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.

Too Many Injuries To Start 2016

Last month, the Raw before TLC ended with a big brawl between Roman Reigns and Sheamus. I said the WWE should be careful with things like that because of injuries. Some people might have thought I was just dumb for being so cautious. Maybe.

A few weeks later, John Cena was added to the list of performers currently having injury issues. He is a top star, so losing him has to hurt for Wrestlemania season. It even made me start feeling that the WWE should debut some new guys, like AJ Styles.

But the list just seems to keep growing. There seems to be new reports every week of some wrestler at least supposedly injured. You know the WWE is in trouble when they have to start pushing Heath Slater. I have seen people say that you could probably make a PPV card just with those wrestlers currently injured. I would go as far as to say that the PPV you make with those names will likely be a bigger draw than the PPV you can make with the healthy full-time performers the WWE currently has. Let me look at just some of these injuries.

The League of Nations is ravaged. Everyone knows Barrett has injury issues keeping him out of the ring, but at least he still shows up now and then to sell he is still with the group. There are now reports that Rusev is injured. Whatever it is, it has just been Alberto Del Rio and Sheamus in matches for the stable this week. This group just looks pathetic. Sheamus doesn't look like a great top heel. Vince McMahon is the only A+ heel in the company right now. All the other major heels are looking like his minion in his war against Roman Reigns. Would things be better if Seth Rollins was healthy? I would think so. He was not a solidified top star, but the WWE would probably feature him better than Sheamus. Even with a group, Sheamus does not look strong enough. It does not help when the members aren't all healthy.

Paige also has a minor concussion. She was already getting depushed anyway. She last wrestled at house shows at the end of December. She had not wrestled on Raw since November. I was on Twitter a while ago and saw someone asking why Paige has not been on Raw. I told him she has been getting filler and jobber pushes, like Mickie James. Next thing I know, Mickie James takes a shot at me because she thought I was insulting her. I'm not insulting her. I am just talking about how she was pushed. And that happened on my birthday. Not great getting burned by your favorite diva on your birthday. As for Paige, there is an obvious depush here, and not just because of injury. She lost more than she won during her big push a few months ago. Usually when you see that kind of thing, don't expect too much better when the push does end. Paige has been a credible jobber her entire career. There are no signs that is changing.

Regardless of her minor injury, the WWE could still do more with her. I said recently that the WWE can develop an elaborate storyline with Becky Lynch and Charlotte. One of the things that makes an elaborate stroyline what it is is the use of supporting players. These aren't just jobbers to give the two people pushed momentum. These are workers that actually add to the story. Paige has a history with Becky and Charlotte. She is someone that can be used in this story. If she's healthy enough to travel and talk about her injury in interviews, she is healthy enough to get involved. Of course, there is still plenty of time for that, if the WWE wants to build an elaborate storyline.

What should the WWE do with the injury issue they now face? First of all, I would say the problem is worse in the men's division than the women's division. Becky Lynch and Charlotte are the women being pushed. There are still many other women in the division to utilize. As for the men, the WWE is pushing men they would normally not push and bringing in more talent. They are doing what you would expect to fill up the gaps. Longer matches also mean more time is taken up and less performers have to be featured.

In terms of long-term solutions, I have seen some people suggest a brand split. I do not agree. A brand split is something you consider when you have a bunch of people on your roster and you cannot feature them properly. When your roster is limited, that is not the right situation for a brand split. A limited roster during a brand split was a problem in the diva division for a while. It created terrible depth issues. It is no surprise that they unified the titles when they did. There just were not enough credible challengers. And these same kind of issues can exist in the men's division. People talk about all the injuries in 2007 and how that influenced decisions the WWE made for the men's division back then. If they went back to a brand split now, they would only set themselves up for much worse than 2007.

Even with a brand split, these workers still have to go through a heavy schedule, including house shows. I know house shows are a major source of income for the WWE, but I would consider easing the schedule a bit. In many major sports, you usually get some kind of bye week or break, and that is in addition to the off-season. Some fans have suggested an off-season. The WWE will probably not go that far, but even giving it a rest for a week or two might mean so much. How about around the end of the year? For Christmas? Give the workers some time off. Run some "best of" specials during this time. It is funny how so many injuries would seem to happen in December at one time. Injuries around this time of year are just the worst. Or how about an "off-season" that consists of no house shows for a month but the WWE still does Raws and Smackdowns? The WWE should sacrifice a little bit of the money they make from live events for the sake of giving their stars a break and extending their years being active. If they do not, it can hurt the overall quality of the product, which will still end up costing them money.

The League Of Nations

Sheamus has had an affiliation with Barrett and Rusev for a few weeks now. It was nothing too official. The WWE made it official on Raw this week, and tossed in Alberto Del Rio. The League of Nations is formed.

Sheamus needed this. I have been saying for a while now that Sheamus just did not look credible. I did not believe he deserved to successfully cash in because he had looked so poor. How would fans buy into him? And with Seth Rollins out and no great top heels around, fans would need to buy into him. Having him get a rub from Triple H would not be enough. The Authority is hardly a stable anymore. Giving someone some lackeys is probably one of the oldest tricks in the book. They did it with Michelle McCool during her centerpiece run. It can help someone seem more interesting or make them look more important. And this stable can help Sheamus look more important. He has some thugs to help him.

But what about the other three men in this stable? Sheamus will likely be the chief benefactor of this new stable, but what does this mean for each of the other three heels?

Alberto Del Rio is still the United States Champion. He had this gimmick going on with Zeb Colter that I talked about recently. There was potential for the WWE to do something with him in that position. On the one hand, it is a shame that gimmick didn't get played out better. On the other hand, this is a better position for him. He is a part of a top stable now.

Rusev just got back his Lana on Raw. Again, there was creative potential there. At one point, I would have said it would be a shame if the WWE just went backwards and put Lana and Rusev back together. Given everything that has happened, it now seemed like the best decision to make. What does Rusev now joining this stable do to his angle with Lana? I feel there might be more wasted potential here than with Del Rio joining the group.

There is not debate when it comes to Barrett joining this group. It is good for him. It gives him something meaningful to do. He had no real direction. This is a step up for him.

Summerslam 2015 Preview: Part 1

The Lucha Dragons, New Day, Los Matadores, and Prime Time Players will meet for the tag titles. The tag division continues to feel like a playground for lower-midcarders. It is hard to really care for these teams when it is likely they will soon get lost in the shuffle again. As for which team wins, the Prime Time Players already had a successful title defense, so that must mean they will drop it. No team has held the title for too long this year. The New Day seems like a good choice to win it back. I do not think any of the other two teams matter too much. Not saying that wouldn't stop the WWE from putting the titles on them.

There will be a celebrity match at Summerslam. Neville teams up with Stephen Amell to face Stardust and King Barrett. It is likely the faces will win and it seems just as likely Barrett will take the pin. I understand the drama between Stardust and that actor. Stardust has had a little feud with Neville recently. Barrett being there just seems like something done out of necessity. Well, at least he's on the card.

Dolph Ziggler returned this week on Raw and he will face Rusev at Summerslam. Would it have been better to wait until after Summerslam? That would give the WWE plenty of time to develop things for the next PPV. I do not think that is necessary. Things are developed enough. These two have had a storyline going on for months now. Through injuries and not even being there, the storyline has been progressing. No need to drag it on. Have a singles match at Summerslam. I doubt it ends at Summerslam. Dolph Ziggler just returned. The right thing to do might be to let him win. I'll go with him winning.

Previewing The Elimination Chamber Match For The Intercontinental Championship

Just a quick recap first. Daniel Bryan won the Intercontinental Championship at Wrestlemania. Not too long after that, his health once again became an issue. He had to surrender the title a few weeks ago. There will now be an Elimination Chamber match for the title. It will feature Sheamus, Ryback, King Barrett, Rusev, Dolph Ziggler, and R-Truth.

It is a solid group of midcarders. I would just make one change. No R-Truth. I know he was involved in the Intercontinental Championship feud for Wrestlemania, but he just isn't featured as well on a consistent basis these days. He seems out of place. I would put Neville in there. He was involved with Barrett recently. He was featured better in recent weeks than R-Truth. Neville still has something to do, but putting him in the Elimination Chamber might have led to some great spots. I am not saying he had to win the title, but just having him in there would be enough.

Who wins? If you go by Internet rumors, Sheamus has it won. But where is the fun in just accepting that? Who should win? I usually like saying that the person that is the freshest and has great momentum should win it. R-Truth definitely should not win it. I feel like Sheamus has lost momentum in recent weeks. They might book him to win it, but I don't like that. Rusev does not need a title reign again so soon. Ziggler? He had some title success not too long ago. Ryback has not. Thing is, I don't feel momentum is on his side. Barrett? Yes, I would say he should win it. He won King of the Ring recently. A great push is not always connected to that these days, but a midcard title would be nice. If they want to keep his push fresh, a title reign would help. I would have him regain the title.

King Barrett & Former King Sheamus

King of the Ring 2015 was indeed won by Wade Barrett. I still feel the WWE could have done more to make the tournament feel more important. I know they are trying to promote the WWE Network, but this felt like a "Wham, Bam, Thank You Ma'am" situation. In any case, it's done.

How will Barrett do with this gimmick? How far will the WWE go with him? Barrett usually plays his roles well. He was good as the leader of Nexus. The "Bad News" gimmick was great for him. Even when he is left as a generic heel, he still does that well. Winning King of the Ring sometimes leads to bigger pushes. Barrett has held the Intercontinental Championship a few times, but he can do better than that. The WWE Championship is currently held by a heel and the faces chasing after him are many. I do not imagine Barrett being pushed as a contender any time soon. On the other side of things, winning King of the Ring might have been only a gimmick change for him and he will remain in the same midcard position he was in prior to winning it. The least they could do is give him another midcard title run sometime this year. I think he can play the gimmick well, but the worst thing the WWE can do is have him job too much.

Sheamus is a former King of the Ring. He has been teaming with Barrett lately. The topic I want to talk about, does it feel like Sheamus has lost momentum since his return? When he returned, he seemed like a strong heel. He seemed to have reinvented himself. Yes, he looks stupid, but he was fresher than when he was last around. He has lost a few matches. I am not a fan of Sheamus, but I feel they dropped the ball. They could have developed him to be a true force. They could have then used him to put over Roman Reigns, feud with John Cena over the United States Championship, or work with some other worthy face that can use the rub. I am not saying he needed to win this year's King of the Ring. There are a lot of ways they could have had him lose his match. But it just seems like he has found his old, usual spot on the roster.

King Of The Ring 2015

I am glad they brought back King of the Ring. I like things like this. It can raise some interest in the midcard.

But there are a few criticisms. First, it would have been nice if they brought back the King of the Ring PPV. If not that, devote an entire episode of Raw to the tournament. Make it a special. Second, there are too few guys involved in this. I would have added in a few more names. I think they have enough guys to make it interesting, especially if they are utilizing some guys that are obviously lower-midcarders these days. A 16-man tournament would have been nice. Last thing, Chyna is the only woman to have been involved in this tournament.  That was over a decade ago. I know the WWE isn't going to go far with male-female action these days, but it would have made it fun if a diva was included somehow. This issue is obviously not huge, but the first two things I mentioned could have helped this seem more important.

Who wins? Barrett. Sheamus won it before. I cannot imagine R-Truth making it to the finals. If Barrett, a heel, makes it to the finals, it is unlikely Sheamus, another heel, also goes that far. He will probably lose in some cheap fashion to Neville. I know I said Neville should be pushed well in Daniel Bryan's absence, but he just debuted. He does not need to win this. He's not the next Brock Lesnar. That leaves Barrett. Why not? I like that.

Daniel Bryan Could Not Compete

Daniel Bryan did not defend his Intercontinental Championship against Barrett at Extreme Rules. He was too hurt. It was the worst-case scenario. Barrett faced Neville in a non-title match.

Earlier in the year, history repeating itself was an issue with Daniel Bryan. The WWE did not book him to win the Royal Rumble, or even look too impressive in it. Fans were unhappy. He was then put in a feud against Roman Reigns to decide who would get to face Lesnar at Wrestlemania. That was a repeat of last year. But the WWE booked Reigns to win that match. Go back to last year. A few weeks after Daniel Bryan got his big Wrestlemania moment, he faced an injury that forced him to surrender his WWE title. Is Daniel Bryan in that position again?

Daniel Bryan has not been the same since returning a few months ago. Many of his matches have not felt the same. It might be for the best if he did take some extended time off again. That would mean taking the title off him. It would be up to his health whether that means stripping him of the title, like last year, or having him work a match to drop the title.

Who should take his spot in the midcard? How about Neville? He just debuted. He is an exciting performer. He can be a solid replacement for Daniel Bryan. If the WWE does go in that direction, this would be something good to come out of this bit of bad luck. Neville probably would not have gotten too far without these depth issues. Because of these issues, his chances of being used better increase.

Extreme Rules 2015: Final Preview

I have already said all I want to say about John Cena vs. Rusev and Seth Rollins vs. Randy Orton. I will talk about the other matches today.

Dean Ambrose vs. Luke Harper. If Dean Ambrose can't win this feud, there has to be some kind of running gag here. There is no reason to bury him. He is over, but there is no heavy protest to see him get pushed. Luke Harper is not going anywhere. Give the win to Ambrose.

Tyson Kidd & Cesaro vs. Big E & Kofi Kingston. The tag division is looking almost as sloppy as the diva division. I am talking about how it is managed, not the quality of matches. I would expect Kidd and Cesaro to retain. If the WWE is serious about developing The New Day as something credible, and I mean really SERIOUS, I can picture them giving them the titles. I do not think they care. It does not matter whether they are heels or faces. They have been mediocre too long.

Daniel Bryan vs. Wade Barrett. Why don't I ever call him Bad News Barrett? Anyway, Daniel Bryan's health continues to be an issue. Is he badly hurt? If he is not that hurt, he will retain. If he is hurt but can still go, he will work the match and Barrett will regain the Intercontinental Championship. If he is too hurt for even that, you are going to have a repeat of what happened last year. Regardless of Daniel Bryan's health, I still feel he could have been utilized better in the last few weeks. There are some guys that are so over that just being out there is enough for the fans. They do not need to wrestle every night. The product has felt a little weak lately. Daniel Bryan could have helped fix that to some degree.

Sheamus vs. Dolph Ziggler. Sheamus just made his return a few weeks ago. They seem more interested in pushing him right now than Ziggler. Ziggler just seems to be in the position to put Sheamus over. I do not see them hurting the momentum Sheamus is developing. He likely wins this match. I do not want to imagine what will happen with the "kiss me arse" aspect of this match. Crass.That's the word I'll give it.

Roman Reigns vs. Big Show. There will be rowdy Chicago fans at Extreme Rules. You can imagine some of what they will do. They will love Cesaro and Kidd. Cena will get booed. As far as this match goes, you have two guys that smarks do not like. "Please Retire" chants for Big Show? Will Roman get mugged as he tries to make his entrance through the crowd? I usually get excited for Last Man Standing matches, but a lot of hardcore-style matches have been weak in recent years. The WWE is trying to be more edgy again. There is also no reason to be too interested in who wins. Roman Reigns is the guy they are developing to be a star. Big Show is a jobber to the stars. It will be more interesting to see how fans treat this match than anything else.

I have saved the diva match for last. Nikki Bella vs. Naomi for the Diva's Championship. Naomi is the heel and Nikki is the face. Paige had won a battle royal to get a title shot. Naomi turned heel that same night and took her out. Paige is out filming a movie. The WWE pretty much took out their top face right now. They fix it by turning The Bellas face. This is sloppy, inconsistent booking. I do not think you can put all the blame on AJ Lee retiring. They could have kept all the alignments the same and developed face Naomi to take on heel Nikki for the title. Have The Bellas take Paige out if she has to take time off.

How about the decision to turn The Bellas face? Given the hole the WWE dug for themselves, this is an okay move. You have two faces with one turn. There are still other divas they can treat as faces. More faces will eventually debut. The main issue is how randomly they did it. Not developed well. In one year, The Bellas have gone from being faces to being heels to being faces. Paige has gone from being a face to a heel to a face. AJ Lee was a heel, turned face, and if she had not left, would have turned heel again. Some people complain about how long John Cena has been face, but you can bring up the opposite complaint about the diva division. Stop turning them so much. A lot of these turns are done because of depth issues, not for the sake of good creative investment.

I would not make too much out of Paige starring in a movie for the WWE. Extracurricular activities do not determine your place on the roster. Brodus Clay also starred in a movie for the WWE. Where is he now? TNA. Things like movies and Total Divas usually do not do the most for helping you to get over. Not everyone can get over through extracurricular activities like Zack Ryder did. It comes down to how you are actually pushed. Let's see how Paige is pushed when she returns.

Who wins between Nikki and Naomi? I would say Nikki. After that, you will probably eventually get a triple threat involving those two and Paige. Paige will still have a title shot coming and Nikki will probably still be face. Face vs. face? Insert heel Naomi. I would not be surprised if the WWE books Nikki to hold the title long enough to break AJ Lee's record. She's almost halfway there.

Wrestlemania 31 Preview: Part 2

The feud development between Randy Orton and Seth Rollins could have been better. I can picture this feud going beyond Wrestlemania. I can also picture Orton beating Seth and Seth going on to cash in his briefcase to win the title. I know no dirtsheets are reporting that, but if the WWE is starting to realize that the main event is horrible, they might pull some kind of swerve to create some drama.

The Undertaker lost his streak last year, but he is still coming back for more. Bray Wyatt has been pestering him with promos for weeks and weeks. Match quality will most likely not be amazing here, but you have a legend fans love seeing and two guys with unique gimmicks. It would have been better if Taker was around to help push the feud. I will say The Undertaker wins.

You have a 7-man ladder match for the Intercontinental Championship. This is the match many predict will steal the show. Barrett vs. R-Truth vs. Ambrose vs. Ziggler vs. Harper vs. Stardust vs. Bryan. I wouldn't mind Ambrose winning the title from Barrett, but then they added in all these other guys. I think it will be either Ziggler or Bryan.

There is a chance a main-eventer might also be winning the other midcard title. John Cena vs. Rusev for the United Stated Championship. Rusev has the momentum. He already beat Cena last month. This one seems obvious. Cena regains the title. 

Dean Ambrose Goes After The Intercontinental Championship

Dean Ambrose seems to be a very popular guy. For 2015 so far, I have more visitors to my blog searching for Dean Ambrose than any other one person. He reminds me of a mix between Steve Austin and Mick Foley. You can probably throw in a few other guys in there. I am not really a fan of the guy, but I can understand why people like him.

There is no need to question whether he deserves a title reign. He is feuding with Barrett over the Intercontinental Championship. The only thing that might make you hesitate is that Barrett just regained the title a few weeks ago. Should he lose it so soon? Personally, I would still have Luke Harper holding the title. He dropped it back to Ziggler too soon. Ziggler dropped it back to Wade Barrett, who should be above it right now. And now you are just going to drop it to someone else? If Harper was still holding the title, would a feud between him and Dean Ambrose have worked? I think so. Ambrose is coming off a feud with Bray Wyatt. Luke Harper was one of Wyatt's henchmen. There is a story there you can work with to transition to this feud to make it more than just a title feud. Too late for that.

Again, I am not against Dean Ambrose getting the title. How do you handle this feud? I would have Wade Barrett retain when these two go at it. The feud continues. Ambrose wins in a rematch. It does not have to happen at Wrestlemania. It can happen in the weeks leading up to it. Not all title changes need to happen on PPV. Hopefully, he will have a title reign that actually lasts a few months. It does not have to be as long as his reign as United States Champion, but it should be longer than some of the title reigns you have gotten recently with the Intercontinental Championship.

Barrett & Rusev

The WWE midcard continues to have issues. I am just going to focus on the two midcard heels currently holding the midcard titles.

Wade Barrett regained the Intercontinental Championship from Dolph Ziggler. They did not follow through with a face turn for him. That exchange he had with Cesaro was probably either meant to take a shot at CM Punk or just humiliate Cesaro. There were other ways they could have brought him back, especially if they intended to keep him heel. Or is this just very bad inconsistency? They could have had him return to confront Ziggler in some manner. Barrett did deserve a title shot since he never lost the Intercontinental Championship. Just not good development.

The man you would expect him to be feuding with, Dolph Ziggler, is currently fired as part of a storyline. What is left for Barrett? A minor feud with Sin Cara? And it is very minor. It feels like Wade Barrett has already lost the momentum he had when he returned. When he returned the way he did, that got a lot of fans interested in him. Is he really turning face? He also had some freshness on his side. Even keeping him heel and giving him back the title was not necessarily horrible. The problem has been everything since then. It seems like he is back in the same position he was in last year prior to his injury. Sin Cara is not a guy that can elevate him. That is just filler.

Rusev is still holding the United States Championship. Much like Barrett, the guy Rusev is supposed to be feuding against is not around. That would be Ryback. It was only a matter of time before Rusev ran out of worthy opponents to go against the kind of gimmick he has. I think they have reached that point. Is John Cena the last guy left? Another thing, the WWE was doing a good job of taking Rusev up that ladder. He started off beating clear jobbers, then Big E, then Jack Swagger, then Mark Henry, and then Big Show. He beat Sheamus for the US title. He was a part of Team Authority at Survivor Series. But after all that, where do you really go with him? His feud with Ryback seems like a step back down from some of the guys he was feuding against. The climb up the ladder was good, but it seems the WWE's desire to prolong his push like this might hurt his momentum.

There is also the fact that he is undefeated in terms of never being pinned or tapping out. He has gotten some cheap finishes here and there. And he isn't exactly completely dominant. There have been a few nights where he has been made to look human. To put it simply, I do not think he has been developed to be the dominant threat that he should be. If this guy is really supposed to feud with John Cena, does he have the credibility? Or is he really just an overrated midcard act?

Go back to when I was talking about TNA's Havok recently. They built her up to be dominant. It wasn't just about winning matches. They had her destroy other KOs. The only issue was her not being around long and TNA not having enough time to monitor if she was connecting well with fans prior to making decisions on her. On the other side, you have TNA's Crimson. His main claim to fame is an undefeated streak that most fans would agree was lame. He really wasn't that dominant and never really got over.

If they are developing Rusev to be a top star or put over a top star, his dominance should be leaning towards how TNA has handled Havok. Instead, it is starting to lean towards Crimson. They were doing a better job for a few months, but right now, Rusev needs better focus. Feud development is hurt with Ryback involved in a bigger angle. His gimmick isn't leading to anything fresh. His dominance is questionable. And I don't think that undefeated streak is enough to carry him.

...Or They Can Turn Him Face

Wade Barrett returned on Raw last night to in-ring action. He faced and defeated Cesaro, who is another person I will be talking about. Barrett returned as a face?

When I was talking about Wade Barrett just yesterday, a face turn was something I did not bring up. How do I think he will work as a face? I think he could be good. He can be a bad ass face. That can help him stay connected with those fans that loved him as a heel and possibly become more popular with other fans.

Barrett is still a midcarder. There are issues in the midcard that I have brought up a lot. Unless you are in a title feud, you will probably be lost in the shuffle in no time in the midcard. Does the fact that Barrett is now a face help him avoid the midcard abyss? Another thing to consider is who loses a push now that Barrett is back. Instead of thinking of a heel that loses a spot, you have to think of a face that might be losing a spot. I think that would be Erick Rowan. He got pushed out of nowhere last month. That was due to Sheamus dropping out. I would say Barrett is being rotated in to fill that spot. When a guy like Sheamus does return, you might see Barrett back to being a jobber to the stars. Until then, he will be featured well as a face.

What is there to say about Cesaro? Before losing to Barrett, he was dropping a pipe bomb. Complaining about how you are being treated and putting yourself over is all there is to a pipe bomb. What was the point of that? Testing how he does? Developing him to be a big star? Just to set up Barrett beating him? To take a shot at CM Punk? The WWE has shown themselves to be pretty petty at times.

How did Cesaro do with his promo? He obviously had a little botch at one point, but just ignore that. I think his overall delivery was too stiff. It wasn't natural. His message was obviously something a lot of fans would like to hear, but it is how he tells it that really counted the most. He didn't deliver. People already knew his promo skills were not too great. If the WWE wanted the promo to purposely be awkward to take a shot at CM Punk, they did that. If this was Cesaro legitimately trying to sound like the next CM Punk, he fell short.

There was a time earlier in the year where it seemed like the WWE might be grooming Cesaro to be the next CM Punk or Daniel Bryan. Build him up to be popular, play with now wanting to push him, then let the fans go crazy. If that was still their intent, it hasn't worked. Fans have not gone insane for Cesaro. In general, I am getting sick of these types of promos and storylines. Are they going to purposely mistreat their workers and hope fans go crazy? This is entertaining? One day, they are going to push some of these fans too far and something bad will happen.

If the WWE is mistreating Cesaro because they really don't believe in him, they are being foolish, as well. Yes, he lacks mic skills. So what? The whole point of pairing him with Paul Heyman was that he would be the mouthpiece for Cesaro. Brock Lesnar has even worse mic skills. Roman Reigns is not that great on the mic. Daniel Bryan is insanely over, but his mic skills are not the greatest. There are guys pushed as top stars or being developed to be top stars that are not great on the mic. Cesaro does not even need to be pushed at their level. Push him as a solid midcarder or upper-midcarder. You need to feature stars there better. With all the issues you have in the main-event scene, you have to do better with other areas. It's like a football team with issues on offense that has to rely on their defense and special teams to carry them to success. It happens. Centerpiece sucks and other main-eventers don't always seem to be consistent draws. With those issues, you have to improve the overall product. That should involve pushing Cesaro better.

What Happens When Wade Barrett Returns?

Main-eventers are not the only ones that you can expect to make a return sooner or later. There are a few midcarders who have been injured this year. Wade Barrett is one of them. What should they do with him when he returns?

The obvious answer would be to stick him in a feud for the Intercontinental Championship. He was injured while holding that title. He never really lost it. Dolph Ziggler, a face, is currently holding the title. It could be an obvious feud, although the matches should be good. I would just like to see Barrett do something outside of the midcard title scene.

Another thing to consider, should he keep the "Bad News" gimmick? I am not saying it is a bad gimmick. It is good. I liked it. Many fans liked it. Made for a great heel character. I just don't think he needs it. Wade Barrett is a good worker. I think he has some versatility. This is an era in the WWE where they are spamming gimmicks. If they do not let him keep the same gimmick, they might develop a new one for him. Regardless, Wade Barrett is one of the few guys I think can take being pushed as a generic midcard heel and still connect with the fans. He has great charisma. As long as you push him well, no fancy gimmick is needed.

How about pairing him with Paige? They have the British thing going. They are both currently heels. Paige has not had any real periphery roles yet. She is not doing anything now. You might as well give her this. With AJ Lee not around, it would be good to push some female wrestler as something more than a credible jobber to please rebellious smarks. It would also be something different for Wade Barrett. This could be part of pushing him with a new gimmick. I am not saying they should create some European-themed stable, although that is another idea. Toss Sheamus in there. Just put a midcard heel and a diva heel together with something in common and develop some interesting feuds from that. It would make both the midcard scene and diva scene more interesting.

One last thing to consider, who loses a push when Wade Barrett returns? Wade Barrett seems to be a midcarder they would be interested in pushing. With him out, they have had to push other guys. Whether you think any of those guys have done a great job or not, it is still likely Wade Barrett will get back a good push. Luke Harper has been getting pushed well in recent weeks. He is the one I can imagine getting lost in the midcard shuffle when Wade Barrett returns. That does not necessarily mean he completely disappears. He will either just be pushed even more mediocrely or they'll toss him with someone else and create a tag team. Putting him back with Bray Wyatt is always an option.

Go back to what I was talking about last time. I was talking about Randy Orton's eventual official return. He ended up returning at a house show later that very day I talked about him, but that's not my point. I didn't bring up the idea of someone getting depushed when he returns. I did intend to do that. I just forgot. Christmas hangover. Had too much of my aunt's fruitcake. In all seriousness, Randy Orton is obviously a top star that they want to push. When he was away, they obviously had to push guys in his place. When he returns, he will obviously get his spot back and you will see at least one person take a slight depush. It is better to realize that than think that someone that suddenly gets depushed had to have done something wrong or failed to connect with the fans during his opportunity while Orton was away. When Orton left, he was a face. Unless something crazy happens, he will return as a face. What face is likely to get depushed? Dolph Ziggler was looking like a top guy a month ago. He won the match for his team at Survivor Series. You have already seen him get a slight depush since then. Dean Ambrose has also looked like a top face recently. Slightly. His feud with Bray Wyatt has gotten some main-event attention. I don't buy it. Putting a B+ feud in an A+ position here and there does not make the guys involved true A+ players. Neither Ambrose or Wyatt are true main-eventers. Regardless, Ambrose is another guy I can picture taking a slight depush when Orton returns. John Cena will continue to be pushed as the top star. Roman Reigns is a star in the making. Randy Orton is still up there. These are really the faces I believe are the main priorities. And when Daniel Bryan returns, things are going to get a little more crowded. As of now, an Orton return could very well mean less of a few guys in the main spotlight. It isn't Orton or Cena burying these guys. It's just how the WWE works.

Wildcat Centerpiece In The Men's Division

I talked about how a "wildcat" centerpiece would work in the diva division yesterday. Today belongs to the men's division. Why might this be appealing? You have had a centerpiece for almost a decade now that has trouble properly connecting with the fans. Instead of the WWE addressing the problem in a manner to try to please their fans and run an efficient product, they have taken advantage of that hate John Cena gets for the sake of storylines, which often fail to do too much. On the other side of that, you have some guys that the fans want to see get pushed that often get buried or used to put over Cena, then get buried. If the WWE utilized some sort of wildcat strategy, that might give Cena more of a rest, have a variety of other guys pushed well, and create storylines and feuds that can really excite the fans. The WWE does rest John Cena from the title scene and main-event scene at times, but not enough to please fans. So more must be done.

Wildcat. Bray Wyatt. He was the first guy that came to mind when I thought about talking about this. Does he have a "wildcat" gimmick? Deranged cult leader? Yeah, I think that counts. He had a shot at winning the World title a few months ago. I remember thinking back then how interesting a title reign with him would have been. Don't just let him have the title, but push him as the top guy for a few months. Don't just use him as a jobber to the centerpiece, but develop a few successful title defenses for him against other guys. I felt like TNA would be more likely to do that kind of thing, not the WWE. With a creepy guy like that as the top star for a while, things would surely be shaken up.

A lot of fans say the WWE botched the Nexus angle a few years ago. They really didn't. They weren't trying to create stars out of all those guys. It was a storyline designed to put over Cena. It did that. They then moved on, slowly letting the air out of the angle. But the WWE could have done better. Wade Barrett could have legitimately won the WWE title back then. But what would the WWE likely have done? Probably have him drop it to Cena. Let's say they gave Barrett the title and actually let him run with it. Have him defend against both faces and heels, since his group was attacking both sides. Keep Cena away from Barrett, at least for a while. Have Cena feud with the other members of the group. How much better would that storyline have been if the leader of these rookie rebels was pushed as top guy in the company for a while? That would be a wildcat centerpiece. And I think a lot of fans unhappy with how the WWE handled the storyline would be more content with this.

CM Punk held the WWE Championship for over a year. For most of that time, however, he was still being overshadowed by John Cena. CM Punk was never the centerpiece. Could they have done a better job with him? I think so. They could have pushed him as the wildcat centerpiece. You have a controversial figure that drops pipe bombs and stands up to those trying to maintain the status quo so many fans are sick of. Unlike the previous two examples I gave, you could have CM Punk as wildcat centerpiece without having him be heel. Fans loved him and what he was doing could work well as a face. He should have been the guy that put John Laurinaitis out of business. And aside from that, I am sure there are other ways to keep his anti-establishment character going for a few more months in the main spotlight. John Cena doing these things is not fresh. Besides, CM Punk could have brought more edge to these type of storylines.

Just to reiterate a main point, why is it important that the wildcat centerpiece have some type of wild gimmick? I talked about a deranged cult leader, a leader of a rebel group, and quite possibly the most controversial superstar the WWE has had this decade. You are not just replacing John Cena with a guy that is going to do exactly what he does in the main spotlight. You are replacing John Cena with a guy that can really shake things up. You look at Randy Orton. You can say they have pushed him in Cena's spot for a while over the years, but he doesn't really bring a change in the title feuds and the main-event scene like certain guys with unique characters could bring. The wildcat centerpiece is supposed to shake things up when he gets pushed in that position. That's why you bother doing it. Eliminate some of that staleness from too much Cena.

Battleground 2014 Preview: Part 1

Cameron and Naomi, former partners and friends, will face each other this Sunday. You have had 4 diva feuds being featured recently. Paige and AJ Lee are in a title feud. Stephanie McMahon has been making life miserable for Nikki Bella. There were issues between Layla and Summer Rae, which have since branched into a partnership between the two. And this feud. I don't even remember how many times you have had this many during the golden era. Obviously, the WWE will not be consistent with all these women. And these two women in this match are likely to eventually be lost in the shuffle again. This is only a kickoff match. Naomi wins.

Seth Rollins is good to go against Dean Ambrose. A lot of fans are excited for this match. I really don't care too much for it. Just my personal opinion. I think the feud between Cody Rhodes and Damien Sandow after Sandow betrayed Cody last year and won the briefcase was more fun. They have had Dean Ambrose get beaten down a lot recently. Is this going to be a situation where the face overcomes and gets revenge against the heel that betrayed him? The story of this match could ruin the quality. I know a lot of fans would rather these two just go at it. You might have a story here where Ambrose is broken and trying to fight uphill all match. Hopefully, this feud continues to Summerslam and they can put on an even better match there, regardless of outcome and quality at Battleground. Seth should win this match.

You have a huge battle royal to crown the new Intercontinental Champion. And Barrett will be there to hand over the title. How great would it be if he drops some bad news on whoever wins the match and tells them he isn't injured anymore and is keeping the title? It would be a good way to set up a feud between him and the winner. Let's say nothing fancy happens. Who wins? Probably not Sheamus. He doesn't need it. It would be nice if Dolph Ziggler wins it. He can feud with Barrett down the line. I just feel like a heel should be holding it now. The Miz is a good choice. He just came back and it would be an easy way to keep him relevant without actually pushing him. It would also be nice if Cesaro gets it. The guy needs something. Without going through anymore names, I'll say Miz wins the title.

The Usos once again defend the tag titles against The Wyatts. And this is a 2-out-of-3 falls match. Just like I gave the WWE credit for upgrading the US title match between Sheamus and Alberto Del Rio on Main Event last week to a Last Man Standing match, I'll give them credit for making this match more than just a basic tag match. These two teams can put on a great match. This match type should make things more interesting. The Flying Eduardo Brothers should finally be winning the titles this time. Wyatts win.

Money In The Bank 2014: Previewing The Briefcase Ladder Match

When they first announced that there would still be a ladder match for the briefcase, I didn't like the idea that much. They had already put in so much top talent in the other ladder match. They were going to end up tossing in guys in this ladder match that should be facing each other in singles matches. They were not going to have enough guys left over for other matches to fill up the card. Now that all the participants have been named, I am not going to complain about it. Aside from Rollins and Ambrose, none of these other guys really had anything going for them. And there are still other matches to fill up the card. I am going to talk about the participants in the order I think they stand a chance of winning.

Remember that time I said I was going to talk about the participants in the order I thought they stood a chance of winning? I lied. I have to start with Bad News Barrett. Yes, there is bad news for Bad News Barrett. He got injured on Smackdown. There is a very good chance he will not compete in the ladder match this Sunday. Where would he have landed on my list had he not gotten injured? He would have come in second. Yes, I think he stood a good chance of winning. He has talent and has seemed to be on the fringes of a major push at times in his career. He shouldn't be stuck rotating around the midcard forever. Who takes his place? I'm not going to speculate on that. The WWE may not even need to replace him. There are still a lot of guys in the match.

Seth Rollins seems like the likely choice to win. He is in the midst of a great turn in his career. He is aligned with Triple H and being groomed to be the future golden boy. I almost want to say that he does not need the briefcase. His feud with Ambrose will obviously last beyond Money in the Bank. The type of treatment he is getting now pretty much guarantees he will be featured well. Nevertheless, he seems like the most credible option to get the briefcase.

Dean Ambrose is also hot. But he seems to just be there for the benefit of Rollins. Rollins is the one being developed to be a future star. Ambrose is likely just the one there to feud with him for the moment. Rollins will continue to be groomed well in the future, assuming he does not flop, but Ambrose is likely the one that will get lost in the shuffle. The only reason I could picture him winning the briefcase is to further the feud between him and Rollins even more.

Dolph Ziggler is very popular. But does he need another briefcase win? He has won it before and successfully cashed it in. It is not unheard of for someone to win the briefcase twice, but I don't see the need for Ziggler to win this. There are so many other names to push to be future main-eventers. Assuming Barrett is not injured for long, Ziggler could eventually regain the Intercontinental Championship by beating him. They had a great match on Raw. If the WWE ever does get serious about pushing Ziggler in the main-event again, it shouldn't be difficult since he held the World title before. He does not need the briefcase.

Rob Van Dam returned at Money in the Bank last year. What has he really done? He seems to be just enhancement talent. Why in the world would they book him to get the briefcase? He is likely just there to pull off some cool spots.

Jack Swagger. The only reason I am not putting him at the bottom of the list is because he has won the briefcase before and won the World title once.

Kofi Kingston, much like RVD, is likely just there to pull off some fancy spots. He has done nothing important for months.