzo & Cass. It was good stuff for a periphery diva, but it is obvious she is really tied to her man.

One option might be to give her more people to manage. Jinder Mahal? Unless they plan to properly push him, it is pointless to seriously pair Lana with him. Find someone else on the roster? Debut someone from NXT and have Lana manage them? I don't like any of the options right now.

They could try putting her in matches on the main roster now. With the women's revolution, I don't know how wise that would be. It might just lead to poor matches. This women's revolution shouldn't just be about forcing women into the ring or forcing them to follow a certain path. It should be about fair opportunities and using these women to the best of their own abilities and characteristics.

The option I like is one I have brought up before. Use her as an authority figure. Now would not be the best time. Stephanie McMahon and Triple H are tied up with Wrestlemania matters. But in a couple weeks, they might consider it. Lana has already looked like a boss in the past with her strong heel character. It is one of the reasons she did get over for a while.

It might be refreshing for when Triple H and Stephanie take a break. And they should take a break. They can be overbearing after a while. But what do you do when they take that break? Bring in a legend to run things? Yeah, or you can #GiveDivasAChance. Women have held authority roles before, besides Stephanie McMahon. Why waste Lana when Rusev is hurt?

The fact that she is training to wrestle will only add to her as an authority figure. She can take some bumps and occasionally wrestle the other women. It will add value to her matches. She can be a younger, fresher Stephanie McMahon. Could be very good for her.

Previewing The Roadblock: End Of The Line Midcard Matches

Can Sami Zayn survive 10 minutes against Braun Strowman? If nothing else, this feud has taken an interesting turn. How often do you get a match like this? But how good will the match really be? Will it just be Sami Zayn trying to avoid Strowman for most of the match? Will he actually take the fight to the big guy? Zayn will obviously have some kind of impressive showing. And even if he lasts 10 minutes, Strowman does not necessarily have to take a pinfall loss. Or will Zayn look weak and eventually end up on Smackdown? That is another issue, but I will say he does survive this Sunday.

There has been an interesting story playing out with Rusev, Lana, Enzo, and Cass. This Sunday, it is Cass facing Rusev. This feud won't end that easily. And this just seems like a feud where the faces should come out on top. Until then, however, Rusev should look strong. He should be beating Cass at Roadblock: End of the Line.

The Cruiserweight Championship will be on the line. Rich Swann defends against Brian Kendrick and TJ Perkins, the only other two people to have held the new title. I have said before that I don't think Rich Swann is really a long-term Champion. The WWE has not put proper work into him. But does the title go back to Kendrick or Perkins? I say Kendrick wins it back.

New Day have their record. Does that mean the reign of terror ends? Cesaro & Sheamus will get another shot at the titles this Sunday. On one hand, New Day really does not need the titles anymore. On the other hand, Cesaro & Sheamus don't feel like they really deserve it right now. Cesaro has held a title or accolade every year he has been on the main roster. He won the United States Championship in 2012 and held it into 2013. He won the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal in 2014. He won the tag titles in 2015. Will 2016 be a dead year for him, as far as titles and accolades go? And Sheamus is Sheamus. The WWE loves giving him title pushes you would not think he actually deserves. I will say these two win the titles.

What Does Rusev Do Now?

Rusev did not regain the United States title from Roman Reigns last Sunday. To make matters worse, he was used as fodder to make Goldberg look good on Raw this week. His stock is falling a bit.

Is it really that terrible? In the somewhat short time Rusev has been on the main roster, he has already had some ups and downs. He started off strong. He won the United States Championship. He was used to put over Cena. He was part of that storyline with Lana and Dolph Ziggler that got ruined for various reasons. It took a while until he was relevant again with that stable also featuring Sheamus, Barrett, and Del Rio. He regained the United States title after that group ended. And he was just used to put over Reigns. I don't think it would be so terrible for him to suffer a little depush. The WWE will likely go to him again in a big way sooner or later. Until then, other midcard heels get a chance to possibly be pushed better. Rusev has talent and potential, but I do not think he has broken out enough to deserve to be pushed with the consistency that an A-tier player should.

Of course, some fans still are unhappy that Rusev is depushed. What can you do with the guy? Forget about Survivor Series being a PPV that begs for multiple bodies being used. What personal angle or feud should he be getting? I have seen some fans say he should pick up Dolph Ziggler's challenge and go for the Intercontinental Championship. He can win that and go to Smackdown. As I said, Rusev is not a guy that needs to be pushed well all the time. I think he'll live if he doesn't go 5 minutes without a title feud. If circumstances were different, he could be the brute feuding against Seth Rollins. Give Seth Rollins a break from Owens and Jericho. But there does not appear to be any good personal feud for Rusev now.

Lana is along for the ride. If the sun does once again set on Rusev, that will not be good for Lana. If there was a face couple on Raw with nothing to do, they could just work an angle with Rusev and Lana. Lana is limited in the ring. She can still work some kind of angle with the women. But in terms of long-term usage, her fate is tied to Rusev.

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.

The WWE Should Do Better With Lana

Lana has been involved with Rusev, her husband in real life, throughout her time in the WWE. Even during that brief period last year when she turned face and sided with Dolph Ziggler, the storyline still involved Rusev. On the main roster, the pair started out with Lana doing most of the talking and Rusev doing the heavy work in the ring. Lana got over with the fans during the era of wrestling fans protesting how female wrestlers were being treated. I know I have brought this up before, but it deserves repeating.

In recent weeks, it looked like focus on Lana was on the rise again. They had that segment where Lana ended up with cake on her face. The story was then about Rusev fighting for Lana's honor for a while. She was more than just that woman in Rusev's shadow. Since then, however, she's back to being a bit of an afterthought. I remember a recent episode of Raw where Rusev came out to attack Roman Reigns. The camera cut to Lana standing in the aisle for a moment during that attack. The announcers pretty much said, "Oh, and there's Lana!" Not literally, but close enough. Even though the story between Rusev and Roman Reigns involves Lana to some degree, she is no longer actually featured that prominently in the story. Simply having the announcers bring up Lana's involvement is not enough. Even minor instances of interference is not enough. She doesn't do much these days.

Ideally, you should want workers that are well-rounded. They can wrestle well enough to connect with wrestling fans, they have an appealing look to connect with fans interested in that, and they have the charisma to connect with fans beyond that. The WWE lacks great workers right now. Even the highly-praised women coming out of NXT have their shortcomings. That's okay. If you can't have the ideal situation, the next best thing is having various workers with various strengths. The WWE obviously has various women good enough in the ring to connect with fans interested in serious wrestling.

Lana's strengths are her looks and her character. She can play an entertaining character. Lana and Maryse are the two hottest periphery divas in the WWE right now. In terms of who is better and has more potential, it is close, but I would go with Lana. On Raw, it is no competition. Summer Rae can be utilized better, as well, but Lana has more potential. The WWE needs someone like her to add some variety to the women's division. Not everyone is entertained by serious women's wrestling. The WWE needs to ease up and start entertaining again. If they won't do that with the female wrestlers, do it with the divas.

What can the WWE do to improve their treatment of Lana? The little things count. Let her do promos on a consistent basis again. Rusev can still talk for himself, but his ramblings during matches are enough to get wrestling fans to know he has a personality. And it would be nice if she did more than just stand there so much of the time. Let her be more vocal and active during Rusev's matches. Just doing these things helped Lana to become so over a few years ago. Not letting her do these things might be seen as a burial, whether intentional or not.

Beyond that, it is a shame that the WWE acknowledged the marriage of Lana and Rusev. Letting Lana break out on her own might be less likely. Letting her manage someone else might refresh her. Outside of that, Lana looked good when she was the leader of her own group earlier this year. The WWE might want to consider something like that again. The depth might be an issue due to the brand split, but the WWE can just get two women from NXT and let Lana manage them. Lana can even get in the ring again on rare occasions. Give her an angle separate of Rusev. Because this angle with Rusev is no longer consistently doing anything for her.

And what happens when the sun sets on Rusev? I feel like I have brought this up before years ago. He already lost the United States Championship to Roman Reigns. Let's say he does not win it back. Then what? Will he get depushed? Will he be moved to some angle where Lana might actually get featured better? I know many wrestling fans hated the storyline with these two, Dolph Ziggler, and Summer Rae, but the WWE needs some storylines with drama to them. Rusev can be entertaining without being pushed as a beast. Whatever happens to Rusev, Lana will likely be along for the ride. And taking him away from the title scene might actually lead to Lana being featured better, or possibly being featured even less.

Previewing The Clash Of Champions 2016 Main Event

This match seems pretty straightforward. The winner seems obvious. But I will also take this time to look ahead to what the WWE should do with the Raw main-eventers after Clash of Champions.

First, you have Seth Rollins. He obviously has his drama with Triple H. Rollins is slowly turning into a full face. What some people might not be thinking about is the fact that Seth Rollins has been in every World title PPV match for about a year and a half now that he could possibly be in, not counting the time off he took for being injured and the recent Smackdown-only PPV. It made sense when he was WWE Champion last year, but he has just gotten title shot after title shot this year. He has even gotten some non-PPV title matches in recent months. It is just too much Seth Rollins. Even if they have decided to groom him as the centerpiece over Roman Reigns, it is too much.

In the other corner, you have the Universal Champion, Kevin Owens. He just won the title a few weeks ago. He won it in a cheap way, Triple H pretty much handing him the title. Kayfabe aside, he has not been built up for this big push like certain other guys are prior to a World title win, like Rollins and Reigns. But there is nothing wrong with that. There is nothing wrong with a surprise big title win like this. The WWE shouldn't telegraph everything they are going to do. Fans will complain about them being predictable.

When these two come together this Sunday, who wins? It makes sense for it to be Kevin Owens. If Triple H screwed Rollins on Raw a few weeks ago, he's not going to let him get the title at Clash of Champions. The WWE should keep the angle going of Rollins being screwed. But will Triple H show up and do the same thing he did on Raw a few weeks ago? Will he Pedigree Rollins and hand Owens the title? Some variation of that? Will Stephanie McMahon be the one to screw Rollins? He has been taking out his anger verbally on her. Whether the story is about Stephanie legitimately not knowing her husband would screw Rollins or not, Rollins is giving her a reason to screw him herself. No matter how exactly it goes down, Kevin Owens will end up retaining the title thanks to shenanigans.

What happens after that? Seth Rollins really should move on from the title for now. He would want to get revenge on Triple H, or Triple H and Stephanie, depending on how the WWE handles the story. The WWE might try to drag this all the way to Wrestlemania, so don't expect Triple H vs. Seth Rollins for Survivor Series. What does Seth do in the meantime? What about Roman Reigns? He was also screwed by Triple H a few weeks ago out of the title. Moreover, he just beat Kevin Owens in a cage match on Raw this week. Does that create an argument for him getting a shot at the Universal Championship?

Let me start with Roman Reigns. Let him win the United States Championship from Rusev and continue that feud for a little while longer. No need to put him in a feud for the Universal Championship. Wrestling fans would dislike that even more than the endless title shots Rollins has been getting.

Speaking of Rollins, he should not be getting another shot at Kevin Owens so soon after Clash of Champions. Enough of Seth Rollins in the title scene. But if you cross that out and are not giving him Triple H immediately, what's left? How about a feud with Chris Jericho? He is friends with Owens. He might even be the one to screw Rollins this Sunday, which would make that feud even more obvious. Even if he doesn't screw Rollins, he can come out and rub it in that Rollins lost to Owens. He can mock Rollins for getting screwed. There is no real stable around Triple H and Stephanie McMahon anymore. If there was, Seth Rollins could just feud with their henchmen. He's not going to wrestle Mick Foley. The next best thing is feuding with another top heel outside the title picture. That's Chris Jericho.

Where does that leave Kevin Owens? Roman Reigns is busy with Rusev. Seth Rollins is busy with Chris Jericho. Have Owens face Cesaro. Remember him? He should be winning that series against Sheamus, and the winner gets a title shot. I have seen fans come up with some interesting scenarios with that Sheamus/Cesaro match. The WWE has been a little vague with what "title shot" actually means. Which title? I have seen one fan bring up that Cesaro will take his title shot and use it for Smackdown's World title. I have seen some fans talk about one of the two men winning the series, then being informed by Mick Foley that the title opportunity that he won was for the tag titles and his partner will be the guy he just beat at Clash of Champions. There is some room to get fancy with this angle, but I don't think there is any need for that. Give Cesaro a shot at Kevin Owens for the Universal Championship.

Wrestling fans have been wanting Cesaro to get that big push for years. I am not against him winning the series and getting this big push. I just hate the booking of the series. I can understand a face overcoming the odds, but the odds were just annoyingly against Cesaro in the series. And I would say this is the perfect time to give someone like Cesaro the push. It obviously wouldn't be the biggest story going on Raw. That would still involve Seth Rollins, but he does not need to be involved in the title chase for that story. Even Roman Reigns might still be featured better than Cesaro, but people would be happy that Reigns is out of the Universal Championship hunt. There is enough going on to still keep things going. And with the WWE Network, it's not like the WWE really needs to work hard to sell each individual PPV. For $9.99, just in terms of PPVs, you get one for Raw and one for Smackdown in a given month. The WWE's success in October does not have to hang entirely on Cesaro. But this will be a push wrestling fans can enjoy. And the WWE does seem to be interested in feeding those fans these days. 

Previewing The Clash Of Champions 2016 Undercard Matches

There was a time for a while in the WWE where they just did a poor job building up their PPV cards. They would just put most of their focus on a handful of major matches. Everything else got mediocre development. You would even see random filler matches on these PPVs. The WWE then improved themselves a little bit. But it looks like they might be going back to their old ways with the brand split back. I can hardly believe Clash of Champions is already here, but it is.

Chris Jericho faces Sami Zayn. This is a feud they just threw together in recent weeks. You can say that the injury to Finn Balor shook things up. Chris Jericho cannot continue his tag-team run with Kevin Owens in the manner the WWE might have wanted to. Owens has Seth Rollins, so Jericho is left with Sami Zayn, who had been without direction for a few weeks before that. But this is a feud for Sami Zayn to win. Jericho doesn't need this win. Yes, I said the same kind of thing before Summerslam, where Jericho and Owens beat Enzo & Cass, but I am sure that feud would have continued to give the face team the win later on. I do not think Zayn/Jericho should be an extended feud, so let Zayn win here and move on.

Sheamus vs. Cesaro has been flavored filler. These guys will have the grand finale of their "Best of Seven" series at Clash of Champions. The winner gets a title shot, but it has still been a long feud. Even wrestling fans have been giving this feud mixed reviews. Some love it because these guys can go in the ring. Others hate it because of how stale it is. And I just hate the booking of these matches. Sheamus won 3 straight. The odds were against Cesaro. There was even an injury angle involved. And Cesaro bounces back to win 3 straight. Is Cesaro going to come out to John Cena's theme song this Sunday? The Swiss Cena probably should. That's how this feud is making him look, especially if he wins. I think Sheamus should win this just so he doesn't look pathetic. But I will say the WWE will have Cesaro win.

New Day vs. Anderson & Gallows is another feud that has been going on for a long time. The issue with this feud isn't really staleness. It is just terrible segments and the WWE not knowing what to do with Anderson & Gallows. Are they destructive monsters? Or are they comedians? Destructive monsters that moonlight as comedians? Whatever it is, it hasn't worked out very well. I have talked about them and this feud a lot in recent weeks. The WWE missed their chance to put the titles on these heels when the timing was better. But they will probably win it here. If Jericho/Owens was still a force in the tag division, I would say have New Day retain this Sunday and lose the titles to them. Not going to happen. No other great heel teams on the horizon. Give the titles to Anderson and Gallows. 

The Cruiserweight Championship will be defended at Clash of Champions. TJ Perkins defends against Brian Kendrick. And this just feels like something thrown together. Yes, there was hype for the cruiserweights for months, but this actual match just popped up the week before the PPV. People criticize the WWE for how they handled the debut of the division on Raw this week. Where's TJ Perkins? Where are all the other guys that will be in the division? Where is proper development for the guys that were there? It is like the WWE just tossed them out there to be wrestlers and is not putting in the work to make them stars. The WWE is obviously not planning to sell the PPV on this feud, but the cruiserweight division could have gotten off to a better start. As for the winner of this match, TJ Perkins. Why would they have him lose the title so soon after getting it?

Roman Reigns vs. Rusev for the United States Championship is the only undercard match to get great development. That is because it involves Roman Reigns. This match could be considered one of the top matches for Clash of Champions. It has gotten some main-event focus on Raw. I could have talked about it Friday. But I'll just talk about it here. The only flaw in the development of this feud was Rusev taking some time off. He just got married to Lana a few weeks ago, so I am not going to criticize him for taking time off. I am just saying that there was some time where the feud kind of got lost in the shuffle. That left time for Roman Reigns to be involved in the drama over the Universal Championship. Maybe that added a little to the feud. Rusev ran out last week to screw Roman Reigns out of a match that would have given him another shot at the Universal Championship. Overall, one of the better feuds on the card this Sunday.

Who wins? Rusev seems to have momentum. He attacked Roman Reigns after that cage match this week on Raw. Rollins ran out for the save, mostly to also take out Kevin Owens, not save Roman Reigns. The only way I can picture Reigns losing this match is so he can get involved with Kevin Owens for the Universal Championship after Clash of Champions. A main-eventer like Roman Reigns does not necessarily need a midcard title. He's not at that stage of his career that John Cena was when he won the United States Championship twice last year. And Reigns doesn't feel like one of those former World Champions that gets demoted back to the midcard to win titles there, like Miz. I know it looked like he would get demoted after his suspension and getting pinned cleanly a few times, but the WWE seems to be back to pushing him as a major player. If he does lose to Rusev, it won't be cleanly. And it would have to be in a way that still ends the feud to free him up to face Owens, if they want to go in that direction. I will just say Reigns wins this Sunday.

Previewing The Sumerslam 2016 Undercard Matches

Cesaro and Sheamus are going to have a "Best of Seven" series, the first match happening at Summerslam. These two have already faced each other multiple times. This is a boring feud that did not need to be extended this long. I would have expected this feud to end at Summerslam and both men to move on to other things. This was not even a feud that felt heated enough to need a gimmick to it, like I have said about certain other feuds, like Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn. There is a feud where a "Best of Seven" might have been more appealing. In any case, who wins this Sunday? Doesn't matter. I will say Sheamus. Let Cesaro have to come from behind. This is flavored filler for a few weeks, I'll give the WWE that.

Enzo & Cass take on Chris Jericho and Kevin Owens. I am not going to call the heels by their team name. These kind of teams never last long and there is no point getting hooked. Enzo & Cass are a hot act and I will say they win here. The heels have the momentum heading into Sunday. I will also say that the feud continues past Summerslam. There is more potential for good promos here than with Cesaro vs.Sheamus, one of the things that makes extended feuds more bearable and even enjoyable.

New Day defend the tag titles against The Club. No Big E in this match. New Day already has the record, so the WWE might as well take the titles off them. I just don't think Anderson & Gallows look that great right now. I have talked about it before. Are they destructive badasses, which helped groups like The Shield be successful? Or are they a new kind of DX? I see some fans a little unhappy with how they are now being featured. Other fans like the humor. Either way, most wrestling fans would probably like them getting the titles, and they probably will.

Miz defends the Intercontinental Championship against Apollo Crews. I just don't feel like Crews has really broken out yet. He probably will win the Intercontinental Championship one day, which won't help him break out, but I will say Miz retains here. Make it a journey for Apollo Crews. Maybe that will help fans buy into him more.

Outside of the title feud between Dean Ambrose and Dolph Ziggler, Smackdown's big feud is AJ Styles vs. John Cena. And it has been pretty routine. It feels like a weaker version of Cena vs. CM Punk. Styles is following in the path of workers like Punk and Daniel Bryan. But those two workers just had pushes that helped them to break out, whether the WWE wanted it or not. AJ Styles just feels like a guy that has gone with the flow of wherever the WWE had taken him this year. Although they have treated him pretty well, Styles does not look like an A+ player. As for who wins this match, AJ seems likely to win. Cena destroyed him on Smackdown this week. Besides that, Cena will eventually take time off again. Will Styles be the one to write him off eventually? If that is the case, maybe they will let Cena win at Summerslam and let AJ Styles look even more impressive down the line against Cena when they do give him time off. For now, I will stick with AJ Styles winning at Summerslam.

Raw's big match, outside of Seth Rollins vs. Finn Balor, is Roman Reigns vs. Rusev for the United States Championship. It has even gotten the main-event slot the last two weeks. Is that because the WWE still wants Roman Reigns as the centerpiece? Or do they just realize the third hour is doing poorly most of the time and will stick their #2 feud there? Whatever the case, Roman Reigns is still being pushed better than some fans might have expected.

He might even be getting pushed better than some fans actually want. I see some fans talking about how it would send a terrible message if they let him win the United States Championship. What do some fans want? Reigns fired? He served his time for what he did. He did not win back the WWE Championship. He is not in the main event of Summerslam. William Regal screwed up when he got suspended in 2008, but they still gave him a run with the Intercontinental Championship a few months later. Some fans are just not being fair. Yes, a lot of fans hate Roman Reigns, but that doesn't mean the WWE needs to punish him even more than they have.

Back to the feud with Rusev, the WWE had them go at it on Raw this week. That match will probably be better than PPV match this Sunday. And they had Reigns win on Raw. Does that mean he loses at Summerslam? It might. Prior to this week, it just seemed like giving him a midcard title run might be likely. Cena gained some points with smarks last year when he was depushed and defending the United States Champion. A depush has eased the hatred towards Reigns in the past. It just made sense that a depush and a solid run with the U.S. title would do him some good.

The other story the WWE might want to tell is that Roman Reigns is having the worst year of his life. Remember when Cena lost to The Rock at Wrestlemania and the year he had that followed? The WWE sold it like Cena needed to redeem himself, and he obviously did it when he beat The Rock one year later for the WWE Championship. Roman Reigns lost the WWE Championship. He got suspended, something the WWE acknowledged even in kayfabe, and has been moving downwards ever since. Failing to win the title this Sunday would just further drive that point. Will they keep holding him down for a whole year? Or just until Wrestlemania next year where he might regain the the top title, likely the Universal Championship, and be the top guy again? The WWE might hope fans are sympathetic towards Reigns and it helps him get over better. Tricky plan, but the WWE might try something like that.

Which way will the WWE go? Solid midcard push? Or the redemption story? Going by how they let Reigns win the non-title match on Monday, I will say he loses to Rusev and they go with some kind of redemption story. Whether it lasts a year, a couple months, or a few weeks, the WWE might want to try the sympathy route. Let fans believe he is being punished and try to make him earn his spot back. Might not work, but they still might try it.

Roman Reigns Vs. Rusev

After losing cleanly to Finn Balor last week, fans were speculating what would happen to Roman Reigns for Summerslam. Would he be forced into Raw's main event anyway? The popular opinion from many fans was a feud with Chris Jericho. I would have guessed the WWE would pull that. He's the veteran jobber to the stars. Reigns has never beaten him in a singles feud.

Reigns is getting Rusev. Rusev retained the United States Championship against Mark Henry on Raw. The newlywed then had a confrontation with Roman Reigns. Given how Reigns was looking at that United States Championship after sending Rusev running alongside his wife, this will likely not be a non-title feud.

Some fans are talking like this is some kind of demotion for Roman Reigns. Well, what do you expect? If the guy can't handle being pushed as the centerpiece, they have to depush him. It is the smart thing to do. Overpushing him is irritating fans, it is not helping him, and it is not helping the company. Some guys are just not meant to be main-eventers or need time to develop themselves further in the midcard.

I did notice fans chanting for Reigns on Raw during his confrontation with Rusev. I am not saying it will last, but it is better than nuclear heat. I have mentioned before that Reigns seemed to get less hate last year when they stopped pushing him as a main-eventer for a while so he could feud with Bray Wyatt. Fans don't absolutely despise Roman Reigns. They just do not like how he is pushed. When he is pushed with the right character and in the right position on the card, he can get a better reaction.

The United States Championship is in the picture. Should he win it? Dean Ambrose has held that title. Seth Rollins held it last year. Roman Reigns is the only former member of The Shield never to have held it. John Cena, the previous centerpiece, also had some runs with the U.S. title last year that helped to win over some of his haters. How he was booked had a lot to do with that, but the WWE might have a reason to want to let Reigns win this midcard singles title. If they book him right, he might win over more of his haters.

Previewing The Battleground 2016 Undercard

Recently, the WWE has shown that they will go with certain things that wrestling fans might appreciate, but the general audience may not be able to. For the most part, I don't think they should do that. The feud between Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn is a rare exception I am willing to make. They just have a heated rivalry and a chemistry. You pretty much have to add another chapter to their story on the main roster. The brawls and interactions can get that general audience interested.

Problem is, this match for Battleground seems like a disappointment. I said that Natalya vs. Becky Lynch might have deserved some kind of stipulation, and I will say the same thing for Owens vs. Zayn. How can it not have a stipulation? They are treating this like it is the final battle between the two. It won't be, but how can you not add to the match to make it feel like a bigger deal? Last Man Standing? I Quit? You don't need the Extreme Rules PPV to have these matches. As for the winner, I feel this can go either way, but I will say Sami Zayn.

The brand split may have messed up The Wyatts. Nevertheless, they still have New Day at Battleground. Tag titles are not on the line. People complained last year when the WWE did not have Nikki Bella defend the title at some PPVs, saying they just wanted to have her walk her way to the record for longest run with the Diva's Championship. I don't see anyone complaining about New Day not having to defend the titles here. I'm sure they are out there, I just don't see them. As for this feud, I think it has been rather disappointing so far. There is a storyline with some potential. But the fact that the tag titles are wasted here and the WWE arguably failed to beat TNA at their own game with that segment recently just hurts my interest in it. It annoys me more than it entertains me. Bray Wyatt needs wins more at this point than New Day, especially when their tag titles are not on the line. Wyatts win.

Darren Young gets a title shot against The Miz. These two were drafted to different shows. It seems this feud will end at Battleground. You might say that Miz obviously retains to keep the Intercontinental Championship on Smackdown, but the WWE could have Darren Young and Zack Ryder win their respective matches, switching what shows the United States and Intercontinental Championships are on. Not likely. Miz retains, but what happens to Darren's push after? I am not going to say he started at the top, but this push pretty much started as high as anyone would have expected him to go. Will he be pushed properly in the midcard? Or become a jobber? That would be a waste of Bob Backlund. Will Backlund even last the year in the WWE?

Rusev defends the United States Championship against Zack Ryder. I already said it is unlikely the two midcard titles switch shows by having two lower-midcarders win them on the same night. And Ryder won't beat Rusev just to bring the title over to Smackdown. I can picture Ryder losing this and going back after The Miz and the Intercontinental Championship.

John Cena and Enzo & Cass vs. The Club. AJ Styles will not have his buddies much longer due to the draft. But this match will still happen. Either Anderson and Gallows will likely eat the pin in this match. Face team wins.

What happens to the feud between Cena and Styles after that? Now the playing field is cleared up. Enzo & Cass are not on Smackdown with Cena and Styles. Anderson and Gallows aren't there, either. It will just be Cena vs. Styles. That might make Summerslam their final encounter.

Time To Push Zack Ryder Again?

The big patriotic moment on the July 4th Raw did not come with Titus O'Neil beating Rusev for the United States Championship like I talked about on Monday. It came with Team USA winning the main event of Raw. Specifically, it was Zack Ryder that got the final elimination in that match.

Is it time to push Zack Ryder again? Looking at the endangered species that is Smackdown spoilers, he seems to be getting a push. Coincidentally, he seems to be getting a push against Rusev for the United States Championship.

What are the chances that Ryder actually wins the title? I do not think he should. He got a big Wrestlemania moment and Intercontinental Championship win just this year. Yes, the reign was very short, but it is still better than some guys get. And that's why I don't think he should be getting this push. There are a few guys on the roster that have never held a title on the main roster or have not held one in a long time. What about them? It can help them gain some momentum and credibility. It can add to whatever storyline or feud they may have.

Zack Ryder is not a guy that needs all that. He is not someone being groomed to be a main-eventer. He is a guy that got over on his own through his character. The WWE should be giving him things to do that brings that entertaining aspect out of him. How many times can you treat him as an underdog? He was an underdog when he first won the United States Championship. He was an underdog earlier this year for his title win. He's an underdog again against Rusev. Give him some non-title feuds. And it would be nice if some of these non-title feuds didn't involve him just being an underdog.

This is nothing personal against Ryder. I just think he doesn't need to be involved in the title scene to be relevant. I have said the same thing about New Day. They don't need the tag titles to do their act. As a Mickie James fan, I have said the same thing about her in the WWE. I would have loved for her to get some real periphery angles that actually went somewhere. She never did. Ryder should be able to get something good to do without a title being involved.

Should Titus O'Neil Win The United States Championship Tonight?

Rusev and Titus O'Neil have been feuding for a few weeks now. Rusev won the PPV encounter a few weeks ago. The feud did not stop there, however. It has become a little more intense. Titus gets another shot at the United States Championship tonight on the July 4th Raw.

Should Titus win it? It just seems like a great thing to do to have the evil foreigner lose the United States Championship on an American holiday like today. It is something for fans to get into. Depending on promos and how they build up to the match tonight, Titus could get a very good reaction, if he wins. Or the evil foreigner can win for even more heat.

This could also be seen as a way for Vince McMahon to apologize to Titus for overreacting to that incident a few months ago that got Titus suspended for originally 90 days. It was lowered to 60 days, but still a harsh punishment for a guy that did nothing with bad intentions. I have seen some people in the WWE do worse and not even get suspended for 30 days.

If he does win the title, I can see this as the kind of push Kalisto got. Kalisto traded the title with Alberto Del Rio, ended up holding it a few months, but ultimately lost the title and has not been too relevant since. I can see Titus getting a big win tonight and losing the title, probably back to Rusev, in the near future. He might even lose it back to Rusev on Smackdown this week.

So, should he win it? I think so. The WWE has done a good job building up this feud. Then again, they also did a good job building up Rusev vs. Jack Swagger. Swagger never won the title off Rusev. But I will say Titus wins. If he had not grabbed Vince a few months ago, I don't think he would even be getting the push he is getting now. I think the solo run he was getting just would have fizzled out, just like his previous solo run.

Previewing The Money In The Bank 2016 Undercard Matches

Titus O'Neil gets a shot at the United States Championship. Some people might question whether or not he even deserves this push against Rusev. It is likely he is just being used as fodder for Rusev. Nevertheless, it is nice to see Titus still getting something meaningful to do on TV after that incident a few months ago. Rusev retains here.

The tag titles match seems interesting. New Day defends against The Club, The Vaudevillains, and Enzo & Cass. But this should really boil down to two teams. It will either be New Day retaining or The Club getting the titles. If New Day retains here, the WWE might as well head towards these guys breaking the record for longest reign with the tag titles, or at least make an angle out of them possibly doing it. The Club, however, can really use that credibility from winning the titles. The commentators keep on putting over how dominant these guys are and whatever else. Show it, don't just say it. So far, these guys have not looked as impactful as Nexus, The Shield, and other such groups. They don't really take over the show like the NWO did in WCW. Honestly, it is pretty lame. Wrestling fans are eating these guys up because they are familiar with their work prior to the WWE. I would like to see more from them in the WWE, and I think there are a lot of other viewers that share that same belief. I would give them the titles.

I am going to lump Apollo Crews vs. Sheamus and Baron Corbin vs. Dolph Ziggler together. The new guys should be beating the veterans. Neither of the two new guys have been too stellar so far, but they have potential and bad feud development could hurt them. At least they are getting feuds. It is better than the WWE just giving a new debut a random win streak without an actual feud. Crews and Corbin win their respective matches.

Previewing The Extreme Rules 2016 Undercard Title Matches

New Day defend the tag titles against The Vaudevillains. I have said before that New Day should have lost the titles already to other teams that had the momentum. I do not think they should lose it here. The Vaudevillains don't look like they are ready. Have New Day retain here and eventually drop it to Anderson & Gallows to give The Club some credibility. 

Kalisto defends the United States Championship against Rusev. Rusev looks monstrous again. They are even running an injury angle with Kalisto. Or is he really hurt? Can't even tell these days. Are they doing all this to make Rusev look dominant and give Kalisto a bit of an excuse when he loses the title? Or is this just to stack the odds against Kalisto so he can overcome them? Speaking of overcoming the odds, I see some fans dreading that the only reason Rusev looks strong again and might win the title is to drop it to Cena when he returns. That doesn't really make sense to me. Cena does not need a title to be pushed well. Beyond that, Alberto Del Rio was the guy that beat Cena cleanly for the title last year and retained it again against Cena prior to Cena's injury. Wouldn't it make more sense to give the title back to Alberto Del Rio so he can drop it to Cena, if the plan is for another United States Championship run for Cena? In any case, I will say Rusev wins the title at Extreme Rules.

The Intercontinental Championship will be decided in a fatal fourway. Miz defends against Cesaro, Kevin Owens, and Sami Zayn. Cesaro just felt like he had the momentum when he returned last month. It felt like he would eventually win the title from Miz. Inserting Owens and Zayn certainly confuses things. These two could have had their own gimmick match at Extreme Rules. Make it a Last Man Standing match, or something like that. Owens and Zayn do have that history together. Leave the title to be decided between Miz and Cesaro, where Cesaro would win it. The WWE can still have Cesaro win it, then feud with Miz, while Owens and Zayn go back to killing each other, but I think a lot of Cesaro's momentum is hurt. I will say Miz retains.

No title is on the line, but I want to talk about Chris Jericho vs. Dean Ambrose. This is an Asylum match. WWE must like Dean Ambrose a lot to let him have his own match. He might just be the new Mick Foley. Foley got a few runs with the WWE Championship, but he was never the centerpiece. That will be the story with Ambrose. He will eventually win the WWE Championship, but he will not take the true top spot. Until any of that happens, he has Chris Jericho. They have been murdering the other guy's favorite inanimate object. Might as well try to murder each other in an extreme environment. Logic might say that Ambrose wins this match since it is his match, but he seems to have too much of the momentum. I can see Jericho winning this to make the rivalry more interesting and extending it.

The End Of The League Of Nations

Alberto Del Rio had said in an interview recently that The League of Nations was finished. They didn't look like a unit on Raw this week. On Smackdown this week, without spoiling too much, it looks like another nail is being put into the coffin.

This is a group that could have been a lot better than they were. Even with Barrett being taken out, the trio of Sheamus, Alberto Del Rio, and Rusev could have made an impact. Personally, I prefer seeing Rusev with Lana than Rusev with The League of Nations, but that's another issue. The stable still could have been good.

What about that feud with The Wyatts? Bray Wyatt's recent injury has ruined it. I think recent developments just further support that the feud really was out of lack of creative direction. If The League of Nations can't have that feud, they can't have any feud? Breaking them up is the only thing you can think of? With The Wyatts, it is no big deal. When Bray Wyatt returns, he can just jump to any feud. The WWE frequently has him just move all over the place. But it really feels like The League of Nations was the group that the WWE really didn't have any direction for.

Roman Reigns didn't bury the group. They still stayed together after Sheamus lost the title and eventually regained some of their momentum back. John Cena, the guy many fans say buries people, certainly didn't ruin them. I wouldn't even say New Day ruined them, although the WWE should have let two members of The League of Nations win the tag titles while they still had some momentum and were looking like a strong heel stable. New Day doesn't need them anymore. I would say that was the point the WWE really missed a chance to go somewhere with this group. The feud against The Wyatts likely would not have been as good as The Wyatts vs. The Shield.

Is there any hope for these three guys? Or are they all jobbers to the stars even as singles wrestlers? Even with the injury issues, I think the WWE had enough heels to work with Roman Reigns and AJ Styles. There's no need to turn anyone or free up people to serve that purpose. But I do not have confidence in how they will be handled. The WWE just debuted a bunch of guys. Cesaro returned from injury. Cena will return soon. Sheamus, Rusev, and Del Rio stood a better chance of being featured well as a group than they likely will on their own.

The Wyatts Vs. The League Of Nations: Really?

The League of Nations won their Wrestlemania match against New Day. They got a title shot the very next night on Raw. I would have had them win the titles. The WWE had other plans. New Day retained and Barrett was kicked out of the group.

The Wyatts had an eventful Wrestlemania. Despite not having an official match heading into Sunday, they were used to put over The Rock and John Cena. The next night on Raw, they attacked the remains of The League of Nations.

Is the WWE really going with this feud? I talked about how Roman Reigns vs. AJ Styles seemed like a suspicious feud to create right now. Should I have the same feeling for this heel stable vs. heel stable feud? This just feels like lazy booking. With the WWE running with Reigns vs. Styles, for whatever reason they might have, that takes away two top faces. Ambrose looks like he is going in another direction. And even if the WWE had pushed one of these other top faces against one of the heel stables, they would likely need a few partners to even things out. Even if one stable is able to get a proper feud, what about the other? Having the two groups feud is just an easy answer.

There were still other options. How about continuing New Day vs. The League of Nations for one more PPV? Or how about having The Wyatts feud with New Day? Have Roman Reigns feud against The League of Nations. Have him feud against one member, two members, or possibly all three guys left in the group in a four-way match for the title.

Some people might wonder if the WWE is thinking face turn for one of these groups. I don't think that is necessary. The Shield vs. The Wyatts happened when both teams were heels. The Shield would eventually turn face, but it did not happen immediately with that feud. Besides that, the WWE just officially turned New Day face not too long ago. Do they really need to turn another team face? If a team does turn, the WWE will probably turn The Wyatts. The League of Nations just seem less likeable right now.

I honestly do not remember any fans being excited for a feud between these two groups prior to last week. Even since then, I don't feel the hype. Go back to The Shield vs. The Wyatts. Even before that feud got started, I remember fans wanting it. The Shield is the best 3-man group in recent WWE history. The Wyatts were hot back then. Many fans consider the 2014 Elimination Chamber match between these two groups the match of the year back then. Those expectations are not here. Sheamus and his crew are not The Shield. The Wyatts have been broken down and built back up a few times since that feud against The Shield. They have lost their edge. Moreover, Braun Strowman is not Luke Harper. Wrestling fans love Luke Harper. They are not so crazy about Braun Strowman. I do not expect this heel stable vs. heel stable feud you have right now to be as good as The Shield vs. The Wyatts. And I would be shocked if a 3 vs. 3 match between The League of Nations and The Wyatts gets match of the year for 2016.  

Previewing Wrestlemania 2016: The Undercard

The Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal has never led to a serious push for either of the first two winners. Big Show, last year's winner, certainly already has his career made. He's going to be in the WWE Hall of Fame. Cesaro, the first winner, has had his career go up and down. He has gotten a number of titles and accolades in between depushes. I know about the rumors about Braun Strowman winning and getting a big push later on. Since that might hinge on what the WWE does with Roman Reigns and injury issues, I am not picking him to win. I could imagine someone in The Social Outcasts winning. Would that be an insult to Andre? A jobber winning this? Well, is putting this match on the pre-show insulting? The WWE might do some funny things with someone from the group winning. And I do not think anyone else currently in the match can really benefit from this. I'll go with Heath Slater.

The Dudley Boys face The Usos. This match does not feel big enough for Wrestlemania, but at least there are some feuds going on in the tag division that go beyond the tag titles. Since The Dudleys turned heel just a few weeks ago, logic might say they win this match and continue their push. I am going to go against logic and say The Usos win. The WWE has not pushed The Dudleys well since they returned. At the same time, The Usos have not won anything major since they reunited. I'll go with them.

Kalisto defends the United States Championship against Ryback. Ryback went a few years without ever winning a title. There was a time when he seemed credible enough to win the WWE Championship. That never happened, bu he did win the Intercontinental Championship last year. I would say he does not really need another title reign again so soon. On the other hand, how serious is the WWE in pushing Kalisto as the new Mysterio? Having him bring this up in interviews and talking about him like he is the next Mysterio doesn't mean as much as booking him consistently. If his title reign ends this Sunday and he gets sent back to the tag division with Sin Cara, I doubt he will end up as the new Mysterio. I will say he retains the title.

Another multi-man ladder match for the Intercontinental Championship. Kevin Owens faces Sami Zayn, Dolph Ziggler, Zack Ryder, Sin Cara, Miz, and Stardust. Some of these guys are just extra bodies. This match should have just been between Owens and Zayn. I would say those are the two favorites to win. I would have Owens retain and lose the title later to Zayn in a singles feud.

The New Day take on The League of Nations in a handicap match. Just a few weeks ago, The League of Nations destroyed New Day and actually looked like great heels. They actually looked like a group the WWE was serious in pushing again. Since then, it feels like they have lost some of that intensity. I still hope the group ends up winning the tag titles. Until then, I will say they beat New Day. They should. 

AJ Styles vs. Chris Jericho is a match that I do not think needed to happen again. This is the fourth match in a rivalry that is only two months old. This is a rivalry that featured them teaming up and eventually becoming contenders for the tag titles. This is a rivalry that featured the team splitting and one guy turning on the other. All in two months. You would think this kind of story takes a lot longer than this to develop. And yet, here we are.

I want to say a few things about how this feud has been developed since Chris Jericho turned heel. I have seen some fans criticize the WWE for taking so long to make this match official. They waited until the final Raw before Wrestlemania. I do not have a problem with that. The story is that Jericho was trying to avoid facing Styles again. Styles had to get Jericho to agree to it. This isn't bad storyline development.

The other part of this storyline that I want to bring up is the WWE bringing up "AJ Styles" chants. That supposedly annoyed Jericho. The issue I have isn't really the fact that Jericho is pretty over in his own right, even as a heel.This is about Styles. They obviously want the guy over. They are not burying his popularity. But how about they stop pointing out that fans like him and actually take advantage of what makes him phenomenal and develop his character better. Push him better. Fact is, I am not impressed by those chants. Maybe my memory is going bad, but I am sure I remember times when fans have reacted to wrestlers better. Those "AJ Styles" chants can be better. The WWE needs to put more work into AJ Styles. Smarks will cheer for him because he is great wrestler. Marks will cheer for him because he is pushed as a face. Beyond those fans that are either always criticizing the product or buying into it rather easily, how about the general audience? AJ needs to win those fans over. The WWE needs to do more than run a storyline about people chanting for him. He's not Daniel Bryan.

As far as the winner, it has to be Styles. Jericho is a jobber to the stars.

Dean Ambrose vs. Brock Lesnar is a big match, but not one of the likely two candidates to close the show, despite the presence of Brock Lesnar. Not to knock Ambrose, but this feels like the weakest Wrestlemania opponent Lesnar has had yet. It is a great push for Ambrose and will help elevate him, but Lesnar has faced guys with more star power or where there was something on the line in his other Wrestlemania matches. This is still a match many wrestling fans will look forward to.

And it is going to be a street fight. On the one hand, I like that the WWE has really made a storyline out of the match type. Hardcore legends have been utilized to push this feud. On the other hand, I think the WWE could have told a better story. Brock got mad at Ambrose for getting in the way of Brock getting a title shot. He attacked Ambrose in the parking lot the night after that. Just build on that intensity that was there. I feel how the WWE has handled the story these last few weeks has highlighted the match type more than the intense emotion that was there. Either way, should be a fun match.

The wildcard in this match will be The Wyatts. Dean Ambrose obviously has a history with Bray Wyatt. Brock Lesnar, moreover, was supposed to have a mini-feud with Bray. Bray was injured and that match got ruined. I doubt the WWE will have it end like that. They will go at it down the road. Will the WWE use this match at Wrestlemania to build up to that future match? The Wyatts don't have anything else going for them right now. Because there will be no disqualifications in this match, you can definitely imagine The Wyatts getting involved. Will it be a poor way for Dean Ambrose's feud with Brock Lesnar to end to just use this match as a stepping stone for another feud for Lesnar? That's another issue. Let's see how the WWE actually handles the match and what comes after.

Who wins? How often does Lesnar lose? Network specials aside, Brock Lesnar has not had a PPV win in a while. He lost at Fast Lane. He lost at the Royal Rumble. Is Vince McMahon going to be worried about Lesnar possibly starting to look weak? Some fans say that they cannot imagine Ambrose beating Lesnar cleanly. Well, can you imagine it with weapons involved? An extreme spot? It could happen. Of course, as I said, interference is likely. Cleanly or not, Lesnar has not won a big match in a while and I think he will win one here.

The Tag Division Heading Into Wrestlemania 2016

There was a time a few years ago when the WWE was good with handing the tag titles off to teams that had momentum and actually looked like they deserved them. That changed within the last year or so. The WWE would shoot the titles to a team that lacked momentum, then have a title change just when it started to look like that team was really starting to look good. That booking practice came to an end when the WWE allowed New Day to put a stranglehold on the division.

In my opinion, the tag division recently has been pretty poor. It's been, well, booty. During this time when New Day has been holding the titles for months and months, there were several teams that had some freshness or momentum to them that were not booked to get the tag titles. The Dudleys returned and looked hot. They have lost all their feuds so far. The Usos came back together again and could have been a choice to get the tag titles. Nope. The Lucha Dragons looked like they might go somewhere. Injuries led to a solo push for Kalisto. If the WWE had put the tag titles on a face team, that would have opened up the possibility for some fresh feuds with other heel teams. The League of Nations could have used the tag titles. The Wyatts could have used the tag titles, especially with Bray Wyatt not wrestling right now. Simply sticking so long with New Day all these months is not fair to other teams. This has not been a situation where depth was poor. I know New Day sells merchandise, but you should be able to push people well without titles. Titles are not just accolades. They are used to tell stories and add to feuds. And there are other stories and feuds that can use those tag titles that do not need New Day involved.

At Wrestlemania, all three members of New Day will face all four members of The League of Nations. The League of Nations have already had two shots to win the titles and failed. Backing up for a second, this started out as a heel vs. heel feud. After that beating on Raw New Day received, they seem to be the ones going face. I can very well imagine the WWE having New Day retain again and continuing their run as faces. They are pushed too much. This should be the feud where they lose the tag titles. The League of Nations have been built up again to look strong. There was a time not too long ago where they just looked pathetic. Injuries played a role in that. Don't just hand them this momentum to feed them to New Day.

There is another tag feud being developed for Wrestlemania. The Usos will face The Dudleys. It is not unusual to sometimes see things get lost in the shuffle around Wrestlemania season. And this would have been a feud you might expect to see get lost in the shuffle. The Dudleys have been pretty mediocre heels. After a lot of initial excitement and dirtsheets stirring the pot with reports saying the WWE saw the great heel potential in Bubba, this whole feud with The Usos and storyline about no more tables is just not that great. If the WWE wasn't so ravaged by injuries, this feud probably would be lost in the shuffle. The only good thing I can say about this feud is that it shows you can have some kind of feud in the tag division away from the tag titles. And it did have potential to be better than it is. The WWE just is not going in that direction.

What would I rather see for Wrestlemania this year from the tag division? I think they should have gone with a multi-team match for the tag titles. The main problem with that is that the WWE might struggle to create enough matches with the limited roster. Let's say injuries were not an issue. You can have New Day defend the tag titles against The League of Nations, The Usos, and The Dudleyz. Throw in The Wyatts? Make this the match R-Truth and Goldust officially become a team? Social Outcasts? You might have a gauntlet match here. Tag Team Turmoil. There are a lot of angles going on in the tag division. More of them need to be featured better. And New Day cannot continue to be featured so much better than the rest of them. I don't care how many unicorn horns and boxes of cereal they sell.