E is for Excellence

I don’t tend to be drawn to overly muscled wrestlers. I gravitate towards high-flyers or talkers (oddly flyers that talk well are a rarity and I’ve only just this second realised that). Body guys generally don’t excite me because, well, they aren’t known for having great matches. The work of Lex Luger, Hulk Hogan, Scott Steiner and their ilk have created a stigma for that particular strain of wrestler.

But just recently I’ve become appreciative of a guy who is, by any criteria, a body guy. I’m referring to Big E.

His work in NXT had made me a fan of his, albeit not an especially fervent one. He demonstrated that he had a personality and that he could wrestle well. But crucially he never had a match I enjoyed in NXT that wasn’t against a smaller man. There was nothing about his stint there made me think he would be a muscle guy capable of great matches against anyone other than smaller guys. So I expected to enjoy his matches on occasion, but only when he was facing guys who wrestled a style I tended to enjoy anyway.

I was convinced of this throughout most of 2013. Look back at his split with Dolph Ziggler. There wasn’t a single memorable encounter during the whole story. I think it’s fair to assume we could have expected more from that series given ‘The Show Off’s’ ability. I took the fact that it remained utterly average as further evidence that I’d only ever see Big E shine on occasion and that wrestling a smaller, more athletic guy was not a guarantee of a great match form him.

What a man.

Things changed in October when E had a better than expected encounter with CM Punk. True Punk was one of WWE’s aces at that point but it was clear throughout the match that Big E was not a passenger. He carried his side of the match as opposed to simply feeding off of ‘The Second City Saint’.

I’ve seen more of those sorts of performances from Big E this year. Not in any greater number but enough to convince me that he could have an enjoyable match with a guy like Roman Reigns or Batista if it was laid out well enough.

The obvious example to give is his match against Jack Swagger at Elimination Chamber. That was a match between two big hosses that drew me in despite my usual indifference. It was an equal effort and ‘The Real American’ deserves just as much credit for it as Big E, but he didn’t have an enjoyable match with CM Punk in October and he hasn’t done anything especially noteworthy since. Big E had and has. He's also had enjoyable TV matches against guys like Alberto Del Rio, Sin Cara, Fandango and even 3MB.

I think WWE are taking the long approach with Big E, as they are with a number of their younger wrestlers these days. If guys can connect with crowds, either through a catchy phrase or a promo style or being great in the ring, they’re given more to do. It’s what’s been done with The Shield and Bray Wyatt and it’s worked. I hope it can work for Big E too. The idea of him facing John Cena is beginning to sound pretty appealing. As long as whoever laid out Big E’s Elimination Chamber match sticks around I think he’ll shine.

That Wrestling Podcast Episode 35

That Wrestling Podcast Episode 35 by Dave Hatton on Mixcloud

The Royal Rumble is a week away. It is arguably the most important show of the year for WWE. It’s the one that sets the tone for the months leading up to WrestleMania. It’s also the one that features the most intricate match of the year (the Rumble itself, obvs) and the one that launches the various feuds and plot developments for ‘Mania. A bad Royal Rumble doesn’t ensure a bad ‘Mania but it creates a lot more work.

A potential Rumble winner

Over the years the big questions regarding the Rumble have stacked up. It’s no longer just about who’ll win but also about who’ll enter first, who’ll enter last, who’ll survive the longest and who’ll eliminate the most men. There’s even the incredibly niche question of what stunt Kofi Kingston will perform to avoid elimination.

In addition to discussing the above we also talk about what we might be in store for with Elimination Chamber and WrestleMania XXX. That includes discussing potential WWE title reigns for Brock Lesnar and Batista, who’ll leave WrestleMania with the championship, and the reliance of WWE on part-timers to make WrestleMania feel like something special.

There will of course be a full written preview posted during the week. Some of my predictions may changes. But maybe not. Not that anyone should be paying that much attention to what’s said here.

That Wrestling Podcast Episode 34

That Wrestling Podcast Episode 34 by Dave Hatton on Mixcloud

This is an episode we promised a while ago. It’s a discussion of what WWE will be doing in five years’ time.

The launch of the WWE Network is obviously going to have had its effect by then. With it not having even been launched yet it’s impossible to say how much sway it will have on how the company operates but it could potentially be huge. WWE will be giving away all monthly pay-per-views to subscribers.

That alone could affect the number and quality of pay-per-views produced. That WrestleMania, WWE’s biggest annual show which routinely attracts over a million buys worldwide, will be given away for free to subscribers will almost certainly be a big deal. Anything that affects numbers alters the way WWE operates.

Muscles never go out of fashion

We’ve focused more on creative aspects in this episode. One of the central topics is who’ll be in headline positions. CM Punk, for example, will likely be retired or wrestling part time. I think, although Michael didn’t agree, that Cena will just be going part time and either turning heel or coming to the end of a heel run. Beyond that there are no firm predictions, just a general chat about who’ll have made it to the top.

Miz is not someone who will, for the record.

I should note that this was recorded in December, before it was announced that Batista was returning. As such there is a rather odd moment (add it to the collection, yeah?) in which I predict ‘The Animal’ will have returned to the company. Michael seemed less than enthused. The announcement only made him less so.

We also talk about whether WWE will ever promote a pay-per-view from Britain. The time difference has put them off until now, but I think the Network could change that. It would allow anyone wanting to watch live to do so and WWE could show it on pay-per-view on a delay of a few hours. Another SummerSlam from Wembley? I’d be all over that.

Who Can Win the 2014 Rumble?

Judging by the last few episodes of RAW and the recent TLC pay-per-view WWE seem to be setting themselves up for a very interesting WrestleMania Season. There are seemingly dozens of directions storylines could go in to give us numerous different cards at WrestleMania XXX. One of those will be revealed on January 26^th. On that day we’ll see someone win the Royal Rumble and become the number one contender to the WWE championship.

Well, possibly. Since The Streak became such an important part of WrestleMania many people have floated the idea that the Rumble winner could forego the usual title match and instead use the Rumble victory to challenge ‘The Dead Man’ on the big show. I’m not a huge fan of the idea, mainly because I like the tradition of the Rumble winner challenging for the biggest prize in the sport, but it’s something I could imagine WWE doing.

If a Streak match were a potential prize then I think the list of winners would open up slightly. Select members of the mid-card could potentially face ‘Taker while the notion of them appearing in a WWE title match would seem laughable. Damien Sandow, for example, would seem absurd facing someone like John Cena at ‘Mania, but I could just about see him facing Undertaker.

Someone perhaps a little likelier for that spot than ‘The Duke of Decency’ is Brodus Clay. His recent heelish antics make it clear that he’s going to become a solo act. If WWE dedicated themselves to rehabilitating his character so he’s viewed as an unstoppable monster (and they’ve the time to do it) he could be seen as a threat to Undertaker’s record by early April. He, like anyone else at his level, would benefit hugely from facing such a big name at WrestleMania, even if he lost.

The same goes for Ryback. The idea of him challenging for the WWE title is laughable after the last year but it’s just about conceivable he could wrestle Undi’. In fact, if the winner were open to challenge The Streak, then Chris Jericho could be a potential winner. He’s never faced Undertaker one-on-one in a televised singles match. It’s about the only fresh bout left for ‘The Phenom’ from the current roster.

Ultimately I don’t think this will happen. The recent title unification indicates that WWE has things mapped out for the championship and its holder until WrestleMania. Having someone win the Royal Rumble is the perfect way of continuing many of the stories they’ve already got going, they don’t need to introduce The Streak to proceedings. That’s big enough to stand alone.

With well over a month to go there’s plenty of time for WWE to select their winner. The fact that there’s now only one world title narrows the field. For the past decade WWE have been able to have upper mid-card talent like Sheamus, Alberto Del Rio and Chris Benoit win the thirty man extravaganza and challenge for the less meaningful World Heavyweight championship. Having a single championship means that the winner has to be a major name or someone WWE has big plans for.

The obvious man to start with is probably CM Punk. Along with Daniel Bryan he’s been one of the most popular WWE wrestlers of 2013. Since losing the WWE championship to The Rock at this year’s Rumble and failing to regain it at Elimination Chamber he’s been out of the title picture. His time has instead been dedicated to his short feud with Undertaker, his disappointing feud with former pal Paul Heyman and taking on heel factions The Shield and The Wyatt Family.

Punk waving to his fans there

Since he started wrestling said factions it’s felt like Punk’s been killing time. Wrestling the ‘The Hounds of Justice’ is something for him to do until the important time of the year rolls around. It’s very much seemed like Punk is due for another shift up the card.

A WWE championship match would certainly fit the bill there. It would also ensure one of the promotion’s bigger names was involved in the title match. That’s something I think WWE will be keen on. Also worth noting is that CM Punk has never won a Royal Rumble match before. While doing so is not a prerequisite for having a great, Hall of Fame career, it is something that, nowadays especially, is something that’s seen as an important part of the careers of all-time greats.

Punk versus Orton is a match we’ve seen before. But we’ve not seen it for a while, and it could lead to an interesting storyline with Punk’s current animosity with The Authority well established. It could happen at the Rumble, making Punk’s inclusion in the thirty man match unlikely. But it could be held off until WrestleMania just as easily.

The same could be said of Daniel Bryan, of course. In a way Orton and Bryan are opposites. Orton is generally incredibly dull and is a specialist at the sports entertainment style. Meanwhile Bryan is the most popular man on the card and a rounded performer. Orton, unpopularity aside, represents the WWE approach of sports entertainment and working up the card based on promo abilities and look. Bryan represents the alternative approach of getting oneself over. Neither is “wrong” or “bad” but it does tend to divide fans.

Having Bryan win the Rumble to earn another title match with Orton would make sense and provide a fitting platform for their rivalry. The match could also be used to fill TV time in the weeks leading up to the show, Bryan pitted against various members of the roster to win stipulations that favour him on the big show, such as non-interference clauses for The Authority. In fact, that goes for Punk too.

 

This said, the fact that Bryan challenged Orton on the December 16^th RAW is a strong indication that it's a match we won't be seeing at WrestleMania.

 

Then there's John Cena. Another match between he and 'The Apex Predator' is not something that appeals to me. It's probably not something that appeals to you. But it's an obvious thing for WWE to do. Cena being told he has to earn another title match and going on to win the Rumble is standard WWE fare. It would allow Cena to be portrayed as the all-conquering hero by regaining the title from Orty at 'Mania, which is something WWE are always keen on. That it would allow for a Cena heel turn and alignment with The Authority shouldn't be overlooked.

A less obvious candidate to win is Big E Langston. He may not have done anything particularly impressive during his time in the company so far but you only need to look at him to know that he’s going to be around for a long time. He’s a physically huge guy. It’s easy to see him being pitted against a top guy like Randy Orton. Obviously Langston v Cena is the big match. There’s still time for it to be set up for ‘Mania XXX, but a Rumble win and match with ‘The Viper’ looks like the sort of thing WWE would do.

Any man entering 'Mania as champion would be a fresh match for Langston

Not only that but Langston is the Intercontinental champion. It’s easy enough to imagine WWE wanting to relive Warrior versus Hogan from WrestleMania VI with modern players. And this time the newer star seems far likelier to stick around.

I don’t think Langston is actually going to leave the Rumble as the winner. But I do think it’s too early to completely rule him out. At the very least I think there will be a moment or moments in the Rumble designed to make him look incredible.

There are two guys on the part time section of the roster that I think are worth a mention here. The first is The Undertaker. The defence of his Streak has become one of the central attractions of WrestleMania over the last five years, but that doesn’t preclude him from challenging for a title. Putting him into a championship match would (obviously) allow WWE to promote a Streak versus title match. While that may not sound like the most thrilling thing ever I think it would be significant enough for casual fans who only ever tune in around WrestleMania to see what’s going on.

Of course, the real draw would be seeing ‘Taker facing Cena, and Cena’s not actually the champion right now. If he were to win the Rumble and challenge for the title it would almost certainly be Cena he faces. As mentioned above there’s time for Cena to regain the unified gold (although it doesn’t seem a likely thing for them to do). I’ve written many times before that if WWE are going to have anyone beat The Streak it will be Cena. Whether they’d actually go through with it or not is, for our purposes here, irrelevant. People know, consciously or subconsciously, that Cena is the only man whom WWE would sacrifice that incredible record for. Having ‘The Phenom’ make a surprise return to set that match up by winning the Royal Rumble would kick the Season off with a bang.

The other part time name I could imagine winning the Rumble is Brock Lesnar. If this happened I can imagine it leading to a storyline in which Lesnar vows to take down the company by winning the championship on the biggest show of the year. Winning a belt on a big show equating to destroying the company is wrestling logic at its finest. Frankly I think Lesnar would be a better fit for Streak challenger but he’s one of the few names big enough to fit into a WWE championship match at WrestleMania.

Mind Versus Matter

On Monday I said it's possible WWE may be gearing up for a reinvigoration of the Intercontinental championship. RAW provided more evidence that this is the case. Damien Sandow defeated Dolph Ziggler to become the number one contender to the title.

That a former two time World Heavyweight champion and a man who just a month ago gave his mission in life as defeating John Cena were facing off over a secondary (technically tertiary) trinket was not, on the surface, a particularly great state of affairs. It looked like a comedown for both men. Ziggler, as a former WHC, should not be interested in a mid-card prize. He should be expending all his time and energy on regaining a world title.

On the other hand Sandow’s involvement is unquestionably great. No, it’s not the targeting of Cena we were promised but it’s showing that Sandow has focus and interest in a title. That’s what wrestlers are supposed to do most of the time. They’re supposed to want titles because it shows they’re amongst the elite in the sport and earns them more money (or at least it would if wrestling were real).

I'm not lying, he really does have a personality. He just seems to have lost it...

‘The Intellectual Saviour’ is a great opponent for the Big E Langston character. Langston demonstrated that he’s capable on the microphone in NXT but that’s not really come across since he got moved up to the main roster. Being excellent on the mic and well-suited to verbiage heavy segments himself Sandow strikes me as the sort of performer who will be able to help bring these skills out in Big E.

The best thing here is that even if Langston continues to fail at providing the good mic work he’s capable of Sandow will help mask it. Sandow can carry segments with boasts about the mind triumphing over the body, his plans to outwit the champ and so on. I don’t really need to go into the possibilities, do I? You should all be familiar enough with how good at condescension Sandow is to know that he’d ace any sort of promo segment with Langston without making his foe look worthless.

With the supposed Cena feud coming to nothing (to the surprise of no long-term WWE fan) a programme for the Intercontinental championship is about the best thing Sandow could hope for right now. It’s something meaningful for him to do, something that gives him the chance to show how valuable a member of the crew he can be. It’s good for Big E too. There are few people on the roster that will be able to have good matches, good segments, and possess the ability to make people care. If the Intercontinental championship is about to regain its rightful place as the number two title this is one of the best feuds WWE could kick off with.

Unification

The big news on last Mondays RAW was that WWE champion Randy Orton and World Heavyweight champion John Cena will face off at TLC. In a tables, ladders and chairs match. And both titles belts will be hanging above the ring.

 

Is this belt near retirement?

Cena v Orton may be one of the most played out matches on the roster but this match still manages to be of interest. On a basic level the two men have never clashed in a TLC setting, so there's something fresh there. There's obviously the far more noteworthy title versus title aspect too. While WWE have so far refrained from referring to this as a unification match (going out of their way to avoid that specific word) it's hard to see it as anything else. It's hard to see one man leaving the pay-per-view with both titles and defending them separately, although the option of the belts being switched (Orton taking the WHC and Cena becoming WWE champ) remains an option. A depressing one too.

 

I’m currently leaning towards one man having both belts. It's tough to imagine Orton defeating Cena cleanly especially as he wasn't even allowed an unsullied win over Daniel Bryan in their recent feud. That his Survivor Series match with Big Show ended with a musical cue distraction didn't make 'The Viper' look especially strong either. Basically the last few months have made it clear that even he is not on Cena’s level.

 

While it's easy to imagine Cena defeating Orton, because Cena beats everyone, that result seems too obvious. Would WWE announce a title versus title match involving Cena just like that and then have him win, also just like that? The match itself has come completely out of nowhere after years of doggedly sticking to the two world straps system. Whacking both titles on Cena on a B-show with only a month's build seems too easy. A bout of this importance could net WWE a decent buy rate if handled correctly. Rushing it seems entirely the current house style but isn't, ahem, what's best for business.

 

The TLC stipulation-slash-gimmick is an interesting one. Obviously it's been chosen because the title match will be going on last at a show of the same name as opposed to there being a genuine necessity to use it. It brings with it both freedoms and restrictions. The writing team can pile as much interference and other assorted nonsense into the match as they like without booking themselves into a corner. The gimmick is designed with that in mind, and this is a rare occasion when getting more bodies into the ring would probably improve the match quality considerably. But this also would also work against WWE: they have to book a decisive finish or come up with what will almost certainly be one of the wackiest finishes in company history.

 

A title unification feels like it should take place on a big show like WrestleMania or SummerSlam. That it’s not indicates to me that WWE wants its world title scene cleared up by 'Mania XXX next year (assuming this isn’t the start of a longer story which culminates with the real unification at ‘mania, which I doubt). Being the thirtieth instalment of their biggest annual show I think it's entirely possible the decision's been made to have the WWE championship in a clear position of prominence.

 

Personally I'm happy about the likelihood of WWE decluttering the world title picture. I've been saying for years that unifying the belts would make the remaining one, and by extension the man that holds it, mean more. I'd hoped that Cena getting the world title would lead to it but I hadn't thought it actually would. WWE seemed comfortable with the established setup.

 

Lovely ring gear, no?

Longer term the move raises questions about future storylines and the secondary titles. For starters this could be the beginning of what ultimately turns out to be a Cena heel turn. Survivor Series and RAW showed his first interactions with The Authority as The Authority and he seemed on decent enough terms with them. It's not hard to see him being selected as the new 'Face of WWE' because in reality he's had that spot for years. If WWE does get rid of one world belt (and it's still not definite that they will remember) it could see a swift return to prominence of the Intercontinental championship. It's notable that that championship has recently been given to Big E Langston, a man who's said to have the archetypal WWE headliner physique  and the not insignificant backstage support of John Cena. If the IC strap suddenly returns to being the company's undisputed number two and star-making title it should, in theory, raise Langston's profile by association. Not only that but it would be done in a pretty smooth manner.

 

It's possible there are plans for a rerun of the Ultimate Warrior-Hulk Hogan WrestleMania VI plot. Intercontinental champ Big E could win the Royal Rumble and go on to challenge for the WWE championship at 'Mania. Obviously that could work next year, but personally I think it's a bit soon. The Intercontinental title is currently as good as meaningless. Rebuilding its prestige over the next year with good matches and extended programmes between wrestlers that matter, which would demonstrate that guys care about it as something worth winning, would make it a bigger deal when the man that holds it goes for the world title. There's no reason that can't be Big E. 'Mania VI worked fine (storyline-wise at any rate) and Warrior had lost and regained the gold during the previous year.

 

The other possibility is that WWE intend to unify the Intercontinental belt and the WWE belt at WrestleMania XXX. Which would still give us Cena v Langston. That's a match I can see WWE wanting to do at a WrestleMania. The championships would just add to it. Is it a match I want to see? No. But I can imagine it’s one WWE are saving for a special occasion.

That Wrestling Podcast Episode 17

That Wrestling Podcast Episode 17 by Dave Hatton on Mixcloud

Could this guy be 'The Man'?

Due to the nature of recording schedules there are sometimes references on podcasts that seem incongruous, peculiar or just plain incorrect. This episode features such an example. I refer to Cena potentially making his return at the Royal Rumble. In my defence this episode was recorded at the end of September and Cena has Wolverine-like healing abilities. There was no way I could have known he’d be back in action, as the World Heavyweight champion no less, by the time this got posted.

The central focus of the episode is how far three guys could make it up the WWE roster. Yeah, it’s one of those episodes. The men in question of Brodus Clay, The Ryback, and Big E Langston. It’s a big man special!

 

Also featured, in the opening moments, is a rant about hipsters buying food in Burger King. I’ll leave the identity of the ranter as a surprise.

Hell in a Cell 2013 review

At the turn of the century the WWF would routinely secondary level pay-per-view s to move guys up the card. Never was this more apparent than at Fully Loaded 2000. At that show the three most established guys on the active roster, The Rock, The Undertaker, and Triple H, faced Chris Benoit, Kurt Angle and Chris Jericho, three men the company were keen to turn into stars.

Those three matches alone did not make those three men stars. They were part of a process of star building that the WWF was known for at the time. The practice of pitting big names against men lower down the card and having competitive matches with them was the norm. Even if the non-headliners lost their profile was raised by association.

Compare that approach with the modern one. Feuds stretch on forever and WWE generally does a poor job of utilising popular acts. I’m not talking about Daniel Bryan or CM Punk two years ago. Bryan is being, and Punk was, handled right for the most part. I’m thinking more of guys like Fandango, Bray Wyatt, and Dolph Ziggler. Men who do everything in their power to get over ith fans yet find themselves playing diminished roles on TV and pay-per-view. It’s impossible to imagine WWE’s three most established names, Punk, Orton and Cena, being pitted against the likes of ‘The Show Off’ in competitive pay-per-view bouts. Which illustrates how WWE’s approach to building stars has changed over the years.

This was a thought that occurred to me at several points during Hell in a Cell, usually when two established names were wrestling each other or mid-card guys were facing off in unadvertised “bonus” matches. I wrote about this a few weeks ago after Battleground. WWE needs to spend more time creating worthwhile undercards for its shows, and gradually start pitting lower card guys against the big names. That’s their best chance at creating names that people will pay to see.

Hell in a Cell kicked off with the triple threat tag team championship match. This resulted in it peaking early, because Goldust and Cody Rhodes’ title defence was the best bout on the card.

The Uso brothers took on the Rhodes brothers for the first few minutes of the match before Roman Reigns tagged in and started the task of isolating Goldust. There were nice moments that The Shield knock Cody off the apron and then pull the Usos down to ringside to keep Goldy isolated.

Eventually ‘The Bizarre One’ got the hot tag to Cody, who came in with a very nice missile drop kick and followed up with a crisp moonsault to a standing Rollins. The former Tyler Black continued to kick out as he was he with a cross body block and a splash by an Uso. Moments later Jey Uso leapt over the top rope and landed on Goldust and Reigns. Back in the ring the false finishes continued with an elevated Samoan drop from Jimmy to Seth. Cody tagged himself in and tried for a Cross Rhodes on Rollins but it got reversed. Moments later the two men were up on the top rope to perform an impressive superplex to the outside (cushioned by the other four men in the match). Cody went for a pin but it was broken by an Uso.

 

Not much of a landing committee

 

A series of spears and punches wiped out the Usos and Reigns, leaving Cody free to try a Disaster kick on Rollins. That was reversed (for the first time that I’ve seen) when Rollins caught him and held him in position for a power bomb. Cody slipped out, Goldust gave Seth an uppercut and then Cody hit the Cross Rhodes for the win.

It was exactly how a show opener should be. It was fast, filled with near falls and exciting moments, and it energised the crowd.

The Miz marched to ringside and called out Bray Wyatt. ‘The Eater of Worlds’ appeared on the Titantron (does anyone in WWE still refer to it as that?) and wittered about a monster that lives behind his eyes. Rowan and Harper ambushed 'The Awesome One' as the crowd chant, presumably bored by and with Miz, chanted "We want Kane!" Seconds after the chant died down Kane strode out. He battered the Wyatt boys before giving Miz a choke slam and setting off his pyro. The fans approved.

Faaaaaan… daaaaaan…goooooo and Summer Rae salsa’d to the ring for match two. Fandango should be booked as a womanising, heart-breaking, tweening lothario. Instead he's a comedy heel. Just a few minor tweaks and 'The Ballroom Brute' could be a far more important part of the WWE machine than he currently is. This ties into what I was saying at the start of this post. Perhaps WWE will use TLC to give us some experimental match-ups. But I won’t hold my breath.

Fandango talked some smack about being a great dancer (presumably Miami is known as a city big on dancing?) and then danced like he was in a night club. Khali's music put a stop to the heels' shenanigans. The crowd booed the roar he emitted as he clambered into the ring. Good for them, says this observer.

The match was a waste of Fandango and Summer Rae, although it was notable for being Summer’s first televised match since being promoted form NXT. She’s a solid wrestler and possesses far more personality than most WWE Divas. Fandango, as I’ve already mentioned, should be doing more than making Khali look good.

The finish saw Summer Rae wriggle out of a Sharpshooter before rolling Natalya up for the three count. They may have been wasted but at least they won. That's something.

Up in the skybox Kaitlyn talked about the mixed tag match and related it to the Divas championship match that would happen later. R-Truth was keen on the tag title match, while Dolph Ziggler was impressed by Miz calling out the Wyatt Family. How convenient that each performer was interested in a different segment. It’s almost like it’s scripted!

Michael Cole provided a handy recap of the pre-show dispute that set up Ambrose v Langston as the United States champ made his way to the ring. Ambrose's facial expression as Big E stood bellowing on the apron was priceless, a mixture of contempt, puzzlement and disinterest.

The match was good. It would be tempting to attribute that to Ambrose, the man with more experience and greater charisma and the one taking the bigger bumps, but that would be unfair (and would also overlook him loudly calling a belly-to-belly). Langston did a good job playing the face, showing weakness and rallying the crowd. Anyone who saw his work in NXT will be aware that he's better than the average muscle guy.

The ending was presumably designed to setup a rematch. Langston speared Ambrose off of the apron to the outside of the ring. Both men were up before the ten count but Ambrose opted not to get back into the ring, taking a deliberate loss. Big E caught Ambrose before he could leave and flattened him with a Big Ending. It seems to have been decided that Langston’s getting a mid-card title. With Curtis Axel unable to compete expect Langston to get the US champion.

CM Punk versus Ryback and Paul Heyman nestled in the middle of the card. It was not pretty.

The nonsense started early when Heyman was driven to the ring on a cherry picker. Both JBL and 'King' referenced the entrances at WrestleMania III, Lawler clearly not listening to his colleague. What a pro. Heyman cut a promo in which he stated his name twice and claimed to be WWE's answer to Satan (that's PG, that is). The cherry picker was there to grant Heyman access to the top of the cage, where he stood for the entirety of the match.

And what a match it was. It was slow, dull and sloppy, a perfect advert for CM Punk not being 'The Best in the World' he claims to be. I'm not alone in this belief: scattered "Boring!" chants could be heard during the match. That's something even Khali avoided.

After what seemed like an eternity , but was probably about five minutes, of 'Big Hungry' controlling the pace ‘The Second City Saint’ made a kendo stick assisted comeback and added a chair to proceedings. Instead of someone going through it straight away Ryback crotched his foe on it as it lay on its side. He went to follow up with a power bomb but got low blowed. He did the natural thing and had a lie down on the table to recover (wrestling logic!). Punk then did a particularly clumsy Macho Elbow.

CM Punk then hit ‘The Big Guy’ with a kendo stick and a GTS to win. Just like that the match was over. It should have been a hot finishing sequence but it wasn't, thanks mainly to the boring nature of the match.

After getting his win Punk grabbed a kendo stick and clambered on top of the cage to give Heyman a beating. The crowd warned up for that considerably. Yep, a babyface battering a heel non-wrestler with a weapon is, apparently, a great way to get over. Based on the post-match reactions the smart thing would have been to have Heyman inside the cage avoiding Punk and breaking up pinfalls.

Backstage Daniel Bryan told Renee Young he just wanted a fair chance, one-on-one match with Randall Keith Orton. He (incorrectly) referred to the post-WrestleMania XXVIII RAW being the start of people screaming yes, then kicked off a chant.

Match five was another unadvertised affair: Los Matadores v The Real Americans. Everyone knows the sort of promo Colter cuts by now but he changed things up a bit here by referring to El Torito as a half-man, half-bull. Basically Zeb thinks Torito's a Minotaur. Diego and Fernando survived the big swing and an ankle lock to get the win with a weak-looking double team move. After the decision Cesaro, Swagger and Colter all took bumps for Torito.

The video for the Cena v Del Rio match was great. Footage of Cena's surgery and rehabilitation was intercut with footage putting over the cross arm breaker as a submission hold to be feared. It was very effective and set up the story of the match perfectly.

 

Alberto Del Rio: a true Mexican hero

 

The champion was introduced first, eschewing tradition. JBL, who was very outspoken about Ziggler "disrespectfully" wearing the championship belt backwards in the summer, didn't utter a word. ADR got boos. Cena got a strong mixed reaction, although I think there were more cheers than there usually are.

Cena used a tornado DDT, drop kicks, and top rope body blocks in addition to his usual repertoire, which combined nicely with ADR's diversity to create an unpredictable and highly enjoyable contest. Cena sold well and often, particularly beautiful was his flop forward off a superkick. It was a stirring performance from the challenger.

Things picked up considerably when the two exchanged submissions. Del Rio went for the cross arm breaker but Cena nipped out and applied the STF until the champ grabbed the ropes. ‘The Essence of Excellence’ would be luckier moments later as he successfully applied his hold to wear down the challenger. The selling Cena had given us earlier was ignored at this point as he powered out, injured arm and all, to hit ADR with a power bomb.

Back on their feet Cena hit an AA for the win. It was mildly anticlimactic but not to the extent that it ruined the match. It was one of Cena's better matches of 2013. What's interesting is that in his last match before this Cena lost the WWE title. I don’t think anyone’s ever lost a world title in one match and won a different one in their next. If anyone was ever going to do it it had to be Cena, didn’t it?

 

The champ is here...

 

I’ll be interested to see what happens with Cena World Heavyweight title reign. It seemed like ADR was safe as champ for the foreseeable future because there’s nothing much else for him to do, and Cena doesn’t really need the championship. It would be nice if it was an early move towards a title unification, ideally at next year’s WrestleMania. That both worlds titles are now on major established names makes me think it’s a possibility.

Up in the skybox Kaitlyn and R-Truth predicted victories for Brie Bella and Daniel Bryan respectively. Dolph gave a firm “maybe” on the subject of Bryan being champ.

AJ got a positive reaction when she entered the arena. Brie did too, but it was noticeably quieter and didn't last as long. The match was okay, but nothing special. Hopefully this will be Brie’s last pay-per-view match with AJ for a while. The finish saw Brie accidentally boot her sister in the face. While she stood there looking confused AJ applied the Black Widow and got the win by submission.

Backstage Bob Backlund and The Prime Time Players advertised the WWE 2K14 game. Then they danced. It was as wonderful as it sounds.

Elsewhere backstage we saw Shawn Michaels (who's now sporting stubble as opposed to that massive beard he had a month or two ago) and Triple H have a heated conversation. HBK walked off looking peeved. Tripper stood still, staring after him, also looking peeved. It's the sort of thing WWE always feels compelled to insert into shows when there's a guest referee around.

After the (very good) video package Michaels was introduced, followed by Orton and then Bryan. Triple H sauntered down to the ring with the WWE championship and shook hands with 'The Viper'. He offered Bryan a handshake to Bryan but it was refused. Non-adherence to the Code of Honor from Bryan? Strong stuff!

Bryan and Orton had what I think is the strongest entry in their current series. They made the most of the relaxed rules the Hell in a Cell gimmick allows by using ring steps, the cage itself and a bundle of chairs as weapons, setting a fast pace that took them all around the construct, and hitting their signature moves in unconventional ways. The turning point came when Orty threw Bryan onto a pile of chairs with a superplex. That 'The World's Toughest Vegan' kicked out angered Orton and brought 'The Game' back out to ringside. As the DX pals bickered Orton went for a cover. That Shawn wasn't there to count infuriated him further and caused him to leave the ring to have a scream at Michaels.

Orton went for an RKO but got shoved off into ‘The Heartbreak Kid’, who was busy looking at Triple H emulating his hero Ric Flair, going mad and climbing the cage. Bryan hit a knee as Triple H had the Cell opened, supposedly to check on Michaels. After shoving Bryan out of the way Tripper checked on Shawn and then turned around into Bryan's running knee. Bryan celebrated and then turned around into a surprise move himself, this one a Sweet Chin Music from Michaels. ‘The Apex Predator’ went for the cover and, after a brief pause, Michaels counted the three. He left immediately, looking dejected, while Orty celebrated winning his eighth WWE championship with Triple H.

 

There's a knee coming Triple H's way

 

The obvious question is: why did Shawn Michaels cost Daniel Bryan, who’s been acknowledged as his student, the WWE championship? Expect the “best for business” line to be trotted out on RAW, as well as fluff about Michaels having faith in Triple H’s vision for the future of the company. It seems likely that Michaels will play to unwilling accomplice and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him manage Triple H in a match against Bryan at some point. That would be a nice point for him to seek retribution and abandon his pal, allowing Bryan a clean win.

A lot of people have taken this development as a sign that Michaels is going to wrestle again. For what it’s worth I don’t think that will happen. Michaels seems content in his retirement from active wrestling duties. Just as importantly he went out on top in a highly regarded match. He’s made it very clear over the years that he wants to be remembered as a good wrestler. I don’t think he’d have a bad match if he did wrestle again, but I also don’t think he’d want to take the risk. An HBK in-ring return seems a stretch.

Hell in a Cell 2013 preview

In previous years I've written extensively about why gimmick pay-per-view names are not - ahem - good for business. I'm not going to repeat the argument at length here. The thrust of it is that gimmick matches should be employed on shows throughout the year as and when feuds require them. By tying them to a particular show it imposes constraints on an already uninspiring creative process. In previous years it's led to feuding wrestlers being put into the Cell when their disputes don't really feel serious enough for it. Happily that's been bypassed this year by two rivalries which have been running since the summer and feel natural being put into the structure.

When I was writing my preview of Battleground I completely forgot what show was following it. Had I remembered I would have altered my predictions accordingly. With hindsight it seems obvious that Bryan and Orton were going to wrestle to a no contest to set up another match in the series inside WWE's premier gimmick. With their programme stretching back to SummerSlam it makes sense to have the final showdown occur in the Hell in a Cell.

There are arguments to be made in favour of both as far as winning's concerned. 'The Viper' could become a eight time champion and head into a dispute with Big Show. That wouldn't be anyone's favourite feud but it would at least make sense and follow on from the last few months of story. Bryan could win and continue his rivalry with Triple H. The championship has been central to the animosity between them, Bryan wanting it and Tripper wanting to keep a tight control on who gets it. Casting Bryan as the renegade champ might not be the best fit but it would at least follow from what’s already happened.

When thinking about who'll win this match I've not paid much attention to Shawn Michaels being on referee duty. The likelihood is that he'll call the match fairly. I can't see him turning heel, there would be little point as there's no match that could come directly from it. I could see him giving Sweet Chin Music to 'The Viper' though, after bring sufficiently provoked. That would provide a storyline clause for 'The Game' to keep up his campaign of hatred against Bryan: he won because if the actions of HBK. Alternatively Orton could win after an errant kick floors Bryan, although that would serve only to prolong a programme I think is wrapping up.

The minutia of the match layout is impossible to predict and so I'm not going to bother trying. What I will predict is a win for Daniel Bryan and a title defence in the not too distant future against Triple H. That ‘The Cerebral Assassin’ went out of his way to say that he would not face Daniel Bryan during the October 21^st RAW can be taken as a pretty clear indication that the match will happen. Or at least that it's being considered.

The other world championship will also be defended, though in a regular match as opposed to inside the Cell. In one corner will be Alberto Del Rio. No surprise there: he's been wearing or challenging for the WHC all year.

In the other corner will be John Cena. Which is surprising for a couple of reasons. Firstly Cena underwent surgery shortly after SummerSlam and we were told he'd be gone until early next year. Having seen him return quickly from injuries before, thanks to his Wolverine-like ability to heal, I wouldn't have been surprised to see him in a match at TLC. But to cut back his recuperation time from five months to two verges on witchcraft.

The second reason Cena's involvement is surprising is that the World Heavyweight championship has been beneath Cena for years now. That the company's top star shows no interest in it is part of the reason the title is now considered to be the second tier prize. Cena has concerned himself exclusively with the WWE title, cementing that belt's reputation as the more prestigious.

It's not impossible Cena will win as part of a long-term title unification plot. But don't get your hopes up. I think the title is likelier to stay with ADR. It would be a hindrance to Cena at this point and any argument that him winning it could enhance is stature is invalid: if Cena won the WHC it would clearly be to give him something to do and, more to the point, championships increase in credibility over time as opposed to overnight by being slapped around the waist of one man (even if that one is the biggest active name in wrestling). If anything the title would be harmed being on someone clearly viewing it as something to do until more important business comes their way.

I'll be amazed if the match doesn't see 'The Essence of Excellence' focusing on Cena's arm. Cena is returning from surgery on his elbow and Del Rio's finisher, the cross arm breaker, has been built up over the years as a legitimate hold that consistently gets wins. It's too good an opportunity to miss. ADR may beat Cena clean with it, setting up the story of Cena returning too soon. Where that would lead is anyone's guess but it would be nice to have that element of fallibility introduced to the currently nigh invincible Cena character.

The other option is that Del Rio gets disqualified for shenanigans. That would protect Cena, always of importance, and would also keep the strap on Del Rio. It's the safe, and boring, option and the one I suspect they'll go with. Whatever the result I expect ADR to leave with the gold.

 

Another month, another guy on the poster not booked in an advertised match

 

If we follow the progression of WWE titles the next in line is either the Intercontinental or the tag team. At the moment I think the doubles belts just clinch it due to a combination of disinterest in the IC strap and the focus brought to teams over the last few months.

The tag team titles were won by Cody Rhodes and Goldust in a very good match on the October 14^th RAW. That the titles changed hands wasn't surprising: Cody 'n' Goldy have been amazingly popular over the last month or so, to the extent that WWE practically had to capitalise on it. Not only that but The Shield had been the champions since May 19^th. It was time for a change.

WWE are not presenting a straight rematch. The reason is probably that we've seen Rollins and Reigns versus the Rhodes boys twice in the last three weeks. As good as a third bout would be it would not be able to offer anything new. Unless of course a gimmick had been added, which for some reason seems to be off limits at this year's HIAC show.

To keep things from getting monotonous the Uso brothers have been added to the match. Someone in WWE, quite possibly Triple H, seems determined to have the public accept Jimmy and Jey. They're a perfectly serviceable unit but I don't think they can progress much further than where they are now. I get the feeling they're in this match to protect the more important teams by taking the loss. 'The Hounds of Justice' could regain the titles to keep the rivalry alive and ensure they remain hot but I think a successful defence for the new champions is a better bet.

Meanwhile the Intercontinental championship will be defended on the pre-show. Paul Heyman Guy Curtis Axel will defend against Big E Langston. Think Big E's a heel? Think again! He became a good guy out of nowhere on Monday's RAW, in a move that makes the breakup of the Langston-Ziggler-AJ unit even more depressing. There was clearly no long term plan for any of them (beyond having AJ "save" the Divas division) so there was no reason they had to be parted.

I think we'll see 'The Perfect One' win with help from Heyman. That would reinforce the image of Heyman being an effective agent and someone wrestlers would want to have at ringside. It'd create reason for a rematch too. I think Big E will get the gold at some point, just not this Sunday.

On the subject of Heyman, he'll compete in his second pay-per-view match of the year at Hell in a Cell. Like his Night of Champions outing it will be a handicap match against CM Punk, only this time he'll team with Ryback as opposed to the rather less effective Curtis Axel. And, to really push the boat out, this match will also be fought inside the Hell in a Cell.

As I've already noted the addition of the Cell to this match makes sense: Heyman and Punk have been at each other's throats since July. I still think it's been a mostly tedious affair but it’s still one that lends itself to the Hell in a Cell and the importance that comes with it.

Traditionally Hell in a Cell marks the end of a feud in WWE. It’s a fittingly epic environment for a feud-ender and generally produces matches that can’t be topped, so why bother trying? I’ve a feeling Punk v Heyman and co will continue until Survivor Series (at least) and take in an elimination match: Team Punk v Team Heyman.

‘The Second City Saint’ has lain down for Heyman clients and Heyman himself at the last three pay-per-views. While wins and losses at the level Punk is at don’t usually matter too much within WWE there does come a point where a wrestler has to get a win to retain credibility. That’s the point I think Punk’s at here. A loss won’t see him fall down the card or lose the backing of people who already support him but it will send the message that he’s doomed to failure battling Heyman. I don’t think that’s a message WWE wants to give and so I’m predicting a Punk win.

AJ Lee defending the Divas championship against Brie Bella is the final match announced. This is the third straight supershow on which they’ll face each other. That’s not as bad as other matches on this card but it is strange when you consider that WWE has a not insignificant number of women that could be pitted against Ms Lee. The constant title shots for Brie are desperate attempts to establish her as a babyface.

The Total Divas star has guaranteed victory. I don’t think that’s something we should focus on. That’s not to say Brie definitely won’t become the new champion, but I don’t think it’s anywhere close to a certainty. I’d like to see AJ retain the title and move on to defences against some of the other ladies on the roster (and for some NXT Divas to be called up). Even if she remains champion I don’t think I’ll get my wish.

If we take the rumours that WWE wants to make Hell in a Cell a top quality show to make up for their recent offerings to be true the card we have is a little surprising. Yes, they're wheeling out the premier gimmick. Yes, John Cena is making a comeback (after missing a grand total of two pay-per-views). Yes, they've roped in Shawn Michaels to add interest to the main event storyline. But that's it. The show was going to feature the cage no matter what. Cena may attract a few extra buys but he by no means ensures the show will be a classic. 'The Heartbreak Kid's' involvement could and should be worthwhile, which is something, but not much by itself.

Ultimately though there's nothing about the card which makes me think it will be significantly better than Battleground or Night of Champions. WWE has misunderstood what was lacking from those shows: it wasn't Cena or focus on the major matches, it was an enticing undercard. If WWE wanted HIAC to appeal to fans irritated by the previous two supershows they should have spent more time working on matches outside of their central plots.

On paper I don't think Hell in a Cell looks bad. Both of the cage bouts should be enjoyable and the tag title affair has the potential to be memorable. But nothing's been announced that makes me think this show will reach the heights WWE apparently wants. The show could reach those heights but it's going to take numerous excellent performances and surprises. And those are disappointingly light on the ground in WWE at the moment.

Predictions summary:

Daniel Bryan to defeat Randy Orton
CM Punk to defeat Ryback and Paul Heyman
Alberto Del Rio to retain the World Heavyweight championship
Cody Rhodes and Goldust to retain the tag team championship
AJ Lee to defeat Brie Bella
Curtis Axel to defeat Big E Langston

The Man Without a Feud

When Dolph Ziggler won the World Heavyweight championship on the April 8^th edition of Monday Night RAW it felt like the beginning of something special. Ziggler had been growing in fan estimations for years and had long been expected to become a world champion sooner or later. Years of support from fans and hard work from Ziggler had paid off. At least, that’s how it felt.

An errant kick from Jack Swagger changed whatever original plans lay in place. Suffering a concussion, ‘The Heel’ was pulled from his scheduled triple threat ladder match against Swags and former WHC Alberto Del Rio at Extreme Rules. Instead Swagger and ADR clashed in a submission match for the right to tangle with Ziggler once he’d returned from the injured list.

That happened in time for Payback, WWE’s next major supershow. In his first title defence Ziggler entered a cracking performance opposite ‘The Essence of Excellence’. They wrestled one of the best matches of the year and executed a silky smooth double turn in the process. Ziggler, the man who had won over fans with his big bumping style and cocky attitude, was turned face as Del Rio maliciously and aggressively targeted his head, making the most of the champ’s recent concussion problems. It was a clever storyline that did a lot for the characters of both.

The two had a barnstorming rematch at Money in the Bank. The two seemed (and still do, in fact) incapable of having a bad match together. Sadly, this would not be ‘The Show Off’s’ night. He lost again, though this time it was a result of unwanted interference from then-beau AJ Lee.

With that DQ finish Ziggler left the World Heavyweight title’s orbit. Del Rio would head off into a thoroughly forgettable one month time-killing run with Christian and Dolph would get involved in a programme with his former bodyguard Big E Langston, who was still linked (thoroughly unromantically it should be stressed) to Ms Lee.

At SummerSlam Dolph Ziggler and Kaitlyn, who’d had her own problems with AJ, teamed to defeat Big E and AJ in a mixed tag team. It was an enjoyable enough match considering the slight amount of time they were allotted and it felt like a satisfying conclusion to months’ worth of storylines. All four made the best of the situation.

Things should have been different. The Del Rio v Ziggler rivalry had enough left in it to carry on one final month to ‘The Hottest Show of the Summer’. A split in the Big E-AJ-Ziggler camp would have felt more impactful on the bigger show. Ricardo could still have been written out of the picture after a Del Rio Fit of Rage™, which could have been used to convince people they’d see a fair fight at SummerSlam. AJ costing Ziggler the championship in that situation would have made even more sense, because Ricardo wouldn’t have been around to do it.

Nobody involved in Ziggler v Del Rio went on to immediately do anything better so why couldn’t it last until SummerSlam? It makes no sense.

Everyone except Dolph has moved on to pastures new since SummerSlam. Rodriguez has returned to TV and become embroiled in a feud with his former boss, using Rob Van Dam as his proxy. AJ Lee recently cut an incredibly good promo about the state of the Divas division, which hints that her next task will be making it mean something again. Big E will either stay by her side or break off on his own for a spot of mid-card action before having a main event push activated for him some time next year. Kaitlyn’s not been seen, but she will likely feature in the Divas division.

 

He may not be doing anything interesting but he's still got a nice looking T-shirt on sale

 

Ziggler is the odd man out here. The night after SummerSlam his bumping skills were put to use reinvigorating The Shield. Last week’s RAW saw him without a match. He was relegated to standing atop the entrance ramp refusing to comment on Triple H’s booking decisions. He is a man without a feud just a month and a half after looking like a certain headline success.

If you were feeling charitable you could mention WWE is doing a great job at elevating Daniel Bryan into a leading man. Which is entirely true. But that doesn’t mean they can’t also pay attention to Ziggler. They couldn’t both be presented as the next major star, but there’s nothing to stop the company giving Ziggler something meaningful to do and capitalising on the progress he’s made this year.

Perhaps the beating he took at the hands of ‘The Hounds of Justice’ last week will lead to a US title match with Ambrose at Night of Champions. That would be a potential show stealer, but it’s not a match I’d want to see Ziggler win. The mid-card title would be a step back at this point.

It’s possible Ziggy will be the man who puts a stop to Ryback’s recent reign of terror in backstage segments. We’ve seen Ryback v Ziggler before, but not since both men have switched heel-face allegiances. Dolph’s big bumps are tailor made for playing the good guy. I think a heel ‘Human Wrecking Ball’ against a babyface Ziggler could be excellent. Failing that I’m sure Ziggler could do something interesting with the Wyatt Family, although they’re so popular that it could see Ziggler getting booed.

I’d much rather see Ziggler refocus on the World Heavyweight championship than anything else. Moving back into his programme with Del Rio would be good for both men. They have great chemistry and their series ended prematurely. They’ve definitely got a pay-per-view clash or two left in them.

SummerSlam 2013 preview

I’d like to kick this preview off by talking about SummerSlam as an annual event. Years ago it was WWE’s clear number two event. It worked well in the slot, the WrestleMania of the summer, but lost it because of a number of factors. The chief one is the growth of the WrestleMania “brand name”. Making ‘Mania bigger has elevated the Royal Rumble by association because that’s where things begin to fall into place for the larger show. That’s knocked SummerSlam back into third place.

The residency at the Staples Center hasn’t helped either. This year’s will be the fifth SummerSlam in a row to be held at the arena. I understand WWE likes using LA because it’s thought of as a hot location and it works nicely with the US time zones during summer months but it’s getting stale. It feels odd that WWE have been returning there for one annual show when they don’t do that for any of their other events. The LA crowd aren’t particularly wonderful either.

I’d like to see the company change it up and go somewhere else for next year’s SS. I’d also like them to develop the tie-ins surrounding the show. Their Fan Axxess event looks good but it’s clear it’s not on the scale of ‘Mania’s. Maybe SummerSlam can’t unseat the Rumble as the company’s number two event, but that’s no reason not to try. Why be complacent? Why not try for three mega events each year instead of two? WWE has nothing to lose and plenty to gain.

 

Dolph and AJ sitting together? Awks...

 

This year’s SummerSlam line-up is clearly built around two matches. The rest of the card is a mixture of star building exercises and unappealing pairings.

Epitomising the latter is Natalya v Brie Bella. This match was added on Monday’s RAW and clearly exists as a way of promoting the Total Divas show WWE have made with the E! channel. I’ve only watched bits of it but it seems about what I’d expected it to be. Basically it’s the ideal vehicle for the Bellas. Less so Natalya. So far three weeks’ worth of episodes have aired and the ratings have risen for each, so they’ve obviously done something right.

Basically this match has been added to SummerSlam to allow Michael Cole to plug Total Divas for five uninterrupted minutes. It’ll act as filler and as a way of encouraging viewers who haven’t watched TD to check it out. Either lady could win. I’ll go with Brie because the Bellas seem to be one of WWE’s fave acts.

Also on that unappealing pairings list is Rob Van Dam v Dean Ambrose. I think all three Shield members are going to have success after the group inevitably disbands. But I think it will be Ambrose who’ll have the most. He may not have the physique of Roman Reigns or the flashy style of Seth Rollins but he’s the best of the three on psychology and promos. Those are things that will take him to the top.

Sadly they aren’t things that are likely to get a good match out of RVD. Ten years ago I loved Van Dam. Over the years his act has become stale. He cycles through the same spots he’s been doing since his ECW prime fifteen years ago. He’s not changed his look or improved significantly on promos. The wrestling business has moved on and Van Dam is something of a relic, surprising when you consider that his key spots are still impressive and the sort of things current popular wrestlers do.

In ECW and in his early WWF-and-E years RVD could string his spots together far more than he’s ever given credit for. It’s only in the years since that the transition skills have started to dessert him. I can see this match being satisfactory but nothing more. As for a title change, it’s not impossible but it’s not something I’d expect. I think Ambrose will lose the championship as part of a feud, not on a random pre-show to someone who doesn’t need it to be over.

Speaking of The Shield it’s been rumoured for a while that Mark Henry and Big Show would be taking the group on at SummerSlam. Rollins and Reigns issued an open challenge on RAW and Big Show returned to run the group away from ringside, but the two things have yet to become connected. At time of writing the challenge has gone unanswered.

I think there’s a good chance of the bout happening. If it does I think we’ll get new tag team champions. Rollins and Reigns have had a good run but it feels like time for things to be changed up. A title switch could kick off the first proper tag title feud we’ve had in months.

SummerSlam’s final uninspiring pairing is Alberto Del Rio v Christian. I don’t think the match will be bad but I do think WWE has failed at giving us a reason to care about it. ‘Captain Charisma’ earned the title match by winning a hastily thrown together triple threat match and has gone on to interact with ADR only a few times. Their segments have been uniformly forgettable.

At this point the most interesting thing that can happen is for Christian to have Ricardo Rodriguez as his announcer for the evening. That would play off the beating Del Rio dished out to RR on the August 5^th RAW and set up an employee v employer feud, which is clearly going to be Del Rio’s next programme.

I don’t expect Christian to win this match. But he could. Ricardo could cost him the gold or he could just win it clean so that ADR isn’t feuding with his former friend and employee as a world champion.

Over on the star building side of the card we have Cody Rhodes and Damien Sandow in a battle of former best friends. Last month’s Money in the Bank match was laid out perfectly for Cody. He looked like a star and was treated as such by fans. He’s obviously cooled off a bit since then, but that match showed that if booked correctly fans will rally behind him. Selecting him for a face turn was a good move.

I like both Rhodes and Sandow. I thought they were a great team that never got the push they deserved and I think they’re great as individuals. Both men are ready for bigger and better things so it’s tricky to pick a winner for this match. Sandow could win by cheating to show that he really is dastardly. Or Rhodes could win so that he has justification for wanting a WHC match after Sandow cashes in (which would only really work if Sandow cashes in soon, which I don’t think he will).

I think this feud’s going to continue for a while so it doesn’t really matter who wins here. There’ll be a rematch next month. I’ll go with Sandow because he lost on RAW and will lose again on Friday’s SmackDown. It’s not a secret that guys who lose on TV have a better chance of winning pay-per-view matches than those who win on TV. Strange but true.

Also part of the star building stratagem is Bray Wyatt’s match with Kane. I, like a lot of other people, am a fan of the Wyatt character. I think it’s different to what WWE’s been doing for the past several years. They’ve needed to try out someone like Wyatt for a while and I’m pleased it’s worked out, both for them and for him.

But as introductory feuds go getting paired up with ‘The Big Red Machine’ is a little disappointing. Wyatt’s given some great promos and Kane’s done a commendable job of selling for the newbie but we’ve seen so many people beat Kane over the years that it’s no longer particularly impressive. It just doesn’t feel special.

The Ring of Fire rules are a peculiar choice too. It helps to set Wyatt’s debut apart I suppose, so that’s a good thing. But it might limit what the two men can do during their match. I’ll reserve full judgement on the match until I’ve seen it (obvs) but I’m not expecting anything amazing. I’m picking Wyatt to win. Having him go under in his first televised match would risk damaging his popularity. I don’t want to believe WWE would chance that.

The final match that falls into star building territory is the mixed tag team match, Dolph Ziggler and Kaitlyn against Big E Langston and AJ Lee. I’m going to be upset if reference isn’t made to the NXT season three storyline that teased Ziggler and Kaitlyn getting together. Matt Striker would have been guaranteed to make mention of that, God bless ‘im. Something tells me I’ll be upset by the current commentary trio.

This is a promising match. Kaitlyn’s passable while the other three are all great at their given roles. I think we can expect some great exchanges between Ziggler and his former bodyguard. ‘The Show Off’s’ OTT selling could make Big E look like a monstrous juggernaut.

The way I’d book the match is to have Ziggler isolated and selling before eventually making the hot tag to Kaitlyn, allowing her to wipe out AJ with a spear. That would protect Big E from jobbing, place Ziggler on a winning team for once, and give Kaitlyn an argument for another Divas championship match. AJ can afford to take a loss. She’s WWE’s most over woman.

Whether that actually happens we’ll have to wait and see. But it’s the result I think would make the most sense.

The two matches the show’s been built around are CM Punk’s clash with Brock Lesnar and John Cena’s title defence against Daniel Bryan. The Punk v Lesnar feud hasn’t really grabbed me. It’s felt quite repetitive, mainly because the weekly segments it’s been awarded have either seen Punk and Heyman cutting promos on one another or Punk and Lesnar brawling. The match itself will likely be very good, a blend of strikes, submission holds and wrestling, it’s just not had the best build.

I don’t know who to pick as a winner. They’ll almost certainly have second and third matches at some point so who wins this match is almost irrelevant. I’m leaning more towards ‘The Beast’, as that sets Punk up to make the valiant comeback in match two. I wouldn’t be surprised if Punk won though. There’s no clear winner, and that’s a good thing.

I want Bryan v Cena to go on last. I’d understand if the honour went to Punk, Lesnar and Heyman but I think Bryan deserves the slot more. He’s the hotter star and I don’t think anybody, including CM Punk, will be able to follow his match with Cena. Bryan’s become so big that he’s going to steal the show wherever he appears on it, so it makes sense to hold him off until last.

I’m expecting this to be the best match of the night. Bryan won’t be anything less than excellent and Cena will get one of his famed mixed reactions. That’s when he does his best work. I think we can expect a title change, it’s just a question of whether it will be Bryan or Orton that defeats Cena. There are various scenarios that could play out amongst the three men, and that adds to the match’s appeal.

Triple H being the guest referee seems to hint at McMahon family shenanigans coming into play during this match. It could be as simple as Vince interfering and Triple H having to give him a Pedigree (because that’s the only way to stop someone interfering, natch) or it could be McMahon coming out after the match has finished to introduce his hand-picked champion: Randy Orton. Wherever this match comes on the card and whoever wins I think we’re guaranteed a Vince appearance.

I think Bryan’s going to win, earning Cena’s respect, only to lose to a cashing in Randy Orton. Bryan winning the title and then successfully defending it against ‘The Viper’ would be amazing (especially if the match went for several minutes and Bryan won after reversing an RKO into a small package) but it’s a long shot. It would turn Bryan into a megastar in one night. Will that happen? I don’t know. Do I want it to happen? Yes (!).The build-up to this match has been a success in part because it’s impossible to know what will happen. That’s what I yearn for (yep, yearn for) from big wrestling cards.

I think SummerSlam will be a good show. As long as the majority of the undercard matches aren’t atrocious and the two big matches are memorable (which I think they will be) it should be one of WWE’s better pay-per-view offerings of the year. And they’re not having a bad year on pay-per-view. It’s somewhat surprising that Mark Henry, Ryback and Randy Orton don’t have matches announced but that just goes to show what a good job WWE are doing creating new name talent right now.

I’m looking forward to this card a great deal.

Predictions summary:

Daniel Bryan to defeat John Cena for the WWE championship
Randy Orton to cash in his Money in the Bank contract
Brock Lesnar to defeat CM Punk
Damien Sandow to defeat Cody Rhodes
Dolph Ziggler and Kaitlyn to defeat Big E Langston and AJ Lee
Bray Wyatt to defeat Kane
Alberto Del Rio to defeat Christian
Brie Bella to defeat Natalya
Dean Ambrose to defeat Rob Van Dam
Mark Henry and Big Show to defeat The Shield for the WWE tag team championship… if the match happens