Where Is Orton/Wyatt Going?

The feud between Randy Orton and Bray Wyatt has been my favorite feud going. In an era where too many feuds seem to be based on real-life drama and are way too serious, this was a feud that just played with Bray Wyatt's gimmick. It had some interesting segments to it. It was just a good story.

Recently, however, I do not like how the WWE has been handling the feud. They had Kane disappear a few weeks ago. That was fine. Mix it in with Bray's gimmick. There were some fans thinking Kane might then return as a heel. Just pretend Bray Wyatt "brainwashed" him. Caskets came into play. Kane returned as a face. Last week, Orton attacked Kane and cost him a match against Bray. What is going on? Orton is following the "If you can't beat them, join them" philosophy.

What is my issue with the direction of this feud? First of all, it just seems like they are starting to do too many things with this story. I know they have a ton of time to kill and all that, but I feel like there have already been a few things in the last few weeks that they could have built on. Kane disappearing was something they could have built on. Turn him heel. Make the storyline about Orton trying to get Kane back. Even if they didn't want to do anything like that, they introduced the casket. Okay, that can build up to a casket match. Not exactly Bray Wyatt's specialty. This would be a match for The Undertaker. But if they want to build Bray Wyatt as the next Taker, and the two have feuded before, they can use this kind of match. But then they switch to Orton turning on Kane. It just seems like they are doing too much.

I have seen one fan like this feud because it has storyline progression. I wouldn't call this storyline progression. I have seen some storylines in the WWE where the WWE does something to get fans interested, then they just sit on that one thing and don't go anywhere for a while. That is a lack of storyline progression. Look at feuds where one person attacks someone else. Then they attack them again. And again. It takes a while for an explanation or for things to go to another level. That is not the problem here. The problem here is just doing too much with this one feud. This isn't progression. This is just jumping around to various things.

Another reason I do not like what the WWE is doing here is because I would say there is potential for feuds with a few of the storyline points you have used here. Why use it all just for this one feud? Will the WWE be able to create fresh feuds for Wyatt after this? Or will they just reuse the angles they have used in this feud? After a while, it just isn't fresh anymore. The writers obviously have some ideas, but all these ideas don't need to be used here. Not only is it a question of possibly muddling the current storyline with Orton, but it is an issue of whether these ideas will still be worth doing after the feud with Orton.

Last reason I do not like recent developments for this feud, is it even justified? Orton teasing going heel, is it justified? A few years ago, Daniel Bryan joined The Wyatts to get close to Bray, then got some revenge against him. The storyline worked better then. Daniel Bryan was getting beaten up by The Wyatts. It just looked like he was broken. Now? I don't see it. Bray Wyatt has not looked that dominant. He lost to Kane just a few weeks ago when Orton could not compete. Randy Orton has not looked that broken. He has looked strong at times in this feud. And it isn't like the numbers were really that against him. He had Kane on his side against Bray Wyatt and whichever one of his lackies is available. It is just hard to buy into this new direction.

Go back to last year. Randy Orton has done this kind of thing before. He was splitting with The Authority. He then pretended like he still wanted to be a part of them just so he can get his hands on Seth Rollins at the best time. That kind of angle just fit that feud. Orton is obviously a character that utilizes mind games, which makes this feud with Wyatt even better, but using that same kind of trick again? So soon? With Bray Wyatt? Yes, it is obvious Orton isn't truly turning heel. But why should Bray Wyatt even buy into him?

Is this the angle they will stick with for this feud? They can have Bray Wyatt do things to test Orton further. They can have Orton do things on his own to try to prove he is on Bray's side. Or they can just have Bray Wyatt see through Orton, drop the angle, and go in a different direction. I wish they would just stick with one direction and build on it. That would be progression.

Let me do a slight aside. A few weeks ago, the WWE went with Orton/Wyatt as a PPV main event. No titles were on the line. Nothing was on the line. This feud just didn't belong in the main event. It looked like the WWE was just scared of the presidential debate. Last night at Hell in a Cell, Sasha Banks vs. Charlotte headlined. I am not going to say anything about match quality or who won. Just the decision to put the women on last, was it really an honor? Hell in a Cell went against a good NFL game and a World Series game where the Cleveland Indians had a chance to clinch the title. That is heavy competition. Is it really an honor? Or should it be categorized in the same place as Orton/Wyatt headlining a PPV they had no business headlining? The product definitely isn't the same now as it was a decade ago and before that. Headlining a PPV back then would have meant more.

Previewing Seth Rollins Vs. Kevin Owens For Hell In A Cell 2016

This is the match that should be the main event. The Universal Championship is on the line. This feud is part of the bigger storyline between Rollins and Triple H. It has just gotten the main attention for a while now. Even then, there have been some issues that have ruined the feel for this feud. That is what I am going to start out talking about.

There are just some guys that do not have the ability to play serious characters and more comedic characters. Anderson & Gallows flopped as the WWE tried to figure out what kind of characters these guys should be. What about Roman Reigns? His issues over the last few years have been talked about very much. The WWE tried to take a guy that got over in a badass stable and turn him into this more witty character that he really couldn't handle. He doesn't have the mic skills. He's not The Rock, a guy that does have the ability to play various characters in an entertaining way, which is why he is so successful in Hollywood. I am not saying these other guys can never expand themselves to have that depth, but they just don't have it.

Even if someone does have that acting depth, there are just certain storylines where you should not want that person to drop a serious character and start acting like a bit of a clown. Pro wrestling is supposed to be about entertaining, but you don't need to be funny all the time to entertain people. Look at the heated feud Randy Orton and Triple H had a few years ago. Orton had attacked Triple H's wife, Stephanie. There was a storyline reason for Triple H to be intense and vengeful. If he started acting goofy, like he has proven he can over the years, especially with DX, that would have ruined the feel of the storyline.

What is the issue here in Seth Rollins vs. Kevin Owens? Specifically, look at Rollins. Some people don't like him as a face, but that happens a lot. A lot of smarks prefer heels over faces. This new face character for Seth may have some flaws, but I think the real issue is that the character he is showing recently is just inappropriate for this storyline. He's been goofing around a little, stealing The List of Jericho. Chris Jericho's list is probably the most popular thing in this storyline, but it really doesn't need to take over like it has.

Seth Rollins was screwed by Triple H a few weeks ago. He was intense about it. He was getting in Stephanie's face, even though there was no clear reason why Stephanie McMahon should be blamed for what Triple H did. He was attacking Kevin Owens. There was entertainment value in this intense character. And now, he just seems to have lost some of his edge. Without even considering whether his attempt to be more entertaining in a comedic way leans more towards The Rock's side or that of Roman Reigns, it just doesn't fit with what has been going on for all those weeks before that. That intensity over Triple H screwing him is gone. One of the issues is obviously that the WWE is dragging this on and Triple H has not given his motive yet, but I think the WWE could have done better.

I am not saying there is anything wrong with testing Seth Rollins by seeing if he can play this kind of face character. He has never been a solo face on the main roster. Challenge him a little. But doing it now hurts the feel of the storyline and the feud with Owens takes a bit of a hit because of it.

Onto the match. Who wins? Seth Rollins has failed to regain the title for months now. He needs to take a vacation from the title scene. I am expecting shenanigans in this match. It might not just be Chris Jericho, again. Triple H, himself, might once again pop up to give Seth Rollins a reason to intensely hate him again. The only way I can picture Seth winning is if he gets screwed again soon after. Think back to Daniel Bryan winning the WWE Championship a few times three years ago. All those reigns were short, The Authority screwing him out of the title multiple times. It would be better to just get Rollins out of the picture. Kevin Owens wins by shenanigans and something happens to add more fuel to Rollins vs. Triple H. That is what I am expecting. 

Let me do an aside about the WWE Network. The WWE recently revealed that they had close to 1.46 million subscribers for the last quarter. That is more than I was expecting, but still less than the WWE's own projections of 1.49 million subscribers. I had said a few months ago that the WWE should not be too confident to retain that much of the 1.52 million they had for Wrestlemania. This quarter, the return of Goldberg is something they will be leaning on to sell Survivor Series. Let's see if that investment leads to a gain in subscribers this time.

Previewing The Hell In A Cell 2016 Undercard

Enzo & Cass take on Gallows & Anderson. If the WWE had made a smart booking decision months ago, Gallows & Anderson would have won the tag titles back when they looked like they deserved it. This match would then be for the tag titles and Enzo & Cass would finally win some gold. Instead, this is just a filler match. Enzo & Cass are a popular team that should be winning more big matches than they have been. I would say they win here.

Speaking of the tag titles, New Day defend against Cesaro and Sheamus. This comes down to whether this Cesaro/Sheamus angle has really gotten hot. If it has, those two have a better chance of being booked to win the titles. If it has not, New Day continues to hold the tag titles hostage and every record known to mankind will fall at their feet. Cesaro and Sheamus have not looked that interesting. They will likely lose here. And what will the payoff of this storyline end up being? It might just end up being a feud the WWE tried too hard with.

TJ Perkins defends the Cruiserweight Championship against Brian Kendrick. This feud has been rather enjoyable. I might usually say that the WWE needs to stop taking advantage of real-life drama for storylines. But Kendrick acting like this is his last chance in the WWE and that he needs to win the title has led to a good midcard feud. I think he should win it. If he loses, I can imagine a face turn, but does that really seem necessary? Keep him heel and give him the title.

Even though it has not been made official, I can imagine Sami Zayn vs. Braun Strowman getting put somewhere on Sunday. I doubt Sami is being pushed to overcome Strowman. If this match happens, Strowman wins.

For a match that is supposed to be one of the main events of Hell in a Cell, Roman Reigns vs. Rusev is least likely to close the show. But you can never tell in this era. Roman Reigns just won the title a few weeks ago. Has the WWE gotten what they wanted out of this title reign for Reigns? And if Rusev does regain the title, it will likely be by some shenanigans. I can't imagine Reigns losing cleanly here. Will Lana get involved? I can't really see Rusev winning. The WWE might have someone else interfere to screw Reigns, which would then mean Reigns can move on to feuding with that person and the feud with Rusev would not have to drag on. But I don't see anyone on the horizon that would want to interfere to screw Reigns that he could feud with after Hell in a Cell. I'll say he retains.

Previewing The Hell In A Cell 2016 Women's Matches

History will be made when the WWE has women compete inside the Hell in a Cell for the first time. It will be Sasha Banks defending Raw's Women's Championship against Charlotte.

There was some teasing since last week that this match would be the main event of the PPV. That has since turned into this match being a part of one of those "triple main-event" deals. I would say there is at least some chance this match might still be the true main event. That is to say, the match that closes the show.

Should it be? No. The WWE just cannot force this women's revolution to be a thing. They have to let it be organic. They are not giving it a chance to work out. They are treating it like it is working out. And who are they going to listen to to see if fans are approving? The same fans that were all for women being treated this much better? Want to guess whether those fans will give a thumbs up or thumbs down? There are still a lot of fans out there not liking this. There are fans that have not really gotten the chance to connect with some of these women before they have been rushed to the top. Slow down, WWE.

The Universal Championship match between Seth Rollins and Kevin Owens should be the main event. It has had some issues and is not even the real feud fans should be interested in for Seth Rollins. That would be Seth vs. Triple H. Nevertheless, this match is for Raw's top title. This match will be used to further the top storyline going on. This match is the match I will be talking about on Friday.

If the WWE did put the women in the top spot this Sunday, will it really be that much of an honor? Look at what they did a few weeks ago at Smackdown's last PPV. The triple threat for the WWE Championship, the match that should have closed the show, went on first. Bray Wyatt vs. Randy Orton was the main event. I have said that I like this feud, but it did not deserve to close the PPV. That looks like just cowardice on the part of the WWE because of the presidential debate. What is the WWE scared of this Sunday? The Dallas Cowboys vs. the Philadelphia Eagles? They should be scared of the Dallas Cowboys. Is this just going to become a theme for even PPVs now? The WWE Network era cheapens the value of PPVs already, especially with the brand split back. If the WWE did choose to put this match on last, it wouldn't be the same as if they had done it a decade ago.

Who wins? Sasha Banks. Enough tossing the title around. Charlotte has her streak of PPV wins, but that statistic doesn't matter. I just hope they keep it safe. I have seen some fans say there needs to be blood in the Hell in a Cell matches, even this one. No, there does not need to be blood. If the WWE puts this match as the main event, these women might feel even more obligated to get crazy. And things have not always gone smoothly when expectations are high with these women.

What happens after Sunday? Sasha Banks can move on to Emmalina. Nia Jax is also an option, but I would go with Emmalina. The WWE has already murdered Nia's momentum. What about Charlotte? That will be interesting to see. Did they put all that work into her for the last year just to ditch her? That would be some TNA nonsense right there. They could put her in a storyline with Lana. There was some drama there between them a little while ago. It would obviously not be a serious wrestling feud, but not everything needs to go through the ring. Charlotte needs to do a better job with her character. Some storyline variety might help her.

Even though it is not yet official, Dana Brooke vs. Baylay might find itself somewhere on Sunday's card. These two have been feuding for the last few weeks. Why not put it somewhere on Sunday? It might be a kickoff match.

This feud has shown some of the things that are still wrong with this era. Go back to Raw last week. Dana Brooke got a clean win over Bayley. You can talk about Dana botching the finish and she was supposed to put her foot on the ropes all you want. Dana Brooke should not be pinning Bayley at all. Dana Brooke is not a good wrestler. That is not one of her assets. Bayley is one of the top female wrestling talents from NXT. Charlotte and Sasha pinning her is one thing. Dana Brooke? No. There are certain things that should be earned. Making history and headlining PPVs are things you would expect to fall into that category. Dana beating someone like Bayley is something that should be earned. She needs to improve her in-ring work. This would not be the first time she has messed something up. Just handing Dana a win over someone like Bayley does no one any favors. Wrestling fans are still not going to buy into Dana's in-ring work. Bayley doesn't look good. And people that want a better women's division are going to groan at this.

There are some exceptions to this idea that someone that isn't good in the ring should not be beating a woman that is good in the ring. If the female wrestler in question is a heel and the other woman is a face, you might let it go. If the heel does a great job in getting fans to want to see her get her comeuppance, they would love it if she gets owned even from someone that isn't someone you would expect to own her. Let it be some old person. Let it be some non-wrestler. Let it even be a diva. It leads to a good moment. That is not what you have here. Bayley is a face and Dana Brooke is a heel that needs to improve herself. Booking can't do it for her.

Look at TNA having Maria feud with Gail Kim. That was a feud I did not really love too much, from the standpoint of what wrestling fans would want to see. At a time when the WWE is hyping treating women's wrestling better, TNA pushes a diva against a respected female wrestler. Maria even won the KO title. It was all obviously to eventually put over Gail Kim, but you can see how these kind of feuds can hurt the respectability of the division, if you even care about looking respectable.

There are other ways to make someone look good in a feud without having them beat the person they are feuding against. Have Dana Brooke just attack Bayley. They have done things like this in recent weeks for this feud. There was no need to book Dana to get a win over Bayley.

This week on Raw featured another segment between the two. It was arm wrestling this time. Dana took advantage of Bayley's injury to get a win, then got owned the second time. A little brawl ensued. Bayley won that battle. That was a fine way to prolong the feud without having just another wrestling match.

There was a problem, however. Fans were not too respectful for the segment. Was it once again a case of antsy Lesnar fans waiting to see him? This same thing happened before in Minnesota. Some fans still just do not like what is going on in this era. Was the idea to have an arm wrestling match really such a terrible idea? I don't think so, as a writer. Bayley has a shoulder injury. Dana Brooke likes to show off her muscles. The segment just seemed obvious. The WWE doesn't have the depth to keep having multiple women's matches every Raw. Proper feud development involves some non-wrestling segments. How is someone like Dana Brooke supposed to build her character? She isn't great at wrestling.

Nevertheless, there are some fans that roll their eyes at this kind of thing. There was nothing sexist about what the WWE did. This wasn't some kind of skin match. They do this kind of thing even with the men. Mark Henry has been involved in a lot of arm wrestling segments. And yet, all they care about for these women are wrestling matches. The WWE just cannot sustain what some fans want to see. Give the WWE a break. They cannot get by with just pleasing wrestling fans. They got to put work into these women to build them into more than just wrestlers and to create segments and storylines that can entertain more than just wrestling fans. But can they do it with divas still in this new women's division? Can female wrestlers and divas coexist? It would help if some fans eased up a little.

As for who wins this likely match, Bayley. Dana Brooke has already gotten enough wins over Bayley to last her the rest of the year.  

Does Smackdown Need More Authority Drama?

The Authority was a stable that many fans felt ran its course years ago. It just kept going. You had Triple H and his long speeches. You had Stephanie McMahon slapping everyone around and never getting her true comeuppance. Even though the stable is dead, Stephanie and Triple H are still very much involved in Raw storylines.

Smackdown has been a little different. There is no authority stable. The only storylines Daniel Bryan has been involved in, beyond just making matches, have involved him getting knocked verbally by other wrestlers, mainly The Miz. But that never really led to anything. It is a little refreshing to have that change compared to The Authority being involved so much in the big storylines like they were for years.

But could the WWE do more? There is definitely potential. Shane McMahon got attacked by Brock Lesnar at Summerslam. That looked like it might lead to something. Shane McMahon, obviously, is not afraid to still get in the ring. Even if he was not going to wrestle Lesnar just yet, or ever, they still could have used this for a storyline. How about Shane decides to bring in Goldberg to handle Lesnar for him? The way the WWE handled the creation of the feud between and Goldberg and Lesnar was a little mediocre. They just took advantage of their ESPN connection to start a storyline. What I do like is that Goldberg made himself sound like he was the good guy, the superhero, out to stop Lesnar. It is better than making this match feel like it was just thrown together, like Lesnar vs. Orton. Nevertheless, the WWE could have unlocked a lot more storyline potential that might have helped Smackdown to get some of the rub from Goldberg vs. Lesnar II.

Should the WWE do more with Smackdown's authority figures? It can help create more drama. The WWE just has to not make the mistake of going too far with it. They have to know when to cut it off and just ease up. They might get Shane and Danial Bryan more involved in storylines around Wrestlemania next year. Since Smackdown is only two hours, it might be a bad decision to really have authority figures take up too much time. If Smackdown does get an extra hour, however, utilizing the authority figures more might be a good idea.

Curt Hawkins: What's The Point?

One of the angles currently on Smackdown involves the return of Curt Hawkins. His return has mirrored the push Fandango was getting when that gimmick first debuted years ago. They spent time teasing his gimmick. They then debuted him, but had him backing out of matches. Nothing too fresh going on with Hawkins.

Will this go anywhere? Probably not. I already mentioned Fandango, but this push is just mirroring other things you have seen just this year. Look at Darren Young. They spent weeks teasing this new angle he was going to have with Bob Backlund. Those segments they had ended up being more entertaining than most of what they did since they officially started the push. And the push just fizzled out. That is what I think will happen with Hawkins.

Should this go anywhere? I don't really think so. Even though people complain about the lack of depth and the need to get more guys, there are still people on the roster right now with nothing meaningful to do. The WWE needs to learn to be more efficient with what they have. I don't think Curt Hawkins is amazing enough to deserve a long-term push. I don't think this gimmick he has is that amazing to deserve long-term attention.

What is he even there for? He will be a lower-midcarder. He will end up like Darren Young and Fandango. Smarks might even mark out if he starts an angle with Zack Ryder. Nothing too special. And when mass releases do eventually happen again, Curtis Hawkins is one of those guys likely to be under consideration to be let go. There will be more men debuting from NXT and the WWE will do more returns. That just pushes some people out the door.

The Decline Of NFL Ratings

Usually when I talk about ratings, it is primarily for the wrestling shows. The only reason to bring up football is to point out that it is a yearly obstacle for wrestling shows that fall on Mondays and Thursdays to overcome. This is a little different.

This season, even the NFL is taking a noticeable loss in the ratings. Monday Night Football has still averaged more viewers than Raw every week, but numbers are still down for the various networks and various nights. It has become a real issue now. Even commentators are bringing it up during games.

Why is it happening? There have been a number of reasons floating around. First, you have the drama involving Colin Kaepernick. He has been kneeling during the national anthem as a protest. Some fans hate what he is doing and have said they would stop watching as a protest. Second, you have the game just not being as fun as it used to be. There are way too many penalty flags flying all over the place. Players get penalized for little things that a lot of people feel aren't that bad. I know it takes me out of the game. Some people say it is a lack of stars. Peyton Manning is gone. Tom Brady was suspended for a month. A lot of the other star players from recent years are flopping, like Cam Newton. I don't personally buy this excuse. There are a ton of stars all over the NFL and more are drafted every year. But this excuse does lead into another point. A lot of these games are terrible. Whether you want to say the stars are under-performing or what, a lot of games are one-sided and terrible to watch, unless you are a fan on the right side of the domination. Aside from that, you have the general excuse that this is an election year and numbers are down everywhere.

There is one interesting thing to keep in mind for those people that want to downplay the NFL's struggles. College football has actually seen a slight increase through the first few weeks compared to that same time last year. A lot of people like to say that numbers are decreasing for every show or that no one watches TV anymore. And it just isn't true. The first presidential debate between Trump and Clinton saw record numbers. SNL ratings are up thanks to parodying the presidential debates. In an era where NFL ratings are noticeably declining, college football ratings are at least holding steady and sometimes showing a bit of an increase. It is still possible for TV shows to create buzz and draw an audience.

Now, I do want to tie it back into wrestling. Look back at some of those reasons I gave for why NFL ratings are down. How do those reasons fit with what is going on in the WWE?

Let's start with Colin Kaepernick. He has become a polarizing figure, and not even for his work on the field. As I pointed out, some fans hate what he is doing. Some fans, and players, respect it. People are joining in all over the country. In just about every NFL game, they seem to always look to the sidelines during the anthem and point out if any players are doing anything to protest. It has become something to look for. Kaepernick's jersey has sold well since he started protesting. But he is still hated by many and I pointed out that some say he is the reason they won't watch anymore.

Sound familiar? Sounds like John Cena. Cena is a polarizing figure. Some fans hate him, while others love him. You always hear reports about his merchandise selling well. You might even see reports claiming he is still a draw for the WWE in terms of house shows. Do those reports ever stop to consider how many fans Cena has lost? I know a lot of fans that have said they are done with the WWE every time they let Cena win, but these fans never seem to leave. But how about some viewers that aren't smarks? How about some of those viewers that get annoyed by Cena and choose to stop watching, not just complain on the Internet? Ever since John Cena has become the centerpiece, he has not energized the product. Just like Kaepernick has this attention on him, so does Cena. It is a kind of attention that does have the ability to get people interested in what you are doing, but also has the ability to drive people away. Cena may no longer be the centerpiece, but you always have to watch out for the next guy being groomed as the centerpiece.

A lot of these football games are just not fun anymore. Similarly, a lot of people just don't find the WWE fun anymore. I know I don't find it fun anymore. It is the main reason I don't want to watch anymore. Ever since watching what the WWE did to my favorite female wrestler, Mickie James, I just couldn't look at them the same way anymore. They went on to screw more of their workers, including Zack Ryder and Daniel Bryan. They just created this seedy environment of complaining and exploiting things going on in real life to try to create drama. The WWE has been a little better recently in terms of giving their workers better treatment, but it is pretty much too little, too late for me, and probably a lot of other fans. This is not what captivated me during the Attitude Era. Another reason it is not what it used to be is that they are making all these decisions designed to cater to wrestling fans and smarks. It has lost that mass appeal.

What about the lack of stars? A popular philosophy I see some people bring up is that the WWE doesn't need draws because the brand is the draw. That is the kind of thing I might have felt would be true for NXT. They just have to appeal to smarks. Just have a few talented wrestlers, promote wrestling, and don't do anything too stupid. And yet, even NXT cannot be a draw in itself. It needs stars. And the same goes for the main roster. The WWE obviously believes they need stars. That is why they rely on part-timers. Goldberg helped them get a ratings boost this week for Raw. But the WWE has failed to sustain these ratings boosts. Where are the full-time stars? Who are the full-time stars? There is definitely a lack of stars. Most of the blame goes to the WWE for not featuring their talent better.

A lot of the football games, especially the ones in prime-time, are terrible. Whether they are sloppy or plain blowouts, they can get viewers to tune out. The issue with the WWE isn't really sloppy matches or too many squash matches. But they are sloppy in terms of how they handle the shows and manage their talent. They are inefficient. If the audience cannot connect with what they are seeing, they might stop watching. I always see fans saying Raw is unbearable. The WWE has made some improvements, but the WWE has not really learned how to be efficient with what they have. They just keep on bringing in all these people. I question what they are doing from a business standpoint. From an efficiency standpoint, this is not what they should be doing. And if some of this is not helping them to draw on a steady basis, they should consider cleaning themselves up.

As far as the election excuse, it is a real factor. Even if Raw or Smackdown don't go directly against a debate, primary, rally, or whatever, there is always analysis and reporting before and after these events that people do watch. This has been a terrible year for the WWE, especially Raw. They are going to just tell themselves that it was the election year. They are going to hope things will improve next year.

In the end, you cannot just pin things on the election. That goes for both the WWE and the NFL. Stop and look at yourself and you will see faults. The NFL obviously does not have as much control over things as the WWE. The NFL cannot predetermine aspects of a game in the same way the WWE can try to manipulate what goes on during their scripted broadcast. The NFL cam make all these rules, but that doesn't mean the rules won't be broken. You can debate whether NFL refs rig games, but that is just part of the show when the WWE does something like that. The WWE is just in a better position to control their product and could do better.

Goldberg Returns

Goldberg returned to Raw last night. He will be facing Brock Lesnar. It is no real shocker. The WWE had been teasing it for the last few weeks. These two, of course, had an infamous match at Wrestlemania in 2004.

Let me start by talking about the potential quality of this match. Match quality obviously doesn't matter too much. The WWE is just relying on hype for this match to sell tickets and get more subscribers. Nevertheless, it could be interesting to see what happens here. Brock Lesnar has been pushed as too much of an unstoppable force for a while now. Some of his matches have just become stupid due to the WWE either trying to protect him or trying to sell him as so dominant. Goldberg, on the other hand, is not the man he used to be. He just had surgery this year. He might not be able to do some of the things fans might like to see. Does that mean the WWE just has Lesnar dominate like he usually does? Goldberg beat Lesnar already. To just have Lesnar dominate here would be disappointing. Nevertheless, they can't do the same thing they did at Wrestlemania over a decade ago. Fans did not appreciate it too much, to say the least.

How about the WWE once again relying on part-timers to sell big PPVs and help them make money? This time, it's part-timer vs. part-timer. The WWE doesn't have faith in their full-time roster. And they shouldn't. The WWE has just done a terrible job with them. I once said that the only former talent the WWE should bring back are big names that could give them a boost. The WWE has obviously not done that, bringing back the likes of Jinder Mahal. But Goldberg does fit the profile. Nevertheless, the WWE should stop looking for easy answers and start doing a better job building new stars. Goldberg is almost 50. How many guys currently used full-time can you imagine coming back when they are 50 and really drawing for the WWE? These guys have enough trouble drawing in a consistent audience now. Shift focus to the talent under 40.

Emma To Emmalina

Emma has been out with an injury for a few months now. She is close to making her official return. Not only that, she looks like she will be repackaged. Emma is transforming to Emmalina.

Vignettes of the new gimmick have been airing recently. Emma is basically turning into a diva. I have seen one fan say that Emma was pretty much turning into Raw's version of Eva Marie. I wouldn't argue too much against that. Eva Marie isn't a great wrestler, but she is hot. And that is what this new gimmick for Emma pretty much leans on, her hotness.

I have said before that the diva era may be over, but there are still diva elements around. I think what they are doing with Emma is a poor decision. The WWE should have some unique gimmicks and personalities out there. If they could not come up with some unique gimmick for Emma that they were willing to push well, they should have just left her with her heel character she had prior to her injury. Let her enter some kind of story involving Dana Brooke, her former partner, and Charlotte, Dana's new mentor. They never got as much as they could have with that heel character. Prior to that, Emma had her face character that was not going anywhere. This was during the diva era and her angle with Santino, who was a lower-midcarder at this point, was not going to take her far. She was a low-tier credible jobber. She stands a much better chance of being featured well in this era, but it would do her some good and the WWE some good to let her have a different gimmick.

I can see what her first feud might be. Once Sasha Banks is done with Charlotte, she will need a new heel to face. Nia Jax has become irrelevant. Emmalina might get a push against Sasha right away. Seeing as how the WWE loves to give Sasha a platform to push the feminist direction the women's division is going, they can have Sasha rip Emmalina for trying to get by with her looks instead of her talents. What else does the WWE know what to do with Sasha Banks? And what else can the WWE be planning with Emmalina? Pairing Emma with a returning Melina? The name does sound like something you would expect for a tag team. But I am not too excited for whatever happens here.

Mickie James Back To NXT

A few weeks after Mickie James left TNA in 2013, the WWE brought her in to be a guest trainer in NXT. Beyond that and an interview she did for WWE.com, she didn't do anything else with the WWE for a few years. Of course, she had a baby, got married, and had a brief return to TNA, in addition to other matches on the indies. It has now been announced that Mickie James will face Asuka for the NXT Women's Championship at the next NXT special next month.

Let me take this opportunity to say a few things about NXT. NXT has obviously been a bit of a weapon for the company over the last few years. They have used it to generate hype with smarks. It has been an expected draw for the WWE Network. The brand tours all over the world. They sell merchandise. The WWE even acts at times like people that debut from NXT are established stars. I have said many times how that is not smart business, but the WWE obviously treats NXT as more than just a developmental territory.

In recent months, however, NXT has lost some of its luster. There was a report that viewership was down for NXT on the WWE Network. NXT events aren't always selling out, despite not regularly being held at the large venues the main roster events are held. And it just seems like the brand has lost a lot of its star power. Triple H cannot take top talent from the minor leagues as quickly as he needs to in order to keep NXT as hyped up as it once was. Key injuries there can also cripple it, much like how key injuries hurt the women's division on the main roster. Hideo Itami recently suffered another big injury.

I find it interesting how certain workers are draws for NXT, but then they come to the main roster and they really haven't helped to draw for the main roster. Ratings are still sinking. Raw and Smackdown are not regularly selling out. The WWE still relies on these big part-timers to help draw subscribers to the WWE Network. Goldberg is now added to that rotation. And just going by fan reactions, these NXT stars don't regularly get amazing reactions, unless they are in a smark city, especially PPVs. It just goes to show that the WWE needs to put in better work in these talent. Getting over in a brand that only interests a fraction of your overall audience is not enough to make you a true A+ star.

What will Triple H try to save his pet project? There are a still a number of workers out there that would appeal to the NXT fanbase, but it is also an issue of whether these workers are willing to come to the WWE. The WWE obviously is not going to give them all big contracts. There might be some other promotions out there that can hold onto these great wrestlers by offering them better deals. Will Triple H rely on part-timers to cause buzz for NXT, much like the main roster relies on part-timers? Jushin Thunder Liger worked in NXT before. Details have not been released on how long Mickie James will be working with the WWE. This could just be a one-time deal because NXT women's division lacks credible contenders for Asuka. It certainly is causing some buzz. It might lead to more past female wrestlers getting this type of use. Outside of part-timers, the only other thing I can imagine is sending some main roster talent to NXT. They have done that before. Certain guys being underutilized might do better in NXT. Apollo Crews? Even Sami Zayn looks like he is just floating around. A return to NXT might be an option to him. It would not be a demotion. NXT needs help and he might be able to help them.

Overall, it just seems too problematic to treat NXT like a brand. Not only does the WWE have to deal with various issues trying to get the main roster shows to draw, but those same issues are now being exposed in NXT. Key injuries are making things difficult. There is a lack of star power. There is a reliance on part-timers that could hurt the development of the overall roster. I just think that NXT should not be its own brand. I sometimes see fans having these big discussions on the booking of NXT and things they need to. They talk about what might hurt or help the credibility of certain workers there. Relax! Why put so much thought into the developmental territory? A lot of these workers come to the main roster and lose a lot of the edge they did have in NXT. Even if some of them keep the edge with smark fans, the wider audience is obviously not immediately impressed. The WWE has to put the work in on the main roster. That is where it really counts. These fans getting so worked up about what is going on with the NXT booking sometimes reminds me of parents getting worked up for little kids playing flag football. It's not the NFL. It's not even college football. Just relax! There is no need for smarks to get so worked up about NXT. But because Triple H has done the job he has done with NXT, some fans now take it that seriously.

Back to Mickie James. She is the first credible jobber back since this "new era" philosophy started in both the women's division and the overall company. It is obviously a good choice to bring her in, even if just for one match. She was the most popular credible jobber the diva era ever had. She was the most over diva on the roster at one time, connecting with fans even better than the women pushed as the centerpiece. No one ever even considers whether Mickie James getting in the way of the status quo back then had anything to do with her mistreatment and release. They should. But it is a new era now.

I do not think Mickie James should spend any long time in NXT. There are so many talented women in the indies that would love to be in NXT, and eventually the main roster. What about Taeler Hendrix? What about Santana Garrett? What about Tessa Blanchard? These kind of women have worked for the WWE to some degree in recent years, but how about actually signing them and building them up to be stars for NXT? Don't just use them as jobbers. NXT should not be looking for easy answers in the same way the main roster sometimes seems to do. Stop hunting for workers that are only making a ton of buzz on the indies or these former WWE talent that are liked. Take a chance on these other talent and put that worth into them. And if they can't do that, NXT is definitely not that star factory the WWE might hope it was.

Mickie James should be on the main roster. The depth in both women's divisions on the main roster is not too great. But it shouldn't only be about using her to work with the talent already there. This woman earned the career of a star, but was in the WWE at the wrong time to get what she earned. Even this era has some issues. She would be a great periphery diva, but the periphery is pretty much not an option for female wrestlers these days. I helps to build stars and create entertaining storylines. Sadly, I still don't think Mickie James will get the career she deserves. It isn't even about the WWE trying to screw anyone these days. It is just them focusing too much on pleasing wrestling fans and not enough on working on the wider audience.