|
Bookmark Mr. Tito's Column Archive to read the current and past columns. Welcome back to the EXCELLENCE IN COLUMN WRITING exclusively here at LordsofPain.net / WrestlingHeadlines.com. Man, what a roller coaster ride that the WWE has created in attempts to retool the Survivor Series 2017 Pay Per View. Many say that it's a response to New Japan Pro Wrestling's huge Wrestle Kingdom match-up of Chris Jericho vs. Kenny Omega... Maybe that's part of it, but I think that the WWE has finally realized that the existing direction is failing. Notably the dumpster fire known as Smackdown which arguably had the WORST WWE Champion of all time in Jinder Mahal. He was a RAW jobber that was moved to Smackdown and is pushed as a Main Eventer. Not only that, but Jinder was pushed as a heel stereotype when attempting to appeal to India. That's not going to draw and declining India WWE Network subscriptions proved that obvious fact. Lower Smackdown numbers and tarped off sections in live arenas... To further kick this Jinder push in the balls, one of the India shows was cancelled! Just think about what we just saw on Monday Night RAW... (a) Triple H made his return (b) Roman Reigns made his return (c) The Shield wrestled for the first time together since 2014 (d) Braun Strowman vs. Kane (e) Stephanie McMahon was there once again (f) "Go Home" Survivor Series show (g) Brock Lesnar appearance And yet, that can only pull in LESS THAN 200,000 more average viewers than last week? That 3rd hour was loaded, too, and was against a very subpar NFL game and it can only draw just under 2.8 million viewers? If you look at the Smackdown roster, you see complete and utter disaster... Their 2 main champions across the genders were changed just weeks before the Pay Per View. We spent most of the post-Wrestlemania 33 era building up this complete JOKE of a Main Eventer named Jinder Mahal. He goes from a jobber on RAW who didn't win a single televised match since August 2016 to instantly becoming WWE Champion. How does that make sense? Then, the WWE pushes Natalya to the Women's Title for a lengthy reign and she's someone who has been on the WWE roster forever now. Not drawing then, won't now. Just a week before Survivor Series, the have Charlotte Flair become Women's Champion and take Natalya's spot... Well, what was the purpose of pushing Natalya for so long? Here's an idea... Don't make BAD decisions UP FRONT that will cause you to quickly correct them later. I have NOTHING against Jinder Mahal, the wrestler and human being behind all of this WWE madness. WWE Creative tried to prop him up as a Main Eventer in short order and Jinder tried... However, Jinder's employer failed him badly and have caused him to become the worst WWE Champion in history. He was an enhancement talent on RAW who had NO training on in-ring ability and promo work to become a Main Eventer. WWE tried to foolishly rush the process and deny the formula that made many, many stars before 2017. Instead of being rushed to the top, Jinder should have climbed his way out of the midcard while gaining valuable in-ring wrestling and promo work experience... If that keeps improving and fans take notice, that's when you promote him up the ladder. Eventually win a midcard title and if he draws as a midcard champion, then you promote upward further. How did "Macho Man" Randy Savage, Shawn Michaels, Bret Hart, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, Triple H, the Rock, and John Cena become stars? Got over as midcarders, drew as midcard champions, and then were promoted to the main event. And their rise took YEARS to make it to the top of the WWE mountain. WWE can just watch their own WWE Network to see how the wrestling business works... Because they obviously forgot. --------------------------------- Now, I'm not for the hotshotting of champions so close to a Pay Per View to rewrite everything... But I'm so happy for Charlotte Flair. She deserves it. Charlotte is Women's Champion and THE top female star because she's GREAT and TALENTED, not just because she's the legitimate daughter of "Nature Boy" Ric Flair. She has more than proven herself as an in-ring talent and athlete... Now, however, she can spread her wings and embrace the popularity that she has. I thought RAW wasted her as a very cruel and bullying heel. She reminded me of Stephanie McMahon with the way she'd talk down her opponents without any redemption of her opponents. I thought that the stuff with Bayley was particularly bad... The promo work, in particular, could get nasty and she even verbally thrashed Ric Flair in one of the worst RAW segments that I've ever seen. Again, WWE Creative needs quality control. But fans have wanted to CHEER for Charlotte Flair because they know that she's had to overcome much to be in the WWE as a top superstar. Obviously, the shadow of her father... But to succeed as a female wrestler that's respected and earns a permanent spot on a WWE card? Before the Divas Revolution, think about how women's wrestling was treated in the WWE with their short matches and not taking their titles seriously. Thanks to Triple H building them up in NXT, we've seen the likes of Charlotte, Sasha, Becky, and Alexa change the way WWE markets female wrestlers. Charlotte is a big part of that not just because she's Ric's real life daughter, but because she's a damn good wrestler. Fans in the WWE have wanted to cheer her but the WWE Creative Team made her a blonde Stephanie McMahon bully-like character with poorly scripted lines! Thanks to ESPN's 30 for 30, fans are starting to fully appreciate what Charlotte has gone through with her family. Doesn't hurt WHO she is but she's more than proven WHAT she is and that's an amazing wrestler. After Smackdown, the WWE surprised her by bring out Ric Flair to embrace Charlotte after she won the Smackdown Women's Title. That was REAL emotion and something that the WWE can't replicate with any "fake" family relationships (see Kurt Angle and Jason Jordan, synthetic). The second she saw her father, she ran towards him and was full of emotion. Despite how much Ric dedicated himself to the wrestling business and the lifestyle surrounding it, she still loves him and forgives any issues of the past. Of all of the accomplishments Ric has had in the wrestling business, creating a better life and fame for his daughter is his finest. With Ric Flair, think about what he gave wrestling fans... Each and every week, he dedicated himself to wrestling business to please and entertain wrestling fans. He could have spent time with his family more often but instead, he wanted to entertain us. He took all of those bumps in the ring and wrestled anywhere he could... Rarely missed any television, too. He was always there for wrestling fans even if it could have been feeding his lifestyle (10,000 women, holy cow!). It melts me when I see Ric Flair breaking down when he sees his daughter achieve something... If you're a father, you'll understand... But if you're a wrestling fan, you also understand why he's emotional because he's so proud of what Charlotte has become as a grown woman despite him not being around. --------------------------------- WWE SURVIVOR SERIES 2017 PREDICTIONS Enzo Amore(c) vs. Kalisto for the Cruiserweight Title Hey, a title match... Better yet, this is on the pre-game show... Thus, Survivor Series 2017 becomes a show without any titles being defended on the main show. I could easily see the WWE having Kalisto win this only to hype a rematch (or two) on 205 Live. Do we REALLY lack a babyface to challenge Enzo other than a Rey Mysterio wannabe from the main roster? WHO SHOULD WIN: Enzo Amore WHO WILL WIN: Kalisto to set up a 205 Live rematch -------------- Team RAW (Alicia Fox, Nia Jax, Asuka, Sasha Banks, Bayley) vs. Team Smackdown (Becky Lynch, Carmella, Naomi, Tamina, and probably Natalya) RAW's women's team looks a bit more stacked and I don't think WWE wants either Asuka or Nia Jax to eat a pin. That said, they could turn on each other... Then again, with the way the WWE has poorly used Asuka so far, they might let her lose... Nia Jax, though, I'm guessing will get nothing but strong love from the Creative Team moving forward. The message was sent "loud and clear" and she'll probably bulldoze through her opponents. WHO SHOULD WIN / WHO WILL WIN: Team RAW for the Women's Division -------------- Charlotte Flair vs. Alexa Bliss (Non-Title) First of all, I don't like hotshotting matches on FREE television just to quickly adjust a Pay Per View. Looks cheap and it gives no meaning to the title changes. That said, I'll take Charlotte Flair as the Smackdown Women's Champion representative. I'm really excited now for this match-up. In my opinion, the WWE has completely untapped potential with Charlotte as a babyface. She seriously looks like a walking female superhero out there with her size and athletic ability... Yet, the WWE made her an obnoxious heel on the RAW brand earlier and just confusing on Smackdown. Flip that babyface switch HARD and push her strong. In addition to her Flair pedigree, nobody is as athletically gifted as she and as well as having a great look. The WWE pushed her badly on RAW but can make up for it with a proper babyface push on Smackdown as a dominant champion. WHO SHOULD WIN / WHO WILL WIN: Charlotte Flair -------------- Baron Corbin vs. the Miz (Non-Title) Potentially the worst match of the night and I hope that Baron Corbin steps up his game to prove us wrong. I've seen the Miz flip on the after burners enough to present a great match but I haven't it seen it yet from Corbin. Wasn't he the "Money in the Bank" winner, too? Yeah, he was... WHO WILL WIN / WHO SHOULD WIN: The Miz -------------- The Usos vs. Cesaro/Sheamus (Non-Title) Man, I really like the recent work of both tag teams... Hard for me to root for either team to lose. That said, both RAW and Smackdown's tag team divisions are very top heavy and a lot of underpushed or underwhelming talent behind them. I'm not sure who a win here would actually benefit. I suppose it's all about the net worth of the next Tag Team champions on both brands. I figure that the Shield (Ambrose & Rollins) may regain their Tag Titles but I don't think they need the "rub" of beating a stronger team. Shelton Benjamin and Chad Gable, meanwhile, could benefit by beating a stronger team. WHO SHOULD WIN: Cesaro and Sheamus because they are on the superior brand WHO WILL WIN: The Usos -------------- The Shield vs. the New Day Please... New Day is a stable that competes in the tag team division on Smackdown. The Shield features 3 former World Champions with Roman Reigns getting pushed hard right now. Furthermore, the Shield just recently reunited and losing isn't a good thing for a newly reunited group. WHO SHOULD WIN / WHO WILL WIN: The Shield -------------- Brock Lesnar vs. AJ Styles (Non-Title) I just want this match to go AT LEAST 15 minutes. If it's just 15 minutes of AJ Styles bumping for Lesnar, that's fine... Heyman selling the fact that Styles is elusive and fast should be how this match goes down. That said, the plan is to keep building Brock Lesnar as a dominant champion for Roman Reigns to eventually beat during 2018. AJ Styles, meanwhile, has a bad loss to Baron Corbin just weeks ago and he was fighting over the US Title for much of the year. That said, I just want a damn good match to consider for "Match of the Year". This under 7 minute crap with Lesnar has to end. WHO SHOULD WIN / WHO WILL WIN: Brock Lesnar -------------- Team RAW (Kurt Angle, Braun Strowman, Finn Balor, Samoa Joe, Triple H) vs. Team Smackdown (Randy Orton, Bobby Roode, Shinsuke Nakamura, John Cena, Shane McMahon) Pretty obvious that WWE wants to set up Kurt Angle vs. Triple H for Wrestlemania 34. Furthermore, the storyline with Kurt Angle and Jason Jordan appears to be coming to a head. It's just NOT WORKING and utilizing Jordan as a pawn on behalf of Triple H is the last best hope at salvaging him. Members of WWE Creative need to be FIRED for this storyline along with making Kurt Angle act as a DULL General Manager. The guy we saw during the early 2000s is no longer around and replaced with a bumbling authority figure. WHO SHOULD WIN: Team RAW because Smackdown has Shane McMahon, non-wrestler. It's not in a Hell in a Cell match. WHO WILL WIN: Team Smackdown due to Triple H turning on Kurt Angle and/or Jason Jordan costing Team RAW the match. I don't know how Braun Strowman loses other than a cheap countout, though... SO JUST CHILL... 'TIL THE NEXT EPISODE! Comments and feedback are welcome. Follow and Tweet me @titowrestling or login in below to post comments. Bookmark Mr. Tito's Column Archive to read the current and past columns. © Mr. Tito and LordsofPain.net/WrestlingHeadlines.com - 1998-2017
|