Cena Back At The Top

Cena beat Kane on Raw to get his spot in the ladder match at Money in the Bank for the World Championship. Besides that, it looks like the main focus is back on him. He is getting that focus as the target for The Authority now.

Well, what can you do? With Daniel Bryan out for a while, the WWE needed to do something. Not only is he not around, but The Shield, a group that was being pushed as top faces, split up. Rollins is a heel under Triple H now. Ambrose looks like he will be feuding with him. Reigns currently is in the ladder match, but his main target seems to be Randy Orton. Those three guys that looked so strong as a trio now are going in different directions. You have no strong face around. I don't think you can blame the WWE too much for pushing John Cena back into the main spotlight. I would have rather the WWE try pushing someone else with Bryan out, like Ziggler, but the timing is an issue.

If it wasn't for Daniel Bryan's surgery, I think the WWE would have continued with Cena's feud with Bray Wyatt. The way that storyline ended just did not do justice to how that storyline had been developed. Bray Wyatt just happens to be in the ladder match, as well. Will Cena and Bray interact there in a manner that causes their feud to continue? I doubt it.

Without previewing the whole match, Cena seems like the favorite to win. How sad would it be for Cena to regain the title around the anniversary of CM Punk's first pipe bomb? Status quo hasn't really changed that much, has it? Cena is still centerpiece. Some people felt like Cena was moving on to that role where he just puts the young guys over. Doesn't look like the WWE is doing that yet. He is still chasing after titles, getting involved in major storylines, and getting the main spotlight. He did get a break in the last few months while he feuded with Bray Wyatt. You can't complain about Cena always being in the title picture or trumping title matters. What happens when Daniel Bryan returns? Will there be a seamless transition back to his push?

Summer Rae Or Brie Bella: Who Should Be The Next Centerpiece?

I have entertained the notion of Brie Bella being the centerpiece of the WWE diva division before. Why bring it up again? Because Brie has gotten the biggest push of her career in the last few months alongside Daniel Bryan. Could they be grooming Brie to possibly be centerpiece? Should they be doing that?

Brie Bella has been Diva's Champion before, but she was clearly not being pushed as the centerpiece back then. She had not gotten any proper development for that title win, her reign was mediocre for months, and both Bellas were lost in the shuffle soon after Kelly Kelly won the title. It was with this title reign that I like to say the second dark age started. The Bellas were on the bottom of the ladder in terms of credibility. They were arm candy for celebrity guest hosts for so long. Since then, the WWE has treated them better. I respect them a little bit more now than I did back then.

Does that mean Brie is being groomed to be the next centerpiece? There is still a vacancy there. She has been getting pushed alongside her husband, Daniel Bryan, and has gotten a bit physical with Stephanie McMahon. Right now, Brie is obviously getting the periphery treatment. But Trish Stratus did get that kind of treatment prior to being pushed as centerpiece. She did feud with Stephanie McMahon. Could Brie be getting developed to follow in Trish's footsteps? I don't think so. This is just a great periphery angle. As long as she is with Daniel Bryan, there is a good chance the WWE can keep her in that position as a top-tier periphery diva.

Between Brie Bella and Summer Rae, who is still the likely choice for new centerpiece, who really should get the spot? That centerpiece position is the most important position in the division. The division revolves around that. That woman will frequently be involved in title matters. Title reigns will frequently be coming to her. The reason that division has collapsed so badly is because of centerpiece issues. Which of these two women stands the best shot at helping the division get back on its feet? I'm not going to do this, but you can probably make a head-to-head chart for Brie Bella and Summer Rae. Who has the better wrestling ability? Who is more charismatic? Who has better mic skills? Who is hotter? Who is currently connecting with the fans better? Grade them in each of those categories. If you really want to get fancy, poll other fans in each of those categories to see what they think. Which of those two women is really best for the job? Personally, I think they are pretty close to the same level. Neither of them really stands out in any area.

If I had to choose whom to develop as the new centerpiece out of those two women, I would go with Brie Bella. That is mostly because she has been around longer and I'm more used to her. Beyond that, Summer Rae just seems dry and generic to me. She has better charisma than Michelle McCool, but I don't think she is as solid as her in the ring. Then again, the whole point is to take an eye-candy diva that lacks that wrestling ability and develop her to be the central focus. Brie Bella isn't that amazing, but I like her more. Again, if you asked me about Brie Bella a few years ago, I would have had a much worse opinion of her. And you never know, Daniel Bryan might provide more than just a storyline rub for her and help her become even better in the ring.

Summer Rae still seems like the likely option for the WWE. They have decided to run with her as a face. Okay. I would have kept her as a heel. I think she could stand a better chance of showing character as a heel, and she needs to get over with the fans. I also think it would be good to give her some main-event storylines and rubs to make her look even better before pulling the trigger on her. Her current storyline with Fandango and Layla is fine, but a main-event storyline would have more hype to it. If they had kept her as a heel, what could they have done with her? Have her feud with the faces on Total Divas.

What does it mean for title matters that Summer Rae is a face? Unless she eventually wins the title in a multi-diva match, she is going to feud with a heel over the title. Who will that be? They could turn Paige heel. They could pass the title to Alicia Fox. How about waiting for AJ to return? They could probably create a great storyline involving her. How about taking advantage of the storyline they have for Summer Rae now? Have Layla eventually win the title and have her transition it to Summer Rae as part of their feud. Sable won the Women's Championship from Jacqueline. There was a feud between those two even before the title came into play. Summer Rae would really be following the path of Sable if they did it like that.

One last thing I want to bring up, when do you say that the WWE has officially pulled the trigger on a new centerpiece? After the WWE has been doing this for over a decade, you know what kind of diva they like to push as the centerpiece. You might even say you can see it coming from a mile away in some instances. But when does the reign of a centerpiece begin? Of course, you can look at it however you want. Personally, I usually like to wait until they win their first title after being developed to be centerpiece. Eve won the title 3 times, but the first two came at times when they were not pushing her as centerpiece. The only exception to the rule for me was Sable. I like to say they started pushing her as centerpiece when they brought back the Women's Championship. Jacqueline won it first, but that was just to develop a title chase for Sable. And that is also when I like to say the diva division started. There is usually some development before a diva is officially pushed as centerpiece. Besides that, you don't want to rush to say a diva is the new centerpiece. Give the WWE some time to make up their mind and actually pull that trigger. Summer Rae could do something to make the WWE change their minds about her. If they just keep her in periphery angles, than all she will continue to be is a periphery diva. But I think she is the next centerpiece. You have the position vacant, she is the type of diva they like to hold that position, and they do seem to be developing her for that position.

Aksana Released

They released my precious Jinder Mahal! Who am I going to mention for no reason whatsoever now? Meh, I'll live.

I have been on a little marathon about the diva division in the last few days. WWE had some releases, which I am not too shocked they ended up doing, and a diva was released. Let me talk about her today.

Aksana was released. When the releases started, I had a feeling she might get released. They broke up her weak partnership with Alicia Fox. They had her lose to her. It's not like she's on Total Divas, which might have saved her. She just seemed like the likely candidate on the diva roster to go.

I'll probably end up saying a lot of the same things I said about Eva Marie a few days ago. Aksana was an eye-candy periphery diva. She has had better angles in the periphery during her time in the WWE than Eva Marie has had, but they really just started misusing her in the last year or so of her career. She is sexy. She should be in romance angles or used as a valet. She should not have been pushed so much in the ring. The WWE was being inefficient with her. As I have said many times before, they have become really inefficient with their handling of eye-candy divas. They should be putting these women in a position to do what they do best and succeed. Instead of doing that, they are putting these women in a position to knock each other's eyes out. Aksana gets blamed by many for the kind of in-ring performer she is, but I think blame should be put on the WWE for not putting her in the right position.

I don't want to make it sound like I am always on the side of these women. If the WWE does put them in a position to succeed and utilizes them efficiently, it is still ultimately the job of that performer to get over with those fans. If she fails, then she deserves the blame. If the WWE stick with her, and possibly push her even harder, then the WWE deserve blame, as well. Michelle McCool is an example of that. I could say that the WWE tried too hard to hype her up without getting her over, but she had opportunities in the periphery to get herself over before being pushed as the centerpiece on Smackdown. And the WWE pushed her hard for years. They gave her a gimmick. They gave her a sidekick. They handed her more hype. And she failed to connect with the fans properly. She deserves blame for that, while the WWE deserves blame for trying that hard with her. There were other women to push.

I am not going to cry about Aksana being let go, but they could have done better with her. Had they put her in a real position to succeed, it would have been up to her to do it. If she couldn't, I would definitely agree she should be released. Do I think she could have succeeded if used right? Yes, I think she has a sexy character that could have gotten her over. She just wasn't used right.

I was watching the San Antonio Spurs crush the Miami Heat last night. One thing that the commentators brought up during the game, and a theme that defines what the Spurs is about, is unselfishness. LeBron James, the greatest player today, could not carry his team to victory. The Spurs were playing with great teamwork. Gregg Popovich, the head coach for the Spurs, might be tough on his team, but that is because he wants them to succeed. And none of them really take his toughness personally and were still team players. Great leadership. Great players. Great team. I think they'll win the whole series.

Why do I even bring that up? Because I am looking at how the WWE is running that diva division and I don't see something I respect. They are not putting these women in a position to succeed. They are not even trying to succeed. They just want what they want to work out to work out. There is selfishness in this picture. It isn't coming from the divas. It is coming from the people calling the shots. And it creates an environment that is bad for the workers. They are creating a breeding ground for arrogance, not greatness. The players are not the only ones held accountable for the success of a sports team. The coaches have to be held accountable. I have said this before, if Vince McMahon was the coach of a team, he would have been fired years ago.

Grading How The WWE Is Pushing Paige

Didn't he do this already? If you are one of the few regular readers of this blog, you might be asking yourself that. I did grade Paige before. This is different. I am grading how the WWE is pushing Paige this time.

When I say that John Cena is getting an A+ career or Mickie James was getting a C+ career, I am not really critiquing how they are being pushed. I am more labeling how they are being pushed. When I say John Cena is getting an A+ career, the reason I say that is because he is being pushed as the centerpiece. In the case of Mickie James, she was being pushed as a top-tier credible jobber. Paige is also a C+ player, but you can be more specific than that in analyzing how she is actually being pushed. That is what I want to do.

How am I going to break this down? Three things. I am going to look at consistency, hype, and creative interest. I have brought those ideas up before when talking about what I look at to determine what type of career someone is getting. The WWE will push someone they want over with better consistency, hype, and creative interest than someone they really do not care too much about being over. It makes sense to grade them in relation to that criteria.

Consistency. The WWE has been pretty consistent with Paige. She has defended the Diva's Championship at every PPV since winning it. She is regularly featured on Raw and Smackdown. Could she be featured even more regularly? There are a few shows where she is not featured. Only being featured on Main Event or Superstars in a given week doesn't get you a higher grade. It hurts your evaluation. Raw and Smackdown are the main shows. I would give the WWE a B+ in consistency with Paige. They are doing an okay job in that regard.

Hype. She is the Diva's Champion. She did win the title in her debut match. She is the youngest Champion. She is not undefeated, but close to it.Thing is, they really don't give her much promo time to put herself over or create storylines that generate a ton of hype. Too soon to do all that? Okay. I'll give them another B+.

Creative interest. This is where there is a problem. Where is the creative investment in Paige? You have had guys debut with gimmicks in recent years. Look at Adam Rose and Rusev. Some get repackaged with gimmicks. Look at Brodus Clay or Bo Dallas. Paige debuts without any real gimmick to her. Storylines? You have somewhat of a storyline with the divas not liking Paige and Paige needing to prove herself, but it is a pretty weak storyline. The commentators bring it up better than the WWE is actually developing it. And if you can only count on the commentators to hype you and make you look interesting, then you are definitely not getting A-range treatment from the company. Feuds? Are they developing any real feuds for Paige? No. It has been mostly random matches and weak title feuds. Alicia Fox has a gimmick. Summer Rae and Layla have a clear feud going on. Brie Bella was involved in a big storyline. Paige doesn't really have anything interesting being developed for her. You can make the argument that it is too soon to hype her up as something amazing, but there is no good excuse for not treating her better in terms of creative interest. I would give them a C.

Put it all together. What conclusion would I give based on looking at how Paige is being pushed? The WWE is not doing a great job with her. Right now, creative interest should be the most important thing for a diva that just debuted. That is the best way to help her get over with the fans. If you just hype her too much this soon, you are likely to overrate her, especially if she cannot connect with the fans well. Judging by how they are not investing in Paige, I would not expect them to be consistent with her in the future. You have a lot of things going on in the diva division. The Bellas are involved in the storyline between Daniel Bryan and The Authority. Summer Rae is getting developed. AJ Lee is likely to return. They will not treat AJ poorly for no good reason. The WWE cannot possibly keep the ball rolling on all these women. Paige is likely to get a depush.

Was grading how the WWE is pushing Paige necessary? Or just a waste of time? You ever do teacher evaluations? I had to do them all the time at the end of every semester in college. Instead of putting all the scrutiny on the performers, you turn the tables a little and put the scrutiny on the people handling the performers. It is good to analyze this not just for the sake of criticizing the WWE. You can get a sense of what the WWE wants out of a performer. Do they really want this to be a top star? You can get a sense of what is likely to happen. If you see signs that the WWE is really not putting great effort in a push, you can usually expect a depush. Sometimes, it is just obvious. You can look at how the WWE pushes John Cena and know this is a guy they want to be a top star. You can look at how they treat Zack Ryder and know they don't want to bother with this guy. Other times, it might not be so obvious. That is the main reason I used Paige's career in the WWE to make this point. On the surface, it may seem like she is getting a great opportunity. But she is being pushed so dryly, that will hinder her ability to get over. And it is a sign that she is a credible jobber.

One last thing, how long should you wait to grade a performer? Whether you are grading them in terms of what type of career they're getting, their talent and potential, and their overness, or grading how the company is handling them, when should you really pass judgment? Never judge a book by its cover. Don't make too much out of a moment. Whatever way you want to put it, you should wait a little to get a sense of how things are. Reports said the WWE was unhappy Paige was not connecting with the fans. Those reports came out just after she had been around for barely a month. And those reports failed to actually analyze how the WWE was pushing her. I don't think I can give one good answer on how long you should wait. But you should wait. I'll admit that I might sometimes grade things too soon. Did I grade Paige too soon? Probably, but that was in response to those reports.Once you feel you have that sense of directionality, then you could start evaluating.

Eva Marie

What's worse than Jinder Mahal jobbing to a midget bull? Eva Marie doing pretty much anything. That is the attitude many fans have about Eva. I have never really spoken about her. Let me say a little today.

Eva Marie is an eye-candy periphery diva. She certainly doesn't have the wrestling ability to be a credible jobber. She certainly isn't getting developed to be the centerpiece. She's an eye-candy diva. She's there for her looks and Total Divas. And she is beautiful. I am not that drawn to her, although her hair does stand out, but I will admit she is beautiful. I would probably like her if she went with her natural color.

If this was the first dark age, Eva Marie would be having catfights and running around in her bra and thong. She would be in the same position as women like Terri or The Kat. Just go back to about 5 years ago. Eva Marie would be in the place of someone like Maria. What has changed? First, the WWE is now PG. Things that helped eye-candy divas get over so easily back then are not done now. Moreover, the WWE has become inefficient with their eye-candy periphery divas. They do not utilize them right. There is no good development of their characters. Eva Marie has not exactly gotten any consistent treatment in her short time in the WWE.

Do I think Eva Marie gets a lot of unnecessary hate? Yes. If she was overpushed and doing a horrible job connecting with the fans and me, then I would hate her. You don't even see her that often. Yes, she has some awkward moments, but she is not really a major part of the division. I wouldn't make a big deal out of her. If the WWE just stopped putting her in the ring and found a good periphery purpose for her, fans might start connecting with her just for her looks and whatever character she may end up having. Women like her got title reigns during the first dark age. If those same women were here today and being utilized like Eva Marie is, they would be hated by many fans, as well. If Eva was in their place back then, I think she would be more liked.

Paige: The Next Mickie James?

A few weeks ago, I came across this video on Youtube of a guy saying he felt Paige might end up like Mickie James. I usually don't watch those kind of videos, but I watched some of that. I don't agree with everything that guy had to say. But this isn't about critiquing his video. It is a topic I would like to talk about. Will Paige be the next Mickie James?

First, what is it about Mickie James that Paige might possibly end up like? If you are a believer in Dave Meltzer, Mickie James screwed herself out of the WWE. Will Paige screw herself out of the WWE? Wrong question. Journalists sometimes fail to actually analyze what is going on. There is more to the story of Mickie James in the WWE than that.

The WWE runs their diva division in a manner that they want their main central focus (centerpiece) to be an eye-candy diva. They will rotate women with wrestling credibility around that centerpiece to put her over and use them as filler when needed. These are credible jobbers. The only place female wrestlers have gotten great careers throughout the history of the diva division is primarily on the periphery of the centerpiece, getting a lot of angles in the men's division. These are periphery divas.

What kind of career was Mickie James getting throughout her years in the WWE? She was a C+ player. She was always a credible jobber. These women do not become very over. They certainly do not become the most over diva on the roster and so over fans go crazy when they are released. Mickie James did become more over than those women the WWE were developing to be the new centerpiece after Trish Stratus left. The WWE decided to stick with the same agenda they have been going for since they started the diva division. That would kind of make a credible jobber being more over than the centerpiece a bit of a problem. And it is not hard to understand that the WWE won't keep giving title reigns to a woman they would rather phase out, which typically happens to credible jobbers. How easy is it to phase out the most over diva on the roster? You saw how easy it was to release her in 2010. Fans didn't like it.

Since getting rid of Mickie James, no credible jobber has really broken through and become that over. It is also true that the WWE has still been flopping to make a new centerpiece for their diva division. The best diva they have had in recent years has been AJ Lee, a female wrestler developed as a periphery diva. And she has really benefited from this dark age and lack of a centerpiece.

What about Paige? What kind of career has she been getting? She has only been around on the main roster a few months, and while she is already holding the Diva's Championship, she is a credible jobber. This is a filler push. She is not being pushed well. In terms of career, she is already in a position to end up like Mickie James. How about overness? It would be wrong to say she is not over at all, but I wouldn't say her overness is that strong. Why should it be? She just debuted and isn't featured that well. Regardless, the WWE has done a better job of promoting their developmental talent recently than they have in the past. A lot of WWE fans might have had no idea what OVW was back when they were working together. Today, NXT has pretty much become a brand for the WWE. And some fans that followed NXT would have seen Paige on that and started liking her since then. That can explain part of her overness, but I really think she is connecting well with some of those fans out there that may have not cared too much about NXT. Again, I wouldn't overrate her connection with the fans. But all things considered, it's fine.

Paige is a credible jobber with B-range overness. Will she be the next Mickie James? Can she become very over with this type of career? Will the WWE even allow it? Aside from comparing diva to diva, you should compare situation in the diva division to situation in the diva division. When Mickie James was in the WWE, the WWE was very aggressive when it came to centerpiece matters. You also had depth issues that frequently left Mickie James as the only face credible jobber available. Moreover, you had a separate division on Smackdown with a centerpiece that needed someone to put her over. Right now, the WWE has slowed things down. They are in a dark age. No centerpiece. One title. And they have lowered their standards on whom they would push as a credible jobber. They wouldn't push someone like Layla as a jobber to the centerpiece or interim centerpiece 10 years ago. Eye-candy divas not being pushed as centerpiece might get title shots here and there for Playboy pushes or in tiny feuds, but they never won the title and they did not get the same development in those feuds that credible jobbers would get. Eye-candy divas today are developed to be more solid in the ring and they are winning the title and getting used as credible jobbers. What does that mean for Paige? They do not need to push her as much in this state of the diva division as they needed to push Mickie James back then. The diva division has reset, the titles have been unified, and standards have been lowered in regards to which divas will be pushed as credible jobbers, which handles the depth issue. I wouldn't be surprised if Paige wins no more than 5 reigns with the Diva's Championship.

The WWE is more in control now. Not only do they not have to push Paige a lot, but if they do not like how Paige is connecting with the fans, they can bury her more easily than they did Mickie James. Mickie James went through spans in her time in the WWE when she was not being pushed at all for about 5 months. Fans started wondering why Mickie James was not being pushed. When they did get back to pushing her, it was either as filler or to develop her to put over the centerpiece. With Paige, the WWE can just overshadow her with a periphery angle or anything else very easily. Have the issues between Stephanie McMahon and Brie take up the focus on Raw or Smackdown. Have Alicia Fox and her crazy gimmick get focus. Have Fandango and Layla do something. Title matters are taking a backseat. That means Paige is taking a backseat. And if she can somehow miraculously take this treatment and become more over, those excuses will still be right there to keep her buried. You lacked this creative depth back when Mickie James was there. On the one hand, I love creative depth because it makes things more interesting. On the other hand, the WWE could take advantage of creative depth to bury people they really do not want over.

Dirtsheets had a hand in what happened to Mickie James years ago. Not only did they not analyze what was going on, they made things even worse for Mickie James by making it look like she was screwing herself. It's amazing fans were still so upset about her getting released. Dirtsheets have already gotten started with Paige. Record time? About a week or two after her debut, they say the WWE was pushing her like they were because they wanted her over. That's not how they push a diva they want over. A short while after, they are saying the WWE is unhappy with Paige's inability to get over. Despite that mediocre treatment, she was getting a solid reaction. They could have ran with her. That would have gotten her more over. They didn't. Instead, dirtsheets make her out to be a bust. And I have seen some fans talk about her like she is a bust. If this woman should become more over and the WWE still does not give her that better career, dirtsheets will be providing a fancy explanation for it. They always do.

Will Paige follow in the path of Mickie James? I don't think so. I don't think the WWE will even let it go that far. I don't think they could have ever imagined that Mickie James could get that over and their centerpieces would flop like they did. If they want to continue that same diva division they have been pushing for over a decade, they do not want another credible jobber getting that over. I believe Paige has potential. I think she could succeed with a C+ career. The WWE just won't let it happen. I love what Mickie James did in that diva division. Part of me would love to see it happen again. Part of me would hate it. No woman should have to go through that again.

What Impact Has AJ Lee Had On The Status Quo Of The Diva Division?

A match made in heaven. CM Punk and the Chicago Blackhawks. And you can play a game of "Where's Waldo?" and find AJ Lee somewhere in that picture.

Last time, I talked about what impact Daniel Bryan has had on the status quo. Time to talk about the diva division. Of all the divas on the current roster, if any of them may have had any impact on the way things are in the diva division, it would be AJ Lee.

AJ Lee did drop a pipe bomb last year. Problem is, her target was Total Divas, not the actual diva division. She didn't actually sting the status quo as much as CM Punk's words did. Did AJ motivate the fans to let their voices be heard as well as Daniel Bryan did? She was copying Daniel Bryan's "Yes!" chant for a while, but her story isn't one of energizing the fans to force the WWE to give her what she earned. Mickie James took the career of a credible jobber and beat the status quo to become more over than those women the WWE was trying to develop to be the top stars. AJ Lee got over as a periphery diva, not as a credible jobber. I wouldn't say AJ Lee is really an "anti-status quo" figure. She didn't speak out against the diva division, she didn't motivate fans to scream out against what is going on in the diva division, and she didn't really overcome what is going on in the diva division to succeed.

The diva division has become so bad, not being an "anti-status quo" figure isn't necessarily a bad thing. I will give credit to a diva that can even help the WWE get the status quo back on its feet. Yes, I hate that status quo, but it working efficiently would be better than the mess you have had in the last few years. Has AJ Lee had any kind of positive impact on the status quo working again?

First, how was it even possible that AJ Lee was able to have the career she has had? From 2007 to 2011, the WWE was not developing any female wrestlers to be top stars as periphery divas. Their top priority was making a new centerpiece. And all attempts failed to succeed. That is the era of failed centerpieces, which led into the second dark age you have right now. What did the WWE do? They reset. They slowed things down. I want to make a basketball analogy. A player might try to make a shot, it hits the rim, doesn't go in, and his team manages a rebound. That's an offensive rebound. The shot clock resets. Instead of immediately trying to take the shot again, the team might slow things down and reset themselves. If you watch basketball, you hear the commentators say it all the time. Why rush the play? You have time. Draw it out. After so many rushed attempts to create a new centerpiece failed, they slowed things down. They developed Eve Torres in the periphery before trying to push her as the centerpiece. While that was going on, you also had the rise of AJ Lee. Eve left. AJ remained.

What the WWE did with AJ Lee is kind of like the WWE getting an offensive rebound. And she did score for them. She did get over. She did bring back some momentum to the diva division. Problem is, the WWE could not get it to last. That run she was getting with the title was getting very stale. And the whole diva division around her was becoming one-dimensional. You didn't have many angles going on in the diva division. I am not blaming her for that. Things have gotten a little better since then in terms of creative depth, but the WWE still lacks focus with their diva division. How would you describe that title reign AJ got? There are a few ways to put it. She was the interim centerpiece. She was the centerpiece during a dark age. It's a dark age and the WWE is just making do with what they have. However you put it, I wouldn't say she was a true centerpiece, like someone like Sable or Trish Stratus has been pushed. And it isn't just that AJ doesn't have the look those women had. She wasn't being pushed like a true centerpiece. It was very dry. They were not developing credible jobbers in the same way they would to put over the centerpiece. They were just going through the face challengers on the roster. In the end, they had her go over the entire division at Wrestlemania. Giving her the record for longest reign is a big piece of hype, but the lack of creative development throughout her reign, combined with the fact that she was a clear periphery diva prior to that title reign, make me say that she was not the centerpiece. One push or one title reign does not determine what type of career a diva is getting. How she is being pushed over time does. And it helps to keep track of what the WWE has a history of doing to help you understand what is going on now. It doesn't look like the WWE was ready to end the status quo with AJ Lee.

She is currently on a hiatus. Will she lose her spot? I have seen some fans bring that up. I don't think so at all. The WWE isn't interested in developing Paige to be a star. Alicia Fox seems to be getting a "flavor of the month" push with her gimmick, benefiting from the dark age. Brie Bella is getting a great periphery angle. Thing is, I doubt AJ would have been in that spot had she not left. She's not married to Daniel Bryan. The WWE did not put all that development in AJ Lee just to put some other diva over and toss her aside. Will her relationship with CM Punk screw her? That is another issue. Leaving that out, if that is even possible, she is a star the WWE produced and they will push her well.

Even without her, is the momentum the WWE created with her still there? Has she paved the way for better opportunities for more women? I have seen some talk like what she did in the previous two years would benefit more women. Female wrestlers aren't currently benefiting that much. Emma is lost in the shuffle. Paige is not being pushed too well. All the other female wrestlers aren't even worth mentioning. Oh, Natalya is on Total Divas. I should mention that. That matters so much, right? Has she paved the way for more crazy gimmicks? Alicia Fox has one. Problem is, there is no direction for her. No storylines. No proper feuds. Just a gimmick. It is a gimmick that takes a lot. I cannot picture them continuing it forever. If the WWE was interested in creating a fad with Emma's dance, they will probably gladly settle for the buzz Alicia Fox's gimmick is bringing. Short-term buzz. All that momentum they had with AJ isn't there anymore. And it really shouldn't be shocking. If they didn't have the drive to keep the division interesting during her title reign, it is believable that they would lack that drive to even start creating their next centerpiece. And a half-assed attempt may result in another failed centerpiece.

Back to the main question. What impact has AJ Lee had on the status quo of the diva division? I have already said why I don't feel she is an "anti-status quo" figure. But has she helped the status quo get back on its feet? Her success has only brought short-term momentum back to the WWE and their women's division. They could not sustain it. And yet, that minimal impact AJ has had is better than that of any other diva currently in the division.

What Impact Has Daniel Bryan Had On The Status Quo?

We are nearing the anniversary of CM Punk dropping a pipe bomb on the status quo. It was just three years ago that he shook things up. He doesn't seem to be around at the moment. Even if he was, I want to talk about another guy that has had an impact on the status quo of the company.

Daniel Bryan's story isn't really one of a guy that complained about how he was being treated in front of the whole world. Nevertheless, he was a guy that was not getting that A+ career. They wouldn't even give him a legitimate run with the WWE Championship. And it didn't look like they would have given him anything major for Wrestlemania. What happened? The fans stepped in. Utilizing the "Yes!" and "No!" chants that Daniel Bryan was doing, they made their voices heard. The WWE was forced to change plans. CM Punk walking out also had a hand in things. Daniel Bryan not only got his Wrestlemania moment, but he is getting a title reign that they can't seem to take away from him.

Comparing the Summer of Punk 2011 to the "Yes" Movement, I would say what happened with Daniel Bryan had more of an impact against the status quo than what Punk did three years ago. What CM Punk did was a controlled protest. What do I mean by that? Yes, he went out there and was brutally honest, but the WWE allowed him to do it and was running with it. They were in control. Not surprisingly, the WWE didn't really change their ways. What happened with Daniel Bryan was not something the WWE expected. The WWE could not have expected Daniel Bryan to become so over that fans would react like they did to their mistreatment of him. They eventually did turn it into a storyline, but that was a real shot to the people that control the status quo.

Is Daniel Bryan's success leading to legitimate change in the status quo? CM Punk's pipe bombs didn't. It does seem like the WWE is showing more interest in the talent from the independent circuit. But how about how the talent is being utilized on the main roster? That is what defines what the status quo is really about, not who is signed or not. Is the WWE more open to really giving the fans what they want to see? I would love to see another Zack Ryder. I would love to see another guy just get really over out of nowhere and put that pressure on the WWE to push him. Will the WWE give him the push he deserves? Or play more games and dance around it? I don't see how irritating your fans is a smart business practice. You are just asking for something bad to happen.

Daniel Bryan is still holding his title. He "retained" it at Payback and Stephanie McMahon once again did not just strip it from him on Raw this week. Do I think this is because the WWE is afraid the fans will overreact again? No. Fans did get crazy a few months ago, but I think most of them would realize that taking the title off Daniel Bryan would not be screwing him. He is recovering from surgery and cannot defend it. It looks like this ends at Money in the Bank. He either returns to defend it or they crown a new Champion. For someone that is supposed to be an evil heel, Stephanie's character has been kind of fair to Daniel Bryan. No matter what happens with the title, this won't be the end of Daniel Bryan.

Assorted Thoughts On 6/2/14 Raw

You have your turn. Seth Rollins turned on The Shield and joined Evolution. I am glad they did not drag this on for weeks. This feud was really getting stale. Batista had quit earlier in the show. That opened up the question of whether or not they would replace him to continue the feud against The Shield. I was thinking Cody Rhodes might end up as the new member of Evolution. When Seth Rollins went out to get those chairs, his possible turn entered my mind. A lot of fans seem upset about it. The Shield would have broken up sooner or later. Let's see how it plays out.

Is John Cena ready to be inserted back into title matters? I had said just yesterday that I didn't feel the storyline between Cena and Wyatt got proper closure. On Raw, Cena got involved in the issues between Stephanie McMahon and Daniel Bryan. Daniel Bryan's injury leading to Cena being forced back into the title picture would be a believable excuse to not continue his feud against Wyatt. Could go either way. Bray Wyatt is returning on Smackdown this week. If the feud is going to continue, it will probably be brought up there.

Rusev had this elaborate segment on Raw. It just seemed totally pointless. I was waiting to see if anyone would interrupt him. If Rusev had beaten a better opponent than Big E or had beaten Big E in a feud that had been developed a lot better, I could understand that segment they had for him. Not the case. This shows that this gimmick does have potential. They can make up segments like they had last night. They can hype this guy to be a big deal. But the feud development for Rusev needs to be a lot better than this. That is how you make him into something that people won't view as simply overrated. Make him into a strong heel.

Cena/Wyatt & Evolution/Shield: Is It Over?

John Cena and Bray Wyatt had a brutal Last Man Standing match at Payback. Cena won. Was that the rubber match that ends it? Cena has beaten Bray Wyatt twice now. That could very well be the end of it.

I do not think it is over. I do not think it should be over. Not that way. I wish it would end, but I don't feel it is the right way to end it. Cena beat Bray Wyatt in a match that very well could be seen as the final chapter to a feud. Problem is, I do not see it as the final chapter to the storyline. I have been saying for months that there was a storyline to this feud that would impact the matches and the overall feud. How does Bray Wyatt losing that match really end the storyline? He had the whole world in his hands. He had turned Cena's fans against him. He had the children helping him to beat Cena. This feud cannot simply end with The Usos helping Cena. It would make storyline sense for this to end with the children once again standing by Cena's side. Makes you want to roll your eyes, I know, but that is the kind of thing you would expect to end this storyline. If they do walk away from Cena/Wyatt now, it would have made all that development they had before seem pointless.

Evolution does not look like Evolution. And I'm not talking about Batista's ring gear at Payback. Evolution got swept at Payback against The Shield. Evolution looks pathetic right now. This is becoming a feud where I am actually hoping for the heels to win. Yes, I am more of a fan of Evolution than I am of The Shield, but that is not the reason I want to see it. Stephanie McMahon has done such a great job terrorizing Daniel Bryan, I want to see her get what she deserves. And I actually like Stephanie McMahon. This feud has not been developed right to make me want to see The Shield win the feud.

Is it over? I don't think so. Where do they go from here? More weekly brawls? That was getting stale even before Payback. They need to do some real storyline development now. Insert someone else into the mix. Have a turn. Make a stipulation where the losing team in the next encounter has to disband. I would really like to see that last idea. Evolution can finally win and The Shield can disband somewhat amicably. And that can still branch off to some of the members feuding against the members of Evolution in singles feuds. They cannot keep The Shield together forever and keep handing them all these big wins. Where are they going to go with it? This feud against Evolution is pretty much the top of the mountain as a faction. The split should be coming soon.