The main event for the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view started to take shape last night on RAW as Randy Orton was announced as defending his WWE World Heavyweight title inside the Chamber.
Joining Orton in the main event are John Cena, Sheamus, and Daniel Bryan, who together won their spot in a match against The Shield in the final segment of the show.
The Elimination Chamber fits six Superstars, so two more are set to be announced.
Yesterday, Wrestling-Online ran a guest column by Shane Skwarek. Contrary to many opinions, Shane argued that WWE was doing right by the fans, giving them what they want in several areas, and that Daniel Bryan’s popularity has risen, in large part, due to the Authority’s (I assume he means WWE’s creative process – namely, Vince McMahon) decisions.
Shane also listed several instances where stars who were pushed at the behest of the fans have fallen on their faces. For example, Dolph Ziggler’s tendency to get injured led to him being de-pushed. Ryback was also pushed but, like Ziggler, fell out of favor with WWE, for one reason or another.
First, I want to address the cases where fans have demanded that stars be pushed only to come up short, and for whatever reason, not catch fire like they should.
I propose that the reason why most stars are pushed do not get over is by no fault of their own, but WWE Creative’s (and Vince McMahon’s) lack of trust to place fresh talent at the top.
While it is certainly true that John Cena has not won the strap in some time, he is still consistently (and prominently) featured at the top of the card. Randy Orton also has been at or near the top for quite some time. And now that he’s back, Batista is immediately thrust to the top of the card.
My issue isn’t so much with Daniel Bryan not being placed in the Rumble or losing to Bray Wyatt (though I do certainly have issues with both of those things). WWE’s problem lies not with the wrestler’s themselves, but with Creative (and Vince McMahon) refusing to let folks have a spot atop the card and stay there.
Contra Shane, Dolph Ziggler’s de-push happened not due to lack of ability, but because he voiced his feelings that he was not being used properly. He had lost his near-the-top spot long before this. His popularity was squashed by Creative’s insistence to keep him in the mid-card. Basically Ziggler, undoubtedly one of the best workers on the roster, got punished for speaking his mind. OF COURSE a wrestler is going to fall out of favor with the fans if they are not pushed properly!
Ryback likewise got de-pushed because he alienated himself from Creative’s good graces. Shane has a valid point here that he was green an inexperienced. This is one case where Creative’s actions are understandable.
Alberto Del Rio is now being placed secondary to Batista.
And John Cena’s getting ready to enter a feud with Bray Wyatt, who proved that he can hang toe-to-toe with one of the best in the business. If Wyatt goes over Cena and is pushed as a top guy, Creative will have done right by me.
And now, rather than fresh blood, who do we see at the top of the card?
Randy Orton, who has been in the company for the last 13 years.
John Cena, who has been at the top of the pack since 2005. That’s nine years.
The New Age Outlaws, who haven’t seen tag team gold since the late 90s, are well into their fifties, and quite visibly older both physically and visually. Last night, two 50+-year-old men defeated the Rhodes Brothers, who have helped bring new life into a tag team division that has been on life support for the last several years.
Finally, Triple H, who is now not at the top of the card per se, but is setting himself at the forefront of one of the main storylines.
Sound familiar? It should. Rather than put new blood atop the card, Creative and Vince McMahon opt to continually revisit the past relying on has-been stars and putting putting in old-timers into the main event spots. In short, they refuse to trust a new, younger guy in the top spot.
Now for Daniel Bryan.
First, anyone who bought a ticket or ordered the pay-per-view should have known that Bryan was neither in the Rumble nor at the top of the card. In that sense, fans’ vocal frustration at the event is somewhat undermined. They were getting exactly what they had paid for – if they had such a problem with the show, they were more than welcome to not buy a ticket or stay home. In many ways, their behavior was disrespectful to workers like Cena and Orton, who worked hard in their match but who were trying to follow an opening match that, quite simply, could not be followed by any other pair on the roster. Poor Batista, who signed a huge deal to come back and main-event WrestleMania, nearly got booed out of the building.
That crowd. Oh, that crowd.
My colleague might very well make the argument that the fans don’t always know what is “best for business.” That is true. It may be that, if Daniel Bryan is awarded a shot at the top spot, things may not work out. However, in the end, wrestling is a business. In the end, if the WWE says they care about their fans, they need to start listening to their fans. Last night, the fans were sending a clear message. They do not want to see Batista. They do not want to see Orton. They do not want to see Cena.
They want to see Daniel Bryan.
Shane thinks that Bryan will win the title at WrestleMania. At the moment, unless WWE changes direction based on last night’s events (which I hope they do), Orton is slated to face Batista. IF they are smart, WWE will heed the call of the fans and, as Shane suggested, put Bryan into the mix and make the main event a triple threat match.
Up until this point, however, WWE is NOT booking Bryan properly. He and Wyatt had the opening match, and undoubtedly, this was the mast of the night. Creative seemed to put Bryan at the opening of the card to get him out of the way.
If this was the case, unfortunately for them, their plan backfired. Daniel Bryan popped up over and over throughout the night. WWE’s response? JBL’s classic remark: “They’re cheering for a guy who lost his match!”
Guess who feeds the announcers lines like these? Vince McMahon. It is clear that, if he had his way, Daniel Bryan would NOT be at the top of the card. He doesn’t fit Vince’s vision of what makes a good champion – a chiseled, rock-hard big man.
With all due respect, I disagree with my colleague. WWE IS NOT booking Daniel Bryan correctly. Daniel Bryan’s rise in popularity is happening IN SPITE OF Creative, not because of them. When this happens (and it hasn’t happened to this degree, not even with CM Punk a few years ago), we have a genuine phenomenon on our hands. Daniel Bryan is receiving the loudest cheers of any star I can remember since Stone Cold or The Rock, and this is with Creative and Vince McMahon TRYING to hold Daniel Bryan down.
When this happens, it’s best to listen to your fans.
Are you listening, Vince?
About the author: Jon Beck wrote for the Wrestling-Online Newsletter for several years from 2001 onwards. A wrestling fan for over 20 years, he also specializes in Biblical Studies.
WWE announced the second inductee into the 2014 WWE Hall of Fame last night on Monday Night RAW and he is none other than Jake “The Snake” Roberts.
“The prodigal son is welcomed home. Thank you WWE & all my supporters for sticking by me. I hope all are enjoying as much as I am,” Roberts said in a tweet last night after the announcement was made official.
Roberts returned to the WWE for the first time since 2005 during the Old School RAW a couple of weeks ago as a surprise in the final minutes of the show, aligning himself with Punk and the New Age Outlaws and dropped his new snake pet on Dean Ambrose. His appearance was kept a total secret and only a handful of people knew it was coming.
Roberts started with the WWE in 1986 and was immediately put on the card of WrestleMania 2. He spent six years in the WWE, feuding with Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat, the Ultimate Warrior, the Undertaker, Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase, and an epic angle with Macho Man Randy Savage.
In 1992 he moved to WCW but his stint there was short lived, leaving a year later.
In 1996 he returned to the WWE and his match at the King of the Ring finals that year catapulted Stone Cold Steve Austin into superstardom after delivering his Austin 3:16 remark to a defeated Roberts.
He was fired a year later and then moved to ECW for another year and in 2005 showed up on RAW to confront Randy Orton. He made some appearances in TNA between 2006 and 2008 before retiring officially a few years later.
Roberts moved with Diamond Dallas Page in October 2012 after several drug and alcohol problems and DDP vowed to get back “The Snake” back in shape. His journey lasted over a year and Roberts often said his ultimate goal was to participate in this year’s Royal Rumble, something that did not happen.
However a bigger story was prepared for Jake, who was announced by Jerry “The King” Lawler as the latest inductee into the WWE Hall of Fame the night after the Rumble.
As the saying always goes, last night, “the road to WrestleMania has begun!” Royal Rumble took place just 24 hours ago, and as usual, I have NO IDEA what happened! Was Batista able to win his second Royal Rumble match (first in 2005) as expected, or did another wrestler be the last in the ring? Who will the Royal Rumble winner be facing – John Cena, Randy Orton, or a third option between now and April 6th? Did Daniel Bryan surpass his torture by defeating Bray Wyatt? Are there new Tag-Team Champions in the New Age Outlaws, or was The Brotherhood of Goldust and Cody Rhodes able to keep rolling? How did the collision between Big Show and Brock Lesnar turn out?
Lastly, as the push towards WrestleMania starts, so does the Class Of 2014 for the WWE Hall Of Fame. We already know that The Ultimate Warrior is the first inductee, so who else will be revealed in the coming weeks? Hopefully we shall see another legend tonight.
All this and much more, so read on!
Monday Night Raw TV Report for January 27th, 2014 – “Predictable Predicament”
Introduction Segment: Recap
Still footage showing Randy Orton keeping his WWE World Heavyweight Championship at Royal Rumble thanks to help from The Wyatt Family. Orton R.K.O.’ed Cena, then Bray, Erik, and Luke got in the ring, with Bray putting John out with Sister Abigail.
Segment #1: Arena Promo
The Authority is out and is quite pleased with the Royal Rumble, much to the chagrin of the fans. They tout (and I mean that in the classic term) the success of Orton retaining, Lesnar decimating Show, and Batista (predictably) winning the actual Royal Rumble. Stephanie announces that Randy Orton will defend his WWE World Heavyweight Title against other opponents in the Elimination Chamber, at February’s Elimination Chamber Pay-Per-View.
Daniel Bryan’s music hits and arguably the most popular star right now interjects. He asks the fans to quiet down on the “yes” chants, so they don’t infuriate The Authority. Daniel promotes how great is match with Bray Wyatt was, but Triple H chalks it up to “a good little effort.” Bryan gets in their face about not being involved in the Royal Rumble match, but they come up with the political health reasons why they didn’t include him. Bryan puts over the fans choice of always wanting to see him (backed up by the crowd chanting his name and “yes.”) Daniel steps right up against Triple H and demands to be in the Elimination Chamber bout. Triple H says that it sounds nice, but instead brings out The Shield.
“The Hounds Of Justice” make their way to the ring, but Daniel had escaped to collect a chair from ringside. It doesn’t take long for the trio to beat down Bryan, until the returning Sheamus and John Cena charge down to the squared circle to even the odds. Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins, and Roman Reigns leave through the fans.
Commercials.
It is announced that John Cena, Daniel Bryan, and Sheamus will team up to face The Shield in the main-event. The winners will all then be inserted into the Elimination Chamber match!
Match #1: Tag-Team – Rey Mysterio Jr. and Sin Cara VS. The Real Americans (Jack Swagger and Antonio Cesaro) (with Zeb Colter)
Real Americans control for a bit early until Cara flies around. He pulls down the ropes, sending Swagger over, and then follows up with a suicide dive. At ringside, Colter gets in Swagger and Cesaro’s faces, giving them a “pep talk” and even slapping Jack across the face! This seams to work, as Swagger begins to dominate.
Ads.
Cesaro and Cara now going at now, then Swagger is tagged in and he is taken down by Cara. Antonio comes in and is thrown over the ropes, then victory-rolled in the ring for a two-count! Americans are back on top via a double-team slam on Sin. Swagger tries the Swaggerbomb, but Cara moves from that and a follow-up splash by Cesaro. He tags in Mysterio, who flies all over Antonio. Off the top rope, he sits on Cesaro with a seated senton! He almost takes this with a stiff kick, but Swagger breaks it up! Rey hits the 619 on Cesaro, and Cara tries to follow with the senton off the top, but Antonio moves. Cara springboards off the ropes but is caught with the uppercut by Cesaro. He drops Sin with The Neutralizer for the victory!
Later tonight, new Tag-Team Champions The New Age Outlaws will defend their belts against The Brotherhood in a rematch from the Royal Rumble Pre-Show. (Okay, I’m slightly surprised they pulled a title switch on a pre-show.)
Ads.
Segment #2: Arena Promo
Bad News Barrett cuts another pointless interview about how horrible the “Battle Of Cleveland” between Dolph Ziggler and The Miz. (Is Ziggler even originally from Cleveland, this makes no sense!)
Fandango and Summer Rae make their entrance for the next contest.
Commercials.
Match #2: Single – Fandango (with Summer Rae) VS. R-Truth (with Xavier Woods)
Truth dominates for a bit before Fandango gets some help from Summer on the outside. He takes control before getting elbowed out of the corner. Truth hits a suplex cutter but misses the scissors kick. Fandango fires back with a calf-kick of his own, but only gets two! Fandango ascends the top rope, but Truth moves from a potential legdrop, then plants Fandango with the Jumping Flatliner for the 1 – 2 – 3!
Winner via Pinfall: R-Truth (with Xavier Woods)
WWE World Heavyweight Champion Randy Orton is walking through the backstage area and will be out next!
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Segment #3: Arena Promo
Raw General Manager Brad Maddox is in the ring, and is all too happy to bring out WWE World Heavyweight Champion Randy Orton. He takes the microphone and takes John Cena’s moniker, saying “the champ is here.” Orton boasts on his victory over Cena, but is none-too-pleased about being booked for the Elimination Chamber. He calls himself the “face of the WWE,” that is until the 2014 Royal Rumble winner interrupts. Batista also has a microphone and gives props to Orton’s win. However, he reminds “The Viper” of his ultimate goal to become WWE World Heavyweight Champion at Wrestlemania XXX. “And nothing is going to change that!” This statement, of course, brings out a new competitor – Brock Lesnar! He and Paul Heyman saunter out, staring down both Batista and Orton.
Heyman starts talking, and tells Maddox that Brock’s “patience is running thin.” He gives The Authority two options – for Brock Lesnar to face WWE World Heavyweight Champion Randy Orton for the Title tonight, or have him take on Batista. Heyman threatens “my client wants Triple H and Stephanie’s answer tonight, or else.”
Commercials.
Match #3: Single – “The Show Off” Dolph Ziggler VS. “The Awesome One” The Miz
They lock up and Ziggler turns it into a standing side headlock. Miz leapfrogs a run then delivers a knee-to-the-gut off the ropes. He runs at Dolph with a clothesline in the corner, but Ziggler comes back. He leaps on the back of Miz and clamps on the sleeper, wearing Miz down. Miz backs him into the corner and nails a big boot for two. He signals for and tries the Skull Krushing Finale, but Dolph gets out of it and almost takes this with a back roll-up. Miz counters a jumping Ziggler and sweeps him up into the Figure-4. Ziggler struggles but manages to grab the ropes. Miz goes for the submission again, but Dolph reverses into an inside cradle. Both counter for near falls, until Ziggler brings Miz backward with the Zig-Zag and W!
Winner via Pinfall: “The Show Off” Dolph Ziggler
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Match #4: Tag-Team – Rybaxel (Ryback and Curtis Axel) VS. The Usos (Jey and Jimmy)
Jey and Ryback begin, with Rybaxel dominating. Axel is hits a high dropkick, then mauls Jey on under the ropes. Ryback in now and holds up Jey in a stalling suplex. Jey slaps back a couple times, but is chopped in the corner. Ryback wears Jey down with a grounding headlock. Jey manages to send Ryback out of the ring and get the hot-tag to his brother Jimmy. He is all over Curtis Axel with quick punches and a Samoan Drop. Ryback had blind-tagged Axel and breaks up the subsequent pin attempt. He goes for the Marching Samoan Drop, but The Usos pulled the trick-switch, and finish Rybaxel off with a Superkick combo and huge Superfly Splash!
Winners via Pinfall: The Usos (Jimmy and Jey)
Commercials.
Match #5: Single – Kofi Kingston VS. Alberto Del Rio
Collar/elbow tie-up between the two, with Del Rio taking early control. He kicks harshly at the back of Kofi’s head, then chokes him on the middle ropes. Kingston begins to fight back, then nails a huge dropkick. He leaps onto Del Rio in the corner and hits the 10-punch, but A.D.R. puts him off. He ends up going through the ropes and misses Kofi, so instead Kingston follows with a suicide dive. Del Rio regains domination with a vicious kick to Kofi’s head, then he chucks him into the barricade hard. In the ring, Alberto becomes quite aggressive. While they are fighting atop the turnbuckle, the fans couldn’t care less about this bout, as they start chanting for both J.B.L. and Jerry Lawler, and are acknowledged!
Ads.
Returning, Del Rio almost gets this after another near-fall! Kingston counters a headlock with a jawbreaker and sunset flip. Del Rio counters with a German Suplex for two, but Kofi comes back with a couple shots to Alberto’s head. He spins him around with a Tornado DDT out of the corner! Kofi ducks another kick and rolls him up, but Del Rio kicks out! Kofi is gearing up, hitting the Boomdrop Legdrop and setting for the Trouble In Paradise. He misses that but catches Del Rio with the S.O.S. pin combination. Alberto places his foot on the ropes to break the cover. He puts Kofi down then signals for the Cross Armbreaker. Kofi turns that around, but is taken down witha Backstabber. 1 – 2 – Kingston still kicks out! He climbs the turnbuckle, but is crotched by Kingston! Kofi is caught on the ropes as Del Rio leaps off with a double-stomp, then finally takes this after a kick-to-the-head!
Winner via Pinfall: Alberto Del Rio
Up next, the WWE Tag-Team Championship is on the line!
Commercials.
Match #6: Tag-Team for the Tag-Team Championship – The Brotherhood (Goldust and Cody Rhodes) (Challengers) VS. The New Age Outlaws (“Bad Ass” Billy Gunn and “Road Dogg” Jesse James) (Champions)
Right away, this is aggressive as Cody and Goldust hammer away! Goldust and Billy begin, with Goldust all over Gunn. James is in, with Goldust putting him into the corner. He slaps Jesse, then switches with Cody. He stretches James’ face, who takes a break on the outside, and Cody yells at him “get your old ass in the ring!” Rhodes goes back to the hammerlock, then knees him in the arm. Gunn and Goldust are back in, and “The Bizarre One” continues to dominate. He slaps Gunn, but is caught with a big boot off the ropes.
Ads.
Billy Irish Whips Goldust in the corner, but is spun around with a powerslam. James is tagged back in, but Goldust counters with a sunset-flip bomb. Cody is begging for the tag and gets it, pushing around Gunn. He hits an uppercut and a jumping knee. Both Outlaws are in and both eat a double-springboard-dropkick. Gunn takes Rhodes down with a clothesline, but the match is abruptly stopped when Lesnar and Heyman walk down.
Winners: No Contest via Referee Stoppage
Post-match, Lesnar completely destroys The Brotherhood, since The Authority apparently did not respond to his request to face either Randy Orton or Batista later tonight.
Commercials.
Match #7: Eight-Diva Tag-Team – The Funkadactyls (Cameron and Naomi) and The Bella Twins (Nikki and Brie) VS. Aksana, Alicia Fox, Tamina Snuka, and Divas Champion A.J. Lee (Non-Title)
Aksana and Cameron begin, whipping Aksana over herself. Brie comes in with a second-rope dropkick, and tags in her sister. Nikki nails Aksana from behind with a running dropkick, then brings Alicia over with a jumping snapmare. Fox gains control and carries Nikki to the corner, where she tags in A.J. The Divas Champ squeezes Nikki’s head via headlock, then drops Nikki with a neckbreaker. Aksana kicks Nikki in the corner, then carries her around with a sidewalk slam. Tamina tags herself in and rips away at Nikki’s face, then pounds away from behind as Nikki was atop the turnbuckle. Nikki counters with a back kick and jumping kick! A.J. and Naomi are in. They battle it out until the bout breaks down. The Bellas and Cameron impressively triple-suplex Aksana, Alicia, and Tamina! A.J. and Naomi are left in the ring. Lee hits Naomi in the stomach and goes for the Shining Wizard knee, but Naomi counters with her Rear View Bump for the 1 – 2 – 3!
Winners via Pinfall: The Funkadactyls (Cameron and Naomi) and The Bella Twins (Nikki and Brie)
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Segment #4: Video Promo
The newest inductee to the WWE Hall Of Fame is … the man who came back three weeks ago, Jake “The Snake” Roberts! A montage of his career, complete with some awesome creepy promos he cut is aired, reminding us of why really is one of the greats! I’m so glad he seems to have his life straightened out, and now definitely deserves a Hall Of Fame spot!
Match #8: Six-Man Tag-Team – John Cena, Sheamus, and Daniel Bryan VS. The Shield (United States Champion Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins, and Roman Reigns)
The good guys make their entrances prior to the break.
Commercials.
It is announced that Christian returns this week on Smackdown! The Shield are now in the ring, and it will be Cena and Ambrose starting it. A lockup by both, and Ambrose controls with a side headlock. Cena comes back with a shoulder block, and will now face off with Rollins. He pushes Seth off a side headlock and leapfrogs. Reigns is now in and squares off. It’s Cena turn to clamp on the side headlock. Later, he tries the Attitude Adjustment, but Roman wiggles out of it. Cena tags in Sheamus, who locks up with Reigns. Neither get an advantage, until Reigns slugs away in the corner. Sheamus returns the blows, and brings him down with a neckbreaker. Rollins is in and is whipped into the corner, then hammered away on against the ropes. Sheamus picks him up, but is dropped out of and Rollins dropkicks his knee. Ambrose is in and shoves away at his face, until Sheamus comes back hard. He points to Bryan, who is tagged in to the pleasure of the fans.
He kicks away, then brings Dean off the top with a hurricanrana! He catches Rollins in a surfboard stretch! He tags in Sheamus, who legdrops Rollins on the canvas. Cena back in and they double-suplex Rollins for two! Cena delivers fists in the corner, but gets elbowed and clotheslined out of the opposite one.
Ads.
Rollins all over Cena, stomping away. Reigns in and impressively front-dropkicks Cena from the floor to the apron! He nails Cena with the Superman Punch, right square on! Ambrose is tagged in and works over John. An Irish Whip is reversed, but Rollins is in and prevents Cena from getting the hot-tag. He chokes him in the corner with a boot, then Ambrose comes in and and tears at Cena’s face and arm. He drives him down with a hard DDT for a close call! Out of nowhere, Cena hits the A.A. and is able to get the hot-tag to Bryan! He is a one-man show, hitting front dropkicks and suicide dives all over! Off the top rope with a headbutt, then a few kicks! 1 – 2 – Reigns stops the pin! Sheamus comes in but is speared by Reigns, who also awkwardly spears Cena!
Bryan puts out Reigns, and tangles with Rollins. Bryan flips out of a German Suplex, but is powerbombed in the corner! Rollins splashes Bryan in the corner and sits atop the turnbuckle. Bryan ducks the dive and flips him over with a German Suplex! Bryan is fired up but misses the running front dropkick. Rollins rolls him up, but Daniel reverses into the Yes Lock Crossface Submission! Ambrose stops it, but eats a Brogue Kick from Sheamus. In turn, Sheamus eats a diving knee from Rollins, who collides with Bryan via a double-crossbody! Cena is tagged in as is Reigns. Cena trips up Roman and clutches on the STF submission, but Reigns pulls apart Cena’s arms!
Just then, The Wyatt Family’s video appears and they are in the ring! They brawl with Cena, Bryan, and Sheamus! Unfortunately for The Shield, this causes a dq!
Winners via Disqualification: John Cena, Sheamus, and Daniel Bryan
Post-match, The Shield go postal after realizing they will not be the ones included in the Elimination Chamber. The Wyatts stand at the top of the ramp while Rollins, Reigns, and Ambrose yell back. Cena, Bryan, and Sheamus celebrate in the ring, with Daniel leading the crowd in “yes” chants and motions to close the show.
End Of Raw.
Reporter’s Rumblings – By Moe Tapp
Honestly, I was pretty disappointed by this edition of Raw, especially coming off a big Pay-Per-View. A lot was missing and/or confusing, some of the matches seemed just boring, and the crowd was both hot and off at times – borderline disrespectful. A lot more negative than positive this week, so let’s look at why…
Excellence: Daniel Bryan – everything he does right now is gold. From his promos, to his wrestling, to the ability of getting the fans behind him. You know he is the man on the roster right now, when they are playing HIS music instead of John Cena’s to end a major show. Tonight was no exception.
Batista – I like the new attitude (even though he got a lot of hate at Royal Rumble). Very simple and effective. I feel he did is not interfering with making new stars, because of his promo tonight – he said it doesn’t matter who the WWE World Heavyweight Champion is come WrestleMania, which displays the room that WWE has to put he belt on either Lesnar or Bryan (more below) and create a helluva better bout/interest than if it was to be Orton/Batista.
Brock Lesnar/Paul Heyman – also can do no wrong, and I would be totally fine seeing a Lesnar WWE World Heavyweight Champion until Wrestlemania and face off against Batista. That would be a lot fresher (as would Bryan as legitimate champion be until ‘Mania) than another Orton/Batista match.
Ziggler/Miz – bad/pointless concept, but great match! Divas tag was also full of effort and awesome improvement in the women’s division. The Usos are exciting and need to get into a Tag-Title program fast, chasing until Wrestlemania, like my Dad more/less suggested.
Liking the potential three-way feud between Sheamus/Cena/Bryan, The Wyatts, and The Shield. All involved are great on the mike, great wrestlers, and can tell great stories in the ring! Hopefully this continues until and/or through ‘Mania. Nice to see Sheamus back too, picking up right where he left off and I didn’t detect a hint of ring rust whatsoever!
Bogus: The Authority – as of late, it looked like they were doing a bit of a face-turn and just playing everyone/everything down the middle. Now they’ve gone back to heels, but yet, still put Orton, who is supposed to be a major heel, in bad predicaments. All the while, they want him to be the “face of the WWE.” Very confusing/stupid!
Fandango/R-Truth & Bad News Barrett – waste of time tonight. I’m sceptical about The Real Americans – they can be a strong team and I like them, but they can’t keep going back and forth on wins/losses. With tonight’s win, they need to find more of those. As much as I liked parts of the match, I thought Del Rio/Kingston went on way too long. I was expecting a lot more out of the WWE Tag-Team Title match, and I thought it was disrespectful to have it end in a brawl and Lesnar destory them of all people on the roster. My verdict is still out on The New Age Outlaws as Tag-Team Champs, but I definitely believe that the title change should’ve at least been on TV, let alone Pay-Per-View – not the pre-show, ever!
Where were C.M. Punk and Kane, respectively?
Hopefully this was just a one-off, and they will amp it up continuously on the “Road To WrestleMania!” Until next week, as always, Be Excellent Wrestling-Online Readers and Wrestling Fans!
If you just finished watching the Royal Rumble, chances are you’re a bit unsettled. Whether you’re pissed because Daniel Bryan lost to Bray Wyatt or you’re aggravated that it was Rey Mysterio out at number thirty instead of the “YES Man” – I’m here to add fuel to your fire.
I read a lot of opinion columns and message boards on various pro wrestling sites around the internet and it seems that the common theme among all of them is, “The WWE doesn’t listen to its fans.” People are irate that Bryan isn’t the World champion. They’ve been irate for months on end and their frustrations are continuously building.
The truth is – you should be thanking Triple H, Stephanie and Vince McMahon. They’re handling the Daniel Bryan situation perfectly.
Hear me out.
The WWE Has Heard You … and They’ve Responded!
Prior to his victory at WrestleMania 29 against The Rock, John Cena had not been the WWE Champion since late 2011. After a solid reign, Cena dropped the title to Daniel Bryan and has not been champion since.
One of the biggest criticisms that the WWE had was that Cena was unbeatable – he was always on top. The WWE universe clamored for change. They didn’t want to see Cena as the champion any longer.
The WWE gave you that.
Prior to that same night Daniel Bryan defeated John Cena for the WWE Title, the WWE universe and, more specifically, the internet wrestling community, was buzzing for Randy Orton to turn heel. There was a half dozen opinion columns every week about how his character had went stale and how he does his best work as a heel. The WWE universe clamored for change.
The WWE gave you that.
But what the internet wrestling community didn’t expect was that their wishes would be granted at the expense of their new unsung hero, Daniel Bryan. In one night, the WWE listened to their fans and gave them their top two biggest requests of 2013. In one night, Cena was no longer at the top of the card and Orton was a bad guy.
A Viper is Reborn through the Sacrifice of the Goat
The Orton/Bryan feud was superb. But many people felt they were screwed over because Daniel Bryan didn’t walk away as champion in any of their encounters (not including the Night of Champions decision reversal).
But what you’re forgetting is that, all along, the WWE was giving you what you had wanted. Orton had just turned heel in an era where fans cheer the bad guys and boo the good guys. But for ONCE, they were cheering and jeering who they should be. Had Randy Orton dropped the title to Daniel Bryan at the end of their feud, Randy’s next feud would garner fan support. Next thing you know – heel turn over.
Instead, Orton is despised. Every time Randy Orton walks out to the ring with that belt over his shoulder, fans are reminded of how it should have been Daniel Bryan. And that pisses fans off. Orton’s status as the WWE’s ultimate villain grows exponentially.
You Can’t Rush a Good Thing
For those who have read my guest columns in the past, you know I’m a huge fan of pointing out commonalities between different superstars. So here it goes.
What do the following superstars all have in common: Dolph Ziggler, Zack Ryder, Sheamus, Ryback, Alberto Del Rio, and Wade Barrett?
Can’t figure it out?
Each one of those superstars was, in one way or another, a failed example of what happens when you push a superstar a certain way because of his unexpected popularity.
– Dolph Ziggler cashes in the MITB briefcase, wins the title, gets a concussion and has to drop the title because he simply can’t be wrestling with the risk of a serious injury. His fan support plummets and he disappears to the mid-card.
– Zack Ryder has fans going nuts for him and chanting his name during random matches. He’s given a push, wins the US title, gets put in a program with Cena, loses the title, and his fan support dies.
– Sheamus debuts on the WWE roster as an incredible heel. He does so well in his role that fans start cheering for him (surprised?) and talk about how he could be the next Cena. So the WWE listens, babyface turns him, and his character becomes incredibly cheesy. He goes on to partake in forgettable feuds over the next two years.
– Ryback debuts on the roster and again is viewed as the next potential Cena. Fans clamor for Ryback to catapult up the card because he’s got “the look of a champion.” He can’t talk, is still a little green, inevitably loses a handful of championship bouts, and flounders to the midcard.
– Alberto Del Rio makes a major statement in 2010 and is catapulted to the main event after a 2011 Royal Rumble win AND THEN a 2011 Money in the Bank win. After his heel character gets stale and fans start cheering along with the loveable Ricardo Rodriguez … Del Rio turns face, craps out, and ultimately begins his spiral into forgettable feuds and midcard squashes.
– Wade Barrett was a star in the making when he lead the Nexus to pick apart the WWE. After a long, heated rivalry with John Cena, which eventually saw Cena come out on top … Wade Barrett got shelved with an injury and the fans forgot about him entirely ever since.
Are we seeing a trend here? Every single time the WWE has rushed a superstar with some potential into the spotlight, they’ve crashed and burned. You can blame whoever or whatever you want – bad booking, bad timing with injuries, or just a string of bad luck.
At the end of the day, it was the FANS that stopped caring about these characters. And what was the WWE left with? An even bigger midcard.
And so HERE’S WHY You Should Thank ‘The Authority’
If you need any more examples of what happens when a wrestling company only pushes who the fans cheer for rather than breeding new stars slowly, just look at TNA and the success of their company.
Otherwise, grab your favorite pen because you owe The Authority an apology letter!
Since the constant screw jobs with Daniel Bryan began, what has happened to his character? Has Daniel Bryan fell out of your mind? Are his cheers getting quieter? Are fans forgetting about who he is?
Let that sink in.
If anyone for one second thinks that Vince McMahon is going to purposely try to bury a guy who is selling just as much (if not more) merchandise than John Cena, then you truly do not know who Vince McMahon is.
The WWE is building Daniel Bryan up as the ultimate underdog. We’re CONSTANTLY complaining about how wrestling lacks believability and unpredictability. In the real world, could Daniel Bryan honestly stand toe to toe in a fight with Orton, Cena, or the Wyatt Family and come out on top?
No.
The WWE is playing off that. They’re building Bryan up and tearing him down. They’re taking you through an emotional journey with Daniel Bryan that dates back to his anger management storyline with Kane. They’re showing you a man who – when all the cards are stacked against him and it seems like the whole world has turned its back – he still perseveres.
Daniel Bryan has become the ultimate underdog story. With each passing week, chants are getting louder and shirt sales are tipping the charts. If all of this is happening while he’s LOSING … can you imagine what’s going to happen when he finally wins?!
Royal Rumble … WTF?!
The Daniel Bryan / Bray Wyatt match at the Royal Rumble is easily a match of the year candidate and it’s only January. But it was a match that Bray Wyatt HAD to win. I know people are pissed at Bryan’s loss, but did it really do anything to affect his character?
Bryan is continuously being beaten, both mentally and physically. It’s the fact that he keeps getting back up that makes the fans fall in love with him. Had Bray Wyatt lost the match, his stock would PLUMMET down the card as people would look at him as worthless without his henchmen.
Now, as Wyatt goes on to challenge Cena, Bryan looks even stronger for being able to hang with a guy who will inevitability be beating down the WWE’s poster boy.
As far as the Rumble match itself goes. Not only was Bryan never advertised to be in the Rumble, he just had the crap kicked out of him! It goes back to the believability point I was trying to make earlier. Bryan was just defeated in a grueling match. His body shouldn’t have been able to compete in a match of the Rumble’s caliber. And, if he did, there would be literally no chance in hell he’d be able to overcome the odds and win against much fresher guys.
We want wrestling to be based in reality – well there it is, folks. Reality!
So… when’s the payoff?
Honestly, I don’t have a clue. I don’t know where Bryan goes from here nor do I know when he’ll actually get the belt. If I had to bet, however, I would say that Bryan wins the belt at Wrestlemania.
Yes, I said it.
Daniel Bryan becomes WWE World Heavyweight Champion at WrestleMania 30.
I don’t know how he’s going to get into the match or what will happen from now until then, but I just have a sneaky suspicion, and here’s my thinking:
– The card is already stacked, with rumored matches looking to be Punk/HHH, Lesnar/Undertaker, Cena/Wyatt, Cody/Goldust, and probably some tag turmoil match. Three of those matches would already overshadow the showdown of Orton/Batista and only one of them has the potential to take place AFTER the championship match. If you thought fans booed at the Orton/Cena match … could you imagine what they’ll do when Orton/Batista closes the show?
– Batista is a heel. I know he’s back on a new contract and is playing up the crowd. But when in Batista’s career have you known him to be a face? He did his best work as a cocky heel and he fits the mold of “Best for Business.” He’s going to transition back into that role, especially after the reaction at the Rumble. And there’s no way Orton is swapping back at this point.
– Neither Batista nor Orton have a lot of draw. Batista isn’t the pop-culture icon like The Rock or Lesnar. He’s a wrestling fan’s icon. And Orton won’t get the casual fan’s attention like a CM Punk or a John Cena. Especially because he’s supposed to be hated. But who would? Perhaps a young bearded fellow whose chants are being used at sporting events across the country!
If I had to guess, Daniel Bryan would be injected into the main event in either a triple threat match or a four way dance (although I can’t really think of a fourth person who would fit). There are far too many singles matches that are being built up and there’s just no way they’d sit Bryan or waste him away in a cluster match.
And that’ll be the moment, my friends, when Daniel Bryan gets a moment similar to that of his mentor at Wrestlemania. When his boyhood dream will come true, without any chance of a reversed call or a sudden MITB cash-in!
Final Thoughts
I’m sure there are plenty of you who disagree with me. But I hope I was able to at least open some of your eyes. It isn’t often the WWE does something really great and I think it’s only fair to point it out whe they do. Lord knows, we criticize them enough.
When all is said and done, I think we’ll look back at this year and revel in how well the entire storyline was built up and executed. And my good God, I can’t imagine how loud it’d be in the Superdome if Daniel Bryan captured the title at WM30!
I’d love to hear your feedback. Find me on Twitter at @suggafnshane and let’s talk rasslin’!
About the author: Shane Skwarek is a Technology Consultant in the Tri-State area and a long time, avid wrestling fan. He’s a mark for cocky heels and subtle wrestling references, and holds a special place in his heart for the Shawn Michaels/Bret Hart Iron Man Match at WrestleMania 12. You can follow Shane on Twitter at @suggafnshane.
There’s a new cast member for season two of the hit reality TV show Total Divas – Fandango’s dancing partner, Summer Rae!
Rae will be taking the place of newbie JoJo Offerman, who was totally forgotten in the second part of season one and rarely mentioned in the first part.
The 30 year old blond beauty confirmed her participation on Total Divas in a short message on Twitter. “The rumors are true… #TotalDivas @eonline,” Rae wrote.
The rest of the season one cast, including the Bella Twins, the Funkadactyls, Eva Marie, and Natalya, are all returning for a second season which starts in March.
Daniel Bryan used Twitter to thank the fans for their support following his exclusion from the 30-man Royal Rumble match yesterday in Pittsburgh.
With Bryan opening the show – and losing – against Wyatt, fans thought that he would be making an appearance in the Rumble itself however it was not meant to be and when the #30 entrant came out, the fans inside the Consol Energy Center went postal, crapping on the Rumble finale just like WWE decided to crap on them.
“Sorry guys, the machine wanted me nowhere near the Royal Rumble match. But I thank everyone for their support. YOU are the #YESMovement,” Bryan wrote after the show.
“They try to keep US down and away from the top spots, but they can’t ignore the reactions forever. Keep voicing your opinions,“ he added.
Opinions will be heard alright, and if the crowd is anything like yesterday’s, WWE is in for a very tough night on RAW later today.
Batista’s honeymoon with the fans ended yesterday as the Royal Rumble winner was showered with boos after they realized Daniel Bryan was not going to be in the Rumble match.
The former WWE and World Heavyweight champion however lost his cool and ended the night by flipping the bird to the fans in the Consol Energy Center, not something that a baby face usually does, unless your name is Stone Cold Steve Austin.
On the way to the back after his win and when cameras stopped rolling, Batista was welcomed with a middle finger by a fan while he was high-fiving fans by the security barricade. Eventually Batista returned the favor to draw even more boos from the already-pissed off crowd.
Batista’s gesture was caught on the big screen by WWE cameras which were still filming the post-show antics and you can see the photo snapped by a fan below.
Out of the 30 WWE Superstars who participated in the Royal Rumble, only 12 of them managed to eliminate someone, with Roman Reigns being the MVP this year, eliminating a total of 12 other wrestlers to set a new Royal Rumble record which was set by Kane over a decade ago.
Cody Rhodes, Kane, Kofi Kingston, Goldust, Kevin Nash, Sheamus, and El Torito each eliminated one. Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose, and Luke Harper eliminated two. CM Punk took out three while the eventual winner Batista eliminated four in the almost 13 minutes he was in.
It’s good to note that Kane was already out eliminated when he came back to eliminate CM Punk from the Rumble.
WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley was one of the many who expressed his disgust at the way Daniel Bryan was left out of the Royal Rumble last night and tore WWE a new one in a message on Facebook.
In a post titled “Hey WWE…what the F?” Foley said that he’s never been so disgusted at the conclusion of a WWE pay-per-view.
“This Daniel Bryan thing is a phenomenon. You get it. I get it The fans in Pittsburgh got it. But tonight, for the first time, I had to admit to myself that the powers that be are just not going to get it,” Foley wrote.
He said that it makes him sad, dropping the f-bomb as well to emphasize how sad he is, for people such as Dolph Ziggler, CM Punk, Daniel Bryan, and others who have no hope of getting their shot at WrestleMania.
You can read the full powerful blog at https://www.facebook.com/RealMickFoley.
Here are the results of last night’s Royal Rumble pay-per-view which took place from the Consol Engery Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
The New Age Outlaws defeated Cody Rhodes and Goldust in the kickoff match to become the new WWE Tag Team champions; Bray Wyatt defeated Daniel Bryan; Brock Lesnar defeated Big Show; Randy Orton defeated John Cena to retain the WWE World Heavyweight title; and Batista won the 30-man Royal Rumble match which also saw Roman Reigns eliminating 12 Superstars to break Kane’s record, NXT’s Alexander Rusev making his debut, Kevin Nash returning as a surprise, and Sheamus coming back from the injury.
The final two were Batista and Reigns, who entered in number 15. The crowd voiced their disapproval of no sighting of Daniel Bryan and Batista was booed to hell and back after he emerged victorious, booking his own one-way ticket to the main event of WrestleMania XXX.
Betting on the Royal Rumble is revealing a potential spoiler as Daniel Bryan is listed as odds on favorite to win the show according to betting websites such as Sky Bet, Paddy Power, and William Hill even though Bryan hasn’t officially been announced in the Rumble match itself.
Batista is the second favorite on bets followed by CM Punk, a distant third with odds at 8/1.
Randy Orton is also favorite to win and retain the WWE World Heavyweight title with the odds at 1/12 while Cena is 6/1. In other matches, Wyatt, Lesnar, and the New Age Outlaws are all favorite to win their respective matches.
CNNMoney.com has an article about 5 products that are pushing the boundaries of television and lists the upcoming WWE Network in the first place.
“The pro wrestling monolith will be the biggest and most influential company to completely circumvent traditional television,” the article states, putting WWE in the list along with the likes of Netflix, HBO, Microsoft’s Xbox One, and Vevo.
WWE shook the TV world earlier this month after announcing the $9.99 a month WWE Network which will includes all previous WWE, WCW, and ECW shows, original series, and all of the yearly 12 pay-per-views at no additional cost.
The WWE Network launches on February 24 in the United States.
Live tonight from the Consol Energy in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, WWE presents the first pay-per-view of the 2014 calendar, the Royal Rumble. The full card is as follows:
Randy Orton vs John Cena for the WWE World Heavyweight title; Big Show vs Brock Lesnar; Daniel Bryan vs Bray Wyatt; The 30-man over-the-top rope Royal Rumble match; and Cody Rhodes and Goldust vs The New Age Outlaws for the WWE Tag Team titles in the kickoff match.
Competitors so far announced for the Royal Rumble are Batista, Alberto Del Rio, Big E Langston, The Miz, R-Truth, Xavier Woods, Kofi Kingston, Cody Rhodes, Goldust, Rey Mysterio, Fandango, CM Punk, Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns, Luke Harper, Erick Rowan, Damien Sandow, Jimmy Uso, and Jey Uso. Those are 20 entries, leaving 10 unannounced entrants.
Former TNA champion Kurt Angle announced on the UK Sunday Brunch TV show on Channel 4 that he will be inducted into the TNA Hall of Fame during the UK tour which will start next week.
Angle will be formally inducted in the HOF on Saturday, February 1, during the London leg of the tour at the Wembley Arena.
“There are some things I wanted to accomplish before accepting induction into the TNA Hall of Fame, and now I’m ready. I’m thankful I have been able to do this in my own time. The phenomenal wrestling fans in London will be part of this memorable and emotional night this Saturday,” Angle said.
Angle was originally supposed to be inducted in the Hall of Fame at the Bound For Glory weekend last year by Sting. As per the storyline, Angle refused the offer and said that he didn’t deserve an induction ceremony and would accept the offer when he feels he earned it.
WWE Diva Natalya is featured on the February issue of FLEX Magazine, which is out in stores tomorrow, January 27.
The former WWE Divas champion occupies a small part of the front magazine, with her photo on the top right of the magazine and a title of “One-on-one with WWE Diva Natalya.”
Her section on the mag starts at page 170 and the magazine dedicated 7 pages to Natalya, with a full write up and photos as well. It’s pretty good coverage for one of the most liked WWE Divas on the roster.
You can see her spread below.
Two former WWE Superstars are in Pittsburgh today, the site of the Royal Rumble for other commitments. Coincidence, or a cover?
The first one in was Kevin Nash, who this week dyed his hair back to its original color. Nash on Twitter said it’s for an upcoming TV pilot but was also hosting a pre-Rumble party yesterday.
The second one in the area is Chris Jericho, who always likes to work the internet wrestling community. Jericho wrote on Twitter that he was going to show up at the World of Wheels at the Lawrence Convention Center from Noon to 3PM.
“Let’s get ready to rumble Jerichoholics,” Jericho wrote at the end of his tweet to fuel the fire some more.
In a bid to keep all WWE programming, NBC Universal is out in full force, even offering a space at their Universal Studios property to host a physical WWE Hall of Fame according to the New York Post.
The Post reports in an article published yesterday that NBCU top execs are putting together a final pitch to present WWE for all WWE television shows before their exclusive negotiating period expires on February 1.
After February 1, WWE can talk to other television networks with rumors flying that Viacom is once again interested in taking WWE back.
If the exclusive window closes without a deal, NBC Universal have a matching rights clause according to the New York Post so even if let’s say Viacom offer more money, NBCU can match it and keep the shows.
Currently NBCU pays around $140 million a year for RAW and Smackdown and WWE is looking to increase that significantly to match other sports.
TNA can breathe a bit easier when it comes to the headache of where will they tape Impact shows after they come back from the United Kingdom as the company published their new events page and they will be returning to Orlando in March at Universal Studios.
After the Lockdown pay-per-view in Miami on March 9, the company heads to Orlando with no shows on the road till May 8.
Impact will be taped at Universal Studios on March 13, 14, and 15, and then April 10, 11, and 12. A One Night Only taping will be done on April 26, a PPV event on 27, and then Impact tapings on April 28 and 29. The last two dates so far published are May 7 and May 8, both in Universal Studios.
Former TNA champion Sting lost his match against Magnus on last night’s taped episode of Impact, signaling what seems to be the end of The Icon in TNA.
Sting put his TNA contract on the line against the TNA title but Magnus came out victorious, and then tore up Sting’s contract. In reality, Sting’s contract expired and it was a way to get him off TNA television.
Meanwhile, on his official website at TheRealSting.com, Facebook, and Twitter accounts, Sting uploaded an image with a black background and white text saying, “The only thing that’s for sure about Sting is nothing’s for sure…”
Sting is rumored to be really WWE bound this time, just in time for WrestleMania.
