Royal Rumble Fiasco

I am going to preface this by saying, I have watched professional wrestling for 12 years now and watched 15 Royal Rumble matches in that time.  In all my years watching, I have never seen a Royal Rumble as poorly booked as last night's match in Philly.  It's not just the fact that Roman Reigns won or Daniel Bryan was eliminated too earlier.  It's the pacing of the match, the handling of major eliminations and the need for a run-in by The Rock to "save" the match.

The match started out fine with a surprise entry of Bubba Ray Dudley and the Wyatt Family squaring off, but slowly lost its momentum when Bray Wyatt started dispatching people left and right.  While things got better when Daniel Bryan made his entrance, that only lasted 10 minutes as the moment Bryan was eliminated, the crowd and many fans at home turned on the match itself.  The atmosphere felt exactly the same as the end of last year's Rumble, but it lasted the majority of the match instead of 15 minutes.  The volatile atmosphere only got worse when Reigns came out as everybody knew he was hand-picked to win the match.  It didn't help that any of the guys people were invested in and should have been part of the final four (Bray Wyatt, Dean Ambrose and Dolph Ziggler) were nonchalantly dumped over the top rope by Kane and the Big Show.  No exciting eliminations or set-up for a WrestleMania feud, just dumped like a piece of trash by two guys that should be putting them over.  Weeks of build wasted in a matter of moments didn't help this match.

When the odds were stacked against Reigns, The Rock made a run-in to help his little cousin.  Something done to clearly win back the crowd did exactly the opposite as it made Reigns look inferior to The Rock.  Why should the audience believe in a babyface like Reigns to beat the indestructible Brock Lesnar when he needs help to eliminate Kane and the Big Show?  It's not that I'm against Roman Reigns winning the Royal Rumble at some point in his career.  Looking at his current in-ring ability and mic skills, Reigns isn't anywhere close to being the successor to John Cena at this point in time.  Reigns needs more time to learn, mature and organically come into the role.  Forcing him down people's throats much like WWE did with Sheamus, Alberto Del Rio and The Miz will only damage Reigns in the end.

A series of unforgivable creative decisions made the 2015 Royal Rumble the worst of all-time.  WWE understood exactly what they were getting into when they booked the Royal Rumble for Philadelphia, a city filled with hardcore wrestling fans.  It baffles my mind that WWE didn't learn from last year's debacle with Batista.  Yes, the product may be targeted for younger audience, but that isn't going to get buys for the WWE Network.  The people who will buy the Network are the passionate, hardcore, "Internet" fans that WWE despises and the target audience will eventually grow into.  As seen by the CancelWWENetwork hash tag running rampant on Twitter, it isn't smart to alienate the fans which are the lifeblood of your business going forward.  Guess we're in for an interesting WrestleMania season once again.

Year in Review: The Best of 2013

Been a long time since yours truly last posted here on The Silverdome.  Between school and work, it has been hard to follow, more or less, write about anything in the wonderful world of wrestling.  With 2013 coming to a close, there is not much to talk about concerning major wrestling programming (Raw, Smackdown, Impact Wrestling) as big developments stall until the new year and are replaced with an unnecessary amount of holiday shenanigans.  What a better time to reflect on the year that just past both the good and the bad.

As a whole, 2013 was a very mixed year quality-wise.  While nothing is perfect, most of the great stuff about professional wrestling in 2013 came during the first eight months of the year.  Things after September could not compare to the eight months before it, but this writer will elaborate more on this point in The Worst of 2013.  The Best of 2013 did not come from the John Cena's and Randy Orton's of professional wrestling, it came from the up-and-coming stars such as the Shield and Dolph Ziggler and the true main eventers like CM Punk and Daniel Bryan.  The Best of 2013 encompasses this writer's favourite matches, moments and angles of the year.  Enjoy the trip down memory lane and happy New Year!

Believe in the Shield
While the Shield debuted at the very end of 2012, 2013 was where this group made their impact.  There has not been a faction as dominant as the Shield in the WWE since the Attitude Era.  In all due respect to Evolution, the WWE's version of the Four Horsemen could never live up to their true potential due to injuries and a severely short reign of dominance.  During this full calendar year, the Shield has remained as one of the top of forces in the WWE even after dropping the Tag Titles to the Rhodes Brothers.  Aside from this faction's dominance, these three young guns have been putting on the most consistently strong performances of anyone on the WWE roster.  Any match the Shield is involved in can easily be considered the highlight of the night.  With or without championship gold around their waists, the Shield has the highest stock among any team or singles wrestler in WWE, which is incredibly impressive for three young wrestlers.

Dolph Ziggler Cashes In
Everybody was hoping to see Dolph Ziggler cash in his Money in the Bank briefcase at WrestleMania to win the World Heavyweight Championship because it would have been an insane WrestleMania moment.  Leaving that moment until the next night on Raw, where a much bigger audience than WrestleMania is watching, was even better.  Pitting Jack Swagger and Zeb Colter against Alberto Del Rio in a Handicap Match, it seemed like the opportune time for the Show-off to cash in the briefcase.  Jack worked over Del Rio’s ankle before Alberto hooked in the Cross Arm Breaker to win the match.  Immediately following the Handicap Match, Ziggler would make his entrance to the cheers of the crowd and many fans sitting at home.  It was a short match that saw Dolph and Del Rio go back-and-forth.  There was one point where Del Rio hooked Ziggler in the Cross Arm Breaker that made this writer yell at the top of his lungs, “Don’t you dare tap, Dolph!”  Ziggler escaped the hold by twisting Del Rio’s injured ankle, which set up Ziggler to hit the Zig Zag for the win.  The crowd at the Izod Center exploded in cheers while this writer jumped out of his seat in pure excitement.  It was easily one of the best Money in the Bank cash-ins in WWE history.  In the span of two minutes, the emotions everybody watching this match went from excitement to frustration to ultimately happiness.  It was emotionally draining to say the least, but the best moments in professional wrestling are.  This cash-in was the defining moment of Dolph Ziggler's career and the moment many, including yours truly, believed Dolph had truly received the main event push he has deserved for so long.  Sadly, all great moments have to come to an end.

The Double Turn
A double turn is an extremely rare occurrence in professional wrestling due to the high level of difficulty to correctly pull off.  A successful double turn has a crowd immediately flip their allegiance between the two wrestlers in the match, while an unsuccessful double turn leaves everybody in a state of confusion.  The most successful double turn in wrestling history happened at WrestleMania 13 when Bret Hart would not relinquish the Sharpshooter he had locked on an unconscious Stone Cold Steve Austin.  The most successful double turn in recent memory occurred at WWE's first Payback PPV this past year in Chicago during Dolph Ziggler's first World Title defense against Alberto Del Rio.  Ziggler had been out of action with a concussion caused by a stiff kick from Jack Swagger.  Dolph was still suffering from the lingering effects of this concussion so Del Rio targeted the World Champion's head.  Throughout the match, Del Rio would relentlessly attack Ziggler with kicks to the head.  Ziggler tried to fight through Del Rio's debilitating punishment, but to no avail.  Despite Ziggler's heroic effort, the Show-off fell to the villainous assault of Alberto Del Rio.  Del Rio may have left Payback with the World Heavyweight Championship around his waist, but to the fans all around the world Dolph Ziggler was the real winner.  While Ziggler's title run was cut short, wrestling history was made on Father's Day in Chicago.

The World's Strongest Double Cross
News came the Monday following Payback that Mark Henry would be retiring from the squared-circle.  Henry’s hiatus from the ring during the Spring of 2013 to rest from injuries was sign enough that the World’s Strongest Man would hang up his boots.  Speaking of boots, Henry even placed his boots at the top of the stage during that edition of Monday Night Raw and came out in a bright pink blazer to give his retirement speech.  Henry’s speech induced tears, smiles and even chants as he had the audience wrapped around his finger.  John Cena, who Henry interrupted, came in to give Mark some time with the WWE Championship, a title that Henry has never held according to JBL’s commentary.  It would have been a sweet end for Mark Henry’s career, but the World’s Strongest Man does not go out with a whimper, the World’s Strongest Man goes out with a bang.  Mark Henry drew John Cena in for one last handshake and hit the World’s Strongest Slam instead.  Once Cena plummeted to the mat, the realization hit that Mark Henry was not retiring.  It was all a ploy to lure in the WWE Champion and what a great ploy it was.  In one fell swoop, WWE Creative built a credible threat to John Cena’s WWE Championship and made Mark Henry a devious heel that will sink to the lowest of lows to get his way.  Truly one of the highlights of an incredible summer for the WWE.

The Rise of the American Dragon
After the phenomenal year that Daniel Bryan had in 2012, there was no doubt that the American Dragon would be a bona-fide main eventer someday.  Bryan may not have the unrealistic build that WWE executives love, but he has something even more important-- the unanimous support of the WWE Universe.  Ever since Daniel Bryan turned face as a part of Team Hell No, the fans have flocked to him.  Just listen to the huge pop Bryan gets when he explodes into his signature offensive flurry of kicks and running clotheslines.  Just like in 2012, Daniel Bryan was the most popular superstar in 2013, even winning Superstar of the Year.  Despite being held down by Triple H and WWE Creative, Daniel Bryan won the WWE Championship not once but twice.  2013 was no doubt Daniel Bryan's year.  Bryan consistently put on quality matches no matter his position on the card, made major improvements in his promo delivery and continually received the loudest reactions of anyone on the WWE roster.  While WWE tirelessly tries to push big muscular men such as John Cena, Randy Orton, Brock Lesnar and Batista, Daniel Bryan showed this past year that small athletic men are just as or even more entertaining to watch than the stereotypical muscular body that dominates professional wrestling.

CM Punk vs. Brock Lesnar
Sitting in a theatre of thirty people, this writer laid witness to the Match of the Year, the Best vs. the Beast, CM Punk vs. Brock Lesnar.  The build for this match was nuclear from the very moment Brock Lesnar hit the F5 on CM Punk on the Raw following Payback.  In all honesty, I was ready to pay money to watch these two duke it out from that very moment.  As time moved closer to their meeting at Summerslam, this feud just kept on getting better and better.  The verbal duels between Punk and Heyman and the physical brawls between Punk and Lesnar were both sights to behold, but those appetizers could not hold a candle to the main course.  From the opening bell to the finishing splat of Punk's head being F5ed onto a steel chair, Punk vs. Lesnar was both physically and mentally exhausting.  Even though the major difference in size between Punk and Lesnar, the match was incredibly even.  The match could have gone either way as both men hit each other with their most devastating moves.  One of the most intense moments in the entire match came when Punk finally struck Lesnar with the GTS.  I vividly remember everyone in the theatre erupting from their seats once Punk hit the move, counting along with the referee's count and simultaneously crying out in shock when Lesnar kicked out.  CM Punk vs. Brock Lesnar was the first match since CM Punk vs. John Cena from Money in the Bank 2011 to get this writer so passionately engrossed in the action happening in the ring.  For that reason, CM Punk vs. Brock Lesnar is the Match of 2013.

The Brothers Rhodes
Fall was not so kind to the WWE.  The high that the hot summer months brought slowly but surely dwindled under a slew of missed opportunities.  While the fall was a long slog, there was one thing that made the slog bearable.  That thing was the formation of a tag team between the Rhodes Brothers, Cody Rhodes and Goldust.  The sons of the great Dusty Rhodes first joined forces to fight the Authority for their jobs after Triple H wrongly fired Cody Rhodes for losing a match to Randy Orton.  This feud led to an emotionally charged tag team match against the Shield at Battleground.  With the jobs of the entire Rhodes Family on the line, Cody and Goldust with some help from their father defeated the Hounds of Justice to regain their jobs in the WWE.  The good fortunes of Cody and Goldust did not end at Battleground as the brothers would defeat the Shield for the WWE Tag Team Titles in an incredible tag team main event a week later on Raw.  As Tag Team Champions, Cody Rhodes and Goldust have rejuvenated the WWE's Tag Team Division.  While other divisions in the WWE left a lot to be desired during the last half of 2013, the Tag Team Division was stealing the show.  Be it Raw, Smackdown or the monthly PPV, the tag team matches have consistently been the best part of WWE programming.  Speaking of rejuvenation, this Tag Team Title push has rejuvenated the careers of both Cody Rhodes and Goldust.  Cody has been stuck in the lower mid card limbo since losing the Intercontinental Championship back in 2012.  This push has highly improved Cody's status in the eyes of the WWE Universe and WWE Creative.  On the other hand, this push has given Goldust one final chance to prove to the wrestling world how great a wrestler he is.  Over the past five months, Goldust has made the best of this opportunity and has been the most impressive veteran wrestler on the WWE roster.  As we move into 2014, it will be interesting to see if the spike in quality brought on by the Rhodes Brothers will continue.

Under Corporate Rule: Preview of WWE Night of Champions 2013

The Summer was such a high point for WWE this year that the only way to go from there is down.  As much as the new Corporation angle will be a huge launching point of all storylines going forward, it has been quite a one-sided affair where interest is waning and fast.  A slow burn can lead to big dividends in the end, but Triple H and his cronies have been making the Faces look inferior for weeks on end.  Yes, you need to put the Corporation over as this insurmountable force, but four weeks straight of beatdowns and public humiliations is a little too much.  WWE Creative needs to figure out a way to make this power struggle a little less lopsided and get the Faces on even footing with the Corporation.  Seeing a small contingent of superstars led by Daniel Bryan and the Big Show putting together some kind of hit-and-run approach to combatting the Corporation would be an interesting turn of events.  Ultimately, WWE needs to put together something fast to turn around this angle because the way it is going, the only superstars being put over are Triple H and Randy Orton.

With all that said, this year's Night of Champions is in quite an interesting predicament.  Rather than riding off the coattails of a hot Summer for the WWE, it is stuck with all the disinteresting fallout.  All the exciting stuff happened at Summerslam and sadly Night of Champions is left with the cold leftovers.  There should be good matches on this card; it is just WWE has done such a poor job in  building this PPV.  It seems all the effort went into putting over the Corporation rather than building a worthy follow-up to Summerslam.

Dolph Ziggler vs. Dean Ambrose (c) for the United States Championship

This writer has said this before and he will say it again.  If WWE wants to get Dolph Ziggler over as a face, he should be chasing Alberto Del Rio for the World Heavyweight Championship rather than playing around with whatever mid-card talent WWE wants to throw at him next, no offence Dean.  These two will definitely put a good match; it is just both this writer would rather see Dolph make steps forward with his character rather than taking steps back.  The WWE's focus should be about preparing Ziggler to regain the World Heavyweight Championship, so everything that does not contribute to this end goal is a waste of time.

Prediction:  Dean Ambrose retains

The Shield (c) vs. Winners of the Pre-Show Tag Team Turmoil for the WWE Tag Team Championship

Usually this writer likes to do a separate preview for the pre-show match.  Due to how it directly influences this Tag Team Championship match, it would be easier to include it all in one match preview.  Out of all the tag teams set for the Tag Team Turmoil match (Tons of Funk, the Real Americans, 3MB, the Usos and the Prime Time Players), the best candidates to challenge the Shield at Night of Champions are the Prime Time Players.  The team of Titus O'Neil and Darren Young have been on a roll since Summerslam and it is time for them to get a chance to challenge for the Tag Team Titles.  While the Prime Time Players do deserve this title shot, that does not mean they will best the Hounds of Justice for the Tag Team belts tonight.

Prediction:  The Shield retains

Alberto Del Rio (c) vs. Rob Van Dam for the World Heavyweight Championship

Ever since WWE paused Del Rio's feud with Dolph Ziggler, the World Heavyweight Champion has been in limbo.  Alberto has just been feuding with whatever challenger WWE decides to throw at him.  Last month, it was Christian.  Now Rob Van Dam seems to be the flavour of the month.  Mr. Monday Night has been paired with the returning Ricardo Rodriguez to give the illusion that this feud was planned from the beginning.  The nice thing about this little feud, we will get to see WWE put over Del Rio's viciousness in a good bout against RVD.  Hopefully, Alberto can stop treading water very soon and move onto a full-blown program over the title rather than these little stints.

Prediction:  Alberto Del Rio retains

AJ Lee (c) vs. Natalya vs. Naomi vs. Brie Bella in a Fatal 4 Way Match for the Divas Championship

Thought we saw the last forced injection of Total Divas into WWE PPV programming at Summerslam?  Well think again because WWE is back at it.  Now they have mixed in the one thing that most wrestling fans hoped stayed very far away- the Divas Championship.  With AJ as champion, the Divas Title seemed to be gaining some semblance of prestige with the best wrestler in the Divas division holding it.  Time to throw in the Total Divas to screw everything up.  If AJ leaves Night of Champions with her reign intact, good for her.  Sadly, this writer does not see such an outcome happening.  Rather go with the best Diva on that stupid show, Natalya, to hold the Divas Title if we have to go with one Total Diva to win this bout.

Prediction:  Natalya wins the Divas Championship

CM Punk vs. Curtis Axel & Paul Heyman in a Handicap Elimination Match

CM Punk vs. Brock Lesnar last month at Summerslam was a possibly the best match of the year.  With Brock's appearances used up for the moment, WWE has decided to put in Curtis Axel in this feud as a Lesnar replacement of sorts.  The only caveat being that Axel does not have anywhere close to the star power that Lesnar has.  Good thing, WWE has positioned this match around whether or not Punk will finally be able to get his hands on Paul Heyman.  Unless Axel and Heyman win, this writer does not see the Intercontinental Champion getting out of this match some damage to his current push.

Prediction:  CM Punk wins

Randy Orton (c) vs. Daniel Bryan for the WWE Championship

At Summerslam, the WWE Championship was stolen from Daniel Bryan's grasp by Triple H and Randy Orton.  Now it is time for the Beard to get some revenge.  Well everybody thought Bryan would get some comeuppance, but the American Dragon has been put through the ringer these past four weeks.  Being put through countless beatdowns on both Raw and Smackdown with only a few real moments of actual resistance, this feud has not currently done much to get Bryan more over than he already is.  Considering this program is set to last for a while, do not expect Bryan to regain the WWE Title just yet.  If WWE wants to keep this feud going without it growing stale quick, they need to start putting over Bryan rather than Triple H and Randy Orton.

Prediction:  Randy Orton retains

The Best vs. The Beast: Preview of WWE Summerslam 2013

The Best vs. The Beast, The Champ vs. The Beard.  These are two tag lines that easily describe this year's Summerslam in a nutshell.  While Summerslam is being built as a two match show, it is understandable when WWE picks the two of the largest matches of the year to headline the second biggest PPV of the year after WrestleMania.  These two matches could single-handedly sell an entire PPV so having both on the same show is unbelievable.  So unbelievable in fact that WWE has sold Summerslam to yours truly on these two matches alone.  Personally, it is the most excited I have been for a PPV since Money in the Bank 2011 and we all know how that PPV turned out.  Looking at the card top-to-bottom, Summerslam does not seem that impressive outside of the two main events.  Hopefully the buzz surrounding both CM Punk vs. Brock Lesnar and John Cena vs. Daniel Bryan will inspire WWE creative and the wrestlers to produce a Summerslam worthy of being called the second biggest PPV of the year.  We will have to tune in this Sunday to find out if WWE can pull it off.

Dean Ambrose (c) vs. Rob Van Dam for the U.S. Championship

Most times the pre-show match can be easily dismissed as a throwaway match, but not as of late.  Last month, the WWE Tag Team Championship match placed on the pre-show was said to be a great match-up.  The pre-show match for Summerslam looks to be another exciting affair.  While this writer does have reservations about placing a big draw like RVD on the pre-show, he is a great veteran wrestler to test Ambrose on such a big stage.  Given enough time, these two stars should be able to put on a very entertaining show to lend into the main attraction- Summerslam.

Prediction:  Dean Ambrose retains

Cody Rhodes vs. Damien Sandow

The logic behind this match might be a little wonky considering Damien Sandow never really betrayed Cody Rhodes.  All Sandow did was knock Rhodes off the ladder in  the Money in the Bank Ladder match, which has a free-for-all format, to win said match.  If you take a closer look at it it was not a betrayal, more like the spirit of this competition.  While the storyline might not be the best, this match should be the start of great things for both Rhodes and Sandow.  Having a singles match booked for the second biggest PPV of the year is an excellent opportunity to put the spotlight on both men and their many talents.  We will have to wait and see how things go for both superstars' singles career in the months and years to come, but this writer expects to see their A games come Sunday.

Prediction:  Damien Sandow wins

Dolph Ziggler & Kaitlyn vs. Big E Langston & AJ Lee

As a huge fan of Dolph Ziggler seeing such a phenomenal talent wasted in a mixed tag match is just disheartening.  Dolph's World Title run was criminally short and he barely got a chance to chase after the title before WWE decided to start this feud with Langston and AJ.  If WWE wants to get Dolph Ziggler over as a face, it is better to have him chasing Alberto Del Rio for the World Heavyweight Championship rather than fooling around with his ex-girlfriend, former bodyguard and the girl he made out with on NXT Season 3.  No offence to the other talent in this match; Ziggler should be in the main event, not the lower mid-card.  The expectations for this match are very low, but this writer is hoping to be surprised by the effort these four superstars give us.

Prediction:  Dolph Ziggler & Kaitlyn win

Kane vs. Bray Wyatt in a Ring of Fire Match

I never understood the excitement brought from the Wyatt Family vignettes.  I heard a lot of good things about the Bray Wyatt character from NXT online reports, but the vignettes were more odd than exciting.  Then Bray Wyatt and his family made their debut and my opinions on them did a full 180.  The Bray Wyatt character is just so fascinating because his character is so different from most of the cookie cutter faces and heels that permeate the WWE.  Even though the wrestling fan in me was praying for the Brothers of Destruction vs. the Shield for Summerslam, Wyatt's brief feud with Kane has served as a very enjoyable alternative.  Considering this match will be the in-ring debut of Bray Wyatt, there is a little bit of anticipation building inside as we see if Bray Wyatt can live up to the hype.

Prediction:  Bray Wyatt wins

Alberto Del Rio (c) vs. Christian for the World Heavyweight Championship

After reading the paragraph about the mixed tag team match, I think you know who I wanted in this match instead of Christian.  Actually this writer along with many others thought Christian would be the one challenging for the U.S. Title so to see WWE put him in the World Heavyweight Championship match came as a surprise.  It was a very nice surprise because I am a bigger peep than a Dolph Ziggler fan.  Alberto Del Rio and Christian have had many matches before this meeting and all of them have nothing short of great in my opinion.  These two have the chemistry and the history to put on a highly entertaining and exciting World Heavyweight Championship belt.  While I am a big peep, I do not see Christian walking out with the World Title around his waist at this point in time.  There is much more WWE Creative can do with Alberto Del Rio as World Heavyweight Champion at the moment than Christian can.  Although Christian would make a perfect champion for Damien Sandow to cash in the Money in the Bank briefcase on.  Now that is some food for thought.

Prediction:  Alberto Del Rio retains

John Cena (c) vs. Daniel Bryan with Triple H as Special Guest Referee for the WWE Championship

The Beard is here!  It has been a long time coming, but finally Daniel Bryan is where he belongs- the main event of the WWE.  Bryan has had some stints in the main event holding the World Heavyweight Championship or feuding with CM Punk.  Aside from those brief runs, Bryan has stayed in the mid-card for the majority of his WWE career.  Well times are changing for the American Dragon.  He has gone on a such an incredible roll these last few months, his popularity has skyrocket and he is coming into his own on the microphone.  With everything coming together for Daniel Bryan and John Cena rumoured to be taking time off for surgery, it seems like the best time to put the WWE Championship on him.  While everything would be sunshine and rainbows, there are a couple of complications to this situation.  First is the McMahon situation that seems to now engulfed the WWE Championship feud.  Triple H is now the special guest referee for the match, Vince is trying everything in his power to make sure Bryan does not leave with the title and Stephanie is trying to appease both.  It is a crazy family affair.  Next is Randy Orton and his Money in the Bank briefcase.  Orton has been teased cashing in his briefcase for weeks now.  To see Orton cash in against the winner at Summerslam will not be a surprise.  All-in-all, there are so many moving parts in this WWE Championship match that there is no doubt in this writer's mind that something big will happen.

Prediction:  Daniel Bryan wins the WWE Championship

Natalya vs. Brie Bella

WWE's newest reality show Total Divas may be a success for the company.  That success does not mean that they need to unnecessarily force matches involving the cast on their shows.  It is easy to tolerate the atrocities that the current divas division creates on Raw or Smackdown because you do not have to watch them.  It stings a bit when you are paying hard earned cash to watch these messes.  Please WWE, pull this match from Summerslam and give us Mark Henry and the Big Show vs. the Shield instead.  I promise you it will make a lot of people happy.

Prediction:  Natalya wins

CM Punk vs. Brock Lesnar

If you told me a few months ago that CM Punk vs. Brock Lesner would be main eventing Summerslam, I would have laughed.  Undertaker vs. CM Punk II all the way!  In all seriousness, I never thought WWE would turn CM Punk face less than a year after turning him heel.  The jury is still out on Punk's current turn, but so far so good.  This feud between Punk and Lesnar has been one of the most exciting feuds of 2013.  Honestly, I have been ready to pay money to watch this match since the Raw after Money in the Bank.  This feud has only gotten better as the weeks have gone on.  The verbal duels between Punk and Heyman and the physical brawls between Punk and Lesnar have both been sights to behold.  The main reason Punk vs. Lesnar is so captivating is due to how unpredictable the match will be.  Aside from a slight advantage to Brock Lesnar due to WWE possibly wanting to preserve his monster persona, this match can go either way.  You can legitimately believe that either wrestler can come up on top.  A match this even does not come around too often in professional wrestling, but it is a special event when it happens.  There is no doubt in this writer's mind that CM Punk vs. Brock Lesnar, The Best vs. The Beast, will be something special.

Prediction:  Brock Lesnar wins

WWE Money in the Bank 2013 Predictions

Saturdays do not seem to be my day.  For the last few weeks, something bad always seems to happen on Saturday for yours truly.  When I sat down to work on the preview for Money in the Bank tomorrow evening, the USB drive that I save all my blogs on started malfunctioning.  For the past few hours, I have tried anything and everything to get my USB working to no avail.  Just my luck, I have not backed up this USB in over a year.  So I am in a predicament and not in the greatest of moods.  On top of all my amazing USB problems, I just found out I cut my open earlier in the day.  Only took ten hours to notice it.  Sorry, I am not the most peachy at the moment.  What I am trying to explain is that due to my situation there will be no preview of WWE's Money in the Bank PPV.  It should be a good show so I will at least provide my predictions on the event.  Hopefully I can get all my problems sorted out by next weekend so the Silverdome can get back to normal.

Wade Barrett vs. Cody Rhodes vs. Damien Sandow vs. Antonio Cesaro vs. Fandango vs. Jack Swagger vs. Dean Ambrose in the World Heavyweight Money in the Bank Ladder Match
Prediction:  Wade Barrett wins

Curtis Axel (c) vs. The Miz for the Intercontinental Championship 
Prediction:  Curtis Axel retains

Chris Jericho vs. Ryback
Prediction:  Ryback wins

Alberto Del Rio (c) vs. Dolph Ziggler for the World Heavyweight Championship
Prediction:  Dolph Ziggler wins the World Heavyweight Championship

CM Punk vs. Daniel Bryan vs. Christian vs. Randy Orton vs. Sheamus vs. Rob Van Dam in the WWE Championship Money in the Bank Ladder Match
Prediction:  Daniel Bryan wins

AJ Lee (c) vs. Kaitlyn for the Divas Championship
Prediction:  AJ Lee retains

John Cena vs. Mark Henry for the WWE Championship
Prediction:  John Cena retains

The Silver Report: June 16-22

Whenever the WWE goes to Chicago, the results are glorious.  Payback last Sunday was full of big developments that got the ball rolling on hopefully a great summer.  The return of CM Punk (in a match that has been raved as a classic), a surprising double turn between Dolph Ziggler and Alberto Del Rio and a set of new champions crowned are some of the reasons Payback may be one of the best PPVs of 2013 so far.  As great as Payback was, the following Raw was even better.  Setting a lot of compelling storylines in motion for Money in the Bank and Summerslam and the raucous crowd made it one of the better Raws of this year.  It also gave me tons to talk about for this week’s Silver Report.  As a side note, my hopes for the summer article has been canned due to how busy things have been combined with the fact that the developments of this past week killed quite a few of those hopes I would have elaborated on in the article.

Brock Lesnar, The Head of the WWE’s Welcoming Committee

What a great way to be welcomed back to the WWE with open arms and a F5.  24 hours after returning Sunday at Payback, CM Punk tasted the force of Paul Heyman’s Beast.  One F5 has kicked off a feud that will easily main event this year’s Summerslam and captivate many this summer.  Personally, this writer would love to see a rematch between Undertaker and CM Punk set for Summerslam yet this clash between these two Paul Heyman guys is just as enticing.  There is some great material for WWE to work off of due Punk and Lesnar’s association with Mr. Heyman.  The verbal sparring matches that we could possibly see between CM Punk and Paul Heyman, considering all signs point to him turning on Punk in the near future, will be nothing short of legendary.  This feud has only just begun so there are going to be bigger developments to come very soon.  This feud can be one to make or break this summer.

World’s Strongest WWE Champion?

News hit last Monday that Mark Henry would be retiring from the squared-circle.  Henry’s recent hiatus from the ring to rest from injuries was sign enough that the World’s Strongest Man would hang up his boots.  Speaking of boots, Henry even placed his boots at the top of the stage on Monday and came out in a bright pink blazer to give his retirement speech.  Henry’s speech induced tears, smiles and even chants as he had the audience wrapped around his finger.  John Cena, who Henry interrupted, came in to give Mark some time with the WWE Champions, a title that Henry has never held according to JBL’s commentary.  It would have been a sweet end for Mark Henry’s career, but the World’s Strongest Man goes out with a whimper, the World’s Strongest Man goes out with a bang.  Mark Henry drew John Cena in for one last handshake and hit the World’s Strongest Slam instead.  Once Cena plummeted to the mat, the realization hit that Mark Henry was not retiring.  It was all a ploy to lure in the WWE Champion and what a great ploy it was.  In one fell swoop, WWE Creative built a credible threat to John Cena’s WWE Championship and made Mark Henry a devious heel that will sink to the lowest of lows to get his way.  As much as it is a given that John Cena will walk out of Money in the Bank with the WWE Championship, Cena vs. Henry should be an interesting bout nonetheless.

The Return of the Whole Dam Show

The biggest news to come out of Payback last Sunday was not CM Punk’s return or the double turn, it was the announcement of Rob Van Dam’s return at Money in the Bank.  It was an incredible surprise as there were no rumours floating around the Internet about RVD returning that this writer saw.  It has been four years since RVD has been in a WWE ring so it will be nice to see what the Whole Dam Show has to offer.  Personally, I am a huge fan of RVD and I felt his run in TNA was disappointing due to how poorly TNA used him.  Hopefully WWE Creative can think of some interesting feuds to put RVD in especially considering how many up-and-coming stars he can work with in the WWE.  Since Money in the Bank will be in Philadelphia (the former home of the original ECW), RVD should get one outstanding pop from the crowd.  This writer personally hopes RVD is put in one of the Money in the Bank Ladder matches because it would be the best match for this veteran to show off all his exciting high-flying offence.

The Silver Report: April 28 - May 4

Last week, I shared my Top 5 WWE Championship matches in honour of the WWE Championship’s 50^th anniversary.  This week, it is back to the regularly scheduled blogging after that little tangent.  It has been surprisingly refreshing to see WWE give more than three weeks to build a PPV.  We have had about a month of build so far for Extreme Rules with two more weeks to go.  Personally, I have not been keeping up with Smackdown for a while now, other than a match here or there, so I cannot talk about WWE programming as a whole.  Although I will say that Raw has been considerably watchable this last month and I believe it has to do with not having to cram close to six weeks of build into a mere three weeks.  Now WWE just needs to start confirming matches for Extreme Rules so they have a card to promote outside of the three matches that have already been set in stone.

A Chink in Super Cena’s Armour

After being on tour in Europe the week prior, WWE returned to North America to get on with normally scheduled television tapings and live events.  Upon returning, news broke that John Cena had injured his Achilles tendon while on tour in Europe.  Fans and critics alike feared the worse for the current WWE Champion because this type of injury can be especially dangerous, just ask Edge.  It left the plans for Raw up in the air as many speculated if John Cena would be on the show and whether the injury was severe enough to vacant the WWE Title.  Good news for Cena fans and bad news for Cena haters, John was on Raw and scheduled to team with Ryback to face off with the Shield.  Ryback would back out of the handicap match due to Cena’s injury so the match was changed to Team Hell No and John Cena vs. the Shield.  The match was great as everybody played up John Cena’s injury.  From Daniel Bryan and Kane intentionally avoiding tagging Cena in to Seth Rollins taunts towards Cena, the idea that John Cena is not even close to 100 percent was performed perfectly by everybody in the match.  Also Cena did an admirable job in selling his ankle injury, which led right into the finish with Cena’s ankle giving out to set up Roman Reigns to hit the Spear and get the pin.  While it might be difficult to let another big name take some time off, this injury serves as a perfect way to have John Cena drop the title to Ryback at Extreme Rules.  Having Ryback possibly targeting the ankle during their match or even doing an angle with Ryback “breaking” John Cena’s ankle would provide excellent set-up for Cena’s eventual return match while making Ryback looking like a bigger heel.  With John Cena out to heal for a few months, WWE could have Ryback feud with Chris Jericho, Daniel Bryan or even Kane in order to give Ryback some momentum heading into an eventual rematch with Cena.  There is a crack in the seemingly impervious armour of Super Cena and WWE has an excellent opportunity to use this rare occurrence to create a new unstoppable heel and a potential main event caliber rematch.

Three Men, Three Ladders, One Title

In the right hands, a ladder can make the highest objects reachable.  In the wrong hands, it can be one of the most inventive weapons out there.  In the hands of wrestlers, a ladder is used both the right way and the wrong way, but nevertheless it is always enjoyable.  Ladder matches are an easy way of providing tension as competitors scale ladders in order to reach a title, briefcase or any other object hanging above the ring before their opposition.  How does WWE make a Triple Threat Match between the three men fighting for the World Heavyweight Championship better; they add ladders to the mix.  Alberto Del Rio, Dolph Ziggler and Jack Swagger have all competed in a Ladder match or two during their time in the WWE.  Due to their experience in Ladder matches, there is no doubt that these three can put on a Ladder match that could easily steal the show at Extreme Rules.  Making this Triple Threat match a Triple Threat Ladder match was a great decision on WWE Creative’s part as it has surely raised the interest in the World Heavyweight Championship match at Extreme Rules.  Now we just need a few more gimmick matches like this one that are worthy of being on Extreme Rules and we could have a great PPV on our hands.

The Silver Report: April 7-13

One year ago, The Silver Report debuted here on the Silverdome in the unbelievable aftermath of WrestleMania 28.  Here we are a year later, looking at the aftermath of WrestleMania 29.  While the quality of WrestleMania continues to waver, it is the Monday night after WrestleMania that has become an event just as big as The Show of Shows itself.  As WrestleMania becomes more focused on catering to the casual wrestling fans, the Raw immediately following WrestleMania is a treat for the hardcore wrestling fanatics like yours truly.  Explosive promos, great matches, hot crowd and an electric atmosphere make for easily one of the best Raws of the year.  Personally, I did not find this year’s Raw to be as good as the Raw that followed WrestleMania 28, but it was still one hell of a show.  Even when things were getting a little boring, the unbelievably hot crowd at the Izod Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey kept you entertained.  In the last few years, the Raw following WrestleMania has become such an integral part of the WrestleMania experience that nobody should skip out on it if they ever get a chance to go to the Show of Shows.

Dolph Ziggler, New World Heavyweight Champion!!

Everybody was hoping to see Dolph Ziggler cash in his Money in the Bank briefcase at WrestleMania to win the World Heavyweight Championship because it would have been an insane WrestleMania moment.  Leaving that moment until Raw, where a much bigger audience than WrestleMania is watching, was even better.  Pitting Jack Swagger and Zeb Colter against Alberto Del Rio in a Handicap Match seemed like the perfect set-up for Dolph to cash-in.  Jack worked over Del Rio’s ankle before Alberto hooked in the Cross Arm Breaker to win the match.  Immediately following the Handicap Match, Ziggler would come to the cheers of the crowd and many fans sitting at home.  It was a short match that saw Dolph and Del Rio go back-and-forth.  There was one point where Del Rio hooked Ziggler in the Cross Arm Breaker that made me yell at the top of my lungs, “Don’t you dare tap, Dolph!”  Ziggler escaped the hold by twisting Del Rio’s injured ankle, which set up Ziggler to hit the Zig Zag for the win.  The crowd at the Izod Center exploded in cheers while I jumped out of my seat in pure excitement.  It was easily one of the best Money in the Bank cash-ins I had the honour of watching.  In the span of two minutes, the emotions everybody watching this match went from excitement to frustration then ultimately happiness.  It was emotionally draining to say the least, but the best moments in professional wrestling are.  Easily the best moment of 2013 so far and it will definitely be pretty hard to beat.  Now that Dolph Ziggler is the World Heavyweight Champion, it is time for the WWE to show the world that Ziggler is main event player.

Fandango Becomes a Star

Last year, WrestleMania week changed the career of Daniel Bryan.  In the span of a week, Daniel Bryan went from having the most crushing defeat in his career to being the most over wrestler in the WWE.  The birth of the Yes chants a year ago launched Daniel Bryan’s career into the stratosphere.  No matter where Bryan is on the card, he gets one of the loudest responses of the night.  It is all thanks to the fans in Miami that chose to stand their ground and show WWE who they want to be pushed.  Fandango seems to be this year’s WrestleMania success story.  While the enigmatic dancer did get a huge win over Chris Jericho at WrestleMania, it was the crowd at the Izod Center that got Fandango over.  From humming and dancing along to Fandango’s theme song throughout the night to saying his name in unison, this crowd did everything in their power to get Fandango over to the point that I believe we will not be hearing any “You can’t wrestle” chants directed towards Fandango in the future.  While Fandango has truly made his mark on the WWE and the WWE Universe, Fandangoing seems to be sweeping the inter-webs much like Gangnam Style did last year and the Harlem Shake did earlier this year.  The internet loves the weirdest things, but the rising popularity of Fandangoing will bring good publicity to the professional wrestling and the WWE and further push Fandango as a star in the squared circle.

Best Raw Crowd Ever

Most nights the wrestlers are the stars of the show, but there are a few nights when the crowd is the star of the show.  This past Monday on Raw was one of those nights.  The crowd at the Izod Center was just phenomenal.  The excitement and enthusiasm that they brought to Raw made it that much more enjoyable to watch at home.  Personally, I cannot account for how it was like to be in a rabid crowd like the one at the Izod Center, but I hope to one day experience it for myself.  Apart from Ziggler’s World Title win, the best moment from Raw was when the crowd decided to hijack the show, which began during the boring Randy Orton vs. Sheamus match.  The crowd chanted for the announcers, wrestlers, old wrestling promotions and everything in between.  It was a so surreal that you stopped paying attention to what was happening on  the screen and concentrated on intently listening to whatever crazy chant the crowd decided to start.  It would be awesome to have a crowd like the one at the Izod Center at every show as it would make the three hour marathons the WWE calls Monday Night Raw fly by.  Sadly that is not possible as a crowd like this one only results from the international crowd that comes from all corners of the world to see WrestleMania live.  We will just have wait until next year in New Orleans to see a crowd as rabid as this one, but it will be worth the wait.

The Road to WrestleMania 29 Part 4: Coming Home

Before we start this preview for WrestleMania 29, I want to address the lack of posts these last two weeks.  While I was hoping to be able to sneak in another part or two for The Road to WrestleMania 29 series, it never came to fruition with the amount of work that I had to do for my classes.  Split between working on a presentation and two major papers, I did not have much time or energy to work on anything other than school work.  Getting those projects done and out of the way was so important that this series had to be put on the backburner.  I am sorry that I could not address this delay sooner, but I hope to make up for it with one huge preview for WrestleMania 29.

Personally, I cannot remember a WrestleMania so poorly built as this year’s event.  Watching WWE this last month has been very straining because seeds for feuds that should have been planted all the way back at the Royal Rumble were entirely nonexistent until only a few weeks ago.  WWE missed an incredible amount of opportunities to make this WrestleMania live up to the majesty and grandeur this event demands.  Matches like CM Punk vs. Undertaker and Triple H vs. Brock Lesnar that could single-handedly sell any other PPV have been so poorly built that nobody cares or is remotely interested.  In the shadow of Madison Square Garden, WrestleMania’s true home, you would expect the WWE to pull out all the stops to make this WrestleMania worthy of this grand homecoming especially considering that next year WrestleMania will not be coming from MSG, breaking a WrestleMania tradition.  It is still WrestleMania and honestly this wrestling fan is hoping even with my doubts the WWE can pull together a show to surprise us and live up to the name of WrestleMania or fail gloriously in the process.

Wade Barrett (c) vs. The Miz for the Intercontinental Championship

Not very often do the secondary championships get showcased at WrestleMania.  It feels pretty special when it happens and it stings a lot when this match gets shafted to the pre-show.  It is understandable considering how little build this match has had and the roller coaster WWE creative has sent these two wrestlers on for the last month before settling with this match.  Given enough time, Wade Barrett and the Miz will no doubt put on a good match.  There is a slight possibility that the WWE will give the title to the Miz in order to push his new babyface second-coming of Ric Flair gimmick down our collective throats.  Personally, I am pulling for Barrett to retain the title to hopefully give him and his Intercontinental Title reign more legitimacy.

Prediction:  Wade Barrett retains

Brodus Clay, Tensai and the Funkadactyls vs. Team Rhodes Scholars and the Bella Twins in an Eight-Person Tag Team Match

This match is the definition of a pre-show match.  There is no feud between these teams, no build for this match and no interest from the fans.  To put this match on the main card for WrestleMania would be a travesty.  It is definitely sad to see two young talented wrestlers like Cody Rhodes and Damien Sandow in a throwaway match on the Biggest Stage of Them All.  There is no need to watch this match as it will be nothing more than mediocre filler anyway.

Prediction:  Brodus Clay, Tensai and the Funkadactyls win

Team Hell No (c) vs. Dolph Ziggler and Big E Langston

Speaking of talented wrestlers going to waste on the Biggest Stage of Them All, we have the Tag Team Title match.  Daniel Bryan, Dolph Ziggler and Kane could have easily been placed in singles matches that would be more appealing than this match.  Team Hell No, while still enjoyable, has gone its course.  If WWE is not going to use Team Hell No to build a tag team division worth caring about, it is time to take Daniel Bryan and Kane in a new direction.  WrestleMania could have easily been the big climactic finale to their long-term feud.  It just feels like a missed opportunity in my opinion.  These guys will probably put on a good tag team match.  Like with many other things with WrestleMania 29, it could have been so much better.

Prediction:  Team Hell No retains

Ryback vs. Mark Henry

Ryback hits the Shellshock on Mark Henry.  Nobody will care about the match; they will only care about the big WrestleMania moment at the very end.  That folks is Ryback vs. Mark Henry in a nutshell.

Prediction:  Ryback wins

Chris Jericho vs. Fandango

While this match should have been Dolph Ziggler vs. Chris Jericho, this wrestling fan believes Chris Jericho can put on a good match at WrestleMania no matter who he is paired with.  Considering this match will be Johnny Curtis’ debut as Fandango, the lights will definitely be on this young up-and-comer.  It will be a true test if Fandango is deserving of the push he is currently getting from WWE Creative.

Prediction:  Fandango wins

The Shield vs. Sheamus, Randy Orton and Big Show

The Shield has been seemingly unstoppable during their short time in the WWE.  Superstars step up to challenge this faction of young superstars, but all fall to the Shield of Justice.  The next challengers are a pretty mighty bunch in Sheamus, Randy Orton and Big Show.  This fragile alliance will be severely tested Sunday night as they battle one of the most cohesive groups in WWE history.  This match is one that I am personally most excited for because of how great the Shield’s matches have been and the possibility of a Randy Orton heel turn.

Prediction:  The Shield wins

Alberto Del Rio (c) vs. Jack Swagger for the World Heavyweight Championship

The more I think of this match, the more it reminds me of Eddie Guerrero vs. Kurt Angle from WrestleMania XX.  I could care less about the storyline between the American-loving Alberto Del Rio and the American Extremist Jack Swagger, it is the match these two technical wrestlers put on that really matters.  Technically this match will be great as you got two technical styles that will work wonderful together.  The match will come down to a showdown between the Cross Armbreaker and the Patriot Lock and that should be a sight to see.  Also I am personally hoping for Dolph Ziggler to cash in the Money in the Bank contract after this match, fingers crossed.

Prediction:  Alberto Del Rio retains

Brock Lesnar vs. Triple H in a No Holds Barred Match with Triple H’s Career on the Line

Looking for an all-out brawl reminiscent to the hardcore matches of eras past than look no further than Brock Lesnar vs. Triple H II.  While their first match at last year’s Summerslam left a lot to be desired, giving these two free reins to beat the living crap out of one another with everything and anything will be a big improvement.  It might seem obvious that Triple H will get the victory over Brock Lesnar to avoid retiring, but that result would be incredibly damaging to the monster the WWE is trying to build in Brock Lesnar.  Brock should not lose a match until the WWE is ready to have him face somebody they want to push to the main event like Sheamus or challenge Undertaker to end The Streak.  Honestly, Triple H does not need to be wrestling anymore, so give Brock Lesnar another win under his belt and a definitive ending to Triple H’s career.

Prediction:  Brock Lesnar wins and Triple H retires

Undertaker vs. CM Punk

There was one point in time when Undertaker vs. CM Punk at WrestleMania 29 seemed like a great idea then we got the last four weeks of WWE programming.  Opinions can quickly change when thoughts on paper turn into reality.  CM Punk and Undertaker tried their best to make the storyline they were given to work with, but it was not enough.  While these guys are great on the microphone especially Punk, the storyline really drew off the death of Paul Bearer, way too soon in my opinion, that it felt quite uncomfortable at times.  There is no doubt that these two will steal the show at WrestleMania.  Some of the excitement that normally surrounds an Undertaker match at WrestleMania is gone thanks to such a horrible storyline.

Prediction:  Undertaker wins

The Rock (c) vs. John Cena for the WWE Championship

Here we are, at the rematch no one asked for—The Rock vs. John Cena II.  For the main event of the Biggest Show of the Year, this match has had less build than Undertaker vs. CM Punk.  That is what WWE gets for wasting two weeks showing the exact same video package about this match.  While this match has been built as John Cena’s redemption, nobody really cares who wins if one of two things happens.  First, Rock and Cena deliver a match that surpasses last year’s match in Miami.  Second, John Cena FINALLY turns heel.  Wrestling fans are getting sick and tired on John Cena’s character because it has not evolved in over six years now.  Cena needs a new direction and why not initiate on the Grandest Stage of Them All where the lights are on bright and the whole world is watching.

Prediction:  John Cena wins the WWE Championship

It is WrestleMania Sunday and there is no hype, no excitement.  Last year, I could not contain my excitement to see Rock vs. Cena, Undertaker vs. Triple H and CM Punk vs. Chris Jericho that I tried to find affordable venue to watch the event to no avail.  This year I have no such inclination to watch WrestleMania live.  It is easier and much more affordable to wait two months and pick up the DVD.  Yes, you miss out on watching it in the moment, but you pay about twenty dollars to have the event forever.  Instead of wasting thirty to fifty dollars only to see if WWE can put an amazing show despite the incredible lack of build and excitement.

The Road to WrestleMania 29 Part 3: Here to Show the World

The World Heavyweight Championship match has been set in stone for weeks.  The budding feud between the newly packaged Jack Swagger and now America-loving Alberto Del Rio has provided some entertainment albeit only thanks to the incredible mic work of the enigmatic Zeb Colter.  While Del Rio and Swagger have been put in the spotlight, many fans have forgotten one major factor in this World Title match—Dolph Ziggler.  Considering how often Ziggler loses on television, it would be hard to blame anybody for forgetting about WWE’s Resident Show-Off.  There has been much speculation over when Ziggler will finally cash in his Money in the Bank contract.  There would be no venue better to cash in Money in the Bank other than WWE’s Biggest Show of the Year, WrestleMania 29.

In the eight years that the Money in the Bank concept has existed in WWE, nobody has ever cashed in the contract at WrestleMania.  Yes, Daniel Bryan and Mr. Kennedy made claims to cash in their contracts at WrestleMania on two separate occasions, but their claims never came to fruition.  The Money in the Bank contract has always been cashed in before WrestleMania.  So Dolph Ziggler will be the first wrestler to walk into WrestleMania with Money in the Bank contract in hand.  The question is will he exchange that contract at WrestleMania for the World Heavyweight Championship?  This writer certainly believes so.  WrestleMania is WWE’s grandest stage and it would be the perfect place to properly launch Dolph Ziggler to the main event scene in the WWE.  Dolph Ziggler is incredibly talented in the ring and on the microphone, but WWE seems to derail his pushes by having him job to the likes of John Cena, Randy Orton and Sheamus.  While it would be nice if the WWE tried to build the possibility of Dolph cashing in the Money of the Bank briefcase at WrestleMania, this lack of build might provide an excellent surprise for WrestleMania 29.  If nobody expects Dolph to cash in at WrestleMania, the bigger the surprise will be when it actually happens.  Also cashing in the Money in the Bank contract at WrestleMania will work perfectly with Ziggler’s “The Show-Off” gimmick because a show-off would want to steal the spotlight when the lights are on the brightest.

With the latest advancements in the Swagger vs. Del Rio feud and the announcement of Team Hell No vs. Dolph Ziggler and Big E Langston for WrestleMania, it seems the possibility of Dolph cashing in the Money in the Bank contract is slimming by the day.  This writer’s hope will not be lost that easily because anything can happen in the WWE.  Due to how personal the Swagger vs. Del Rio feud seems to be getting, they do not need the World Heavyweight Title to keep their feud going after WrestleMania to the rumoured Submission match at Extreme Rules.  Doplh Ziggler has spent too much time in the upper mid-card of the WWE.  His time to hold World Heavyweight Champion is now.  The longer fans wait the more restless they are going to get.  Give us the payoff we deserve at WrestleMania and let Dolph Ziggler finally show the world he is a star.

The Flawed Storm: Quick Preview of WWE Summerslam 2012

This year Summerslam has the tagline, “The Perfect Storm.”  This tagline has been used as hype for what was supposed to be the biggest match on the card, Triple H vs. Brock Lesnar.  Much like the build for this big match, the build for this year’s Summerslam has been flawed in my opinion.  WWE focused too much on hyping the 1000^th episode of Monday Night Raw that they forgot to put anything towards making people care about Summerslam.  Summerslam is suppose to be built as the second biggest PPV of the year behind WrestleMania, but for the last few years it feels like WWE has been treating it like every other PPV, which is not how you build one of the biggest shows of your year.  From top to bottom on paper, the card for Summerslam looks very good, but WWE has not done much of anything to make me or any other wrestling fan care about this card.  Out of all the matches on this card, the only feud that has gotten the proper attention and good build has been the Chris Jericho and Dolph Ziggler feud.  In all honesty, the Chris Jericho vs. Dolph Ziggler is the only match on the card I actually want to watch.  It is the one to watch as I can personally see these two stealing the show.

The Miz (c) vs. Rey Mysterio for the Intercontinental Championship

Prediction:  The Miz retains

R-Truth & Kofi Kingston vs. The Primetime Players for the WWE Tag Team Championship

Prediction:  The Primetime Players win the WWE Tag Team Championship

Kane vs. Daniel Bryan

Prediction:  Daniel Bryan wins

Chris Jericho vs. Dolph Ziggler

Prediction:  Dolph Ziggler wins

Sheamus (c) vs. Alberto Del Rio for the World Heavyweight Championship

Prediction:  Sheamus retains

Triple H vs. Brock Lesnar

Prediction:  Brock Lesnar wins

CM Punk (c) vs. Big Show vs. John Cena in a Triple Threat Match for the WWE Championship

Prediction:  CM Punk retains

Much like last year’s Summerslam, WWE could possibly pull out a great PPV out of absolutely no build.  Right now looking back on the weeks leading up to this event, it has been quite frustrating that even with all the glimpses of greatness we have experienced with Raw’s move to three hours.  Summerslam is supposed to be built as the second biggest PPV of the year and it does not feel like that anymore.  Personally I am more excited for a regular PPV like Extreme Rules or Money in the Bank than I am for Summerslam and that is a huge problem, WWE. 

The Silver Report: August 5-11

It was a mixed week of wrestling in the WWE.  While Raw and Smackdown did have their ups and downs this week, there are a few moments and matches that were good to great that saved this week from being a complete and utter waste in my opinion.  We are a week away from Summerslam and I honestly bared hyped for this PPV whatsoever other than being excited to see Chris Jericho vs. Dolph Ziggler, but more on that later.  It seemed like WWE put all their resources into hyping Raw 1000 that they forgot to put any hype towards their second biggest PPV of the year, Summerslam.  With one week left, let us see if WWE can pull out a miracle and make us care about Summerslam this year.

Lesnar Is Coming to Get You

Considering the main WWE Championship storyline repeated what happened last week just with Big Show standing tall at the end of Raw, we will have to look at the Brock Lesnar-Triple H feud for the biggest story of the week.  Seeing as Raw was in San Antonio this past Monday, Shawn Michaels made a special appearance.  The main reason Michaels was at Raw was for Shawn Michaels Appreciation Night, which happened after Raw went off the air, but WWE also decided to inject Michaels into the feud between Triple H and Brock Lesnar.  Shawn Michaels made his way out to the ring and gave his take on the whole situation between his best friend and Brock Lesnar.  Shawn’s opinions got the attention of Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman as they made their way to the ring to confront HBK.  Paul Heyman’s attempts to convince Shawn Michaels was the superior athlete were futile as they only infuriated the Heartbreak Kid.  They infuriated Shawn to the point that he announced that he would be in Triple H’s corner at Summerslam.  This announcement did not sit well with Lesnar as he made his move to attack Shawn Michaels to only be stopped by Triple H.  Hoping to hold off the fighting for another day, Lesnar and Heyman made their retreat.  Before they left, Lesnar told Michaels that he will see him before Summerslam.  While I do think it was a good move for WWE to hold off until the go home Raw before Summerslam for Lesnar destroys Michaels, I personally did not like the execution.  Why would you blurt out your plan to your opponent and the whole world no less and completely destroy the element of surprise?  Now that Shawn and Triple H know what you are going to do this week on Raw, so how does Brock think he will be able to get away with it?  WWE could have easily had Brock make a gesture towards Michaels that insinuated that Michaels would not make it to Summerslam instead of the overly cartoony and unrealistic villain telling the heroes his plan.  Still it is a good hook for the Summerslam go home show, just the whole element of surprise is gone from an angle that could have easily stolen the show.

Y2J is Back, Baby!!

Ever since Dolph Ziggler made the mistake of saying Chris Jericho has lost his touch, the Show-Off has been made to eat his words.  After delivering numerous Code Breakers to the World Heavyweight Money in the Bank winner, Chris Jericho has gotten into Dolph’s head.  Case and point, Dolph Ziggler spent too much time concentrated on Chris Jericho on commentary this past Monday on Raw that Alex Riley rolled Dolph up to pick up his second win of the 2012.  This past Friday on Smackdown, the Highlight Reel, Jericho’s classic interview segment, made its’ return.  Along with the return of the Highlight Reel, came the return of a side of Chris Jericho that everybody has missed for a long time.  Some of Dolph’s insults really home with Chris Jericho as he has not been up to snuff in the big matches, so Jericho has welcomed his Y2J character back with open arms.  It did look like the WWE has been building for this moment for a month or so now considering Jericho’s increased use of his classic catchphrases.  Personally I love the return of Y2J as it gives an established face for the WWE to pull upon as a challenger for Dolph Ziggler’s eventual World Heavyweight Title reign especially with all signs pointing to their current feud ending at Summerslam.  Once Y2J made his return, Dolph Ziggler made his move, attacking Chris Jericho with the Money in the Bank briefcase.  This attack got Dolph some much needed payback on the man that has humiliated him these past few weeks.  With their match finally set in stone for Summerslam and the return of Y2J, this feud is easily the most interesting thing on WWE TV at the moment.

Sheamus vs. Del Rio Cancelled for Summerslam

In all honesty, I have not cared for this feud one bit.  There have been little glimmers of greatness, but things have gotten so drawn out and stop and go that it would be better if Sheamus and Alberto Del Rio went their separate ways.  I thought that until witnessing the events of this past Smackdown.  Back on Monday, Sheamus stole Alberto Del Rio’s car and went on a joy ride throughout San Antonio.  While the fact that Sheamus got away with grand theft auto with little to no repercussions is beyond me (logic is sometimes thrown out the window in the WWE), it lead right into the main event of Smackdown, which was suppose to see Sheamus defend the World Heavyweight Championship against Alberto Del Rio.  The match did not even start because these policemen came out and surrounded the ring.  At first, Del Rio told the policemen to stop walking towards the ring because he did not file that report with San Antonio police against Sheamus and that he wanted his chance to win the World Title.  As these supposed policemen got closer to ring, Del Rio begged and pleaded them to stop until the Mexican Aristocrat’s look of horror turned into a smile and he told his hired guns to attack Sheamus.  At first, Sheamus beat off the horde, but eventually the numbers became too much for the World Heavyweight Champion.  Sheamus succumbed to the overwhelming odds and Del Rio was left standing over a beaten down World Champion.  As result of what happened at the end of Raw, the Sheamus vs. Alberto Del Rio World Heavyweight Championship Match has been removed from the Summerslam crowd.  While did like that the WWE has put more heat on Del Rio with this beat down, it might be too late to do a whole cancelation angle seeing that Summerslam is only a week away.  If they go with entire different match, there will be no time to build anything and it would kill almost all the momentum Del Rio gained from this beat down.  The wise decision would be to add a No DQ stipulation to their match at Summerslam to capitalize on the heat generated toward Del Rio by this entire angle and make it that much more satisfying when the fans see Sheamus fight him at Summerslam.  We will have to wait and see what actually happens, but I do have to applaud the WWE for getting me interested in Shemus vs. Del Rio again.  Now hopefully they do not screw it up before Summerslam.

The Silver Report: July 29-August 4

As we enter August, we enter the final month that I will be posting regularly once a week.  Come the second week of September, I start university so I am going to be too busy to write a blog post every single day between two blogs.  I will talk about this situation in more detail when the time comes for the change, but I would like to give a little warning so I do not surprise anybody with the news.  Now with that news out of the way, let us get on with the regular scheduled blogging.

While not a home run, Raw 1001 was a success.  WWE successfully put on a rather good three hour show that had a great balance of promos and wrestling.  While there was a fair share of promos, they all felt like they had a purpose and were all fairly entertaining.  The main focus was on the wrestling as Raw 1001 had three matches that easily went well over the 10 minute mark.  If you can, you should go out of your way to watch the Sheamus vs. Daniel Bryan and Dolph Ziggler and Miz vs. Christian and Chris Jericho.  Both easily among the best matches I have watched on Raw all year.  Raw 1001 did drag for a little bit thanks to incessant amount of recaps the WWE decided to put us through.  There was a recap for everything that happened on Raw 1000, a recap of the opening promo and recaps of those previously mentioned recaps.  It was overkill and hopefully next week, WWE does not bombard us with all those recaps.

CM Punk Embraces the Cult of Personality

The big question going into Raw 1001 was why CM Punk did what he did at the end of Raw 1000?  WWE made the right choice of kicking off Raw 1001 with Punk’s explanation.  In all honesty, I do believe WWE should have promoted this promo kicking off Raw on last week’s Smackdown instead of mere hours before Raw 1001 because it would have helped establish the new start time for Raw with the people who missed Raw 1000 or just forgot.  Nonetheless, CM Punk started off Raw with one incredible promo.  CM Punk called out Jerry Lawler over his call at the end of Raw 1000 saying Punk turned his back on the WWE Universe saying it was untrue.  Then Punk went on to say that The Rock disrespected Punk at Raw 1000 by making the show all about him and only recognizing Punk to say he has been handed a WWE Championship match at the Royal Rumble.  So Punk took it upon himself to give The Rock a sense of who The Rock will possibly be dealing with at Royal Rumble and ended Raw 1000 the same way every episode of Raw in Punk’s opinion should end with the WWE Champion standing tall.  It was a very effective promo that did not paint CM Punk as either a face or heel.  While CM Punk is leaning toward a darker side of his character, everything he said in that promo was true and to the point.  Maybe we are getting the slow reemergence of the renegade that dropped the Pipe Bomb heard around the World over a year, maybe we are getting a new incarnation of the classic heel Punk we all know and love.  Right now much like CM Punk’s first heel turn in the WWE, we have to patient because it will be a slow burn.  CM Punk will not show his true heel colours right away, it will take weeks, possibly even months before we see CM Punk’s heel turn is complete.  As evidence to the end of Raw where he attacked both Big Show and John Cena and his screaming at AJ, he is showing more and more heel qualities.  We will have to continue to watch Raw in order to see the end result.  So far CM Punk’s embrace of his own Cult of Personality is getting off to a great start.

The New Smackdown GM, Booker T.  Now Can You Dig That, Sucka?

On the 1000^th episode of Raw, AJ was named the new General Manager of Raw by Mr. McMahon.  That left many wrestling fans wondering who would be the General Manager of Smackdown.  Well we did not have to wait too long as Booker T was named the General Manager this past week on Smackdown.  Actually WWE broke the news of Booker T being named GM of Smackdown on their website on Tuesday in order to entice fans to tune into Smackdown and possibly stop the wrestling websites from spoiling the news.  The way things have gone with GMs for the past year, I am hoping Booker T and AJ stay the GMs for a while.  It gets very annoying to have a new authority figure every few months.  You stop to care who actually is in the role of authority figure when it changes at such a rapid rate.  Hopefully WWE starts to build Raw and Smackdown around AJ and Booker T as the authority figures for the coming year or so instead of having them be another set of GMs that last only a few months on the job.  The best thing with Booker T being the GM of Smackdown is that we will longer have to listen to his atrocious colour commentating on a weekly basis.  Rest in Peace Shuckey Duckey Quack Quack, we will not miss you.

Orton’s Return Complicates the World Title Picture

When you thought Heath Slater had no other purpose on Raw and Smackdown after the conclusion of the Raw Legends storyline at Raw 1000, the One Man Rock Band made his way down to the ring this past week on Raw to challenge any superstar in the locker room.  Lo and behold, Rev Theory’s Voices boomed from the speakers and out came Randy Orton.  Returning from his suspension, Orton squashed Heath Slater on Raw.  On Smackdown, Randy Orton faced Alberto Del Rio in the main event.  It was an okay match at best that saw Ricardo Rodriguez get involved, which caused Orton to get the win by DQ.  Following the match, Del Rio ate a RKO thanks to Sheamus throwing the Mexican Aristocrat back into the ring after the match.  Yes, Alberto Del Rio is set to face Sheamus for the World Heavyweight Championship at Summerslam, but there is one question that is my mind after the Orton’s return this past week.  What is WWE going to do with Randy Orton going into Summerslam?  With the way Smackdown ended, it looks like WWE will find some way to add Randy Orton to the World Heavyweight Championship match at Summerslam.  The only other possible match WWE can add for Summerslam is a No. 1 Contender’s match with possibly Randy Orton, Rey Mysterio, Kane and Daniel Bryan, which determines who will face Sheamus at Night of Champions.  The fact that Randy Orton is still booked as one of WWE’s most dominant superstars after two strikes against him (one more Wellness Policy infraction and Orton will be fired), I cannot see WWE leaving him off of the biggest PPV of the summer.  While I believe it would have been better to have had Randy Orton return after Summerslam, these are the cards the WWE has dealt all of us.  Let us see if they can get out of this complicated situation without making things more convoluted.

The Silver Report: July 15-21

After months of hype, counting down each and every leading up to it, the 1000^th episode is finally upon us.  This momentous occasion has plenty of fans including yours truly excited to the point that WWE NEEDS to deliver with this show.  Not only to kick off the next 1000 episodes off with a bang, but to convince every wrestling fan that Raw’s move to three hours is really worth it.  In all honesty, I am quite skeptical that WWE can put on a consistently watchable product with Raw being three hours each and every week.  They have a hard time keeping many interested through the two hour shows.  Things can easily drag when you have three whole hours to fill with content.  Hopefully that does not happen, but I am still worried.  With the DX Reunion, Brock Lesnar’s answer, the naming of the new GM, AJ & Daniel Bryan’s wedding, the Rock’s message, the Intercontinental Title match and CM Punk vs. John Cena for the WWE Championship, the 1000^th episode of Raw is definitely stacked.  We will just have to see how everything turns out come Monday night.  While a little worried, I personally cannot wait to see what happens.

CM Punk vs. John Cena, WWE Championship, Raw 1000

To nobodies’ surprise, John Cena won the WWE Championship Money in the Bank Ladder match last Sunday at Money of the Bank.  That left one question that lingered throughout last Monday’s Raw.  When and where will John Cena cash in his Money in the Bank contract?  We would not find out until the very end of the show.  After Big Show got disqualified from his very good match against CM Punk, John Cena made his way to ringside with the Money in the Bank briefcase in tow.  We got a nice little exchange between Cena and Big Show where the Giant played devil’s advocate.  He kept on trying to convince John Cena to throwaway all his morals and cash in the Money in the Bank contract right then and there.  Eventually Cena got fed up and announced he will be cashing in his Money in the Bank contract this coming Monday at the 1000^th episode of Raw before cracking Big Show in the head with the Money in the Bank briefcase.  CM Punk and John Cena have incredible chemistry.  No matter what outside force gets involved in the match, it should be a very entertaining contest.  While I would personally like if the match went on without a hitch, the plans are to have John Cena vs. CM Punk for the WWE Championship at Summerslam.  To get us to that point, something big has to happen at some point during this match to start us on the road to the WWE Championship rematch at Summerslam.  The Rock, Big Show, whoever it may be, whatever happens at the conclusion of this match should be big and hopefully send us to Summerslam in style.

Can You Smell What the Rock Has Cooking?

About two weeks ago, it was announced that the Rock would be on the 1000^th episode of Raw.  This announcement led to lots of speculation.  The last time the Rock was on Monday Night Raw, he promised to become the WWE Champion once again.  Most people, me included, believe that Rock will announce when and where he will be challenging for the WWE Championship because WWE would most likely want to promote the holy hell out of that match like they did for Rock vs. Cena.  My prediction is that the People’s Champ will announce that he will challenge for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 29.  That could set up Cena vs. Rock II, Brock Lesnar vs. Rock or even CM Punk vs. Rock depending on who is holding the WWE Championship come WrestleMania.  Other possible events where Rock could challenge for the WWE Title are either Summerslam or Survivor Series.  One of the Big Four PPVs other than Royal Rumble (as the actual Royal Rumble match would overshadow this WWE Title match) would be perfect for a match of this caliber.  Maybe the Great One has something else completely different to talk about this coming Monday.  No doubt the whole wrestling world will be listening to what the Rock has to say the 1000^th episode of Raw.

He’s Here to Show the World

While John Cena won the WWE Championship Money in the Bank Ladder match, Dolph Ziggler won the World Heavyweight Championship Money in the Bank Ladder match to the pleasure of yours truly.  Dolph finally has the one thing that could launch him to superstardom.  Now we just have to wait to see when WWE pulls the trigger, but until then we should see Mr. Ziggler hanging in upper card feuds.  One possible feud could be against Chris Jericho, who interrupted Ziggler’s victory speech last Monday on Raw.  Jericho came out and before he even got to speak, Ziggler jumped all over him.  Asking when was the last time Jericho won anything important and going on about how Jericho says he is the Best in the World and has done nothing in his latest run in WWE to prove it.  Dolph would continue to berate Jericho until the Liontamer shut the Show-Off up with a Codebreaker.  It was an excellent segment that planted the seeds for a match at Summerslam or even the 1000^th episode of Raw.  WWE could also put Ziggler into the World Title picture with Sheamus, Alberto Del Rio and the returning Rey Mysterio for a Fatal 4 Way match at Summerslam, but that would not be preferred.  I personally think that Dolph Ziggler should stay as far away from the World Title picture for the time being so he has the element of surprise when he actually cashes in the briefcase and he can have time to establish himself as a main eventer before being handed the title.  At this point and time, it is key to have Dolph Ziggler in meaningful feuds with upper mid-carders to main eventers like Chris Jericho, Daniel Bryan, Rey Mysterio and Christian which raise Dolph’s stock with the fans and in the WWE locker room.  It is Dolph Ziggler’s time to show the world what he can do.  WWE, it is on you not to screw this up.

Battle for the Briefcase: Preview of WWE Money in the Bank 2012

It has been a long while since I have been able to do a full preview of a WWE PPV.  It seemed for the longest time that every Sunday that there was a PPV, I would either be working or have some kind of family function.  I never would have the time to sit down a write an entire PPV preview.  It comes at the right time as my first PPV preview in the longest time is one of my personal favourite PPVs of the year, Money in the Bank.

This year, Money in the Bank has a lot to live up to.  Money in the Bank 2011 was easily the best PPV of 2011 and one of the most memorable shows in WWE history.  In order to solidify this PPV as a big player outside the Big Four PPVs (Royal Rumble, WrestleMania, Summerslam and Survivor Series), WWE needs to put on a good to great show this year.  While the four matches that have been announced are enough to sell any PPV, WWE needs to carefully balance the other matches they throw on the card.  Honestly nobody wants to see a Ryback squash match or a throwaway Diva’s Title match on any PPV.  If the WWE needs something that might fill some time, put on Epico & Primo vs. the Prime Time Players because they at least have a little feud going on or a return promo for Rey Mysterio and/or Randy Orton.  Just put on something that will be worth our time instead of completely wasting it like they have done at the last few PPVs.

Dolph Ziggler vs. Cody Rhodes vs. Tensai vs. Damien Sandow vs. Tyson Kidd vs. Christian vs. Santino Marella vs. Sin Cara in the World Heavyweight Championship Money in the Bank Ladder Match

Out of the Money in the Bank Ladder matches at this year’s Money in the Bank, this one is the most exciting.  While the WWE Championship Money in the Bank Ladder match is restricted to only former WWE Champions, the World Heavyweight Championship Money in the Bank Ladder match is open to any superstar.  That meant we got a very diverse level of talent in this contest.  Young talent like Damien Sandow and Cody Rhodes, underappreciated talents like Dolph Ziggler and Tyson Kidd, high-flyers like Sin Cara comedy acts like Santino Marella and veterans like Christian and Tensai.  This match has all the bases covered and should be an exciting showcase for these superstars’ incredible wrestling abilities.  Unless Wade Barrett gets added to the match at the last minute, it is time for Dolph Ziggler shine in the main event.  The first step is winning this Money in the Bank Ladder match.  WWE, give Ziggler a chance to hold the ball because he will run with it.

Prediction:  Dolph Ziggler wins the World Heavyweight Championship Money in the Bank Briefcase

Sheamus (c) vs. Alberto Del Rio for the World Heavyweight Championship

It has take about three months to finally get a singles match between Alberto Del Rio and Sheamus for the World Heavyweight Championship.  Every time WWE booked the match for previous PPVs, the match would get changed at the last minute due to outside circumstances.  It is finally time to see these two heavyweights collide this Sunday with the World Heavyweight Championship in the balance.  With all the time this match has been changed previously, I personally believe Sheamus and Alberto Del Rio have out an added pressure on themselves to put on one amazing singles match.  Added Alberto Del Rio’s budding mean streak, which in my opinion he should have had since he debuted, this match should be a very competitive and equally intense title match.  So keep an eye on this match, it could easily steal the show.

Prediction:  Sheamus retains

John Cena vs. Big Show vs. Kane vs. Chris Jericho in the WWE Championship Money in the Bank Ladder Match

While I am excited to see the result for the World Heavyweight Championship Money in the Bank Ladder match, I do not care much for the WWE Championship Money in the Bank Ladder match.  Out of all the superstars in this match, who honestly thinks that John Cena will not walk out of Phoenix with the WWE Championship Money in the Bank briefcase?  It is a sad, but true.  With that big elephant in the room, my interest for this match has completely faded.  Do not get me wrong, this should be an incredible Fatal 4 Way Ladder match, but it is not what I would ever consider a Money in the Bank Ladder match other than the briefcase hanging above the ring.  If the WWE added two more former WWE Champions to the match, say Randy Orton and/or Rey Mysterio, I would personally be more interested because there would be that slight chance Cena would not win.  With the match in its current state, Super Cena will be holding that Money in the Bank briefcase at the end of the night and I will not care.

Prediction:  John Cena wins the WWE Championship Money in the Bank Briefcase

CM Punk (c) vs. Daniel Bryan for the WWE Championship with AJ as Special Guest Referee

One year after launching himself to superstardom with one incredible match in Chicago, CM Punk is in yet another Money in the Bank main event.  This year, CM Punk defends his WWE Championship against rival Daniel Bryan.  These two wrestlers colliding in a one-one-one match for the biggest prize in the biggest wrestling promotion in the world is a dream for any self-respecting wrestling fan.  We will no doubt be in for one amazing treat come the main event at Money in the Bank as these two will do everything in their power to put on a show that no wrestling fan will ever forget.  Add in the unpredictable element in the special guest referee, the mentally unstable diva AJ and we got one interesting bout that should provide an overbooked yet climactic conclusion to this storyline.  While I would not mind Punk retaining, I would love it if AJ’s madness was just a ploy to help Daniel Bryan win the WWE Championship from CM Punk and we get the Bryan-AJ power couple that we all want and would love.

Prediction:  Daniel Bryan wins the WWE Championship

If WWE can resist from adding anything stupid to Money in the Bank, this year’s event could possibly reach the greatness of last year’s show.  Smart booking, quality matches with the right amount of time and zero to no filler are the keys to keeping Money in the Bank from entering No Way Out 2012 territory.  On paper, this card is incredible.  We will have to wait until later this evening to see if this card is just as incredible in reality as it is on paper.