American Alpha Win The Titles

There was a title change on Smackdown this week. It just wasn't the titles I thought it might be. It was the tag titles. American Alpha won them.

Let's not sugarcoat it, American Alpha were flops. The WWE debuted them on Smackdown like they were just supposed to be the top team of the division. They did not connect with the audience well and Heath Slater & Rhyno just deserved to win the tag titles before them. But I have said that the WWE should go back to them and give them a proper push.

A proper push does not mean just dumping a title in someone's lap. There was no development for these guys to win the titles. Obviously, with Zack Ryder's injury, the WWE could not do what they originally would have liked to do. But doing a title change like this does not do American Alpha any favors. They need work. It reminds of Becky Lynch winning the Women's Championship a few months ago. She had no proper focus on her heading into that match to crown the inaugural titleholder. And she just won. Her fans will eat it up, but there are a lot of fans out there that might not care that much. Of the women that debuted from NXT in one night last year, Becky Lynch was the one pushed the least properly.

I am not saying the WWE should never have a title change come out of nowhere for someone that had no real build for the push. Normally, however, it should at least go to someone with prior credibility. Look at Sheamus winning the Royal Rumble out of nowhere a few years ago. There really was not much focus on Sheamus to legitimately win the big match, but he did. Of course, Sheamus had credibility from being a WWE Champion prior to that. I can also agree with creating some buzz by having someone win a title in their first match, like Paige did. The WWE obviously fumbled with Paige soon after, but that's another story.

Which category does American Alpha fall under? They didn't win the titles in their debut match to cause buzz. These are not guys that had credibility previously on the main roster to imply they have at least gotten a proper push before in front of the main audience. They are rookies that have not been pushed well and suddenly have the tag titles.

Some might think I'm crazy. Didn't I hear how some fans reacted when American Alpha got their moment? Yeah, and can you hear how all the other fans and potential viewers reacted to it? No, you can't. How about you stop and consider that? When certain wrestlers are in front of their hometown, they are likely to get a good reaction. When certain wrestlers are in front of smark crowds or wrestling-friendly crowds, they are likely to get a good reaction. Smackdown was in Chicago this week. I don't think I need to say anything else about that. No one should get fooled into thinking American Alpha are more over than they really are just because smarks like them. I pointed out in the past that these are the type of guys that wrestling fans would eat up. The WWE needs to put proper work in these guys to develop wider appeal.

How about the team that lost the tag titles? That would be The Wyatts. It was a very short title reign. Some people are unhappy about Bray Wyatt losing his title reign so fast. Face it, this title reign was more about furthering a storyline, not honoring Bray Wyatt. That should not be the issue for discussion here. What you should be talking about is whether the WWE pulled the trigger too soon on the title change. The feud between Randy Orton and Bray Wyatt has a lot of creative potential, but I have pointed out in the last few months that the WWE has made some questionable choices. Even if you can forgive or ignore all that, this recent development is questionable. The WWE just didn't get enough off the title reign, even just talking creatively. It isn't really about building a dominant stable, since that is obviously not what the story is about. It is about playing with the relationships within The Wyatts right now. They could have done more before having The Wyatts lose the tag titles.

Renee Young Gets An Angle

Renee Young has really just been an interviewer/host for most of her time in the WWE. She is dating Dean Ambrose in real life. She is also now a part of Total Divas. She now seems to be doing even more. She has gotten involved in an angle with Miz and Maryse, along with Ambrose.

This is obviously a periphery angle. It seems like it has been a long time since I talked about an angle like this. Renee Young and Maryse are obviously not there for their wrestling ability. This is an angle on the periphery of the major focus of Smackdown's women's division. And there is nothing wrong with angles like this. The diva era produced stars in the periphery. Smackdown has shown a lot of the elements you would expect from the diva era. Alexa Bliss is arguably a diva. She is holding Smackdown's Women's Championship.

Or is this just purely Total Divas shenanigans? Total Divas, much like other WWE programming has been doing not so great in the ratings. Does the WWE feel they need to further promote the individuals on the show and the drama viewers can expect to see on the show? So far, it is at least not getting in the way of the women's feuds wrestling fans might be more interested in.

What does this mean for Maryse? For the most part since coming back, she has been just a valet for her husband, Miz. She would get involved in segments here and there, but storylines never really included her that much. This is a storyline that does put more focus on her. Nothing wrong with that. Maryse has the potential to be a great character. She never put it together during her first run in the WWE to get a proper reaction from the fans, but maybe she will do better this time.

And Renee Young? Back in the day, Lilian Garcia would sometimes get some angles here and there. Nothing wrong with that. Just don't make it a regular thing. It could get annoying. Not everyone that works for the WWE needs to eventually get in the ring. This angle might do some good for Renee Young, but she does not need to become Ambrose's valet. Both can move on after this angle ends.

Previewing Smackdown's Wild Card Finals

Some fans have said that tonight's Smackdown is like a PPV. I am all for Smackdown having special episodes, but here is another weird name to go with. In any case, I will be looking at the announced title matches. I will not talk about John Cena returning.

The tag titles are on the line. With Zack Ryder injured, the WWE has decided to go with three teams challenging The Wyatts. The Usos, American Alpha, and Rhyno & Heath Slater are getting the shot. What will decide who wins is whether or not the WWE is ready to go anywhere with the storyline between Bray Wyatt and Randy Orton. They might just carry this story all the way to Wrestlemania. I doubt Orton turns on Bray Wyatt tonight. I also doubt they do anything to split Luke Harper from Bray Wyatt, which is another point you can expect this storyline to reach. Until they get to all that, the tag titles are likely not going anywhere. The Wyatts retain.

Alexa Bliss defends the Smackdown Women's Championship against Becky Lynch. Common sense might say that Alexa Bliss retains. She just won the title not too long ago. Becky Lynch seems to have the momentum heading into this match. But you can never tell these days with how the WWE treats title reigns. Everything is about history, whether that means long title reigns or juggling titles around to inflate the number of reigns. If they want this special episode of Smackdown to have a title change, I feel like this is the one that changes hands. But I will say Alexa Bliss retains.

AJ Styles is back in the ring after his injury and making up for lost time. He knocked off James Ellsworth last week. Tonight, he faces Dolph Ziggler and Baron Corbin. Baron Corbin? Where did he come from? I am all for other people on the card getting title pushes, and it looked like they were building Corbin up for a push, but the build up for this match just feels awkward. A lot of people praise Smackdown's writing and booking, but this show is still far from perfect. On the other hand, I don't mind little things like this now and then to shake things up. I just hope that is what they are doing. Don't make this kind of booking the norm. This is not how you build proper feuds. In just the few weeks since moving on from Dean Ambrose, AJ Styles has had to deal with James Ellsworth, Dolph Ziggler, and now Baron Corbin. Is it all filler? Or are they building something here? Oh, and as for who wins, AJ Styles.

When Should New Day Break Up?

I was watching Let's Make A Deal last week and New Day popped up. They weren't too bad.

Obviously, a few days before that, New Day lost the tag titles to Sheamus and Cesaro. New Day is not finished yet, however. But they will eventually break up. The question is whether the WWE should do it quickly, like in the coming weeks, or let the group last a few more months.

As I have said many times in the last year during New Day's reign of terror, they don't need the tag titles to do their act. And their act obviously has entertainment value. They weren't parading around with tag titles on Let's Make A Deal last week. They were playing along for the Christmas episode. And they can still be a part of some great storylines and segments away from chasing the tag titles.

On the other side of that, why might the WWE want to break them up? Depth might be the issue. There are enough tag teams to run the tag division on Raw well enough for a while. New Day is not necessary there. But are there enough singles wrestlers to push? New Day is made up of at least two guys that can be very useful as singles wrestlers, Kofi Kingston and Big E. Xavier Woods is probably best suited as a manager, as I have seen many other fans point out. Kofi Kingston and Big E can be useful chasing after the United States Championship down the road or being used as jobbers to the stars.

How do I think the WWE should handle it? Let New Day last a few more months. They can start breaking them up after Wrestlemania. But there is no need to have them last another year together. And they definitely do not need the tag titles back so soon. They already made history and all that. Time to move on from that, although the group might still have some potential as entertainers.

Should Drew McIntyre Return To The WWE?

The WWE released Drew McIntyre (Drew Galloway) a few years ago. He ended up in TNA and went through the motions there that you would usually expect from a former WWE performer like him going to TNA. TNA may have given him a run with their top title, but they didn't really push him that well. His deal is set to expire in a few months and the speculation can now begin about whether he will come back to the WWE.

The WWE gave Drew McIntyre a big push at one point. You have to wonder how far it would have gone. Were they grooming a legitimate main-eventer? Or just someone to work with a top star and then get demoted? Some people like to say issues with his wife, Taryn Terrell, ruined his push. How about the fact that he just wasn't getting over? Even after that incident in 2010, Drew went on to get a short run with the tag titles with Cody Rhodes. They didn't release him right away. He was stuck with the jobber group of 3MB, but he was still in the company for a while.

Could he bring anything to the WWE? Did he really improve himself in TNA? He definitely has potential. Maybe part of the problem during his WWE run is that they pushed him as the wrong kind of heel. They spent too much time hyping him and not enough time just letting his character really shine.

Of course, this is a different era in the WWE. Not only has the WWE's attitude towards certain things changed, but the fans watching are different. The WWE has driven away a lot of fans over the years. Of those fans left, smarks have become a lot more vocal and energized. These type of fans might be all for a guy like Drew McIntyre. At the very least, he will be better off than his first run with the WWE.

I would not be surprised if the WWE at least showed some interest in Drew. They have already shown a willingness to bring back certain other wrestlers they had released that they felt at the time they no longer needed. They even brought back Jinder Mahal! They obviously have depth issues with the brand split back. I have said many times that I feel the WWE should do better with the roster they have before rushing to sign more people, but if they are going to sign more people, Drew McIntyre would not be a terrible choice to bring back.

Roman Reigns Continues Against Kevin Owens

The Universal Championship match between Kevin Owens and Roman Reigns obviously did not end cleanly and decisively last Sunday. That means Reigns will get a rematch at the Royal Rumble next month. They are also trying to make it more interesting by putting Jericho in a cage so he can't interfere like he usually does.

There is one problem. Roman Reigns is still the United States Champion. I don't like it when titles get hijacked. I didn't like New Day's long reign that recently ended. I didn't like the title being stuck between Charlotte and Sasha Banks for almost half the year, although that has also come to an end. Roman Reigns getting one title opportunity against Kevin Owens while still being United States Champion is nothing to get too upset over. It is better than the endless title matches Seth Rollins has gotten. It created an interesting feud. Would Roman Reigns end up holding two titles? But prolonging it becomes problematic. Other people could be chasing after the United States Championship in this time Reigns is feuding for a more important title.

Of course, the WWE can have Reigns lose the title in the coming weeks due to interference from Kevin Owens. It adds a little heat to the feud and gets the title off Reigns. Chris Jericho might seem like the obvious choice, but it really does not need to be him. Pick another heel. Braun Strowman? Rusev doesn't need the title back right now. There are other heels on Raw, although some of them may lack credibility. People said a few months ago that Raw won the draft. Maybe in terms of numbers, but questionable in terms of quality. When it comes to midcard heels, they need to do some work. Maybe getting the midcard title off a main-eventer and putting it on a midcarder would help.

John Cena winning the United States Championship last year was refreshing. Even smarks, his biggest critics, liked it. Why hasn't this title reign for Roman Reigns worked out anyway like that? I think one of the biggest differences is that you did not have the brand split last year. Rosters are limited now. Seth Rollins has been getting endless title matches. Who takes his place that has the credibility to go after the title? It would have been nice if the WWE took a chance on a midcarder, like Cesaro, but not too shocking that they did not. Even in terms of just looking at Roman Reigns and the United States Championship, the brand split hurts the number of free challengers he can have. Last year, Cena was having title matches with a variety of guys. Right now, as I just pointed out, you have a lot of midcarders already tied up with something or just lacking credibility. Does anyone want to see Jinder Mahal get a shot at Roman Reigns? Roman Reigns is needed to give the Universal Championship scene someone new. The heel midcard pool isn't too great. Brand split just hurts the depth. The WWE needs to make better use of the roster. Just signing guys is not the answer, especially if they are not handled right.

Raw's Women's Division Finally Moves On

Charlotte regained the Raw Women's Championship last Sunday. Not shocking. What is also not shocking is that Charlotte is now moving on to Bayley and Sasha Banks gets Nia Jax.

Question is, what took them so long? I don't care if you are a Charlotte fan, Sasha fan, Bayley fan, or whatever. I don't care how much you like or dislike the WWE's handling of the women's division since #GiveDivasAChance made them look bad. I don't care if you enjoyed the wrestling from Charlotte and Sasha these last few months or not. You have to admit, that last title reign Sasha Banks had was just pointless. They extended the feud for no good reason. They were already showing signs of rotating in Bayley to face Charlotte. They killed that just to do another juggling act with the title between Charlotte and Sasha.

If you are in the camp that says Charlotte and Sasha are putting on great matches, you mean to tell me Bayley can't wrestle? She is one of the highly-regarded NXT women. The WWE really hurt her momentum with that sloppy booking over the last month. Moreover, even without the the title on the line, or at least not changing hands, Charlotte and Sasha could still have faced each other and put on matches wrestling fans can enjoy. The issue is having so many title changes and just continuing this feud too long.

Nia Jax has been another woman stuck in limbo while the WWE kept going with Sasha Banks and Charlotte. She gets something to do. Moreover, Sasha Banks, who was just used as a jobber to the centerpiece, gets a feud for herself outside the title picture. In the previous era, you couldn't count on something like this. Credible jobbers would get lost in the shuffle after putting over the centerpiece or filling in for the centerpiece. This feud is obviously not a title feud or bigger than the title feud, but it is still something for Sasha Banks to do. And there is a chance it gets featured well. At the very least, it might get featured better than the mediocrity credible jobbers would get in the diva era.

Injuries Impacting Smackdown's Title Scene

December has sometimes been a terrible month for the WWE. Not only is this a month you typically get terrible ratings with the holiday season and all, injuries have sometimes struck in this month. I am talking key injuries. Injuries to top stars or people involved in the title scene. It seems this December has already given that gift to the WWE, particularly on Smackdown. I just want to mention these situations.

AJ Styles suffered a minor injury at TLC a few weeks ago. He is obviously still holding the WWE Championship, but it has hurt the storylines they were going with in an obvious way. Moreover, Smackdown has not had its top Champion to wrestle at house shows. There is no need to strip Styles of the title, but this situation has obviously made things difficult for the WWE.

Last time I talked about Zack Ryder, I said he should get a push. I might have jinxed him. I was talking about a solo push, but the WWE did look ready to give him a push in the tag division, alongside Mojo Rawley. And then Ryder got injured. They just get the push, and then this happens. There are other teams they could push. There are other individuals that could team with Mojo. Why should he get screwed out of the push just because his partner got injured? Either way the WWE slices it, they have options to work around this. But once again, it is obviously making things difficult for the WWE.

Brings up the question, is this brand split really a good idea? This brand split is different from the last brand split you had. This is an era where the WWE is giving their workers more time to wrestle and giving them certain more freedoms. Yes, they still ban some moves. Overall, however, this can be considered a more wrestling-friendly era than you have had from the WWE in the past. But that comes with a price. Injuries. I only brought up two recent injuries on Smackdown impacting title feuds. I could have brought up Finn Balor. I could have brought up numerous women. And the WWE wants to do a long-term brand split? This era also features less legitimate star power than the previous era involving a brand split. All it takes is a few key injuries here and there to really mess up what is going on. I don't think giving your workers more freedom in the ring mixes well with a desire to have a brand split. Yes, the WWE could pluck someone from wherever that would be eager to work for them, and wrestling fans would probably love it, but that person will likely not have the star power to appeal to the wider audience. And that leads to the WWE needing to rely again and again on old part-timers. It is terrible situation.

Previewing The Roadblock: End Of The Line Top Matches

Kevin Owens, Chris Jericho, Roman Reigns, and Seth Rollins are the four top guys on Raw right now. That is not just a statement regarding their credibility. Their paths have been intertwined in recent weeks.

Seth Rollins had been getting title shot after title shot for a while now. Chris Jericho finally screwed him out of the title to a point that Rollins is moving on to feuding with Chris Jericho. Roman Reigns, having finished his United States Championship feud with Rusev, is now in the title hunt for the Universal Championship against Kevin Owens.

Even though I am all for Seth Rollins getting out of the title picture, I don't like how it was done. Go back to that title match on Raw Rollins and Owens had. There was a stipulation that Chris Jericho could not come out to ringside and interfere. What happened? Jericho put on a mask, attacked Rollins from the crowd, and did end up at ringside to interfere enough to help Owens retain. How can you make a rule that Chris Jericho can't interfere, have the rule be broken, and not say Rollins has a legitimate claim to a rematch? If the WWE never made that stipulation, there would be no issue. Jericho interferes and that transitions to Jericho vs. Rollins. But the stipulation was there. What's the point of having that rule if it is broken that easily? No, it is not still real to me, dammit, but it is bad writing. How you start a feud matters as much as how you end a feud. And all the stuff in between matters, as well. The WWE could have handled the storyline development smoother.

Who wins between Jericho and Rollins? Rollins. The part-time jobber to the stars has picked up some wins this year that he obviously did not need, but that is just to build him up to put over the stars. After losing so much, the WWE probably will give Rollins this win just for the sake of some momentum.

Onto the Universal Championship match. If Roman Reigns wins, he is a dual Champion. Some people are groaning like it is going to happen. I don't see it happening. Roman Reigns is obviously not in the doghouse for his suspension earlier this year. But I just don't see him winning the title.

Will Chris Jericho get involved? The WWE has been teasing tension between Owens and Jericho for a while now. It is likely that Jericho will show up during this match. But whose side will he be on? I will say he once again helps Owens retain the title.

Previewing The Roadblock: End Of The Line Midcard Matches

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

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

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

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