A Year of Belief

This weekend's Survivor Series marks one year of The Shield. Well, sort of. The trio debuted at the 2012 edition of the event and the anniversary for that was actually on Monday. The Survivor Series event feels like the more natural time to mention their first year on the roster though, even if it's not entirely accurate.

Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose had a remarkable first few months on the roster. They started off strong by sharing screen time with John Cena, CM Punk and Ryback. The first two were the company's biggest names and at that point 'The Big Guy' looked like he was going to amount to something.

Their in-ring debut match came at the TLC pay-per-view in a winning effort against Team Hell No and Rybers, which was big for several reasons. Not only were the trio winning their first match but it was happening on pay-per-view against the de facto number two face and the tag team champions, who were one of the most popular acts in the company. It was a big vote of confidence from WWE and set them up as a dominant force. It gave the three men the chance to win fans over and that’s exactly what they did.

Outside of the kayfabe world of wins and losses The Shield were helped in other ways. JBL came up with the evocative 'Hounds of Justice' moniker, which has stuck and been embraced by fans and the group themselves. They were given the enigmatic crowd entrance routine, which had lain dormant long enough to feel fresh and special. And they got ring gear which helped them stand out. The protective vests and army boots combo has given The Shield an identity and contributed to them creating a connection with fans.

As 2013 began they involved themselves with The Rock at Royal Rumble (never a bad way to get guys over) and won six man tag matches, one of which saw them opposite the ring from megastar John Cena, at Elimination Chamber and WrestleMania XXIX. The April 22^nd RAW saw them defeat The Undertaker, Kane, and Daniel Bryan and the following week they dropped Team Hell No and Cena. They would remain undefeated in six man outings until May 13^th, when they lost by DQ to Cena and Team Hell No.

These three would tear it up in the King of Trios

The important thing to take away from these various six man tag mentions is that there were no bad performances amongst them. The Shield established themselves as guys who could face any three guys on the roster and have a great match. Their winning helped but it was the high quality that caused fans to take them seriously and therefore view them as stars.

The spring and summer saw the trio succeeding in areas other than multi-man bouts. Ambrose had a very enjoyable singles debut on the April 26^th SmackDown in which he lost to The Undertaker by disqualification. At Extreme Rules he dethroned US champion Kofi Kingston (and still holds the championship now). And when Money in the Bank rolled around in July it was Ambrose who represented his gang in the battle for the blue briefcase.

With treatment like this it's no wonder Ambrose was and is viewed as the group's leader (although to the best of my knowledge this has never been stated as the case by The Shield themselves). WWE have indirectly acknowledged he's the best of the bunch by making him the member who most frequently wrestles solo. His status as the group's main promo man has furthered the image.

This is not to say that Rollins and Reigns have been left in Ambrose's shadow. The pair unseated Team Hell No in an exciting tussle at Payback and won a sort-of-rematch with Bryan and Randy Orton at Payback. While they were relegated to the pre-show to tangle with the Uso brothers at Money in the Bank they did sneak in a run-in on the main stage. And the battle they had with Jimmy and Jey was enjoyable.

The autumn months saw them do some of their finest work as far as making the tag team titles mean something is concerned. At Night of Champions they downed the popular Prime Time Players in what was probably the finest match of the latters’ collective career. Battleground saw them lose a non-title bout, a pre-cursor to their championship-losing effort a week later on Monday Night RAW. They’d carried the belts with pride and given us such worthwhile matches that the belts changing hands meant something.

On top of all of this the three were routinely drafted in to tangle with various popular faces, most often Daniel Bryan, throughout the year. This role has become particularly prevalent since they were promoted on-screen security for the McMahons. Matches such as Ambrose v Daniel Bryan from the September 9^th RAW, Reigns v Bryan on September 16^th, Rollins v Goldust on the October 23^rd Main Event are all particularly enjoyable, and the three had a cracking showing in a gauntlet match against Bryan on August 26^th. The trio have done excellent work establishing themselves as exciting wrestlers with bright futures who produce great work no matter who they're facing.

The popular question seems to be what's in the future of Rollins, Ambrose and Reigns. I can imagine all three will crack the main event at some point because they're all talented enough. Reigns, though currently fine as a heel, seems like a natural WWE babyface. He's good looking and has a large physique. That's what the promotion looks for. I can imagine him working well as a good guy.

Ambrose is one of the most natural heels WWE has. His sneering face and jerky, eccentric body language are made for the role. What really cements it is his promos. Ambrose is one of the most effective bad guys on the roster when equipped with a microphone. He'll be invaluable when it comes to furthering stories and encouraging people to rally behind good guys as a solo bad boy.

Of the three Rollins has the most work to do. A year ago he was clearly better in the ring than the hesitant Reigns, but they've become equals across the course of 2013. Not having the kind of look WWE equates it main event status means Rollins will have to rely on wrestling's famed intangible qualities and promos to progress. The latter has never been his strength but he could get better, and I think he's got enough "it factor" to succeed. I just don't think his rise will be as quick as those of his pals but I do think he’ll get to the top.

The success of The Shield in their debut year shows how well audiences can take to newcomers when they're presented correctly. I hope WWE knows and understands what they've achieved and replicates the approach in the future.

The Intellectual Failure

The October 28^th RAW will always be remembered as the night the second failed Money in the Bank cash-in occurred. There are worse fates for a RAW to have.

The evening kicked off with a John Cena promo. He'd won a world title the previous night so what else could we realistically expect? The champ talked about being inspired by JBL openly doubting him in the weeks leading up to Hell in a Cell, mentioned that he'd be wrestling on SmackDown and the European tour (which struck me as pretty strange), and said that WWE is his life. I bet Nikki Bella was thrilled to hear that. In short it was the predictable and unremarkable opening segment that everyone expected and so lulled viewers into believing they knew how things were going to play out.

As Cena’s music played and ‘The Champ’ made to leave the ring it became clear the regular approach wasn’t in use. Damien Sandow walked down to the ring, custom suede case in hand, and mocked Cena by stating "The uncrowned champ is here!" 'The Intellectual Saviour' questioned Cena's miraculous healing ability and teased cashing in his title shot before saying that he’d be waiting for another night. Seconds later he swerved us when he kicked Cena's knee and then slammed the case into the champion's bad arm multiple times.

 

Things don't look good for Cena. Don't worry, he made it out okay

 

Leaving the ring Sandow stretched Cena's arm around the ring post and yelled "Rise above this!" as he whipped him into the crowd barricade. He completed his trilogy of Cena quotes for the evening by yelling "My time is now!" before he handed over his briefcase and Justin Roberts announced the cash-in to make it official.

It was a wonderful opening segment. A large part of the success was obviously due to the surprise of it all but Sandow's existing popularity and understanding of his character shouldn't be overlooked. His mockery of Cena's phrases helped make the moment what it was. And, in fairness, Cena played his part too. While showing weakness still isn't something he's great at he did sell the attack on the arm well and made it seem like Sandow's WHC reign had arrived.

As it turned out it hadn't. But you wouldn't have known that from the pre-match interaction of champion and challenger. The two men had a very good match, making it two nights in a row for 'The CeNation Leader'. Sandow looked competitive and it came as a shock when he lost, falling to Cena's trusty AA.

 

Yep. He's still the champ

 

I'm sure some people will see the loss as a burial and Sandow being "ruined". It's anything but. He was allowed to look like he was going to beat the biggest name of the past ten years. Even with the pre-match assault that's quite the achievement: not just anybody gets to look competitive against, or dominate, Cena. That he lost isn't an issue either. It doesn't mean he'll never be a champion, it just means he's not one yet. Losing to Cena is not, in and of itself, a sign that a wrestler is being overlooked. In fact that he was given such a lengthy interaction with the company's top star in the opening spot of RAW (which can be regarded as the prime spot of WWE's hours of weekly television) is a great sign.

Survivor Series will probably see Cena defend the WHC in a rematch against Alberto Del Rio, which will keep him busy for the next month. Beyond that it’s hard to say but he’ll likely be wrestling an upper mid-card heel at the TLC pay-per-view in December. It’s entirely possible it’ll be Del Rio again. I can’t imagine Cena being the World champion once WrestleMania Season kicks off in January so it’s possible the idea is for him to spend a couple of months working with Del Rio to keep him doing something (that seems) relevant (but actually isn’t).

The future of Sandow is less clear. Keeping him floating around the Cena versus Del Rio programme isn’t impossible but it would seem peculiar. The unsuccessful Money in the Bank cash-in demonstrates that Sandow is not on the level of either man: he’d be the clear odd one out in a triple threat match.

The interaction with Cena and the loss clearly happened with a plan in mind though. WWE doesn’t book opening segments of RAW (especially ones featuring Cena) without a plan in mind. Sandow lost for a reason. It may be the rumoured face turn. Losing what most fans consider a sure thing is a humiliating experience, one which could be used as the trigger to start eliciting sympathy. Even though Sandow’s a bad guy and essentially got his just desserts when he failed to win the gold it’s the sort of scenario the modern WWE brain trust regularly engineer for face turn purposes.

What I’d like to happen is Sandow mocked by his fellow superstars for picking the worst moment to cash-in, showing that he’s not the intellectual he claims to be. That could lead to a short series between Sandow and pretty much any mid-card face, which ‘The Duke of Decency’ would win. With that out of the way he could announce his intention to bring an end to Cena’s title reign by earning a shot at the World Heavyweight championship the traditional way. This chain of events could actually see Sandow wrestle Cena at TLC, because he’d have had a break while things were wrapped up between Cena and Del Rio.

Whether Sandow would win the WHC on the second attempt is irrelevant at this point. He would be rehabilitated by a PPV win over a contemporary and be driven by his high profile loss to Cena. The negative of losing would be turned into a storyline and a tool for moving Sandow to then top. It’s a far better idea than turning someone who uses the term “unwashed masses” into a babyface.

The NXT Three

So what do Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns want? Right now it’s unknown but we’re told that answers will be forthcoming on this evening’s RAW. Yes, former war correspondent and current ‘Voice of WWE’ Michael Cole will be interviewing the NXT wrestlers in the ring.

At the moment the plot could go either way.

I assume that the three will claim they are unaffiliated with CM Punk as Brad Maddox did after Hell in a Cell. Storyline-wise there’s nothing to link them to the WWE champion beyond the fact that their actions helped him to retain his title at Survivor Series. They have not voiced an opinion on Punk and he has not voiced an opinion on them.

The logical progression of the story would see them state they acted alone. Their motivation could be that they saw Ryback making a name for himself, appearing regularly on RAW and headlining pay-per-views for world championships, and they thought they deserved the same. Rollins and Ambrose are certainly better wrestlers than ‘Big Hungry’. It’s entirely possible Reigns (son of Wild Samoan Sika) is too, though from what I’ve seen he’s a little light in the personality department. That could be given as a reason for the men taking this course of action.

WWE could really push the realism of the situation and have the men bring up the fact that they are taught in developmental to create their own opportunities and do everything they can to make a name for themselves. Obviously if NXT talents acted like this for real they’d be future endeavoured before they knew what hit them, but in television land this sort of behaviour is par for the course.

 

As much as I like him I have to say that Ambrose has the worst hair

 

An alternative is that the men will hint at a relationship with Punk (or one will be revealed over time). Maybe we could discover that Punk is using NXT as his own personal recruitment agency, plucking the most talented grapplers from the roster and having them interfere in his matches. To a man in Punk’s spot they would be disposable cannon fodder. From an NXT talent’s (kayfabe) POV  they would be getting precisely what they want: a chance to make an impact on the main roster. This could neatly encompass Maddox’s actions too.

On another note: I have mixed feelings on these call-ups. I’ve been waiting for Seth Rollins, formerly Tyler Black in Ring of Honor, to show up on RAW or SmackDown for two years. It’s nice to see him promoted but at the same time I’m concerned he won’t get to make the impact he deserves debuting alongside two other guys.

I have similar feelings about Ambrose (previously Jon Moxley) but I’m not as familiar with him and so they’re not quite so strong. From what I’ve seen of him on NXT Roman Reigns is lucky to be associated with two far more talented men. Kassius Ohno would have been my choice for the third man.

Tonight’s interview segment should prove memorable. As long as Dean Ambrose does the bulk of the talking it should go very well.

Neutral Push

I like the booking pattern that has emerged for Antonio Cesaro since he captured the United States title on the SummerSlam pre-show in August. Instead of easily dominating everyone  he faces as most of WWE's champions do 'The Swiss Superman' routinely loses non-title matches on RAW and SmackDown. He then gains a win, occasionally a tainted one, in a rematch against the challenger.
 
This has happened most notably with Tyson Kidd and Justin Gabriel. It allows the challengers to get some TV time and enjoy a short feud. It also shows that Cesaro is fallible. That's nice to see in a champion in WWE.
 
I'm enjoying the treatment of Cesaro for more than just the approach to his win-loss record. He's being given a chance to get into the ring and wrestle for a relatively long amount of time, which isn't that common. Not only that but he's getting to wrestle a style not dissimilar to the one we saw him use in ROH. That's not what I expected when he signed with WWE. 
 
The recent vignettes in which he banishes American landmarks from "his" America are even better. They're a nice way of making the United States championship stand out. Which is needed because it is arguably the promotion's most meaningless strap.
 
The trouble (there's always a trouble) is that this approach has led to any babyface being pitted against Cesaro as being heralded as the next guy to receive a meaningful push. It would be great if the likes of Kidd, Gabriel, and, most recently, R-Truth were given a chance to prove to audiences that they can win as well as perform well. Unfortunately every decision WWE makes indicates that creating a mid-card in which guys can get over is very low on their list of priorities.

Taping his right hand helps him remember all those languages

 
Both Tyson Kidd and Justin Gabriel have been rumoured for a strong babyface push at different junctures this year. They were going to be used as a tag team back in the spring. Then Kidd was going to being a player on the heels of his qualification for Money in the Bank (which, in hindsight, happened so that there was someone in the match other than Dolph Ziggler who could perform some stunts). Then the two were going to be a combo again when the doubles scene began receiving attention thanks to Kane and Daniel Bryan. Finally Justin Gabriel scored that non-title win over Antonio Cesaro, which was seen as WWE "getting serious" about making 'The Werewolf of Cape Town' a star.
 
It has been a parade of false dawns. Nothing more.
 
The truth is that it is always very obvious when WWE wants to make something of someone. Look at Ryback. Look at Sheamus. Those are the sorts of pushes WWE gives guys it has plans for. For now we’re going to have to satisfy ourselves with Cesaro getting regular pay-per-view outings against underutilised yet talented wrestlers. It’s not all bad.

Survivor Series preview

Survivor Series is a perfect indicator of how far in advance WWE’s writing team works. The Miz is on the poster and isn’t anywhere near a prominent position on the show. Team Punk became Team Ziggler. And the WWE champion was switched from a Survivors match to a triple threat bout for the title seemingly on the chairman’s whim (both on-screen and off-).

As they have done many times over the last year or so WWE have failed to adequately prep for what should be one of their largest events of the year. The changes mentioned above are said to have come about because Vince McMahon was unhappy with the creative direction of his product. Fair enough, Vince deserves credit for making changes he thinks will improve the card.

But how did things manage to get that bad in the first place? Had he made changes more frequently throughout the year then the product may not have needed a drastic overhaul now. More attention needs to be paid to small details and finding new stars, and more time needs to be devoted to booking long term.

The original plans for the show actually didn’t seem too bad to me. The Team Punk v Team Foley match could have been very good. Presumably the last man standing on Team Foley would have been Ryback and he would have powered his way through Team Punk and won the match by beating the WWE champion clean. That would have been a great story and a great moment.

It was also looking as though we’d get a John Cena v Dolph Ziggler singles outing. It’s a match that’s happened before but not on pay-per-view and being in that spot would really have helped ‘The Show Off’, even though he almost certainly would have lost. At least he’s still going to wrestle, and captain a team no less. If only this were 1991 that would mean something.

The traditional Survivor Series match we’re getting should be good. With Daniel Bryan, the Rhodes Scholars, Kofi Kingston, Wade Barrett, and Randy Orton involved match quality should be high. Kane will be present to provide some comedy alongside ‘The World’s Toughest Vegan’, which should keep the crowd hot. Seeing career antagonist The Miz interact with his babyface teammates should be interesting too. If this is a permanent face turn for ‘The Awesome One’ it’s been a long time coming.

 

The Miz isn't on this poster for any particular reason

 

The number of feuds colliding in this match isn’t bad either: ‘The Viper’ versus Alberto Del Rio and Team Hell No versus the Rhodes Scholars are both well-established programmes. It would have been even better if Punk and Ryback hadn’t been moved to a separate encounter. What we have isn’t too bad though.

Matches like this are incredibly difficult to predict outcomes for because there are so many variables involved (and because only those men not eliminated are considered winners). Orton’s established proficiency at this match type should mean he survives a while and the recent treatment of Kofi Kingston makes me think he’ll be booked strongly as well. The Rhodes Scholars eliminating one or both of the tag team champions would make sense too, as it would set up a rematch at TLC.

I’ll pick a combination of the babyface team to win, with Dolph Ziggler and Cody Rhodes lasting a long time for their team.

The United States title match between defending champion Antonio Cesaro and challenger R-Truth should get a good amount of time considering how light the card is. ‘The Swiss Superman’s’ character is over as a star on the rise and Little Jimmy’s pal remains surprisingly over. Usually characters such as Truth’s get played out through overexposure. It’s a testament to him that that’s not the case here.

I think Cesaro will pick up the win and leave with the championship. If they get long enough this could be the most meaningful and rewarding singles match R-Truth has had since his programme with Cena last year.

The Eve v Kaitlyn rivalry has been chugging along for a couple of months now but hasn’t seen much advancement since Hell in a Cell. At that show the two faced off in a triple threat match that also involved Layla. Here they will drop the Brit and have a singles encounter.

I think this has the chance to be one of the best WWE women’s matches in years. The scarcity of bouts on the card means the two Divas are almost guaranteed a good amount of time and they are two of the best remaining workers in the promotion. Eve is underrated as a wrestler and Kaitlyn’s ability to connect with audiences is all too often downplayed. If everything goes right this could be a heated outing.

I’m going to predict a win for Kaitlyn. It feels like the right time for her to get the belt having been chasing it for a few months. It would be nice to see some fresh blood coming through.

The triple threat WWE championship match is a peculiar booking decision. Wrestling logic dictates that when booking a match of this type the heels should outnumber the babyfaces. Here we have two babyfaces against one heel. Not only that but both faces are established as being much more powerful than the bad guy they’ll be teaming up to battle.

I expect Cena and Ryback will get a portion of the match to go one-on-one, teasing a proper collision at some point in the future. The champ will probably break that up to get some heat and stop too much being given away.

Punk and Ryback are both good in their respective roles and I thought their HIAC clash was good considering all the limitations placed on them. Cena being involved will make replicating that success tough. ‘The Franchise’ doesn’t understand the psychology of these sorts of matches (in particular that he and Ryback should not team up on Punk for too long, if at all, for fear of presenting him as the valiant underdog) and is so inept that it’s almost guaranteed he’ll do something wrong.

The booking will have to be impeccable for this match to work. As it features the company’s top three stars I think it’s safe to say that a lot of time will go into ensuring it’s laid out well. I don’t see Punk dropping the championship. My reasons are the same as they have been before: I think he is the man who will clash with The Rock at Royal Rumble next January. Having him lose the belt and regain it or having someone else face ‘The Great One’ would go against the plot of the last several months.

Finally there’s the World Heavyweight championship rematch. The Big Show will defend against Sheamus. Their match at Hell in a Cell was better than I’d expected, but then I hadn’t expected much at all so that’s not saying a great deal. ‘Great White’ regaining the title would make sense here as Show is not an option for the spot long term and it would portray him as overcoming pretty tough odds (which should theoretically increase his popularity).

It’s rare for WWE to switch a title back and forth during a feud (it hasn’t really been done since the Orton v Christian programme last year) and I think this could be one of those rare occasions where they have a belt swap back and forth between two guys. I’d like to see that. It’s something different and would be a nice alternative to Punk’s long WWE title reign.

I’d expect at least one more match to be added to the show at some point. The ongoing rivalry between the Prime Time Players and Rey Mysterio and Sin Cara could result in a match between those two teams. Should that happen I think the PTPs will get the win as they went under at HIAC.

Another man we could expect to see is Brad Maddox. He was brutalised by ‘Big Hungry’ on RAW but could make a surprise appearance at the show. Perhaps he still has his “referee license” (that’s an actual thing WWE used to reference) and will appear after a ref bump during Punk’s title defence. While he lost his opportunity for a contract on Monday night I don’t think we’ve seen the last of him on WWE programming.

On paper Survivor Series looks like a pretty decent show. There are plenty of opportunities for standout moments and elevating talent. Whether that ends up happening or not I’ll probably always remember it as the card that would have been headlined by a ten man tag match.

Predictions summary:

CM Punk to defeat John Cena and Ryback
Team Foley to defeat Team Ziggler
Sheamus to defeat Big Show
Kaitlyn to defeat Eve
Antonio Cesaro to defeat R-Truth

Aristocratic Exposure

When Alberto Del Rio first appeared on WWE television in 2010 he was a breath of fresh air. A mixture of JBL and Ted DiBiase by way of Mexico Del Rio was given the rich braggart heel gimmick that always works so well and had been absent from WWE since Layfield departed in April 2009.
 
Since debuting ADR has racked up an impressive number of accolades. He won the 2011 Royal Rumble (the first ever to consist of 40 participants), challenged for the World Heavyweight championship at WrestleMania, wrestled Edge in what turned out to be 'The Rated R Superstar's' retirement match, won Money in the Bank, and became a two time WWE champion.
 
During his first year and a half with the company 'The Essence of Excellence' was involved in feuds with Rey Mysterio, Edge, Christian, Big Show, Sheamus, CM Punk, and John Cena. He's worked matches with pretty much every member of the roster he hasn't feuded with. In fact his recent programme with Randy Orton was one of the few fresh pairings left for him.
 
And that, in a nutshell, is the problem both he and WWE are now presented with. 'The Mexican Aristocrat' has achieved so much so quickly and blasted through the roster that he now feels stale as an act. With the exception of Ryback Del Rio has worked with every babyface of note and has competed in all of WWE's favourite match types.
 
Something needs to be done to revitalise the character.
 
Usually in these sorts of situations the solution is to turn the wrestler in question. This opens up new matches and booking scenarios for those scripting the show. Unfortunately I don't think this is an option here. Del Rio's WWE persona is a natural bad guy. There's nothing there that could be tweaked to make him an even moderately successful crowd pleaser. He is of most use to WWE left as a heel.

This guy's name is Alberto Del Rio. But you already knew that

 
The writing team aren't completely without options. Once his programme with 'The Viper' wraps up Del Rio could be given a few months off, allowing him to come back to television refreshed in the New Year. The Royal Rumble would be the perfect time for that. That scenario is not a great option though as it's rarely a good idea to have someone healthy and fit paid to sit at home. An alternative would be to station him in the developmental system for a while. That would allow him to do something productive, help to train the guys and gals we see on NXT, while also giving his character a rest.
 
If he stays on TV then Del Rio has an ongoing programme with Randy Orton that could comfortably stretch to Survivor Series. After that the potential feud with Ryback could be launched. Written well that should easily see both men through to TLC, which gives WWE plenty of time to build up one or two existing names as opponents for ADR. Kofi Kingston and Zack Ryder both spring immediately to mind as guys WWE could and should be doing more with.
 
The best thing WWE could do with the former CMLL champion would be to put him into a tag team. It would keep him on TV but allow him to develop his character by interacting with others. Mark Henry's currently sitting on the injured list. Why not bring him back to team with ADR? I think they'd be a great addition to the recently revived tag team division.
 
Thinking a little bigger Del Rio could be made the leader of a group. He already has Ricardo Rodriguez as his personal ring announcer and bump fodder for big matches. David Otunga could be brought back as his legal adviser (and more bump fodder) and 'The World's Strongest Man' could come on board in a bodyguard slash enforcer role, explaining that he enjoys hurting people and ADR will pay him a lot of money to do that. The Prime Time Players could bulk up the numbers, giving ADR henchmen and partners for six man tag matches. Put together in time this unit could be used to battle a face troupe lead by 'The Apex Predator' at Survivor Series.
 
Alberto Del Rio is not bad at anything his job requires of him. He is a victim of circumstance, hurt by WWE's thin roster and rapid approach to feuds. He can still be a great benefit, just not in his current role as a singles competitor. Let him help some other guys shine for a while.

Feed Him More

At the conclusion of the September 24^th RAW Ryback appeared backstage to stop CM Punk battering Mick Foley. A week later WWE's hungriest superstar stormed the ring after the WWE champion had ordered commentator Jim Ross backstage. Both of these encounters saw 'The Second City Saint' retreat from 'The Human Wrecking Ball'.
 
The prospect of a Ryback versus CM Punk feud or match seems to have a lot of people excited. I think it could prove enjoyable if handled right but I don't think we're going to see it happen anytime soon.
 
The former Skip Sheffield has proven to be a surprise hit since returning to WWE with a new name and (slightly new) appearance. The slow push and demolition of everyone placed in front of him has created a star that fans can believe in. His "Feed me more!" chant, shouts of "Stoopid!", stiff ring style and proven ability to win have all encouraged fans to back him. Similar acts have been seen in wrestling before but as Ryback is the only guy in WWE doing it right now it allows him to appear different.

Fans cheered Ryback over CM Punk. That's popularity that is

 
WWE aren't going to rush him into a programme with a guy of Punk's level. I believe they're just testing the waters and gauging interest. Punk will clash with John Cena at Hell in a Cell and very possibly Survivor Series. With a battle against Mick Foley rumoured for TLC in December and a showdown with 'The Great One' at the Royal Rumble in January CM Punk has a busy schedule and has no time for a proper feud with Ryback.
 
It's possible that WWE would use the rivalry to fill time on TV but that would be a massive waste. A programme of that magnitude would need to cover at least one pay-per-view. Should the Foley bout not happen at TLC then perhaps we'll see Punk clash with his fellow Nexus alumnus then. If not then the earliest I can imagine them clashing is Elimination Chamber.
 
The thing is that building a bout for six months would be uncharacteristic of the global entertainment company. WWE is much more inclined to book short term, unless big names like Cena, Triple H, Undertaker and Shawn Michaels are involved. Punk could, at a push, be considered on the cusp of that status. But Ryback? Defs not.

More likely for Ryback is a resumption of the rivalry with The Miz that was first hinted at on the September 17^th RAW. ‘The Awesome One’ should ensure Ryback doesn’t hear any unwanted jeers and a feud for the Intercontinental championship would allow him to be presented as a rising star without making fans resent his push.
 
The slow build WWE have been doing with Ryback has worked. They will not risk fouling that up by moving him up the card too soon. Teasing a showdown with the cowardly WWE champion is fine, but they won’t go through with it as that would either mean switching the belt or promoting a Ryback v Rock match at the Rumble. Neither of those is an option.
 
For now Ryback will have to remain content with his diet of random jabronis and low-card talent and the potential feud with Miz. His ascension to the top of the card is still a little way off but it is coming. Vince McMahon is said to see him as a potential number two babyface. With his physique and range of popular catchphrases it’s hard to disagree.

The Rare Sell

John Cena is injured. It was originally reported, by WWE’s official website, that ‘The CeNation Leader’ would miss between two and three weeks of action. While this was an irritation it wasn’t catastrophic. Such a short amount of time off would have allowed Cena to be back on TV in plenty of time to hype a clash with WWE CM Punk at Hell in a Cell on October 28^th.

Unfortunately the two to three week timeframe was corrected by Cena himself via Twitter. The former ten time WWE champion mentioned that he had discussed the matter with surgeon Dr James Andrews and had been informed would be more like six to eight weeks. He then stated that the website should check their facts, which was nice to see because WWE wrestlers are usually very quick to attack “dirt sheets” for getting things wrong.

 
While there's never a good time for a wrestler to get injured there is a positive note here: Cena won't miss WrestleMania. Whether he has to take off two weeks or eight WWE's biggest star will be back in plenty of time for the biggest wrestling event of 2013.
 
Hell in a Cell is five and a half weeks away. I wouldn’t blame anyone for thinking that Cena has just enough time to make a superhuman comeback and wrestle at the event. He’s returned quickly from injuries before and his character is synonymous with no-selling.

Hopefully Cena's new T-shirt will continue to sell even though he's missing ring time. It's still for a good cause

Realistically it’s not going to happen. Even if Cena is fully recuperated by October 28^th WWE won’t be sure of his condition one way or the other until it’s too late. They still have to announce and hype a WWE title match for the event. They cannot wait until the week before in the hope that Cena will be capable of wrestling. Even if they could guarantee that he would be ready to wrestle it would risk Cena (and Punk’s) safety for him to wrestle a match as gruelling as Hell in a Cell just after surgery.
 
It's lucky for WWE that this injury has occurred during a six week pay-per-view gaps. Had it happened during one of their (ridiculous) two or three week interludes then it would have been that much tougher to decide upon and promote a new headline attraction.
 
WWE has a show to promote, with or without John Cena. CM Punk, as WWE champion and the biggest active star will still be the man to main event the show. He needs a new opponent though. Because of their well-established over-reliance on merch machine Cena the company finds itself in a tight spot in this regard.

An emergency face turn and programme with Punk could be organised for The Miz. It doesn't seem likely though. It would be a rush job and Monday's RAW made it clear he's heading toward a showdown with Ryback.
 
There's a chance Rey Mysterio could be picked as a placeholder opponent. He has good chemistry with 'The Second City Saint' and has the credibility to headline a supercard. There are problems again though. Like Miz, Mysterio also has a storyline brewing, in this case with Sin Cara (and possibly the Prime Time Players). I also don't think Punk and Mysterio, known for fast-paced, technical matches with one another, would be right for a cage collision.

 
The obvious candidate to challenge CM Punk is Randy Orton. The two have worked some highly enjoyable bouts together and as far as main event pairings in WWE go a clash between them would feel relatively fresh (they haven't had a PPV match since Extreme Rules 2011).
 
'The Viper' is WWE's only realistic option for pitting against the WWE champion. He has the auraand status to be a worthy challenger to Punk and contribute to the legacy of the Hell in a Cell. It would mean placing his programme with Dolph Ziggler on hold but that's not necessarily a bad thing. 'The Show Off' could just as easily face big bad Randy at Survivor Series as HIAC. In fact tackling 'The Apex Predator' on the latter event could help both the aspiring headliner and the standing of the Survivors Series show in the long run.
 
While Cena won't be wrestling for the next month or two that doesn't mean he'll be absent from television. If he does manage to get medically cleared in time there’s always the option of adding him to Punk’s match as a special referee. That would serve to keep their programme alive going into Survivor Series.

Cena is expected to keep appearing on RAW while rehabbing. With a tender arm it’s unlikely he’ll be getting involved in physical angles but he should be fine to do a weekly promo. An interesting option open to the company is to have Cena replace Jerry ‘the King’ Lawler on commentary for a few weeks. He doesn’t have any experience calling a three hour live show but he would be able to provide an insight into the action and could follow the lead of headset veteran Michael Cole. Jim Ross could be called into to lessen the pressure.

Whatever happens between now and Hell in a Cell I’m sure Cena will continue making regular appearances on RAW and will resume his feud with Punk as soon as he is physically able. WWE’s biggest concern should be finding a worthy challenger to Punk. Respect the champion and all that.

The Scene of the Crime

Tonight's RAW will emanate from Montreal, Quebec and will feature an appearance by Bret 'The Hitman' Hart. Anyone wrestling fan familiar with the Montreal Screwjob will be able to tell you how significant this appearance is. Most people reading this will likely already know what the Montreal Screwjob is but for those that don't I'll attempt a brief summary.

Bret Hart was recognised as the WWF champion heading into Survivor Series '97. It was relatively common knowledge that he was due to leave the promotion within weeks and join WCW, due mainly to Vince McMahon and the WWF being unable to pay Hart's contracted salary.
 
Hart was adamant that he would not lose the WWF championship to Shawn Michaels, his scheduled opponent at the pay-per-view. Some have said he was willing to lose the title to Steve Austin or Mick 'Mankind' Foley, while some have stated the problem wasn't just losing to 'The Heartbreak Kid' but losing in Canada in general. Hart took (and takes) his public perception in his home nation very seriously and the general consensus is that he didn't want to lose to a man he personally disliked in front of his countrymen.
 
The Hart versus Michaels match ended up going ahead, with a planned finish agreed between the opponents and company owner and chief creative director Vince McMahon that would see Hart retain the championship. Reports vary on when Hart believed he would lose the title but it’s generally felt he was under the impression he would retain the belt on pay-per-view and then drop it on Monday Night RAW sometime in the following weeks.
 
The planned finish didn't occur. What happened instead was that Michaels placed 'The Hitman' in his own finishing hold, the Sharpshooter, and Vince McMahon ordered the bell to be rung and the match ruled in HBK's favour.
 
The combatants looked confused in the ring as a new WWF champion was announced. This was a ruse on Michaels' part, he had been in on the deception along with Vince McMahon and other key names. Hart spat on Vince and drew the WCW initials in the air for the hard camera as the show went off the air.
 
Hart wouldn't appear on RAW again until January 4 2010. He moved to WCW for a disappointingly forgettable run that saw his career reach a premature end in a match with Bill Goldberg.
 
The Montreal Screwjob left a sour taste in the mouths of Hart's family and friends for years to come. It tarnished the legacy of one of wrestling's most important figures and offended many members of the WWF locker room (Davey Boy Smith, Owen Hart, Mick Foley and the Undertaker, among others).
 
It also did a great deal of good for the WWF. It allowed for the creation of the hated Mr McMahon character, who proved the perfect foil for breakout star 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin. It also set the tone for the Attitude Era, which is what eventually allowed the WWF to triumph over WCW.
 
It may not have been Vinnie Mac's finest hour but it's hard to argue that he didn't make the right decision for his company in the long run.
 
As I noted above Bret returned to the (now renamed) WWE in 2010. He publicly buried the hatchet with Shawn Michaels and embarked on a feud with McMahon that climaxed at WrestleMania XXVI. He has made sporadic appearances over the last two and a half years and remains a popular nostalgia-fuelled act.
 
The company are going to want to make Hart's televised return to Montreal memorable. It's likely he will be given time to talk about what appearing there means to him and (hopefully) acknowledge that it (finally) signals an end to the fallout of the Screwjob.

Tonight is a big night for this guy

 
I cannot see his appearance being limited to a speech though. It is too perfect an opportunity to get some heat on a heel act. Any wrestler interrupting Hart's address (or diatribe, call it what you will) will meet with an intensely frosty reception from the Montreal audience.
 
Theoretically any bad guy on the roster could be scripted to interrupt Hart's monologue. The Miz, Alberto Del Rio, Cody Rhodes and Dolph Ziggler would be particularly good fits. All would benefit from the spot and are established enough to pull it off believably. None of them seem likely though.
 
To my mind there are only two men who can realistically be expected to confront 'The Hitman'. The first is Damien Sandow. In truth it's not that likely that he'll interact with Hart, but he's been booked so strongly and management are so high on him that it's just about imaginable enough to be a realistic possibility.
 
The other name, and the man I think will confront the former five time WWE champion, is CM Punk.
 
The current WWE champion is now the promotion's top heel and is becoming more arrogant and condescending with each passing week. Having him lay into Hart for whining would cast Punk in an incredibly negative light and make the fans in attendance loathe him. It's all too easy to imagine a situation in which 'The Voice of the Voiceless' lays into Hart for "disrespecting" him by wasting time and talking about something that happened fifteen years ago.

Placing Punk in this spot would also open up the possibility of having Paul Heyman interact with the Canadian hero. The alliance that appeared to be revealed in the closing moments of last week’s RAW is expected to be addressed tonight and there would be no better way of giving the pairing something memorable to do than having (to my knowledge) the first televised interaction between Heyman and Hart.
 
Whatever happens tonight I expect it to be a memorable segment and something that will looked back at again and again for years to come. There is no better use for Bret Hart in 2012.

The Heel Turn That Wasn't

RAW 1000 ended with CM Punk giving The Rock a GTS. It was viewed as the WWE champion turning heel. It’s true that Punk’s demeanour and promos have been decidedly more villainous since he attacked ‘The Great One’ on July 23^rd but does that make him a heel?

No. Not yet at least.

The GTS to The Rock was designed as a starting point, not a definitive signal that Punk is now a completely different character who must be booed by fans. Getting to that point will take time. The man has been pushed as the promotion’s number two babyface for over a year. Fans will not just turn on him for that one act.

Some people will support ‘The Straight Edge Superstar’ more because of his assault on ‘The People’s Champion’. The sentiment behind the assault doesn’t contradict Punk’s character. Nor does it contradict the fact that he speaks his mind, which is what helped him gain support in the first place. What will encourage the majority of fans to jeer instead of cheer is his new habit of demanding respect and using shady tactics in his matches.

It’s impossible to say when Punk’s turn will be finalised and he will be considered a bad guy. Whenever it occurs he will undoubtedly be the new lead heel. There’s not really much competition for that spot anyway (Brock Lesnar’s part time, Daniel Bryan hears as many cheers as boos, and everyone else is either a mid-carder or a glorified mid-carder) but Punk’s push, status and lengthy title reign would help him to supplant even the most dominant of heels.

 

This man is on a collision course with The Rock

 

I expect the champion’s clash with John Cena at Night of Champions will see him go farther down the path to the dark side. Cheating to beat the hometown hero would get a lot of heat and portray Punk as a poor sport, especially if the announce team were bright enough to remind us that Cena played fair in Punk’s hometown at Money in the Bank 2011.

If I had to guess I would say that Punk will be a full on heel champion by the time of Survivor Series. By that point he will be two months away from a clash with The Rock and will need to start being built up as an unstoppable villain in order to convince people that he can beat ‘The Great One’ at the Royal Rumble.

It’s an interesting character development and one that benefits the Chicago native. It allows him to stay fresh and relevant and opens him up to new feuds and situations. It’s also something new for the wrestling business and its fans. We’re used to things taking place in a very short period of time. It’s nice to see a turn booked with some clear forethought applied to it.

RAW 1000 was a signal. Get ready for the heel turn. It’s coming.

Two Birds, One Briefcase

One of Sunday's Money in the Bank matches sees Dolph Ziggler and Cody Rhodes battling it out (along with some other guys) for a MITB briefcase. Both men are ready for a run at the very top of the company, but only one can scale the ladder and leave victorious.
 
That doesn't mean only one of them can benefit from the case though.
 
'The Show Off' has recently clashed with Sheamus over the World Heavyweight championship, provoking mixed reactions in the process. He is beginning to be accepted as a prospective world champion, and he doesn’t need the briefcase to make the transition. What’s more, I think if handled and timed correctly WWE could turn him face and create a new bankable star. He has a marketable look, delivers in the ring, is one of the best promos on the roster, and routinely hears a few cheers mixed in with even the most hostile crowds.
 
Meanwhile Cody Rhodes, despite being plagued this year with tedious feuds and short Intercontinental title reigns which have done more harm than good, remains a great prospect for advancement to the top bracket of the promotion. He too has the WWE look and is reliable in every area a pro wrestler needs to be. He just hasn’t had the exposure afforded to Ziggler recently.
 
Here's a scenario that would capitalise on the talent and ability of both men that would create a fresh feud for WWE's stale TV programmes.
 
Have Rhodes win the Money in the Bank battle after a match stuffed with near misses from Christian, Tyson Kidd, and, of course, Dolph Ziggler. The writing team need to decide on a time for Rhodes to cash-in and work towards that. Personally I would go with Survivor Series: it's a flagship event and gives the company four months to prepare Rhodes for a run at the top.
 
To ensure the former 'Dashing One' is ready to headline he should be placed into feuds with established babyface opponents, such as CM Punk, Rey Mysterio and Randy Orton, and allowed to look competitive and gain some wins. Cena is not an option here: he will derail any momentum Rhodes has at any point in the foreseeable future.

A perfect first opponent in the post-MITB era is Kane: the two clashed for the first time at the most recent NXT tapings (in a dark match main event) and so viewers would not only be seeing a new feud but one that can help elevate a rising star and give a seasoned veteran something new to do.
 
Coming out of the Bank event and until Survivor Series Dolph Ziggler should be booked in his current upper mid-card position and get air time on as many shows as possible. Around late September or early October he should begin a feud with the WHC, culminating in him getting a match for the big gold belt at Survivor Series.
 
Heading into the event Ziggler should be booked as a tweener. Fans should want to see him capture the title and it should be clear that SS marks the beginning of his time as a babyface. Fans should be able to sense this and support ‘The Show Off’ as the star of a new era.
 
Ziggler would win the match and the title, clean and in the centre of the ring. While celebrating and posing with his newly won trinket Rhodes' music would play and he would come to the ring, battle back-and-forth with the new champ, and then KO him with a briefcase shot and a Cross Rhodes.
 
The case is traded in. One, two, three. New champion.
 
This scenario would be designed to get heat on Rhodes for ruining a special moment and spoiling the coronation of the new champ, as well as reinforcing Ziggler’s new status as a good guy by portraying him as the wronged underdog.

With a bit of planning this sight could be met with cheers at Survivor Series

 
Officially ditching Vickie Guerrero on the following evening's RAW would complete ‘The Heel’s’ face turn. He and Rhodes could then embark on a fresh feud over the World Heavyweight title. Having the gold on Rhodes means that he gets the opportunity to headline and the pressure on Ziggler is decreased: wanting him to get over as a world champion and a newly turned babyface at the same time would be too much.
 
If the feud went well 'The Show Off' could regain the strap at the Royal Rumble. If it didn't he could be tried out against some other top heels before reverting to the bad guy role.
 
This scenario wouldn't be a guaranteed hit, but if it did work then it would create two new main event stars and bring something fresh to RAW and SmackDown. Surely it's worth a try for that?

Fantasy Booker: The Summer of Punk II

I always enjoy writing fantasy booking blogs but I try to becareful not to overload on them. Too much of a good thing and all that. But once in a while I feel I can indulge myself, and with this being my two hundredth post this is probably a good time to do so.

For the subject material I thought I’d select last year’s Summer of Punk. For anyone who’s unaware of the story here’s a recap: CM Punk, then a heel and the leader of the Nexus faction (of which he was the only genuine star), cut a blistering worked shoot promo at the end of the June 27^th RAW. Within a ten minute period he chastised John Cena for his inability to wrestle, lambasted various backstage personalities (including Stephanie McMahon, Triple H and John Laurinaitis), referenced rival companies New Japan Pro Wrestling and Ring of Honor along with indy star Colt Cabana, and stated that Vince McMahon was a millionaire who should be a billionaire but isn’t because of his own failings.

Punk was set to challenge John Cena for the WWE championship at Money in the Bank on the day his contract expired. Not only that, but the pay-per-view was being held in his hometown of Chicago, Illinois. On the pre-Money in the Bank RAW (he’d been written off television for one week after the famous promo because of a taped show that would have killed the angle’s momentum) Punk played a frustrated, sarcastic tweener who wanted to take the WWE championship from the WWE to prove he was the best wrestler in the world. He also wanted to upset Vince McMahon.

It was a simple, easy to follow storyline that intrigued fans of every level because nobody could be entirely sure what was real and what wasn’t. Clearly Punk had been scripted to cut the original promo on June 27^th: nothing as spontaneous as that happens in WWE. But how much of what he said had been cleared beforehand? Was his contract really expiring? Most importantly, if Punk won the title in Chicago would he really leave the promotion and take the championship elsewhere?

We’ll never know the answer to most of those questions, and we don’t need to. In July 2011 WWE seemed to have rediscovered the magic of great wrestling television. That’s what was important.

The Money in the Bank main event was tremendous. It was one of the best wrestling matches of the year in any promotion (it placed second in my 2011 Year End Awards). Equally the post-match sequence was expertly laid out. Vince McMahon had dispatched John Laurinaitis to the timekeeper’s table to attempt a Montreal Screwjob Finish™, only for Johnny to be punched out by Cena. ‘The Leader of the Chain Gang’ then confronted McMahon in the aisle and told him he didn’t want to retain the title that way. Sliding back into the ring the champ was met with a Go To Sleep for a CM Punk victory.

Punk celebrated as McMahon raced around to the announce table to address workers backstage via a headset. Selling the desperation of his situation perfectly McMahon called for Alberto Del Rio to come out and cash in the Money in the Bank briefcase he’d won earlier in the evening. ADR raced out to huge heat, unaccompanied by entrance music (which added to the shoot feel the company was striving for), only to be met with a GTS from the new champion. Punk then promptly hopped the barrier and left through the crowd, but not before cheekily blowing a kiss to Vince as he departed.

It was a great sequence that could not have been bettered. Sadly things went sour after Money in the Bank, with cracks beginning to appear on the following evening’s RAW. That’s where my fantasy booking starts.

CM Punk blows a kiss before making his getaway

I would have opened the July 18^th RAW with Vince McMahon cutting a promo about the importance of the WWE championship to the company, to the wrestlers on the roster, and to him. The aim would be to get over the importance of the championship as the top prize in the industry. The World Heavyweight title would not have been mentioned.

Vince would reassure fans that the WWE would go on. There have been setbacks to the company before and there will be more in the future. Setbacks are what Vince McMahon thrives on, he would tell us. His way of dealing with this one is simple: he would announce an eight man tournament to crown a new WWE champion.

This is pretty much what happened on RAW, only in reality a new champion was crowned the following week. I would have the tournament last the four weeks until SummerSlam, with the finals being held at that pay-per-view. The actual brackets of the tournament saw Rey Mysterio, R-Truth, Kofi Kingston and The Miz qualify for the second round with wins over Dolph Ziggler, Jack Swagger, Alberto Del Rio and Alex Riley respectively. Miz and Mysterio eventually ended up in the ring ready for the finals, only for Vince to postpone their match until the following week’s show.

I’d keep seven of the eight guys in the tournament, replacing Jack Swagger with John Cena. This isn’t because I’m a huge Cena fan but because it evens up the number of faces and heels and allows for a lead storyline to be set in motion.

The July 18^th RAW would see Miz advance over A-Ry and Cena qualify over R-Truth. The July 25^th RAW would see Dolph Ziggler and Rey Mysterio join them in the semi-finals with victories over Kofi Kingston and Alberto Del Rio respectively. The August 1^st RAW would see Mysterio and Cena heading to the finals with wins over Miz and Ziggler, leaving the August 8^th RAW free to host a promo segment in which both finalists talk about their respect for each other and the championship.

There’s no need to go into specifics but the tournament could be used to start fresh feuds for SummerSlam. With eight guys involved across a month of television it seems wasteful to only have one pay-per-view bout set up by the end of the tournament. They would only have been mid-card feuds, but at least there would have been matches happening with some sort of reason when SummerSlam rolled around.

All this time Punk would not have been mentioned by name on WWE television once. Any time WWE had to reference the reason for holding a WWE championship tournament they would do it in the cagey fashion they usually adopt when addressing things not of their liking. Most people would be aware that Punk still having the WWE championship would be some form of storyline, but if WWE kept kayfabe (y’know, that thing Vince destroyed in the nineties?) on their websites and TV shows it would be that much harder for people to decipher what’s real and what’s not.

Wondering what Punk would be doing? Don’t worry, I’m getting to that.

Cena and Mysterio would clash in the main event at SummerSlam. A new championship belt, easily distinguishable from the bling-tacular one that’s been in use since April 2005, would be displayed before the match and would be the new title belt, with the commentary team saying that a new belt had to be created because the previous one is “unavailable.” That would not only remind people of the Punk situation but also handily write off the awful current belt design.

Mysterio would win the match and the title. He and Cena would shake hands after and ‘Mr Fruity Pebbles’ would raise the masked man’s hand. Mysterio would then be left to celebrate alone only for ADR to come through the crowd, rough him up, and cash in his Money in the Bank contract to become the new WWE champion. ‘The Summer Spectacular’ would go off the air with Del Rio celebrating and shouting about having fulfilled his destiny.

The lead feud on RAW from then on would be John Cena versus Alberto Del Rio. I’d try to keep Mysterio around for one more pay-per-view appearance before he took time off for surgery. If that was possible there would be a triple threat WWE championship match at Night of Champions between Cena, Mysterio and defending champion Del Rio. If Mysterio was incapable of this it would be a straight singles match between Cena and the champ. I’d follow up with a second WWE title match between the two, with ADR still holding the gold, at Hell in a Cell.

During all of this I’d have stuck with Vince being written off television in favour of Triple H. Having the younger man play a COO is a good move, it’s just that WWE rushed it last year. I’d take a slower approach and aim to have ‘The Game’ as the company’s highest on-screen authority figure by mid-September. That allows for a more drawn out storyline which could see Vince crumble and make increasingly rash decisions, rather than the hurried version that actually went into the history books.

With all of this happening on WWE television CM Punk would be left free to embark on the “viral” campaign (I use quotation marks because I dislike the term “viral” but cannot think of a better shorthand for easily describing the sort of thing I mean) he should have been a part of in reality. What he actually did was turn up at an independent wrestling show to cut a promo and gate-crash a panel at the San Diego Comic Con to rile up Triple H. Obviously Punk was under contract during all of this (and was when he won the title at MITB too because there’s no way Vince would put the WWE title on a non-contracted performer) but it would still be fascinating and exciting to see. As with wrestling matches, we knew it was staged but we didn’t know what exactly was going to happen. We could suspend our disbelief.

I would have allowed Punk the freedom to book his own schedule, the only insistence being that he begin by getting onto as many talk shows as possible for the first month before switching his focus to independent events. The NJPW tour he mentioned? That would have been a must. The same goes for the proposed return to Ring of Honor. Punk left WWE TV a month before ROH filmed their first shows for the SBG network, which would have provided an intriguing platform to advance WWE’s story. I imagine ROH would have been willing to participate: they would have had CM Punk, the hottest star in wrestling and champion of another company, on their first TV show! That’s too good to pass up.

July into August would have been the peak time for media interest, making it sensible to have Punk concentrate on mainstream media appearances then while the interest was there. His goal would be simple: to increase interest in WWE television. He would state that he left WWE as champion because he wants to make the WWE title mean something, referring to those involved in the WWE title tournament, and eventual long-term gold wearer Alberto Del Rio, as paper champions. It would be a good idea for him to drop in references to Triple H and other WWE personnel calling him every day, so that fans and viewers were aware Punk’s return to WWE was a constant possibility and that he could crop up on any episode of RAW.

The post-Hell in a Cell RAW is when I’d progress the storyline. Up until that point Punk would not have been referred to by name on-screen since Money in the Bank, and WWE would have been recognising Alberto Del Rio as the “official” WWE champion, new title belt and all, since SummerSlam. Coming out of HIAC Cena would once again be champion, having dethroned ADR in a titular cage clash the previous evening. The October 3^rd RAW would open with Cena giving one of his trademark victory speeches, which would likely receive the standard mixed response.

Embarrassing nonsense or thrilling promo segment? I know which I'd vote for

Hopefully that mixed response would turn to cheers as CM Punk walked through the crowd clutching his WWE championship belt, taking up his seat in the front row. The show would cut to an emergency commercial break (not before Punk was “accidentally” shown on camera, obviously), returning to find ‘The Second City Saint’ sitting in the front row riling various backstage personnel. Cena, still in the ring, would address the issue and invite Punk into the ring to speak. Triple H would then hit the scene (to no music, because that adds to the reality of these situations) and tell security to escort Punk to the backstage area. He would then restart the show.

If handled right I think that would reinvigorate the buzz around Punk and get a great response from a live crowd.

Later on in the show the commentary team would tell viewers that CM Punk had left the premises after contract negotiations had broken down between  he and Triple H. ‘The King of Kings’ would come out a short while later and cut a worked shoot promo regarding Punk, branding him ungrateful, egotistical, and selfish. He would drop in many of the things Punk mentioned in reality: wanting to be in the signature at the start of the show, getting his own tour bus, starring in a movie and having contract negotiations in the ring. He would then turn to the camera and announce that if Punk wants a televised contract negotiation with him he can have one at Vengeance on October 23^rd.

Yes, I’d put a non-wrestling segment on pay-per-view. The reason why is simple: it would sell tickets and get people tuning in just as much as any match.

At Vengeance Punk and Triple H would have their contract negotiations high up on the card. Punk would remind everyone that he’s the true, unbeaten WWE champion and that he’s been defending his title all over the world while ADR and Cena have been battling each other week after week in an endless cycle of nothingness. The general gist of Triple H’s argument would be that he wants Punk back in WWE because he recognises that people want to see him and it’s “good for business.” He would say he’s not Vince and that he’s willing to agree to all of Punk’s terms (the bus, the signature and the all-important ice cream bars) to have him sign a new contract.

Punk would tease signing a contract before revealing he has one more demand: John Cena stripped of the WWE championship. Triple H would say that’s not an option as he’s the officially recognised champion, with Punk answering that he won the belt in an officially sanctioned match and was never beaten for it. This would bring out Cena, who would say he understands Punk’s point but also thinks of himself as the WWE champion because he’s there every night wrestling for WWE fans and has the gold to prove he’s the champ. Cena would suggest a title unification match to sort the dispute out, which Triple H and Punk (after the inevitable snarky comments) would agree to.

That match would be announced then and there for Survivor Series. Punk would sign the contract and he and Cena would spend the next four weeks hyping up their Survivors collision. The story would be quite a way in by this point so it’s tough to say with any certainty what booking decisions I’d make but there’s a good chance I’d add The Rock to the match as a guest referee or enforcer in order to increase the buy rate and continue the preparation for his WrestleMania XXVIII bout with Cena.

Who’d win the WWE title match at Survivor Series? CM Punk. To have Cena win would be a massive anti-climax and would mean another title change has to be worked in soon after in order to unencumber him for his showdown with The Rock. Punk winning at one of the Big Four pay-per-views in WWE’s “home” of Madison Square Garden would solidify him as one of the promotions top stars and set him up for a fresh feud to begin the next evening on RAW.

That’s how I’d have booked The Summer of Punk II. It may not be perfect, but I think it would have made far better use of the worked shoot situation and ensuing popularity boom WWE created for themselves than what actually happened. We’ll never know for sure though, will we?

Don't Pay, Just View

Stop the presses! The launch of the WWE Network has been put back from its original April 1^st date!

What do you mean you all saw it coming?

The WWE Network is due to launch this year (some time, they promise and they really, really mean it) and there are currently very few shows confirmed for it. We know we'll be treated to Legends' House (WWE's take on the decade old Big Brother format) and various documentary series on subjects ranging from the Monday Night War to the travel schedule of the promotion’s current batch of Divas. There's a good chance Superstars and NXT (if that’s still around when the Network launches) will be aired there too.

So far, so underwhelming.
 
There is interesting news though. WWE is considering moving away from the monthly pay-per-view format they've been using since 1995. Firm details on this decision haven’t yet surfaced but it's been hinted that only the Royal Rumble, WrestleMania, SummerSlam and Survivor Series will be sold as pay-per-view shows when the channel launches, with the rest of the company's PPV offerings moving to the Network as part of its regular, free, programming.

The original rumour was more ludicrous still: WWE planned to give away the Big Four shows and charge for the “filler” pay-per-views. WrestleMania alone routinely gets around one million buys, with the other three approaching that combined. That WWE were considering giving away shows that perform that well for free is distressing.
 
I personally think any change to the company’s pay-per-view product would be a huge mistake until the Network is firmly established. Numbers have been declining on pay-per-view buy rates for several years now, but giving them away free in order to entice people to buy a television channel isn’t the answer. The best approach WWE could take is spending more time preparing for these events and offering matches people want to see. Ironically, part of the reason this doesn’t happen is that so many people within the company are preoccupied with launching a TV channel.

Vanity projects like the WWE Network are not going to help bring in extra cash. The Network will undoubtedly get viewers, but I suspect it will take a long time to attract enough to offset the costs WWE is racking up setting the thing up. It will take even longer if WWE voluntarily cuts its PPV revenue stream. TV ratings are another distraction. They do serve a purpose (indicating what acts are popular, which storylines are working and which aren’t) but WWE seems to have forgotten that RAW and SmackDown primarily exist to provide a platform to sell live event tickets, merchandise and, yes, pay-per-views.

That’s the theory at least.

The plan is likely to offer the “filler” events free to WWE Network subscribers while still charging non-subscribers as normal. That’s a move not properly thought out. Those people likely to buy every show or the majority of shows will be the ones who subscribe to the WWE Network and will end up getting a year’s worth of B level shows for the price of three or four, plus all the other content WWE’s channel will provide. In short: the company needs to come up with a new hook to entice people to sign up, especially those who would not normally consider a WWE-themed channel.

If they’re serious about making the WWE Network a success WWE need to leave tinkering with pay-per-views for a later date. 2013 at the earliest. Their focus at the moment should be on creating some truly exciting original programming for the channel’s launch and making RAW and SmackDown more consistently enjoyable than they currently are. The quality of the programming is what is ultimately going to sell the WWE Network, not money-saving offers on pay-per-views the company clearly doesn’t care about enough to book properly.