Big Show And Rusev Will Try It Again

The Rock made a surprise return last week and had a segment with Rusev and Lana. You don't need me telling you that. That means the match that was advertised between Big Show and Rusev on Raw last week did not happen. They will supposedly have it this week.

That little interruption from The Rock did not really hurt this feud between Rusev and Big Show. As I pointed out last week, there is plenty of time to build up this feud between Rusev and Big Show. I was wondering why they were so eager to have another match between the two. Save it for Hell in a Cell. They had to have had something more planned with this feud. I doubt it was an appearance from The Rock. Nevertheless, they had that extra time available there to have The Rock come back and have a great moment. More surprise moments like that might help ratings in the long run. As far as Rusev/Big Show goes, the WWE can go back to developing that and there is still time to do it well.

Should The Rock be the man to beat Rusev? The only full-time performer I can imagine beating Rusev is John Cena. It would also be nice if Jack Swagger was considered to still do it, since his gimmick fits so well against Rusev and he has done a good job in getting over. I do not think that one is likely. The Rock is a part-timer. Would it be a waste of all they have put into Rusev to have The Rock beat him? Should that go to a full-timer? The Rock obviously does not need the win. And I doubt that confrontation last week needs to lead to a feud. You also have the issue of how much longer the WWE can keep Rusev undefeated before he runs out of credible opponents. I am definitely not saying they should feed him The Rock just to make him look good. I do not think there is any need to follow up on that confrontation from last week at all. The WWE will definitely be mentioning it to create interest that The Rock might come back, but I doubt he will for a feud against Rusev.

The Devil Came Down To Hershey

With the sudden return of John Laurinaitis, the possibility of that Cena heel turn just became greater. Laurinaitis came back on Smackdown last week and did not receive a warm welcome from The Rock. Is this foreshadowing that Cena will join forces with Laurinaitis at Wrestlemania? Laurinaitis is definitely a great heel figure for Cena to align with to drive the point home that he will now be a heel.

Assuming the WWE is finally going for that heel turn, should they have not tried to build up to it at all? They could have made it a sudden turn that came out of nowhere. With Cena's recent behavior and the return of Laurinaitis, a lot more fans are expecting a turn than you would have gotten if they just kept the feud simple until the match. That would make the moment even more shocking. After all these years, Cena finally goes heel? That would have some fans marking out. Right now, it just doesn't feel the same when I'm expecting it to happen and it seems likely.

Cena About To Turn Heel?

That main-event segment on Raw looked like it was going to be the typical confrontation between The Rock and John Cena. Cena was going to talk about needing to win and The Rock was going to say he will beat Cena, again. But there was that one moment where Cena just gave out that vibe that he had enough. He tried to make it sound like The Rock did not beat him last year. He acted like he was tired of playing this character that led to him failing last year. He was actually whining. For that one brief moment, you could feel a heel turn coming.

Should this feud with The Rock finally lead to that Cena heel turn that many fans want? Part of the storyline last year was that Cena might have to turn heel to be able to beat The Rock. Kane tried to do it. Will they finally do it? I could imagine the kind of finish you had at the second Wrestlemania encounter involving The Rock and Austin. Austin turned heel and got help from Vince McMahon. But who would be in Vince's place today? Vickie? Doesn't seem big enough. Cena could turn heel by cheating in his match at Wrestlemania without interference, but it would be bigger if he aligned with a heel figure to drive the point home. Is Cena really willing to do anything to win this rematch and prove he can beat The Rock? If so, would he be willing to make a deal with the Devil? That's the question they should play with.

Where's The Rock?

He won the WWE Championship and left with it. No, I am not talking about CM Punk. I am talking about The Rock. He will defend the title against John Cena at Wrestlemania. But he hasn't exactly been around much.

Luckily for the WWE, Wrestlemania season means that they have other big feuds going to draw attention for Raw. Punk/Taker and Triple H/Lesnar have been getting a lot of attention in recent weeks. And yet, the match most likely to be the final match on the card is still the WWE Championship match. Does it really deserve it? There is still time for the WWE to build it up better. The feud between Cena and The Rock last year definitely had better build.

Just for the sake of thinking about how things could have been, had they gone with a triple threat and threw in CM Punk in the match, John Cena would still have someone to do promos with and work against during those weeks when The Rock could not be there. I think it is better than these hype videos they are airing and having Cena beat random jobbers. With the way things are now, the feud can get stale with Cena always bringing up the same idea every week. The Rock ruined his life and Cena will turn things around at Wrestlemania. Okay. What else? Hype is there, but it doesn't seem like they have a good way to develop this until Wrestlemania. Luckily, there's not much time left now.

The Rock Vs. CM Punk Vs. John Cena: Once In A Lifetime?

Before I actually talk about the big match coming up on Raw, how about John Cena this week? I love how the WWE basically has Cena shrug off that loss at Elimination Chamber and has him move right into title matters. Just proves that one "bad" night does not have to ruin a centerpiece, whether it is the top guy or the top woman. John Cena lost a PPV match on the road to Wrestlemania and it was essentially to a bunch of rookies. He is now moving on to headlining Wrestlemania. This will probably be one of those instances I always bring back up when arguing that a centerpiece does not have to be booked hard 24/7 to be the centerpiece. Cena not having a match at TLC 2011 is another example.

Moving on, John Cena is putting his title shot on the line against CM Punk on Raw. I said before that a triple threat would be a good option for Wrestlemania. This will probably be the last opportunity to follow through with that. How is that possible? This match can end in a draw. Have them pin each other at the same time. Have them both get counted out. There are ways to have the finish be indecisive, which would then lead to a triple threat at Wrestlemania. Cena said that CM Punk and The Rock were guys he could not beat, so beating them both at Wrestlemania to end his title drought would mean a lot.

What about the two simple options? That is to say, what if CM Punk wins or Cena wins? What if there is no draw? Cena didn't come this far to not be involved in the title match. If only one guy can go on to face The Rock, it will be Cena.

And I'll end it with a word on Jack Swagger. This is not how I would have liked to talk about Swagger's new push. I like him. He got arrested and drugs were in his possession. That's really bad publicity for the WWE. Will this screw up his push? He has been pulled from some events, but it seems like they are still pushing the gimmick. I'm not saying he should not be punished, but I just hope he still gets the push. Assuming he does lose it, who gets it? Mark Henry might just be the best choice. A lot of momentum there. Of all the free heels, he is the best choice. Pushing Ziggler against Del Rio by having him successfully cash in before Wrestlemania and giving Del Rio a rematch at the PPV is also an option. No need to completely shuffle the plans they have. Mark Henry is not doing anything too major right now. Nevertheless, with the gimmick already in motion, Swagger should keep the push.

The Rock Vs. John Cena: Twice In A Lifetime?

The main event for Elimination Chamber will have to be The Rock defending the WWE Championship against CM Punk. That is not how I exactly framed the title for this blog entry. The winner of this match will defend the WWE Championship against John Cena at Wrestlemania.

When The Rock and Cena went at it last year, that was sold as a match that you would see only once in your lifetime. After Cena lost and they sold this whole idea about 2012 being the worst year in Cena's life, the popular belief would be that Cena could turn it around by winning the title from The Rock at Wrestlemania. From the time The Rock announced he would go after the title, a lot of people were anticipating the rematch. However, Cena's promo after winning the Royal Rumble actually made the possibility of facing CM Punk at Wrestlemania a possibility. Cena has beaten Punk before, but he failed to beat him to regain the title. And there is definitely a great rivalry between those two. By having Cena give that promo and choose to challenge for the WWE Championship rather quickly, CM Punk does not get buried away under an obvious rematch between The Rock and Cena.

Should this big match happen again? Given the fact that they have given CM Punk vs. Cena some credibility, I would rather not see The Rock vs. Cena II. It's not because it would be obvious to go that route. I just think you should leave the first encounter alone. Never before, never again? Let's keep it that way. Besides, if they do go that path for the WWE title match, Cena would obviously be regaining it. Wouldn't that mean The Rock has a right to a rematch? Then what? Three times in a lifetime? It loses more of the hype.

Of course, there is another option. CM Punk wins back the title somehow. Punk vs. Cena at Wrestlemania, but what about The Rock's rematch? Waste it on a Raw before Wrestlemania? That might bring some ratings, but how about a triple threat at Wrestlemania? CM Punk has the title, The Rock has a rematch coming, and Cena has a title shot through winning the Royal Rumble. That would not be the same as Rock vs. Cena II. Cena made it sound like both CM Punk and The Rock were guys he could not overcome, so why not put them both in the match for Cena to overcome? Seems very possible.

CM Punk Vs. The Rock At The Royal Rumble

It is rare these days to have the Royal Rumble match not close the Royal Rumble PPV. If there was ever a match where you would not mind the Rumble match not closing the show, it would have to be CM Punk vs. The Rock for the WWE Championship. Ever since The Rock announced his intentions to challenge for the title at the Royal Rumble and CM Punk attacked The Rock, this match has been anticipated. This match deserves to be the main event.

Should The Rock win? Some people complain about The Rock coming back and possibly being handed a title as a part-time wrestler. Did anyone complain when Moolah and Bret Hart won titles they did not really need? Their careers were already over. Of course, those two are legends and deserve the honor. The Rock can handle himself better in the ring now than those I just mentioned could when they won their final titles in the WWE. It should be a good match. It should also get people talking if Rock wins. Who better to end CM Punk's long run? And it's not like The Rock would have to hold the title too long. He has been working shows more regularly over the last few weeks than I would have expected. He's even been on Smackdown. I say he should win.

Now that it once again looks like CM Punk's title reign may legitimately be coming to an end, how about looking back just a little at how he was booked. From the PPV he won the title to where we are now, how much has he been at the mercy of John Cena? Cena has main-evented 8 PPVs without CM Punk involved in the match. CM Punk was injured for one of those PPVs, so there is that possibility that Punk may have headlined that one. CM Punk and John Cena have been involved in main-event matches with each other twice at PPVs. CM Punk has gotten the top spot without Cena twice. The first came at a PPV where Cena did not compete at all. The second came at a PPV where an injury stopped Cena from likely facing Punk in the main event. The Royal Rumble and Summerslam have been the only two PPVs where attention was on other individuals in the main event. Sheamus won the Rumble and Brock Lesnar vs. Triple H headlined Summerslam. Cena has definitely dominated, despite not winning a World title or often being on the winning side of things during that time. If The Rock was not back, would CM Punk even have a chance at possibly being in the main event now?

Raw's 20th Anniversary

I was so busy talking about the divas this week, I did not get much of a chance to talk about this week's Raw. This week's Raw was hyped as their 20th Anniversary show. They had a milestone show just less than a year ago, so it was understandable if this show wasn't as packed as that one.

That being said, I still found this week's episode to be disappointing. I wasn't expecting much in terms of returns of big legends. It was great seeing Flair again. Mick Foley was there. The Rock was there to further his feud with CM Punk. I was expecting more in terms of big segments. Miz and Flair had a segment. Rock was in the main-event segment. The Shield did their usual thing, which is starting to get stale, but that is a topic for another day. Kaitlyn won the title, but I cannot consider that a big deal for someone who is not yet an established star. She did have her hometown on her side. There was a cage match between Cena and Ziggler, but I wasn't feeling hyped up for that. It was between being an average Raw and the kind of Raw you would expect for a milestone show.

This milestone Raw brought a 3.19. Last year's milestone Raw, which was the highest-rated Raw that year, got a 3.86. If it was not for that episode of Raw, last year's average rating would have been a lot worse than it was. What could the WWE possibly put together to avoid further slipping this year? The year has started solidly, staying above a 3.0 so far, but what happens when The Rock leaves and Wrestlemania season ends? Those 3-hour Raws will hurt again. And if the product becomes even more stale, you can expect even worse numbers than last year. What will end up bringing the best ratings for Raw this year? What will bring those results near a 3.86? It doesn't look like it will be their 20th Anniversary show.

Changing directions. A while ago, I remember hearing that Rikishi said on Twitter that he was glad to see Tamina getting time on Smackdown and getting the win. Yeah? And where's Tamina now? I mean no disrespect to either Rikishi or Tamina. Now that Eve is gone and the title is on a face, Tamina will most likely get pushed to put over Kaitlyn eventually, whether the WWE decides to develop Kaitlyn as centerpiece or treats her as interim centerpiece. It just goes to show that you cannot say what kind of career a diva is getting just off one match, one month, or even one push. Yes, Tamina got a televised win recently. But it was not connected to anything at all. Why should I make too big of a deal out of it? If Rikishi can get excited for Tamina getting treatment like that, that's fine. I don't think that's a fair opportunity at all and it will not lead to improvement in the diva division.

CM Punk Vs. Ryback: Part IV

CM Punk retained the WWE Championship against Ryback at Hell in a Cell. He retained the title against Ryback and John Cena at Survivor Series. He was supposed to defend it against Ryback at TLC, but an injury ruined that. And now, that match will be happening on Raw next week.

With The Rock getting his title shot in just a few weeks, the WWE would have liked for CM Punk to go into that match with the title. Even though I was for Ryback winning the title a few months ago, I never felt he would be the one to actually defend against The Rock. The Rock only comes back to wrestle rarely. He should be going against stars that are already established, like CM Punk or Randy Orton. Ryback is still in the process of being developed. I pictured a scenario of Ryback winning the title, but then CM Punk regaining it in time to face The Rock.

How will CM Punk's injury impact things? Getting passed Ryback is only one thing. In a TLC match, the WWE can find a cheap way to keep the title on Punk, especially with everything currently going on. But will Punk be ready to put on a good match with The Rock? As I just said, The Rock only wrestles on rare occasions. When you get him in the ring, you have to try to put on a good match. A match that lasts only a minute at the Royal Rumble may be criticized by many fans, regardless of the outcome. People have been anticipating this match since CM Punk attacked The Rock on Raw months ago. Then again, how fitting would it be for Punk's long title run to end in seconds? That kind of story is not unheard of. Nevertheless, I think going for a good match would be best here.

Does that mean Ryback should win the title and face The Rock? He is healthy. I don't know if he will be able to put on a great match. The time for him to win the WWE Championship has gone by. In the coming months, going after the World's Heavyweight Championship would be better. And yet, he is in that position to win the title and possibly face The Rock, which would be the biggest match in Ryback's career. I don't think it is going to happen.

If I had to predict, I would say CM Punk retains here. How will his match with The Rock go? That will depend on what happens after Ryback is out of the picture. The promos alone should make a feud between CM Punk and The Rock worth it.

CM Punk Back To Being A Heel?

There was some talk that the big summer angle would start at the end of Raw's 1,000th episode. What happens at the end of the show? John Cena became the first person to not be able to win a World title off the briefcase. Big Show screwed him. There was something more interesting than that. CM Punk did not try to save Cena from Big Show. When The Rock came out to save Cena, moreover, Punk attacked The Rock. Heel turn?

John Cena failing to cash in for the title is obviously not a big storyline. So what if the centerpiece has this blemish on his record? As long as the WWE continues to push him hard, he remains the centerpiece.

The Rock announced that he would go for the WWE Championship at the Royal Rumble. I don't consider that a summer storyline. It is big, but not really an angle for the summer. It is more similar to the build Rock vs. Cena at Wrestlemania had, only in less time.

Big Show throwing his weight around? No big summer angle there.

That leaves CM Punk turning heel. That is big. He is the WWE Champion. Outside of John Cena, Punk is the top guy on Raw. However, I really hope the WWE does not think turning him is a big summer angle in the same style as Nexus or the "pipe bomb" last year. John Cena turning heel would be a bigger deal. CM Punk turning will lead to some elaborate storyline, but they need to do a lot more than that to sell this as a huge story. Having CM Punk say that he was bitter about being overshadowed by John Cena all these months and jealous of The Rock would be such a mediocre way of turning him. I'm sure he will pull it off amazingly to please the fans in his promos, but in terms of the actual storyline, it would be weak.

Raw had a 3.84 this week. Amazing. When I saw that the show averaged over 6 million viewers, I was expecting around a 4.0, but 3.84 is the best number they have seen since last year. This was Raw's first regular 3-hour show. Those 3-hour specials they would do here and there in the past have usually been hit or miss. That extra hour sometimes drags ratings down, but the hype for the specials sometimes leads to better ratings, as well. And hype is definitely what did it for them this time. They hyped a title match. They hyped that legends would be on the show. The Rock, the man who helped raise ratings to a 3.9 last year with his return, was going to be there. People knew that. Problem is, how will the WWE do without all that hype? The Rock will not be there every week. The WWE title will not be defended every week. They will have to go back to featuring the likes of Jinder Mahal without The Undertaker to make an appearance. Ratings will drop. Until then, this week got the job done.

The Rock Vs. John Cena At Wrestlemania 28

The big match this Sunday will definitely be between The Rock and John Cena. It has gotten over a year of hype, since The Rock returned last year after years of being a big movie star. That has become the major focus of Cena's issues with Dwayne. He left. Cena says he is fighting for the guys who are more passionate about being in the WWE. And why is The Rock in the match? He just doesn't like Cena. And he wants to add to his legacy, after having already beaten Stone Cold Steve Austin and Hulk Hogan at Wrestlemania. Last year, they traded a few blows, but the WWE has kept the two at just promos recently, with the occasional attack on Mark Henry. Just looking at the promos, yes, they have gotten repetitive at times. It seems like no one is going anywhere. The Rock seemed dull at times, but has brought it better since then. John Cena has been his usual self-righteous self. I know a lot of fans would say Cena is beating The Rock in the promo war. Some act like this is some kind of debate between the two guys, and the fans are supposed to be the judges. This is supposed to be about entertainment, not boring debates about the same thing every week. The Rock has definitely outshined Cena. And even if this were a debate, Cena just seems bitter at times and his main issue with The Rock is not too valid. So what if The Rock left? Everyone has to leave eventually. The Rock would have either died as an active superstar, gotten a grand farewell, or left the way he did. Cena acts like the WWE is the most important thing. Fine, but part of that is letting other guys have that chance to shine and move up. Point is, even though it has gotten shaky, the build has been pretty good for this match.

So who wins? Well, Cena has already laid it down that he must win and will win. Pretty much it, right? They are going to be in The Rock's town. How bad would the reaction be if Cena did win? Besides that, I would rather Cena just put his foot in his mouth and just lose. Will they have him lose two Wrestlemania's in a row? I just find John Cena and the WWE's treatment of the guy too overbearing. I have pretty much been indifferent to Cena for years, never really having too much of a problem with the guy, but I find myself really starting to dislike this guy with this feud. Anyway, I wouldn't be surprised if Cena did win here. Any swerves? Don't think that's necessary for this match. Should be clean.

Has the WWE won? Specifically, has this feud worked out to draw for Raw? Ratings have been pretty low. Compared to last year, not only are ratings very low, but I read that viewership is down. On the other hand, Raw has been the most-watched cable show again in recent weeks, and has gotten the top ratings in the demographics that count. It is a win, but not as much of a win as it could have been. Why is that? More fans watching on Youtube? I think what really makes the difference between mediocre numbers and epic numbers are those casual fans. Most casual fans are not going to bother going on Youtube to watch something on Raw they didn't feel like watching live. And even if it is fans choosing to skip Raw and watch it later, what does the WWE have to do to create the hype to get them to watch live? I mean, they did accomplish it last year. This year, as I pointed out, the feud has taken a boring twist. I really do not think John Cena can work as a good centerpiece for a company that really wants to grow. Sure, drawing in little kids now might get you fans for life, but you cannot take that for granted. You have to know when to pull the trigger to kill PG. I know a lot of people who loved the WWE when younger, but grew out of it. And that was when WWE wasn't even PG. The WWE needs to create a guy more like The Rock, not like Cena. With numbers so bad for Wrestlemania season, what happens when football comes around? The WWE can continue to combine pushing reality with aiming for that younger audience, but the mix is not working.

The Rock's First Field Goal Of 2012 Fails

3.1. Wow! That is what this week's Raw, featuring the return of The Rock, got in the ratings. That is far less than my 3.7 prediction. To be honest, I originally felt like predicting a 3.5. But after looking at the ratings so far this year, I saw that there already was a Raw that did that well. I figured that The Rock's return would have to do better than that. I knew what Raw was up against this week, but I wasn't exactly expecting a 3.9 like last year. I was expecting at least better than a 3.2. The Rock's return didn't even get up to my lowest expectations, in terms of ratings.

The Rock is arguably the biggest success the WWE has had to make it in Hollywood. After him, who is left to really make a big return? Lesner? Goldberg? You can list names yourself, but I don't think any would have the mainstream attention and hype that The Rock can bring. What should the WWE be thinking? Blame it on competition on that night. Leads me to wonder, how much worse would it have been without The Rock?

Is this another indicator that the company is heading down? Several indicators, including ratings and stocks, are showing bad trends. If the WWE keeps heading in this direction, that really might lead to a horrible end.

There is another way of looking at this that might still lead to a horrible end. The WWE might not actually be on too horrible of a path. Sure, their product sucks to many people, so they may lose viewers and chances to make money, but they will still balance out somewhere. What it really comes down to his how they react to what they see. If they don't flinch easily, that would be good for them. Keep focus and follow through on what you believe will work. However, if they see bad numbers and start doing crazy crap, that can lead to even more problems. Crazy crap? I don't think that is a term I used a lot in college when I wrote essays. What do I mean? Random depushes, inconsistency, wasting time bringing in guest stars or legends that fail to create the hype to draw, shooting for huge publicity stunts that fail, and so on. By doing these things, the WWE might make the situation worse and might even create a fatal mistake that wipes itself out.

Whether they are on a slow path down or shoot themselves in the foot, possibly even a mix of both, the WWE definitely has issues. This is Wrestlemania season. This is the time of the year for the biggest ratings boosts. It's not coming. Not yet, anyway. The Rock could not deliver on his first Raw in 2012. Judging by how they used him in that promo, they either need to handle this feud better or they will never see at least a 3.7 from The Rock's appearances in the coming weeks. I see that there is this whole debate about whether The Rock should be back, taking time from the guys who work their asses off every single week. I wasn't really going to chime in on this, but it relates to what I am saying now. The argument is that these legends draw, so you have to let it happen. Are they still drawing? As much as the WWE would like? Besides that, what happens when The Rock goes back to Hollywood? And Shawn Michaels goes back to hunting? And The Undertaker goes back to that ghastly skeletal being he has waitng for him at home? Who on the actual roster can draw for you? Cena and Punk have not gotten excellent ratings last year. In the end, it is still good to have these legends back, especially when there's always merchandise sales to look at, if not ratings, and these other guys on the roster still get fair time to perform, but the real problem is how the WWE uses what they have. It just isn't as entertaining as it should be. I spoke to my cousin the other day, who used to watch wrestling a lot younger, not much now, and he said he watched The Rock's segment on Raw, but he thought it was boring. I can see what he means. Don't get e wrong, great to see The Rock back, his promo had some good moments, and he proved he can still control the audience, but I can see how some people would be bored by this. If the WWE wants their workers and legends to deliver, they have to put them in a better position to do it.

Will The Rock Bring It For Raw In 2012?

Last year, The Rock returned and kicked several huge field goals for the WWE. If you don't really care about football, which I didn't for the first 24 years of my life, I'm saying that he delivered in the ratings for Raw. 3.9. 3.8. 3.92, and a string of numbers that the WWE had to be loving. However, he did not save Raw from having the worst yearly average in the ratings in over a decade. How will he do this time, as he returns to Raw to promote his feud with John Cena?

First, let me look at how the feud is going. Last week, Cena gave his typical promo concerning The Rock. His promo had heart, emotion, wit, some sharpness, but at the end of the day, it is pretty much the same thing John Cena always says. At the rate things are going, I can only imagine that The Rock's promo in response to Cena will be a lot of the same things he has already said. It will be a lot of the same things I see fans and members or former members of wrestling promotions debating about. The Rock can simply just say that he paved the way for guys like Cena. He can say that the only reason Cena is so loyal to the WWE is because he has not been as successful with his movies as The Rock. Had things been different, Cena would be different. In time, Cena will "betray" the fans and leave for other things too. The Rock could even bring up the fact that Cena really isn't there each and every night. No matter what The Rock chooses to say, it will most likely be predictable. This feud has a lot of hype to it, but I wish they would start doing something else. Are they really going to continue this endless debate to Wrestlemania?

Back to my first question, how will The Rock do for the ratings? Obviously, the same amount of shock value and excitement that was there last year is not here at the same level anymore. The fact that the feud seems to be pushing the same monotonous idea may not help things. Raw got a 3.2 last week. The Rock being advertised should cause a boost. Nevertheless, I am not expecting a high 3.9. If I had to pick a number, I would say Raw will get a 3.7. That is a higher number than Raws featuring hype with Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker have gotten recently. Am I overestimating the power of The Rock?

I haven't looked at how ratings are going for the three major shows in a while. Ignoring last week's Smackdown, which, although being live, was not advertised as well as it could have, was up against tough competition, and most of what happened on the show was crap, if their intention was to actually make a great live show that would draw, Smackdown's numbers have been pretty good so far. Most of the ratings have been above a 2.0. Impact is not doing as well as it did last year. Nevertheless, staying above that 1.0 is good. Raw remains the most interesting thing to talk about as far as ratings go. The yearly average so far is a 3.14. In comparison, 3.23 was the average for pre-Rock Raw ratings in 2011. This is the average for the episodes of Raw prior to everyone knowing he really was back, so it includes the episode in which he returned in the final segment. If you don't count that episode, which got a 3.14 rating, the pre-Rock average would be slightly higher. If you don't like trying to understand all these numbers, let me just get to the point. Raw's in worse shape now, in terms of ratings, than it was last year. More fans losing interest? More fans just choosing to watch whatever segments they find interesting on Youtube? Reason for the WWE to panic? Let's see what The Rock can do this time.

Mick Foley Returns To Raw

Mick Foley made his televised return to Raw tonight. It was a special Raw featuring The Rock, so why not? He had a segment with John Cena which was a repeat of what he did with The Rock over a decade ago. John Cena, This Is Your Life! Pretty crappy segment, but it was meant to be. It made it even better when The Rock came out and gave Mick Foley the Rock Bottom. I may be a Mick Foley fan, but that is what made the segment great.

And what really made the segment awful? It was more promoting how great and respectable John Cena is. Was that really necessary? I especially love how John Cena said that he does not tell the fans how to feel about him. I will agree, that is true. Problem is, by having John Cena say things like that, side with Zack Ryder, admit that he's hated and he rises above it, and all those fancy tricks, the WWE is pretty much trying to convince the fans that John Cena is a respectable guy. Telling someone something, whether you do it yourself or have someone do it for you, is not often enough to convince them of that thing. Actions speak louder than words. Have Cena act better than this.

Obviously, it will not work. It never works. It gets really annoying that they keep doing this. It is not refreshing to bring in Mick Foley to do it, Triple H, Jim Ross, Ric Flair, Shawn Michaels, Hulk Hogan, or whomever else the WWE might have in mind to put Cena over as a guy you must respect. It sure is not entertaining either. Main question is, is it drawing? Is this John Cena a John Cena who can draw? I'm not saying turn him heel, but if this stale method of making him look respectable is not working to silence his boos, how about you seriously go a different path?

Changing subjects to something not entirely related to pro wrestling, this is for any Mickie James fans out there. Did you know Mickie James topped the Itunes Country music chart in Finland one day last month? Proof is here. That website has been keeping track of Itunes charts from 23 countries across multiple genres since 2010. I came across it back in September. Mickie James had not yet topped any charts yet. Not that I never thought she would ever get there, but I expected one of her future songs would get there, provided it would get good promotion. I was pleasantly surprised to see her get there now. Just look at that chart. "Hardcore Country" is #1 on a legitimate music chart containing names like Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, Taylor Swift, and other legends and heavyweights of mainstream Country. A song with lead vocals by Mickie James, which also happens to be her TNA theme song, has topped a chart. Wow! Being an independent musician doesn't just mean that you are not making big bucks, it also means you are usually not getting the big hype and ability to promote yourself as well as the big names. For Mickie James to get there, even if for only a day and only in Finland (no offense to Finland), she should be proud. I'm not sure if she knows about it or not. I don't recall her mentioning it on Twitter. I never saw wrestling news sites or message boards mention it. I even made use of that mighty ancient Hindu deity, Google, but did not see anyone talking about it. If she can get better luck promoting herself in the future, she can definitely have even more success. Whether or not it works out, Mickie James is a chart topper.

Evan Bourne Suspended

Wellness violation. He will be out for a month. One half of the Tag Team Champions will be out for a whole month. What will the WWE do? They can either write Evan off as "injured" and run an angle where Kofi continues defending the title with a replacement partner, or they can have the two drop the titles on Raw next week and have Evan Bourne's suspension officially start after that.

I would prefer they drop the titles. I think it is the smoothest way to go. But who gets the titles? Swagger and Ziggler? I don't think so. Not who I would give it to. I would give it to Miz and R-Truth. They are the main heel tag team in the WWE right now. They beat Evan Bourne and Kofi Kingston just last month. Yes, because they are the main heel tag team, in the main event, getting all that hype, and whatever else, that all does not mean they need the tag titles, but I think it will give them back some momentum heading into Survivor Series. That does not mean that their match against Rock & Cena will be for the titles. Was Orton vs. Rhodes from Vengeance for the Intercontinental title? No. It would just make the match more interesting. Can The Rock and John Cena coexist to defeat the Tag Champions? That is an interesting question, even though the answer is obvious. What is the alternative? Can The Rock and John Cena coexist to squash two guys John Cena could probably beat on his own? Yeah, just give Awesome Truth the titles.

I read a fan somewhere make the comment that Evan Bourne screwed up the revival of the tag division by getting himself suspended. That is not the case. The WWE did hype that Air Boom was revitalizing the division many months ago, but nothing was really coming off that. It was all hype and overrating the situation. There were not enough tag teams for a proper revival. Hell, the few tag teams who were getting pushed consisted of guys who are more known for what they have accomplished in singles pushes and who will most likely be pushed by themselves again before the end of next year. This is not a true revival at all. Bourne and Kingston definitely were losing momentum. They were still popular, but the WWE's booking of them was losing steam. Not surprising. Point is, I do not blame Evan Bourne for the "tag team revival" possibly failing. It was doomed to fail from the start and the WWE was already sending it downhill.

October is over. I want to talk ratings. Why not? The Halloween Raw is said to have scored a 3.1. The week prior to that had a very good 3.31. Average those two, not surprisingly, you get around a 3.2. Raw averaged around a 3.16 for October. Compared to some other years, that is somewhat better. Nevertheless, not good enough to save the WWE from having their worst ratings for Raw in over a decade. You should also keep in mind that the WWE has brought out some of their big guns heading into Survivor Series, including The Rock and Michael Cole. Michael Cole? Yep, they're screwed. Smackdown's average in October was above a 2.1, which is above the current yearly average. That helps to keep it strong. If ratings do get killed again when Orton eventually wins back the title, the WWE might want to consider permanently replacing him as centerpiece, or run a new model where they rotate centerpieces better. TNA rotates, but it does not seem to be helping too much in sparing them harsh criticism from their loyal fans. Impact has averaged about a 1.13 last month. It is still on track to having the best yearly average in the company's history and it has yet to drop below a 1.0 for a weekly rating. The WWE isn't in danger of failing anytime soon, but they need to do something to start heading back up in the ratings. If they start to panic when they see low numbers and make stupid mistakes, then things really can get bad for them.

Raw's Halloween Muppet Mess

You can usually expect things to get a little convoluted around Survivor Series. They have to start combining feuds to promote those tag matches coming up at the PPV. That is one thing. Looking over what happened on Raw last night, things seemed like an even more unexpected mess, and without even bringing in the Muppets.

First, Raw started off with The Rock answering John Cena's invitation to team with him at Survivor Series. He danced around it a while, then accepted. That is not surprising at all. In fact, given that it was already advertised that he would be wrestling at the event, you could just say it was all just useless ceremony to make it official for those who might not have seen it coming. Besides, you get to see The Rock live on Raw! Via satellite, of course.

They have a battle royal to find another challenger for Beth Phoenix. Eve wins. Again? They showed signs of building up Alicia Fox, but they go with Eve again? Nothing against Eve, but how about giving Smackdown's diva roster more shots at the title to make the feuds fresh? It is all just filler anyway. Once again, unless the WWE has lost confidence in Kelly Kelly or someone is turning heel, they are just building Beth's credibility and momentum up still.

Ryder or Ryan? Zack or Mason? Woo Woo Woo or Batista clone? Zack Ryder picked up another win against Dolph Ziggler, the US Champion. If they are planning to give him the title, fine. My problem is all this flip flopping. It is getting really annoying now. They could have developed a really good feud with either one of these faces, but they have created this mess. Who do they want the average fans to connect with? Zack Ryder is already over. He gained that overness on his own through his web show, which is why the WWE has not been very good on pushing him. They didn't want him over. Is this going to be one of those situations where the WWE bends to the desire of the vocal fans?

That brings me to the last point I want to make. The Michael Cole Challenge. It was postponed. Jim Ross commented that he was in Atlanta, where Raw was held last night, but was not used. Didn't seem like there was too much time for that elaborate segment anyway. Nevertheless, they still had Cole humiliate Jim Ross a little more to add heat to the feud. Cole has never been one who has had trouble getting a reaction, same goes for Jim Ross. Both are relative equals in how the WWE uses them. One is not being used to simply make the other look good. Still, all this bullying of Jim Ross is really getting old now. Not just in terms of the storylines, but just tossing him around when and where you want him in general. But let me get back to my main point. The WWE bending to the desire of vocal fans once again? They fired Jim Ross in kayfabe, then brought him back the next week. The reason being given is that fans hated what happened to Jim Ross. And now Jim Ross is being given a push? Do they really think that this is a good feud to push? I know Michael Cole got some high ratings earlier in the year against Lawler, but they are trying it with JR now? Let's see how this one plays out.

John Cena And The Rock Team Up

I know Cena's slobbering in anticipation of what is coming at Survivor Series. He will team up with The Rock to face Awesome Truth (Miz & R-Truth).

It has been known for a while that The Rock was coming back and going to wrestle at Survivor Series. The WWE even advertised it on Raw tonight before Cena's announcing it. That I find stupid. Yeah, advertising The Rock will make sure tickets sell, but you could have kept it a surprise until this point and tickets still would have sold. If this is supposed to be the era of reality, where angles spill over into the Internet, Twitter, WWE's website, and so on, handling Cena choosing The Rock like that is kind of a disappointment. A lot of people already knew it was coming.

The Rock is also scheduled to be on Raw in a few weeks. Ratings should be very good for that show. It will not be enough by itself to save the yearly average for the show from being the most horrible in over 10 years, but The Rock has to be a guy who will bring it better than almost any other former wrestler the WWE can get.

One last thing. I know a lot of fans hated the idea of The Rock and John Cena teaming up when word of this first came up weeks ago. Speaking for myself, I like it. Neither of these guys are heels. Cena may be hated by many, but he is still a face. I think this is good progression of this epic feud. Have them keep that mutual respect for each other up for the moment. When the time is right, then have them go at it. If they get into a scuffle at Survivor Series or Raw, fine. That's just a taste of what will come at Wrestlemania. Aside from spoiling things so soon and still treating it like it is surprising, I like how this is going.

Miz Vs. Cena Vs. Rock

In terms of the actual match, it is not a 3-way. Miz will defend his WWE title against John Cena at Wrestlemania. In terms of how they are building things, Miz, Cena, and The Rock are all at each other's throats. More specifically, it is a war of the words between all three, with Miz laying out Cena here and there.

Since so many other people are talking about this thing, which has proven to be a draw for the WWE, I'll just toss in my two bits. First of all, The Rock's return was great. He still had it. But last week? Didn't like it. From referring to himself in the 3rd person to "Me! Me! Me!" just like that. I can understand that The Rock was trying to make it more personal, not like an absolute entertaining bash of someone like he is famous for, but it just didn't work that well. Cena's "Final KO", his response, was pretty poorly delivered. His execution just lacked either entertainment or even real emotion. The words were not too bad. The bit about The Rock just needing to show up to prove he is The People's Champ was good.

Then that segment got saved. Miz came out and laid out Cena. I mentioned before about emotion, and Miz had it in his promo. And mocking The Rock? Added gold. I am not one of those fans who says whoever is entertaining in a feud should be the one to win a feud. The heel is often the one who has to be annoying, and thus often look entertaining to many, for the fans to want to see him or her get it from the face. The face has to hold back to allow the heel to shine. Combine that with the fact that Miz's reign has included several title defenses already, I still wouldn't mind too much if he loses to Cena at Wrestlemania. Sooner or later, Cena will win it. But as far as the build goes, I wouldn't say Miz is looking as forgotten as some might want to say. He's still got a ton of momentum.

And The Rock Is Back!

Well, what can I really say? The Rock has returned. Well played, WWE. He will host Wrestlemania. Big draw for a rather boring Wrestlemania that was shaping up.