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WWE Smackdown Will Be Moving To The USA Network In 2016
Wrestling – USA Network is about to be the go-to spot for WWE: SmackDown is making the move to the network next year.
USA already airs Monday Night Raw for three hours each week and will be the home for WWE Tough Enough once the reality competition show returns for its sixth season June 23.
Since its 1999 debut, SmackDown has broadcast over 800 episodes, earning it the title of television’s second longest-running weekly episodic program (first place belongs to Monday Night Raw). The show will begin airing on USA in early 2016.
The USA Network is now the official home of WWE programming, as both of the company’s flagship shows will be shown on the USA Network starting next year. The WWE is coming off one of it’s most profitable weeks in a long time, and it’s clear that the USA Network has always been happy with the ratings Raw brings in, so this makes sense. Hopefully Smackdown moving to a better day (Thursday) and better network (USA) means that it will be treated as something other than a Raw re-run. The WWE has so much TV time that it’s always baffled me that it can’t add a few more under card feuds with guys who are itching to get on TV. If they don’t do it now, they probably never will, but this is a chance for the WWE to have two important TV shows on every week, and I hope they take advantage of that.
– Ryan
5 Stars From Last Night’s #RAW – The Beast, The Diva’s & NXT Arrives
The first Raw after WrestleMania is always one of WWE’s best shows, and while we didn’t get any major surprises like year’s past, there was still enough solid wrestling and returns/debuts to keep us satisfied. A few NXT superstars made a big impact, and a returning Irishman put his boot back to work. Let’s get to it!
1. Brock Lesnar is the best wrestler going right now
If you missed WrestleMania last night, you missed one of, if not the hardest hitting main event in the show’s history. Lesnar took on Roman Reigns, and they literally beat the shit out of each other. For most of the match, Lesnar suplex, clotheslined and F-5’d Reigns like he was playing with a toddler. Reigns mounted a comeback, but just as the tide was turning, Seth Rollins snuck in and stole the WWE Championship from both of them, leaving WrestleMania as the new champion. Needless to say, Brock Lesnar was not happy. He came out to start Raw still in his wrestling gear, and Heyman announced he would like his rematch right now. Seth Rollins initially agreed, then backed out, and Lesnar snapped. The reason Lesnar is the best wrestler going right now is because he is the most believable guy in the ring at all times. Back in the day the monster heels used to legitimately scare audiences because even though they thought it the show itself was fake, THIS guy was real. That’s how I feel about Lesnar, which is something I never thought I’d say about a guy in 2015. Even guys like Kane and Big Show, who are larger than life, don’t put the fear of God in me when they get all bug eyed like Lesnar does. Brock just wrecked any living creature that was on his side of the barricade, including F-5ing Michael Cole right out of his loafers. They needed to write Lesnar off TV until his next appearance, and now that he’s clearly over with the fans, this is better than the usual “I’m a prize fighter” excuse. In the interest of my affection for this beast, I hope he’s not away for long.
2. The Intercontinental Championship
It hasn’t even been 48 hours, but the IC and US titles already feel important again. It’s amazing what happens when you give the belts to two established guys and let them have enough time in the ring to have great matches. That’s what the mid card used to be about. Before HBK and Bret Hart were in the main event, they were having the best matches on the card as tag teams or mid card champions while guys like Hogan and Warrior were holding down the main event. Then when HBK and Bret made it to the main event, guys like HHH and the Rock took over the mid card roles. WWE lost it’s way somewhere along the journey, but a Ziggler/Bryan feud is the spark that could reignite the division. As silly as he looked, it was good to see Sheamus back as a heel, which is where he belongs. Bryan defending against Sheamus, Ziggler and a motivated Barrett not only makes for great matches, but they’re all talented enough to create great storylines as well. And please for the love of God be careful with Daniel Bryan’s precious neck.
3. KALISTO
If you’ve watched NXT, you know that Kalisto is at his worst a poor man’s Rey Mysterio and at his best an actual Rey Mysterio. He tags with the new Sin Cara and like most Lucha Libre wrestlers they rely on high flying moves and the selling abilities of their opponents. Most of the time they’re good, but they do have some stinker matches in them as well. Last night, Kalisto was ON. He was flying around the ring, and everyone from Cesaro to Viktor was selling their ass off for him. The crowd was eating it up, too. The post Mania crowds are great, but sometimes they can get a little carried away, which is what happened in the main event. There’s never a need for a crowd to chant ‘we are awesome’. Watch the show and chant all you want, but as someone watching on TV, that chant’s a little much. Anyway, the crowd was great for this match, and I’m glad Kalisto got the pin but didn’t beat either of the tag team champs. A Lucha Dragons/Swinging Cats feud is definitely something I could get on board with.
4. The United States Championship
I can pretty much copy and paste what I wrote about the IC title and put it here, because it’s pretty much the same, glorious thing. If John Cena turns into a mid card super worker and elevates the US title I will forgive a lot of things he’s done in the past. This SHOULD lead to a new and improved Rusev eventually beating Cena, but for now, I want Cena having matches like last night’s match with Ambrose. Cena’s reputation automatically makes it believable when he beats guys like Ambrose, but it’s much more effective when they have a match like this and both guys end up looking great. Ambrose doesn’t really have any knockout blows, so he’s stuck trading punches and secondary moves with a guy like Cena, and that’s a battle Cena is going to win every time. Ambrose is a little nuts, which helps him kick out of the AA and power out of the STF, but ultimately he just doesn’t have enough in the tank to win. This is how guys SHOULD be fighting over a title, and I hope Cena becomes a fighting champion, because there are guys like Ambrose, Harper and possibly Neville waiting for a shot.
5. The Divas
Their match was a little short at Mania, but it seemed like AJ, Paige and the Bella’s were really enjoying themselves out there, and same goes for last night. They were given more time and a few additions in Natalya and Naomi, and they put on a solid match. I liked the story, too, as the tease pre-Mania was AJ and Paige fighting, but now it looks like the Bella’s are no longer on the same page. As good as the Bella’s are as heels, it is time for them to split again. Nikki especially has grown into her own character, and she could benefit from a run with the title without the assistance of her sister. The Diva’s as a whole seem like their enjoying themselves more out there, and there’s a noticeable difference in the in ring product. The Give Diva’s a Chance hash tag should help the Diva’s, and it goes beyond just giving them more time in the ring. The storylines should be more wrestling centric, and the announce team should treat their matches as seriously as any other match on the card. If not, get Brock Lesnar back out there and have him take out the announce team again.
– Ryan
5 Stars From Last Night’s #RAW & The Unnecessary Hole The WWE Has Dug Themselves For The Main Event of WrestleMania
The final Raw before WrestleMania aired last night from Los Angeles, and for the most part was a pretty solid show. Every WrestleMania match has been made, so Raw served as a platform to tie up any loose ends and get the final fight/promo out of the way before WWE’s biggest show of the year. Just like last week, all hands were on deck, including Sting and Brock Lesnar, and one of them was utilized correctly while the other one still has me puzzled. I’m going to make this a joint article with the regular five star setup followed by what happened to close Raw.
1. This IS Sting
Sting opened up Monday Night Raw last night and it was a breath of fresh air. I can’t remember the last time someone other than a member of The Authority started Raw, so not only was Sting a sight for sore eyes, but he had a lot of energy and finally explained why he was in the WWE. Stephanie McMahon is so evil and played her role pitch perfectly, including the damsel in distress after her slap backfired. It’s clear by it’s use both as Fast Lane and last night’s Raw that the sledgehammer and the baseball bat will come into play for Sting and HHH’s match at Mania, but how that will happen is anyone’s guess at this point. Not only is Sting in great shape, but he really seems to be enjoying himself. He’s at the stage in his career where he’s going to get a huge pop no matter what arena he walks into, and I fully expect Levi’s Stadium in San Fran to blow the imaginary roof off the stadium on Sunday. If he can, I’d love for Sting to stick around for one more year and finish his career off in Dallas for next year’s Mania, but for now I’m going to enjoy him Stinger Splashing HHH on Sunday.
2. Have Yourselves A Match Nikki & Paige
Raise your hand if heading into Raw you thought Nikki Bella and Paige would have the match of the night. Raise your hand if halfway through Raw you thought Nikki Bella and Paige would have the match of the night on the same show that included Daniel Bryan vs. Dolph Ziggler. I’m assuming no one has their hands raised. This isn’t a knock on Nikki or Paige or any of the Divas, but the WWE hasn’t exactly inspired us with confidence when it comes to the Divas division. Nikki and Paige were given enough time to tell a story and have a solid match, and look what happened: they told a story and had a solid match! I’m hoping this will lead to a Fatal Four Way or Triple Threat match for the Diva’s title at Mania, because not having the championship defended at your biggest show isn’t right. If the match stays as is, they should have enough time to at least have a good match (it is a 4 hour show), and I expect Paige and AJ to feud shortly after Mania.
3. RUSEV
Besides the Diva’s match, my other personal highlight was Rusev killing Jack Swagger and John Cena. Props to Michael Cole for pointing out that Lana is usually the one who stops Rusev from going too far post match, but since she’s not here, he’s basically a monster without a leash. I fully expected Cena to come down to the ring and toss Rusev around and leave him running up the ramp, but NOPE. Rusev just forearmed him in the face, threw him into the barricade and camel clutched him until he passed out. My only complaint was that he didn’t drape the Russian flag over Cena’s lifeless body afterwards. The pessimist in wrestling fans came out last night when people started tweeting that now Cena is definitely going to win at Mania. How about we enjoy the show guys? Maybe Cena wins, maybe he doesn’t. The key to Rusev will be how he responds to his match at Mania, and while a loss will definitely hurt him, if he comes back strong he’ll be fine in the long run. I really hope he is fine in the long run, because he is far and away my favorite character on the show right now.
4. Bray Wyatt
Welp, there’s a new face of fear. This was SO GOOD. SO GOOD CAPTIAL LETTERS EXCLAMATION POINT. When the thunder and lightning effects kicked in I thought we’d get another Undertaker voice over, but it looks like Wyatt has literally usurped The Undertaker as the WWE’s resident poltergeist. He now has The Undertaker’s powers, and as good as Heyman has been hyping up Lesnar/Reigns, Wyatt has been even better. Heyman at least has someone beside him in Lesnar and someone to play off of in Reigns. Bray Wyatt has stood in the middle of that ring and single handedly sold us on a WrestleMania match with The Undertaker. The most mythical and holy match in the history of wrestling, and Wyatt’s done it on his own. If you still doubt Wyatt after that promo, you’re an idiot and don’t under pro wrestling.
5. Paul Heyman
Heyman started off his promo saying there’s nothing more he can say to sell us on the WrestleMania main event, then he went ahead and did it anyway. Without Heyman, this main event build would have been terrible, but I’m assuming the WWE knows that, and wouldn’t have set this match up without Heyman in the picture to begin with. He is wrestling’s best hype man, and his client is wrestling’s greatest beast. I don’t think Lesnar is going to lose at Mania, and I don’t think he should lose at Mania, which brings me to my next point…
What the hell was that ending? The WWE has done a great job lately in rallying the fans together to have the same opinion on a segment or a match, and that is the farthest thing from a compliment. At the Royal Rumble, the WWE booked the Rumble match so foolishly they screwed up their own coronation ceremony of Roman Reigns. I have no beef with Reigns winning the Rumble, or him main-eventing Mania, but what did you expect the crowd to do when Daniel Bryan, Dolph Ziggler, Dean Ambrose and Bray Wyatt were all dumped out of the ring by KANE AND THE BIG SHOW? You had the show in Philly! One of the smarkiest crowds in wrestling, and you end a show like that. The fans lashed out, rightfully so, and now the WWE was forced to promote the main event on their biggest show of the year from deep within a hole they dug themselves. They trotted Roman Reigns out to the middle of a ring with a microphone, his main weakness, and sat there baffled when people shit all over it. Paul Heyman became their saving grace, but come bell time Sunday night, Paul Heyman won’t be in that ring. It will be up to Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns to put on a match that is worthy of the main event spot of a WrestleMania. The preview we got for that match last night was mind blowingly bad. You have the most dominant champion of this century and his equally as alpha male opponent tussle over the belt? I understand you don’t want a large scale brawl, but they needed to do something more than that. Unless WrestleMania opens up with Lesnar and Reigns still in the middle of the ring in LA fighting over the belt, I’m not satisfied, and once again, neither is the entire WWE Universe. The excuse of “it’s three hours of TV and it’s hard to get everything right” does not apply here. This what the WWE does: they put on shows that the audience pays for and we expect to be entertained. Maybe our favorite guy isn’t in the main event, maybe their best wrestlers don’t get enough ring time, but the audience puts blind faith in Vince, HHH and the writers and we are continually disappointed. I’m going to watch and enjoy WrestleMania and I expect most of the card to be great, but it won’t be because of anything that happened in the final minutes of last night’s Raw. The WWE will once again operating out of a hole they dug themselves in, and depending how Mania ends on Sunday, they might not be able to dig themselves out.
– Ryan
Jon Gruden Breaks Down The Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal On A Special Edition Of Gruden’s QB Camp #WWE
ESPN analyst and WWE fan Jon Gruden took a break from quizzing quarterbacks this week to break down the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal. Gruden does more research here than the entire announce team does on a yearly basis, and it makes for a great little segment. Axel as a dark horse and Ryback as a favorite are both solid picks, and it appears bringing back the Bunny is an ESPN thing as Bill Simmons mentioned it last night and Gruden does again here. On a side note, I love Gruden’s fascination with Titus O’Neil and his dog bark, it’s wonderful. I also love that ESPN is giving WWE some mainstream press ahead of Mania, as Grantland has always had some great WWE articles with The Masked Man, but getting guys like Gruden and Bill Simmons in on the fun is awesome. I’ll save my pick for the battle royal for the preview and predictions article on Friday morning, but don’t be surprised if Jon enters as a special entrant and takes home the trophy.
– Ryan
**UPDATE** Matt’s take:
I’m starting to think that Jon Gruden lives in his QB Camp office. The two places you see him throughout the year are there and in the booth for Monday Night Football. Love the analysis here. Only Jon Gruden would know that Titus O’neil sacked Peyton Manning back in his college days. This guy knows his shit. Probably has every NFL team’s playbook memorized and still has time to practice his Titus “bark” in his spare time. “I get a sore throat watching Ryback”, not sure what that means but it doesn’t sound good.
PS – How much do you want to bet Jon Gruden thinks Andre The Giant is still alive and that he can recruit him to play in the NFL?
-Matt
5 Stars From Last Night’s #RAW – The Divas, Paul Heyman & The Vigilantes
WrestleMania 31 is now less than two weeks away, and everyone was on hand for last night’s Raw ahead of WWE’s biggest event. WrestleMania is far and away the hardest event for the WWE to promote, as not only is it a four hour show, but there are more superstars performing at WrestleMania than any other pay per view. Including HHH and Sting, Fast Lane had 22 superstars and Divas on the show. There are 17 superstars alone in the Andre the Giant Battle Royal at WrestleMania, with more sure to be announced closer to the show. The WWE tries to get everyone they can on the show, which leads to a lot of short segments on the Raw’s and Smackdown’s leading up to the pay per view, which takes away from the build to some of the matches. Last night’s Raw had some peaks and some valleys, but ended on a high note that should have fans not only excited for next week, but also WrestleMania 31.
1. The Divas Division, Finally
Do you see what happens when the Divas are given a little time to work? This wasn’t a five star match, but it was solid, and most importantly, it furthered the storyline heading into Mania. The Bella Twins almost play two roles here: they are what Vince wants as a Diva, with super model looks and a culture crossing appeal, but to the hardcore fans, they are the anti Divas. Post Attitude Era fans are wrestling centric, and that goes for both the guys and the girls. Divas like Paige and AJ Lee resonate as ‘baby faces’ because they’re portrayed as focusing on wrestling first and everything else second. The Bella Twins, while they’ve improved in the ring, are the stars of Total Divas and the faces of the Divas division, but are still seen as models trying their hand at wrestling. The Bella’s vs. Paige and AJ is a perfect mix of styles and should be a fun match at Mania, and I’m glad they’re getting some time to not only tell a story but show that they can hang in the ring.
2. John Cena, Minus The ‘Balls’ Joke & Rusev, Of Course
Here’s my main beef with John Cena: he is not authentic. For all his Make-A-Wish sightings and t-shirt sales, he is the most inauthentic person on the WWE roster. He stands for hustle, loyalty and respect and wants kids to emulate him yet on back to back to Raw’s he has choked out a guy who didn’t give him what he wanted and then told that same guy that his manager/maybe girlfriend is the one who has the balls in their relationship. John Cena is supposed to be TV PG, and more than that, he’s supposed to the face of WWE’s TV PG movement. He is not The Rock, he is not Stone Cold, he is not HBK and he is not HHH. He is supposed to be a clean cut, Hulk Hogan esque superhero, yet when it benefits him, he can pull shit like he did on Rusev for the past two weeks. Do you ever remember Hulk Hogan asking someone if their girlfriend was the one with the balls in their relationship? No you do not, because that wasn’t what his character was all about. It was about being a role model to kids, taking your vitamins and saying your prayers. It’s supposed to be everything to the kids and lame to the adults, but Cena insists on trying to pander to both. His promo on Raw was great, fiery stuff, and as much as the USA vs. Russia angle is kind of burned out, at least Cena is showing some passion. Then Rusev got in the ring and Cena turned on the charm, asked him if his balls were with his girlfriend and all was lost. I still liked it because Rusev is great, and his written statement was so wonderful. I’ve mentioned it before, but speaking in broken English gives you leeway in your promos, and Rusev knows that, and executes it perfectly. What he’s saying doesn’t really have to make sense. What matters is that his message gets across, and that message is Russia>USA. When John Cena wins at Mania I’m going to cry for a thousand years.
3. Brock Lesnar, Paul Heyman & Roman Reigns
This is more Paul Heyman and Lesnar than Reigns, but Reigns kept his promo short and sweet, and I’m glad he’s added something to the ‘Believe That’ line. ‘I can and I will’ is still kind of lame, but it’s progress, and his promos should be kept under two minutes at a maximum. Paul Heyman, on the other hand, should be given free REIGN over the show. He and Bray Wyatt are single handedly selling WrestleMania matches, and Heyman is at the absolute top of his game, which is saying something. He is simultaneously building up Reigns as a worthy competitor and Brock as an unbeatable champion. That may sound easy, but it’s something few other managers or superstars have mastered. I also love how Brock and Heyman have brought Lesnar’s real life contract dispute into the fray, because ignoring it would be silly in the internet age. We all know Lesnar walked out of Raw a few weeks ago, and we all know he’s undecided on his future. The WWE is the only company in the world that can use real life backstage details to enhance storylines, and I’m glad they’re doing that here. Also, Brock getting bleeped out because he threatened to ‘fuck up Roman Reigns’ was wonderful stuff.
4. Holy Hell, That IC Title Tag Match
If you’re taking bets at home, my money is on the IC Title ladder match to steal the show at Mania. I know that’s like saying Elizabeth Banks is pretty, but sometimes you need to get the obvious out of the way. It was clear from the beginning of this angle that this match would be the one that everyone would be talking about, and I’m glad the guys involved in last night’s tag match showed so much emotion and passion. The IC Title used to mean something, and it was a major building block on the road to the major championships. That prestige has been lost in recent years, but now you have six guys who are scratching and clawing their way back to the main event scene, and a major WrestleMania moment awaits them. The WWE needs to keep this momentum going after Mania if they want the IC title to be relevant again, but at the very least, they have right superstars in place to make that happen. Last night’s match was great, and if there’s one thing the WWE does well, it’s put on fantastic 6 man tag matches. It started a few years ago with The Shield and continued no matter what combination of guys are in the match. I liked the tease of fan favorites Daniel Bryan and Dolph Ziggler, as well as the in sync outfits of Luke Harper and Dean Ambrose. This match will steal the show, and I have no clue who’s going to win at Mania. What I do know is that it won’t be R-Truth.
5. Randy Orton & Sting – The Vigilantes
When Seth Rollins unveiled his genius plan, you knew Sting was coming out, but that’s the best thing about Sting in 2015: you can see him coming from a mile away, but it’s still awesome. When the lights went out and the crow squawk echoed throughout the arena, the place ERUPTED for Sting. Also, how great does Sting look? He looks in better shape than most of his TNA run, and I’m glad the WWE is progressively upping his physicality. He got to whip a couple people with a bat last night, as well as deliver a double Stinger Splash and a Scorpion Death Drop. Sting/HHH isn’t going to wow anybody technically, but the storytelling and psychology of that match will be excellent. Another smart move by the WWE is lumping in Rollins/Orton with HHH/Sting as well as not having Rollins and Orton get any more physical than they did last week. You don’t want to show your hand before a big time Mania match, and although the brawl last week was a little much, I’m glad they scaled it back this week and let the rest of The Authority take the beat down. If Sting decides to stick around after WrestleMania, he and Randy Orton need to team up as The Vigilantes. I will not rest until that happens.
– Ryan
Wiz Khalifa Performed On WWE Raw Last Night & I’m Not Sure What Either Side Was Thinking
The worst part is that I actually enjoy Wiz Khalifa’s music. I’m not the world’s biggest Wiz fan, but I enjoy his music, so I can only imagine what people who don’t like him were thinking last night. Wiz Khalifa and the WWE Universe mix as well as cement and oil. The WWE HAD to know this going in. They had to. There’s no way anyone from the WWE heard Wiz Khalifa’s music and thought “you know what would be great? Wiz Khalifa performing three songs on Raw during WrestleMania season!”. I understand he’s from Pittsburgh, but this isn’t the time or the place for a hip hop artist to be doing a mini set. It’s a really odd decision, especially a week after they pulled off one of the better celebrity cameos on Raw with Jon Stewart. After about 30 seconds of Wiz performing last night I had terrible flashbacks of Cee Lo Green at Summerslam:
– Ryan
5 Stars From Last Night’s #RAW
Last nights Raw featured a 3 song concert by Wiz Khalifa and the two top tag teams losing to The New Day and Los Matadores, respectively. Sting finally “spoke” in response to HHH’s challenge and general bashing of himself and WCW, and even that was weird. It would have been a sub par Raw in general, but since we’re less than three weeks away from WrestleMania, it felt especially stale. There’s no way I could pick five things that I liked about this episode, but I’ll try my best.
1. At Least the IC Title Picture is Interesting
After another talking segment to open Raw, we were treated to two matches featuring four superstars who be vying for the IC title at WrestleMania. The first was BNB vs. Daniel Bryan and the second was Dean Ambrose vs. Stardust. While the merry go round of competitors for the IC title has been fun, I can’t help but think how much better this whole thing would be if the IC belt itself wasn’t treated like garbage for the last 1-5 years. WWE is making up for this by putting pretty much all their best workers in one match, and the build up has been fun because you know the in ring product will be great no matter what. R-Truth on commentary for almost a half hour was a little much, but both matches were solid, and a multi person MITB style ladder match that includes Daniel Bryan, Dolph Ziggler, Luke Harper and a face painted Cody Rhodes can’t possibly be bad.
2. Paul Heyman, The G.O.A.T.
I have a feeling someone backstage is purposely messing with Heyman’s microphone because they know how much it’s going to piss him off and unleash his inner verbal beast. This was one of Heyman’s best promos EVER, and I hope no contract talks leak out ahead of Mania because after this promo I really can’t see Brock losing the title. If news leaks out that he’s definitely going to UFC then we’ll know he’s losing, but it if doesn’t, I’m having a hard time picturing a scenario where he loses. Heyman is the ultimate hype man, and here he mixes some old school pro wrestling theater with a little bit of shoot promo skills and sells the main event at the same time. It’s refreshing hearing Heyman speak so passionately especially after the rest of the show’s promos from Rollins, Orton and The Authority were so emotionless.
3. Bray Wyatt & The Undertaker
Yesterday I wrote about The Undertaker possibly coming to Raw last night to answer Bray Wyatt’s challenge, and I’m glad he showed up (sort of). The Undertaker’s nemesis’s stealing his urn is one of those turning points in Undertaker feuds. Mankind did it. Yokozuna did it. CM Punk did it. Every time somebody took his urn, his essence, they thought they had the upper hand on Taker, but he’d always resurrect and defeat them. This time’s it’s different, obviously. Undertaker is as close to the end of his career as he’s ever been, and he hasn’t faced a competitor as young and in need of a giant push since Randy Orton in 2005. Regardless of the outcome, Undertaker feuds are just so much fun to watch. They’re different than everyone else’s matches entirely, and almost seem to exist outside the WWE Universe. When Seth Rollins and Orton feud, you know you’re going to get duel promos and a brawl at some point. With The Undertaker, you have smoking urns and lightning being shot from the ceiling and thunder and voice overs from beyond the grave. It’s awesome. I think Wyatt should win at Mania, but I’m also just happy to have the Deadman back again.
4. Randy Orton
This probably should have happened the day after Fast Lane, but it was still a good brawl. My only question is where does Orton/Rollins go from here? I’m assuming they’re going to fight at Mania, but what’s the point? Orton got his revenge. He drew Rollins in, played him like a fool, destroyed him and forced him to leave the arena on a stretcher. What would they be fighting for at Mania? Unless a stipulation involving the briefcase is added, I’m not sure what kind of drama would surround this match. With that said, it was nice to see some aggression from Orton. When he’s on, he’s still one of the best guys on the roster with one of the best and most unpredictable finishing moves.
5. Connor “The Crusher’ Michalek
You can’t say enough about the WWE for doing something like this, and that video package made me cry some serious man tears. Congrats to Connor’s family, and congrats to the WWE for being awesome.
– Ryan
Will The Undertaker Show Up On Raw? A Way Too In Depth Analysis
WWEDOTCOM – Bray Wyatt’s obsessive need to battle and subsequently attempt to take down The Undertaker at WrestleMania 31 has yet to elicit a response from The Phenom, but that hasn’t stopped the enigmatic Superstar from continuing to raise the stakes. Thursday night on SmackDown, The Eater of Worlds revealed The Deadman’s sacred urn to be in his possession. Will this latest move by The New Face of Fear finally prompt a response from the legendary Superstar? And, what does The Man of 1,000 Truths have in store for the urn on Raw?
The WWE Universe knows the history of Undertaker’s urn and the significance that it holds to his eternal legacy. It’s also no secret that the sacred urn has some mystical connection with The Demon of Death Valley. Wyatt knows having the urn in his hands is sure to get under The Undertaker’s skin. So, will Wyatt’s SmackDown reveal compel The Deadman to finally rise from the ashes of his WrestleMania 30 defeat?
If the sight of the urn in Wyatt’s hands doesn’t bring The Undertaker back, maybe whatever the creepy Superstar has planned for this Monday night will. Wyatt professed that he will unleash the urn’s spirit on Raw, making us wonder what he could possibly have planned. Will we witness the “power” of the urn come to life? And, if so, will we finally see The Deadman in the flesh on Raw?
The Bray Wyatt/Undertaker WrestleMania buildup has been an interesting one, and one squarely on the shoulders of Bray Wyatt. WWE fans should be used to this kind of feud during WrestleMania season, as legends of yesteryear like The Rock, Brock Lesnar, HHH, Batista and The Undertaker are part timers who show up sporadically to help build their feud leading up to Mania. What makes this feud different is the fact that we haven’t seen or heard from The Undertaker at all. Taker hasn’t appeared at all, and the only gong we’ve heard came from Wyatt at Fast Lane, as he pretty much tricked everyone into thinking The Undertaker was making his triumphant return to the WWE. While it’s custom for The Undertaker to be off of WWE TV for most of the year, this is also unchartered territory. The Undertaker has always returned to the WWE after a WrestleMania win, but now that his streak is broken, how and when should he come back?
The Undertaker has been a WrestleMania only performer since 2011, and has always returned to WWE TV prior to the show to help promote his feuds. In 2011, he first appeared on the 2/21 episode of Raw, well over a month before his match with HHH at WrestleMania 27. In 2012, The Undertaker first appeared on the 1/30 episode of Raw, over two months before his rematch with HHH at WrestleMania 28. In 2013, he first appeared on the 3/4 episode of Raw, over a month before he defeated CM Punk at WrestleMania 29. Finally, in 2014, Taker first appeared on the 2/24 episode of Raw, over a month before he lost to Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 30.
What do these dates tell us? Not much, considering we’re talking about the unpredictable world of pro wrestling, but with WM 31 only 20 days away, it does you show that the Undertaker has never appeared on a Raw for the first time this late into WrestleMania season. While his real life health and the fact that he lost at WrestleMania 30 have to be factored into the equation, it still is strange to not have The Undertaker back yet. While Wyatt is more than capable of carrying a feud with his excellent promo skills, I’m hoping for something to happen tonight; maybe a Titantron message, a dimming of the lights, his signature gong or an actual appearance from the Deadman. This could be the feud that officially puts Wyatt back on the map as a future main eventer, and the Undertaker’s presence alongside the ‘new face of fear’ will only enhance his image.
– Ryan
