Get rid of Brock

Yes, I said it and I mean it. 

You might wonder what made me write about it. Well recently a "news" story surfaced about supposed problems with Lesnar backstage at recent RAW. I am not going to talk about the story itself, as there are a couple variants of it circulating and any of them could be true, but everything points out that Brock and WWE cannot get to an agreement about what his contract allows and what it doesn't.

And by now I seriously don't see why WWE is still thinking about it, sack his sorry ass, it's not like you need him. With the current contract Lesnar barely shows up on televised programming, doesn't do house shows, rarely does PPV's. And you know what? No one cares. After an episode of RAW without Brock, no one is talking about Lesnar, no one cares about Lesnar, people are talking about what they just watched and what could it bring for the future. 

Sure, he is a big name - in certain circles - and maybe does bring some excitement when he shows up, but is he really worth all that money? It's a rhetorical question, so don't bother answering. He isn't. Even more, an interesting side effect of Brock is that by not showing up and not defending the title, he shows how incompetent people responsible for storylining the main title of the company are. How? That is simple, people stopped caring about the title and that is the sad truth. By not showing up, Lesnar showed how little the title actually means in today's WWE. And it means so little, that if you remove it, nothing happens, almost no one asks for it and most find more entertainment in current events. The "Reigns vs. Lesnar" match at Wrestlemania might be for the title, but more interesting topic to talk about for people is "Does Roman deserve to be in this match?".

Congratulations WWE, you made a footnote out of you own damn title once more. That is just sad.

WWE Fastlane 2015 - Review

The final big event before Wrestlemania is behind us and the fallout leaves us in a pretty much the same spot we were in before it. Regardless of if you liked it or not, most of the things that did transpire yesterday deem it pretty much pointless and you have to admit that. What do I mean? Well, I'll talk about it in a moment. What bothered me the most, for some bizarre reason, is how slow every match seemed like. Everything, every move, looked sluggish and reserved. I don't know if the cause of that was that it's the last PPV before Westlemania and they didn't want to risk injuries, or maybe the fact that this event was for free on WWE Network for new subscribers. Whatever the case, it irritated me.

 

The situation of Dolph Ziggler didn't change, like at all. He is still one of the more entertaining guys on the roster and constantly gets the short end of the stick. I really do not understand the logic behind what WWE is doing with him. On one hand they gave the win at Survivor Series and everyone thought that this would be the beginning of an actual push for the "Show off", little did we know, the management had completely different plans. Why? He is good in the ring, sells offence better than most of the guys on the roster and can be very good on the microphone, when given the opportunity to do something with it. There is no reason for the situation he is currently in. You cannot say the same thing about Ryback, but he is ok in what he does and people seem to like him. He is popular enough for the entire arena to chant "Feed me more" and is credible enough to be an actual threat. Sure, you could argue that there isn't anything WWE has to offer for him, so it's better that he gets anything than just not be on TV at all. And to a degree I do agree. The problem here is that it's hard to keep invested in what he does, when he doesn't really do anything interesting. And speaking of people hanging in the void of creative incompetence, we have Eric Rowan. Every time I see him I wonder, does the C-team even know what they want to do with him? He needs direction, people! The match itself was had a very throw away feel to it, and seemed to be made just to have Randy Orton have a point of returning, which basically means we will get a match at Wrestlemania, Rollins vs. Orton.

Moving onto Seth Rollins and the gang... I have to admit that I am really getting annoyed with Seth Rollins. Yeah, I know, he is the heel, I am suppose to not like him, I am suppose to root for his opponents. I am well aware of that. But there is a big difference between being a heel and being an annoying cunt and if you don't get what I'm saying, he's the annoying cunt. But I am not blaming him, I blame the fucktards that write his character. There are only so many times you can write "and then cowardly runs away" before it loses all meaning, you dig that? Even the most cowardly heels for time to time did things by themselves. That gives them credibility, that makes them an actual threat to anyone. At this point any opponent of Seth Rollins doesn't even care about Seth, the are more bothered by people who come out with him. You do realize this guy will eventually need to be on his own, right? The whole savior of Authority gimmick is over and forgotten. DO SOMETHING WITH HIM.

The match I actually waited the most for, turned out the best on the card, as predicted by many. The Cena vs. Rusev for the US Title didn't let down. It was exactly what we expected and we got just that. Cena and the Bulgarian Russian going at it in a physical match. The outcome didn't hurt anyone. Cena lost, but it wasn't a clean loss and there will definitely be a rematch, most likely at Wrestlemania. I don't know if you noticed, but this was one of the few matches Rusev actually used heel tactics to win. That's the problem with Rusev character, up to now, except for few instances, he didn't really do anything heelish. Almost every match he won clean, no interference, no dirty tactics. So what happened in this match, while so simple, was actually very meaningful. And because he didn't rely on heel tactics up to now, it also tells about how he treats John Cena as his opponent. As I said, there will be a definite part two to this, so it's still in the air, but I am ok with that. 

Roman Reigns vs. Daniel Bryan was a weird match, to say the least. When it comes to offence the upper hand was clearly on Bryan's side. He was almost constantly on the attack, dodging and reversing most of what Reigns did. And that's the weird part, didn't WWE want Roman to be the "Next best thing"? Should he get more offensive moves in? That is how you win a crowd over, you show the guy can dance with the best and eventually, one by one, people get on his side. What they decided to do was to have Roman get pummeled and every now and then get a hit in. Reigns looked down right shy in this match, almost clueless as to what to do and where to be. He still has a lot to learn about in-ring psychology. It would also help if he didn't rely so much on his big moves, there was a guy in the past who was like that, Goldberg, but he was a different guy and those where different times. Still, with that said, I do think it is a good thing that WWE is pushing him. Why? Very simple reason. If he succeeds that great, we get the new big face of the company with Cena growing older. If he fails, WWE has no one to blame for this, other than themselves.

The rest of the show was kind of dull honestly. The Rhodes match failed to impress. It was slow, almost nothing was going on and the win for Goldust guaranteed a rematch in the near future. Tag Team Championship match fell flat as well, way below expectations, WAY below the capabilities of the involved people. With those teams I expected a fast paced, action packed match... That was not it. We will be able to see it again though, with Kidd and Cesaro winning the belts a rematch is happening in the near future. Diva match was pointless as always, as is most of the things Bella Twins are involved with. And the Intercontinental match outcome was downright stupid. What was the point of having Ambrose disqualify himself here? I mean, he will probably get another shot at the title (because reasons), but logically it should be it. He had his shot, there is nothing left to grab on. 

The highly anticipated confrontation between Triple H and Sting was just a waste of time honestly. Nothing that was said and done couldn't be done on regular RAW. Plus the only thing that was there is that we got a confirmation for the match at Mania between the two and that's it. Whole thing lasted maybe 5 minutes and was a let down. As a side note, I know this was meant to be a one on one thing and they didn't want to ruing Sting's 5 minutes, but where was the rest of the Authority in this when Triple H was laying on his back after being stuck with a baseball bat and Deathdropped?

And lastly a word about Bray Wyatt segment... The challenging sure is nice and all, but shouldn't Taker at least do something? It's a one man show right now and it's not how a wrestling build-up works...

 

Overall the event was quite mediocre. There wasn't exactly anything groundbreaking and honestly I could do without it. Literally nothing would be changed without it, except for the tag titles and Orton's return, but it's not like those two things couldn't happen on RAW or Smackdown. Seriously. Nikki Bella is still the champion, Wade Barrett is still the champion, The Dust feud is unresolved, Wyatt still didn't get an answer from Undertaker, Triple H didn't really say anything we didn't know, Roman Reigns is still going to fight Lesnar as was planned after Rumble. Fastlane was uneventful, almost nothing of importance happened. 3 out of 10 is more than a fair rating.

Fast Lane 2015 - Predictions (and a few things around it)

Damn it does feel like I haven't written anything in a long time and looking at the date of my last post it certainly does look like it. I blame this and at the same time time thank for this to real life. To those of you that don't know, there has been a few things developing in my life I do enjoy and well, that's not an issue for now.

But as with the break came a few things I haven't said a word about, it does feel like there is a need to address them and maybe give a bit of an explanation as to why. While I do know that I am a part of the so called IWC, I don't like to consider myself as one of them and for a good reason. Most of them seem to be just whiny, bratty, self absorbed, instant gratification type of people that don't have any idea of how the wrestling world actually works and would kill any company given the opportunity of actually running one. That doesn't, of course, take away their constant attempts at undermining everything that isn't exactly the way they want. I am not like that. I used to be like that a while ago, but I evolved and learned to appreciate the good, understand the confusing and hate the bad decisions that often are being made.

With that said, you can probably guess I want to say a word or two about the position Roman Reigns has found himself in. He became the company favorite, which is a terrible spot to be, at least with the current fan base. Do I like the decision to put him in the main event spot? Yes, yes I do. But I do not agree with the method this was achieved. Roman Reigns has great potential and properly managed can be a huge asset in the future, especially with the older generation slowly running out of steam. I do not, however, agree with those saying his push was triggered too early, as well. The push he is currently getting is exactly at the point where it should be, the real problem is with the way people in charge see it happening and the backlash for the results of Royal Rumble show it perfectly.

Coming out of the Royal Rumble Roman could have gained a lot with smarter booking, but with the way everything played out he got out of it harmed, but that was not his fault. If the rest of the match was written better, the result might still stir a lot of minds, but the backlash would subside much faster. By eliminating fan favorites (especially Bryan, Wyatt, Ambrose, Ziggler) like pieces of trash, WWE shot Reigns in the knee themselves. If the whole match the fan favorites had good showings and the final two came down to Bryan and Roman and after a solid performance (which I do believe RR is capable of) from both and some Authority interference, Reigns still won, the fans, while still possibly angry, wouldn't care as much. It would give the reason for putting Brian into the match at Fast Lane as well. Right now we are at a situation where a completely innocent in this Reigns has to pay for management incompetence by having to fight a clear fan favorite. Worse thing is he is supposedly bound to win this match, which will not win anyone over to his camp.

And Daniel Bryan? Why did he even get the shot at the shot at the title? He was eliminated halfway through, he wasn't the most impressive guy in the Rumble (that title goes to Bray Wyatt), there is absolutely no reason to have him in the match except for one thing. WWE is a very reactionary company. They know they fucked up and they are trying to cover up their fuck up by giving Daniel a match at Fast Lane. And as it usually goes in wrestling, everything is a chain of interlinked events. By giving someone a spot you have to deal with consequences. In the upcoming battle Roman is clearly going to be the bad guy, which at least for now, would be better to be embraced by the WWE, cause there is no way they could turn it around. If they will try to make Reigns the good guy by all means, it will end bad even worse, cause they could hurt both of them. Bryan is very over as a face and trying to downplay it will hurt him more then it will help Roman in the long run. But hey, what do I know, right?

And before I get down to predictions, I will throw out a few questions out there, just because... What is the point of Seth Rollins? What did WWE expect by bringing up Ascension from NXT without having actual opponents for them? What was the point of Ziggler's win at SurSer in the light of current events? Why are they killing two tag teams when they badly need at least five more?

As of writing this it is: Tuesday, February 17 2015, 15:24 GMT+1. I have watched RAW and the predictions will be based and in order of the Wikipedia article about the PPV which currently holds five matches, no doubt it is not the final card. Not sure where and how the Sting/HHH confrontation will play out and Wyatt has to appear somewhere as well.

John Cena vs. Rusev - For the United Stated Championship

Prediction: John Cena via DQ

Side Notes: I like this for some reason. I know I was very critical of Rusev matches, but this time, this one has something in it I like. Maybe it is the fact it is not about Russia vs. USA, as I hated that Rocky 4 constant crap. Maybe it is the fact that this time it is not just a throw away contender, it is a true main eventer and a future hall of famer fighting against Rusev. Maybe it is the fact that finally the US title is getting a contender that isn't from the middle of the food chain, and that raises the stakes for this match. I don't know, maybe it is a little of everything. Whatever the reason is I am very ok with the way this is being built, that it is more about Cena being a washed up has-been rather then just another "stupid american". When it comes to the result, I am not certain of my prediction, as I see two options. Either - like I stated above - Cena will win by a DQ (or a count out or whatever will be needed so the match won't have a definite ending) so they can build their feud for Wrestlemania or he will just win. I am opting towards prolonging their story to Wrestlemania, which will give Rusev a credible opponent for a big match and it will have Cena involved in something as well. Whatever the result here might be I do believe Cena will win the feud. He is on a losing streak and it is time to build him back a little bit while there is still time before Summer Slam, plus everyone has to eventually lose and Rusev is not an exception to that.

Nikki Bella (with Brie) vs. Paige - For the Divas Championship

Prediction: Paige via DQ

Side Notes: My interest here is almost non existent. The feuds between women in WWE are barely worth any interest. They are never given the proper time, they are never treated seriously and if they happen to be anything above piss break, it's a great success. I see no competitor for Wrestlemania for the Divas title, unless they bring up someone from NXT, so I guess that would be something to do. Paige should win, but I don't see her getting the title, which will make her a valid contender for the title at the next PPV event.

Roman Reigns vs. Daniel Bryan - For the shot at Brock Lesnar at Wrestlemania

Prediction: Reigns via Pin

Side Notes: The problems with this match has been created by the dumb decisions of WWE Creative and they have no one else to blame for this, except themselves. I am not going to go into great details as I did rumble about it above. Reigns will win this, one way or another, as there really isn't anything for him to do after unless he wins it. Imagine Roman doesn't win it, what's next for him? Rollins? No reason. Cena? Already involved with Rusev. Bryan? Why, he just lost to him. Lesnar? Nope. Ambrose? Nah. Wyatt? That's a negative. The only future for Roman in current WWE is if he wins the match and does go to Wrestlemania to face Brock. And that's regardless if you like it or not.

Bad New Barrett vs. Dean Ambrose - For the Intercontinental Championship

Prediction: Ambrose via Pin

Side Notes: I do not have too much to say about it, I just hope someone in WWE thinks for a second about it and realizes that making Ambrose lose ANOTHER match would be another nail into his coffin.

The Usos (with Naomi) vs. Cesaro and Tyson Kidd (with Natalya) - For the Tag Team Championships

Predictions: The Usos via Pin

Side Notes: This is weird seeing a tag team match have an actual build up, but that doesn't make it a good build up. We have a battle of the couples and third wheels. Kidd and his wife vs. Jimmy and his wife... Oh and there is also Jay and Cesaro somewhere in there. I am glancing over them cause I know WWE, they will glance over them as well. The whole emphasis will be put on Natalya, Naomi, Jimmy and Tyson. It could be a fun match to see, regardless of everything, as Cesaro, Kidd and Usos can deliver a nice, high energy matches.

Well... And that is it, for now. I checked again and there still isn't anything added to official card, but I am sure this is not the final round up. Seth Rollins has to have a match. Ziggler, Ryback and Rowan need matches. Kane and Big Show don't have anything to do. Bray Wyatt needs to be there is he is meant to start his program with the Undertaker for Mania. Luke Harper has been snubbed out so far. The Ascension needs another chance to not impress once more. And of course the Sting/HHH confrontation has to fit into this somewhere. There will definitely going to be something more, but for now, that's it. See you next time.