This is the first in what will be way more shorter blogs that will just be the sharing of thoughts I have from time to time and shorter comments about the product. I'm going to put these out daily and some I might even do off my phone so excuse any grammar mistakes.
I feel like there is a lot of good information out there and sometimes a long column focused on one topic or show recaps can miss things that I could share with you in a few sentences, but usually longer than a tweet. The Wrestlewrap column has far exceeded our expectations and we appreciate the continued support.
Raw
Speaking of expectations I have very low ones for Raw tonight. Too often promises by WWE for big announcements fall really short of what we hope they would actually be. I give credit to other wrestling programs for being better at the occasional big surprise more so than WWE. With that being said I expect the announcement tonight to further the push for Reigns as a strong face by making him a target of the Authority.
That may seem a bit vague, but for me to guess a WWE story line is tough since they are often so poorly written and contrived. Remember WWE does not want to be predictable so they often do things that are illogical and it's hard to imagine how they play out. Since I think logically that doesn't make it easy for me. So all I can say is Reigns will get pushed by being made the target of the Authority in some way.
My bold prediction is a mini NXT invasion where HHH brings up a Neville, Balor and a few other stars to improve the product, but the more I think about that the less likely I think something like that would be. Instead I'm resigned to be disappointed.
Tonight's RAW has become very important in my opinion because WWE needs to turn the negative attention around and not feed into it. They could very easily do things that make the situation worse not better. You don't want to poke the Twitter Bear and have people hashtag cancel the network so I hope they tread carefully.
JR's Podcast with Mark Madden
I listened to a ton of podcast's last week and found that the Mark Madden one with JR was the best. Just slightly ahead of the two Stone Cold ones that I also advise listening too for sure. The Solomonster sounds off on Saturday, his latest was also very good and his Rumble recap was about as fair a look as you could take at the event. So give all those a listen, but to focus on JR's for a second I think that is a must listen.
First of all I was never a fan of Mark Madden and have never heard him talk about the product. So I was pleasantly surprised to find his views to be right on point and very entertaining at the same time. He really understands the business and from what I can tell is an absolute student of the product. Sometimes it really boils down to if you can get your point across in a way that people understand and gain value from it and he does that extremely well.
He also feed off JR very well. JR is really sharp and just like Stone Cold he walks that line between slamming WWE and being supportive. The content he's putting out weekly is usually very good.
I don't want to spoil it for anyone, but the best part for me was when JR suggested that Shinsuke Nakamura should join WWE and be managed for a short run with Paul Heyman. What an excellent idea, but Madden pointed out that Vince would have Nakamura throwing dust in a few weeks. That's a reference back to how WWE goes for stereo types regarding Asian wrestlers. In the context in which he said it he was being hilarious and quick witted. It's also a reminder if someone is good outside of WWE they are better staying outside of WWE.
Maybe I was also partial because I suggested that WWE bring in Nakamura for WM31 to take on Bryan. Bryan has called Nakamura the best on the planet right now and it's basically a dream match. That was in my how to fix the DB situation you can look up under the columns from last week.
NXT Continues to Perplexes Me
Kevin Owens is special and I fully understand him having a run in NXT, but as starved for big time heels as WWE is I hope that they will bring him up right after WM31. There is no reason to have that feud take place in NXT and not on the main roster. Zayn is 2 years into his run with NXT and he's more than ready, but more so Owens is beyond ready.
Owens is the ANTI-CENA. A serious of three matches between Cena and Owens starting with Summerslam then Survior Series and then finally WM32 is huge money. Mark that down. It's can't miss. Cena has not kids, Owens fights for his. Cena is the picture of good health, Owens is a bit chubby. Cena is excused of not being able to wrestles (that's not true), Owens is considered a wrestling machine. Cena attempts to be funny on the mic, Owens is dead serious. With Cena nearing 40 this feud should be used to put over Owens. I say Owens loses the first match, wins the second and they you frame it like Cena will win in the end, but have Owens get it. There should be no cheating all clean wins in 30 minute epics. You don't need the belt. It's money people.
Then after that is over Zayn should be built up enough to battle Owens for the strap as the two top stars in WWE. The angle writes itself. This is all money because when the action can be delivered and the stars are made it's big money.
What perplexes me to a greater degree is how Neville can not be up yet. Just to give us something new and how anyone can't think that Balor needs to stay down there. Both guys are beyond ready. I think Balor was never not ready and should have gone main roster from the jump.
I understand why WWE has NXT and I think it's great for guys like Corbin and Bull Dempsey and even the Vaudevillians, but these extended stays for guys that don't need it make my head hurt. Zayn probably just needed 6 months and should have been moved up. If he had the Cesaro feud on the main roster it would have done as much for him and Cesaro as it did down there in Full Sail.
So I guess what I'm saying is that there are spots open on the main roster. In the case of Kane and Big show there should be actually more open. If WWE continues to keep these guys down there I'm going to start losing faith that NXT is actually a good thing.
Also, they are killing Kenta or Itami. He's lost a lot of flash down there and they are making him to be the traditional foreigner. As a face he's being really aloof, which is the way they love to play it. If he goes heel watch him become a man of mystery and intrigue.
I know people love NXT, but it needs to be used to develop those who really need it and not guys that they just want to do gimmick adjustment on.
The Stone Cold Podcast with HHH
I again don't have high expectations for this. Steve is great at what he does, but this broadcast will be way too short to cover everything and I think you will simply see HHH duck and dodge many of the major questions. I think his CM Punk question this time around will be to ask about Reigns.
I think HHH is vulnerable because of his ego and if you worked him the right way you could get him to say more than what he should say, where Vince was artful and anything he gave away like the brass ring thing was planned. I just don't see Steve positioning HHH to pop and say something he will regret.
Some critics and talking heads have said that Steve should not waste time with things from the past and instead focus on more current stuff. I can agree with that, but I think Steve should ask about how HHH really handles the perception that he got to where he was because of who he married. Simply ask if you didn't marry Stephanie do you think your career would have been as good and you would be in the position you are in. Hard to imagine, but I think that's a really good question to ask of HHH.
In any event that was just a few thoughts for you today. Please keep retweeting us and telling your friends about the wrestlewrap. We appreciate the support and we promise big things are coming down the road.
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