Funkasaurus

If, like me, you had been doubting whether WWE still had the ability to create new stars then Monday night's edition of RAW should have cast any doubt from your mind. After weeks upon weeks of hype Brodus Clay, the runner up of the long forgotten NXT season four, returned to television. But not as we'd expected.
 
We'd expected Clay to return under the gimmick he'd used previously: a softly spoken suplex expert with a mean streak. Instead he was the recipient of a special introduction from ring announcer Justin Roberts in which he was billed from "Planet Funk" and had his new moniker revealed.
 
'The Funkasaurus'. 

'The Funkasaurus' Brodus Clay: WWE's next big sensation? Could be...

Flanked by two dancers (Naomi and Cameron Lynn of FCW) Clay strutted to ringside clad in a red tracksuit with matching fedora, and performed an entertaining dance routine in the ring. That was topped off by a pyro, a sure sign WWE is getting behind an act.
 
Clay exhibited more charisma during his entrance and the brief squash victory over Curt Hawkins than dead weight performers Drew McIntyre, Alex Riley and Mason Ryan combined. The audience initially seemed unsure what to make of the new character but Clay quickly won them over with his infectious personality, spirited performance and crisp ring skills. It was refreshing to see a wrestler not taking themselves too seriously and having what looked like a good time. Clay's comment to a ringside fan "Oh you didn't see that comin'!" said it all.
 
It's reassuring to know that WWE can still give a newcomer the star treatment. They cleverly turned their continual postponement of Clay's RAW debut into a storyline (he was originally going to return in early November) and then spent time preparing a new character for him and ensuring he was perceived as a star from the off. New ring gear, a stylish, well-planned entrance, and a dance routine that suggested a choreographer had been brought in. The aim was for 'The Funkasaurus' to make an impact and that's precisely what he did.
 
This was WWE doing everything in their power to create a new star. And it worked! I imagine Clay will continue to enjoy fan backing on a weekly basis for the foreseeable future. This is exactly what WWE needs to be doing to find new stars: giving guys a chance to make a connection with the audience and seeing who gets over.
 
Playing two very different characters on WWE television confirms that he has the versatility required to succeed as a WWE superstar. He's solid in the ring, a standout on the mic, has a unique look, and main event level charisma.
 
2012 could be the Year of the Funkasaurus.

The Next Big Thing

On December 30^th former Brock Lesnar was defeated by Alistair Overeem in his UFC comeback match. Following the loss the former UFC and WWE champion announced his retirement from MMA competition. A few days later Dana White (the UFC equivalent of Vince McMahon) confirmed that Lesnar was free to work for WWE if he so chooses.

It’s not a question of if he’ll return to WWE, but when.

Lesnar originally left WWE due to an intense dislike of the gruelling travel schedule and a desire to be involved in a competitive sport again. No matter how physically demanding professional wrestling may be its predetermined nature was never going to satisfy a man as driven as Lesnar for long. His amateur background and lust for competition meant he was always going to want to move onto a sport where he could win in a non-staged environment.

UFC was the ideal place for Lesnar. He only had to travel away from his home once or twice a year, and when he did it was for a fight in a cage in which he could be as physical and aggressive as he pleased. During his time there he gained a lot of mainstream name value and recognition. That is going to play a large part in WWE trying to bring him back in, and what will make contract negotiations easier for Lesnar.

WWE has a number of big name opponents they could pit against the former ‘Next Big Thing’. Top of everyone’s wish list seems to be the Undertaker. That was a bout teased as early as October 23^rd 2010 (when Lesnar was still firmly tied to UFC), when the two men had a brief staredown following Lesnar’s victory at UFC 121. Both parties later stated that the confrontation dated back to a disagreement they had had during ‘The Pain’s’ time in WWE. Rumours at the time were that a deal had been struck for the two to face one another at WrestleMania (presumably the 2011 instalment, which was six months away at the time).

Obviously that didn’t happen, but ‘The Pain’ versus ‘The Phenom’ would still be a tremendous addition to any WrestleMania card. I think it’s more likely to take place at next year’s event than this year’s. Lesnar is going to want more than three months off before getting back into the ring, and a Triple H v Undertaker rematch feels like the way WWE will go considering the success and critical acclaim their match at last year’s ‘Mania received.

Brock Lesnar back in WWE: a question of "when" rather than "if".

Below Undertaker on that list are established main event talents John Cena, Randy Orton, CM Punk and Triple H. All four of those matches would be huge pay-per-view sellers if marketed correctly. There are also big money opponents outside of WWE’s current roster. A rematch between Goldberg and Lesnar could be an enjoyable attraction, especially if a retirement stipulation were added for Goldberg (considering his age and his lack of involvement in wrestling since leaving the WWE spotlight that’s not as farfetched a suggestion as it sounds). Lesnar versus Batista could also be an enjoyable encounter, especially if ‘The Animal’ were allowed to be the obnoxious heel he was last time we saw him in WWE.

The biggest name opponent for Lesnar would be ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin. Austin may have said he’d only come out of retirement to face CM Punk but I think he could be convinced to work with Lesnar. Perhaps he could wrestle more than one match and face both men. Austin v Lesnar would be a profitable event for both individuals and WWE, and could be marketed in a number of ways. The most obvious would be to be built on the derisive comments the two have directed towards each other already, with Lesnar saying Austin’s scared of him and Austin saying he wanted to save Lesnar for a big event.

An alternative method would be to cast Lesnar as the heel who deserted pro wrestling to find fame and fortune elsewhere, with Austin playing the role of the avenging babyface taking him on to stop him using wrestling as a quick payday.

I don’t expect to see Lesnar sign back up for a full-time schedule again. He doesn’t need to. He can get the money he wants by agreeing to wrestle on pay-per-view and appearing on select episodes of RAW to promote matches. That’s what I expect will happen. WrestleMania, as I’ve said, seems too early. But SummerSlam would be just about right.

Clearing the Deck

Last week I posted a blog about the problem WWE has with regards to star power. I talked about John Cena and, to a lesser extent, CM Punk’s attitudes not being conducive to elevating new men into the main event bracket. That’s a problem WWE needs to address but it’s not the only one affecting the advancement of future stars. They’re also being held back by WWE’s short-sighted booking practices. Specifically, the booking of the promotion’s championships.

That there are two world titles is a large part of the problem. Prior to the creation of the World Heavyweight championship in 2002 the WWE championship was the company’s top prize. The Intercontinental championship existed as a way of highlighting performers on the rise and rewarding men who simply weren’t cut out for a run at the top but were nevertheless talented performers that could contribute meaningfully to the product.

The introduction of a second world title muddied the waters and detracted from the prestige of the WWE title. The original aim was to have the SmackDown and RAW rosters separate, each with their own world and mid-card prizes. That worked for a few years but as headline acts left the company WWE found itself with a shrinking pool of reliable ratings drawers on which to rely. Instead of doing the sensible thing and working hard to fill the gaps left by the departures with fresh acts they took the quicker, lazier option and slowly dissolved the separate brands concept.

That’s led us to today’s situation where we have two separate rosters in name but everybody appearing when and where they’re needed in practice. For a long time I was opposed to the idea of RAW and SmackDown functioning as separate entities because the concept has so much potential, if done correctly. Over the last several months I’ve gradually changed my mind on this, mainly because WWE now has so few stars that it would make sense to formally reunite the rosters and have their biggest draws appearing on both shows while working hard to establish new characters. It would be the best way of trying to salvage the plummeting ratings and would allow for the title picture to be tidied up.

During the last couple of years, when less attention has been paid to who’s supposed to be attached to which show, WWE has happily slapped world titles on performers with little preparation or plan. It’s unsurprising that men such as Jack Swagger, Sheamus, The Miz, and Alberto Del Rio didn’t immediately click as main event performers when there were no plans in place to protect them and make them look like they belonged in their spots. It’s been going on for so long that fans now expect a first time champion to lose the belt back to one of the Old Guard within a matter of weeks and then retreat back to their comfort zone of the mid-card.

The smart thing to do would be to unify the world titles and then devote more time to the Intercontinental championship. WWE has gotten into the nasty habit of promoting men straight to the status of world champion without allowing sufficient time for them to become accepted by audiences. Every performer, face or heel, that wins a world title needs to be seen as somebody who can win consistently by audiences.

If there were one single world champion in WWE the Intercontinental championship could revert to its former role as the star-making belt. Swagger, Sheamus and Del Rio would have stood a far better chance of gaining headline credibility from the masses had they been booked to enjoy lengthy (or at least memorable) runs with the secondary strap before cracking the main event.

Too many championships makes winning one less important. If everyone on the roster is a former world champion then the accolade will naturally seem less prestigious, and we’re not too far away from that situation. WWE recognises John Cena as a twelve-time world champion, Triple H as a thirteen-time world champion, and Randy Orton as a nine-time world champion. These are ridiculous numbers, and in the case of ‘The Viper’ and ‘The Leader of the Chain Gang’ they’ve been accrued in under a decade.

It may seem like a backwards step but I’d like to see WWE hold off on promoting anybody else to the status of world champion throughout 2012. The world titles should be unified and future stars be allowed to establish themselves with Intercontinental title reigns instead. Winning a title will mean more if there are fewer titles on offer and belt switches occur less frequently. A year’s a good amount of time to establish a new status quo and prepare two or three guys for that final push to the top.

It’s worth pointing out that this was standard practice twenty years ago. Randy Savage and the Ultimate Warrior were seen as headline talents while wearing the Intercontinental championship, while men such as Curt Hennig, The British Bulldog, ‘Ravishing’ Rick Rude, ‘Rowdy’ Roddy Piper, and Scott Hall all held the secondary title without ever progressing on to the world championship. Would it really be so awful if Cody Rhodes and Wade Barrett retired in fifteen years time without having been world champion?

The good news is that WWE is perfectly placed to unite the titles right now. Such a historic match would deserve to happen at WrestleMania between two of the company’s best workers. We’re currently just a few months away from ‘Mania and WWE has a nice amount of time to prepare such a match for its audience. With CM Punk and Daniel Bryan, two of the promotion’s elite, currently recognised as WWE champion and World Heavyweight champion respectively the company wouldn’t even need to switch the belts around to prepare a memorable match. Punk and Bryan could handle a three month feud with ease.

That not everybody becomes the WWE champion is part of what makes winning the title so special for the few that do. Somewhere along the way WWE have lost sight of that and they won’t be able to remedy the situation until they refocus on one, single world championship.

That RAW Recap 02.01.12

It was always going to be Chris Jericho.

Considering how big a name Jericho is, how starved for top talent the WWE roster is and how much airtime was eaten up with the return angle itself there’s surprisingly little to talk about. For those unaware (or those of you who enjoy reading recaps) ‘Y2J’ spent over ten minutes milking the fans for cheers, high fives, and chants until they gradually grew bored and quietened down. At that point he left the ring, cheered one final time, and walked backstage.

He wasn’t seen on the show again.

Jericho has been very vocal over the past six months about WWE stars “stealing” his ideas. He’s accused many current employees of copying his promo style, most notably CM Punk and the Miz, as well as lamenting the fact that so many wrestlers now appear on weekly TV in dapper suits. That’s another accusation that’s been levelled mainly at Miz. ‘Y2J’s’ also noted that many stars have been using moves he made popular, such as the Walls of Jericho and the Code Breaker. He’s also been quoted as saying that WWE’s programming lacks originality.

Based on his overtly camp, deliberately underwhelming performance on the first RAW of the year I think ‘The King of the World’ is going to embark on a storyline in which he sets out to intentionally disappoint audiences. The logic behind that would be that crowds were happy to cheer other people doing things he’d “created” and didn’t insist on his reinstatement or chant his name. It will be about how has not received his rightful acknowledgement as a trendsetter. Why should he do something for us if we’re going to cheer imitations?

I can see Jericho making a similar appearance next week and possibly the week after. In fact, it’s not difficult to see him remaining silent until the Royal Rumble pay-per-view or beyond. He will likely be involved in a WrestleMania feud with CM Punk. With that show taking place in three months time there’s no rush to get things underway. ‘The Second City Saint’ can enjoy his program with Dolph Ziggler while Jericho’s new character is established. The two men don’t need to come face to face for a while yet and by holding the meeting off and having ‘Y2J’ remain (uncharacteristically) silent Punk should get a tremendous reaction when he confronts Jericho for the first time.

It was an interesting and unexpected direction for the return to take and should ensure people tune back in next week. That’s the point of the exercise, so WWE have done a good job.

Elsewhere on RAW Daniel Bryan showed further signs of becoming an arrogant heel, celebrating his victory over Cody Rhodes by shouting “Yes!” over and over again in a fairly obnoxious manner. It may not seem like much but it’s a more arrogant reaction than we would have seen from him before he won the World Heavyweight championship a few weeks ago. I’m confident the former American Dragon is on track for a heel turn at or around the Royal Rumble. That would be no bad thing.

The other highlight of RAW was the WWE championship match between challenger Dolph Ziggler and champion CM Punk. It was a predictably superb match that not only provided great action but also advanced the feud between CM Punk and Dolph Ziggler and got John Laurinaitis strong heel heat: the interim RAW General Manager made his way to ringside for the conclusion of the match, distracting Punk and yanking down the top rope to allow ‘The Heel’ to toss the champion to the outside, where he was counted out.

For picking up his second victory over the champion in as many weeks Ziggler was awarded a WWE championship shot at the Royal Rumble pay-per-view. John Laurinaitis will act as the referee.

The rest of the show was a little disappointing. There was the standard lackadaisical women’s tag match; a dire six man main event that saw Mark Henry team with Jack Swagger to take on Zack Ryder, John Cena and Big Show; another beatdown of Miz from R-Truth; and a ridiculous, suspension-of-disbelief-killing angle in which Kane tried to drag ‘Long Island Iced Z’ through the mat of the ring to end the show (presumably he was trying to take him to Hell).

There have been better episodes of RAW, and there have been worse. Ultimately I imagine this serves as a good indicator as to what the show will be like throughout 2012: mostly forgettable with sporadic patches of enjoyment and lengthy periods of irritating drivel.

End of the Beginning

What exactly will begin on RAW tomorrow night?

For weeks WWE have been airing videos of kids hanging around in a mostly unfurnished classroom and an abandoned playground with voiceovers (provided by sinister sounding children) inform us that “he” is returning. The first video cropped up on YouTube after a link appeared during one of WWE’s countless Twitter plugging sessions. That was followed by more videos appearing during TV shows, with the announce team purportedly unaware of the breaks in transmission.

To my mind there are four potential returnees for tomorrow’s RAW, only two of whom wouldn’t be a massive letdown. The first name is Brodus Clay. His re-debut has been an on and off storyline for a couple of months now, with John Laurinaitis finding reasons to push it back on an almost weekly basis.

Are the 'It Begins' videos just an elaborate way of bringing Brodus Clay back to TV?

It’s a similar situation for Skip Sheffield. He hasn’t been seen on WWE programming since August 2010. He suffered an ankle injury during a house show match in Hawaii and has been forced to undergo numerous surgeries in order to return to action. A possible hint that he may be the man behind the ‘It Begins’ hype is the fact that WWE recently registered Ryback, Sheffield’s former ring name, as a trademark.

Either of these men could be a big part of WWE’s plans for WrestleMania XXVIII and or 2012, with the video package treatment being the company’s way of ensuring their returns are seen as big deals. Both men possess qualities that would allow them to fill important roles on the roster but the implication has been that a big name is returning and neither man’s name has enough cache to provide a satisfactory climax to months of hype.

The most popular prediction seems to be Chris Jericho. I can understand why. ‘Y2J’ is 41-years-old and has a career as a rock star waiting for him outside of wrestling. WWE is desperate for established main event acts and it’s likely been accepted that Jericho will be unable or unwilling to return full-time if he stays off TV much longer. The company needs to act soon if it wants to secure his services as a regular performer again. ‘It Begins’ may signal the start of Jericho’s final run at the top.

I’ve thought since the videos began that they were signalling the return of the Undertaker. ‘The Dead Man’, who last appeared on television at WrestleMania XXVII, is expected to work a match at this year’s ‘Mania. While he could easily stay off TV for a while longer (perhaps even until the event itself if the hype for his match is strong enough) the ‘It Begins’ campaign has had the feeling of several Undertaker return videos of the past.

I’m going to stick with my original feeling and say the Undertaker will be returning on RAW. Partly because I think he will, partly because it seems realistic, and partly because I’m tired of all the Chris Jericho talk.

In all likelihood it will be ‘The Highlight of the Night’ who’s back on screens tomorrow night. Perhaps WWE could give us a twist by having Skip Sheffield or Brodus Clay credited as being the big name, running in on the main event as the final ‘It Begins’ video plays, before having Jericho run-in to make the save. That would allow two guys to benefit from one set of videos and start a feud that could run through the Royal Rumble and culminate at Elimination Chamber (or ‘Mania if it catches on with fans).

Hopefully the obvious will be resisted and we’ll get something more creative than Jericho coming out to give a generic “I’m back to change the company” speech. As good as he is it’s time for some fresh blood and fresh ideas.