Leading Man

On June 27^th CM Punk cut his famous worked shoot promo during the closing moments of RAW. Two weeks later he became WWE champion for the first time. Just over a year and a half later he will defend that championship against The Rock. Barring a three month detour Punk has been WWE champion since Money in the Bank 2011, his second and current reign lasting well past the one year mark.
 
In hindsight it's difficult not to see this as a long-term, well mapped out master plan from WWE, designed to culminate in ‘The Second City Saint’ clashing with ‘The Great One’. It's not though. Punk is, in many ways, simply the beneficiary of good fortune. The decision was made to give him a hefty shove up the top of the card for two big reasons and it’s his hard work that’s kept him there.

The first was that Punk was very serious about leaving the company in the summer of 2011. That aspect of the promo and story were not a work. While Punk’s claim that he didn’t sign a new contract until the evening of the MITB cannot be verified it is known that he was prepared to leave WWE and go home. He’d made enough money to live comfortably. Had he wanted to remain active he could have returned to the indies and toured Japan.

 

Not ready to replace John Cena

 

WWE didn’t want this to happen, naturally. While he hadn’t been used as a star the writing team, along with Vince McMahon and Triple H, knew that Punk was a valuable asset to the company. He could be relied on to put on good matches and help to raise new stars. They didn’t want to lose him.

The other reason they chose to push him was because he was adamant in his dealings backstage that he could be just as valuable to WWE as John Cena. Realising how burnt out Cena was becoming WWE saw giving Punk the super push treatment as a way of lightening the load of their leading man and giving him a chance to prove himself. Ultimately they wanted to create a new big name drawing card that would work full time, their only one at that time being Cena.

That Punk, the only major full-time draw besides Cena, is facing The Rock is what could make people think this has been planned all along. Rock’s only in-ring matches of the last decade have both involved Cena. He’s battling Punk because Punk has gotten himself over so well in his number two spot, not because WWE had planned for it to happen a year and a half ago.

The Cena v Rock WrestleMania bout did big business. It’s only natural that WWE would want to use ‘The Great One’ again. Punk was selected as his opponent not because there’s no interest in a Cena v Rock rematch, but because that rematch has to take place at ‘Mania. Having Rock wrestle at the Rumble is a good move because it will provide an excellent start to the build-up to WrestleMania. With Cena not an option Punk, as the number two, is the natural opponent.

Punk deserves a match with The Rock. It will probably be of a higher quality than the bout that headlined WrestleMania XXVIII. But it’s not an indication that he’s replacing John Cena, or that he’s even close. It’s still possible we’ll see that happen, but not yet.

Third Time's a Charm

At the 2011 Royal Rumble Dolph Ziggler challenged Edge for the World Heavyweight championship. He didn't win. At the next year's Rumble Ziggler challenged CM Punk for the WWE championship. Once again he didn't win.
 
This year's show is still a few weeks away. It's been announced that The Rock will challenge CM Punk for the WWE championship on the show. No WHC bout has been announced as yet. Nothing about the current storylines revolving around SmackDown's premier prize indicates that 'The Show Off' will be involved in the match though. It's currently looking as though Alberto Del Rio (or perhaps Ricardo Rodriguez) will get the nod.
 
Which is a great shame. Had Ziggler been prepped for another crack at a world title the angle of his two previous attempts on the show ending in failure could have been played up. WWE doesn't make the most of these situations anywhere near often enough. It's arguable that the only statistic they've ever truly capitalised on to its maximum potential is the Undertaker's Streak.
 
Not that I'm saying giving Ziggler a world title shot at the Rumble for a third straight year could have been as lucrative as 'The Dead Man's' 'Mania record but it could have been intriguing. Wrestling is, to all intents and purposes, a sport. Yes it's predetermined but that doesn't prevent those in charge from capitalising on situations and circumstances when they crop up. In fact wrestling's predetermined nature should mean we see stories like this more often.
 
Staying with the theme of The Streak for a moment, cast your mind back to Shawn Michaels' back-to-back failures against 'Taker. Yes The Streak was the reason that story could be presented in the first place, but the rematch wasn't just about 'Taker's statistics or HBK's career, it played into stories that had been kept bubbling across the year as well as ‘The Showstopper’s’ failure to get the job done once before. Michaels had to goad Undertaker into facing him by costing him a championship, agreeing to put his career on the line to get what he wanted. It was as much about Michaels and Undertaker’s rematch as it was The Streak as a whole.

Undertaker still has his real hair here

 
Ziggler getting a title match at the Rumble for the third year in a row may seem a world removed from this but that's only because it's so unlike the current WWE booking approach. It's easy to imagine 'The Heel' interrupting a promo between Show and ADR in order to make himself eligible for a championship match. It's not so easy to imagine him referring to his past defeats at the event and the announcers playing it up.
 
The situation could still be capitalised on though. Should Ziggler cash-in his Money in the Bank briefcase on the victor of the World strap match and leave as the new champion then it could be mentioned that he failed in 2011 and 2012 but succeeded in 2013 despite not having a match scheduled. It would be making use of the past in a different way but still making use of it.
 
Sadly that's not something WWE are interested in. That's a shame on two levels. Firstly because it’s an approach that could improve WWE's storylines by providing a different area to place emphasis in storylines without amending the sports entertainment approach. Secondly because WWE has a rich history, both short and long term, that would offer a wealth of plots.
 
The same old approach makes money though. And ultimately that's all that matters.

SmackTalk 04.01.13

While Friday’s SmackDown was not recorded in 2013 it was the first meaningful WWE broadcast of the year. Well, if the blue show can be considered meaningful anymore. It arguably can’t be. And if it can’t be then the first meaningful WWE show of 2013 will be Monday evening’s RAW. With that show featuring the first appearance of The Rock in six months and a TLC match for the WWE championship between Ryback and champion CM Punk it’s probably preferable to think of RAW as the first WWE show of the year.

I’ve digressed a bit. SmackDown, by whatever criteria you choose to employ was a horrendously disappointing slice of television. That’s why I made a point of mentioning it was WWE’s first meaningful broadcast of the year. That they couldn’t cobble anything impressive together, or even bother to try, is a perfect example of why the company has struggled with ratings over the last year.

Of the five matches that took place one was good, one was passable, and three were atrocious pieces of filler. The opening segment was uninspiring too. While it was nice to see Antonio Cesaro rubbing shoulders with headliners Randy Orton, Sheamus and Big Show it was clear from the start that he would be looking at the lights in the inevitable tag team main event.

What was surprising about the segment was how ham-fisted WWE was at foreshadowing Orton’s impending heel turn. The tension between he and Sheamus came from nowhere and was based around the age old concept of both men wanting to win the Rumble. Surely WWE could have come up with something more special for two of their bigger names?

Maybe it was deliberately shoddy. Perhaps ‘The Viper’ will stay a good guy and it will be Sheamus that turns. ‘Great White’ could do with a refresh too, but we’d still be watching the same two men feuding. It wouldn’t be that revolutionary.

Thankfully Wade Barrett and Kofi Kingston were on hand to provide us with a fun Intercontinental title bout. While it slowed down in places the action was always crisp and there were some excellent false finishes. There was a great near fall sequence around two minutes before the match finished that was the highlight of the entire show. It felt entirely possible that Kofi would regain the gold. SmackDown, and RAW for that matter, needs matches like this on a far more frequent basis.

Opening video

Tweet 1: Let us SmackDown.

Tweet 2: Andre being the second guy in the montage, after Cena, always strikes me as bizarre.
Tweet 3: Are they doing ADR v Big Show at the Rumble? That's not a worthwhile undercard for a Rock v Punk main event.
Tweet 4: Also, that video seemed to be hinting that Orton will be the leader of The Shield. Or was that just me...?

Randy Orton promo, featuring Sheamus, Big Show, Antonio Cesaro and Booker T

Tweet 5: Garcia's mic is house show quality poor. This is meant to be a TV show, WWE. Get your act together.

Tweet 6: Is this the long-awaited Orton heel turn? On a taped episode of Friday Night SmackDown? I hope so.
Tweet 7: "Not too long ago SmackDown was my show" - Randy Orton, talking about a period that occurred eighteen months ago
Tweet 8: Orton and Cena in the Rumble! Shocking stuff!
Tweet 9: T’under. #Sheamussayswords
Tweet 10: This is probably the most unsubtle heel turn tease in WWE history.
Tweet 11: "I'll be happy to step on the snake" - Big Show with a possible euphemism
Tweet 12: Antonio Ceasro!! Heeeey!!
Tweet 13: Cesaro is brilliant. Well done for putting him out there with three main event guys, writing team.
Tweet 14: I think Booker T's shrinking.
Tweet 15: Wade Barrett is the new Intercontinental champion. Why do a title change on a pay-per-view when you have a perfectly good taped TV show?

The Miz v Heath Slater

Tweet 16: SLATER COWBELL!!

Tweet 17: Drew McIntyre's performance here is irritating.
Tweet 18: Slater v Miz is happening because 3MB interrupted Miz TV at TLC. That was three weeks ago. So PPVs are setting up TV now, is that it?
Tweet 19: The one "great thing" JBL mentions from WrestleMania's near three decade history is Hogan slamming Andre. Maybe mention something recent...
Tweet 20: Miz is displaying some impressive crowd working skills.
Tweet 21: 'Party Starter' Slater.
Tweet 22: I am astonished at how long this match is getting.
Tweet 23: It feels like it's been going for two hours.
Tweet 24: Miz grabs the predictable win via an SCF.

Matt Striker interviews Wade Barrett

Tweet 25: I like the fact that Barrett beat Kingston clean for the IC gold. Heels don't win clean often enough in WWE.

Tweet 26: "I don't care where you wanna take me to, Matt" - Wade Barrett, apparently giving Matt Striker a signal

Great Khali, Hornswoggle and Natalya v Epico, Primo and Rosa Mendes

Tweet 27: Oh Christ, it's the Great Khali...

Tweet 28: Khali can't even walk convincingly!
Tweet 29: Khali thinking he's a plane there.
Tweet 30: "Tag! Khali in!" - The referee, debuting a completely pointless gimmick
Tweet 31: Why are we getting so many lengthy matches featuring comedy performers on this show?
Tweet 32: Khali is, at best, ECW entourage material. He has no place being a regular wrestler.

Matt Striker interviews Kofi Kingston

Tweet 33: Oh good. More Matt Striker.

Tweet 34: Kofi is coming across as a sore loser. You lost the belt clean, mate. Get over it.
Tweet 35: Crisp and clear, if insubstantial, promo from Kofi. As reliable as he is he doesn't get pushed heavily because he's not a good enough talker.

Intercontinental championship – Wade Barrett (c) v Kofi Kingston

Tweet 36: BARRETT RING COAT ALERT!!

Tweet 37: This match is being shortchanged by the fans. It's the best thing on the programme so far and they're not reacting to it.
Tweet 38: Barrett may have started elbowing people but he doesn't have Mitsuhara Misawa's elbow pad.
Tweet 39: "He reminds me of Stan Hansen" - JBL on Wade Barrett
Tweet 40: That near fall sequence was the highlight of the match so far. I doubt they'll better it.
Tweet 41: That was a solid encounter. SmackDown should be like that more often.

Tamina Snuka v Kaitlyn

Tweet 42: Tamina Snuka is from the Pacific Islands. She is also a "big challenge" and a "test". Solid insight from Josh Mathews.

Tweet 43: Tamina has abandoned the leopard print outfit. She's forgotten her roots.
Tweet 44: I hate this match. I hate the women for being involved in it. I hate WWE for booking it.
Tweet 45: Kaitlyn's STILL the number one contender?

Big Show and Antonio Cesaro v Sheamus and Randy Orton

Tweet 46: Show has stopped wearing his hoodie. I miss it.

Tweet 47: Something tells me Orton and Sheamus won't get on during this match...
Tweet 48: I've predicted that they'll clash at WrestleMania, perhaps for the World title. The feud is just getting started.
Tweet 49: One way of looking at this match is two bald guys against two guys with ridiculous facial hair.
Tweet 50: When Randy Orton hits 40 I think the best word to describe how he looks will be "distinguished".
Tweet 51: Cesaro's stream of tips is amusing.
Tweet 52: Sheamus happily buries designated jobber Cesaro by waiting far too long before covering him.
Tweet 53: It was from an RKO I suppose, and established finishing move, so it's not too bad.
Tweet 54: The starting point of the Orton v Sheamus rivalry is a blind tag during a tag match. Not an awe-inspiring start, is it?

Wrestling Resolutions

We're two days into the New Year but it’s still not too late to make some New Year resolutions. With that thought in mind I've taken the liberty of suggesting a few resolutions for prominent wrestling personalities (although in truth many are thoughts more than suggestions). Read on.
 
* Don't rush into marriage with your next girlfriend – Ric Flair
* Try to come up with a more stereotypically Irish word, fella – Sheamus
* Quote Proust in a promo – Damien Sandow
* Try to be less creepy when dancing with children – Brodus Clay
* Learn to walk convincingly – The Great Khali
* Go back to planning weddings – Alicia Fox
* Talk about prestige again – Davey Richards
* Wrestle less, commentate more – Steve Corino
* Remember how long you’ve been in ROH – Jay Briscoe
* Get a sponsor for your mouth guard – Kyle O’Reilly
* Accept you will never be The Man in TNA – AJ Styles
* Delete your Twitter account – Kurt Angle

He looks strange with a beard

* Improve… Simply improve – Crimson
* Hope that Brooke Hogan suddenly becomes a method actress – Bully Ray
* Revive Smokey Mountain Wrestling and book 70s style rasslin' to your heart's content – Jim Cornette
* Hope TNA signs Rhet Tittus – Kenny King
* Hope ROH re-signs Kenny King – Rhett Titus
* Grow a proper mullet – Michael Elgin
* Resist the urge to book yourself as TNA world champion – Hulk Hogan
* Write a novel on your face using paint – Jeff Hardy
* Drop the Kid from your ring name – Kid Kash
* Start wrestling! – King Mo
* Get a contract release and go to Dragon Gate USA – Samoa Joe
* Change your gimmick to that of a preppy student – Robbie E
* Reconsider your plan to release a single – Zack Ryder
* Refer to yourself in the third person again – The Rock
* Drop the interview segment – Miz
* Pretend you're a shark – Mark Henry
* Keep growing your hair, it looks great! – Daniel Bryan
* Go on a diet – Ryback
* Give up – John Cena

Gazing at WrestleMania XXIX From Afar

So that was 2012. The year that gave us a year-long WWE champion, CM Punk and Daniel Bryan in world title matches at WrestleMania, the Claire Lynch fiasco, a Jay Lethal heel turn, the continued abandonment of Kazarian's first name, Brock Lesnar's return to wrestling, and the Funkasaurus. It would have been impossible to predict all of that (plus everything else that happened in wrestling) this time last year, just as it's impossible to predict what 2013 holds for us now.
 
We do have some snippets to go on though. For example, Hulk Hogan announced last month (which is also last year) that he'd quite like to be TNA world champion. While that doesn't guarantee a title win for 'The Hulkster' it does mean that seeing him challenge for the title won't be a major surprise.
 
We also know that The Rock and CM Punk will wrestle for Punk's WWE championship at the Royal Rumble, the show that traditionally signals the beginning of WrestleMania Season. Between the Rumble and 'Mania itself WWE will shunt their major players around and line them up for April 7^th. The card (or the matches we care most about) will likely be finalised by February 18^th, the night after Elimination Chamber.
 
Usually by this point we'd have a decent idea of one or two big matches for the show. This year that's not the case. We know who the big names are so we know who will be in WrestleMania XXIX's main bouts, but we don't know who will be tangling with who.
 
Most of the names that will be involved in these matches are part time. The Rock will begin making WWE appearances on the January 28^th RAW. The Undertaker, while not confirmed to appear on any upcoming programmes, is expected to compete at WrestleMania and could show up at any time. My belief is that something 'Dead Man' related will happen at the Rumble.
 
Then there's Brock Lesnar. He's been absent from WWE television since SummerSlam. The story excuse for this is that he's quit. The real reason is that he's signed a limited appearances deal with the company. WWE have wisely stored up their remaining Lesnar bookings for their most profitable time of year.
 
Triple H will probably appear too. He's written himself into a part time role in recent years. WrestleMania would be a logical event for him to wrestle at if he's planning on stepping into the ring in 2013.
 
Joining the part timers are TV regulars John Cena, Ryback and CM Punk. Cena and Punk are the only two men who are definitely going to be involved in a big match. Ryback might join them, but it's not a certainty. Guys like Randy Orton, Sheamus and Dolph Ziggler are important names and will wrestle on the card but they're not guaranteed to tackle anyone particularly important.
 
The line-up will become much more apparent once we've witnessed the Rock v Punk match and know who'll spend January to April as the WWE champ.
 
Should Punk win the options seem surprisingly limited. I can't imagine him facing the Undertaker as champion because that would necessitate a 'Taker championship reign (The Streak won't end, folks) and I can't imagine WWE having their most important belt on a part time guy after 'Mania. A non-title match between the two is far more likely. It's easy to imagine Punk's respect obsessed character launching an assault on The Streak.
 
A match between Punk and fellow Paul Heyman guy Brock Lesnar seems unlikely no matter who has the title. Both men are heels and it simply wouldn't make storyline sense to put them against each other without several months of teasing.
 
Punk versus Triple H was done in 2011 and received tepid reactions, so that seems unlikely too. Even more unlikely is a match between Punk and John Cena. They faced one another so many times last year that there's no chance WWE will pit them against one another at WrestleMania. It's far too stake a match.
 
A triple threat with The Rock, one the other hand, should not be blithely disregarded. WWE's two biggest regulars and their biggest outside star all being in one match would be an interesting premise and could draw a massive number. It would also create more options for the notoriously bland post-'Mania TV product. It's not a match to pin your hopes on though. While it would be interesting to see a triple threat wouldn't have the big match feel of a singles encounter.
 
There's also Ryback to consider when discussing Punk. They have have faced one another a lot over the last few months but big Ry' has never picked up the win his character needs. Having him win the Rumble and then dethrone CM Punk at WrestleMania would set him up as The Man. It's very easy to imagine a Punk v Ryback 'Mania match being framed as the night Punk's luck finally runs out.
 
Then there's The Rock. The obvious opponents for him would both be rematches. Should Punk retain the belt at the Rumble it's unlikely to be clean. Shady tactics would be a natural way of setting up Punk v Rock II at WrestleMania.
 
Even though 'The Great One' is working a light schedule and isn't expected to stick around after 'Mania XXIX that rematch isn't unlikely. There's a possibility WWE have managed to book Rock for SummerSlam. If that were the case then Rock leaving New Jersey on April 7 as WWE champion doesn't seem too farfetched. WWE could go a few months with sporadic appearances from their champion of they were to get a bumper payday at SummerSlam in return.

One way or another this guy will wrestle at WrestleMania

 
The other potential rematch would be against John Cena. Yes their encounter last year was billed as "once in a lifetime" but it's not like the wrestling business is known for honouring its word in these matters. Besides, WWE could just about get around that advertising misstep by having Cena winning the Rumble and Rock capturing the title, setting them on course for one another by chance rather than design (at least as far as kayfabe is concerned).
 
Rock feels like a more natural opponent for Brock Lesnar too. The spectacle of a former UFC champion facing a Hollywood star for wrestling's greatest prize is a cross-promotional dream, and the sort of thing Vince McMahon drools over. It should get a fair bit of media coverage too. It would mean WWE not having regular access to their championship after WrestleMania, but that's not enough of a reason to stop the match happening. I've already said I think they'd be happy to put the title on Rock until SummerSlam. If 'The Pain' re-signs for another year I think the same logic would apply to him leaving WrestleMania as champion, with the added bonus that WWE could burn through a few appearances and have him wrestle at the April and May PPVs, not an option with Rocky.
 
It's easy to envisage Lesnar doing a run-in at the Rumble. He could cost Rock the match to set up a non-title encounter, or attack 'The Brahma Bull' after the match to get a championship programme underway.
 
The chances of Rock facing the Undertaker seem slim. It would be a great spectacle but doesn't feel like a direction WWE will travel in, at least not this year. Rock does have the status to provide a believable challenge to 'Taker's Streak though, so it's not an idea that should be completely ruled out.
 
Rock taking on Ryback or Triple H isn't going to happen. Ryback would get booed out of the building against the charismatic Hollywood megastar which would undo the months of hard work that have gone into installing him at the top. Meanwhile there's no reason to put Rock against the storyline COO. They'd never live up to their excellent matches from the late 90s and early 00s anyway.
 
With all that said I'm leaning towards Punk losing the title to The Rock. John Cena could then win the Rumble match and beat The Rock for the gold at WrestleMania. Which would leave Punk, the most heavily pushed WWE performer of 2012, to be put on a respect-fuelled collision course with the man respected man in the locker room.
 
Cena versus The Rock headlining WrestleMania for the second year is unimaginative. That doesn't mean it won't happen though. Like it or not Cena is currently WWE's biggest name and The Rock is one of their biggest names ever. People will buy a show with them in the main event, especially if it’s a title match. Punk versus the Undertaker will provide an excellent secondary match. Triple H and Brock Lesnar will be left to provide Big Match Three. If that happens I fully expect 'The Pain' to take a loss. 'The Game' isn't the type to not pick up a return win.
 
What Ryback will be given to do is unclear. He'll very likely be dropped down to the second string alongside Big Show, Randy Orton, Sheamus and Dolph Ziggler. ‘Big Hungry’ been the subject of a huge push over the last few months and should find himself rewarded with a meaningful match on the card.

One possibility is that Ryback will tangle with Dolph Ziggler. ‘The Sole Survivor’ could cash-in his Money in the Bank briefcase and then be tasked with carrying ‘The Human Wrecking Ball’ to a passable World Heavyweight title outing on the show.
 
Alternatively the Big Show could keep hold of the World title until the big night. He could be booked to defend against Ryback in a match culminating in 'The Giant' taking a (probably very sloppy and unimpressive) Shellshock. That would provide a WrestleMania moment for the former Nexus member's career highlight reel. WWE loves stuff like that.
 
If Ziggler still has the briefcase at 'Mania he could cash in on the WHC match winner. If this is Ryback it would be a way of taking the title off him without resorting to a clean loss and it would set up a new feud for the dull post-'Mania season. Ziggler versus Ryback could easily run until May or June without becoming stale.
 
From a creative standpoint one of the of the goals of WrestleMania XXIX should be to solidify Ryback in the number two babyface spot. Either of these two scenarios would go some way towards achieving that. By having him continue to chase a champion (Ziggler in the above proposal) Ryback would retain his lustre. As soon as he becomes a world champion for an extended period people will stop asking “when will he become champion?” and instead ask “who’s going to give him his first clean loss?” That’s something WWE will want to avoid for as long as possible.
 
Another World title option is seeing a collision between Sheamus and Randy Orton. 'Great White' looks like he's currently on track to challenge Big Show at the Royal Rumble. I've a feeling hell finally regain the gold on the show. The long awaited 'Viper' heel turn would feel very natural if it revolved around jealousy of Sheamus and his success over the last year. A fresh match between those two would be a nice undercard encounter for WrestleMania XXIX, with or without the title.
 
A clash between Ryback and 'The World's Largest Athlete' seems likely. WWE's love of muscles and power moves would be satisfied by it. That would leave Sheamus and Orton to clash purely because of animosity, rather than for a belt. Maybe 'The Apex Predator' will interfere in 'Great White's' final, last-chance-ever-and-we-really-mean-it encounter with Big Show to spark his return to the dark side and instigate his new rivalry.
 
In all of this Dolph Ziggler would be left with nothing to do. Sad as it is to write I think that's fairly likely. I can imagine 'The Show Off' getting a meaningless undercard match and then cashing in his title shot later on the card.
 
How much of this predicted card (laid out for simplicity below) is likely to happen? At this stage it's impossible to know. I'd be surprised if none of it happened though. Not because I have such unwavering conviction in my predictions but because WWE so rarely offer genuine surprises. I'd love a card stocked with matches that currently seem unrealistic (within reason obviously, I don't think anyone wants to see Miz v Brodus Clay for the WWE title) but I don't think it will happen. The current vagueness and uncertainty regarding WrestleMania XXIX's line-up is about as mysterious as it's going to get.
 
Predicted WrestleMania XXIX card:
The Rock v John Cena - WWE championship match
CM Punk v Undertaker
Triple H v Brock Lesnar
Ryback v Big Show - World Heavyweight championship match
Sheamus v Randy Orton

A Dolph Ziggler cash-in