The Kings of Wrestling - a solution to WWE's tag division stagnation?

It is clear. WWE's tag team division is not what it used to be. Since the glory days of the Smackdown Six (Benoit & Angle, Los Gurerros and Edge & Mysterio), something has been lacking. Many fans will also recall the days of the Dudleys, Edge & Christian and the Hardys.

Despite reports over the years of WWE refocussing on the division, nothing really came of it. The number of established teams was minimal. An exciting tag division can add real depth to the roster, and provide fans with variety.

There is now an interesting opportunity at hand. The Shield have been dominating the tag division over the last year. Harper and Rowan from the Wyatt family have been introduced. The Usos are getting a push it would seem.

Now could be the time to make the division into something special. Break Chris Hero (Kassius Ohno) out of developmental. Team him up with Antonio Cesaro. Re-kindle the magic that they had as the Kings of Wrestling. Yes, it is probably too much to ask for Vince to pay for Queen's 'We are the Champions'. Regardless, the Kings of Wrestling would be fresh and interesting. Battles with the Shield, the Usos and the Wyatts would make for good matches at least.

WWE needs to trust in Daniel Bryan

Daniel Bryan has seen a meteoric rise to the top of WWE. In a time when WWE is lacking legitimate top tier main-event stars that can draw, it is time for WWE to take a chance on Bryan.

Think back to the Attitude Era - Mick Foley, HHH, The Rock, Steve Austin, The Undertaker, Vince McMahon, Kurt Angle, Kane, Chris Jericho, and others were all a staple part of main-event WWE programming.

The number of current established main-event stars could be described as: Cena, Punk and Orton as the top three, followed by Del Rio , Sheamus, Big Show and Kane. In my opinion, once Orton / Cena / Punk are removed from the picture, the current group really struggles to compare to the previous era. The depth of talent at the top is clearly smaller.

 It is clear. WWE needs to build to the future. How much longer does CM Punk have in the ring? This is man who has one goal left in the business, to main-event Wrestlemania. His frustration dealing with the system is well documented. This is a man that could leave when his contract is up and not look back.

John Cena started wrestling for WWE in 2002. He grew into the company's number one star. Years of carrying that mantle must take a toll on the mind and body. Whilst Cena appears to thrive under the pressure, how much longer will his body hold together? Steve Austin remarked on Twitter recently that Cena should look after his health - perhaps implying the need to slow down to preserve his long-term career.

Randy Orton  is on strike number two of the Wellness Policy. It is indeed surprising that he won Money in the Bank, indicating perhaps that the company is willing to trust him as a firm fixture in the main-event scene. However, how long till strike three?

So, if Cena, Punk and Orton all departed, what would the WWE be left with in the main-event scene? Del Rio vs Big Show for an eternity?

Therefore, the WWE must take a risk with Daniel Bryan. Arguably, he rivals Cena in terms of crowd reactions. Some would say he is already a main-eventer based on reaction alone. It's just that WWE does not seem to fully accept him as a main-eventer. Bryan's road to SummerSlam hopefully allows for complete company and fan acceptance of his main-event status. If WWE are to build for the future, Daniel Bryan needs to win the title. Cena will not lose any momentum. Not only that, Bryan should walk out of SummerSlam still as the champion - i.e. no Orton cash-in.

Let him run with the title for two or three months. See what impact this has on ratings, house show attendance and PPV buys. More importantly, make him look strong. Daniel Bryan presented as a lame duck champion who struggles to win matches convincingly will not help his cause. WWE need to take a chance with Daniel Bryan as a fully fledged main-event star who overcomes John Cena. They have no choice. 

The future will soon be calling, and if WWE are not careful, they will have little  to show for it in the main-event scene.

Bray Wyatt - the next Austin? Punk? Cena? No. The next Bray Wyatt.

Bray Wyatt. An incredibly charismatic performer. A man who knows how to entertain on the mic, and he certainly is not too bad in the ring either.

Since watching his two promo videos on Raw, I went looking for some of his NXT material. Watching him come to the ring cutting promos made me think: in one year, this man will be your world champion. He will also be one of the most over guys on the WWE roster - in my opinion.

This is a superstar in the making. Just listen to this promo. It reminds me of Mick Foley, Raven and others - all masterful on the mic.

Ah but wait... he has to negotiate the road through WWE Creative.

Oh dear.

Daniel Bryan - Yes, Yes, Yes - Push him now!

In replying to a post at www.wrestlingforum.com, I came to an interesting realisation. 

The evidence base for pushing Daniel Bryan to the main event is overwhelming.

To quote from my reply:


"Seemingly, the 2nd most over guy in the company.
One of the best wrestlers on the roster.
One of the most charismatic guys on the roster.
Works well with any other worker.
Has made Kane look like a million dollars.
Has been comedic gold - which is a huge achievement, considering that most WWE comedy falls flat.
Has remained consistently over for more than a year now."

So... what is WWE waiting for?

Daniel Bryan's new found aggression could be WWE's way of getting fans to take him more seriously. It is also predicting a heel turn. 

However, my preferred version of Daniel Bryan as a heel is the character he played whilst ROH Champion - the best wrestler in the world, methodical and submission based, who could tie you up in knots and make you tap, whilst being very smug about it - getting under the fans' skin. He pulled that off with great success - a heel character that is very different to his current more energetic  and comedic role in WWE.

Wyatt Family - Fantastic debut promo

I have watched this several times since it aired on Raw. An incredible promo, a true credit to the WWE production team. Also, a testament to the talent of the Wyatt Family.

This appears to be something a little more mature than what we are accustomed to in the PG era.

I can't wait.

Chris Jericho vs CM Punk at Payback - has WWE booked itself into a corner again?

WWE Payback is the next PPV from Chicago. As of Monday night, Chris Jericho vs CM Punk has been announced for the show, with Paul Heyman accepting on behalf of his client. 

CM Punk wrestling on this show is a good thing. It will please the Chicago crowd, and the match has the potential to be the best of the night.

However, I would argue it is too much too soon. For Punk's return to feel special, you don't want him wrestling too soon. Although, I have a feeling that WWE has something else in mind.

A viable option for WWE would be for Punk to refuse to wrestle, given that he never personally accepted the match. Heyman would then have Curtis Axel take Punk's spot and gain a victory over Chris Jericho. WWE seems high on Axel. In a two week span, he has faced HHH and John Cena. He even beat Cena!

If WWE does follow this path, then it sets up a potential Punk / Axel feud for SummerSlam.

One small problem... WWE have promoted Jericho vs Punk - fans will buy the PPV expecting to see this. The Chicago crowd will also not be happy if Punk does not wrestle, given the fact he has been advertised in advance. WWE need to be careful here. There are other ways to promote a Punk / Heyman feud.

Then again... I could be wrong. Perhaps Punk will appear and wrestle as advertised. Either way, WWE Creative need to be cautious. I still feel a promo by Punk is the best way forward - as explained in my previous article.

CM Punk's return - timing is everything? WWE Payback PPV in June?

So the WWE Payback PPV is scheduled for 16th June 2013. It is being held in Chicago. No doubt, the crowd will be loud. No doubt the crowd will be a 'wrestling' crowd. As interesting as the post-Wrestlemania crowd? Probably not. But certainly, they will make themselves heard.

So what do you do with CM Punk? Punk is currently on a leave of absence - seemingly relaxing, recovering from burnout and healing his knees after that horrific bump onto the announcer's table at Wrestlemania.

Does absence make the heart grow fonder? Will his return mean anything if he returns in time for June? In my opinion, the answer is no. Punk needs to be away at least till SummerSlam if his return is to mean anything significant. 

The problem is: 

a) WWE needs to fill tv time, and Punk has been consistently one of the most entertaining personalities to grace WWE tv in the last 2 years. 

b) It is Chicago. The crowd will want Punk to be there. If he is not there, they will react accordingly. 

My suggestion? Have Punk show up at the PPV unadvertised - not to wrestle, but to cut a promo. He could go into detail about why he walked away post-Mania. He could cut an emotional promo, reminiscing over the good and bad times in the last year. He could thank Paul Heyman, and then leave again. Give him 10 minutes to pour out the emotion, and you have something meaningful to build on when he does return full-time.

What does this accomplish? 

a) He appears once on PPV and disappears again - so his extended leave of absence is still intact. Punk doesn't return to tv - this is a one-off appearance.  

b) It gives fans the impression that PPVs are worth buying - since anything can happen.

All in all, I see this as the best compromise as far as keeping Punk off WWE tv and giving the Chicago fans what they want. Otherwise, it is easy to see CM Punk chants starting up throughout the night in June. Best to give those fans what they want.