The Silver Report: June 17-23

One week removed from No Way Out, one week closer to Money in the Bank.  It is the first week of summer.  It is scorching hot, very humid and wrestling has hit a crucial part of the year.  The summer months can either make or break how fans feel about said year.  Case in point, 2010 was a mediocre year for WWE and a lot of it was due to the mishandled Nexus storyline that permeated the summer of 2010.  On the flip side, last year the WWE had a phenomenal summer headlined by one the best storylines in years as Punk held the WWE for ransom.  While 2011 had its ups and downs, it was very good year altogether mainly thanks to WWE’s own Summer of Punk.  Summer 2012 has not started that great for the WWE with a lackluster No Way Out PPV and a Raw that started off great, but ended horribly.  We still got two more PPVs and the 1000^th episode of Raw to go before this summer is over.  We will have to see if things get better from here.

Where Does WWE Go From Here?

With John Laurinaitis fired and Big Show demonsterfied, honestly where can the WWE go from here?  Going into No Way Out, we were at the point where Laurinaitis’ reign over Raw and Smackdown was looking to take off.  For the past few months, Laurinaitis seemed to have been coming into his own and becoming a character you love to hate almost on the level of Vickie Guerrero.  Every time he got close to taking that next step, there would be Triple H, Vince McMahon or John Cena to knock him down a peg.  If you want a heel General Manager takeoff, you have to give him full reign to be a complete utter ass to everyone and everything.  Abusing power, making the every faces’ life a living hell, benefitting the heels these are things that a heel General Manager needs to do every single week.  We did get some of it, but it seemed like things were about to get going when WWE decided that John Laurinaitis will not be the GM of Raw and Smackdown anymore.  He just got all this power two and a half months ago and now it is all flushed down the toilet due to McMahon’s short-sided booking.  Yes, this development is supposedly leading into Laurinaitis being in Brock Lesnar’s corner at Summerslam.  Honestly why should John Laurinaitis be in Lesnar’s corner when Paul Heyman should be in Brock Lesnar’s corner?  The question is where WWE goes next.  Big Show is set to be in the WWE Championship Money in the Bank Ladder Match and feud with Brodus Clay, but nobody really cares about the Big Show after losing the Steel Cage match anyway.  John Cena is rumoured to face CM Punk for the WWE Championship at Summerslam and go onto be a big part of the WWE Title picture for the next part of the year (something this writer is not excited about at all).  Right now all I can really say is that I am sick and tired of the WWE and World Heavyweight feuds being overshadowed by all these stupid bloody storylines involving Cena and hope this summer these feuds get a chance in the main event limelight.

WWE Championship Love Quadrangle

Speaking of the WWE Championship feud, this weird yet highly entertaining feud is the best thing on WWE television lately and it has not ceased to entertain.  At No Way Out, CM Punk got the better of Daniel Bryan and Kane thanks to a big distraction for WWE’s resident crazy chick AJ to retain his WWE Championship.  No Way Out was not the end of it as we got even weirder moments from AJ this past week.  On Raw, she skipped her way down to the ring in a full-on Kane costume, which distracted the Big Red Monster and Daniel Bryan enough for CM Punk and Sheamus to pick up the victory.  Then on Smackdown, AJ tricked Bryan into thinking he caused Kane to submit to the Yes Lock by hitting the ring bell while he had the hold locked on Kane.  AJ’s trick would cost Bryan the match as Kane hit the chokeslam for the win.  With Money in the Bank coming up fast, it makes this writer wonder if WWE will have another Triple Threat Match between these three superstars or see a straightforward one-on-one match for the WWE Championship.  While I am personally hoping for CM Punk vs. Daniel Bryan to main event Money in the Bank, it will most likely be the former.  The key to this feud and crazy love quadrangle is Little Miss Crazy AJ Lee.  Who she finally allies with will be the key to how this feud is remembered for the years to come. 

Ziggler’s Time

He is here to the show the world and he is here to show you now.  For the past few years, Dolph Ziggler has been caught up in as many stop-and-start pushed as Kofi Kingston has tag team partners.  Everytime it looks like the Zig Zag Man looks to be on the cusp of breaking the glass ceiling, Dolph gets dropped right back to mid-card purgatory.  He has the charisma, he has the look and he definitely has the wrestling talent to be a star in the WWE, but this company just cannot see it.  Well hopefully no more.  After Alberto Del Rio supposedly went down with a concussion last week, Ziggler won a Fatal 4 Way Elimination Match to get the honours of challenging Sheamus for the World Title at No Way Out.  Even in defeat, it was said Dolph put on one incredible match with the Great White at last Sunday’s PPV event.  This Monday saw Dolph Ziggler drop the extra baggage that was Jack Swagger as he beat the All American American for the right to have Vickie Guerrero as his manager.  While I personally would have liked if he dropped Vickie too and went solo, it is a step in the right direction nonetheless.  Finally on Smackdown, Dolph Ziggler got a non-title rematch against Sheamus.  The match was absolutely incredible as both superstars traded moves for a good 12 minutes (it felt longer than that when I watched it).  The match did end with Dolph’s shoulders pinned to the mat after one insane Brogue Kick that came from absolutely no where.  In the end, Dolph Ziggler came out of this week looking like a million bucks in that ring with the World Heavyweight Champion.  Hopefully this week is a sign of great things to come for Dolph Ziggler this summer.  We will have to see as Vickie Guerrero will be the Guest General Manager of Raw and Smackdown this coming week.

No Escape: Quick Preview of WWE No Way Out 2012

It seems like there is a new WWE PPV in June each and every year as the WWE tests the water for another PPV in the first month of summer with the return of No Way Out.  Back in 2009, WWE got rid of the classic PPVs including No Way Out, Blacklash and Vengeance for generic gimmick PPVs such as Fatal 4 Way, Hell in a Cell and Elimination Chamber.  Only a few of these gimmick PPVs were actually successful to keep around each year.  Quite a few were scrapped on a yearly basis.  Now here we are a few years after WWE made the stupid decision of getting rid of the No Way Out name for the ever generic and incredibly boring new title Elimination Chamber, No Way Out is back and a shell of its former self.

You have to feel a little sorry for WWE considering all the suspensions and injuries that have fallen upon them this last month.  Right after Over the Limit, No Way Out looked to have some great potential with some great feuds like Chris Jericho vs. Randy Orton, Sheamus vs. Alberto Del Rio and CM Punk vs. Daniel Bryan that would definitely be highlighted on the card.  Now we are left with a card that is completely underwhelming.  Sheamus vs. Dolph Ziggler should be good as the WWE needs to use this match as the point to launch Dolph Ziggler into the main event finally and the Triple Threat Match for the WWE Title should be interesting match which should extend the Punk vs. Bryan feud into the coming months.  Big Show vs. John Cena looks to be interesting as the WWE has done everything to make people want to watch by adding stipulations on top of stipulations.  Personally I am hoping the WWE has some sense not to put Cena over as it would make the last month they spent building the Big Show to be a monster a complete waste.  The rest of the card is okay.  Other than the Tuxedo Match between Santino and Ricardo, a match that should not even be on the card.

Christian (c) vs. Cody Rhodes for the Intercontinental Championship

Prediction:  Christian retains

Layla (c) vs. Beth Phoenix for the Diva’s Championship

Prediction:  Layla retains

Sheamus (c) vs. Dolph Ziggler for the World Heavyweight Championship

Prediction:  Sheamus retains

Santino Marella vs. Ricardo Rodriguez in a Tuxedo Match

Prediction:  Santino Marella wins

CM Punk (c) vs. Daniel Bryan vs. Kane in a Triple Threat Match for the WWE Championship

Prediction:  Daniel Bryan wins the WWE Championship

John Cena vs. Big Show in a Steel Cage Match; If Show loses, John Laurinaitis is fired and if Cena loses, he is fired

Prediction:  Big Show wins thus John Cena is fired

In short, WWE No Way Out 2012 looks to be a definition of a throwaway PPV.  None of the matches jump out and excite you, this card could perfectly fill a three hour Raw and WWE has done nothing to truly build the PPV to be anything special or even different than the other dozen PPVs they put on in the year.  Unless you really want to see one of the big championship matches or the Steel Cage main event, it is easier to just save your money for Money in the Bank or Summerslam than watch this Sunday’s No Way Out PPV.

No Post This Week

It has been one busy week for yours truly more than usual.  With a whole lot of hours at both jobs, watching the big E3 trade show and posting articles on E3 for my video game blog, I have had absolutely no time to watch wrestling this week.  I only got to see the last 45 minutes of Raw and only highlights of Smackdown, so I do not have enough knowledge of the week's events to really write my thoughts on this week in the world of wrestling.  The CM Punk vs. Kane match, which I only saw a fraction of, from Raw was the only thing I found fun out of my little time watching wrestling.  It did not seem like a noteworthy week and from the looks of things, No Way Out does not look like a noteworthy PPV.  We will have to see what this week brings as we will be getting a 3 Hour Raw as the go-home show for No Way Out.  While I like to post something every week, I do not feel up to it or really have the time to invest in writing a new edition of the Silver Report.  To make up for not posting an actual wrestling article this week, I will  post two articles one upcoming weekend when I have more time.  It maybe a review or even a preview alongside a new edition of the Silver Report.  Thank for reading this update and I hope you understand.  If you have an interest in video games, take a look at all my posts about E3 2012 over at silvergamebit.blogspot.ca.

The Silver Report: May 27-June 2

Hope everybody enjoyed my review of WrestleMania 28.  Now we are back to regular scheduled programming.  Two Sundays ago, WWE put on what has been said to be the best Over the Limit event out them all.  While not perfect, the show was said to offer a good amount of quality wrestling especially the World Title Fatal 4 Way and Punk vs. Bryan.  Those are two of the reasons I will most likely be picking Over the Limit up when it releases on DVD next month.  Since Over the Limit it has been an eventful couple of weeks as WWE builds towards the return of No Way Out in two weeks.

Big Show’s Path of Destruction

Only two weeks ago, Big Show was out of a job thanks to John Laurinaitis.  Only two weeks ago, Big Show turned heel as he helped Mr. Laurinaitis beat John Cena in the main event of Over the Limit.  While a predictable turn of events, I was honestly surprised that WWE would go this direction with Big Show.  I thought he would stay the jolly giant character he has played the last two years until he inevitably retired.  At first, I did not care about Big Show’s turn, but it has grown on me considering how the WWE is building him like the monster he should be.  This week, Big Show was booked in a match with the Funkasaurus Brodus Clay.  It was an intriguing match as it looked like Brodus would get some actual competition for once, but that never happened as Big Show hit Brodus with a huge spear before the match.  What followed was an incredible beatdown as Big Show continually hit Brodus with the side of the announce table, bounced R-Truth off the wires of the ring ropes and threw Kofi Kingston through the ringside barricade.  Big Show’s path of destruction continued on Smackdown as well.  Big Show attacked Santino Marella and Zack Ryder after their match against Darren Young and Titus O’Neil.  The devastation Big Show left was a message to his opponent at No Way Out, John Cena that Big Show means business this time around.  While it is yet another feud between Big Show and John Cena, it will be interesting to see how their Steel Cage Match at No Way Out turns out.  Are they building Big Show only to get squashed under the weight of Super Cena or are they going to continue to build Big Show as Mr. Laurinaitis’ monster?  Only time will tell.

The Big Red Monster Joins the WWE Title Picture

A few weeks ago, Daniel Bryan introduced Kane into his feud with CM Punk when he tricked the Big Red Monster into attacking CM Punk as Kane thought Punk hit him with a steel chair, where in reality it was Bryan that hit Kane.  The following week on Raw, Punk got even with Bryan as he tricked Kane into attacking Bryan by handing the American Dragon a steel chair while Kane was not looking.  These events led to Mr. Laurinaitis booking CM Punk vs. Kane for the WWE Championship this past Friday on Smackdown.  The match was a back-and-forth affair that saw CM Punk and Kane give it their all.  The match seemed to be going without a hitch until Daniel Bryan showed up.  First Bryan tried to distract Punk while he was on the top rope, but that did not work out for the American Dragon.  His second attempt to interfere in the match did work as Bryan hit an impressive missile dropkick on both Punk and Kane (one leg for each superstar) causing the ref to stop the match as a result of a no contest.  The brawl did not stop though as Punk and Bryan went at it before Kane came in and hit them with a double chokeslam.  This crazy series of events would come to an end when Mr. Laurinaitis would roll on out in his People Power scooter and announce that the WWE Championship match at No Way Out will be a Triple Threat Match between CM Punk, Kane and Daniel Bryan.  While I and many others would have loved to see another CM Punk vs. Daniel Bryan singles match, this Triple Threat Match should be a very fun affair considering how great these three have been the last few weeks on both Raw and Smackdown.  Also this Triple Threat Match will draw out the CM Punk vs. Daniel Bryan feud even longer and could possibly set-up for another singles match at Money in the Bank or even Summerslam.