Perfect 10

Tye Dillinger first signed with WWE in January 2006. In case maths isn't your thing that's nine years ago. A handful of appearances in WWE's take on ECW aside he's never appeared on the main roster in a meaningful capacity. In fact, considering the way ECW was handled after its first six months, it would be fair to say it was a glorified developmental league more than a part of the proper product when Dillinger was there as Gavin Spears. Also, referring to his glorified jobber role as "meaningful" is pretty generous.

Dillinger would be released by WWE in early 2009. He returned to the indies for a few years before eventually being re-signed by WWE in September 2013. Meanwhile WWECW was cancelled and replaced by the original incarnation of NXT (the one that was part Tough Enough, part filler show, and part white hot angle for about a week). This new look NXT would be where Dillinger would next pop up as a featured performer.

He was repackaged into a heel tag team with Jason Jordan. I liked the pairing. I thought they worked well together and had potential as a double act. They were never given much to do beyond being generic bad guys though. They featured in no storylines or feuds and had no discernible characters. The most attention they received was when they went through a break up storyline, a rushed affair which saw JJ attack Dillinger after a standard loss. They had a grudge match on the April 1 2015 episode of NXT and that was that. Team Jordillinger a matter of weeks after they'd had their intial fallout.

Since the split Jordan has formed a new tag team with Chad Gable. They were awarded a storyline reason for teaming up which, while basic, was entertaining and created a reason to invest in them working together. Sharing similar styles (both were apparently competent amateur wrestlers) and being closer in age (Jordan is 26 and Gable is 29 while Dillinger is 34) Gable and Jordan make a far more natural pairing. It's easy to imagine them playing a key role in the NXT tag scene which is currently being heated up. Longer term it's easy to see them slotting into the main roster tag scene too.

Where would modern wrestling be without
social media?

Dillinger was not deemed as important as his former teammate and as such was absent from NXT for longer. During his time away he used Twitter and Instagram to launch a new 'Perfect 10' gimmick. It's exactly what it sounds like: Dillinger claims to be great at everything and has taken to extending all ten digits during matches and shouting "Ten!" as well as carrying a placard around with 10 written on it (y'know, like judges use on things). It's essentially a modern take on the Mr Perfect routine and has helped Dillinger become an infrequent highlight of the brand.

What's worth noting is that this could end up as the peak of Dillinger's career. He's put together a character that works in the NXT environment and is over. Right now he's got a featured jobber spot, losing to the more important main event lads but beating the generic fellas like Steve Cutler and Alexander Wolfe. It's not ideal but it gets him regular appearances and people are into him. At his age he's unlikely to make it to the main roster and even if he does his character would end up closer to the Bo Dallas level than the Kevin Owens level.

If you like the 'Perfect 10' thing then enjoy it while it lasts. It's hard to see it being around forever.

Booking an Icon

Since Sting started working for WWE last year the company's booking of him has been frustratingly hit and miss. He spent his first appearance trying hard to be mysterious and enigmatic while doing nothing more than interfering in a tag match. That was bad. He spent his first match holding his own with Triple H, one of the biggest stars in company history, and being granted access to all manner of shortcuts to disguise the fact that he is long past his prime. That was good.

Unfortunately nobody on the writing team has figured out what works and what doesn't with regard to 'The Stinger'. They're still experimenting, despite having found some good uses for him and owning the rights to the footage of Sting at his latter-half-of-the-nineties peak. The last two weeks have given us both good and bad things from him.

The August 24 episode of RAW saw Sting return from a lengthy, self-imposed hiatus (we didn't even get to see him chilling in the rafters - for shame!) to rile Seth Rollins by stealing a statue. Y'see, Rollins had earned a statue by defeating John Cena at SummerSlam the night before, a match in which both Rollins' WWE championship and Cena's United States championship had been up for grabs. The Authority had promised him a statue if he won (for some reason) and it was meant to be revealed on RAW before being moved to WWE HQ to join statues of Andre the Giant and Bruno Sammartino.

One of the most WCW segments that's ever gone down on RAW.

This being pro wrestling, the statue was brought down to the ring for the main event segment and the drape was pulled off to reveal... Sting. How he'd managed to not only steal a very heavy life size statue but smuggle himself onto its podium was, understandably, not addressed. The segment played out with Triple H awarding Sting's bizarre and illegal behaviour with a WWE title shot at Night of Champions. A decision which was also odd, for the record, because 'The Icon' had wrestled for the company only once and that was a loss. The September 7 RAW saw Sting holding the statue hostage before ending the night by throwing it into what's best described as a garbage truck.

This is the sort of behaviour WWE loves to book for its lead babyfaces and it's a problem. Both Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns have had their momentum hampered by this sort of "loveable scamp" booking over the last year, Ambrose in his hotdog cart exploits and Reigns with his pre-'Mania RAW tug-o'-war with Brock Lesnar (amongst others, for both). In 2015 it's not funny and not relatable. There have been worse booking decisions from WWE this year but that doesn't negate the fact that Sting posing as a statue is silly. And silly is not an adjective that should be applied to someone getting ready for a WWE pay-per-view main event.

This man is 56.

But, like I said, there's been good stuff too. Specifically the wedge Sting has driven between Triple H and Seth Rollins. On the August 31 RAW Sting played 'The Game' and Rollins off against one another by putting the former over as a great wrestler whom he respects and stating that Rollins isn't quite as good. The best part of this was the subtlety of it and the way it played on the established character traits of the heels. Tripper, usually quick to talk Rollins up and boost his confidence, was never going to disagree with Sting on this point. His pride simply wouldn't allow it. Rollins, meanwhile, was clearly going to disagree with Sting because he's already gone on record stating that he's the greatest WWE champion ever (the reason he felt entitled to a statue in the first place). Sting, through nothing more than a well-placed comment, got allies to disagree with one another.

WWE would usually hammer its audience over the head with this sort of foreshadowing. Giving it space to breathe made it all the better and will make the inevitable pay off, in the form of a Triple H versus Seth Rollins match, all the sweeter.

This is how WWE should book their lead babyfaces. Outsmarting heels by pretending to be a statue doesn't make anyone look clever, it just makes those being outsmarted look like idiots. Having Sting drop subtle remarks about one man being a better wrestler than another though? That's good. That understandably drives a wedge between people and shows that the guy doing the remarking is intelligent enough to mentally outmanoeuvre his foes. More of that, please. Less of the statue malarkey. 

NXTweet 02.09.15

The most interesting thing about this week's NXT was not the beginning of the Dusty Rhodes Tag Classic or the returns from The Ascension and Adrian Neville that it facilitated. It was a backstage segment in which William Regal was shown talking to Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa before being interrupted by Tyler Breeze. Seemingly minor at first glance this scene could actually have been a hint at the new direction for WWE's feeder system-slash-satellite indy fed.

Gargano and Ciampa broke the rule that's been established regarding performer's using non-rademarked names. Yeah, Samoa Joe stayed Samoa Joe after his debut but he's a far bigger deal than either 'Johnny Wrestling' or 'The Sicilian Psychopath'. For two guys who are nothing more than very talented indy wrestlers to retain their own names on WWE screens hints at a new approach from the company, one that doesn't see guys immediately rebranded but instead makes use of what meagre (in comparison to WWE's established talents) name value performers may have.

For outsiders to be brought in to play a part in the DRTTC is a significant step too. It's another indication that WWE is loosening up. The pair are unlikely to win the tournament but the fact that they're facing the odd couple team of Tyler Breeze and Bull Dempsey makes it pretty clear they'll be getting at least one win. This scene would be rendered pointless were they to lose their opening match. William Regal acknowledging that the pair are veterans of the independent circuit (as opposed to men who have competed "around the world") is a bold and interesting new way of debuting guys.

It's also worth noting that the responses for the matches involving The Ascension and Neville is proof that if guys are just allowed to wrestle and be themselves more they can connect with crowds better. That in turn allows them to become more over, which makes everyone more money (the aim of the wrestling game, obvs). Nev's made headway on the main roster but Konnor and Viktor have floundered badly. Had they been afforded the opportunities to act more as they did here when they debuted on RAW at the start of the year they'd have better spots than lackeys for Stardust.

Intro

Tweet 1: Watching NXT now. Be aware.

Tweet 2: Tonight: the Dusty Rhodes Tag Classic, if you will.

Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic: The Ascension v Rhyno and Baron Corbin

Tweet 3: Graves talking about the return of The Ascension being a great way to start the show. I'm just thinking about how they're Cody's henchmen.

Throw in Stardust and you've got an excellent King of Trios team in The Ascension.

Tweet 4: Ascension v Barry Corbin and Rhyno. Hoss extravaganza. Although that's being pretty generous to Barry.
Tweet 5: Assuming The Ascension lose to give Barry a win over meaningful names (in NXT).
Tweet 6: Rich Brennan saying Viktor's bounced back. #accidentalPartridge
Tweet 7: Not at all surprised by that result because I called it. I am surprised Rhyno got the pin on Konnor though.
Tweet 8: Barry over Viktor was the way to go.

Solomon Crowe and Adrian Neville talk to Devin Taylor

Tweet 9: 'I'll always owe Dusty an eternal gratitude' - 'The Man That Grammar Forgot' Adrian Neville

Tweet 10: Solomon Crowe seems a bit too eager. Calling a much-needed heel turn for Solly.

Blue Pants v Alexa Bliss

Tweet 11: I miss Alexa Bliss's glamour fairy music. Bliss as a heel makes up for it though.

Tweet 12: When did Alexa join the Hart Foundation?

Knees-first moonsault here. Ouch.

Tweet 13: Alexa stealing Bret Hart's colours? 4/10
Tweet 14: Alexa has mastered turning botched moves into regular parts of her repertoire.

William Regal, Johnny Gargano, Tommaso Ciampa and Tyler Breeze backstage

Tweet 15: O rly?

Tweet 16: Looks like Ciampa's fresh off the set of that Kray brothers film.
Tweet 17: Breeze and Bull Dempsey versus Gargano and Ciampa. They should've paired him with Miz.
Tweet 18: 'Look into the camera and say Breeze' - Tyler Breeze

Emma reminds everyone that she's pretty good

Tweet 19: Emma rightfully pointing out that she and Paige really got the NXT women's division underway. Great stuff.

Tweet 20: That was needed considering she's an anchor for the division now.

Apollo Crews v Martin Stone

Tweet 21: Oh look, it's former RPW tag champion Martin Stone taking on Apollo Crews. I don't like Stone's chances...

Too easy, bruv.

Tweet 22: These ratty jeans on Stone though. Dear lord.
Tweet 23: I remember being at Stone's first RPW show post-release. He cut a promo about being under-utilised and that. Look at him now.
Tweet 24: My point? Did the I was under-utilised act for a cheap pop. Not knocking him. Just observin'.
Tweet 25: Apollo won btw.

Chad Gable and Jason Jordan talk to Devin Taylor

Tweet 26: I'm a big fan of Chad Gable. He could go far in WWE. Don't want this amazing tag team rushed though.

Finn Bálor talks to Devin Taylor before Samoa Joe wanders up

Tweet 27: Oh yeah, Finn Bálor's the champion and sometimes appears on this show.

Tweet 28: He's hyping house show defences and a sports entertainment renaissance. My word...
Tweet 29: So Joe versus Finn then, yeah? I'm down.

Eva Marie v Billie Kay

Tweet 30: Billie Kay got the 'already in the ring' treatment. She's defs winning!

Tweet 31: Astounded to hear an Eva Marie chant.
Tweet 32: Lol at Eva not even bothering to sell a kick to the face and instead lying down looking blank waiting to get back on the attack.

Well done, Eva. That was textbook.

Tweet 33: Eva Marie has somehow become the NXT women's division's answer to Big Match John.
Tweet 34: Just realised we've been spared Bad News Byron. I approve.
Tweet 35: Well... that was a match that happened.
Tweet 36: Joe and Bálor v Lucha Dragons has the potential to be very, very good. That's a hot take right there.

Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic: Adrian Neville and Solomon Crowe v Chad Gable and Jason Jordan

Tweet 37: Big Nev's main roster entrance is what's got him these cheers. That and the absence of a first name.

Tweet 38: Tremendous fluidity between Neville, Gable and Jordan. This is liquid wrestling! #deliberatePartridge
Tweet 39: Jordan's taken his straps down. Shit's about to get real.
Tweet 40: Rich Brennan is a very good play-by-play guy. Easy to overlook. He mixes the usual WWE style with actually calling matches.

A finish worthy of Haas and Benjamin.

Tweet 41: So Crowe tagged in and got pinned. Graves mentioned him being a glory hog. He wasn't: Nev was out of it. Makes sense as a concept though.
Tweet 42: Good show, everyone. Good hustle.

Bayley and Friends

A few weeks ago I suggested having Eva Marie win the NXT women's title (read that here). The idea behind that was that she's getting incredible heat and she'd be an excellent choice for the undeserving champion trope. Although this did overlook that she seems to be motivated to improve.

The only trouble with the undeserving champion thing is that it runs the risk of devaluing the championship involved beyond the intended timeframe. Such sterling work has been done making the NXT women's title seem like prestigious (I think it's very probably the most meaningful women's title in wrestling) that it would be a shame to undo any of it, even if it were only in the short term with an eye to restoring the belt to its former glory once someone dethroned Eva.

Emma is the obvious leader challenger for Bayley.
Just saying.

So here's an alternative. At the next Takeover event¹ have Emma unsuccessfully challenge Bayley for the title. After the match Bayley could offer a handshake only to be shoved away by Emma, with the commentators hypothesising (correctly, obvs) that Emma is annoyed at her inability to win the women's championship and being surpassed by the Four Horsewomen even though she was on the main roster before any of them. Which I like because it seems like a realistic thing for Emma to be feeling.

Lower down the Takeover card Nia Jax could be making her on-screen debut. It wouldn't really matter who she defeated because nobody on NXT debuts against big names. Peyton Royce, Billie Kay, Jasmin or any of the other lower card acts would all be perfectly acceptable in the role. The idea would be to have Jax win a squash to make her look impressive.

The following tapings could see Bayley being challenged to a title match by Dana Brooke. Emma and Brooke could have a falling out over this and go their separate ways. Maybe they could even have a match against one another. They need to go their separate ways now as they can be of more service to the women's division unaffiliated with one another. The mid-card double act they've been doing has been rendered pointless by the departure of Banks, Flair and Lynch.

Meanwhile Jax could get a couple more wins over lower card talents. Basically she'd be a female Barry Corbin at this point, defeating scrubs quickly and acting like it's a big deal. Where she'd differ from 'The Wolf Shaman' is that she'd actually do something to try and get herself a title shot². At the second set of TV tapings after the October Takeover Jax could confront Bayley after her successful title defence against Brooke. Being worn out from having just wrestled Bayley could get knocked around by the monstrous Jax. Emma could run out and make the save.

Wins over Nia Jax, Emma and dana Brooke would give Bayley a good title reign.
Then she could lose to Eva Marie.

This could set up a Jax v Emma match for the December Takeover in London. Bayley could face Brooke in a rematch. You'd then have a few different directions that could be taken. Jax could defeat Emma and Bayley could retain the title, setting up a title match between in the two in which 'The Hugster' could play the underdog battling an imposing, undefeated juggernaut. Brooke could defeat Bayley, setting up Emma v Brooke as a title match (which would again leave Bayley free to battle Jax). Or Emma could be the one to hand Jax her first loss and go on to challenge Bayley for the title as a babyface who dislikes Bayley despite sharing a crowd alignment with her.

Whichever options were chosen would set up the lead stories for the NXT women's division well into next year. There would be a champion with various credible challengers to face and two interconnected feuds that would provide a natural tag main event (playa!) on a TV episode.

If they don't go with Eva Marie as the centrepiece of the women's division I want them to do this. In fact, I'd prefer it.

***

¹ For the record I think it should be called NXT Takeover: Dusty Rhodes Tag Classic because longer names are always more amusing for rasslin' shows.

² I can't be the only one who finds it odd that Corbin has suffered only two televised losses since his big push began but hasn't mentioned it and demanded a title match because of it. Seems like a natural direction for the character to take. What with Owens v Bálor seemingly being done and most of the other top names being injured or on the main roster perhaps a Corbin title challenge is something we'll see soon.

The WWE Tag Team Division's Battle Against Fate

WWE's tag team division hasn't had an easy time of it this year. This is a shame. There's clearly been effort put into making it worthwhile and a worthwhile tag division would be most welcome. It would help WWE's TV product to feel more interesting and lively. It would also give the many lower cards wrestlers who currently have nothing going on something to do.

The Usos disappeared after WrestleMania because Jey suffered a shoulder injury. Their status as the company's longest-standing, most reliable unit likely altered plans for the division. It's all too easy to imagine that they were pegged to work with New Day, who would officially go heel within a month of 'Mania. To an extent their unexpected hiatus was probably a good thing. It's all too easy to imagine that, had the Usos been available, we wouldn't have seen as much of the various other units on the roster.

Sadly the main team I (and probably most other people) would have wanted to see featured also disappeared due to an injury. Tyson Kidd suffered what has apparently been described as a freak neck and spinal injury in a dark match against the newly signed Samoa Joe in early June, ending his run alongside Cesaro. Weeks later Erick Rowan tore his bicep at a house show (or, if you prefer, live event). He'd reunited with his Wyatt Family partner Luke Harper in May and it seems likely, now that SummerSlam's been and gone, that the three original Wyatt Family members were to be put back together for a six man tag against Ambrose, Reigns and someone else (Sting, according to the rumour mill) at 'The Hottest Event of the Summer'.

These losses were in addition to the unfocused use of The Ascension and the Lucha Dragons. Konor and Viktor were never going to amount to a great deal in WWE but had they been used with more care earlier in the year they could have been a far more over act by now. The Dragons, on the other hand, should have been given far more to do and received some protection from the writing team. They're an exciting team with obvious merchandise potential. Kalisto is very clearly a singles act waiting to happen who could be that Top Latin Star™ role we're always hearing WWE want. He may not have the name value or status of Rey Mysterio but he's ten times the worker Mysterio is these days. And he wears a cooler mask! What more do they want?

The tag division had mostly been left to the Prime Time Players and New Day. Focusing on two teams is nothing new. It's been the standard approach from WWE for years now. But it's disappointing because they seemed to be setting up a positively thriving division with the Usos, Cesaro and Kidd, the Wyatts, New Day, and the Lucha Dragons. New Day and the PTPs are very engaging teams who connect with audiences well in their respective roles and it would have been nice for them to have had a deeper roster to work with, even though the PTPs wouldn't have been receiving as much attention as they have been.

The good news is that despite all of these injuries and scuppered plans WWE is forging ahead with making doubles ranks worthwhile. The post-SummerSlam August 24 episode of Monday Night RAW saw a return and a debut that should and could impact on the division. 

These lads know how to win belts.

The returnees were the Dudley Boyz. Which may not mean anything to some people because it's actually been ten years since they were last employed by WWE and allowed to use that name. For the last decade they've been Team 3D in TNA. They're former twenty-four time world tag team champions, having held the WWE tag team titles once, the WWE world tag team titles eight times, the ECW tag team titles eight times, the WCW tag team titles once (although that was when the belts were under WWF ownership), the TNA tag team titles (a surprisingly low) two times, the NWA tag team titles once, the HUSTLE super tag team championship once, and the IWGP tag team titles two times. How many of these reigns are recognised by WWE is anybody's guess. I'd assume they'd count the WWE, WCW and ECW reigns but they could surprise us and acknowledge others.

In addition to being the most decorated double act to ever hit the wrestling biz the Dudleys are twenty year veterans and were a significant part of the Attitude Era. That Maggle Cole said that the tag scene had gotten more interesting when the Duds hit the ring to attack New Day and have a staredown with the Prime Time Players indicates that their return will be a permanent one, or at least not something that's over after a few weeks.

I'm interested to see what's done with Bubba and Devon. Matches against New Day and the Prime Time Players seem likely and both could be good. I'm be particularly interested in seeing them tackle heat magnets New Day which, judging by the last week of television, seems like a match we'll get at Night of Champions. A match with the Usos could also be fruitful considering the big bumps Jimmy and Jey frequently take. It's just a pity The Ascension weren't afforded better booking. If they had they'd probably be ideal opponents for the Dudleys right now.

The Wyatt Lads.

Monday's debut was Braun Strowman. He's a developmental guy who's been under contract since May 2013. Naturally he's been based at the Performance Center for the last year. Although he never appeared in a match on NXT he did feature regularly for a while as the large Spartan in Adam Rose's Exotic Express entourage. That he never got an official debut on the developmental programme likely means that WWE are still willing to have guys bypass a period of televised learning if the right spot presents itself on the main roster. This is a good thing. It means they're in a better position to surprise us.

Strowman joined Wyatt and Harper in attacking and ultimately laying out Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns. Presumably the Shield lads will recruit a third man to help them in their battle against the Wyatt Family. Cesaro would be a nice addition, but I'd take Dolph Ziggler or anyone vaguely talented with not much to do right now. Once that feud's done it seems reasonable to assume that the Wyatts will stay together and two members will form a regular tag team. As much as I love Luke Harper he deserves to be the number two singles guy of that group. Strowman and Rowan would be a good pairing. Rowan is painfully bland and Strowman seems green around the edges. Pairing them would help cover these failings and give the tag division more bodies.

The summer of 2015 could have featured a great tag division without the spate of injuries we saw. But there's nothing to stop WWE getting their plans back on track and factoring in the Dudleys and an altered Wyatt line-up. A division with New Day, the Dudleys, and the Usos on top and the Wyatt Family, the Lucha Dragons, The Ascension, and the Prime Time Players in supporting roles sounds pretty good to me.