Wrestlemania 33 Preview: Part 2

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Is That All, Shane?

Shane McMahon jumping off the top of the Hell in a Cell and crashing into the announce table was one of the most memorable moments of this year's Wrestlemania. But he ended up losing the match to The Undertaker. That was a disappointing outcome. A lot of changes could have taken place if the WWE did decide to go in a new direction. You have had some changes with the women's division, but there could have been more.

On Raw, however, it seemed like there was still a chance for something to happen. Vince McMahon came out to start the show and gloat. He got that lock box. He's still in control of Raw. Shane McMahon came out for one last farewell. Vince decided to let Shane run Raw for that night. For a little while, it looked like something big might still happen. This was the Raw after Wrestlemania. These Raws are known for big things happening, in addition to the rowdy crowd.

More disappointment followed. It didn't feel like Shane really left his fingerprint on Raw. A 4-way match was made to decide a new #1 contender for the WWE Championship. Sami Zayn was taken out by Kevin Owens. Cesaro replaced him in the main event. Wrestling fans love Cesaro, but this isn't really a big return. Nothing big happened. Shane didn't really seem to make an impact.

What would I have done differently? Where do I start? Here's an idea, how about Shane actually wins at Wrestlemania? No? Okay. How about Shane tries to create some drama with that lock box? How about he reveals what's inside to spite his father? How about he threatens to do it unless Vince at least lets him run Raw for the night? How about a bigger return in the main event of Raw than Cesaro? How about Raw ends in a controversial way to generate some buzz? The whole situation on Raw this week just felt like a huge disappointment.

One of the reasons it felt disappointing, the way they just had Vince so easily let Shane run Raw was just so weak. These two looked like they were having a real blood feud for a month. Vince was busting out the profanity. He was acting like Shane was no longer a part of his family. I don't care if Vince showed a little bit of heart towards his son on Raw prior to letting him run the show, simply letting it be so easy is dull. I also don't care if Vince thought Shane would flop if he ran Raw. Vince still let him do it that easily. It's like the WWE just decided to cruise through Raw.

Some fans have speculated that the WWE will run an angle where Vince is happy with how Shane runs Raw and they eventually do Shane McMahon feuding with Triple H and Stephanie McMahon for control of the WWE. I would say Shane did a mediocre job on Raw. If the WWE wants to sell that as amazing, I am not going to be surprised. Nevertheless, the WWE has to really handle this better. The story is not that intriguing.

What if that is officially it for Shane McMahon and this storyline? If it is over, then the WWE really did do this just to create drama to help save Wrestlemania. They didn't intend to create a big storyline off of this that would last months or even a year. They didn't intend to create legitimate, lasting change. They didn't even handle the angle right on the Raw after Wrestlemania. It was just a stunt to save the mediocre Wrestlemania season. I hope they are happy with the results.

Aside from the mediocrity of the night, how did the night after Wrestlemania do in terms of ratings? This is a night that does tend to do great numbers. Even last year, which was a mediocre Wrestlemania season in terms of ratings, saw the Raw after Wrestlemania get over five million viewers. Not this year. Just a little over four million viewers. Only the second highest viewership of the year, trailing the night after the Royal Rumble. 2.93 in the ratings. That ties the Raw post-Royal Rumble. The excuse is the college basketball championship game. Okay. NBA playoffs are coming up very soon. Raw will be in trouble there, too. It is pretty much all downhill from here. I doubt the WWE will create a great summer angle.

Something that stands out to me about the mediocre ratings this week is that the third hour lost almost 400,000 viewers. The last hour typically loses, but this last hour should not have lost that much. Sami Zayn was taken out of the match. Weren't fans interested in seeing who would get his spot? Cesaro is no huge star, but the situation should have drawn. You also have Shane McMahon running the show. Weren't fans wondering if he would do something controversial to end the show? He didn't, but once again, the situation should have drawn. And I don't think the WWE did anything in that third hour to get more fans interested for next week. As I said, it's all downhill form here.

Previewing Wrestlemania 2016: The Main Events

There are two big matches at Wrestlemania this year. Two matches with high stakes. One of them is obviously the WWE Championship match between Triple H and Roman Reigns. The other match is even bigger. Shane McMahon faces The Undertaker inside Hell in a Cell. If Shane wins, he gets control of Raw. If Undertaker loses, moreover, no more Wrestlemania for him. It is obvious which match should go on last and be the true main event.

Let me start with Triple H and Roman Reigns. A few months ago, Roman Reigns seemed to be getting over with the fans. He attacked Triple H, the hated face of The Authority. He went on to win the WWE Championship from Sheamus. A little while after that, Roman Reigns lost the title at the Royal Rumble to Triple H. Triple H has attacked Reigns and took him out for a few weeks. He has done the typical heel promos against Reigns. And Triple H, the beloved mastermind behind NXT, has gotten cheered for it. What is going on here? Fickle fans? I would not say that. Many fans hate The Authority. Even smarks hate the group. But these same smarks love NXT. They love what Triple H has done to it. You can say Triple H is in a polarizing position. And this does not make it easy for Roman Reigns, the guy they actually want as the new centerpiece.

I have read some crazy reports that fans might walk out during this match. They hate Roman Reigns that much. I would expect boos if he won, but walking out is dumb. The hate towards Reigns is one of the reasons this match should not go on last. The WWE usually tries to not end Wrestlemania on a sour note. That sometimes might mean a heel winning, like last year when fans were against Roman Reigns winning and Seth Rollins ended up with the title. Heel Triple H retained the title at Wrestlemania 2000. Fans were not happy about that, but they got the consolation prize of The Rock taking out the heel McMahons, including a People's Elbow to Stephanie. There might not be a consolation prize if Reigns wins this year. More fans would rather heel Triple H won.

This whole feud seems to be going in the direction of Roman Reigns winning. He has been having issues with The Authority for months. He attacked Triple H. Triple H came back and took the title from Reigns. Triple H took Roman Reigns out for a few weeks. This should culminate with the face getting back his title at Wrestlemania. This is the kind of story fans expected with Daniel Bryan a few years ago. They probably do not want to see it here, but I am thinking the WWE will pull the trigger and make Roman Reigns a 3-time WWE Champion.

The show should end with the match where so much is on the line. Some people might even be confused by what is exactly on the line in Shane McMahon vs. The Undertaker. If Shane wins, he gets control of Raw. But the WWE has sometimes made it seem like control of the entire WWE is on the line. Vince McMahon has talked like he would be gone, as well as the rest of The Authority, if Shane wins. If Undertaker loses, this will be his last Wrestlemania. But some fans are reading that as meaning he will be fired. No, that is not the stipulation. The WWE has been rather unclear and shifty with what is on the line, I will give you that. If control of the entire WWE was on the line, they should have said that. If Undertaker's career would end if he lost, they should have said that. Since they didn't, I wouldn't expect things to actually be handled like that.

Can you blame them for making things seem more dramatic than they really are? There are so many injuries, including to top stars. The quality of the product is poor. Ratings are poor. Checking Ticketmaster just a little while ago, I still see Wrestlemania tickets available. The WWE might be able to handle that, but they definitely can't say Wrestlemania sold out in record time. They have to generate hype to make this Wrestlemania seem like a big deal. Looking at the entire card, this is the match that really stands the best chance to draw for them.

It isn't even a question of who should win this match. If Shane loses, things just fall flat. The status quo continues. The excitement that something new might happen takes a hit. The WWE would be dumb to do this. They can always work around the stipulation that Undertaker can never wrestle at Wrestlemania again. But Shane should win. As for what happens if he wins, I'll talk about that on Monday, if he wins.

The question you should consider is how Shane will win. He's not going to go in there and dominate The Undertaker. Will it come down to an extreme spot? Shane has done that kind of thing before. He gave a taste of it on Raw this week. Or will it come down to some kind of outside interference? Might the Bullet Club get involved? Some fans have been talking about that possibility. If Shane does cheat to win like that, that might make him look like a heel and influence the direction things can go. That's another reason I want to wait until Monday to talk about the direction things can go. Let's just wait to see how the WWE handles this match.

Paul Bearer Rises From The Dead

While Nexus seems to be losing steam on Raw for the time, the story between Kane and Undertaker really picked up recently. Paul Bearer, "father" of Kane and manager to Undertaker is back to support Undertaker.

For the worth of nostalgia, this is a great move. What's more, you are bringing back a guy with an actual gimmick and legacy in the WWE. There is entertainment value in that. It also adds a great new dimension in the storyline. Intrigue is back again. There was a bit of intrigue over who attacked Taker a few months ago, although most people guessed it was Kane. Now people can talk about what Paul Bearer will do in this feud. Will he turn on Taker eventually? Will Taker turn on him again? That would be funny.

One thing has to be admitted. None of this would have happened if Undertaker was not injured a few months ago. Jack Swagger (God, rest his main-event push) would have probably still been near the main event at this time, whether he lost the belt eventually to Taker or not. Kane would have probably still been a face jobber, putting over Cody Rhodes. Swagger definitely did get screwed, so I hope even more that the storyline does pay big in terms of entertainment.

900th Raw Episode Thoughts

Videos to hype past moments. Expected that. Even expected the lame statistics. That has become a norm for the current WWE era. Instead of really showing how epic they are, they like to give numbers.

Bret Hart. Most annoying thing for me. Once again, the WWE continues to play that this man can have matches like any other wrestler. They put him against Undertaker? Of course, the match never happened. Nexus saved the day. Michael Cole is a poor replacement for JR? Well, he handles that job better than Bret Hart being treated as some kind of replacement for Shawn Michaels.

Nexus attacked Undertaker. Kane helped too. Honestly, after losing one member recently by injury, the five of them seem less intimidating. Why are people still scared of them? Why did no members of Team Cena save Taker? They weren't supposed to, I know, but it all seems a little pathetic now. The Nexus angle needs freshening up or it is heading to the toilet.

The greatest disappointment was no surprise legends. Bret Hart does not count. Maybe that was why WWE did not push hard for 3 hours. An extra hour of what? Yoshi Tatsu vs. Zack Ryder? This show was very disappointing.

Abyss Framed!

Part of me wants to bash the current angle going on about Abyss as being stupid and not the most original. Then again, what is the most original these days? I like it. It has a small amount of intrigue to it. More importantly, it actually adds more of a story to the issues between Abyss and Desmond Wolfe. You can just have this be a straight feud between a guy who was on Team Hogan and guy on Team Flair. Lack of creativity.

I also like that it plays in somewhat with the gimmick Abyss still has. So many gimmicks just turn so generic and lose some creativity after a while. Undertaker can rant about taking souls all he wants, but what does that really amount to these days? A Tombstone? Lightning or some other fancy effect? Setting the standard for how slow one should walk to the ring? On Impact, I heard the commentators play into the fact that Abyss's demented nature may possibly make him a suspect. Of course, he is just being messed with. It is still nice to have these kind of angles where the monster is the victim. Again, that is not totally original, but when I see an angle I like, I have to give it credit.

Of course, the mystery and intrigue did not last for weeks. We know Wolfe set Abyss up. Would a bigger swerve have been nice? Yes, but TNA may have other plans for both guys after the PPV. They may not want to tie them into anything too epic. Nevertheless, the small bit of suspense and heart (and I do not want to argue about how small it was) in this night was worth more than the typical night you get of guest host comedy crap.