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.

The Wildcat Centerpiece

I was watching the Jets game yesterday. They like to employ some wildcat plays. These are plays that involve a bit of trickery to confuse the defense. I have said before that the best plays a coach comes up with are often the ones that involve confusing the other team. The wildcat is where the regular quarterback is not the one receiving the ball from the center. It is usually the running back getting it or the backup quarterback, if he happens to be a good runner. He then has options. Run with it? Throw it? Hand it off? It gets defenses thinking about what might happen even more with this new guy in the quarterback position. It doesn't always work, but it sometimes comes in handy in situations where you just want to run it.

You know how much I like comparing football to wrestling. The centerpiece is like the quarterback. Watching that game yesterday, I started to think how you might have some kind of "wildcat" centerpiece. This is not like an interim centerpiece. An interim centerpiece is getting a filler push. She is pushed in place of the true centerpiece when the true centerpiece gets injured, is getting angles where she does not need to be near the title, and so on. The interim centerpiece is a credible jobber. They are not pushed to be over, are usually not very over, and usually do not have an interesting gimmick or are not pushed too interestingly during the filler push. That is not what I am thinking of at all. I am thinking of pushing a woman as centerpiece for a while that you actually want to be over. This would obviously be a periphery diva. It would be a top-tier periphery diva. I am not talking eye-candy periphery divas, especially those that cannot wrestle well. I am talking those periphery divas that know how to wrestle, which would help keep matches respectable in terms of wrestling quality. You might see this kind of thing during dark ages when no centerpiece is around, but why not do it by design even when a centerpiece is there? And you know how you really make it a "wildcat" centerpiece? Have this diva have a wild or unique gimmick.

Why would you want to do this kind of thing? For one thing, the women the WWE has pushed as centerpiece don't tend to have fancy gimmicks. They have these hot, glamorous characters. Being sexy connects them with many men. Being glamorous can help them connect with many women. As they become solid wrestlers, they get those wrestling fans on their side. After that, the WWE just hypes them up as something great. Sable didn't have an over-the-top, unique gimmick. Trish didn't. She wore that mask as part of an injury angle when she was heel, but I really don't consider that a gimmick. Candice Michelle didn't. Maryse was sexy and French, but no real wild gimmick. Eve Torres was showing some character as a heel centerpiece, but not really a unique gimmick. Kelly Kelly was generic. Michelle McCool did have a wild gimmick, but that was because she was failing to get over without a gimmick. She also failed even with a gimmick. And she was the centerpiece, not a wildcat centerpiece. And that was just an annoying era in the diva division. They were not featuring any other women properly as stars. It was all LayCool and their failure to properly get over with that hard push. If they had a wildcat centerpiece back then, it might have freshened things up. And that is my whole point. Having a wildcat centerpiece can add more flavor to the division, especially the title scene. While that woman is doing that, have the true centerpiece get storylines in the men's division, feud with women in non-title matters, or even have angles with other eye-candy divas. She does not have to lose her momentum.

Have you ever had a wildcat centerpiece? Not really. The WWE has never designed it that way. Lita's first title reign came during the first dark age and wasn't that long. Her next two title reigns all involved Trish Stratus, the centerpiece. For this wildcat centerpiece treatment, you are going to keep the true centerpiece away. Let another star have the legitimate spotlight. And Lita's final title reign was for her retirement angle. Chyna's one run with the title came off a Playboy push. It also came during the dark age.

How about AJ Lee? I think she would be a great wildcat centerpiece. She has definitely not been pushed as the true centerpiece. Her first title reign did not feature the kind of feud development a centerpiece gets. She has been getting that kind of development recently to some degree, but it has recently been overshadowed by The Bellas. AJ Lee has the kind of gimmick I am thinking of for a wildcat centerpiece. She's, well, wild! But I feel that gimmick can be a nuisance if she was the centerpiece. For one thing, can the writers consistently come up with good storylines for her? For another thing, most of her opponents might either be overshadowed by her gimmick or just be blatant supporting cast for her benefit. Paige is copying AJ Lee. That feud is really about AJ Lee. I am not getting the vibe that it will help Paige get over or that they will continue to push her well. Go back to Michelle McCool and that "mean girls" gimmick. The whole division was pretty much at her mercy. Everyone LayCool feuded with just became victims for them to bully to try to either get booed for being heels or cheered for trying to be entertaining. The title didn't even matter that much, except when it was used to sell McCool making history. Even though AJ Lee is more charismatic than Michelle McCool and more over, I feel she can be just as overbearing. The fact that I find her creepy doesn't help. Not as creepy as Bo Dallas, but she can be too much.

But the thought of how AJ Lee can work as a wildcat centerpiece does warm me up to her a little more. Let's say there was a centerpiece. Let's say Eve Torres never left. After Eve had won 2 or 3 title reigns during her centerpiece run (to go with the 2 she had won before being centerpiece), rotate her out for a little. No need to rush her to 7 or 8. Put her back in an authority figure angle. What do you do while you rest her? Bring in your wildcat centerpiece. And this won't be just a filler reign, like you get with interim centerpieces. Let AJ's crazy gimmick shine. Give her a lengthy title reign, two short ones, or however you want to work it. And when you are ready to push Eve in the title scene again, she will be fresh. Fans can't complain of one diva hogging the spotlight or boring storylines. You might get your dry, typical diva title feuds with Eve, but your wildcat centerpiece will add more flavor. Aside from keeping the performers fresh, it also keeps the writers fresh. They won't have to come up with storyline after storyline for just one woman around the title, especially a woman that is pretty generic like most centerpieces are in the diva division. It might be more fun for them to write up storylines for a diva with a unique gimmick, like AJ Lee.

Does it have to be a psycho gimmick? Not necessarily. Just have some kind of gimmick that can really make for some interesting diva storylines and that you were keeping fresh in the periphery. Remember when I was talking about Kharma having some kind of bodyguard role? You can transition that into pushing her as wildcat centerpiece. How about Gail Kim being pushed as a ninja-like enforcer? Transition that into the wildcat. What's the importance of having some kind of unique gimmick at all? Because this isn't just about resting the centerpiece from the title scene and getting titles to your other stars. This is about featuring characters that can offer different storylines in the title scene without the centerpiece needing to be involved or possibly even overshadowing it.

Assuming AJ stays, can the WWE run this kind of women's division with her and The Bellas. I doubt they will try. This whole idea I gave isn't just about coming up with a game plan to be creative with your divas, but also do things efficiently. The WWE is just messy right now. You have never really had top-tier periphery divas get a fair shot in the title spotlight unless there was no centerpiece around. Going by what the WWE has a history of doing and their recent actions in the diva division, I don't think they are interested in running an efficient, productive women's division.

Since I am on the topic of the diva division, let me do a quick preview of the title match at Night of Champions. Paige defends against AJ Lee and Nikki Bella. Who wins? This match is going to come down to how they want to work things with The Bellas. They just tossed Nikki into this match. That could be a clear sign Nikki wins. Why toss her in if she won't win? Just to feature The Bellas at the PPV? You could have had some in-ring segment involving them. You have had those kind of segments on PPVs before. Let them talk and catfight. I could also imagine Brie costing Nikki the match. If Nikki gets taken out of the equation, leaving it just between AJ and Paige, I would say Paige retains. They need to stop tossing the title around. Overall, I am thinking Nikki wins and her feud with Brie becomes even more dramatic with the title involved.

Night Of Champions 2014: Previewing The Tag Titles Match

Aside from the Diva's Championship match, none of the title matches at Night of Champions features multiple challengers going for the title. I think that is disappointing. You could make some of these title feuds and matches seem more interesting by making it look like a number of challengers stand a chance to win a title. The tag title feud heading into Night of Champions easily could have led up to a match with multiple challengers. I thought it would. Wrong about that. Instead, it is just between The Usos and The Rhodes.

Let me start by talking about some of these other teams. Specifically, how about Big Show & Mark Henry and The Wyatts? That is still going on. Why? This is the most annoying thing for me since Miz vs. Fandango last year. It seems pointless. Mark Henry has something else going for him. Big Show could easily have something else going for him. Porcupine Pete and Aardvark Dan don't need a feud. They can just be an extension of whatever Bray Wyatt is doing. Have Wyatt feud with Big Show. And if you are going to feature these two teams so regularly, why not put them into the tag title feud? Because Mark Henry would not be able to feud with Rusev? I already brought up the depth issue right now, but I am sure they could have thought of another angle for Rusev.

The Rhodes get the title shot. I am not surprised they would get a title shot. I just figured it would be The Wyatts winning the titles and feuding against The Rhodes. You would have had two eccentric tag teams feuding with each other. Could have been pretty good. Instead, The Rhodes turned heel to feud with The Usos. I don't think this feud is as entertaining as you could have had with a multi-team feud or a feud between just The Wyatts and The Rhodes. When Cody got this new gimmick, he was fresh back then. Now, some of the freshness has faded. The WWE waited too long to push him and Goldust.

Who wins? For a while now, the WWE has been pretty good in handing the tag titles off to teams that had good momentum. That is not The Rhodes. Not now. And yet, The Usos have held the titles for a long time now. Tough one. I don't feel either team should be holding it. It just feels like a filler period right now. Give it to The Rhodes.

Night Of Champions 2014: Previewing The Intercontinental Championship And United States Championship Matches

It wouldn't be Night of Champions without every title being on the line. I've talked a lot about Cena. I've talked about The Bellas being inserted into the AJ/Paige feud. I have talked a little about what's going on in the tag division. I should say more about the other two title matches.

Miz gets his rematch against Dolph Ziggler for the Intercontinental Championship. I have already said that I would have had Ziggler win the title at this PPV, not Summerslam. No point repeating that. The WWE continues to develop Miz's Hollywood gimmick. I am not a fan of it, but it provides an interesting character. It also gives Sandow something to do now. The actual feud between Ziggler and Miz hasn't exactly been amazing, but it is better than you usually get in the midcard. Who wins? Ziggler just won the title. I see no good reason to shoot it back to The Miz.

The United States Championship feud features quite possibly the two most boring guys currently being pushed in the WWE. I am not denying that Sheamus and Cesaro can go in the ring, but they aren't exactly pushed with interesting characters right now. I am actually knocking how they are being pushed, not them. Cesaro looked so much better a few months ago. And I believe he had a shot to win the United States title back then. The WWE didn't pull the trigger then. I wouldn't be surprised if they did now. What more can Sheamus do with the title? You might as well give it to Cesaro and let him have a mediocre run with it. After all his momentum has been killed, how many fans will really care about him getting the title? Smarks will care. If there are a lot of them at Night of Champions, Cesaro beating Sheamus might be the closest thing to a "feel good" moment you get in terms of a title change.

Paul Heyman Tries To Turn Cena Heel

John Cena has been getting patchwork treatment ever since Summerslam. I used that word before when talking about AJ Lee. When it comes to her character and storylines, she is made up of patches from divas of the past, and even some men. The WWE sticking with one character for her would be nice, as well as some originality. How does this relate to Cena? Look at how they have been developing his storyline since Summerslam. First, he starts off destroying Bray Wyatt in a manner similar to what Brock Lesnar did to him. After that, you have The Authority doubting him and selling this idea that he will need to prove himself. This week, Paul Heyman tried to turn him heel. Exactly what is the storyline they are trying to sell with John Cena heading into Night of Champions? They have just been going in different directions every week now. This feud is just made up of patches of different ideas. They have not stuck with one idea. This kind of inconsistency is why I said that the feud with The Bellas is better than the top storylines you have going on right now. Thankfully, Night of Champions is almost here. They should be able to stick with a good direction with Brock Lesnar returning.

Paul Heyman tried to turn John Cena heel. This should sound familiar. There are a few angles that the WWE just loves recycling with John Cena. He rises above hate. He overcomes the odds. He can endure hell and bounce back. They also love using children in his angles sometimes. And they love putting over his work ethic. You have seen patches of some of these things during the patchwork job they have done with Cena in recent weeks. Kane failed to turn Cena heel. Bray Wyatt failed. Paul Heyman will likely fail. You can say Cena already overcame Heyman's attempt on Raw last night, but if Brock Lesnar should defeat John Cena again, would that lead to John Cena finally giving in? I doubt it. Aside from setting up next week, I just found that whole segment useless. All it did was create a situation where John Cena once again showed he would not turn. That is a stale idea. It's no good anymore.

I have actually given John Cena turning heel some thought recently. Let me talk a little more about it. On the one hand, it feels like something that will never happen. On the other hand, it feels like something that will eventually happen, assuming Cena does not retire soon. A heel turn would cause buzz. It is something you might picture the WWE using as a last resort. If the product is just too stale and fans are leaving, you will see Cena turn heel.

I wonder what good that heel turn would really do. Yes, it would create buzz. CM Punk's pipe bomb also caused buzz. What didn't it do? How about draw? Ratings and PPV buys remained pretty much the same they were around that time. There was no huge, steady increase. And of course, the status quo did not really change. In the minds of many, a Cena heel turn would be a change in the status quo. I don't really see it as that. If he is still pushed as the centerpiece, he is still the top guy. Does his heel turn fix all the other problems, including a weak midcard? His heel turn might generate buzz to get a ratings boost for the show after he turns, and maybe a few shows after that, but what happens as time goes by? If the quality of the show is still the same, ratings will continue to be mediocre. John Cena will continue to be the performer he is. What will change is the role he is performing. I don't think John Cena is that great of a draw. If you turn him heel, which many fans might say will get the kids turned off him, what audience will he really be drawing in? Angry guys on the Internet that will tune in even if he doesn't turn? Yeah, there is no draw there.

Of course, a lot of it depends on what kind of heel Cena is. Rapper heel? Corporate heel? How about an angry heel? Rapper Cena might be entertaining. Corporate Cena would definitely cause some buzz. Angry Cena? That is the kind of heel I feel a lot of these storylines about him turning would naturally lead to. You have guys pointing out how much fans hate Cena. What kind of character should that bring out of Cena? He just starts rapping? No, I don't think so. He gets so pissed off that he joins The Authority? I think there would have to be more of a storyline reason for that. They want Cena to crack and let the fans get on his nerves. That would lead to an angry Cena that is always blaming the fans and complaining. It would still be a serious character. And I don't think it would be a character that could either entertain or cause buzz. If he ever does turn heel, it would have to be off a better storyline than what they have attempted in recent years.

Everything Tossed Into One Smackdown Ring

When I was reading the Smackdown spoilers last week, I took a few minutes to just stare at the main event they had made. I was trying to make sense of it. Okay, this guy is feuding with this guy. Those guys are feuding with those guys. Wait, isn't this guy also feuding with that other guy? Does that guy over there even have a feud? Where's Jinder Mahal? It was a little messy.

Let me fill in some names to make this picture clearer. The match was John Cena, Chris Jericho, Roman Reigns, Big Show, and Mark Henry vs. Seth Rollins, Kane, Bray Wyatt, and Wyatt's henchmen. John Cena is feuding against Brock Lesnar, which is an extension of his feud with The Authority, which makes the involvement of Seth and Kane make sense. Cena also obviously has his history with Bray Wyatt. Chris Jericho has been feuding with Bray Wyatt recently. Roman Reigns is involved with The Authority, specifically Randy Orton. Recent developments have him setting his sights on Seth Rollins, who was feuding with Dean Ambrose. Big Show and Mark Henry have been feuding with The Wyatts, specifically Harper and Rowan. Mark Henry also has a feud going on with Rusev. Does Kane really have anything specific for him? Not really.

Speaking for myself, all these feuds are bad. People say that the WWE usually stops trying when football season starts. That may be true, but not only was that Smackdown main event lazy booking, but these feuds all seem lacking. John Cena is feuding against a guy that is not even there every week. That's fine, but I am sure they could have developed things better with Cena in recent weeks. Those other guys in that match? That is almost all the top stars you have right now. Some of these feuds seem like they should have just ended already, like Jericho vs. Wyatt. There is no point in dragging that feud on much further. Big Show and Mark Henry vs. The Wyatts does not even feel like a feud. They call it a rivalry. I see it as a bunch of filler matches every week. The storyline for the feud between Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns just feels weak. Roman Reigns has not exactly been written to care too much about Seth betraying him and Dean Ambrose. He was supposed to be pissed at Randy Orton a few months ago. That soon turned into him caring more about becoming World Champion. It took some of the edge out of his feud with Orton when focus did turn to that. And where was he all those times Dean Ambrose was getting killed by Seth Rollins? Now he cares? Again, some of the edge has been lost there.

None of these feuds and storylines seem very good. I want to say that Brie vs. Nikki is better than any of the main feuds going on for the men. This is a feud that still has that edge to it. It is fresh. The storyline has been getting big development. I am not saying the performers in that storyline are amazing or that the type of storyline it is is my favorite. I am saying that the way it has been developed is better than anything going on with the top stars in the men's division. Those feuds for the men just seem stale or poorly developed.

What's more, it seems you might have some guys left with nothing to do for Night of Champions. Cena obviously has Brock. Seth and Reigns can feud against each other. Where does that leave Randy Orton? I wouldn't be surprised with leaving Kane off the card, but Orton? Have him feud with Jericho? I don't feel that feud. Don't care. Mark Henry has Rusev. Big Show? Wyatt also has nothing to do. Pair those two together? Once again, I don't feel that feud. These options are just not developed properly. What about Wyatt's henchmen? I feel they should have been involved in the title hunt for the tag titles. They might end up without a match. If this was Survivor Series coming up, you could just lump all these guys together for some kind of match that would make sense.

A few months ago, I gave the WWE credit for looking good. And this was after Wrestlemania. They had some great feuds going on and things felt fresh. This was without CM Punk. Even after Daniel Bryan needed surgery, things did not collapse right away. The WWE just could not remain consistent with that. They need to rotate around their main-eventers better. Don't just treat certain guys as jobbers to the stars or guys being developed to be stars. That can help them maintain some freshness.

TNA's Rotation

I don't really watch baseball that much. I watch if there is nothing else on and I'm bored. My cousin likes the Yankees, so I follow how they are doing to be able to talk about it with him. Who cares? I decided to make an analogy between baseball and TNA. Might be the only time I talk baseball.

You can say that the most important player on a baseball team is the pitcher. He doesn't actually score, but he is the centerpiece when it comes to limiting the other team from scoring. And teams in the MLB have multiple pitchers. They have to. You have multiple starting pitchers and multiple relief pitchers. This is something you don't really see in football and basketball. In those sports, you usually want your star quarterback and star players out there, unless it is a meaningless game. In baseball, a pitcher can end up throwing the ball a hundred times in one game before he gets relieved. No quarterback is going to throw the ball that much in one game. And quarterbacks don't play back-to-back nights like you have in baseball. You sometimes have a doubleheader, which is two games in one day. If one pitcher was responsible for all that, it would be murder on his arm. I probably couldn't throw one pitch without hurting myself. That is why you have this natural rotation in baseball.

I have said before that TNA likes to rotate around their stars. I once compared it to them being stuck in the preseason in football. This baseball analogy might be better. For one thing, the football analogy might imply that they are testing all this talent and trying to figure out whom to stick with, but they just can't make up their mind, which leads to them being stuck in the situation they are in. I am beginning to think this is how they want to do things. If that is the case, the baseball analogy might make more sense.

One thing to keep in mind, TNA weren't always the way they are now. They did have a different system. There was a time where Jeff Jarrett was pushed as their top guy. Some say he hogged the spotlight. He was like Triple H. He was the clear centerpiece. Over in their women's division, it had not yet really developed. Almost everything was in the periphery. It was an extension of issues in the men's division. For a while, Gail Kim was the clear top star. That system has changed.

TNA likes to rotate around their top stars. And it isn't an official, set rotation like you have in baseball, but it is a rotation. Lashley is having a run as top guy. Eric Young had a run. Magnus had a run. Bully Ray had a run. And a lot of guys that looked so awesome at one time then get rotated down back to the midcard. The same kind of thing happens in the KO division, although Gail Kim is starting to be pushed more like a true centerpiece than they have ever had before. Nevertheless, there is still a slight rotation there. You have had some women look so strong for a few months, then they get rotated out. You put that interest in them, then you take it away and rotate them out and someone else in.

It makes sense to do this kind of thing in baseball. One pitcher cannot handle all that work. Does it really make sense for TNA to be inconsistent like this? I know these wrestlers work hard and give their bodies to entertain, but it isn't like top stars have to wrestle on TV every week. Have them just do promos some nights. Have them on commentary. Have them in backstage segments. Have them brawl with whomever they are feuding. A lot of possibilities. It is obviously not about just physical freshness, since these guys still perform in the midcard. It is a matter of creative freshness. You don't want the top star being pushed getting stale. But are you really pulling the plug on him because he has gotten stale? I feel TNA often kills the momentum of someone for no good reason. It's not even that they are punishing anyone. This is just how they operate. And it creates inconsistency.

With this kind of system TNA runs, can you really have system guys and gals? Even if this system created a star, that star would get rotated back down, which would likely kill his momentum. If a person in this system treated like that is somehow still able to maintain a great connection with the fans, that person likely has the ability to succeed in most other systems. And I don't mean just connecting with wrestling fans or TNA's core fanbase. I mean connecting with fans across the board at a great level. I am talking A-tier overness. The only people that have that kind of overness are probably guys that became stars in other promotions prior to coming to TNA. In other words, this system has not really created any stars. I felt a guy like AJ Styles had that potential, but the system was just not good for him. Gail Kim looked so great during her first run in TNA, but I don't feel she is connecting with fans the same way. She is a great wrestler and helping to keep the division respectable, but in terms of her own overness, I don't think it is too high. If they pushed her differently, with better creative interest, it might be better. To put it simply, this system cannot properly create or feature stars, both for the men and the women.

Rusev Vs. Mark Henry

Now that the WWE is revisiting the feud between Rusev and Mark Henry, I'll talk about it more. Mark Henry still seems to be teaming with Big Show against The Wyatts, as well, but that's another issue. I doubt the WWE will completely drop Mark Henry vs. Rusev.

How will this feud compare to Rusev's previous feud with Jack Swagger? In my opinion, that was the best feud Rusev has had since debuting. That might not be saying much. Regardless, it was a good feud. Jack Swagger's gimmick made this feud natural. Swagger successfully turned face, which is something I think a lot of fans doubted could ever happen. There were some great segments. They put on some good matches. I would say it was one of those feuds that really benefited both sides, and neither guy has been tossed aside after it has ended. Could they have done a few things to make the feud better, like have an actual flag match at Summerslam? Yeah, but it was a great midcard feud.

I don't think this feud you have going on right now for Rusev will be as good. On paper, it looks good. You have two big brutes going at it. Mark Henry was an Olympian for the United States, so this feud can make sense. Mark Henry might also have more credibility than Jack Swagger. But a lot of people complain about matches that involve big men. They usually don't find them exciting. And I doubt the story they develop here will have the same feel that Rusev/Swagger had. As I said, Jack Swagger's gimmick was just perfect for a feud with Rusev. With the exception of bringing back Kurt Angle to feud with him, I cannot think of a more natural feud for Rusev. Will the fact that Mark Henry still seems to be working against The Wyatts also take away from his feud with Rusev? Depends on how long that lasts. There is potential to make this feud interesting, but I doubt it will work out.

Should Mark Henry be the man that beats Rusev? As of right now, I don't think he needs the win. I don't think he is likely to win. This seems to be just another feud designed to make Rusev look good. How many more feuds like that can they possibly develop before they put an end to him?

Let me talk about the situation with Michael Sam. If you don't know who he is, he is a football player. He is looking to be the first openly-gay player in the NFL. The team that drafted him cut him before the season started. It looked like no other team would want him, even as a member of the practice squad. As you saw on Raw, the WWE extended an invitation to have him come and talk. Since then, it looks like the Dallas Cowboys will add him to their practice squad. It does not look like Sam will come to the WWE. The WWE seems to have dropped the plan completely.

What can you say about this? Pretty stupid by the WWE. If they had already gotten the guy to appear on Raw, I can understand advertising it. They didn't get him to commit. All they did was advertise they were inviting him. And it looks like it will go nowhere. They just made themselves look foolish. It was all for the sake of publicity. What would Michael Sam really have said if he showed up? Most people are very professional in these situations. And I don't see why Sam would have any reason to be bitter and not professional. Players get cut before the season starts all the time. I doubt it was anything personal or anything against his lifestyle. I doubt the Rams tried to screw him. The WWE knows about screwing people. They were going to give him a live mic? And? What were they hoping would happen? An AW moment? It was just a bad idea. I hope they have fun with Jerry Springer.

The Bellas Trump Paige/AJ

For weeks now, some fans have been complaining that the drama involving The Bellas and Stephanie McMahon was getting more time and better attention than the title feud between AJ Lee and Paige. Other fans would say that it was good that there were two diva feuds going on. What do you say now? On Raw last night, they pretty much inserted The Bellas into the title picture. The drama between Nikki and Brie is now overshadowing AJ and Paige even more.

I sometimes like to compare things going on now in the diva division to situations from the past. The situation you have now reminded me of that time Victoria and Gail Kim were feuding over the Women's Championship. Gail Kim was finally getting pushed again. She had picked up some wins against Victoria. All of a sudden, Lita and Trish are in the match. Trish Stratus walks out with the title. This isn't as bad as The Great Khali winning a match between Daniel Bryan and Sheamus, but they pretty much overshadowed the original feud. You also have what was supposed to be Layla vs. Kaitlyn from a few years ago being won by Eve, but that was more understandable. Eve was involved in the story from the start and it really was her push.

In both those past situations in the diva division, you had a centerpiece trumping everything else. Neither Nikki nor Brie are being pushed as the centerpiece, yet, but recent developments make me believe even more that they may be preparing to go in that direction. They have not had a diva on Total Divas win the title yet. It really should just be a matter of time. But would a Bella holding the title be just for the benefit of creating material for Total Divas? Or will one of them actually fill that centerpiece void? I have said that Total Divas is like an elaborate PG-version of Playboy. From the time the golden age started, you never had Playboy divas win the title when they were getting their Playboy push. Candice won the title to be pushed as centerpiece, after already having done Playboy. Point is, some fans might say a title reign for The Bellas would just be for the sake of Total Divas, but it could be to start pushing a new centerpiece. Or it could be dark age shenanigans.

I didn't get to say much about the storyline between AJ and Paige and what they have been doing in recent weeks. It looks like whatever storyline they were having is going to be diluted now with The Bellas inserted. Let me still talk about that storyline. I really did not like it. It was turning even more into the type of storyline Mickie James and Trish Stratus had, just with poorer development. Paige did not debut as a big fan of AJ Lee. Paige debuted to show some respect to AJ. Those weeks AJ was gone, Paige never really showed any huge love for AJ. All of a sudden, Paige is skipping like AJ. I can chalk that up to playing mind games. Recently, you have had some lesbian undertones. How far can you get in PG? It is the kind of development you would have seen in Trish/Mickie, with Trish trying to play mind games with Mickie. And you have already had the two trade the title a few times. Whether AJ is leaving or not, it would only make sense for Paige to win the feud. Now with The Bellas involved, the story is different. To put it simply, the story they were pushing between Paige and AJ just did not have the same flow to it that the storyline between Mickie James and Trish Stratus had and just seemed like something they were tossing together.

Let me focus more on the characters these two women are portraying. I am not talking just about gimmick, but how they are portraying the gimmick. AJ Lee is a psycho. And she is creepy. That is one of the main reasons I am not as drawn to her as I was to Mickie James. Mickie James had this fun spirit to her. Even after they took the gimmick away, she still had that charisma. AJ isn't that fun psycho. She is a creepy psycho. I am not drawn to the things she is doing.

Paige is copying AJ. All it has really amounted to is her skipping. Aside from that, ever since she has turned heel, I have noticed she seems to try too hard to be sexy in some of her matches. She seems to be looking for approval. There really is no storyline reason for it. I liked her better when she was a face. Some reports say she was not engaging the crowd. If you pay attention to what she was doing, she actually was trying. Aside from her look, she is obviously not pushed as an anti-diva, but I don't think she needs to try the eye-candy diva route to get over. I would not be surprised if people backstage are telling her how to act. She just does not seem natural in what she was doing, although I think she does a good job skipping. But what will that do for her in getting her over? I don't think it will. The fans are not connecting with Paige. She is just imitating AJ Lee. And she is really not getting to show a character I think can really get her over. She needs to find her own groove and do it naturally.

Put it all together, that's why I don't like the storyline you had going on between AJ and Paige. The actual storyline didn't seem thought out properly, AJ's creepy character is not interesting me, and Paige's character just does not seem natural. Is it good that it is getting phased down? Will it be better with The Bellas inserted? Will The Great Khali walk out of Night of Champions with the Diva's Championship? Right now, I can't say. Let's see how things develop.

Kharma In The Periphery & System Guys

There would not have been many options for Kharma. If they had kept her, she would not have been pushed as the centerpiece, most likely would not have been pushed as a credible jobber, since she is just too intimidating and was being featured as dominant while there, and that would leave only featuring her as a periphery diva. If they had kept her, what kind of periphery diva could she have been?

She only had one match after debuting. That was taking part in the Royal Rumble. Two other women did that. That would be Chyna and Beth Phoenix. Beth Phoenix mixed it up with the men a little, but not enough to be considered a periphery diva. She got pushed mostly to put over the centerpieces and got some filler title reigns in between the WWE moving from centerpiece to centerpiece. She was a credible jobber. Chyna was a periphery diva. She was pushed as a star. She became famous for what she did in the men's division. Could Kharma have followed the path of Chyna? I have seen some people talk like Kharma would have had a chance to become the first woman to win the World's Heavyweight Championship. I don't know about that. Fact is, you don't see many matches between men and women in the PG era, so I doubt she really would have become a regular in the men's division in the same way Chyna was, without even bringing up the possibility of going further than Chyna did.

Just like I talked about Gail Kim being an enforcer, I think Kharma could have had some kind of enforcer/bodyguard role. Wouldn't be too different from Chyna early in her WWE career. Kharma could be an enforcer for both male superstars and divas. Imagine if Michelle McCool stayed and Kharma debuted as her new sidekick. Michelle McCool had Alicia Fox and Layla at her side for a while during her career, but how much did any of that help her get over? Kharma may not have helped her get over, but an intimidating bodyguard like that might have led to the fans viewing McCool differently. It would have been trying something new, if nothing else. And as Kharma connected with the fans through her own abilities, McCool would have gotten a rub from that. You would probably eventually have a time when the two split and have their feud, which typically happens. What do you do with Kharma then? Have her be the enforcer for someone else, possibly a man this time. You could keep this rolling for a while. This idea may sound stupid, but remember The Acolytes Protection Agency?  Create a gimmick like that for Kharma. She would be a one-woman APA. It could make for some interesting storylines and segments. And in between moving between protecting these various men and women, Kharma could have some rare matches here and there with the divas, and possibly the men. Face it, they were not going to have her wrestle divas on a regular basis. At least this way, she is getting used in a creative manner that could still connect with the fans.

Let me change topics slightly. When I talked about Gail Kim in the periphery, I referenced the role she played in TNA and talked about how the WWE could have used that to push her well. When I talked about Mickie James in the periphery, why did I not bring up her angle with Raven from TNA? That was not the kind of periphery diva I had in mind for her in the WWE. She was more of a lackey in that group in TNA, in my opinion, than an actual enforcer/bodyguard. Back when Lord Tensai first debuted and was relevant, he had a lackey. I don't think Mickie James should be a follower to someone. Push her as an arrogant valet/manager type. Let her be more of an equal to the man she is supporting or in the stable she is a part of.

Changing topics again, a while ago, I talked about how certain plays in football might just have a higher rate of success than others, regardless of who the players are involved in the play. I related that back to how certain types of careers in wrestling also have a a great rate of success, regardless of the individual being pushed in this great manner. I realized an even better way of explaining it.

I was lurking around a football message board and I noticed someone use the term "system quarterback" to describe Johnny Manziel. That means that he only had that success he had in college because the system they had there benefited him. It was based on the quarterback now starting for his old college putting up great numbers last week. It was the system that was great, not necessarily the player. This "system" label applies to various positions and even other sports. Some people can say some NBA players are only good in certain systems. When they change teams, they play poorly. If you have been watching sports for decades and already knew all this, forgive me for coming late to the game.

It can also apply to pro wrestling. Why shouldn't it? You can have some men and women that seem to thrive when they are in a position of success in a certain system, but when they go somewhere else, they flop. Is that because they are not that great? Is the new system just flawed? When I talk about the status quo, I am usually talking about the status quo of the system and how it is impacting the performers and quality of the product. You talk about Paul Heyman guys, Triple H guys, and Vince McMahon guys. Typically, these are guys that have the support of someone with swing to help them get a good push. Some of this seems to be losing value lately. The WWE thinks they can just toss guys on Paul Heyman and they are automatically Paul Heyman guys.

There are so many different things I can talk about in a discussion about system guys (or gals). Let me just run through a few people and talk about whether I think they are system guys. What do you look for? For those individuals that succeeded, was it because the system was in their favor? If the system was not in their favor, they are not system guys. If the system was in their favor, did they have the potential and talent to succeed even if they were not a part of that system? If they did, you can argue they were not system guys and could succeed on their own or in another system.

Let me start with Kharma. She did not last in the WWE long. But she was connecting well with the fans. And it definitely was through how she was being pushed. They had her destroy other divas. Just like Nexus excited people by destroying other guys, so was Kharma. And I already said, they likely would have continued to push her in the periphery, if they had kept her. Is Kharma therefor a system gal? I would say not. She was making a name for herself even before the WWE. That is what made her signing exciting for many fans. She definitely has the ability to connect with fans.

John Cena. He is a system guy. He has been pushed as the centerpiece for almost a decade, despite connecting poorly with the overall fanbase. Even back when he was hot with his rapper gimmick, the WWE allowed him to have that gimmick and ran with it. He is not that great of a wrestler. You can talk about his mic skills and charisma, but I don't think he is good enough to stand out if he had not gotten the kind of career he had gotten in the WWE. Just to save space, I would also say Batista is a system guy and for the same reasons I give for John Cena.

You should know the story of CM Punk by now. No one in the WWE wanted to give him a shot. Paul Heyman saved him and helped him become a star. Fact is, there was someone in the system that believed in him and helped him get a good career. CM Punk was featured well in ECW. He eventually won the ECW title. After debuting on Raw, he started to be treated even better. He won a World title almost right away. Soon won the tag titles. Won the Intercontinental title. Won another briefcase. He was frequently involved in elaborate storylines. A+ player? No. I would say A-. He dropped his pipe bomb and moved up a little in the company. He really wasn't pushed that awfully prior to that pipe bomb. He did deserve the better career, but the career he was getting was not that bad. Nevertheless, he is not a system guy. Not only does he seem to hate the system, but he has the talent and potential to succeed without the WWE.

What about Zack Ryder? He was not being pushed at all. He got over on his own through Youtube. And after he got over, they still did not want to run with him. He is definitely not a system guy. The system did not create him.

Mickie James is not a product of the diva system. They pushed her so much! So many title reigns! Yeah, but if you actually look at how they were pushing her and look at how over other women pushed like that typically become, she is more over than any of them. She got over while being pushed as a credible jobber, being used to put over the centerpiece and being used as interim centerpiece when the star was not around. She got over through her own abilities as a performer. The system was not in her favor.

To say that a quarterback is a product of the system is taking something away from him just like calling him a game manager is taking something away from him. When I say that a certain wrestler is a system guy, I don't mean to insult him. It just goes back to the idea of understanding whether a performer is having such great success because he is really that great or it is the play/system that is so great. That might help you separate the A+ players from the B+ players. Separate the system performers in the WWE from those that are truly the greats.