WWE storylines can be a short term or long term plan by management to push certain superstars or to do the complete opposite. Professional wrestling has had many hot storylines over the years – Hulk Hogan versus Andre the Giant, the New World Order taking over WCW, Stone Cold Steve Austin versus Mr. McMahon, Shane McMahon buys WCW and the list goes on.
The NWO, Austin versus McMahon and even Shane buying WCW, which led to the Invasion storyline, all lasted a long time. Multiple years were given to these hot storylines. Eras in the professional wrestling have been the length of some of these plots in WWE or WCW.
However, there have been times when WWE had a hot storyline going and then….BAM! It’s over. WWE fans wanted more and the company for whatever reason changed direction. This is one of the the most criticized aspects of WWE that fans complain about. The company was building a young star to the top or had a very compelling and interesting storyline happening, when the whole angle is just dropped. Sometimes it has to do with wrestlers being fired or suspended, but other times there aren’t any explanation for the change.
Here are ten hot storylines that quickly died and were killed by WWE management.
9. Nexus
WWE.com
Nexus was a group of rookie superstars from the very first season of NXT. At this point in time, which was 2010, NXT was supposed to be a reality television show where wrestlers competed against one another for a contract in WWE. In reality though, all the superstars were signed to WWE in some capacity. In any event, Wade Barrett (now Bad News Barrett) won the first season and at first was the only member to be on WWE programming.
However, Barrett would recruit the other members of NXT season one and form the Nexus faction. The group immediately caused havoc attacking everyone from John Cena to Justin Roberts. It seemed as if no one was capable of beating Nexus. Their fights always seemed to be a handicap match involving all members of the Nexus helping each other out.
Nexus’ big run in WWE began in June and then two months later, it was SummerSlam time. Nexus faced a team of WWE Superstars including John Cena, Chris Jericho, Edge, Bret Hart, R-Truth, John Morrison and former Nexus member Daniel Bryan. This was the perfect opportunity for WWE to put Nexus over their top stars. However, Cena wanted things to happen differently.
Edge joined Chris Jericho on his podcast in December of 2013 and they discussed the situation.
Chris Jericho: “It was Team WWE vs. Team Nexus, and the finish boiled down to [Edge] and [Jericho] in there, but it was Cena against a couple of them. John wanted to do things a certain way and we told him ‘you’re wrong’. He did it anyways, and it sucked. And then after he came over to us and said ‘I should have listened to you, but I wasn’t seeing it that way.'”
Edge: “I remember. I was like, fine I’m out of the match by that point.”
Chris Jericho: “He wanted to get DDT’d on the floor by Barrett, then kick out and beat them both. And you and I were like, that’s the dumbest thing. That’s just throwing it away for no reason.”
Edge: “They should have gone over because they were so hot.”
Chris Jericho: “We were fighting for Barrett to go over. And where’s Wade Barrett now?”
Jericho and Edge were probably right. After SummerSlam, Nexus was never the same. They would gradually lose members and gain new ones until CM Punk was the leader and began his Summer of Punk storyline in 2011.
Daniel Bryan appeared on the WWE Money In the Bank pre-show on Sunday night and gave an update on his health following recent neck surgery.
Bryan, who was forced to surrender the WWE World Heavyweight championship due to his recovery going slower than expected, said he doesn’t know when he’ll be back in action.
As we reported here several weeks ago, Bryan said that he’s experiencing complications with the strength of one of his arms. He added that he might have to undergo additional surgery to correct the issue.
WWE Money In The Bank REACTION: Highlights, Lowlights & Random Thoughts
There is said to be a feeling within WWE right now that the company is no longer viewing Daniel Bryan as someone that should be used in the main event picture right away. When it was announced that he would be making his first appearance since getting stripped of the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at the Money In The Bank Kickoff Show, many felt that if it were someone like John Cena, Batista or Triple H, it would never happen on a pre-show.
As unfortunate as it sounds, there is also said to be a feeling from the higher-ups in the company that Bryan got injured when they needed him, so they’re hesitant to rely on him to run with the ball in the future.
Many still point to the fact that prior to CM Punk walking out on WWE, as he was supposed to work with Triple H at WrestleMania XXX, that Bryan was only going to be working with Sheamus at the biggest show of the year, despite his growing connection to the WWE Universe with the “Yes! Movement.”
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.
– Founding member of The Fabulous Freebirds and a longtime WWE executive, Michael Hayes is scheduled to release a new album in the next month or two with new songs on it.
– Daniel Bryan is scheduled to shoot an anti-smoking commercial at some point in the near future.
– The following are some recent WWE attendance figures:
June 20th in Providence, RI drew 8,000 fans
June 21st in Long Island, NY drew 5,000 fans
June 21st in Reading, PA drew 3,000 fans
June 22nd in Philadelphia, PA drew 7,000 fans
June 22nd in Newark, DE drew 2,000 fans
June 23rd in Washington, DC for RAW drew 9,500 fans
Daniel Bryan is still being advertised locally on television in Canada for WWE live events on July 5th in London, Ontario, July 6th in Toronto, Ontario and July 7th in Kingston, Ontario. He is being promoted as the headline attraction, as a match featuring he and Kane is being advertised as the main event for those shows.
Either this means that WWE didn’t bother to change the advertising, or that he will be back in action by that point. Considering the fact that he was pulled from the advertising for the July 12th event in Madison Square Garden, as well as the upcoming shows in Japan, all of which take place after the aforementioned Canadian loop, it’s likely that WWE simply didn’t bother updating the advertising for the Canadian shows.
It was revealed during Monday’s edition of WWE RAW, which was the “go-home” show for this Sunday’s WWE Money In The Bank pay-per-view that Daniel Bryan will appear on the “Kickoff Show” to address being stripped of the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.
In addition to that, it was recently announced that Bryan will be answering questions from fans during the pre-show as well. Fans interested in submitting questions for the leader of the “Yes! Movement” can do so on Twitter with the hashtag: #WWEKICKOFF.
Speaking of the “Kickoff Show” for this Sunday’s pay-per-view, the expert panel for the evening will include Renee Young, Booker T, Alex Riley and Christian. As noted earlier today, Josh Mathews, who generally hosts these panels, was released from the company.
It was announced on the WWE Money In The Bank “go-home” edition of RAW on Monday night that former WWE World Heavyweight Champion will break his silence this Sunday night.
For the first time, Bryan will address being stripped of the title during the “Kickoff Show” for this Sunday night’s pay-per-view on the WWE Network.
Cesaro recently spoke with Chuck Carroll of CBSDC to promote tonight’s RAW from the Verizon Center. One of the major topics discussed was Daniel Bryan having to surrender the WWE World Heavyweight championship due to injury. Staying in character, Cesaro says “bad things happen” and he plans to capitalize on Daniel Bryan’s recent string of bad luck.
Here are some highlights of what he said about:
Daniel Bryan’s Bad Luck: “One person’s bad luck is another person’s opportunity. And I have that opportunity at Money in the Bank when I’m going to go for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.”
If He Feels Bad For Daniel Bryan: “No. I work hard as well and nobody feels sorry for me and I don’t want anybody to feel sorry for me. Bad things happen. Did it happen at a bad time? Yes, it did. But if you look back at other people, they have bad injuries. I know that Daniel Bryan will recover from it and I more than gladly will give him a shot at my title.”
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 plans for the top of the card for this year’s SummerSlam have reportedly been finalized in recent weeks. While obviously things can — and usually do — change a hundred times between now and then, especially in the case of a big show like SummerSlam, the company has apparently decided on the key directions they want to go for this year’s big summer event.
Originally the plans called for a Daniel Bryan vs. Brock Lesnar match for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship on the show, however with Bryan’s neck injury and uncertain in-ring future, that idea is said to be off the table.
As things stand now, Lesnar will still challenge for the title upon returning, with the idea that Lesnar — coming off ending Undertaker’s streak — going for the title will make the belt seem more important.
The most likely scenario for SummerSlam would be Lesnar challenging whomever wins the title at the 6/29 Money In The Bank pay-per-view. With that being the plan, it’s expected that a top baby face — likely John Cena or Roman Reigns — ends up winning the title at the pay-per-view in two weeks.
There is a long shot that Cesaro could win the title, seeing is how there’s been a long-standing plan for Lesnar and Cesaro — the two “Paul Heyman Guys” — to eventually collide with each other. While there haven’t been any indications that the company plans on turning Cesaro into a face anytime soon, it is considered a possibility considering the built-in story line.
It should be noted that Heyman, when referring to the Money In The Bank ladder match for the title on 6/29, said it was a “spoiler” that Cesaro would win, the same word he used when promising fans that Lesnar would break Undertaker’s streak at WrestleMania XXX.
As things stand right now, WWE is running with the mindset that Daniel Bryan will not be ready in time for their Battleground pay-per-view, which takes place on July 20th in Tampa, Florida.
The current working plan is for Bryan to return at SummerSlam in one of the main events, although it’s unlikely that he’ll be working against Brock Lesnar in the title match on the show, which was originally the plan.
In fact, WWE isn’t even sure Bryan will be available in time for SummerSlam. They do, however, expect him back in time for the Night Of Champions pay-per-view, which takes place on September 21st in Nashville, Tennessee.
It is believed that Bryan will work a stipulation match with Kane — possibly the originally planned “Buried Alive” match since the “Stretcher Match” was used on RAW this week — upon his return, as from a story line standpoint, he’s the guy who put Bryan on the shelf.
WWE is currently advertising Bryan for shows in mid-August. He’s not officially included in the advertising for SummerSlam, but is included in advertisements for the live event in San Jose, California on August 16th, which is the event that takes place the night before SummerSlam. He’s also booked to appear on one of the house show tours the weekend following SummerSlam on the West Coast, and television tapings after SummerSlam.
WWE.com has published an exclusive interview with Batista. Here are some highlights of what he said about:
Fans Rejecting His Return To WWE: “It was weird. It wasn’t like a normal response. It was almost like a personal attack. It had to do with factors that were not in my control, factors and things that were going on in the company with other people, stuff that really had nothing to do with me. To me, it was a little frustrating, a little confusing, and, you know, I don’t want to say I completely took it personal, but I did somewhat.”
Daniel Bryan Being Added To The WM30 Main Event “Oh, I was super excited. I was super excited, because, you know, we needed that element. Even speaking from a fan’s standpoint, for me, it’s hard to get sucked into a [bad guy vs. bad guy] match. We needed a hero, man, and Daniel Bryan was the biggest hero in the company. I knew this was gonna be good. It’s so much better when the fans have an emotional investment. And they were so emotionally invested in Daniel Bryan, and they were so absorbed in their hatred for me that I knew it was gonna be good stuff.”
Lashing Out At Fans For #Bootista & #Bluetista “I did, especially with the Bluetista thing, because, you know, we had six guys beating the crap out of each other … but people were focused on me wearing blue! I don’t get that, man. I just don’t get it!”
There’s much more to the interview, including his thoughts on Evolution re-forming this year, if he’ll ever return to WWE and his new Guardians of the Galaxy movie.
– With Daniel Bryan recently undergoing neck surgery, there is talk in WWE that he’ll be toning down his ring style when he returns. Hopefully we’ve seen the last top rope flying headbutt from the former WWE World Heavyweight Champion.
– The @CrankyVince parody Twitter account has been deleted. The account has leaked sensitive information in the past, which led WWE officials to believe that the account mocking Vince McMahon was operated by somebody high up in the company.
WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has updated his blog, which you can read in its entirety at JRsBarBQ.com. As always, you can check out JR’s amazing line of BBQ products at WWEShop.com. Here are some highlights of what he said about:
Daniel Bryan Being Stripped Of The WWE Championship: “Feel bad about Daniel Bryan’s injury that has necessitated him being stripped of the WWE World Title. The past couple of months has been the best and the worst of times for arguably the best, pure wrestler in the world. It certainly sets up the opportunity for WWE to craft an amazing comeback story for DB and the opportunity for him to perform all phases of his comeback superbly which could get Bryan more over than he ever was. I’m curious to see how this potentially amazing story will be told and executed.”
Kurt Angle Appearing On His Podcast: “Tuesday night I interviewed Kurt Angle and we went deep into his drug and alcohol addiction, the fact that Kurt has been 11 months clean and sober and his desire to sign one last contract to finish out an amazing, Hall of Fame career. Plus, we talked in depth about the infamous ‘shoot’ amateur workout that Kurt had with Brock Lesnar in South Dakota back in the day before a WWE TV taping that damn near got me fired…again. Other topics discussed was Chris Benoit, Shane McMahon, Steve Austin, Vince McMahon, CM Punk, The Undertaker, training with Dory Funk, Jr. and Tom Prichard, WM19, Impact Wrestling’s up’s and downs and so much more.”
Ric Flair Returning To WWE: “Read online where Ric Flair got cleared by WWE medial personnel to return to the road but is that a great idea? Can Ric add to TV presentations? Absolutely. Does a 65 year old man need to be on the road full time? No. Flair is an iconic figure who needs to not be over utilized and should remain special. I’m all for Naitch appearing on TV in the right role and at selected live events if his appearance is made to be a major, promotional item but putting Ric back on the road full time like one of the boys isn’t wise. Having said all of this, I will admit that I don’t know what WWE has planned for Ric as it relates to his booking schedule and I do applaud WWE for having Ric medically checked from bumper to bumper before doing whatever it is that WWE has planned.”
“If WWE has a plan for Flair to become a red hot, heel manager then all I can say to that is good luck. Flair is beloved and his Woo’s are a part of pop culture. I assume that it could be done but it certainly won’t be easy. I’ve heard that some want Ric to manage the Miz but I’m not feeling that one.”
Triple H sat down with Michael Cole once again this week for their weekly interview for WWE.com. This week, the main topic of discussion was Daniel Bryan being stripped of the WWE World Heavyweight Championship on RAW and a new champion being crowned at Money in the Bank.
Cole asked Triple H why he’s been gloating and laughing a lot this week. Triple H said he’s so happy because he’s excited to finally give the WWE Universe what they deserve: a fighting champion. The uncertainty regarding Daniel Bryan’s ability to compete went on for too long and its now time for concrete results. WWE fans will finally get what they deserve.
Cole brought up Triple H’s own injury history, including the quad tear back in 2001 that kept him out of action for almost a year. He asked Triple H, how is this different than Bryan’s situation? Triple H said that its different because he wasn’t WWE Champion when he tore his quad. If he had been champion, he would have been man enough to hand over the belt and walk away. He came back, won the Royal Rumble and won the gold back at WrestleMania – something Bryan has the option of doing.
Triple H then switched things around on Cole, asking him what he would have done if he was WWE COO. Cole said he’d follow the rules and if the champion can’t defend the title for 30 days, he can’t be champion anymore. Triple H pressed Cole about what he’d do if Bryan refused to surrender the title. Triple H told Cole he would do what was right and ole agreed that he would strip Bryan of the title.
When Daniel Bryan returns from injury, will he get a rematch? Triple H said it depends on a lot of “ifs.” He would consider him for an opportunity, but it depends on a lot of circumstances.
Cole finds it funny that Triple H and Stephanie have been in such great moods lately, despite Batista quitting, one of the most popular acts in WWE breaking up (The Shield), Brad Maddox being removed as RAW General Manager, etc. Triple H says that Cole is the kind of person who worries over things he has no control over. The WWE World Heavyweight championship being decided in a Money in the Bank ladder match is a reason to be happy. It’s not often that he can guarantee that history will be made at a specific moment, but that will happen later this month.
Triple H ended the interview assuring Cole that WWE has never been in better hands.
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?
As seen on this week’s edition of WWE RAW, The Authority stripped Daniel Bryan of the WWE World Heavyweight Championship and revealed that the now vacant title will be on the line in the ladder match at the WWE Money In The Bank pay-per-view on June 29th.
Already in the match after winning a qualifying match last week is Alberto Del Rio. Triple H revealed on RAW that Randy Orton has also been entered into the match.
Additionally, both Sheamus and Cesaro won qualifying matches on RAW as well, so those are the four confirmed participants for the match thus far.
– This week’s edition of WWE RAW opened up with the promised “blockbuster announcement” from Triple H and Stephanie McMahon. The Authority announced that Daniel Bryan is officially stripped of the WWE World Heavyweight Championship due to his inability to compete at the June 29th Money In The Bank pay-per-view.
It was confirmed that the Money In The Bank pay-per-view main event will be a Money In The Bank ladder match for the vacant WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Already confirmed for that match are Alberto Del Rio and Randy Orton. Later in the show, Sheamus defeated Wade Barrett in a hard fought battle to also qualify. Additional participants will be determined via additional qualifying matches.
Due to the situation surrounding Daniel Bryan and the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, which was first reported by SEScoops.com on Monday afternoon, there is expected to be two Money In The Bank ladder matches at the upcoming WWE pay-per-view on June 29th.
The plan is for the title to be on the line in the main event ladder match, which will feature the top-tier Superstars, while the second ladder match will be a traditional Money In The Bank match with the briefcase on the line, and will feature “up-and-coming” Superstars, or mid-level performers.
– It is expected that the “blockbuster announcement” that Triple H is hyping on Twitter for tonight’s RAW, which is expected to be Daniel Bryan being stripped of the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, will be opening tonight’s show.
– Tonight’s show had to be re-written due to the situation surrounding Daniel Bryan and the upcoming WWE Money In The Bank pay-per-view.
– The dark match main event for tonight’s show is advertised to be John Cena vs. Bray Wyatt, however with Cena’s eye issues, it’s possible that will change.
– The word going around is that there will be at least two Money In The Bank qualifying matches on tonight’s show.
WWE is advertising the following on their official website for tonight’s RAW:
“Following Seth Rollins’ betrayal of his Shield cohorts, how will Dean Ambrose & Roman Reigns address the actions of their former “brother” tonight on Raw? Also, what “blockbuster announcement” does The Authority have planned to kick off the show? For exclusive analysis, don’t miss Raw Pre-Show at 7:30 p.m. ET on WWE Network.”
As noted earlier in an exclusive SEScoops.com report, Daniel Bryan will not be able to wrestle at the upcoming Money In The Bank PPV, thus he will likely be stripped tonight on RAW.
SEScoops.com has learned that WWE World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan will NOT be medically cleared to compete at the upcoming Money in the Bank pay-per-view, which takes place on Sunday, June 29th from the TD Garden in Boston, MA.
Last week, there was still hope that Bryan would be medically cleared for Money in the Bank. However, we just heard exclusively from a source backstage at RAW from the Target Center in Minneapolis that Bryan got the news from his doctors that he definitely will NOT be able to wrestle this month.
As such, Bryan will be forced to surrender the WWE World Heavyweight Championship and a new champion will be crowned at the pay-per-view.
An announcement could be made as soon as tonight’s RAW. WWE has already determined who the next champion will be.
WWE.com has a new article up looking at potential new members of The Shield, now that Seth Rollins has left the faction. The article looks at NXT Champion Adrian Neville, Big E., Dolph Ziggler, Cody Rhodes, John Morrison and Daniel Bryan as possible replacements for Rollins.
Following the success of the article, the website added a poll where fans could vote on the six aforementioned names. At last check, the results for the poll saw 43 percent voting for Bryan, 17 percent voting for Morrison and 7 percent voted for “none.”
WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan is also getting in on the action, hinting that The Shield might need a dose of Hulkamania, brother:
The Shield just might need Hollywoods services brother WWE4Life. HH
– The Ultimate Warrior’s widow Dana Warrior and her daughters Indy and Mattie were backstage at the WWE live event on Sunday night in Rio Rancho, New Mexico.
– The Daniel Bryan “Yes! Movement” continues to spread across the nation, as the San Francisco Giants MLB team now have a new feature that utilizes the “Yes!” chant. Anytime the team does something good at their home games, the light ring separating the first and second deck says, “Yes!” with fingers pointing upwards.
