NXT Call Ups… What is WWE Doing Now?

This week we saw, even more, call ups from NXT on Monday Night Raw and Smackdown Live. We also saw a “classy” interference come out once again. Are we ready to cheer on these new talents or will they get pushed to the back of the shelf like some of the NXT stars from the past few years?

Welcome to the Big Time Ricochet

I try to catch NXT as often as possible but it’s not a must watch for me. Sometimes I go back the day following an event and only watch a few matches that are of interest. This guy is always one that I make sure to watch though. He has a great look, good ring presence, and his move set is on point…. That being said I’m not sure any of this new Ricochet talent is quite ready for the weekly televised shows. Guys like Nakamura, Tye Dillinger (now released) and even Asuka have been back burnered a lot since moving up to the main roster because they didn’t have the right support. I hope WWE listens when we say that we want to see more of this guy in the ring. Please give him a chance, and I don’t mean just 2 weeks to show us that he deserves to be here. Push him! Put him in matches that count but also make him earn any title before you just slap it on him. I want to see this guy in the ring with guys like Jeff Hardy, Rey Mysterio and even someone like Mustafa Ali. Let’s see some exciting match-ups….you don’t have to let him win all of them but give him a chance to show us what he can do with some talented superstars.

Ciampa, Johnny Gargano, and Aleister Black

All of these guys had the NXT fans behind them but will it be the same on the main roster. I have a feeling that at least one of these guys will drift back into the shadows post WrestleMania unfortunately.

Ciampa, Gargano & Black

While all of them have in-ring potential, I think it might be too soon. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that Aleister Black excels because he’s fun to watch. He definitely has the look and capabilities, but I’m wondering if the WWE Universe will get behind him. It seems to me that the fans that watch NXT do it more for the wrestling and less for the storyline that becomes part of the main roster. Those are simply your more hardcore pure fans. Ciampa and Gargano are very talented and great on the mic, but I just don’t know if the fans are going to support them on the main roster.

Last… Lacey Evans

I keep hearing that Lacey Evans is going to get a big push after WrestleMania… Why? Not to sound crazy but “What about Asuka?” I feel like there are quite a few females already doing great work on the main roster who deserves a big push far more than Lacey does. I know that she’s probably a great “bad guy,” but honestly I find her a bit annoying and looking a lot too much like Charlotte. Lacey Evans I’m all about the women’s evolution, but we have so many ladies already fighting for screen time on the roster that have worked longer and harder who should get the spotlight a little first. I know that her gimmick was over pretty well in NXT and her stature is more of what Vince wants, but I’m keeping my fingers crossed that this is the one that gets pushed to the back of the shelf out of all of the recent talent call ups. I just don’t see a place for her in the spotlight right now.

There already seems to be so much unused talent on the current roster that I’m not quite sure where these new faces will fit in… Then again, I’m not in charge of a company that makes millions of dollars every year so really who am I to judge right.

What will this Bring–Royal Rumble coming soon

So with the Royal Rumble in 2 weeks what are your thoughts on what will happen on Raw and Smackdown until then? Will we actually see Brock Lesnar active in the ring? Will we see any surprise returns? Will blood be shed? What storylines will become bigger and better or fizzle out?

The Man

Will we get to see The Man take on the whole of the Smackdown Women’s Division? As the current go to superstar in the company we need to see the belt back around the waist of Becky Lynch. While Asuka does deserve more ring time and opportunities no one can deny that The Man is red hot and everyone wants to see her as the winner at the Rumble match. Who knows maybe we’ll get to see Charlotte, Mella, and Asuka all take their frustrations out on Lynch before the big show at the end of January but I’m sure she will still come out of it looking strong. No one in the WWE right now has the straight fire that Becky possesses. Please don’t mess it up… let her keep going and continue to be the crowd favorite.

The Beast

Will we see Lesner compete in a match before the Royal Rumble? My best guess is no, but maybe WWE will decide to surprise us and make him earn the belt that is sitting around his waist. I understand that Roman Reigns is gone, but there are so many other active roster members that deserved the opportunity to wear that title. Guys that show up every week and work… I’m still not sure why Vince is so fascinated with Lesnar. Brock Lesnar In my opinion (keyword here: opinion) he is one of the most overrated wrestlers of the past ten years. He is overpaid, underworked and way overhyped. It’s time for a change and since the WWE Universe seems to want to see the Universal Champion depend the title on a regular basis put it on Braun, Drew, Seth, Dean, Finn or even Dolph for that matter. Make the champion work for the title and show some love for the fans at the same time.

The Main Events

Now let’s talk about the namesake of the upcoming pay per view. Who do you want to see have a storyline starting this week that will push them into the winners seat at the Rumble? Names like Balor, Deville, Naomi, Elias, Jeff Hardy, Nattie, Lashley and Bayley all come to mind. WWE Superstars Let’s have some of these folks feud ahead of time and build to a very dramatic ending to the best Rumbles we’ve seen in years. It’s a little late for much build but maybe opening up some old wounds and feuds could help get the fans more attentive.

For once WWE, please start giving the fans what they want. Let the superstars have some fun and show what they are truly capable of. Put the Beast to pasture and let some new blood start plowing the way into the future.

Survivors Series–and the Week After

Who watched and enjoyed Survivor Series? At our house we decided there was only one great match and the rest were a pretty big snore fest. Followed by a Raw that was okay and a very forgettable Smackdown…. Is all of this because The Man wasn’t present on Sunday or Tuesday?

The Best Match

Watching Charlotte attach Ronda Rousey was the best match of the night. Of course, we Charlotte attacks Rousey at Survivor Series knew that WWE wasn’t going to let Rousey lose in the ring this early on, but I’m not sure anyone could’ve predicted the outcome of the match. While we all wanted to see, The Man cause a ruckus in the ring with Rousey because of a broken face that didn’t happen on Sunday. The outcome of missing Becky wrestle was that Charlotte went out in style by attacking Rousey and not stopping. By far the best match of the night and the week showing us what could happen if we see the two women meet again at Wrestlemania.

Monday Night Raw

On Monday night we saw Baron Corbin throw his weight around as the place-filler GM again…WWE we aren’t stupid, find someone else who is a much better fit for this position and doesn’t play into the Authorities pocket again. We want to see guys like Finn Balor, Elias, Seth Rollins, and Dean Ambrose fight. Elias and Finn Balor How many people want to continue to see Corbin yapping in the ring and talking about how great he is on a weekly basis? I understand you want to portray him as a bad guy but seriously let’s find a way to see more talented men wrestle. Then we go to Ronda with an open challenge, and the result is sending out the oldest female wrestler on the brand. Not that Mickey James isn’t great, but again there are more talented athletes she could be facing. When will we get to see more of Ember Moon? There is some young talent that needs to be featured. The Seth and Dean segment might have been the most exciting part of the night.

Smackdown

We start with Charlotte and the night seems to go downhill rapidly. Charlotte and Paige in the ring together is a welcome sight. We always need more Paige since she can no longer wrestle we will watch her any way we can. While Smackdown didn’t win Survivors Series, it wasn’t a prominent factor on Tuesday night which seems to be a little strange. new day thanksgiving match They did keep seem to keep Charlotte’s momentum going by having her take out both of the Iconics (always a good thing.) The rest of the night kind of drug by like Raw did with The New Day as the only other high spot of the night. I know that Randy Orton and Rey Mysterio was supposed to be a highlight while I do love watching Rey compete I am not a fan of Orton and don’t like the way he is often pushed while others take a backseat.

This week was a rather lackluster week for WWE. We heard the same thing from Rousey again, and the only build was Charlotte’s character. Dean and Seth will continue to go on far beyond TLC, and I’m okay with that. New storylines need to be built and completely flipping Daniel Bryan’s character around probably isn’t the right foot to start on. Come on WWE you pay people to write, and they can do much better than this so give them the opportunities.

The Big Dog–Joe

As I sit here rewatching the beginning of Raw from last night I am driven to put my thoughts and feelings in words. Wow… what a way to start a show and push pause on a great career.

Roman Reigns

This man takes a lot of grief each week from the fans by being booed. I’m not saying we’re not entitled to our own opinions and I know we all have one or a few wrestlers that we always cheer against. I have followed Roman since he arrived on the main roster and I have probably been one of the few who cheers when he makes his way to the ring every week. He has struggled on the mic and has been labeled Vince’s boy but I have always found him fun to watch. Yes he has the look, he has the family lineage and many feel that he has been no more than a puppet on a string but I liked him anyway. Call me petty but I didn’t mind looking at him or laughing at him when he spewed some goofy line but he has shown great improvement over the years. It probably isn’t fair that many tried to compare him to The Rock because of a similar look and some family genetics but everyone did. He is his own person.

The Shield

I watched WWE as a kid and in my early 20’s but slipped away as a fan until my daughter showed an interest back in 2011-2012. The Shield It was around that time when The S.H.I.E.L.D broke onto the main event scene. These three guys came out and made a significant impact on the main roster in a way that no one had in a long time. While Rollins had agility and Ambrose was unpredictable Reigns seemed to be the one who was the quiet, enforcer type. Not only were they skilled in the ring together but they also had the capabilities to be Superstars on their own. They have each had the opportunity to make their skills shine. Even when Rollins turned his back on his friends in the ring I can only imagine that they still shared words and friendly exchanges in their personal lives. You could tell from watching that these guys were brothers outside of the squared circle as well. They were the kind of guys who had your back, and you would have fun just sitting around and having a beer with.

Joe–Only a Man

Last night this man stepped into the ring with the Universal Championship Title over his shoulder. He did something that for many of us is unimaginable. He did it with composure and strength that I’m not sure most people possess. He was a man, relatable to some in a way that we wouldn’t wish on our worst enemy, and he earned some respect that most haven’t shown him up until now. roman reigns health announcement A man, who I’ve liked and cheered for some time, became a man that I will now say a prayer for and wish him nothing but the best in the next part of his story. This man has also shown compassion for kids and fans with health issues the entire time he has been in the public eye. He deserves to be backed during his health battle ahead.

A lot of WWE fans, myself included, like to speculate on what is happening backstage and trying to predict what is going to happen with current storylines. I don’t think any of us could have ever guessed something like this might happen to any of the Superstars. Maybe because we sometimes forget they are people too. This is their life, career, passion and future. I hope all WWE fans can show some support for Joe and his family as he moves forward with taking care of his health and battling his way back to what he loves to do. I can’t wait to see the comeback ,when it happens, because hearing this man talk about his championship, his family and his future shows that he will be back. Joe may you battle through Leukemia in the same way you have battled through the other Superstars on the roster and come back stronger then ever.

This Week… How The Shield was Wronged

Did everyone watch? What in the world is happening on Monday Night Raw? The greatest faction in the WWE is back and someone decides to call the police and have them carted away.

They’re Back….

the shield

Finally all of The Shield is back together and it’s just like old times…. except what is the angle that is being worked… Why have all of the other Superstars turn on them? Shouldn’t those same guys be turning on Ziggler, McIntyre and Strowman since they think they are going to teach everyone what a true working wrestler looks like? Shouldn’t the WWE be playing up The Shield as the hero’s in the this storyline? Making them the unifying factor with the guys backstage to prove who the real work horses of the show are?

It’s time for the Roman Empire

Wouldn’t now be the best time to build The Shield up and let them become the Roman Empire? Maybe add a cruiser weight or two and a few women to the dynamic and let them run havoc all over Raw or the entire WWE. Let Roman carry the belt around for a while and let the Empire take out anyone who decides to get in their way. You could even add a few stars like Finn Balor and Sami Zahn when he returns to give it a variety of superstars that are just good guys. Let them show us all what working every show everyday does to build up a superstar and give them more screen time and better matches. Let the Empire be there to help out the working guys and to unite the good against the bad.

Don’t Turn Them Against Each Other

taking down the shield

Let’s not replay the angle of having one of them turning on the other? Even if they aren’t together for ever let them always have each others backs. They are good guys. Put the Universal Title on Roman, the tag belts on Seth and Dean, the Intercontinental Title on Finn and let them form the Empire from there. Eventually you could break them all apart but only because they solve the problems backstage not because they decide to turn on one another. Let this be the beginning of the best story line WWE could offer to us in recent years and while building for the future. These guys all have a tremendous amount to offer and this could be the beginning of more screen time for guys who have worked hard and really deserve it.

WWE please build a great storyline for these guys and give them time to work it start to finish before breaking them up. Fans can really get behind The Shield and each of its members if you work this from the right angle.