The top superstars in the WWE will compete at this Sunday’s Battleground pay-per-view. Headlining the event is a fatal four-way matchup for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.
In all, there are eight matches scheduled for the event, and nearly all of the company’s titles will be up for grabs. Here are my predictions for Sunday’s Battleground.
Cameron vs. Naomi (Pre-Show Match)
These two have been at each other’s throats since the breakup of the Funkadactyls. Cameron has become increasingly problematic for Naomi, as she continues to rack up wins and have success in the Divas division. I think Naomi will finally put the Funkadactyls by hitting the Rear View for the win.
Winner: Naomi by pinfall
Intercontinental Championship Battle Royal
This should be one of the most exciting matches of the night, as a number of viable contenders will be battling to become the new Intercontinental Champion. Bad News Barrett will also be on hand to present the title to the new champ.
It would appear that only a few of the entrants have a legitimate chance at winning the title, including Sheamus, Cesaro, Dolph Ziggler and Bo Dallas. I think it comes down to Dallas and Cesaro at the end, with Cesaro ultimately coming out on top. An attack or provocation by Barrett could also turn Cesaro face once again and start a feud, as it appears his days as a Heyman guy are nearly over.
Winner: Cesaro
The Usos (Tag Team Champions) vs. The Wyatt Family (2-Out-Of-3 Falls Match)
These two teams have been battling one another for what seems like forever at this point. I think this is the point where the Wyatt Family finally breaks through and strikes gold. The teams will split the first two falls before the Wyatt Family becomes the new Tag Team Champions after Luke Harper hits a clothesline to win the third fall.
Winner: Wyatt Family by pinfall
AJ Lee (Divas Champion) vs. Paige
I’m not really sure what the plan is with this one. It appeared that they were trying hard for a double turn on the night of AJ Lee’s return, but the crowd wasn’t really having it. The two have now developed into so-called “frenemies.”
This should be a close matchup that will hopefully receive at least five to ten minutes. AJ Lee will struggle throughout, but will ultimately come out on top after locking in the Black Widow and forcing Paige to tap out. Don’t be surprised if Paige attacks AJ after the match in an attempt to turn her heel.
Battleground is just around the corner and the card has been officially finalized. Overall, there are eight matches scheduled, with the WWE World Heavyweight Championship being defended in a Fatal Four-Way main event.
Over the past few years, some fans have complained that the WWE has not put enough focus into the so-called “B-list” pay-per-views (anything not named Royal Rumble, WrestleMania, SummerSlam, or Survivor Series), and rightly so. Last year’s edition of Battleground is the perfect example of the WWE phoning it in for a pay-per-view.
It is rumored that Cena and Lesnar will meet at SummerSlam. Does this mean that a Cena win is inevitable?
That event saw a vacant title remain vacant after interference from the Big Show, and the undercard was pathetic to say the lease (aside from the Rhodes Brothers/Shield matchup that stole the show). Fans voiced their dissatisfaction by not only complaining about the finish of the event, but more importantly by refusing to purchase the pay-per-view in the first place. The 2013 edition of Battleground registered only 114,000 buys, which is the second lowest total in the last 17 years.
Thankfully for fans, the WWE can no longer get by putting in little effort, as their goal is to now attract as many subscribers to the WWE Network as possible. This has led to increased focus on events that would have previously been neglected, such as Battleground. This year’s event has shaped up nicely, however, with several entertaining contests that actually have legitimate backstories scheduled to take place.
The most entertaining contest of the night will likely be Dean Ambrose against Seth Rollins. Since the Shield dissolved a few weeks back, Ambrose has been intent on exacting revenge from former partner and current Mr. Money in the Bank, Seth Rollins. There is no doubt that Rollins and Ambrose will steal the show at Battleground, as they are two of the best workers in the game and know how to tell a story.
Last night’s Raw was the final episode before this Sunday’s Battleground pay-per-view. The Battleground card was finalized with the inclusion of Jack Swagger vs. Rusev and AJ Lee vs. Paige for the Divas Championship.
Overall, the go-home episode of Raw was fairly entertaining and featured a number of notable segments. However, although many questions were answered, a few still remain. Here are five questions that need to be answered following this week’s edition of Raw.
5. Can Swagger stay over as a face?
The most over superstar this week on Raw was definitely Jack Swagger. The crowd really ate up the USA-Russia détente segment, with thunderous “USA!” chants ringing throughout the arena.
It appears that Swagger’s face turn is proving to be a success, but can he maintain the momentum after ending his program with Rusev? It is a natural rivalry between Rusev and Swagger, so it will be interesting to see where he goes after his match at Battleground. One thing is certain, though: both superstars are getting over during this program, which makes me hope that it is prolonged for a bit longer following Battleground.
4. Is Heyman planning to ditch Cesaro?
Cesaro competed against Big E last night on Raw. Notably absent during the match was Cesaro’s advocate, Paul Heyman. Brock Lesnar is scheduled to return to television within the next few weeks and will definitely be competing at SummerSlam, leading some to believe that the Heyman-Cesaro partnership will soon be dissolved.
This could go a number of ways. The best-case scenario would be for Heyman to continue to represent both superstars, sparking jealousy between the two before starting a feud. This seems rather unlikely though, considering Lesnar will almost certainly challenge for the title at SummerSlam. My hope is that the two are not separated without a legitimate backstory being provided, similar to the Ryback-Axel-Heyman breakup last fall, as it would amount to a pointless alliance for Cesaro.
With the launch of the WWE Network, Vince McMahon took a somewhat revolutionary approach to delivering content by almost completely circumventing cable providers. There has been major backlash from the ostracized cable providers, with Dish and DirecTV choosing to cut WWE pay-per-views as a sign of defiance due to lost revenue.
One would assume that the WWE would be raking in the dough by cutting ties with middlemen cable providers. That has not been the case thus far, however. Instead, recent reports indicate that the company has lost between 45 and 53 million dollars this year alone.
The WWE Network is an amazing product, but can it lure enough subscribers to be a success?
The recent budget woes have resulted in the WWE instituting a number of budget cutting measures. Most importantly, a number of WWE talents have been terminated, including Josh Matthews, Brodus Clay, and Drew McIntyre. Additionally, it seems as if the WWE is trying to nickel and dime its superstars in an attempt to save money by adopting a policy that fines athletes for not appearing in professional attire or showing up to the arena a minute late.
In order to simply break even, the WWE has said they would need at least 1 million Network subscribers. The press release after WrestleMania reported that there are 667,287 subscribers, far short of the goal of 1 million. There is even speculation that the next press release could see fewer subscribers, due to the fact that the WWE cancels accounts that do not have sufficient funds at the time of withdraw.
While that seems unlikely, it does seem like the WWE has a long way to go before breaking even, let alone actually turning a profit. This leads one to wonder if the WWE Network is ahead of its time.
Chris Jericho made his much anticipated return to Raw two weeks ago, where he took out the Miz before the Wyatt Family promptly disposed of the Ayatollah of Rock and Rolla. Since then, Jericho has entered into a program with Bray Wyatt, with both superstars cutting promos on one another in recent weeks in order to build up their match at Battleground.
It is no secret that Jericho is one of the sport’s all-time greats. He was the first Undisputed WWE Champion and has headlined pay-per-views for well over a decade.
Wyatt and Jericho have competed in the past. Will they be able to one-up themselves at Battleground?
Despite his past accomplishments, Jericho has not had much success in the ring in recent years. Y2J notched a 1-5 record during pay-per-views last year, with his only victory coming against Fandango at Extreme Rules. However, despite his recent failures, his latest run with the company has solidified his spot at one of the best of all time.
Whereas other superstars are weary of putting over younger talent, especially when it means diminishing their own legacy, Jericho has shown that he is more than willing to lose clean in order to put over the next generation.
Jericho’s willingness to put over young talent will work well during his feud with Bray Wyatt. While feuding with John Cena, Wyatt lost two of the three matches, and needed a ton of assistance during his only victory. Some argue that Wyatt came out of the program stronger than he went in – an assertion that is certainly debatable.
While the jury is still out on whether Wyatt benefitted from his feud with Cena, it seems hard to imagine that he will not come out stronger after feuding with Jericho. There are a few reasons why Wyatt will benefit from working with Jericho.
Tonight’s episode of Raw took place in Montreal, Canada and featured a total of eleven matches, including a first ever one-on-one meeting between the WWE World Heavyweight champion John Cena and Money in the Bank briefcase holder Seth Rollins.
Canadian icon and WWE Hall of Famer Bret Hart graced the WWE Universe with his presence and cut a promo. Of course, he brought up the Montreal Screw Job, but it was a nice moment. Also, WWE continued to promote current on-going storylines leading up to Battleground.
Last week’s episode of Raw was one of the best and most exciting in recent history. Did this edition live up to last week’s high standards? Without further ado, here are highlights, lowlights and my random thoughts on the 7/7/2014 edition of Monday Night Raw:
BEST MATCH: The opening bout between the Usos and the Wyatt Family was the best match of the night. There were two other matches that could have stolen the show, but they failed to do so for a couple of reasons. First, Randy Orton and Dean Ambrose gave it their best effort, but it was clear to see that the two didn’t have very much chemistry, at least when it comes to singles action. Also, the Dean Ambrose botch wasn’t a crowd-pleasing moment.
Chris Jericho vs. the Miz could have been special, but the match didn’t last as long as I hoped. John Cena vs. Seth Rollins had the most promise, but they weren’t given enough time to do anything memorable and the obvious interference by Kane and Randy Orton ruined the match for me.
What was your favorite match of the night?
WORST MATCH: AJ Lee/Paige vs. Naomi/Cameron was the worst match of the night. Aside from the main event and the tag team match between the Usos and the Wyatt Family, there weren’t any real standout matches. However, this bout stood out for all the wrong reasons and it was a poor showing amongst the four Divas involved. Bo Dallas vs. El Torito was a close second for the worst match of the night award because at least the crowd was somewhat into it.
The worst segment of the night was the Nikki Bella/Alicia Fox disaster, but I don’t think there was an opening bell and nobody was declared the winner. Therefore, Idon’t consider this to be a match; otherwise, it would have won the award.
UPSET OF THE NIGHT: Kofi Kingston defeating Cesaro was the upset of the night. I know that Kofi defeated Cesaro last week on Raw, but I didn’t expect him to do it again and I don’t think the fans/crowd did either. I see Cesaro winning the Intercontinental Title at Battleground and Kingston falling into obscurity once again, but at least Kofi is living in the moment now.
To quote the great Mike Adamle, Kofi be Jamaican me crazy.
MOST SHOCKING MOMENT: I expected Randy Orton to defeat Dean Ambrose in their match tonight, but I was anticipating Seth Rollins to screw Ambrose over, resulting in Ambrose losing cleanly. Unfortunately, that was not the case. Ambrose has been really hot as of late and Rollins costing him the match would have protected Ambrose a bit more. Also, it would have spiced things up and furthered the Ambrose/Rollins feud.
We are a little over halfway through the year. With Money in the Bank behind us, the WWE will now focus on building up its second biggest pay-per-view of the year, SummerSlam. With that said, I felt it would be interesting to look at the top five matches from the second quarter of 2014. I included full match videos and highlights where possible, but WWE licensing restrictions made it difficult at times. (I also apologize for the terrible music in a few of the videos.)
5. Dolph Ziggler vs. Bad News Barrett (April 14th Raw)
Dolph Ziggler is rarely given more than ten minutes to perform anymore, so it is definitely worth enjoying when he is given enough time to show off his talent. In this match, Ziggler squared off with Bad News Barrett in the first round of the Intercontinental Championship tournament. Both superstars put on a great show, with Barrett ultimately winning after hitting a Bad News Bullhammer Elbow. The action was fast paced in this contest, with both guys showing why they have main event talent. This would start Barrett’s push to win the title, although he would of course later be stripped as a result of injury. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdwcxG9A8UU
4. Daniel Bryan vs. Kane (Extreme Rules)
This would end up begin Daniel Bryan’s only title defense, as he was stripped of the title just a few weeks later due to injury. He made the most of his time with the strap, however, by engaging in a great contest with Kane. Of all the matches on the list, this is definitely the one that had the most old-school feel to it, with the action spilling to the back of the arena at one point. Bryan also used a forklift to help secure the victory by delivering a diving headbutt from the top of the vehicle. Ultimately, the match was a throwback to the Attitude Era, providing fans with a simultaneous glimpse into both the past and future of the company. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ReEU8WzzQo
Since its launch in 1999, SmackDown has been an integral piece in the WWE television puzzle. The program originally aired on Thursday night before switching to Friday night in 2005, serving as the perfect complement to Raw during much of its time on air.
At first, the programs were advertised as equals, especially during the brand extension era where superstars competed on either Raw or SmackDown exclusively. Storylines were progressed on both Raw and SmackDown and it even seemed like the latter was becoming the company’s top program for a while. However, much like a high school science experiment that is being conducted by the head of the Phish fan club, something went terribly awry.
The program is now a shell of its former self, airing in the Friday night death slot and featuring contests that would barely interest the most diehard WWE fans, let alone casual viewers flipping through the channels.
Although the program continues to receive decent ratings, it is easily surpassed by Raw each week, with Raw featuring nearly double the viewers on most weeks. There are a number of reasons why Raw continues to thrive while SmackDown becomes more irrelevant with each passing week.
Here are fives ways to make WWE SmackDown more impactful.
5. Ditch the Rematches
One of the biggest complaints about the current state of SmackDown is that it does little to differentiate itself from Raw. The program frequently features rematches from Raw, ultimately making the program inconsequential because it offers nothing fresh.
If the WWE hopes to turn the program into must-see television anytime soon, it would be wise to book matches that are unique to SmackDown, instead of frequently featuring the same matches that aired on Raw just a few days prior.
4. Air the Program Live
Although the announcers do their best to try to disguise the fact that SmackDown is a taped program, fans that follow the product closely are well aware of the fact that SmackDown is taped on Tuesday night.
The results are quickly posted online each week, making it easy for fans to scan through a blog post in order to see what happened. This also means that no truly shocking events will occur, as the spoilers would ruin the buzz that comes with a big return or a title change. A live program would give fans something of value to watch each week, as opposed to a taped program where the results are available three days before it airs.
Today is the all-important day where Americans celebrate their independence by consuming large amounts of alcohol and grilled fare. No WWE superstar claims to have America’s best interests in mind more than Jack Swagger.
The so-called Real American, accompanied by his founding father Zeb Colter, has advocated an isolationist domestic policy that is free of illegal immigrants. Along the way, Swagger has made national headlines by entering into a feud with conservative radio host Glenn Beck.
It appeared that Swagger was in the midst of a massive push while bickering with Beck, having just defeated accomplished stars such as Randy Orton, Chris Jericho, and Daniel Bryan to earn a chance to compete against Alberto Del Rio for the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 29.
Swagger and Colter made national news in 2013 after attracting the attention of Glenn Beck.
Unfortunately for Swagger, he was arrested for DUI and possession of marijuana, ending what could have been a classic feud between a border-protecting nationalist and an immigrant Mexican. Del Rio defeated Swagger at WrestleMania and the Real American was quickly shifted out of the main event scene.
Since aligning himself with Zeb Colter, Swagger has always acted as a heel, often using cheap heat as a way to get his character over. However, it seems as if a face turn could be just around the corner.
In recent months, Rusev has been dominating the WWE roster, taking out superstars such as Big E, Kofi Kingston, and R-Truth. Much like Swagger, Rusev has also used cheap heat as a way to build his character, praising Vladimir Putin and Russia along the way.
Rusev was up to his usual antics this past week when the crowd actually started chanting for Jack Swagger. Colter and Swagger defended America by taking out Rusev and acting as faces for the first time since joining one another. Unsurprisingly, Colter cut an amazing promo on Rusev and Lana, perfectly setting up what could be an entertaining feud.
The WWE’s brightest stars will attempt to cash in at this Sunday’s Money in the Bank pay-per-view. Two ladder matches will main event the program, with one being held to declare a new WWE World Heavyweight Champion. In addition, former champion Daniel Bryan will address the WWE Universe during the pre-show.
Here are my predictions for this Sunday’s event.
Summer Rae vs. Layla (Fandango Guest Referee)
I was never the biggest Fandango supporter, but I definitely thought he would be doing something bigger than referring a divas match a year ago. He has regressed over the past year and lost a lot of momentum. This will likely be the bathroom break match of the night, and Fandango will play a major role in the outcome, of course. Summer Rae will win this one by either rejoining Fandango or using him to influence the outcome of the contest before abandoning him.
Winner: Summer Rae by pinfall
Rusev vs. Big E
These guys performed well together at last month’s Payback, even though they were given less than four minutes total. They will hopefully get a little more time during this one, allowing both superstars to showcase their strengths.
I think Rusev will ultimately win this one, but Big E will also look strong during the match. Big E cut a passionate promo on last week’s Raw, so it appears the WWE wants to showcase him a bit more. Both guys will look good, but Rusev will force Big E to tap out in the end.
Winner: Rusev by submission
Stardust and Goldust vs. Ryback and Curtis Axel
The Rhodes Brothers storyline has been moving slowly over the past few months. It first looked as if the two brothers were going to feud with one another, with Cody searching for an adequate replacement because he felt Goldust deserved better.
He eventually rebranded himself as Stardust and the two have been on a winning streak ever since. They will continue to look strong on Sunday, picking up the win after Cody hits his Diamond Dust finisher on Curtis Axel.
With eight superstars in the WWE World Heavyweight Championship ladder match and seven in the Money in the Bank contract ladder match, the future is very intriguing.
With eight superstars in the WWE World Heavyweight Championship ladder match and seven in the Money in the Bank contract ladder match, the future is very intriguing.
Someone is walking out of Boston with the WWE World Heavyweight title. Whoever wins has to be careful though. Because lurking behind them will be someone else with the Money in the Bank briefcase. The two winners of these matches will have a microscope on them. Many of these stars have a long history with each other. From the three members of The Shield to Attitude Era stars like Kane and Rob Van Dam, WWE fans could see some fantastic feuds come from the outcomes of these matches.
At Money in the Bank 2010, Kane won the briefcase and become the first and only superstar to cash in that very same night. History could repeat itself this year, except this time the title can change more times. The WWE World Heavyweight title will change at least once since it is currently vacant. However, it could change twice in the same night if the Money in the Bank winner cashes in like Kane did four years ago. This would expedite a feud between superstars in each match.
With that said, here are seven fantastic and intriguing feuds that could begin thanks to the outcomes of the two ladder matches at Money in the Bank 2014.
Money in the Bank is only a few days away, and it appears that the card is all but set. There are two ladder matches scheduled so fans can enjoy double the fun. Leading into the event, most questions have been answers, but a few still remain. Here are five questions that need to be answered heading into Money in the Bank.
5. Should Big E Be Given More Time to Speak?
This past week on Raw, Big E cut a rather passionate promo on Rusev. During his Intercontinental Title run, Big E was never really given an opportunity to connect with fans, leading many, including myself, to believe that his run with the title was stale.
However, after seeing him on Raw last week, I think that he could be one of the top superstars if booked properly. Instead of writing Big E cookie cutter promos that bore the fans, he should be given more time to speak freely and be himself as he did on Raw. If he had been given this opportunity while he still held the title, he could still be holding the strap today.
4. Will Bad News Barrett Compete?
Bad News Barrett was unfortunately the one receiving the bad news this week after separating his shoulder during a SmackDown taping. It seems that Barrett cannot avoid the injury bug, as he has been known to go down to injury at the worst possible times.
There has been no official announcement regarding his status for this Sunday’s pay-per-view, but it seems as if he will have to sit out while his fellow competitors attempt to win at shot at the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. One can only hope that he recovers quickly and gets back in the ring, especially considering how successful his latest push has been.
One week from today, WWE’s annual Money in the Bank pay-per-view will be held in Boston, Massachusetts. The event has quickly become one of the most anticipated programs of the year, as it provides exciting action and sets up the storyline for months by allowing a WWE superstar to stalk his prey while holding a contract for a WWE World Heavyweight Championship match.
There will be two Money in the Bank ladder matches this year. One will be held for the vacant WWE World Heavyweight Championship, and the other will be a traditional contest for a shot at the title. The first contest will feature perennial title contenders such as John Cena, Randy Orton, Sheamus, and Alberto Del Rio, as well as up-and-coming stars such as Roman Reigns, Bray Wyatt, and Cesaro.
It seems like John Cena is once again the favorite to leave Boston as the champ.
The second ladder match will feature Seth Rollins, with the rest of the lineup to be determined in a series of qualifying matches. Thus far, only three matches have been announced for the entire pay-per-view, and with only one week left before the event, one has to wonder how the WWE will tie everything together in such a brief period.
Other than the two ladder matches, a matchup between the Usos and Luke Harper and Erick Rowan of the Wyatt family is the only confirmed contest on the card. It seems apparent that Dean Ambrose will be one of the participants in the traditional ladder match. Potential options also include those who did not qualify for the championship ladder match, including Bad News Barrett, Dolph Ziggler, and Rob Van Dam.
The two ladder matches will soak up a large portion of the roster, meaning the midcard will have to pick up some slack in order to fill up the three hours of airtime. Rumored contests include Cody Rhodes and Goldust vs. RybAxel, Rusev vs. Big E, and a Divas Championship match involving Paige and all or part of the Funkadactyls.
The WWE dog pound is a lot emptier after the dissolution of the Hounds of Justice. Since leaving the Shield, Seth Rollins has adopted new entrance music and wardrobe, trading in his Shield garb for attire that resembles something Catwoman would sport.
Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns, although still affiliated, have also distanced themselves from one another. Ambrose debuted new ring gear, now wearing a pair of jeans and a white tank top. It appears that the only member of the Shield who will continue to wear the riot gear the group has become synonymous with will be Roman Reigns.
Reigns found a way to gain entry into the Money in the Bank main event. Does he have a chance to come out victorious?
Speaking of Reigns, he is also the only member of the Shield who will compete in the Money in the Bank ladder match for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at the next pay-per-view. Although it seems unlikely that Reigns, a man who has never held a singles title in the WWE, would win the championship, he has to be considered one of the favorites after looking at his competition.
In my opinion, the best way to further the feud between Reigns and Triple H would be to have the Game screw Reigns out of victory at Money in the Bank, possibly by helping Randy Orton secure the title once more.
Reigns has not seemed too interested in exacting revenge from former partner Seth Rollins, instead allowing Dean Ambrose to handle the situation. This has set up a storyline between the two, with Rollins and Ambrose attacking one another on multiple occasions over the past few weeks.
This week on Main Event, Seth Rollins announced that there would be a second ladder match at this month’s Money in the Bank pay-per-view, this one a traditional ladder match for a title shot. Rollins also announced that he would be the first entrant in the contest.
Thus far, no other competitors have been announced for the match, but with Rollins and Ambrose feuding, it seems obvious that Dean will be one of the superstars vying for a title contract next Sunday. If handled correctly, Ambrose and Rollins could pull off one of the greatest feuds in recent history.
This week’s Raw took place in the dump of a city known as Cleveland, Ohio. The card featured a total of six matches, including two contests to finalize the field for the Money in the Bank championship ladder match.
Most notably, this week’s Raw saw Roman Reigns and John Cena punch their tickets for Money in the Bank, while Vickie Guerrero and Stephanie McMahon bonded with one another. As always, a few questions were answered, but many still remain. Here are five questions that need to be answered following this week’s edition of Raw.
5. Will Seth Rollins get a new theme song/attire soon?
Seth Rollins furthered his feud with former partner Dean Ambrose last night, and it seems apparent that the two will square off at Money in the Bank. Since joining the Authority, Rollins seems to have lost a bit of momentum.
Most importantly, it feels like Rollins needs new attire, as he is currently still sporting his Shield gear. His new theme music also does not fit him well, but there are rumors that it could change in the near future. Ultimately, the situation shows how haphazardly his heel change was handled, as there was not even a plan in place for new ring gear or decent entrance music.
There are rumors that Vince McMahon is not too keen on Adam Rose. He seemed to be over last night, with the crowd loudly singing along to his theme song for the first time that I can recall.
Rose defeated Fandango in a mixed-gender tag team contest. There was a bit of irony during the match, with Rose essentially being the same character that Fandango was a year ago. We all know what has happened to Fandango during the past year. Where will Rose be a year from now, and most importantly, will he still be with the company?
The WWE roster was absolutely stacked following the acquisition of WCW. This was especially true after the top WCW superstars such as Hulk Hogan, Goldberg, and Kevin Nash eventually signed with the company.
It quickly became apparent that there was too much talent to adequately feature everyone on a weekly basis. This led to the WWE splitting into two separate brands in the form of Raw and SmackDown. The brand extension seemed fresh at first, but it quickly lost traction after superstars were constantly shifted from one brand to the other as a way to increase ratings.
The brand extension era is characterized by pay-per-views that did not perform as well as those in the Attitude Era, largely because fans did not want to pay to see only half of the roster.
During the summer of 2001, the WWE was under attack and at risk of a hostile takeover. After finally winning the Monday Night Wars, the WWE had to find a way to integrate the influx of talent that was acquired with the purchase of WCW.
Their first attempt at doing so would come in the form of the Invasion storyline, which saw former WCW and ECW employees “invading” the WWE in an attempt to take over the company. If this sounds a bit like the nWo’s plot to conquer WCW, well that’s because it is essentially the same story.
Ultimately, the program forced the WWE to fend off the intruders by forming a coalition to battle Team Alliance, which was led by Shane and Stephanie McMahon, the respective on-screen owners of WCW and ECW at the time.
Many fans have cited the Invasion storyline as one of the most entertaining periods in recent WWE history, as it featured a number of matchups that had previously been unimaginable. However, there were many aspects of the storyline that could have been handled better, resulting in a program with great potential that was squandered by poor booking. Here are ten reasons why the Invasion storyline was not as memorable as some fans recall.
This week’s edition of WWE Raw took place in Minneapolis, MN, and featured one of the biggest announcements in recent history. That announcement was of course that WWE Champion Daniel Bryan would be stripped of his title and it would be on the line during the ladder match at Money in the Bank.
Speaking of the ladder match, Cesaro and Sheamus punched their tickets after winning qualifying matches, and Triple H added Randy Orton to the match, leaving only three remaining spots. As always, a few questions were answered, but many still remain. Here are five questions that need to be answered following this week’s edition of Raw.
5. Is Sandow Permanently Buried?
For what seems like the thousandth week in a row, Damien Sandow was once again tasked with comic relief duty, this time appearing dressed as a ballerina to team with Fandango.
Sandow was not only once again grossly misused, his winless streak and fall to the bottom of the company also continued. Since unsuccessfully cashing in his Money in the Bank briefcase last year against John Cena, it has been downhill for Sandow.
Let us hope that the next briefcase winner (assuming there are two ladder matches) is better utilized than Sandow was, as the win actually hurt him more than it helped.
4. Does Cesaro Have a Chance To Win the Title?
Cesaro qualified for the championship ladder match after hitting RVD with a Neutralizer this Monday. There were rumors a few weeks back that the company was thinking about putting the briefcase on Cesaro (before it was confirmed as a championship title match).
This leads one to wonder if he has a legitimate chance at winning the title. Having only held the United States Championship, it seems unlikely, but after looking at the confirmed participants, he seems like the early favorite.
It is unlikely that they would put the title back on Randy Orton already, and the other confirmed participants (Del Rio and Sheamus) will not be walking out with the title either. There are three participants yet to be confirmed, meaning John Cena will likely find a way to get himself into the match and win the title, but one can dream, right?
When it comes to Batista’s latest run, one could argue that management hit him with a bait and switch. He was promised that he would win the Royal Rumble and go on to win the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania. Instead, he was practically booed out of the building after winning the Royal Rumble and ended up tapping out to the Yes Lock at WrestleMania to allow Daniel Bryan to win the championship.
As most probably know by now, Batista “quit” on this past week’s Raw, as he will be taking a few months off to promote his new movie Guardians of the Galaxy. Upon return after a several year hiatus, Batista represented what many feel is wrong with the current state of the WWE.
Batista did not win a title after returning, but he was involved in a memorable feud between Evolution and the Shield.
Instead of relying on the guys that work day in and day out to headline the biggest pay-per-views of the year, the WWE has instead relied upon part-time superstars such as the Rock and Brock Lesnar to headline their biggest events. The reliance on part-time superstars is one of the reasons a certain someone (*cough* CM Punk *cough*) decided to pack his bags and head home.
However, despite all of the criticism Batista has received since returning, one has to wonder if he earned the respect of fans. In my opinion, I think it is fair to say that he did just that.
In the end, Batista was promised the world but was basically handed a half-empty bag of peanuts. Following the Royal Rumble, which featured an extremely hostile Pittsburgh crowd, it became apparent that Batista’s wishes would not be granted. The company was quickly forced to turn him heel, which messed with the dynamics of the WrestleMania main event, which featured a heel champion in the form of Randy Orton.
This week’s edition of WWE Raw took place in Indianapolis, IN and was the post-Payback episode of the longest running weekly episodic television show in history. The card featured a total of nine matches, including a contest between John Cena and Kane, as well as a Money in the Bank qualifying match between Dolph Ziggler and Alberto Del Rio.
The show also featured two incidents that will undoubtedly have a significant impact on the storyline for weeks to come. A lot of questions were answered, but many still remain. Here are five questions that need to be answered following this week’s edition of Raw.
5. Is Cesaro Going to Challenge for the Intercontinental Championship?
On this week’s Raw, Cesaro abandoned his partner Bad News Barrett, leaving him helpless against the team of RVD and Sheamus. After the match, Cesaro stood on the stage staring at Bad News Barrett, perhaps alluding to an upcoming feud between the two for the IC strap.
This feud could help both parties, as it would provide Barrett with a worthy opponent to work with, while also allowing Cesaro to challenge for the company’s second most important title. With rumors of Cesaro being the top contender to win the Money in the Bank briefcase, there are a few directions they could take with the King of Swing, and fans would likely welcome any push.
4. Will WWE Listen to the Fans and Push Dolph Ziggler?
One of the biggest injustices of the past year has been Dolph Ziggler’s demotion to the midcard. After finally cashing in his Money in the Bank briefcase, Ziggler won the World Heavyweight Championship from Alberto Del Rio on the Raw after WrestleMania last year.
His reign would ultimately be cut short following a concussion, and after a few harsh words directed at John Cena, Ziggler’s burial was a certainty. He hasn’t been able to claw his way out of the doghouse since, despite calls from fans to give him a push.
There were chants for Ziggler during the match between Big E and Rusev at Payback, and it seemed like he might finally get back on track during a Money in the Bank qualifying match against Alberto Del Rio on this week’s Raw. The hopes of Ziggler fans around the world were quickly dashed, however, as he was forced to tap out to the Cross Armbreaker and it looks like Dolph has become a permanent fixture at the bottom of the card.
3. Who Benefited More from Their Feud: John Cena or Bray Wyatt?
During their last man standing match at Payback, John Cena literally buried Bray Wyatt after slamming him through a crate that was conveniently placed at the foot of a table.
Now that it appears their feud is over, one has to wonder which superstar benefited more from the program. It is hard to argue that any victory could put Cena over more. Wyatt used the program to get himself over with the audience, but he ultimately looked weak in each of their contests.
Wyatt lost two of the three matches, and his one victory came with the help of Harper, Rowan, and a child. Ultimately, Cena did not gain anything from the feud, and Wyatt is just as over as he was before and looked weak throughout, so I would say that neither guy really benefited.
Last night, the WWE Universe saw the soldiers overthrow their all-powerful leader, as the Shield destroyed the King of Kings and the rest of Evolution in a six-man tag elimination match.
The match was likely the last encounter between the two groups. Batista is scheduled to take time off starting tonight and there is little focus on the rivalry in tonight’s preview for Raw, so it seems unlikely that the program will be continued.
Roman Reigns dominated Evolution last night, ultimately winning the contest by pinning Triple H.
With Evolution in their rearview mirror, one has to wonder where the Shield will go from here. They have already feuded with a good portion of the roster, and none of the members are really in line to challenge for a title, so it will be interesting to see what happens with the Hounds of Justice tonight.
One thing is certain though: all of the members are being booked strong. This was evident last night, as all three members of the group picked up an elimination against Evolution, with Roman Reigns ultimately securing the victory by pinning Triple H after hitting a spear.
It is obvious that Roman Reigns is being groomed as the first breakout star of the group. There were rumors that he and Triple H are being booked to square off at SummerSlam, but after last night’s emphatic victory by the Shield, that idea seems a bit less likely.
Assuming last night’s contest is the final time Evolution and the Shield meet, it was a fitting conclusion to a great rivalry. Their first contest at Extreme Rules is without a doubt the match of the year thus far. It appeared that last night’s matchup would surpass their first meeting.
After all, it had all of the ingredients of a classic match. It had the backstory between the two groups, it had the no-holds barred stipulation that would make the contest more exciting, and it also had a sense of finality due to the fact that most knew Batista was leaving after the event. It failed to live up to the hype of their first meeting, however.
[attention]Make sure to join us here Sunday night for our Live Coverage of WWE Payback. Starting at 7:30pm (EST), we’ll have the Chat Room open and will be doing realtime results of the pre-show and pay-per-view.[/attention]
The WWE’s top superstars will seek retribution at this Sunday’s Payback pay-per-view. Two rematches from last month’s Extreme Rules will highlight the card, with the Shield and Evolution meeting in a no-holds barred elimination match, and John Cena and Bray Wyatt meeting once again, this time in a last man standing match.
Here are my predictions for this Sunday’s event.
Hornswoggle vs. El Torito (Hair vs. Mask Match)
These two will once again square off on the pre-show. They actually put on a pretty entertaining match at last month’s event, but I’m afraid this one will suffer because there are no props involved. After some high-flying spots by El Torito to get the crowd pumped up, he will eventually pull off the victory and Hornswoggle’s beautiful mane will be no more.
Winner: El Torito by pinfall
Rusev vs. Big E
Since losing the Intercontinental Title, Big E has entered into a tailspin of sorts. He has lost a few bouts and has not been presented well since losing clean to Bad News Barrett last month.
He will not take a shot at ending Rusev’s undefeated streak. I expected both superstars to get a chance to show off their strength, and this should be Rusev’s longest bout on the main roster. Ultimately, Big E’s woes will continue and he will be forced to tap out to Rusev’s finisher, the Accolade.
Winner: Rusev by submission
Paige (Divas Champion) vs. Alicia Fox
A divas championship match that actually has a bit of a backstory to it? I never thought I would see the day. Alicia Fox has been booked strong in recent weeks, picking up a clean win over Paige and destroying anything in her path (including ringside employees).
Fox will dominate this one for the most part, much like she did during their contest on Raw a few weeks back. She will eventually succumb to the champion after losing concentration and showboating, allowing for Paige to take advantage and pick up the win with her scorpion crosslock.
Winner: Paige by submission
Sheamus (United States Champion) vs. Cesaro
This has the chance to be one of the best matches of the night. Both guys are good workers and they should be given a solid 10-15 minutes to show what they are capable of. Expect a number of near falls and high intensity action.
It seems as if a big push is in store for Cesaro, which would normally lead one to believe that he would slay the Jolly Green Ginger. That will not be the case, however, as there are much bigger plans in store for Cesaro than the United States Championship. Sheamus wins after hitting a Brogue Kick, and Cesaro gets ready to compete in next month’s Money in the Bank ladder match.
Paige made perhaps the most memorable debut in Divas history after appearing on Raw a few weeks back and winning the Divas Championship from AJ Lee during her first match on the main roster.
Since arriving, Paige has been booked as a soft-spoken, overly modest underdog who has had to overcome the odds in order to retain her title. She will once again defend her title this Sunday at Payback against Alicia Fox.
Fox has been on fire in recent weeks, as she has secured a title shot and has also abused a number of ringside employees along the way. Perhaps most importantly, she earned the title shot by beating the Divas Champion clean two weeks ago on Raw.
Paige has been consistently booked as an underdog since capturing the Divas Championship.
During the contest, Paige got in very little offense and was dominated by her foe, with Fox ultimately picking up the winning and going on a tangent afterward. The decimation of Paige by Fox makes one wonder if Paige is perhaps being booked too weak.
It is one thing to be booked as an underdog. Take Daniel Bryan, for example. He had to overcome all odds in order to win the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania. He lost a few matches along the way, but his losses were mostly due to outside interference or circumstances where anyone on the roster would succumb to the odds, such as receiving Sweet Chin Music from the referee of the match.
Paige, on the other hand, is supposed to be the best Diva in the company because she is of course the champion. She has never looked that way, however, largely because most of her matches consist of her taking most of the damage before picking up a win out of nowhere at the end.
Since arriving on the scene, the Bulgarian (now Russian?) Brute (formerly known as Alexander) Rusev has squashed a number of WWE competitors, with a few notable victims including Big E, R-Truth, Xavier Woods, and Kofi Kingston.
Maybe it is mere coincidence that Rusev has squashed nearly every African American superstar on the roster. Others believe that it is deliberate, with rapper Wale being one celebrity/fan to comment on the situation. Still, others believe that the storyline is a way to reboot the Nation of Domination stable that was popular during the Attitude Era.
Many believe that a reboot of the popular stable would battle Rusev and Lana.
Whatever the reason for Rusev taking down almost every African American superstar, the real question is whether a Nation of Domination reboot could work during the PG Era.
As most remember, the Nation of Domination was a stable during the Attitude Era that consisted of Faarooq, Kama Mustafa, D’Lo Brown, and the Rock during its most famous incarnation. Core values of the group included black power and supremacy, as they were loosely modeled after the Nation of Islam and the Black Panther Party.
The group’s extremist beliefs and promos were often controversial in an era that regularly featured characters such as pimps and porn stars, so one can only imagine how the group would be received in today’s youth-oriented product.
With that said, I think the group could still be successful if rebooted, but only if booked as a face group. During the Attitude Era, the group was primarily booked as a heel faction, leading to promos where the group would accuse others of racism, while also accusing other African American superstars of not “being black enough” to gain entry into the Nation. It also led to other promos that many believe exhibited overt racism, such as when DX painted their faces black in order to mock their rivals.
Instances such as the ones just described simply would not fly in today’s WWE, so the stable would have to be toned down a bit. Most importantly, they would have to be booked as a face stable that would not use accusations of racism as a way to draw heat.
When we say Uce, y’all say Cena sucks. Something feels off about that last sentence, but oh well, maybe it will catch on someday.
Over the past few weeks, fans have been treated to the somewhat unlikely pairing of John Cena and the Usos. The Tag Team Champions initially helped out WWE’s Superman during a six-man tag contest against the Wyatt Family, and have been accompanying him to the ring during his battles with the Wyatt Family ever since.
Cena and the Usos have enjoyed much success together over the past few weeks.
At first it seemed like the relationship between Cena and the Usos was a forced one. After all, what did the Usos really have to gain by helping Cena fight his seemingly never-ending battle with Bray Wyatt? It simply seemed as if creative was injecting anyone into the program to keep it fresh for a few more weeks.
However, as the weeks go on, it seems like it was a very smart move to include the Usos into the Cena/Wyatt program. The most important reason is that it provides the Usos with more exposure.
It is no secret that the Tag Team Championships have been placed on the backburner. After all, they have not even been defended on an actual pay-per-view telecast since Elimination Chamber and the Usos haven’t had a legitimate feud for the titles since the New Age Outlaws broke down faster than a 1978 Ford Pinto.
Pairing the Usos with Cena allows them to be on television more frequently, even if they are not defending their titles on a weekly basis. It also allows them to look strong, because Cena is absolutely never booked to look weak, as evidenced by his match against Bray Wyatt at Extreme Rules where it took three superstars and a child to finally take down Cena.